The Life of a Bealeton Babe

Monday, February 19, 2007

Where is Remington Press?

Ok, this should have been a simple, easy mission for me and the boob today. We had to go print some stuff and try to shmooze the people at Remington Press to give us free copies. Before I left the house, I checked the address: ... James Madison Rd., Remington. Cool, I knew exactly where James Madison Rd. was and everything in Remington seemed to be right. Should be no problem finding the place right? RIGHT??

Wrong...

The boob and I must had drove up and down James Madison Road five times trying to find the place. I'd check the numbers of houses and they would go from 104 to 1125blahblah instantly. I couldn't find the building I was looking for. I called the hubby in hopes he could look it up on the computer. He didn't answer his cell phone. Then I called my friend Wazis.

"I can't find this place. I must be retarded"

"Well we all know that...Let me call them see where exactly they are"

I drive up and down the road a few more times beginning to wonder if it was run out of a shack or something. Then Wazis called me back.

"Where are you right now?"

"At the post office."

"Ok, you've gone too far. It's way down the road behind a gas station."

Behind a gas station, of course.

I started driving in the direction Wazis told me to go. As I kept driving and getting closer to the end of the road, I really started to believe I was going the wrong way again. Then I noticed the numbers on the road. They were going in the direction I needed them to go in. I started to keep an eye out and 'lo and behold. I found the gas station with the little Remington Press building behind it.

The place is really small. Doesn't seem like a place that handles a major publication like the monthly county newsletter/coupon mailer. The woman general manager was so nice. They even have an office, which me and the boob thought was the coolest thing. She printed my order on site. I mentioned we used to have business with them before. She didn't seem to remember so that meant no free copies, but hey, I get to support a local business. And every month, the boob and I can visit their cute as hell cat.

-The BB

Sunday, February 18, 2007

The mini plow that could

It was the funniest damn thing I ever saw. It was our first winter in this house and of course it snowed. Wasn't bad or anything. But here came this little machine coming down the street and I was like "You gotta be kidding me."

I guess around here there is no state funded big ass plows that come through here. No, no, we got the mini plow. The mini plow is basically a small tractor...at least I think it's that. It's probably about half foot taller than me, with a six foot something guy driving it. It has to go up and down my street four times just to clear the road. But dang it, he clear it. Boy doesn't start working until noon so you can't go anywhere until then but he works all day and into the evening going up and down all the roads.

Occasionally, a bigger truck with a plow attachment will come by and help out, but it's just a one time thing. I'm assuming the guy gets paid by the city of Bealeton, or maybe the county. Just damn, hope he gets paid well. Or are the just being cheap bastards and giving us the mini plow cause they don't want to pay for the big one.

Every time I see the thing I think "I think I can, I think I can."

Saturday, February 17, 2007

OH MY GOD IT SNOWED!

Not aht it hasn't snowed in Bealeton this winter, but the other day we got the big one. Yessire people, we got the storm we've been waiting for. Schools have been closed since Tuesday. People stayed home from work on Wednesday. Even the federal goverment closed early on Tuesday.

Guess what we got people? A whole 1/2 inch of snow with 1/4 inche of ice on top. Yeah the ice was nasty stuff, but guess what, during the day, it melts.

Ok, ok before some of you who experienced this weather down here start jumping down my throat hear me out. I completely understand the early closures on Tuesday. I myself took off of work that day, but rescheduled for fear of getting stuck driving with retards that can't drive in the snow/ice. The hubby also confirmed on Tuesday that the roads were slick. Ok, so I get that. Another thing I completely understood was the closing of school Wednesday. Being that the mini plow in Bealeton doesn't even show up in my neighborhood until noon (another post for another time), I get how it was impossible to get the buses out.

Here's what I don't get:

First off, Fauquier County closed schools on Tuesday. Yup, completely closed them. NO delay openings or early dismissals (which would have made sense). Nope, they closed the schools in sheer anticipation of bad weather. Sure it was snowing in the am on Tuesday, but 1) it wasn't even sticking, 2) it was warm, and 3) it ended within an hour. So there was waste of a snow day #1.

Wast of a snow day #2: Thursday. Crews had all day Wednesday to clear the roads. And trust me, the mini plow that could in Bealeton worked his little ass off and got my area cleared. He did an awesome job. Come Thursday my driveway was the most dangerous place. Not my street. Delay opening, ok, that would be understood. Closoing school? Just stupid.

Waste of snow day #3: Friday. Yup, all area schools were clsoed Friday. Why? I got no friggin' clue. Maybe in other parts of the county it was bad, but COME ON. This is getting retarded. The roads were fine to drive on by Wednesday night. Even the side roads were ok. I'm at a loss.

Maybe the school system feels bad because they know deep down we aren't going to get that 6 inch - 1 foot snow. Hell, we won't even get that 3 inches of snow. Maybe the board figures, "oh give the kids the days, we them to spare". Al I have to say is my friends from Newfoundland and Massachusettes think us in Virginia, Maryland, and DC are a bunch of pussies.

-The BB

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Give them flowers

My senior year of high school I had a peculiar teacher Mr. Miller. The man was...well, an interesting bird. My best memory of him was when he was acting out the story of David and Goliath while standing on his desk. He shouted loudly in a booming voice "And the Goliath wanted to KILL DAVID." The spanish teacher across the hall, Senora Ravitz shouted out her door, "Senor Miller, you are very loud!" He replied "Hey Ravitz, I'm acting out the story of David and Goliath, want to throw a stone at my head?!"

That should basically give you a good idea what he was like.

However, there as something he once said, I have never, ever forgotten. Apparently, he was widowed and had since remarried. Like a good widower, he still visited his first wife's grave.

"I don't bring flowers." he admitted to us, "You should give someone flowers when they are alive, not when they are dead. When they are dead they have no need for flowers. Give people flowers when they are alive."

You all have no idea how many times I think of that simple little bit of advice. Around the same year, I had a boyfriend. The guy gave me flowers all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME. They were mostly always red roses. Sometimes they were pink. One time he gave me peach. Always roses. Sometimes only one, sometimes a half dozen, sometimes even that whole dozen. He gave me roses for our monthly anniversary, Valentine's day, the "I'm sorry I'm an asshole" roses, and even "just because" roses. In the beginning, I loved it. Loved getting them, loved flaunting them around school. However, eventually, I got to a point I would think to myself "Christ flowers again?"

After that boyfriend, if a guy gave me a rose, he wasn't going to last long with me. I loathed them. Was so tired of them. I think the hubby got brownie points because the first time he gave me flowers they weren't roses. Rather they were my favorite flowers of all time...daisies...well actually my favorite flowers of all time are lilacs...but you know...I'm talking about flowers you receive from people...got me? Man, I should have had those flowers pressed...

Anyhoo, time has a funny way of passing and I guess I do learn from my past because now I savor every flower I ever get. Flowers that are sent to me last so long in this house that they start to grow flowers...well ok not flowers but they do get to a point of being VERY dead. I love them, love them, even the roses.

Like Mr. Miller explained, when someone is alive it's amazing the impact a small bunch of flowers could have on someone. And how hard is it? Hail down the all too familiar Hispanic guy on 8th street and help him out a bit. Stop at a 7-11 and tie a ribbon around a bunch. Pick them from that open field. What a way to let someone know, "I thought of you today." And unlike the dead, you can see the appreciation on their face.