Jonathan and Jenny: 2007

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the best of Christmas cheer!!!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All proper ceremonies were observed.

Fortunately, there was no ice on Lake Bob!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Chronicle of Cocktails: B-52 - Drink of the Year

The B-52: the first layered drink I have tried to concoct (a Tequila Sunrise is only partially layered).

Pouring over a spoon so as to create the layers, equal measures of (in this order), Kahlua, Cask & Cream (although many like the stronger bite of Baileys), and Grand Marnier.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Jamestown

We decided to take a trip to Jamestown during 2007, so that we could celebrate the quatracentennial.

We had a nice drive down in the morning and picnicked our lunch on the grounds. While we were eating near the walk with the state flags, Jonathan noted: "Either Wyoming changed their state animal to roadkill or that flag is upside down."

Being patriotic, even if it is not our state, we told the lady at the information desk about the mistake and she said she would let the right people know. When we left several hours later Wyoming was still in distress. Makes you feel kinda jaded about being patriotic...

We explored the enclosure and maybe I have been to one-too-many historic sites, or maybe I don't really care much about such recent history, but I was a bit disappointed at the presentation. We decided it would be more fun to heckle privately about the exhibits.

Here I am looking out from the pulpit... please no one give me a lecture about female priests...

Here is Jonathan, giving the correct pronunciation for the nautical terms we "learned" from the presenter on "ships." Anyone who does not know how to say "forecastle" correctly should not be allowed to present on ships.

We did end up getting a 1607-2007 shot glass, so I think the trip was worth it. I may wait to go back until the next centennial.

Hero

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?

Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

Chorus:
I need a hero
I'm holding out for at hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life
Larger than life

Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There’s someone reaching back for me

Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

Chorus

I need a hero
I'm holding out for at hero 'till the the end of the night

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear there is someone somewhere
Watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach
Like a fire in my blood

Chorus

Chorus

Monday, October 29, 2007

Richmond

After the ceremony was over we trekked around Richmond for a few hours.

Virginia State Capitol

It is one of 13 state capitols in the United States to not have an external dome. (The others are Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Nebraska, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee.) The Virginia Capitol building does not have an external dome, but it does have an inside suspended dome.

United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

Old City Hallthis Victorian Gothic building, completed as Richmond's city hall in 1894, is as dramatic inside with its 3-foot granite walls as it is outside. Now a private office building, the interior "courtyard" is a three-story painted cast-iron marvel.

The Seal of Virginia is the official symbol of the Commonwealth of Virginia . In May of 1776 the Virginia colonydeclared its independence from England. On the first day of July, 1776, a committee of four was appointed to make a proper seal for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The four men were Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, George Wythe, and Robert Carter Nicholas. Four days later the committee's report for a design of the seal was read, and George Mason presented it to the Virginia government. It was voted on and approved that same day. It is not known for certain which members of the committee were chiefly responsible for the design of the seal, but it is generally believed to be principally the work of George Wythe.

GW and Co.

Following President George Washington's death in 1799, the General Assembly wanted to build a suitable monument and have his remains interred on the Capitol grounds. In 1849, after years of debate and fundraising, a resolution was passed and a commission was appointed. On February 22, 1850, in the presence of President Zachary Taylor, former President John Tyler, and many other dignitaries and a crowd of thousands, the cornerstone was laid. Thomas Crawford's design was selected in a competition. The bronze statue was cast in Germany and arrived in Richmond late in 1857, just weeks after Crawford died suddenly at age 47. In January 1858, the statue was hoisted into its present location (pictured above). Finally, on February 22, 1858, the statue of Washington and three lower-tier statues were unveiled. After Crawford's death, Randolph Rodgers was selected to complete the remaining statues. The final statues were installed by 1869

Thomas Nelson (December 26, 1738-January 4, 1789), was an American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia. He represented Virginiain the Continental Congressand was its Governor in 1781. He is regarded as one of the U.S. Founding Fathers since he signed the Declaration of Independenceas a member of the Virginia delegation.

Tall building in background - the bottom floor is like 10 stories down.

You can only see the top few floors.

Executive Mansion - no that guy is not a guard coming to send us away

Designed by Alexander Parris, it is the oldest occupied governor's mansion in the United States. It has served as the home of Virginia governors and their families since 1812.

In 1926, The Mosque (now called the Landmark Theater ) was constructed by the Shriner as their Acca Temple Shrine, and since then, many of America's greatest entertainers have appeared on its stage beneath its towering minarets and desert murals.

I have plagerized liberally and unabashedly from Wiki and some Richmond sites...

...but now I have noted it... so did I actually plagerize?