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neadodsIt was such a simple plan on paper. I'd worked an extra hour earlier in the week, so I was going to leave early, drive down to Williamsburg, have dinner at a tavern, stay the night, then press on in the morning to Quiltfest in Hampden, then drive back on Saturday afternoon.
My first mistake was in ignoring the GPS. My second was in listening to it. Either way, I was caught up in such bad traffic that it took me 90 minutes to get to my *house* (a 30-minute commute.) I stopped long enough to notice that the Little Free Library had been stripped bare -- and I hadn't done it. Someone had taken out all 30 books.
Hope they like them. That was weird.
I'll skip the trying of routes, the frustration and the tears, and just say that I missed my reservation for dinner, and that if you ever miss your tavern reservation, for the love of your wallet, do NOT go to the buffet at Williamsburg Lodge because it is INSANELY overpriced.
I finally staggered to my hotel, where I was told there was karaoke at the bar if I wanted to go. Thing is, my room was right down the hall, so there was karaoke in my room, too. So, in full knowledge of the ironies I was about to inflict on the world, I started the Simply Being meditation app on my phone, dialed down the voice and cranked the music up as high as it would go, in the hopes that I could fall asleep as meditation music blasted out the sound from the bar.
It did work...
Saturday went better, if more exhaustingly. I woke up very early, hit the road to Hampden, and got there in plenty of time before the show opened. The quilts were beautiful, I bought a bunch of patterns (no fabric, for which I'm pleased with myself) and I stopped off at Williamsburg on the way back so I could FINALLY have my peanut soup at a tavern! I also shopped up and down the high street -- you can't see any of the demos without a pass, but you can shop at all the stores -- even managing to pick up a couple of caps and a short gown suitable for the Riversdale Kitchen Guild. The prices were high, naturally... but I also got to talk directly with the woman who actually made the round-eared caps for sale and discuss rules of re-enacting garb.
There are some ironies to my not having bought either fabric or a quilt kit, as I have been thinking that I'd like some quilts instead of my lumpy duvet this winter. But I refuse to allow myself a distraction from the chores of getting the house in order!
My first mistake was in ignoring the GPS. My second was in listening to it. Either way, I was caught up in such bad traffic that it took me 90 minutes to get to my *house* (a 30-minute commute.) I stopped long enough to notice that the Little Free Library had been stripped bare -- and I hadn't done it. Someone had taken out all 30 books.
Hope they like them. That was weird.
I'll skip the trying of routes, the frustration and the tears, and just say that I missed my reservation for dinner, and that if you ever miss your tavern reservation, for the love of your wallet, do NOT go to the buffet at Williamsburg Lodge because it is INSANELY overpriced.
I finally staggered to my hotel, where I was told there was karaoke at the bar if I wanted to go. Thing is, my room was right down the hall, so there was karaoke in my room, too. So, in full knowledge of the ironies I was about to inflict on the world, I started the Simply Being meditation app on my phone, dialed down the voice and cranked the music up as high as it would go, in the hopes that I could fall asleep as meditation music blasted out the sound from the bar.
It did work...
Saturday went better, if more exhaustingly. I woke up very early, hit the road to Hampden, and got there in plenty of time before the show opened. The quilts were beautiful, I bought a bunch of patterns (no fabric, for which I'm pleased with myself) and I stopped off at Williamsburg on the way back so I could FINALLY have my peanut soup at a tavern! I also shopped up and down the high street -- you can't see any of the demos without a pass, but you can shop at all the stores -- even managing to pick up a couple of caps and a short gown suitable for the Riversdale Kitchen Guild. The prices were high, naturally... but I also got to talk directly with the woman who actually made the round-eared caps for sale and discuss rules of re-enacting garb.
There are some ironies to my not having bought either fabric or a quilt kit, as I have been thinking that I'd like some quilts instead of my lumpy duvet this winter. But I refuse to allow myself a distraction from the chores of getting the house in order!
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no subject
Date: 2014-03-02 06:07 pm (UTC)Experiences like yours are why I *never* travel without several pairs of earplugs.
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Date: 2014-03-02 06:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-03 12:50 am (UTC)So now I have a selection of caps, some accurate stockings, and a heavy and a light short gown. Add that to the two cheater's gowns (chemise and skirt in one) from Townsend and I'm pretty well off.
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Date: 2014-03-02 11:23 pm (UTC)There's a Kenyan restaurant in Beltsville that has peanut soup, but only as a lunch special on Fridays until 3. Maybe if you called and asked, they'd keep some until you could get there to pick it up. I keep meaning to try them, especially on a Friday-- the peanut soup is veggie, for a pleasant surprise, assuming they aren't among those who think chicken stock is veggie....
http://browninkmedia.wix.com/swahilivillage
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Date: 2014-03-03 12:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-03 03:32 am (UTC)Which hotel did they move karaoke to? It was at the Hospitality House the whole time I lived there, but that got sold to the school for more dorm housing - and then they discovered mold in huge parts of it...
Also, the peanut soup recipe is online. Not the same as having it at a tavern, of course, but it looks good: http://www.history.org/almanack/life/food/fdpnutsp.cfm
no subject
Date: 2014-03-03 12:32 pm (UTC)Karaoke is now in the Clarion*. Which, in all other respects was quite satisfactory and reasonably priced off-season. I've made a note that next time, I will ask to be on a different floor.
*Formerly the something-or-other else. Right next to the Patrick Henry in that chain of budget places running down 60 within walking distance.