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<\/a><\/p>\nThe other day I watched Pee Wee\u2019s Big Holiday<\/em> (2016) on Netflix.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good, smile inducing nostalgia trip that hews a little too heavily on the structure of PW\u2019s Big Adventure (1985) without the anarchic impulses of Tim Burton.\u00a0 At one stage, our grey suited friend with the red bow tie encounters a motley assortment of pun spewing snake farmers.\u00a0 The tourist trap proprietors and the things people do to attract passing travelers had a real impact on me as it was all I could think of gazing into the dead eyes of the sculpted visage of Altie.\u00a0 The Visitor Center docent offered a complimentary selfie-stick which perhaps I should have availed myself of but instead I asked her to snap the shot.\u00a0 Unsteady hands and weird lighting contributed to a slightly blurry photo\u2026 but in truth, maybe that\u2019s the best way to capture Altie or any legendary creature \u2013 in half shadows or out of focus, poorly framed and hastily shot so as to capture the creature before it vanishes into the murky depths\/foggy woods\/ether of the imagination.<\/p>\n EDITOR\u2019S NOTE: I\u2019LL INSERT THE PAMPHLET ON ALTIE LATER<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I must admit, having sat in the car driving for 10+ hours, I regretted not getting a run in before setting out on this road trip.\u00a0 My legs were seriously cramped and unhappy with me but I assured them there\u2019d be plenty of running in their future\u2026 including it turns out at the Marine Corps Marathon in the fall.\u00a0 I won the lottery and have my entry confirmed.<\/p>\n And speaking of lotteries, I\u2019m trying to get in on the St. George Marathon lottery that is supposed to be open from today through May 11th<\/sup>.\u00a0 As of 7:34 AM, it hasn\u2019t been made live yet.\u00a0 This year marks the 40th<\/sup> anniversary of the St. George Marathon and so I\u2019d really like to be there to commemorate its start in 1977.<\/p>\n In the meantime, before setting out to Cumberland, MD, to pick up my packet for tomorrow\u2019s marathon, I\u2019m sitting at Rob\u2019s kitchen table.\u00a0 He\u2019s one of my best friends in the world; we did the math last night and we\u2019ve known each other for 32+ years.\u00a0 I have one friend I\u2019ve known longer up in Connecticut.\u00a0 We grew up together and even though we live far apart and may not see or talk to each other as much as we should, catching up with a classic friend is like not having missed a beat in some wonderful symphony.\u00a0 Floods of memories past and waves of new ones mix and all seems right with the world.<\/p>\n Rob\u2019s awesome and so is his wife Darla and new baby Aurora (AKA Rory).\u00a0 My one regret is that I missed Beaux who is off on spring break visiting her father in NY.\u00a0 Still, it was great to see these folks \u2026 and they kindly offered to put me up for the night.\u00a0 A good thing too as after a delightful dinner at Char-Grill with an exceedingly well-behaved one+ year old (not sure if that\u2019s describing Rory or me), I went out to a pool hall with Rob.\u00a0 There at Rack-M-Up, his multiple teams were competing in their own March Madness tournament.\u00a0 One team was in first place, one was 4 points out of first, and one I think Rob was just a floating designated shooter if they needed somebody to fill in.\u00a0 Rob\u2019s always been a math guy and so it\u2019s no wonder he can play the angles on a table and see shots I\u2019ve only ever seen in movies\u2026 or that one episode of The Brady Bunch where Bobby became something of a shark.\u00a0 But I digress\u2026<\/p>\n It was great to just grab a beer and hear what\u2019s been happening with Rob and Co.\u00a0 As with all of us, hiccups here and there but mostly positive, good things.\u00a0 I\u2019m so glad he and Darla are happy and continuing to do great things.\u00a0 Darla is headed to my alma mater for her masters.\u00a0 She doesn\u2019t want to jinx it and hasn\u2019t officially heard back yet but they\u2019d be fools not to snap her up as a future distinguished alumna.\u00a0 Rob\u2019s meanwhile wheeling and dealing and deep diving into hololens technology \u2013 befitting because there\u2019s often a time when I shoot him a computer or science question text exclaming, \u201cHelp me, Rob Van Schooneveld.\u00a0 You\u2019re my only hope!\u201d<\/p>\n Rob had a late game and as we shot the breeze amidst the clack of cue balls breaking, the ker-PLUNK of dropping stripes and solids around us, I was reminded of how lucky I am to know this guy.\u00a0 As players finished and headed out, a table opened up and Rob and I shot a round for old times sake.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t played in years and jokingly said I\u2019m more of a southern hemisphere player; the balls here in the north latitudes turn the wrong way.<\/p>\n EDITOR’S NOTE – THERE’LL BE A FEW SHOTS HERE ONCE I GET HOME AND ACCESS MY CANON CAMERA<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n But as the night wore on and the final round of drinks wore off so there\u2019d be zero issues with driving home, the gods of luck smiled one final time.\u00a0 As I terribly misjudged and shot at the eight-ball, the white cue struck the black beast and it took a weird bounce off the side bumper, rolling toward a nine-ball hanging out near a corner pocket.\u00a0 A gentle kiss of two phenolic resin spheres caused the stripped ball to react per Netownian physics; while the 8 refused to sink, the equal and opposite happened to the 9 ball and it kerplunked into the pocket.<\/p>\n I was having a good night all around.\u00a0 And it was all because of the VanSchoonevelds of Charlotte.\u00a0 Love you, guys.\u00a0 Thanks for putting up with this old road dog.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Morning has come and after summarizing the night\u2019s activities, I\u2019m going to try and grab one last shot with Rory and her parents.\u00a0 Most of last night\u2019s images are iPhone noisy but a few turned out okay, including:<\/p>\n Before I headed up to Maryland, I grabbed a few more on my Canon camera in the hopes that it took a bit better quality than the iPhone.<\/p>\n EDITOR’S NOTE – LATE EDITION PHOTOS ADDED ON APRIL 5, 2016: ***<\/p>\n 7:34 PM: Final two notes for today:<\/p>\n I have successfully entered the lottery for St. George… they billed me $95 and if I don’t get in, they’ll refund $90 but keep $5 for the lottery registration.\u00a0 Fingers crossed my luck holds.<\/p>\n Secondly, I didn’t run but I drove a heckuva long way again.\u00a0 If yesterday was 10.5 hours to do 550 miles, today was closer to 7 hours for 450 miles.\u00a0 Traffic was better but it still was a long, long way.\u00a0 It’s incredibly windy here in Cumberland, MD, and although a massive cold front is definitely coming, it’s still about 70 degrees.\u00a0 The forecast says that it’s going to be 46 degrees at the 8 AM starting line.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
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