Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Back in Blacksburg


S.O. and I and a few friends from Baltimore went to Blacksburg this past weekend. It was AWESOME! I love the place but I didn't realize how much until I go back. It has been TOO long since i've been in the 'burg. I miss it a lot.

We went back for the class of 97, 98, 99 reunion, but really it was just an easy way to get football tix and a hotel room on campus.

We took off work on Friday and headed down early. It took 6 hours b/c we stopped twice, once for an oil change in Mt. Airy, MD and again in Harrisburg for lunch. The first thing we noticed in Harrisburg - and on the drive down - was that there are many more options for food on the drive down I-83. Now, in addition to the McD's, Wendy's, and Subways, you also have 5 Guys and Chick Fil-A. Sweet. We ate at Chick Fil-A. My "spicey" chicken wrap was OK, but not spicey at all.

We made it to the burg by 3 pm. We checked into the new Alumni hotel and then tooled around town for a few hours. We did a drive-by of the places we used to live - what shitholes - and then we went to the bookstore and spent WAAY too much money on VT stuff. Sweatshirts, T-shirts, Polos, a backpack, and 2 ponchos (it was rainy).

We went to Sharkey's (where everyone planned to meet at 8) for dinner around 6. Sharkey's is now located one spot from where it used to be - now in the old Arnold's location. Sort of weird, b/c I went into Arnolds a total of 2 times in the 4.5 years I was in Blacksburg.

Anyways, we had wings and ribs for dinner - with Miller Lite. Peeps started showing up around 8 and we were there until about 10:30 pm. D mentioned that he used to work there and so we got the employee discount so the tab was $20! Sweet! even if we didn't get the discount it would have been like $35. Way cheap.

We left Sharkey's and went to Champs - upstairs. We "tried" to play some darts and D and I won the first game but failed miserably during the 2nd game. It was at that point we decided to head back to the hotel.

Saturday AM we got up pretty early and made it to campus to our tailgate spot and had a beer in hand by 10AM. The game started at 1:30 pm so we were ready to go! The game was good. We won and that is awesome, but we didn't look great. Taylor looked good and I am excited that he did well, but i just think we still have a ways to go if we are going to win the ACC.

It was sooo exciting to be in the stadium with all of those other Hokie fans! It was a lot of fun!

After the game we headed back to the hotel to ditch the cooler and leftover beer - then we headed back to Main Street. We walked. Good idea.

We went to Sharkey's and stayed there again until about 11 pm. D and I headed back to the hotel but we had to stop at Souvlaki's on the way. THey have the best gyros ever - cheap and tasty. They have always been really good - i just never really thought about it before.

Sunday we got up around 9 and went to breakfast at Boudreaux's. They have awesome gater-bites but it was too early for gater so we had regular breakfast food. Cheap and good.

We made it back to Baltimore around 4ish - a bit later b/c the Ravens game was already on the radio before we got home... not too much later after 4 though.

It was a great weekend and all it did was make me want to go back again soon.

Some day we will end up there again - if D's job goes away or when we retire... we will end up back in the 'burg.

It took me a while to enjoy small-town livin' but once you discover all of the cool things about a place you don't want to leave. We love the City but we love the 'burg too. What we need to do is win the lottery and then we can live in both places.

One other thing I wanted to mention was that on Friday D and I went to visit the VT memorial to the 32 Hokies who were murdered on April 16, 2007. It was quite moving. Walking by all 32 of those stones with the victim's names engraved in each stone really hit me...

so, that's it for now... I miss VT and can't wait to make it back to town.

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