Jesse's POW (February 28, 2010)

WHEN: February 26, 2010 WHERE: Corner of Independence & Columbus

See where this picture was taken, here!

Valentine's Weekend

WHEN: February 20-21, 2010 WHERE: On the oceanfront of Virginia Beach, VA

Valentine's 2003

L'amour est dans l'air! Translation: Love is in the air. Stace and I celebrated Valentine's this weekend. Translation: another holiday for Stace :) But I was happy to plan a 'getaway weekend' for her and she is not hard to please so I have no right to complain about this holiday. In fact, our getaway didn't even require us to leave Virginia Beach. We spent all of Saturday and half of Sunday enjoying some of the sights of the city we have not really had a chance to appreciate since moving here. Moving here in the fall and on the toes of winter has not allowed us to enjoy the "Beach" half of Virginia Beach. I can count on one hand how many times we've been to the beach we live 10 miles from! Saturday was the second day the temperature has been above average here since January 28. Since then, the following two weekends were filled with snow and last weekend it was rainy. Not surprisingly, this weekend was cabin fever around town! Not a cloud was to be found in the sky Saturday or Sunday and both days topped out around 60. We couldn't have asked for much better weather than what we got this weekend. We checked out some new shopping areas and stayed at the Hampton Inn on the oceanfront Saturday night. I took Stace to the Cape Henry lighthouse and surprised her with 200 stairs and a beautiful view. For dinner we made a reservation at the Hilton across the street from our hotel. It had a 4-hour wait so we ate at the restaurant in our hotel instead then went swimming for the first time since August. I'm sure Stace will fill you in on the details I have overlooked as an ADD, facts-oriented male so I will spare you my attempt at those. Instead, I offer you pictures. Many pictures.

The stairs to the lighthouse.

Cape Henry Light (built in 1792) at Fort Story.

The "new" Cape Henry lighthouse (built in 1881). Sidenote: these two lighthouses were in the movie Hearts in Atlantis (2001) with Anthony Hopkins.

Hotel skyline on the Virginia Beach oceanfront (from the lighthouse).

Westin and Town Center (where we live).

The OOCL "Oakland" (918ft).

CMA CGM is the 3rd largest shipping company in the world and the North American headquarters are located in Norfolk, Virginia. This vessel (fittingly, the "Virginia") is 961ft (over 3 football fields).

Our hotel room.

She makes the view all the better!

David Thomas Knapp - this one's for you :) I took it with every intent and only the intent of sharing it with you.

Glassy sea at sunset.

Our hotel

King Neptune

Jo and the coast. My two loves: Happy Valentine's to me!

Good morning!

Coffee, sunny morning, no where to go, and people/dog watching on the boardwalk below. She was every bit of content.

We (me) did some ship watching after breakfast. There were too many little dogs strolling past for Stace to care about the goliaths on the horizon. This is the Hanjin Los Angeles (949ft).

That little, white boat at the bow of the ship is a two-story pleasure boat. The M-S-C letters on the hull are about 50ft wide each.

Jesse's POW below.

Jesse's POW (February 21, 2010)

WHEN: February 20, 2010 WHERE: Virginia Beach, VA oceanfront

See where this picture was taken, here!

Jesse's POW (February 14, 2010)

WHEN: February 14, 2010 WHERE: In the arms of one another

See where this picture was taken, here!

So here's the idea. I'm going to start creating a post once a week to highlight my favorite Picture Of that Week (POW). I have carried my camera around in my "purse" for the past 4 years, always ready for whatever I thought needed to be captured in 5,100,000 pixels. That camera bag subsequently became a convenient place for everything else I carry around on a daily basis (wallet, keys, Garmin, lipstick, mascara, etc.) and so it really has become a purse (or "man purse", "murse", "man bag"). It has brought me occasional ridicule, some hassle, and even a "pat-down" at the Omaha International Airport. But none of that has made me question its utility. Until I got a picture phone last October, my camera was my only means of getting snapshots of life "as it happens". And really, I have never succumbed to using cell phones as a camera substitute. No comparison. I have caught many moments in my life with my camera that I would not remember had I not been lugging it around in my purse. And there have been just as many times I have kicked myself for NOT having the camera on my person when a 'moment' happened unexpectedly. Overall, my behavior of keeping my camera on my person at all times has caused me to take WAY more pictures than ever really needed. I've taken over 20,000 pictures since I got my camera on Christmas Eve 2005. That's over 400 pictures per month! So, between the (let's do more math) 100 pictures a week I take on average, I am going to share my favorite from each week. And without further ado, I present Jesse's first edition of POW (a day late)... For many reasons I chose this one but mostly because this is My Valentine, on our 9th Valentine's Day as a couple. Picture perfect!

Move Along

WHEN: February 8-12, 2010 WHERE: 803 Front St., Norfolk, VA Moving. I'm kind of used to moving. I don't like it but I've become accustomed to it. Moving is synonymous (on some level) with change and change can be difficult; so most of us have a hard time embracing it. For me, moving has meant living in 3 different states in little over 2 years. Moving out of my parent's house for the first time and directly in to marriage quickly followed by permanently leaving the family, friends, and life I had known for the first 24 years of my life was hard. Then moving away again from the new life my wife & I had begun just 2 years later was an entirely new challenge. But aspects of the moving and new life were also not as hard as expected or what I thought they would be. The past 3 years have been an adventure and full of ups and downs, challenges and thrills. But all that is another post(s). I suppose from a blogging perspective, I'm also forcing myself to move away from weather-themes. That's for your benefit. If I don't do it now I may never move away from that. I really wanted to blog about the fact that parts of Florida were under a Winter Weather advisory today. Good grief winter. C'mon! But that too is not the story I'm telling. Instead, I'm talking about another move in my life that I am in the beginning of. Last Friday was the last day of work in my personal cubicle at work. Monday, the entire second floor began work in 4 attached double-wides in the "backyard" of our building while our floor is being renovated. Floors three and four have already gone through this process, which began back in October. In fact, back on November 11-12 we here in Hampton Roads experienced a nor'easter with near record tide levels and 70+mph winds (I knew I'd get my weather bit in here). Work for the whole building was closed both days and the trailers (which lie behind the main building about 3 feet from the harbor) were surrounded by water up to their base. They were literally an island. We on second floor are now the unfortunate ones to be "roughing it" out there. Part of this "roughing it" includes sitting about 2 feet away from the next guy/gal and in a small, cramped room of about 6-8 people. We've kissed privacy, personal space, and concentration goodbye! But like moving from state to state, the process has been much better than expected. Besides packing up our effects (i.e. nothing, for a guy that's been there only 5 months) in marked crates, the entire move was done by a contracting company last weekend. No physical labor - check! My bigger worry, though, was what spending 7-8 weeks in a sardine can would be like, doing work that "begs to have any semblance of excitement". Monday would come too soon. But again, the change was much better than ever expected. Not only were the trailers not freezing (they were actually too warm), yours truly had the coveted spot right by the window, looking down the harbor at downtown! Granted we are on the side that faces the building and not the water, my "desk" was one of two spots on this side of the trailers that had a down/up-harbor view. Me. The contractor. The new 'kid'. Five months out of school. With earbuds in his ear. I had just been handed "the Man's" window office on the top floor, so to speak. What did I do to deserve this? And in a room full of veterans who have been working at this office for the past 35+ years. I could get used to this! Great view - check! I do not have pictures of the flood back in November or even the trailers as they are today. But what I do have are snapshots of the perks of my first week into "the move". Like every week, there are quiet and busy days on the harbor and this week was no different. The difference, however, was that I had a front row seat to whatever WAS happening and didn't need to get out of my seat to see it (though I did every time, because...I could). I had my camera on my desk and ready to roll every day to capture whatever was happening, whenever it was. First, a (geographical) overview ;)

We live at the yellow dot and I work at the red dot.

The green dot is the USS Wisconsin, which is in the heart of downtown.

A view of our building from the deck of the USS Wisconsin (November 25). The trailers are the buildings with the green roof in the center of the picture.

The view of the Wisconsin from my desk in the trailers (February 8).

The whole view. I'm literally ON the water!

TUESDAY...

"Century Queen" (Flag: Panama, Length: 449ft.).

"USS Mitscher DDG-57" (Flag: US Navy, Length: 505ft.).

And the "house boat" for the sailors to live on.

A paddle boat passenger ferry.

A wild crane on top of the mooring.

"MSC Kim" (Flag: Panama, Length: 866ft.).

I also saw a seal Tuesday, 25ft. outside my window but could not get a picture of it as it only surfaced briefly.

WEDNESDAY...

"Rising Sun" (Flag: Marshall Islands, Length: 564ft.).

FRIDAY...

Chinook and other military helicopters fly up and down the harbor (only 100-200ft. above) to various locations throughout the day. If you're unable to see them, you definitely hear them!

"Elegant Sky" (Flag: Marshall Islands, Length: 620ft.).

"Inase" (Flag: Marshall Islands, Length: 554ft.).

These two ships went by within 12 minutes of each other. I'd say it's been a decent first week in the trailers. I am pleasantly surprised. And to top it all off, I saw this on a jeep's trailer hitch in front of me on my way home from work today. Go Hawks! Go Team USA!! Vancouver Olympics 2010

Winter's Last Stand: Round 1

WHEN: February 5-6, 2010 WHERE: Virginia It's the beginning of February. It's the dead of winter. It should be no surprise, then, that snow would be in the forecast. And yes, I hate to beat the drum of another "all-about-winter post" but this weather is out of control and I feel like I need to call it out - because we all know that sulking in our meteorological miseries will cause the winter guilt and the snow to stop falling. Lately, our weekends (especially areas north) have become a guessing game of "how much snow will fall?" and a test on local stores and governments ability to prepare for the unexpected; the uncommon; the unwelcomed. Stace said she heard this past week that The state's $79 million budget for snow removal was expended last weekend - on one snow storm!the state's $79 million budget for snow removal was expended last weekend - on one snow storm! While that can be interpreted many ways, one thing is for sure; not many Virginians were expecting another (worse) round just 7 days later. And what makes it worse is not only the amount of snow but the fact that the last of last weekend's snow had just melted in the rain Friday here in Virginia Beach, RIGHT before the snow came again on Saturday. Recall last Sunday,

Then yesterday,1:30p.m.

5:30p.m.

I admit, I have not paid close attention to this most recent storm that has blanketed Virginia and much of the mid-Atlantic. Ninety-nine percent of my attention this weekend has been devoted to setting up my ("our") brand new computer that was delivered Thursday. In fact, as I type, our internet connection is currently unavailable so any amount of research on this storm is not happening. But I am getting to use "our" new computer (I am typing in Word), so I am still happy. What I do know is that somewhere between 3-4ft. of snow has fallen in the mountains of West Virginia and nearly 30" in most of northern Virginia, Maryland, and the DC area. Friday morning I began hearing the reports that this could be "The Storm of the Century". I was skeptical. But as I have been out of the loop this weekend, I don't know how bad it actually was. Leta and Jay got nearly 24" up in Fredericksburg, VA, which is barely 100 miles north of us. Here, we only got a dusting. The snow didn't even stick to the pavement and less than an inch accumulated on the grass and roofs. By 6p.m. Saturday the snow had finished falling in Virginia Beach. If that is "The Storm of the Century" then I am unimpressed. But I am also thankful. I have no desire to see snow outside the window of my place of residence. If it's not December and I'm not home in Iowa, snow need not exist.

US snow cover as of February 7

Mid Atlantic snow cover as of February 7

So, even though we have escaped relatively unscathed this weekend, I am not holding my breath for a snow-free season for the remainder of winter here. The past two weekends have shown just how ugly winter can be and how awful the months of January and February are. The 10-day forecast still does not have us above 45° here, football season is over (in about 15 minutes), and roses are about $80/dozen just in time for Valentine's Day! Someone please tell me what the redeeming qualities are of this time of year. I really do owe Stace a floral arrangement though, but she's gonna have to wait at least another week :) Whether this is winter's last stand this season remains to be seen. I am hoping there is no Round 2. I am hoping it is 80° next weekend. I am hoping that the Colts turn around this imminent loss. But all that isn't going to happen. I will just continue to wet the fibers of my seasonal Kleenex with the tears of sorrow that so assuredly come with winter. This is life. This is winter. PS-My next blog will NOT be about weather. I hope.