Rocky Return to the Boig Cityy

My recent visit to Washington, D.C., makes me realize I don’t belong in a big city anymore.

 

The timing in late April was terrible. On the first day, I unwisely selected a restaurant near the White House with a friend. Our Uber got stuck in traffic. The driver and I couldn’t figure out how to change our destination on my phone.

 

The next day I left a jazz concert to go to the bathroom. When I came back, I opened the wrong door—the stage door. And it was locked going back.

 What was I going to do? I could have blown everyone away with  “Fly Me to the Moon,” I guess, but I didn’t think the performers would have handled it well. Instead I found a stagehand to help me out.

 

Later, I complained bitterly when the hotel doors were locked, until I was told you needed your key card to get in. What key card? I left my glasses at the breakfast buffet, but I gave the busboy who found them a nice tip.

 

I deliberately didn’t drive to D.C.  because of the traffic. Many of the roads inside the Beltway have changed or I can’t remember how to navigate them. But oh, I did quite well on the Metro—at least until I left my 49ers hat on a seat.

 

So much has changed in just four years. I might as well have been in Budapest or Kyoto.

 

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I promised one reader that I would report on the bus ride to Washington via Virginia Breeze Bus Lines. The trip went quite well: only eight people on the bus each way and adequate accommodations. The scheduled five-hour ride from South Boston only stops in Farmville and Richmond on the way.

 

The ride north on a Saturday was delayed by traffic on I-95, but the trip south was smooth, with the Express Lanes open in our direction. I did have trouble finding the return bus at Union Station, and it was hard to read and sleep on the bouncy bus. I still prefer the train from Lynchburg or Danville.

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We will miss Rev. Susan Davis when she retires this week after 28 years directing music at First Baptist Church in South Boston. For the past 10 years she has been associate minister. I’m not a member, but Susan got me into her Community Choir in summers and in Easter and Christmas cantatas.

 

Congrats to 90-year-old Nan Oliver, pianist at Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church in Turbeville, which we attend regularly. Despite recent hip surgery, Nan has been playing piano there for about 50 years!

 

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Here’s a shout-out to the staff at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital. They did a great job the nights I spent there May 3 and 4 suffering from dehydration after an 11-mile bike ride in hot weather. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!