21 July 10 entry

As I told Edith Little, all roads leading to my Dad’s home come through Bluegrass, Iowa… Likewise, all roads leading to Virginia flow through West Virginia. I left my Dad’s home early on Tuesday morning. My goal was to try to have a meal or warm drink with my daughter Lauren. Unfortunantly, Pippa and I could not get together…so I drove onward.

As I left the Flying J, I observed a woman trying to thank a man for doing some kind of repair work to her car…as he refused the money, he told the woman “ever see that movie “Pay it Forward?” Well, in that movie, the guy told the kids to instead of taking money for their good deeds, to instead get other people to turn around and do a good deed for someone else.”

The woman asked him “everyone needs money or are you a Boy Scout or something?”

The man pointed to my van and me looking at the two of them and said, “He’s a Boy Scout…I’m just a guy just getting some gasoline and helping you out…” And then he got into his truck and drove off…

…but not before I got a photo of him…*heheheheehhee* So if you see this guy on the roadway, wave or say “Hey!!”

Many of you commented about my lack of smile while I was having lunch. The story is this: since I have to be both “grip” (the guy or gal holding the camera) and the “talent” (the guy or gal in front of the camera), whenever I take a photo looking straight at the camera, I always end up with my eyes closed. So I looked away, and because I was trying to take the photo AND eat, I did not want to smile.

I made a stop at the Buckskin Council office in central West Virginia, and filled up the tank for the trip across the state in Marmet. The rain was falling pretty hard — there were multiple weather warnings until I hit the Virginia state line….even then, it was raining at Goshen when I passed by there…

I stalled out in Lexington…I was waiting to get a phone call back from an old friend of mine who lived a short ways from there, but they never did call back so I had Chinese take-out because the Chinese places I went to in Fredricksburg really sucked….and some more coffee. I was back on the road by 8pm.

I arrived here at the hotel in Fredricksburg at 11pm on Tuesday night.

This morning, I went out to Fort AP Hill and signed in. As I posted, there seems to be more volunteers and professionals than there were last Jamboree — at least at the Registration area. Everything seems to be about the same. A National Guard Infantry battalion is serving as the “Mayor unit” for the Jamboree Task Force. There are several MP Companies and other units here….the medical team seems to be a little sparce. I got my meal card, paperwork, and my CAC card validated.

I drove to Fort Lee (the closest installation to AP Hill) to get some military uniform items and when I drove away, I soon discovered that someone slashed the rear tire on the passenger side of the van. I found this out as the tire got flat after I got onto the Interstate going back to AP Hill…USAA, my insurance carrier, came to the rescue again (I LOVE them….that’s why I’ve been with them since 1981!!!)and $150 later, I am once again on the road…

The day ended with me getting my Internet connection fixed, and me posting this to all of you!!