From the North Carolina Year Book, 1902.
Randolph County
Justices of the Peace for Trinity Township were W.N. Elder of Maud, J.F. Mendenhall of Thomasville, B. L. Lineberry of Trinity, E.W. Pugh of Progress, W.M. Wilson of Archdale, and R.E. Mendenhall of High Point.
Public School Teachers: [I'm only posting those in the Archdale area]
Farlow, Miss May, Sophia
Elder, Miss Daisy, Archdale
Bulla, Miss Dora, Sophia
Bulla, Miss Bird, Sophia
Schools and Academies: [none in Archdale]
Ministers not in Towns: [none in Archdale]
Physicians not in Towns: J.M. Tomlinson, Archdale.
Factories, Cotton Gins, Cotton Mills, Lumber Plants, Saw Mills: [none]
Merchants not in Towns: S.F. Wall & Co., Sophia
Saloons: [none in Randolph County]
Archdale
Incorporated in 1874.
Population, 182.
Tax rate, 12 and a half c on $100
Town Officers. MAYOR- H.A. Tomlinson
CLERK- W.M. Wilson
TREASURER- W.M. Wilson
TAX COLLECTOR- John F. White
CHIEF OF POLICE- John F. White
BOARD OF ALDERMEN- H.A. Tomlinson, J.M. Tomlinson, T.S. Folwell, Lee Andrews, W.J. Wilson
PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPT. Miss Sallie Redding.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE- L.C. Andrews, E.W. Pugh, H.A. Tomlinson
POSTMASTER- J.M. Tomlinson
R.R. AGENT- A.C. English
EXPRESS AGENT- A.C. English
Ministers and Churches.
FRIENDS- D.C. Cox, Pastor.
Doctors. J.M. Tomlinson
General Merchandise.
H.A. Tomlinson & Co.
Martin Creasy.
Poultry Yards.
Archdale Poultry Yards.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Book sale marathon (continued)
(Previous posts are here, here and here.)
Saturday morning, before our Maness family reunion, I slipped over to the High Point Library's used book sale. One of the librarians told me they had really cleaned out the stacks, and it was true. The room was so crammed full of books that volunteers were constantly unpacking boxes under the tables and stuffing books in any empty spaces the buyers left behind.
The sale was a treasure trove of nonfiction. I wish I could have arranged to buy the remainders — I could have started my own book store with all those topics! — but alas, somebody else had beat me to it.
The history section caught me right as I came in the door. After browsing through those I remembered I was supposed to be home cooking, so I worked my way around the entire room as quickly as I could through the crowd. My hands were full and my arm was still sore, so I had to pile books in the staff room.
I ended up with biographies and memoirs of Mark Twain, Empress Josephine and Charles Lindbergh. I started to put some books back, thinking I had gone crazy to get so many. But when I saw that paperbacks were five for a dollar, I let myself have whatever I wanted. The only thing wrong was that, as much as I love HPL, when I saw their "Discarded" stamp across the title page of the 100-year-old book on Josephine, I almost fainted. Hopefully it was done by one of the many one-day volunteers and not a librarian.
Among the paperbacks, I stocked up on foreign language guides, from Swahili to Arabic. They had a lot of French literature, too. I made it home in time to cook nostalgic food for our family reunion.
I used to think that if I ever had a book store, I would specialize in antique books. I still think that I would have some, and specialize in history— especially Quaker history and genealogy. But now I want to have a variety of books, used and new, and take advantage of different collections I come across, like all of this science fiction.
Even though the sale at Archdale Library was over, they continued it as a bag sale. I stopped by last week and again today.
Like the Hinshaw church sale, Archdale Library seemed to be heavy on Science Fiction Book Club this year, and I put several in my bag. I brought home a variety of nonfiction, too, from stock car racing to Hopi legends. Since the bag sale was such a good bargain, I picked up whatever caught my eye, with visions of becoming a bookseller.
Saturday morning, before our Maness family reunion, I slipped over to the High Point Library's used book sale. One of the librarians told me they had really cleaned out the stacks, and it was true. The room was so crammed full of books that volunteers were constantly unpacking boxes under the tables and stuffing books in any empty spaces the buyers left behind.
The sale was a treasure trove of nonfiction. I wish I could have arranged to buy the remainders — I could have started my own book store with all those topics! — but alas, somebody else had beat me to it.
The history section caught me right as I came in the door. After browsing through those I remembered I was supposed to be home cooking, so I worked my way around the entire room as quickly as I could through the crowd. My hands were full and my arm was still sore, so I had to pile books in the staff room.
I ended up with biographies and memoirs of Mark Twain, Empress Josephine and Charles Lindbergh. I started to put some books back, thinking I had gone crazy to get so many. But when I saw that paperbacks were five for a dollar, I let myself have whatever I wanted. The only thing wrong was that, as much as I love HPL, when I saw their "Discarded" stamp across the title page of the 100-year-old book on Josephine, I almost fainted. Hopefully it was done by one of the many one-day volunteers and not a librarian.
Among the paperbacks, I stocked up on foreign language guides, from Swahili to Arabic. They had a lot of French literature, too. I made it home in time to cook nostalgic food for our family reunion.
I used to think that if I ever had a book store, I would specialize in antique books. I still think that I would have some, and specialize in history— especially Quaker history and genealogy. But now I want to have a variety of books, used and new, and take advantage of different collections I come across, like all of this science fiction.
Even though the sale at Archdale Library was over, they continued it as a bag sale. I stopped by last week and again today.
Like the Hinshaw church sale, Archdale Library seemed to be heavy on Science Fiction Book Club this year, and I put several in my bag. I brought home a variety of nonfiction, too, from stock car racing to Hopi legends. Since the bag sale was such a good bargain, I picked up whatever caught my eye, with visions of becoming a bookseller.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Amanuensis Monday - Trinity, N.C. in 1902
From the North Carolina Year Book, 1902.
Randolph County
T.J. Finch, of Wheatmore, was a County Commissioner.
Justices of the Peace for Trinity Township were W.N. Elder of Maud, J.F. Mendenhall of Thomasville, B. L. Lineberry of Trinity, E.W. Pugh of Progress, W.M. Wilson of Archdale, and R.E. Mendenhall of High Point.
Public School Teachers: [I'm only posting those in the Trinity area]
Royalis, Miss Birdie, Trinity
Gibbs, J.E., Trinity
Crater, A.A., Trinity
McCarkle, Miss, Trinity
Ingram, Mrs. L.J., Trinity
Young, Miss Indie, Trinity
Johnson, Miss Rosa L., Trinity
Craven, Mrs. Nannie, Trinity
Heitman, J.F., Trinity
Fearns, Miss Corinna, Hill's Store [I'm not sure where that is]
Thayer, Mrs. W.F., Hoover Hill
Schools and Academies: [none in Trinity]
Ministers not in Towns: METHODIST: C.A. Wood, J.P. Lanning, A.A. Crater, J.F. Heitman, Trinity.
Physicians not in Towns: D. Reid Parker, Trinity.
Factories: Dixie Chair Co., Trinity
Cotton Gins, Cotton Mills, Lumber Plants, Saw Mills: [none]
Merchants not in Towns:
J.L. Hinshaw, Hoover Hill
L.S. Harrelson, Hoover Hill
W.S. Loler, Trinity
B. Parker, Trinity
Saloons: [none in Randolph County]
Trinity
Incorporated in 1869.
Population, 274.
Town Officers. BOARD OF ALDERMEN- J.K. Harris, B. Parker, A.C. English, J.R. Reddick, J.D. Bronne.
POSTMASTER- Miss Amanda Leach
R.R. AGENT- A.C. English
EXPRESS AGENT- A.C. English
Ministers and Churches. METHODIST- G.E. Eaves, Pastor.
Schools and Academies. TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL- A.A. Crater, Principal.
Hotels and Boarding Houses. Parker House.
General Merchandise.
B. Parker.
W. Lohr.
J. Parkin.
W. O. Harris.
Randolph County
T.J. Finch, of Wheatmore, was a County Commissioner.
Justices of the Peace for Trinity Township were W.N. Elder of Maud, J.F. Mendenhall of Thomasville, B. L. Lineberry of Trinity, E.W. Pugh of Progress, W.M. Wilson of Archdale, and R.E. Mendenhall of High Point.
Public School Teachers: [I'm only posting those in the Trinity area]
Royalis, Miss Birdie, Trinity
Gibbs, J.E., Trinity
Crater, A.A., Trinity
McCarkle, Miss, Trinity
Ingram, Mrs. L.J., Trinity
Young, Miss Indie, Trinity
Johnson, Miss Rosa L., Trinity
Craven, Mrs. Nannie, Trinity
Heitman, J.F., Trinity
Fearns, Miss Corinna, Hill's Store [I'm not sure where that is]
Thayer, Mrs. W.F., Hoover Hill
Schools and Academies: [none in Trinity]
Ministers not in Towns: METHODIST: C.A. Wood, J.P. Lanning, A.A. Crater, J.F. Heitman, Trinity.
Physicians not in Towns: D. Reid Parker, Trinity.
Factories: Dixie Chair Co., Trinity
Cotton Gins, Cotton Mills, Lumber Plants, Saw Mills: [none]
Merchants not in Towns:
J.L. Hinshaw, Hoover Hill
L.S. Harrelson, Hoover Hill
W.S. Loler, Trinity
B. Parker, Trinity
Saloons: [none in Randolph County]
Trinity
Incorporated in 1869.
Population, 274.
Town Officers. BOARD OF ALDERMEN- J.K. Harris, B. Parker, A.C. English, J.R. Reddick, J.D. Bronne.
POSTMASTER- Miss Amanda Leach
R.R. AGENT- A.C. English
EXPRESS AGENT- A.C. English
Ministers and Churches. METHODIST- G.E. Eaves, Pastor.
Schools and Academies. TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL- A.A. Crater, Principal.
Hotels and Boarding Houses. Parker House.
General Merchandise.
B. Parker.
W. Lohr.
J. Parkin.
W. O. Harris.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Small town reporter covers the big time...
Click here for a link to my column in the Archdale-Trinity News about my adventures in Florida, covering the final launch of Discovery (which was postponed) from the NASA press room earlier this month.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Book sale marathon
Friday night, I went to Hinshaw United Methodist Church in Greensboro. It was their 12th annual book sale, although I had never heard of it before — and wouldn't have, except that I saw their flyer on the counter at Pages Past bookshop. Only a few people were there when I arrived, but the crowd steadily grew as I browsed.
They had a good variety, with lots of fiction. As a matter of fact, as I worked my way around the room, I deduced that someone must have emptied out their science fiction book collection.
My arms were getting laden down with books, but the choices included possible first editions by Arthur C. Clarke, Ben Bova and Isaac Asimov. I even grabbed a couple of Harry Potter sequels of the first U.S. printing. I stashed them in a box so I could continue browsing.
The picture shows a two-volume sci-fi collection from 1959, with paper dust jackets. Both contain the tantalizing dedication, "This book is for PHYLLIS as what is not?"
I added some paperback classics (don't we always tell ourselves that we'll read them?) and recent autobiographies of prominent reporters.
My older acquisitions included a Young People's History of North Carolina, published in 1916 with many illustrations and a few photographs, a 1904 (seventh printing) book of etiquette by Emily Holt, and a 1943 "coffee table" book of Literary England Photographs.
My now-heavy box also included a thin paperback of Women's Fashion in England, 1818-1828; The Illustrated History of Britain; and True Tales of the South at War. All pretty irresistible, but I started to worry that I hadn't restrained myself enough.
But when I checked out at less than $40, any remnants of guilt evaporated.
They had a good variety, with lots of fiction. As a matter of fact, as I worked my way around the room, I deduced that someone must have emptied out their science fiction book collection.
My arms were getting laden down with books, but the choices included possible first editions by Arthur C. Clarke, Ben Bova and Isaac Asimov. I even grabbed a couple of Harry Potter sequels of the first U.S. printing. I stashed them in a box so I could continue browsing.
The picture shows a two-volume sci-fi collection from 1959, with paper dust jackets. Both contain the tantalizing dedication, "This book is for PHYLLIS as what is not?"I added some paperback classics (don't we always tell ourselves that we'll read them?) and recent autobiographies of prominent reporters.
My older acquisitions included a Young People's History of North Carolina, published in 1916 with many illustrations and a few photographs, a 1904 (seventh printing) book of etiquette by Emily Holt, and a 1943 "coffee table" book of Literary England Photographs.
My now-heavy box also included a thin paperback of Women's Fashion in England, 1818-1828; The Illustrated History of Britain; and True Tales of the South at War. All pretty irresistible, but I started to worry that I hadn't restrained myself enough.
But when I checked out at less than $40, any remnants of guilt evaporated.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The North Carolina Year Book, 1902
Somehow or another, even if it was just for a few minutes, I hit all four places that were having book sales last week. Woo-hoo!
I stopped by Pages Past, the antiquarian book store in Greensboro, on Wednesday. I had been drooling over an early 20th-century business directory that I wrote about in an earlier post. It was too expensive, but with the annual sale going on, I dropped in before another appointment, hoping the book was still there.
It was! I grabbed it and went to the counter, since I didn't have time to browse that day. I saw the flyer for the church sale as I waited to make the purchase.
The North Carolina Year Book, 1902, published by The News and Observer in Raleigh, N.C., lists all the elected officials, business owners, doctors, teachers and ministers - by county - in the state that year.
The statewide lists in the front of the book even include leaders in the Confederate Veterans' organization, the Masons, agriculture, "The Improved Order of Red Men" and the Prohibition movement. The advertisements are interesting, too.
I've been skimming Guilford and Randolph counties and seeing some familiar names. I will post the information for Trinity and Archdale, N.C.
I stopped by Pages Past, the antiquarian book store in Greensboro, on Wednesday. I had been drooling over an early 20th-century business directory that I wrote about in an earlier post. It was too expensive, but with the annual sale going on, I dropped in before another appointment, hoping the book was still there.
It was! I grabbed it and went to the counter, since I didn't have time to browse that day. I saw the flyer for the church sale as I waited to make the purchase.
The North Carolina Year Book, 1902, published by The News and Observer in Raleigh, N.C., lists all the elected officials, business owners, doctors, teachers and ministers - by county - in the state that year.
The statewide lists in the front of the book even include leaders in the Confederate Veterans' organization, the Masons, agriculture, "The Improved Order of Red Men" and the Prohibition movement. The advertisements are interesting, too.
I've been skimming Guilford and Randolph counties and seeing some familiar names. I will post the information for Trinity and Archdale, N.C.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Three cities, four book sales, one morning
Is it a bibliophile's dream, or nightmare? Three cities, not too far away, four used book sales — all on the same morning, this coming Saturday, Nov. 13! Oh, and did I mention I have a family reunion to get ready for by lunch time?
If you happen to be in the Piedmont Triad area, here are the sales and links for more information. Some of them have preview nights for an admission price and the church sale is also open on Friday night (definitely hitting that!), but they all end Saturday.
Archdale Library - 9 am to 1 pm Saturday, in Archdale
Pages Past, Used and Rare Books - 10 am to 6 pm Saturday (and earlier) in Greensboro
Hinshaw United Methodist Church - 8 am to noon (or 1pm) Saturday (and earlier dates) in Greensboro
High Point Library - 9 am to 3 pm Saturday (yes it's Nov. 13, don't be fooled by the prominent post date), in High Point
A friend of mine gave me a sneak peak into one of these sales earlier this week. There I was, in a roomful of books, all by myself — did he expect me to ever come out?!
Feeling very privileged and not wanting to wear that welcome out, I brought a modest stack up to the counter to purchase and then drove home a happy woman.
I admit I bought a couple of Modern Library classics on spec (in other words, I don't plan to read them but sell them), by Faulkner and Cervantes. I bought a book club collection of James Blish's Star Trek stories. Remember all that fan fiction? I used to devour those in high school. I added a modern reprint of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, because I've heard so many references to it.
I looked at some of the new nonfiction history tomes, and — I couldn't believe it — found an autographed copy of Morgan's Boone. A proof copy of Climbing the Stairs caught my eye because of the Indian films I've been watching and it looked interesting. And finally, I bought The Year of Fog, because I read the back of the book and couldn't wait to find out what happens. Isn't that one of the best reasons to get a book, after all?
So, what do I do? Limited budget, limited hours, and book sales everywhere! I also have to be a proper Southern woman and cook for our family gathering, which I helped orchestrate and have badgered everybody about for the past two months. But since it's not at my house, I could sneak away for an hour or two...
Should I just open my own book store now?
If you happen to be in the Piedmont Triad area, here are the sales and links for more information. Some of them have preview nights for an admission price and the church sale is also open on Friday night (definitely hitting that!), but they all end Saturday.
Archdale Library - 9 am to 1 pm Saturday, in Archdale
Pages Past, Used and Rare Books - 10 am to 6 pm Saturday (and earlier) in Greensboro
Hinshaw United Methodist Church - 8 am to noon (or 1pm) Saturday (and earlier dates) in Greensboro
High Point Library - 9 am to 3 pm Saturday (yes it's Nov. 13, don't be fooled by the prominent post date), in High Point
A friend of mine gave me a sneak peak into one of these sales earlier this week. There I was, in a roomful of books, all by myself — did he expect me to ever come out?!
Feeling very privileged and not wanting to wear that welcome out, I brought a modest stack up to the counter to purchase and then drove home a happy woman.
I admit I bought a couple of Modern Library classics on spec (in other words, I don't plan to read them but sell them), by Faulkner and Cervantes. I bought a book club collection of James Blish's Star Trek stories. Remember all that fan fiction? I used to devour those in high school. I added a modern reprint of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, because I've heard so many references to it.I looked at some of the new nonfiction history tomes, and — I couldn't believe it — found an autographed copy of Morgan's Boone. A proof copy of Climbing the Stairs caught my eye because of the Indian films I've been watching and it looked interesting. And finally, I bought The Year of Fog, because I read the back of the book and couldn't wait to find out what happens. Isn't that one of the best reasons to get a book, after all?
So, what do I do? Limited budget, limited hours, and book sales everywhere! I also have to be a proper Southern woman and cook for our family gathering, which I helped orchestrate and have badgered everybody about for the past two months. But since it's not at my house, I could sneak away for an hour or two...
Should I just open my own book store now?
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Back in North Carolina
Just for the record, the space shuttle Discovery launch was scrubbed for this window because of a significant leak that they need to repair. The next opportunity will be Nov. 30 through Dec. 5. You can find updates here. I'll be writing up my experiences as a member of the press at Kennedy Space Center for the newspaper soon, and will post a link here on the Travels with Books blog next week.
I really enjoyed hanging out at KSC all week (much longer than I'd planned!). I also enjoyed camping in my little Scamp, my home away from home. I would have enjoyed it more if I could have unhitched and stayed in one spot. Because of weekend vacationers and other people who came in to see the launch, they were playing musical sites at the campground and I had to reposition almost daily. I brought it with me to KSC several days and got funny looks and comments from some of the guards.
I returned to N.C. to find National Novel Writing Month in full gear. This is the most active we have ever been in the Piedmont area (officially the N.C. Greensboro region on the website), with events scheduled on Monday nights at both the High Point Library and Panera Bread in Greensboro, Thursday mornings at the High Point Barnes & Noble, and Sunday afternoons at various coffee shops around UNC-G. I think there are more write-ins at GTCC, too.
I didn't meet my quota as I was driving up and down the southeast, but I did work on my story a little in the campground in South Carolina on the trip home. I also stayed up last night to take advantage of the time change — way too late — but I was determined to turn that little box green! Hopefully I will catch up with all of these write-ins going on.
I really enjoyed hanging out at KSC all week (much longer than I'd planned!). I also enjoyed camping in my little Scamp, my home away from home. I would have enjoyed it more if I could have unhitched and stayed in one spot. Because of weekend vacationers and other people who came in to see the launch, they were playing musical sites at the campground and I had to reposition almost daily. I brought it with me to KSC several days and got funny looks and comments from some of the guards.
I didn't meet my quota as I was driving up and down the southeast, but I did work on my story a little in the campground in South Carolina on the trip home. I also stayed up last night to take advantage of the time change — way too late — but I was determined to turn that little box green! Hopefully I will catch up with all of these write-ins going on.
Friday, November 05, 2010
People think I'm on vacation...
I hope my genealogy/history followers will forgive me for straying into the technical world for a few days. I did plan to stop in South Carolina to do some research in the USC rare manuscripts room, but they're closed on weekends and I'm going to have to postpone that. It's been a few years since I worked in the scientific and technical world, and I've had an exciting time around all this cutting edge technology, surrounded by space buffs.
As I sent in articles and talked to people back home about the many NASA briefings I attended, they kept telling me to relax, and enjoy my vacation. Vacation? Well, I am enjoying it, but I came down here to cover the shuttle launch and that's been nicely busy. I didn't have the budget nor inclination to go to DisneyWorld this time, and I didn't bring appropriate clothes (in November) for the beach, although I did enjoy walking on the beach and I stuck my toes in the Atlantic.
During my big vacation in Ireland last year, I went to libraries and collections and researched every chance I got. That's why I went. I still enjoyed it, and took lots of pictures. Am I too intense?
I guess the line between work and play is so smudged that other people don't even see it.
Isn't that how it should be?
(POSTSCRIPT, written Nov. 6) Actually, I did get to relax between briefings and stories. My sore shoulder got a break from working at a desk, although backing up the car frequently was difficult (you just can't back right-handed). Best of all, my brain got a rest from my recent busy schedule and to-do lists. I could sit there in the camper, or on the beach some days, or even in the press room, and just let my mind wander.
Funny how, to rest your body, you slow down your movements. But when you rest your mind, it speeds up and seems to run faster.
As I sent in articles and talked to people back home about the many NASA briefings I attended, they kept telling me to relax, and enjoy my vacation. Vacation? Well, I am enjoying it, but I came down here to cover the shuttle launch and that's been nicely busy. I didn't have the budget nor inclination to go to DisneyWorld this time, and I didn't bring appropriate clothes (in November) for the beach, although I did enjoy walking on the beach and I stuck my toes in the Atlantic.
During my big vacation in Ireland last year, I went to libraries and collections and researched every chance I got. That's why I went. I still enjoyed it, and took lots of pictures. Am I too intense?
I guess the line between work and play is so smudged that other people don't even see it.
Isn't that how it should be?
(POSTSCRIPT, written Nov. 6) Actually, I did get to relax between briefings and stories. My sore shoulder got a break from working at a desk, although backing up the car frequently was difficult (you just can't back right-handed). Best of all, my brain got a rest from my recent busy schedule and to-do lists. I could sit there in the camper, or on the beach some days, or even in the press room, and just let my mind wander.
Funny how, to rest your body, you slow down your movements. But when you rest your mind, it speeds up and seems to run faster.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Discovery
With the shuttle launch postponed 'til Thursday (now Friday as of this posting) we waited all day around the press room for the photo opp. The NASA team postponed it as they talked about the engine switch and made sure they were ready to go. They were also worried about lightning in the area. But finally they loaded us onto buses and drove us out to Launch Pad 39A. It was dark by the time the Rotating Service Structure rolled back to reveal the Orbiter. I think we were out there an hour, with some photographers clicking the entire time. |
| Discovery on the launch pad Wednesday night - photo by Elizabeth Saunders |
Isn't she beautiful? NASA turned on some massive lights towards the end, and you could see them all the way to the campground.
I kept looking back at Discovery as we rode away, wishing her and the crew bon voyage and praying for a safe trip.
I was tired, I was hungry — and I didn't want to leave.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
How I started NaNoWriMo
I can't think of a better way to start National Novel Writing Month! This was taken early Monday morning, Nov. 1, at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Camping at Cape Canaveral
Saturday, I attended more NASA briefings, took advantage of the press room wi-fi to check mail and posted an update story for the paper. I stopped at one of the NASA gift shops on the way out. When I was here many years ago, you paid for visitor tickets a la carte, eg. the bus tour or the IMAX movie. But now, you have to pay a $41 for everything and you can't even visit the gift shop without a ticket. Travel Tip: you can go to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and visit their gift shop without a ticket.
I decided to try the public campground at Cape Canaveral because it has beach access. Since it's the county beach and you have to pay to get in, you can't drive in and check it out; I had to pay for the night, cash, without even seeing what it was like. It turned out to be a good gamble.
I'm not very good at backing up the camper. I know to turn the opposite way, but I have normal car mirrors and the Scamp gets cocked very quickly. So my normal procedures look like Snoopy playing ping-pong with himself. I've already learned that people in campgrounds will watch you back into a tree without saying a word. There's some sort of unwritten rule (must be a guy thing) that you have to ask for help. But when you do, you may get more help than you wanted.
I asked a fellow at the adjacent picnic table if he would watch a water pipe to make sure I didn't run over it. Soon I had three young, tipsy British gents assessing the situation. They decided that they could push my little Scamp into the right spot, sans car. I could see that they were eager to try, so I let them. They heaved and pushed — as I silently prayed for the safety of their sandaled feet — and got the camper turned the right way before an unruly hill on the campsite got the better of them. I thanked them and backed the camper up to the electrical outlet, with plenty of distance from the water pipe.
I gratefully set up camp and then went out for supplies. I thought about giving my newfound friends from across the pond a five-pack, but since there were three of them, that would be just wrong. So I gave them half of a 12-pack, which I quietly delivered to the hurtin' pups that were unable to answer their open door in the morning.
Sunday, I investigated the beach. An airshow was just ending, and four Thunderbirds flew in formation right above my head!
The campground is next to cruise ships that tower like high-rise buildings over the trees. I watched several go out.
The weather was perfect, but in my rush to pack (and it being November) I didn't bring a pair of shorts. So I rolled up my jeans and stuck my toes in the Atlantic anyway.
I decided to try the public campground at Cape Canaveral because it has beach access. Since it's the county beach and you have to pay to get in, you can't drive in and check it out; I had to pay for the night, cash, without even seeing what it was like. It turned out to be a good gamble.
I'm not very good at backing up the camper. I know to turn the opposite way, but I have normal car mirrors and the Scamp gets cocked very quickly. So my normal procedures look like Snoopy playing ping-pong with himself. I've already learned that people in campgrounds will watch you back into a tree without saying a word. There's some sort of unwritten rule (must be a guy thing) that you have to ask for help. But when you do, you may get more help than you wanted.
I asked a fellow at the adjacent picnic table if he would watch a water pipe to make sure I didn't run over it. Soon I had three young, tipsy British gents assessing the situation. They decided that they could push my little Scamp into the right spot, sans car. I could see that they were eager to try, so I let them. They heaved and pushed — as I silently prayed for the safety of their sandaled feet — and got the camper turned the right way before an unruly hill on the campsite got the better of them. I thanked them and backed the camper up to the electrical outlet, with plenty of distance from the water pipe.
I gratefully set up camp and then went out for supplies. I thought about giving my newfound friends from across the pond a five-pack, but since there were three of them, that would be just wrong. So I gave them half of a 12-pack, which I quietly delivered to the hurtin' pups that were unable to answer their open door in the morning.
The campground is next to cruise ships that tower like high-rise buildings over the trees. I watched several go out.
The weather was perfect, but in my rush to pack (and it being November) I didn't bring a pair of shorts. So I rolled up my jeans and stuck my toes in the Atlantic anyway.
Monday, November 01, 2010
I'm here! Now what?
After about 540 miles of driving, I wasn't in the mood to face a locked restroom and restricted wi-fi, despite my calling ahead with a reservation. So in the morning I took the camper with me as I headed into work, sans shower.
I worried all the way about not being able to get on base. I had called the update number and learned that Monday's launch was postponed to Wednesday, so at least I had some breathing space. With no other plans — and no budget for an $82 day at Disney — my backup plan was to pay the KSC visitor fee and take the tourist tour. A very nice fellow at the badge office gave me directions to the press accreditation office, which was thankfully open on Saturday. I asked the lady there where to find the 11am press conference. She answered, "I thought it was at 10." We both looked at the clock: I had less than 10 minutes.
I made my way to the press area near the huge vehicle assembly building, parked the car and camper and found my way inside. I could hear that the conference had started because they pump the sound out to loudspeakers in the parking lot. I opened the door and walked in to see the press conference in progress — on a large TV screen. Who knew where that lovely room with logos and important people were, that I had seen on TV so many times. They could be anywhere on this huge base!
The NASA folks were really nice. They assigned me my own seat with electricity and wi fi.And the cafeteria down the road had Starbucks coffee, with free flavors — a Godsend.
I later learned that the briefing room is in the building next door.
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