The First 100 Days - Day 2 - "Equal Justice Under Law"

4/30/17, “Equal Justice Under Law”

Aboard Northeast Regional 158, En route WAS-NYP

A government does a lot of things, especially a federal government.  What the government can, does, and should do are often not always the same.  Should the government engage in socialist redistribution of wealth to provide healthcare of all its citizens?  It certainly can do that, but I would certainly say it should not.  Can a government repress certain classes of citizen just because people have an ingrained aversion (religious or otherwise) to their choice in romantic partners or the color of their skin?  A government certainly can do that, I would also certainly say that it should not.  What, then, would I say that the government should do?  The answer to that question is carved in huge letters at the top of the Supreme Court building: EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW.

That does not mean, the government should force everyone to love their neighbor, gather in a circle, and sing kumbaya.  It does not mean that the government should make sure that every citizen receives the exact same amount of income and prosperity.  It means that the government should not pass laws that oppress one citizen (or class of citizens) at the expense of another.  It means that the government should not grant rights to one citizen (or class of citizens) that it denies to another.  It means that the government should not enforce laws in a way that disproportionately favors one citizen (or class of citizen) while harming another.

Now, everything I have written so far applies only to the legislative and executive branches, and it is relatively uncontroversial.  However, these words were written above the Supreme Court, so how does it apply to the judicial branch?  Well, it means that the courts should not interpret the law with regards to skin color or religion.  It means that the courts should not provide one citizen (or class of citizens) a more favorable interpretation than it does another.  It means that the courts should not be interested in whether a law is just or fair, only if it is constitutional and, assuming it is, providing blind and equal justice under law.

My liberal friends will find that last bit a little unappetizing, so liberal progressivism requires this absolute moral crusade to vilify anyone at any stage who is not in complete agreement with their views, so they want the courts to be just another tool in advancing their liberal progressive agenda, even if such actions are properly the province of the legislative branch.  Equal justice under law, that’s it.  That’s all the government needs to do, and yet they almost always fail in that most basic task.  Okay, so what happened today?  Well, first I need to finish recounting last night.

After I published, I went back to the room to drop off my bag and change into more comfortable clothes before going down to play Zelda.  My lighter was on its last legs, and I lit up an LFD.  I made some good progress on Zelda before going back up.  When I woke up, I went down for breakfast, getting the David Burke specialty pastrami smoked salmon, which, rather than being on the bagel, was served on a platter, the bagel, cream cheese, and salmon all deconstructed.  The bagel was terrible, the cream cheese subpar and the salmon good.  I could have gotten the same thing at Zucker’s for half the price on a much better bagel with better cream cheese.  I then went back up to the room, and we got ready for the day.

We had five (or possibly more) National Park Sites to visit, and none of them were an easy walking distance, either from the hotel or each other.  We first took a taxi to the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, and she let us off in front of the Supreme Court.  It was a short walk to the NPS, but I had forgotten about my empty lighter.  This site was pivotal to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.  I lit up a Graycliff with the last of my lighter, and we took a ceremonial picture.

We then went to the Supreme Court around the corner, and I saw the words: EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW.  I knew that that would be the title of today’s entry.  We were at the Women’s Equality NM, and we were about to go to Frederick Douglass NHS.  What could be a better title?  We took a Lyft to Frederick Douglass NHS, stopping for my lighter on the way.

When we got there, we went up a steep hill to the house, only to realize that we actually had to go to the VC at the bottom of the hill first to get the brochure.  There were a lot of brochures for other nearby sites, and it was really confusing.  The Park Ranger had no idea what was an NPS unit and what was not.  I decided I would not alter our plan based on wishy-washy information.  We got our brochure and went back to the house to take a ceremonial picture.

From there, we called another Lyft to take us to the outer parks in Maryland.  Our plan was to take a different Lyft each time, but our driver said he would just wait for us and wasn’t going to charge us for waiting time.  We could just rebook him for each leg.  We were soon at Fort Washington, which was an actual War of 1812 fort.  It was fun to walk around, and we got some good pictures.  That was also the end of my Graycliff.

We next went to Greenbelt, which is called an “urban oasis,” basically a camping ground in the DC suburbs.  After we did our business at the ranger station, I lit up an Oliva and found a nice hiking trail.  I walked until I had posted my picture and then walked back.  It was quite a scenic trail.  Our next and last stop was Rock Creek Park, which was actually back inside of DC.  We stopped for a snack on the way (chips, crackers, and ice cream), as we hadn’t eaten lunch yet, and it was getting too close to dinner time for a full meal.

When we got to Rock Creek, the Park Ranger there, who had the interesting name Alan Randall, was far more knowledgeable than anyone I had met on what constituted the units.  He explained that there was one other unit we had not had on our list, which I had actually thought was Mid-Atlantic and not National Capital Region.  Another time.  We took our ceremonial picture, and I found a half-mile hiking loop.  While I walked, I soon heard a few kids running up to my complaining about my cigar.  It wasn’t so much that the smoke of the cigar bothered them, but rather the fact that I was smoking bothered them.  My reader will note that I was well ahead of them, that they ran up to my position, and that they did not choose to run ahead past me.  I completed the loop, and Lawrence took us back downtown.

There was one other site in the National Mall that I may or may not have visited, Constitution Gardens.  I didn’t think it possible that I never visited it, but I may never have properly claimed it, nor did I have a brochure.  We took our ceremonial picture and went in search of the stamp, getting lost in the maze of the Mall in the process.  Eventually, we found the stamp, took a new ceremonial picture, and called it a day.  It was 4:30 PM, and my mother didn’t want to utilize the remaining time for the museum she had been planning to visit, we were both so exhausted at this point, that we just went back to the hotel.  They used the “house car,” a very fancy black SUV, to take us to Union Station.

When we got to the driveway, I was looking at the flags, and I noticed something I had never seen before.  After the flags of Alaska and Hawaii, I saw six more flags: District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.  That was interesting.  It was now almost 5:30 PM, and we went straight to the food court.

I got a burger, a half-smoke (a DC specialty), fries, and a soda from place called BoldBite.  I had actually eaten there before.  My mother had a salad.  After dinner, we went to Haagen-Dazs, and I got a raspberry white chocolate milkshake, which was divine.  We then boarded the train and found seats, where I, once we were underway, proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, along with closing out this trip.  Next stop: Texas and Oklahoma for a trip that I will call “OK, Texas”.

The First 100 Days - Day 1 - The President and His Cabinet

4/29/17, “The President and His Cabinet”

Washington, District of Columbia

When George W. Bush became President, I knew his whole cabinet by heart.  I could easily rattle off each member of his cabinet, in order of precedence.  It was an exciting time in American politics, and we learned far more than we wished to learn about the Electoral College and our federal judiciary.  I followed each turn with bated breath.  Saturday Night Love had a field day, and every episode was gold.

Recently, Donald J. Trump became the second president in over a century to be elected President without winning the popular vote.  I voted for him, a year ago in the primary and six months ago in the general.  He won.  I followed every twist and turn and watched as he nominated his cabinet.  Without even trying, I soon had all the names memorized.  One sleepless night, I tried to list his cabinet nominees as a way of falling asleep.  Only two names escaped me, and I had to look them up.  Well, it turned out that he hadn’t nominated people to those two posts yet.  The order of precedence I did not quite have perfectly memorized, but, when we had breakfast this morning, again without trying, I was easily able to list each member of his cabinet, all of whom are now confirmed.

That was the plan for today, to visit the building for each cabinet post, in order of precedence.  We would start with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for Vice President Mike Pence and end at the Nebraska Avenue Complex for Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly.  It would all be done in the backdrop of protesters coming into town for the People’s Climate March.

See, while other people were vilifying President Trump, I was celebrating his first 100 days.  I give him a solid B.  When I ask people what he’s done so bad as President, they are usually stumped.  They cannot name one thing he has done that has made our country worse off than it was before he was sworn-in as President, but I can name plenty of good things he has done.  On foreign issues, I give him an A-, and I fully support the way he has handled Syria and ISIS and North Korea.  On domestic issues, I give him a B-, not because I disapprove what he trying to do, but because I do not think he is doing it well.  He did not get Obamacare repealed, and he has not quite understood our federal judiciary and the ins and outs of politics when it comes to his Executive Orders.  I like his EOs, but he should have been more careful in what he did.  I very much look forward to his next 2800 days as President.  So, what happened today?  It was a hectic and chaotic day, but it was a success.

We began the day with the Power Breakfast in the hotel, and I learned that President Trump’s favorite breakfast is burnt bacon and eggs over hard.  Overcooking food seems to be a thing for him.  I ordered just that, along with coffee, toast, and potatoes.  They gave me exactly what I wanted, and it was perfect.  We then went back to the room to get ready.  We knew it would be a rough day, but we didn’t realize just how rough it would be.  We had a mission, and success would not be cheaply bought.  We went downstairs, I lit up an Oliva and we were on our way.

Our first stop was the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, for Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the cabinet.  However, as we walked, we passed by the White House, and I realized that actually should have been the starting point anyway.  We took our ceremonial picture there and then continued to the EEOB.  From there it was a bit of a walk to the Harry S Truman Federal Building for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and, after that, we had to walk right back to where we started to the Treasury Building for Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin.  The Pentagon would be next, but the metro station we needed to use was down, so we used Lyft to go to Arlington.  That was a bit hairy, and we had trouble finding the front side, but, we found it, took our ceremonial picture, and I announced, “Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.”  We also went to see the 9/11 Memorial there.

We took the metro back into town and went to the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building for Attorney General Jeff Sessions as I lit up a Graycliff.  It was past noon at this point, and we had only visited 5 of the 16 buildings.  We were already exhausted, and we knew we had a lot of walking ahead of us.  We didn’t want to stop for lunch until we were halfway done.  At this point, I will stop naming the buildings only name the cabinet secretaries themselves.  Next was Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, and we took a cab to the next one, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue.  We walked to the next one, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.  We were now halfway done, and we were spent.

We stopped at McDonald’s for lunch, just like President Trump has been known to enjoy, and I got a fancy burger and fries, along with a chocolate shake.  After lunch, I lit up an Aroma de Cuba, and it was a bit of a walk to Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta, and we then saw the Capitol as we continued on to, in short order, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.  I was completely in my element here, relishing the execution of our mission, even as we paid this heavy price.  We then had to take to metro for Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who is actually not in the line of succession, due to not being a native-born citizen, and I made an appropriate pun about having to take public transportation to go to the Department of Transportation.

We took the metro right back and then went to, again in rapid order after lighting up a Prensado, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.  Veterans Affairs was far, but we had the same issue as we had earlier with the shut-down metro stop.  We took the metro halfway and walked the other half, and I soon was able to announce, “Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin.”  That just left Homeland Security, which was at the distance Nebraska Avenue Complex.  We decided that we would take a Lyft and have it wait for us, though we feared how much that would cost.  Our fears were not unfounded.  We took the Lyft to the Nebraska Avenue Complex, which, while lock and guard, had a nice sign out front.  We took our ceremonial picture, and I announced, “Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly.”  That was all 16 of them.  We were done.  We had completed our mission.  I finished my cigar as I posted the collage of all 16 photos, and we were well behind schedule, so we had to push back our 7 PM dinner reservation, as we would not be arriving at the hotel until 7 PM.

We quickly got ready and headed out to Occidental Grill & Seafood, which was considered DC’s “most iconic restaurant.”  There was some confusion when we sat down about getting my soda and a copy of the wine list.  We seemed to have a rookie waiter, and we were quickly assigned a more experienced and competent one.  We opted for a bottle of New York red, in keeping with the Donald Trump theme of the day.  The Thrillist article said they were known for their scallops and ribeye steaks, but they actually didn’t have ribeye, so I got a NY Strip instead, cooked well done, just the way President Trump likes his steaks.  The food was very good, and the atmosphere was what I expected in line with the power scene reputation of the restaurant.  We got a cherry walnut cake for dessert, and I had some coffee.

From there, we headed towards the hotel and stopped in a plaza with a good view of the Capitol and the hotel, where I sat down and lit up my Por Larranga (followed by my trusty Ardor), and after my mother went back to the hotel, proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can publish and play some Zelda before I go to sleep.  We have another early day tomorrow.

The First 100 Days - Day 0 - "Open for Business"

“The First 100 Days”

4/28/17, “Open for Business”

Washington, District of Columbia

If I were writing this entry from Annapolis or Austin, Richmond or Raleigh, I would make sure to find a nice spot where I could get a good establishing shot of the state capitol building.  Well, here in Washington, our nation’s capital, of course I am writing this entry in view of the national capitol building, where, earlier today, Congress passed a last-minute bill keeping our federal government open for business through the end of the week.

As a libertarian, I am drastically opposed to almost all federal government spending, especially what is called “entitlement spending.”  When our Founding Fathers included the phrase “To promote the general Welfare” in the preamble, they did not mean it the way it is used today.  In fact, Alexander Hamilton, the newfound hero of the left, would be rolling over in his grave if he saw what constitutes modern welfare programs.  Spending on defense is way out of hand.  Again, these peacekeeping and nation building programs were not what our Founding Fathers meant when they said “to provide for the common Defense.”  Precisely zero tax dollars should go to military spending that does not directly protect American interests.  The fact that we fund half of NATO is beyond ridiculous.  As for domestic spending, again, that is out of control, but one particular domestic agency that is at complete odds with my libertarianism is actually very near and dear to my heart.  That is the National Park Service.

Why?  Because I want to visit each and every of the 400+ National Park Sites in our country, and the fact that they are nationally recognized is what makes them significant.  The fact that they almost all have a similar-looking federally-printed brochure is what makes collecting them fun.  The stamps, though, are right in line with my libertarianism.  They are produced by a company called Eastern National that sells passport books for the NPS units and gives away the stamps for free to the parks so that they can entice people to buy the passport books.  It’s a great business model, and it’s one of my favorite parts of visiting the NPS units, even though it is actually the free brochures that I get stamped (and instead buy a lapel pin from Eastern National).

However, while I am a fan of the National Park Service, I wholeheartedly reject other federal conservation programs, such as the National Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management as a needless and, in my view, unconstitutional, examples of federal overreach.  As a libertarian, I am even opposed to local government control of this vast swaths of land, but let’s stick to federal overreach for the moment.

Since Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45^th President of the United States, an event I witnessed not far from this very spot almost 100 days ago, America has been open for business, with President Trump easing overburdening regulations and allowing profitable on federal lands.  It has been great, a libertarian’s dream come true.  I just wish he had gone further, and my number one complaint is that the stupid piece of legislation now known as Obamacare has not been repealed.  They had the votes, but they didn’t do it.  A clean repeal was not should have been done, but they refused to advance that, but I will talk more tomorrow about Trump’s First 100 Days.  Now, I have to talk about my Day 0.

It was a hectic and chaotic Day 0, far more than it should have been.  I didn’t see my movie last night, since it got terrible reviews.  I didn’t even pack, either, since my laundry wasn’t ready.  It was a crazy day at the office, one of the craziest I’ve ever had, due to a bizarre number of large projects all becoming due in a short time frame (and being assigned all this week).  I got my usual pre-departure lunch from Hop Won, shrimp with lobster sauce this time, and brought it back to my desk, since we were so busy.

Once I finished the project I was working on, I went back home to pick up my laundry and get ready and changed and pack.   There was a lot left to do at the office when I got back, and it all took longer that it should have taken.  Finally, at 6 PM, my mother met me at the office, and we headed down.  She wanted to take the subway, and I wanted to bike.  Besides, I had left my Graycliff from earlier by the bikes.  I retrieved my cigar, and it was a bit of a wait for a bike, which actually meant that she got there before I did.

We got our tickets and then went to get dinner.  I went to the combined KFC and Taco Ball and got a nice assortment.  The atmosphere was as to be expected of Penn Station at that hour.  After dinner, I wanted a coffee, so we went to the Tim Horton’s, and it seemed they were out of coffee, but we could not get a straight answer from the cashier oddly.  Eventually, we just walked away and went to Dunkin Donuts, which had plenty of coffee.

It was soon time to board, and we found two seats together.  I spent most of the train ride playing Zelda, and I made some good progress, though I didn’t make as much progress this week as I had hoped, since I got waylaid doing a lot of side quests and cleanup stuff.  We got to Union Station and took a taxi to the hotel.

There was only one word to describe the hotel: opulent.  Everything was covered in gold and “yuge.”  The room was just as opulent.  I was quite thirsty and wanted a soda, which caused a bit of an incident that does not need to be recounted here.  I then went out to the National Mall, asking the receptionist where “the mall” was.  She thought I meant a small collection of shops that was “not really a mall.”  Apparently, they don’t call the National Mall “the mall.”  I found a spot with great view of the Capitol, where I sat down, lit up an Ardor, and proceeded to write this entry, having to constantly shift to avoid the sprinklers, which I will now close so that I can publish and get back to the hotel.

Moonlight - Day 2 - Cape Canaveral

4/23/17, “Cape Canaveral”

Aboard DL 3744, En route JAX-LGA

I have gone to Florida almost every year for 29 years now, usually to the Palm Beach area, but this is the fifth time I have been in the Orlando area.  It has taken that many times for me to finally visit Cape Canaveral, which along with visiting the State Capitol last night, at last allowed me to say, “Florida Complete.”  Tallahassee is completely out of the way, and going there is really the only reason to be in that area.  On the other hand, while Kennedy Space Center is a huge draw, the National Seashore is not, and it is out of the way, over an hour by car from Orlando, despite its geographic proximity.  Despite all of that, I have now visited both places.  It has been a rather odd and bland trip, but I did what I set out to do, and I have said both “Florida Complete” and “Georgia Complete” this trip.

Alabama would be the natural next choice, but Obama designated two new National Monuments in Alabama before he left office, so it will probably be another year or two before they have their brochures.  I do not have much in reflections, since this trip so similar to my other weekend domestic trips.  It was about increasing my NPS count, which is now up to 281, I think.  It is hard to get a precise count, and I sometimes have to adjust my count by plus or minus 1 from time to time.  It is definitely between 275 and 285, of the approximately 420 units, so I am now at the two-thirds mark.  I am proud of this progress, and I will be even prouder when I have visited each and every unit.  That is probably about 5 to 10 years away.  Okay, enough about this.

After I closed last night, I went back to my hotel, relaxed for a bit, and then went outside to light up a Cuban Stock and play Zelda.  I very quickly beat the boss that I had so struggled against Friday night, using better equipment and some refined tactics.  I explored a bit before disregarding most of my exploration and calling it a night.  I woke up a few minutes before 7 AM, got ready, and headed downstairs.  Breakfast was already set up, so I had coffee, a mini muffin, and a bagel.

It was a long drive to Cape Canaveral, and I didn’t want to stop.  I lit up a Caoba, and resumed listening the Howard Stern Show.  The skies were gloomy, and I hoped that I would be able to avoid the storm.  Fortuitously, they were almost at the exact spot of the George Takei episode where I had left off yesterday, so that was good.  That was followed by the Sheryl Crow episode.

I had forgotten how much I had loved listening to him in high school, and he had not lost his magic even a decade later.  The drive was boring and unadventurous, but Howard made it go fast, as did the Graycliff and Prensado that followed my Caoba.  I stopped for gas shortly before I got to Cape Canaveral, and then I crossed the bridge to the island.

I was tight on time, and I figured I had about an hour at the Space Center, which meant I wouldn’t have enough time to do the full tour like we did at Johnson Space Center.  Besides, the only way to see the launch pad was on a 3-hour tour, which was never going to happen.  I got lunch, a bacon cheeseburger with mushrooms and onions, along with fries and a seltzer, trying to recreate my experience from Houston as much as possible.  The burger tasted almost exactly the same as the one in Houston did.

I then went to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which was the main highlight other than the launch pad.  That was quite an experience, and I was impressed by the shear awesomeness of it, but I was out of time, and I knew that the only way to properly experience the Space Center would have been to spend a full 8-hour day there.  Maybe next time.  I got my souvenirs and headed back to the car, lighting up an Aroma de Cuba as I walked to the car.

It took slightly over an hour to get to Cape Canaveral NS, which was entirely unimpressive.  It was really just a beach that happened to secure federal protection and was thereby designated an NS.  I did my business at the VC, lit up an H. Upmann and then headed to the beach to take my ceremonial picture.  That was it, “Florida Complete.”  After 29 years.  From there, it was a straight shot to the airport, and I was outrunning a storm.  I was now listening to the beginning of the Alec Baldwin episode, of which I had only caught the second half yesterday, so that made the ride go fast.  I stopped for gas and to clean out my car about 10 miles from the airport.  I drove off only to realize that I was so preoccupied with cleaning out the car that I hadn’t actually filled the tank, so I had to stop at another gas station a few miles from the airport.

I got to the airport with enough time for dinner but not enough time to write my entry, but, after Houston, I had also written my entry en route, so it had the symmetry.  Check-in and security was quick, and I had about an hour before my flight, so I got a pizza, just like I did before my Houston flight, very much enjoying this symmetry.  I then went to the gate, and we soon boarded.  I got my bourbon, and we soon took off.  I then proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, eating some snacks as I wrote.  I will also now close out this trip.  Next stop: Washington to celebrate Trump’s first hundred days.

Moonlight - Day 1 - "Georgia on My Mind"

4/22/17, “Georgia on My Mind”

Tallahassee, Florida

I suppose it is a bit ironic that I am using an establishing shot of the Florida State Capitol for an entry entitled “Georgia on My Mind,” but, while I woke up Jacksonville approximately 14 hours ago, and will be spending the night here in Tallahassee, I have spent almost 12 of those 14 hours in Georgia, seeing the last three National Park Sites I needed to visit in the state, so I believe the title to be appropriate.

After I closed last night, I soon went to sleep, waking up around 7 AM, which was perfect timing.  I had neglected to pack Nexium for the day, I wanted to resolve that issue sooner, rather than later, so I stopped at the first gas station I found.  They were sold out of Zantac, so I had to settle for Tums, which I new would only be a weak and temporary solution.  I was on a bit of a tight schedule to get to the ferry dock in St. Marys for my 9 AM ferry, but I knew I had time to chance another stop.  However, my GPS was out of sync, and it kept giving me bad directions.  I found my Zantac and, after a few wrong turns, made it St. Marys.

The first NPS was Cumberland Island National Seashore, but the only way to get there was by ferry, and the schedule, unless I wanted to spend the whole day on the island, meant I would only get 20-30 minutes ashore, in exchange for over an hour on the boat (round-trip).  I did my business at the VC, and we soon boarded.  The boat ride went by quickly enough, and I raced to get off, rushing to the Ranger Station there to get another stamp.

I had 25 minutes left, which meant I had 10 minutes to walk to the beach on the other side of the island if I wanted to take my ceremonial picture and get back in time for my 10:15 AM return.  The next boat was at 2:45 PM.  That was not an option.  I lit up my smallest cigar, a Maestro del Tiempo, and walked as quickly as I could.  It took my exactly 10 minutes.  As I walked, I was amazed by the beauty of the trees, a type of tree I had never seen before.

I got to the beach, took my ceremonial picture, and raced back, getting to the dock at 10:08 AM, perfect timing.  We were back ashore in St. Marys at 11:00 AM.  My reader will note that I have not yet had breakfast, and my dinner from last night provided no nutritional value, so I was starving.

I stopped at the first quick place I saw, a Burger King, and got a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a coffee.  That did the trick.  I took my Zantac, but I feared it would not work as well as the Nexium.  Since this would be my first big drive of the trip, I lit up my Davidoff Escurio Toro and started playing “Red”.  Almost immediately, I saw a Walgreens, so I had to stop.  From there it was a straight shot to my first NPS, Andersonville National Historic Site.  It was about 3.5 hours away.  I made the drive without stopping.  After “Red” and my Davidoff, I lit up a Graycliff and listened to the news stations.

Then a Nat Sherman’s cigar, which brought me to Andersonville NHS.  It was now 3:30 PM.  The day was almost over, and I had only been to one NPS so far, but that was the schedule as designed.  It was a Civil War Prisoners of War camp, one of the biggest in the south, and it was very interesting, since it was partially reconstructed.  I took care of my business at the VC and took some ceremonial pictures at the POW camp.  It was 4 PM by the time I was ready to leave.

The next and final NPS, Jimmy Carter NHS, was 30 minutes away and closed at 5 PM, which would give me exactly 30 minutes on-site.  Again, perfect timing.  I got the main VC, which was inside his old high school, and I did my business there, also getting some fried peanuts to curb my appetite.  I figured that was a fitting snack for the occasion, the peanut farmer who became President.  I lit up my Canada Exclusivo (in honor of “Argo”) Vegas Robaina and took a ceremonial picture.

The only other site to see was his boyhood home and farm, and I went straight there, arriving around 4:45 PM.  I took my ceremonial pictures and was done at almost exactly 5 PM.  That was “Georgia Complete.”  I was fascinated thinking that this was where President Carter grew up, from peanut farmer to Senator to Governor to President.  From there, it was straight to Tallahassee, a 2.5-hour drive.  Sunset was at 8:09 PM.  That gave me just enough time for an early dinner, since I was starving.

I stopped at the Waffle House, and the staff seemed very confused.  I guess people don’t usually come there at 5:15 PM.  I wasn’t done with my cigar, so I left it outside and asked if they had a smoking section.  They found that quite amusing.  I figured I might as well ask, as the one in Mississippi did.  I then asked for a club soda.  The waiter did not know what it is.  I offered some other names, such as seltzer and sparkling water.  He said he didn’t have it.  I was convinced that he just didn’t know what button to press to get it from the fountain, but I didn’t press the issue, settling for water instead.  I asked him what was good for dinner.  He did not understand the question.  I made my own choice, getting their new cheesesteak hash brown bowl, along with a waffle and coffee.  The meal was perfect, and it was quite filling.

My phone said an 8 PM arrival at the Capitol.  Perfect.  I retrieved my cigar and was on my way, switching the radio to the Howard Stern Show.  He had Alec Baldwin as a guest, followed by George Takei.  It was hysterical.  I followed my Vegas Robaina with an Oliva.  I had to stop for gas and had some traffic, but I was looking at an 8:05 PM arrival, which would be, you guessed it, perfect timing to take my ceremonial picture before sunset at 8:09 PM.  I arrived right on schedule and parked my car on the side of the road, figuring I would be close enough if a cop came.  If my leaders are unfamiliar with the Florida State Capitol, it is a modern building and very tall.  That makes getting the full height in one picture very difficult, so I tried a few different angles.  I got my ceremonial picture and, sure enough, saw a cop summoning me over.

He gave me quite a lecture, but he let me go without a ticket, and I went straight to the hotel.  It was now twilight, and I wanted to get the establishing shot for my entry before civil twilight ended, so I went straight to my hotel, checked in, and parked my car.  I had my computer bag and looked up the State Capitol to see which was really the front side.  That was when the confusion began.  The picture on Google showed an old-fashioned-looking building with the tall modern building apparently attached to it.

I raced to get to that side before dusk to take a new ceremonial picture from that angle, which was the perfect angle, and I did so.  I deleted my earlier post and reposted this one.  That was one I learned that this actually the Historic Capitol, really just a museum, and the tall, modern building was the actual State Capitol.  I refused to delete again and repost for a third time, so I went with the aesthetically pleasing picture I had just posted, with the current capitol in the background.  I then sat down in front of the Historic Capitol, where I lit up my trusty Ardor and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can publish and play a little Zelda before I go to sleep.  Tomorrow is an early day.

Moonlight - Day 0 - Unicorns

“Moonlight”

4/21/17, “Unicorns”

LaGuardia Airport, New York (LGA)

Well, it’s been a bit of a crazy day, and I can’t even recount my usual Day -1 Thursday routine, since I had actually had class last night instead of my usual dinner and a movie experience.  Instead, I will talk about unicorns.  I do not mean the mythical creature.  Instead, I mean its metaphorical use.  I wish I had a more interesting topic, but I’m flying to Jacksonville.  The most interesting thing I will see this trip will the Florida State Capitol.  I’m sure my reader will agree that this topic is of a level to the trip.

A unicorn is something that is so rare that it can thought to not even exist.  It could also be considered that one thing that actually does exist.  A parking spot is a good example of this.  Imagine trying to park on a crowded street.  You see one spot, right in front of the building.  You think to yourself that it is too good to be true, that it must be a handicap spot or a hydrant, but you find that it is a legit spot.  That is a unicorn.

For me, it is that one taxi during rush hour or that one bike from a rack of almost-empty Citibikes.  I use the term unicorn when it seems as if all the bike docks are either empty or having a broken bike, but then there is that one bike, and it is the newer model with the good hand grips, and the settings are exactly the way I like it, and I dip my card, it the bike is working.  That is a unicorn.  The one souvenir shop that has the flag pin I am trying to find.  That is a unicorn.

Why am I talking about unicorns?  Well, it might have to do with the fact that I had the trending new Unicorn Frappuccino at Starbucks this afternoon, which seemed to be the most interesting part of the day.  Other than that, the day was bland, if stressful.

I woke up early, since I had a lot of stuff that needed to be done before I left for my trip, got ready, and headed to the office.  It was raining, which was annoying, but I didn’t have a suitcase, just my computer bag and a random bag of cloths.  I went to Hop Won with a coworker for my usual pre-departure lunch, opting for boneless spare ribs, fried rice, and an egg roll.  We brought it back to the office, and I ate at my desk before getting back to work.

Around 2 PM, we left to get the Unicorn Frappucino, but the Starbucks was sold out.  We went to the next Starbucks up Lexington, and I told her we’d just have to keep walking up Lex and stop at every Starbucks until we found one.  Fortunately, that one had them, so we each got one and took a bunch of ceremonial pictures.  It was pretty good, but it didn’t live up to the hype.  I would have been much happier with a good vanilla milkshake.  I then finished up what I needed to do at the office, and I was able to leave at 4 PM.

I got in a taxi, and there was a bit of an issue with the previous passenger and making change.  I didn’t think much of it.  Soon enough, I found myself on FDR Drive, which seemed odd.  Surely the Midtown Tunnel would have been quicker?  He said he thought the FDR Drive was quicker.  Google Maps disagreed, but it seemed like taking the 59^th Street Bridge was only a few minutes slower, so I went back to whatever I was busy with on my phone.  Next thing I new, we were past the 59^th Stret Bridge, and I asked what he was doing.  He insisted that taking the FDR Drive to the RFK Bridge was the quickest way.

Now I understood, this driver was incompetent, the incident with the change coming to mind.  It would be an additional 20-30 minutes this way, and I was fuming.  I knew that he would not be receiving a tip.  I was in danger of missing my flight, let alon having enough time for dinner and/or writing my entry.  Traffic cleared up a bit, but the taxi ride still took close to an hour.  We got to the terminal at 5:15 PM.  It should have taken half an hour.  My flight was not until 6:25 PM, but I would have almost no time at the gate, which I like to have.

I paid him and did not tip him, which he understood, especially given that the fare was inflated due to the extra stalled time on the FDR Drive.  He apologized profusely.  With PreCheck, security was very quick, and I arrived at my gate an hour before my flight.  That gave me just enough time for my entry, so I sat down and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, as boarding will begin soon, and I would like to refill my water bottle before we board.

Jacksonville, Florida

In theory, this is the “Moonlight” trip.  Whatever wins Best Picture, I always go to the place it was set.  I went to Iran after “Argo” won, Louisiana after “12 Years a Slave” won, I live in New York, where “Birdman,” was set, and I will soon be going to the Boston Globe headquarters (“Spotlight”).  “Moonlight” was set in Florida and Georgia, hence this trip’s name.  It’s been a hectic, chaotic, and stressful few hours since I’ve closed.  The flight was the only relaxing part, it seems.

After I closed at LGA, there was a bit of a delay in boarding, followed by a long delay in the taxiing.  Fortunately, I was playing Zelda, and the time passed quickly.  It didn’t matter to me, since when I went to bed was a fixed time, and playing Zelda on the tarmac or my hotel room made no difference.  I played through almost the entire flight, making good progress, solving a key objective literally just as we landed at JAX, so it was perfect timing.

There was no in-flight meal, so I subsisted on chips, pretzels, a yogurt bar, bourbon, and club soda.  It was actually quite filling, but it was not dinner.  Then I went to pick up my car, which was another process, due in large part to the incompetence of the agent.  He tried to give me an SUV as an “upgrade,” but I had reserved a full-size, and I wanted the sedan, not the SUV.  The script almost exactly resembled the Seinfeld episode.

I emphasized that I had reserved a full-size, so I didn’t understand how they didn’t have a full-size.  He said that my reservation probably said “full-size or similar.”  That’s when I lost it.  No!  That’s not what the reservation said.  It says, “Full-size Chrysler 200 or similar.”  That’s not the same at all.  Full-size is a class.  The Chrysler 200 or Chevy Malibu are all the similar cars in the full-size class.  There is no “full-size or similar.”  That is not a thing.  If it was, then it just be a full-size.  Fortunately, he found a nice Chevy Malibu for me, and I was happy.

I was staying at the airport Doubletree, which was literally less then a 3-minute drive from the car rental place, so I got to the hotel by 10 PM.  That was good timing.  I checked in, and they said the restaurant was open until 11 PM.  I wasn’t starving, but I knew I would regret not having any dinner.  It turned out I regretted even more having dinner.  I changed into some more casual clothes and went to the restaurant.  I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, which was delicious, and went back to my room.  I then went outside to my terrace and lit up a VSG, where I sat down and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can publish.