Erica Gordan took her dad and her twin girls sailing so he could go fishing. Lester trailed beside the boat for several hours until the line got wrapped around the rudder post. I went down and broke it off, and he pulled out Erica’s fishing pole. No luck on the catch, unless you count the rudder post.
I knew Erica was an emergency nurse because it’s her email address. “I have been a traveling nurse, but now I’m home at Henrico Regional. We can handle trauma, but we also send them out to VCU or UVA Hospital by helicopter if necessary.”
Are patients grateful? “Some are, yes. But others are in such pain or suffering that it doesn’t occur to them.”
As for the twins, “People ask the dumbest questions sometimes. Are they identical? Were they born on the same day? At the same time? Are they the same age?”
Eric proved quite adroit at helming through steady winds that shifted direction later in the afternoon. Nurses are used to high concentration. “I’m just enjoying the peace and tranquility,” she said.
Cruise Sail
Two sisters from Alabama took their husbands sailing in light winds on a cloudy day as summer came to a close. Penny and Larry Anthony are big into cruising. “We’ve cruised five times in Alaska and would go back again,” she said. “Oh, the things we’ve heard aboard ship…
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What elevation are we at?
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What do they do with the ice sculptures when they’re done?
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Where does the crew go home to at night?
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Is there cable TV?
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Do they use freshwater or seawater in the toilet?
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What religion are the people with patches behind their ear?
We also talked about hurricanes, since the remnants of Idalia were 40 miles south. Penny said, “During Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, my sister-in-law fled inland to Shreveport. I asked her if there was an increase in crime and she said, ‘No, because Organized Crime doesn’t like unorganized crime.” Everyone howled with laughter.
Parkway Update
Here is the second update on the reconstruction of the Colonial Parkway. There is nothing about the stress of extra traffic along the detours, nor an update on how the detours are progressing. It’s all cheerful and good.
Status: We are underway, and the first phase of construction is progressing! Road closures are in place for Segment A & much of Segment G. The team has begun dismantling the bridge over Route 17 and preparing for pavement demolition and replacement in Segment G. Tree trimming and hazard tree removal is well underway in both segments.
Basic scope and location summary: The first phase of construction includes closure of the Parkway from the Williamsburg Tunnel southward to the Route 199 interchange. The North England Street access ramp will remain open to local traffic and Colonial Williamsburg buses through Summer 2024.
Work southward from the tunnel will include replacement of the exposed aggregate concrete roadway slabs, drainage improvements, bridge repairs and tunnel rehabilitation, including lighting upgrades. The initial phase in this area is scheduled for closure through Summer 2024, at which time the closure will be expanded to include the North England Street ramp and the Williamsburg Circle.
Additionally, the Parkway is closed from Ballard Street in Yorktown to Fusiliers Road, which remains open. The Rt 17 access ramps are closed. Work in this area starts with replacement of the bridge deck over Rt 17. Work will continue with replacement of the bridge deck over Yorktown Creek, exposed aggregate slab replacement, and drainage improvements. This segment is scheduled for closure through to Winter 2024/2025.
Safety: Field work for design for other segments of the Parkway will continue for several months. This will require occasional lane closures with alternating traffic controlled by flaggers along various sections of the Parkway, in addition to the full closures noted above. “We appreciate motorists’ awareness and patience as this first phase of this incredibly important infrastructure project begins,” said Superintendent Jerri Marr. “We encourage all visitors to pay attention to the information provided on the electronic variable message signs, and detour and caution signs. For everyone’s safety, motorists should be on the lookout for construction workers, vehicles, equipment, and any traffic stoppages or lane closures along the Parkway.”
Honeymoon Sail
Alexis Aranda and David Keesler got married in Williamsburg and took a honeymoon cruise with friends in the US Air Force at Langley AFB. They enjoyed a brilliant afternoon on the York in mild winds and temperatures. It was perhaps the best weather of the season.
One of the friends was Jorge Mazariergos, who joined the US Air Force Reserves at age 50, “a smidge over the age limit.”
He served a stretch in the US Army and then took time off to work in paramilitary circles as a civilian. “While in the service, my team took out the leader of the attack on the USS Cole [in 2000]. Not the attackers, since they were blown up. But the organizer who put it together. A Hellfire missile did the job.”
“I spent 17 years advising troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Libya.”
Wait. Aren’t the last two enemy nations? “Not when I was there. They were friendly or neutral.”
His advisory work was as a civilian. “We taught them how to assemble human intelligence and the methods for gathering information. The strong ones became machine gunners and mortar firemen.” He laughed, ‘The dumb ones became riflemen.”
Back in the U.S., Jorge told the story of Jenna and Barbara Bush when they got busted for under-age drinking when their father was President.
“A friend of mine was on their Secret Service detail when they went out to a bar in Austin. His colleague asked if they should intervene and the guy said they were there to protect them from harm and not act as the morals police.”
“The bartender who served them was a woman who hated George Bush, perhaps for his privileged lifestyle. She just hated the family. So, she served up margaritas and immediately called 911 to bust them. To add to their agony, she called a television newsroom.
“The police showed up promptly and assessed the situation. He said to the bartender, ‘You called us because they were under-age, right? So, you knew they were under-age, right? That’s against the law and you’re under arrest. Just as he took her away in handcuffs, the TV news unit showed up and got it all.” Everyone howled with laughter.
Happy Sail
Finally, someone came up with a happy story. Theresa and Mike McCormick drove down from Metro Richmond to enjoy a few days and go sailing as well. She recalled her childhood vividly.
“My father had a canoe, and he would take us out as children. All six of us in that one canoe, plus the dog. He made a small anchor by filling a coffee can with cement. He even rigged a sail for it – and it worked! But I tell you, the canoe sat very low in the water with all of us inside. It was precarious.”
Years later, her nephew became a charter sailboat captain. “He ran it out of Newport, Rhode Island, quite successfully. In the winter, he sailed the boat down to the Caribbean and chartered out of Belize. I’m sitting in my dreary office seeing all these wonderful photos and I asked myself why I was stuck behind a desk. I was so jealous.”
Old Salt
Meet John Wolby of Port Anne in Williamsburg, who at 93 is the oldest crew this season. “My dentist marveled that I still have all my own teeth. Why wouldn’t I have my own teeth!” I asked what he does for exercise, and he cocked his elbow as if knocking back a drink. He was a pretty good skipper too, albeit briefly. “I can’t stand for long.”
Women enjoy sailing today more than ever, and particularly a romantic cruise. Couples get to enjoy a romantic getaway as they sit up on the bow for privacy, and Let’s Go Sail provides professional photos for free. First-time or skilled mariners are welcome to sail a modern-32-foot sailboat in a unique setting of wildlife and Fall foliage or Spring bloom. It makes for an extraordinary anniversary idea.
Let’s Go Sail
Check rates and pick a day for a sailboat charter. Scroll down reviews on Trip Advisor. Go back to the home page of Williamsburg Charter Sails.
The best Williamsburg boat tour offers safe “social distance sailing” daily for up to 6 people. It’s an extraordinary experience for couples. Leave your worries behind. Enjoy the thrill of moving with the wind without a care in the world. Put life back on an even keel with a romantic experience for a birthday or anniversary. 3-hour sailboat cruise as a semi-private yachting charter lets you exhale and relax as you enjoy comfort, stability and speed.
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