CHUCK IN A BOX

When certain household members with the last name McAllister process a Change of Address at the Post Office and they (Post Office) apparently ‘ass-u-me’ that this means anyone with the last name McAllister is moving and mail and packages don’t get delivered to where they should!  I want my two eBay packages NAO PLOX!

I guess it’s a good thing I checked on the delivery status of something that was supposed to be delivered on Monday and that Keith noticed his name was crossed out on the Pottery Barn catalog and pondered at not receiving any mail recently addressed to him….no telling how long this woulda gone on.

Way to Go!  USPS, I applaud you and you inability to read/process things correctly…..and you want what kind of rate increase next for your outstanding customer service?

I swear, yesterday we noticed that the house behind us is now for sale.  So – the house directly across the street; the one diagonally across from us; the house beside us (although I believe this has FINALLY been closed on – at the bargain basement price of $72, 500) and now the house behind us – all for sale.

It’s like those Verizon commercials with the creepy folks saying, “It’s a dead zone” *squinty eyes*

I’m not sure if it’s just folks not being able to afford their houses or if they are just leaving the ‘burg.  The folks across the street had maintained a condo in Richmond for many years and finally said they needed to have one household so they sold the Petersburg house.  The house next door to us has been vacant since the young lady that owned it got killed in a motorcycle accident in October 2007 and her parents figured they would just let the bank repo the house. (Kudos to us for maintaining two yards!)  Not sure what the story is with the folks diagonally across from us, they sort of keep to themselves and Cheryl (behind us) and her husband are an older couple – figure they just don’t need that much house (3100+ square feet) for just the two of them.

Sooooo I doubt it is us – no, really, we’re pretty cool neighbors.

Ashley at Blandford cemetery

So, while Ashley was here, we took her to Blandford Church here in Petersburg – the cemetery at the church has been used since the early eighteenth century with the earliest marked grave dated 1702.  The cemetery’s gravestones, sculptures, and tombs represent a diverse array of eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century styles of funerary art. In addition, some plots feature exquisite examples of nineteenth century decorative iron fences.   

The other photos from that day are in the Blandford Church and Cemetery folder of my Picasa Web Albums.  The cemetery is 189 acres and is the second largest cemetery in the Commonwealth of Virginia, second only to Arlington National Cemetery.  It is also the location of the first Memorial Day celebration in the United States.

The church is also one of six known buildings in the world in which every stained-glass window was crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany which, sadly, you are not allowed to photograph.  After taking the tour with one of the wonderful ladies that works at the Blandford visitor center, we walked around a small part of the cemetery snapping pictures.  I would really like to go back and spend the day there walking around looking at the many beautiful headstones.  Huh, I never thought I would actually think that something like that was worthy of being called ‘beautiful’ until I actually stopped to look at them.  I guess – well I know – its something that I, personally, do not like dealing with/thinking about – mortality.  I’ve heard that as you get older, you think about it more often *shrug*  All I know is that I was struck by how beautiful the place was and how it really wasn’t as scary as you might imagine – of course this was also in the middle of the day on a sunny winter day – make that a moonlit night in summer and … well… I might have been a bit more creeped out (especially after hearing the ghost story the tour guide told us ).

I don’t know if I’ll ever be like the Victorians and spend the day at the cemetary with a picnic lunch or anything but, I’ve previously thought it would be cool to take some rubbings of some of the older tombstones for framing.

Wow, it sounds so much harsher when someone else says it – “Whatever you do, do NOT stay in Petersburg“, this from SunDog’s Civil War Travel post over at Patrick Henry’s Tomb.  A couple of the new hotels out on Wagner Road near the new Southside Regional Medical Center are really quite nice AND they are actually IN Petersburg so, I would have no problem telling people to stay in those during their visit to the ‘burg.  However, I would never recommend anyone EVER staying in those seedy hotels on Washington or Wythe Streets – especially after learning about the prostitution problems at ‘The 4 Corners’.

“Do yourself a favor, stay in Colonial Heights near the mall, or stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Dinwiddie.” – that sounds like me when I go on my, ‘I’m not going to support a single Petersburg business except for Kristy’s because I hate living in this city!’ tangent with Keith.  Maybe if the city did a bit more to attract businesses where I would shop frequently *shrug* – Don’t get me wrong – Old Towne is neat if your into Antiques, Over-priced clothing, Dining out, or Beauty Treatments.  I guess the advent of the SouthPark Mall area (Southpark Blvd. and Charles Dimmock Pkwy) and shops along Temple Ave. (all of which is in Colonial Heights) spelled the death bell for Petersburg.  I really think there is something to the ‘build it and they will come’ mantra – they (Colonial Heights and Dinwiddie) just ‘built’ it first.

Interestingly enough, most of the stores that I COULD shop at in Petersburg have counter parts just a few miles away in Colonial Heights, Chester, or Chesterfield and I go there.  I’m sorry but I’ll travel to Ruffin Mill Road for a McDonald’s that understands the concept of fast food, service and cleanliness.  Sadly the pool of job applicants in Petersburg is rather lackluster – to say the least.  (Not that you cannot get bad service anywhere – there just seems to be a greater chance to encounter said service in Petersburg – or at least that’s my observation over the last 3 years living here).  I’ll save my stories of sucky service for another day though.

According to a Denver Business Journal article, StarTek is closing shop not only in Petersburg, VA which will put about 450 people out of work but they are also closing their Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada shop which will get rid of another 266 people.  Not the kind of news I would wish on anyone at any time but especially not so close to Christmas.

I was a bit put off by the fact that they (StarTek) put in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had “persistent difficulty”  in recruiting a suitable work force to meet the requirements of its clients.  Now what does that mean?

I also wonder if the company will be paying out termination benefits to the folks in Petersburg, VA like they are to those in Canada (to the tune of $200,000).

…and I don’t even roll like that.  I SERIOUSLY think I really might have to drag Keith to see this show. This just LOOKS entertaining as hell for some reason – man…imagine if I were str8, LOL.  Seriously, these dames are smokin’ – judge for yourselves.  I even checked out their site – which mainly links you to the Peach Tartes MySpace page for further information.

Peach Tartes, NYC's juiciest burlesque troupe

They will be at Sycamore Rouge here in Petersburg.

New Year’s Eve Burlesque
Impropri-a-tease
~featuring the Peach Tartes~

This year, for New Year’s at Sycamore Rouge, the Peach Tartes present Impropri-a-tease: Out with the old, in with the nude!

The Peach Tartes, New York’s juiciest burlesque troupe, have been mixing up classic burlyQ style with 21st Century sass all over America and abroad. These luscious lovlies are a band of show women committed to challenging what you think about burlesque, what you know about women and what you expect from entertainment. They will collaboratively shake, shimmy and twirl together choreography, storytelling, comedy, emotion, darkness and fire to create an innovative and unforgettable evening for us all!

New Year’s tickets include the burlesque show, live music (think big, funky/jazzy band,) a bottle of champagne, a dinner buffet & a desert buffet for $85 per person, or $150 a couple.

Tickets for members are on sale now; regular ticket sales begin December 1st. Don’t miss out on the biggest New Year’s Burlesque Extravaganza ever!

For More Information contact Sycamore Rouge at 804.957.5707 or KB Saine at kbsaine@sycamorerouge.org

I really need to figure out which Blog I’m going to keep so I don’t feel like I should have everything posted twice…..

Just wondering out loud but, I think it would be totally cool to have a Holiday Home Tour around here. Heck there could even be multiple tours! I know I’ve often wondered (and I’m sure I’m not the only one either – admit it!) what some of these gorgeous homes around the city looked like inside. Now…imagine them all festooned in their holiday regalia!

Woodland Heights (yes, I’m sure people think – If it was so damned great, why did you move! and TRUST ME, I have asked myself that MANY times since moving here) started doing a Holiday Home Tour and the funds from the sale of the tickets went to the Homeowners Association for various neighborhood projects. They are even doing an ‘Avenue of Lights’ OMG that sounds so freakin’ cool! You can check out the story over on Hills and Heights about the 2008 Holiday Home Tour if you’re interested.

I just think it’s a wonderful idea but, then again I’m a Christmas fiend! I did see where Centre Hill is having a Holiday Open House – yeah that’s cool too but…..not as cool as a Holiday HOME Tour!

That’s what it felt like….truly!  I mean I think in the space of two hours (6 PM to 8 PM) we had MAYBE 20 kids come to the door.  I wonder if it had something to do with the numerous news stories about the high crime in Petersburg and that the city had instituted an 8 PM curfew for this, my second favorite, holiday?!?!

These days I know a lot of children get taken to the mall or churches or other civic organizations for their trick or treating but, come ON, there is just something intrinsic about going door to door begging for candy from strangers!  Keith and I were waxing nostalgic last night after we turned the porch light off about how when WE were kids we made out like bandits.  We would walk blocks and blocks going from house to house in costume filling our bags.  Last night, I think we were the ONLY ones in a block and a half that had our porch light on and were giving out candy.  I know the economy is bad but, come ON is a $5.99 – $7.99 bag of candy going to set you back so far?

Eh this downward spiral of kiddies in costume hitting me up for sugary, tooth-rotting treats will not deter me.  I WILL continue to decorate for Halloween – if not for them, then certainly for me and my family and friends (it’s really nice when you have those Halloween or Pumpkin Carving Parties).  I will say that it makes me sad though – I mean these days when people are so afraid to answer the door or go to a neighbors house to dole out candy to little ones….just makes me sad…..and I know it makes the Baby Jebus cry too!