Greetings from Sumter, SC! I’m drilling this weekend, but I have wireless in the lodging room on base (so long as I’m near the window, and not at the desk). That’s me, the “Moody AFB, GA” hit on the Feedjit.com applet on the right. The open internet access routes via Moody AFB, I guess.

What else is there to do in ever-so-rockin’ Sumter on a PAYDAY Friday night??? Paul and I tried to go to four different restaurants this evening before settling on a Japanese diner-type joint, the first one we tried was a place Dave and I got to try last month called Red Bone Alley. I had the most delectable “Low Country Shrimp and Grits” and the kids’ play area was pretty cool.

So we went there, and it was closed. Not just closed…CLOSED. Another party was standing in front of the darkened glass windows, gawking at the white paper signs taped up, reading “Red Bone Alley is Closed for Business”, “Thank you Sumter”, and “Please Visit our Florence Location”. As of this writing, I don’t know the circumstances. I’ll keep you posted.

We got back into Paul’s rental car (a Cruisin’ Lightning McQueen red PT Cruiser) and attempted Logan’s Roadhouse (steaks), since there were no parking spaces, we didn’t even park the car there. Then Chili’s, where we saw people standing outside in the chill waiting, and finally Outback Steakhouse. Paul found a parking spot right up front — several, in fact. That gave us hope, but when we asked the matire ‘d, she said it was a 55 minute wait. This was at 8pm.

So off to Osaka Japanese Steakhouse we went. This wasn’t a tepanaki-type restaurant we were expecting, but more like Hibachi-Xpress in Cary/Apex. You can order the hibachi-type meals, but they were cooked in the back (minus the showiness and fanfare, I’m sure, so it was much quicker) and brought out to us. I enjoyed chicken and shrimp with broccoli over rice. It was pretty good, but the carrots served on the side seemed, well, soul-food-ish. They were glazed carrots, unusual for Japanese cuisine.

I remember growing up in Norfolk and from my 2nd lieutenant days in rural Louisiana how payday in a military town would transform a community into a frenzy of eating out, going to movies, and hitting bowling alleys, pool halls and dance clubs. I don’t see it as much in the NC Triangle, but around here, on payday weekend, get ready for crowds!

I have the results of the “laundry poll”. Since I only had 13 responders, it’s not like it’s a Rand Corporation or Brookings Institute authoritative study or anything, but here goes:

13 responders
3 do laundry daily (23%)
6 do laundry somewhere between daily and weekly (46%)
4 do laundry weekly (30%)

Does that add up to 100%? I think so…I got a lot of positive feedback from friends who said “Hey — I’ve been wondering the same thing, thanks for asking the question!” Maybe I can continue my polls, putting those topics out there that you maybe discuss with your friends during playgroup, at the park, or while sitting in the carpool lines at preschool. Let me know if there’s one that you’re interested in me posting — I’m open to suggestions!

I’m currently going through my Picasaweb album, cleaning out some of the older albums to make way for new stuff coming in this year. I’ve been using Picasaweb since March 2007 (Maryann, you clued me in to this, if I remember correctly) and you get 1 GB of space for free. I’ll be trying to keep it that way. I could pay more for more space, but I have good backup at home.

I almost deleted the pictures from this album, but I think I’ll keep it on for a bit longer to give you guys a chance to smile. Jacob went through a hands-on-his-hips photo posing phase last spring, when he was about 4 1/2. Found out from my Mom that I did the same thing, at the SAME age! And she found PROOF:

From 2007 05 13 Ha…

Jacob: Spencer, NC in March 2007

From 2007 05 13 Ha…

Patricia: Somewhere on the Big Island of Hawaii, June 1978

(This came from a scrapbook my Mom made for me, explaining the word balloon. YES, that’s a dress. NO, I’m NOT wearing pants even though I really should be. YES, that little tote bag reads “Patty”…I had that bag for years!)

Enjoy!