I had envisioned this weekend being a studyfest, hoping to kick off my two-week intense review for Step 2 CK. Instead, it turned into a nomfest in Heathsville, VA with Jonesy's family.
Matt, Sean, Lee, and I drove down on Saturday morning to be greeted by a bushel (not a satchel... this is not correct) of crabs waiting to be steamed and devoured. But before we could treat ourselves to the delicious food, we took one of Jonesy's boats out on the Wicimoco River to see the sights of the Northern Neck. Not surprisingly, we quickly found out that Jonesy either knew or was related to everyone we met that afternoon.
One of my favorite stops was the newly rebuilt
Tiffany Yachts, which is owned and run by some of Jonesy's family. He took us inside, where we got to see some of the boats they were working on. Of course, I brought my camera along for the tour.
On our way back, Lee somehow convinced me to try kneeboarding in the river. I was hesitant at first, since Jonesy warned us that the sea nettles are very unforgiving, and a quick glance at the water confirmed that there were dozens swimming around the boat. But, being one who finds it very difficult to turn down a dare, I recklessly went ahead and did it. The first two tries were highly unsuccessful, but when I finally got up and going, it turned out to be a lot of fun. Best of all, I was never attacked by a sea nettle. Matt says that it's because the sea nettles were xenophobic. I could care less if they were racist, I'm just glad I didn't get stung.
By the time I was done playing in the water, it was getting late, so we made our way back to Jonesy's house. We seasoned the crabs, and while we waited for them to steam, we enjoyed the "appetizer" of
Boston butt, baked beans, coleslaw, and cucumber salad that Jonesy's parents had prepared. Then we attacked the crabs, and I'm sad to report that we weren't able to finish the entire bushel. Even so, we ate so much that we spent the rest of the night curled up on the sofas and the floor, so full that none of us could muster the energy to do anything more than stare at the television.
Sadly, the fun had to end this morning when we all drove back to Charlottesville. At least I got to bring some souvenirs back with me. Jonesy's mom gave us some of her homemade sweet and spicy pickles, which are oh-so-delicious. Perhaps more randomly, I made Matt stop at a yard sale on our way to Jonesy's (I have a soft spot for yard sales, you see). It was a good decision: Matt picked up a globe from the early 1990s for $5 and Sean and I both came away with three Marvel Comics superhero glasses for $1 each.
Sure, Sean and I may be geeks, but now we're geeks with Hulk, Captain America, and Spider-Man pint glasses. Admit it, you're jealous.
