I Can’t Wait to Meet Virginia

I’m in beautiful Winchester, VA, home of… well, home of something I’m sure. Right now it’s the home of my oldest friend, and I’m visiting. He’s embracing the simple life, so I’m posting this from [enemy territory](http://www.starbucks.com/default.asp?).

We’re headed to the local shops to pick up some homey touches for his new place and some makings of a meal or two. More on that later.

I know the area produces lots of grapes, peaches, apples and- like all of America- corn. Let’s see what we see.

Holidays

Well, I still haven’t uploaded any ravioli pictures, because I haven’t been seated at the computer long enough to do so (except when busy doing the payroll). Sunday evening the Agent and I leave for our brief junket to the Finger Lakes wine country, where we will sip some of the finest white wines and enjoyable red wines in the world. Yeah, I said it, **the world**. After a brief stay, we head to Cincinnati to staff his mother’s kitchen for the preparation of Thanksgiving dinner for *thirty three people*. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 28 pound dressed turkey, but I will next week. Wow.

Last year we went out earlier, and in addition to helping out, we cooked dinner the days leading up to the main event. This kept me in the kitchen almost the entire trip (until the panic attack that left me immobile Thursday night) but it was actually great, since it centered our activities. I like when everything happens in the kitchen.

I haven’t slept in a while, so I’m off to do that now. Updates are unlikely until we hit Cincinnati, so have a great Turkey if I don’t read you.

Greenville, SC

I haven’t dropped off the face of the planet, but the most memorable thing I’ve eaten since the last post was a Twix during the load out in Knoxville. I had a mediocre hot dog from Hot Dog King in Greenville for lunch, and I was disappointed; I remember it being much better the last time I was here. I’m going to Outback for dinner if that gives you any indication… Hopefully starting tomorrow we will hit some local places, and we have kitchens at the hotel here, so I might cook for the guys one night. I bought an [eight-ball squash](http://www.deliciousorganics.com/recipes/summersquash.htm) at the local store. I’ve never even heard of it before, so naturally I bought one.

Oh, and just in case anyone was curious, PF Chang’s still sucks.

I have eaten more processed food in the last 96 hours than I have in the last five years. God have mercy on my colon.

From Monday

So it begins. A hamburger from Friday’s at the airport and iced tea out of a box. I guess it beats soda, although at least soda is soda, not some ersatz soda trying to be something it’s not. Maybe next time I’ll have coke… except Saturday I had a root beer with the Agent at the tamale place. That would violate my once-a-year rule for soda consumption. Oh well.