JJB’s Ramblings

Un cerveza por favor. 

The way I remember it, this was the world’s best beer and the worlds best mexican food, at the worlds best restaurant.  Erica and I had just completed an extraordinarily long drive listed on google maps as 10 hours.  We took about 16 hours because I wanted the rustic, scenic appeal.  Well, we got it.  On the map you can see where we pulled a U-turn just before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to get cash and got a little lost on the beltway outside Virginia Beach.  ANYWAY.  Only briefly stopping in NC for BBQ , 16+ hours after we left Brooklyn we found ourselves at the condo, ready to eat the first thing we could get our hands on and subdue.  Thankfully it didn’t come to that.  eRocks folks had suggested a mexican place down the road with $0.69 draft beers and $1.00 margaritas.  Aye yai yai!  We couldn’t pass that up.  It was stellar.  Above average food and cold cheap beer and this photo was a declaration of love for the latter.

So, they say a picture is worth a thousand words (or a few bucks if you are looking for a print).  This couldn’t be closer to the truth.  There are thousands of photos up on jjbates.com that have not had their stories told.  This is probably because a lot of them are bad stories.  You know, like the ones where a casual acquaintance asks you how you are but then cuts you off only to launch into a tirade about how they hate pudding with skin (I don’t) or have an irrational fear of the last few ounces of milk in the carton (I do). 

Fortunately some do have good stories that are worth sharing.  Some with meaning that could be discussed over tea and biscuits or a cold pint of beer.  Others are just funny and haven’t had their day in the sun.  Well now that sunny day is here my friends.  Sit a spell and read on about these untold truths as I tell you about the background of these shots.  A while back I started this with the 10 Photo Shuffle and I will now continue on the path with a story behind one photo every few days or so depending on time.

Our first specimen (seen above) was actually a Photo of the Day back in March of 2005.  A group of five normally intelligent men decided to head up to Acadia National Park on the brink of a snow storm for a few days of relaxation.  Fortunately, the snow started just before we arrived and continued heavily in the night.  The next morning we were greeted with over a foot of snow but still decided to make the trek from the hotel over to the National Park and walk around.  It was so incredibly nice.  The snow had (for the most part) subsided and we found ourselves walking the loop road along the shoreline.  The waves crashing against the rocks were unlike anything I had ever seen and it was extraordinarily calm…except for the 5 idiots gallivanting around.