| The reunion - day two on the road |
 It's Wednesday. We're feeling re-invented. We decide to check out the USS Nautilus museum in Groton and then continue on the wine trail back to my mother's house. The day is rather cool and overcast - a good day for doing museums.
We get to Groton and the Naval Base. The museum sits just outside the gates to the base. It makes me wonder how many people have tried to sneak into the base along the water's edge. I wonder if it's booby-trapped past the museum boundaries. I figure I should be writing spy novels.
The museum is interesting. We climb inside the Nautilus and get to see what life was like aboard the first nuclear submarine. Half of the sub is off-limits, but we get to see the living quarters and radio control rooms. I could never apply for submarine duty. It feels claustrophobic. You'd have to get used to sleeping in a fetal position - there's no way you could stretch your legs out on your bunk. I suddenly have a new admiration for any person who serves on a submarine. I hope that they're all under 5'8" tall.
We spend about an hour at the museum and then get back on the road. We were going to go to another winery and are strangely pulled by some mysterious force, to the other large casino in the area, the Mohegan Sun.
We never make it to the other wineries. Once again, we are pulled into the world of pings, dings, and flashing lights. We play keno again. Again we lose. We decide to play the one-armed bandits. I win $12. Dan loses $20. But we had hours of fun and didn't spend any more than we would have for a night out at a fine restaurant. We try to take a photo of ourselves in the casino. It comes out blurred, but we'll always remember the fun behind the photo.
I'm saddened to hear about Ann Nicole Smith's son, Daniel. I feel grateful that, despite some problems, all of my sons have made it to adulthood. Looking back at some of the things they got into as teenagers, I see it as nothing short of miraculous. I hope they all outlive me. As a mother, I can't imagine what Anna Nicole's going through. I don't know her, but I feel strangely empathetic.
The afternoon rolls around. We head back to my mother's. It was a fun two days away. Dan's back to his cheerful self. I think we needed some time to ourselves. Family is wonderful, but romantic getaways are a necessity for married couples.
For tomorrow, we decide to do one more day in New York, since we have to head back to Sydney on Friday. Dan hasn't given up on finding his orange suede sneakers. He's certain that, if they are anywhere, they are in New York City.
(to be continued...) |
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Name: Melanie O.
Home: Durham, North Carolina, United States
About Me: Female, American health and beauty-conscious professional who has rekindled a childhood love of dolls.
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posted by Melanie O. at 
