A note from the Far East! Well, OK, it's from DC. That's East, and pretty far!
Hi Dave,
Well it's been sometime since I last wrote to you and the guys. I've been
busy with work and I've been putting in 10 hour plus days on more than a few
occasions. I've been through a few snow days but the worst was the freezing
rain that we had out here. Normally it takes me 30 minutes or so to go to
and from work but on that particular day it took me two freaking hours to
get home and some people I work with took almost 6 hours to get home!
I can tell you that I was wishing I was in Sunny California that day.
I've joined a couple of modeling clubs out here, the Northern Virginia
Modelers and the (I can't think of it as we just now since it's a brand new
and I'm having a Martini, I mean a senior moment right now so don't ask me
to think to hard.) The Northern Virginia club meets at one of the local
high schools at 7:30 p.m. and the other club meets at Piper Hobbies.
In my next message, I'll give you an insight into the club and the models
they build. In particular I'll focus on one modeler, an older gentleman who
is scratch building a Buck Rogers Space ship.
I've managed to find a least one decent Hobby Shop out here and that is
Piper Hobby Shop. There are a few other Hobby shops out here, one called
The Hobby Works which is a general hobby shop catering to plastic, RC, and
gaming. There are about 3-5 hobby shops catering to the model RRs and one
for RC models. By now most of you know that Granddads closed last year
(refer to Fine Scale Modelers Magazine and what's worse, I live a mile from
the closed Hobby Shop) also Meteor Production shut down suddenly in
February. Unfortunately my wife was out here so it wasn't until the next
week when I went to Meteor that I learned of its demise. Another gentleman
who owns a RR Hobby shop across the Hwy was there to buy a glass case. I
have an idea what happen, but I can say the Dave was not a happy camper. In
January when I last saw him there were plans for several new products and he
was very excited about it so I can tell you that what happen was pretty
major.
I haven't model much my self since I'm living in a house that is now up for
sale by the owners. I've managed to buy a couple of models, do some
sanding, and do some basic interior painting though. Next week I will
finally make it over to Smithsonian's Major Air Museum. You would think I
would have made it there within the first month or so of moving here but no,
I just haven't made it over there yet. I also plan to go to Aberdeen and
Fort Lee to see there museum's as the weather gets warmer.
As for my job it's going well. I'm still in the learning mode. My boss is
a nice guy and he lost his chance to run against one of Maryland's incumbent
representative during February's elections. I've seen and talked with the
former commander of the facility when I was stationed at Camp Parks (he's a
Major General now and a former Captain who was C Co Commander in my unit
when I was in the 82nd AA Division, well he's now DCS G-2 at the Pentagon).
I can tell you this, and Cliff I hope you're sitting down, the Army is
changing. The Army that you and I know is pretty much gone with
considerably change coming in the near future.
Anyway, that's it for now. Hope all of you are doing ok and had a happy
Easter.
Take Care,
Vince