Favorite Things: Virginia Confirmed as Lovers State

I was coaxed out from under the bed this weekend and agreed to be trapped in a car for four hours with my new beau so that he could show me around one of his hometowns, Norfolk/Virginia Beach. I lived through the ordeal, just barely.

Before now, I've had a distinct distaste for Virginia, primarily because of the whole Crystal Shitty factor. What I found out over the weekend is that people from Virginia are some of the most friendly and genuine I've met in this country. Sure, they drive ridiculously big trucks and tend to vote Republican. And then there is that whole military thing....another topic altogether. But, I got to put my feet in the cold ocean and then my head on warm boy-shoulder. On average, I had a fantastic time.

In honor of the Lovers State, here are some more things I like:

• I like that, in VA, you can have a $20 glass of amazing Shiraz and then a cheap whiskey, all within a few blocks of each and there aren't any silly dress codes at either place.
• I like that in VA, the trinkets at thrift shops are sometimes organized by color.
• I like that even gas station attendants in VA are friendly and talkative, but in an appropriate "I hate my job" sort of way.
• I like that men who have never met me before call me "Baby Doll."
• I like that everyone at the raw bar celebrates if someone finds a crab in their oyster. (According to one of beau's lovely friends, this happens because tiny crab embryos sometimes get sucked into an oyster's shell as he eats. But oysters don't dig on crab so the crab grows up in the oyster shell, probably in a state of darkness and despair. When the unlucky oyster gets shucked, the equally unlucky crab is still chillin in there and gets eaten as well. This is all very fabulous for the eater since the misplaced crab is said to bring good luck.*)
• No one in VA cared that I totally suck at Guitar Hero. In fact, they were so unaffected by my clear video game un-talent that they gave me jello shots and a fruity hookah. I like that.
• Retail store employees are both charming and helpful in VA and I have a fabulous (sale-priced) sundress to prove it.
• I like that, aside from a few hours of un-fun radio listening, my beau continued to impress me with his musical prowess and I now have a bunch of new songs with which to annoy my neighbors.
  

Overall, I should really let guys of predetermined quality make me leave my comfort zone of 10 DC city blocks and occasionally see the world around me. I mean, eventually I'll have to get over the terrifying prospect of enjoying someone's company again. This self-imposed loneliness and impossible list of expectations is getting a little old actually.

So, I started with a neighboring state...perhaps being nice to a boy isn't much further in the distance.

Thanks for the fun, Oph!

*I managed to score 2 of these lucky oysters over the weekend. I did not win a thing on my scratch ticket but, I did experience luck in other ways...so validity of the crab/oyster thing is unresolved at this time. That being said, I'll take what I can get, however obscure, in the luck department.