opinions4u Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Landed in Washington DC last night. Now holed up in a hotel that doesn't serve lunch waiting for the winds to hit! Already pissing it down. Chunks of the city closed down. No public transport and not much desire to go out sight-seeing anyway! Will be interesting to see how this week unfolds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsslatic Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 http://www.spendandraise.com/xtra/shop/productlist.php?q=umbrella&search=Search&rb= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoafc Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Landed in Washington DC last night. Now holed up in a hotel that doesn't serve lunch waiting for the winds to hit! Already pissing it down. Chunks of the city closed down. No public transport and not much desire to go out sight-seeing anyway! Will be interesting to see how this week unfolds. That's one helluva entrance O4U!............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Stay safe, o4u. I have a couple of colleagues out in NJ who are holed up in their hotel. I'm supposed to be out there at some point over the next few weeks, so I'm glad I've not hit this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) Stay safe, o4u. I have a couple of colleagues out in NJ who are holed up in their hotel. I'm supposed to be out there at some point over the next few weeks, so I'm glad I've not hit this. Thanks. 4am. Holed up in hotel room. It's been a wild night that simply can't be compared to anything ever experience before. Still raining very hard. Judging by the TV pictures the coast copped for it worse though and I suspect your NJ colleagues will have more to talk about than me. Our planned tour of The Capitol has been cancelled though so it's proving to be a rather expensive way to sit inside a mid-price hotel with no bar! Car hire tomorrow supposedly. Ah well, the breakfast waffles were nice! Edited October 30, 2012 by opinions4u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyGortonsMatches Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Already pissing it down. No public transport and not much desire to go out sight-seeing anyway! Sure you're not still in Oldham... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 with no bar! Jesus, hope you are OK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Jesus, hope you are OK! I got sent out to get bottled water just in case supplies were cut. I came back with several other bottles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keep_the_faith Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 so it's a bit like an oldham away trip then. Spend alot of money to stand around helplessley to watch :censored: get ripped apart and come away feeling you didnt quite get value for money. Hope it improves for you mate must be an experience and a half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 We're off to Holguin in Cuba 3 weeks tomorrow. We hope! It's one of the eastern provinces that was hit by the hurricane. The damage sounds quite bad to the hotel. The staff are apparently working round the clock to clear up - while their own homes are lying in ruins a few miles away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsslatic Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Woman on 5 live before complaining because she was due to fly home on Monday and when asking what route she could go home JFK - Detroit - Paris - London and it would take 27 hours. There's been tens of thousands of flights cancelled love, what did you expect? Then goes on to complain that Delta won't pay for her accommodation for a few days, she could have been home by then if she'd taken the long flight. I really didn't think it was that unreasonable, but hey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 We're due home Sunday. But Washington DC airports opened pretty quickly so should be ok. The EU based airlines give better consumer support at these times, but the fares probably reflect this. Currently in a place called State College and just found myself in a massive stadium with a 107,000 capacity. Apparently the fourth biggest in the world! Lovingly named the Beaver Stadium. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_Stadium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorrro Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Penn State's stadium. I'm sure it used to have a capacity of about 115,000. I used to hate playing there on NCAA 06. *nerd smiley* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Penn State's stadium. I'm sure it used to have a capacity of about 115,000. I used to hate playing there on NCAA 06. *nerd smiley* Record attendance over 110,000 apparently. It is massive, but no roof! Lowest attendance since 2001 93,000. To watch the kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Lowest attendance since 2001 93,000. To watch the kids! That's a poor choice of words- one of their old assisstant coaches is in prison for watching kids too closely. The ex head coach essentially got fired (I think he technically retired) for not reporting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 We're due home Sunday. But Washington DC airports opened pretty quickly so should be ok. The EU based airlines give better consumer support at these times, but the fares probably reflect this. Currently in a place called State College and just found myself in a massive stadium with a 107,000 capacity. Apparently the fourth biggest in the world! Lovingly named the Beaver Stadium. http://en.wikipedia..../Beaver_Stadium That's one great big beaver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldhamSheridan Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Paterno got chopped for reporting it. Just to the wrong people, who said nothing and also got the boot. I think it is fair to say he was on his way out anyway (as he is now dead). This was all funny when he was stuck in a hurricane and looking at monuments from three miles away in the dark whilst drinking bottle water. But now he's started rocking up to stadiums/teams I want to see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Woman on 5 live before complaining because she was due to fly home on Monday and when asking what route she could go home JFK - Detroit - Paris - London and it would take 27 hours. There's been tens of thousands of flights cancelled love, what did you expect? Then goes on to complain that Delta won't pay for her accommodation for a few days, she could have been home by then if she'd taken the long flight. I really didn't think it was that unreasonable, but hey. My mates were on their Honeymoon in NYC, were due to fly on the 30th but were told to wait until the 2nd and BA have now told them to wait until the 6th !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoafc Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 That's one great big beaver. Why has Susan Stranks suddenly come to my mind ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 This was all funny when he was stuck in a hurricane and looking at monuments from three miles away in the dark whilst drinking bottle water. But now he's started rocking up to stadiums/teams I want to see... If it makes you feel better we didn't see a game. Mrs o4u is fulfilling her desire to see Springsteen live in the USA. He's getting on a bit now so the 3 hour plus power shows can't be expected to last forever. So we decided to do America and fit round a half term gig. State College as venue was simply a fluke - it was easier to get to from New York than Kentucky so fitted the school holidays. Then, at the last minute, she decided Washington was preferable to New York. I thought it was a :censored: decision, but as a bloke you learn to do what you're told so I booked DC, car hire and budget hotel in a Pennsylvania town I'd never heard of. Missing out on New York appears to have been inspired given the weather. I was impressed with DC though, big White House, Lincoln Memorial, not very Secret Service everywhere. Yet to do the Smithsonian though and the tour of The Capital got cancelled due to Sandy. Driving back there today in a Honda Sonata automatic which is like learning to drive again. Lovely car but fecked if I can work out the headlights and no gearbox has left me holding on to the steering wheel for dear life convinced I'm going to run somebody off the road in error. So I stare manically at the road while Mrs o4u is under strict instructions to direct me, based on a Google maps printout we brought with us - Avis short on GPS not much help! State College is an amazing place. Population 40,000. Bewilderment at three English folk with strange but loved accents in their midst. Average attendance for the ball game over 100,000. I'd seen Beaver Stadium on the map and had the mandatory giggle about it. We rolled up to collect the Bruce tickets from the indoor arena across the road, a sense of relief that funds charged to the credit card in August had indeed yielded results, and then wandered over to the "club shop" in the stadium to waste some money on a few meaningless trinkets. Mrs o4u declined the opportunity to get some pom poms and a cheerleader's outfit but as o4u Jr paid for his pennant the lady in the shop, taken in by the English accents, volunteered the chance to see inside the stadium so in we went, me expecting to see something like the Reebok with funny shaped goal posts at each end. We got a blue and white version of Barcelona instead! Canadian blokie showed us round, pointing out the surrounding facilities. Soccer stadium, capacity 2,000 - the girls are good, very good. Baseball stadium, didn't get a number on crowds but it was big, over 10,000. New hockey arena being built - massive offence caused by me calling it ice hockey - but it will have 15,000 seats. They fill these places. Sport is in the blood from a young age. They drive in from 2 hours away to be involved. Anyway. Time for my breakfast waffle. If BA honour my booking its back in Blighty Monday morning. Toddle pip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I was impressed with DC though, big White House, Lincoln Memorial, not very Secret Service everywhere. Yet to do the Smithsonian though and the tour of The Capital got cancelled due to Sandy. It's a strange place, ain't it? Abject poverty and absolute power all within walking distance of each other! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 It's a strange place, ain't it? Abject poverty and absolute power all within walking distance of each other! I'm yet to experience the poverty, but I know it's there. I forgot to mention the stunning natural beauty as you head upstream along the Potomac. I'd also anticipated an ugly semi-industrial landscape as we drove the Pennsylvania. Anything but. Genuinely beautiful scenery and some picture postcard towns. I assume The Amish live nearby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsslatic Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Re Smithsonian, the air and space museum is a bloody treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Re Smithsonian, the air and space museum is a bloody treat. Yep! And the zoo too - often overlooked as it's a bit out of the way... but it's totally free and massive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Trip drawing to a close. Learning points: 1. You can do loads for free in DC. 2. People are friendlier out of city. Small town America is cool. 3. Learn how to drive an automatic before you collect a hire car. 4. Hershey bars taste like vomit. 5. If you book the £50 extra exit seats on BA you have a decent chance of getting steak that the posher seats didnt want it! 6. Bruce Springsteen is still :censored: hot live, but not in any different way to when he turns up in the UK. 7. Hurricane's are quite cool to be in, as long as your home, town or livelihood haven't been destroyed. 8. I can't tell anything an American says without having to get them to repeat it. 9. Americans can do things with a bit of class. 10. This is not a service driven nation. That's nonsense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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