Dig - Day 1

Y'all, I really don't even know where to begin. First, I should give you a run down of our trip up here. We flew out around 10 am. In that we took a direct flight from the ATL to Richmond, I didn't expect any issues. Ah - but Delta was going to take advantage and make the most of my $15 baggage fee. So, we fly into Richmond with no real issue (I mean....we weren't taken the hospital or anything upon landing, so that's pretty a good sign based on all those news reports I have heard lately). We cruise on down to the baggage claim area all the while discussing where lunch will be consumed - as if I know Richmond and can figure out where the best restaurant in town is based on a brief discussion with my Enterprise rent-a-car guy (whole different story that I will spare you from.....let's just say Enterprise won't be my pick for a car anytime soon...I don't care if they are redoing their computer system....anyhoo). So, back to the bags...several pop out. I keep looking for my red back with a purple and yellow ribbon...really the only indicators that it is in fact my bag since everyone and their brother has decided red is the color for suitcase (which I feel I had before the world, but I am sure I am wrong there). A few more bags trickle out...but no red bag....no black bag for my mom either.....oh crap....I mean, how am I supposed to dig without a friggin bag.....flat bottom shoes (?), Indiana Jones hat, pocket knife.....those aren't just things you go out and buy. Plus, it was a direct flight...there was no way they were losing my bag, so I was now also without a toothbrush, a change of clothes. Seriously, Delta lady, how am I supposed to start my archeological career with only a white night shirt and the smallest thing of deodarant I have ever seen....It's just not going to cut it. So, after I go through about two seconds of panic, I decide that life's too short, and worst case, I can work in the lab tomorrow....so I get much nicer to the Delta lady to explain the details of our bags. She says they will be in on a 3 pm flight....so I say, here's the address...I'm outta here!

So, we get in our kickin' rental and head to James Madison's Montpelier. Well, actually we go search for a Wal-Mart because we are responsible for our own breakfast, dinner and lunch and we can't "check in" until about 5. Wally World is about 19 miles away, which you would think wouldn't take that long to find. Well, it took us a good 45 minutes to find it....not sure if it was the directions or if it was the roads...but things just aren't as easy as I would have imagined (at this point I would have stated, "archeology is never easy" as quoted from the folks in charge of this dig, but I hadn't quite heard that piece of insight...so I was on my own). We finally find Wal-Mart and get set for brown bagging it all week. We have to book it back to Montpelier because we have wasted some serious time and we certainly wouldn't want to miss the barbeque they have planned for us tonight (which turns out just to be grillin' out, but just vernacular there, so I won't dwell too much....I'll just say I was expecting some VA BBQ....oh well).

We finally get back to Montpelier or more specifically to our fine lodging establishment called Arlington House. The house is actually pretty cool - it was built back in the early 1800s and has served as a home, a sorta hospital set up for WWI veterans recovering from shell shock and now serves as the home for archeology interns at Montpelier (and us minions just doing this expedition program). So, yes, I did just say that the house is cool, but let me clarify. I only mean that in the since that it has some interesting history that goes along with MT(that's short for Montpelier....archeo lingo......) and in and of itself as well. I just don't want y'all to think that this house is plush by any means! Frankly, it is H-O-T, hot as blue blazes in here! That was my first impression, the friggin' heat! I knew it was going to be hot, but seriously, I went north! I shouldn't be hotter than at home, but alas I am. I could actually go on and on about the heat, because it was seriously vicious last night (you should see my notes...that's all I talked about yesterday...and, yes, I am taking notes....I can't be expected to remember every detail after a long day shifting through dirt!). In hindsight, I think I had just been in the AC of the car for too long and wasn't quite ready for an old house that has window units. To boot, you can't have the AC on downstairs in the common areas at the same time as the AC upstairs in the various rooms or you blow a circuit. I think we all agreed that we would rather have a little than none, so we are following that rule for sure. My last comment on the heat though is that as I went to bed, I had flashbacks of the youth mission trip to Jamaica....I would just lay there hoping to stop sweating so that I could even think of sleep. We confiscated a fan from downstairs to get some cross ventilation going, which worked quite well. So good that we all woke up covered in quilts this morning. So, again, I guess I shouldn't complain too much. It's not as if I can't stand to sweat a little. Hey, I may even lose a pound or two if I am lucky.

Now, let me take a moment to make sure everyone has a little history on how and why I agreed to come on an archeological dig for the annual mother daughter trip this year. I have a feeling that the background will be a little necessary for future stories that are bound to come up this week. So, my mom's maiden name is Madison and yes, we are direct descendants from the Madison line. James and Dolly actually had no children, so all descendants come from James' siblings. Our line is from his youngest brother, William. I can't remember all the lines right now, but James Madison (the 4th President in case you didn't know) is a great great great great great (maybe a few more) uncle. My mom has been really interested in our family's geneology so that she can get into the Daughters of the American REvolution. She recently suceeded, so she has the family line down pat! We (my mom, aunt and I) are the first descendents to come on one of these digs. (Actually there is one other girl here who is descended from one of James' sister, but let's focus on us here people....it is my blog! ha! Just kidding...I just don't know all of her deal, so I have to leave it out).

so, enough history - but the folks in charge do love this fact. The guy in charge, Matt Reeves, was telling us last night about this guy who works for Montpelier who wrote a disertation on the family line (I know it took a lot of research, but still not sure how he got a degree out of that....but hey, I am a novice here). Mom promptly said that she would like to meet him because she has a few "corrections" for him. Seriously? Did my mom just tell this guy he had some corrections for his friend on the family tree. I thought I was going to die. Who tells some PhD that he was wrong? At least she finally comes back and says they are more "clarifications" on the names that were dropped in marriages and just add a few more grandkids. I still thought I was going to die!

OK....so kids...I shouldn't have been a slacker yesterday....because I am pooped and gotta sign off. I will get back to day one on the dig tomorrow and just continue to day 2. Day 1 was pretty short anyway. So, let me know if this is at all interesting. If not, well.....stop reading.....just kidding...just tell me what you would rather hear about.

By the way, I haven't figured out how to post pictures to this blog, but I am working on it. I am just proud to actually be blogging at the moment to be quite honest! :) Hope it's what you were expecting...but frankly, I don't know what I am expecting out of this....so, hey, we are in this together.

Laters....I gotta go to bed....one can't dig without beauty sleep.....