THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 18, 1994 TAG: 9412160207
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
Thursday, Dec. 8
10:15 p.m. - The Edge
While local favorites the Killroos entertain at the front of the bar, a handful of young women are dealing with their own crowd in the back. The line for the women's restroom is at an all-time high and impatience is on the rise.
But instead of complaining, a woman at the end of the line makes light of the situation. ``You know,'' she says, ``these are the times when you wish you were a man.''
- Holly Wester
Friday, Dec. 9
5:15 p.m. - Parking lot at Virginia Wesleyan College
Two young ladies, returning from a post-exam dinner at Denny's, admire the sky, full of black birds. They watch them fly in confusing patterns and comment on how beautiful they look against the gray sky.
But the reality of 1 million flying birds hits after the girls say goodbye. Before pulling away, one of the young ladies has to wash her windshield of nature's beautiful by-product.
- Holly Wester
9 p.m. - An Oceanfront area bar/restaurant.
There's a lot of excitement as a young Navy officer in uniform enters the front door. A couple of women rush up to him, and he follows them back to a side area where a large group of young women is gathered.
Seconds later music blares, the ``military'' man pulls off his hat to reveal long shiny black hair and he starts dancing and removing his clothes.
The wild screaming of his ``audience'' attracts the attention of everyone in the bar and people lean over tables and each other to get a look.
When the show's over, he retreats to the men's room, emerges minutes later wearing more traditional clothing and heads back to the women to join the party.
- Melinda Forbes
Saturday, Dec. 10
2:30 p.m. - Toys 'R Us at Lynnhaven.
A woman is standing in the first aisle trying desperately to conceal a game that is mostly hidden under her coat. Her suspicious activity garners lots of stares from other shoppers, but she quickly puts them at ease.
``I'm not trying to shoplift,'' she insists loudly so all can hear. ``I just don't want my kids to see. I told my husband to keep them away from the games and what does he do? He leads them right over here!''
- Kevin Armstrong
Sunday, Dec. 11
7 p.m. - Pops Concert at Pavilion.
After weeks in the cold, dark orchestra pit for the opera ``Salome,'' and two weekends in a similarly subterranean setting for the Christmas ballet, ``The Nutcracker,'' some Virginia Symphony members are slightly dazed by the holiday decorated Pavilion.
White chiffon fabric billows in waves across the convention center ceiling and down the walls, tiny lights sparkle everywhere and metallic bows decorate the doors.
One cellist stands staring in the doorway.
``We're in heaven aren't we. This must be heaven,'' she announces to her colleagues.
- Marlene Ford
Monday, Dec. 12
8:20 a.m. - An office on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
A young woman, who is chatting with a female co-worker about her weekend, lets her in on her latest ups and downs. Her two kids, one infant and one school age, have come down with colds.
``There's nothing worse than having sick kids,'' she says. ``Usually, I don't want to go to work. Now I don't want to go home!''
- Holly Wester
9:45 a.m. - Mail Boxes Etc. at Woods Corner Shopping Center.
Several customers have stumbled in from the cold, bearing gifts bound for faraway places.
One of them is an older gentleman clad in a Dallas Cowboys jacket. He steps up to the counter and asks, ``What's the difference between you and the Postal Service?''
``Convenience,'' remarks the man behind the counter. ``We save you time and help you pack things. The post office won't pack it for you.''
The reply appears to satisfy the customer.
He agrees about the packing service, noting how the post office doesn't permit masking tape or string on boxes.
``But I'm not as concerned about time,'' he adds. ``I've got another 36 years left - I plan to live to be 100!''
- Kevin Armstrong
10 a.m. - Virginia Beach Boulevard.
The yellow and black bumper sticker on the back of a red Beretta is inspiring to morning drivers. It reads: ``Get right or get left.''
- Holly Wester
10:05 a.m. - Virginia Beach Boulevard.
A rusted, turquoise station wagon with a license plate that reads KID-CAR has a bumper sticker with an unconventional philosophy. It reads: ``Hug your kids at home and belt 'em in the car.''
- Holly Wester
Tuesday, Dec. 13
1 p.m. - Chimney Hill Boulevard and Holland Road.
A woman sits at a traffic signal waiting for the light to change before turning onto Holland Road from Chimney Hill Boulevard. As her signal changes to green, the last two cars on Holland Road run their red light.
A Virginia Beach policeman who happens to be behind them on Holland Road immediately turns on his siren and pulls the two over.
- Alexis Smith ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PETER D. SUNDBERG
Looking out of Place
This old silo, formerly hidden by trees, is now out in the open
because of construction to improve and widen the Birdneck Road
interchange with Route 44. The Virginia Department of
Transportation, which began in August, will spend the next year or
so completing the construction, which calls for a full clover leaf
interchange, much like the one on I64 at Indian River Road. It
includes the relocation of the on-ramp from southbound Birdneck to
44, the addition of a northbound lane on Birdneck westbound to 44,
and a third southbound lane from 44 to Virginia Beach Bouelvard.
by CNB