THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 27, 1995 TAG: 9508250216
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 137 lines
Thursday, Aug. 17 10:30 a.m. - Independence Boulevard.
A sign in the back window of a dark blue Ford truck reads: ``This job is a test. It is only a test. Had this been an actual job, you would have received promotions, raises and other signs of appreciation.''
- Lori A. Denney
Friday, Aug. 18 2:30 p.m. - Farm Fresh on General Booth Boulevard.
The bumper of a tan Honda Accord in the parking lot wears a red, white and blue sticker that says: Thank you for pot smoking; American Cannabis Society.
- Holly Wester
6:15 p.m. - Golden Corral on General Booth Boulevard.
A dark-haired married couple in their late 40s, who have just finished pigging out on salad, meat, rolls and other buffet munchies, review their bill.
The woman, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, looks confused when she notices a discount on the ticket.
``What did we get a discount for?'' she asks her husband, handing the receipt to him. ``I don't have my glasses on.''
He takes it, holds it at arm's distance and with squinted eyes mumbles, ``They gave us a senior citizen's discount.''
- Holly Wester
6:45 p.m. - Olive Garden restaurant, Lynnhaven Parkway.
A couple and a male friend are trying to decide what to order when the waiter comes to the table. The friend quickly looks over the menu and asks the waiter if the cook can prepare shrimp primavera without garlic.
``Um, no, they can't,'' the waiter responds. ``It's already in the sauce.''
The man sighs. ``Are there any dishes on the menu that are made without garlic?'' he asks. ``My wife doesn't like it when I eat garlic. She says it gives me bad breath.''
The waiter looks at him and tries not to laugh.
``This is an Italian restaurant,'' he says. ``It's going to be hard to find anything on the menu without garlic.''
Laughing, the couple agree. The male of the couple looks at his friend and says, ``Your wife is out of town - you're not going to get kissed this weekend anyway.''
The man shrugs and nods his head.
``You're right,'' he says. ``Give me the shrimp primavera. But hold the garlic salt on the rolls, OK?''
- Pam Starr
10:30 p.m. - Five 01 City Grill.
A man returns to his seat in a back booth of the restaurant and loudly begins telling his companions about his trip to the rest room.
``When I came out of the stall there was a woman standing in there,'' he says, laughing so hard he has to wipe tears from his eyes.
``She started apologizing for being in the men's restroom,'' he adds. ``She was so embarrassed. She said, `I must have had too much wine.' I told her it was all right. Come on in.
``I was telling her not to worry, and she kept shaking her head and apologizing.''
He pauses to wipe his eyes again. ``Here I was comforting her and I didn't know until I walked out the door . . . I was in the ladies' restroom!''
- Melinda Forbes
Sunday Aug. 20 6:30 p.m. - North End beach.
The surf is still too rough for swimming because of waves left behind by Hurricane Felix. But Felix has left an alternative for beachgoers at the North End, a huge pool of calm water high on the beach near the dunes.
Day in and day out, a cut of water leads from the storm water outfall at the dunes at 79th Street through the beach to the surf's edge, but now churning waves and high tides have carved out a huge swathe of beach. Literally a lake, it is more than half a block long and as deep as the waist of some adults.
Folks have set up umbrellas and blankets around the new attraction. Children, grown-ups and dogs are cavorting in the water. A grandmother is floating along with a smiling babe in water wings.
``It's great for little ones,'' the grandmother says.
- Mary Reid Barrow
7 p.m. - North End Beach.
A golden retriever is scratching her belly in the sand. She squirms and wriggles with all the energy she can muster, then relaxes, so still she looks asleep. Then the dog starts the process all over again.
Her rear end remains stationary as she pulls her body around in orbit, compass fashion. When she finishes, she's created a perfect circle in the sand in the same way a child makes angel wings in the snow.
``She's happy as can be doing this,'' her owner says, laughing at the sight.
- Mary Reid Barrow
Tuesday, Aug. 22 4:55 p.m. - A pet store in Kempsville.
A regular customer is buying her dog a Booda bone. The girl behind the counter smiles and asks the obviously pregnant woman when she is due.
``December 5th,'' the customer answers, patting her bulging belly.
The girl's eyes widen and her mouth drops open.
``December 5th?'' she repeats. ``You're huge! Are you having twins or something?''
The woman laughs. ``No, it's just a single fetus in here,'' she replies. ``And I think this dress makes me look bigger. It's like a tent.''
The girl peruses the woman's rounded silhouette as she hands over the change.
``Well, it looks like you're only big right there,'' she says. ``You haven't gained any weight in your face or neck, or your arms. You look good.''
The customer smiles. ``Thanks. Just wait till you see what I look like in another month.''
- Pam Starr
Wednesday, Aug. 23
7:15 p.m. - General Booth Boulevard.
Rounding the corner from Princess Anne Road onto General Booth Boulevard, a fellow driving a battered blue pickup truck lurches into another gear just as he's about even with the cemetery behind Nimmo United Methodist Church.
As the vehicle jerks ahead, a plastic tub rolls out of the back of the truck and hits the pavement. Freshly dug potatoes fly up and out and bounce all over the road.
Traffic screeches to a stop. Drivers honk, people flash their lights and wave their arms out of their windows. The guy drives on.
Meanwhile, a well-dressed woman jumps out of her sedan and pulls the huge bucket onto the median. Seconds later, the fellow in the truck circles back, sees the woman with his potatoes and the mess they've made and jumps out of the truck.
``Thank you so much,'' he yells, grabs the tub by a rope handle and yanks it back onto the truckbed.
Traffic starts again and, even though nobody picks them up, drivers ease their cars carefully around the fat potatoes lying in the road.
- Krys Stefansky ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Linemen from Kellam High, known as ``The Hogs,'' run a foot
coordination drill as part of the football team's preparation for
the opening of high school football season on Thursday.
by CNB