This morning, I woke up at 0500 and started teleworking. I was surprised to find that some of my colleagues were also working but all my meetings were canceled. Later, I took a break and got some breakfast (orange and banana bread). During this time, I was able to talk with Erin about her upcoming Masters Degree semester. At lunch time, Erin picked up some food (fancy Rueben sandwich and disco fries) from the Bagel Baker Deli in Virginia Beach. I continued taking care of projects for my job while eating my lunch and teleworked until 1330. At that point, I departed for Naval Station Norfolk so I could drop off some of my old Navy uniforms at the base Thrift Store. The people working there were very appreciative of the usefulness of all my old stuff. It was nice to meet the lady who ran the establishment and we talked for a bit about the many changes on the base over the last 30+ years. Next (1430), I drove east towards Virginia Beach along the Chesapeake Bay coastline (had another speed camera scare in a residential neighborhood). Since I bought a "Pick 3 Brew Hop Pass" on Viator, I'd discovered that two of the five bars were located on Ocean View Avenue. So, I made my first stop at COVA Brewing Company (1445) and found that they had a "Wall of Beers" (taps to make my own pours). I enjoyed trying about 10 different beers (including Foam Party, East Beach Blonde, Adios Amigo, Aloha State of Mind, Cosmo, Bourbon Aged Stout). There were two (Salted Caramel Porter and Butterbeer) that I REALLY liked. Also, I enjoyed the "beach bar" vibe too. Afterwards (1530), I drove west on Ocean View Avenue for a couple of miles until I reached the Bold Mariner Brewing Company. While there, I used the Brew Hop Pass again and got a free flight of four beers (Frogman Lager, Oh Snap!, Voodoo Style Apple Brandy and Noser). The atmosphere of their "Navy bar" was also good and I had fun talking to some other veterans there (one of whom served on the same ship as I did). I stayed there until about 1630 and then headed back to Erin's (we'd actually had some phone calls at different times during my time away and she hoped I was on my way). When I got there, I resumed my teleworking and later took a short walk with Erin and Kiki. The weather was nice but cool. I teleworked until nearly 1800. Austin came home at around that time and cooked up some spicy rice noodles! We then ate dinner together - that was nice. At 1915, we departed for Home Depot so I could buy Erin and Austin their Christmas Present (an electric lawn mower). Once we found a model that was too their liking (1945), we returned to their house (to drop it off). Next, we headed (via I-264) into the Norfolk Downtown area. First (2030), we stopped at the third bar on my list for the Brew Hopper card, Smartmouth Brewery, and I got a free pint; the establishment chose this beer (Alter Ego Saison) for me and I didn't end up liking it... The ambiance at the place also wasn't that great. Still, I concluded that the Brew Hopper Pass itself was an excellent value. Erin wanted to show me the Christmas Lights on the USS Wisconsin so we drove to the nearby Norfolk Harbor (arrived at 2045). That ended up being a real treat - although we didn't buy tickets to go onboard the ship, we walked (with Kiki) around Town Point Park and along the edge of the Elizabeth River. I suggested that Erin and Austin take a harbor cruise in the future and they considered adding such an excursion to their bridal registry. Before getting back in the car, I asked if we could try to access a view from the other side of the slip. They agreed and we were successful in locating a better angle for seeing the entire battleship. In Wisconsin Plaza & Wisconsin Square, we found a Medal of Honor walk and Lone Sailor. Nearby, we located Friendship Park, which contained a pretty Pagoda that was brightly lit for Christmas. Overall, this was a very nice experience. At 2130, we headed home (arrived at Erin's at 2200) and I went for a walk to get the rest of my 10K steps. I was finished with at around 2245 and then said goodnight to Erin and Austin. Heading back into their nice guest room to rest and relax, I found a space heater, blazing away! I finally went to sleep at 2300 after a wonderful day in Hampton Roads.
