Sir Phil's Preakness Freakness

Quick background: Sir Phil is a retired Marine Major who happened to be my first boss as an Officer. He was First Tanks XO and I was the Adj. We became friends and we run marathons together now. I still can't bring myself to call him "Phil" even after his retirement so I compromised with "Sir Phil."

Sir Phil is....unique. OK, a weird freak. But a lovable weird freak with enough idiosyncrasies to fill a dozen therapy sessions. I think my wife nailed it by describing him as a "quirky little man."

So here is his email invitation to a get-together we are going to today. It kind of encapsulates and says it all:

OK, it's time again for the (periodic) horseracing party. As I continue to make plans that interrupt the Derby, I am focusing on the Preakness this year. Accordingly on 21 May, at my hooch in the urban sector of Spotsylvania County, I shall throw out the welcome mat and host a get together.

As with the last time, there shall be an eclectic mix of folks mirroring my sordid past. I have only a vague idea of when the actual race is going to be run (somewhere around 5 or 6 PM) so I figure to start playing Seabiscuit on the TV around 3 and have the thing adjourn when all the food is gone.

RSVPs help in chow planning, so you can hit me up with an e-mail at (removed by Jason) or you can try working through my social butterfly's "phone networking" existence and calling in at (removed by Jason). We're still at (removed by Jason), still mark the terrain with an old British car (though the current exposed one is blue instead of the red one I have to hide from the neighbors).

Directions have changed due to the latest Wal-Mart incursion, so here's how you get here now (assuming you're all in from the North):

Down I-95 to the (removed by Jason) exit, right turn at the light at the bottom onto (removed by Jason). You go down and turn right at the second light (the newly opened (removed by Jason) which takes you up to the Super Wal-Mart) and blow through any lights there. After you have passed the growing shopping extravaganza there, you will eventually come to the traffic signal at (removed by Jason). Turn left (away from Fredericksburg) and head down to the third light. The marker is the 7/11 on your left and you turn left down (removed by Jason). Two miles down that, you come to a spot where a right turn lane opens up and you turn right onto (removed by Jason). There is a neighborhood to your left called the (removed by Jason) but the fact that there is a widening for a right turn is the best landmark. After turning right onto (removed by Jason), you go to the next stop sign (removed by Jason) and turn right. Go to the next available right turn (removed by Jason) and go down there till you find (removed by Jason) on your right.

If anybody brings kids, they better be hungry and easily amused, because the dog is about the only interesting thing to play with and she's probably going to be stuck in the basement most of the time. Our kids are mostly entertained by telephones and video games and I'll be clamping down on both of those for the afternoon.