Lonnie “Calvin” Allen, Jr.
My brother was here over the weekend under the auspice of having attended a conference associated with the American Bar Association. Home base for the event was a Hyatt on Capital Hill that holds the scent of wet trash and cleaning solvent. A peculiar hotel to be sure and at $399 a night, a likely disappointment to the young lawyers who descended this weekend on our Nation’s Capital. There were events on the Mall ranging from Earth Day to a random Anti Semitic demonstration (complete with skin-heads and swastikas). For the one or two pot-smokers who frequent my blog, happy 420.
T$BD and I went to Arlington National Cemetery yesterday afternoon to visit the grave site of a friend from his Jr. High (why do we now call this ‘Middle School’? Does anyone know?) and High School days. Lonnie “Calvin” Allen, Jr. died when a vehicle in which he was riding was blown to bits in Iraq.
Section 60 is where Eisenhower and York meet within the cemetary grounds, a walkable distance from the visitors’ center. Avid JavaJennifer readers will likely recall that my previous visit to the cemetery was last fall when a date took me there to introduce me to his dead-father. This time and in this section, the graves are all new, many of them less than a year old, the grass still lumpy trying to take hold.
Yesterday was warm and sunny and the cemetery was busy with Tourmobiles and tourists making their way to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and to Kennedy grave and memorial. Section 60 was busy also with too many mothers and fathers stoop-shouldered in grief atop the ground where their sons and daughters were buried.
When my grandfather (my dad’s dad) died several years ago, it was T$BD who said that his death was sad, but not tragic because our grandfather had lived a long life and died of natural causes. There was nothing natural at all about Calvin’s death at 26 years old in a war that promises to linger longer than anyone would like. My brother told some sweet stories about Calvin, his mother, father ad brother and his wife. I didn’t know Calvin but standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my brother, I don’t know what I would do if it had been T$BD in the ground.
Much later, we met a lawyer friend of his for dinner at Charlie Palmer where they let you bring 2 bottles of domestic wine to the table with no corkage fee. I had two really good bottles of Cakebread that I brought with me and was thrilled when the chef enthusiastically agreed to make me risotto with mushrooms and asparagus (vegan! Yea!). There were lots of giggles and a death-defying cab ride back to Virginia.
We had biblical rain today with thunder and lightening which made for ideal conditions for staying home and watching movies. We saw The Usual Suspects (which I’d never seen) and then capped it of with a Top Chef and ANTM marathon. Good stuff.
This is a travel week for me (Orlando, Chicago, Indiana) and I’m proud to say that I am packed, with all my work-out stuff and vegan eats. My first weigh-in takes place this Friday and since I picked up a few extra sponsors over the weekend, I do not intend to disappoint. A big JavaJennifer thank you for your support!
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog.
Tim Ramsey
I’ll sponsor you, $1 a pound.
Readers: Please note that I have created a new category for The Blogs and updates regarding The Biggest Loser. Since my weight-loss journey is about as interesting as belly button lint, I thought I’d move those posts to a different section on the blog.
Good words.