Thursday, July 07, 2011

Following The Trail Of The Father Of Our Country To The Place Where A Cuckoo Flew Over A Nest

The sign can be found in front of Rodgers Tavern in Perryville, Maryland. It was owned by Colonel John Rodgers and was frequently visited by George Washington between 1755 and 1798. During the Revolutionary War, Perryville served as a staging area for the Continental Army.

We've been to Perryville several times; twice we've hauled loads to the train yard there, several other times while driving around exploring, and just recently when we went to the VA Hospital at Perry Point. Now that was interesting. While in the waiting room, a police officer came through, frantically walking around as if he was looking for something. Then he left. Then he came back, again spastically whipping his head around, squeezing between the chairs, talking into his shoulder microphone.

Apparently, someone left a duffle bag unattended. He asked us and a few others if we saw who left the duffle bag (we didn't), but we had only been there a few minutes. Two other officers joined him, all of them on their cell phones and shoulder microphones. Then they approached a man who they wanted to talk to. He resisted a bit but then went with them. Across the room, in full view of everyone, they put him up against a wall and handcuffed him, while going through the messenger bag he was carrying.

All the while this was going on, I was taking pictures on my cell phone and Facebooking it. I probably should have been running from the building seeking cover, but it was too entertaining; very Keystone Cop. What Ed found amusing was, that with a waiting room FULL of military veterans, not ONE person noticed an unattended dufflebag. So much for all that expensive anti-terrorism training.

The campus on which the medical center is located is quite interesting. The location is beautiful, right on the water, with a lot of green space, but much of it looks as if it's been forgotten by time. Many of the buildings are old, and the newer ones don't look like they've been kept up very well. It's got a creepy, mental institution feel to it, like something out of a movie. The people sitting around the grounds looked lost and the people wandering the halls in the hospital area were just as bizarre.

When Ed and I left, he said "I'm glad I didn't have to get treated for anything there."

I said, "Yeah. Very One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, wasn't it?"

"Exactly," he said.

I'm thinking if 'ol George Washington had a choice between the VA Medical Center and Rodgers Tavern, he'd choose a strong whiskey to ease his pain.




1 comment:

Gil said...

Loved this, especially the whiskey!