Carried back from Ol' Virginnie....

Just back from a four-day whirlwind trip to Virginia to witness son Evan graduate from the University of Virginia Law School. As I write, one day after his gripping his diploma (along with 350 others gripping theirs), Evan is at Lewis & Clark Law School starting his BAR review course. The exam is in late July.

The beat goes on.

Quick takes on Virginia. Virginians are a grit-raised, girth-enhanced people. Accordingly grocery store aisles are four-lanes wide. Virginians don't hug (which could have to do with the humidity), and they generally drive Red, White and Blue American rigs with NASCAR aspirations.

Gas sells for 50 cents a gallon less there than here. Priuses are as rare as atheists. Gun shops are as plentiful as historical markers. Virginia wears its history on its sleeve, and why not? Jefferson, Lee, Madison, etc. If you've got it, flaunt it.

Virginians are friendly, helpful and, yes, gracious. Stepping into a visitor information center (and every hamlet has one) is to be drenched in grace and charm. The hospitality can sometimes go right over the top. I mean these local greeters were often far more excited about my visit than I was. Being greeted like this can be exhausting. At times I wanted to cry out, "Down, down!" as I might to an exuberant, frenzied puppy. No more brochures! No more questions about where I'm from or where I've been or which way I'm headed.

But Virginians mean well. God, do they mean well. But better that than the other. So bless 'em!

More later. Still on East Coast time, I'm going to bed.