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bruxalle t1_itgi462 wrote

Didn’t hear a thing and slept like a baby.

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Top-Experience-8874 t1_itgk6ei wrote

It woke me up and I went on Amazon - vague memory of buying cat sweaters

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suarezi93 t1_itgn96r wrote

Not sweaters for cats, pray?

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Top-Experience-8874 t1_itgnhwc wrote

Oh yeah he’s gonna be cozy

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fusion260 t1_itgreqy wrote

Recovering from a lousy experience at Ashland Berry Farm’s Terror on the Farm last night. It absofuckinglutely sucked and I think it’s the last time I’ll be going.

The online sales ticket line was longer and seemingly-slower than their ultra-slow credit card line and slow cash line. For people who purchased tickets in advance and are just showing a QR code, it shouldn’t take that long to check in.

I wouldn’t say it was understaffed because you could see staff everywhere… but the staff was largely useless. They were negligent on managing the lines and didn’t do anything about line skippers despite people calling for them at each maze—and I’m talking about groups of people all skipping lines.

Booger Woods was essentially a complete stand-still from the point of being dropped off at the hayride stop to about 60% through the woods… all because of that awful bottleneck part where people have to crawl through that tunnel. Then you get people who are “too scared” and stop walking in the mazes just to scream and say how scared they are and they’re not removed by staff. Seriously, we stood inside one of the houses with dozens of people unable to move forward or move backward for maybe 10 minutes. If someone lit a match or tried to smoke and something caught fire, there would have been dozens of us burnt to a crisp in today’s news. It took us an hour and a half to just get through the whole thing and back to the hayride to take us back.

I’ve been there for years on end with it as busy as it was last night and never had issues like that. It’s like the staff just gave up and let teenagers run the place.

One thing they’re deadly serious about there? No ReFUnDs!

Red Vein [eta: at Hanover Vegetable Farm], on the other hand, was a 10/10 experience and they get better each year. Easily worth the same price as Ashland Berry Farm. We were in and out of the whole thing in 15 minutes.

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knf262 t1_ith2w0f wrote

Is red vein the one out Ashland/Ashcake road?

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fusion260 t1_ithe4gt wrote

Yes! They're hosted by Hanover Vegetable Farm at 13580 Ashland Rd.

They do a great job at managing the parking lot, check-in/ticket purchasing, and keeping the lines compartmentalized. This year, they're doing timed groups where they hold people who arrive earlier than the next available (or pre-purchased) window back at the main waiting area where there is live music and food trucks and seating. Then the short walk to the Red Vein experience queue is pretty orderly and the staff stays on top of monitoring it for line skippers; they say they won't hesitate to toss line skippers but I haven't seen anyone try to do it because the queue moves pretty smoothly.

The VIP (basically fast pass upgrade) for Red Vein isn't necessarily something you need to do to enjoy it. At most, you might be waiting 30-45 minutes in the main queue before you enter. From there, it's a pretty straightforward walk with one mid-experience queuing point where they break people up into smaller groups before they enter the church portion of the experience.

It's kinda sad... I've done Ashland Berry Farm annually (usually 2-3 trips with different friends) each October—except for 2020 and 2021—and this year was just shockingly poorly managed and maintained... the condition of the mazes are clearly showing they're in desperate need of a complete rebuild. I'm glad I wore gloves because several plywood/particle board panels and railings at Ashland Berry Farm were splintery and some had exposed nail/screw heads. Also, their unexpected ramps up and down in pitch black portions are pretty damned hazardous!

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PickanickBasket t1_ithoq8n wrote

We drove all the way to Haunted Hunt Club Farm and back last night. It was a beautifully done series of haunts, with overcrowded and poorly timed line management. Sat in line in the car to get in the gate for an hour with line cutters rampant, and bunched up crowds through the attractions that ruined the moments and made us feel rushed. Glad we finally went but don't think I'll go again next year. Thanks for the info on Ashlandberry and Red Vein. Are there any other nearby haunts/events you like?

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fusion260 t1_ithzb8m wrote

Looks like I need to check out Haunted Hunt Club Farm then! (I can deal with poorly-timed line management as long as it wasn't the negligent line management at last night's Ashland Berry Farm's Booger Woods.)

Other than Terror on the Woods (at ABF) and Red Vein (at HVF), I generally stick to Kings Dominion's Halloween Haunt and Busch Gardens' Howl-o-Scream events. Both are very serviceable outings with variably-acceptable levels of enjoyment. Run of the mill mazes with dueling levels of tragically-few actors in a maze or quality scares from experienced actors.

I'd been meaning to look into Creepy Hollow Scream Park near Hanover Vegetable Farm, though.

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firemummy t1_itis4aj wrote

Jeez, that sound fucking awful. And you know they made bank.

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suarezi93 t1_itgh0kb wrote

Accidentally climbed a mountain yesterday in Shenandoah National Park, so I will be spending as much time as I can today being as still as possible. My whole body hurts.

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bird_bitch t1_itghng3 wrote

I climbed Old Rag on Wednesday and boy oh man, thursday I was hurtin’.

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suarezi93 t1_itgl5u6 wrote

I bet! My gf works at the park and her roommate’s job is to count the number of people who make it to the top… so far she’s climbed Old Rag 38 times 😵‍💫

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CyranoDeBurlapSack t1_itgmabn wrote

How does one accidentally climb a mountain?

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suarezi93 t1_itgn2ff wrote

Picked out a hike without realizing it had a pretty significant elevation gain (edit: significant to us, hiking noobs aka big wimps). Oopsie! Thankfully the views and waterfalls at the top were worth it.

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dreww4546 t1_itgeba3 wrote

Driving around like a self centered jackass takes a lot out of you. It takes a lot of energy to be that inconsiderate late at night.

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GrayRVA t1_itgg1xe wrote

Other than a pizza dinner with the fam, I had a completely plan-free weekend and it was glorious. More of these, please.

Update to add: Way to suck Verizon Fios and Nexstar for not figuring out your shit and dropping ABC for another week. How dare you deprive my mom of her favorite pastime known as “Feel personally attacked by Blossom’s outfit.”

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coconut_sorbet t1_itha9is wrote

> Other than a pizza dinner with the fam, I had a completely plan-free weekend and it was glorious. More of these, please.

I am having the exact opposite of this, except that I also had a pizza dinner with the fam. Am exhausted.

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GrayRVA t1_ithmwfe wrote

Too fun to have fun. And frequently I can’t blame anyone for it other than my own damn self.

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systematical t1_itgppdp wrote

I live in Church Hill, so I have $3k sound proof windows installed over my regular windows and sleep with a fan running. Didn't hear a thing.

Edit: I am once again asking you all, write all your representatives, state and federal to ban the fart nozzles idiots attach to their vehicles.

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Jon_hamm_wallet t1_itgfakh wrote

It's been a long weekend, I've got a fundraising event today that I'm super nervous for. You just never know if people are gonna show up, if they're gonna spend money, if it'll be worth the effort.

I've got 2 7pm tickets to Terror on the Farm tonight that I'm trying to get rid of. Paid $30 apiece, would sell for $40 for both. PM if interested.

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Sage_Advice420 t1_itgnnjd wrote

What fundraiser?

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Jon_hamm_wallet t1_itgoa4l wrote

We're doing at art raffle at The Veil Scotts Addition to raise money for Safe Bars RVA. Safe Bars is a local program that trains bar and restaurant staff to recognize and respond to sexual aggression, harassment, and assault in places wher alcohol is served. We're raising money to be able to offer trainings for free (and still pay our trainers). I'd love to answer any questions you might have about it, or you can check out who we've trained on our IG, @safebarsrva.

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oldsoul333 t1_itggs5j wrote

Interested in the Terror on the Farm tix! PM incoming

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dudewhoisbrowsing t1_itggk71 wrote

About to go grocery shopping at new grand mart. And do meal prep cooking for the week.

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Mmeeggggss t1_ithgcfy wrote

New to the area and to New Grand Mart- do they have British foods?

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dudewhoisbrowsing t1_ithhavd wrote

Not that I have really seen. They specialize in all things asian. So you have Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc. The one I go to on Midlothian Turnpike has maybe one aisle that has stuff you would find in a normal American Grocery store, and stuff found in Latin America.

As for a store that has British fare, you might want to try Europa Food Market at 5243 W. Broad Street. I don't know what all is in there as I haven't been there myself. But it seems like a good starting point.

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Mmeeggggss t1_ithhrtt wrote

Ooh ok thank you! I appreciate the info!

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dudewhoisbrowsing t1_ithj8xp wrote

Also, welcome to Richmond!

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Mmeeggggss t1_ithmpv7 wrote

Thanks! Your other comment made me think of my Polish grandmother who used to make pierogis from scratch on holidays. So freaking good. Maybe I need to replicate those!

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dudewhoisbrowsing t1_ithn588 wrote

If you replicate those, I would be more than willing to trade you some of my home made dishes for home made pierogis! I am really good in Italian, Cajun, Irish, and improvised asian dishes!

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Mmeeggggss t1_ithp0t4 wrote

I’ll let you know if I can find the recipe. Just checked w my brother and he said he doesn’t have it, so the hunt continues. If I make them anyway I’ll let you know!

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dudewhoisbrowsing t1_ithi7pz wrote

Not a problem! Now I kind of want to hit up Europa to see if they have some good Polish Keilbasa and Pierogies.

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fr0bert t1_ithngi5 wrote

There's some Caribbean stuff in New Grand, which has some crossover with British stuff but not a lot. If youre looking for British staples it's hard around here, Publix has a section but you will absolutely balk at the prices. I'm going home on weds for a few days and intend to fill my suitcase with a load of tea bags and uk/ireland treats on the way back 😁

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Mmeeggggss t1_ithpt1r wrote

The Publix prices are so awful right?! Like who pays $7.99 for marmite when you can get it for £2?! Or like $5.99 for HP sauce?! I’ve been stockpiling Bisto and Paxo prepping for the holidays. Thanks for the commiseration! We aren’t going back until next May so Publix, Amazon, and Word Market will have to do. Have a great trip home!

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fr0bert t1_itigt3x wrote

I'll admit I did cave in a moment of weakness and pay for Weetabix and brown sauce in Publix lol

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Mmeeggggss t1_itipxyf wrote

No shame in that! We totally bought brown sauce and a decent Colmans-wanna-be mustard as well as a few other things. Husband would die without brown and red sauces. Shame we don’t get Branstons at ours because we would probably overpay for that too!

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PerlinLioness t1_itk7fmt wrote

They have a small section for British candy. What sorts of things are you looking for? World Market has some good stuff.

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Mmeeggggss t1_itlf3ca wrote

Hey there. I can’t find Branstons at my Publix but haven’t checked WM yet and I can’t find Paxo anywhere other than Amazon. I definitely need to hit up WM (if for nothing else, Colmans).

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PerlinLioness t1_itlfvso wrote

Ask a store manager at Publix about the specific product. Sometimes they’ll order it for you if they don’t have it at your store. We’ve done this for a couple things in the past—especially British stuff. Haven’t seen Paxo though.

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CapeCod_Boats t1_itgprut wrote

What are some of the things you like to get there? For me it’s Norwegian mackerel and pearl River bridge soy sauce.

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geneb0322 t1_itgw54o wrote

Have you tried San J soy sauce? I never really noticed a difference in soy sauces until I tried that brand... It's the only one I use any more. Bonus, it is made in Henrico so it is actually local.

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InterstateExit t1_ith3phz wrote

San-J sauces are top-notch. I use their Tamari for everything Asian I make. I also really like their Szechuan sauce and teriyaki sauces.

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geneb0322 t1_ith971y wrote

I didn't know they had a Szechuan sauce... I'll need to look for that next time I am at new grand mart. Thanks for turning me on to that.

I never knew soy sauce could be anything more than salty water until I tried San J. Their's is just orders of magnitude better than anything else I have ever tried. I'd love to try anything else they make.

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InterstateExit t1_ithfujx wrote

Yeah, I hope you enjoy it! It’s very spicy, so I use it in small amounts but it’s delicious. Happy to see another San-J fan! I’ve seen them in the Kroger stores as well.

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dudewhoisbrowsing t1_itgqd12 wrote

I get all sorts of things there. I like getting all the varieties of the Samyang spicy chicken ramen. Japanese curry cubes. Various types of chilis. Fish sauce. Oyster sauce. Gochujang. Gochogaru. Seasoning packets for making pho. I also love going there as it is one of the easiest places to get beef bones to roast to make beef broth. I also get my soy sauces both normal, dark, and light varieties there. Oh yeah, and rice paper for homemade fresh rolls.

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LionOver t1_ith0252 wrote

Kimchi selection is very hit or miss and the offerings seem to change constantly. Feel like I'm always just rolling the dice when I buy it there.

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CapeCod_Boats t1_itij34k wrote

Any brands you would recommend to try or avoid? Never had kimchi and was planning on picking some up next time I go.

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LionOver t1_itijyoz wrote

Um, I would say do not get vegan kimchi. It is not even close to being as good. It's also an acquired taste. If you like sauerkraut, you probably will like kimchi. Otherwise it helps to heat it up by searing it in a stirfry or something like that. Radish kimchi can be really good, but napa cabbage is where it's at.

Along that line, there's a kimchi shortage in South Korea currently, and I think that's impacting the quality of what gets exported.

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mourning__glory t1_itgi206 wrote

It was SO loud in Manchester last night. Although, once I finally fell asleep, I didn’t hear anything at all. Been up since 7, walked my dog, cleaned my apartment and now I’m laying on the couch!

I really want to get breakfast/brunch but a lot of friends went out last night, so I can only imagine that they’re still asleep. Here’s to hoping someone wakes up soon!

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ChaoticKeys t1_itgosza wrote

Nah. I slept in too late because I stayed up way too late playing video games.

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njbrews t1_itgm9ac wrote

Pusha T last night at Browns, now heading to DC to see FKJ tonight. Gonna pay for it at work tomorrow but it will be worth it

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docskreba t1_itgydz4 wrote

I’m at Busch Gardens for Howl-O-Scream. This is probably the last year I get a season pass here. It’s just not worth the cost with so much of the park closed on a regular basis.

Also they’re not even attempting to hide the fact they aren’t trying for Halloween anymore. Literally employees setting up Christmas trees and lights this morning…

Edit: a letter

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GaimanitePkat t1_ithu76s wrote

We were considering going next weekend with my parents. Thanks for the heads-up!

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RVAforthewin t1_iti4sww wrote

We made the switch to kings dominion a couple of summers ago and haven’t looked back. We live in Chesterfield so we can get to KD in under an hour whereas BG is closer to 90 min. Additionally, there are more “big” rides at KD for the kids (almost 10 and 12). I do admit BG is cleaner, has better food, and is just…nicer. The crowd at KD can get a bit rough at times. Still, if we’re there for the rides, which we are, then KD is just better for us.

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jodyhighrola t1_itgi09h wrote

USGP later on. With the drivers championship settled and the constructors looking like it's settled, all eyes on everyone in the midfield. Bottas starting in the top 10!

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Charlesinrichmond t1_itgr6m0 wrote

It was an asshole in a car, not gunshots. I hope he hit a tree.

His exhaust sounds like people manually unloading plywood from a truck onto a stack

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donniedarkhair t1_itgz7uf wrote

The only things ruining my sleep are all of my autopays hitting at once with a vengeance.

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PickanickBasket t1_ithp8xz wrote

I feel this so hard. Suddenly got a low balance alert on my phone and saw that two of my usual autopays went through a week early!?!? FML.

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ArcadianBlueRogue t1_itgo2pp wrote

Only thing messing with me last night is feeling the soreness from my flu shot.

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nehctikgnik t1_ith6pk4 wrote

Friday night was woken up by I wanna say a machine gun firing in fulton hill. Used to hearing small caliber non automatics, but that one got me outta bed.

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PickanickBasket t1_ithpx09 wrote

Could it have been a string of firecrackers? The Youths love to light the whole pack at once and lob them at the park near us randomly. You can sometimes find the paper leftovers the next day.

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bluesky38 t1_ith7dq2 wrote

Recovering from pusha t

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Hanidalon t1_itgp7t5 wrote

I didn't hear the guns or motorcycles, but saw a procession of fire trucks go down South Meadow in a hurry. Anyone know what that was about? I saw at least 4 big engines and a few support vehicles as well.

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Wa_wa_ouija t1_ithgn1i wrote

It was a reported house fire off of meadow. Didn't listen to the whole thing though so not sure if it was anything

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dappermuis t1_ith61nn wrote

What day does trick or treating happen? I’m new to RVA and want to make sure that I put out candy.

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Soloemilia t1_ith87xa wrote

31st. No random days here. It’s the actual day always

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dappermuis t1_ith8g0z wrote

Got it, thanks! I moved here from Seattle where is was usually the Friday closest to the 31st.

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PickanickBasket t1_ithpmfk wrote

Kids usually start around 5. Usually goes until 7/8. We only get a few in our area despite going all out on decorations. Sigh.

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vicsfoolsparadise t1_ithl93u wrote

Crazy night in Northside. 911 was backed up. Shoot outs everywhere it seemed.

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dr_nerdface t1_itgriu0 wrote

stayed in a hotel out of town. passed out around 1230, neighboring room gets in at 2am, fucking loud for no reason. quiets down. fall back asleep. 430am they get fucking loud again (butwhy.gif). am able to sleep a couple more hours before time to go. sounds like i had as much noisey excitement last night as y'all did.

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buttonsnbones t1_ith2zm7 wrote

I actually woke up early today to go feed my horse. Then ended up hanging out with barn people and watching a couple of riding lessons. Recent back surgery has me out of the saddle for a while so I enjoyed living vicariously through the kid taking lessons!

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weasol12 t1_ith63um wrote

Did anyone else hear the gunshot by Willow Lawn last night around 2a?

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WoodwickVonRazzle t1_iticyfc wrote

The anime tattoo con was really fun and had a great turnout, hopefully it continues to return and grow!

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AlreadyShrugging t1_itgfuzs wrote

Should I be glad I chose not to work last night?

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leywillis t1_ithykbp wrote

Anyone know where the Pumpkin and Ghost Happy Meal Halloween Pails can be found? I found the Goblin at Chamberlayne McDonald's.

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squidboat t1_itifyz0 wrote

Returning/recovering from my wedding and mini honeymoon at the Jefferson. I feel like I heard some commotion earlier on in the evening but slept pretty hard. Hah.

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WaxyWingie t1_itinsf1 wrote

.. spent 5 hours on my feet and talking about plants at our very own RVA Tropical plants swap today. To say that I am peopled out is an understatement.

Also, there is no sleeping in with small kids.

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Nervous_Golf_6561 t1_ititx2h wrote

Just got back a few hours ago from a weekend at the MD Ren Fair.

Had steak on a stake, got to wear armor and look cool, and had a Samurai compliment my gear and give me a very masculine pat in the shoulder, and my lady got Valkyrie braids and Scotch Eggs.

Also there was an Orc amongst other things.

The hotel was great but there is nothing like being back in your own home and bed.

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