There’s a monstrously large construction site about half a mile from my house (pictured above), featuring cranes and trucks and jacks and hard hats and all the usual trappings of development.

The thing is, I have no idea what it is.

To me that’s pretty much Loudoun County in a nutshell. Giant construction project? No big deal. Happens every day. (And they’re still finding old farmland on which to develop.) If this were Binghamton, not only would we have heard about it years ago, but there would be giant banners with name of the store, the name of the contractor, and the names of 25 glommy politicians.

Prepare the ribbon and the oversized novelty scissors… the politicians are creating jobs!

(Cue Charlie Brown sighing to Snoopy for maudlin quote in final frame…)

Sometimes I miss when life was so predictable.