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Parrottrek Journal 2008
Hoooray!!!! The last two pieces
Such concentration!
We are victorious!
Katie and Bradley got along quite well
| Sarah and Ryan, deep in the Amazon jungles of Asheville --> |
October 1st - The Puzzle Begins -
We have arrived in Asheville and are staying at the McElhaney's, literally.
Our motorhome fits perfectly in their driveway which is great since we can
visit them whenever we want and the kids can come in and hang out with
the birds whenever they want. Today we started a 750 piece puzzle rated
for ages 12 and up with lots and lots of shades of blue and purple that
didn't seem as close in color until we separated all the pieces in the box
and started in on the puzzle. Sarah, Kate and I worked on it for about 3
hours with the sporadic help of Ryan and Frank. We girls took a break once
our eyes were so crossed we couldn't see straight, had lunch and headed
outside where, with lots of neighbor kids in attendance, Frank, Bradley and
Cody put on a bird show. P.S. We finished the puzzle on Sunday the 5th, I
know, I know I lagged on these entries. Sorry but we were having way too
much fun with the McElhaney family all week to write! Life is so good!! :-)
We have arrived in Asheville and are staying at the McElhaney's, literally.
Our motorhome fits perfectly in their driveway which is great since we can
visit them whenever we want and the kids can come in and hang out with
the birds whenever they want. Today we started a 750 piece puzzle rated
for ages 12 and up with lots and lots of shades of blue and purple that
didn't seem as close in color until we separated all the pieces in the box
and started in on the puzzle. Sarah, Kate and I worked on it for about 3
hours with the sporadic help of Ryan and Frank. We girls took a break once
our eyes were so crossed we couldn't see straight, had lunch and headed
outside where, with lots of neighbor kids in attendance, Frank, Bradley and
Cody put on a bird show. P.S. We finished the puzzle on Sunday the 5th, I
know, I know I lagged on these entries. Sorry but we were having way too
much fun with the McElhaney family all week to write! Life is so good!! :-)
October 2nd - Fun With the Birds - Camp McElhaney -
Today began with a few hours of work on the very addicting puzzle followed by an amazing brunch with homemade granola, fresh fruit, yogurt, waffles and eggs.
Sheila and Brennen are quite the cooks and have inspired Frank and I to steal their salsa recipe and add it as a staple to breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
Salsa is a great thing to have around and we are firm believers that one can never have too much of it. After breakfast Sarah and I were pulled back to the puzzle
table by a force much stronger than either of us, along with wonderful background music thanks to Frank and the guitar. Katie was entranced by it. After Sarah
and I pulled ourselves away from the now half finished puzzle all 3 kids took their turns taking photos with the birds. Bradley sure loved Kate, especially her cast.
Today began with a few hours of work on the very addicting puzzle followed by an amazing brunch with homemade granola, fresh fruit, yogurt, waffles and eggs.
Sheila and Brennen are quite the cooks and have inspired Frank and I to steal their salsa recipe and add it as a staple to breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
Salsa is a great thing to have around and we are firm believers that one can never have too much of it. After breakfast Sarah and I were pulled back to the puzzle
table by a force much stronger than either of us, along with wonderful background music thanks to Frank and the guitar. Katie was entranced by it. After Sarah
and I pulled ourselves away from the now half finished puzzle all 3 kids took their turns taking photos with the birds. Bradley sure loved Kate, especially her cast.
nicely paved with the house peeking out around every corner and through the trees. Once we got back into the forest a little more, the pavement turned to
rocky sandy trails. The views were still pretty, but the challenge of riding a very relaxing beach cruiser became a little difficult. Insofar as looks, mine is pretty
darn cute including the flowery design of the tread. Note to self... pretty flowery tread doesn't work worth a crap when it comes to grabbing the loose soil
beneath you. We were troopers and were not going to give up on the ride until the 1.2 miles, as the sign said with "steep elevation", came to an end. They
weren't kidding about the steep elevation, since it was about 9% most of the way up. We were both standing up pedaling as hard as we could and laughing at
ourselves, which again doesn't help in the uphill pedaling process but makes for a memory not to be soon forgotten. At one point we were both walking our
bikes up the hill, which we realized would be a great ride downhill... as long as we made it to the top. We will!!! We will!!! We kept telling ourselves. And we did!
And it was well worth the agony. The views of the side of the house were ones that you couldn't see from the regular tour. Yes, you could pay extra to get
access to this part of the house, but why pay when you can burn off a few calories and see it for free. We took a few self portraits, posing with the various
statues and then headed back down the mountain. Just as we expected, the ride back to the car took about 5 minutes, compared to the half hour ride up, and
the average speed was about 20 miles an hour. My brakes are toast and I think I got air about three times from sailing over the bumps at Mach speed.
rocky sandy trails. The views were still pretty, but the challenge of riding a very relaxing beach cruiser became a little difficult. Insofar as looks, mine is pretty
darn cute including the flowery design of the tread. Note to self... pretty flowery tread doesn't work worth a crap when it comes to grabbing the loose soil
beneath you. We were troopers and were not going to give up on the ride until the 1.2 miles, as the sign said with "steep elevation", came to an end. They
weren't kidding about the steep elevation, since it was about 9% most of the way up. We were both standing up pedaling as hard as we could and laughing at
ourselves, which again doesn't help in the uphill pedaling process but makes for a memory not to be soon forgotten. At one point we were both walking our
bikes up the hill, which we realized would be a great ride downhill... as long as we made it to the top. We will!!! We will!!! We kept telling ourselves. And we did!
And it was well worth the agony. The views of the side of the house were ones that you couldn't see from the regular tour. Yes, you could pay extra to get
access to this part of the house, but why pay when you can burn off a few calories and see it for free. We took a few self portraits, posing with the various
statues and then headed back down the mountain. Just as we expected, the ride back to the car took about 5 minutes, compared to the half hour ride up, and
the average speed was about 20 miles an hour. My brakes are toast and I think I got air about three times from sailing over the bumps at Mach speed.
October 3rd - Biltmore Estate - Asheville, North Carolina -
Fall is in the air! The leaves here are beginning to turn the most amazing colors,
another thing one never sees while living in the state of California. Since it was
such a beautiful day Frank and I decided to pack a lunch and head over to
Biltmore Estate, again after a great breakfast with the Macs. WOW! What an
amazing place the Biltmore Estate is. We arrived around 11 and started out
touring the house, which was floor after floor of bedrooms, elaborate sitting
rooms and more bathrooms than imaginable. The Biltmore Estate was built in
the early 1900's so indoor plumbing wasn't quite yet a concept accept for here
and electricity in your own home was unheard of, except of course here at the
Vanderbilt home. The house is over 1.2 million square feet. The Vanderbilt's
used it to host parties that would last for months on end with their friends staying
as long as they wanted. I got a little happier each floor we explored and each set
of rooms we walked by, realizing that my house is much easier to clean, heat,
cool and furnish and the guest list is a lot smaller. After our exploration of the
house, we walked up the hill to an even better view of the house and had lunch.
Once lunch was done we decided to head to the winery on the property and
taste some wines. We decided that the Chardonnay, not from the oak barrels,
was our favorite and bought a couple bottles. As we left the winery we noticed a
bike trail. Lucky for us, our bike rack is permanently fixed to the Jeep, so off
came the bikes and a new tour of the property began. The path started out
Fall is in the air! The leaves here are beginning to turn the most amazing colors,
another thing one never sees while living in the state of California. Since it was
such a beautiful day Frank and I decided to pack a lunch and head over to
Biltmore Estate, again after a great breakfast with the Macs. WOW! What an
amazing place the Biltmore Estate is. We arrived around 11 and started out
touring the house, which was floor after floor of bedrooms, elaborate sitting
rooms and more bathrooms than imaginable. The Biltmore Estate was built in
the early 1900's so indoor plumbing wasn't quite yet a concept accept for here
and electricity in your own home was unheard of, except of course here at the
Vanderbilt home. The house is over 1.2 million square feet. The Vanderbilt's
used it to host parties that would last for months on end with their friends staying
as long as they wanted. I got a little happier each floor we explored and each set
of rooms we walked by, realizing that my house is much easier to clean, heat,
cool and furnish and the guest list is a lot smaller. After our exploration of the
house, we walked up the hill to an even better view of the house and had lunch.
Once lunch was done we decided to head to the winery on the property and
taste some wines. We decided that the Chardonnay, not from the oak barrels,
was our favorite and bought a couple bottles. As we left the winery we noticed a
bike trail. Lucky for us, our bike rack is permanently fixed to the Jeep, so off
came the bikes and a new tour of the property began. The path started out
Next Stop... The Biltmore Gardens -
Once the bikes were back on the Jeep we headed to see all the beautiful flowers grown here at Biltmore. The greenhouse was amazing and the orchids and
roses were some of the prettiest I have ever seen. There were lots of Bumble Bees and one of them even stood still long enough to pose for a photo. They have
mazes of flowers and bushes and grape arbors over each walkway. This is an amazing place and if you're ever looking for a fun vacation, Asheville is a must!
Once the bikes were back on the Jeep we headed to see all the beautiful flowers grown here at Biltmore. The greenhouse was amazing and the orchids and
roses were some of the prettiest I have ever seen. There were lots of Bumble Bees and one of them even stood still long enough to pose for a photo. They have
mazes of flowers and bushes and grape arbors over each walkway. This is an amazing place and if you're ever looking for a fun vacation, Asheville is a must!
October 4th - A Bike Ride Through Fletcher Park -
Since today was another beautiful day, the group decided to pack up all the bikes and head to a nearby park. Fletcher Park is enormous and very fun. We rode
the bikes aways back into it, over some very pretty streams, by lots of ball fields and birthday parties, to find a quiet shady corner to rest for a bit, kick around the
ball and enjoy the day. After a bit we all switched bikes and took a lap around the corn fields. Frank and Cody took Ryan's bike, I rode Frank's and Sheila rode
mine while Brennen, Katie and Ryan stayed in the shade and kicked the ball around. Frank felt a little awkward on the mini bike, but luckily the trail was short.
Since today was another beautiful day, the group decided to pack up all the bikes and head to a nearby park. Fletcher Park is enormous and very fun. We rode
the bikes aways back into it, over some very pretty streams, by lots of ball fields and birthday parties, to find a quiet shady corner to rest for a bit, kick around the
ball and enjoy the day. After a bit we all switched bikes and took a lap around the corn fields. Frank and Cody took Ryan's bike, I rode Frank's and Sheila rode
mine while Brennen, Katie and Ryan stayed in the shade and kicked the ball around. Frank felt a little awkward on the mini bike, but luckily the trail was short.
October 7th - We Bought a MacBook - A Whole New World -
Over the last few months, the program that I use to create my web page, has begun to have lots and lots and lots of annoying side effects. I realize now that
these side effects have come from various upgrades that the software has had. Apparently the people who work for the company have no idea how to fix what is
broken and, as a result, my web page looks like a moron might have created it. One glitch, that the newest and last upgrade I promise to ever do, no matter
what they say, takes one line of text and repeats it and repeats it over and over and deletes everything else I have written. Not only on new pages I have
created, but past pages that I hardly ever look at. Of course I searched out each and every page and spent hours re-writing them, only to find the same thing
happened again... two weeks later. So, I do apologize if a section or two or twenty on a certain page makes no sense. We are working very hard to fix this issue.
After many testy conversations with the inept people that answer the phones, I started looking at other software to replace the current pile-o-crap we are using.
After many many hours of research and friends input, it seemed that the software I was looking for was no where to be found unless I wanted to spend hundreds
and hundreds of dollars... ... and then! We started to look into MacBooks. We went to the Apple store and asked them every question about everything we
could possibly think of and have been having issues with. It seemed that our prayers had been answered. After I spent about an hour fiddling around with one of
the display computers, I found that the iWeb software was very close to what I have been searching for. So... ... we are now the proud owners of a bouncing
baby MacBook, okay so bouncing it might be bad, but you know what I mean. I have begun the tedious task of transferring all our adventures over and might I
just add... Wow! We have done a lot of stuff over the past three and a half years. Some things I even forgot about. So as lengthy as this task might take it's a lot
of fun re-reading and looking at all the pictures. Bear with us, it might be a while to complete and hopefully the web page won't get too funky in the process.
Over the last few months, the program that I use to create my web page, has begun to have lots and lots and lots of annoying side effects. I realize now that
these side effects have come from various upgrades that the software has had. Apparently the people who work for the company have no idea how to fix what is
broken and, as a result, my web page looks like a moron might have created it. One glitch, that the newest and last upgrade I promise to ever do, no matter
what they say, takes one line of text and repeats it and repeats it over and over and deletes everything else I have written. Not only on new pages I have
created, but past pages that I hardly ever look at. Of course I searched out each and every page and spent hours re-writing them, only to find the same thing
happened again... two weeks later. So, I do apologize if a section or two or twenty on a certain page makes no sense. We are working very hard to fix this issue.
After many testy conversations with the inept people that answer the phones, I started looking at other software to replace the current pile-o-crap we are using.
After many many hours of research and friends input, it seemed that the software I was looking for was no where to be found unless I wanted to spend hundreds
and hundreds of dollars... ... and then! We started to look into MacBooks. We went to the Apple store and asked them every question about everything we
could possibly think of and have been having issues with. It seemed that our prayers had been answered. After I spent about an hour fiddling around with one of
the display computers, I found that the iWeb software was very close to what I have been searching for. So... ... we are now the proud owners of a bouncing
baby MacBook, okay so bouncing it might be bad, but you know what I mean. I have begun the tedious task of transferring all our adventures over and might I
just add... Wow! We have done a lot of stuff over the past three and a half years. Some things I even forgot about. So as lengthy as this task might take it's a lot
of fun re-reading and looking at all the pictures. Bear with us, it might be a while to complete and hopefully the web page won't get too funky in the process.
October 8th - Who Needs Sleep? -
I love love love the MacBook. I can't say enough about it. It is the smartest computer we have ever owned and I keep asking myself and my new computer
"Where have you been all my life?" It hasn't crashed once. When we bought our last PC, which I have nick-named Pile-o-Crap, it crashed about 10 times in the
first week. It is now about 2am and I am forcing myself to go to bed because it's way too late and I can no longer see straight. I have made great progress on
transferring the web page and am very excited seeing it take shape. iWeb is so intuitive and is able to do everything I wanted the old software to do. Good thing
I will have lots of time on the drive to Florida to continue the process. I can't wait till Sunday night and we head to home to beautiful TGO!
I love love love the MacBook. I can't say enough about it. It is the smartest computer we have ever owned and I keep asking myself and my new computer
"Where have you been all my life?" It hasn't crashed once. When we bought our last PC, which I have nick-named Pile-o-Crap, it crashed about 10 times in the
first week. It is now about 2am and I am forcing myself to go to bed because it's way too late and I can no longer see straight. I have made great progress on
transferring the web page and am very excited seeing it take shape. iWeb is so intuitive and is able to do everything I wanted the old software to do. Good thing
I will have lots of time on the drive to Florida to continue the process. I can't wait till Sunday night and we head to home to beautiful TGO!
October 9th - Richmond Virginia - Baking Bird Bread -
With our most recent order of bird food, the wonderful company of Harrison's Bird Food, sent us a free sample of Bird Bread. Once we got home we brought out
all three birds to help us make it. Cody was excited as soon as saw the muffin pan and jumped right in to help. 20 minutes later, at 350 degrees, the Milet and
Flax Bird Bread was done. Everyone chowed on it as soon as it was cool enough to enjoy and have voted to try other flavors and add it to all our future orders.
With our most recent order of bird food, the wonderful company of Harrison's Bird Food, sent us a free sample of Bird Bread. Once we got home we brought out
all three birds to help us make it. Cody was excited as soon as saw the muffin pan and jumped right in to help. 20 minutes later, at 350 degrees, the Milet and
Flax Bird Bread was done. Everyone chowed on it as soon as it was cool enough to enjoy and have voted to try other flavors and add it to all our future orders.
Abbey makes sure each muffin is the same size
Next step- a cup of water
Bradley helps stabilize the bowl as I mixed
Yummmmm, is that for us?
The kids loved the birds and their tricks
Frank played the guitar for Katie
October 13th - The Great Outdoors - Titusville, Florida -
We have arrived at our wonderful, tranquil, amazing resort. We have been looking forward to these 11 glorious days for a few weeks now and apologize in
advance if the chronicles of Parrottrek are neglected in the meantime. After all, we did have to work last week, don't we deserve a few days off? I will do my
darndest to pull myself away from the wonderful 10 mile bike rides each morning, lounge time at the pools and the beautiful sandy sunny beaches and update
you, but please stay tuned in case I lag a day or two or 11! We still love all of our faithful readers and appreciate you greatly... ... Stay Tuned!!!
We have arrived at our wonderful, tranquil, amazing resort. We have been looking forward to these 11 glorious days for a few weeks now and apologize in
advance if the chronicles of Parrottrek are neglected in the meantime. After all, we did have to work last week, don't we deserve a few days off? I will do my
darndest to pull myself away from the wonderful 10 mile bike rides each morning, lounge time at the pools and the beautiful sandy sunny beaches and update
you, but please stay tuned in case I lag a day or two or 11! We still love all of our faithful readers and appreciate you greatly... ... Stay Tuned!!!
A happy group of guys head to round two
Ack, who stole the car????
October 15th - STOP THE PRESSES! -
With all the excitement of our up and coming drive, arrival and fun times planned in Florida, we completely forgot to tell you all about our wonderful weekend in
Richmond... well in the racing part of life that is. No offense to Virginians, but I have never been yelled at by random people for things that weren't anywhere
near my fault anywhere in the country so I was more than ready to leave the state, but that's another story. Our Monster Men not only qualified for this race we
actually won a round and had a decent speed doing it. We came mighty close to winning the second round of races but due to a dropped cylinder we lost.
With all the excitement of our up and coming drive, arrival and fun times planned in Florida, we completely forgot to tell you all about our wonderful weekend in
Richmond... well in the racing part of life that is. No offense to Virginians, but I have never been yelled at by random people for things that weren't anywhere
near my fault anywhere in the country so I was more than ready to leave the state, but that's another story. Our Monster Men not only qualified for this race we
actually won a round and had a decent speed doing it. We came mighty close to winning the second round of races but due to a dropped cylinder we lost.
The victorious car returns after first round
| Oh that's right, we get to race again. Almost forgot what that felt like |
October 17th - Fun in the Sun - Titusville Florida -
Needless to say we are thoroughly enjoying our time here at home in beautiful sunny Florida. Our days have been filled with bike rides and pool time along
with a few get togethers with friends and a little beach time as well. Yesterday our neighbors had a block party which was fun and allowed us to get back in
touch with quite a few neighbors that we haven't seen since March and meet a few new ones. After the block party we went to the movie theatre here at the
resort and watched Made of Honor. It was a sweet and sappy chick flick, but you can't beat a free movie so it was well worth it. The only downside of our time
here is that we have yet to see Charlie, the alligator that lives in the lake behind our house, or any other alligators for that matter. He usually greets us within
the first days or so of our arrival, so we are a little worried that he may have moved on, or been moved out. There is a policy that if they get to be over 6 feet
they are relocated into the swamplands just South of us and since he was a little over 5 feet last time we saw him that is definitely a possibility. Boo hoo! We
have, however, seen lots of other wildlife including a sweet little spotted fawn that hangs out with her momma and another doe each evening down the street
from us. Since all the people here are fairly passive, the deer have no fear of us which makes it nice since when the deer see people they don't run and hide.
Needless to say we are thoroughly enjoying our time here at home in beautiful sunny Florida. Our days have been filled with bike rides and pool time along
with a few get togethers with friends and a little beach time as well. Yesterday our neighbors had a block party which was fun and allowed us to get back in
touch with quite a few neighbors that we haven't seen since March and meet a few new ones. After the block party we went to the movie theatre here at the
resort and watched Made of Honor. It was a sweet and sappy chick flick, but you can't beat a free movie so it was well worth it. The only downside of our time
here is that we have yet to see Charlie, the alligator that lives in the lake behind our house, or any other alligators for that matter. He usually greets us within
the first days or so of our arrival, so we are a little worried that he may have moved on, or been moved out. There is a policy that if they get to be over 6 feet
they are relocated into the swamplands just South of us and since he was a little over 5 feet last time we saw him that is definitely a possibility. Boo hoo! We
have, however, seen lots of other wildlife including a sweet little spotted fawn that hangs out with her momma and another doe each evening down the street
from us. Since all the people here are fairly passive, the deer have no fear of us which makes it nice since when the deer see people they don't run and hide.
An Update -
The research of the new software is still in effect. iWeb seems to be an okay option, but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of my imagination. I have 'The
New Parrottrek' image so clearly in my mind and am not quite ready to settle for the same old look it currently has and iWeb would pretty much do that. The
MacBook is awesome and has lived up to everything we have expected. The software, that we are 99% sure of using, is made with Macs in mind. I am currently
taking a few on-line classes learning all the ins and outs of this amazing new software and am enjoying every bit of it. I am learning A TON and might just turn
out to be a web designer geek after all. A dream I have always had is to learn to write in HTML code... ... I know, I need to branch out a bit, but since a couple
of my other dreams, goals and aspirations have come true I figure this one has a pretty good chance as well. Okay, so shoot me for being an optimist.
The research of the new software is still in effect. iWeb seems to be an okay option, but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of my imagination. I have 'The
New Parrottrek' image so clearly in my mind and am not quite ready to settle for the same old look it currently has and iWeb would pretty much do that. The
MacBook is awesome and has lived up to everything we have expected. The software, that we are 99% sure of using, is made with Macs in mind. I am currently
taking a few on-line classes learning all the ins and outs of this amazing new software and am enjoying every bit of it. I am learning A TON and might just turn
out to be a web designer geek after all. A dream I have always had is to learn to write in HTML code... ... I know, I need to branch out a bit, but since a couple
of my other dreams, goals and aspirations have come true I figure this one has a pretty good chance as well. Okay, so shoot me for being an optimist.
October 16th - Breakfast in Paradise -
After my morning walk, and everyone woke up, Frank and I loaded up the bikes with the birds and a handful of their
food and headed out for a bike ride around the resort. The perimeter road is almost 4 miles and with all the streets
in between we can go about 10 miles and not have to pass many things twice. And since the roads are all fairly flat
Cody gets a lot of flying in. As we watch many animals in the fields and bushes and lakes, we try and explain to
Cody just how good he has it. How many other birds get fed breakfast as they ride around The Great Outdoors on
the handle bars of a bike, only having to flap their wings when they want to and not because they have to hunt for
their own food. Halfway through our bike ride, we stopped of at the Café and had breakfast on the back patio with
both birds. Cody was still hungry after he had his bird breakfast and helped himself to half of mine. What a pig!
After my morning walk, and everyone woke up, Frank and I loaded up the bikes with the birds and a handful of their
food and headed out for a bike ride around the resort. The perimeter road is almost 4 miles and with all the streets
in between we can go about 10 miles and not have to pass many things twice. And since the roads are all fairly flat
Cody gets a lot of flying in. As we watch many animals in the fields and bushes and lakes, we try and explain to
Cody just how good he has it. How many other birds get fed breakfast as they ride around The Great Outdoors on
the handle bars of a bike, only having to flap their wings when they want to and not because they have to hunt for
their own food. Halfway through our bike ride, we stopped of at the Café and had breakfast on the back patio with
both birds. Cody was still hungry after he had his bird breakfast and helped himself to half of mine. What a pig!
October 16th - A Morning Walk -
As the sun rises and the park awakens, I realize there is no better time to walk the nature trail. The good thing about our travels is that when we hit the Eastern
time zone waking up early is pretty darn easy. What more could a girl ask for other than a bit of exercise and a lot of great animals to observe. Since the
clocks won't change for another week or so, the sun comes up a little later each day, which makes for great scenery around 7:30 or so. All the wild birds are
hunting for fish early in the morning on the banks of the lake and the deer, who are brave enough not to bolt into the bushes when people walk by unless they
are eating someone flowers from their yard and feel a little guilty, nibble the grass clippings that the mower has left behind from the previous day's yard work.
As the sun rises and the park awakens, I realize there is no better time to walk the nature trail. The good thing about our travels is that when we hit the Eastern
time zone waking up early is pretty darn easy. What more could a girl ask for other than a bit of exercise and a lot of great animals to observe. Since the
clocks won't change for another week or so, the sun comes up a little later each day, which makes for great scenery around 7:30 or so. All the wild birds are
hunting for fish early in the morning on the banks of the lake and the deer, who are brave enough not to bolt into the bushes when people walk by unless they
are eating someone flowers from their yard and feel a little guilty, nibble the grass clippings that the mower has left behind from the previous day's yard work.
October 19th - Party at Margaritaville -
To celebrate my birthday today we headed down to Orlando to meet up with Rick, LaVerne, Maureen and John, friends that we haven't seen since our last visit
to Florida back in March. Since we knew we would be gone all day, and somehow Cody felt it as well, since he started to get extra cute as we started packing
up for the day, we took him and Abbey for a lap around the park to exert some energy and make us feel a little less guilty for leaving them behind all day. On
our bike ride we stopped for a bit in order for Cody to talk to a deer that was having breakfast in the weeds behind the golf course. Once we arrived in Orlando
we spent a couple hours at Rick and LaVerne's with appetizers and then headed to Universal Walk to one of most favorite restaurants around the country,
Margaritaville. Of course the main perk of attending the restaurant is that Frank can get a new fun parrot T-shirt, but the food is great as well as well as the
ambiance which includes an erupting volcano and singing and dancing pirates who make balloon animals and hats and costumes for the patrons. After dinner
we walked around Universal Walk, which is almost an amusement park in itself, to see the Halloween decorations and did a bit of Christmas shopping.
To celebrate my birthday today we headed down to Orlando to meet up with Rick, LaVerne, Maureen and John, friends that we haven't seen since our last visit
to Florida back in March. Since we knew we would be gone all day, and somehow Cody felt it as well, since he started to get extra cute as we started packing
up for the day, we took him and Abbey for a lap around the park to exert some energy and make us feel a little less guilty for leaving them behind all day. On
our bike ride we stopped for a bit in order for Cody to talk to a deer that was having breakfast in the weeds behind the golf course. Once we arrived in Orlando
we spent a couple hours at Rick and LaVerne's with appetizers and then headed to Universal Walk to one of most favorite restaurants around the country,
Margaritaville. Of course the main perk of attending the restaurant is that Frank can get a new fun parrot T-shirt, but the food is great as well as well as the
ambiance which includes an erupting volcano and singing and dancing pirates who make balloon animals and hats and costumes for the patrons. After dinner
we walked around Universal Walk, which is almost an amusement park in itself, to see the Halloween decorations and did a bit of Christmas shopping.
The deer isn't quite sure what to think of Cody
Watch out, the volcano is about to blow
Good margaritas and great friends
October 22nd - Taking in the Views -
These last few days have been great. Even though our routine might be
seen as boring to some, we have enjoyed an early morning bike ride every
day followed by brunch on the patio with the birds and a few miscellaneous
animals such as the Windsong Way twin cranes, they are getting so big, a
cute baby lizard that liked to hang out on Frank's hat and Charlie, yes we
finally found Charlie, our friendly neighborhood alligator. After brunch we
either sit by the lake and read for a few hours, or head to the pool and read
there where we always have fun visiting with other neighbors and friends.
These last few days have been great. Even though our routine might be
seen as boring to some, we have enjoyed an early morning bike ride every
day followed by brunch on the patio with the birds and a few miscellaneous
animals such as the Windsong Way twin cranes, they are getting so big, a
cute baby lizard that liked to hang out on Frank's hat and Charlie, yes we
finally found Charlie, our friendly neighborhood alligator. After brunch we
either sit by the lake and read for a few hours, or head to the pool and read
there where we always have fun visiting with other neighbors and friends.
Rick and LaVerne joined us today, since they were both off of work, for a nice relaxing bar-b-que and a leisurely day. They live and work about an hour from
us and they were in much need of a change of pace and scenery so they brought their bikes as well and joined us on our search of nature this afternoon. I still
can't get over how many animals are around us in the trees and lakes and woods. As our time here comes to an end, we are a bit sad to have to say goodbye
to The Great Outdoors, but on that same note we are excited to know that we will soon be in Vegas with friends that we haven't seen in months and then in
California for a little over two months where we again gets lots of time to spend with family and friends. It's crazy to think we only have two weeks left of work
with the racing circuit, of course those two weeks are spread over the next four weeks, which makes it nice and gives us a lot of time to get across the country.
us and they were in much need of a change of pace and scenery so they brought their bikes as well and joined us on our search of nature this afternoon. I still
can't get over how many animals are around us in the trees and lakes and woods. As our time here comes to an end, we are a bit sad to have to say goodbye
to The Great Outdoors, but on that same note we are excited to know that we will soon be in Vegas with friends that we haven't seen in months and then in
California for a little over two months where we again gets lots of time to spend with family and friends. It's crazy to think we only have two weeks left of work
with the racing circuit, of course those two weeks are spread over the next four weeks, which makes it nice and gives us a lot of time to get across the country.
A turtle sunning himself by the road
Such a wise face
Armadillos - cute? or ugly?
A very tiny lizard hangs out with Frank
| Abbey gets ready for Halloween |
Hooray! Charlie is still here!
The Sandhill Cranes are growing up
October 24th - Beginning Our Final Cross-Country Drive of the Year -
Considering it was pouring rain this morning leaving The Great Outdoors wasn't as hard as we thought. Cody was very upset since he couldn't go for a final bike
ride and even more upset that he actually had to stay in his cage for a good portion of the day due to the fact that all he wanted to do once out of his cage is
play with Frank on the steering wheel. Not a safe place to play. We made it all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana 760 from home. It was sad to think that we
couldn't go to the pool this afternoon, but at the same time it was nice to be back on the road to see all the views. The drive over the 10 through Alabama is
such a weird felling since all you see on all four sides of the motorhome, with opposing traffic was about 1/2 mile away. Even the clouds were fun to look at.
Considering it was pouring rain this morning leaving The Great Outdoors wasn't as hard as we thought. Cody was very upset since he couldn't go for a final bike
ride and even more upset that he actually had to stay in his cage for a good portion of the day due to the fact that all he wanted to do once out of his cage is
play with Frank on the steering wheel. Not a safe place to play. We made it all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana 760 from home. It was sad to think that we
couldn't go to the pool this afternoon, but at the same time it was nice to be back on the road to see all the views. The drive over the 10 through Alabama is
such a weird felling since all you see on all four sides of the motorhome, with opposing traffic was about 1/2 mile away. Even the clouds were fun to look at.
The sun sets as we enter Baton Rouge
The highways in Alabama go over miles of ocean
A bull in the clouds
October 27th - A Day on the Roof - Las Vegas, Nevada -
Yes it sounds like on odd title of our day, but it was fun. Las Vegas hotels
have discovered that they can capitalize on the sunshine at the pools by
putting them on the roof. Gary and Kathy, our dear friends from New
Hampshire, are here for a week and we spent today with them at The
Grand Château. The views from the bar were so expansive of the Las
Vegas Strip and after the sun set it was even better. After our dip in the
pool we took a walk and had dinner at The Rainforest Café and watched a
lioness tear a giant raw hide bone to shreds in the lobby of the hotel. The
night air was still warm as we left the restaurant and returned to their hotel.
Yes it sounds like on odd title of our day, but it was fun. Las Vegas hotels
have discovered that they can capitalize on the sunshine at the pools by
putting them on the roof. Gary and Kathy, our dear friends from New
Hampshire, are here for a week and we spent today with them at The
Grand Château. The views from the bar were so expansive of the Las
Vegas Strip and after the sun set it was even better. After our dip in the
pool we took a walk and had dinner at The Rainforest Café and watched a
lioness tear a giant raw hide bone to shreds in the lobby of the hotel. The
night air was still warm as we left the restaurant and returned to their hotel.
Kathy and I pose with a huge walking M&M
A beautiful lioness plays with her toy
Charlie? Is that you?
By the pool and the views
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November 3rd - A Walk Down the Strip - Las Vegas Nevada -
Since the race is over and John and Andrea are here a couple extra days, the four of us decided the spend the day together in Las Vegas. The weather was
nice, a little on the cool side, but since we did a lot of walking the cool weather was greatly appreciated. We started out at their hotel, New York, New York
where we had lunch at a supposed New York style pizzeria. Since we were just in New York a few months back and ate at a real New York pizzeria we can
attest that the New York, New York's version is a lot fancier, however the pricing was about the same since everything in New York is very spendy. After lunch
we headed over to the Bellagio to watch the water show and then back to the Luxor where we thought we would take in a show, but changed our minds and
headed downtown to Fremont Street instead for some bargain gambling and dinner at Tony Roma's. This whole weekend was fun. We had all sorts of friends
visiting and got to spend lots of time with each of them. There is only one race left in the NHRA circuit, which is in Pomona in about two weeks and then we are
off from racing until early February. Apparently we blinked at some point this year and it all sped by. It's been a wonderful year, but the fastest one yet.
Since the race is over and John and Andrea are here a couple extra days, the four of us decided the spend the day together in Las Vegas. The weather was
nice, a little on the cool side, but since we did a lot of walking the cool weather was greatly appreciated. We started out at their hotel, New York, New York
where we had lunch at a supposed New York style pizzeria. Since we were just in New York a few months back and ate at a real New York pizzeria we can
attest that the New York, New York's version is a lot fancier, however the pricing was about the same since everything in New York is very spendy. After lunch
we headed over to the Bellagio to watch the water show and then back to the Luxor where we thought we would take in a show, but changed our minds and
headed downtown to Fremont Street instead for some bargain gambling and dinner at Tony Roma's. This whole weekend was fun. We had all sorts of friends
visiting and got to spend lots of time with each of them. There is only one race left in the NHRA circuit, which is in Pomona in about two weeks and then we are
off from racing until early February. Apparently we blinked at some point this year and it all sped by. It's been a wonderful year, but the fastest one yet.
| The water was about as high as the hotel |
| Outside the Luxor pyramid |
| John and Andrea at the Bellagio water show |
| The view from New York, New York |
November 9th - Who Says California Doesn't Have Tornadoes? -
News bulletin just in "A tornado hit the Santa Ynez Valley today as Frank and Suzy Whitmore entered Highway 246 from
the 101."... ... Okay, so our arrival wasn't quite newsworthy, but we did feel as though we were in a tornado as we were
delightfully swept all around town visiting as much family as possible with a few friends thrown in as well. It started with a
little down time at the RV park and laundry Wednesday night after a long drive from the Vegas race, followed by
Thursday afternoon with my parents and an evening attending a dear friend's musical at Santa Barbara City College's
Garvin Theatre. While we were on campus, Frank and I grabbed dinner at the old café where we re-met, after being
friends in high school, and fell in love (this is where the oohs and aahs are supposed to be heard) The World Goes
'Round was a fabulous musical revue and Kristi was amazing. I was so glad we were able to be in town during one of her
final performances. Friday we relocated to a friends house in Santa Ynez and had a little dinner party. Saturday we were
able to see most of our family and would have loved to visit more but ran out of time. Sunday we caught up with a few of
News bulletin just in "A tornado hit the Santa Ynez Valley today as Frank and Suzy Whitmore entered Highway 246 from
the 101."... ... Okay, so our arrival wasn't quite newsworthy, but we did feel as though we were in a tornado as we were
delightfully swept all around town visiting as much family as possible with a few friends thrown in as well. It started with a
little down time at the RV park and laundry Wednesday night after a long drive from the Vegas race, followed by
Thursday afternoon with my parents and an evening attending a dear friend's musical at Santa Barbara City College's
Garvin Theatre. While we were on campus, Frank and I grabbed dinner at the old café where we re-met, after being
friends in high school, and fell in love (this is where the oohs and aahs are supposed to be heard) The World Goes
'Round was a fabulous musical revue and Kristi was amazing. I was so glad we were able to be in town during one of her
final performances. Friday we relocated to a friends house in Santa Ynez and had a little dinner party. Saturday we were
able to see most of our family and would have loved to visit more but ran out of time. Sunday we caught up with a few of
them and also a dinner with friends that ended in a fun surprise belated birthday party for me. Thanks guys, we all had a great night! We left the Valley bright and
early Monday morning for our final race and are now in Pomona, just a few hours south. After this week we will have another break and be able to visit the rest of
the family, including our nieces Hayley and Torrie that we unfortunately weren't able to squeeze in. Boo hoo hoo! But we'll be back soon! :-)
early Monday morning for our final race and are now in Pomona, just a few hours south. After this week we will have another break and be able to visit the rest of
the family, including our nieces Hayley and Torrie that we unfortunately weren't able to squeeze in. Boo hoo hoo! But we'll be back soon! :-)
The scene of early love and happiness
| One last breakfast with friends |
A fun cake for a belated birthday
The weekend was full of parties
| Click below on a specific year to read more about our adventures here on Parrottrek |
A busy bumble bee
| The entrance to one of the flower arbors |
Their majestic greenhouse
November 12th - Our Last Monster Set-up - Pomona, California -
Today marks the final set up of the final race of the year and the final setup to the final race of our Monster
sponsorship. We received news a couple races back that Monster has decided not to renew Kenny's contract and so
we say good bye to a car, a driver and a great team of guys. Frank and I are fortunate enough to be able to stay on
with Camp Bernstein, however we will be outfitted in Budweiser next year since that sponsorship is staying, for the time
being, and Tracey, who currently who currently works with Eddie on the Bud side, is turning her Bud shirt in for a seat
in the pits as a spectator. It feels so odd to be back here in Pomona since it feels like just a few months ago we were
here for the first race of the year. However this weekend promises to be full of excitement since the Funny Car
Champion has not yet been crowned and the top 5 drivers in points all have a shot at it at this moment. The Top Fuel
Dragster Champion was crowed at the last race since the Army team and Tony Schumacher mathematically clinched it.
Today marks the final set up of the final race of the year and the final setup to the final race of our Monster
sponsorship. We received news a couple races back that Monster has decided not to renew Kenny's contract and so
we say good bye to a car, a driver and a great team of guys. Frank and I are fortunate enough to be able to stay on
with Camp Bernstein, however we will be outfitted in Budweiser next year since that sponsorship is staying, for the time
being, and Tracey, who currently who currently works with Eddie on the Bud side, is turning her Bud shirt in for a seat
in the pits as a spectator. It feels so odd to be back here in Pomona since it feels like just a few months ago we were
here for the first race of the year. However this weekend promises to be full of excitement since the Funny Car
Champion has not yet been crowned and the top 5 drivers in points all have a shot at it at this moment. The Top Fuel
Dragster Champion was crowed at the last race since the Army team and Tony Schumacher mathematically clinched it.
November 14th - Happy Retirement Tim and Kim - The Final Race -
After 8 years with Kenny Bernstein Racing, tuning the Budweiser, Lucas Oil Dragster, and many many other years of tuning for other car owners, the husband
and wife team of Tim and Kim Richards are retiring as the Crew Chiefs. This evening we had a fun goodbye party for them along with the ESPN camera crew
to record the festive occasion. Included in the festivities was a toast where we used the sponsored product instead of champagne. I tried to get a shot of the
actual toast, as you can see above but the darn ESPN camera bumped me out of the way so it's a little blurred but, you get the idea.
After 8 years with Kenny Bernstein Racing, tuning the Budweiser, Lucas Oil Dragster, and many many other years of tuning for other car owners, the husband
and wife team of Tim and Kim Richards are retiring as the Crew Chiefs. This evening we had a fun goodbye party for them along with the ESPN camera crew
to record the festive occasion. Included in the festivities was a toast where we used the sponsored product instead of champagne. I tried to get a shot of the
actual toast, as you can see above but the darn ESPN camera bumped me out of the way so it's a little blurred but, you get the idea.
| Up goes the sign |
| Then the awning and a few fans |
| First goes up the skeleton |
| The Bud boys are ready for the toast |
| Add a few tables and ... ... |
| Cheers to a happy retirement! |
| Kenny gave a tearful goodbye |
November 16th - Fire Watch -
Usually the flames and smoke of our weekends come from the cars on the track and the warm-ups in the Pits. Todays smoke and fire unfortunately came from the
many towns all around us that are on fire. As we all pray for the safety of the inhabitants of the homes that have been lost, we realize that loosing your home and
it's contents is heart breaking. I lost an apartment in college due to a fire so I know first hand just how horrible it is to return home to what is no longer a home, but
only a pile of smoldering rumble with only a few things left in a somewhat identifiable state. The smoke clouds grew immense as the day progressed and in the
evening as we walked home we could see the hillside above us aglow with flames. Please God, keep everyone safe and help the fires get under control.
Usually the flames and smoke of our weekends come from the cars on the track and the warm-ups in the Pits. Todays smoke and fire unfortunately came from the
many towns all around us that are on fire. As we all pray for the safety of the inhabitants of the homes that have been lost, we realize that loosing your home and
it's contents is heart breaking. I lost an apartment in college due to a fire so I know first hand just how horrible it is to return home to what is no longer a home, but
only a pile of smoldering rumble with only a few things left in a somewhat identifiable state. The smoke clouds grew immense as the day progressed and in the
evening as we walked home we could see the hillside above us aglow with flames. Please God, keep everyone safe and help the fires get under control.
November 15th - Going Out With a Bang -
I broke a cardinal rule today, I took pictures at a funeral... a Funny Car funeral
to top it off. Our very sad little car went ka-bloowy today half way down the track
on the final qualifying round. The upper left photo shows you what a regular run
of the mill rod looks like after the guys remove it from the engine block after a
run. Rods are very solid and quite heavy. Every so often a rod or two might get
lodged or forced into the engine block, or torn up a bit and not be able to be
separated from the piston, but all eight of todays pistons turned to confetti as
the engine block blew up. The rods are sitting in the oil pan that also broke
apart and the far right shot is the engine block that still has 7 of the pistons
lodged in in with a broken bottom end. Needless to say the run wasn't succesful.
I broke a cardinal rule today, I took pictures at a funeral... a Funny Car funeral
to top it off. Our very sad little car went ka-bloowy today half way down the track
on the final qualifying round. The upper left photo shows you what a regular run
of the mill rod looks like after the guys remove it from the engine block after a
run. Rods are very solid and quite heavy. Every so often a rod or two might get
lodged or forced into the engine block, or torn up a bit and not be able to be
separated from the piston, but all eight of todays pistons turned to confetti as
the engine block blew up. The rods are sitting in the oil pan that also broke
apart and the far right shot is the engine block that still has 7 of the pistons
lodged in in with a broken bottom end. Needless to say the run wasn't succesful.
| What a rod usually looks like after a run |
| Not what rods should look like after a run |
| A final shot of the Monster Men |