November 7th - Pomona, California -
The shopping trip was a complete success. We are officially ready for the holiday season to start. To keep with the exciting news, the last race of the year is
here. While Suzy was gone on her shopping trip Frank entertained himself by buying a guitar and teaching himself how to play. He has gotten pretty good in
the few days of practice and you can already hear the notes coming together. By the time Christmas comes he'll have a few carols down for singing around the
tree. The birds like to listen to him play. Cody even strums the guitar with him. Santa may have to bring Frank a few more strings for Christmas though.
November 13th -
It's exciting to be done and head home for a few weeks, but it's sad to have to say goodbye to all our friends out here. On the bright side??? This weekend was
the last time we had to hook up the trailer to the bus and tow it anywhere. Frank is ecstatic! No more greasy hitch, no more lining up the bus in order to get the
2 inch ball under the hitch. No more 13,000lbs to carrying around the country. We had our Jeep this weekend at the racetrack and we are already getting
spoiled being able to drive wherever we want with the heater on instead of a helmet and four sweatshirts. We had to pack up all the merchandise in the trailer
last night and boy was that a project. It's amazing how much stuff these things can haul.
The shopping trip was a complete success. We are officially ready for the holiday season to start. To keep with the exciting news, the last race of the year is
here. While Suzy was gone on her shopping trip Frank entertained himself by buying a guitar and teaching himself how to play. He has gotten pretty good in
the few days of practice and you can already hear the notes coming together. By the time Christmas comes he'll have a few carols down for singing around the
tree. The birds like to listen to him play. Cody even strums the guitar with him. Santa may have to bring Frank a few more strings for Christmas though.
November 13th -
It's exciting to be done and head home for a few weeks, but it's sad to have to say goodbye to all our friends out here. On the bright side??? This weekend was
the last time we had to hook up the trailer to the bus and tow it anywhere. Frank is ecstatic! No more greasy hitch, no more lining up the bus in order to get the
2 inch ball under the hitch. No more 13,000lbs to carrying around the country. We had our Jeep this weekend at the racetrack and we are already getting
spoiled being able to drive wherever we want with the heater on instead of a helmet and four sweatshirts. We had to pack up all the merchandise in the trailer
last night and boy was that a project. It's amazing how much stuff these things can haul.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Parrottrek Journal 2006
September 8th - Hershey, Pennsylvania - Chocolate World -
Have you ever see the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Well minus the Umpa Loompas we have found that it really does exist. We took a
tour of a mock chocolate factory, since the real one is closed to the public, and around every corner was a free sample of a different type of chocolate bar.
We happened to be there at about 10:00 in the morning so I guess you would say we had chocolate for breakfast and lunch. Shhhhh! Don't tell our mothers,
they would be terribly disappointed that we ruined our appetites with candy but I'd do it again in a heartbeat! It was quite fun to learn how a chocolate bar is
born. There are so very many steps to it, from the singing cows that explain how the milk is added and quite an essential part To the drying and rolling
process as you can see below to the finished product which can be numerous different types of candy bars. By the end of the ride that takes you through
the process as though you are a cocoa bean your quite the scholar of making and creating the perfect chocolate bar.
Have you ever see the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Well minus the Umpa Loompas we have found that it really does exist. We took a
tour of a mock chocolate factory, since the real one is closed to the public, and around every corner was a free sample of a different type of chocolate bar.
We happened to be there at about 10:00 in the morning so I guess you would say we had chocolate for breakfast and lunch. Shhhhh! Don't tell our mothers,
they would be terribly disappointed that we ruined our appetites with candy but I'd do it again in a heartbeat! It was quite fun to learn how a chocolate bar is
born. There are so very many steps to it, from the singing cows that explain how the milk is added and quite an essential part To the drying and rolling
process as you can see below to the finished product which can be numerous different types of candy bars. By the end of the ride that takes you through
the process as though you are a cocoa bean your quite the scholar of making and creating the perfect chocolate bar.
September 11th -
Since yesterday was Frank's actual birthday, but as previously stated the entire town was closed, so we all went out to dinner tonight instead. We went to
Shady Maple which is a smorgasboord where for a nominal fee you can eat all the Amish food that you can eat with some of the best desserts you've ever
sunk your teeth into. To make things even better they give you a free meal on your birthday so we ate like kings for half the price. Frank's birthday couldn't
have come at a better time. Lucky for us since they are closed on Sundays they will honor your Sunday birthday the next evening.
The best part of Frank's birthday was that our good friends Rick and LaVerne joined in the festivities with us along with their furry friends Kiki and Peaches.
They just left Connecticut where they were WorkCamping for the summer at an RV Park. They now are on their way to Florida where they will work for
EPCOT, but lucky for us they had just enough time to stop off in Pa for the night to join us for dinner. That's the best part of traveling friends, no matter what
part of the country you are in they may be just around the corner to celebrate with you. Hopefully they will still be working at EPCOT in March when we are in
Florida where we can visit them at work and spend a little time with Mickey.
Since yesterday was Frank's actual birthday, but as previously stated the entire town was closed, so we all went out to dinner tonight instead. We went to
Shady Maple which is a smorgasboord where for a nominal fee you can eat all the Amish food that you can eat with some of the best desserts you've ever
sunk your teeth into. To make things even better they give you a free meal on your birthday so we ate like kings for half the price. Frank's birthday couldn't
have come at a better time. Lucky for us since they are closed on Sundays they will honor your Sunday birthday the next evening.
The best part of Frank's birthday was that our good friends Rick and LaVerne joined in the festivities with us along with their furry friends Kiki and Peaches.
They just left Connecticut where they were WorkCamping for the summer at an RV Park. They now are on their way to Florida where they will work for
EPCOT, but lucky for us they had just enough time to stop off in Pa for the night to join us for dinner. That's the best part of traveling friends, no matter what
part of the country you are in they may be just around the corner to celebrate with you. Hopefully they will still be working at EPCOT in March when we are in
Florida where we can visit them at work and spend a little time with Mickey.
| Suzy, Abbey and LaVerne catch up on each others adventures |
Kiki and Peaches take a break from playing patty-cake with Cody's tail
Male bonding with Cody, Frank and Rick
Backing out didn't work for Larry Dave pushed with all his might Even race car driver Cory Mac helped out The bulldozer comes to the rescue
but didn't move Rick an inch
but didn't move Rick an inch
Even a few of the race car drivers helped everyone out. We did feel bad after all the motorhomes were finally out and we saw the mess that was left behind.
What was once the pretty green grassy field was a mud puddle by the end of the evening. We even found some butterflies in the mud puddles trying to dry
their wings off before they could take flight again. It was a great feeling to be driving away, even though we do have a very long drive ahead of us. Let's hope
when we do come back in two weeks the rain stays away, far far away!
What was once the pretty green grassy field was a mud puddle by the end of the evening. We even found some butterflies in the mud puddles trying to dry
their wings off before they could take flight again. It was a great feeling to be driving away, even though we do have a very long drive ahead of us. Let's hope
when we do come back in two weeks the rain stays away, far far away!
The pretty meadow we started out with
What four days of rain and 50 motorhomes do to a pretty meadow full of grass Butterflies in the tire marks left behind
After the cocoa bean ride we boarded a trolley along with Kurt and Philly and rode all around the town of Hershey. Their main streets are appropriately called
Chocolate Avenue and Cocoa Drive. The trolley took us past the Hershey Mansion and the Milton Hershey School where after Mrs. Hershey's death in 1915,
Milton Hershey started in her memory to help under privileged children since they were able to have any of their own. The school has over 1500 hundred
students from K through 12th. The students come from all over the United States, and are housed and cared for here in Hershey. Every few blocks on the
trolley ride they would again hand out candy. You can see below that even their light posts all around town are of the Hershey theme. They all are topped with
a giant Hershey Kiss above the light. Some of them are wrapped Kisses and some are unwrapped. We had quite a fun time in chocolate town and learned
more than we ever knew there was to learn about Hershey.
Chocolate Avenue and Cocoa Drive. The trolley took us past the Hershey Mansion and the Milton Hershey School where after Mrs. Hershey's death in 1915,
Milton Hershey started in her memory to help under privileged children since they were able to have any of their own. The school has over 1500 hundred
students from K through 12th. The students come from all over the United States, and are housed and cared for here in Hershey. Every few blocks on the
trolley ride they would again hand out candy. You can see below that even their light posts all around town are of the Hershey theme. They all are topped with
a giant Hershey Kiss above the light. Some of them are wrapped Kisses and some are unwrapped. We had quite a fun time in chocolate town and learned
more than we ever knew there was to learn about Hershey.
September 10th - East Earl, Pennsylvania - Happy Birthday to Frank!!
Amish Country is gorgeous. We are parked in the middle of town on a slight hill and all you can see around us are Amish farms and fields and grain elevators.
The countryside here is lush and green. In most cities and suburbs we are used to seeing rows and rows of homes all looking alike. Here in East Earl all you
see is farmland and pretty views. Today we took a nice long motorcycle ride all around the neighboring towns. What really made today's ride nice is the fact
that everything is closed here on Sundays since to the Amish it is still a day of rest. The streets were empty except for a few horse and buggies driving down
the road full of families on their home from church. We had almost the entire town to ourselves. It was nice every so often to be behind a horse and buggy
since it slowed us down and really gave us a chance to see all the views.
Amish Country is gorgeous. We are parked in the middle of town on a slight hill and all you can see around us are Amish farms and fields and grain elevators.
The countryside here is lush and green. In most cities and suburbs we are used to seeing rows and rows of homes all looking alike. Here in East Earl all you
see is farmland and pretty views. Today we took a nice long motorcycle ride all around the neighboring towns. What really made today's ride nice is the fact
that everything is closed here on Sundays since to the Amish it is still a day of rest. The streets were empty except for a few horse and buggies driving down
the road full of families on their home from church. We had almost the entire town to ourselves. It was nice every so often to be behind a horse and buggy
since it slowed us down and really gave us a chance to see all the views.
October 19th - Dallas Texas - Happy Birthday to Suzy-
Today we had a great history lesson. We spent the day at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza. It is in the old Texas School Book Depository where the
alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald sat on November 22nd 1963 and took the life of President John F. Kennedy. We have both seen numerous movies and
documentaries on the assassination of JFK and seen it relived many times, but to look out the window and walk down the street where it all took place made it
seem so much more real than reading about in history class. We were able to see the window that Oswald sat in recreated to how it was that day with boxes of
schoolbooks all around the assassin's perch. It of course was blocked off by glass to preserve the museum, but we were able to look at the view down to the
plaza and Grassy Knoll from another window just a mere 6 feet away. We walked up and down the plaza about a dozen times imagining what it must have been
like to be there that day. They have X's marked on the road from where the bullets began to where they ended. We sat at the Grassy Knoll where hundreds of
Americans stood that fateful day. It is still a very active road and freeway on ramp so to see cars driving down it you can imagine one of them carrying JFK.
Today we had a great history lesson. We spent the day at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza. It is in the old Texas School Book Depository where the
alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald sat on November 22nd 1963 and took the life of President John F. Kennedy. We have both seen numerous movies and
documentaries on the assassination of JFK and seen it relived many times, but to look out the window and walk down the street where it all took place made it
seem so much more real than reading about in history class. We were able to see the window that Oswald sat in recreated to how it was that day with boxes of
schoolbooks all around the assassin's perch. It of course was blocked off by glass to preserve the museum, but we were able to look at the view down to the
plaza and Grassy Knoll from another window just a mere 6 feet away. We walked up and down the plaza about a dozen times imagining what it must have been
like to be there that day. They have X's marked on the road from where the bullets began to where they ended. We sat at the Grassy Knoll where hundreds of
Americans stood that fateful day. It is still a very active road and freeway on ramp so to see cars driving down it you can imagine one of them carrying JFK.
This weekends adventures brought new meaning and quite a bit of understanding we must say to the phrase - Get in, sit down, strap in and hold on, or should I
say SCCRREEAAMM!! But boy did we have a great time. We first tried all the jumps with four of us it the car. John and Andrea, Frank and Suzy. Then deciding
that less weight would cause the car to go higher and further Frank and Andrea got out and John and I went for a few laps. We definitely got a bit higher, and
went quite a bit further. In fact on a couple of the jumps we traveled about 8 - 10 feet high and about 20 feet in distance. It was like having your own personal
roller coaster, however much smoother and a lot longer. It was amazing how soft all of the landings were, and just how rough the sand was. We knew this
because Frank and I had to drive back to our motorhome each night across the dunes in the Jeep and the ride was rather bumpy. There were a few places that
the sand was flat without dunes, So John tested out the speed factor of the Sand Car and got it up to 95.5mph. Not quite as fast as the Top Fuel Dragster, but
fast enough for us. We spent the entire weekend here in Dumont which was a perfect halfway point to Vegas where we will go for the Rodeo.
say SCCRREEAAMM!! But boy did we have a great time. We first tried all the jumps with four of us it the car. John and Andrea, Frank and Suzy. Then deciding
that less weight would cause the car to go higher and further Frank and Andrea got out and John and I went for a few laps. We definitely got a bit higher, and
went quite a bit further. In fact on a couple of the jumps we traveled about 8 - 10 feet high and about 20 feet in distance. It was like having your own personal
roller coaster, however much smoother and a lot longer. It was amazing how soft all of the landings were, and just how rough the sand was. We knew this
because Frank and I had to drive back to our motorhome each night across the dunes in the Jeep and the ride was rather bumpy. There were a few places that
the sand was flat without dunes, So John tested out the speed factor of the Sand Car and got it up to 95.5mph. Not quite as fast as the Top Fuel Dragster, but
fast enough for us. We spent the entire weekend here in Dumont which was a perfect halfway point to Vegas where we will go for the Rodeo.
September 16th - Reading Pennsylvania -
It has rained straight for the last four days. All day and all night, non stop! Hence, the race has been cancelled. Of course only moments after the race was
called off, out came blue skies with lots of white fluffy clouds. Where the heck was this weather 24 hours ago? I used to love rain and enjoyed being in it, but
now that it has such an impact on our work, my love for it is diminishing greatly! Grrrr!!! Last year when we worked this race it was sunny all weekend
throughout the days, and then would rain every night. That was much nicer than rain 24 hours a day for four days straight. At least this way we have a day's
head start on our drive to Texas which is only a mere 1,500 miles away so we can turn around and drive back to PA the following weekend. At least it isn't too
far out of our way since the next race will be in Richmond Virginia, only South of our current location. Today, however was one of the most entertaining days
we've had while leaving a track. It was quite comical to watch all the people try and get their stuck motorhomes out of the quicksand style mud that we were all
parked in. It was a beautiful green meadow on Tuesday when we parked, but slowly turned into a mud pit with so much rain. Frank, being the genius that he is,
decided to park the rear end of our motorhome, which is the heaviest part and contains the drive axle, on a patch of solid ground on the off chance that we
might have to drive out while it was raining and the ground was soft. So when it came time for us to leave the track, we drove out slow and easy and didn't get
stuck in the mud at all. Did I mention that he is a genius?? Needless to say most of the other motorhomes didn't have solid ground anywhere around them so
they had no other choice than to park in the soft dirt and take their chances. A few of them made it out on their own by driving very slow and straight, but most
of the motorhomes had too far to drive before they hit anything firm so the tires just sank. Lucky for all of them the track provided a bulldozer and driver to pull
out those who needed help and the bulldozer had his work cut out for him. He worked from about 11 am until around 7 or so that evening pulling out stuck
motorhomes. Everyone had as good of an attitude about it as they could, since the bulldozer driver knew what he was doing, and was very quick about it. I got
quite a few good shots of the mayhen and have decided never to take solid ground for granted. A few of the motorhomes were able to back out using plywood,
but after a few trips over that the boards began to crack or were covered in so much mud it wasn't any better than the ground below them.
It has rained straight for the last four days. All day and all night, non stop! Hence, the race has been cancelled. Of course only moments after the race was
called off, out came blue skies with lots of white fluffy clouds. Where the heck was this weather 24 hours ago? I used to love rain and enjoyed being in it, but
now that it has such an impact on our work, my love for it is diminishing greatly! Grrrr!!! Last year when we worked this race it was sunny all weekend
throughout the days, and then would rain every night. That was much nicer than rain 24 hours a day for four days straight. At least this way we have a day's
head start on our drive to Texas which is only a mere 1,500 miles away so we can turn around and drive back to PA the following weekend. At least it isn't too
far out of our way since the next race will be in Richmond Virginia, only South of our current location. Today, however was one of the most entertaining days
we've had while leaving a track. It was quite comical to watch all the people try and get their stuck motorhomes out of the quicksand style mud that we were all
parked in. It was a beautiful green meadow on Tuesday when we parked, but slowly turned into a mud pit with so much rain. Frank, being the genius that he is,
decided to park the rear end of our motorhome, which is the heaviest part and contains the drive axle, on a patch of solid ground on the off chance that we
might have to drive out while it was raining and the ground was soft. So when it came time for us to leave the track, we drove out slow and easy and didn't get
stuck in the mud at all. Did I mention that he is a genius?? Needless to say most of the other motorhomes didn't have solid ground anywhere around them so
they had no other choice than to park in the soft dirt and take their chances. A few of them made it out on their own by driving very slow and straight, but most
of the motorhomes had too far to drive before they hit anything firm so the tires just sank. Lucky for all of them the track provided a bulldozer and driver to pull
out those who needed help and the bulldozer had his work cut out for him. He worked from about 11 am until around 7 or so that evening pulling out stuck
motorhomes. Everyone had as good of an attitude about it as they could, since the bulldozer driver knew what he was doing, and was very quick about it. I got
quite a few good shots of the mayhen and have decided never to take solid ground for granted. A few of the motorhomes were able to back out using plywood,
but after a few trips over that the boards began to crack or were covered in so much mud it wasn't any better than the ground below them.
A view from a 6th floor window to the street
| The 'Grassy Noll' on the left and the Depository at the end of the block |
| The actual window that Lee Harvey Oswald sat in on that devastating day |
Overgrown trees would now block his view
If you look close at the pictures you can see the X's on the road, and you can also see all the boxes of books stacked around the window where they found
Oswald's finger prints and shell casings. A stairway on the other side of the room is where they found the rifle that was used. Eye witnesses also said that
shots were fired from the Grassy Knoll (as it was nicknamed by a reporter moments after the shooting) but no evidence was ever found to verify that. With all
the conspiracy theories that are out there we may never know what happened. The museum is laid out to represent all of JFK's presidency, but the day of the
assassination the events that followed are laid out on an enormous time line with almost minute by minute details. We sure did learn a lot.
After our tour of the Museum and Plaza we went to lunch at a great restaurant called Anteras. It is in the middle of the city, at the top of a 55 story building and
it revolves a complete 360 degrees while you are enjoying your meal, so you can see the entire city in 55 minutes. It was a perfect day for it. It had rained a bit
the night before so the sky was clean and clear with just a few white fluffy clouds. We could see for miles and miles. They had a little book that went along with
the revolution that pointed out all the sights to be seen, and above the windows was printed which direction we were facing. We again could see the Plaza
below us, and even the Dallas Cowboys Stadium off in the distance. Since it took almost an hour to make the rotation you could hardly tell you were moving. It
was the perfect birthday lunch and the best way to see the city.
Oswald's finger prints and shell casings. A stairway on the other side of the room is where they found the rifle that was used. Eye witnesses also said that
shots were fired from the Grassy Knoll (as it was nicknamed by a reporter moments after the shooting) but no evidence was ever found to verify that. With all
the conspiracy theories that are out there we may never know what happened. The museum is laid out to represent all of JFK's presidency, but the day of the
assassination the events that followed are laid out on an enormous time line with almost minute by minute details. We sure did learn a lot.
After our tour of the Museum and Plaza we went to lunch at a great restaurant called Anteras. It is in the middle of the city, at the top of a 55 story building and
it revolves a complete 360 degrees while you are enjoying your meal, so you can see the entire city in 55 minutes. It was a perfect day for it. It had rained a bit
the night before so the sky was clean and clear with just a few white fluffy clouds. We could see for miles and miles. They had a little book that went along with
the revolution that pointed out all the sights to be seen, and above the windows was printed which direction we were facing. We again could see the Plaza
below us, and even the Dallas Cowboys Stadium off in the distance. Since it took almost an hour to make the rotation you could hardly tell you were moving. It
was the perfect birthday lunch and the best way to see the city.
September 19th - Driving down the Wendell H. Ford Kentucky Parkway, Kentucky -
We are driving past a beautiful area of Kentucky. There are rolling fields and horse ranches as far as you can see. After the horse ranches is the Keeneland
Horse Race Track. It's enormous and has very beautiful buildings. If we had more time to stick around this area we would have tried to catch a horse race, but
time doesn't allow, so we will have to come back here again later in our traveling lives. Yesterday we drove through West Virginia and stopped at the most
amazing rest stop we've ever seen. It was actually the state welcome center, and boy did it make you feel welcome. They had doughnuts and coffee in the
office and every type of magazine for you to take and read. They had a great magazine that told you everything there was to do at every offramp all the way
through West Virginia. Those too will have to wait until a later date but this sure is a pretty part of the country. We even drove over the Continental Divide.
We are driving past a beautiful area of Kentucky. There are rolling fields and horse ranches as far as you can see. After the horse ranches is the Keeneland
Horse Race Track. It's enormous and has very beautiful buildings. If we had more time to stick around this area we would have tried to catch a horse race, but
time doesn't allow, so we will have to come back here again later in our traveling lives. Yesterday we drove through West Virginia and stopped at the most
amazing rest stop we've ever seen. It was actually the state welcome center, and boy did it make you feel welcome. They had doughnuts and coffee in the
office and every type of magazine for you to take and read. They had a great magazine that told you everything there was to do at every offramp all the way
through West Virginia. Those too will have to wait until a later date but this sure is a pretty part of the country. We even drove over the Continental Divide.
After lunch we relaxed on the Grassy Knoll
| A view of the ground from Anteras. Ketchup for your fries? They give you the cutest and tiniest Ketchup bottles ever. They even let us take home a few as a souvenir. |
A view of Anteras from the ground
A Surprise Birthday Present -
The best kind to get. As you all know we had a disastrous crash with Suzy's laptop a bit ago and we have been using
an external screen ever since, but today we received an upgrade. Suzy's fabulous parents arranged for her to get a
new, and might we add much quicker than the last, computer. It has a very large hard drive and lots of memory (good
for holding a web page with lots of pictures) A faster processor and great photo enhancement software (helpful in fine
tuning those web page pictures) It's all around wonderful and best of all, the screen works! Thanks guys! We love it.
What used to take 45 minutes to load and publish to the web page now takes about 10 minutes, and it's very sleek with
lots of fun blue lights and a remote control for watching movies on it or listening to CD's or music online. We could even
make and burn our own home movies if we were so inspired to do so. Maybe someday we will create the home video
version of "Frank and Suzy's Adventures on the Road" Everything from the old computer is now on the new one and we
are back in the world of portable computer work. It's so nice to be able to sit outside and be on the computer.
The best kind to get. As you all know we had a disastrous crash with Suzy's laptop a bit ago and we have been using
an external screen ever since, but today we received an upgrade. Suzy's fabulous parents arranged for her to get a
new, and might we add much quicker than the last, computer. It has a very large hard drive and lots of memory (good
for holding a web page with lots of pictures) A faster processor and great photo enhancement software (helpful in fine
tuning those web page pictures) It's all around wonderful and best of all, the screen works! Thanks guys! We love it.
What used to take 45 minutes to load and publish to the web page now takes about 10 minutes, and it's very sleek with
lots of fun blue lights and a remote control for watching movies on it or listening to CD's or music online. We could even
make and burn our own home movies if we were so inspired to do so. Maybe someday we will create the home video
version of "Frank and Suzy's Adventures on the Road" Everything from the old computer is now on the new one and we
are back in the world of portable computer work. It's so nice to be able to sit outside and be on the computer.
West Virginia's Welcome Center The buildings of Keeneland Racetrack The horse pastures of the racetrack An enormous castle nestled in the hills
The most exciting and wonderful thing of the entire day however was once we drove in to Missouri. What could be more rewarding to see than a beautiful
horse pasture or a real life castle??? What's more fabulous than almost any other sight we have seen in the last year and a half you ask??? The answer?
Diesel fuel - at 2.37 per gallon! Yes folks diesel fuel less than 2.50 per gallon is reason enough to throw a party. We could hardly believe our eyes when we
saw the sign. In fact Frank turned off the freeway so quickly I think our bus was driving on it's side on only four wheels instead of it's eight. It was a great day.
Saturday, September 23rd - Dallas, Texas - 4:00pm
A very dark and serious moment in the Budweiser racing world. We have had three qualifying rounds and as it stands we are not qualified to race tomorrow.
The Budweiser racing team has never failed to qualify at an event so hopes are high, but there is so much riding on this race that stress is even higher.
Where we stand in points right now we have a great chance of winning the 2006 Top Fuel Championship, unless we don't go rounds on Sunday here in
Dallas. No pressure though guys!!! Yikes, boy I sure am glad all we have to do is sell the T-shirts and not actually work on the car, I'd be even more nervous.
Saturday September 23rd - Dallas, Texas - 6:00pm
We're in we're in!!!! We get to race tomorrow. Hoorrrayyy!!! Wow what an emotional roller coaster final qualifying was. A couple different teams in the top ten
points category didn't make it in for tomorrow's race so this will be very interesting. The points are so close between the top three guys in this bracket so
these next five races will make it or break it for all of us. Tomorrow is sure to be a very exciting day. Let's hope the Budweiser team makes in a few rounds.
The most exciting and wonderful thing of the entire day however was once we drove in to Missouri. What could be more rewarding to see than a beautiful
horse pasture or a real life castle??? What's more fabulous than almost any other sight we have seen in the last year and a half you ask??? The answer?
Diesel fuel - at 2.37 per gallon! Yes folks diesel fuel less than 2.50 per gallon is reason enough to throw a party. We could hardly believe our eyes when we
saw the sign. In fact Frank turned off the freeway so quickly I think our bus was driving on it's side on only four wheels instead of it's eight. It was a great day.
Saturday, September 23rd - Dallas, Texas - 4:00pm
A very dark and serious moment in the Budweiser racing world. We have had three qualifying rounds and as it stands we are not qualified to race tomorrow.
The Budweiser racing team has never failed to qualify at an event so hopes are high, but there is so much riding on this race that stress is even higher.
Where we stand in points right now we have a great chance of winning the 2006 Top Fuel Championship, unless we don't go rounds on Sunday here in
Dallas. No pressure though guys!!! Yikes, boy I sure am glad all we have to do is sell the T-shirts and not actually work on the car, I'd be even more nervous.
Saturday September 23rd - Dallas, Texas - 6:00pm
We're in we're in!!!! We get to race tomorrow. Hoorrrayyy!!! Wow what an emotional roller coaster final qualifying was. A couple different teams in the top ten
points category didn't make it in for tomorrow's race so this will be very interesting. The points are so close between the top three guys in this bracket so
these next five races will make it or break it for all of us. Tomorrow is sure to be a very exciting day. Let's hope the Budweiser team makes in a few rounds.
October 23rd - Las Vegas, Nevada -
We have had a great weekend with Chris, Karolyn, Mike, Elena and the whole gang and extended family here in Las Vegas. It started with a wine party at Chris
and Karolyn's Saturday night with a group of friends. Chris and Karolyn have a huge wine closet that they are slowly trying to empty out so the six of us helped
out best we could. Sunday was Leona's birthday (Karolyn's mom) so we had a bar-b-que to celebrate and watched the World Series. Just to show you how
non-sports literate we are I think that was the first baseball game either Frank or I have watched this year. After the game we soaked in the wonderful jacuzzi,
which we both missed greatly. Monday was a relaxing day. Frank washed and waxed the bus (yes that is relaxing for him and something we loves to do) while
Suzy and Abbey and Dudley (Chris and Karolyn's adorable Basset Hound) played lazy and watched the Law and Order Marathon that was going on that day.
Monday night a big group of us went to Elena and Mike's house for dinner. Elena makes the most fabulous homemade spaghetti sauce. Yes she is 100% Italian
and the sauce is straight from Italian heaven passed down to her family. She served it on Halloween plates with Vampire wine from Transylvania. It was a fun
and festive Halloween themed dinner, and none of us had to dress up. After dinner we watched Monday Night Football. It was fun to watch since they were
playing at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium and we had just been there in Dallas and seen the stadium from both the ground and the sky, even though Dallas lost.
October 31st - Happy Halloween!!!!!
Frank has headed back to California to settle in there while I stay here in Vegas for a couple extra days for our annual all-girls Christmas shopping trip. Each
year we change the location of the mall we shop at, and this year Las Vegas won as our destination. While waiting for the ladies to drive in from Santa Barbara I
stayed with Chris, Karolyn and Dudley and celebrated Halloween in style. Karolyn and I carved pumpkins to dress up the house and later this evening we
handed out candy to all of the little ghosts and goblins and Thomas the Tank Engines of the neighborhood and had quite a bit of fun doing so.
We have had a great weekend with Chris, Karolyn, Mike, Elena and the whole gang and extended family here in Las Vegas. It started with a wine party at Chris
and Karolyn's Saturday night with a group of friends. Chris and Karolyn have a huge wine closet that they are slowly trying to empty out so the six of us helped
out best we could. Sunday was Leona's birthday (Karolyn's mom) so we had a bar-b-que to celebrate and watched the World Series. Just to show you how
non-sports literate we are I think that was the first baseball game either Frank or I have watched this year. After the game we soaked in the wonderful jacuzzi,
which we both missed greatly. Monday was a relaxing day. Frank washed and waxed the bus (yes that is relaxing for him and something we loves to do) while
Suzy and Abbey and Dudley (Chris and Karolyn's adorable Basset Hound) played lazy and watched the Law and Order Marathon that was going on that day.
Monday night a big group of us went to Elena and Mike's house for dinner. Elena makes the most fabulous homemade spaghetti sauce. Yes she is 100% Italian
and the sauce is straight from Italian heaven passed down to her family. She served it on Halloween plates with Vampire wine from Transylvania. It was a fun
and festive Halloween themed dinner, and none of us had to dress up. After dinner we watched Monday Night Football. It was fun to watch since they were
playing at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium and we had just been there in Dallas and seen the stadium from both the ground and the sky, even though Dallas lost.
October 31st - Happy Halloween!!!!!
Frank has headed back to California to settle in there while I stay here in Vegas for a couple extra days for our annual all-girls Christmas shopping trip. Each
year we change the location of the mall we shop at, and this year Las Vegas won as our destination. While waiting for the ladies to drive in from Santa Barbara I
stayed with Chris, Karolyn and Dudley and celebrated Halloween in style. Karolyn and I carved pumpkins to dress up the house and later this evening we
handed out candy to all of the little ghosts and goblins and Thomas the Tank Engines of the neighborhood and had quite a bit of fun doing so.
The Budweiser Car takes home another Wally A very happy and proud Brandon Brandon graciously hands Eddie the Wally and Eddie proudly show it to the crowd
September 24th - The Winner's circle..... Yet Again!!!
Wow, even more excitement. The red team came from being not qualified to winning the whole darn race. Any race is exciting to win, but especially this one
since it is in Texas, home of the Bernstein's and Eddie. It was nice to have a lot of family with the guys in the Winner's Circle. This victory also puts Budweiser
into the running for the championship this year. Kenny, Brandon's father and owner of the team, who used to race the Budweiser car before he retired won
the championship in both Top Fuel and Funny Car in his career so it would be great to have Brandon join him in the field of champions.
Well, we now get to drive back to Pennsylvania, let's hope and pray the sun stays out and the rain stays away. If it does rain out again they will have to cancel
the race completely. They only give each race two shots and if they can't get them in in that time then they move on to the rest of the year. Good thing!
September 24th - The Winner's circle..... Yet Again!!!
Wow, even more excitement. The red team came from being not qualified to winning the whole darn race. Any race is exciting to win, but especially this one
since it is in Texas, home of the Bernstein's and Eddie. It was nice to have a lot of family with the guys in the Winner's Circle. This victory also puts Budweiser
into the running for the championship this year. Kenny, Brandon's father and owner of the team, who used to race the Budweiser car before he retired won
the championship in both Top Fuel and Funny Car in his career so it would be great to have Brandon join him in the field of champions.
Well, we now get to drive back to Pennsylvania, let's hope and pray the sun stays out and the rain stays away. If it does rain out again they will have to cancel
the race completely. They only give each race two shots and if they can't get them in in that time then they move on to the rest of the year. Good thing!
Our very creative pumpkins sit on the patio to brighten the walkway for trick-or-treaters
Dudley is dressed for the occasion
Chris - the official 'candy man'
October 1st - Reading Pennsylvania - Take two!!
No, your eyes are not deceiving you, and yes those are beautiful white fluffy clouds. It's a gorgeous clear day here in Reading. The sun is out and the
temperature is perfect. It rained all last night and we had heard that the rain wasn't going to stop for four long days. Hooray! The weatherman was wrong
again. No rain after Saturday and no hail at all, Yikes! One newscast said large hail is to be expected. We had a great camping area in a field with a fairly solid
ground and beautiful trees all around us. This is a great time to be here on the east Coast. All of the leaves are turning colors. Being from good old California
we never see this, but if you look close in the below pictures you can see all the trees with dozens of different shades of green and yellow and burgundy as the
leaves turn for the Fall. There were still a zillion butterflies all around as well. We even had one hang out with us in our trailer for awhile. There wasn't too much
traffic since the road was closed just above us. As you can see they had barricades up warning on coming traffic that you might just get T-boned by a
speeding Funny Car impacting you at about 330 miles an hour. Luckily the Funny Car has parachutes to stop him, unlike the oncoming traffic. We were thrilled
to get the entire race in and move on to the next one. Unfortunately there was no Wally happy ending this weekend. Maybe in Richmond.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you, and yes those are beautiful white fluffy clouds. It's a gorgeous clear day here in Reading. The sun is out and the
temperature is perfect. It rained all last night and we had heard that the rain wasn't going to stop for four long days. Hooray! The weatherman was wrong
again. No rain after Saturday and no hail at all, Yikes! One newscast said large hail is to be expected. We had a great camping area in a field with a fairly solid
ground and beautiful trees all around us. This is a great time to be here on the east Coast. All of the leaves are turning colors. Being from good old California
we never see this, but if you look close in the below pictures you can see all the trees with dozens of different shades of green and yellow and burgundy as the
leaves turn for the Fall. There were still a zillion butterflies all around as well. We even had one hang out with us in our trailer for awhile. There wasn't too much
traffic since the road was closed just above us. As you can see they had barricades up warning on coming traffic that you might just get T-boned by a
speeding Funny Car impacting you at about 330 miles an hour. Luckily the Funny Car has parachutes to stop him, unlike the oncoming traffic. We were thrilled
to get the entire race in and move on to the next one. Unfortunately there was no Wally happy ending this weekend. Maybe in Richmond.
Can you see all the colors of the leaves? Let's go in for a closer look :-) Our butterfly mascot for the weekend
November 18th - Happy Birthday to Madison -
Sweet little Madison turns one. We all gathered at Tim and Sharon and Madison's house to celebrate her big day. Madison had just as much fun opening the
presents and playing with all the paper and ribbons then she did with the actual gifts inside. Her little face lit up every time someone put a new gift in front of her.
Then came time for the cake. She was quite cute with it. She ate all of the frosting off and got more around her face as she did in her mouth. I guess everyone
deserves their very own little cake on their first birthday. You should have seen how entertained the adults were by watching the activities of little Madison.
Sweet little Madison turns one. We all gathered at Tim and Sharon and Madison's house to celebrate her big day. Madison had just as much fun opening the
presents and playing with all the paper and ribbons then she did with the actual gifts inside. Her little face lit up every time someone put a new gift in front of her.
Then came time for the cake. She was quite cute with it. She ate all of the frosting off and got more around her face as she did in her mouth. I guess everyone
deserves their very own little cake on their first birthday. You should have seen how entertained the adults were by watching the activities of little Madison.
October 2nd - Lancaster, Pennsylvania - The heart of Amish Country -
What started as an idyllic day in Amish Country turned into a horrible nightmare for the small neighboring towns. Yesterday as we drove through Lancaster
and East Earl, back to Shady Maple for one last trip to the wonderful Amish grocery store and restaurant you could see all the houses with their laundry
hanging out to dry, and children playing in the playgrounds of their schools. It truly was picturesque. As we were grocery shopping this morning we heard the
terrible news that just 10 miles up the road from us, a small one room school house was overtaken by a crazed man. I was in tears when we heard at the end
of the ordeal 3 little girls were dead as well as the man that took their sweet lives while 8 other young girls were injured, three of them in very critical care. A
group of Amish employees were sobbing as they exited a back room and then the store. Our hearts went out to them. The following morning we heard that two
of the three girls in critical care had indeed passed away throughout the night, one being removed from life support as the third was still in very grave danger.
As we left town you could see the Amish walking around clothed in black and a wagon resembling a hearse that is used in the funeral procession passed by. It
was a very sad day and grew sadder as we found out the horrid details of the man's intentions. Please say a prayer for the families of these girls. One family
lost two of their daughters in the shootings and another lost one daughter and has another in critical care. Only God knows why something like this would
happen. We're sure you have all heard about it on the news or read it in your local newspapers, but to be here in the town when it occurred affecting people
in the store to such a degree and to see how beautiful it is here and how they all live as free from the modern world as they can makes it hit home that much
more. They try so hard to remove themselves from the outside world, and then to have it attack them in such a way is devastating. There was such a different
feel as we drove out of town today then there was just yesterday.In one article we read, a man who spoke for the Amish community said that they are
devastated by this and very saddened by the events of the day, but they are not angry. God has his hand in everything, and it is for them to forgive, pick up
the pieces and see what God has in store for them next. They know the little ones are better off where they are, but they will be missed greatly.
What started as an idyllic day in Amish Country turned into a horrible nightmare for the small neighboring towns. Yesterday as we drove through Lancaster
and East Earl, back to Shady Maple for one last trip to the wonderful Amish grocery store and restaurant you could see all the houses with their laundry
hanging out to dry, and children playing in the playgrounds of their schools. It truly was picturesque. As we were grocery shopping this morning we heard the
terrible news that just 10 miles up the road from us, a small one room school house was overtaken by a crazed man. I was in tears when we heard at the end
of the ordeal 3 little girls were dead as well as the man that took their sweet lives while 8 other young girls were injured, three of them in very critical care. A
group of Amish employees were sobbing as they exited a back room and then the store. Our hearts went out to them. The following morning we heard that two
of the three girls in critical care had indeed passed away throughout the night, one being removed from life support as the third was still in very grave danger.
As we left town you could see the Amish walking around clothed in black and a wagon resembling a hearse that is used in the funeral procession passed by. It
was a very sad day and grew sadder as we found out the horrid details of the man's intentions. Please say a prayer for the families of these girls. One family
lost two of their daughters in the shootings and another lost one daughter and has another in critical care. Only God knows why something like this would
happen. We're sure you have all heard about it on the news or read it in your local newspapers, but to be here in the town when it occurred affecting people
in the store to such a degree and to see how beautiful it is here and how they all live as free from the modern world as they can makes it hit home that much
more. They try so hard to remove themselves from the outside world, and then to have it attack them in such a way is devastating. There was such a different
feel as we drove out of town today then there was just yesterday.In one article we read, a man who spoke for the Amish community said that they are
devastated by this and very saddened by the events of the day, but they are not angry. God has his hand in everything, and it is for them to forgive, pick up
the pieces and see what God has in store for them next. They know the little ones are better off where they are, but they will be missed greatly.
A picture from our last visit to Lancaster The actual school where the horrible The Amish prepare for the funerals God be with the families of the young girls
events occurred
events occurred
November 20th -
This is Max. Isn't he darling?? Max is a three month old baby African Grey. He is going to be the newest member of the
family. No, not our "bus family" but our extended family. Max is Abbey, Bradley and Cody's newest cousin. He will soon
be leaving the confines of the pet store and move in with Sean, Frank's cousin, and Liberty who is a Blue and Gold
Macaw and has been with Sean for a few years now. Liberty is soon to be Max's big sister. Seeing Max brings back
memories of our first days with our birds. Having to teach them how to open peanuts without destroying the nut inside,
and drink water out of a bowl and sleep on a perch. Little birds are just like little people. They need someone to love
them enough to teach them everything and love them everyday. A lot of it comes with instinct, but a few things need
adaptation in order to live in the world of humans. Next week after Thanksgiving we will hopefully get to meet little Max
in person. You can tell that Max is young just by looking at his eyes. African Grey's start out with all black eyes soon
after they hatch, and over the years to outer black slowly turns white with age.
This is Max. Isn't he darling?? Max is a three month old baby African Grey. He is going to be the newest member of the
family. No, not our "bus family" but our extended family. Max is Abbey, Bradley and Cody's newest cousin. He will soon
be leaving the confines of the pet store and move in with Sean, Frank's cousin, and Liberty who is a Blue and Gold
Macaw and has been with Sean for a few years now. Liberty is soon to be Max's big sister. Seeing Max brings back
memories of our first days with our birds. Having to teach them how to open peanuts without destroying the nut inside,
and drink water out of a bowl and sleep on a perch. Little birds are just like little people. They need someone to love
them enough to teach them everything and love them everyday. A lot of it comes with instinct, but a few things need
adaptation in order to live in the world of humans. Next week after Thanksgiving we will hopefully get to meet little Max
in person. You can tell that Max is young just by looking at his eyes. African Grey's start out with all black eyes soon
after they hatch, and over the years to outer black slowly turns white with age.
October 7th - Richmond, Virginia -
Surprise, surprise it's raining again here in fall on the East Coast, so yes once again they have had to cancel our fun-filled race weekend. No worries though,
we have decided to take full advantage of the next week off and once again play tourist. Tomorrow we will head to Washington D.C. and see all we can. The
track here is letting all of us stay for the week, and it's a beautiful track so we can't complain about free camping and pretty views. This evening we went to
dinner in town and then bowling with a group of friends. It was quite comical. Chris and Maria were there along with Darren, Stacey and Eddie (our boss for next
year) Granted, none of us are exceptional bowlers but Maria was hilarious. She would run up to the lane and then at the last second just drop the ball on the
lane. Each time it would make this horrid noise and we all thought that the wood would break at any moment. On one turn, she somehow lobbed the ball off of
our lane, into the wall, off the wall and then into the lane next to us. Luckily our neighbor bowlers were also from the NHRA so we were a bit safe. However they
are much better bowlers than our side. They were all on their last round. If you don't much on bowling this is the round where you get three shots instead of two
and your supposed to score somewhere around 100 points on this round alone. I of course have never gotten more than two strikes in a game let alone one
Surprise, surprise it's raining again here in fall on the East Coast, so yes once again they have had to cancel our fun-filled race weekend. No worries though,
we have decided to take full advantage of the next week off and once again play tourist. Tomorrow we will head to Washington D.C. and see all we can. The
track here is letting all of us stay for the week, and it's a beautiful track so we can't complain about free camping and pretty views. This evening we went to
dinner in town and then bowling with a group of friends. It was quite comical. Chris and Maria were there along with Darren, Stacey and Eddie (our boss for next
year) Granted, none of us are exceptional bowlers but Maria was hilarious. She would run up to the lane and then at the last second just drop the ball on the
lane. Each time it would make this horrid noise and we all thought that the wood would break at any moment. On one turn, she somehow lobbed the ball off of
our lane, into the wall, off the wall and then into the lane next to us. Luckily our neighbor bowlers were also from the NHRA so we were a bit safe. However they
are much better bowlers than our side. They were all on their last round. If you don't much on bowling this is the round where you get three shots instead of two
and your supposed to score somewhere around 100 points on this round alone. I of course have never gotten more than two strikes in a game let alone one
Have you ever seen a cuter smile?
"Can I eat the paper Daddy?"
Such a happy baby first thing in the morning
"I'm ready for my party!"
round, but apparently it can be done. Mark was up on their side on his first of three balls and having Maria's ball cruise down his gutter broke his concentration
a bit to say the least. He looked over at us as though to say "How the heck did that happen?" while all of us were standing there in shear amazement. We had
to call the little guy out from the back, explain it to him and assure him that we caused no damage. 10 minutes later the ball was recovered and Mike's game
was reset to bowl his three frames. No, he didn't get three strikes, so we did have to tease him about that since before we fixed it he was sure that we was going
to. We played two games each and called it a night. The ending scores? Chris = 125 Darren = 120 Suzy = 106 Frank = 105 Stacey = 98 Maria = 43, but she
kept us entertained all night with her nearly overhand throws down the lane. We didn't look too close, but there may have been a few broken pieces of wood.
a bit to say the least. He looked over at us as though to say "How the heck did that happen?" while all of us were standing there in shear amazement. We had
to call the little guy out from the back, explain it to him and assure him that we caused no damage. 10 minutes later the ball was recovered and Mike's game
was reset to bowl his three frames. No, he didn't get three strikes, so we did have to tease him about that since before we fixed it he was sure that we was going
to. We played two games each and called it a night. The ending scores? Chris = 125 Darren = 120 Suzy = 106 Frank = 105 Stacey = 98 Maria = 43, but she
kept us entertained all night with her nearly overhand throws down the lane. We didn't look too close, but there may have been a few broken pieces of wood.
Our very last Budweiser inventory!!!
The boys try and figure out how to undo
Maria's overhand gutter ball error.
Maria's overhand gutter ball error.
Bradley sings as Frank plays the guitar
Hooray!! Suzy gets a spare and helps
raise the girls score!
raise the girls score!
November 23rd - Happy Thanksgiving!!!! - Tustin, California -
We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving day with family down in Tustin, California. We had lots and lots of turkey with all the
trimmings, in fact we had Thanksgiving twice. We had lunch around 1pm and after lounging around and catching up with everyone on the last years
adventures we had another turkey feast for dinner. I am a firm believer that one can never have too many Thanksgiving meals, especially the pie part. Yum!!
We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving day with family down in Tustin, California. We had lots and lots of turkey with all the
trimmings, in fact we had Thanksgiving twice. We had lunch around 1pm and after lounging around and catching up with everyone on the last years
adventures we had another turkey feast for dinner. I am a firm believer that one can never have too many Thanksgiving meals, especially the pie part. Yum!!
Where's your game face Frank?
November 24th - Dumont Dunes -
<- This is a Sand Car! It is a high
performance vehicle with amazing
suspension and roughly 420 horse
power with paddle tires that enables you
to travel at very rapid speeds over the
rough terrain of sand dunes and feel as
though you are riding on a cloud. It
holds up to four people, and has five
point harnesses to hold it's occupants
safely inside the car as you ride.
<- This is a Sand Car! It is a high
performance vehicle with amazing
suspension and roughly 420 horse
power with paddle tires that enables you
to travel at very rapid speeds over the
rough terrain of sand dunes and feel as
though you are riding on a cloud. It
holds up to four people, and has five
point harnesses to hold it's occupants
safely inside the car as you ride.
Maria tries to woo bowling secrets
out of Chris
out of Chris
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
<- This is a sand dune. They all
have different shapes. Some are flat
at the top while others end with a hill
on the other side. The flat ones are
fun to get a bit of air at the top,
where the ones that end with a hill
on the other side are fun to go down
since at times you can get weightless
for a second or two. Some are quite
steep while others are a bit more
mild for beginners, but all are fun!
have different shapes. Some are flat
at the top while others end with a hill
on the other side. The flat ones are
fun to get a bit of air at the top,
where the ones that end with a hill
on the other side are fun to go down
since at times you can get weightless
for a second or two. Some are quite
steep while others are a bit more
mild for beginners, but all are fun!
The capitol building of our Nation
| So what happens when the two above objects meet???? Please look below for the answers. However one word of caution before scrolling down!!!! Objects in pictures are traveling faster than they appear. |
October 8th - Washington D.C. -
After driving our car around town for a bit and having no idea what to see first, we opted to jump on one of the many
trolleys that take you to all the sights so you don't have to drive around like a lost tourist. After we parked by Arlington
National Cemetery, we jumped on the first trolley we saw. In order to hop off the trolley and get back on we realized
that we had to stop on the other side of town and purchase our tickets. Since we wanted to stop first at the Air and
Space Museum we weren't sure what to do other than take the trolley for two loops around the town. Overhearing our
dilemma, and being the only people on the trolley, the friendly trolley driver informed us that if we got off at the Air and
Space Museum he would pick us up again in two hours and then take us to the ticket booth but we had to make sure
he got back on his since the other driver's wouldn't let us on without a ticket. Quickly thinking we decided to take him
up on his offer and get off the trolley. It was a good decision, and an awesome place. They still had the same moon
After driving our car around town for a bit and having no idea what to see first, we opted to jump on one of the many
trolleys that take you to all the sights so you don't have to drive around like a lost tourist. After we parked by Arlington
National Cemetery, we jumped on the first trolley we saw. In order to hop off the trolley and get back on we realized
that we had to stop on the other side of town and purchase our tickets. Since we wanted to stop first at the Air and
Space Museum we weren't sure what to do other than take the trolley for two loops around the town. Overhearing our
dilemma, and being the only people on the trolley, the friendly trolley driver informed us that if we got off at the Air and
Space Museum he would pick us up again in two hours and then take us to the ticket booth but we had to make sure
he got back on his since the other driver's wouldn't let us on without a ticket. Quickly thinking we decided to take him
up on his offer and get off the trolley. It was a good decision, and an awesome place. They still had the same moon
| Hmmm! We seem to be missing a couple passengers. |
The graves at Arlington National Cemetery
| A shot from inside the Sand Car. You couldn't get a better view of the dunes |
A waterfall at the Franklin Delano Memorial
| The view of the campground from the top of a dune. Boy those motorhomes look small! |
| The entrance to Ford's Theatre that witnessed the assassination of Lincoln |
November 28th - Las Vegas, Nevada -
Viva Las Vegas!!!! Yes we are back in our home away from home!!! We have spent a bit of time relaxing since we got here and are soon to be in full swing of
the 48th Annual National Rodeo Finals - which translates to the best two weeks of the year insofar as working. We work from 9:30 until 5:15 and then have the
rest of the night off!!! We will try and attend the actual Rodeo a night or two, spend some time with friends, hang out in the Jacuzzi have a party or two and
pretty much have a fabulous time until the 48th Annual National Finals Rodeo comes to a close. Stay tuned for a fun and wonderfully festive 10+ days of
activities!!! Trust us y'all (as they say here at the rodeo) this here event may want ya'll to leave all of regular life behind and join in on the Texan Style fun we
are about to embark on here at the rodeo!!!! :-)
Viva Las Vegas!!!! Yes we are back in our home away from home!!! We have spent a bit of time relaxing since we got here and are soon to be in full swing of
the 48th Annual National Rodeo Finals - which translates to the best two weeks of the year insofar as working. We work from 9:30 until 5:15 and then have the
rest of the night off!!! We will try and attend the actual Rodeo a night or two, spend some time with friends, hang out in the Jacuzzi have a party or two and
pretty much have a fabulous time until the 48th Annual National Finals Rodeo comes to a close. Stay tuned for a fun and wonderfully festive 10+ days of
activities!!! Trust us y'all (as they say here at the rodeo) this here event may want ya'll to leave all of regular life behind and join in on the Texan Style fun we
are about to embark on here at the rodeo!!!! :-)
rock that I touched 20 years ago when I came here with my 8th grade class. It was almost like going back in time and reliving it. This time however I did
appreciate it a bit more. They had Space Ship One from the X Prize hanging from the ceiling which was indescribable to see. Frank followed that experiment
closely and we have all the documentaries on it. It's amazing to think what man can do without the governments help. They also had the Wright Brother's 'Flyer'
down from the ceiling on display for all to see. This is the first and only time it will be out of it's regular position in the Smithsonian since 2003 marked the 100th
anniversary of their first flight. It will return to the entry ceiling of the Museum in December. We safely made it back on our trolley and continued our city tour.
appreciate it a bit more. They had Space Ship One from the X Prize hanging from the ceiling which was indescribable to see. Frank followed that experiment
closely and we have all the documentaries on it. It's amazing to think what man can do without the governments help. They also had the Wright Brother's 'Flyer'
down from the ceiling on display for all to see. This is the first and only time it will be out of it's regular position in the Smithsonian since 2003 marked the 100th
anniversary of their first flight. It will return to the entry ceiling of the Museum in December. We safely made it back on our trolley and continued our city tour.
October 11th - Playing Tourists -
We have done about all one can do in the last three days. We finished up our tour of Washington D.C. with a walking tour around the White House and a few
of the other sights. Most of the roads are closed of to cars around the White House, but you can still walk up to the perimeter fence and get a nice view of the
President's home, and if you look close you can see all the snipers that are placed on the roof of the White House and various buildings around. It was a bit of
an odd feeling at first, but then you realize they are there to protect. I thought it would be nice to get a closer shot of them and the White House, but after
taking bets on how quick they would be on Frank if he jumped over the fence and realizing that he would have about a 5 second life span at the most after that
move we decided that the pictures we had would have to be enough. Keeping Frank around is much better than the perfect picture of the President's home,
even though it would have made for an exciting story. The flags around Washington D.C. are mostly at half staff due to Remembrance Day of all the fallen
firefighters from 9/11. Everywhere we went all around the city you could always catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument. It was as though it was keeping
a watchful eye over us. The tickets to go to the top were sold out by the time we got there, but there is always next year. We figure we have to save a few
adventures for our next trip around the country. We arrived at the White House's North Lawn at sunset, which made for a very pretty scene with all the lights.
We have done about all one can do in the last three days. We finished up our tour of Washington D.C. with a walking tour around the White House and a few
of the other sights. Most of the roads are closed of to cars around the White House, but you can still walk up to the perimeter fence and get a nice view of the
President's home, and if you look close you can see all the snipers that are placed on the roof of the White House and various buildings around. It was a bit of
an odd feeling at first, but then you realize they are there to protect. I thought it would be nice to get a closer shot of them and the White House, but after
taking bets on how quick they would be on Frank if he jumped over the fence and realizing that he would have about a 5 second life span at the most after that
move we decided that the pictures we had would have to be enough. Keeping Frank around is much better than the perfect picture of the President's home,
even though it would have made for an exciting story. The flags around Washington D.C. are mostly at half staff due to Remembrance Day of all the fallen
firefighters from 9/11. Everywhere we went all around the city you could always catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument. It was as though it was keeping
a watchful eye over us. The tickets to go to the top were sold out by the time we got there, but there is always next year. We figure we have to save a few
adventures for our next trip around the country. We arrived at the White House's North Lawn at sunset, which made for a very pretty scene with all the lights.
Spaceship One and private enterprise
reach the stars with one man's dream
reach the stars with one man's dream
December 7rd - Thomas and Mack Arena - The eighth evening of Rodeo competition -
Tonight was wonderful. We spent it watching the rodeo from the Cox Communications suite compliments of Karolyn. They were the most amazing seats in the
place. We did watch the rodeo a few nights ago in some seats that were given to us from a customer but this evenings Boxed Seats were much better. Thanks
again Karolyn for sharing your party with us. We have included a few pictures below and above to help explain the various events. I do apologize for the slight
blur in the pictures, but with animals and men moving so quickly and my little camera on the longest zoom I did my very best to capture as many moments as I
could. The Steer Wrestling (above) this is where the cowboy starts out on his horse, chases down the steer, leaps off of his horse onto the steer and then does
his very darndest to wrestle that steer to the ground pretty much by twisting the steer's horns. Yes most of the time the cowboy does win, but every so often
there is a quick moving steer that gets away from the cowboy. Even if the steer doesn't get away, the cowboy can still loose if it takes him too long to pin the
steer down. The pictures in the middle show a bit of our fun suite that we had for the evening and our wonderful host. As you can also see above Frank took
full advantage of the dinner buffet provided for us.
Tonight was wonderful. We spent it watching the rodeo from the Cox Communications suite compliments of Karolyn. They were the most amazing seats in the
place. We did watch the rodeo a few nights ago in some seats that were given to us from a customer but this evenings Boxed Seats were much better. Thanks
again Karolyn for sharing your party with us. We have included a few pictures below and above to help explain the various events. I do apologize for the slight
blur in the pictures, but with animals and men moving so quickly and my little camera on the longest zoom I did my very best to capture as many moments as I
could. The Steer Wrestling (above) this is where the cowboy starts out on his horse, chases down the steer, leaps off of his horse onto the steer and then does
his very darndest to wrestle that steer to the ground pretty much by twisting the steer's horns. Yes most of the time the cowboy does win, but every so often
there is a quick moving steer that gets away from the cowboy. Even if the steer doesn't get away, the cowboy can still loose if it takes him too long to pin the
steer down. The pictures in the middle show a bit of our fun suite that we had for the evening and our wonderful host. As you can also see above Frank took
full advantage of the dinner buffet provided for us.
Wilbur and Orville Wright's plane 'Flyer'
| The first steps on the moon reenacted in the Smithsonian |
| Apollo 11's actual reentry capsule. You can still see all the burn marks from the trip |
Snipers on the roof of the White House
| The Washington monument plays peek-a-boo all through the city |
The sun sets over the North lawn
The South lawn of the White House
Next on the agenda are the two sports where if I were a betting person I would put money down on the little calf. The first three pictures show the Calf Roping.
Yes this is fairly self-explanatory. The cowboy again starts out on his horse with a rope in his hands and one in his teeth. He first tries to lasso the little calf with
the rope in his hand as quickly as he can. After successfully roping the calf he leaps off of the horse, runs over to the calf, throws him on the ground and then
takes the rope in his mouth and ties three of the calf's legs together. Once this is completed he returns to his horse, gets back and has the wait somewhere
around 10 seconds to make sure that the calf doesn't get out of the rope that has been tied to three of his feet. The cowboy only has 23 seconds to complete
this or he is disqualified. We saw some cowboys take only 3.7 seconds while others chased the calf around as long as he could but didn't rope them. These
poor little calves must think they are about to die when the big horse and cowboy are chasing them down, Especially while they are laying on the ground all
tied up. The last picture of the above sequence shows the Team Roping. One man is the Header, which means he goes first. Once the calf is released from
the pen he must chase the calf and lasso the horns, or head, of the calf. Once this has been done successfully the other man known as the Healer comes
from behind and lassos the back feet of the calf. The Healer must get both feet in the lasso and held together otherwise they are penalized 5 seconds if only
one legs is caught. Again they have 23 seconds to finish and the team with the best and shortest time wins the cash. We're not sure why, but this sport doesn't
look quite as hard on the calf as the Calf Roping does. Perhaps because the Calf Roping the little calf is actually pulled off of his feet in the roping process
Yes this is fairly self-explanatory. The cowboy again starts out on his horse with a rope in his hands and one in his teeth. He first tries to lasso the little calf with
the rope in his hand as quickly as he can. After successfully roping the calf he leaps off of the horse, runs over to the calf, throws him on the ground and then
takes the rope in his mouth and ties three of the calf's legs together. Once this is completed he returns to his horse, gets back and has the wait somewhere
around 10 seconds to make sure that the calf doesn't get out of the rope that has been tied to three of his feet. The cowboy only has 23 seconds to complete
this or he is disqualified. We saw some cowboys take only 3.7 seconds while others chased the calf around as long as he could but didn't rope them. These
poor little calves must think they are about to die when the big horse and cowboy are chasing them down, Especially while they are laying on the ground all
tied up. The last picture of the above sequence shows the Team Roping. One man is the Header, which means he goes first. Once the calf is released from
the pen he must chase the calf and lasso the horns, or head, of the calf. Once this has been done successfully the other man known as the Healer comes
from behind and lassos the back feet of the calf. The Healer must get both feet in the lasso and held together otherwise they are penalized 5 seconds if only
one legs is caught. Again they have 23 seconds to finish and the team with the best and shortest time wins the cash. We're not sure why, but this sport doesn't
look quite as hard on the calf as the Calf Roping does. Perhaps because the Calf Roping the little calf is actually pulled off of his feet in the roping process
The one safe and fairly happy animal activity of the evening was the Barrel Racers. This of course is also the token girl event of the evening. Not that it isn't a
bit tricky, but I ask why not let the girls get involved with the team roping or Bareback Riding. Hey if the boys can do it can't we do it even better??? We ladies
are usually a bit more coordinated and a bit more flexible than the boys, however when it comes to brain power we of course again win and therefore are a bit
too smart to get on the crazy beasts. :-) This brings us to the final sport of the evening. The Grand PooBaah of all events. The Bull Riding. It is an amazing thing
to watch. I love it because the bull usually wins by throwing the cowboy off, and the fans love it because whether the cowboy holds on over 8 seconds or not it is
always entertaining to see exactly how the man gets off the bull. The cowboy either leaps off of the bull onto another horse being ridden by a very brave soul
who gets close enough to bull to rescue his rider, or the cowboy is thrown from the bull while two or three men a little shorter than the bull try and get the
attention of the bull off of his rider and on to them. Now let's think about that for a moment. How smart must one be to purposely cause this very angry bull to
chase them. A few years back these men were called Rodeo Clowns, but apparently they felt a bit unappreciated and thought this title didn't exude exactly what
it is that they do professionally so they are now called Bull Fighters. Yes a much more appropriate name, and it doesn't leave any confusion of what their task
includes. The saddest part of the evening is when it is over and the excitement ends. The Rodeo is by far one of the best shows we have been to, and we
greatly recommend it to anyone who is in the vicinity of any type of rodeo. Whether you cheer for the cowboy, the cowgirl or the animals you will not be let down
for an evening of thrills and excitement. Next year you will all have to come to Vegas and witness it for yourself. But buy tickets early because they do sell out!!
bit tricky, but I ask why not let the girls get involved with the team roping or Bareback Riding. Hey if the boys can do it can't we do it even better??? We ladies
are usually a bit more coordinated and a bit more flexible than the boys, however when it comes to brain power we of course again win and therefore are a bit
too smart to get on the crazy beasts. :-) This brings us to the final sport of the evening. The Grand PooBaah of all events. The Bull Riding. It is an amazing thing
to watch. I love it because the bull usually wins by throwing the cowboy off, and the fans love it because whether the cowboy holds on over 8 seconds or not it is
always entertaining to see exactly how the man gets off the bull. The cowboy either leaps off of the bull onto another horse being ridden by a very brave soul
who gets close enough to bull to rescue his rider, or the cowboy is thrown from the bull while two or three men a little shorter than the bull try and get the
attention of the bull off of his rider and on to them. Now let's think about that for a moment. How smart must one be to purposely cause this very angry bull to
chase them. A few years back these men were called Rodeo Clowns, but apparently they felt a bit unappreciated and thought this title didn't exude exactly what
it is that they do professionally so they are now called Bull Fighters. Yes a much more appropriate name, and it doesn't leave any confusion of what their task
includes. The saddest part of the evening is when it is over and the excitement ends. The Rodeo is by far one of the best shows we have been to, and we
greatly recommend it to anyone who is in the vicinity of any type of rodeo. Whether you cheer for the cowboy, the cowgirl or the animals you will not be let down
for an evening of thrills and excitement. Next year you will all have to come to Vegas and witness it for yourself. But buy tickets early because they do sell out!!
October 13th - Colonial Williamsburg -
We took a nice motorcycle ride today and visited Colonial Williamsburg. Back in Junior High our school took a trip over
here to the East Coast and visited all these places so they are a bit familiar and yet they seem so different at the same
time. I guess being older I appreciate the history lessons a bit more then I did back then. It's also nicer to plan your own
trips and see what we want instead of being led around by a teacher. One fun thing we did that we couldn't have done
back in 8th grade was we stopped for an old English Draft beer at Raleigh's Tavern, and watched a reenactment of the
early days of the Revolutionary War. Frank's favorite part was a huge two-story toy store that had every type of
interactive toy one could imagine. There were about a dozen that we had never seen before, but they were a blast to
figure out. We could have spent the entire day in there. Either that or go broke buying them all to play later. After
dragging Frank out of the toy store we headed home. We passed all sorts of cotton fields and huge plantations. Next
year we will have to explore the plantations a bit and go into Jamestown and Yorktown which were just up the road.
We took a nice motorcycle ride today and visited Colonial Williamsburg. Back in Junior High our school took a trip over
here to the East Coast and visited all these places so they are a bit familiar and yet they seem so different at the same
time. I guess being older I appreciate the history lessons a bit more then I did back then. It's also nicer to plan your own
trips and see what we want instead of being led around by a teacher. One fun thing we did that we couldn't have done
back in 8th grade was we stopped for an old English Draft beer at Raleigh's Tavern, and watched a reenactment of the
early days of the Revolutionary War. Frank's favorite part was a huge two-story toy store that had every type of
interactive toy one could imagine. There were about a dozen that we had never seen before, but they were a blast to
figure out. We could have spent the entire day in there. Either that or go broke buying them all to play later. After
dragging Frank out of the toy store we headed home. We passed all sorts of cotton fields and huge plantations. Next
year we will have to explore the plantations a bit and go into Jamestown and Yorktown which were just up the road.
It takes 3 men to secure the bull in the pen
Suzy stands outside the guardhouse
The Bull-Fighters try and lure the bull away
Fields of cotton A restored Colonial home An old horse drawn carriage New shoes anyone?? The fun and enormous toy store
A gracefull Barell Racer turns and burns
8 seconds and counting to a victory!!
The next two sports are a bit similar. One is Bareback riding and the other is Saddle Bronc. Yes as you can tell by the title of the sports the main difference
between them is that in one the cowboy has a saddle to sit in and the other he does not, but the similarity is that none of these horses are broken, and at the
end of the evening a few of the cowboys are. Please keep in mind the saddle is about the size of an 81/2 by 11 piece of leather so again, not a big deifference.
Other than that the theory is the same. The cowboy must stay on the animal for as long as possible and is only allowed to hold on by one hand. Hmmmm! Since
neither of these are anywhere on the list of things I want to do before I die, I can safely say I will die a happy woman without ever attempting either sport.
between them is that in one the cowboy has a saddle to sit in and the other he does not, but the similarity is that none of these horses are broken, and at the
end of the evening a few of the cowboys are. Please keep in mind the saddle is about the size of an 81/2 by 11 piece of leather so again, not a big deifference.
Other than that the theory is the same. The cowboy must stay on the animal for as long as possible and is only allowed to hold on by one hand. Hmmmm! Since
neither of these are anywhere on the list of things I want to do before I die, I can safely say I will die a happy woman without ever attempting either sport.
