August 1st - Sonoma Valley, California
Wow, can you believe it's August already? Where has this year gone. When we realize just how quickly time goes by it makes us so glad that we are doing
what we are doing now. If we had stayed in Buellton and kept planning for this someday we would have stayed so busy we may have never done it. It goes
back to one of our favorite quotes, which you've probably heard before. "Life passes most people by while they sit around and make grand plans for it"
Monday was a fun day. Frank helped tear down the Nitro Mall which is our company's equivalent of a traveling department store that they bring to each
race. While he was at work Frank's parents and I along with a few of our co-workers drove to a nearby winery. It was a beautiful place that overlooked the
valley. We tasted all sorts of different jams and jellies and lots of different salsas and dips. Good thing we hadn't had breakfast, by the time we left we were
all stuffed. Around 1:00 when Frank got off work we drove out to Frank's Aunt Linda and Uncle Steve's in Santa Rosa, just up the road from Sonoma. We
had a bar-b-que with them along with most of his cousins and their families. We hadn't seen them in a couple years so it was fun to catch up. Frank's
grandparents came up from the Santa Ynez Valley as well to visit so we had a great time. Steve and Linda live in a great little community with a pool and
lake and all. Most of us took a walk around the lake and stopped to watch the ducks. The Ugly Duckling really does exist. He lives here in Santa Rosa with a
family of ducks and really thinks he is one of them. I guess no one has shown him a mirror yet.
Wow, can you believe it's August already? Where has this year gone. When we realize just how quickly time goes by it makes us so glad that we are doing
what we are doing now. If we had stayed in Buellton and kept planning for this someday we would have stayed so busy we may have never done it. It goes
back to one of our favorite quotes, which you've probably heard before. "Life passes most people by while they sit around and make grand plans for it"
Monday was a fun day. Frank helped tear down the Nitro Mall which is our company's equivalent of a traveling department store that they bring to each
race. While he was at work Frank's parents and I along with a few of our co-workers drove to a nearby winery. It was a beautiful place that overlooked the
valley. We tasted all sorts of different jams and jellies and lots of different salsas and dips. Good thing we hadn't had breakfast, by the time we left we were
all stuffed. Around 1:00 when Frank got off work we drove out to Frank's Aunt Linda and Uncle Steve's in Santa Rosa, just up the road from Sonoma. We
had a bar-b-que with them along with most of his cousins and their families. We hadn't seen them in a couple years so it was fun to catch up. Frank's
grandparents came up from the Santa Ynez Valley as well to visit so we had a great time. Steve and Linda live in a great little community with a pool and
lake and all. Most of us took a walk around the lake and stopped to watch the ducks. The Ugly Duckling really does exist. He lives here in Santa Rosa with a
family of ducks and really thinks he is one of them. I guess no one has shown him a mirror yet.
July 22nd - Seattle, Washington
So much for the useless and misleading snow capped mountain giving any indication of the weather this weekend. Today it is a scorching 95 degrees outside
but there is slight breeze and we are in the shade of the awning so it could be worse. Also a good thing is that we are headed out of here tonight
HOORRRAAYY, no more heat or dust. I swear we have cleaned the shelves of the trailer 100 times and the darn dust keeps coming back! UUGGHH!!
We will drive tonight to Marathon in Coburg, Oregon where we bought our current home. Last year we were in such a hurry to get to Minnesota that they
didn't get a chance to put in a counter that they owed us, so they said"next time you are in town stop by" Yes it has been a year but this is the first time we
have been near so we will get our new counter and mirror and an oil change and be on our way to Sonoma, California. Hopefully the weather will be wonderful
there and cool. It has been a bit above 100 degrees in that area, but according to weather.com it is supposed to be only 70 degrees for the weekend. Let's
hope that's true. Although I won't speak too soon because I may jinx us into having another heat wave. :-( One can usually count on CA for great weather.
So much for the useless and misleading snow capped mountain giving any indication of the weather this weekend. Today it is a scorching 95 degrees outside
but there is slight breeze and we are in the shade of the awning so it could be worse. Also a good thing is that we are headed out of here tonight
HOORRRAAYY, no more heat or dust. I swear we have cleaned the shelves of the trailer 100 times and the darn dust keeps coming back! UUGGHH!!
We will drive tonight to Marathon in Coburg, Oregon where we bought our current home. Last year we were in such a hurry to get to Minnesota that they
didn't get a chance to put in a counter that they owed us, so they said"next time you are in town stop by" Yes it has been a year but this is the first time we
have been near so we will get our new counter and mirror and an oil change and be on our way to Sonoma, California. Hopefully the weather will be wonderful
there and cool. It has been a bit above 100 degrees in that area, but according to weather.com it is supposed to be only 70 degrees for the weekend. Let's
hope that's true. Although I won't speak too soon because I may jinx us into having another heat wave. :-( One can usually count on CA for great weather.
July 25th - Coburg, Oregon
Free hook-ups, free laundry and a free drive around town car!! What more could you ask for while your motorhome is being
taken care of. Friends of ours, Kurt and Phyllis, are here as well. They are looking to buy a previously owned bus like ours
and they too are taking advantage of the amenities. We had them drill a couple new cup holders for Frank since his driver's
seat never had them and he always has to pass me his soda to put in one of my cup holders. It will now be quite convenient
for him, and they look quite nice. Early this morning Frank was walking around the lot with Cody. As usual they received quite
a bit of attention from other coach owners in for service that were walking around. One of the women that was outside at the
time is the editor for the Maratime Magazine that Marathon Coach owners receive each quarter. It's a great magazine that is
designed just for Marathon owners. It tells all about the upcoming events that Marathon is hosting, pictures of all the new and
pre-owned buses for sale, and various articles on coach owners and the activities that they are involved in. Mary came up to
Frank to meet him and Cody. As the two of them talked she asked if she could do an article on our family for the Fall issue of
the magazine. Frank was delighted and came home to tell the rest of us. She and her photographer came over about an hour
later to snap some pictures of us and the birds and did a little interview of us. We gave her our website address for any further
information she might need on us or our feathered friends and she told us she would e-mail us a rough draft of the article in
Free hook-ups, free laundry and a free drive around town car!! What more could you ask for while your motorhome is being
taken care of. Friends of ours, Kurt and Phyllis, are here as well. They are looking to buy a previously owned bus like ours
and they too are taking advantage of the amenities. We had them drill a couple new cup holders for Frank since his driver's
seat never had them and he always has to pass me his soda to put in one of my cup holders. It will now be quite convenient
for him, and they look quite nice. Early this morning Frank was walking around the lot with Cody. As usual they received quite
a bit of attention from other coach owners in for service that were walking around. One of the women that was outside at the
time is the editor for the Maratime Magazine that Marathon Coach owners receive each quarter. It's a great magazine that is
designed just for Marathon owners. It tells all about the upcoming events that Marathon is hosting, pictures of all the new and
pre-owned buses for sale, and various articles on coach owners and the activities that they are involved in. Mary came up to
Frank to meet him and Cody. As the two of them talked she asked if she could do an article on our family for the Fall issue of
the magazine. Frank was delighted and came home to tell the rest of us. She and her photographer came over about an hour
later to snap some pictures of us and the birds and did a little interview of us. We gave her our website address for any further
information she might need on us or our feathered friends and she told us she would e-mail us a rough draft of the article in
Later this same day.... .... ....
Pacific Raceways in Seattle, Washington. A very nice track nestled in the hills and trees of the Washington Coast. Right above the racetrack is a beautiful
view of snow covered Mount Rainer. Yes it is still covered in snow in July so lets hope that means that this weekend might be a bit cooler than the last one.
The last few tracks we have been at have not only been a bit on the warm side we have also had quite a ways to get to work. This is when the motorcycle
comes in very handy for Frank to get to work and I get the benefit of a nice workout while walking to work, I also get to sleep in a bit later since both of us
don't have to be at work until the crowds get big. This week??? It takes us about 4 steps to get from the motorhome to the trailer, and we are directly across
from our Budweiser teammates so it makes it an even shorter walk to lunch and we can check in on the birds as often as we need. We sure could get spoiled
by this.
July 21st - Seattle, Washington
The race has officially begun. Our Budweiser Team is the defending champions of this race last year so let's hope we can defend it and win again. Last
weekend we had a bit of bad luck and lost in the first round, so going any further than that this weekend would help us greatly in the battle of the points.
We have had a fun last couple days exploring the town of Seattle. Frank and I drove into town the other night and visited the world famous Pikes Place Fish
Market where they are famous for their "throwing of the fish". It is a big outside fish market where they have every type of fresh fish one could want. You
order on one side where the scales are and they yell out your order to the other side where all the fish are kept on ice. After you order your fish it then
comes sailing across the air into the open arms of the weigher who is holding a sheet of butcher paper to safely catch your fish. It's a very impressive feat to
watch considering that all the fish are pretty much left whole, minus their heads and some of them are huge, and the distance they throw them is pretty far.
Downtown Seattle has an amazingly huge Farmer's Market that is permanent and goes for blocks and blocks and blocks. The fruit is wonderful and they fish
restaurants are good as well. All of the restaurants are pretty much run down deli counters so at first glance your a bit scared to eat there after being used
to the strict health codes of California, but you realize that hey are all packed with locals for a reason. We braved the deli counter and had some excellent
fish and chips and shrimp cocktail. Considering Seattle is literally over the ocean you sure can tell the fish is fresh. After dinner we headed out to the Space
Needle where we met up with a group of friends for dessert and a bit of shopping. We were going to go up into the Space Needle to view all of Seattle and
the Sound, but at $14.00 a head we decided against being sucked into the tourist trap and that the views of the ride around town would do. What a rip off
just to look out a building! I guess there are a lot of suckers in the world that pay.
Pacific Raceways in Seattle, Washington. A very nice track nestled in the hills and trees of the Washington Coast. Right above the racetrack is a beautiful
view of snow covered Mount Rainer. Yes it is still covered in snow in July so lets hope that means that this weekend might be a bit cooler than the last one.
The last few tracks we have been at have not only been a bit on the warm side we have also had quite a ways to get to work. This is when the motorcycle
comes in very handy for Frank to get to work and I get the benefit of a nice workout while walking to work, I also get to sleep in a bit later since both of us
don't have to be at work until the crowds get big. This week??? It takes us about 4 steps to get from the motorhome to the trailer, and we are directly across
from our Budweiser teammates so it makes it an even shorter walk to lunch and we can check in on the birds as often as we need. We sure could get spoiled
by this.
July 21st - Seattle, Washington
The race has officially begun. Our Budweiser Team is the defending champions of this race last year so let's hope we can defend it and win again. Last
weekend we had a bit of bad luck and lost in the first round, so going any further than that this weekend would help us greatly in the battle of the points.
We have had a fun last couple days exploring the town of Seattle. Frank and I drove into town the other night and visited the world famous Pikes Place Fish
Market where they are famous for their "throwing of the fish". It is a big outside fish market where they have every type of fresh fish one could want. You
order on one side where the scales are and they yell out your order to the other side where all the fish are kept on ice. After you order your fish it then
comes sailing across the air into the open arms of the weigher who is holding a sheet of butcher paper to safely catch your fish. It's a very impressive feat to
watch considering that all the fish are pretty much left whole, minus their heads and some of them are huge, and the distance they throw them is pretty far.
Downtown Seattle has an amazingly huge Farmer's Market that is permanent and goes for blocks and blocks and blocks. The fruit is wonderful and they fish
restaurants are good as well. All of the restaurants are pretty much run down deli counters so at first glance your a bit scared to eat there after being used
to the strict health codes of California, but you realize that hey are all packed with locals for a reason. We braved the deli counter and had some excellent
fish and chips and shrimp cocktail. Considering Seattle is literally over the ocean you sure can tell the fish is fresh. After dinner we headed out to the Space
Needle where we met up with a group of friends for dessert and a bit of shopping. We were going to go up into the Space Needle to view all of Seattle and
the Sound, but at $14.00 a head we decided against being sucked into the tourist trap and that the views of the ride around town would do. What a rip off
just to look out a building! I guess there are a lot of suckers in the world that pay.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Parrottrek Journal 2006
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| 11 blissful days at Osage Beach by Lake of the Ozarks! Camping fees = $200.00 Boat rides = $0.00 sunsets included |
| A day spent on a good friend's jet ski with the entire lake to explore and swim in? Rental = $0.00 Tank of fuel = $19.00 |
| Motorcycle tour of the roads around the lake with all the best view points pointed out? Tour = $0.00 Tank of fuel = $9.35 |
| Realizing after 9 years that you're still living Happily Ever After? = Priceless |
June 29th -
We are in Missouri at one of our favorite lakes. Lake of The Ozarks. It has
over 1,150 miles of shoreline which is longer than the shore line of
California. We came here last year on a whim and had a great time, met
some fellow campers whom have become good friends and decided to
come back again. Boy are we glad we did. It doesn't seem like much time
has past since we were last here but when we think back and share stories
with others we realize just how much we have done in the last year.
We went out on a fun boat ride with Tom and Coni yesterday. They
currently have a condo out here, but are looking to upgrade to a house so
we did a bit of house hunting with them. What better way to see which
house you want on the lake except by being on the water. Most of these
houses are not done justice by viewing them via land. We had dinner had a
fun place in Toad Cove where they had a live band, good food and a
fabulous view.
July 4th - Happy Fourth of July!!!!
Hope this happy festive day finds you all in good health and with loved
ones. We are going to go out tonight and watch the fireworks show on the
water with Tom, Coni and a boat load of their friends. Yesterday we took a
nice long motorcycle ride with them all around the lake. It's great to have
locals with you. This way they know all the great viewing areas of the lake,
and all the best frozen custard places too. Yes we have hit quite a few of
the frozen custard places during out week here. The Red Rocket is our
favorite so far. It is right on the lake and has a fun building. We drove out to
the dam on our motorcycle ride and again looked at a few houses. Frank
and I even toured a few of the condos to see if this is a place we would like
to have a summer home. The prices right now are quite reasonable and
with the appeal of the lake growing every year we are a bit tempted. This
way we could spend winters in Florida by the ocean and the summer here
by the lake, but we aren't ready to stay anywhere too long yet so we will
wait and see.
July 6th -
Good bye Lake of the Ozarks. Our time here has gone so quickly, but boy
was it fun. It was the perfect length of time. Just long enough to really relax
and do everything we wanted to do but not too long in any one place. Being
here reminds us a bit of being in Florida since we always have so much fun
and it is one of the few places that we could stay longer than a week without
getting to antsy to move on. This morning we had a goodbye breakfast with
Tom and Coni. We hope to see them again at an upcoming race. They are
one of our many recruitees. That's the best part of traveling, since
everyone you meet is also traveling you never know where you may run
into each other next time.
We are in Missouri at one of our favorite lakes. Lake of The Ozarks. It has
over 1,150 miles of shoreline which is longer than the shore line of
California. We came here last year on a whim and had a great time, met
some fellow campers whom have become good friends and decided to
come back again. Boy are we glad we did. It doesn't seem like much time
has past since we were last here but when we think back and share stories
with others we realize just how much we have done in the last year.
We went out on a fun boat ride with Tom and Coni yesterday. They
currently have a condo out here, but are looking to upgrade to a house so
we did a bit of house hunting with them. What better way to see which
house you want on the lake except by being on the water. Most of these
houses are not done justice by viewing them via land. We had dinner had a
fun place in Toad Cove where they had a live band, good food and a
fabulous view.
July 4th - Happy Fourth of July!!!!
Hope this happy festive day finds you all in good health and with loved
ones. We are going to go out tonight and watch the fireworks show on the
water with Tom, Coni and a boat load of their friends. Yesterday we took a
nice long motorcycle ride with them all around the lake. It's great to have
locals with you. This way they know all the great viewing areas of the lake,
and all the best frozen custard places too. Yes we have hit quite a few of
the frozen custard places during out week here. The Red Rocket is our
favorite so far. It is right on the lake and has a fun building. We drove out to
the dam on our motorcycle ride and again looked at a few houses. Frank
and I even toured a few of the condos to see if this is a place we would like
to have a summer home. The prices right now are quite reasonable and
with the appeal of the lake growing every year we are a bit tempted. This
way we could spend winters in Florida by the ocean and the summer here
by the lake, but we aren't ready to stay anywhere too long yet so we will
wait and see.
July 6th -
Good bye Lake of the Ozarks. Our time here has gone so quickly, but boy
was it fun. It was the perfect length of time. Just long enough to really relax
and do everything we wanted to do but not too long in any one place. Being
here reminds us a bit of being in Florida since we always have so much fun
and it is one of the few places that we could stay longer than a week without
getting to antsy to move on. This morning we had a goodbye breakfast with
Tom and Coni. We hope to see them again at an upcoming race. They are
one of our many recruitees. That's the best part of traveling, since
everyone you meet is also traveling you never know where you may run
into each other next time.
Tom and Coni outside the old The Horny Toad Restaurant
Ha-Ha Tonka Castle ruins at Toad Cove - with Toad and all
Ha-Ha Tonka Castle ruins at Toad Cove - with Toad and all
| <-The old water tower at Ha Ha Tonka. There were about 3 miles of steps leading up to it. Needless to say in 90 degree weather we just looked at it from a distance The Red -> Rocket. Our favorite place for dessert!! |
Frank's fun new shirt with a sleeping Cody Bagnell Dam from outlook point
| A picturesque view of the lake from the peak of our hike at Ha Ha Tonka castle ruins |
July 7th -
We visited our favorite zoo today. Rollings Hills Adventure Park in Salina,
Kansas. They have a huge feeding area with cows and goats and chickens
and birds and all sorts of sheep. Frank didn't like feeding the cow since his
tongue was about 4 feet long, very slimy and very squishy. The lay out here
is much better than most zoos where they have a huge cavern between you
and the animals so they are so much further away you can hardly see the
animals in their habitats. At Rolling Hills all of the cages are only feet from
you and completely enclosed. My favorite parts is the Big Cat section. One
of the last things that I have on my "Must do before I die list" is to pet and
play with a Tiger, someday it will happen. Luckily almost all of the other
things are checked off.
We visited our favorite zoo today. Rollings Hills Adventure Park in Salina,
Kansas. They have a huge feeding area with cows and goats and chickens
and birds and all sorts of sheep. Frank didn't like feeding the cow since his
tongue was about 4 feet long, very slimy and very squishy. The lay out here
is much better than most zoos where they have a huge cavern between you
and the animals so they are so much further away you can hardly see the
animals in their habitats. At Rolling Hills all of the cages are only feet from
you and completely enclosed. My favorite parts is the Big Cat section. One
of the last things that I have on my "Must do before I die list" is to pet and
play with a Tiger, someday it will happen. Luckily almost all of the other
things are checked off.
Nothing gets quite as upset as a pregnant A happy cow
goat when you run out of food.
goat when you run out of food.
July 10th -
Golden, Colorado. The homeland and backyard of Budweiser's largest American competitor. So what did Frank and I do??? Stay home and boycott Coors?
Heck no!We took a tour of the entire city, including the Coors Brewery Tour, however we did leave our Budweiser wardrobe at home. We didn't want to upset
them by wearing the superior beer's attire (ha ha) The brewery here is not half as pretty as the Budweiser facility, but it was a very informative tour to say
the least. The inside of the brewery was fairly similar, but the layout was a bit different but that is to be expected since they make their beer a little different.
Golden, Colorado. The homeland and backyard of Budweiser's largest American competitor. So what did Frank and I do??? Stay home and boycott Coors?
Heck no!We took a tour of the entire city, including the Coors Brewery Tour, however we did leave our Budweiser wardrobe at home. We didn't want to upset
them by wearing the superior beer's attire (ha ha) The brewery here is not half as pretty as the Budweiser facility, but it was a very informative tour to say
the least. The inside of the brewery was fairly similar, but the layout was a bit different but that is to be expected since they make their beer a little different.
The tour began by loading us on a little bus, and taking us for a ride around town showing us all the highlights of the city and then dropping us off at the
front door of the brewery. We were showed all the different steps to make beer, however it might not turn out as well if we tried it at home. The Mashing Tuns
that mash up all the different ingredients were enormous with half ton legs that mashed the barley and hops together. Hmmm maybe we could have Cody
and Abbey mash them on the floor of their cage and then mix in the water. That wouldn't work since Cody would eat all the ingredients before they made it to
the mix. Oh well, we will just stick with working for the competition. After the tour ended we drove downtown and walked around the quaint town of Golden. It
had a huge river going through it that leads right to the Coors facility, so they have fresh mountain spring water delivered to them all day every day. Next to
the river was a park with a very fun slide. As soon as you sat down on it you were at the bottom before you realized it. Look it's the world largest can of beer,
and the closest Frank will ever get to a Buffalo that size. The weather here is wonderful. A perfect 73 degrees. Lets hope it stays like this all week and into
the weekend for the race.
front door of the brewery. We were showed all the different steps to make beer, however it might not turn out as well if we tried it at home. The Mashing Tuns
that mash up all the different ingredients were enormous with half ton legs that mashed the barley and hops together. Hmmm maybe we could have Cody
and Abbey mash them on the floor of their cage and then mix in the water. That wouldn't work since Cody would eat all the ingredients before they made it to
the mix. Oh well, we will just stick with working for the competition. After the tour ended we drove downtown and walked around the quaint town of Golden. It
had a huge river going through it that leads right to the Coors facility, so they have fresh mountain spring water delivered to them all day every day. Next to
the river was a park with a very fun slide. As soon as you sat down on it you were at the bottom before you realized it. Look it's the world largest can of beer,
and the closest Frank will ever get to a Buffalo that size. The weather here is wonderful. A perfect 73 degrees. Lets hope it stays like this all week and into
the weekend for the race.
July 17th - On the road
The East Coast is now far behind us as we make our way back to the West Coast. We left Denver this morning at 2am in order to have as much time as
possible to put as many miles under us as we could. Frank is wonderful. He drove 181/2 hours straight so we could have dinner this evening with Kari, Toby,
Kristi and Marigold in Boise, Idaho. We went to a nice pizza restaurant in the heart of downtown Boise called "Old Chicago". I thought that was appropriate
since Frank and I had recently been to Chicago and had such fun there. We spent the night at the good old local Flying J and will spend tomorrow with the
Kings as well. It was great catching up and just hanging out with lifelong friends. Kari and I met at age 5 and have been close friends ever since. It's great
when you can see someone after months of not seeing them and pick up right where you left off as though no time had gone by since your last visit.
The East Coast is now far behind us as we make our way back to the West Coast. We left Denver this morning at 2am in order to have as much time as
possible to put as many miles under us as we could. Frank is wonderful. He drove 181/2 hours straight so we could have dinner this evening with Kari, Toby,
Kristi and Marigold in Boise, Idaho. We went to a nice pizza restaurant in the heart of downtown Boise called "Old Chicago". I thought that was appropriate
since Frank and I had recently been to Chicago and had such fun there. We spent the night at the good old local Flying J and will spend tomorrow with the
Kings as well. It was great catching up and just hanging out with lifelong friends. Kari and I met at age 5 and have been close friends ever since. It's great
when you can see someone after months of not seeing them and pick up right where you left off as though no time had gone by since your last visit.
Kristi, Suzy, Kari and Marigold - yes Marigold A group shot in the King's new house A fellow momma outside Kari's living The parklike setting of the King's
is the one on the inside! room window backyard
July 18th - Boise, Idaho
Another fun-filled day with the girls. We drove over to Kristi's little house which is conveniently located just a few blocks away from Kari and Toby's and will
come in very handy for visiting friends and family once little Marigold arrives. The four of us spent most of the day lounging around at Kristi's since the
outside temperature was around 95 which doesn't inspire one to do much physical activity. We did run one errand, well actually two - we found a shower
squeegee at Bed Bath and Beyond which Frank and I have literally searched the country for. Who knew it would be so hard the perfect shower squeegee.
Errand number two, we went to Red Robin for lunch. Boy what a busy day. We will head out this evening around 6:00 or so and drive about 250 miles, wake
up early again tomorrow morning and drive the rest of the way into Seattle. Thanks guys for being such fun hosts.
Near Mishap Alert -
After leaving the King's house we arrived back at the motorhome and began the rituals of preparing to leave. As Frank circled the outside of the motorhome
and trailer as he always does before we leave any location to ensure that we are still in one piece and safe for the road he noticed that we had a very flat
tire on the trailer. If one were to find a flat tire on their vehicle in any parking lot anywhere in America, what would be the best place for this to happen? ... ...
is the one on the inside! room window backyard
July 18th - Boise, Idaho
Another fun-filled day with the girls. We drove over to Kristi's little house which is conveniently located just a few blocks away from Kari and Toby's and will
come in very handy for visiting friends and family once little Marigold arrives. The four of us spent most of the day lounging around at Kristi's since the
outside temperature was around 95 which doesn't inspire one to do much physical activity. We did run one errand, well actually two - we found a shower
squeegee at Bed Bath and Beyond which Frank and I have literally searched the country for. Who knew it would be so hard the perfect shower squeegee.
Errand number two, we went to Red Robin for lunch. Boy what a busy day. We will head out this evening around 6:00 or so and drive about 250 miles, wake
up early again tomorrow morning and drive the rest of the way into Seattle. Thanks guys for being such fun hosts.
Near Mishap Alert -
After leaving the King's house we arrived back at the motorhome and began the rituals of preparing to leave. As Frank circled the outside of the motorhome
and trailer as he always does before we leave any location to ensure that we are still in one piece and safe for the road he noticed that we had a very flat
tire on the trailer. If one were to find a flat tire on their vehicle in any parking lot anywhere in America, what would be the best place for this to happen? ... ...
How about right outside a Wal-Mart Tire and Lube Center??? Thank you Jesus! Frank quickly went inside, found the
necessary parts to change out the tire, removed the old, filled the new one via the air tank on the bus (quite handy to
have the air hose I must say) After replacing the new tire we checked all of the other tires, deemed them all to be
worthy of travel and hit the road again. The drive from Idaho into Oregon is quite pretty with the Snake River next to
you for most of the drive. We drove until around 10:30 or so and are now safely at another Flying J with the trailer
intact. I tell you, our guardian angel is working overtime for us out here on the road and he is doing a marvelous job.
July 19th - On the road
If you ever want to take one of the most beautiful drives in all of America, second to the hills of Pennsylvania, take
the drive through Washington across Highway 90. There are sights you cannot believe, and the camera does them
little justice. The trees are taller then any you have ever seen and the lakes and streams you drive by are
breathtaking. When you drive over a bridge on the highways of Washington and you look below you always see a
pretty stream flowing below. Every time we pass over one of these rivers or streams we think how fun it would be to
float down them and see where the water takes us. Someday we will pull off the road and do just that.
necessary parts to change out the tire, removed the old, filled the new one via the air tank on the bus (quite handy to
have the air hose I must say) After replacing the new tire we checked all of the other tires, deemed them all to be
worthy of travel and hit the road again. The drive from Idaho into Oregon is quite pretty with the Snake River next to
you for most of the drive. We drove until around 10:30 or so and are now safely at another Flying J with the trailer
intact. I tell you, our guardian angel is working overtime for us out here on the road and he is doing a marvelous job.
July 19th - On the road
If you ever want to take one of the most beautiful drives in all of America, second to the hills of Pennsylvania, take
the drive through Washington across Highway 90. There are sights you cannot believe, and the camera does them
little justice. The trees are taller then any you have ever seen and the lakes and streams you drive by are
breathtaking. When you drive over a bridge on the highways of Washington and you look below you always see a
pretty stream flowing below. Every time we pass over one of these rivers or streams we think how fun it would be to
float down them and see where the water takes us. Someday we will pull off the road and do just that.
The Snake River which literally snakes it's
way through the hills of Idaho and Oregon
way through the hills of Idaho and Oregon
A beautiful drive up the Washington coast The throwing of the fish An open air restaurant with a bit of flare Seattle's tourist trap - The Space Needle
about a week. We are so excited to see it. We received a trail subscription when we bought the coach for a year to try it out, and each quarter when we read
about another coach owner and their pets or their business we always told each other that someday we should get a hold of Mary and send in an article of
our own. Well our wish has come true and we have asked for a bunch of extra copies for our friends and family to read as well. Now we just need to renew
our subscription since it's been an entire year since we joined. We wouldn't want to miss seeing next quarters issue due to an expired subscription.
Bradley's cardboard box obsession has increased. Since he has already made confetti out of the Budweiser Select box, we bought the birds a box of Lincoln
Logs to play with and Bradley is bound and determined to tear the box into tiny pieces just as Cody is determined to destroy the actual logs inside. As soon
as a house is built Cody tears it down again. Well at least not a single part of this toy purchase has gone to waste, unless you count the confetti. Bradley
has destroyed the entire top, and now climbs inside to eat out the bottom. It's quite cute to watch him. Each time Abbey is playing on the counter and
Bradley is in his box she knocks on the side of it to get him to come out and then pounces on him as soon as she sees his head. Poor Bradley, never a quiet
moment to play by himself unless his sister is locked away in her cage.
about another coach owner and their pets or their business we always told each other that someday we should get a hold of Mary and send in an article of
our own. Well our wish has come true and we have asked for a bunch of extra copies for our friends and family to read as well. Now we just need to renew
our subscription since it's been an entire year since we joined. We wouldn't want to miss seeing next quarters issue due to an expired subscription.
Bradley's cardboard box obsession has increased. Since he has already made confetti out of the Budweiser Select box, we bought the birds a box of Lincoln
Logs to play with and Bradley is bound and determined to tear the box into tiny pieces just as Cody is determined to destroy the actual logs inside. As soon
as a house is built Cody tears it down again. Well at least not a single part of this toy purchase has gone to waste, unless you count the confetti. Bradley
has destroyed the entire top, and now climbs inside to eat out the bottom. It's quite cute to watch him. Each time Abbey is playing on the counter and
Bradley is in his box she knocks on the side of it to get him to come out and then pounces on him as soon as she sees his head. Poor Bradley, never a quiet
moment to play by himself unless his sister is locked away in her cage.
Peek-A-Boo Poof
First he builds it and then destroys it
Abbey picks a fight with Poof in his box
Dad Whitmore barbecues for the whole gang
Little Madi, all ready to watch the races
Camping with John and Andrea & Steve and Michele. Just like old times
Frank's parents came up for the weekend along with our friends John and Andrea and Steve and Michele from Santa Maria whom we used to vacation with
for a week or two once a year, as well as small camping trips all throughout the year. It was just like old times once we were all together. John and Andrea
brought up their RV and parked right next to us with Steve, Michele and their friend Chris in their own RV on the other side. Steve is our official #1 Parrottrek
fan. We all had free camping for the weekend with a great view of the entire track and all of the vineyards that surround the Sonoma Valley. It was beautiful
to see all the green fields of grapes and a bit of the ocean from where we sat in the evenings. Frank's parents stayed with us at Hotel Whitmore and
everyone pitched their chairs just down the hill for some of the best seats in the house to watch the races during the afternoon. Oh! By the way, the weather
was absolutely beautiful all weekend and right about 80 degrees. We sure wish we could have this perfect climate at each race until the end of the year. But
the good thing is that Fall is coming so it should cool down a bit after August. We received the rough draft of our future publication with Maratime Magazine
and it looks great. Lots of fun stories about the birds and a little about the two of us. We will send out copies as soon as we receive them.
for a week or two once a year, as well as small camping trips all throughout the year. It was just like old times once we were all together. John and Andrea
brought up their RV and parked right next to us with Steve, Michele and their friend Chris in their own RV on the other side. Steve is our official #1 Parrottrek
fan. We all had free camping for the weekend with a great view of the entire track and all of the vineyards that surround the Sonoma Valley. It was beautiful
to see all the green fields of grapes and a bit of the ocean from where we sat in the evenings. Frank's parents stayed with us at Hotel Whitmore and
everyone pitched their chairs just down the hill for some of the best seats in the house to watch the races during the afternoon. Oh! By the way, the weather
was absolutely beautiful all weekend and right about 80 degrees. We sure wish we could have this perfect climate at each race until the end of the year. But
the good thing is that Fall is coming so it should cool down a bit after August. We received the rough draft of our future publication with Maratime Magazine
and it looks great. Lots of fun stories about the birds and a little about the two of us. We will send out copies as soon as we receive them.
The view from our campsites at the track Vinasa Vineyard perched on the hill
Okay, so he isn't really a swan, but he sure doesn't look like the other ducks. Frank has mastered his self portrait skills. We didn't have an extra person to
take a picture of the six of us down by the lake, so handy Frank took one with all of us. How many people can you fit into a self portrait??? I'm sure we are
eligible for Ripley's Believe it or Not! Next time we have to try for eight people. We took the motorcycle out to his uncle's house and it was a beautiful drive.
The drive home was pretty as well seeing all of the lights of the city and the smell of the oak trees and grapes around us.
August 2nd - Actual Mishap! :-(
Well we have been fortunate to only have a few near mishaps over the last few months but have been quite fortunate up until this point to discover them
before they got to be a real problem. Today, however we had quite an unfortunate mishap. Suzy's laptop was on the computer table as she was working on
updating the web page. Moments later the birds, who were playing nicely on the counter up until this point, began to fight. As Suzy ran back to break up the
fight between Abbey and Bradley we rounded a very sharp corner and the laptop went flying. Once the birds were safe and the damage was assessed on
the poor flying computer, we realized the screen shattered during the crash and has rendered itself useless. Yikes!! This is not an expense we were
planning on having since just last week our convection oven pretty much died. This is where the "in case of emergency fund" comes in handy. It always
pays to save for a rainy day. The microwave side of it still works but the oven portion of it is dead. Hopefully we can find a local Sears as soon as we hit a
big town and replace it. Our current one was made in 1989 so it has definitely lived a good long life. A new one will be a blessing. Anything that will actually
heat up water in less than 5 minutes using the microwave would be a helpful change. Yes our current one has been slowly going down hill for awhile.
Insofar as the computer goes in the interim we have bought an external monitor which seems to be working so far. Thank you Jesus that it was only the
screen that broke and not the whole computer. God forbid if we were unable to update the website and chat with friends via e-mail, not to mention paying
the mortgage using the wonderful feature of on-line banking. This alternative method will work just for us until we find a comperable laptop that fits our
needs. Luckily our computer needs are small in regards to memory and technology since the more you need the more they cost. Double Yikes!!!
take a picture of the six of us down by the lake, so handy Frank took one with all of us. How many people can you fit into a self portrait??? I'm sure we are
eligible for Ripley's Believe it or Not! Next time we have to try for eight people. We took the motorcycle out to his uncle's house and it was a beautiful drive.
The drive home was pretty as well seeing all of the lights of the city and the smell of the oak trees and grapes around us.
August 2nd - Actual Mishap! :-(
Well we have been fortunate to only have a few near mishaps over the last few months but have been quite fortunate up until this point to discover them
before they got to be a real problem. Today, however we had quite an unfortunate mishap. Suzy's laptop was on the computer table as she was working on
updating the web page. Moments later the birds, who were playing nicely on the counter up until this point, began to fight. As Suzy ran back to break up the
fight between Abbey and Bradley we rounded a very sharp corner and the laptop went flying. Once the birds were safe and the damage was assessed on
the poor flying computer, we realized the screen shattered during the crash and has rendered itself useless. Yikes!! This is not an expense we were
planning on having since just last week our convection oven pretty much died. This is where the "in case of emergency fund" comes in handy. It always
pays to save for a rainy day. The microwave side of it still works but the oven portion of it is dead. Hopefully we can find a local Sears as soon as we hit a
big town and replace it. Our current one was made in 1989 so it has definitely lived a good long life. A new one will be a blessing. Anything that will actually
heat up water in less than 5 minutes using the microwave would be a helpful change. Yes our current one has been slowly going down hill for awhile.
Insofar as the computer goes in the interim we have bought an external monitor which seems to be working so far. Thank you Jesus that it was only the
screen that broke and not the whole computer. God forbid if we were unable to update the website and chat with friends via e-mail, not to mention paying
the mortgage using the wonderful feature of on-line banking. This alternative method will work just for us until we find a comperable laptop that fits our
needs. Luckily our computer needs are small in regards to memory and technology since the more you need the more they cost. Double Yikes!!!
Later that same day!! - Reno, Nevada
An afternoon with the Hilton's. We called Don and Jody half way to Reno to see what their plans for the day were. Luckily they were planning an afternoon
at home so we stopped by to join them. Adrianna and Nicolas have grown so much since we last saw them. They were about 2 and 6 on their last visit to the
Valley and now they are 6 and 9. Don is driving nights for a trucking company so while Don napped Frank and I entertained the kids with the birds. After
Sleeping Beauty awoke we all headed to Chili's for some great burgers "made just the way you like them" and a bit of time to catch up on all the time we had
missed. Adrianna loved my digital camera and took a dozen pictures of everyone and everything at the restaurant. She's definitely headed for career in
photography someday. Hopefully we can make the Hilton House an annual visit on our travels. It was great to see them. They may even come and camp
with us next year for the Sonoma race.
August 3rd - Casper, Wyoming
We have stopped for the night at what they call here in Wyoming a "Parking Area" It's pretty much a really wide and long off ramp where truckers and RVs
can sleep for the night. It's beautiful out here. There is nothing around us except for some very pretty purple mountains, and a beautiful sunset to watch
right now. The temperature outside is perfect so we walked around outside and watched the sun go down. Who knew that sitting on the side of Highway 25
could be so romantic. Tomorrow we should be able to make it the rest of the way to Mount Rushmore. I can't wait to see it.
An afternoon with the Hilton's. We called Don and Jody half way to Reno to see what their plans for the day were. Luckily they were planning an afternoon
at home so we stopped by to join them. Adrianna and Nicolas have grown so much since we last saw them. They were about 2 and 6 on their last visit to the
Valley and now they are 6 and 9. Don is driving nights for a trucking company so while Don napped Frank and I entertained the kids with the birds. After
Sleeping Beauty awoke we all headed to Chili's for some great burgers "made just the way you like them" and a bit of time to catch up on all the time we had
missed. Adrianna loved my digital camera and took a dozen pictures of everyone and everything at the restaurant. She's definitely headed for career in
photography someday. Hopefully we can make the Hilton House an annual visit on our travels. It was great to see them. They may even come and camp
with us next year for the Sonoma race.
August 3rd - Casper, Wyoming
We have stopped for the night at what they call here in Wyoming a "Parking Area" It's pretty much a really wide and long off ramp where truckers and RVs
can sleep for the night. It's beautiful out here. There is nothing around us except for some very pretty purple mountains, and a beautiful sunset to watch
right now. The temperature outside is perfect so we walked around outside and watched the sun go down. Who knew that sitting on the side of Highway 25
could be so romantic. Tomorrow we should be able to make it the rest of the way to Mount Rushmore. I can't wait to see it.
July 30th - Sonoma, California
This has been a great weekend. We have all sorts of friends visiting us from the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria area, and the race was really busy. The
only thing that would have made it a better weekend is if we had brought home the Wally, but you can't win them all. We even had some of our most loyal
web page readers from New Hampshire come out for a visit. Gary and Kathy Brooks are thinking of joining in our fun filled life style in a couple years so we
showed them up close and in person just how fun it is. The races ended early Saturday night which was nice since we all were able to have a bar-b-que
before the sun went down. Some of our best friends, Tim, Sharon and Madison Landis joined us too. Little Madison is now 8 months old and absolutely
perfect. She joined our happy world a little over 3 months before her due date, so her first few months with us were spent in the wonderful care of Santa
Barbara Cottage Hospital's Neo-Natal Intensive care unit. She was born at a mere 2lbs 2 oz and quickly dropped to a pound and a half. After a lot of prayer
and wonderful doctor's care she is now a healthy 12 pounds and has the cutest chubby cheeks you have ever seen. This weekend races marked her first
official outing. Actually seeing her in person and not in her hospital incubator was more wonderful than words can say, as was seeing her parents and
Grandma Vicki.
This has been a great weekend. We have all sorts of friends visiting us from the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria area, and the race was really busy. The
only thing that would have made it a better weekend is if we had brought home the Wally, but you can't win them all. We even had some of our most loyal
web page readers from New Hampshire come out for a visit. Gary and Kathy Brooks are thinking of joining in our fun filled life style in a couple years so we
showed them up close and in person just how fun it is. The races ended early Saturday night which was nice since we all were able to have a bar-b-que
before the sun went down. Some of our best friends, Tim, Sharon and Madison Landis joined us too. Little Madison is now 8 months old and absolutely
perfect. She joined our happy world a little over 3 months before her due date, so her first few months with us were spent in the wonderful care of Santa
Barbara Cottage Hospital's Neo-Natal Intensive care unit. She was born at a mere 2lbs 2 oz and quickly dropped to a pound and a half. After a lot of prayer
and wonderful doctor's care she is now a healthy 12 pounds and has the cutest chubby cheeks you have ever seen. This weekend races marked her first
official outing. Actually seeing her in person and not in her hospital incubator was more wonderful than words can say, as was seeing her parents and
Grandma Vicki.
1940, mere months before completion
The mountain before construction began
As the beautiful mountain stands today
Molds of each President to help with blasting
August 4th - Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
We made it!! We made it!!! It has been one of our goals since starting out on our "Adventures on the Road" to see Mt. Rushmore and we are here. They
even have RV Parking for our monstrous beast. They can accommodate vehicles up to 100 feet, or so they say. At 75 feet long we are tricky enough to
maneuver in to a parking lot, I can't imagine anything would actually be 100 feet long, But hey we aren't complaining since we fit. The men of Mt. Rushmore
are even more amazing to see then either of us expected. Wow, and we can see them right now from our living room window. What a talent to be able to
look at a mountain side and see the faces of our former Presidents. After watching the documentary you realize just what an accomplishment it was. We
walked up the Presidential Trail to some of the best viewing areas for the mountain, and through a small cave. The day was beautiful with lots and lots of
white fluffy clouds all over, and tons of greenery. 90% of Mt. Rushmore was sculpted using dynamite, and a mold was made of each of the men's faces and
ears and hands on a smaller scale so the sculptor would know just how to create them on the mountainside. How can someone chisel a nose out of the side
of a mountain with a stick of dynamite? Well Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor in charge, was quite a handy man. He could us the exact amount of dynamite
needed to sculpt out the smallest of things, for example the rims of the glasses of President Theodore Roosevelt. At the base of the Presidents' busts lays
about one third of the rock that was removed from the mountain during construction. Over 200 tons were towed away off site and disposed of. You can see
a lot of the rocks with drill holes from the dynamite used and quite a few of the rocks still have the chisel marks from the more intricate work. Mt. Rushmore
really is a sight that must be seen by all. We took about 60 different pictures from all different angles but we will spare you most of them and just post a few.
We made it!! We made it!!! It has been one of our goals since starting out on our "Adventures on the Road" to see Mt. Rushmore and we are here. They
even have RV Parking for our monstrous beast. They can accommodate vehicles up to 100 feet, or so they say. At 75 feet long we are tricky enough to
maneuver in to a parking lot, I can't imagine anything would actually be 100 feet long, But hey we aren't complaining since we fit. The men of Mt. Rushmore
are even more amazing to see then either of us expected. Wow, and we can see them right now from our living room window. What a talent to be able to
look at a mountain side and see the faces of our former Presidents. After watching the documentary you realize just what an accomplishment it was. We
walked up the Presidential Trail to some of the best viewing areas for the mountain, and through a small cave. The day was beautiful with lots and lots of
white fluffy clouds all over, and tons of greenery. 90% of Mt. Rushmore was sculpted using dynamite, and a mold was made of each of the men's faces and
ears and hands on a smaller scale so the sculptor would know just how to create them on the mountainside. How can someone chisel a nose out of the side
of a mountain with a stick of dynamite? Well Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor in charge, was quite a handy man. He could us the exact amount of dynamite
needed to sculpt out the smallest of things, for example the rims of the glasses of President Theodore Roosevelt. At the base of the Presidents' busts lays
about one third of the rock that was removed from the mountain during construction. Over 200 tons were towed away off site and disposed of. You can see
a lot of the rocks with drill holes from the dynamite used and quite a few of the rocks still have the chisel marks from the more intricate work. Mt. Rushmore
really is a sight that must be seen by all. We took about 60 different pictures from all different angles but we will spare you most of them and just post a few.
| We broke the rules and hiked off the trail a bit to get the perfect shot of them with the American Flag! Shhh!! Don't tell |
A view of George and Abraham Above us and below the men you can Just a few of the rocks that you can still
from inside the cave see all the ruble that remains see the drill holes in below the ruble
from inside the cave see all the ruble that remains see the drill holes in below the ruble
August 5th - Sturgis, South Dakota - Bike Week!!
Look to your left! Look to your right! Look up the street! Look down the street! What do you see??? Harleys Harleys everywhere! Or would it be Harlies? Or
Harli? Who knows! We drove our little Kawasaki 250 Ninja into Harley Country today and had quite an adventure. We drove into town with two other couples
that work for the Drag Races in the Oakley trailer. One of them rides a Harley and the others ride a Suzuki, so we weren't the other non-conformists at
Sturgis. We went to lunch at a crazy Biker Bar called One-Eyed Jack's which was really just a Jack Daniels bar with a little flair. There were scantily-clad
ladies dancing on the counters and the bar and all. We walked all over looking at all the shops and vendors. The most fun we had was people watching. You
couldn't imagine all the types of people one can see at a Harley-Davidson party. One guy even had a gigantic almost life size stuffed bear on the back of his
bike. I guess the bear won't complain about his driving too fast. :-) It felt so weird to be at a big event like that and be a spectator instead of the vendor
selling the shirts. That was a first for us. We are usually the ones that are selling instead of the ones buying. We are going to take another motorcycle ride
with all of them tomorrow and do a bit more exploring around the parks and roads.
Look to your left! Look to your right! Look up the street! Look down the street! What do you see??? Harleys Harleys everywhere! Or would it be Harlies? Or
Harli? Who knows! We drove our little Kawasaki 250 Ninja into Harley Country today and had quite an adventure. We drove into town with two other couples
that work for the Drag Races in the Oakley trailer. One of them rides a Harley and the others ride a Suzuki, so we weren't the other non-conformists at
Sturgis. We went to lunch at a crazy Biker Bar called One-Eyed Jack's which was really just a Jack Daniels bar with a little flair. There were scantily-clad
ladies dancing on the counters and the bar and all. We walked all over looking at all the shops and vendors. The most fun we had was people watching. You
couldn't imagine all the types of people one can see at a Harley-Davidson party. One guy even had a gigantic almost life size stuffed bear on the back of his
bike. I guess the bear won't complain about his driving too fast. :-) It felt so weird to be at a big event like that and be a spectator instead of the vendor
selling the shirts. That was a first for us. We are usually the ones that are selling instead of the ones buying. We are going to take another motorcycle ride
with all of them tomorrow and do a bit more exploring around the parks and roads.
August 8, 2006 - Brainerd, Minnesota - Pre race -
Pirate's Cove Miniature Golf and Family Fun Center was our motorcycle destination today with Chris and Maria. I can't even think of the last time we played
miniature golf, but boy was it fun. I even got a hole in one. My ball was really close to the hole when all of a sudden Frank's ball came sailing over the bridge
and knocked mine in. Hooray!! The same thing happened to Maria's. Well, let's just say that in my case it made up for a few that took about 4 strokes
because of sand traps. The boys ended up with their golf balls in the water a few times so we all ended up with about the same score at the end. The fans
here in Brainerd are very festive. They all show up about 3 days before the race and camp out in tents and all sorts of crazy types of home-made "campers"
After our golf outing we drove around the campground which they call "The Zoo". Yes it does live up to it's name quite well. Frank, Doug and I took the golf
cart out into "The Zoo" and had quite a laugh. They even had a motorhome painted white with a big sign on the side that said "Sign my bus". We should
have gone back at the end of the weekend to see exactly what people wrote on it. We heard a few of them second hand, but we will spare you the graphic
details. We did however include a picture of the most creative car driving around the campground and Pits. Hmmm I wonder if it still works in the water??
Pirate's Cove Miniature Golf and Family Fun Center was our motorcycle destination today with Chris and Maria. I can't even think of the last time we played
miniature golf, but boy was it fun. I even got a hole in one. My ball was really close to the hole when all of a sudden Frank's ball came sailing over the bridge
and knocked mine in. Hooray!! The same thing happened to Maria's. Well, let's just say that in my case it made up for a few that took about 4 strokes
because of sand traps. The boys ended up with their golf balls in the water a few times so we all ended up with about the same score at the end. The fans
here in Brainerd are very festive. They all show up about 3 days before the race and camp out in tents and all sorts of crazy types of home-made "campers"
After our golf outing we drove around the campground which they call "The Zoo". Yes it does live up to it's name quite well. Frank, Doug and I took the golf
cart out into "The Zoo" and had quite a laugh. They even had a motorhome painted white with a big sign on the side that said "Sign my bus". We should
have gone back at the end of the weekend to see exactly what people wrote on it. We heard a few of them second hand, but we will spare you the graphic
details. We did however include a picture of the most creative car driving around the campground and Pits. Hmmm I wonder if it still works in the water??
August 14th - WE WON!! WE WON!! WE WON ANOTHER RACE!!!!!
And Brainerd makes 3! Boy oh boy what a weekend! It went from beautiful weather with great clear sunny skies and cool mornings on Friday and Saturday.
Perfect cold weather to sell lots and lots of Budweiser sweat shirts to the masses. Then pouring rain with a slight chance of canceling the race on Sunday
since the rain was constant and the clouds above us were literally black they were so full of rain. The Brainerd track doesn't have any lights so there was
only so much time we had to start and finish the races otherwise we would have to stay over until Monday! UGH!! Fortunately for all of us the rain did stop
enough in between rounds to get the entire track dry, the race finished and most importantly a victory for us!!!! The black clouds pretty much stuck around
but they didn't release too much. It's always fun to win a few rounds on Sunday afternoon and gain a few points instead of watching the car get packed up
early, but it's even better when you win all the rounds beat the almost unbeatable Army car and the Budweiser team gets to take home a Wally.
The drive to get here was gorgeous. All the rolling hills around us were so green and full of all sorts of crops. We always try and take a few smaller roads in
order to view the countryside and avoid the less than pretty Interstates if time allows. This trip we had a lot of pretty views along the side roads of South
Dakota and Minnesota. The fields were endless and every so often we would see a pretty farm house nestled in the trees and surrounded by cows and
horses and all sorts of livestock. This part of the country is beautiful since it is hardly developed. It's nice to see all the pretty meadows of flowers and fields
of corn. We took a few pictures from the road for you so you can see for yourselves just how pretty it is here. However please keep in mind that the winters
here are soooooo very darn cold that nothing grows in the off season therefore living here would not be in our top ten locations of choice. Aside from North
Dakota, Minnesota is one of the coldest states in the wintertime.
I'm sure the empty corn fields covered in snow are pretty to see. What do they do with all of the corn they don't sell??? Well, funny you should ask because
we found out just what they do. There is a huge Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota that is - yes you guessed it - completely covered with corn. They
have all sorts of different colors that they grow to sell and eat, and each year various corn farmers use some of the corn to decorate the palace. It's crazy to
see. Apparently they re-decorate it each year since most of the corn gets eaten by birds, or falls away. That must be heaven for the neighboring wild birds.
An entire palace made out of their favorite food. We know Cody would be in heaven if he were here with us. This year the corn farmers didn't have quite the
crop they expected so they will not be re-decorating for 2007, so we will have to wait until 2008 for a new scene.
And Brainerd makes 3! Boy oh boy what a weekend! It went from beautiful weather with great clear sunny skies and cool mornings on Friday and Saturday.
Perfect cold weather to sell lots and lots of Budweiser sweat shirts to the masses. Then pouring rain with a slight chance of canceling the race on Sunday
since the rain was constant and the clouds above us were literally black they were so full of rain. The Brainerd track doesn't have any lights so there was
only so much time we had to start and finish the races otherwise we would have to stay over until Monday! UGH!! Fortunately for all of us the rain did stop
enough in between rounds to get the entire track dry, the race finished and most importantly a victory for us!!!! The black clouds pretty much stuck around
but they didn't release too much. It's always fun to win a few rounds on Sunday afternoon and gain a few points instead of watching the car get packed up
early, but it's even better when you win all the rounds beat the almost unbeatable Army car and the Budweiser team gets to take home a Wally.
The drive to get here was gorgeous. All the rolling hills around us were so green and full of all sorts of crops. We always try and take a few smaller roads in
order to view the countryside and avoid the less than pretty Interstates if time allows. This trip we had a lot of pretty views along the side roads of South
Dakota and Minnesota. The fields were endless and every so often we would see a pretty farm house nestled in the trees and surrounded by cows and
horses and all sorts of livestock. This part of the country is beautiful since it is hardly developed. It's nice to see all the pretty meadows of flowers and fields
of corn. We took a few pictures from the road for you so you can see for yourselves just how pretty it is here. However please keep in mind that the winters
here are soooooo very darn cold that nothing grows in the off season therefore living here would not be in our top ten locations of choice. Aside from North
Dakota, Minnesota is one of the coldest states in the wintertime.
I'm sure the empty corn fields covered in snow are pretty to see. What do they do with all of the corn they don't sell??? Well, funny you should ask because
we found out just what they do. There is a huge Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota that is - yes you guessed it - completely covered with corn. They
have all sorts of different colors that they grow to sell and eat, and each year various corn farmers use some of the corn to decorate the palace. It's crazy to
see. Apparently they re-decorate it each year since most of the corn gets eaten by birds, or falls away. That must be heaven for the neighboring wild birds.
An entire palace made out of their favorite food. We know Cody would be in heaven if he were here with us. This year the corn farmers didn't have quite the
crop they expected so they will not be re-decorating for 2007, so we will have to wait until 2008 for a new scene.
- A Sonoma Flashback- Do Frank and Suzy really work???
It has been brought to our attention from some of our greatest Parrottrek
followers that we only represent our fun and off the clock adventures. Gary
and Kathy claim that there is no proof on our web page that we actually do
work. So to stop the vicious rumors that all we do is play they have sent us a
few pictures that prove - yes we do work occasionally. Let this clear up any
confusion that our lives are all play and no work. Ha ha ha ha!!! We must
admit however that 97% of the time even work here at the NHRA feels like
playtime. The people we do wait on are all happy to be here at the races, and
except for Memphis the weather all over the country is usually great since
they try and schedule races during a city's good weather period. Thanks guys!
It has been brought to our attention from some of our greatest Parrottrek
followers that we only represent our fun and off the clock adventures. Gary
and Kathy claim that there is no proof on our web page that we actually do
work. So to stop the vicious rumors that all we do is play they have sent us a
few pictures that prove - yes we do work occasionally. Let this clear up any
confusion that our lives are all play and no work. Ha ha ha ha!!! We must
admit however that 97% of the time even work here at the NHRA feels like
playtime. The people we do wait on are all happy to be here at the races, and
except for Memphis the weather all over the country is usually great since
they try and schedule races during a city's good weather period. Thanks guys!
Cocoa the friendly sheep
August 22nd - Indianapolis, Indiana -
U.S. Nationals, the biggest race of the year, is next week here in Indianapolis which is the racing capitol of the world. Nationals is a six day race and by far
the most attended all year. We have a little over a week off before it so we are camped out at a friends house until we have to head to the track. The other
night we had a bonfire and pizza party with a few of our co-workers. Jim and Marsha, our gracious hosts, live here on a farm with horses and sheep and
now a few fun loving parrots. Next week for our annual "Nationals Party" our company has arranged it where all of us will be able to race the official
Pontiac's of the NHRA down the drag strip. We are all looking forward to that. We will see if any of us will have a racers future here instead of T-shirt
salesmen. Okay so don't hold your breath since I don't think Don Schumacher is going to sign any of us on for the 2007 racing season, but it should be a
lot of fun anyways.
We received and installed our new Convection Oven. Now we don't have to live on sandwiches and salads anymore. Yes we had a couple weeks where we
had no oven and therefore our entree choices were limited to items that were either okay served cold or microwavable. Our new Convection Oven is so nice
and actually works in the time it should. Before it would take about 5 minutes to heat up water or melt cheese. Cooking brownies was not an option since the
bottom would burn and the inside was raw no matter how long or short you cooked it and no matter what temperature it was cooked at. Now???? The
brownies are cooked to perfection as is the chicken casserole. Hot tea? Well it's done in about 90 seconds and cheese and chips only takes 30 seconds.
U.S. Nationals, the biggest race of the year, is next week here in Indianapolis which is the racing capitol of the world. Nationals is a six day race and by far
the most attended all year. We have a little over a week off before it so we are camped out at a friends house until we have to head to the track. The other
night we had a bonfire and pizza party with a few of our co-workers. Jim and Marsha, our gracious hosts, live here on a farm with horses and sheep and
now a few fun loving parrots. Next week for our annual "Nationals Party" our company has arranged it where all of us will be able to race the official
Pontiac's of the NHRA down the drag strip. We are all looking forward to that. We will see if any of us will have a racers future here instead of T-shirt
salesmen. Okay so don't hold your breath since I don't think Don Schumacher is going to sign any of us on for the 2007 racing season, but it should be a
lot of fun anyways.
We received and installed our new Convection Oven. Now we don't have to live on sandwiches and salads anymore. Yes we had a couple weeks where we
had no oven and therefore our entree choices were limited to items that were either okay served cold or microwavable. Our new Convection Oven is so nice
and actually works in the time it should. Before it would take about 5 minutes to heat up water or melt cheese. Cooking brownies was not an option since the
bottom would burn and the inside was raw no matter how long or short you cooked it and no matter what temperature it was cooked at. Now???? The
brownies are cooked to perfection as is the chicken casserole. Hot tea? Well it's done in about 90 seconds and cheese and chips only takes 30 seconds.
In with the new, modern and wonderful working 2006 model . Such a handy guy!
Out with the old and useless oven from 1989
The old oven weighed about 200 pounds and took the two of us to carry it out of the house, but the new one only weighed about 90 pounds so as you can
see from above muscle man carried it in on his own. The best part of the new one is that there is an option to turn off the sound, therefore it makes no new
beeping sounds for Bradley to mimic. We sure love modern technology. :-)
August 27th - Camp Indy - Tornado Watch -
No worries! We are still parked in the same spot today, and the house is still upright! There was a bit of worry last night where our bus might be this morning
as we watched the "Tornado Watch" all around us here and listened to the rain and wind and thunder and lightening. It was an amazing storm, usually you
can't hear much of the rain on our roof since it is so well insulated but last night it sounded as though there was no insulation at all since the rain drops were
huge and the wind was so strong. Obviously the tornado never came, but it sure was a lot of rain. Last year at this race we had tons and tons of rain because
we got the tail end of Hurricane Katrina. No, bad weather here this time of year is not unusual. Let's hope we don't get any hurricanes this year anywhere.
Last year we even had the Ennis, Texas race cancelled and rescheduled because of an incoming hurricane. I'm sure the country would be quite happy to be
hurricane free for a couple years.
see from above muscle man carried it in on his own. The best part of the new one is that there is an option to turn off the sound, therefore it makes no new
beeping sounds for Bradley to mimic. We sure love modern technology. :-)
August 27th - Camp Indy - Tornado Watch -
No worries! We are still parked in the same spot today, and the house is still upright! There was a bit of worry last night where our bus might be this morning
as we watched the "Tornado Watch" all around us here and listened to the rain and wind and thunder and lightening. It was an amazing storm, usually you
can't hear much of the rain on our roof since it is so well insulated but last night it sounded as though there was no insulation at all since the rain drops were
huge and the wind was so strong. Obviously the tornado never came, but it sure was a lot of rain. Last year at this race we had tons and tons of rain because
we got the tail end of Hurricane Katrina. No, bad weather here this time of year is not unusual. Let's hope we don't get any hurricanes this year anywhere.
Last year we even had the Ennis, Texas race cancelled and rescheduled because of an incoming hurricane. I'm sure the country would be quite happy to be
hurricane free for a couple years.
August 21st - Memphis Tennessee -
We barely survived this one. Memphis Tennessee has got to be one of the most unbearable places in the U.S. The coolest day was 92 degrees with about
90% humidity. With the heat index and all, the hottest day was about 106 with 100% humidity. The humidity level gets so high here and since there is so
much humidity in the air that it spontaneously begins to rain. We had rain almost all night Friday night. At one point we had to close because the wind was
so strong and the rain was so hard it was literally coming into our trailer horizontally. We were soaked and so was everything else by the time we got our
doors closed. An hour or so later we reopened and the rain stopped long enough for us to get one round of qualifying in at about midnight. Saturday went
fairly quick with no rain but the rain came back on Sunday around 7:00 and they finally called the race at 9:30 or so and rescheduled for Monday morning at
9:00am. The positive side was that we got to go home and sit in the nice air conditioning for the evening. The bad thing was that we had to stay in Memphis
another day. UGH!! The races did start back on Monday morning but the rain was with us all morning. Luckily it stopped long enough to sneak each round
in. We finished at 1:00 in the afternoon and packed up so quick that we were out of there by 1:30. It was the quickest pack up in history. Thank God!! We
don't have to see this weather again for a year. Rumor has it that they are going to reschedule this race for later in the year to try and get the weather
cooler since everyone in the NHRA would rather have 3 days of dental work in an air conditioned office instead of being outside in Memphis in August. The
fans would appreciate it as well I'm sure. These people have got to be the bravest of fans that we have. Anyone that sits outside in the sun in 105 degree
weather for 3 days straight for 10 hours a day deserves a medal. Since they live here they are used to it, but being here for 6 days is enough for us.
We barely survived this one. Memphis Tennessee has got to be one of the most unbearable places in the U.S. The coolest day was 92 degrees with about
90% humidity. With the heat index and all, the hottest day was about 106 with 100% humidity. The humidity level gets so high here and since there is so
much humidity in the air that it spontaneously begins to rain. We had rain almost all night Friday night. At one point we had to close because the wind was
so strong and the rain was so hard it was literally coming into our trailer horizontally. We were soaked and so was everything else by the time we got our
doors closed. An hour or so later we reopened and the rain stopped long enough for us to get one round of qualifying in at about midnight. Saturday went
fairly quick with no rain but the rain came back on Sunday around 7:00 and they finally called the race at 9:30 or so and rescheduled for Monday morning at
9:00am. The positive side was that we got to go home and sit in the nice air conditioning for the evening. The bad thing was that we had to stay in Memphis
another day. UGH!! The races did start back on Monday morning but the rain was with us all morning. Luckily it stopped long enough to sneak each round
in. We finished at 1:00 in the afternoon and packed up so quick that we were out of there by 1:30. It was the quickest pack up in history. Thank God!! We
don't have to see this weather again for a year. Rumor has it that they are going to reschedule this race for later in the year to try and get the weather
cooler since everyone in the NHRA would rather have 3 days of dental work in an air conditioned office instead of being outside in Memphis in August. The
fans would appreciate it as well I'm sure. These people have got to be the bravest of fans that we have. Anyone that sits outside in the sun in 105 degree
weather for 3 days straight for 10 hours a day deserves a medal. Since they live here they are used to it, but being here for 6 days is enough for us.
The guys are staged. Ready!? Set!
Boy, look at that concentration! She's pre-staged
... and they're off at a whopping 78 mph
In the practice rounds our average speed was about 64 mph, and the reaction times were fairly high. Once the official race began the average speed
jumped up to 87 miles an hour and the elapsed time was about 16 seconds for the quarter mile race. It felt as though you were driving much faster. I can't
imagine making it down the track at 330 mph and 4.5 seconds WOW! Frank and I didn't go too far in the competition but we had a blast watching everyone
else race and cheering them on. Hopefully this will now be an annual event with the MainGate group. We did have a few bloopers that you can see below.
jumped up to 87 miles an hour and the elapsed time was about 16 seconds for the quarter mile race. It felt as though you were driving much faster. I can't
imagine making it down the track at 330 mph and 4.5 seconds WOW! Frank and I didn't go too far in the competition but we had a blast watching everyone
else race and cheering them on. Hopefully this will now be an annual event with the MainGate group. We did have a few bloopers that you can see below.
Poor Ric never saw what hit him! Who
knew Robbie could do 45 in reverse?
knew Robbie could do 45 in reverse?
What's wrong with this picture?
Has anyone seen my helmet??
Has anyone seen my helmet??
Which way do I go??
We have a winner!!
Picture #1 - No no Robbie you can't go until the staging lights come on. Apparently she was trying to do a burn-out for the crowd which isn't allowed in the
lower categories much less when you are racing a Pontiac. In most races this would be called a red-light start but here in friendly MainGate races you are
given a second chance. Don't worry she only backed over the guy in the picture, everyone else dove out of her way just in the nick of time.
Picture #2 - Cat apparently was so excited to race that he wasn't sure which direction the car was supposed to go once he made it to the staging lanes.
Picture #3 - Yes it does help if one actually wears the helmet on the driver's head and not on the roof of the car. Shirl didn't crash luckily so all was okay!
Picture #4 - We have a winner!! Kurt took home the trophy for winning the race and having the quickest reaction time of the entire race. He is now trying to
figure out which large sponsor to approach for the 2007 Funny Car season. Needless to say his chances aren't too great, but don't tell him we said that.
lower categories much less when you are racing a Pontiac. In most races this would be called a red-light start but here in friendly MainGate races you are
given a second chance. Don't worry she only backed over the guy in the picture, everyone else dove out of her way just in the nick of time.
Picture #2 - Cat apparently was so excited to race that he wasn't sure which direction the car was supposed to go once he made it to the staging lanes.
Picture #3 - Yes it does help if one actually wears the helmet on the driver's head and not on the roof of the car. Shirl didn't crash luckily so all was okay!
Picture #4 - We have a winner!! Kurt took home the trophy for winning the race and having the quickest reaction time of the entire race. He is now trying to
figure out which large sponsor to approach for the 2007 Funny Car season. Needless to say his chances aren't too great, but don't tell him we said that.
Vicki was greatly missed by all
August 29th - Mac Tools U.S. Nationals - Indianapolis, Indiana -
The biggest race of the season has arrived!! U.S. Nationals is the granddaddy of all drag races and everyone who is anyone in the drag racing world will be
here this weekend. The race hasn't even begun yet and we have already had a great week. Well at least the official race hasn't started. We did have our
very own race this evening with the sponsor Pontiac's amongst our co-workers and had more fun than imaginable. After signing our lives away and promising
that we would do our very best to avoid crashing into the wall and stop the car before driving into the sand traps, and if we did crash we agreed to buy the
car that we were driving and promise not to sue the NHRA, they handed us the keys. First we each had one practice round to try out the cars and see how
they respond. It was so funny to watch everyone go from pre-stage to staging to racing. We now understand why one should go from a junior dragster and
slowly work their way up to the Top Fuel Dragsters.
The biggest race of the season has arrived!! U.S. Nationals is the granddaddy of all drag races and everyone who is anyone in the drag racing world will be
here this weekend. The race hasn't even begun yet and we have already had a great week. Well at least the official race hasn't started. We did have our
very own race this evening with the sponsor Pontiac's amongst our co-workers and had more fun than imaginable. After signing our lives away and promising
that we would do our very best to avoid crashing into the wall and stop the car before driving into the sand traps, and if we did crash we agreed to buy the
car that we were driving and promise not to sue the NHRA, they handed us the keys. First we each had one practice round to try out the cars and see how
they respond. It was so funny to watch everyone go from pre-stage to staging to racing. We now understand why one should go from a junior dragster and
slowly work their way up to the Top Fuel Dragsters.
August 31st - O'Reilly Raceway Park -
With the race well underway the festivities are still in full swing. Chris and Maria, very good friends of ours out here on the road, recently became engaged so
we all celebrated with them. Luckily someone had enough time and brains to rent a tent for the occasion since the rain of Thursday afternoon that was
supposed to be scattered showers ended up down pouring on us until about 9:00 or so that evening. You know you are having a fun party when the cops have
to not only break up the party, but arrest the host for having too much fun. Okay okay so the cops are our friends as well and the picture is actually staged.
Don't worry we wouldn't let it get that out of hand. Really, we promise the picture is staged, please note the smile on the policeman's face. Hmmm apparently no
one believed us. Especially those who know Donny (the guy in the handcuffs) He can be quite the party animal, which makes the picture that much more
believable. They did however have a little problem finding the right key to unlock the handcuffs. That was quite entertaining to watch them try key after key,
needless to say they did find the right one, release him and Donny's record has been cleared of all charges. The annual MainGate Bar-b-que at Rob's house
was fun this year as usual. Rob has since left MainGate for a family business but it's always fun to get together with old friends. Below you can see Rob with all
of us ladies, and the happy greeting of Vicky's visit. She worked all last year with us but has stayed home with family this year. We have only seen her at a
couple races, so everyone was overjoyed to see her again, especially Loretta and Karen. Those zany gals.
With the race well underway the festivities are still in full swing. Chris and Maria, very good friends of ours out here on the road, recently became engaged so
we all celebrated with them. Luckily someone had enough time and brains to rent a tent for the occasion since the rain of Thursday afternoon that was
supposed to be scattered showers ended up down pouring on us until about 9:00 or so that evening. You know you are having a fun party when the cops have
to not only break up the party, but arrest the host for having too much fun. Okay okay so the cops are our friends as well and the picture is actually staged.
Don't worry we wouldn't let it get that out of hand. Really, we promise the picture is staged, please note the smile on the policeman's face. Hmmm apparently no
one believed us. Especially those who know Donny (the guy in the handcuffs) He can be quite the party animal, which makes the picture that much more
believable. They did however have a little problem finding the right key to unlock the handcuffs. That was quite entertaining to watch them try key after key,
needless to say they did find the right one, release him and Donny's record has been cleared of all charges. The annual MainGate Bar-b-que at Rob's house
was fun this year as usual. Rob has since left MainGate for a family business but it's always fun to get together with old friends. Below you can see Rob with all
of us ladies, and the happy greeting of Vicky's visit. She worked all last year with us but has stayed home with family this year. We have only seen her at a
couple races, so everyone was overjoyed to see her again, especially Loretta and Karen. Those zany gals.
September 6th - Defiance, Ohio -
They always say there is gold at the end of the rainbow. In our case today that was true. At the end of the beautiful
rainbow above is a little shop in Defiance, Ohio called Martin Diesel Company. It's a small place with a great group of
mechanics that build, maintain and repair Martin Generators, just like the one in our bus. It's been running fine so far,
but hasn't been pulling the load that it should, namely being able to run all three air-conditioners while we were in
toasty Memphis, Tennessee. After spending half a day diagnosing and eliminating what wasn't wrong with they finally
discovered that it had a bad regulator. After replacing the regulator we are now able not only to run all three
air-conditioners at the same time but we can run all three air-conditioners along with all three burners on the stove,
the heater in the bathroom, the heated tiles, and make brownies in the convection oven at the same time. Yes we
realize that one would not run the air-conditioners at the same time as the heater but it's nice to know that if for some
neurotic reason we wanted to, we could. Across from Martin is a very pretty lake and an area with tons and tons of
butterflies. It made for a nice walk and a pretty place to burn a little time.
They always say there is gold at the end of the rainbow. In our case today that was true. At the end of the beautiful
rainbow above is a little shop in Defiance, Ohio called Martin Diesel Company. It's a small place with a great group of
mechanics that build, maintain and repair Martin Generators, just like the one in our bus. It's been running fine so far,
but hasn't been pulling the load that it should, namely being able to run all three air-conditioners while we were in
toasty Memphis, Tennessee. After spending half a day diagnosing and eliminating what wasn't wrong with they finally
discovered that it had a bad regulator. After replacing the regulator we are now able not only to run all three
air-conditioners at the same time but we can run all three air-conditioners along with all three burners on the stove,
the heater in the bathroom, the heated tiles, and make brownies in the convection oven at the same time. Yes we
realize that one would not run the air-conditioners at the same time as the heater but it's nice to know that if for some
neurotic reason we wanted to, we could. Across from Martin is a very pretty lake and an area with tons and tons of
butterflies. It made for a nice walk and a pretty place to burn a little time.
September 4th -
As the sun sets on the U.S Nationals, the greatest and most anticipated race of the year has come to an end. There were quite a few wrecks at this race and a
few cars bursting into flames. Apparently since everyone wants to win Nationals so badly they tune their cars to the absolute limit to try and pull out all the
stops. What happens when they go too fast? Well one of the drivers, Ron Krishner, found out just what happens when a Pro-Stock car gets the wiggles
halfway down the track at over 200mph. He rolled his car a couple times and was engulfed in flames. The amazing thing of Drag Racing is the "Safety Safari".
The guys that stand by the side of the track in fire suits all day no matter how hot it is outside just in case they need to save a driver from a burning car, and
just like in this case run into the fire fearlessly. Thank you Jesus that Ron is okay minus a few broken ribs. Unfortunately I have no pictures of that fire, but
above we do have a picture of the second biggest fire of the weekend which was a grease fire on the Hot Rod Grill across from us in the pits. The flames
started out about 2 feet tall and quickly shot up to about 6-7 feet. One guy tried to put it out, but no luck. Very quickly the Safety Safari leader and the fire
department were on in, and the fire was out it in no time. The poor Hot Rod Grill was closed for a few hours until the grill was cleaned and all of the fire
extinguisher gunk was cleaned off. It did make for an interesting show, however I wouldn't recommend eating a hamburger cooked on the grill after seeing just
how much gunk they had to spray on it no matter how many times they scrapped it off and cleaned it again. Hmmmm, this burger tastes a little more charred
than usual. Track food does lack a little bit of flavor, and one should try to avoid it at all costs. Luckily Frank and I are fortunate enough to get fed by
Budweiser most of the time so we are sparred from track food, and it's expense. One thing that isn't lacking here at Nationals is rumors. This race is infamous
for all the new stories and announcements of the next season and all of the rumors that we have heard all year long to turn into truth or be stomped out as
someone's imagination. The greatest kept secret of the year that was announced at this race is that Kenny Bernstein, one of the most accomplished drag
racers ever, is coming out of retirement next year to get back behind the wheel of a Funny Car. Frank and I are two of the very few people that have known
this was coming, and we are more excited than the average fan since he, Kenny Bernstein, has offered us a spot on his team next year. He has asked us to
leave his souvenir trailer for bigger and better things. We will be helping run his hospitality lounge beginning next season. We are quite excited to try another
adventure out here on the road. God has blessed us greatly with all the opportunities that we have had, and are yet to tackle. The Bernstein's have already
made us feel like part of the team with invites to the winner's circle and always including us, but now it will be even more fun since we will be in the middle of the
action in the "pits". There isn't an award that Kenny hasn't received in his 25+ year racing career. He won Championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel
Dragster. He also won in Nascar and the Indy racing circuit. He was the first to break the 300mph mark in a Funny Car, and changed the rules of Funny Car
racing with his 1987 car that was nicknamed "The Batmobile". We should be in for a great year with two great teams with award winning drivers in the two Top
Fuel categories. Brandon will remain being sponsored by Budweiser, and Monster Energy Drink will be Kenny's main sponsor. We can hardly wait for the new
season to start.
As the sun sets on the U.S Nationals, the greatest and most anticipated race of the year has come to an end. There were quite a few wrecks at this race and a
few cars bursting into flames. Apparently since everyone wants to win Nationals so badly they tune their cars to the absolute limit to try and pull out all the
stops. What happens when they go too fast? Well one of the drivers, Ron Krishner, found out just what happens when a Pro-Stock car gets the wiggles
halfway down the track at over 200mph. He rolled his car a couple times and was engulfed in flames. The amazing thing of Drag Racing is the "Safety Safari".
The guys that stand by the side of the track in fire suits all day no matter how hot it is outside just in case they need to save a driver from a burning car, and
just like in this case run into the fire fearlessly. Thank you Jesus that Ron is okay minus a few broken ribs. Unfortunately I have no pictures of that fire, but
above we do have a picture of the second biggest fire of the weekend which was a grease fire on the Hot Rod Grill across from us in the pits. The flames
started out about 2 feet tall and quickly shot up to about 6-7 feet. One guy tried to put it out, but no luck. Very quickly the Safety Safari leader and the fire
department were on in, and the fire was out it in no time. The poor Hot Rod Grill was closed for a few hours until the grill was cleaned and all of the fire
extinguisher gunk was cleaned off. It did make for an interesting show, however I wouldn't recommend eating a hamburger cooked on the grill after seeing just
how much gunk they had to spray on it no matter how many times they scrapped it off and cleaned it again. Hmmmm, this burger tastes a little more charred
than usual. Track food does lack a little bit of flavor, and one should try to avoid it at all costs. Luckily Frank and I are fortunate enough to get fed by
Budweiser most of the time so we are sparred from track food, and it's expense. One thing that isn't lacking here at Nationals is rumors. This race is infamous
for all the new stories and announcements of the next season and all of the rumors that we have heard all year long to turn into truth or be stomped out as
someone's imagination. The greatest kept secret of the year that was announced at this race is that Kenny Bernstein, one of the most accomplished drag
racers ever, is coming out of retirement next year to get back behind the wheel of a Funny Car. Frank and I are two of the very few people that have known
this was coming, and we are more excited than the average fan since he, Kenny Bernstein, has offered us a spot on his team next year. He has asked us to
leave his souvenir trailer for bigger and better things. We will be helping run his hospitality lounge beginning next season. We are quite excited to try another
adventure out here on the road. God has blessed us greatly with all the opportunities that we have had, and are yet to tackle. The Bernstein's have already
made us feel like part of the team with invites to the winner's circle and always including us, but now it will be even more fun since we will be in the middle of the
action in the "pits". There isn't an award that Kenny hasn't received in his 25+ year racing career. He won Championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel
Dragster. He also won in Nascar and the Indy racing circuit. He was the first to break the 300mph mark in a Funny Car, and changed the rules of Funny Car
racing with his 1987 car that was nicknamed "The Batmobile". We should be in for a great year with two great teams with award winning drivers in the two Top
Fuel categories. Brandon will remain being sponsored by Budweiser, and Monster Energy Drink will be Kenny's main sponsor. We can hardly wait for the new
season to start.
Rich is ready to race!
But she said she wanted her burger well done officer!
