Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
What I Saw Today, Bit O Honey Edition
So, today, this olelongrooffan decided to get out of the Taj Mahal and head on down to the local feed store and stock up on some grub.
As opposed to yesterday, today it was a warm, sunny, Chamber of Commerce kind of day down here in the Birthplace of Speed, so I dropped the top on the oleragtop and headed down to Bellair Plaza and that feed store BBB does his best to protect.
As I passed by the local fuel supply garage, where, incidentally, petro, at $2.75, is 14 cents more per gallon than it is just two miles away on the mainland.
Anyway, as I passed by that petro store, I saw the most craptastic vehicle this olelongrooffan has seen in quite awhile.
No Counters, I am not talking about this first generation Dodge Stratus but
this hoon's personalized rendition of it. Bright yellow and bright red and just plain ole fugly.
Yeah, it has alot of custom body work as seen in the below image.
Yeah Counters, a double rear wing really provides a ton of downforce on this beast.
This olelongrooffan still cannot figure out what the logo is on the rear glass.
And although you Counters can't really tell the interior color but it is a Bright Patriotic Blue and has racing seats up front.
And with that big ole coffee can sized muffler, I'll bet this thing sounds sweet.
The hoon owner had even included hood tie downs.
It is to bad the hoon didn't have tiedowns for the front air dam.
Oh and the reference to Bit O Honey in the title? Look again at the colors of this sh*tbox and with the blue interior,
and, well, check this out.
And having the ability to post another What I Saw Today blog for you Counters out there that lets this olelongrooffan
Celebrate Life.
As opposed to yesterday, today it was a warm, sunny, Chamber of Commerce kind of day down here in the Birthplace of Speed, so I dropped the top on the oleragtop and headed down to Bellair Plaza and that feed store BBB does his best to protect.
As I passed by the local fuel supply garage, where, incidentally, petro, at $2.75, is 14 cents more per gallon than it is just two miles away on the mainland.
Anyway, as I passed by that petro store, I saw the most craptastic vehicle this olelongrooffan has seen in quite awhile.
No Counters, I am not talking about this first generation Dodge Stratus but
this hoon's personalized rendition of it. Bright yellow and bright red and just plain ole fugly.
Yeah, it has alot of custom body work as seen in the below image.
Yeah Counters, a double rear wing really provides a ton of downforce on this beast.
This olelongrooffan still cannot figure out what the logo is on the rear glass.
And although you Counters can't really tell the interior color but it is a Bright Patriotic Blue and has racing seats up front.
And with that big ole coffee can sized muffler, I'll bet this thing sounds sweet.
The hoon owner had even included hood tie downs.
It is to bad the hoon didn't have tiedowns for the front air dam.
Oh and the reference to Bit O Honey in the title? Look again at the colors of this sh*tbox and with the blue interior,
and, well, check this out.
And having the ability to post another What I Saw Today blog for you Counters out there that lets this olelongrooffan
Celebrate Life.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Lost Generation, A Palindrome
A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.
This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.
This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.
This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.
This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Just To Let You Know
Today, here in the Birthplace of Speed, it was a gorgeous sunny day and the high temp was 66 degrees.
Tonite, however, the low will be a crisp 36 degrees with the wind chill projected to be 25.
Yes, I will be having a hot toddy later this evening and turning on the heater in the Taj Mahal for the first time this winter.
But I still will
Celebrate Life.
Tonite, however, the low will be a crisp 36 degrees with the wind chill projected to be 25.
Yes, I will be having a hot toddy later this evening and turning on the heater in the Taj Mahal for the first time this winter.
But I still will
Celebrate Life.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Red Car With Fenders
and lots of neighborhood kids, 1822 S. National Springfield, Missouri, circa 1968.
L-R, Maureen Verfurth, Jim McGregor, Kelly Verfurth, Reggie Verfurth, thejeepjunkie, LittleSisterJoan, Jeanne Muetzel
And yes, we knew how to
Celebrate Life.
Friday, December 25, 2009
At The Gaslight Parade, 2009
Well Counters, I learned something new today. How to edit videos.
You see, last month I blogged about being at the Gaslight Parade. I was sitting in my beach
chair with my laptop and my sometimes trusty Polaroid blogging about the Parade and shot some video of it.
Unfortunately, the video was of the entire parade and just over 20 minutes long.
Well, the service hosting this blog, as well as YouTube and Photobucket, limit videos to around 10 minutes maximum.
I never thought I would be able to share it with you but when Big J visited a while back, he showed me the program to use and today, Christmas Day, 2009, I gave myself the present of learning how to use it.
Here they are, my videos of the 2009 Gaslight Parade. A couple cuss words from the peanut gallery but overall nothing to bad and no F-bombs.
Well, I am off to Christmas dinner and to continue to
Celebrate Life.
You see, last month I blogged about being at the Gaslight Parade. I was sitting in my beach
chair with my laptop and my sometimes trusty Polaroid blogging about the Parade and shot some video of it.
Unfortunately, the video was of the entire parade and just over 20 minutes long.
Well, the service hosting this blog, as well as YouTube and Photobucket, limit videos to around 10 minutes maximum.
I never thought I would be able to share it with you but when Big J visited a while back, he showed me the program to use and today, Christmas Day, 2009, I gave myself the present of learning how to use it.
Here they are, my videos of the 2009 Gaslight Parade. A couple cuss words from the peanut gallery but overall nothing to bad and no F-bombs.
Well, I am off to Christmas dinner and to continue to
Celebrate Life.
My Christmas Presents, 2009
As I am sitting around the Taj Mahal waiting to head over to Oh So Sweet Lynne's place for what I am sure will be a delicious traditional Christmas Dinner, I thought I would share with you a couple things Santa left under my massive Christmas tree last night.
First up, I got a new car phone. I spend most of the morning getting it installed and the image below is one of my girlfriend demonstrating how it works. Sweet. Expect a call from me On The Road sometime soon.
The only problem with this phone is that it is permanently mounted in my ole sedan. I guess I'll have to wait til next year to ask Santa for one for my new yacht.
Yeah, that's correct. I only asked for it because it is named after TheGentlemanFarmer and BBB.
If it only had a phone, I could really
Celebrate Life.
First up, I got a new car phone. I spend most of the morning getting it installed and the image below is one of my girlfriend demonstrating how it works. Sweet. Expect a call from me On The Road sometime soon.
The only problem with this phone is that it is permanently mounted in my ole sedan. I guess I'll have to wait til next year to ask Santa for one for my new yacht.
Yeah, that's correct. I only asked for it because it is named after TheGentlemanFarmer and BBB.
If it only had a phone, I could really
Celebrate Life.
The Evolution Of The Automobile
As this olelongrooffan is sitting in the living room of the Taj Mahal in shorts, no shirt with the windows open, I thought you might enjoy this insight on this sunny, warm Christmas Day, 2009.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas From This olelongrooffan
While my brothers and fellow bloggers have included, in recent times, their version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, this olelongrooffan has decided to share with you something a touch different I picked up around these tubes.
Here It Is:
Every Hoon Down in Hoonville Liked Hoonmas a lot…
But POLAЯ, Who lived just north of Hoonville, Did NOT!
POLAЯ hated Hoonmas! The whole Hoonmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his tires weren’t bolted on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his fan belts were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his engine was two cylinders too small.
Whatever the reason, be it loose nuts or screws,
He stood there on Hoonmas Eve, hating the Hoons,
Staring down from his cave with a sour, POLAЯY frown,
At the warm lighted headlights below in their town.
For he knew every Hoon down in Hoonville beneath,
Was busy now, hanging giant turbo wreath.
“And they’re hanging their keys up!” he snarled with a sneer,
“Tomorrow is Hoonmas! It’s practically here!”
Then he growled, with his POLAЯ fingers nervously drumming,
“I MUST find some way to stop Hoonmas from coming!”
For Tomorrow, he knew, all the Hoon girls and boys,
They’d wake to unwrap their hoony car toys!
And then! Oh, the noise!
Oh, the Noise!Noise! Noise! Noise!
That’s one thing he hated!
The NOISE!NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
Then the Hoons, young and old,
would change their Oil and Grease.
And they’d grease! And they’d grease!
And they’d GREASE!GREASE! GREASE! GREASE!
They would grease on Hoon-door latches,
with rare Hoon-Gulflex Waterproof Grease.
Which was something POLAЯ couldn’t stand in the least!
And THEN They’d do something He liked least of all!
Every Hoon down in Hoonville, the tall and the small,
Would gather at the track, with spent gases blazing.
They’d stand shifter-in-hand. And the Hoons would start racing!
They’d race! And they’d race!
And they’d RACE!RACE! RACE! RACE!
And the more POLAЯ thought of this Hoon Hoonmas race,
The more POLAЯ thought, “I must stop this disgrace!”
“Why, for fifty-three years I’ve put up with it now!”
“I MUST stop this Hoonmas from coming!
But HOW?”
Then he got an idea!
An awful idea!
POLAЯ GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
“I know just what to do!” POLAЯ laughed in his throat.
And he made a quick Hoony Claus hat and a coat.
And he chuckled, and clucked, “What a great POLAЯY boon!”
“With this coat and this hat, I look just like Saint Hoon!”
“All I need is a Jeep Wagoneer…”
POLAЯ looked around.
But, since Wagoneers are scarce,
there was none to be found.
Did that stop the old POLAЯ?
No!
POLAЯ simply said,“If I can’t find a Wagoneer,
I’ll make one instead!”
So he called his dog, Max,
who had some street cred,
And he tied a big air horn on the top of his head.
THEN He loaded some bags And some old empty sacks,
On a ramshackle ladder frame
And he hitched up old Max.
Then POLAЯ said, “Giddap!”
And the Wagoneer started down,
Toward the homes where the Hoon Lay a snooze in their town.
All their garages were dark.
Quiet snow filled the air.
All the Hoons were all dreaming sweet dreams without care.
When he came to the first little house on the square.
“This is stop number one,”
the old POLAЯ Hoon hissed,
And he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist.
Then he slid in the garage.
next to their European Roller.
But, if Saint Hoon could do it, then so could POLAЯ.
He got stuck only once, for a moment or more.
Then he stuck his head out of the garage door.
Where the little Hoon stockings all hung in a row.
“These stockings,” he grinned, “are the first things to go!”
Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant,
Around the whole room, and he took every present!
Porsches! And motorbikes! Jet skates!
Brake Drums!Checker flags! Intakes!
NOS Cans! And things to remove scum!
And he stuffed them in bags.
Then POLAЯ, while he was swaggerin’,
Stuffed all the bags, one by one, in the wagon!
It was quarter past dawn…
All the Hoons, still asleep without fear,
All the Hoons, still a snooze
When he packed up his Wagoneer,
Packed it up with their presents!
The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!
Three thousand feet up!
Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!
“PoohPooh to the Hoons!”
he was POLAЯISHLY humming.
“They’re finding out now that no Hoonmas is coming!”
“They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!”
“Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Hoons down in Hoonville will all cry BooHoo!”
“That’s a noise,” grinned POLAЯ, “That I simply MUST hear!”
So he paused. And POLAЯ put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn’t sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so! But it WAS merry!
VERY!
He stared down at Hoonville!
POLAЯ popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Hoon down in Hoonville, t
he tall and the small,
Was racing!
Without any upgrades at all!
He HADN’T stopped Hoonmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other,
it came just the same!
And POLAЯ,
with his POLAЯ-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling:
“How could it be so?”
“It came with out ribbons!
It came without tags!”
“It came without packages,
boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours,
till his puzzler was sore.
Then POLAЯ thought of something he hadn’t before!“
Maybe Hoonmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Hoonmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
And what happened then?
Well…in Hoonville they say,
That POLAЯ small engine Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his Fan belts didn’t feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light,
And he brought back the turbos! And the Oil and Grease!
And he, HE HIMSELF! POLAЯ carved the roast beast!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! YOU HOONS ARE DA BEST!
I’M GONNA GO NOW AND LAY DOWN FOR A REST!
thanks to those funny *ss dudes and dudettes over at Hooniverse for all the fun. Especially to POLAR!!
And it is by sharing this crazy cr*p with you on this Christmas Eve, 2009, that I can
Celebrate Life.
Here It Is:
Every Hoon Down in Hoonville Liked Hoonmas a lot…
But POLAЯ, Who lived just north of Hoonville, Did NOT!
POLAЯ hated Hoonmas! The whole Hoonmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his tires weren’t bolted on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his fan belts were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his engine was two cylinders too small.
Whatever the reason, be it loose nuts or screws,
He stood there on Hoonmas Eve, hating the Hoons,
Staring down from his cave with a sour, POLAЯY frown,
At the warm lighted headlights below in their town.
For he knew every Hoon down in Hoonville beneath,
Was busy now, hanging giant turbo wreath.
“And they’re hanging their keys up!” he snarled with a sneer,
“Tomorrow is Hoonmas! It’s practically here!”
Then he growled, with his POLAЯ fingers nervously drumming,
“I MUST find some way to stop Hoonmas from coming!”
For Tomorrow, he knew, all the Hoon girls and boys,
They’d wake to unwrap their hoony car toys!
And then! Oh, the noise!
Oh, the Noise!Noise! Noise! Noise!
That’s one thing he hated!
The NOISE!NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
Then the Hoons, young and old,
would change their Oil and Grease.
And they’d grease! And they’d grease!
And they’d GREASE!GREASE! GREASE! GREASE!
They would grease on Hoon-door latches,
with rare Hoon-Gulflex Waterproof Grease.
Which was something POLAЯ couldn’t stand in the least!
And THEN They’d do something He liked least of all!
Every Hoon down in Hoonville, the tall and the small,
Would gather at the track, with spent gases blazing.
They’d stand shifter-in-hand. And the Hoons would start racing!
They’d race! And they’d race!
And they’d RACE!RACE! RACE! RACE!
And the more POLAЯ thought of this Hoon Hoonmas race,
The more POLAЯ thought, “I must stop this disgrace!”
“Why, for fifty-three years I’ve put up with it now!”
“I MUST stop this Hoonmas from coming!
But HOW?”
Then he got an idea!
An awful idea!
POLAЯ GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
“I know just what to do!” POLAЯ laughed in his throat.
And he made a quick Hoony Claus hat and a coat.
And he chuckled, and clucked, “What a great POLAЯY boon!”
“With this coat and this hat, I look just like Saint Hoon!”
“All I need is a Jeep Wagoneer…”
POLAЯ looked around.
But, since Wagoneers are scarce,
there was none to be found.
Did that stop the old POLAЯ?
No!
POLAЯ simply said,“If I can’t find a Wagoneer,
I’ll make one instead!”
So he called his dog, Max,
who had some street cred,
And he tied a big air horn on the top of his head.
THEN He loaded some bags And some old empty sacks,
On a ramshackle ladder frame
And he hitched up old Max.
Then POLAЯ said, “Giddap!”
And the Wagoneer started down,
Toward the homes where the Hoon Lay a snooze in their town.
All their garages were dark.
Quiet snow filled the air.
All the Hoons were all dreaming sweet dreams without care.
When he came to the first little house on the square.
“This is stop number one,”
the old POLAЯ Hoon hissed,
And he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist.
Then he slid in the garage.
next to their European Roller.
But, if Saint Hoon could do it, then so could POLAЯ.
He got stuck only once, for a moment or more.
Then he stuck his head out of the garage door.
Where the little Hoon stockings all hung in a row.
“These stockings,” he grinned, “are the first things to go!”
Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant,
Around the whole room, and he took every present!
Porsches! And motorbikes! Jet skates!
Brake Drums!Checker flags! Intakes!
NOS Cans! And things to remove scum!
And he stuffed them in bags.
Then POLAЯ, while he was swaggerin’,
Stuffed all the bags, one by one, in the wagon!
It was quarter past dawn…
All the Hoons, still asleep without fear,
All the Hoons, still a snooze
When he packed up his Wagoneer,
Packed it up with their presents!
The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!
Three thousand feet up!
Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!
“PoohPooh to the Hoons!”
he was POLAЯISHLY humming.
“They’re finding out now that no Hoonmas is coming!”
“They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!”
“Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Hoons down in Hoonville will all cry BooHoo!”
“That’s a noise,” grinned POLAЯ, “That I simply MUST hear!”
So he paused. And POLAЯ put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn’t sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so! But it WAS merry!
VERY!
He stared down at Hoonville!
POLAЯ popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Hoon down in Hoonville, t
he tall and the small,
Was racing!
Without any upgrades at all!
He HADN’T stopped Hoonmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other,
it came just the same!
And POLAЯ,
with his POLAЯ-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling:
“How could it be so?”
“It came with out ribbons!
It came without tags!”
“It came without packages,
boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours,
till his puzzler was sore.
Then POLAЯ thought of something he hadn’t before!“
Maybe Hoonmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Hoonmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
And what happened then?
Well…in Hoonville they say,
That POLAЯ small engine Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his Fan belts didn’t feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light,
And he brought back the turbos! And the Oil and Grease!
And he, HE HIMSELF! POLAЯ carved the roast beast!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! YOU HOONS ARE DA BEST!
I’M GONNA GO NOW AND LAY DOWN FOR A REST!
thanks to those funny *ss dudes and dudettes over at Hooniverse for all the fun. Especially to POLAR!!
And it is by sharing this crazy cr*p with you on this Christmas Eve, 2009, that I can
Celebrate Life.
How I Spent My Christmas Eve Day
So there this olelongrooffan is, sitting in the massive Taj Mahal, feeling sorry for myself.
You see, thejeepjunkie has been on vacation all week and I have not seen hide nor hair of him the whole time.
Further, this olelongrooffan is so broke I will not get to travel to FantasyLand to spend Christmas with my 14 year old daughter, the first time in her life I have not been around for the Holidays.
H*ll, this olelongrooffan doesn't even have gas money to do a road trip to find a "What I Saw Today".
And I was surfing around these tubes for a nonexistent job.
Needless to say, I was pretty low.
Suddenly my cheap cell phone rings and it is thejeepjunkie!!
"Whatcha doing longroof?"
"Just hanging around."
"Got any electrical wire?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Well get your b*tt over here and help me hang a light outside the garage service door on the Kid's house so he can see when he comes home from work after dark."
"See ya in ten."
Hot D*mn, an excuse to get out of the Taj Mahal on this Chamber of Commerce kind of day!
So I jumped in my olestationbus and headed for the Kid's house.
Of course, half way there I remembered I had left my sometimes trusty Polaroid in my oleragtop and had to double back so I could get some images for the blog I knew this day was about.
Once I got there, I had thejeepjunkie take the following image of my in shorts at 11:30 am in the Sunny and Warm Birthplace of Speed.
Well, it turns out thejeepjunkie thought he could merely drill through the top plate on that exterior wall and feed that wire through. Yeah, right.
The above image is of him sprawled in the Kid's attic drilling that hole at the extent of his reach.
Once he finally listened to this olelongrooffan he was able to gain access via the soffit vent adjacent to the service door.
Well, it worked and we got that light installed. Here is thejeepjunkie buttoning up the power source for that light. (By the way, click on the following image to see the inside of thejeepjunkie's garage. I don't think he ever gets rid of anything!)
And the light I gave to him three or four years ago is finally installed in its final resting place.
So, we are relaxing in the Kid's garage and just shooting the bull and talking about the cr*ppy weather due in the Ozarks overnite and here we are in shorts in the garage and sweating in the sun.
Well, the Kid's sister comes out and tells thejeepjunkie he is wanted on thesungoddess's land line.
We are both surprised as usually everyone calls him on his cell phone. He gets up, grabs a pad and pencil and heads in to take that call.
It turns out to be the luminary dude responsible for getting the neighborhood luminaries up in time to light them all this evening. He was running a bit shorthanded and would thejeepjunkie mind helping out?
Well, being the kind of guy he is, thejeepjunkie came out of thesungoddess's house with the Kid's sister in tow.
"Come on johnjohn, we are going to fill some luminaries."
And we did. the Kid was at work as was thesungoddess so thejeepjunkie snagged a neighbor kid to come with us and we drove around the corner to the clubhouse.
And we commenced to filling up around 3,300 of those white bags and
the Kid's sister, the neighbor kid, thejeepjunkie and this olelongrooffan, along with two other teams, commenced to spreading those things all around his neighborhood.
I am sure they will look awesome this evening when thejeepjunkie's family runs from the six o'clock Mass at which the Kid's sister is serving.
This olelongrooffan decided to head on back to the Taj Mahal, contented upon having spent a productive few hours with one of my four favorite brothers.
Oh, on the way back to the Taj Mahal, this olelongrooffan stopped at the health food store that sells nearly out of date Pepperidge Farm bread for a buck and a quarter a loaf and picked up one for the Taj Mahal.
And out front of that old building this is the address marker for that Granada Boulevard business.
Yeah, Counters, look at the date on that image. I took that image exactly ten months ago on a similar mission and had yet to figure out where I would use it!! I finally get to share it with you!!
And sharing that with you, spending some time with thejeepjunkie and spreading some Christmas cheer, allows me to
Celebrate Life.
You see, thejeepjunkie has been on vacation all week and I have not seen hide nor hair of him the whole time.
Further, this olelongrooffan is so broke I will not get to travel to FantasyLand to spend Christmas with my 14 year old daughter, the first time in her life I have not been around for the Holidays.
H*ll, this olelongrooffan doesn't even have gas money to do a road trip to find a "What I Saw Today".
And I was surfing around these tubes for a nonexistent job.
Needless to say, I was pretty low.
Suddenly my cheap cell phone rings and it is thejeepjunkie!!
"Whatcha doing longroof?"
"Just hanging around."
"Got any electrical wire?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Well get your b*tt over here and help me hang a light outside the garage service door on the Kid's house so he can see when he comes home from work after dark."
"See ya in ten."
Hot D*mn, an excuse to get out of the Taj Mahal on this Chamber of Commerce kind of day!
So I jumped in my olestationbus and headed for the Kid's house.
Of course, half way there I remembered I had left my sometimes trusty Polaroid in my oleragtop and had to double back so I could get some images for the blog I knew this day was about.
Once I got there, I had thejeepjunkie take the following image of my in shorts at 11:30 am in the Sunny and Warm Birthplace of Speed.
Well, it turns out thejeepjunkie thought he could merely drill through the top plate on that exterior wall and feed that wire through. Yeah, right.
The above image is of him sprawled in the Kid's attic drilling that hole at the extent of his reach.
Once he finally listened to this olelongrooffan he was able to gain access via the soffit vent adjacent to the service door.
Well, it worked and we got that light installed. Here is thejeepjunkie buttoning up the power source for that light. (By the way, click on the following image to see the inside of thejeepjunkie's garage. I don't think he ever gets rid of anything!)
And the light I gave to him three or four years ago is finally installed in its final resting place.
So, we are relaxing in the Kid's garage and just shooting the bull and talking about the cr*ppy weather due in the Ozarks overnite and here we are in shorts in the garage and sweating in the sun.
Well, the Kid's sister comes out and tells thejeepjunkie he is wanted on thesungoddess's land line.
We are both surprised as usually everyone calls him on his cell phone. He gets up, grabs a pad and pencil and heads in to take that call.
It turns out to be the luminary dude responsible for getting the neighborhood luminaries up in time to light them all this evening. He was running a bit shorthanded and would thejeepjunkie mind helping out?
Well, being the kind of guy he is, thejeepjunkie came out of thesungoddess's house with the Kid's sister in tow.
"Come on johnjohn, we are going to fill some luminaries."
And we did. the Kid was at work as was thesungoddess so thejeepjunkie snagged a neighbor kid to come with us and we drove around the corner to the clubhouse.
And we commenced to filling up around 3,300 of those white bags and
the Kid's sister, the neighbor kid, thejeepjunkie and this olelongrooffan, along with two other teams, commenced to spreading those things all around his neighborhood.
I am sure they will look awesome this evening when thejeepjunkie's family runs from the six o'clock Mass at which the Kid's sister is serving.
This olelongrooffan decided to head on back to the Taj Mahal, contented upon having spent a productive few hours with one of my four favorite brothers.
Oh, on the way back to the Taj Mahal, this olelongrooffan stopped at the health food store that sells nearly out of date Pepperidge Farm bread for a buck and a quarter a loaf and picked up one for the Taj Mahal.
And out front of that old building this is the address marker for that Granada Boulevard business.
Yeah, Counters, look at the date on that image. I took that image exactly ten months ago on a similar mission and had yet to figure out where I would use it!! I finally get to share it with you!!
And sharing that with you, spending some time with thejeepjunkie and spreading some Christmas cheer, allows me to
Celebrate Life.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
My Holiday Cookie Recipe
Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila
Sample the Cuervo to check quality.
Take a large bowl,
Check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,
Pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer.
Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one peastoon of sugar.
Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another cup just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity..
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.
Who geevesa sheet.
Check the Jose Cuervo.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink.
Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fallover.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.
Cherry Mistmas!
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila
Sample the Cuervo to check quality.
Take a large bowl,
Check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,
Pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer.
Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one peastoon of sugar.
Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another cup just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity..
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.
Who geevesa sheet.
Check the Jose Cuervo.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink.
Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fallover.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.
Cherry Mistmas!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Good To Know
J Mays is a world reknown automotive designer responsible for various automobiles including the New Beetle and the Ford Focus as well as the New Mustang.
Recently Esquire Magazine asked him what he learned over his years of design.
These are his answers and I thought you Counters out there might like to read them.
Anybody can make a toaster toast. Very few people can make a toaster something you covet.
If you go into a person's house and look at his surroundings, you'll see exactly who he is. If you look at the same person in his car, you'll see who he wants to be.
Believe it or not, there's an art to plowing a field. My father had an exact way he wanted it done, a laser-straight line over the length of the field. I just had to train my eye. If you lay out the first line wrong, then all the other lines that you disc will turn out crooked. There was a precision in those fields that I took into automotive design.
The dirty little secret about simplicity is that it's really hard to do.
A designer is only as good as what he or she knows. If all you know is what you've garnered from fifteen years of living in Detroit, it's going to limit what you can lay down. If you've had experiences around the world, you'll be able to design a much richer story for people to enjoy.
Not every car has a story, and not every movie has a story. A lot of movies are no more than special effects. A lot of cars are no more than special effects as well, and they're all crap.
There have been more not-quite-right Mustangs than Mustangs. It had gone a little bit off the rails in the seventies, came back in the eighties, and went a little off the rails in the nineties. We did a lot of research before we designed the 2005, and we came to the conclusion that the ones that were really important, the ones that everybody logged in their heart, were between '64 and '70. I wanted the 2005 to feel like we were picking up in '71. So I basically erased thirty-five years of Mustangs in order to get the story focused in everybody's mind again.
I don't think cars are as important to young people as their computers.
There is a cutoff point where the design is, quote unquote, finished. That's the day they're dragging the clay out from under my fingernails.
Wanting a certain cell phone as a status symbol borders on the ridiculous.
People often mistake putting on a crappy suit with a shirt and tie for being well dressed. That's more formal, but it has nothing to do with being stylish.
Success has a lot of fathers.
Clichés are more correct than we give them credit for.
I encourage friendly competition among the design team. But I also remind everyone that their colleague sitting across the desk is not the enemy. That's Honda and Toyota.
Cars in the fifties had tail fins. They looked like they were built with rockets in them. That was a reflection of the optimism of the time.
What does the cutlery look like? What's the plate look like? How's the food laid out on the plate? Has the environment been completely thought through? Part of the reason I go to a nice restaurant is to get the entire vibe.
I don't think Americans see themselves as clearly as Europeans see them.
I still measure myself against the hunger that I see coming out of college. At the point that I don't think I can cut them off at the knees, then I'll get out of the business. But I still can.
They're not writing songs about cars anymore.
Recently Esquire Magazine asked him what he learned over his years of design.
These are his answers and I thought you Counters out there might like to read them.
Anybody can make a toaster toast. Very few people can make a toaster something you covet.
If you go into a person's house and look at his surroundings, you'll see exactly who he is. If you look at the same person in his car, you'll see who he wants to be.
Believe it or not, there's an art to plowing a field. My father had an exact way he wanted it done, a laser-straight line over the length of the field. I just had to train my eye. If you lay out the first line wrong, then all the other lines that you disc will turn out crooked. There was a precision in those fields that I took into automotive design.
The dirty little secret about simplicity is that it's really hard to do.
A designer is only as good as what he or she knows. If all you know is what you've garnered from fifteen years of living in Detroit, it's going to limit what you can lay down. If you've had experiences around the world, you'll be able to design a much richer story for people to enjoy.
Not every car has a story, and not every movie has a story. A lot of movies are no more than special effects. A lot of cars are no more than special effects as well, and they're all crap.
There have been more not-quite-right Mustangs than Mustangs. It had gone a little bit off the rails in the seventies, came back in the eighties, and went a little off the rails in the nineties. We did a lot of research before we designed the 2005, and we came to the conclusion that the ones that were really important, the ones that everybody logged in their heart, were between '64 and '70. I wanted the 2005 to feel like we were picking up in '71. So I basically erased thirty-five years of Mustangs in order to get the story focused in everybody's mind again.
I don't think cars are as important to young people as their computers.
There is a cutoff point where the design is, quote unquote, finished. That's the day they're dragging the clay out from under my fingernails.
Wanting a certain cell phone as a status symbol borders on the ridiculous.
People often mistake putting on a crappy suit with a shirt and tie for being well dressed. That's more formal, but it has nothing to do with being stylish.
Success has a lot of fathers.
Clichés are more correct than we give them credit for.
I encourage friendly competition among the design team. But I also remind everyone that their colleague sitting across the desk is not the enemy. That's Honda and Toyota.
Cars in the fifties had tail fins. They looked like they were built with rockets in them. That was a reflection of the optimism of the time.
What does the cutlery look like? What's the plate look like? How's the food laid out on the plate? Has the environment been completely thought through? Part of the reason I go to a nice restaurant is to get the entire vibe.
I don't think Americans see themselves as clearly as Europeans see them.
I still measure myself against the hunger that I see coming out of college. At the point that I don't think I can cut them off at the knees, then I'll get out of the business. But I still can.
They're not writing songs about cars anymore.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Barnfinds At The Turkey Run
A couple weeks ago I did this blog about the ragtops this olelongrooffan saw out at the Daytona International Speedway over the Turkey Rod Run weekend, that would be Thanksgiving to all you Counters out there without the Carcaine habit I have.
Well, in that blog I posted an image of some chicken wire, no not that chicken wire, and promised a blog about it later.
Here it is.
To the uninitiated, a Barnfind is an old vehicle of any type that was stored away years ago and has not been driven or molested in that time. Usually, some hoon has a desire to restore it someday but never got around to it. Time passes, the hoon passes and the vehicle is brought out to the light of day once again.
Often times Mother Nature has been nice to the old vehicle but other times this is not the case.
A Barnfind is not the same as Ran When Parked. Ran When Parked usually means driven to a field and parked and seldom are driven again.
Every automotive swap meet this olelongrooffan has attended has had at least a couple of these vehicles. This time I decided to get some images of them to share with you Counters.
First up is a mid 60's Dodge Coronet, I believe. Corroding front bumper, rust at the front fender, tattered interior, but, if you believe the scrawling on the passenger's window, "It Runs Good!" I think those shiny wheels disqualify this as an actual Barnfind. One of my older sister's used to date a guy who drove one of these back in the day. Maybe I should forward this to her so she can pick it up. Only $6,000!
Next up is this old farm truck. I wish I could remember what it is, I think possibly a late 30's Chevrolet but don't blame this forgetful oleman if I am wrong. This is a pretty classic example for its age. Rusty all around the fringes, especially the hood, missing the passenger's side headlight, and a handcrafted bed. But check out that shiny and straight front bumper!
I then stumbled upon a SAAB Sonnet sharing a trailer with a ton of other stuff. That is a wicker motorcycle on its roof, oars standing upright at the front of the trailer, a marine gas tank is sharing that trailer with a stainless steel lidded bucket, along with a bin of parts and a set of air horns. The true Barnfind of this booth. The tilt up hood is a different color than the rest of the body.
Next up was the most preserved Barnfind this olelongrooffan saw that day. I am pretty certain it is a 1939 Plymouth, but again, my memory is not the best. I gotta start writting this stuff down for all you Counters. Anyway, straight rust free body, good glass, nearly pristine interior and only $2,950.00!!
Next up was this Porsche 356 "bathtub" ragtop. Compared to the Plymouth, this one was pretty rough. Interior was shot, missing hubcaps, the motor was in pieces and body dings all over. I did see it being loaded on a different trailer as I was leaving that day though. Some hoon has his work cut out for themselves. Hopefully got it for a good price.
The final Barnfind I saw that day was this 1931 Dodge Brothers Sedan. The dude selling it told me he found it in a barn on a farm up near Marietta, Georgia. Documentation of this is the condition of this ole beast.
The interior was in true tatters,
the spare tire was on the front seat,
rust permeated the entire old car but
at least it has a sunroof, albeit chicken wire covered!!
Only $1,850.00!!
And sharing these old Barnfinds with you Counters out there lets me
Celebrate Life.
Well, in that blog I posted an image of some chicken wire, no not that chicken wire, and promised a blog about it later.
Here it is.
To the uninitiated, a Barnfind is an old vehicle of any type that was stored away years ago and has not been driven or molested in that time. Usually, some hoon has a desire to restore it someday but never got around to it. Time passes, the hoon passes and the vehicle is brought out to the light of day once again.
Often times Mother Nature has been nice to the old vehicle but other times this is not the case.
A Barnfind is not the same as Ran When Parked. Ran When Parked usually means driven to a field and parked and seldom are driven again.
Every automotive swap meet this olelongrooffan has attended has had at least a couple of these vehicles. This time I decided to get some images of them to share with you Counters.
First up is a mid 60's Dodge Coronet, I believe. Corroding front bumper, rust at the front fender, tattered interior, but, if you believe the scrawling on the passenger's window, "It Runs Good!" I think those shiny wheels disqualify this as an actual Barnfind. One of my older sister's used to date a guy who drove one of these back in the day. Maybe I should forward this to her so she can pick it up. Only $6,000!
Next up is this old farm truck. I wish I could remember what it is, I think possibly a late 30's Chevrolet but don't blame this forgetful oleman if I am wrong. This is a pretty classic example for its age. Rusty all around the fringes, especially the hood, missing the passenger's side headlight, and a handcrafted bed. But check out that shiny and straight front bumper!
I then stumbled upon a SAAB Sonnet sharing a trailer with a ton of other stuff. That is a wicker motorcycle on its roof, oars standing upright at the front of the trailer, a marine gas tank is sharing that trailer with a stainless steel lidded bucket, along with a bin of parts and a set of air horns. The true Barnfind of this booth. The tilt up hood is a different color than the rest of the body.
Next up was the most preserved Barnfind this olelongrooffan saw that day. I am pretty certain it is a 1939 Plymouth, but again, my memory is not the best. I gotta start writting this stuff down for all you Counters. Anyway, straight rust free body, good glass, nearly pristine interior and only $2,950.00!!
Next up was this Porsche 356 "bathtub" ragtop. Compared to the Plymouth, this one was pretty rough. Interior was shot, missing hubcaps, the motor was in pieces and body dings all over. I did see it being loaded on a different trailer as I was leaving that day though. Some hoon has his work cut out for themselves. Hopefully got it for a good price.
The final Barnfind I saw that day was this 1931 Dodge Brothers Sedan. The dude selling it told me he found it in a barn on a farm up near Marietta, Georgia. Documentation of this is the condition of this ole beast.
The interior was in true tatters,
the spare tire was on the front seat,
rust permeated the entire old car but
at least it has a sunroof, albeit chicken wire covered!!
Only $1,850.00!!
And sharing these old Barnfinds with you Counters out there lets me
Celebrate Life.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Scaled Back Holiday Decorations
Now those of you Counting Along With Me will remember this post I did last year, where I shared with you an image of my 2008 Christmas tree.
Well, Counters, things have not improved for this olelongrooffan and I am alot more broke than I was last year at this time so I had to scale back my Christmas tree for 2009.
But know, Counters, even though this Christmas is significantly scaled down from Christmas's past, I still
Celebrate Life.
Well, Counters, things have not improved for this olelongrooffan and I am alot more broke than I was last year at this time so I had to scale back my Christmas tree for 2009.
But know, Counters, even though this Christmas is significantly scaled down from Christmas's past, I still
Celebrate Life.
A 911 Primer
Over at my brother's blog, Bus-Plunge, he linked to a dang funny fireman's blog up there in the Ozarks.
Check it out here.
Check it out here.
Friday, December 18, 2009
SAAB--(sob)
General Motors, unable to find a buyer for their Swedish based SAAB automobile company announced this morning they will phase down SAAB's operation, eventually closing the company sometime in 2010.
In honor of the venerable SAAB, this olelongrooffan submits the following:
and sharing this commercial for this sweet ole longroof with you Counters out there allows me to
Celebrate Life
In honor of the venerable SAAB, this olelongrooffan submits the following:
and sharing this commercial for this sweet ole longroof with you Counters out there allows me to
Celebrate Life
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
About The Next Post
I can't seem to edit a post with a video from Jay's garage so
While this olelongrooffan is not much of a straight line racing fan, I think this is pretty cool. And check out the transporter near the end of this video.
Thanks to jaylenosgarage.com and to Jay Leno for sharing his cool stuff with us.
While this olelongrooffan is not much of a straight line racing fan, I think this is pretty cool. And check out the transporter near the end of this video.
Thanks to jaylenosgarage.com and to Jay Leno for sharing his cool stuff with us.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
A Fun Couple Days With Big J
All things considered, I have been lucky this past year or so.
Now, if I had been able to secure steady employment, I would have been really lucky.
But, alas, I digress.
I can hear you Counters out there in cyberland asking yourselves, "What has happened to this olelongrooffan for him to consider himself lucky?"
Well in addition to living in close geographic proximity to one of my four favorite brothers, thejeepjunkie, sharing in his and his family and friends exploits, and having some fantastic auto related experiences, several old long lost friends got in touch.
If you have been Counting Along With This olelongrooffan, you will remember when Jason stopped by last winter , when I headed down to FantasyLand for Christmas, and the time I met all those cops on the way back from Slocala.
Well Friday a week ago, I received a call from my buddy Justin. The story of how we met is contained in the first few paragraphs of this post.
Anyway, as seems to be so prevalent they days, Big J lost his job several weeks ago and is in the job search process. He is fortunate though as he has a specialized degree and can relocate to nearly anywhere.
He called and asked if he could stop by the Taj Mahal on his way from Pennsylvania to FantasyLand this past week?
"Of course Little Buddy, stop on by."
"See you Wednesday, longroof."
His plan was to leave PA on Sunday, spend the night in Virginia and then stop in Asheville, North Carolina and spend a couple days with a friend.
Well, those of you in Central and Eastern North America know this happened earlier this week.
Big J called me early on Monday morning inquiring if he could come in on Monday instead of Wednesday.
Sure Little Buddy, why?
Well he caught me up to date on the weather forecast and mentioned it was 29 degrees up there and he was freezing his *ss off and thinking about this olelongrooffan down in the Birthplace of Speed where it was a Sunny Chamber of Commerce kind of day and figured he would skiddaddle on down.
Come On Brother.
And He Did.
Arriving around 7 that evening.
We spent the evening reminiscing about old times and relating experiences we have had this past year and in general having a good time while consuming some hurricane supplies.
As Big J was wired from his 12 hour road trip that Monday, he was up quite late and managed to sleep in the guest suite of the Taj Mahal until around noon on Tuesday. After a hearty 7 course breakfast, 3 slices of sausage, 2 eggs and 2 pieces of toast=7 course breakfast.
Hey, it's my world and they know me here.
Anyway, we jumped in his sweet BMW suv, it's an all wheel drive 5 speed! and I proceeded to show him around my home town.
First, we cruised down A1A in anticipation of a beach drive but it was high tide and no vehicles are allowed. Maybe later.
We then head down to Main Street which during Bikeweek and Biktoberfest is closed to anything with more than 3 wheels. I pointed out my favorite parts store, home of my parts friends. We then cruised over to the Mainland and I showed him Historic Beach Street and we tooted the horn as we passed thejeepjunkie's shop.
I thought then we would head over to Carswell Street as it has a bunch of car related businesses and I always see something cool over on that street.
Not only that, but the Spirit of Daytona race team's shop is over there. One time the Kid and this olelongrooffan were out and about and passed by that shop, the doors and gates were wide open and he and I got a tour of the place! I thought that would be a blast for Big J.
However, when we passed that shop, it was buttoned up tighter than Barbara Bush's blouse. It seemed odd as the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is just over a month away and I figured there would be some serious wrenching going on there.
Oh well, let's just head over to the home of Motorsports Marketing. When we walked in their showroom lobby, we were asked by one of the dudes there if he could help us? I mentioned I had a buddy in from out of town and was showing the cooler parts of the area.
"Feel free to brouse around."
And We Did.
Their lobby was occupied by an original Mini Cooper, the late model Mini race car I had seen behind the fence last year, that old Model A rumbleseat, a Triumph TR3 race car and this Triumph GT6.
Big J was duly impressed. And that made me happy.
We then moved on, looking at a couple vintage car sales locations, even coming across that Imperial I blogged about here. As a sign of the inflation surrounding the Turkey Rod Run, it was then listed at $5,800. Two weeks later it was $5,400. Still, a sweet old orphan car.
That evening, we grabbed some seafood and just lounged around the Taj Mahal.
Wednesday morning at about 9am, my cheap cell phone rings. It was thejeepjunkie.
"Hey longroof, whatcha doing?"
"Sleeping you Dumb*ss!"
"Well, I can hear the Rolex series practicing out at the track."
I quickly jumped out of bed with a "Thanks jeepjunkie!" and climbed in my huge shower. I got out, rousted Big J awake and mentioned we are going racing!
It perked him up also!
We left for the Daytona International Speedway a short time later.
We had to ride the trolley in, much as the youngsters, NotSoLilJim, LilMom, Sweet Sophie and this olelongrooffan had to do here.
So there we are sitting in that trolley
waiting to go through that big drainage pipe known as the Turn 1 tunnel. Incidentally, that tunnel is as old as this olelongrooffan!!
So, we got off that tram filled with about 30 redneck NASCAR fans and 4 dudes interested in Rolex racing.
Yeah, me, Big J and two other dudes. We hotfooted it from Victory Lane over through The Fan Zone and into the garage area.
When we arrived, I realized this was not this event but a limited number of Daytona Prototype and GT teams getting in some early practice.
Still cool though.
I started looking around and parked behind the Brumos Porsche's transporters, I saw a Porsche Panamera, Porsche's first production 4 door automobile.
The PorscheTouareg Cayenne doesn't count as it is, not only a Volkswagon, but also a SUV. Incidentally, since VW took over Porsche earlier this year, the rumor I've heard is that both are going to be dropped and Porsche will return to an exclusively Two Door, no not Tudor, sports car lineup.
I think it is a good decision for both Porsche and VW. Now if VW can stop marketing rebadged Chrysler minivans and rethink their vehicle naming process, all will be well in their world.
I turned around and got some shots of the garage area.
I love the above image. Spare nose and tail on a mobile gurney, just in case the Brumos team punts one into the infield. Check out the cooling hoses on that front end to the right.
Got a couple shots of some tires for the #59 Porsche Fab Car.
We then headed over to the garage side of this area and I spotted the new nose available for the Daytona Prototype this year. This is off the #77
while this is last year's model off the#60 DP.
Working on the 60 car.
And more Pirellis.
When Big J and this olelongrooffan were walking along beside the garages, we came upon the Spirit of Daytona Racing's garage.
Now I know why yesterday their garage over on Carswell was so buttoned up!
And the nose and tail of the 09 car above are constructed of carbon fiber.
And those guys rolled their DP right in front of Big J and this olelongrooffan!
We continued to stroll down the garage area and spotted this Porsche, as it was meant to be, with two doors
as well as this Mazda across the way by the transporters.
And another Porsche
Then we spotted this BMW 845. Sporting paint so fresh you could smell it.
And that is Boris Said at the front of this tuned 845.
Just down the way, we saw a new Camaro set up for Rolex Racing, GT class.
And at the end of the garage area, these tire dudes were hard at work.
Then Big J and this olelongrooffan decided to head over to the bleachers by the Horseshoe and check out the track action.
The Speedway infield sure looks alot different than it did during the Rod Run Weekend!
A couple cars out on the track....
Oh, and as Big J pointed out, "By The Numbers".
So we had a great day out there at the Speedway but as Big J was headed over to BBB's hometown, we decided to head back to the Taj Mahal so he could take off and beat the rush hour traffic on I-4 through downtown MickeyMouseLand on his way.
But not before we headed down on my, now free access, beach for a short virgin drive for Big J and his AWD 5 speed suv...
And that, Counters, is how, in Daytona Beach, Florida, on the 9th day of December, we
Celebrate Life.
Now, if I had been able to secure steady employment, I would have been really lucky.
But, alas, I digress.
I can hear you Counters out there in cyberland asking yourselves, "What has happened to this olelongrooffan for him to consider himself lucky?"
Well in addition to living in close geographic proximity to one of my four favorite brothers, thejeepjunkie, sharing in his and his family and friends exploits, and having some fantastic auto related experiences, several old long lost friends got in touch.
If you have been Counting Along With This olelongrooffan, you will remember when Jason stopped by last winter , when I headed down to FantasyLand for Christmas, and the time I met all those cops on the way back from Slocala.
Well Friday a week ago, I received a call from my buddy Justin. The story of how we met is contained in the first few paragraphs of this post.
Anyway, as seems to be so prevalent they days, Big J lost his job several weeks ago and is in the job search process. He is fortunate though as he has a specialized degree and can relocate to nearly anywhere.
He called and asked if he could stop by the Taj Mahal on his way from Pennsylvania to FantasyLand this past week?
"Of course Little Buddy, stop on by."
"See you Wednesday, longroof."
His plan was to leave PA on Sunday, spend the night in Virginia and then stop in Asheville, North Carolina and spend a couple days with a friend.
Well, those of you in Central and Eastern North America know this happened earlier this week.
Big J called me early on Monday morning inquiring if he could come in on Monday instead of Wednesday.
Sure Little Buddy, why?
Well he caught me up to date on the weather forecast and mentioned it was 29 degrees up there and he was freezing his *ss off and thinking about this olelongrooffan down in the Birthplace of Speed where it was a Sunny Chamber of Commerce kind of day and figured he would skiddaddle on down.
Come On Brother.
And He Did.
Arriving around 7 that evening.
We spent the evening reminiscing about old times and relating experiences we have had this past year and in general having a good time while consuming some hurricane supplies.
As Big J was wired from his 12 hour road trip that Monday, he was up quite late and managed to sleep in the guest suite of the Taj Mahal until around noon on Tuesday. After a hearty 7 course breakfast, 3 slices of sausage, 2 eggs and 2 pieces of toast=7 course breakfast.
Hey, it's my world and they know me here.
Anyway, we jumped in his sweet BMW suv, it's an all wheel drive 5 speed! and I proceeded to show him around my home town.
First, we cruised down A1A in anticipation of a beach drive but it was high tide and no vehicles are allowed. Maybe later.
We then head down to Main Street which during Bikeweek and Biktoberfest is closed to anything with more than 3 wheels. I pointed out my favorite parts store, home of my parts friends. We then cruised over to the Mainland and I showed him Historic Beach Street and we tooted the horn as we passed thejeepjunkie's shop.
I thought then we would head over to Carswell Street as it has a bunch of car related businesses and I always see something cool over on that street.
Not only that, but the Spirit of Daytona race team's shop is over there. One time the Kid and this olelongrooffan were out and about and passed by that shop, the doors and gates were wide open and he and I got a tour of the place! I thought that would be a blast for Big J.
However, when we passed that shop, it was buttoned up tighter than Barbara Bush's blouse. It seemed odd as the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is just over a month away and I figured there would be some serious wrenching going on there.
Oh well, let's just head over to the home of Motorsports Marketing. When we walked in their showroom lobby, we were asked by one of the dudes there if he could help us? I mentioned I had a buddy in from out of town and was showing the cooler parts of the area.
"Feel free to brouse around."
And We Did.
Their lobby was occupied by an original Mini Cooper, the late model Mini race car I had seen behind the fence last year, that old Model A rumbleseat, a Triumph TR3 race car and this Triumph GT6.
Big J was duly impressed. And that made me happy.
We then moved on, looking at a couple vintage car sales locations, even coming across that Imperial I blogged about here. As a sign of the inflation surrounding the Turkey Rod Run, it was then listed at $5,800. Two weeks later it was $5,400. Still, a sweet old orphan car.
That evening, we grabbed some seafood and just lounged around the Taj Mahal.
Wednesday morning at about 9am, my cheap cell phone rings. It was thejeepjunkie.
"Hey longroof, whatcha doing?"
"Sleeping you Dumb*ss!"
"Well, I can hear the Rolex series practicing out at the track."
I quickly jumped out of bed with a "Thanks jeepjunkie!" and climbed in my huge shower. I got out, rousted Big J awake and mentioned we are going racing!
It perked him up also!
We left for the Daytona International Speedway a short time later.
We had to ride the trolley in, much as the youngsters, NotSoLilJim, LilMom, Sweet Sophie and this olelongrooffan had to do here.
So there we are sitting in that trolley
waiting to go through that big drainage pipe known as the Turn 1 tunnel. Incidentally, that tunnel is as old as this olelongrooffan!!
So, we got off that tram filled with about 30 redneck NASCAR fans and 4 dudes interested in Rolex racing.
Yeah, me, Big J and two other dudes. We hotfooted it from Victory Lane over through The Fan Zone and into the garage area.
When we arrived, I realized this was not this event but a limited number of Daytona Prototype and GT teams getting in some early practice.
Still cool though.
I started looking around and parked behind the Brumos Porsche's transporters, I saw a Porsche Panamera, Porsche's first production 4 door automobile.
The Porsche
I think it is a good decision for both Porsche and VW. Now if VW can stop marketing rebadged Chrysler minivans and rethink their vehicle naming process, all will be well in their world.
I turned around and got some shots of the garage area.
I love the above image. Spare nose and tail on a mobile gurney, just in case the Brumos team punts one into the infield. Check out the cooling hoses on that front end to the right.
Got a couple shots of some tires for the #59 Porsche Fab Car.
We then headed over to the garage side of this area and I spotted the new nose available for the Daytona Prototype this year. This is off the #77
while this is last year's model off the#60 DP.
Working on the 60 car.
And more Pirellis.
When Big J and this olelongrooffan were walking along beside the garages, we came upon the Spirit of Daytona Racing's garage.
Now I know why yesterday their garage over on Carswell was so buttoned up!
And the nose and tail of the 09 car above are constructed of carbon fiber.
And those guys rolled their DP right in front of Big J and this olelongrooffan!
We continued to stroll down the garage area and spotted this Porsche, as it was meant to be, with two doors
as well as this Mazda across the way by the transporters.
And another Porsche
Then we spotted this BMW 845. Sporting paint so fresh you could smell it.
And that is Boris Said at the front of this tuned 845.
Just down the way, we saw a new Camaro set up for Rolex Racing, GT class.
And at the end of the garage area, these tire dudes were hard at work.
Then Big J and this olelongrooffan decided to head over to the bleachers by the Horseshoe and check out the track action.
The Speedway infield sure looks alot different than it did during the Rod Run Weekend!
A couple cars out on the track....
Oh, and as Big J pointed out, "By The Numbers".
So we had a great day out there at the Speedway but as Big J was headed over to BBB's hometown, we decided to head back to the Taj Mahal so he could take off and beat the rush hour traffic on I-4 through downtown MickeyMouseLand on his way.
But not before we headed down on my, now free access, beach for a short virgin drive for Big J and his AWD 5 speed suv...
And that, Counters, is how, in Daytona Beach, Florida, on the 9th day of December, we
Celebrate Life.
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