A Fine Day With 2 Beautiful Women and the Boys

My nephew's family, Lil Jim, Kristin, Trey, Austin and Beautiful Sophie Lee,

are visiting Kristin's retired parents down near Mickey Mouse land and drove up today to spend the afternoon visiting their Ormond Beach relatives.

It was absolutely wonderful! Those two women, Kristin and Sophie, are more beautiful in person than their photos on the bus show.

It is pretty cool. Kristin's dad retired after, I think, 37 years, from the St. Louis Zoo as the sea lion trainer. If you have ever seen the sea lions there, you have seen Kristin's Dad. Although, no offense, Mr. Winn, I don't remember you but I enjoyed your work. Thanks.

As an aside, here in the southeast, we have Winn Dixie grocery stores. Kristin's Mom's name is Dixie Winn.

We met at Daytona International Speedway around noon. They arrived just prior to me, still getting out of the car when I drove up. I was bummed out as I was hoping to be sitting in my beach chair when they drove up. The fact I had to turn around and go back to pick up my beach chair made me late. Oh well, the best laid plans blah blah blah.

Anyway, I had found a coupon on a previous reconnaissance mission worth $15 off our admission, right inside the souvenir store at Daytona USA. Thanks Brian France. Lil Jim, although he is not so little anymore, insisted on paying my admission. Thanks Jim.

Once inside, we wandered around a bit, I took this pic of Austin in an old race car.

We then looked around a little more. They have a display of some cars on the high banked oval and a place where you could walk up the same degree slope. The boys did it and it is not easy. I think it is something like 28 or 33 degrees. They have handrails on the simulated display. I have walked up that track without a handrail. It is not easy.

We then did a simulated race where you sit in "cockpits" of NASCAR's and race against each other. It is pretty cool, although Jim and I agreed, it was tough to see because of the low roof height. I don't know if they were yesterday's cars or todays. I raced the #24, just to piss off the bus, Jim raced the 44, Trey the 17 and Austin, next to me, the 20. Jim won, then Trey, John and Austin. I remember one time I looked over at Austin and he had a smile from ear to ear. I looked back at the screen in front of me and I was in the grass! It was funny. Had to remember to breathe the first couple laps but kept that accelerator to the floor the whole time.

Nope, this old man doesn't think he could be a racecar driver, no matter how much I would like to be.

That attraction also has a 45 minute IMAX presentation on NASCAR but we decided to pass on that.

Next tour the track on a shuttle.

We had about a 15 minute wait and toured the souvenir shop, 3 minutes, and waited outside and talked to Marlboro, Light.

The girls over there,

and the boys over here.

We all loaded on the tram and headed through the old tunnel to the infield. This old tunnel was built when the track was originally built in 1959. Think big steel drainage pipe, large enough to drive a tram through. But not a motorhome or semitruck. I have been through it countless times but for these kids, it was their first. I think they enjoyed it. I was surprised that tram was able to squeeze through, but of course it could, that is why DIS has them that size.

Now remember, I have been to this track, hell I don't know, couldn't count and don't really care, how many times. Just know it is a bunch. It was just the Lee's in the front tram with all the other tourists on the trailer. As we were cruising around, the driver was giving us some pretty lame statistics on the length of the track, the SAFER barrier, even what that acronym meant, the width of the blah blah blah.

I interjected commentary on what it was like being at an event. Pointed out the motorhome stalls, talked about the visit James and I had to the pits during the Rolex 24, pointing out where the old race cars are parked during the 24 hour race, the Fan Zone, the fleet of ambulances, fire trucks and track vehicles.
Just basic stuff about the experience of attending an event there.

I have been called The Tour Guide many times. Wait til the Vagas Experience.

Later, ole Joe the tram driver, stopped the tram near the pits and we got an opportunity to walk down on pit row. The Richard Petty Driving Experience is there on weekends and they had some cars out on pit row. Basically, you can do a ride along or even drive one if you got the right bucks. I'll stick with the simulator inside the air conditioned part of that show.

Shot a couple pics of the Lee's while we were there. No further comments on these.


Kristin has some really good ones.

As an aside, I find this humourous. Those who know NASCAR know that this year, the sanctioning body changed the front and rear of the race cars from this
to this

and this

to this

And anyone who knows this bit of trivia also knows this is the first year of the Toyota Camry competing full time. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Richard Petty's team as this
is the Car of Yesterday in Camry trim. Yeah, these cars are not so different anyways.

After the tour was over, the boys headed up to the grandstands to get an overall view. The girls, wisely, headed to a/c land.

Good looking group.

The view from above.

As another side note, I took the liberty of letting the two youngest run ahead and they climbed all the way to the top. Jim and I got about 2/3's the way there and that was enough. I can't remember the last time I was in the grandstands. I am there to work, after all.

After that, we headed to the beach for lunch. A mediocore restaurant, best known, by this old man, as a beachfront restaurant. I am sure it is fun to party at but the food was, just, okay. Although the youngsters feasted. Luckily, we were perched right close to the sweet tea dispenser. I refilled often, tried to get Trey to go but he was a bit shy, however Austin bellied up the bar. Jim, thanks for lunch. Although to point out I am not a total cheap skate, Jim took my contribution as the tip. You are great, Jim. Thanks for looking out for this old man.

Took the youngsters down to the beach and we shot these pics.



Gotta figure out the memory card on the Polaroid so I can increase the resolution and keep the memory.

On the way to the restaurant, on International Speedway Boulevard, I asked the youngsters, "What was your favorite part of DIS?" Trey said the simulator and Austin paid me a huge compliment. "It was your insight on the infield tour." I was floored and greatly honored. Fantastic kids!! Later, Kristin said she loved watching us on the simulator. Jim thought that was the best, too. My favorite part was being with family on my home turf.

Next it was off to my humble abodes.

Now remember, I moved to a two and a half room condo--not 2 bedroom, 2 room condo, a 5 minute walk from the beach, from this

and this

Dusting and Mowing was my life.

I don't miss it.

Anyway, it is a small place. When you walk in the front door, there is a living room and small kitchen. You then proceed into the bedroom.

Well, if you have gotten this far, you know how conventional I am. I made the living room into my bedroom and the bedroom is my living room. Yeah, I know. Even Ed advised against it, but with the furniture I have, it makes sense. Ed was over the other day and said, while sitting in my, as revised by me, living room, "This is a comfortable room." I felt vindicated.

Shot a few pics of the Lil Jim Lee family while we were here.




That girl is beautiful and look at the joy on Mom's face.

After we left, we stopped by a tourist trap to get a bumper sticker for the Bus, not this bus but this Bus.

Unsuccessful, but while we were there, a moment here..It seems that John F. Kennedy silver dollar sized turtles are all the rage at the tourist shops here. I mean, there are signs in front of nearly every one of them stating they have them. This place was no different. While we were there, Austin spotted them and liked them.

After we left this trap, I asked the youngsters, they rode with me...I was honored...Austin suggested I should get a turtle so that I wouldn't be alone. Childhood Insight. I told him that if I wanted company, I would get a woman. He said, "You could get a woman turtle". I am still laughing about that.

I also asked them what was the coolest thing at my place, and later, Kristin and Jim. Here are the results.

Kristin:

This is an old caravan with a Simca and trailer I got in Europe on a visit in 1992. Kristin loved the curtains in the trailer. Norev plastic. Fragile, but Durable. Dates from the 60's. 1/43 scale.

Jim:

This is a 1959 Ford f250 in 1/16 diecast. A favorite of Ed's and James' Lee, as well as mine.

Trey:

An XKE like the one LeRoy Lane had that I fell in love with as a kid. 1/16 scale diecast.

Austin:

This is an H/O scale 1959 Plymouth Suburban Longroof. I love this one, too. Interestingly enough, it is also my password to an unnamed website. Also, enjoyably enough, at least to me, all my passwords are cars, greenbriar, corniche, jeepster, volvo850, 89ragtop. I know, I am crazy.

So, on to Ed's.

On the way, we passed a cemetary, Pilgrims Rest, a place of which I had not yet noticed. Austin pipes up, from the back seat, as Trey called "Shotgun" as he was first out the door of the previously mentioned tourist trap...this custom as you had to be out the door before you could claim "Shotgun" I did not previously know...anyway, Austin pipes up, "Is that where the Pilgrims are buried?" I am a dad but how do you answer that? I suggested that maybe some were but not all of them.

So we got to the Ed Lee household. Ed was on his way and Cheryl and the kids were straightening up the garage. As usual, Cheryl was her sweet accommodating self. She is a real treasure and Ed is lucky to have her in his life.

Introductions were made all around. Taylor had just returned from a pool party and hit the shower. Jim took his girls inside in the air conditioning with Cheryl, after recognizing, "I can see the boys hang out here in the garage." I have visited that home numerous times and never set foot inside the house, outside of the garage.

Took this pic of the cousins. Then went inside to get a shot of the gorgeous blondes.



Cheryl is sitting in that great ole Eleanor Bansbach rocking chair they were so lucky to be bestowed.

Ed showed up minutes later and the real Lee experiences commenced.

The youngsters were going through a skateboard withdrawal. They found James' and Taylor's boards and jumped right on them. Thankfully, the Dads of the kids present made an "Outside the Garage Rule". I am sorry, they get on my nerves. Jim and Ed agreed but Jim did say "Dad (the bus) doesn't seem to mind them." I told him that his Dad has a script to valium. The Lee adults got a chuckle out of that and Ed says, "How do I get that?"


Somewhat later, I stopped in to see how the womanfolk were doing. Okay. Taylor had gotten out of the shower and was chatting with them. Sorry, no pics as Ed and I agreed, our daughters are not going to be posted on the numbers until they are old enough to hurt any guy who approaches them. Not a comment, just a decision.

I came back out and here is what I saw.

Apparently, James had taken the ole CJ, I will never refer to its year again, I am still confused, for a trip around the 'hood and the idle had gotten off. After Ed reprimanded James about this excursion, they set that idle straight, with Lil Jim, like Uncle John, standing back and watching the action.

Later, I told Ed to relate the story of how he parlayed, not a bathroom remodel, but a trio of Sheriff's Office impounded Hobie Cats into this Jeep. That is another blog but you might hear it in person sometime. If not, I will blog it later.

Later, we we just sitting around bullshitting, talking about, and I wrote it down:

Jim Scow's Blue Bronco
Aunt Jane
Jim's blowout on his Dodge Powerwagon
skateboards and 1/4 pipes
Stickers for the Bus, of which Lil Jim made off with a treasuretrove
"Press Tight"
Ed's generator, hurricanes, FEMA and my connection to all that
Ed's trip last Pepsi 400 with Daytona first time attendees on Victory Lane at DIS
and tons of more Lee BS that is just as memorable.

As the Ed Lees are spending the weekend in Ocoee, about 1 1/2 hours away, for a baseball tournament for Taylor, Cheryl had to, regretably leave to do the obligatory grocery shopping and the day, for me, was drawing to a close.

But before that, the boys had to have a Jeep ride.
While Kristin, James, myself, and a very tired, but thoroughly well behaved, Sophie hung out in Ed's living room.

Jim, Kristin, Trey, Austin and Sophie, I am extremely honored you made the effort to battle the Mickey Mouse traffic to travel the, not quite, two hours to get here, but to include me in what will be a memorable vacation for the boys.

Big Jim and Regina, you have done a fantastic job instilling values in "Lil" Jim and, for that, I am immensely proud.

Lil Jim and Kristine, you kids, I am old enough to say that, are doing equally as well. Keep it up for your kids are our future.

Love you and thanks for the memories.

See ya soon.

johnjohn