Even Seagulls Read This Blog

Yes, Counters, even seagulls are Counting Along With Us. Do you know how I am aware of this? My blogs in 09 have pointed out what a great year this is, thus far. The seagulls have read this and treated me

to this sight this morning as I left the Taj Mahal.

That's right, my oleragtop was covered with bird poop. The entire time I have lived at the Taj Mahal, I have never observed bird poop on my cars. Therefore, those seagulls decided that I am way too optimistic and added these droppings to my, otherwise, pristine oleragtop in an attempt to bring me down.

Not gonna happen.

I dropped the top on that oleragtop and headed over to check my mail.

I live in a sprawling community of duplexes and triplexes and, while the streets are public, they are seldom travelled upon by others who do not live here. The Taj Mahal can be seen in the background of that image. I have always thought of it as a private little community.

Anyway, I got my daughter's, as well as the ad goddess in Orlando's, Christmas card.

Upon leaving that mail kiosk, I blew through a Stop Sign, pulling out in front of a white Chevy Impala. I then looked in my rear view mirror and spotted a laptop near the dashboard. Sh*t, I thought, shaking my head, as I knew I had blown through that Stop Sign in front of an Ormond Beach Cop. Sure enough, the blue lights came on and I pulled the oleragtop over. The Cop walks up to the oleragtop and says, "Judging by the way you shook your head, you know why I pulled you over." I nodded and said, "Yeah, I just blew through that Stop Sign." He chuckled and agreed. I got out my information and he recited my address and I mentioned it was within this community, a block away. He took my license and registration and went back to his unmarked, except for the telltale laptop, cruiser. I was watching him in my rear view, thinking the whole time that the last thing I need is another ticket, and he made one call on his radio and didn't use his laptop the whole time. After about 10 nerve racking minutes, he came back to the oleragtop, gave me back my info, and no ticket. He just said, "Happy New Year." I thanked him like some pathetic moron and took off for thejeepjunkie's shop.

Take that, seagulls.

Upon arrival, I spotted those new Jeep wheels and the gas tank I helped thejeepjunkie remove from his CJ2A yesterday.

As I have mentioned previously, thejeepjunkie has the local FHP account. Today, I met Cotton, a trooper I had not previously met, although I have heard of him. thejeepjunkie and Cotton related a story to me and it goes as follows.

thejeepjunkie had an employee he wanted to get rid of. Said employee was speeding down I-95 in a company truck, 93 in a 70 related Cotton, and Cotton pulled that dude over. Realizing he was thejeepjunkie's employee, Cotton let that dude off. When thejeepjunkie heard this story later, he accosted Cotton telling him he has been working on how to fire that dude and a ticket would have been the perfect reason.

Since then, any time the local FHP pulls over any of thejeepjunkie's employees, and it has been often, they always call him to see if a ticket should be issued.

While thejeepjunkie, myself, and the soon to be retiring, Cotton were standing around watching Slow Mike change the bodily fluids in that cruiser, I related my mail box story about the Birthplace of Speed's finest. Cotton started to laugh his ass off. "Yeah, John, sometimes we just like to mess around like that."

All and all a great conversation with him and, like me, his daughter is currently in the same employment situation as the longrooffan and we commensurated about that.

Plus, he was exploring my blog when I arrived!!! What a treat. Nice to meet you Cotton.

Take that, you foul seagulls!

I soon bolted and headed up US1 to wash that seagull residue off the oleragtop. I passed by the awesomely renovated building of Motorsports Marketing, publisher of Grassroots Motorsports and Classic Motorsports Magazines, two of my favorite, and locally based, print publications. I thought I would stop and get you a shot of their cool, retro building. They always have something exquisite in their lobby.

Last time I was there it was a classic Mini and, if this oleman remembers correctly, a Triumph TR3. Today they had a SAAB rally car. One staff member owns an old AMC Eagle 4WD wagon but today there was an old Volare, or maybe an Aspen, in their lot.

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy a look at that sweet old building, refreshed for a new life. You can check out their websites here and here. Drop them an email and they will send you an issue, free. The net dude working there, Baxter, has even left a comment or two on this blog. Sweet!!

Take that, you nasty seagulls.

So I headed back up US1 and, on the way, I spotted this ole BMW 2002. Pretty sweet and undergoing a cosmetic restoration.

This coupe is the predecessor to my oleragtops and is well worth saving.

Those round tail lamps reminded me of the olestationbus and I am confident new badges are on the way.

Surprisingly, I don't think I have previously noticed it, but glad I did today.

It was a sweet find.

Take that, you silly seagulls.

I then stopped by my favorite health food store for a loaf of $1.25 Pepperidge Farm bread. Seems the owner of this establishment knows the local Pepperidge Farm and Arnold's bread distributor. My favorite grocery store doesn't want the bread they price at $3.49 less than a week from expiration in their stores so the distributor sells it to my favorite health food store and I don't have to eat the store BBB protects white bread, priced at $1.33 a loaf, anymore. Between the Kid and the longrooffan, milk and bread don't last long in the Taj Mahal anyway.

$1.25 for a loaf of delicious wheat bread.

Take that, you foolish seagulls.

So I then headed down to the beach for my daily drive. Because, Why Not?

In the distance, I spotted this cool old Westfalia Camper. Of course, I had to stop and get some images of it.

Well, this ole longrooffan sure got an education from its Owner. It's not a Westphalia, it is a Riviera. What? Well it seems that a VW dealer in the Northwest couldn't get enough Westphalia's to meet the demand from its clientele and had a local firm build their own version. Learn new stuff every day.

Turns out these folks are from Washington State and are relocating to this part of the country.

As I was chatting it up with these folks, I asked "Why?". The response, "After 30 years of dreary, grey, rainy weather, we thought some sunshine would be a welcome relief for our retirement." Even old hippies retire to the Sunshine State!!

They are some fine folks. I turned them on to the cool atlas I got from Wallyworld showing all the county roads in the state, the cool beach mentioned here and mentioned the town of Deland, a progressive, albeit inland, community near here, where thejeepjunkie finds all his cool Jeep parts.

A lived in Riviera but well loved and highly desirable.

It was great to see that old Bus, learn something new, and remember the one I used to own. Maybe another is in my future.

So, to recap, those seagulls thought they were going to make this 5th day of 09 miserable for the ole longrooffan. Sorry.

Seagulls=0
Longrooffan=+5.

I am glad I can see through the bird poop and continue to

Celebrate Life.