"Happy Decoration Day"

So, last year thehorsefarmer and his gorgeous wife, thebarngoddess, relocated to the Nation's Oldest City, this olelongrooffan thinks thehorsefarmer just wanted to be closer to the Fountain of Youth. Anyway, they have taken to the Florida lifestyle very nicely. thebarngoddess loves the beach and thehorsefarmer rides his bike all around even in the depths of winter.

We get to see each other often and they always treat me to a rare restaurant meal. thebarngoddess always tells me that I cannot order fish, "You need to eat something that will put meat on your bones." I love her for that and so much more.

Well anyway, this olelongrooffan really thought they were going to make some d*mn fine representatives of the Sunshine State until yesterday.



You see, down here in the southeast we have these little things called tropical depressions and hurricanes to deal with. It's okay though, those of us who have been here for a while know to just stock up on hurricane supplies and ride the storm out.

Well, Tropical Storm Beryl is threatening the southeast coast this weekend and what does thehorsefarmer do?



Well the scaredy cat that he is, he hooks up his big*ssed truck to his



big*ssed trailer and scoots it on out of town under the disguise of "I need to go the Ozarks to pick up thelittleprincess so she can spend a few weeks down here." Yeah, right horsefarmer. This olelongrooffan believes ya. Seriously I do.

However, I am certain those of you Counting Along With Me know that this olelongrooffan has properly



stocked up on the necessary hurricane supplies and I am ready to share aps and tales with Beryl.

And know this weekend we all will

Celebrate Life.

And remember Those Who Gave Everything for all of us.

Life Is Tough

Yeah, my fellow Counters, life is tough.  While the economy seems to be improving, although at a glacier's pace, world peace seems to be a bit closer, a couple good friends haven't been back in touch with me in quite some time and my social life is virtually nonexistant.  Not only that, due to my financial situation, this longrooffan has been forced to get a roommate.  And it really sucks.  He's super popular, all the girls think he's adorable and he is certainly much better prepared for the cold weather we have been experiencing than I am. 

This olelongrooffan Got The Kenman's Christmas Card!!

So this olelongrooffan received my annual Christmas card from my buddy the Kenman.   The last time we spoke, he mentioned he had sold, finally, a vintage Mustang Shelby he has owned for 41 years. Yes, that's right Counters. 41 years. Of course, the fact he has bought and sold several hundred other cool cars over the years makes this believable.



The Kenman also related the story of the above Suzuki. It seems he and his gorgeous wife, Blondie....yeah, noone in my life is without a nickname....were heading from Blondie's home in Naples up to the Kenman's place in Door County, Wisconsin last spring. Just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, they stopped to grab a bite to eat and spend the night, and knowing the Kenman,  in some ultra cheap hotel. After they enjoyed some southern bar-b-que, they adjourned to the elcheapo hotel across the way. As they were checking in, a severe tornado popped on through, wiped out that bbq place and blew this sign down on the Kenman's daily driver Suzuki. He conned persuaded a couple local yokels to give him a 70 mile ride to acquire a U-Haul so he and Blondie could get the hell out of town. He filed an insurance claim with some roving claims adjuster from his insurance company and did beat it the hell out of there, leaving his Suzuki exactly as you Counters see it in that photo! The Kenman's comment was, "What am I going to do with a totalled Suzuki?  Tow it to Wisconsin?"

Did this olelongrooffan also mention "total police state? breaking into an electricity challenged hotel room to spend the night? the long line of tornado refugees heading toward a evacuation required school bus? Well, those of you Counting Along With Me get the idea.



So anyway, back to the Kenman's Christmas card. I know he is a true buddy, and a fellow car guy as well, as he always keeps an eye out on future vehicles for this olelongrooffan. He spotted this vintage Open Road Econoline somewhere in his travels and got this picture of it to forward to me. It just needs a little work to get it into shape and up to speed.



Or this olelongrooffan could get rid of some of my sh*t and just move into it and be done with it.

These Interwebs Ain't All That Big

This olelongrooffan has mentioned a couple different times that I do some posting over at Curbside Classic as well as in the Hooniverse.

Well, this evening over at CC, I commented on a comment by Mr. Tactful on the post about the Buick Century coupe.  He is from my hometown of Springfield, Missouri and I mentioned that in my comment.  He replied that he had inferred that from some of my posts and that he is facebook friends with the Bus.  I thought that was pretty wild and thought maybe you would too.

And just so this short post will have an image, how about one that shows what will be here sooner than we would like?

And this summer when out playing mini golf or selling F1 owner's manuals or feeding the chickens or mowing the back forty or taking care of the kids or saving lives at Costco or working on old CJ's or attending Formula 1 races, remember to

Celebrate Life.

Just A Quick Weather Comment

Even though there is a "freeze warning" down here in the Birthplace of Speed for overnite on Wednesday, this olelongrooffan is proud to note that the Sunshine State was the only State in the Union, including Hawaii, not to have received any snow during the last couple days!

You Counters out there stay safe and warm.

BTW, horsefarmer this is the image I was asking you about last year.

And know this about that...pointing out cr*p like this is how this olelongrooffan continues to

Celebrate Life.

Yeah, It's A Little Chilly At The Taj Mahal Tonite

And even though this olelongrooffan doesn't have a garage, I do have a couple really warm blankets and can continue to

Celebrate Life.

Well Hurricane Danielle Drifted On By.

and she was gracious to leave us some rain, wind and waves.

It's been kind of a lazy day around the Taj Mahal this Sunday.

When I woke up this morning, there was a gentle rain with the sound of the surf in the background. It was around 7:30 and this olelongrooffan determined there was absolutely nothing pressing for him to do today.

So I said a quick prayer of thanks for waking up and then this olelongrooffan rolled over and went back to sleep.

Three times.

I finally drug my sorry *ss out of that massive California King in the master suite of the Taj Mahal and fixed me up some breakfast grub.

By this time it had stopped raining but was a cool, windy 78 degrees. Not much was stirring around and the sound of the surf was pretty noticable.

So, you Counters out there know what this olelongrooffan did, don't you?

If you guessed that I headed down to check out the surf, you would be 100% correct.

However, this olelongrooffan did put on a pair of jeans for the first time since April. Yeah, it was rather chilly.

The wave were pretty big, I'd put them at about 8-10' but were not well formed enough for
the surfer dudes hanging around to get any action.
There were white caps on those distant waves as far as this olelongrooffan could see.
The palms were getting pretty beat up by that strong wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean here in the Birthplace of Speed.
The lifeguard was pretty relaxed in that mobile red chair as the only hoons in this area in the water were in water just up to their knees.
I shot a quick video, cut your volume down pretty quickly, of the scene and you can hear the wind whipping around. I had to put my ball cap on Ron Style to keep it from blowing off my head.


This olelongrooffan then returned to the Taj Mahal, surfed the net for a few hours, took a nap, did some dishes and now I'm getting ready to make a bit of dinner.

Yeah, sometimes lazy days are the way to

Celebrate Life.

Just Saying

This olelongrooffan is sitting on the front porch of the Taj Mahal enjoying the ocean breeze and watching more
gecko porn, live.

Now, as some of you Counters out there will remember, this olelongrooffan is still without steady employment. Hell, I didn't even make the cut for a Planning Aide position in the Daytona Beach Planning Department. I still meet with Manuel Labor though.

As a consequence of my state of employment, this olelongrooffan made the decision not to run the air conditioner in the massive Taj Mahal this summer. I just can't afford a buck and a half per month for the privilege of cooled air.

It is alright though as there is almost always an ocean breeze here, even though it is regularly in the low 90's with about 80% humidity. I just wear a pair of shorts when around the Taj.

An added bonus is that it just doesn't seem that hot to me.

Well, these interwebs tell me that most of the good ole USA is in the middle of a heat wave and this olelongrooffan empathizes with ya'll but remember these days will be here real soon.

And even though it is hot as h*ll out, remember to

Celebrate Life.

This olelongrooffan Can Live With Hurricanes And A High Temp Today Of 54

The Cold CJ2A

So, as this olelongrooffan has pointed out in my last couple blogs, it is cold down here in the Home of The World's Most Famous Beach. Snow on the ground Saturday morning and it was cold and blustery all day long.

Well, this morning the sun rose and provided we Floridiots a clear and cold day. At 5:20 this fine Sunday evening, the sun is just starting to set and it is a chipper 38 degrees on the front porch of the Taj Mahal.

When this wonderful weather set in earlier this week, thesungoddess told thejeepjunkie that the Kid needed to use thejeepjunkie's new ride to get to and from Beachside High School until this weather passed. After all, the Kid has to pick up the Kid's sister after school these days and it is too cold for her to ride in the open air of the Kid's CJ5.

So, thejeepjunkie has been relegated to driving one of those vehicles from which his name is derived. Either the Kid's CJ5 or thejeepjunkie's CJ2A.

So every evening this week at Happy Hour hosted by this olelongrooffan at the Taj Mahal, thejeepjunkie would show up in, at least, four or five layers of clothing, scarf, hat and gloves. TheGoodAttorney and this olelongrooffan get a chuckle out of it every time.

Friday night, thejeepjunkie was running late and TheGoodAttorney asked me where he was. I commented he was probably still layering those clothes on in an attempt to stay somewhat warm in that open air, no heater equipped, mid 60's era CJ5. We both chuckled and thejeepjunkie showed up shortly and we related that story and he got a chuckle out of it also.

Well, earlier this afternoon, the massive telephone system in the Taj Mahal lights up indicating an incoming call.

I snag it and it is thejeepjunkie,

"Whatca doing longroof?"

"Trying to stay warm, jeepjunkie, how about you?"

"Down on the beach trying to get this old couple unstuck!! Got a...oh wait, the Beach Patrol is heading this way. Talk to ya soon."

And we severed our cellular connection.

About 10 minutes later, thejeepjunkie rolls up in his 2A and heads to the ornate entry door the Taj Mahal possesses.

"Hello the camp" is the familiar admission phrase and this olelongrooffan heads over to the huge refrigerator to get thejeepjunkie a "cold pop", although the can version, for his consumption.

He strips off those layers, all the while saying "I gotta pee!!"

Oh well, sorry about your luck.

Well, he does so and settles into "his" chair at the Taj Mahal.

Yeah, much like Norm and Cliff, TheGoodAttorney, thejeepjunkie and this olelongrooffan, well, we each have our favorite chair and each of us sits in our favorite chair every time we get together, both inside the overwhelming living room or on that sprawling, flag bearing, front porch.

So thejeepjunkie mentioned he was AWOLhad a hall pass for a couple hours this afternoon and was headed this way and thought he would drive down My Beach for the mile, or so, drive from Granada Blvd. down to the Cardinal Drive beach access nearest the Taj Mahal.

As he pulled onto the beach, even though the "Soft Sand, 4 wheel drived vehicles only" sign was posted, this older tourist couple had pulled down on that beach and gotten stuck.

Really Stuck.

Now, as a rule of thumb, when driving on the beach and you are starting to get stuck, don't try and go faster to get out, it is all about momentum. Spinning those drive line wheels will just get you stuck.

Real stuck.

thejeepjunkie valiantly tried to pull that stuck to the engine front wheel drive '09 Impala rental car out but to no avail. He even broke one of his chains doing so. The tow strap this olelongrooffan found out at a swap meet and had gotten for the Kid's CJ5 was in its resting place and thejeepjunkie does not have one for his bright yellow 1946 CJ2A, a situation I will have to rectify soon.

Anyway, the Beach Patrol show up and thejeepjunkie tells the somewhat exaporated Beach Patrol officer to take it easy on the old man as his wife had already read him the riot act.

That understanding BP officer followed that suggestion and between the two of them they got those, somewhat contrite, money spending tourists on their way.

While thejeepjunkie is relating this story, guess what this olelongrooffan is doing?

Trying to figure a way to blog it.

That's right, Counters, always thinking of you.

Well, since I don't have photographic proof of this, this olelongrooffan had to, after thejeepjunkie suited up to head back to the Kid's house, I had to go out into this frigid weather to get an image of thejeepjunkie as he wipes that beach sand from the various body parts of his 2A.

Yeah, it may be sunny, but does "Clear and Cold" mean anything to you Counters?

thejeepjunkie climbed into the cockpit of that ole2A and, of course, it fired right up.

this olelongrooffan walked a little closer to that pretty machine and told thejeepjunkie to turn on the seat warmers!!

He laughed and said the only seat warmer in his life is when he stands with his backside up against the roaring fire commonplace this week in the fireplace at the Kid's house.

And that is how, down here in The Sunshine State we

Celebrate Life.

Yeah, It Is Cold

4:10 pm on January 10, 2010. 36 degrees with a wind chill of 25 in Daytona Beach, Florida!

That's okay, although it is cold, we still

Celebrate Life.

"Slight chance of snow possible early today"

Yeah, that is the headline of the Daytona Beach News Journal this morning.

"A state meteorologist sums up the weekend forecast in just four words: "very cold and raw."

"No snow fell locally Friday, but a slight chance remains this morning for flurries, along with sleet and rain."

"A persistent wind today with gusts up to 20 mph will make the temperature feel about 28 degrees."

"The clouds will clear during the day, allowing temperatures to drop into the mid to upper 20s for several hours tonight."

"Similar lows are expected Sunday night."

That's it. This olelongrooffan is moving to Florida.

Oh, Wait.

Well, with free vehicular access for my olestationbus to My Beach and this down blanket, I can still

Celebrate Life.

I Think My Thermometer Has Dyslexia

Yeah, it reads 36.

But this olelongrooffan just puts on a sweater and continues to

Celebrate Life.

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.

Yeah, Winter Is On Our Doorstep, Too

Yeah, winter is coming to the Birthplace of Speed, albeit at a leisurely pace. As I am blogging this at 3:34 pm on Wednesday, it is overcast and the temperature of 83 degrees with a wind chill of 92.

Now one of the things I do for my Boca Raton based landlord is keep an eye on my 87 year old neighbor and trim the shrubs around the Taj Mahal. The condo association maintains the lawn but plant maintenance is the responsibility of the owners of the building.

The first time I realized my landlord was responsible was when I returned to the Taj Mahal one day last summer and he was out front trimming the shrubs. He relayed the information about plant maintenance and I told him that it was ridiculous for him to drive nearly 4 hours one way, spend 2 hours trimming the scrubs and then spent 4 hours driving home.

I told him that since he was so considerate toward me and the timeliness of my rent payment that from now on, this olelongrooffan will take care of it.

And I do.

Well, this olelongrooffan has only trimmed those plants once since thejeepjunkie and TheGoodAttorney started coming to Happy Hour at the Taj Mahal on a regular basis.

And Man, did they give me a ration of sh*t about the quality of the trimming this olelongrooffan did to those shrubs.

And, as I said at the time, "It is like a bad haircut, it will always grow back."

Well, as you can see in the below image,

that orange rake is my snow shovel.

Well, yesterday, this olelongrooffan trimmed those bushes and hauled the trimmings to the curb for The Man to come by and pickup today in one of those big green trucks.

Now, at Happy Hour, thejeepjunkie sits in the center chair and looks at this plant every night, b*tching about the shape of it.

I had left TheGoodAttorney's electric hedge trimming device on the front porch as I am definitely not going to trim this bush ever again.

The one seen below is directly in the field of vision or TheGoodAttorney and last week he trimmed it off the sidewalk out front of the Taj Mahal so my 87 year old neighbor

could get his Hot Rod out and about.

I shot a short video of thejeepjunkie in action just as TheGoodAttorney was arriving.

Over the noise of that $5 trimmer, you can hear TheGoodAttorney give the, among us, universal greeting, "Hello The Camp" and as he walks by his comment was "Happy Hour sure is noisy this evening." Gotta love his sense of humor.

And even though this olelongrooffan had to haul those trimmings thejeepjunkie created to the street, it is getting those two guys to help me with yard work that helps me to

Celebrate Life.

Yeah, We Had A Storm Saturday

So last evening I was sitting in the massive living room of the Taj Mahal, reading this and listening to my super impressive stereo system and they interrupt my tunes with the squawk from the National Weather Service denoting a tornado warning just a few miles north of the Birthplace of Speed.

So I head out to check out the sky to the north and man was it chaos.

I got a couple images of the storm as it was moving in. Yeah, I had to include a shot of the olestationbus and the oleragtop out in front of the Taj Mahal.

I then shot a couple videos, each less than a minute long.

The above video doesn't really do the clouds justice. But, Man, it was windy. While I was shooting this, the temperature dropped 5-10 degrees. It was a bit scary.

I headed back in just barely avoiding becoming drenched. When I was shooting the second video, you can't really tell but the rain falling was nearly horizontal!! And how about that lightning and clap of thunder about 1/2 way through!!

And it is surviving a storm like this that lets me

Celebrate Life.