It was around 10:30 last night when I’d just finished reading my vampire book by a handcrank flashlight when I heard excited voices and other noises out in the back yard.
Then the lights flashed and I heard cheering outside. Our power had been off ALL day. The northern blew in at around 9 a.m. yesterday taking out a lot of power lines causing havoc in the schools and at homes all over Corpus Christi. At first it was kind of exciting – pulling out the candles before dark, making sure the flashlights were all loaded with fresh batteries, taking a bath by candlelight! (thanks to our gas water heater) But as time went on and I had to go to bed with wet hair which promised me an exciting hairdo this morning (and yes, it is as bad as I’d anticipated!) I no longer wanted to pretend to be camping!
It is only 46 degrees here this morning! The furnace is not on and do not expect it to come on. In fact the air conditioner will certainly be on later today. Perhaps I should try to do something with this hair before going to the office?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
"Willie Nelson, Ladies and Gentlemen!"
I’d nearly forgotten that we had tickets to a Willie Nelson concert last night. Actually I did not forget, but had been dreading it for quite some time – not the listening to Willie, although at times it is nearly more than I can handle. It was the actual GOING to the concert, dealing with the crowd, and not knowing exactly where it was or what to expect when we arrived.
We survived the concert, but more importantly we survived 'Concrete Street', the outdoor venue where the concert was held. We didn’t get towed away, only had to walk a mile (on Roger’s bad knee, that was fun…both knees were hurting by the time we arrived at Concrete Street), and we only nearly got pitched in jail once…no, make that twice.
We had to stand in line to get frisked at the gate, stand in line to get a $3 bottle of water (they would not let me keep the bottle cap – I suppose it could be used as a weapon of sorts), stand in line to get to our seats only to be turned away because we’d not stood in line to get a wristband for our reserved seats (jail threat #1), stand in line to actually get our wristbands, stand in line again to get our seats, listen to 3 hours of very loud country rock and two other bands, sit behind a row of boisterous females, (the one in front of me with a large cowboy hat - thank goodness that group left after the first hour of Willie). Then on the way out they tried to take away what was left of our $3 bottle of water and Roger threw a fit (I thought we were going to the brink for certain when he grabbed the bottle back from the woman and said it was his, he’d paid for it and he was taking it with him!)
We made it the additional mile back to the car and found it still parked there – amazing since the tow trucks were cruising the area looking for suckers. Anyway, that is the last time we have to go to Concrete Street. There cannot be anything there again that will be important enough for us to see. It was like a big smelly, smoke-filled, drunken bar.
When Willie Nelson finally did arrive, the music calmed down to Willie style and my ears eventually stopped pulsating, however they are still ringing. The last hour of Willie was very good since many people had left and we could see well…not actually well, but nearly unobstructed. He closed out the show about 4 times before finally leaving, so Roger had a great time from 11:00 p.m. till midnight when the show finally really did end. I only slept through about an hour of the tortuous portions.
Willie Nelson…been there done that. Next time we will just buy the CD.
We survived the concert, but more importantly we survived 'Concrete Street', the outdoor venue where the concert was held. We didn’t get towed away, only had to walk a mile (on Roger’s bad knee, that was fun…both knees were hurting by the time we arrived at Concrete Street), and we only nearly got pitched in jail once…no, make that twice.
We had to stand in line to get frisked at the gate, stand in line to get a $3 bottle of water (they would not let me keep the bottle cap – I suppose it could be used as a weapon of sorts), stand in line to get to our seats only to be turned away because we’d not stood in line to get a wristband for our reserved seats (jail threat #1), stand in line to actually get our wristbands, stand in line again to get our seats, listen to 3 hours of very loud country rock and two other bands, sit behind a row of boisterous females, (the one in front of me with a large cowboy hat - thank goodness that group left after the first hour of Willie). Then on the way out they tried to take away what was left of our $3 bottle of water and Roger threw a fit (I thought we were going to the brink for certain when he grabbed the bottle back from the woman and said it was his, he’d paid for it and he was taking it with him!)
We made it the additional mile back to the car and found it still parked there – amazing since the tow trucks were cruising the area looking for suckers. Anyway, that is the last time we have to go to Concrete Street. There cannot be anything there again that will be important enough for us to see. It was like a big smelly, smoke-filled, drunken bar.
When Willie Nelson finally did arrive, the music calmed down to Willie style and my ears eventually stopped pulsating, however they are still ringing. The last hour of Willie was very good since many people had left and we could see well…not actually well, but nearly unobstructed. He closed out the show about 4 times before finally leaving, so Roger had a great time from 11:00 p.m. till midnight when the show finally really did end. I only slept through about an hour of the tortuous portions.
Willie Nelson…been there done that. Next time we will just buy the CD.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
~ Glad That's Over ~
Hooray! Glad that's over! Last weekend netted us some really great numbers at the Texas Mile in Goliad, Texas...we walked away from the mile intact (and believe me walking away is much better than riding out in an ambulance)...no broken bones ...motorcycle in one piece still covered in pink, white and silver flower decals, and turbo Hayabusa still running!
Remembering last March's Texas Mile event, a nervous Jen hopped onto the bike early Saturday morning. Conditions were ideal. An early run with low winds, warm temperatures (okay, it was hot, but it is South Texas, what do you expect?) gave us hopes for a good shakedown run on the turbo busa. The weekend's ultimate goal? To run over 200 mph!I can't begin to tell you how nervous I was and all the preparation in the world would not change that. Jen got in line for her first run down the Mile. She was given the go ahead and off she went! I tried to video tape it - but honestly if her hands were shaking as much as mine, the bike would never have stayed on track. When she returned to our pit area we checked the bike over; the GPS said she had run 201 mph! but her time slip said she'd crossed the 1-mile marker traveling at a slow 118. She had let off at the 3/4 marker because she just did not feel 'comfortable.' Hey - if she is not comfortable, I'm not comfortable...my question - how do you feel 'comfortable' at 201 mph?
After a thorough going over of the bike - and of the rider - Jen once again headed for a very long line at the start of the Mile. Before we knew it she was off and down the Mile where about 30 seconds later she passed the 1-mile marker with a MPH of 203! We were estatic! Our original goal was met. An additional pass that day brought her to a whopping 211.6 MPH run :) And there was always tomorrow!
It was decided that Roger would try his hand at this 200 MPH stuff on Sunday. He made one run down the Mile - 211.3 mph! One run! He got off the bike and said, "she's all yours." He was finished and we were all quite pleased. Now - the question..."she's all yours???" No, he was not talking to me - there is NO way I am getting on that bike even to take it down the street - that bike is a MONSTER!
After a thorough going over of the bike - and of the rider - Jen once again headed for a very long line at the start of the Mile. Before we knew it she was off and down the Mile where about 30 seconds later she passed the 1-mile marker with a MPH of 203! We were estatic! Our original goal was met. An additional pass that day brought her to a whopping 211.6 MPH run :) And there was always tomorrow!It was decided that Roger would try his hand at this 200 MPH stuff on Sunday. He made one run down the Mile - 211.3 mph! One run! He got off the bike and said, "she's all yours." He was finished and we were all quite pleased. Now - the question..."she's all yours???" No, he was not talking to me - there is NO way I am getting on that bike even to take it down the street - that bike is a MONSTER!
Jen took the Stage 1 Turbo Busa down the track 
3 more times that day, beginning with 213 MPH and ending with a whopping 216.506 MPH run which gave her the offical Texas Mile record of 'Fastest Female Ever on the Texas Mile!' It also makes her the 2nd fastest female on two wheels in the nation...
3 more times that day, beginning with 213 MPH and ending with a whopping 216.506 MPH run which gave her the offical Texas Mile record of 'Fastest Female Ever on the Texas Mile!' It also makes her the 2nd fastest female on two wheels in the nation...You do realize what this means, don't you? It means we need to find just another few MPH in that bike to make her the nations fastest female on 2-wheels - so, I suppose this is..."to be continued..."
It's Official - she's the fastest female ever on the Texas Mile! To see the beginning of the 216.506 mph run on the Mile, watch the video!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)