Tail of the Dragon

Last night, with the Flamin' Beer Guy, was pretty exciting and I was half expecting a dull drive down to Tennese today. I was surprised by the amount of traffic all. It didn't let up until I left Virginia. While I was driving in all of that congestion I did have a hair raising moment. The cars in front of me were driving very erractically and they were trying to either stop or scatter. When the cars moved I got a good view of the obstruction in the road and I had a hard time believing my eyes. They were telling me that there was an industrial sized ice machine laying on its side and complete blocking the left lane. A panic stop was out of the question because I had an 18-wheeler right behind me. The car in front of me was trying hard to move to the right and blocking that escape route. So that only left the median. A light touch with the controls kept the car pointed the right direction and out of harms way. Whew! Sorry, I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of the ice machine. I was too busy keeping myself safe.


The day ended on a good note. I had a chance to drive the Tail of the Dragon before the sunset. Wow! That was a cool ride. It was just one switch back after another. I tried to capture the feel of it with my camera but it just doesn't do it justice.

Flamin' Beer Delivery Guy

Later that evening when I was traveling across Pennsylvania I was passed by a Saturn sedan that was driving erratically. He almost broad-sided my car as he pulled back into the right lane. A few moments later I saw sparks and a large part fell out from underneath the car. He didn’t seem to notice so I flashed my lights and got him to pull over. The driver was a young (18-20) white male who was wearing a blaze orange sweat shirt that proudly proclaimed that he was the official beer delivery guy. For some reason I don’t think he is going to be able to fulfill that role tonight especially when the sparks quickly turned into flames that engulfed the entire front end of his car. The whole time he seemed oblivious to the fact that his car was literally going up in smoke and was just interested in getting a ride to Scranton. I guess the beer run was the only thing on his mind. Do you think they'd even want the warm beer?


The Virginville fire department eventually showed up to admire the carnage and after a while they decided to put it out. After being told to stick around for almost two hours I was able to convince a State Trooper to at least give the kid a ride to the next town and got myself off the hook. After that it was just an uneventful drive to Harrisburg, PA where I grabbed a room and called it a night. So what do you think is in store for tomorrow?!?



I also got a couple of shots that remind me of ink blot tests. Let me know what you see.

Meeting with Friends and Family

I set out this morning without too much fan fare and got down to Middletown right on schedule. I spent a couple of hours hanging out with Peter – looking at track videos and talking about our plans for the near future. It was great seeing him and I wish that I had come down earlier in the summer to go sailing. The boat looks great after all of the restoration. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to see Lys because she has one of those nasty things called a job. One of these days I’ll have to get me one of those. ;) Oh and don’t forget to tell Lys that I said “hi” and give her a big hug for me.

I had also planned on meeting up with Brian but there was a little miscommunication and things didn’t work out. I guess we’ll just have to meet up in NM after I talk him into to taking a trip out to go skiing at Taos. Hmm… I wonder if he is as much of a wild man on the slopes as his behind the wheel of a car? Most likely.

Time to roll

Just one last post before I really hit the road and leave the comfort of a familiar home. This morning was all about saying good-bye and taking one last look to make sure I haven't missed anything. Which some how I always manage to do.

Kerrie got an extra hug or two this morning and I tried to give the cats a little more attention than normal but they were too busy doing their normal routine.

Indi was intently focused on the birds visiting the feeder just outside the window. Kona was sprawled next to his well worn scratching post and Nemo was just being himself, "Spooky". If there was ever a cat with paranoid delusions it would have to be him. At times I think he is even affraid of his own shadow.

Miata Depot

It took a little creative packing, some serious problem solving skills, and several iterations to get every thing to fit without compromising the field of view or driving position. It is going to feel like I am driving a store on wheels because there is so much stuff wedged in there. Let me show you what I mean. Note: click on the photos for a larger view.

The Big Move

As many of you know, I have been talking about moving out of New England for many years and now it finally looks like it is the right time to head West. I've already got the "essentials" packed and am thoroughly impressed that I was able to cram so much stuff into such a small car. I'll have to post some pictures and a list of items so that you can see what I'm talking about.

Anyways, the real adventure starts on Monday morning when I ease the fully loaded car on to the open road. This will mark the beginning of a 2,535 mile road trip that is scheduled to take 5 days. I know that I can make it out to New Mexico in 3 days but I wanted to make a few stops along the way to visit with friends and family.


The first stop will be in Middletown, CT to spend a couple of hours with Peter and Lys. Then it is off to Trumbull, CT to say good-bye to Brian who happens to be a fellow track junkie. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to scratch that itch once I get settled in Albuquerque but I am going to have a little fun on the ride down.

If all goes as planned I should get a chance to drive the "Tail of the Dragon" on Tuesday. This is a very special stretch of road for driving enthusiasts as it has 313 turns within 11 miles! The Miata was made for just this occasion but it should be little interesting with a full load. I may just have to empty the car at a hotel before I take it for a spin. ;)

I'd suggest checking in from time to time because you never know what misadventures may happen along the way. Past trips have left an indelible mark on my memory and I can still vividly remember:

• Riding with a sales rep who had mastered the art of multi-tasking. I was absolutely floored when I watched him drive a mini van at 85+ mph with one knee, while talking on a cell phone, taking notes, not watching the road, and some how not killing anyone. I think this guy could give Michael Schumacher a run for his money if he was only focused on driving.
  
• Then who can ever forget having to carry around a stinky one legged old man at Walmart. That cloying stench still clogs my nostrils when I think about it. Whew! I guess no good deed goes unpunished.
  
• Oh and there was that time when I had to kill time with a couple of strangers at the airport and one of them happened to be a sex therapist. I learned a few things that day that I really didn't need to know but they had me laughing so hard that I was in tears.
  

Hot Laps At Watkins Glen

I met up with several friends (Chris, Roger, Aaron, and Ron) for two full days of hot lapping at Watkins Glen in the RX-8. Aaron and I had a lot of fun battling it out around the track. At some points his Porsche 944 Turbo would pull away with its extra horsepower and at other times I was able to reel him back in, especially in the Bus Stop. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get good video of any of us running in a pack.

Roger and Ron


Aaron


Chris


Roger


Roy


One lap around the track.