Preparations

Only 3 days until the next 5K down in Ponce Inlet. Dee has really been working out and I do believe she will beat her last time handily. I ran a 5k this morning to see how I was doing with that distance seeing as I have really cut back on my running the last few weeks due to a few injuries. I beat my best time by 20 seconds and nothing was hurting when I finished. OK, I'm stunned.

On another note, I sat and watched "The Last Waltz" last night with Jinelle. I honestly have to say It has probably been 25-30 years since I have seen that movie and its one pretty amazing concert. For those who have never seen the movie, it is the farewell concert of "The Band" back in 1976, filmed by Martin Scorsese.


Not only was "The Band" some of the best musicians of the day, they had on stage in this farewell concert, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Ron Wood, Ringo Starr and others. It was kind of amazing that these guys toured for 16 years. No matter what kind of music you like, you will find at least one song in this concert that will be to your taste.

One of my favorite songs from the movie. The Band and Neil Young "Helpless"


Quote of the Day
Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.
---Robert Fripp

Panorama's

Wild Goose Island in Glacier National Park Wyoming

Was just looking for some images tonight of places with some hills in them or mountains. Living in one of the flattest states makes one long for a tall place from time to time to survey ones place in the whole of things. I came across a site with a bunch of panorama's and thought I would post a few I liked.

Mount Moran Wyoming


Governor Basin Road Colorado


Yankee Boy Basin Colorado


Grinnell lake Montana

Quote of the Day

Every once in a while, take the scenic route.

H.Jackson Brown Jr.

Food Pics

Just some funny food pictures I had picked up over the last few days I liked.

My kinda Potato

This is when your cooking breakfast and realize there
just might be something to that Karma argument.

I honestly have to say, if I saw these on a
store shelf I would buy a box. Heck only $2


Yup


Quote of the Day
My Karma ran over your dogma.
---Unknown

Tuesday Nite Fitness Post

I have been trying to get into the fitness spirit a bit more as of late.
It seems once I hit 200 lbs I really have been slacking. I got on the scale today and saw 208.
Eek.

Lifted today with Dee and walked 3.8 miles. (I just cant get over the ankle problems I seem to get every few weeks.) I am starting to tweak what we eat a bit more as well. Our diet has not really been much of a focus other than removing an item here and there that really would hurt losing weight. (IE Soda, sugar, different fats, more whole grains and such etc.)

2 weeks until our next 5K down in Ponce Inlet. I am hoping to get back down to 200 in that time and beat my last time.

Quote of the day
You always pass failure on the way to success.
Micky Rooney

7 Things About Me

I have been tagged to post 7 things about myself.

1) I use to work in a Nuclear Reactor. Sadly, I don't glow at night in the dark.

2) I grew up 2 hours from Benton ,PA (Hows that for a treasure Kate?)

3) I have not lived anywhere it snows now for the last 21 years of my life.
For that matter I have only seen snow like 3-4 times in the last 21 years
and that's the way my wife wants it.

4) I have lived in New York, Connecticut, Illinois, California, Tennessee, Hawaii, and Florida.

5) I use to be a Democrat until I was told this year my primary vote no longer counted for anything. (I do believe the Democratic party in their infinite wisdom gave the states of Florida and Michigan to their opponents this year to prove some unknown point to some unknown people living somewhere. )

6) My favorite food is the lowly potato. Not potato chips or fries. Just a lone spud mashed or baked with butter and sour cream. (I really hated that Atkins guy for a while there.)

7) I still dont know what I want to be when I grow up.

Easter Dinner

This year for Easter Dinner I looked around for something new to make. (Was told to bring something "Amazing" to Easter dinner at my sisters.) So I found this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe that had won first place in the side dish awards at many a BBQ contest around the U.S. (Sounds like a winner)


Sweet Potato Casserole
A sweet potato casserole recipe, made with mashed sweet potatoes and a crunchy pecan topping. .
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
.
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans

PREPARATION:
Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.

This really came out well and was very easy to make. I was surprised that it did not taste too sweet with the brown sugar and Vanilla added. It had a really mild smooth taste. Yum
Got complements all around from those who tried it.
(Internet to the rescue again.)

Quote of the Day
Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.
Anthony Brandt

Bikeweek Pictures

Those Top four pictures are just of crazy stuff you dont see very often on a bike.

Here are just some pictures of the coolest looking bikes from this years bike week here in Daytona.

Quote of the Day

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

Leo Tolstoy

Webcams

Daytona Beach Shores web cam - This is a picture of the beach across the street from where I worked for several years.

Daytona Beach web cam - This one is the county's cam of the beach. It seems to be be down quite a lot though.

Robbie O'Connell's Pub Cam - This is a pub in Daytona with their own web cam. I can't say that I drink here because the last thing I want is my wife loading up a web cam and seeing me in a bar.

New Smyrna Beach cam - This is the beach just south of me.

Halifax Humane Society Puppy cam - This is my local humane society's web cam where you can watch one of their holding cages.

I figured since Disney was an hour away I would throw up one of their web cams. Ummm...
Disney has no live web cams.

I'm guessing they don't want folks seeing people stand in line or watch thier horde of dwarfs beating tourists over the head with sticks and taking their wallets. It is kind of sad that a 60 Billion dollar company cant afford a live web cam yet a Humane Society that lives on donations can. You would think that they would have one at Epcot at least. For that matter, they should have the best freaking web cams on the planet to show off their parks. Goes to show you though, just because a company has been around for years, has lots of money, has probably some of the best technology on the planet, its still run by stupid humans.

Quote of the Day
Is there anything worse than being blind? Yes , a man with sight and no vision.
Hellen Keller

Zen and the Art of Washer Maintenance

I have pondered many a name for this post, Maytag and Me, or
Too wash or not too wash, that is the Question.

The crux of my Sunday was that my washer decided to pierce my serene Sunday with a metal on metal scream then stop. Inside lay a load of half washed cloths in a full tub of water. As the rest of the family arrived at the scene of the washercide, we all looked on in somber hope that perhaps it was maybe a mouse or something getting stuck in a belt. (Come on everyone hopes its something simple even if there are flames and smoke)

My first hope was maybe the belt got loose and came off. (nope)
Maybe the belt just got loose (hmm.. maybe...) OK that's not it either.
My daughters suggestion..get a washboard (she got banished from the garage)
Nothing looks destroyed, melted, burned, or cracked but no movement from the washer anymore.

Time to go to the fountain of washer info. (online message boards about Maytag problems)
Found that their motors are mounted on a crappy swivel system of bearings that stick.
(Oiled bearings so motor could swivel and she is now running again) Don't cheer yet.
She might be running but that metal on metal scream persists. Not good.
Remove belt and turn everything by hand. (pump works but is eating itself as I turn it.)

Drive to Appliance Parts Store and drive around for 15 Min's because I'm lost.
Gas $6
New pump $70 (They make me a business "Johnny's washer repair")
If a homeowner comes in and buys a pump its $110 (Can you say rape)
Time spent messing with Man vs. Machine - 2hrs of cartoon network time lost

My Zen moment - watching my half washed load churn in soapy water quietly.

Quote of the Day
Automatic simply means you can't repair it yourself.
Mary H. Waldrip

Just a test

I found this awareness test this morning and took it.
The Test
Yes, I failed



Quote of the Day
A moment's insight is sometimes worth a lifetime's experience.
---Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Running

I placed a link over on the exercise links today for Map My Run.
Think of this as Google earth for runners. You can zoom in to any place and map out a route. It will tell you the mileage. It also saves your route for others to use who look on the site. If your looking for a new route to run, you look around your area at all the routes your neighbors have saved with comments and such telling you the + and -'s of each.

I have gotten back into really running some miles the last week or so to get ready for the Ponce Inlet 5k coming up. (That's the Ponce Inlet lighthouse in the ad for the race.) This morning I just set out to see how fast I could run a mile.
8min 43sec
I did put in another 3 miles after my mile sprint.



I have been doing a lot of reading on leg problems, seeing as I seem to have something ache like crazy every other week or so. After all my reading and searching for the answer to my problems Dee says "You don't stretch enough." What does she know, it's not like she went to some orthopedic medical school. I finally find the problems I have been experiencing and they go on to explain to me in great detail how "I need to stretch more." Damn

My running lately just seems to be getting harder to do unless I have a few goals to beat.

Tomorrow I will see how fast I can run 2 mi. and then see about beating both of those times over the next 3 weeks till the race.

Quote of the Day
Women and cats do as they damned well please, and men and dogs had best learn to live with it.
---Alan Holbrook

Whiporwill

Why oh why did I name my blog "The Whipor Will"? Truthfully it was for the simplest of reasons. It's the name of the street I live on, Whiporwill Drive. I just figured that It would be a lot easier for friends and family to remember the name of my street to find my blog.

The Whiporwill history lesson - I found by researching my street name that a Whippoorwill (Yes 2 P's and 2 O's) is a small bird from north and central America. He is named after his call, a gentle "whip-poor-will," and is not only nocturnal but offers some of natures best work in camouflage. The Whip-poor-will is among the most frequently evoked symbols of the rural USA.

The Whippoowill song, which I'm sure many of us have heard but have never seen one of these little guys. On another note, if I had bought a house a few streets down we could all be talking about "Forest Trolls".
Until I started this blog I had no idea what my street name even meant and now I have read poems about it, quite a bit of literature about it and listened to a whole plethora of country songs with whiporwills in them.

So do you know whats behind your street name,
other than the name of your city and a zip code on a post card?

Quote of the Day
Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.
---Bill Vaughan

Fitness Post for the Week

Exercise Ball - My new found exercise is just using one of those big ol 15 dollar exercise balls as a chair. (You can use as a chair for your computer or drag ((or bounce)) it into the living room and sit on it while you watch TV.)

Sitting on an exercise ball, your body is constantly making small adjustments with the postural muscles, abdominals, gluteals and leg muscles. It is "active sitting" rather than the slumping and poor posture we develop even in ergonomic desk chairs. I had found a site where the guy said to just sit on one and bounce up and down while sitting for a really good Ab workout.

If you look around the Internet you can find about 100 exercises to do on one of these balls.There are quite a few to do while just sitting. All I can really say is, anytime I am working out some part of my body and I don't have to work at it very hard, I'm happy.

Made another minor goal this week as well. I ran 5 miles in under 1 hr. (Actually was 5.1 miles in 60 Min's this morning) My workout everyday consists of me running and walking for an hour. Guess it just made me feel good to achieve another fitness goal I had set. Dee achieved another of her weight loss goals this week as well. I would tell you her weight , but under penalty of a horribly violent image of my own demise, I hold my tongue on this number.

Quote of the Day
You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.
---Eric Hoffer

Odd videos that kinda amazed me night

I guess this is one of those stupid people tricks to pull on one of your friends at your next party.




Next is just a concept submachine gun being shown at a gun show.
Just watching this guy with this thing makes one go, Damn.

Quote of the Day

If you have knowledge, let others light thier candles at it.

Margaret Fuller

Just a song I happen to like this week

Jinelle found this for me after we heard it on the radio. Finally found
a version that allowed embedding. Although this is an edited version.

Seether - Fake It


I'm reading a post on some blog tonight and this girl is going on about technology. The evils of microwaves and how nobody has time to really cook anymore. How everyone sits around like couch potato's watching television and just ranting in general about our every day advancements.

The microwave and television points of her argument really just kind of annoyed me. For one, I think anybody who knows how to cook, can come up with some really nice meals in about the same time someone who has no skill at all can cook a microwave dinner. Give me a flame and a frying pan and you would be amazed at what I can make in 5 Min's. Give me 5 Min's to prep something and an oven, let me sit on my butt and watch TV for the next 55Min's and I can also make some really nice things.

I guess I just have to believe that people who use a microwave for all their meals do so less because its faster and more because they have no will to learn to cook. One of the best quotes I had heard lately was "Your going to eat for the rest of your life, learn to cook so you can at least eat well." The same gentleman also said "Not knowing how to cook, is like not knowing how to Fu*k." That quote also made me smile because I plan on doing that for the rest of my life as well.

Her arguments about television just made me think that 100 years ago people passed their time reading and writing letters, then television and phones came along and they passed their time watching and listening. Now the Internet and Blogs have come along and we are all passing our time reading and writing again, imagine that.

Bikeweek?

Well my Bikeweek has been pretty uneventfull so far. I really need a new front tire on the bike and this is probably the last week of the year I should try getting it done. The dealers around want to rape you for any kind of work and everyone else is way too busy.

Due to the tire problems I really dont want to ride with the wife or daughter. As for me riding, Dee just said she had no problem with it as long as I up my life insurance a few hundred thousand more.
OK, I can feel the love around here.

On the workout front, Dee has really been at it. Personally, I think she is looking really good.
I have been slacking this last week or so. I finally started lifting again last week after about a month of just running. Had a really good 5 mi. run this morning. I really do want to beat my 5k time in thie next 5k I run. (One needs goals. I really need them or I just up and quit it seems)
The 5k's have really kept me running for the last couple months.

Quote of the Day
I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
----Rita Rudner

Friday Night

Well my first day of Bikeweek was pretty uneventfull. We had a cold front move through and at least by Fri night it had warmed back up into the low 60's. It is suppose to be sunny and 75-80 all weekend.

I did break out the bike and just went riding. Went around past several of the biker hot spots near me to see how many folks had already shown up. I was quite surprised at how many people were here. This first weekend usually draws mostly folks from florida and a couple surrounding states.

They are saying they expect 600,000+ this year. It is such a big event anymore that it has really spred out , going up to Flagler Co., down to New Symrna and all the way over to Orlando.

Since I have been listing events going on, Todays post is some of the stranger contests and such I saw listed.

Found 13 Different Best Buns and Chaps contests this week.
(I have to admitt for some reason that women in chaps is really kinda hot. Personal preference I guess)

Found 10 Bikini Contests
Found 4 Bikini Bike washes.
(In all honesty, This is a beach community. If you want to avoid the crowds and see bikinis just head down to the beach. With 75 degree sunny weather, it will be packed)

21 Wet T-shirt contests
(This is a staple for events here)

3 Burnout and loud pipes contests.
(As if there was not enough noise with a quarter million bikes here.)

24 concerts going on
(Ok, a lot of the bigger bars and such consider any live music a concert. But if you like live music, it is a pretty great week for it)

List of just "Out of the Ordinary" contests

4 different Pole dancing contests (men and women contestants)
(Not all events are geared toward men. OK, maybe 99% of them)

BEST LEGS CONTESTS - TRADER JACKS ROADSIDE - DAILY
ORGASM CONTEST - BROKEN SPOKE -DAILY @T.B.A.
FAKE A ORGASM SATURDAY 3/1 @ CRITTERS PUB
T-BACK PULLS - CABBAGE PATCH SALOON
(Ouch)
SEMI WORLD FAMOUS VIBRATOR RACES CONTEST- TRADER JACKS ROADSIDE SATURDAY 3/1
(Commenting on this one, I got nuthin)
BEER CHUGGING/BEER BELLY CONTEST - SUNDAY 3/2 @ CRITTERS PUB
GREAT CLEAVAGE CONTEST - KANGAS SANDBAR - WED. 3/5
ITTY BITTY TITTY - CABBAGE PATCH SALOON -@ 10 PM, ON SUNDAY 3/2
(No one can say there is not equality in the contests)
BOBBING FOR PIGS FEET - BLACK HILLS SALOON - TUES. 3/4 @ 3 PM
(I guess this is the southern take on that classic Halloween game)
POPSICLE SUCKING & LICKING CONTEST - BLACK HILLS SALOON - WED. 3/5 @ 3 PM
POPSICLE SUCKING & LICKING CONTEST - FOXHEAD LOUNGE -WEDNESDAY 3/5
POPCYCLE LICKING CONTEST - BROKEN SPOKE -WED. 3/5 - SAT. 3/8 DAILY@ 8:30PM
(Never even heard these but it seems to be growing in popularity.)
SPANK THAT ASS CONTEST ( CUTEST RED ASS WINS) - THURSDAY 3/6 @ CRITTERS PUB
(Another contest where I just go, your kidding right?)
OLDEST BIKE WEEK T-SHIRT CONTEST - BOOTHILL SALOON MAIN ST. - SATERDAY 3/8 @ 3PM
BODY PAINTING CONTEST - SATURDAY 3/8 @ CRITTERS PUB
PIN UP GIRL CONTEST@ DAYTONA LAGOON -FRIDAY 3/7
WOMENS DANCE OFF & LOLLI POP CONTEST - CABBAGE PATCH SALOON -@ 1AM, ON FRIDAY 3/7

2 Motorcycle rodeo events
2 Sportbike stunt events
3 Tatoo contests
2 Bike races out at the speedway (Daytona 200 and a Supercross event)

Quote of the Day
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.
---Unknown