The Blog of Dave and Karrie

New Year Blog Entry

2010-01-02T22:41:03Z

Hello everyone, after checking my GoDaddy account I realized we have not done a posting in 265 days. That is a long time. I blame Facebook. It's very easy to update people you know there. There, I have justified it. Sorta.

In July, we went on a camping trip. It was originally going to be at a camping spot I had gone to several years ago. Through a series of mishaps, we ended up having to go to a KOA campground. Not exactly roughing it, but we still had an awesome time.

Karrie and I actually got to get away for a day and went on a Poker Run.

In October, we went to our friend Ted's wedding. It was a great time, and the kids had a blast.

I know I put a lot of pics from the wedding on here, but c'mon, how often do you get to see me in a tux? And Karrie and the kids looked awesome!

And then - the best time of the year arrived - HUNTING SEASON! Once again, my Dad joined us for a few days. We had a great time as usual.

I managed to get a 4 point buck on that trip, but a couple weeks later Alex and I went hunting again. It was raining and I was getting ready to suggest we leave. Then this deer happened by:

He was by far the biggest buck I ever took. And it was made more special because Alex was with me. This year, Alex also got his first deer!

We are really proud of him, and he is ready to go out and get another one. (We would be out in the woods today, but it's 25 degrees with 30 mph winds - hence, I blog)

Then came the hardest thing I have ever had to do. See my daughter off to the United States Air Force boot camp. We are SO proud of her, but it was REALLY hard saying goodbye at the recruiters office.

We have gotten a couple phone calls and a letter from her so far. After we hang up is the hard part. She graduates at the end of January, and I can't wait to see her! Her friend Cory graduated this weekend, and his dad was kind enough to send us a cell phone picture of her. What a sight for sore eyes!!!! (even with the military issue glasses!!)

Christmas this year was nice, but it was tough without Ash being here. We did, however, end the year with a fantastic New Years Eve party! A great time was had by all, and our friends Curt and Karen came down all the way from New Jersey.

There was karaoke, billiards, and just a great time.....

There are a ton of pics on our Facebook page. So if you don't have your own Facebook account, now would be the time to make one.

And then, at midnight, we said goodbye to 2009.....

Hello 2010 ! A new year and a new decade.......let's rock!

In less than a month, I will take the trek to San Antonio, Texas to watch Ashley graduate from Air Force boot camp. I GUARANTEE a blog update then!

Until then, gentle reader, stay tuned...................

Updates from the home front.

2009-04-12T16:32:00Z

It has been quite a while since we updated Dave and Karrie.com

With Facebook and Twitter and MySpace updates, the blog took a back seat for awhile. To be honest, Facebook is the main social networking account that I keep up with. Twitter is neat, but if no one is following you it really seems to be a waste of time. All of that, coupled with Boy Scout meetings, Cub Scout meetings, football practices and work make for very little free time. But, I digress.

Since the last posting:

I had a birthday. (gulp) 44 years old now. But I scored a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, so that helped ease the pain.

Ashley turned (another gulp) 18 years old:

Lindsey turned (yet another gulp) 16 years old:

Emily had a very successful season in basketball. Her highlight reel is here.

Trent looked sharp at the Cub Scout pack meeting, and you can see video of it here.

Last week Ashley went to Fort Meade, Maryland. She was there for MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station). Ashley is going in to the United States Air Force! You can see the swearing in ceremony here.

She signed her delayed entry contract and will be going to BMT (basic military training - boot camp) sometime after August 1st. We are very, very proud of her.

And, in just a couple days, it will be Karrie's and my 2 year anniversary. Hard to believe it has been 2 years already. That means this blog is almost 2 years old, too. Looking back at the first few posts, the kids have grown so much. Fortunately, Karrie and I haven't aged a day.

So there you have it ! Never a dull moment around this place.

Stay tuned.........

Bar Project - Sticky's II gets a makeover!

2009-01-19T18:52:00Z

For those of you that have spent quality time here at Sticky O'Huggy's II Billiard Karaoke Pub, you know there was always something missing. A bar. We have remedied that situation.

Around mid-December, Karrie and I started planning on having a bar downstairs. After a look at the bars that are for sale commercially (and being horrified by the prices), we thought it would be many years before we could have our own.

One night our friends Bobby and Mary were over watching a Skins game. We were looking online and found a ton of web sites that sell plans for building bars. The best one was "Speedy-Build Home Bar Plans on the Web". We were able to get a set of 10 plans relatively cheap. I narrowed it down to 3 that I thought would be best, and Karrie picked her favorite out of the 3.

Day One:

The first morning we started this endeavor, Tom and I met up at Home Depot. One of the cool things about the Speedy-Build plans is that it comes with a "cut list" so you know exactly how much you need of each piece of lumber. And there ended up being very little waste left over. It took about an hour to get it all together (including a propane heater for the garage - money well spent)

Then it was back to the house to get started. Tom and I spent about 8 hours making all the cuts and numbering the pieces.

Alex jumped in an helped for a while, too.

As did Karrie.

At the end of the day, we enjoyed a beer on the new bar.

Ok, it wasn't like sitting in a pub, but we earned it.

Day Two:

Tom came over and we got an early start on the assembly. It went pretty smooth. The only change we made was to make the "L" portion of the bar on the left instead of the right.

At this point, you are probably thinking "wow guys, that is really starting to take shape!" And you would be right. The shape it was taking was BIG. We didn't realize how big until we tried to carry it down into the basement to continue the build. After taking the "L" section almost completely apart, we got it inside. Putting it back together wasn't that hard, but we said several bad words about our lack of foresight on that one.

Tom did an awesome job cutting the joint for the bar top.

The handrail is actually 3 pieces of wood. One big piece and a quarter-round on either side. It matched up nicely and feels like one piece.

We got our second wind when it was all starting to come together. When we finished building, we had been working for 16 hours straight.

Sleep came quick and hard that night.

Day Three:

Day three was actually several nights after work. It was a lot of sanding.

Then it was time to apply the stain. We went with cherry wood.

The stain REALLY brought out the details in the wood nicely.

We did a couple coats of stain and then applied urethane. This was over the course of several nights.
One mistake I made was getting "satin" urethane. It would look shiny when applied, but when it dried it was relatively flat. A quick trip to Home Depot fixed that. I got a can of "gloss". Now it looks very, very shiny.

Then I added accent lights and mounted them under the bar top. Total cost for that: 50 cents. It is a string of clear Christmas lights from Rite-Aid, marked down after the holidays.

Day Four:

We ~~tricked Tom into coming over~~ invited Tom over again. We moved the bar to where it was going to remain. Then we mounted the television, cable box and DVD player over the bar. We cut BIG holes in the wall so that we could have the karaoke speakers flush against the wall. It really opened up a lot more space. We built the bar stools that Karrie found on Overstock.com. (awesome deal, too). And we built a platform for the slot machine to sit on.

And then, we broke the bar in!

It was a very fun project. We could have bought a bar from a store, but not only would it have cost much, much more, we wouldn't have this great sense of self satisfaction that we have now. A job well done!

We are having a "Fill The Bar" party in February. See you there!

Stay tuned............

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-28T13:53:11Z

Karrie's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. And this one was wonderful, not to mention it was our first Thanksgiving in the new house.

The idea that Karrie had for the pictures over the fireplace mantle came to fruition just in time, too. It came out great! Remember, she had the foresight to see what the house could look like with new paint and a good cleaning? Well, her vision of how the pictures would look was right on, too. Check this out:

Feel free to contact her for decorating ideas. And cooking tips. Check out this spread:

Unfortunately, my gang and Emily couldn't be with us this year. Ashley made a really nice centerpiece for the table, and here it is:

My parents brought their friend Mary with them. She made the coolest treats for each table setting:

The chest of the turkey? Oh yeah, that's a chocolate covered cherry. In a word, YUM !

After we all gained about 5 pounds and enjoyed all the company, we had to take the traditional group photo.

Shortly thereafter, the triptophan from the turkey kicked in:

All in all, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Stay tuned..................

YouTube absurdities from the home front, and a family update.

2008-10-20T00:19:00Z

There are some strange things on YouTube, and we just added 2 more.

The first is what happens when you mix a sumo wrestler costume with a Rip Stick style skateboard. You can find that little gem right here.

The second is what happens when Alex and Trent find our friends game cam when we were scouting for our next hunting trip. That little piece of history is here.

We also posted a bunch of new "as they happened" pics on the Sticky's II blog site. Check it out here.

We also took some wonderful family pics this weekend so that we can create the idea that Karrie has for over our fireplace.

Here are a couple of them:

And then things got a little absurd............

And Diesel weighed in with his opinion of the whole thing:

So that is about it from the Dave and Karrie.com headquarters.

Talk to you soon, gentle reader................

Housewarming Party

2008-10-08T22:45:00Z

We finally had our housewarming party !

It was a really good time, with plenty of friends showing up. Unfortunately, we broke out the camera after some of the guests have gone. We still got some great pictures, though.

As the hour got later, someone (not me this time, honest) suggested karaoke. So that is what we did. And it was a LOT of fun.

Bottom line is we had a great time with great friends. You can see all of the housewarming pictures here.

I tried something new with these pictures. I made a video and put it up on YouTube. It is here. It's a little cheesy, but hey, it was my first ever attempt. Enjoy, gentle reader.

Until next time !

Ocracoke Summer Vacation - 2008 - part 2 of 2

2008-08-03T03:57:00Z

We finished up a wonderful vacation today. The last couple days we spent at the beach, taking advantage of the fantastic weather.

Karrie and I had promised ourselves we would go out on at least one date while we were on Ocracoke. We ended up sitting on the porch of my in-laws house, listening to music and enjoying each others company. We are each others biggest fans. Something so simple as that will be remembered for a long time. ( we are still holding our "free date night out" card to be played at a later time, though )

Last night, we packed up all the stuff, cleaned up the house and took our traditional "look at us - we are all tan" picture.

Then we got up early this morning and headed to the ferry.

I didn't notice till we got home that Karrie's head got chopped on the picture, but you get the point.

After a couple LONG traffic delays, we got home. It was a wonderful vacation, albeit WAY too short. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see my in-laws, and we didn't get to go out on Captain John's boat for a fishing trip. We also didn't take the picture of Ashley in front of Blackbeard the pirate at the kite shop in the village. All these things give us something to look forward to next time.

I put a LOT more pictures of our trip up on the photos page, which is here . There are also several fresh entries at the Life and Times at Sticky's II page. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.

Until next time, gentle reader.

Ocracoke Summer Vacation - 2008

2008-07-30T16:16:00Z

Frequent visitors to Dave and Karrie.com will remember that last summer we went to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina for our vacation.

We have managed to work it out so that we could come here again this year! We are staying at my in-laws house while they are away.

We got here on Sunday afternoon, in time for the 5:30 ferry.

It was a little windy, but a relaxing wind-down after the trip. Trent is at his grandparents house in Florida this time, so he wasn't able to make the trip. We miss the little fella.

I read over the 2007 Ocracoke Vacation blog, and realized that when we got here last time, it was too late to make dinner. We ended up going to Howard's Pub . We did the same thing this time. And it was delicious, as always.

We got up the next morning at the crack of dawn (10:30am) and had breakfast. Packed up the Yukon, let the tires down to 12 pounds of air each, and hit the beach!

When we ran out of beer were done relaxing at the beach, we came home and had grilled quesadillas for dinner and watched a movie.

Tuesday morning, we got up and decided to hit the beach again. It was a little overcast and cooler than Monday, so we figured it was a good day to introduce Diesel to the ocean. He has never been outside of Virginia. He LOVED the ocean. Unfortunately, he decided to bite the salt water and ingest some of it, topped with sand.

We got home and he slept like a rock. Then he experienced, shall we say, some intestinal discomfort.

He will be sitting out our next trip to the beach.

It is now Wednesday morning as I type this. I am sitting on the porch, having a cup of coffee. We decided we are going to skip the beach today, since a couple of us (myself included) managed to get sunburned during the festivities of yesterday.

I posted a bunch of photos that we have taken since arriving. You can see them here .

Also, on the Dave and Karrie.com subsidiary web site, Life and Times at Sticky's II , we are posting as-they-happen pictures from my BlackBerry. You can check that out here .

Having an awesome time, stand by for more updates from Ocracoke !!!

Diesel

2008-07-02T20:15:08Z

Today....Diesel turned 1 year old. Go to http://stickys2.blogspot.com to see a cute picture of him wearing a birthday hat that Emily made.

1.....2.....3........Awwwwwww.....

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

BlackBerry blogging - a change in plans

2008-06-28T15:59:00Z

The posting I sent to The Blog of Dave and Karrie worked.

However, the attachment did not come through. So, we have formed a secondary blog. This new blog is called:

Life and Times at Sticky's II

The postings on the Life and Times blog will all be via BlackBerry and usually have a photo attached.

The URL for the new blog is http://stickys2.blogspot.com .

Don't be confused. This blog is still active, the new one will be from the BlackBerry.

Please subscribe to the new one, and comment as needed.

Carry on.

Blogging from the BlackBerry? Could it be?

2008-06-28T11:50:17Z

Ok, so I recently switched from a Treo 700P to a BlackBerry Curve. And now I understand why they call them CrackBerrys. And, since this nifty little unit can handle attachments, I am trying out the "blog via email" utility that GoDaddy.com offers.

So, here goes....hitting send now.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

A Busy Couple of Weeks

2008-06-10T00:47:00Z

We have had a busy couple of weeks here at daveandkarrie.com .

First, Emily turned 13 years old. So she had some friends over for a party.

It was, in a word, hectic. But she had a good time, for sure.

Then, this weekend, Kortney graduated high school !

You can witness the moment she received her diploma via the magic of a cell phone camera.

Needless to say, Mom was VERY proud.

In fact, we all were.

Don't mind Trent, we had spent over 2 hours in 95+ heat so he was feeling a little woozy!

And then, Alex had his 12th birthday party. His was on a smaller scale, he just had a couple of friends over.

He had a delicious ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.

My favorite part of the day was giving Alex one of my electric guitars and a practice amp. The look on his face was priceless!

Keep in mind, there is a method to our madness. When he becomes the next Eric Clapton, it is time for Dad and Stepmom to retire!

We finished the day off with some fine billiards playing. (Thanks to CraigsList! You really can find ANYTHING on there....)

You have to agree that it has been a VERY busy couple of weeks. We had a great time throughout, but are looking forward to a little down time.

That's all for now, stay tuned!

Memorial Day and other updates

2008-05-26T21:15:00Z

Greetings, everyone! It is Memorial Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a parade?

Trent marched with the Cub Scouts today, and looked very sharp.

Last week, he participated in a Raingutter Regatta with the Cub Scouts. He did a great job building his boat, with assistance from big brother Alex.

A lot of the boats had a pirate theme.

Alex had a project he had to do for school, and he picked this one. Yes, he wanted to make an electric guitar out of a box of Altoids. They are curiously strong.

He did the majority of the work himself, and after Karrie made a trip to Home Depot, and Alex and I made a trip to Radio Shack, we were set.

Here is the outcome: ( it is pretty impressive )

And.....it works !

All in all, it has been a great weekend. There was karaoke, parades, and our great friends Bobby and Mary came out for a cookout and some Wii Bowling. We didn't take any pictures, so you have to use your imagination.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

One last thing, can anyone tell us who these fine looking young gentlemen are?

Take care, gentle reader...and as always, stay tuned !

Prom Night - 2008

2008-05-11T00:39:00Z

We just saw Ashley and Kortney off to the Prom. They looked awesome. Our new neighbor is a cosmetologist and did their hair and makeup.

Beautiful young ladies, I think you will agree...........

You can see the rest of the pictures we took right here.

Enjoy, gentle reader........and stay tuned.

daveandkarrie.com Headquarters relocated

2008-04-27T17:46:00Z

The headquarters for Dave and Karrie.com has relocated to Bealeton, Virginia ! We made the move late last month and have been going non-stop ever since.

The house we bought had interior paint that was, in a word, horrendous. Fortunately, we had that taken care of after settlement. Here is an idea what it looked like inside when we first saw it. (if Karrie didn't have the foresight to see what it COULD be, we never would have put a contract on it)

Yes, the walls really were THAT yellow. But wait, how about the guest bathroom.....

Yep, Pepto-Bismol pink. Including the ceiling. Eww.

So, after we settled, it was time for the big move.

It was a LONG day. Fortunately, we had all kinds of help.

At the end of the day, everyone crashed. And crashed HARD.

We had a yard sale at the old address and sold quite a bit of stuff. It helped that Ash and Linz were in charge of advertising.........

We also had a belated birthday celebration for Linz. (15 years old....hard to believe)

Yes, that is about 4 different flavors of cheesecake. Yum. Good stuff.

Now that all of our belongings are here, we have to unpack. The necessities are squared away, but we still have LOTS of boxes to unpack. But we will get there.

This weekend, we had some excellent weather. We painted the railing in the back of the house, the railing on the front porch, and mulched. 15 bags worth. Then we had a HUGE thunderstorm, which set the mulch in place. Nice.

I have to go unpack some more boxes, but that is what has been going on with us as of late.

Talk to you soon, gentle reader.

Stay tuned.

Two Losses

2008-04-08T17:52:00Z

In the past couple weeks, our family has experienced 2 losses. The first would be Janet Shannon, the grandmother of Kortney and Emily. I only had the privilege of meeting her on a few occasions, but I know that Kort, Em and Karrie loved her very much. She worked for over 35 years for the Fauquier County Department Of Social Services. You can read a proclamation from the Board Of Supervisors from Fauquier County celebrating her career and their best wishes on her retirement here.

This past weekend, we received news that my Uncle Bob had passed away. He was a very cool individual. I was looking through past blog posts, and came across this.

"Family and friends really are all you have. Material goods are nice, but there really is no substitute for a handshake or a hug from someone you haven't seen in a long time."

And, in that same blog, these pictures of us hanging with Uncle Bob at Rob's wedding.

When I was a kid growing up in Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, I would always look forward to Uncle Bob coming to visit. That meant I could bug him to take me for a ride on his motorcycle till he would give in and take me. He would take me from our house on Glenwood Avenue to the DMV Inspection Center on Glassboro Road and back. Weird the stuff that you remember after all these years. I remember listening to The Beatles Abbey Road on the turntable in their living room with Rob. I remember Uncle Bob making me and Rob leave the table because we had starting laughing so hard I had grape soda come out my nose, which only made Rob laugh harder. I remember the VW bus he had, and the cool swimming pool in his back yard. When I saw him at Rob's wedding last summer, I shared some of those memories with him. And told him those motorcycle rides led to the love of our bike and riding now. He had ridden a Honda and we ride Harley, which led to some good natured ribbing. He couldn't ride any longer, but you could see the spark in his eye when we talked about it.

One last quick story about Uncle Bob. It was probably 10 years ago that he and I made a bet on a Washington Redskins - Philadelphia Eagles game. The bet was for $20 and I won. A couple days later, FedEx arrived with a 2 foot by 2 foot square of wood. It was 2 pieces of wood glued together. In the package was a mathmatical equation on where to locate the $20 bill. It took a LONG time to figure it out, and I carefully cut the quadrant that I thought the money was in. I revealed a folded black and white 8x10 picture of Uncle Bob, smiling. And a $20 bill. Fast forward to last years football season, and a $5 bet on the Washington Redskins - Seattle Seahawks game. This time he won. So I had to send him $5. And I did.

Lovingly sealed in a snow-globe, with the base super glued onto it. He appreciated the effort. It is a sense of humor that us Parkers' all share.

This is a sad blog post, but also a celebration of 2 wonderful people.

Shadows are falling and I'm running out of breath
Keep me in your heart for a while
If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for a while

When you get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for a while
There's a train leaving nightly called when all is said and done
Keep me in your heart for a while

Sha la, la-la-la, la-la-li, li, lo
Keep me in your heart for a while
Sha la, la-la-la, la-la-li, li, lo
Keep me in your heart for a while

Sometimes when you're doing simple things around the house
Maybe you'll think of me and smile
You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse
Keep me in your heart for a while

Hold me in your thoughts, take me to your dreams
Touch me as I fall into view
When the winter comes keep the fires lit
And I will be right next to you

Engine driver's headed north to Pleasant Stream
Keep me in your heart for a while
These wheels keep turning but they're running out of steam
Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

- Keep Me In Your Heart by Warren Zevon and Jorge' Calderon

A Fun Start To The New Year

2008-01-20T22:17:00Z

2008 has arrived, and we have gotten off to a pretty good start.

(no, it isn't a REAL neon sign....but someday....)

We brought in the new year by going to "First Night" in Warrenton for a few hours. Then we headed back to the house for some fine karaoke and to watch the ball fall.

This has set us up for a great 2008.

We had a small snowstorm the other day, and Alex took Diesel out to play in it. Since he (Diesel, not Alex) was born last July, he has never experienced snow before. This led to him getting what we affectionately refer to as "the ZOOMIES". He runs like crazy, most of the time following the same route in a circle. After a few laps, he lies down and barks at nothing. He's a little on the weird side, sometimes.

Sir Diesel has really become an integral part of the family. There hasn't been one day where he hasn't made us laugh. You can have a bad day and when you get home, he will do something that will crack you up. And he loves attention. If you are doing something non-Diesel related, he will not hesitate to let you know that this is HIS world, and we merely live in it.

January also means it is time for the Pinewood Derby race for Scouts. This year is Alex' fourth time, and will be a first for Trent. We spent yesterday working on the cars. We cut the wood a week or so ago, and yesterday was spent sanding, painting, putting stickers on and getting wheels on the cars.

Trent really benefited from Alex' knowledge on Pinewood car building.

The finished products are great! I think this is Alex' best car ever, and Trent built an awesome first-time car, too.

The race is next weekend. We have a very good chance of winning.

I have no explanation for this picture, but included it for your enjoyment. If you have a caption for it, don't hesitate to comment on the blog.

Last night we had some post-Pinewood Derby Car Building karaoke, complete with dancing.

And then Trent fell asleep............

Speaking of Trent, this afternoon he decided he wanted a haircut. Not just any haircut, he wanted his head shaved.

It went something like this...........

Now THAT is a squared away haircut! And he likes it, which is a good thing, 'cause there is no turning back.

I have also added a bunch of new pictures to the photo section of Dave and Karrie.com. Feel free to stop by and peruse the photos, friends. You can find the new pictures here. Or, for a special treat, go HERE. It is a new feature from Go Daddy called "montage". It is a slideshow with music. Pretty neat. I just discovered it myself. Enjoy !

Take care, gentle reader. And as always..............stay tuned!

Christmas 2007

2007-12-28T23:45:00Z

We had a great Christmas! My parents came to visit, as well as Karrie's mom. We had some fantastic food, and everyone was more than happy with the gifts they received. So far, the kids seem to like the Wii they got the most. I don't know what is more fun, playing the games or watching them play the games.

For example:

....and....

....or.....

Needless to say, we have had a fun time with it.

And I got a cool Dunder-Mifflin t shirt, too.

Everyone is having a nice time....

even Sir Diesel himself.........

Well, ok, to be honest, he isn't a big fan of wearing reindeer antlers, but he will do anything to have a treat.

All of us here at Dave and Karrie.com hope that you and yours had a wonderful Christmas, and a great 2008. We promise to be more consistent with our family updates and such, and to provide you all with the high quality of blogging that you have come to expect. : )

Deer Hunting - A Family Tradition

2007-11-09T00:06:00Z

Today, my father and I finished up a 3 day deer hunt. It has become a "family tradition" of sorts, getting together in early November for the start of muzzle loader season. I really enjoy black powder hunting. Although I have an "in-line" rifle, it still seems sort of rustic, in a way. You have one shot, and you have to make it count.

What made this hunt special was my son Alex got to go with us all day on Tuesday (school was closed) and on Wednesday afternoon. Alex went hunting last year with us, too. But I think he enjoyed it more this year, and I think he is well on his way to loving and respecting it as much as my dad and I do.

Earlier this month, I found a photo that I had Photoshopped several years ago.

Here it is:

Who knew I could see the future?

Believe it or not, I was actually anti-hunting several years ago. Then my Dad taught me that it wasn't all about the kill. It is about waking up very early, getting coffee, riding in near silence to the property you hunt on. There is little conversation, but there doesn't need to be. So much is said without words. Memories are made that will never be forgotten. You exit the Jeep, and put your heavy hunting gear on and make sure it is squared away. Jacket...check. Second pair of pants....check. Gun...check. Hand warmers....check. Ammo...check. Hat...check. Then, you separate. Alex chose to go with Dad that first morning (after the rain stopped).

They don't know I snapped this picture when they were headed to their spot. They also don't know that I got choked up watching them, thinking back a few years to the first time Dad and I hunted together.

As they disappear into the woods, I head to my stand. It is a long, chilly walk. The air is so clear it tastes almost sweet. You try to make as little noise as possible. You can see your breath. You stop every few steps and listen for the sound of hoof steps crunching in the leaves.

You get to your stand and do a last minute equipment check. Once you go up, you need to stay up. To come back down is to make too much noise. Check the gun to make sure there is no primer in place. Attach the pull rope to the gun and start climbing. You get to the height you want to be at. Make sure the stand is secured. A fall at this point would make for a very, very bad day. Sit down and pull the gun up. Insert the primer and wait for daybreak.

While sitting there, listen for the sound of either Dad or Alex shooting.

And then, enjoy the woods. There is nothing like it. Nothing at all.

The coffee in the thermos tastes delicious. The view is beautiful. If you haven't experienced it, you need to. And, if you have a son or daughter that shows an interest, bring them. Turn off the Xbox and the internet, and get out in the woods. "Bonding" and "quality time" are almost cliche' now, but they both describe the experience well.

Squirrels sound like deer walking. Leaves falling sound like deer walking. But then, when a deer appears, seemingly from thin air, your heart skips a beat. Your pulse increases, every move you make sounds deafening. You raise the gun ever so slowly and take aim. Then it is just you and the deer. I did manage to take a nice 4 point buck during this trip. I realize some people are squeamish, so I won't put the picture in the blog. You can, however, see my deer here.

On Wednesday afternoon, Alex came with me. His Grandpop had been hooking him up with sugarless candies, but I had none. For an 11 year old, he "gets" hunting. He appreciates the sights, sounds and smell of the woods. And the thrill of the hunt. In fact, we had the largest 8 point buck I have ever seen walk within 20 feet of us. He saw us before we could shoot, but we will be talking about that for a long time to come.

On the ride home that night, I told Alex that the vast hunting knowledge that his Grandpop was sharing with him, along with the tiny bit I know, came with a price. He is required to "pay it forward" to his son someday. (That will mean I will be a grandfather then....YIKES!) He promised he would.

Alex and I will go hunting several more times this season, I am sure. And he will remember it for a long time to come. But the memories from hunting with his "Pop" are the ones that will stay with him the longest.

They always do for me.

That's me. And my DAD. Accept no substitutes, as there are none. I love you, Pop.

I mentioned in a previous post about the most important thing in life, and that stands true today.

And that thing, is family.

If you took the time to read this far, thank you. And trust that every word I say is the truth.

And that, gentle reader, is that.

Stay tuned...............

Low Water Bridge Campground / Homecoming Dance

2007-10-22T11:54:00Z

Last weekend we took the kids to Low Water Bridge Campground. We rented a couple cabins....

It got pretty chilly both nights, so we were glad we did.

Everyone had a fantastic time, although Diesel wasn't too sure about not having a couch or a television. When we made up the bed, he immediately let it be known that he wanted no parts of sleeping on the floor. You might say he is a little spoiled.

The kids had a good time. They played football, played on the swings, made s'mores, etc. The girls invented a s'more using a mini 3 Musketeers bar. Karrie and I resisted trying that, but OH MAN does that sound good!

The girls also taught Karrie how to do the "Soulja Boy" dance...........

All in all, a great time was had by all of us..........

I have posted more pictures from the trip on our photos page. You can find them here. Enjoy!

And now, in the "I'm getting old" category.......

Ashley, Lindsey and Kortney went to their Homecoming Dance this past Saturday....

So, yeah, we are feeling a tad old right now. They are all turning into beautiful young women. Fortunately, they are still goofier than you could imagine. But, so are we..........

Stay tuned, gentle reader.

Sir Diesel Zevon of Sticky's 2

2007-09-10T01:50:00Z

This weekend, Diesel became Sir Diesel Zevon of Sticky's 2. He is officially registered with the American Kennel Club .

So how does a royal canine spend his weekend, you ask ?

By getting a bath.......

And then having a meet and greet with Ricky, the uber fat cat.........

And then settling down on the couch for some fine Sunday afternoon football. And, of course, Sir Diesel Zevon of Sticky's 2 is a HUGE fan of the Washington Redskins . He cheered them on to an overtime win against the Dolphins today.

It was so exciting, he needed a break.

Another neat fact is when I was on the AKC website after registering Diesel, I found that there are numerous Sir Diesels in the bulldog category that are registered. See for yourself :

Sir Diesel Mannino	NM68020906	M	06/04/1996
Sir Diesel Rose	NM81784402	M	02/24/1999
Sir Diesel McWeezle Of Princeton	NM85348601	M	01/09/2000
Sir Diesel Mugly Of Skywood	NS862892	M	12/31/1983
Sir Diesel Captain Moore	NT672743	M	07/03/1989
Sir Diesel Buddy	NM92048301	M	09/24/2001
Sir Diesel	NP01355002	M	09/27/2002
Sir Diesel Wags-A-Lot	NM93662601	M	06/21/2002
Sir Diesel Shaq Daddy	NP03758204	M	07/26/2003
Sir Diesel Ikenhimer	NP05731703	M	04/05/2004
Sir Diesel II	NP07694605	M	09/15/2004
Sir Diesel Of Palm Beach	NM93601702	M	05/16/2002
Sir Diesel Of Linden	NP09065607	M	03/15/2005
Sir Diesel Montgomery Merrill	NP11374901	M	10/06/2005
Sir Diesel Cisneros	NP13973301	M	05/05/2006
Sir Diesel Pack	NP15052706	M	10/16/2006
Sir Diesel Von Jagermeister	NP14943105	M	09/09/2006
Sir Diesel Olan	NP13052606	M	04/20/2006
Sir Diesel Blaze	NP15820304	M	01/30/2007
Sir Diesel Sr	NP15941502	M	02/18/2007
Sir Diesel III	NP15690103	M	02/15/2007
Sir Diesel IV	NP14687103	M	10/20/2006
Sir Diesel Zevon Of Sticky's 2

So, that was our weekend. Now he has to rest up for next weekend, when we are having the cookout we talked about previously. This is the gathering to make up for the poor weather we had at our wedding reception. It will also be a gathering of good friends, and a "coming out" party for Diesel.

Stay tuned, gentle reader........

Ladies and Gentlemen...introducing....... DIESEL

2007-09-03T02:55:00Z

This is Diesel. We got him this weekend. He is an English Bulldog. But not just any English Bulldog. Quite possibly the cutest pup ever to walk on 4 short stubby legs. He was born on July 2, 2007.

Here is a picture of his father - Thor, Lord of Thunder....

And his beautiful momma, Violet.........

We decided we were going to meet him on Saturday, after Alex' football game. (Alex played hard and did a great job, by the way.....)

We didn't tell the kids we were going to look at a pup, so as to avoid a million questions about when we were leaving, how big is he, are we going soon, etc etc.

I bought the book " Bulldogs for Dummies" and we hid it in Karrie's Yukon. After the game, we started towards the breeders house. Karrie broke it out and started reading from the section entitled "Bringing Your Bulldog Home". The kids all got VERY excited. I would be fibbing if I said we weren't excited, too. We had done some pretty exhaustive research into the breed, and this pup looked beautiful in the ad posted online. The minute we saw him, we fell in love. We got to meet his mom, Violet, and she was very laid back. By laid back, I mean she didn't even wake up when we walked in the house! His dad, Thor, wasn't there. He had...ahem..a date this weekend.

We left with him snuggled up with the kids, and made a pit stop at Petco. We got all the necessities and got to the house. All of us gathered for a family meeting to decide on a name. We whittled it down from about 100 to the top 3. Harley, Cash or Diesel. After much deliberation, it was decided that he is Diesel. He played in the yard, checked out his crate, and generally took over the place. He is home, and we couldn't be happier.

Stay tuned, gentle reader.........

Ocracoke - Summer Vacation 2007 - part two

2007-08-14T01:34:00Z

We have returned from our Outer Banks vacation. What a great time !

In the last post we mentioned the kids had been kayaking. They showed great teamwork in the 2-man boat, and impressive maneuverability with the 1-man version.

Wednesday night, Karrie and I were treated to a delicious dinner at The Back Porch Restaurant. Karrie and I both had scallops for the main course. The dessert was amazing!

Then, the next morning, Alex, Ashley, George and I went out on Captain John's The Fish Tale.

Here is his boat.......

We had even better luck this year than we did last year, and Ashley enjoyed it as much as Alex did. We caught 35 bluefish in about 90 minutes time. It was, in the words of Trent ----- AWESOME !

Click on the video - you see Alex catching one and at the same time Ash is bringing one in. Great, great time. If you go to Ocracoke, you NEED to spend a day fishing with Captain John. He is great with kids, and taught them quite a bit about fishing. The next time you see Ashley, ask her about the traditional "Flounder Face Slap". I doubt she will ever forget THAT experience. Do yourself a favor - go fishing on the The Fish Tale.

When we got back to the dock, Captain John cleaned the fish for us. Ashley fed several pelicans. Weird looking birds.

Friday, we spent some time at the beach and then had to start gathering stuff up for the ride home. And put the roof, doors and windshield back on the Jeep. Saturday, we loaded up the vehicles and headed back to Virginia. We had a wonderful vacation. If you go to Ocracoke and are looking for a place to stay, The Captain's Landing is where you want to be. Yes, they are my in-laws, but they run a fine establishment. And you simply will not find a better view any other place.

That is all from Ocracoke !

Stay tuned............

Ocracoke - Summer Vacation 2007 - part one

2007-08-08T18:41:00Z

Finally ! We have packed up the kids and gotten out of town for a vacation ! We are staying at The Captain's Landing, in beautiful Ocracoke, North Carolina. This place is wonderful! Here is a video clip of what it looks like from our room. Awesome view!

We got here late afternoon on Sunday, and since we made such great time, we had nothing planned for dinner. We went to Howard's Pub, an Ocracoke mainstay. We saw the waitress that took care of us so well on the night we got engaged and gave her the news that we got married. She actually remembered us. Must have been the 5 hours we sat at the bar talking non-stop.

We got settled in, and hit the beach first thing Monday morning. Well, by "first thing" I mean after we slept in. The beach here is fantastic! We got to drive our vehicles right out onto the beach, and the replacement tires on my Jeep performed admirably.

While we were there, we used my new TomTom Go 910 GPS unit and went to the spot where I proposed to Karrie.

For those of you keeping score, the longitude/latitude is W 75.96467 / N 35.09944. Everyone, on 3....
1...2....3.....AWWWWWW. Hehehe...

The kids are having a great time playing on the beach.

It is obvious the kids are excited about being reunited after my gang was in Florida for most of the summer. Lindsey was even kind enough to fill Alex' swimsuit with sand fleas for the ride back to the house.

Yesterday, we saw the shrimp boat come into port and went to the seafood shop down the street. We bought 3 pounds of the freshest shrimp ever. Came back, Karrie steamed them and made homemade cocktail sauce and we had a feast out on the back deck. I even peeled a couple of my own shrimp.

We also got a chance to go out on my father-in-law's boat for a nice ride. Very, very nice boat. It's a Parker, so the quality is top notch.

Tomorrow, we are going fishing with Captain John on The Fish Tale. We went last year and had a great time. Alex caught the majority of the fish, of course, but we had a blast.

The rest of the week is pretty much unplanned, but I am sure we will go to the beach a few more times. The kids were kayaking in the cove today (pics later) and I am sure they will want to do that again. They are going to look after one another and Karrie and I are going out on a date one of the evenings before we have to get back to reality.

Oh, at the beach we saw 2 women that brought their English Bulldogs. You cannot look at an English Bulldog without laughing. If and when we get a dog, I think it will have to be one of those.

Having a great time, gentle reader.

Stay tuned..............

Another fine wedding attended......

2007-07-16T21:15:00Z

And we continue on with the 2007 Spring/Summer Wedding Festival (Karrie and I in April, Rob and Noele two weeks ago,and this past weekend, my brother Steve and Ingrid) This wedding/reception was another great time had by all. After the wedding on Friday, we were treated to dinner at Shula's Steakhouse in Tysons Corner, Virginia. It was one of the finest dining experiences Karrie and I have ever had. Awesome food, staff, atmosphere, etc etc. And we even dressed up.

Alex had gotten back from Florida and was leaving for Boy Scout Camp in Goshen, Va on Sunday morning. Fortunately, that meant we could have him all day Saturday. It was great to see him, it seems like my gang has been away in Florida forever. He is tanned and got his hair cut.....

The weather was awesome and made for a nice motorcycle ride to get there. Here is our bike parked next to our good friends Bobby and Mary's bike. Theirs is a 2007 and has more bells and whistles than you can imagine. There was a Honda parked next to the bikes later in the day, must have forgotten to get a picture of it. (ahem....)

Ted was there, which always helps make it a good time.

And Karrie and I dressed down for the event. This is our "you talkin' to us?" photo..

Alex had a great time, and made some new friends....

And after the pinata smashing, he ended up with a new hat.......

All in all, a good time was had by all (and the food and wedding cake was delicious)...

It was wonderful seeing Alex, even though it was only for a few short hours. We are really looking forward to our Ocracoke vacation!

Ash, Linz and Trent are still having a fun time in Florida - they sent us these lovely photos yesterday.......

Yes, they are goofy beyond words, but we love them more than anything. And we are missing them...ALOT.

The wedding season (for us, anyway) is over for now. We can get back to life as we knew it, and I don't need to wear a suit in the foreseeable future. That is a good thing.

We had talked about having a party this summer and inviting all the people from our wedding. (this is to make up for the chilly/rainy day we had here at OUR reception) We will be picking a date in the not-too-distant future. Probably late August or early September. As soon as we get a date set, we will pass the word.

As always, gentle reader, stay tuned..........

Pictures added to the photos page

2007-07-11T05:58:00Z

I am sitting here working overtime tonight, and I am here till 7am. It is relatively quiet, so I dove into my Paint Shop Pro Photo XI program. I did some pretty neat things to some pictures and wanted to share them. That being said, go HERE and check them out. Not too bad for a first run through trying the artistic stuff, I guess. Enjoy !

Stay tuned......

Morrissey at Wolf Trap - Awesome show !

2007-07-06T13:38:00Z

So, it was July 2nd. Our best friend Ted was able to get 2 seats for the Morrissey concert at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia. After some worrying that the show would be canceled due to Moz' throat problems, we found out the show would go on as scheduled. We got there a couple hours early and enjoyed some fine tailgating and people watching. We went into Wolf Trap, and the ticket takers were impressed with our seats. I forgot to mention it, but they were in the FRONT ROW ! We enjoyed a nice, cold Heineken beer. And this must have been a specially brewed, laced with gold and diamonds beer, because for 24 ounces of this fine beverage, we paid the low, low amount of $9.00/each. Special, indeed. We then went down to our front row seats. Wow. That was pretty cool. Especially looking back at the crowd and seeing all the people there to see the show.

The opening act was Kristeen Young .

Forgive the cell phone camera quality. I had never heard her music before that night, but she put on a very energetic performance. When she finished, she apparently had no roadies, so Ted and I wandered over to where she was breaking down her equipment. (front row RULES!) We talked to her for a couple minutes, and she was a very nice person. I may have to get her CD. Also, while she was performing, we realized we didn't need the earplugs we had, as the speakers were above us and to the side, so we weren't blasted out of our shoes.

Then it came time for Morrissey. I have to admit, I was never a big fan of either The Smiths or Morrissey growing up. Of course, I never really listened to them. And I realize now that I was missing out. Morrissey put on an amazing show. It seemed shorter than a lot of shows I have been to, but it was great nonetheless.

Again, all apologies for the cell phone picture quality.

Morrissey shook my hand twice. Before the concert, I wouldn't have gotten too excited about that. But, during the show, when he reached down and took my hand, it was pretty cool. And he looks directly at you when he does it. It is hard to explain, and I guess if you weren't there, you wouldn't understand. I don't think I can really explain it myself. I came away from the show a Moz fan. I don't know if I will every be front row again at one of his shows, but I will definitely go if he tours the area again. And Ted and I are bringing Karrie next time, too.

If you go here , and watch closely at the 1 minute and 30 second mark, you will see Morrissey reaching down and shaking my hand. Sweet !

Thanks, Ted !

Stay tuned..........

Cousin Rob has joined the ranks of the betrothed.....

2007-07-02T00:37:00Z

My cousin Rob married his lovely fiance' Noele this weekend. My brother Steve and his fiance', Ingrid, were kind enough to drive us all into Washington, DC, for the wedding and the reception. I would rather shove burning matches under my fingernails than drive in the District, so that made it a much more enjoyable trip. After an unplanned tour of DC, we found the Josephine Butler Mansion, where the ceremony and reception was held. I saw people there I haven't seen in a long, long time.

Like my Aunt Pam........

My Uncle Bob.............

My cousin Brian and his wife Kit............

And, of course, Cousin Rob and his bride Noele.....

The reception was catered by the Lebanese Taverna, and was beyond delicious. All in all, it could not have been a nicer time.

Rob serenaded the crowd, and showed everyone he still has his chops (and convinced me that I really need to get my guitar back out and start playing again........)

Getting a bunch of Parkers together for a group shot......

Hopefully, it won't be nearly as long before we all get together again.

Family and friends really are all you have. Material goods are nice, but there really is no substitute for a handshake or a hug from someone you haven't seen in a long time.

And that, gentle reader, is that.

Stay tuned.....

Myrtle Beach Bike Week - part 4 (endgame)

2007-05-20T20:19:00Z

This is the 4th and final installment from the honeymoon at Myrtle Beach Bike Week 2007. What an awesome time.

In the first entry, I hadn't mentioned that the night before we left home to head south, Ashley decorated the Yukon.

This resulted in at least a couple dozen people blowing their horns, waving and smiling at us on the way down - and the way home, too. That was pretty cool. Kudos to Ash.

Where to begin about Friday and Saturday. We woke up to absolutely beautiful weather. After coffee, we rode with Randy and Dee to Magoo's for another healthy breakfast of free hot dogs, barbecue and hot wings.

Sure beats a bagel.

Rode out to The Rat Hole after breakfast to watch some biker games. Almost got stuck in several nasty traffic jams. Fortunately, our tour guides knew all kinds of different routes.

They were finishing the keg roll when we arrived, followed by the slow race. The idea is to go as slow as you can without putting your feet down. Last one past the finish line wins. It was interesting for a couple minutes, then it held all the excitement of watching paint dry. We had good company, though.

After that, back to the hotel to get cleaned up and chill out before the night time activities. Back out to the Soft Tail Saloon , where it was quite a bit busier than the first time we went. Must be their advertising methods.....

Strangely enough, we got perfect parking spots right in front. Had a beer or two, and met several friends of Randy and Dee's.

Left there after awhile and went to Danny Lee's Place for some more karaoke. We like the place. It was smoky inside, but it is a local establishment and not packed shoulder to shoulder. And, the beer is cheap there.

Karrie had made quite an impression the previous night on the karaoke hosts. So much so that they asked her to sing. And when a girl that hadn't sung before wanted to do a song but wanted someone to sing with her, they asked Karrie. We should retire and go on a karaoke world tour, with me as Karrie's manager. Or not.

Karrie and I planned on getting in early, since we were coming home the next morning and it is a long ride. We got in at 3am. Dumb, yes. Fun, much. When we pulled into the hotel, most of the sane riders had parked their bikes and there wasn't a spot to be had. I was going to just take the bike and park next to the Yukon, since we were leaving in a few hours anyway. The security guard wouldn't allow that and said there were plenty of spaces to park in. I went looking again and came across an employee of the hotel that was intoxicated beyond words. He tells me it is ok to park where it says "No Parking" and that he would be there all night to watch the bikes. I was pretty uneasy with that, and then a security guard came over and said the bike would be towed if left there. That wasn't about to happen. He guided me to a spot where I could safely leave her.

When the alarm went off, it was a cold dose of reality. We wanted to get on the road, but Randy and Dee suggested breakfast at a place called The Woodhaven Pancake House. They made a breakfast called the Country Benedict. Get this - biscuits smothered in sausage gravy, topped with 2 over easy eggs. Kinda makes hot wings and hot dogs pale in comparison. After that hearty meal, it was time to say goodbye to Myrtle Beach. It was sad saying goodbye to our new friends, but we know we will see them again, hopefully soon.

The ride home was not bad at all. It seems most people were waiting till Sunday to come home. Got in around 9:30pm to quite a surprise. Not only had my mom and dad watched the kids and the house, but they cleaned up everything. The garage was all cleaned out, the shed had a broken window replaced, the house was vacuumed and all the laundry was done. It is wonderful to come home to something like that. Amazing people, for sure.

So that is it, the honeymoon captured in 4 blog posts.

What did we learn on our week away?

We need to get out on the motorcycle a LOT more often
Helmet laws stink
It is possible to watch 1 hour of television in an entire week and not miss it
If you go to a biker bar, and they offer you free "Cajun pinto beans" because they are getting ready to close up the food - they aren't free. You will pay for them, within 24 hours.
It is a lot easier to karaoke in the safety and security of your own rec room
Having to pay to park a motorcycle is annoying
Tip your waiters and waitresses, and bathroom attendants, and everyone else
There are several types of motorcycle riders - the ones that ride because we love it (us), the true biker who has a 1 word name (like Spike or Greasy), the spoiled 20-something that owns a 75,000 dollar custom bike and makes sure that he is seen everywhere he goes, and the person that is obviously making up for a shortcoming by either buying a very expensive bike, racing the throttle at every intersection, or spinning his rear tire leaving a traffic light. Then there are the sport bike riders, but they are just silly and not worth a mention.
Myrtle Beach has far fewer bugs than Daytona.
Listening to Buckcherry makes you drive faster, Zevon , not so much.
Jim finally asked Pam out on The Office
You can meet people, know them for a few days, and feel like you have known them for years.
Cleaning our Harley is therapeutic. You never see a motorcycle parked out in front of a psychiatrists office.
The Wendy's Restaurant in Hopewell, Virginia should be avoided at all costs.
At some point in life, we all look like Aaron Tippin.
We will go back to Myrtle Beach again.
The honeymoon isn't over. Heck, we have barely begun.
Karrie and I made the best decision of our lives to be together.

Y'all stay tuned.........

Myrtle Beach Bike Week - part 3

2007-05-18T06:32:00Z

It is Thursday and we slept in nice and late. Last night, we drove past the Dog House and it was packed beyond belief. We stopped at Murphy's Law ....

...and had some food and a couple drinks. It was relatively quiet there, but we had a good time, and convinced the waitress to take our picture....

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a place called The Barrel, which was obviously a local hangout that was very territorial. They did not appreciate having 2 people from Virginia in their establishment, so we had an overpriced warm beer and high tailed it back to the hotel.

We slept in nice and late. When we woke up, it was raining. It is the first time it has rained since we got here. We decided to brave the elements, and went for a ride. We ended up across the street from the Harley dealer......

......where we had to pay $3 to park our bike. Unbelievable. We shopped some more, and I honestly think that we are both getting a little tired of T-shirt booths, leather booths, etc...

When we went back over to where our bike was parked, we saw a motorcycle that was for sale. Look at this picture. There is no way that anyone could possibly ride this thing without serious injury to themselves.

We went back to the hotel, and ordered a pizza from a joint that is right across the street. The delivery woman GOT LOST on the way to our room. There really is no way to explain this, but she did. However, we ended up having a very romantic dinner in our room.

Randy and Dee were taking us to a karaoke place called Danny Lee's. We were supposed to leave at about 8:30, but we heard a commercial that The Office season finale' was on from 8pm-9pm. We asked them to pick us up at 9:05, so that we could see the show. It was AWESOME. Now we have to wait till the next season, but it will be great, as usual.

Randy and Dee picked us up, and we had a wonderful time. Karrie OWNED every song she sang. Randy sang a few, too, and it is obvious that he has a good voice.

Also in attendance was Mike and Diane, friends of Randy and Dee. They are really cool, too.

We may go back there for another night of karaoke to finish out our honeymoon. We are really glad we met Randy and Dee. They have shown us around the town, and kept us from HUGE crowds. In the last 24 hours, there have been TONS of people coming into town, and the usual hot spots are packed beyond belief.

It was raining pretty hard when we headed home, and we only saw one brave soul on a bike. As I type this, there is some lunatic out by the pool yelling "whoooo" and then we hear a splash. I think he is jumping into the pool and then getting out and jumping in again. Weird.

Anyway, that is all from here so far.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Myrtle Beach. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. Hope so.

Stay tuned.

Myrtle Beach Bike Week - part 2

2007-05-16T22:48:00Z

Well, here it is, Wednesday afternoon, and this has been a great week so far. Monday, we went to the Harley Davidson dealer here in Myrtle Beach. It took us about 30 minutes to get into the parking lot and find a place to park. We really didn't go into the dealership, but we walked around the vendors areas and did some shopping. We then went to Suck Bang Blow , a bar named after the way an engine on a motorcycle runs (or so they say) It was a wild place, to say the least. There is a part of the bar that you can actually drive your motorcycle through, and partially through that area there is a room that you can pull your motorcycle into so that you can do a burn-out. Needless to say, we didn't do that. We did see a few bikes do it, and the smoke was really thick. Not to mention the miles burned off the tires of the bikes. They had a booth that did temporary tattoos. Karrie got one, along with a sunburn.

There were also girls dancing in a cage inside the bar, near where the burn-outs and bike drive through area was. I was startled and accidentally pushed the shutter release on the camera to capture this moment.

The outdoor bar had a really cool bartender, and we both agreed she was pure muscle.

We had lunch at Hooters, and treated the motorcycle to a bikini bike wash. They didn't do a very thorough job, but we did have some nice food there. We met some great people that live in Myrtle Beach, Randy and Dee.

They took us out the The Rat Hole , another infamous biker spot. They had several contests that I cannot describe here on a family oriented site. It was a fun time though. We were looking at one of the vendors areas that install LED lights on bikes. They had a bike on a lift and were working on it when all of a sudden all of the wiring that was exposed caught fire and smoked like mad. Everyone left that booth. Then, back to the hotel and some sleep.

Yesterday, we visited some more vendor locations, and then came back and did a thorough cleaning on the bike. A far, far, better job than the bikini clad ladies did.

While we were at one of the vendors, Karrie was checking out Ripley Motorcycles. They make a motorcycle with an automatic transmission.

Who knows, she may have her own bike someday. I would miss the back rubs that I get when she is behind me WAY too much, though.

We met back up with Randy and Dee, who took us out Soft Tails . We had a blast! We sat outside at a table where we could look at our bike and enjoy her shiny-ness. People still have a hard time believing it is a 1989, but it is.

We saw some really nice bikes while we were there, and some VERY intoxicated people. I have no idea how you could operate a motorcycle being as drunk as some of the people we saw. Scary stuff. We timed our exit accordingly. Then it was back to the hotel, where Karrie fell asleep about 22 seconds after laying down.

We got up this morning and went to Magoo's Pub with Randy and Dee. They had free hot dogs, free BBQ and 15 cent Hot Wings. Now that is what I call breakfast.

We left there, and Randy and Dee were kind enough to show us a scenic spot to get a picture of the bike. We took some pictures and enjoyed the ocean for a while.

Then, back to the hotel, where Karrie tried (unsuccessfully) to take a nap, while I typed this blog entry. Now, we are trying to decide where to go this evening. Karrie was looking at a place called The Dog House South , which looks promising. We shall see.

Stay tuned !

Myrtle Beach Bike Week - part 1

2007-05-14T01:33:00Z

We have arrived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for Spring Bike Week 2007. More importantly, it is our honeymoon. We were actually able to get away for a whole week, courtesy of my parents. They are watching the kids while we are away, so they are in excellent hands.

We left the house around 9am and made really good time getting down here, arriving at the hotel around 5pm. Brenda, Karrie's friend and co-worker had flowers sitting in our room waiting for us. She also sent a HUGE wrapped box with us that we were instructed not to open until we arrived. In it was a nice leather vest for Karrie, a leather dew rag for me, a 6 pack of Blue Moon Ale, 3 oranges, 2 towels and 2 champagne glasses from the hotel we are staying at. There was also a card with a very nice note inside that had Karrie snifflin'.

After a quick call to the house to let everyone know we arrived safely, we decided to take a short ride (even though we had no idea where we were or where we were going) We ended up at a sort of flea market with lots of vendors, food, music, etc. Unfortunately, it cost $5 to park. We will be searching out free parking areas from this point on. Anyway, we came across a leather vendor and Karrie picked out a nice pair of chaps that look AMAZING on her.......

We had an overpriced burger and cold fries, and walked around a little more. There was an outdoor bar set up, complete with women in short shorts and halters dancing on the table. (Karrie told me about that part, I didn't notice..........)

It was almost 9pm and we had been going all day, so we decided to head home. Made a quick stop at a Food Lion up the street. When we pulled into the lot, someone forgot to tell your ol' buddy Dave that there was a small curb and we got to take a nice ride up the curb and then down again. Minor excitement.

Anyway, back to the Food Lion.............

...nuff said.

Back the hotel. Elevator ride back to the room.......

.....and now, here I sit on the balcony, listening to the ocean crash into the surf. I think we are finally starting to wind down, and this is going to be a great week.

Stand by for more blog posts.