| Missouri Champion and co-National Champion Burr Oak
German composer Johann Pachelbel was born in Nuremberg in late August, 1653. He only wrote one canon, but it was a pretty darn good one - Pachelbel's Canon in D. It is so beautiful I find listening to it to be a great stress reliever. If the name doesn't ring a bell for you, you can refresh your memory by taking a few minutes to listen to it at this link:
Around the same time Johann was born, a Burr Oak sapling sprouted in a flood plain just south of what is now McBaine, Mo. Johann died March 9, 1706. His music still thrills people today. That oak sapling still survives, though it is currently undergoing a serious challenge to its survival due to the drought. Farmer John Sam Williamson, the fifth generation of his family to farm the field where the National Champion bur oak is located, has hauled 1700 gallons of water to the tree to help nurse it through the current drought. Mr. Williamson says he intends to haul 850 gallons of water a week to the tree until the drought ends. The weather forecast for the end of this week is promising. Maybe Hurricane Isaac will go easy on the big easy, New Orleans, and save some rain for the parched fields and forests of Missouri.
The tree, which was already 150 years old when Lewis and Clark passed nearby on their 1804 expedition, has survived droughts before. Also floods. The tree was in 9 foot of water for 6 weeks during the 1993 flood. Perhaps the biggest threat it faces is not drought, floods, or lightning, but bona fide idiots. People have fired bullets into the tree trunk, spray-painted graffiti on it, and, in March of 2011, carved the words "LIVE LIFE" into its trunk.
Naturalist John Muir was a tree lover. In fact, a National Park - Muir Woods - is named after him. According to the National Park Service, when John Muir learned that William and Elizabeth Kent were naming a redwood forest near San Francisco in his honor, he declared, "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world."
Here is what Mr. Muir had to say about threats to trees of the human variety: "God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But He cannot save them from fools."
Mark Twain had a slightly different view. "The trouble ain't" he said, "that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012
A True Missouri Champion
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Who's That Banging at my Door?
In the past week there were two cases of burglars breaking into homes in this area they supposedly thought were unoccupied only to be surprised by equally surprised homeowners. One case has been solved and the suspect identified in the other case. Crimestoppers is offering a $250 reward for information leading to his location and arrest. That's why I was very concerned over the weekend when I heard a suspicious noise at our back door. When I cautiously investigated to see what was making the banging noise I discovered a pair of romantic turtles.
 Not surprising that I would find a turtle at our back door. My wife has been feeding one she named "Mr. T". He prefers strawberries, watermelon and lettuce. What IS surprising is that there were two turtles there - Mr. AND Mrs. T, I suppose. My wife was excited and immediately began speculating about whether we were "expecting". How many . . . how long before they appear . . .? She did what most people do when they have questions about sex - she got on-line. |
A Republican congressional candidate from Missouri recently created a stir when he claimed something to the effect that women's bodies can control whether they get pregnant or not after a rape. This led some people (Republicans) to urge him to get out of the race. It led others (Democrats) to urge him to stay in the race. Well, it turns out that SOME females CAN control whether they get pregnant or not. Not humans . . . turtles. Here is what my wife found: "even though the turtles may have mated, that does not mean she will become gravid (technical term for "knocked-up"). A female box turtle can hold the sperm up to 7 years before using it." Or NOT using it, I suppose. My wife found that info at "Ask.com" from a source that claimed to have "19 years rescue and rehab housing turtles", so it's got to be reliable, right? A couple of observations: 1. Maybe Congressional candidate Akin could say he got confused and was referring to turtles? 2. I can only imagine the havoc it would if human females could store sperm for up 7 years. As I went to the end of our long driveway to get the mail today, a turtle was crossing the road headed toward our backdoor. I think word has gotten out in the reptilian community that my wife is a soft touch. |
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The Town That Dare Not Speak it's Name
There are a couple of subdivisions in Jefferson City that have chosen to name streets after well-known places in the United Kingdom. My parents purchased a house on Liverpool Drive earlier this year. That could be somewhat fitting. Reece is a Welsh name. John Lennon, of Beatles fame, and his new bride, Cynthia, celebrated their 1962 wedding with a party at Reece's Tavern in Liverpool. It was the same place John's parents, Alfred and Julia, celebrated THEIR wedding in 1938.
When using place names in the United Kingdom, though, it is important to be very selective. Recently published was a list of the 10 most embarrassing place names in the U.K. Heading the list was Shitterton, also known as "the city that dares not speak its name." It is also the city that has a hard time keeping signs bearing the town name from being stolen. After numerous thefts of Shitterton signs, the city finally resorted to having it's name engraved on a giant boulder.
Here are the names of the most embarrassing place names in the U.K.:
1 Shitterton (Dorset)
2 Scratchy Bottom (Dorset)
3 Brokenwind (Aberdeenshire)
4 Crapstone (Devon)
5 Golden Balls (Oxfordshire)
6 Ugley (Essex)
7 Crackpot (North Yorkshire)
8 Backside (Aberdeenshire)
9 Great Snoring (Norfolk)
10 Happy Bottom (Dorset)
Honorable mention went to Sandy Balls (Hampshire), Pratt's Bottom (Kent), North Piddle (Worcestershire) and Dull.
By comparison, town's making the list of top ten most embarrassing names in the U.S. were as follows:
1. Toad Suck, Ar.
2. Climax, Ga.
3. Boring, Or.
4. Hooker, Ok.
5. Assawoman, Md.
6. Belchertown, Ma.
7. Roachtown, Il.
8. Loveladies, NJ
9. Squabbletown, Ca.
10. Monkey's Eyebrow, Ky.
In a show of kinship, the U.K. village of Dull has chosen Boring, Oregon as its sister city. I think that is an admirable choice. In that spirit of camaraderie, I would like to offer the following U.S. "sister city" suggestions to those U.K. towns that made the list of most embarrassing names:
10. Happy Bottom - U.S. Sister city - Luck Stop, Ky.
9. Great Snoring - Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
8. Backside - Peach Bottom, Pa.
7. Crackpot - Peculiar, Mo.
6. Ugley - Eek, AK
5. Golden Balls - Beaverdale, Pa.
4. Crapstone - Mexican Water, Az.
3. Brokenwind - Embarrass, Wi.
2. Scratchy Bottom - Fleatown, Oh.
And, finally, Shittertonians, walk with your heads held high with YOUR suggested sister city residents from . . . MIANUS, CT.!
To help with your future tourism marketing campaigns, here are my suggested town slogans for you:
Shitterton - You've Really Got To Go There!
and
Mianus - On a clear night you can see Uranus from Mianus!
No need to thank me, though I would be honored to accept a key to your cities (provided you wash your hands first!)
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Old, easily stolen, Shitterton sign - Located in beautiful Piddle Valley (really) New Shitterton sign (Try to steal THIS, A-holes!) |
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Leaving Alabama - Again - But This Time I'm Sad
On August 5, 1967, I left Alabama. In fact, I couldn't wait to leave. I had been stationed at Fort Rucker, near Dothan, Alabama. My tour of duty ended August 5, 1967 at 12:01 AM. By 12:02 AM I was headed north in a 1964 VW Karmann Ghia.
On August 4, 2012, I left Alabama again. Unlike 1967, this time I wanted to stay. By 7 AM our two car parade was loaded and driving along the beach one last time. North to Foley, home of Lambert's Cafe III, the Foley Railroad Museum and Stacy Rexall Drug (I don't LIKE sharing!), we were soon skirting Mobile.
| Citronelle - Best Kept Secret in S. Ala |
No problem! In Citronelle, Alabama (motto: Best Kept Secret in Southern Alabama) high school girls were selling Krispy Kreme donuts along side the road for $6 a dozen. Citronelle is home to the "Surrender Oak". According to Wikipedia, "On May 4, 1865, one of the last significant Confederate armies was surrendered by General Richard Taylor under what became known as the "Surrender Oak" in Citronelle." Though Citronelle has a Surrender Oak Festival each year, the Surrender Oak itself was destroyed in a hurricane in 1902. J. Paul Getty once shared his formula for success: Rise early, work hard, strike oil. It worked for J. Paul. It also worked for Citronelle. In 1955, oil was discovered in the area. In addition to being "the best kept secret in southern Alabama", it is also known as the oil capital of Alabama.
By shortly after 11 am, we were at a McAlister's Deli in Columbus, Mississippi. I've mentioned Columbus in my blog before. My wife and I spent the night in Columbus on February 21, 2011. We arrived after dark. My wife had bronchitis. I went in search of medicine. In the process, I nearly got mugged. When I, the muggee, made my getaway, the would-be muggers followed me back to our motel where I parked directly in front of the motel office. If I could have parked INSIDE the motel office, I would have. Our visit this year was uneventful. My motto for Columbus - "A nice place to visit - in the daylight."
At 3 pm we stopped for gas in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Memphis was dead ahead. Garmin Dave took us right through the heart of Memphis. If we'd had time, a visit to Graceland would have been nice. Alas, we had (many) miles to go, and (not too many) promises to keep before we sleep." Apologies to Robert Frost.
After dinner at a Cracker Barrel in Cape Girardeau, we began clicking off the miles to the beds where we normally lay our heads when not on vacation. As we neared St. Louis, flashes of lightning illuminated the sky to our west. A few miles west of St. Louis on I-70 the skies opened. Though our windshield wipers had pretty much been on a summer-long vacation, they were suddenly overwhelmed by a sudden cloudburst. Some drivers had to slow to near the speed limit.
As we neared home, two things happened:
1. It quit raining; and
2. Our 2-year-old granddaughter began to cry. Who could blame her? We had been on the road over 15 hours. 15 hours strapped into a child's car seat and I'd cry too.
Sixteen hours and 10 minutes after we left our Orange Beach condo we pulled into our son's (completely dry) driveway in Jefferson City.
Chief Seattle is credited with saying "Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints". We definitely took some memories (and some t-shirts - Sorry, Chief) from our family roadtrip, but we left more than footprints. After one rousing game of catch with a water bouncer ball in the Gulf, my son got back to the condo and noticed his wedding band was missing.
Guess that's as good a reason as any to go back some day.
T
There's (a) GOLD (band) in them there waves!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Home of the Throwed Rolls and Throwed Diets
On the final day of our family vacation to Orange Beach, Al., we decided to visit Lambert's Cafe III, "Home of the Throwed Rolls!", in nearby Foley. Lamberts Cafe was founded in Sikeston, Mo. in 1942 and is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary. The Lambert's "throwed rolls" tradition got started when Norman Lambert couldn't get to an impatient customer with a roll and the customer hollered "Just throw the %!&$!!! thing!" Norman did, and Lambert's personnel have been doing it ever since, much to the delight of one and all. In 1994, Lambert's Cafe II opened just south of Springfield in Ozark, Mo. On June 24, 1996, Lambert's Cafe III opened in Foley, this time without Norman. Norman passed away two weeks earlier on June 10, 1996.
Our first experience with Lambert's was on a basketball roadtrip to southern Illinois in the early '90's. We decided to have an early dinner and try out Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, Mo. After we placed our order, something unusual began to happen. Waiters and waitresses began to come by and offer us free food. Not just tiny samples . . . a full portion. Fried okra, fried potatoes, black-eyed peas, macaroni and tomatoes . . . and every so often a huge roll would come flying in our direction. Next thing we knew the owner, Norman Ray Lambert, was at our table and struck up a conversation.
"You folks ever had chitlins?" he asked.
"Nope". Next thing we knew a plate of chitlins was on our table, compliments of Mr. Lambert. It was like thick-sliced, very crispy bacon.
"You folks ever eaten a hubcap?" he asked.
"Nope".
Before we knew it everyone at our table had a hubcap. At Lambert's, a "hubcab" is a cinnamon roll the size of a dinner plate. We were stuffed before the food we had ordered arrived. A few years later, Norman Ray Lambert came to Springfield and opened Lambert's II. I like to think our hearty appetites influenced his decision.
Lambert's Cafe's I, II, and III have been enormously successful. The food is great, true. But instead of ONE golden rule, Norman had 13. Here they are:
1. As the Bible says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2. Always offer our guest at least one service they can't receive anywhere else.
3. You, our guest, are very important, you are the reason we are here! THANK YOU!
4. We need you, our guest, much more than we need ourselves.
5. You, our guest, are always right.
6. It's our job to take care of you, if we don't someone else will.
7. If we make a mistake, we will correct it immediately!
8. Our simple but powerful rule: Always give you, our guest, more than you expect to get.
9. You are our guest; guests in our home, not clients or customers, but guests.
10. Good enough for some is not good enough for us.
11. The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary, is: give that little extra.
12. Quality rather than quantity matters, we offer BOTH.
13. We do simple things, but in exceptional ways!
MY two rules for eating at Lambert's are:
1. Don't come if you are in a hurry. A one hour wait is not uncommon.
2. Do come if you hungry and want a good time! It is darn near impossible to LEAVE hungry or not smiling.
My wife only has one rule for eating at Lamberts:
1. Calories consumed on vacation don't count.
Our first experience with Lambert's was on a basketball roadtrip to southern Illinois in the early '90's. We decided to have an early dinner and try out Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, Mo. After we placed our order, something unusual began to happen. Waiters and waitresses began to come by and offer us free food. Not just tiny samples . . . a full portion. Fried okra, fried potatoes, black-eyed peas, macaroni and tomatoes . . . and every so often a huge roll would come flying in our direction. Next thing we knew the owner, Norman Ray Lambert, was at our table and struck up a conversation.
"You folks ever had chitlins?" he asked.
"Nope". Next thing we knew a plate of chitlins was on our table, compliments of Mr. Lambert. It was like thick-sliced, very crispy bacon.
"You folks ever eaten a hubcap?" he asked.
"Nope".
Before we knew it everyone at our table had a hubcap. At Lambert's, a "hubcab" is a cinnamon roll the size of a dinner plate. We were stuffed before the food we had ordered arrived. A few years later, Norman Ray Lambert came to Springfield and opened Lambert's II. I like to think our hearty appetites influenced his decision.
Lambert's Cafe's I, II, and III have been enormously successful. The food is great, true. But instead of ONE golden rule, Norman had 13. Here they are:
2. Always offer our guest at least one service they can't receive anywhere else.
3. You, our guest, are very important, you are the reason we are here! THANK YOU!
4. We need you, our guest, much more than we need ourselves.
5. You, our guest, are always right.
6. It's our job to take care of you, if we don't someone else will.
7. If we make a mistake, we will correct it immediately!
8. Our simple but powerful rule: Always give you, our guest, more than you expect to get.
9. You are our guest; guests in our home, not clients or customers, but guests.
10. Good enough for some is not good enough for us.
11. The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary, is: give that little extra.
12. Quality rather than quantity matters, we offer BOTH.
13. We do simple things, but in exceptional ways!
MY two rules for eating at Lambert's are:
1. Don't come if you are in a hurry. A one hour wait is not uncommon.
2. Do come if you hungry and want a good time! It is darn near impossible to LEAVE hungry or not smiling.
My wife only has one rule for eating at Lamberts:
1. Calories consumed on vacation don't count.
 |
| Norman Ray Lambert grave site (1933-1996) Chucking dinner rolls throughout eternity |
Friday, August 17, 2012
Family Roadtrip - Day 7 - Rails To Wails in Foley, Alabama
Day 7 of our family roadtrip took us to Foley, Alabama, home of the Foley Railroad Museum. The brochure suggested it was "Fun For All Ages" and they were right. It can also be described with my favorite f-word: FREE!
Outside, our grandkids loved the free miniature train ride around the block. Inside, they were fascinated by the 60 'x 24' "O" gauge train layout. Multiple trains traversed the quarter-mile of track that meandered through a 1950's era city (including a building that has been on fire for 4 1/2 years) and surrounding countryside (including drive-in theater, circus and a hobo camp). The entire museum, with the exception of the gift shop lady, is run by the Caboose Club - old guys with a love for trains who volunteer their time. Per the brochure, it took 6000 hours of volunteer labor to construct the 1440 square foot indoor train layout. You can check it out at:
http://www.foleyrailroadmuseum.com/
As we were waiting for the miniature train to come back around the block so my grandkids could get on, I struck up a conversation with the conductor. From him I learned that the Railroad Museum is not the only nostalgic attraction in Foley. Barely a block away, said the conductor, was Stacey Rexall Drugs & Old Tyme Soda Fountain. Since it was time for lunch, why not grab something at the Rexall and show the kids and grandkids a part of my childhood? I thought to myself.
We got to the Rexall early and ordered lunch. Burgers & cokes for the adults and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches & lemonade for my grandson and granddaughter, ages 4 & 2. As we waited for our food, I noticed that the Caboose Club was not the only club in town. Stacy Rexall Drug was home to the Curmudgeon Club. As near as I could tell, members of the Curmudgeon Club shared 4 characteristics:
1. They were old
2. They were male
3. They liked coffee, and
4. They all had a white ball cap that said “Curmudgeon Club” on the front which entitled them to 10 cent coffee at Stacy Rexall Drug.
When members of the Curmudgeon Club pass on to the Old Tyme Soda Fountain in the sky, their hats are hung along the wall with their name, date of birth and the date they quit drinking coffee for good.
As I was savoring the nostalgia that oozed from every pore of the old business, our food order arrived. That was when things went down hill. When advised he would be sharing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and lemonade with his two-year-old sister, my four-year-old grandson said something to the effect of “I don’t LIKE sharing!” For effect, he flipped the plate holding the PB & J sandwich upside down. Shortly thereafter he was escorted, wailing, to the van for a serious conversation about merits of sharing.
Truth be known, I’m not a big fan of sharing my lemonade with a two-year-old either. I think it has something to do with the fact that they can drink for 2 minutes and the glass has more in it when they finish than when they started.
If you make it to L.A. (lower Alabama), I highly recommend the Foley Railroad Museum and Stacy Rexall Drug as budget-friendly, family-friendly stops. Jerry Seinfeld once said “there is no such thing as fun for the whole family”. Foley, Alabama might have a legitimate beef with that statement.
Outside, our grandkids loved the free miniature train ride around the block. Inside, they were fascinated by the 60 'x 24' "O" gauge train layout. Multiple trains traversed the quarter-mile of track that meandered through a 1950's era city (including a building that has been on fire for 4 1/2 years) and surrounding countryside (including drive-in theater, circus and a hobo camp). The entire museum, with the exception of the gift shop lady, is run by the Caboose Club - old guys with a love for trains who volunteer their time. Per the brochure, it took 6000 hours of volunteer labor to construct the 1440 square foot indoor train layout. You can check it out at:
http://www.foleyrailroadmuseum.com/
As we were waiting for the miniature train to come back around the block so my grandkids could get on, I struck up a conversation with the conductor. From him I learned that the Railroad Museum is not the only nostalgic attraction in Foley. Barely a block away, said the conductor, was Stacey Rexall Drugs & Old Tyme Soda Fountain. Since it was time for lunch, why not grab something at the Rexall and show the kids and grandkids a part of my childhood? I thought to myself.
We got to the Rexall early and ordered lunch. Burgers & cokes for the adults and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches & lemonade for my grandson and granddaughter, ages 4 & 2. As we waited for our food, I noticed that the Caboose Club was not the only club in town. Stacy Rexall Drug was home to the Curmudgeon Club. As near as I could tell, members of the Curmudgeon Club shared 4 characteristics:
1. They were old
2. They were male
3. They liked coffee, and
4. They all had a white ball cap that said “Curmudgeon Club” on the front which entitled them to 10 cent coffee at Stacy Rexall Drug.
When members of the Curmudgeon Club pass on to the Old Tyme Soda Fountain in the sky, their hats are hung along the wall with their name, date of birth and the date they quit drinking coffee for good.
As I was savoring the nostalgia that oozed from every pore of the old business, our food order arrived. That was when things went down hill. When advised he would be sharing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and lemonade with his two-year-old sister, my four-year-old grandson said something to the effect of “I don’t LIKE sharing!” For effect, he flipped the plate holding the PB & J sandwich upside down. Shortly thereafter he was escorted, wailing, to the van for a serious conversation about merits of sharing.
Truth be known, I’m not a big fan of sharing my lemonade with a two-year-old either. I think it has something to do with the fact that they can drink for 2 minutes and the glass has more in it when they finish than when they started.
If you make it to L.A. (lower Alabama), I highly recommend the Foley Railroad Museum and Stacy Rexall Drug as budget-friendly, family-friendly stops. Jerry Seinfeld once said “there is no such thing as fun for the whole family”. Foley, Alabama might have a legitimate beef with that statement.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Family Roadtrip: Are You Siri(ous)?
In addition to being able to check email, surf the web, set reminders and even make phone calls, you can ask Siri anything by merely pressing a button and holding it down momentarily. Following a ding (maybe a double ding), you can speak your question to Siri.
When my wife and I couldn’t remember if we got married on a Friday night or a Saturday night, I asked Siri “What day of the week was August 18, 1972?” Without hesitation, Siri responded “August 18, 1972 was a Friday.”
Amazing.
Sometimes her responses aren’t so amazing. When my wife and I disagreed about the location of Gulf Shores, Alabama, I suggested she ask Siri. “Where is Gulf Shores?” my wife asked. “Looking for adult stores . . . “ responded Siri. Not the correct answer, but I like the way she thinks.
Siri was developed at great expense by some of the most brilliant technological minds in existence. I wonder if they are disappointed that people are asking Siri things like “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” (she knows) and “Where do babies come from? (answer: “I found 8 baby stores. Two of them are not far from you).Ask Siri to tell you a joke and she might say “Two iPhones walked into a bar. I forget the rest . . . “ Ask her if it is going to rain and she will give you a 7 day forecast, though in the future she might be programmed to ask folks in Missouri “Is that a joke?”
Siri has taken quite a load off of me. Now when my wife asks me a question I just say “Ask Siri!” So she does. Quite a lot! Any day now I expect Siri to respond to some question from my wife with “Give it a rest, will ya?”
Occasionally I sense Siri and my wife might get into a catfight when Siri can’t or won’t follow my wife’s instructions, like “remind me to turn off the water in my flower garden in 30 minutes.” Perhaps, I have thought to myself, Apple should have a man personal assistant for women and a woman personal assistant for men. Siri for men and, maybe, Regis or Raoul for women.
Though they may occasionally squabble, Siri and my wife seem to share the same core beliefs.
My wife: “Siri, what is the meaning of life?”
Siri: “All evidence to date suggests it’s chocolate.
All is forgiven.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Livin' It Up in L.A. (Lower Alabama)
On August 3, I left my family stranded in Alabama. Not literally, of course. I just suspended blogs about our family vacation to publish on-the-spot reports from Nick Rackers in London. Nick generously agreed to send day-to-day reports on his long awaited trip to the summer Olympic games. Thanks again to Nick! Also, condolences. Nick's grandmother, Frances Sophia "Franky" Rackers, passed away August 6 while Nick was in London.
Now, I rejoin three generations of my family on our Orange Beach, Alabama, roadtrip . . .
Though I love living in central Missouri, it is nice to go on vacation and see things you don't see around here. Like rain. As we relaxed on the beach in front of our condo on day 4 we began to hear distant rumbles of thunder. As ominous clouds rolled in and the sky grew dark, we picked our towels and toys and headed for cover. Common sense, right? Ha!
After rinsing as much sand off my body that could be reached without straining the bounds of public decency, I joined the rest of my family on our fourth floor balcony a hundred yards from the water's edge. Below us, as the wind strained beach umbrellas and launched various types of floaties skyward, people seemed oblivious to the fact that, just maybe, a storm was brewing.
As wind gusts suddenly began to propel air mattresses and inflatable beach toys in the general direction of Mexico, a beach patrol truck motored slowly down the row of hotels, bullhorn blaring, warning people to take cover.
Well, DUH!
I would like to thank those people who needed official intervention to get them to leave the beach, despite high winds and lightning, for providing an hour of entertainment for me and my family. I have a very entertaining video of people scrambling for cover, FINALLY, before the wind carried THEM down the beach like it just did their inner tube and beach umbrella.
Forrest Gump said "I am not a smart man, but I know what love is." I say "I am not a smart man, but I know what lightning is!"
A comment my son received via Twitter that day seemed appropriate:
"I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let nature take it's course?"
Now, I rejoin three generations of my family on our Orange Beach, Alabama, roadtrip . . .
Though I love living in central Missouri, it is nice to go on vacation and see things you don't see around here. Like rain. As we relaxed on the beach in front of our condo on day 4 we began to hear distant rumbles of thunder. As ominous clouds rolled in and the sky grew dark, we picked our towels and toys and headed for cover. Common sense, right? Ha!
After rinsing as much sand off my body that could be reached without straining the bounds of public decency, I joined the rest of my family on our fourth floor balcony a hundred yards from the water's edge. Below us, as the wind strained beach umbrellas and launched various types of floaties skyward, people seemed oblivious to the fact that, just maybe, a storm was brewing.
As wind gusts suddenly began to propel air mattresses and inflatable beach toys in the general direction of Mexico, a beach patrol truck motored slowly down the row of hotels, bullhorn blaring, warning people to take cover.
Well, DUH!
I would like to thank those people who needed official intervention to get them to leave the beach, despite high winds and lightning, for providing an hour of entertainment for me and my family. I have a very entertaining video of people scrambling for cover, FINALLY, before the wind carried THEM down the beach like it just did their inner tube and beach umbrella.
Forrest Gump said "I am not a smart man, but I know what love is." I say "I am not a smart man, but I know what lightning is!"
A comment my son received via Twitter that day seemed appropriate:
"I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let nature take it's course?"
Lightning - Nature's Way of Freeing up beach chairs
After the storm - the remnants of a kiss from Mother Nature
Friday, August 10, 2012
Nick in Knightland - Party Like a Rock Star! (Not!)
(Note from Nick to Doug: no pics on this one. I wish my editor would have upped my budget
though. Read on, you'll understand). (Note to readers: Nick's budget is zero.)
August 8, 2012, 11:51 PM
I am a member of the Jefferson City Evening Rotary Club. Whenever a Rotarian travels abroad, if there is a club meeting to attend we really try to go. Rotary is full of friends no matter where you go and the clubs love visitors, especially visitors from another country. I decided to go to the Rotary Club of Kensington because they meet on Wednesday evenings and were close to my hotel.
I jumped on the tube and found the place with no problem. The club meets in the Radisson Vanderbilt hotel. It was a wonderful meeting and I met some new Rotarian's. It also turned out that there is a reason the hotel is named "Vanderbilt". The Vanderbilt family once owned the place and the Rotary club of Kensington meets in what was once the library and office of the Vanderbilt family's London home. It is still in its original condition. I knew all the fancy wood paneling and stained glass windows meant opulence... I just didn't know the Vanderbilt connection until after the meeting was over. How cool is that?
Not as cool as what happened next...
After the meeting I headed back to the tube station so I could return to my hotel and pack since my flight was the next morning. As I crossed the street, a guy asked me for directions. I actually knew the answer. He sounded American so I asked him where he was headed. "The USA House" he said. The USA House is the official presence of the United States Olympic Committee at the games. That's where Olympians, celebrities, dignitaries, medalists and major donors go to celebrate and socialize. I decided to be a friendly guy and help him find his way (secretly hoping he could get me in).
As we walked to the USA House I discovered the guy was an Olympic rower for team USA. He was headed to USA House to drink free beer. He was originally from Ohio but trained for the Olympics in California. He didn't have the best Olympics because one of his teammates oars got stuck in the water. His family got to come see him race. We talked like any two blokes would talk. He was relying on me to get him there. I was hoping he could get me in the door.
When we arrived at USA house the guy said he would see what he could do to get me in. His credential got him in the door. I had my bag searched and got wanded, BUT - AT LEAST I WAS IN THE FRONT DOOR! As soon as I got in I saw the guy at the front desk trying to get me into the party. After a discussion with the front desk people, he turned to me. The good news was I could get in. The bad news was it would cost $150! He didn't have the money and I didn't want to spend that much either. He thanked me for helping him find the USA House, we shook hands, and I left. I found out his name is Peter Graves. Peter is drinking beer right now while I am typing this blog.
I wish I wasn't such a cheapskate.
Doug's note to Nick: Wow, that is a great story! $150? I would have sprung for half just to see the pics and hear the tales that came from drinking beer with Olympic athletes. That is some pretty pricey beer, though, and you would have to drink a lot to get your money's worth. If you HAD gone in, I suspect there might have been ANOTHER blog - Nick (Still) in Knightland - Nick Misses His Plane!
August 8, 2012, 11:51 PM
I am a member of the Jefferson City Evening Rotary Club. Whenever a Rotarian travels abroad, if there is a club meeting to attend we really try to go. Rotary is full of friends no matter where you go and the clubs love visitors, especially visitors from another country. I decided to go to the Rotary Club of Kensington because they meet on Wednesday evenings and were close to my hotel.
I jumped on the tube and found the place with no problem. The club meets in the Radisson Vanderbilt hotel. It was a wonderful meeting and I met some new Rotarian's. It also turned out that there is a reason the hotel is named "Vanderbilt". The Vanderbilt family once owned the place and the Rotary club of Kensington meets in what was once the library and office of the Vanderbilt family's London home. It is still in its original condition. I knew all the fancy wood paneling and stained glass windows meant opulence... I just didn't know the Vanderbilt connection until after the meeting was over. How cool is that?
Not as cool as what happened next...
After the meeting I headed back to the tube station so I could return to my hotel and pack since my flight was the next morning. As I crossed the street, a guy asked me for directions. I actually knew the answer. He sounded American so I asked him where he was headed. "The USA House" he said. The USA House is the official presence of the United States Olympic Committee at the games. That's where Olympians, celebrities, dignitaries, medalists and major donors go to celebrate and socialize. I decided to be a friendly guy and help him find his way (secretly hoping he could get me in).
As we walked to the USA House I discovered the guy was an Olympic rower for team USA. He was headed to USA House to drink free beer. He was originally from Ohio but trained for the Olympics in California. He didn't have the best Olympics because one of his teammates oars got stuck in the water. His family got to come see him race. We talked like any two blokes would talk. He was relying on me to get him there. I was hoping he could get me in the door.
When we arrived at USA house the guy said he would see what he could do to get me in. His credential got him in the door. I had my bag searched and got wanded, BUT - AT LEAST I WAS IN THE FRONT DOOR! As soon as I got in I saw the guy at the front desk trying to get me into the party. After a discussion with the front desk people, he turned to me. The good news was I could get in. The bad news was it would cost $150! He didn't have the money and I didn't want to spend that much either. He thanked me for helping him find the USA House, we shook hands, and I left. I found out his name is Peter Graves. Peter is drinking beer right now while I am typing this blog.
I wish I wasn't such a cheapskate.
Doug's note to Nick: Wow, that is a great story! $150? I would have sprung for half just to see the pics and hear the tales that came from drinking beer with Olympic athletes. That is some pretty pricey beer, though, and you would have to drink a lot to get your money's worth. If you HAD gone in, I suspect there might have been ANOTHER blog - Nick (Still) in Knightland - Nick Misses His Plane!
Peter Graves - Olympic Rower &
Nick's New Friend
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Nick in Knightland - The View From Across the Pond -
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| Royal Botanical Gardens - Palm House (above) and Water Lily House (below left) |
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When one thinks of a pilgrimage, it conjures up thoughts of a religious journey to a shrine or a church. It is usually a long journey with a magnificent fulfilling destination. I thinks that's what the Olympics are like. It's not quite once-in-a-lifetime, but it is only every four years (two years if you include the winter games). It's always a destination.
Before I left, people would react with " it's a once in a lifetime trip to go to the Olympics!" The thing is, I have already been to the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in 2002. So does that mean these London games aren't once in a lifetime for me?
The basketball arena will be dismantled, likely reconstructed in another community. The Olympic stadium itself will downsize from an 80,000 seat arena to one closer to 20,000. The equestrian venue at Greenwich will return to its normal role as a royal park. The cauldron itself will be dismantled and each country will be given their respective "petal" that was carried in during the Opening ceremony.
So in a way, this was once in a lifetime. I think London has done such a great job they should be placed on a permanent rotation to host. A US host should be in that mix as well, but that's another discussion.
As a horticulture instructor, I always like visiting botanical gardens when I travel. Today we traveled to the Royal Botanical Gardens - Kew. Kew is world-renowned. There are quite a few top gardens in the world, and RBG Kew, along with Longwood Gardens in PA, and the Missouri Botanical Garden always top the lists of garden writers as "must visit" gardens. Having now been to all three, I have a distinct admiration for each.
But one thing that Kew has that MoBot and Longwood do not have is an Olympic connection. For the games, Kew installed a 50m-long set of Olympic rings planted with colored annuals for color. Red geraniums, yellow marigolds, blue lobelia, black mondo grass, and green mint made up the five colors. The Olympics and horticulture - united in one place. I was in heaven!
It was a fitting end to my Olympic pilgrimage - one of the top gardens united with my favorite sporting event.
Once in a lifetime!
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Alpine House - Prince of Wales Conservatory (right) with
grass garden in foreground
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Olympic Rings
Southern hemisphere garden in
Olympic Park
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Nick in Knightland - The View From Across the Pond
Here is the latest eyewitness report on the Olympics from Jefferson City resident Nick Rackers:
August 7, 2012 - 3:52 PM
It's been hard to keep up with things. No matter what time our events get finished for the day it always seems somehow that we don't get back to the hotel until late. So . . . I'm combining three days into one!
Monday
Monday we had only one event, semi-final basketball. We got to see two games of men's basketball.. The first was France vs Nigeria. I really didn't care about the outcome of that game but we joined the Brits in the crowd and cheered for Nigeria. The second game was easy to pick a favorite...Team GB played China. Team GB only got an entry into the tournament because they are the host country. China was favored, but ended up losing by 30 points or more. GB shot three pointer after three pointer.
The basketball venue is quite unique. It is a 14,000 seat TEMPORARY structure. You can't tell from the inside, but the outside skin is reminiscent of Beijing's Water Cube swimming venue. It's translucent white skin lights up at night with its own colorful light show.
The funnest part of the day occurred before the basketball. The Today show's set is adjacent to the basketball arena so we queued up to see some of the show before going inside. We saw all the hosts - Matt, Savannah, Al and Natalie. If you ever watch the show, you know that people hang out with home-made signs trying to get on TV. I asked the front desk for some paper and cello tape and made a banner for us to hold. We were never quite sure whether or not we made it on camera and it was difficult to tell when things were live or just taping.
A handful of US swimmers were there all with medals around their necks. After a chat with Matt, they made their way to the perimeter to pose for photos with fans. It's really easy to name the athletes when on they are on TV because the commentators use their names and there's always a graphic. In person I misidentified Allison Schmidt as Missy Franklin, but got Rebecca Soni, Nathan Adrian, and Dana Vollmer. Vollmer had three gold medals around her neck. We started about five people back from the rail when these athletes made their rounds so no autographs were received. We did eventually fill in vacant spots and secured a space on the railing. I kept monitoring Facebook for feedback to confirm our TV debut.
Irish band The Script performed live on the plaza and during the performance the camera guy swept right in front of us. Satisfied that we SURELY had made tv, we left our spot and headed for the basketball game. With my loyal FB fans on the lookout, a couple of screencaps appeared on my wall as we had our confirmation.
After basketball we had a meat pie in Olympic park, meandered through the gardens in the park, and visited the BMW booth. We got a free deck of cards for our willingness to visit the BMW shack. I also traded my first pin with one of the lovely ladies who checked us in. I also spotted diver Greg Louganis on his way to the men's 3m diving in the aquatic center. I was prepared to ask for a photo but someone beat me to it and he looked a little perturbed so I just said "hi". He said "hi" back and continued on to the aquatic center.
I reported yesterday that the West Ham exit was "faster" according to LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games). We knew better and headed back toward the Stratford entrance. A digital sign flashed "Javelin Trains 6 min to central London". We've figured out this Tube system and decided to go for it. The Javelin is a bullet train that connects London to Europe. The seats felt like an airline, complete with tray tables. Six minutes later, after a couple tube changes, we were back at the hotel in only 30 minutes. That beat the prior night's journey by an hour!
Tuesday
Our soccer event wasn't until the evening, so we decided to visit the British Museum, or as I like to call it " the museum of British plunder". So many of these Egyptian, Grecian, and other world locales have had their treasures stolen and housed in this museum. I suppose it all occurred long ago, but I can't help but think that an Egyptian visitor would just cringe at all the mummy sarcophaguses that are now British possessions. They also have the Rosetta Stone which allowed for the translation of so many ancient writings. Pretty cool to see. They also displayed many ancient Olympic artifacts, including a statue of discus thrower and genuine Olympic medals.
As I said, Tuesday was our last event of six. It was a semifinal game at Wembley Stadium, a 90,000 seat soccer fan heaven. Wembley plays host to soccer and most other large national events. Mexico was taking on Japan. The winner goes to the gold medal match, loser plays for bronze. Japan scored first. but Mexico tied it up shortly after. It wasn't until late in the second half that Mexico scored again and advanced to the final with a score of 2-1.
The crowd was on Mexico's side and we decided to cheer for our neighbors. I was surprised at how many GB fans were wearing sombreros and fake black mustaches. That would be considered very un-PC had it occurred in the USA but it wasn't frowned upon in London. Stereotype? Yes. Offensive? I guess not.
Getting out of Wembley in a light rain, we experienced the first time on our visit where the line stopped moving. We stood still for about 5 minutes waiting for the station ahead to clear out. We were held back on purpose by the crowd control volunteers. That makes a total of 5 minutes out of six events that we ever stood still. I said it before, and I'll say it again: London has performed impeccably. Granted, I don't have anything to compare it to because London is my first summer games, but I don't know how they could improve. I think London should be placed on a permanent rotation as host! And you don't know how much I want the US to host! I wonder if we could do better?
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August 7, 2012 - 3:52 PM
It's been hard to keep up with things. No matter what time our events get finished for the day it always seems somehow that we don't get back to the hotel until late. So . . . I'm combining three days into one!
Monday
Monday we had only one event, semi-final basketball. We got to see two games of men's basketball.. The first was France vs Nigeria. I really didn't care about the outcome of that game but we joined the Brits in the crowd and cheered for Nigeria. The second game was easy to pick a favorite...Team GB played China. Team GB only got an entry into the tournament because they are the host country. China was favored, but ended up losing by 30 points or more. GB shot three pointer after three pointer.
The basketball venue is quite unique. It is a 14,000 seat TEMPORARY structure. You can't tell from the inside, but the outside skin is reminiscent of Beijing's Water Cube swimming venue. It's translucent white skin lights up at night with its own colorful light show.
The funnest part of the day occurred before the basketball. The Today show's set is adjacent to the basketball arena so we queued up to see some of the show before going inside. We saw all the hosts - Matt, Savannah, Al and Natalie. If you ever watch the show, you know that people hang out with home-made signs trying to get on TV. I asked the front desk for some paper and cello tape and made a banner for us to hold. We were never quite sure whether or not we made it on camera and it was difficult to tell when things were live or just taping.
A handful of US swimmers were there all with medals around their necks. After a chat with Matt, they made their way to the perimeter to pose for photos with fans. It's really easy to name the athletes when on they are on TV because the commentators use their names and there's always a graphic. In person I misidentified Allison Schmidt as Missy Franklin, but got Rebecca Soni, Nathan Adrian, and Dana Vollmer. Vollmer had three gold medals around her neck. We started about five people back from the rail when these athletes made their rounds so no autographs were received. We did eventually fill in vacant spots and secured a space on the railing. I kept monitoring Facebook for feedback to confirm our TV debut.
Irish band The Script performed live on the plaza and during the performance the camera guy swept right in front of us. Satisfied that we SURELY had made tv, we left our spot and headed for the basketball game. With my loyal FB fans on the lookout, a couple of screencaps appeared on my wall as we had our confirmation.
After basketball we had a meat pie in Olympic park, meandered through the gardens in the park, and visited the BMW booth. We got a free deck of cards for our willingness to visit the BMW shack. I also traded my first pin with one of the lovely ladies who checked us in. I also spotted diver Greg Louganis on his way to the men's 3m diving in the aquatic center. I was prepared to ask for a photo but someone beat me to it and he looked a little perturbed so I just said "hi". He said "hi" back and continued on to the aquatic center.
I reported yesterday that the West Ham exit was "faster" according to LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games). We knew better and headed back toward the Stratford entrance. A digital sign flashed "Javelin Trains 6 min to central London". We've figured out this Tube system and decided to go for it. The Javelin is a bullet train that connects London to Europe. The seats felt like an airline, complete with tray tables. Six minutes later, after a couple tube changes, we were back at the hotel in only 30 minutes. That beat the prior night's journey by an hour!
Tuesday
Our soccer event wasn't until the evening, so we decided to visit the British Museum, or as I like to call it " the museum of British plunder". So many of these Egyptian, Grecian, and other world locales have had their treasures stolen and housed in this museum. I suppose it all occurred long ago, but I can't help but think that an Egyptian visitor would just cringe at all the mummy sarcophaguses that are now British possessions. They also have the Rosetta Stone which allowed for the translation of so many ancient writings. Pretty cool to see. They also displayed many ancient Olympic artifacts, including a statue of discus thrower and genuine Olympic medals.
As I said, Tuesday was our last event of six. It was a semifinal game at Wembley Stadium, a 90,000 seat soccer fan heaven. Wembley plays host to soccer and most other large national events. Mexico was taking on Japan. The winner goes to the gold medal match, loser plays for bronze. Japan scored first. but Mexico tied it up shortly after. It wasn't until late in the second half that Mexico scored again and advanced to the final with a score of 2-1.
The crowd was on Mexico's side and we decided to cheer for our neighbors. I was surprised at how many GB fans were wearing sombreros and fake black mustaches. That would be considered very un-PC had it occurred in the USA but it wasn't frowned upon in London. Stereotype? Yes. Offensive? I guess not.
Getting out of Wembley in a light rain, we experienced the first time on our visit where the line stopped moving. We stood still for about 5 minutes waiting for the station ahead to clear out. We were held back on purpose by the crowd control volunteers. That makes a total of 5 minutes out of six events that we ever stood still. I said it before, and I'll say it again: London has performed impeccably. Granted, I don't have anything to compare it to because London is my first summer games, but I don't know how they could improve. I think London should be placed on a permanent rotation as host! And you don't know how much I want the US to host! I wonder if we could do better?
Smiling faces - NOT!
The one time the line stopped moving
Olympic medals on display at the British Museum
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Great Britain and China warm up
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Matt Lauer chatting with Olympic swimmers
Made in the Today Show broadcast!
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Nathan Adrian
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Dana Vollmer
Arriving at Wembley Stadium
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Discobolous statue in British Museum
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Becca Soni
Japan vs. Mexico in soccer
Meh-hee-coh, clap clap clap
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Nick in Knightland - The View From Across the Pond - Day 3
Nick Racker's reporting live from the Olympics. August 6, 2012, 5:21 PM
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| Olympic Basketball Arena |
Walk a mile in my shoes...or, as in my case, I have no idea how many miles! I wish I had a pedometer so I could figure out how many miles I have walked. London has done a fabulous job hosting these games. They have kept everyone moving. Even when the view ahead is packed with people, very rarely does one actually stop and wait in line. Only at the Olympic Park McDonald's was there a line standing nearly still. And this massive store somehow delivers with speed and accuracy. It maybe took twenty minutes to get through the line. I ordered a Chicken Legend with Spicy Tomato Salsa. I'm ashamed to say I've eaten McD's twice here, but at least I ordered something I couldn't get back home.
I say London has done a bang-up job! I've only been duped twice where I felt a little slighted by the organizing committee. The first was before I left and I learned that the cauldron would be kept inside the main stadium and would only be seen by those with athletics tickets. The second was when they told me last night in Olympic Park that the West Ham exit was the fastest way out. I'm sure it was because once we made it to the platform we were able to catch a direct train straight to London city. What I didn't know was that it took a 45 minute walk to get there.
To keep us from getting disgruntled, volunteers or "games makers" as London 2012 calls them, were stationed in life guard chairs keeping up our spirits. One such volunteer called out from a bullhorn "how many of you are coming back tomorrow?" and hands went up. The volunteer then jokingly said in a classic British accent "Oh NO". The volunteers also have giant foam fingers to point the way. They call out the country if you're displaying your colors. I got a shout out for USA a couple times.
The queue at the escalators was particularly full and the staircase was not. One volunteer shouted to "take the team GB staircase" and people bolted up. "Keep moving thank you, keep moving...keep smiling" shouted another. Michael Jackson music was played at another spot. These encounters with the games makers are brief but they always have the answer to your question. This morning, as we entered Olympic Park for the last time, I high-five'd as many foam fingers as I could.
They are the most enthusiastic bunch and they do it all for free, all for the games. They will get a thank you at the closing ceremony...Seb Coe, leader of LOCOG will receive the Olympic Order for his efforts, but I'd give a medal to those volunteers too!
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Inside Aquatic Center for 3m diving finals where China took Gold AND Silver
Main Olympic Arena
The Orbit, pictured above in both day and night, is the UK's tallest art structure at 377 feet. It towers over the Olympic Park. An observation tower at the top offers stunning views of the park and all of London
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Nick in Knightland - The View From Across the Pond - Day 2
The following is a report on day 2 of Nick Rackers Olympic vacation:
The smoothness with which this city is running these games is incredible. We have had to wait in lines but venue entry into these games is always smooth. One might be queuing in a line but that line always seems to be moving. The TSA could learn a thing or two about screening. Each venue has nearly the same requirements as an airport minus shoe removal to enter the venue.
Our first visit to a a live event of these games was doubles badminton. We saw men's matches where China took on Malaysia, South Korea took on Denmark and a women's match for the bronze medal where the Russians beat Canada easily.
As Asian countries tend to dominate badminton, there was lots of cheering from Korean and Chinese fans. Those cheers weren't in English, of course, but there is one universal language: rhythmic clapping. We cheered for the Danish as they took on Korea. DEN-MARK! (clap,clap,clap). DEN-MARK! (clap clap clap).
We do a lot of walking from place to place. It was a long walk back to the tube station to head back to London. Our event was beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade where the knockout rounds were beginning and Americans Misty May and Kerri Walsh were taking on a Dutch team.
Let me first say that, if I don't have a horse in the race, then I cheer for the home team or the underdog. If not an underdog, I cheer for my closest neighbor. It turned out the Malaysian team we saw was the "Cinderella" team of the games. China won despite our cheers for the Malaysians. The crowd at Horse Guards must have thought the same because most seemed to be rooting for the Dutch team in their match against the U.S. team of Misty May and Kerry Walsh. That didn't stop me from going hoarse chanting "U - S - A!!!" and annoying some Dutch fans right behind us. They got a little pissy (Editor's note: pissy - adjective - easily irritated) when we stood up for the first set point. When the whole arena is on their feet, the few people who remain seated can't see the action.
May/Walsh, the two time defending gold medalists, won in two sets.
The second game saw USA's Gibb/Rosenthal play a Russian team. I saw very few Russian flags but the mostly British crowd was again rooting for the underdog Russians against the Americans. That put us Americans in the minority again. During the match the PA announcer informed the crowd of TeamGB winning two more gold medals for the home team. Unfazed by the Brits rooting against the U.S., I joined in in a TEAM GB chant to help celebrate.
The USA team won their match against Russia in two sets, but it was very entertaining. I think the Brits just wanted to see a third match and continue the party. That's what I choose to believe anyway. Surely there isn't much resentment to the USA. I guess we are winning the medal count. No one likes to lose all the time. Just once you'd like to see the other guy win.
That said, I sure am glad I'm an American.
USA wins!
The smoothness with which this city is running these games is incredible. We have had to wait in lines but venue entry into these games is always smooth. One might be queuing in a line but that line always seems to be moving. The TSA could learn a thing or two about screening. Each venue has nearly the same requirements as an airport minus shoe removal to enter the venue.
Our first visit to a a live event of these games was doubles badminton. We saw men's matches where China took on Malaysia, South Korea took on Denmark and a women's match for the bronze medal where the Russians beat Canada easily.
As Asian countries tend to dominate badminton, there was lots of cheering from Korean and Chinese fans. Those cheers weren't in English, of course, but there is one universal language: rhythmic clapping. We cheered for the Danish as they took on Korea. DEN-MARK! (clap,clap,clap). DEN-MARK! (clap clap clap).
We do a lot of walking from place to place. It was a long walk back to the tube station to head back to London. Our event was beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade where the knockout rounds were beginning and Americans Misty May and Kerri Walsh were taking on a Dutch team.
Let me first say that, if I don't have a horse in the race, then I cheer for the home team or the underdog. If not an underdog, I cheer for my closest neighbor. It turned out the Malaysian team we saw was the "Cinderella" team of the games. China won despite our cheers for the Malaysians. The crowd at Horse Guards must have thought the same because most seemed to be rooting for the Dutch team in their match against the U.S. team of Misty May and Kerry Walsh. That didn't stop me from going hoarse chanting "U - S - A!!!" and annoying some Dutch fans right behind us. They got a little pissy (Editor's note: pissy - adjective - easily irritated) when we stood up for the first set point. When the whole arena is on their feet, the few people who remain seated can't see the action.
May/Walsh, the two time defending gold medalists, won in two sets.
The second game saw USA's Gibb/Rosenthal play a Russian team. I saw very few Russian flags but the mostly British crowd was again rooting for the underdog Russians against the Americans. That put us Americans in the minority again. During the match the PA announcer informed the crowd of TeamGB winning two more gold medals for the home team. Unfazed by the Brits rooting against the U.S., I joined in in a TEAM GB chant to help celebrate.
The USA team won their match against Russia in two sets, but it was very entertaining. I think the Brits just wanted to see a third match and continue the party. That's what I choose to believe anyway. Surely there isn't much resentment to the USA. I guess we are winning the medal count. No one likes to lose all the time. Just once you'd like to see the other guy win.
That said, I sure am glad I'm an American.
USA wins!
Inside Wembley Arena. Used in the 1948 Olympics
for Swimming and in 2012 for Badminton
Outside the 14,000 Seat Temporary Beach Volleyball Venue
At Horse Guards Parade
Nick's New American Friend From Texas, on right
Thanks, Nick. Coincidentally, the seldom used phrase "in dutch" means "to be in disfavor". It sounds to me like you were in dutch with the Dutch!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Nick in Knightland - The View From Across the Pond
Note to readers: Jefferson City resident Nick Rackers has just arrived in London to attend the Olympics. He has graciously agreed to file reports from London for the benefit Reece's Pieces readers. Here is Nick's first report from London dated August 3, 2012 at 3:52 PM:
As I landed in London there was no doubt I was in Olympic land. As our plane approached Heathrow airport there were giant Olympic rings mowed in a large field. Apparently, large draft horses pull reel-type mowers to create the pattern. After deboarding the plane and breezing through Customs, I set out to board a train toward the city. One problem - I didn't have a reference number I needed. Luckily, last week I reserved a 3G hotspot device I could carry around with me so I could stay connected with my trusty iPhone. It came in handy. I booted up the device and connected to
wi-fi. I searched my emails, found the reference number, and was then able to receive the tickets I had paid for in advance. Problem averted!
With all of the hype about how crowded London was going to be for the Olympics I would say nothing has been too bad. No wait at customs, not much wait at tube stations. We did have to wait about 20 minutes to get into Hyde Park, a royal park that hosted live music and large big screens on which to watch live Olympic events. We shopped at the famous Harrods department store and it felt more crowded than anything. Tomorrow I go to Wembley Arena, one of the only venues to be used in the 1948 Olympics. In '48 it hosted swimming in the Olympics' first indoor pool. Fast forward to 2012 and it hosts badminton.
The problem with buying tickets so far in advance is that you have no idea if you're going to get to see any USA athletes. Events I will see are badminton, beach volleyball, table tennis, football (soccer), and the finals of women's 3m springboard diving. Hopefully the US streak of making the podium in diving will continue and I'll get to see the Stars and Stripes raised up on Sunday.
Good news is for beach volleyball: I'll get to see one women's match and one men's match. A U.S. team will be competing in both! Bad news is that the weather really is pretty chilly here. That probably means no bikinis at Horse Guards Parade because it really is cool here. So cool, in fact, that I wore a windbreaker most of the day because, when the sun went behind the clouds and the wind picked up, I actually shivered a little. I can't tell you the last time I shivered in August.
I'm sure the Olympic action will heat things up.
Horse Guards Parade - site of the London Beach Volleyball Competition
Seating for Triathalon in Hyde Park
Swimming in Serpentine Lake - Hyde Park
Harrods Department Store
Live site security queue in Hyde Park
Thanks, Nick! Too bad about the cool weather attire in the women's beach volleyball competition, but I imagine more readers are fantasizing about shivering than about bikini-clad beach volleyball players right now.
More live reports will be posted as they are received!
As I landed in London there was no doubt I was in Olympic land. As our plane approached Heathrow airport there were giant Olympic rings mowed in a large field. Apparently, large draft horses pull reel-type mowers to create the pattern. After deboarding the plane and breezing through Customs, I set out to board a train toward the city. One problem - I didn't have a reference number I needed. Luckily, last week I reserved a 3G hotspot device I could carry around with me so I could stay connected with my trusty iPhone. It came in handy. I booted up the device and connected to
wi-fi. I searched my emails, found the reference number, and was then able to receive the tickets I had paid for in advance. Problem averted!
With all of the hype about how crowded London was going to be for the Olympics I would say nothing has been too bad. No wait at customs, not much wait at tube stations. We did have to wait about 20 minutes to get into Hyde Park, a royal park that hosted live music and large big screens on which to watch live Olympic events. We shopped at the famous Harrods department store and it felt more crowded than anything. Tomorrow I go to Wembley Arena, one of the only venues to be used in the 1948 Olympics. In '48 it hosted swimming in the Olympics' first indoor pool. Fast forward to 2012 and it hosts badminton.
The problem with buying tickets so far in advance is that you have no idea if you're going to get to see any USA athletes. Events I will see are badminton, beach volleyball, table tennis, football (soccer), and the finals of women's 3m springboard diving. Hopefully the US streak of making the podium in diving will continue and I'll get to see the Stars and Stripes raised up on Sunday.
Good news is for beach volleyball: I'll get to see one women's match and one men's match. A U.S. team will be competing in both! Bad news is that the weather really is pretty chilly here. That probably means no bikinis at Horse Guards Parade because it really is cool here. So cool, in fact, that I wore a windbreaker most of the day because, when the sun went behind the clouds and the wind picked up, I actually shivered a little. I can't tell you the last time I shivered in August.
I'm sure the Olympic action will heat things up.
Horse Guards Parade - site of the London Beach Volleyball Competition
Thanks, Nick! Too bad about the cool weather attire in the women's beach volleyball competition, but I imagine more readers are fantasizing about shivering than about bikini-clad beach volleyball players right now.
More live reports will be posted as they are received!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Patronizing an Eating Establishment Even Though I Disagree With the Beliefs of Management
Three generations of Reece's and two generations of Strobel's have quickly adapted to life on the beach at Orange Beach, Alabama. Though I had heard talk of a "dead zone" in the Gulf after the BP oil spill, life around here - both in and out of the water - is anything but dead. When I asked one local how the oil spill had affected Orange Beach he said "not much, but we took the settlement money just the same."
The ocean is anything but dead where we are staying. Dolphins make a morning and evening foray along the shoreline in front of our balcony. Schools of fish can often be seen surfacing. While I was standing chest-deep in the ocean 18-inch-long fish occasionally launched themselves into the air within a few feet of me, while smaller fish circled my body nibbling sunscreen off my body. It is a brave man who would dare to skinny-dip in these waters.
Business also seems to be good. We arranged to meet some friends at a popular restaurant named Lulu's in Gulf Shores. As we arrived and waited in a line of cars to get into the parking lot an attendant spoke to the driver of each car in line. When we reached the attendant he said "Hi, folks. Lulu's currently has a 2 1/2 hour wait time. Management has asked that you leave and come back some other day." If this is a dead zone I feel certain that business's back in Jefferson City would quickly welcome that designation as well.
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| Trying Exotic Restaurants on Vacation |
After traveling 20 minutes to Lulu's and then 20 minutes further to a place called Floribama where we discovered that kids had to leave before 8:30 pm, we finally ended up having dinner at a Subway across the street from our condo.
For dessert we went to Yogurt Plus, where I am now on a first name basis with the staff. Unfortunately, our visit to Yogurt Plus ended in controversy. After a lively discussion on the prospects of the Kansas City Chiefs for the upcoming season, we stood to leave. As we did, the owner approached us.
"Excuse me" he said. "Did I overhear you saying that Tim Tebow is a good quarterback?"
My wife, no stranger to controversy, responded quickly with "We love Tim Tebow!"
"Have you checked his quarterback rating?" asked the owner, a rabid Alabama fan. "It's the worst in the NFL!"
It was starting to get ugly.
"Yeah, well, what about quarterback Brodie Croyle? The Chiefs drafted him out of Alabama and he never won a single game! It may not be pretty, but at least Tim Tebow wins games," I countered.
It was a stalemate.
We agreed to disagree on the merits of Tim Tebow. Regarding Brodie Croyle, the best the owner could come up with was "Brodie Croyle was at Alabama before Nick Saban", like that excused Croyle's dismal performance with the Chiefs.
I will be back at Yogurt Plus tonight. I may disagree with the beliefs of management, but I respect their right to their own stupid opinion. I also refuse to let that supersede my grudging appreciation for, and continued purchase of, their Honolulu Coconut yogurt.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Family Roadtrip - Day 2 - Life's a Beach!
As we headed south down I-55 early on day 2 of our family roadtrip the Red Hot Chili Peppers seemed to vocalize our trip on the radio with their song "Soul to Squeeze".
"Where I go I just don't know
I got to got to gotta take it slow.
When I find my peace of mind
I'm gonna give you some of my good time."
Actually, we had a fair idea of where we were going thanks to Garmin Dave on our GPS. I like Garmin Dave better than the generic GPS voices because, instead of saying "recalculating!" when we get off course, Dave says "OK, I'm trying to figure this out . . ."
Last February I booked a place for us to stay at Vacation Rental By Owner (vrbo.com). I've done it numerous times before, each time with excellent results. Type in what you are looking for (3 bedrooms and 3 baths, on the beach) and where you want to stay and vrbo.com will show you what is available. I found, and booked, a place in Orange Beach, Alabama that seemed to fit our needs perfectly.
Only one problem - though we were supposed to have 2 reserved parking places, after I paid-in-full I got an email from the owner advising me that he had decided to sell one of the parking spots. Hence, we would have ONE reserved spot and one in general parking which included the Walmart parking lot across the street. When I protested, instead of saying he would knock a little off the price, the owner advised me he would send my money back and cancel the reservation. Not the outcome I wanted. I finally agreed to take the condo with one reserved parking spot though I never heard back from the owner confirming that.
Thus, as we neared our destination, in the back of my mind there was a nagging worry that someone else would be occupying the condo I had reserved 6 months earlier.
As we pulled into the parking lot I was relieved to find two non-reserved parking spots available. Now if we could just get into our condo. . . With 8 people waiting behind me, I keyed the combination into the lockbox on the condo door that held the key to let us in. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing, again. Then my son tried. Nothing. Then he tried again . . . and the lockbox popped open and the key appeared! Inside we went to find things exactly as advertised on vrbo.com (with the exception of the second reserved parking spot), including a balcony overlooking the beach. Which is exactly where we went next, restless 2-year-old and restless 4-year-old both decked out in floaties.
Warm water, white sand - and a Walmart right across the street! "Who could ask for more?" I thought to myself, just about the time a large wave picked up my four-year-old grandson and propelled him tumbling shoreward. His tears added to the already salty water. Welcome to the wild, warm, wonderful, unpredictable waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
"Dad, when we get back to shore I'm going to show you what that wave did to my face!" said my grandson. A minute later all was forgiven as a suddenly wiser and more wary four-year-old made peace with the roiling waters. And then went build a sandcastle, a considerably less hazardous endeavor for him than riding the big waves of the Gulf.
Seven days in paradise.
I got to got to gotta take it slow.
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