Seafood Festival

Great concert with Grand Funk Railroad, they only played for a couple of hours but were fantastic. Would love to see them again.

Ice Road Truckers

After driving the legendary Dalton Highway all summer, I finally got to spend a little time with some of the Ice Road Truckers that I had been waving at through a bus windshield.


George is the old pro and is retiring after spending thirty years on the "Haul Road." Surviving that long on one of the most dangerous roads in the world takes a lot of skill and a little luck, he's lost some good friends along the way that had as much skill but just ran out of luck.


Jack is all business and it shows quickly, he's the one that pulls the really big, difficult and dangerous loads today.




Tim survived his first season on the Dalton without a major incident. I asked him how much the show has changed his life, "I'm amazed that people recognize me now, I'm just a truck driver but it has been all been a great experience and a lot of fun."


Lisa is trying to balance all the attention that the show has thrust upon her as well as a new husband. She gets dozens of request for pictures every day, but politely declines those wanting a kiss on the cheek, even one from a shaved head bus driver that had to settle for a hug and a bruised ego.

Lol..... it won't be the last time Tyler is told no.

The Kenai

A quick trip down to the Kenai Peninsula for the weekend was a much needed respite from the smoke that has plagued the interior for the past two months.

The Homer Spit is a great place to visit, it is a little narrow sliver of land that juts out into Kachemak Bay. The atmosphere in the Salty Dawg Saloon is great and the baked halibut at Captain Patties is without a doubt the best that I have ever had.





Other than the fifty miles or so along the coast the drive down the Kenai is not that picturesque.

The road is good but you better be watchful for moose, especially late in the evening, we saw twelve on the way back and that doesn't inclued the one that was hit by a truck just a minute or two before we met them.



The fires burning north of Healy have really increased in size and are pumping out a tremendous volume of smoke. The wind had been blowing from the north for a couple of days but shifted again and is now from the south, bringing the smoke back into town. The ash is covering everything and the air quality is so low that centers have been opened in Fairbanks to allow residents the opportunity to sit inside a sealed room and breath filtered air. It is not as bad as the summers of 2004 and 2005 were but it brings back a lot of memories.

Smoke In town

Thank goodness I'm off to Prudhoe Bay in the morning, the smoke is getting very thick in Fairbanks tonight. Lightning started a fire twenty five miles south of town yesterday and it has already spread to sixteen thousand acres. Ash is falling this evening and if the wind doesn't change direction in the next couple of days, it will continue to get worse as the fire grows.

Two more tours left this season and it's off to Fayetteville, North Carolina to spend a few days with Bryan before he deploys to Iraq for a year. It's getting here too fast.

Two Weeks On The Dalton

After two weeks and two thousand miles of the Dalton Highway, it is time for a little R&R.

The Ice Road Truckers show on the History Channel is doing thirteen episodes this season on the Dalton and several of the truckers that I have met are featured on there. The road is not the worst that I have ever driven but you had better know who and what's around you on some of the blind corners. The conditions can change quickly and there's not much room for error. Most of the traffic that you encounter is usually bigger than the bus that I'm in and at times we have to get off the road entirely for an oversized load from fifteen to twenty one feet wide and weighing up to one hundred sixty thousand pounds.

It's a four hundred fourteen mile adventure from the Elliott Highway to Deadhorse and most of it is gravel. The beauty of the north slope and the wildlife make this the trip of a lifetime though, it is almost impossible to describe it, you simply have to see and experience it to understand.

I have to make a quick run down to Skagway next week before heading back up to Prudhoe Bay the following week, it will seem strange to drive on the pavement all the time.

This summer is going by so quickly.

Days Off

Having three days off feels good, but it's time to saddle up again.

It's cloudy, cool and raining a little today, perfect day to have a bowl of ice cream. But then again I like ice cream when it's clear and hot too. Heck, I just like ice cream anytime.

Think I'll have a buffalo burger for lunch, they are the best.

Not much else happening, waiting around for Thursday to head back up north.

A Month Without Internet Access

Well I finally got access again, been away for more than a month now.

Just returned from the first tour of the season to Prudhoe Bay, the Dalton Highway was pretty rough, as it always is this time of the year. The caribou are finishing up their spring migration and there were hundreds of them along the road, all headed north. We'll see them again in late August when they head south.

Atigun pass was breathtaking, the snow is deep and this is the time of the year when it just looks like what you expect Alaska to look like.

The trip up was fun, it snowed all the way from the pass to Deadhorse and the temp was around 25. Much warmer coming back, it hit 70 in Coldfoot.

In addition to the caribou, we saw several moose, about 50 Dall sheep, a small pack of grey wolves and thousands of geese, ducks and swans. The mosquitoes are out already too, saw a few million of them.

Will be in town for a few days now and head back up the Dalton next Thursday.

In Fairbanks

Drove over 1000 miles yesterday from Muncho Lake, BC to Fairbanks, got in around 2am.

The wildlife along the way was great, couldn't count the number of moose that I saw.

I'll get some pictures up later.

Visited With Some Friends Today

Made a stop at Scullee's place this morning, picked up some beautiful canes and bowls and had a chance to sit and talk for a while with Scullee, George and Fred (George's wife, short for Fredia).

I'm just amazed at what Scullee and George can do with a piece of wood, I ordered a dozen more canes, they'll be ready by the time I come back through here in August.

Saw a huge moose and some elk this afternoon, still a lot of snow on the ground too.

I had quite an experience on the flight Sunday but just haven't had time to write about it yet, I'll catch up early next week.

Headed to bed early tonight, got about 700 miles to do tomorrow.

735 Miles Yesterday

Long day yesterday, got snowed on three times.

Headed out to Scullee's this morning and up to the Alaska Highway in the afternoon.

Later.

Northbound

Spent four days with Bo, Brandi, Bryan and the grandkids, worked a little on the house, rode the 4-wheelers and now it's time to head north.

I'll be leaving Sunday morning for Fairbanks.

Buffett Was Fantastic

Spent the day with a few thousand Parrot Heads at Lakewood, had a blast and I have the headache to prove it.

Gotta go lie down again.

Things That Bug Me

With all the rain we have had in the past two weeks, it's no surprise that we have seen a couple of "Palmetto Bugs" in the house. I have sprayed every room and all around the outside of the house but they still find a way to get in.

Saturday was a very busy day, I left home at 8 am headed to Athens and had gotten almost to I-75 near Jackson when my phone rang. It was Julie letting me know that my wallet and money was lying on the table. I would have discovered it anyway in five more minutes when I stopped for gas, there was nothing I could do except turn around and drive back home. It should have been an omen.

After walking around Sanford Stadium several times, taking over 250 pictures, attending the press conference, eating at both the Blind Pig and The Varsity, it was time to make the drive back to Thomaston.

It was late when I got in and I was still too hyped up to go to sleep so I downloaded all the pictures and worked on them until 2 am. It must have been closer to three before I finally went to sleep and everything was fine until around 6 am.

Just before daylight, I felt something run up my right leg. It woke me up in a hurry and I immediately took a swing at whatever it was.

I had no idea that I had been sleeping on my arm long enough for my right hand to go completely numb. If felt like I was swinging someone else's arm and it totally disrupted my aim, I hit myself squarely in the groin hard enough to nearly knock me completely out of the bed. As I doubled up in pain, I felt whatever it was run underneath my backside.

That was all it took, I have never jumped so high and so far out of a bed from a prone position in my life. I don't know who I scared the most, Julie or the bug. I still couldn't control my right arm and had to get back to the head of the bed to take another swat at the thing with my left one, by then Julie was headed out the back door.

I finally got the thing killed and in the dust pan. As I made my way to the back door to throw it out, I picked up the truck keys just in case I had to go up the street and bring Julie back. Luckily she had only made it to the mailbox and could still hear me.

Orkin will be here before noon.

Tangled With A Toilet

I guess we all reach a point in life where it's smarter to pay someone to do a small chore than it is to attempt it ourselves.

After my three day ordeal with the water heater, the next thing on the list was to replace a leaking supply valve on the toilet, not a technically difficult thing to do. They are really simple to replace if you can get two hands on them. Remember though that the valve was located and installed by the same builder that put the water heater in a closet with a door too small to get it out and needless to say, it was impossible to just neal down and remove it.

This valve cost $2.89 and is about the size of an egg, not a major piece of hardware.

I tried every position possible to get both wrenches on the thing, my shoulders would not fit between the vanity and the bowl. I reached around the bowl, hugging it, with my face pressed against the tank and could put them on it but I couldn't turn it. I finally had to lie down on my side, wedging myself between the tank and the vanity with my arms over my head to get to it.

Well as it turned out, getting the valve off wasn't the biggest problem.

I had managed to get curled around the bowl enough to get the leverage I needed to remove it but discovered that not having my shoes on was a huge mistake. The tile floor was so slippery, my socks would not give me any grip and with my arms over my head, I had no way of getting out of this predicament.

After several minutes of evaluating my options, it was pretty clear that I was going to need some help. The best decision I made all day was to take care of this little project while I was not alone in the house. I finally yelled to Julie that I needed a hand, knowing full well what her first reaction was going to be as she entered the bathroom.

After she had time to collect herself and dry the tears in her eyes from all the laughter, she helped pull me out of the narrow little space that I had become so familiar with.

The toilet flushes now and it's not leaking so far, but I have an entirely different bond with it today.

Dancing With A Hot Water Heater

The little chore of replacing a worn out water heater turned into a major undertaking.

The house was built thirty years ago following a fire and the builder placed the water heater in a small hall closet. The location was not where I would have recommended since it is at the opposite end of the house from the kitchen but that was not the real problem. The door to the closet is 17 inches wide and the old water heater was 19 inches wide, it wouldn't come out.

I had to tear out all of the door frame and facing to get the darn thing out, then I had to replumb the new one since it was a different size. All of that took five trips to Home Depot to get supplies or tools, Mark in the plumbing department thinks that I'm building an entire subdivision. I just wonder what went through the builders mind when he framed in around the water heater and had to know that it wouldn't come out of there.

At least it did last for 30 years before the bottom rusted out.

We do have hot water now but I still have to rebuild the door. That's going to take at least 4 more Piggy Park Bar-B-Que deluxes to accomplish.

Great Soup & Cornbread

Spent Sunday evening with Kim and Keith watching the CMA award show, the Zac Brown Band won the top new group award but came up a little short for the top new artist award, it was won by Julianne Hough. The band was featured several times on the GAC special before the show started and they picked up a gold record this week for Chicken Fried so it was still a good week for them.

Kim cooked some of the best vegetable soup, corn bread and hot chicken bites that I have ever had, she is a good cook and I really enjoy visiting with them. Bully was glad to see us too.

Tomorrow's chore is putting in a new hot water heater, it will probably take all day and the weather forecast is for a high in the mid 50's with a low near 32, might even see a little snow tomorrow night. Not a good day to be crawling underneath a house working on water lines.

Smoke On The Water

Everything got started around 4 this afternoon, it was a muddy mess getting in. Cars and trucks stuck in the mud everywhere, the most popular person there was the guy with the tractor and chain. The smell of bar-b-que could be detected in the air for more than a mile.

We walked around checking out some of the vendors and began bumping into a lot of old friends, some that I had not seen in many years. Spent an hour with Ricky and Kathy Tucker eating some great bar-b-que, cole slaw and the best brunswick stew that I have tasted outside of 8112 South Lagoon Drive. Ricky made the stew and he had a special bar-b-que sauce that he made with peaches that just may be the best I've ever had. David Britt, Tom Daniel, Tim Turner and Bo Waldrop all showed up about the time I finished and we spent another hour laughing and talking.

Barney and Janice Bowles were there and we are all hoping that Coy and the band win the CMA award Sunday night for Best New Artist.

The rest of our gang showed up late but in time to hear Conner Christian and his band play, it got pretty cold by the time they had finished and we left.

Tomorrow we try some more bar-b-que and dress a little better for the weather.

Finally Got Out Of The Recliner

Had my first biopsy on Tuesday morning, won't know anything for a couple of weeks though.

Smoke On The Water starts tomorrow, good music and bar-b-que, I'll get up for that.

Guess it's pretty easy to see that there's not much going on right now.

Sitting Still

I didn't do a thing Sunday or today and it felt good.

Got a doctors appointment in the morning though so I'll have to get up early. I can't see it but apparently there's this mole on my back that is growing like crazy and needs to be taken off. It's shaped like a bus.

The Mysterious One Armed Woman

It was a long day of flying from Seattle to Cincinnati then on to Atlanta. The flights were both oversold and the planes were packed. Holland America had booked our flights and didn't book them together so Julie and I had to sit on the same isle but not next to each other, she was on one side of the plane and I was on the other.

As I approached my assigned seat I noticed a woman in a strange litte hat, she look up and asked if the one next to her was my seat, it was. I immediatly became aware that she had built her own little nest already with books, magazines, some other gadegts that I didn't recognize, her cane and some pillows. There was no way for me to get into my seat without her standing up and as she did so, I discovered that she only had one arm.

Sitting on the other side of me next to the window was a young man with his cap pulled down low, a coat wrapped around him and he was already sound asleep.

I slid in and buckled up knowing that this was gonna be a strange ride. As we pushed back from the terminal, the mysterious one armed woman began tearing pages out of one of the magazines and stuffing them into the pockets of her jacket. At that point I decided it was probably a good time to go to sleep, I crossed my arms over my chest and shut my eyes.

My throat began to sting a little and I realized that I had been sitting there asleep for quite a while with my mouth wide open. I peeped out of my right eye and saw the mysterious one armed woman digging through one of her bags and knew right away that I didn't want to get into a conversation so I better go back to sleep, I somehow knew that it was better to sit with my mouth open than answer a lot of her questions.

A couple of hours later, I opened my left eye just in time to see the young man sitting on my left jump over me on his way to the restroom. The mysterious one armed woman stood in the isle the entire time he was gone and stared at me, I would open my eyes just enough to see her but not enough to let her know that I was awake. He finally returned to his seat and began spitting into a drink bottle, he had put some dip in his mouth and I was just hoping that he had been doing this long enough so that it wouldn't make him sick.

The last 30 minutes of the flight got pretty rough but I managed to keep my eyes closed until we finally were on the ground. As we taxied up to the terminal and came to a stop, the mysterious one armed woman stood up, looked me straight in the eye and said "you're the best plane sleeper that I have ever seen, how do you do it?" I told her that chocolate puts me to sleep, the last time that I saw her, she was at the news stand buying a pack of M and M's.

A Day With The Roaming Gnome

Spent the morning with the Travelocity Roaming Gnome in Seattle, he's ready for a road trip. Interesting fellow, great agency to work with.

Had a fantastic lunch at the Crab Pot down on the waterfront, it's one of my favorite places. The seafood is steamed and poured onto the table, lots of crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussels, corn on the cob and potatoes. Saved a piece of cake for desert from Dawn's going away party, she is going to be missed but her new baby will be glad to have her home everyday.

Hope the weather holds up in the southeast, we'll be flying to Cincinnati early in the morning to make a connection to Atlanta in the afternoon, won't get in until around 7:30 tomorrow night.

Thank Goodness For Brookstone

Found a Brookstone store in downtown Seattle this afternoon and spent over an hour in "the chair," it was wonderful.

I'm certainly glad that we got in before the huge snow storm hits the midwest, 10 to 20 foot drifts expected as far south as Amarillo by Saturday. Another storm headed into Seattle by Sunday but we'll get out of here first thing Saturday morning so that won't be a problem either.

Seattle is a great city, I really like it here, beautiful scenery, easy to get around in and the downtown area is very nice. The food is fantastic. It's too far from the Dawgs though.

Seattle

We finally made it over Snoqualmie Pass after waiting for nearly an hour while the road crews cleared an avalanche. It snowed hard for about 40 miles up and over the pass, the snow was so deep at the summit that all the road signs were completely covered. It is a beautiful drive though with all the snow covered trees, well worth the wait.

Checked into the Homewood Suites overlooking Elliott Bay in downtown Seattle, it's just across the street from the Holland America building and I'm looking forward to some great seafood for the next couple of days.

100 More Miles To Go

Made it into Ellensburg, Washington Tuesday evening, the wind is still blowing very hard and driving the bus is a lot like skippering a sail boat down the road at 75 miles per hour. Tomorrow we climb Snoqualmie pass en route to Seattle.

Arrived at Dan's ranch in Idaho late Monday night and spent most of today unloading the bus and doing laundry, it snowed all morning. If there is a place anywhere on earth to get a good nights sleep, it's at Dan's. The ranch is about 30 miles south of Spokane right on the Idaho line and it is so quiet that is seemed like you could hear the snow falling. We left in time to have dinner at Longhorn Bar-B-Que in Spokane, it is one of our favorites too.

Other than the wind, the drive up through Montana was beautiful with all the snow covered mountains. The Bitterroot Range is named after the state flower and is one of the most majestic in the Rockies.

The most difficult part of the trip so far has been the drive between Price and Provo in Utah, it was dark, the snowflakes were huge and falling so fast that it was very difficult to see the road. Driving in a snow storm like that creates an optical illusion that makes it appear as though you are turning upside down, it takes a lot of focus to keep things right side up.

This Explorer Coach season is almost over, it went by so fast, we fly home on Saturday morning and take 4 weeks off before heading to Alaska on the 26th.

Desert To Blizzard

Strange day on Sunday, it was 75 degrees and sunny when we left Farmington, New Mexico.

It was 35 degrees and snowing hard when we arrived in Pocatello, Idaho.

Between the two, I wrestled with the Bears all day long, there were wind gust of over 50 miles per hour and one of the worst sand storms that I have ever driven through, it was a battle to just stay between the shoulders of the road let alone the lines.

Two days left on our journey across the country and I'll catch everyone up when we get to Seattle.

Two Long Days

Friday and Saturday saw us travel over 600 miles each day with overnights in Childress, Texas and Farmington, New Mexico. There's lots to tell you about but it will take a couple of days to find the time and get the pictures posted.

We had lunch Friday at another of my favorite places, Jason's Deli in Shreveport, then spent about three hours with uncle Donny, aunt Sharon, Rhonda and her daughter Amanda, Sharon's mom and two dogs in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Didn't make it to the hotel until nearly 2am.

Lunch Saturday was at a special place too, The Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas. It's home to the 72 ounce steak that is free if you can eat it all in an hour. My steak was much smaller and we were still there over two hours by the time we took all the pictures and shopped.

On a sad note, we drove up on a fatal accident just after leaving Cadillac Ranch on the west side of Amarillo, the man driving the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene and his passenger is listed in critical condition, the occupants of the Ford truck were not seriously injured.

A delay caused by a Dairy Queen that required both of us to eat a chocolate covered strawberry waffle bowl nearly made taking a picture at the state capitol in Santa Fe, New Mexico a flash only event. There's just not enough time in a day to eat ice cream and take pictures too.

Arrived at the hotel in Farmington just before midnight and have to get an early start today, a stop in Provo, Utah then up to Pocatello, Idaho.

Only 1500 more miles to go.

You Can Never Get Enough Catfish And Turnip Greens

Bryan was very happy with the graduation ceremony this morning, the Cobra Attack Helicopters hovering overhead impressed him the most.

Followed the historic US 80 route across Alabama through Selma, it has really changed in the last few years.

Made it into Jackson, Mississippi in time to have dinner at one of my favorite stops.

The Cock of the Walk has the best turnip greens that I have ever eaten, throw in some of their catfish fillets and it is unbeatable. Dining at the Nashville location and in Jackson in less than a week will make me need a bigger belt.

The restaurant literally sits on the banks of the Ross Barrett Reservoir on the north side of Jackson in the community of Ridgeland. If you are looking for some great food and a cornbread flipping good time either of the locations will "get'er done."

Tomorrow we start our "Waltz Across Texas."

All Packed And Ready To Roll

Can't believe we got everything finished by the time Idol came on but we are ready to pull out early in the morning for Fort Benning in Columbus for Bryan's graduation, I'm excited to get the chance to see him.

Tomorrow also means having dinner at Cock of the Walk in Jackson, Mississippi, more catfish and turnip greens, can't wait.

Packing Day

Busy day getting everything sorted out, what stays in Thomaston, what goes to Dan's in Idaho and what goes to Alaska. Fueling the bus, loading it and most importantly making a last run to Piggy Park for a BBQ Deluxe, hot dog and a cherry coke.

Bryan graduates from boot camp tomorrow morning, he is really doing well in the Army. I'm very proud of him.

Happy St. Patty's Day

Happy birthday Sis, you've passed me now.

Rain, Rain, Rain

I slept all day.

Music Row On A Saturday Night

Sitting here at the Country Music Hall of Fame just off Broadway in downtown Nashville next to six of the tractor trailers used by Brad Paisley's tour, he is next door at the Sommet Center tonight. Still cold and raining but the crowds are already arriving and the show should be packed.

Had lunch today at Red Lobster with Megan Peeler, good food and a chance to see how things have gone with her since winning the Colgate Country Music Showdown here in Nashville a couple of years ago. She was still excited about singing the national anthem at the race last Saturday and meeting everyone there, it was her first race and she will get to sing again in Charlotte later this year. If you have not heard her performance, here's the YouTube link Megan Peeler.

Headed back to Thomaston later tonight, we'll be there until Thursday, then it's off to Seattle.

Friday the 13th

Only a handful of interested travelers checking out the Explorer Coach today in Murfeesboro, Tennessee. The weather is still awful, cold, windy and raining most of the day.

Dinner this evening was at the Cock of the Walk, just up the street from the Opryland Hotel and it was fantastic. Catfish, turnip greens, cole slaw and great cornbread. I don't know what they do to the turnip greens but they are by far the best I have ever eaten, certainly worth the drive if you are anywhere near Nashville or the original restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi.

We will be at the Country Music Hall of Fame tomorrow night and are expecting over 200 people to see the coach and talk about Alaska. It should be a great way to end the season.

Rain, Sleet & Snow

The winter storm warning was pretty accurate, we awoke this morning to a wintry mix that changed to mostly snow as we traveled up to Hendersonville at lunchtime. It's about over now though and tomorrow looks to be much better. Did have several comments about the weather coming into town with our Alaska tag and since we saw below freezing temps in Florida a couple of weeks ago, then snow last week in Alabama and again this week in Tennessee, they may be on to something.

Dinner at Mimi's in Hendersonville turned into a Thanksgiving feast, I had more turkey and dressing than I could eat followed by some great bread pudding. Tomorrow will be catfish and turnip greens, can't wait.

The Diamond Dawgs are still undefeated and ranked number one as the basketball season finally came to an end, it's going to be a challenge for the new coach to come in and turn things around.

Cold And Wendy Nashville

It was cold, windy and misting rain when we pulled into our show location today. Not many people were in the mood to get out and talk about a trip to Alaska with the weather about 35 degrees colder than yesterday. We did take time to try a Red Robin for lunch, it took an hour to grab some chips and salsa along with a quesadilla that was very small and not very good.

Dinner time finally got here and boy did things pick up when we arrived at the Loveless Cafe for some home cooking and a few of Carol Fay's famous biscuits. I ate fried chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans and those biscuits until I was hurting and just couldn't get anything else to go down. There is a box of the biscuits sitting next to me as I type though and they will be great in the morning.

Winter storm warnings are out for the area this evening and tomorrow morning, may see a little more snow or ice but it won't last long. The high tomorrow will be around 38, at least we don't have to leave the hotel until noon.

Nashville Bound

The day off felt good yesterday, still winding down from a big race weekend and we got to sleep in a familiar bed last night.

Timing is important so loading up the coach and hitting the road just before lunch made our first stop at Piggy Park for a hot dog, a bar-b-que deluxe and a cherry coke necessary. Had company show up too, my uncle Horace, aunt Janette and Dustin Fordham all stopped by while we were there, it's pretty easy to spot us traveling with the bears.

Just could not pass up the Varsity in Atlanta for a frosty orange when it came into sight either, it took us over three hours to get to the north side of Atlanta but we still got into Nashville before dark.

Looking forward to some good food in Nashville, the Cock of the Walk for some catfish and turnip greens along with the Loveless Cafe for some biscuits are defiantly on the itinerary for this week.

Megan Peeler called, she lives in Brentwood near where we are staying and we look forward to having dinner with her one evening. Excited to have her at the Saturday show coming up at the Country Music Hall of Fame too, a lot to talk about.

Race Day

Kurt Busch beat Jeff Gordon to the flag to win the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway today, it was an OK race, not great, just OK.

The biggest surprise was the size of the crowd that showed up at AMS, around 94,400 proved that the economy is not all bad, at least for true race fans. I drove the Explorer Coach around the track during the parade lap before the race got underway and could not believe the number of pictures that were being taken of the Bears.

Took another picture with Randy Owen during the driver introductions, had not talked to him since the fall race of 1992 when Alabama sang the national anthem. Great guy, very friendly and humble.

Spent a few minutes talking UGA football and Alaska with Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue up in the suite too, he wants to come to Alaska when his term is up and spend a little time.

Had to call Coy Bowles with the Zac Brown Band to tell him about Chicken Fried being played on the PA system just before the pre-race activities got underway and how the crowd reacted. Was great to hear that they had won the CMA New Vocal Group or Duo Award last week.

Got a day off tomorrow, then head to Nashville on Tuesday.

Saturday At Atlanta Motor Speedway

Great weather, mid 70's and sunny. Better crowd today with a lot more excitement and energy in the air. Introduced Bill to Richard Petty, Richard Childress and several drivers in the garage area, got an insiders tour of the Hollywood Hotel with Jeff Hammond.

Excellent meeting with the Speedway Motor Sports staff just before watching the end of the truck race in Bruton Smith's suite directly over the flag stand.

Megan Peeler was there to sing the national anthem before the race and I had a chance to talk with her about how her career was going since winning the Colgate Country Regional Showdown in Thomaston then blowing away the competition in the national finals held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville a couple of years ago. She was excited to see us again and was still thankful of the picture that I took in Thomaston the night she won that was used in her national promotion campaign. Sweet girl with lots of talent.

Tomorrow is race day, got to get started early.

Qualifying Day At AMS

The weather could not have been any better for spending the day at Atlanta Motor Speedway, we arrived around 10:30 this morning and picked up Bill's credentials. I gave Bill and Julie a tour of the track and the surrounding area in our customized golf cart before having lunch in the media center.

We were joined by our Speedway Motor Sports host from Charlotte for a more in-depth tour after lunch. Introduced Bill and Julie to Darrell Waltrip when we bumped into him entering the radio/TV booth.

Qualifying wasn't until 6:45 this evening so we spent a little time resting in Club One. Mark Martin, at age 50, the oldest competitor in the field took the pole, his first since May of 2001 and although the number of fans present was far less than normal, the roar could still be heard in the suites.

Tomorrow the truck race and a very important meeting with the SMI staff concerning our possible sponsorship involvement with NASCAR.

On a different note, the Dawgs added the last member of this years signing class with Orson Charles the tightend/wide receiver from Plant High School in Tampa picking UGA over USC and Tennessee. Ha,ha beat the Vols again for a top 100 recruit.

NASCAR Weekend Finally Here

Another long day as we drove from Leeds, Alabama to the track in Atlanta, then to Thomaston and back to the airport in Atlanta before finally getting to the hotel in McDonough. The day was not over though, I had to drive down I-75 to a truck stop to fuel up and have the coach washed.

Friday is qualifying day and we will do a tour of the entire facility before the cars hit the track. Julie wants Jimmy Johnson to win and I want anyone but Jimmy Johnson to win on Sunday.

Got the bears fed, had dinner myself and now it's finally bedtime.

Long Day Today

Started early this morning and had three shows in Memphis, then drove to Leeds, Alabama just outside of Birmingham. We will get to Atlanta Motor Speedway mid morning tomorrow and get underway on a big important weekend with NASCAR, should be a lot of fun though.

Bed time.

Memphis Blues

It's been a cold day in Memphis today, still a lot of snow on the ground. Tomorrow's high should be around 65, so it looks like the cold air is headed out. Busy day with a couple of agent training sessions before lunch and a small group in the afternoon wanting to plan a trip to Alaska.

Got most of the final plans into place on this weekend's race activities, it is going to be a fun weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. We will have the Explorer Coach in the parade lap before the race starts, then spend the rest of the day in the pits or in one of the suites.

Planning on some Memphis Bar-B-Q this evening, maybe even a little blues at B.B. King's place then one more day here before heading to Birmingham and Atlanta.

Not going to a donut shop so I probably won't see Elvis this trip.

Walking Tall

First stop this morning was the Sheriff Buford Pusser museum in Adamsville, McNairy County, Tennessee. The museum is located in Pusser's home and contains many interesting items that belonged to him and his family. The most amazing thing though is how the residents of the community still revere him thirty five years after his death. We both have the same birthday, but he was seventeen years older than me.

Went by his grave site and the location of his accident on Highway 64 where the locals claim that he hit an embankment at about 130 miles per hour in his new Corvette.

I bought me a "Walking Tall Stick" and thought that I might have to use it on a couple of stinky hobos that were visiting the museum at the same time. They had walked from Colorado and it sure smelled like they had not had a bath since leaving the mountains, I don't know how in the world they could tolerate each other, it was bad.

Got into Memphis in time to have the coach washed, it needed it after the heavy rain and snow of the past week.

Hotel gave me an upgrade to a whirlpool suite and I'm about to get a little wet and relaxed.

Snow Day

Up early this morning, already an inch of snow on the ground and it's still coming down. We have a show at 10 then it's off to Florence and Memphis with a detour by the Sheriff Buford Pusser museum in Adamsville, Tennessee tomorrow.

Can not believe the number of people that showed up on a cold, snowy Sunday morning to look at the Explorer Coach, talked all day.

Headed over to Decatur, Alabama around 4pm to have a late lunch at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q, it was much better than I was told it would be. The best ribs I have ever eaten, great sauce and cole slaw too. Rachael Ray just picked it as the best BBQ pork in the country, if you are ever in the area be sure to drop by.

Now it's off to Memphis and some Blues on Beale Street.

Day 1

Well since we just started, I'll make it quick. Julie and I are sitting in a hotel in Huntsville, Alabama waiting for a winter storm to move in. The snowfall should be somewhere between one and four inches if the forecast is accurate, the temperture has been dropping all day. Tomorrow we do a show and move over to Florence. Told you I would keep it quick. Bye