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January 31st-Feb 2, 2008 Spence Field Moultrie, GA This is HUGE. You can find parts for practically any automobile as well as a huge car show and cars for sale. This is the 32nd event. It originally started in Nashville, GA and outgrew the town so it moved to the retired Airbase in Moultrie.

Friday, Jan 18- Sunday, Jan 20 World Congress Center Atlanta $13.00 Adult $6.00 Children 6-11 Children 5 & under free

With all the talk about Harley folks looking down on rice burners, thought I'd post proof positive that not all of us are so bad. Sometimes we help out the jap riding crowd when they need a hand...

On November 3, 2007, 44 year old Tim Fahey crashed while competing in the World Karting Association Road Racing Series event at Road Atlanta. Fahey suffered traumatic brain injury in the crash. He was initially treated at the Shepherd Center and is now being treated at Grady Memorial Hospital where he has been undergoing slow but steady rehabilitation. Fahey is a resident of Cumming, Georgia. He has a wife, who is a school teacher, and two children. A job change just before the accident left him without a primary insurance provider. Despite the mounting medical expenses and the typical expenses of operating a household, his family has been encouraged by the support of friends and family. A fund has been established to aid the family. Contributions can be made at any Bank of America branch or mailed to: Bank of America 201 W. Main ST. Cumming, GA 30040 A CaringBridge.com website has been established as well: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/timfahey

Luke 2 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of

The outdoor thermometer was showing 23F when I rolled out of the garage this morning, but at least the sun was shining :) Fortunately, when I arrived home last night there was a small box from Widder containing the pigtail harness for my recently purchased RoadKing. So, I quickly connected it to the battery and was amazed on how easy the RoadKing is to work on! So, this morning I had the comfort of my Widder electric gloves to fight off a bit of the chill. It was a beautiful commute with a blue sky with a few clouds and sunshine. It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Ride Safe

26 degrees F when I rolled out of the house this morning. A fleece jacket zipped up my neck under my leather was just the ticket. The air rolling in under the helmet at my chin is a bit brisk, but it keeps the fog from my warm breath from fogging up my visor. All of the motorcycles from last week are evidentally parked for the weekend as I have not encountered one other rider this morning. It's a pity as it's a great day for riding. The roads are dry from Saturday's rains and the sun is shining. I see a couple double takes from the car next to me as I sit out a stop light. A casual grin breaks underneath my helmet. Their heated seats might be cumfy, but I know their admiring a man that can withstand a little chill to enjoy a nice ride. be safe...

As I was stowing my helmet this morning after completing my morning commute to work, a gentleman who had been sitting in a pickup in the next parking spot over got out and greeted me. In passing, he said, "This will probably be the last day for riding for a while." I laughed and replied, "Absolutely not!" The last couple of weeks it was in the 30s and 40s in Atlanta, but since last Friday, we've had a warming trend that the weather-guessers say will be ending this weekend. So, until this past weekend, the number of other motorcycles out and about had significantly reduced to the point I could ride 60 miles and maybe encounter one other bike. When it warmed up over the weekend, you couldn't count the bikes on the roads around my home. But you can best bet that this weekend the majority of those motorcycles will be parked for the winter. One bike that won't be parked for weeks on end sits in my garage. My love for riding doesn't end when the mercury dr

Last winter I pulled into a Krystals for a couple bite size burgers and a warm cup of coffee on a cold day. I ordered and the employee responded "we're out of coffee". I said "oh no problem. I'm dining in, I'll wait while you make a fresh pot." The gal then said "well we'll only make decaf." And I thought to myself "it's cheap! What I'll pay for one cup will cover the expense of the whole pot!" I finally got my cup of coffee and noted the corporate gripe line number on the door on my way out. I made the call and Kudos to Krystal corporate. Someone actually called me back and sent me a coupon for free food. But it's not just Krystals. I have discovered its a trend. Despite it being below 50 degrees outside, a lot of places that normally serve coffee decide they don't need to have any made after breakfast. Come on folks as the mercury drops people get chilled and don't want to drink iced drinks with their meal. I

(credit for song reference to Jackson Browne) The good news...I now have a new fulltime job with a great bunch of folks. And... I finally have the Road King I have talked about for the last year (or more lol). I made the trade Thursday afternoon. Rosie is a 2005 Harley Davidson Road King Custom, and I couldn't be happier. The differences are unending. I really like that she doesn't struggle going up a hill on the highway and the ride is like floating down the road - a very comfortable bike. As we are in cold weather, the fuel injection system is a huge plus as well. The increased amount of lighting is also cool. The rear turn signals are combined with the taillight, so from the rear there are three red brake lights and running lights. From the front the huge headlight is accompanied by two running lights. It should be a lot more visible and that should prevent the cage drivers from running over me right? NOT. This morning on my ride to my discipleship group, I encountered a con

Here are some pictures from my impromtu trip yesterday to Mary Alice Park at Lake Lanier If you look thru the pictures you'll notice the orange floats that once marked the farthest point out into the water for the designated swim line are now sitting on dirt a good 20-30 feet from what is now the edge of the water. Also you'll see what was once a submerged shell of a burned boat is now well above the water line as are a plethora of tires, concrete blocks, cans and bottles. Irony prevails. I even saw "NO Wake" Buoys lying on dirt 30-40 feet from the water's edge. Current estimates are that it could take as long as three years of average rainfall for Lake Lanier to return to its previous level.

Robert Craig Knievel was born in Butte, Montana on Oct. 17, 1938. At the age of eight, he was the Joey Chitwood daredevel show, and he decided what he wanted to do with his life. Thru his teenage years and into adulthood, Knievel was into everything. He earned awards in ski jumping and ice hockey during high school. He admitted to having been a swindler, a car thief, a safe cracker, a holdup man. He served in the Army. He formed a semi-pro hockey team and was the owner, the coach, and a player. He worked in the copper mines, sold insurance, operated a hunting guide business, and opened a Honda Motorcycle Dealership. But, Robert Craig Knievel was a stuntman and entertainer. Billing himself as Evel Knievel, he drew crowds. He began a solo touring trip in 1966 charging promoters $500 to jump two cars. By 1968, he had gained national recognition by steadily increasing the distance of the jumps. For New Years 1968, he announced he would jump the fountains at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas

"My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don't really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don't believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it's about who is smarter, and honestly I don't care." - Donald Miller I found Blue Like Jazz to be a very refreshing read. Miller's writing style is personable and authentic. He isn't on a high rock preaching his belief's to those of us struggling through life. He writes from a vantage point of being open, genuine, and vunerable. The majority of the book details his experiences at Reed College (a liberal arts school) in Portland, Oregon where Miller discovered how to interact and exhibit love to those around him who had curiousities about the Christian faith.

Riding a motorcycle on today’s highways, you have to ride in a very defensive manner. You have to be a good rider and you have to have both hands and both feet on the controls at all times. - Evel Knievel

I've always heard about Mary Mac's Tea Room but somehow have until today missed the opportunity to give it a try. Today was the day. We exited off I-75 South at exit 249D - Pine ST, hung a left on North Ave, a left on Peidmont and a Right on Ponce de Leon. Mary Mac's Team Room sits at the corner of Ponce and Myrtle. Parking is in the rear. It is quite unassuming from the outside although I loved the recently repainted Coca-Cola advertisement on the side of the building. It has a few trees between it and the sidewalk, maybe a professional photographer could get a good shot of it (Steven - HINT). (note: I didn't take the pictures in this posting) We were warmly greeted and quickly seated. The first thing that caught my attention was that the waitress gave us both a menu and an order ticket and pointed at the glass on the table containing two pencils. You actually fill out your own order. When our waitress realized we were visiting for the first time, she brought us a smal

"Nothing is ever what you expect. Maybe that's why we travel." - Peter Egan

So you're IPOD has a low charge and you're jonesing for some tunage, but you aren't near a computer to charge it. You take an inventory of what is available to you. You discover you have a screwdriver, a bottle of Gatoraide, a glass, and an onion. You're in luck, McGyvor time to recharge the IPOD.... Now quit worrying about your IPOD and go ride your motorcycle!

We pause to express our heart filled gratitude to those who are serving, those who have served and to those who have lost a loved one serving in the United States Armed Forces. You did not get to have a choice in the politics behind the fight. You simply answered the call to defend the country you loved. Thank you for standing in harms way when your country called upon you in a time of conflict. Thank you for your sense of honor above all. Thank you for your dedication. We enjoy the civil liberties and freedom of this country and we owe a debt of thanks to you that we can. Welcome Home, Soldier!

William Clay Davison was born March 1, 2007. Tragically he died from SIDS on July 25, 2007. In his memory, his parents established the Will Davison Memorial Scholarship Fund. On Saturday, Nov 10th, the First Annual Ride for Will was held to raise funds for the scholarship. Bikes began assembling at 9am and by 11am there was a good crowd of men and women and their machinery. I was extremely impressed with the hospitality offered to the riders - coffee, cappachino, cokes, water, biscuits, you name it. These folks went over the top to make this an enjoyable event. The ride left South Forsyth High School preceeded up Georgia 400, off towards Cleveland, Georgia and the arriving at Helen. Forsyth County provided some of the best traffic control I've seen for a ride literally giving us the exclusive use of GA 400 North on a Saturday afternoon. When we left Forsyth County, I expected the traffic control to end, but that was not the case. Each county we entered had their respective Sheriff&

A common theory is that the first motorcyclist in history took his maiden voyage November 10, 1885 (I know I missed posting it yesterday, I was on a charity ride). Who was the first motorcyclist? (insert brief history jaunt...it is claimed I never have a short answer) Gottlieb Daimler(born March 17, 1834) Daimler worked in a steam engine plant for several years before going to work with N. A. Otto to perfect the Otto oil engine at Gasmotoren-Fabrik in Deutz. Daimler and Otto began to have their differences and in 1882, he left the company and teamed up with a friend, Wilhelm Mayback. They opened their own factory to develop a lightweight gasoline powered engine. By 1885 they had created the carburetor, a "dependable" ignition system, and a gasoline engine that was considerably faster than Otto's creation. There is a bit of controversy in who created the first motorcycle - Otto or Daimler. If you believe the claim that Daimler did, it is reported that this took place in No

As I rolled the garage door up at 5am, I was pleasantly suprised to find it was 59 degrees F. It had been 39 on Monday, so I was expecting more of the same. As I began my journey through downtown Atlanta and then down through the southside, it was apparent my plan of leaving early and missing the morning commute traffic had worked well. Then I read the message on the matrix board over the interstate that read "wreck 3 miles ahead, 2 right lanes blocked". Considering there are only 3 lanes going south, that has to be a bad omen. 2 miles later, I shut off the bike and put down the kickstand. After 10-15 minutes, I see cars starting, and we crawl past the wreck cleanup and resume speed. A fuel-up near Macon makes for a good excuse for coffee and a bit of breakfast thanks to the folks at the golden arches. Back in the saddle and resume my journey south. As I approach Cordele, things all to familiar. I pass the Farmers Market Road exit where the race track is located that I spent

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2am (the wee hours of Sunday morning), set your clocks back 1 hour when you go to bed.

I had just about all but given up on the leaves turning, but they are and they're once again beautiful. Still doing the job search thing, I've been fortunate to pick up some consulting work here and there to get us by until I land another fulltime job. I was up this morning to get ready for a Sharepoint presentation that I was assisting with at Microsoft's facility in Alpharetta. Just before I was ready to don my leathers and fire off the bike, I got a last minute request to cover a client call for the firm that was putting on the Sharepoint gig. So I had a ride down a route that seemed terribly familiar as it was my original commute 6 years ago. Traffic was light as I missed the onslaught of commuters that had taken place 4 hours prior. The fall weather was cool but enjoyable and I got to enjoy the colors of the leaves surrounding the roads on my way to the client call. After some running some diagnostics and an enjoyable telephone conversation with Dell's award winnin

"A skittish motor-bike with a touch of blood in it is better than all the riding animals on earth, because of its logical extension of our faculties, and the hint, the provocation, to excess conferred by its honeyed untired smoothness." - Lawrence of Arabia

So you are out on the road and you need to access the internet with your notebook pc. You cannot find a wireless access point within range from where you are staying, but your windows mobile device (cell phone) has good signal. Depending on your carrier and the build of Windows Mobile 5.0 on your portable device, you may be in luck. Connect your windows mobile cell phone to your notebook pc with the USB cable that came with the phone. On you cell phone, click start and find the Accessories folder and open it Look for an icon that is labelled Modem Link or Internet Sharing (depending on your carrier) and click on it. (If your phone doesn't show an icon for Modem Link or Internet Sharing, you'll need to look into an application for your phone called pdanet ). Connection should show USB (some carriers also give you the bluetooth option) at the bottom of the window click either Connect or Activate (which ever is shown). On the notebook pc, you should see a device found notification

While at Atlanta Motor Speedway today, I encountered a gentelman who was probably 30-40 years old. He was so heavily intoxicated that he could not walk and was depending on one of his buddies to keep him from falling down. The startling part of the encounter was that is was 9:30am. If you are too drunk to walk at 9:30 in the morning, I think it is time to seek professional help for an addiction. Sadly a couple of hours later EMS was hustling to assist a person who had fallen. Yep, you guessed it, this gentleman had fallen and broken a couple of ribs. I'm guessing his buddy's best efforts had fallen slightly short. Perhaps it would have been in the best interest of his self-preservation to have gone to bed instead of out manuvering thru the throngs of people in the infield.

Want to access your Bellsouth POP3 email account on your web enabled phone? You might be in for a small but unpleasant suprise. If you configure the POP3 account like you would on a Windows 2000/XP computer, you can receive Bellsouth POP3 email, but sending will fail. What's the deal? It seems Bellsouth has enforced some security measures on their outgoing SMTP servers and the web enabled phones will not properly authenticate. If your cell provider is Verizon, they offer a solution. Log onto VTEXT.COM and set up an account if you don't already have one. Once you have a login account for VTEXT.COM, configure your POP3 email on your web enabled cell phone's outgoing server as: SMTP.VZWMAIL.NET check the box "outgoing server requires authentication" under outgoing server settings, enter your vtext.com user name cellphonenumber@VZWMAIL.NET enter the password you set for vtext.com You now can send email with your bellsouth account. It will be processed and delivered vi

"These bike riders are not the daredevil, death-defying citizens that they appear to be. They are quiet, unassuming men, who go to extremes of care and safety...Motorcyclists eat and sleep and talk like other folks, but at times they can't help feeling that they haven't as long to live as the ordinary man. And they are right. They are a fearless lot, brave enough to wear their lives on their sleeves, and have their nerves as unimpressionable as flint." - The New York Times 1913

A considerable amount of the Atlanta Metro population has been worried sick over their shrubberies, flowers, and yards with the recent drought and watering restrictions. Several have just put small buckets under their gutters to store up a little rain water to use during the weeks when it doesn't rain. The city folks aren't familiar with an old fashioned remedy, rain barrels. There pretty simple to construct with a 55 gallon plastic drum. Connected into a gutter downspout, they make a good reserve of gardening water during dry spells. Put a faucet in the bottom and you can connect a hose and do low pressure watering. Several sites exist on Al Gore's world wide web showing how to build one pretty cheap. For the lazy, several companies sell them for $150 and up. Google rain barrel and read to your delight or check out the City of Bremerton, Washington's site for instructions for making a rain barrel: Make Your Own Rain Barrel Now quit worrying about the landscape and get

Fall is in the air and one od the things that means is it is time to ride to Ellijay and buy a fried apple pie with a scoop of ice cream at R and A Orchards who are celbrating their 60th year of operations. I've been making the trip for many years since from friends introduced me to the whole deal back in 1987. And as seems the custom, we bought a gallon of apple cider for hot cider on cooler nights and my wife bought half a peck of rome beauties for baking an apple crisp and and apple pie. I always wondered why Ellijay ended up the apple capital of Georgia. It seems in the 1920s when the cotton boll weevil killed the entire cotton crop for the county and left farmers devistated. Some had been growing apples as well and offset some of the losses on the cotton crop with the income from apples. By the mid 1920s, the county had given up on the troubles trying to grow cotton and turned its attention to apples. Now days, Ellijay has 19 businesses selling apples on GA Hwy 52, 515, and 2

Maybe next year, Buzhardt :)

The motorcycle ministry I work with, "Knights of Penetcost" is selling these shirts for $15 each. If you'd like to support the ministry, give me a shout and I'll hook you up with a shirt.

When I changed jobs in March, I knew that we would not be able to take our usual summer vacation, but as the company I had been working for was struggling and things looked grim, I took the new job offer. We planned things out and realized it would be October before I had accrued a week of paid vacation, so we planned accordingly. The beach in October, you exclaim. Sure, why not? Milder temp and enjoyable surroundings with no crowds. I was laid-off from the new job two weeks before the scheduled vacation (coincidence? I wonder). So with plans in place and no scheduled interviews in the immediate works, we headed to Myrtle Beach, SC. I-85 North, I-20 East, I-95 South, I think we drove every interstate that possibly exist in the state of Georgia and South Carolina and despite the directions were given by a family friend that owns a house in Myrtle Beach and despite that the South Carolina Welcome Center was also passing out directions to Myrtle Beach that matched, it sure seemed odd at t

Bill Bryson is probably best known for his work "A Walk in the Woods" which chronicles his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail. "In a Sunburned Country" is Bryson's account of his time spent exploring Australia. And, in typical Bryson fashion, it is far more than a geographic or tour guide of the country. It is a hilarious narrative of an American's adventures traveling around the vast countryside. "In a Sunburned Country" is a delightful read that I would suggest to anyone.

Yes, that is your's truly. I served as a volunteer Firefighter/NREMT-I for several years. Oct 7-13th is Fire Safety Week. This year's theme is Practice Your Escape Plan. I'd like to suggest that everyone do two thing this week: 1) test the smoke alarms in your home and consider replacing the batteries 2) review the information on the NFPA website regarding making an Escape Plan for your family and then practice that plan.

Zen on Hot Asphalt for a Biker on Business - NY Times By ALTON BROWN, as told to CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT I'm thinking like Alton Brown...I'm skeerd

The fourth annual ride for Set Free is scheduled for November 3, 2007. The fundraiser will benefit Set Free, a Christian-based, non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, started by bikers. The center also assists battered women and children, and the homeless. Set Free is funded by donations only; not by the state. The center is located in Free Home, Georgia. The 90 mile ride begins at the Publix Shopping Center in Free Home and ends at God’s House of Prayer in Ducktown. There will be one stop halfway. Ride coordinators ask that everyone be fueled before arrival. There is a $20 minimum donation for those choosing to pre-register. $25 minimum donation fee on day of the ride. Registration begins at 8:00am. Ride begins at 10:00am. A police escort will be provided. Riders can enjoy a complementary meal at the end of the ride as well as a 50/50 drawing, door prizes and auction. For more information on the ride or to pre-register, President Name: Allen Boyd 770-893-4613 Vice Presid

So you've been thinking about Voice over IP telephone systems for your church or small business and are put off by the costs of the phone system - fair enough. What if there was a free version? That's right. What if the system itself was software based and run on a Windows server or pc and all you had to buy was the desk phones (I'd suggest Polycom IP-301, IP-501s - see Ebay) and a server to run it on??? Getting more interesting isn't it? Check out 3CX software based PBX for Windows.... The free version supports up to 8 phones (small office, small church, or even your home). A 25 extension small business version supporting 16 simultaneous calls is available for $350, a professional edition (unlimited extensions and 32 simultanoeus calls) is $895, and the enterpise edition (unlimited extensions, unlimited simultaneous calls) is $1250. Complete phone system: Provides call switching, routing & queueing Purchase cost dramatically lower than a traditional hardware PBX Sc

Sunday, October 7th, 2007 - 10am -March of Dimes ‘Ride to Save Babies'- Atlanta Motor Speedway - 1500 Highway 19-41, Hampton, GA 30228 Tickets: $35 - Rider, $35 - Passenger The annual ride comes to the high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway for the first time. Help save Georgia's babies while enjoying the ride on one of NASCAR's fastest speedways. Lunch by Buffalo's Southwest Café, guest appearances by 1988 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Bill Elliott, motorcycle stunt show, battle of the bikes competition, vendor village, hot air balloon rides, helicopter rides, live entertainment and much more. For additional information, contact the March of Dimes at 404-350-9800 or visit http://www.marchofdimes.com/georgia

“Adversity reveals genius, prosperity conceals it.” - Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) “Without adversity, without change, life is boring.” - John Amatt "Adversity does not build character, adversity reveals character." - Sandy Dahl "Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." - Arthur Golden "Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors." - African Proverb "There is no education like adversity." - Disraeli "Adversity is the first path to truth." - Lord Byron "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken' away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

Dan Parker is responsible for building some of the fastest drag car chassis in the country. I guess sometimes you get a wild hair and one thing leads to another.