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Showing posts from March, 2010

Sneek Out!

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(photo: the author) The sun was shining, it was 53F and I had the afternoon off from work. Yep, you are right, I fired up Rosie and headed north on GA SR 9. Not a long ride by any stretch of the imagination but I had been wanting to check out Rider's Hill home to: Blakc Mountain Cycles , Tire Technicians, Inc. , European Motorsports, Inc. ,and Six Gap Cafe (photo: RidersHill.com) The front porch is surrounded by comfortable rocking chairs, rental motorcycles and ample parking. Walking in you quickly get an eye full of helmets, gloves, boots, and riding apparel, new Moto Guzzi and Aprilia motorcycles, and motorcycles for sale by owner. And I mean this place is chocked full of motorcycles. After looking at the Guzzis and yes, I took a long look at a Moto Guzzi California Vintage that was gorgeous and only $11,395. (photo: European Motorsports, Inc.) European Motorsports is the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi Dealer. The dealerships building is nearing completion. Currently it is sharing sp

Ladders, Ladders Everywhere!

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OK, Here's a little tip from your Uncle Allen. If you are going to haul a ladder, TIE IT DOWN FIRMLY! I am nothing less than amazed how often I read in the paper or hear on Atlanta radio that a ladder is in the middle of one of the interstates in and around Atlanta because it has flown out of the bed of a pickup. Here are some various photographs of some dangerous looking situations Why should you care? NC man killed trying to retrieve ladder from highway Man Avoids Ladder on Highway, Crashes Ladder in road blamed for crash that killed teen Let's be safe out there!

Twins?

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Ken Cook, weather guesser, Fox 5, Atlanta (photo - myfoxatlanta.com) Errol Flynn (photo - www.nndb.com) (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) Flynn wrote the following books: Beam Ends (1937) Showdown (1946) My Wicked, Wicked Ways, ghost-written by Earl Conrad (1959) Flynn appeared in the following films: 1957 - The Sun Also Rises 1955 - The Dark Avenger 1950 - Kim 1948 - Adventures of Don Juan 1947 - Cry Wolf 1944 - Objective Burma! 1943 - Thank Your Lucky Stars 1943 - Edge of Darkness 1942 - Gentleman Jim 1942 - Desperate Journey 1941 - They Died With Their Boots On 1940 - Santa Fe Trail 1940 - The Sea Hawk 1939 - Dodge City 1939 - The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex 1938 - The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 - The Sisters 1938 - The Dawn Patrol 1937 - Another Dawn 1936 - Green Light 1936 - The Charge of the Light Brigade 1935 - Captain Blood

Learning to Drive

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When I turned 15 years old, my Mom owned a 1970 ford fairlane 500 army green four door that had to be the most hideous thing I have ever laid eyes on. Only ford motor company could build something so ugly and keep a straight face selling it to the general public. She had bought it second hand and it was in good running order - as good running order as fords get I guess. 1970 ford fairlane 500 - Photo courtesy MSN This was the beast I took driving lessons from my Pop in on weekends when he was in town. At the time, U.S. 19 between Camilla and Albany (pronounced Aww Ben EE) was a two lane highway. It has since become four lane divided. One Friday evening, my parents announced that they were going to the Albany Mall which had just recently been constructed and contained a whopping 76 stores. I saw this as an opportunity to (a) eat tacos at the Mexican restaurant in the mall, (b) get my folks to buy me some new clothes for school, and (c) get some more experience driving. So, with this per

A Little Consistency Goes a Long Way

In April 2002, Kevin Harvick was competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR's third highest touring series, in the Advanced Auto Parts 250 at Martinvsville, Virginia when he tangled with the No. 20 truck of Coy Gibbs. NASCAR viewed the incident as intentional and black flagged Harvick and ordered him out of the truck and out of the event. Further, NASCAR suspended Harvick from competition the rest of the weekend preventing him from competing in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Virginia 500. Read the full story from NASCAR's website NASCAR state they felt it was a blatant intentional act, and thought it looked like retaliation. The sanctioning body decided it had to step in and respond to the driver's actions, so they suspended him. This past weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards attempted to turn down in front of Brad Keselowski early in the going but was not quite clear of the No. 12 Dodge. Video replays show Keselowski turn lower to try to avoid Edwards
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A cold weekend in Atlanta, but nothing cheers me up more during a dreary cold winter than the sound of high horsepower V-8 engines and the smell of high octane racing fuel. Back several years ago after a hiatus from driving short track race cars, I returned to the local track to drive a car for a friend one Saturday night. As I walked across the track, I saw a friend fueling his late model. I walked over to the gas pumps and chatted with them a few. When they asked me if I had missed racing, I stuck two fingers in the race car fuel cell dipping into the sweet smelling racing fuel and then splashed it behind both ears like cologne. I think it sufficiently answered their question. I have been out of the seat of a race car for the last 9 years, but my passion for racing and motorsports has not died. So, covering the race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway is always an enjoyable sideline. Friday night the track hosted open wheel modifieds on the 1/4 mile "thunder ring" short track