COWBOYS & COWGIRLS

Today will be the 4th of our 10 days here at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas. Patty and I share a merchandise booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center with our partners of 3 years, Jim & Megan Stebbins. We first met Jim & Megan in Skagway, Alaska, the first year we work camped in 2004, and we have been friends ever since. Our booth, which I hope to have pictures of for the blog, (left my camera at home), is one of about 15, in several venues around Las Vegas. We have been busy working, with not much time for anything else. The hours of the Cowboy Christmas at the convention center are 10-5, but we have to be at our booth much earlier in order to put away our merchandise that is replenished from the previous days sales. Then, when the doors open, it's pretty much non-stop sales for the next 7 hours, with maybe time for a quick potty or lunch break. Last year, the 50th anniversary of the NFR, we set records, with sales reaching into the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars. This year, sales have declined, but by the time we're done, our commission check will still be substantial. Patty is still on "countdown to kitty", and is very anxious to get to Flagstaff to pick up her rescue cat, and bring her home to Lake Havasu.

RODEO SUPER BOWL

Today we start working in our merchandise booth, in the Las Vegas Convention Center, at the 51st Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), National Finals Rodeo (NFR). This is the 8th year for us at this huge event that not only includes 10 nightly performances of rodeo events, but 3 convention centers that are full of vendors, selling ranch lifestyle merchandise, and a lot of other stuff. We have been busy the last 3 days, setting up our booth and getting it ready for the thousands of people that will visit the convention center during the next 10 days. Last year we set sales records because it was the 50th NFR. This year our goals are set a little lower, due primarily to the state of the economy, and the fact that "the big one" was last year. We're looking forward to getting past these next 10 days, because Patty has made arrangements for us to pick up her kitty cat in Flagstaff, the day after we get home. As she says this year at the rodeo, "it's countdown to kitty".

LAS VEGAS RODEO

This morning, we are pointing the motor home toward Las Vegas, where we will spend the next two weeks working our 8th, and probably last National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The company we have contracted with on a part time basis for the last 6 years has lost the contract for the right to sell the
NFR official merchandise, and as a result, next year at this time, we'll probably be right here at home in Lake Havasu City. Patty will be excited for this event to be over, as she has made arrangements to pick up her new kitty in Flagstaff, as soon as we return from Vegas. I'm usually the one who counts down the workdays at the rodeo, but I have a feeling, this year she'll be more anxious than I, for the event to be over. We don't have a lot of free time while working the NFR, but I suspect that I'll get a few entries and pictures posted on the blog while we're in the city of lost wages.

FAST TOP FUEL HYDROS

Yesterday was all about who got to the liquid quarter mile finish line first. Even though there were only 5 top fuel hydros, the final race was worth the price of admission. After picking up Mike and Marc at Marty & Claudia's house, we again started the day with a Cracker Barrel breakfast, then headed for Firebird. The pictures show Mike & Marc at the TFH pit of Hot Licks, then 2 BAH going down the track, and the final picture shows the aftermath of the spectacular alcohol hydro crash on Saturday. Watching the slower classes isn't all that exciting, but one of the added attractions, was the circle boat racers, which is very exciting. There were 6 super stock boats, sporting mostly big block Chevy motors, that run around 100 mph on the straights. When those boats go hard left to make the sharp turn, anything can happen, and it makes for a fun race to watch. We walked over to the pit area, and talked to a couple of the circle boat racers, and told them that it looked like they were having too much fun. As with lots of fun activities, it's not hard to picture yourself involved, until you start to reconcile all of your other obligations, like family, work, and everything else that requires your time. No doubt, it would be a blast! The final race of the day was of course, top fuel hydro. The boat, "problem child" needed to run a little over 260 mph to back up an earlier run of 260, and they did it, running 265 mph in 4.53 seconds. That run upped the national record from 255 to 26o. It's hard to believe these boats accelerate so hard, that they cover the quarter mile in almost the same time as the top fuel cars. It was a good, no, a great weekend, especially the opportunity to spend some time with my two sons, Mike and Marc. This morning, I drive the motor home back home, and Patty and I will be getting ready to travel to Las Vegas, where we'll be working our 8th National Finals Rodeo.

DRAG BOATS & SUNSHINE

I arrived at Phoenix's Firebird Raceway on Thursday night, the day before my two sons, Mike and Marc were to meet me. Mike flew into Tucson from Augusta, GA on Friday, and the two of them and my grand daughter Laila drove up to Phoenix Friday afternoon. They are staying at Aunt Claudia & Uncle Marty's house in Chandler for the weekend, where Claudia fixed dinner for all of us on Friday and Saturday night. Yesterday, I picked up the boys in the morning, and we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel, before heading out to the race track. The weather this weekend is almost perfect, in the mid 70's, no clouds and more importantly for the boat racers, no wind with glass smooth water. Drag boat racing has always been a passion for the 3 of us, ever since we first watched a race at Turlock Lake, outside of Modesto, CA in the mid 1970's. There has never been a lot of money in drag boat racing, so the racers have always been true enthusiasts who participate in the sport, not because their is a potential pay off, but because they just love to go fast, down the liquid quarter mile. There are quite a few entries, for this final race of the season, but the number of Top Fuel Hydro's is less than normal, with the entry number at only 5. We watched one of the big boys detonate a motor yesterday, and when we got over to their pit, we witnessed exactly what mass destruction really is. Almost every part of the motor was destroyed, costing the owner tens of thousands of dollars in a heartbeat. Considering that the payout for winning Top Fuel is ten thousand dollars, it's easy to see that these guys aren't here for the money. There was one spectacular crash in Blown Alcohol Hydro, but with the safety capsules that are mandatory in the faster boats, the driver was recovered quickly, and appeared to have not suffered any injuries. It was a good day, and fun to share the enjoyment with my two favorite guys.

HOME AGAIN

We left Art & Linda's at about 9:30 am, yesterday morning, and drove the 532 miles home to Lake Havasu City, AZ, arriving at 8 pm. I usually make this trip in two days, but we were anxious to get home, the traffic wasn't bad, and we had a tailwind, so I just kept driving. I'll be home today, then leave tomorrow in the motor home, headed to Phoenix for the drag boat races at Firebird. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my two boys, Mike and Marc. As I mentioned, Patty is on a mission for a new cat, and thinks she has found one that needs to be rescued in Flagstaff. If she doesn't drive to Flagstaff this weekend, I'm sure we'll be headed that way when I get back on Monday. This picture was sent to us from the Pet Rescue folks, and unless there's a major road block, I have a feeling that we're about to have a new addition to the family.

BACK TO ARIZONA

We finished with our annual medical appointments yesterday afternoon, and after reviewing the lab reports, everything looks good for another year. We don't have mammogram results yet, but Patty is convinced, that report will also be normal. We picked up Sami from the vet, after she had her teeth cleaned, and unfortunately, one of her upper, front canines had to be extracted. We have been watching the tooth for about a year now, and knew that eventually, it would have to come out. So, yesterday evening, and this morning, she's getting lots of loves and sympathy. We stopped at Jamestown H-D, and visited with Allen, and learned that his wife Karen (Art & Linda's daughter), is recovering nicely from a broken leg. We didn't get a chance to see Karen, but wish her a speedy recovery. We also stopped at Jerry and Sue Turnshek's house for a short visit. They did a really nice job in remodeling their house, and were busy working on one of their rentals nearby. By the time we got back to Art & Linda's, it was well after dark, and I hit the sack fairly early. Sincere thanks to the Mitchell's for their parking spot, and hospitality. Today, we head back south, and I'll be taking the motor home to Phoenix this weekend for the Drag Boat National Finals at Firebird Raceway. My oldest son Mike will be flying into Tucson on Friday, and he and Marc will also be headed to Firebird for the races. Patty has found a cat on the internet that needs to be rescued in Flagstaff, AZ, and will be making the 3 hr drive while I'm at the races. Not sure if I'll come home to a new member of the family, or if the kitty will remain in Flagstaff until we finish working the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Stay tuned!

A BEAUTIFUL HOME

We have known Art & Linda Mitchell for about 25 years, going back to the early 80's, before they bought Modesto Harley-Davidson. After I retired from the CHP, I was elected Director of the Modesto Harley Owners Group in 1990 & 91, and worked closely with Art & Linda on various projects and events. In 92, I went to work for Art at the shop, after he & Linda bought out their partner, and I took care of most of the motorcycle sales for the next 3-4 years. In 95, Patty & I formed a partnership with Art & Linda, to build a second Harley-Davidson Dealership
in Jamestown, CA, which we operated for the next 6 years. In June of 2001, we exited the business and Art & Linda's daughter & son-in-law, Karen and Allen, took over management of Jamestown H-D. We retired & headed for Alaska that summer of 2001, and ended up going back to Alaska in the summers of 2004, 05, 06, and 07. Most business partnerships don't work for a number of reasons but, our relationship with the Mitchell's has always been positive, and we regard them as the very best of friends. We will always be grateful for the opportunities that unfolded for us, through our friendship and business relationship with Art & Linda.
Yesterday, we drove to Sonora for the start of two days of medical appointments. We stopped to visit with Barbara Sistek, a nurse buddy of Patty's, who helped us move from Jamestown to Arizona, back in 2002. When we got back to Modesto, we had dinner with Bruce and Karen Pryor, and we caught up with all that's going on in both of our lives. After dinner, when we got back to Art & Linda's, we had a chance to see George & Alexa Mitchell and their new 6 month old baby boy, Drake, who kept a smile on his face most of the evening. Their daughter, Taylor is about to turn 5, and has grown a bunch since we last saw her. It was a busy day, but one where we saw lots of old friends, and learned what's going on with many more.

THE MITCHELL CLAN

We spent a good part of the morning visiting with Art & Linda, then drove over to John & Mary's house, where we saw their new baby girl Morgan, for the first time. What a cutie! John & Mary live on the southwest side of Modesto, and have a great older home, on acreage that is in the transition from old walnut trees to new ones. When we left, it was just about time for dinner, so we stopped at the grocery store, picked up a few things, and headed back to Art & Linda's, where we have the motor home parked. We had a nice dinner, visited some more, and enjoyed a campfire in their fire pit, in the back yard. Patty's son David called as he was driving to work at Doctors Hospital in Modesto, and we arranged to meet him at work, so we could at least say hi. When we got to the emergency room where Dave works, Patty told me not to breathe until we left. There were lots of sick people in the waiting room, and I was glad I wasn't one of them. We got the quick tour of the 43 bed ER, of which Dave was the night shift RN supervisor. We are both so proud of Dave, and where he has taken his career. His job is not only recession proof, but also very portable, not to mention the fact that the pay for skilled medical professionals is not too bad! We couldn't visit very long, as most of those 43 beds were filled, and Dave was quite busy with his responsibilities. When we got back to the motor home, it was time for bed, and a busy day looming on the horizon.

A TRIP TO CA

We left Lake Havasu in the motor home on Friday morning, and drove as far as Bakersfield, where we stopped at the Wal-Mart on the north end of town. It's about 525 miles from home to Modesto, and this stop is one we've made many times, as it's a little over half way. We arrived at Art & Linda's house about mid day, and after getting parked, drove the jeep to Mitchell's Modesto Harley-Davidson. Yesterday was the annual "spin the discount wheel" party at the store, so there was a pretty good crowd when we arrived. It was good to see AJ and Linda recovering nicely, after AJ received one of Linda's kidneys only a few weeks ago. Art was busy most of the time we were at the store, but when we all returned to the house, we caught up with what's been happening in our lives. While at the shop, we went next door to Modesto Yamaha, and said congratulations to John, who is a new father. Mary gave birth about 6 weeks ago to a baby girl named Morgan, who became Art & Linda's 8th grandchild. Before leaving the shops, we saw some old friends, Bill & Diane Todd and Scooter. Patty and I have know Scooter for almost 30 years, and we hadn't seen him for about 4 years. Except for a little more gray, the man never changes. We vowed not to wait another 4 years before seeing each other, and talked about a Yuma reunion run before we're all too old to ride our Harley's. Today, we're just visiting before we take care of our medical appointments on Monday & Tuesday, then head for home on Wednesday.

A QUIET MORNING

Yesterday, we drove the 160 miles from Lake Havasu, to Buckeye, and met Marc, for the transfer of our Granddaughter. As many situations are, it was bittersweet saying goodbye to a very special little girl, who brightened our life for a full week. On the other hand, this morning is a return to our normal routine, and the quietness is almost deafening. A 4 year old is at the age where communication isn't much of a problem any longer but, reasoning with a 4 year old, well, that's another story altogether. Even though it wasn't a frequent event, by the end of the week, Patty was a master at turning "No", or "I don't want to" into something else entirely. Grandpa was still having a little trouble, but it's kind of surprising how quickly parenting skills have a way of not ever disappearing completely. We joked with Marc that it was kind of like dejavu all over again. With only a couple of small bumps in the road, we had a great week, and look forward to the next visit, which should be around Christmas. Tomorrow, we point the motor home north for a quick trip to CA for our annual medical checkups, and a teeth cleaning for the super spoiled Beagle.

A BEDTIME STORY

Yesterday was the end of a week that we have had Laila with us at our house in Lake Havasu. Our Grand Daughter just turned 4 in October, and is at the age where you can explore many different things through conversation. There isn't a lot that she doesn't understand, and it's a joy to engage her mind, that often surprises us with insightful, and sometimes comical analysis of whatever the subject happens to be. Sami, our 12 year old Beagle, has been a trooper during this past week. She has nothing but patience with Laila's attempts to make her a play partner, and never growls or acts aggressive. They are often inseparable, with Laila taking on the role of caretaker whenever it's breakfast, dinner, or treat time. This morning, we will be driving back to Buckeye, west of Phoenix, where Grandma and Grandpa will say goodbye, and Laila will go back to Tucson with Mom and Dad. It's been a wonderful week with our Grand Daughter, that has provided us, and hopefully her, with some great memories. Today is Veterans Day, and there is a blog by Nick Russell, that says it all - http://badnickblog.com

BOB & SHIRL IN HAVASU

Bob & Shirl Kase, our friends who we visited at their home in PA this summer, were in Lake Havasu City yesterday. They had driven their motor home and Lucas Oil/Geico merchandise trailer from Las Vegas, where the recent NHRA drag race had been held. There is an awning business in town, that builds many of the awnings for the race teams and several of the merchandise trailers. With an appointment yesterday morning, an awning was being fitted for Bob & Shirl's trailer pictured above. Since it was an all day job, I picked them up in the morning, and we hung out at the house, catching up on all of the latest. They brought a small, inflatable Geico for Laila, and she carried the thing around for most of the day. When it was bedtime, she still had it in her hands, and it replaced one of her stuffed toys in the bedroom. It probably won't continue to be a constant companion, but it's sometimes amazing that the simplest toy can be such a hit. It was mid afternoon when we dropped Bob & Shirl off at their motor home, and after the good byes, we took Laila back to Rotary Park for a visit to another playground that she hadn't yet experienced. When the sun started to set, it was time to reluctantly leave, and call it a day.

A NEW FRIEND

Yesterday, we drove back to London Bridge Park on the Bridgewater Channel, for some more play time on the playground equipment. This time, we were a little better prepared, and had some duck food for the many water birds that hang around the channel. While feeding the ducks, there was another family close by, with a similar aged young lady named Courtney. Laila shared some of her hot dog buns with Courtney, and they had fun, throwing bread into the water for all of the ducks that had gathered for a bite to eat. Even though they only spent a few minutes together, when we were leaving, they spontaneously gave each other a hug, and said goodbye. It was a very cute moment, and of course, I didn't have the camera ready to capture it digitally. Lake Havasu City has some very nice parks, so we drove across the London Bridge to the other side of the channel, and stopped at Rotary Park, where there was an even larger playground structure. When Laila had climbed to the 3rd level, Grandma was hovering around the bottom, trying to coax her back down to a lower level, where the anxiety level would be a little lower. During the course of the next half hour or so, Laila was up and down a few more times before it was time to get home and watch the Dallas NASCAR race. I showed Laila on the TV where Mommy and Daddy were sitting in Bombardier's corporate suite, watching the race, but she was a little frustrated, that race coverage didn't include a close up shot of Mom & Dad. It was another good day with our grand daughter, and we wrapped it up with a new movie that Laila picked out at the store - Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.

SAND AND SEAPLANES

Since moving to Lake Havasu City in 2002, we become more and more aware each year, of the many different activities that take place here, particularly during the so called winter months. One such event, that we had not known about, is the remote controlled sea plane classic, that is taking place this weekend at Windsor Beach State Park. After standing on the beach for a few minutes, watching the planes landing and taking off right in front of us, a lady came over and asked Laila, if she would like to help fly her seaplane. Being a bit tentative, we encouraged her to "go for it", and we walked the few steps to the water, where Laila watched her new friend control the take off, flight, and landing of her seaplane. With a maximum of 7 seaplanes in the air at any given time, it was a little difficult for Laila to keep track of her friends plane. But, each time it made the circle and passed in front of us, we would point it out to her. When the flight was over, and the plane was being taken out for a prop change, we thanked the couple for including Laila in the experience. Next year, we'll bring chairs so we can relax and watch a little longer. We did stay for a little while, watching the aerobatics, which including one plane running out of fuel and land where it shouldn't have. The rest of the day was spent at the house, where a variety of activities took place. One thing you can count on with 4 year olds, attention spans never last very long, so Grandma and Grandpa, (mostly Grandma) have become pretty good at mixing things up. Our Beagle Sami, has the right temperament and patience, because she is often the focus of Laila's attention, and there's always something going on with the two of them. Today is race day, and I'll try and show Laila on the TV, where Mommy and Daddy are enjoying the corporate hospitality suite at the Dallas racetrack.

LOTS OF CONCRETE

I remember as a kid, concrete driveways and sidewalks were often the most popular areas in the neighborhood. Armed with the trusty ole "skate key", and our metal wheeled roller skates, we would tighten the clamps around the front of our shoes, (tennis shoes wouldn't work), and off we would go. Then, either the soles of the shoes would come apart, or the clamps would slip, just as we made that huge 6 inch jump off the wooden ramp we had built out of scrap lumber in the backyard. By the time roller skates had evolved into actual shoes, with the skates permanently attached, I had reached the age when other things became more of a priority. Watching Laila on her scooter in our backyard this morning was reminiscent of those good ole days on roller skates in the neighborhood. Yesterday, we drove out to Pet Smart, where there were several cats of various ages waiting for adoption. Since returning from our summer trip around the U.S., Patty is officially in the market for a kitty cat. She is trying to wait until after we work the Rodeo in Las Vegas, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Fortunately, our neighbors, Michelle and Tony have several cats, and Patty can pop in next door for her kitty fix. Today is the day that Marc & Chandra are flying to Dallas for the NASCAR Race. If you get a chance to read this, hope you guys are having a great time.

LAILA AT THE LAKE

We picked up our Grand Daughter Laila, yesterday afternoon in Buckeye, where we met Marc late in the afternoon. Chandra has been a little under the weather, and is trying to kick the bug before she and Marc fly to Dallas for the race this Sat. Fortunately, Laila hasn't caught it, and hopefully by the time Mom & Dad get home, everyone will be healthy. By the time we got home, it was just about bedtime, not only for Laila, but also for Grandpa. This morning I got a polite request for breakfast pancakes, so after eating a couple of flapjacks, and a morning bath, Laila helped Grandma make some delicious chocolate chip cookies. Then, it was off to the park near London Bridge for a picnic lunch (sort of), and some play time on the playground equipment. The weather has been perfect, topping out today at 88 degrees, with a clear blue sky. Not a whole lot of boat traffic in the channel, but a few cruised by, along with the tourist paddle wheeler, as it started its' journey around the island. This is the time of year that the snowbirds are starting to arrive for the winter, and the boating community scales back from the hectic summer months. It's a good time of year on the lower Colorado River, and we're not only enjoying the weather, but we've got our favorite girl with us for the next week or so.

TIME WITH LAILA

Today, we're driving half way to Tucson, to meet Marc, and pick up our grand daughter Laila for about a week. As I mentioned previously, Marc and Chandra are flying to Dallas this weekend for the NASCAR race, so we have the opportunity to have Laila with us here in Lake Havasu. Our winter schedule is always quite busy, but we don't have to be anywhere for the next 10 days, and are looking forward to spending time with Laila. After we take her back, we'll be heading to CA for our annual medical appointments. Thanks to Art and Linda's offer for a parking spot at the Mitchell RV resort, we should get to Modesto on Nov 14th. It looks like we will miss seeing our other buddies, Everett and Lori, because they are planning a motor home trip while we're in CA. It will be a quick trip, with not much extra time, because we have to be back in Phoenix on the 18th or 19th, when my son Mike will be flying out for the boat drags at Firebird Raceway. Then, at the end of November, we will be working our 8th National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. This will probably be our last Rodeo, due to the fact that the company we work for has lost the contract, and this is the last year. Out of all the events we've worked for MainGate, the NFR Rodeo was the one we actually looked forward to working the most. Being home next year for the first 2 weeks in December, will be a little different.

RACE DAY

The weather was picture perfect, nitro filled the air, and the next to the last race of the season was about to unfold. In the pro categories, championships in 3 of the 4 classes will be decided at the last race in Pomona. Mike Edwards has all but locked up the title in pro stock car. Pro stock bike, Funny Car, and Top Fuel are too close to call, and probably will go down to the wire.
The racing yesterday was pretty awesome, and the sheer spectacle of NHRA drag racing at the top level, is in my opinion, in a class by itself. In addition to being a race fan, and visiting with lots of friends, I had a few other things to take care of while at the track. Thanks to Bob and Shirl, who work for Lucas Oil, I picked up 4 gallons of fuel conditioner at a great price. We look forward to seeing Bob & Shirl in about a week, when they will be in Havasu to have an awning installed on the Lucas Oil merchandise trailer. I also collected checks from 7 couples, who will be staying at the Vegas Thousand Trails under our membership, for the National Finals Rodeo in December. Thanks to Kurt & Phyllis for coordinating with everyone at the race track. This morning, I will be turning the checks over to Thousand Trails here in Vegas, then will be heading back to Lake Havasu.

THE STRIP

The strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the premier drag strips, anywhere in the country. I haven't seen the new "Bellagio of Drag Strips" in Charlotte, N.C., but the Vegas complex, including the NASCAR track, is a first class facility. When we were a part of the N.H.R.A. family in 2002-03, we worked, and parked our motor home at many tracks across the country, and at that time, the Vegas facility was right at the top of the list. Yesterday, I again visited with lots of friends, catching up on the latest in the drag racing world. Most everyone is glad that this is the next to last of 24 races, and the grueling travel around the country is almost over, at least for a few months before they do it all over again. I consider myself a motor sports junkie, and have attended just about every type of motor sports event there is. I've sat in the bleachers at NASCAR races, and have seen the Vegas and Dallas NASCAR races from the luxurious corporate suites, with all of the amenities. Through work connections, my son Marc has shown me the corporate hospitality side of NASCAR, and in fact, he and Chandra are flying to Dallas next week, where they will enjoy the NASCAR race in Bombardier's corporate suite. I still favor the drag races however. The drivers are visible and accessible, as the pit area is open to everyone. There are all kinds of displays, from corporations like Ford, Harley-Davidson, US Army, well you name it. There are usually various car displays like pictured above. There's a little bit of everything, but nothing compares to the smell of nitro-methane, and the raw, body shaking energy of an 8,000 horsepower, top fuel dragster, traveling 1,000 feet, at over 300 miles per hour. Nothing even comes close to the incredible acceleration of these beasts. It's about time to head back to the track, and watch some of the action.