Sweet 'n' supple bump absorbing joy

A week or so ago I asked my friend Champ Pilot Jim (renowned for piloting skills in his 1946 Aeronca Champ airplane) if he had any desire to replace the front struts on my 1991 Alfa Romeo 164L Executive Touring Saloon (sedan).

CPJ agreed to undertake said task. So I dropped off the car and he took off like a gd bat out of the hot place replacing the struts. For those who have made it this far into this boring tale and wondering what struts are, they are essentially shock absorbers.

Anyway, CPJ has been so very kind as to document this task utilizing fine photography speckled with witty repartee.

So please, grab a cold beverage and some freshly popped corn. I present to you tonight's feature presentation:

CPJ vs. La sospensione Italiano

NASCAR Camping World 300

Today I went to my first NASCAR auto race, the Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

It was a great time as I hung out with my friends Bob and Rob (Rob supplied the FREE tickets and parking pass!) We had AWESOME seats right behind the pits. Mere YARDS from the action...WOW! By the way, NASCAR races are VERY LOUD!! :=)

Here is a link to pics as well as a video from the day....

CAMPING WORLD 300 PICS HERE!!

Heading to Daytona Speedway today!

My friend and motorcycle riding buddy Rob Johnston works for FORD Motor Company as a regional sales manager. Last night he called saying he had some free tickets to see today's NASCAR Nationwide series auto race at the Daytona International Speedway and asked would I be interested.

HECK YEAH! I have never been to a NASCAR race so this will be very cool. I will be pulling for Carl Edward's in the Scott's FORD FUSION. Myself and another friend/fellow riding buddy Bob are going to the race!

Not only that, but then Rob called back a while later saying he was going to give Bob and I an "upgrade", which means we will be watching the race from a special FORD employee area, which means we will have a view of the racing pit area and the finish line! WOOHOO! THANKS A LOT ROB!

2009 Cars for the Cure car show

This morning I met up with some of the folks in the Mid Florida Alfa Romeo club to visit the Cars for the Cure auto show.

'Twas a beautiful Florida day with lots of really neat cars. Below is a link to my pics on Kodak Photo gallery.

CARS FOR THE CURE 2009 PICS CLICK HERE!

The late, great Del Shannon

Del Shannon was one of the big rock n roll stars of the 1960's, performing a lot of hit records.

On February 8, 1990, Del Shannon was found dead in his home, a victim of taking his own life.

This is some of the last footage of him, performing a song which appeared on his last album, the posthumously released "Rock On" album (1990).

It was a really good album and this tune is called Walk Away. Take a listen....

Back from Tampa Super Bowl site visit

My buddy Scott and I returned from our trip to Tampa Bay to see the sights and sounds surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl.

We saw some famous athletes there and had a good time visiting the entertainment and historic districts in downtown Tampa, including the Tampa Bay Brewing company where I had some good ales!

Saturday we visited the Gulf beaches around Clearwater and then headed further north to the community of Dunedin before heading home. It was a fun trip! Click the link below for some pics of the trip on my Kodak online album.

TRIP PICS HERE!!

Heading to Tampa tonight for some SUPER BOWL festivities!

After work today Scott the Canuck and I are driving over to Tampa Bay to immerse ourselves in some of the pre-Super Bowl activities. We will be attending the NFL Experience among other things. Hopefully I'll get some keen photographs and do some hob-nobbing with famous athletes, celebrities and the like, including my favorites, Mike Golic 'n' Mike Greenburg from the Mike 'n' Mike in the Morning radio show on ESPN.

Watch this space for a full report Saturday evening!