Elmira Maple Syrup Festival 2012

For the second year in row we went to the festival in the company of Kim, Jolene and Robyn.  It wasn't a warm day but it also wasn't very cold.  Just as last year we had breakfast, but funnel cake instead of pancakes, saw the farm animals and took Jolene on a pony ride.  After the festival, we went to Breslau where my mom had prepared a rice and strawberry dish which Heather seems to like.

Kim and Robyn

Jolene and Heather

NASCAR Weekend in Bristol - Day 3

It was a miserable morning in Bristol.  The clouds were covering the entire sky and there was a light mist.  Lucky for us we just had purchased 88 cent ponchos the night before at Wal-Mart.  Best investment of the weekend.

Jim and Heather rocking the ponchos

As we had season tickets, we were allowed access to a function called Family Reunion which featured many activities.  A couple of drivers, Brad Keselowski and Jeff Burton, were interviewed on stage, there was pit crew challenge, a display of some vintage cars and then there was Twiggy, the Water Skiing Squirrel.

Brad Keselowski

Twiggy

After spending a few minutes at the reunion we made our way to the tent where we started taking it down in preparation for our departure immediately after the race.

Still cloudy

We made our way into the track and up the million stairs for the last time.  As the drivers were being introduced the sky was beginning to clear and by the time green flag dropped there was not a single cloud in the sky.

The customary fly-over

The race itself was very uneventful with only one major accident a few laps into the race.  However, this being the ultimate NASCAR experience, I followed the race very attentively and learned a few things I hadn't so far by watching the races on TV.  For example, Bristol has pit boxes along both straightaways and drivers entering pits during cautions had to drive through both pit lanes before completing their stop.

Not a good day for Kasey Kahne

Another thing of note was that the attendance was very low for Bristol.  Fact or myth, but these races usually sell out and it wasn't nearly the case today.

Once Brad Keselowski crossed the finish line as the winner of the race we were on our way down to the parking lot.  We must have made good time because we hopped in the car, with Jim driving, and were on the road home without encountering any slowdowns.  It was about 4:30 when the race ended.

We headed West from Bristol towards I-75 where we arrived at 7.  We stopped there for supper at Dairy Queen and gas.  I took over the driving from there and drove from 8pm Sunday to 6am Monday with Heather only doing a short stretch of 30 minutes of so just before we hit London.  We were both tired but I was more determined to get us home.  We made our last stop for gas in Monroe, MI around 2am and then crossed the border through the tunnel in Detroit.  Throughout the whole trip I kept a pace of about 100 km/h to conserve gas which these days is my MO.  After unpacking the car Jim took off for Sudbury and Heather and I went inside the house to rest on our day off.

NASCAR Weekend in Bristol - Day 2

We started the second day at the campground with a shower.  After that we walked along the main road in Bristol and surveyed the unofficial vendors for souvenirs.  We also surveyed the official vendors where we'd purchase various items throughout the weekend.  Heather bought only Dale Earnhardt Jr items while I bought Martin Truex merchandise including a hat, lanyard and a diecast car.

Sam Hornish during his autograph session

Behind the wheel of Clint Bowyer's #15

At 10:30 in the morning we were back inside the track for Nationwide qualifying.  After that, we had lunch at the track, went down for more shopping and came back in time for the Nationwide race which started at 2pm.  Our seats were very high and it was a difficult and exhausting challenge trying to reach them.

Bristol Motor Speedway in all its glory

My favourite kind of team

Once the race ended, won by Elliott Sadler, we went out for lunch to Subway.  Unfortunately, we were too early to return to the campground as no cars were being let in so we went to Wal-Mart to kill some time.

Nationwide racing

Elliott Sadler celebrating his win

We eventually did make it back and again spent the evening taking it easy.

NASCAR Weekend in Bristol - Day 1

A few weeks ago we were presented with an opportunity to purchase tickets for a NASCAR race in Bristol, TN.  The tickets belonged to Heather's dad's friend who owns season tickets but was unable to make it for the March race.  The only catch was that we had to purchase three tickets.  Our original plan was to try to sell the single remaining ticket but Heather's dad eventually cleared his schedule and would join us on the trip.

We were going to leave Thursday evening after work and with that in mind I set off on changing the tires on the Elantra from winter to all-season.  I started changing my own tires a couple of years to save money but unfortunately the strategy backfired as I managed to snap one of the studs and it cost me dearly when I picked it up Thursday evening from a local NAPA repair shop.  Turns out that I've been screwing the wheels on too tight and a lot of the studs were starting to strip.  Guess it's time to invest in a good torque wrench.

Jim was already in Woodstock when I got home from work and he volunteered to pick up Heather and my car while I organized some things at home.  With both of them back we set off on the road at 6pm taking the 403 towards Fort Erie.  And it's exactly times like these that make me glad we settled on living in Woodstock which is at the intersection of Highways 401 and 403 with easy access to most of southern Ontario.

We made a short stop in St. Catharines for some food.  The border crossing was a piece of cake and we didn't make our next stop until Erie, PA where we visited the local Wal-Mart.  I held off on getting gas as we had another 60 or so miles left in the tank.  Our first gas stop was in Meadville, PA and with the clock approaching 11pm, Jim took over the driving duties.  He drove for a couple of hours, then Heather did before I took over again around 3 in the morning.

Overnight driving is not easy but I was determined to spend a few hours at the wheel.  A shot of 5-Hour Energy and a healthy dose of Danko Jones was my way of dealing with tiredness.  It seemed to work for a while but as the sun was starting to come up, I was barely able to keep my eyes open.  At 7am I finally stopped in Wytheville, VA where we got gas and where we ate at the Country Pride restaurant.

Jim did the rest of the driving and we arrived in Bristol around 9:30 Friday morning.  Our tickets allowed us to park at the Earhart campground which is literally within steps of the track.

Setting up shop in the shadow of Bristol Motor Speedway

We spent the remaining part of the morning exploring the campground which included shower facilities at a cost of $20 for the entire weekend.  In the afternoon we bought tickets for both Sprint Cup and Nationwide practice sessions.

Last minute adjustments during practice

Danica Patrick

After practice we went for lunch to Arby's in Blountville then came back and returned to the track for Sprint Cup qualifying.

Back at the campground our neighbour Steve introduced us to the game of cornhole.  We had supper at Applebee's and spent the rest of the evening walking the grounds which was hosting a variety of activities and vendors.  The only disadvantage to being very close to the racetrack is that the racing went well into the night.

Jim and Steve during a game of cornhole

Night shot of the BMS

First Ride of 2012

It seems that this year was the earliest we've been out riding.  However, it didn't turn out very well as we intended to ride to Port Burwell for lunch but once there everything was closed.  It'd probably be a better idea to ride there on a Saturday instead of Sunday as we did.  At least we're getting back to what we enjoy.

Ready to start riding season number 5

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RIP Patryk Gabinet

Our family suffered a great loss as my youngest brother's wife's brother took his own life this morning.  He was only 27.

I'm not going to get into any details here but suffice to say he will be greatly missed.

Rest In Peace my friend.

Toronto Motorcycle Supershow

As always we made the trek to Toronto with Heather's parents.  There was no snow to be seen anywhere and the temperatures were high enough that several people rode to the show.

As for the annual VROC dinner we chose a different venue after last year's fiasco at the Mandarin.  Instead, we gathered at St. Louis Bar & Grill just a short drive from the motorcycle show.  We also decided to do it at 4pm instead of the customary 7pm.  Things worked out quite well and there were at least a dozen of us that made it to the dinner.

There were many motorcycles in the parking lot