Holy Cow Tractor Pulling Team

Friday, November 26, 2004

HSTPA Banquet
So we left Miami and drove straight through to Indianapolis for the HSTPA annual meeting and banquet. The banquet was rather quiet this year. Of interest to the mods, HSTPA will no longer co-sanction out of state hooks that don't meet the HSTPA rules. This mainly applies to OSTPA Class A (4 motor) hooks. The mods also voted to return to RN rules now that NTPA has made a change.

At the banquet we picked up our trophy for the second consecutive year of winning HSTPA points. Congratulations go to Scott Tedder for winning Modified puller of the year.

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Key West, FL
Our next and final port of call was Key West, FL. We arrived early in the morning and we could see it was raining. Bummer. Since we arrived from a foreign port of call, we first has to pass immigration before ANYONE could leave the ship. The process was pretty simple, all US citizens went to one of the lounges and all others went to a different lounge. They made announcements over the PA systems and called our by floors, to help eliminate the long lines. You simply showed your passport to the firendly immigration agent, and off you went, no muss, no fuss. The whole process took a little over an hour. And then they started paging individual passengers. About 50 or so people didn't feel they had to report because they weren't going ashore. So, the ship of 2,000 got held up waiting for those 50 to be tracked down.

One thing I think they should do when checking in for the cruise is give 2 basic skills tests. The first test should be an elevator test. Each person should enter a mock simulated elevator and be required to go to a certain floor. A computer simulation could indicate if they did this properly. Next, each person should be given a basic test of following directions. You would be given written instructions on how to perform some simple task, followed by verbal instructions for the same task. If you fail to complete the task and/or fail the elevator simulation, then you are denied entry onto the ship.

Every night, your stateroom attendant would place a newspaper looking schedule for the next day on your bed. This contained a brief history of the port of call for the day, an iteneray for excursions, times and locations for the days entertainment and meals, and any special instructions for that day. At dinner, your waiter also gave you the same special instructions, and also at the beginning of the entrainment, the cruise director also went over special instructions. In the previous 12 hours, there has been at least 3 descriptions of the immigration process, but still there were 50 people who didn't get it, 50 people who should have been left standing in Miami, when the ship set sail.

Anyway, by the time immigrations release the ship, it had stopped raining and was starting to dry up. We headed out and discovered Duval St. is the "Strip" and headed out to find Margarettaville, a bar owned by Jimmy Buffet. We found it about 10 blocks or so up from the ship, but at the time in the morning, the gift shop was closed. so we wandered back to the ship. I will say this strip was cool. Every other shop was a little bar and they all look fun. One of the excursions on the ship was a pub crawl where you went from bar to bar and had a drink at each one. Personally, I don't know why you needed to spend $29 to do that, the bars were right there, so I don't know why you would need a guide. Scratch that, I know of 50 or so people that would...

We returned to the ship and grabbed a quick snack before heading our on our excursion, called "The big 3", which was Kayaking, Snorkeling, and a Dolphin Watch. We hopped on board a ship with about 24 other guests and headed out to the ocean. The waves were really rough from the storm that came through that morning. The captain said not to worry, the area we were going to was really calm. A few miles off shore, we came to what he called a "Lake". This was an area 2 or 3 acres in size where the water was only 4-6' deep. Because it was so shallow, there were no currents or waves. Off to one end was a stand of Mangrove trees that blocked the wind. He divided the ship in half. Stacey and I were in the group that snorkeled first.

The water was a little chilly when we got in, but you quickly got used to it. This area had lots of large sponges and coral formations. There was a fair number of fish, and some crabs and lobster. The captain said this area was not a colorful as the area they normally go to, but the storm had stirred up the water and it was too murky there. Except for the color, the area we were at was perfect. Lots to see and it was a good time.

Then, we switched and snorkelers jumped in the kayaks and vice-versa. We padded out to the Mangroves and paddled through tight passages, much like what we had seen in the Everglades on the air boat. We saw a 3 or 4' hammerhead shark on the way out, which was a special treat. We arrived back at the boat, and then headed out to find some Dolphin. Generally, Dolphin like to play in the wake of the boats and I don't think it is too hard to attract them, but today that was not the case, maybe to the mornings storm. I will give the captain credit, he really tried. Then, after giving up, we were headed back to Key West and we spotted one. He stopped the boat the the Dolphin played back and forth around the boat for about 15 minutes. Stacey really liked that. And we headed back to port.

Overall, this was a really good excursion. However, I really think just a day of drinking would have been a good time as well. As we were boarding the ship, it was obvious many people did just that. Maybe next time.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Cocoa Cay, Bahamas
This is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean, which had its plusses and minuses. On the plus side, the island was very well maintained and there was plenty to do and they provided lunch. On the minus side, the cruise lines are always looking for a way to make a buck. So, any of the "premium" activities generally cost a "premium" amount since there was no competition.

For $6 each, we choose to go snorkeling, and only had to rent a safety vest since we brought our own stuff. They gave us a quick lay of the land and some safety pointers. There was a reef to explore, as well and a plane and ship wreck, all relatively well marked. Additionally, there were some rest platforms farther out from the beach so you could rest if you needed. You got in to this little bay area where the water quickly dropped of to 6 or 8' deep. This bay was had some breakers, and that created a sand bar (or more accuratly a rock bar) at the entrance to the bay. I stopped there to check on Stacey since the water wasn't more than a foot deep. She was having problems with her snorkel and had fallen behind, but got it straightened out was on he way out. Just then a wave him me an knocked my backwards, dragging me on my back about 5' before I could get stopped.

We quickly entered the reef area, and I mean really quickly. I don't know if it was the wind, or a strong water current, but we just flew away from the beach. The reef was pretty cool and we saw much prettier coral formations and many brightly colored tropical fish than on the glass bottomed boat. The swim back was not as enjoyable. We swam and swam and swam, only to see a little progress. We stopped to rest on a rock formation and another wave came. This time I was smart and put my arms out to steady my self, only to stick my finger into this little hole and get stung my a sea urchin. We finally made it back to the beach and layed on our beach chairs to rest. It wasn't until I got up to get a drink and saw the blood on my towel that I realized how badly scratched up my back was.

Stacey had broken her snorkel, so that put and end to her swim time, but that was fine with her, I think. I did venture back out to see the plan and the ship wreck. The plane was small 2 or 4 seater Cessna type plane. I think it was staged because the wing upside down and backwards from the way it should have been positioned. Also, there was some bars welded over the doors to keep you from swiming inside the plane. The ship wreck was nothing more than a piece of floor and wall with a couple of cannons sticking out. You figure, if authentic, this type of ship would have been about 100 or more years old and the wood looked in really good shape. Anyway, it was fun to swim around and the nearby life guard would feed the fish from time to time to make sure there was plenty of nearby wildlife.

We had a good time on the island, but the strong winds and current really didn't make snorkeling that enjoyable. The far end of the island had a volleyball court and hammocs, and there was beach all around. I think you could have a great time here, even if you didn't spend a dime. Afterall, you are on vacation and it is OK just to lay on a chaise lounge and sleep in the sun.

Back on the ship, we soaked in the hot tub and got ready for dinner. This was formal night. Our entertainment for the evening was a 70's disco show featuring the same dancers from the first night. It was sort of the same show. Following dinner, we cought a game show in one of the lounges that was hillarious, and then headed for the midnight chocolate buffet. It was both artistic and delicious.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Nassau, Bahamas
We arrive bright and early in Nassau. We scheduled an excursion at 1:00, so we had time to shop. Stacey wanted to go to the Straw Market, which is a large, under tent, market of local vendors selling baskets and hats, wood carvings, T-shirts, and towels. Pretty much, if you walked down the first aisle, you saw 90% of what was for sale, but there were some unique booths. I will say this, the merchants there were very friendly, usually opening a conversation with "Hi Handsome", "Pretty Lady, how about a basket".

While Stacey shopped, I headed on to find the beach. As I walked, and watched the locals go about their day, something struck me as odd, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I found the beach and it was deserted except for a few tourists, but the sand was clean and the water clear. I thought we might make our way back. As I walked back, I noticed that, by in large, they drove American cars. Most of them older models, and nearly everything was damaged in some way or another. That is when it hit me, they were left hand drive cars, just like we are used to seeing, but they drove on the left side of the road, like in England. That meant the driver was sitting next to the curb, which is very odd, and might suggest a reason for all the car damage. I picked up Stacey and she bought a couple of purses. We headed back to the ship, dropped off her finds, and headed back to our excursion.

We decided to take a glass bottomed boat tour. The brochure promised beautiful reefs and tropical fish viewed through the hull. On the trip out, they a woman narrated about the area and showed off the homes of the rich and famous, including the former Elvis estate, Opera, Michale Jordan, Sammy Sosa, etc. When we get to the "reef" we discover that it is a restoration area. Through the small windows in the bottom of the boat we could see some fish, a few small clumps of brown coral, and a collection of tires, buckets, bottles, and beer cans. Each 1/2 of the ship got about 15 minutes of viewing time. Overall, not a scenic location, and the woman on the boat had such a thick accent that you could only understand about 1/2 of what she said. Furthermore, the speakers were complely missing on the top deck, so those people never head a word. We were very disappointed in this excersion.

The word back on the ship was that there is a second boat call the underwater explorer, or something where you sit in the hull and loot out through the glass sides of the boat. They said that was pretty good. Also, Bill took a boat ride called the Yellow Bird or something, and it was the Booze Cruise as he called it with a girls-gone-wild atmoshpere. Children should not have been allowed on this one, but sounds like it could have been fun.

We grabbed a few more things from the straw market and headed back to the ship where we relaxed by the pool.

The entertainment that night was a commedian name Carl Strong and he was absolutely hilarious. After dinner was the midnight buffet by the pool with a live band and dancing.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Miami Beach, FL and on to the Cruise
We left the hotel and headed for South Beach, which is pretty close to the port. We parked at a meter on the strip and headed to the beach. Since in a few short hours, we would be be in the process of boarding the ship and would be surrendering our luggage for a few hours, we couldn't really "enjoy" the beach, but opted for a walk along the shore. Suprisingly for Thanksgiving week, there were quite a few people out. The water was very clear and there were lots of people swimming and playing ball and so forth. While it is not a nude beach, there certainly were plenty of topless women sunbathing. Stacey even pointed out the first one. Next we enjoyed lunch at the Clevelander and then hopped back in the car for the 5 mile trip to the port. The port was on a small island just south of Miami Beach. The north side of the island contained numerous ports for huge cruise ships and on the south side was a major freight dock with equally huge freighters unloading containers. So, on the one road on and off this island you had nearly an equal mix of Semi trucks and minivans with cargo carriers on top and three or four way too excided kids inside. The one thing I remarked to Stacey was that is it sure would suck to be a truck driver down here.

This is our first cruise since 9/11 and our first cruise ever arriving by car. Security now is handled pretty much like a flight. We dropped out big bags at curbside where they were tagged with our room number. We parked out car, and carried our carry-ons into the terminal where they were x-rayed and we went through a metal detector. This would be the norm every thing we entered the ship. We got in a long line and hadn't been there more than a few minutes and the guy in front of us got on his cell phone and remarked to the person on the other end that "there were 1500 people in line and the wait would be three hours". He became known as "3 hours/1500 people" for the remainder of the cruise. We actually crossed paths quite a bit, but never met. So, they had queues set up for the different floors, which made the lines look quite long, but when you realized that there were multiple lines, it didn't look as bad. Furthermore, they processed you in families or groups, so in some cases, 15 people may board all at once. 20 minutes later, we had our room keys and were and on board Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. After dropping or carry ons in the room, he headed to explore the ship. At 5:00pm, we left Miami.

We always choose late seating. Most parents get early seating, so they can put their children to bed at their normal time, so we opt for late seating. This provides 2 benefits: 1) No Children (or at least fewer children) and 2) more time to spend at a port of call. RC works their schedule that Late seating has their "entertainment", some type of stage show, while the early seating people are eating, and then they swap. Then starting at 10, there was usually more Adult type entertainment for both seatings in the various lounges that lasted to 1AM or longer.

The first show was a signing and dancing review of music from the 50's to the 90's. It as alright, not something I would go out of my way to see again, but entertaining. At dinner, we were seated at a table for 6. When we got to the table, Bill will sitting there all alone. We learned that Bill was a truck driver and a first time cruiser. He transported displays for auto companies and had brought a load down to Orlando for an auto show. He was taking a cruise for the duration of the auto show, and when the cruise was over, he would drive back to Orlando, load his truck back up and head north. Bill was single. Then we were joined by a Brazillian couple name Fernanda and Fernando. Fernando wrote software for a cell phone company and lived in Dallas. Fernando was going to school. They both spoke pretty good English and had been married 2 years. They got married here in the US, but were saving the cerimony for when the return to Brazil.

To cap off the night we went up to the one of the lounges for "Not Quite the Village People" which was really just a kick off to a bunch of 70's dance music. Though it wasn't planned, Fernanda, Fernando, and Bill also showed up.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

Miami, FL
This is like being in a foreign country, no, it is worse than that. Stacey's Auqa Socks wore out, and there are none to be found in Indiana. So, we stopped at a Wal-Mart near the Hotel. Is there anything more American than Wal-Mart? I didn't think so. OK, so it is 8 PM on a Sunday. Shouldn't be crouded, right? Wrong. It is packed and there is a "Cotton Candy" trailer in the parking lot. I don't know if this is some type of festival or just pre-Thanksgiving preparations, but it was nuts. Anyway, we went in, and other than the standard signage and the usual products you would expect at Wal-Mart, I didn't not hear a single word of English. We asked a lady that worked in the shoe department where there Aqua Socks were and we got a blank stare along with "I don't speak English." The loudspeaker announcements? In Spanish of course. It was like being in a foreign country. But, it was worse than that. With the time I spent in France this year, it was obvious you were not home. Everything was in French, so you couldn't read signs, couldn't understand conversations, etc. It was obvious you weren't at home. But here, it looks like the USA, the signs are all in English, but you don't understand a thing going on around you. And, the really odd thing is that we are not in some Cuban ghetto, no. We are in a very trendy neuvo-riche part of Miami. There are lots of high end cars (Hummers, Escilades, BMWs, Mercedes, etc) driving around. The buildings all look new, the roads are well maintained. It is just really weird.

Everglades
From Everglade city, we headed west towards Miami. We choose US 41, Tamiami Trail. Most of the Everglades was bare cypress trees (they loose their needles in the winter just like the trees up north) and sawgrass, which is thick ornamental looking grass that grows in the muck and water that covers much of this area. We branched off US41, onto SR 94, or Loop Road, which is about 20+ miles. The first 10 miles is dirt and takes you into the "real" everglades. We saw lots of gators, birds, plants, trees, and even an injured baby copperhead snake. If you haven't taken this road, then you haven't seen the everglades.

Air Boat Ride
From Venice, we continued south to Everglades City. There we boarded an Air Boat ride at took a 1 1/2 hour tour with Capt. Bobby. That was a fantastic tour. We went out into the gulf to a private island. Then we headed into the mangroves and sped through the narrow passages. The air boats are remarkably smooth, even in open water. He warned us about the noise and provided us ear muffs, but I told him he didn't really know what noise was :-). We saw a couple of alligators just floating in the water. After our trip, we were hungry and ventured into "downtown" Everglade City and had a great meal at the Seafood Depot, and old train station. I had deep fried Gator Tail (tasted like chicken, but better, more "chicken-like"). Stacey had a grouper sandwich. It is not tourist season down there, so we picked the restaurant that looked crowded, figuring that is where the locals eat.

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Birthday Party
We spent 2 nights and one day with a friend of Staceys from high school. Both of her daughters had birthdays and she had a big party for the girls. It was a lot of fun, the kids stayed to themselves outside and the adults put away a few beers.

Friday, November 19, 2004

Driving to Florida
It was a rather non-eventful trip down to Florida. We took two days to get here, using a free night in a Holiday Inn on the south side of Atlanta. We listened to a book on CD, a new Patricia Cornwell novel called "Trace." 11 CDs in all. We started as we left Kokomo, and finished 25 miles before our destination near Venice, Florida. Good book, made the time fly by. Fair number of Cops out in all states, so we just cruise along with the flow.

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Where I've been
Found this on the web. Thought it was kind of cool. Make one yourself.

create your own personalized map of the USA

Monday, November 08, 2004

NFMS
We were invited in the Mod class on Wednesday on 2/16/05.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Surgery Update
Some of you know that my father Gene was scheduled to have a brain tumor removed this past week. The surgery was a success, however he is not waking up from surgery. He can open his eyes a bit, but does not respond to commands of any kind. Today is the 4th day and we are hoping for some improvement. If you can keep him in your prayers we would appreciate it.
Thanks
Stacey

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