BMW Owners Association Weekend at Camp Blanding, FL.

550 bikes for three days of friends and cruising.  on road/off road, BMW techies, skill training.
Should be fun,

The following link will track my progress every 10 minutes whenever I am on the bike.

Will add pics as things progress.   Today am traveling from Wildwood FL to Jacksonville to visit a friend and then to the rally tomorrow. 

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HbS3hPnvqshMS5cupG7JtfuKvXs4yU30

Happy Weekend!

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Three day week!    Four day weekend!!  

Mac called monday needing new cowboy boots for dancing.   The ones she had on last time we went dancing were so worn out and ugly that I wouldn't drag them behind my truck...   

New boots, $200,   Tank of gas in her truck,  $55,  Shopping for the afternoon with my daughter, Priceless!

Started new job.   Difficult to assess the potential after only a few days.  

Found a place to rent month-to-month.   40' gooseneck camper out in farm country.   My kind of place.  ?The landlord is installing new flooring in kitchen and sprucing things up for Monday move in.  Gardening is comming soon!!!

Ankle is much better.  I'm limping much faster now.  Went to line dance lessons yesterday and lasted 30 minutes.  Learned two new steps.  Stressed my ankle a bit but it's loosening up a lot.  I can get on the motorcycle now without using the chair lift...  :)

Weekend starts NOW!

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‎7 days of Florida. First impression. Florida has shopping centers, golf courses, $1 million houses with burnt-out crabgrass lawns, (they mow lawns on February 29th). Very little traffic. People who drive cars are clueless. Most people drive golfcarts because they start drinking at 9 am and they don't have to contend with airbags when they hit you.

The backroads are straight and flat. If you stand on your toes you can see the entire state so you don't have to go anywhere for a better view. The 55+ communities have ADULT swimming pools open to people age 30 and up. That probably keeps the level of interest up. PA doesn't have adult swimming pools. We have adult bookstores but I think you only have to be 18.

Ocala is the horse capital. Horse shows are in Wellington which is 3 hours south. That keeps northerners in synk with their body clock so they can get up at 3 AM to go to a show. it also is good for GM, the trailer industry and Big Oil.

Mosquitos are a cash crop. If you keep a trap in your bedroom you can drop the overnight captures off at the blood bank for coupons for bandaids. Women wear Backwoods Off and men wear wd-40. That's pretty convenient if you are in a smoky bar and have difficulty knowing what you are talking to.

Will post more later about the reason(s) that you should come to FL. This is not a guarantee of a good time. Actual results may vary.

So I haul my luggage to 2nd floor room yesterday and must have pulled something in my back.

Then about 3:30 I had finished the bus tour at the villages and was feeling tired so I headed to motel.   The crossing gate at the end of the village went up for me and a go-cart raced past at the same time.  The gate recognized the cart first and came down across my windshield and helmet, knocking me over... my left ankle has a big bubble one one side...  caught under the bike.

The golf cart went away without stopping but two people helped me get the bike up and away I went...   Brought my  super pain pills and will try them tonight.

oh well,,,  lovely day.

The bus tour guide is from Tamaqua, 15 miles from home.

Mackenzie seems to be doing fine.  She and Taylor went to see Les Mis the other night.  They are going to watch some new series TV show tonight.  I haven't spoken to her.  

Here's a slide show from Wildlife Preserve near Crystal River: 

https://plus.google.com/photos/108474721505505420021/albums/5830476479775841649

January 6...   Turned her loose...   Knowing that she came her for freedon, I hit the road yesterday.  Went to Lecanto, FL for the weekend.  Enjoyed casual 60 mile drive.  sultry beaches.  Interesting birds and critters...   Will see how the adventure plays out.

Day II.   Leaving the Mt. Carmel B&B in Walterboro, SC with 301 miles to Ocala.  50 deg, light rain.

Country music on the radio.  Mac at the wheel, traffic isn't bad at all.  So interesting to drive miles and miles without a mountain...   fuel mileage should be MUCH better here.  

Mac is getting texts from friends who are either in FL already or will be heading this way.  One is a young eventer from Guatamala!  What a diverse world!   

More later.

Good Morning!

Thursday 1/3/13.   The B&B is cute.   Just a little house with too many dogs.  the barn is small and old but I just checked and Stella is wandering around the paddock.   Mo fixed tons of appetizers and a nice shrimp scampi.  plenty of wine.

The morning was sunny but all afternoon was overcast.  Made for nice driving weather.   I couldn't get another turn at the wheel...   Mac seemed determined to want to drive all the way... Maybe I don;t drive fast enough for her... She was right at or just above 70 all the way.   She follows a bit close at times, but otherwise isn't timid and isn't aggressive.  Doesn't wait to pass a slow mover.

Today we have about 6 hours so that should go quickly.  I asked her real  plan and she says to stay until April and then find another place to go.   I don't know why she wouldn.'t just stay.  Ashley is in he nation's top 20 so that leaves 20 others near the top for her to choose from.  She has already worked for two of them and trained with at least 4 of them.

Gong to finish checking the mail and then back to zzz-land.

nite,

Jeff