Photos from the move and son Jacks visit.....

Someone asked for the race video

There are sunsets and there are sunsets....

Today was one of those days where you accomplish a lot without trying.

It started with breakfast at McD's with all the boys. Again we all left happy and ready to go out into the tough world.

I went home and worked on emptying the garage at the sold house. I found many tools from the 50's but in excellent shape. Why I even found a few hammers with WOOD handles.

I filled up a rubber maid container with all kinds of tools. Put it into the trunk of the car with many many golf balls.

and took apart a plastic shelving and put it into the car.

We drove into Sarasota and Karolyn visited her mom while I drove to the condo to unload the treasures.

Set up the shelves and stacked it all with the tools with the help of my neighbor and good friend Paul Collins.

I visited the condo renter and found out she is leaving early, a week from tomorrow saturday.

Hey, that means we don't have to leave Fla when the house exchanges hands.

I then raced to Sam Selzers to meet the ladies for dinner to celebrate a friends birthday ,Elaine.


After dinner we drove south and wanted to see the sunset at someplace different. So we pulled down a road that led to the Lemon Bay Park.

We followed a path which led to a a tiny beach (canoe launch site)and saw a beautiful sunset but not without bites from teeny little insects.



We followed the path a little further and found a viewing deck which had no bugs but a great view of the bay and lots of jumping fish.

Now I'm sitting here at the house in Rotonda and realize that no matter where I might be, there is a chance for another of Jim Elliotts Adventures.

An April Picnic For Friends...

Another interesting day.

The 2nd Saturday of the month is the regular picnic day of the CDC which is the Click and Drag Club.

The 4th weds the CDC celebrates birthdays for the month.

Being in the Rotonda home, I really wanted to go to the picnic in Clearwater but it is a long drive.
190 miles includes both ways.

I meant to leave at 9am but didn't get out of bed until 9:30am and left about 10:30am. It takes about 2 hrs of driving and I pulled into the picnic grove at 12:20am....yes I was proud of my efficient driving.



As soon as I pulled up I could feel the warmth of all the attendees.

You know, that's a good feeling...when friends smile and say hi with a hug or handshake.

Its even better when they produce a freshly cooked German Sausage, courtesy of Bernard and top Chef Craig.

The conversation started immediately and didn't quit until all were gone and no one was left for me to tell any more of my stories.


I drove over to the library and found member Gun Olson enjoying some time on one of the library internet computers.

Oh a fresh victim...and we talked for almost an hour. She was my neighbor in Chicago directly across the alley and always talks about how sweet my children were. And how they would always ring her door bell for a piece of Wrigley gum, that she always kept a stash of.

Then it was time to return to Rotonda. I was tired and took Park Blvd and suddenly, as if by Magic, I found myself in the parking lot of a Church's Chicken store.

I tell you, that is some of the best chicken there is. I'm glad all those in Chicago have been forced out of business by Armed Robbers.

I got home in time to talk to sisters Nancy and Karolyn, who just returned from the Tiki Hut on Stump Pass.

We all enjoyed our day....me, more than them, I think.

Golly, the weather sure is nice in Florida!!!!

Unbelieveable....Amazing.

WOW!!!

The races. I was totally overcome by the wholeness of it all.

I felt like a country boy in the city in amazement at the bigness of it all. The buildings alongside the back straight a way.

The walled city with no view into...or light. Only one way to see the race.

PAY....full price. Uggggh...I've never done that before.

$40 for General Admission
$80 for Grandstand
$30 extra for Paddock....

Miss, can you tell me what is the Paddock.

Say, what do I look like...I don't know...do you want it or not.

Apparently, a very well trained ticket seller.

Well, I can see it from the outside like I planned. Yes, I brought my bike in the trunk of the car. I thought I could park a few blocks away and watch the race from the perimeter of the track.

Little did I know that it was walled by those concrete highway separators. With cyclone fence 15 feet above that. And a screening that blocked the view.

$40 bucks huh. I did drive 65 miles, ok give me the GA.

I locked up my bike. Walked past all the security and to a staircase going steeply up and across the track. Again the screen on both sides so there was no seeing the race from up there.

Then down the other side. Keep breathing, it wasn't that bad....huff and puff. Quick over there, that bench with one person stretched out on it.

Surely I could sit with her. Yes, how are you? May I sit down?

A premium seat for sure. In the shade and near a turn.

“I wouldn't be here but my group got free tickets. Where did you get your ticket from? WHAT!
YOU PAID...followed by a giggle. I didn't think anyone paid.”

Why thanks for letting me rest...but I've got to move on. Wait till next year.

I walked past all the exhibits. The one's that give trash away or rides in arcade cars. All had long lines to enjoy.

I planned on getting there just before start time but didn't check the schedule. Its 11am now and it starts at 2:45PM TO 4:45PM.



I walked past the paddock. And saw those folks held back by security guards and there's Danica Patricks transports. There's a short person...no that's a guy. Heck, they're all short folks. Isn't there anyone over 5'4 in racing clothes. A midgets sport I guess.

I continued until the end of the grandstands. They were high and long. They lined up alongside an airports main runway. And appeared to be 75 feet high. And temporary seating.

All put together just for this race. First Amazing thing.

Food court...I always like food courts. $6 for a hot dog and $3 for a bottle of water. That seems reasonable. As long as I ate before I arrived and had my own bottle of water.

I saw a grassy knoll and layed down. An hour later, with no bug bites I awoke to see that the area had been closed in by more arrivals of people. I was one of the oldest surrounded by all sizes and kinds of fellow race watchers.



Most were talking and asking the same questions of one another as I wanted to ask.

It was in the 80's and a peek over the hill I notice a glassed in building not far away. It was a theater and they allowed a few hundred folks to come in but had just a few chairs.

Do you mind in I sit in the chair next to you until your friend returns? Of course not, I'm by myself. Its all yours.

All those folks sitting on the floor must have wanted to hurt me but I had the chair.

Hi my names Bob and I'm from Long Island. I used to race in the 50's and loved it so much opened up a bunch of speed shops, mostly for drag racing.

I dragged my family in our motor home here and we'll leave soon for spring break for the kids to Key West.

I always drag raced and still do on certain streets. And you know who are the biggest illegal racers, and most are my friends....COPS.

Ummm, guess what.

Yes, then his eyes lit up and we talked old cars. I talked cars and he talked cams, drive chains and carbs. Yes, I sold my shops and repair Carbs for fun. But no one does it anymore so I'm really busy.

Oh Oh was that the B1 bomber. Time to get outside and get a spot.

As I walked out 3 quiet jets flew over. The Raptors, quiet until they gave it the gun.

Suddenly, fireworks went off and the sound of the engines were heard. Twice around the cars drove until bang....they revved up by the grandstands and then got quiet..an accident on turn 1.

A few minutes later they drove toward us and past so fast that I couldn't hardly focus on them.

The sounds of the engines revving up and then hard breaking and revving up again to accelerate thru a turn.....2ND most Amazing.

This drivers are nuts. Accelerate to at least 150 miles then hit the brakes before the turn and concrete walls...and immediately accelerate again. Do this 100 times without waiting a split second too much.






I found a picnic table to stand on. With a lot of kids in there 20's from Sarasota. They were drinking and silly but kept rubbing my hair for luck. As you know, when it comes to hair, I'm not to lucky. And neither were they looking for it.

Something happened to me during the race. The first time the cars went by. My jaw dropped and I just screamed out loud....God!!! are they going fast. Damn.

I just could not close my mouth. The excitement of each pass of a car was just as exciting.

Everyone was laughing and cheering for something. Our group cheered for Danica. Even for three laps after she crashed. We still cheered....Danica....Danica ….Danica

I was cheering with the kids....I felt like one of them except...I was the old mascot. Which was ok, I had fun...lots and lots of fun

I said goodbye to my young fellow funsters and walked back to the gate. It took almost an hour and I took many photos and videos of cars and people....mostly women.

Races sure bring out the best of them.

I stayed to the very end and don't have any idea who won. It wasn't Danica. Too bad.

As I walked back over the overpass,,,up across and down the stairs. I realized that I was on my feet for most of the afternoon.

Yet, I felt great.

I wasn't hungry nor thirsty

I think I was running on my adrenaline.

As I unlocked my bike I looked up at the condo balcony and saw them all filled with people,

They were all smiling.

I was smiling too. I made a dozen phone calls to family, telling them about the race. Mostly, to their answering machines.

As the commercial says:
drive 150 miles
pay $40 for a ticket.
The experience: priceless.....thank you lord for another adventure

A few more photos.....stories might follow

I went to the beach tonight Sat and the sun kinda fell behind some clouds. Still people were having lots of fun. Some not...like the one's getting married.

I did notice something. As I was walking along the waves and in the sinking sand, the waves crashing reminded me of the movie with Tom Hanks. Silence except for the loud crashing of wave after wave after wave.

Go to a wave crashing beach and you'll know what I mean.


















Oh, so many folks were in the water enjoying the crashing waves, I decided to take off my shoes and the water was warm. Maybe the suds cleaned my toenails....ah, they were clean.

Then I went to a clock shop for advice on a grand father clock at the house for sale.

Reggie, the owner, was truly a character. Now a lot past his time but still could be a worthy interview and story if not for the condition of his shop....dirty and smelly of cigarettes.

He did have his best friend of 8 years, there...his dog Lucy.

While in the shop with Reggie he did something that scared me. I can't tell in this blog. It was interesting. But how I've grown away from some police daily talk.

Inspection Day....so relaxing...

“Hey Jim, today at 2:30pm they're going to do the house inspection. You can be there or go somewhere else. You're really not needed”.

Not needed. Ok, I think I'll stick around and see what they do.

But first I have to clean up the little mess that I made staying here.

Within an hour the house was spotless. Wait, the shower hand-shower broke off. Damm, oh thats ok, no one will notice. And then there's the cabinet doors that the padding has fallen off or just wore out.

I can't do anymore. I have to go to breakfast and then to the car dealer to get a new mirror under warranty.

Ordered a small sausage burrito and senior coffee. I sat down, opened up the burrito and it looked like they spread the eggs on with a knife. Not much inside. Forget it...for a $1.79 I should get some egg and sausage.

S'ir, these are all measured out and it …..looking into my eyes suspiciously...should have had the alloted amount in it'.

Well it didn't. Apparently, this one didn't have enough.

Here's another one and they all look filled. Yours is the only one that looks like that.

Lady, I'm hungry but if I wasn't, I would burn out your staring eyes with some hot words.
Yes, thats the dream words I wanted to say.

Well, I quickly ate the sandwich and then onto the car dealer for a replacement mirror.

“You'll have to leave the car for the day and pick it up tomorrow.

What that doesn't make sense, how come? Because it hasn't been painted yet.

What if I come back tomorrow and you paint it today? Yep, we guess so. Sure why not!

So back into the car and over to Sarasota. There I stopped at the home and visited Granny.

Hi Sir, and how are you today. Are you here to visit me. Why would you visit me?

Granny, I'm your son-in-law and I'm married to your daughter Karolyn.

Oh you are, thats nice. But why are you visiting with me and not someone else.

Because you're my mother in law for 42 yrs.

Oh thats nice.

Thats the way the conversation went for 30 minutes until I said goodbye and I would visit her again soon.

Then it was to Mcdonalds in Sarasota. I was going to visit our condo complex and use the weight machine until Nancy called me and said she could get some containers for moving stuff.

So I picked those up, and since I was close to I-75 took that south.

On the way back I drove past Babe's Ace Hardware in Englewood. I picked up another shower handle and some cabinet door pads.

I put on the shower handle and the pads....this surprised me as I didn't put it off for a few days.

The inspectors arrived: the water inspector, the bug inspector and house inspector.

Then the buyer and saleslady arrived.

We all sat around and had good conversation for 3 hrs.

Then it was time to kick them out.

I washed up and drove to Stephano's restaurant and had a super large Salad. I even took some home.

But before going home I went to Englewood beach for the sunset.








Bed time came early. 10 pm just after the shower. Sleep oh wonderfull sleep arrived a little later.