Meatface the Blog

UL Canoe Trip

Now that the hangovers are long gone and some of the embarrassing moments have been replaced by bigger and better embarrassing episodes, I figured it would be appropriate to add this post to the blog. Canoe trips have been a long standing tradition for the employees of the Union Landing.  While there was a bit of a hiatus in the late 90's and early 00's, for the past 5 years or so, they have been back with a vengeance. The 2009 trip, while limited in attendees, was one that most likely will not be forgotten, although there are a couple of people who would prefer otherwise.

For the past few years a group of UL employees and various hangers on have been heading down to Chatsworth, NJ to Pine Barrens Canoe Rentals to head out on the Wading River in Wharton State Forest. This year, however, we were transferred over to Mick's Canoe Rentals who bought out PBCR over the winter.  Since the river runs right through the State Park, alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited, yeah right.  

After last year's debacle, we wanted to be sure that everyone made it to the end of the route in the allotted time period.  The trip on average should take between 3 and 4 hours, but last year there were boats that barely made the halfway point after 6 hours, and the rental company was less than happy with us.  Especially since we ended up, 4 paddles and 3 life vests short.  How you can lose a life vest on a river, I will never figure out, but we managed.  I am happy to report that this year all the gear and paddlers made the trip in just about 4 hours, quite the feat given the condition of some of the crew. To top it all off we only managed to lose a couple of cell phones and digital cameras this year.  

With the summer a little more than half way over, we are only about 10 months away from next year's trip.  Who knows what that will bring, but if it is anything like the past few years it should be interesting.

Enjoy...

Meatface

The crew ready to head out on the river.

Heading down the river.

My paddling partner, Taco.

Taco taking the bridge jump.

One of the many stops along the way.

Don't mess with these chicks.

A flipping good time, but not for Kyle.

End of the road.

Even team Borracho made the finish line.

Sea legs will kill the best of em.  It is always tough to get back on land after a day on the water.

Looking for a good time?  Just call Mick's...................

...Lost Surf Jam

As an aspiring photographer, I am always looking for opportunities to get out and shoot photos to hone my skills.  It is even better when I get a chance to do some work for someone, as it sort of makes me feel like some day I might actually be able to pay for some of my gear with my photography skills.  To date I have been relying on my amazing ability to open beer bottles, pour booze and curse under my breath when some kook leaves a $.50 tip to afford my photography habit.  Anyway, this past weekend I had an opportunity to work with ....Lost clothing and surfboards at their "...Lost Surf Jam" on the beach in Belmar, NJ.  While this event was billed as a surf jam and there were lots of surf boards available to demo (for those of you no surf saavy readers, this means to take for a test ride), the majority of the action took place on the beach.

This is the second year that I have been the photographer for this particular event, and given the antics that went down last year, to say that I was looking forward to this would be an understatement.  The musical entertainment was again provided by "DJ Jersey Joe", one of the best in the business here at the Jersey Shore, rounded out by Ryan Divel of ...Lost on the mic.  Add in a little bit of Belmar Beach on a sunny Saturday afternoon in July, and you have a show that has to be seen to be believed.  

The surfing portion of "Surf Jam" consisted of Tommy I putting on a clinic for all the little groms that were doing there best to pull off anything that slightly resembled a turn or off the top.  In addition Sam Hammer and Chad from ...Lost attempted to get a couple of newbies up and riding for their first time.  One of Sam's first candidate seemed like she might have had half a chance, but her cohort grew restless and grabbed the board for her turn, at which time all hope was ...Lost.

Thankfully, from here the action moved on to the beach for some Hula Hooping, Energy Drink Chugging, Back Hand Springing, Dance Off, Best Sunburn, Whitest Tourist, Corn Dogging (aka Shake and Bake or Sugar Cookie) and Sand Castle Building.  Oh yeah, in addition to Divel on the mic keeping the show going, the ...Lost girls were on hand to make sure you didn't forget that it was summer in Belmar, where there is always a muscle guy or two around. Finish the day off with a good ol' product toss and you know a great time was had by all.

The Beach Scene.

The Demo Quiver.

Tommy getting his surf on.

Tommy getting his dance on.

The energy drink chugging contest got interesting.  There was one girl that was claiming that she would win before the event even started.

 

The Winner.

Back Handspring Race.

The girl that Sam almost got surfing on her first ever go at it.

Corn Dog Winner!

Best Sunburn Winner!

Whitest Person on the Beach Winner!

The Smoking Section!

Surf Jam Winner!

Muscle Beach!!!!!!

One of the  ...Lost guys finally got up the nerve to ask this guy to pose with the ...Lost models. 

I hope this kid finds this blog so he can show it to all his buddies and brag about his new girl friend.

Multiple Hoops!

The day ended with a pretty good product toss.  There probably would have been a bunch more stuff to toss if all of the grommies weren't hounding the guys all day for free stuff.  

Here's looking forward to next year.

Meatface

Camp Woodward

Camp Woodward in central Pennsylvania has been a regular summer stomping ground for the Schmidt boys for the past ten years.  While this was only Taco’s 4^th summer at camp, Larry and I have been going since Patti first turned us on to it in 2000.  Patrick has been to camp on a few occasions, but since he really started putting everything into surfing, his schedule really has not afforded him any time in the past few years to make the trip out. 

For those not in the know, Woodward is a summer camp that caters to action sports enthusiasts, more specifically Skateboarders, BMX Bikers, Inline Skaters and Snowboarders.  Originally started in 1970 as a gymnastics training facility, one side of the camp is still devoted to gymnasts and cheering with all sorts of trampolines, balance beams, bars and other apparatus.

Last year they added a Video Production course that is dedicated to teaching the students how to produce videos of action sports.  While they have been providing loaner video cameras and basic editing instruction to campers, this was the first summer that they actually recruited kids to come to camp solely for instruction in video production.  This summer, in addition to video production, they are offering a course in Action Sports Photography.  In true Woodward fashion, both of these programs offer state of the art equipment to work on honing your skills, and I plan on poaching a few lessons on my next visit.

As some of my blog followers might recall, Larry was featured on a Fuel TV program entitled Camp Woodward Season 2 .  All of the filming for the past 2 seasons of the show was done at the end of the summer, however, for season 3 all of the filming is being done at the beginning of the summer.  Subsequently, Larry and Taco were there at the perfect time and will be garnering some more air time in next years episodes.  This time hopefully there will be more footage of actual skating instead of just washing dishes, delivering mail and working Create A Skate (which Larry did a bit of this year to work his way through the first week of camp).

While at camp I spent a bit of time shooting photos of the boys in action. I also wanted to get off camp grounds and capture some images of Centre Valley, where Woodward is located, as it is beautiful country.  The nearest town, Millheim, is home to the local watering hole Brownies (home of the $2.25 Budweiser), where you can find very colorful local characters. Also in the valley are two different sects of Amish.  There are the Amish that ride in grey covered buggies (I have heard to them referred to as the old Amish) that are more wealthy and a little bit more liberal, and then there are the Nebraska Amish that ride in uncovered buggies and are much more strict with their practices.  Either way, none of them really appreciated being photographed, so it took a bit of a stealthy operative to capture photos of them.

One interesting landmarks in the valley that I have always wanted to photograph is the Neff Round Barn, that is about 25 minutes west of camp, just before State College.  Somewhere I read that round barns were originally constructed by very superstitious farmers who did not want any corners in the barns as they believed that is where the demons hid. However, further research has revealed that the round barns were built because they were much more efficient than rectangular barns.  Either way, this round barn is one of only three ever built in the area, and in the best state of repair of the two that remain today. However, I like the story about the demons.

The Neff Round Barn in all it's Demonless glory.

Spelling is not really a priority out here.

Proof that the Amish buggies really do use the ATM.

Home of the $2.25 Budweiser.

One of two rear view mirror images of Amish buggies.  This is one of the old Amish buggies.

Old Amish buggy at the hitching post downtown.

Nebraska Amish cart heading home.

What do you think the locals do for fun at night????? No these marks were not made by Amish buggies.

Just something that caught my eye when I was driving around.

One of the counselors heading up the hill to enjoy some time off.

Happy Campers!!!

Larry working his way through camp.

Taco decorating his board.

Self explanatory.

Taco filming for Fuel TV with his instructor Chris and Fuel TV producer Dave.

Larry back Smiths the rail in the new Skate Plaza.

Experimenting with flash photography in the Playground.

Taco takes the big drop on the Cloud 9 vert ramp.

Taco's big kick flip up the Euro Gap.  Keep your eyes peeled for this one on Fuel TV next year.

Ollie over the spaghetti gap in the skate plaza.

One night before settling, I took about an hour to do some long exposure photos of the properties just to the west of camp.  There is an outcropping of trees that blocks most of the lights coming off of the camp grounds so I focused my lens on the area just above this shadow and was able to capture a couple of really interesting (at least what I think are interesting) photos.  Here are my two favorites.

Hopefully my blog posts will become more regular.  I hate to wait so long between posts, but also want to make sure that they are all sort of interesting.  Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Hope you enjoyed.

Meatface

Taco Turns 10

Just this past weekend Taco hit the double digits.  This was a big deal and needed to be celebrated in style, that is why we took the party out of this dump and headed over to "Gigi's Recreation Center".  As always Gigi's, not to be confused with Gee Gee's, was party central.  The pool was rockin, the grill was smoking and the kids were having a blast.

The cake was a big deal and needed to have a Wrestling motif, so we found a place that could print an edible photo right on the cake and it was game on.  Taco and Tanner spent about an hour combing through photos of Jeff Hardy looking for "The One" that would be printed on this infamous cake, which turned out to be one of Jeff in the middle of a "Swanton Bomb" (google it).

Needless to say a good time was had by all.  I can't believe that all my boys are now in the "Double Digits", I am growing older.  

The Swanton/Gut Bomb, wow is Butter Cream heavy.

Taco and his pal Sunny share the same exact birthday.  Taco has him beat by about 6 hours, and it was amazing that the Midwives were able to make it from our house to Sunny's in tim for his appearance.  They also share the same middle name, James.  Let's just hope they don't share Larry's penchant for fire.  The Pyro lights the candles (again) while Mei looks on.

The stoic 10 year old prepares to do his own Swanton Bomb into the pool, off of the diving box that is Oh So Loved....

Oh how I hate flash photography!!!  So lame, but and absolutely necessary photo for this post.  These guys just can't get enough wrestlemania.  From action figures, to ladder matches in the Iglay's front yard, these kids are committed. 

 

This blow up thing has taken it's fair share of beatings  in the past couple of days.

Heat Miser decided to come hang under water with Taco for a bit.

At 10 you would figure that he would no longer want to smell the cake and see if it really is rotten.

See you next time.

Meatface

 

Milestones

Anyone that has been following my blog since the beginning knows that I started because I wanted a place to share my photos and life experiences.  Since the beginning I have had tons of fun coming up with posts and relevant photos to accompany them.  In addition to the posts themselves, I have become a "stat" junky, watching after each post to see how many times people are checking in.  Subsequently, I am happy to report that I recently reached a blogging milestone, "1000 views".  While most people will say "Big Deal", to me it is a big deal, and now I am looking forward to 10,000, 100,000 and hopefully some day 1,000,000 views.  So keep spreading the word.

While contemplating the "1000 views", it occurred to me that the past month and a half has been filled with Milestones that deserve to be celebrated here.  Looking back to the end of March, March 29th to be exact, I really should have done an individual post on this "Milestone".  On this day my parents celebrated 40 years of marriage, and here they are walking down the aisle back in the day.  

The next significant event occurred a couple of weeks later while we were in Orlando, Florida.  On our way to Sebastian Inlet for the NSSA East Coast Surfing Championships, we stopped off to visit Patti's brother Billy.  During our stay in the "City of Disney", we were fortunate enough to celebrate the 14th birthday of our middle son Patrick.  It is amazing how time flies.

In addition to having his 14th birthday in Florida, Patrick celebrated a really good result at the NSSA East Coast Championships.  After several very tough rounds, he finished 2nd overall in the Explorer Boys division (13-15 year olds) for the entire East Coast. He also made it to the semi finals of the Open Juniors division, one of the most competitive divisions in NSSA surfing. 

On top of 40 years of marriage, Pop Pop also recently celebrated his 60th birthday.  For those of you that have not had the pleasure of shaking his hand lately, I would like to let you know that he can still crush it like a tin can. Therefore, I would suggest that next time you see him and want to give a shake, be prepared.

Just days after Pop Pop's birthday, Larry III celebrated the "Sweet 16", which means that he will be starting driving lessons in the very near future. Now that is quite a Milestone. I can't believe my oldest is getting ready to drive. Hopefully he can do better than I did in my early years, or even my later years,  for that matter.

For the last milestone I would like to acknowledge the 37th Birthday of my "Little Bigger Brother"  Uncle Matt.  He really was a cute kid, but I can't quite figure out what happened in the later years.

Milestones!!! Now that I have beat that one to death, I will really need to be creative the next time I want to highlight some interesting happenings in my life.  I guess that is what this whole thing is about, being creative.  

Hope you enjoyed.

Meatface

Team Borracho Does Panama

Recently Team Borracho returned for their annual fishing expedition off of the North West Pacific Coast of Panama.  For the past 6 years my Father (Pop Pop), my brother Matt, Matt's brother-in-law Drew and I have been heading down to fish with Pesca Panama out of David, Panama.  The operation is run by Jay Gustin, and consists of a mother ship (actually a converted barge)  and 5 center console Ocean Masters which serve as the fishing vessels for the week.  

On the first travel day we arrive in Panama City and spend the night at a hotel and always head across the street to Manolo's for some Atlas (the local brew) one of the best Cuban Sandwhiches I have ever had, even better than Little Havana in Miami.  The following day we board a small prop plane to David where we load our gear on the barge and head out to the rich waters surrounding Coiba, Montosa, La Drones, Secas and Paridas islands, which lie off the coast of Panama not too far south of the Costa Rica border.

Every year fishing has been extremely exciting.  In the past we have caught many different species of fish including, but not limited to; Yellowfin Tuna (big ones and little ones), Pacific Sailfish, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Roosterfish, Cubera Snapper, Red Snapper, Blue Jack, Wahoo, Dorado (Mahi Mahi on your menu), all types of grouper, amberjack, etc. For the most part, anything that will not hit the dinner table on the barge is released to preserve the fishery in this region.

This year there was no shortage of excitement.  We started off the trip on a great note when Drew landed the first ever Pesca Panama Black Marlin on a Popper using a spinning rod.  We were in the middle of a hot marlin bite when we spotted some bait racing across the top of the water.  Captain Lucho yelled, in his best english, Popper, Popper Popper, and Drew obliged.  Within seconds of the popper hitting the water the fish exploded on it and the fight was on.  Drew put on a helluva fight for about an hour until the rod broke and then passed it off to Matt (always our savior) who finished off the fight.  The crew estimated the fish to be in the 400lb. range, and after his bill was safely in the hands of the captain and the popper was retrieved, I hopped over to snap a couple of photos of the fish from the water, a new view that everyone was pretty excited about.

For the next couple of days the fishing was a bit slower, but still kept us on our toes.  I caught a feisty Black Marlin in the 250lb. range that jumped about 20 times.  Once we had the fish close to the boat he/she decided to really light up and almost jumped right into the boat.  Needless to say no one jumped in the water to shoot photos of that one. 

In addition to the two blacks and a lot of other non monumental catches, Pop Pop landed a hefty bull shark, Matt caught a sailfish and a dorado and Drew got a big yellowfin tuna (about 180 lbs.), and I got a nice size sailfish. However, the BIG catch came on day 4 when we were trolling a live bonita on the Hanibal Bank. 

Hanibal Bank is a place where our luck has been limited in the past, and we were having a real tough time with bait.  We stopped in the morning to an got 4 live bonita for bait, but after catching a sailfish, the Pufera Malo (bad porpoise) ate our remaining baits.  Since the bite was hot we decided to run 25 minutes to Montosa to restock with live bonita.   Upon returning to "The Bank" we put out our baits and started to troll.  Immediately we had a run off and saw a Pufera Malo behind the boat.  Thinking that we had lost another bait the mate started to reel in our remaining bait to move around. At this point Drew spotted a marlin right next to the boat and all hell broke loose.  Apparently, the marlin had already swallowed our far bait and swam right for the boat, the captain set the hook and the fight was on.

Immediately the fish took several jumps and Pop Pop was on the rod, harnessed and ready to go.  After about an hour, he passed the rod off to Matt who went at it for about two and a half hours.  Since fighting a fish standing up will take it's toll, Matt decided to pass the rod off to some new blood, so Drew took his turn and went for just over an hour.  However, this fish was just not wavering and faught hard, and was always within about 60-80ft from the boat.  Finally, after Drew worked hard, it was my turn.  At first things were going good and I had the fish almost to the double line after about a half hour, but this guy had other ideas. When the mate could not get the double line the thing took off again.  More back and forth, so close but yet so far.

At about the six hour mark things took a turn for the anglers.  The fish started to make bigger and bigger circles and I knew it was now or never.  I put all the pressure I could on the reel and figured I was either going to pull the hook, break the line or get the fish.  Since the entire crew had spent time on the rod, I knew there was no passing it off again and there was no quitting.  The Panamanians were convinced that Mariano was going to close the inning.  Ready to quit, ready to vomit and ready for a beer, I gave it all I could and got the fish to the point where the mate could grab the double line, and I damn near passed out.  

After 6 hours and 4 anglers the fish was at the boat.  Unfortunately, we were unable to revive the marlin so it needed to come in the boat to go back to David to feed the local orphanage.  Dragging the marlin in the boat was a monumental task, but once that happened the beer started flowing and the slow ride back to the barge began.  What an experience.

The next day we were pretty wiped out and lazily fished for some smaller inshore species.  Lots of snapper were landed that day by a very unmotivated crew.  On the final day we did more of the same as we were still recouperating from the big battle.

All in all it was another successful trip with Pesca Panama.  Looking forward to the next trip and the next Manolo's Cuban Sandwich.

Drew's Popper Marlin jumping in front of the local spear fishing panga.

Once the popper marlin was safely at the boat, I jumped in the water to get this shot of the fish with Drew and Lucho (the captain).

Matt and Pop Pop with their back to back Cubera Snapper.

Me and my sailfish with Captain Lucho.

Drew, Lucho and Chi Chi with the biggest yellowfin of the trip.

Pop Pop with his Blue Jack.

Team Borracho sans Meatface on the way back to the barge.

By mistake I forgot this part of the story in the original post.  On the day before we caught the big marlin we saw an orange tote floating and started casting to see if there were any Mahi under it.  As we got closer we noticed that there was a Sea Turtle hanging close by.  Upon closer inspection we realized the turtle was wrapped up in the line attached to the tote.  That is when I jumped in the water to get some photos of the poor guy.  After a couple of shots, I passed the camera back up onto the boat and used a knife to cut him free.  It was pretty amazing to watch him swim away into the deep blue yonder.  This, we believe, was the good karma that led to the big Black Marlin.

Big Black Marlin jumping.

Black Marlin in the boat.

Sunset after the Big Marlin was boated.

Those "Truth" commercials in the states try to shed some light on the issue, but in Panama they go right for the gonads every time you grab a butt.

On the puddle jumper to David Matt and I noticed this cloud that very closely resembled a rat.  Unlike the one on the cigarette pack this one was white and lively.

Manolo's home of "The Cubano">

Save Manasquan Skatepark

Manasquan Skatepark has been padlocked for quite some time now.  According to the Borough of Manasquan web site, the park is closed "Pending Litigation".  Apparently, someone is suing the town because their child fell and broke themselves in some way, shape or form.  This poor child was injured on town property, while under the parent's supervision, so the town should be sued.  Only in America!!!!!

In addition to the pending litigation, it has come to my attention that some genius from the company that built all the ramps has informed the powers that be that the park is in need of repairs. Not just minor repairs, $17,000 in repairs. That's right SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.  From what I can recall the town spent only about $54,000 to purchase the equipment and now, only 6 or so years later, the company is telling them they need to pay 31% of the purchase price to fix the stuff. Now this is where there should be some LITIGATION.

It is my understanding that the litigation is not necessarily the major sticking point right now.  I believe that the skatepark may be able to withstand the legal issues. However, the current town budget does not provide for the funds necessary to "repair"  the park.  While I do think that the estimate for repair is rubbish, and that the ramp representatives should be challenged, I also believe that the budget needs to include some kind of funding for realistic repairs so the park can remain open to the public.

You might be asking yourself what you can do to help out and there are a couple of things.  First of all,  if you are a Manasquan resident, you can e-mail the   Mayor and Council Members  and express your feelings as to why the park needs to stay open.  Additionally, if you are so inclined and have the time, you could attend the meeting of the Mayor and Council on April 6th or April 20th to voice your concerns. If you are going to contact these people, please keep in mind that Skateboarding is Illegal in the Downtown area and frowned upon at most locations throughout the borough.  These local kids need a place to skate, and it can't just be at my house.

If you are not a Manasquan resident and are on Facebook you should join the group People against the closing of Manasquan Skatepark.  While the council is most concerned that there are not enough residents using the park, they should understand that more people coming to town to use the park results in more revenue for local businesses.  This is a good thing.

When was the last time they padlocked the Little League or Pop Warner  field in your local town because someone got hurt and wanted to sue?  Skateboarding is a SPORT that has been submitted for consideration by the IOC to be showcased in the Olympics.  While this may never happen, these athletes still need a place to practice. So SPEAK UP!!!! But also, BE NICE.

Meatface

PS:  THIS IS NO APRIL FOOLS JOKE!!!!! Although it probably should be.

RIP Carlson's Corner

While I was living it up in Omaha, I found out that a local Manasquan landmark was leveled.  Carlson's Corner has always been a part of the surf scene at Manasquan Inlet.  After a morning session, you could always count on a good Pork Roll  and Cheese, or toasted corn muffin.  Afternoon sessions would be followed by a "Cheese With" (cheeseburger with fried onions) or a nice crispy hot dog and some fries. Although there have been a few different owners in the past 20 years, the Burgers, Dogs and breakfast sandwiches always tasted the same.

It came as quite a surprise to me that the place had been torn down, as things like this would usually garner more attention in the Small Town gossip network.  It was bad enough when they leveled the beach house on the same property years ago to build the behemoth that now occupies the space. At the end of last season, the last tenants sold off all the equipment. However, I think most people assumed that there would be new tenants and equipment for the next season. 

Everyone that has ever lived in the area or summered in Manasquan has their memories of Carlson's. Patti loves to talk about the days when "Grandfather" and all the kids would walk from Pompano Ave down to Carlson's to get ice cream a the end of a long summer day.  Bruce Springsteen has been known to stop off for a snack when he was down at the Inlet going for a surf. Even the local Channel 12 News came out just over a year ago to do a story on the Manasquan Inlet and was interviewing people about the famous burgers.

Back in the mid 80's I had the pleasure of working a behind the counter and in the kitchen for a few months before they closed for the season.  When I was working there it was owned by Keith Carlson, managed by Scott Campanelli, and run by a bunch of us local surf rats.  The music was always rockin and there were usually a couple of cold beverages on ice in a 5 gallon bucket somewhere close by. Needless to say the things that went on back then would have the law busting down the door today.

There is a little bit of a silver lining in that they have already poured the new footings for the building that will be erected on the site.  People have been saying that the new building will closely resemble the original, and from the looks of the footings that are there now, it seems to be around the same size footprint.   With just about two months until the official start of the Summer Season, only time will tell.

Meatface

O! MAHA

Omaha!  One of those cities you just never think that you will get around to seeing. Well I got to see it, and let me tell you, there is not much to do in Omaha.  At least this time of the year there is not much going on, but from what the locals tell you the place gets hopping. I will taker their word for it, because you won't catch me back there again any time soon, I hope. 

Patti recently signed up to do a workshop in the "Nebraska's Largest City" and I decided it would be fun to tag along.  After all, the last time I tagged along was in Chicago and we had a great time.  While she was doing her thing I roamed the city and it was great, so I figured I'd do the same in Omaha. 

I did some research and decided that it would be cool to check out the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which is a walking bridge that connects Omaha to Council Bluffs, IA.  The bridge itself is a pretty cool suspension type bridge that is constructed to sway in the wind.  Fortunately for me it was windy, so the thing was moving pretty good, resulting in an interesting walk to Iowa.  Not much to see in Council Bluffs so I headed back to explore downtown Omaha, which took all of about an hour.  The Old Market was pretty interesting, but got OLD real quick.  

With the Bridge and Downtown covered, I decided to head back to the hotel and regroup for my drive to pick Patti up at her workshop.  I wanted to leave a little early, as I was interested in stopping by the Alibuy, an little "watering hole" I spotted the day before.  There were also tornado warnings popping up all over the place so I thought it would be in my best interest to get closer to where she was.  The Alibuy was just what it looked like from the road, a hole in the wall joint where the locals go to play Keno.  I lost!! 

After a quick pop, it was time to move on to pick up my wife.  The only problem was that I was driving directly into a Tornado Watch and didn't really even know it.  By the time I figured it out, it was pretty much too late to turn back.  So I pressed on and hoped that I might get a glimpse of a funnel cloud so I could take some photos.  No funnel clouds, just lots of wind and rain.  As a matter of fact, it was one of the worst storms I have ever experienced.  Needless to say I made it back alive, but disappointed that I had seen or photographed a tornado.

The rest of the trip consisted of some good meals, one pretty bad meal, Budweiser, and a lot of nothing else to do in Omaha.

O! What a City, if you don't mind being 900 miles from the closest salt water (Houston, TX), with nothing to do but     drink    and    drink  .

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge looking toward Council Bluffs.

The BK bridge at night.

Omaha skyline looking from Iowa.

A target a the Council Bluffs shooting range.

The diverse architecture of Council Bluffs, IA makes it one of the more desirable neighborhoods in the Midwest.

Nice cold Budweiser and Keno fun, but I would be willing to bet they don't sell all that many sandwiches.

For any of you that feel like your life would not be complete without a visit to Omaha, take my word for it, you will be fine.

Meatface

River Sunsets

The clouds looked pretty cool the other day so I ran out to my new favorite sunset spot to try and get a few captures.  For the most part the sun, clouds and water cooperated and gave me some useable images. I have one or two that I am saving for my portfolio, but I am trying to keep this blog fresh so I figured I would post a couple that caught my eye.

Enjoy!

Meatface.