| Author | Message | ||
     Ourdee |
I was concerned hoping that you would get to visit. That is great! | ||
| Tootal |
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| Pwnzor |
With a name like "Woot's" the ribs have got to be good. Glad to hear you're getting in some quality time with loved ones. | ||
| Crusty |
The Tour Yesterday, David took us on The Tour. He’s been living in Cincinnati since 1982, and he known the area well. He and I had discussed it beforehand; what sights to hit, and such, but he really is a Master at being a tour guide. We started off by going down by the Ohio River. We went and looked at the Spaceship House on the Kentucky side, we crossed over the Roebling Bridge, then went down to the edge of the river and got a really good look at it from that perspective We went to Eden (not Eaton) Park in Cincinnati and Devou Park in Covington, KY so that Melia and Kala could get differing views of the River. He pointed out fascinating things that would easily be missed. In all, it was interesting and informative. Then we went to Jungle Jim’s. Jungle Jim’s is an enormous Supermarket. Jungle Jim’s is also very Unique. When you first enter, there’s a very large ear of corn that talks and sings to you along with an equally large stick of butter who also talks to you. Over the Soup aisle, there’s a giant can of Campbell’s Soup with a face and arms and legs on a swing over the aisle that talks to anyone passing by. Over the Deli section, there’s a Boar’s Head delivery truck from the 1920s. The store is full of things like that. There’s no way to adequately describe Jungle Jim’s. But it’s well worth experiencing. The place is huge and going through it takes a couple of hours. I’ve brought a few people by there and they’ve all been amazed. Then we went to Skyline Chili for lunch. Melia told us that it tasted like the Greek Spaghetti she’d eaten in (where else?) Greece. She really liked it when she’d had it there and recognized the flavor immediately. Kala enjoyed the flavor as well. Since Cincinnati style Chili was created by Greek immigrants, it really makes sense. After Lunch, we went over to the Mushroom House. I’ve looked at it a few times, and every time I do, I see something I missed previously. I seriously believe that the architect may have ingested too many mind altering substances back in the ‘60s. It’s another Unique Cincinnati landmark, and it’s very interesting. Kala took quite a few pictures of it. We then went to Aglamisis Brothers Ice Cream parlor. It was started in 1908, and it has retained the décor from that time. It also has the best Ice Cream in the area. We hit a few more sights, and took the Anderson Ferry over the river from the Kentucky side to the Cincinnati side. I won’t go into too many more details about the tour except to say that both Melia and Kala flat loved it and they loved the way David conducted it. It lasted from early morning until late afternoon, and by the time we all got back, we were all tired and informed. David has a way of pointing out the more positive aspects of the area and his enthusiasm is infectious. Last night, being so full from the lunch and dessert, we ate a light supper of left over ribs from the night before (and they were extremely tasty) then watched a movie. Both Melia and Kala called home and gushed about the tour. Today is going to be a pretty laid back day. Kala wants to go for a ride on the Roadster with me and I have to fix Spaghetti & Meatballs for dinner. I had hoped to show off the really good parts of living here. With David’s skillful help, I think I have. | ||
| 1313 |
I was going to mention Skyline was started by a Greek immigrant, but I see you beat me to it. I've never made it to Jungle Jim's. Lately my overnight stay on the way to Homecoming has been the general, 'Greater Cincinnati area' - actually West Harrison, OH more precisely. One of these years... | ||
| Pwnzor |
Crusty... I've got to make my way up there so I can get some of that chili and tour that crazy market! | ||
| Crusty |
Matthew; if you come up here, I'll be happy to take you over to Jungle Jim's and if you time it right, there'll be Skyline Chili at lunch and Woot's for dinner. You will like the ribs at Woot's. | ||
| Crusty |
Ambivalence Melia and Kala left for Spokane yesterday morning. I said goodbye at the Security checkpoint at the airport. Their flights had to be changed from Friday Evening because the plane to Chicago was delayed due to weather and they would have missed the flight to Spokane. Ten days from now, they’ll be heading back to Australia. As I was walking from the terminal to the car, I was feeling especially sad. I thought of the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Sallah was saying goodbye to Indy and Marion, “I am already missing you.” David had let me use his Mazda while the two were visiting, and while I was returning it, both he and I stopped at the supermarket. He needed to pick up a couple of items. Then, he noticed that Pork Butts were on sale for $ .99/ Lb. So I bought a six pound chunk of meat and a couple of packages of Campbell’s Applewood Smoked Pulled Pork Sauce. I threw the meat and sauce in the Crock Pot at 11:00 last night and let it do its thing while I slept. At the present time, it’s almost done and it smells heavenly. I’ll have enough Pulled Pork to last me a couple of months. No; it’s nowhere near as good as the Pulled Pork at the West Virginia Buell Rally, but it’s still pretty decent and I’ll have cheap and tasty meals for a while. It hit me yesterday that I haven’t been out on the Roadster since Monday. So I’ll take it out and wash it in a little while. Maybe a short ride to somewhere would be good, too. I keep thinking about seeing the Moonbow at Cumberland Falls. I first heard about it back around 1981. I was working on a Subway Tunnel Construction Project, and my boss was from Kentucky. He told me about it and it’s been in the back part of my head ever since. I looked it up on Google and it occurs from two days before to two days after the Full Moon. The Full moon this month is on October 24 which is 17 days away. Maybe, just maybe… Well, my back isn’t as stiff as it was. I slept wrong last night and I could hardly move when I got up. I’m feeling a little bit better now, so I think I’ll go shower, get dressed and go out and enjoy the magnificent weather we’re having. | ||
| Crusty |
If I Could Build My Perfect Roadster If I could build my perfect Roadster, I'd start with a new 2019 Roadster. I'd put a 4 1/2 gallon Superlow tank and rear fender on it, and the handlebars from an '05 XL1200R. The front fender would be from an XR1200 with an Extenda Fenda. The stock fender doesn’t offer enough coverage for rain. The bike would have the four piston front brake calipers and master cylinder from the XR, as well. I'd put either a Sundowner or a Mustang wide seat on it for comfort on long rides. It would have a detachable sissy bar/luggage rack as well as a detachable front windshield. It would also have hard bags. I already have the modified Hepco Becker mounts so I could put them on it and use the Junior bags, but I have an itch to try the Givi Trekker plastic bags. I also think I'd like to put a crash bar with highway pegs on and one of those mesh headlight protectors. It would be the ideal bike for me. I could ride it to the Arctic Ocean on the Dempster Highway, run at 80 MPH down the Interstate or lean through the turns on the Cherohala Skyway and be comfortable. Oh; it would also have to be painted red. The same shade of red as my brother's Mazda. I really like the new Roadster quite a bit, but I'd have to make those changes to make it right for the kind of riding I do. Jed Clampett built an Adventure bike out of a newer Roadster, and it's close to what I want, but the differences between what he built and what I want are significant to me. Anyway; what I'll probably have to do is first, buy the bike, then make the changes over time as I can afford them. It will happen; I just have to focus on the goal. | ||
| Crusty |
Light Switch Weather Since I got back from Colorado, the weather here has been very summerlike. High temps in the mid to upper 80s with lows in the 60s. Since it’s almost mid October, that’s pretty much way above normal. However, that all changed yesterday and today was even cooler. I think today’s high might have reached 60. I know that when I looked at the thermometer out in the sunroom this morning, it was sitting on 40. Those temps are closer to normal for this time of year, but the change from one extreme to the other is a shock. It will be nice to get down to Suches; the highs there should be closer to 70. I bought oil and spark plugs for the Roadster. It’s due for an oil change and the plugs that are in it have been there since two years ago. I think it may be time to change them. I’ll do that before I head out; probably tomorrow or Sunday, depending on how I’m feeling. I seem to have picked up an intestinal bug of some sort, I’ve been in the bathroom every couple of hours and I’m feeling particularly weak. I don’t feel really bad, so I don’t think it’s serious, but it makes doing anything an effort. I should have changed the oil today, but I took a nap instead. I hope I have more energy tomorrow. I won’t be riding to TWoS alone. Greg is going to ride here from Saint Louis on Wednesday. We’ll dine at Woot’s on Wednesday evening, then head South on Thursday morning. Greg was with me when we discovered Woot’s. I was going to take him and his buddy out to a different BBQ joint that’s supposed to be really good, but that place was closed. So when I Googled BBQ, Woot’s popped up with a 5 star rating and it was fairly close, so we decided to check it out. It’s a real winner when it comes to good ribs. One good thing; I’ll be able to compare the ribs at Woot’s to the ribs at Jim’s Smokin’ Que. I really like the ribs at both places, and I doubt I’ll be able to pick a winner. I’ll give it my best shot, though. I know; it’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it. I don’t think the Conti Tours are going to last as long as the Michelins did, but I could be wrong. They’ve got almost 5,000 miles on them, and while the front looks fine, the rear is showing a bit of wear. So far, though, I like how the Contis feel better than how the Commander 2s felt. I’ll just have to wait and see how much mileage I get out of the rear before I decide whether to try something else or not. Well, that’s it for now. | ||
| Ourdee |
Don't get out the Bermuda shorts just yet John. Thursday in Suches high will be 64 degrees. That will be the warmest day. | ||
| Crusty |
Opinions This morning, I’m sitting here in a no-so-nice mood. I’m having stomach cramps from that bug I picked up and I’m being incessantly bombarded by political ads that are not saying, “Vote for me”, but “Don’t vote for -------“. I can’t play Jewel Quest without having to endure such garbage. Add to that, my internet is being so slow that the game isn’t fun. I might just have to switch from Cincinnati Bell to Spectrum if this crap keeps up. Then again, switching cable companies is on a par with switching deck seats on the Titanic. I think this might be a good time to express a few opinions. It might make me feel a bit better, though it probably won’t. Still; they’re my opinions and they’re worth exactly what you paid for them. I wear a helmet and a jacket whenever I ride. I used to race and I know the value of a good helmet. I also was right behind Elmer when he went down on Ute Pass wearing a t shirt and sneakers. After he stopped rolling and sliding, he looked like he should have had a sign stuck in him saying $.89/ Lb. I can understand where the ATGATT fanatics are coming from. However; once you put on all the gear (which takes a while), you’ve lost almost all the enjoyable sensations of riding. You can’t feel the wind, you can’t hear the sounds, and the pleasure is definitely diminished. But you’re safe. Unless you hit a solid object like a tree or a car, that is. I was reading in a magazine a few minutes ago about new airbag protective gear. It occurred to me that it would be easier and more sensually rewarding to just jump in a two seater car, like my brother’s Miata. It’s a convertible, so you feel the air flowing past you, you can wear a t-shirt and shorts and sneakers and still be safe, you get to experience the temperature changes and you can smell the smells and if you encounter any rain, you can put the top up in about ten seconds. Try putting on rain gear that quickly. I can’t even get it out of my saddlebag that fast. Motorcycling is a risky activity. When you try to minimize the risk too much, it removes most of the things that make it so attractive. As I said, I can understand where the ATGATT people are coming from. But I can also appreciate where the helmetless t-shirt riders are coming from, as well. I wear what I do for my own personal reasons, but I’m not about to tell you what you have to wear. Unless you’re my passenger; but that’s a whole different subject. I believe in Freedom of Religion. This country was founded on that principle. However, I believe that, while you can believe what you want, you have no right to push your beliefs on me. I don’t give a damn if you’re a Christian or a Muslim or an Atheist; don’t tell me how to live or what to believe. Robert Heinlein stated that Freedom of Religion should be Freedom to keep it to yourself. If you want to sell me on the glories of Allah, or how I won’t get into Heaven unless I Repent and accept Jesus as my Savior, or even how there’s no God at all, you can keep your freakin’ proselytizing to others of a similar mindset. Don’t bug me about it. I have my own set of beliefs. I had thirteen years of Parochial education and I am capable of deciding what I think is right. In the past two days, I had a nice couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses come to my door, then I ran into an adamant proselytizing Atheist who annoyed the living sh*t out of me. I was courteous to the JWs and told the Atheist he was being a jackass. My general rule of thumb is I won’t dump on your religious beliefs if you don’t dump on mine. That is, unless you’re trying to kill all non-believers. Once again, that becomes a whole different subject. Why do motorcycle race promoters think that when someone comes to a race, they should have to listen to a loud rock and roll band? The band at the Red Mile was so loud that I couldn’t hear the announcer. If I want to listen to music, I’ll go to a club or a concert. I don’t expect to see motorcycle races at a concert, and I don’t really want to hear a band at a race. And while I’m bitching about things pertaining to races, what ever happened to playing a recording of a high caliber band doing the Star Spangled Banner? Now, it’s fashionable to have 8 year old Sally Simpleton singing it without any instrumental accompaniment. She may be cute to some, but I prefer the majesty of professional musicians. Even a scratchy 78 RPM record of a 1940s marching band sounds more dignified. That’s enough for now. I think I’ll stop here. | ||
| Ourdee |
Cramps bite. That's about as good as my mind is going to do this morn'. Was at the Hospital with my mother-n-law till 3 this morning. Her meds and her had a disagreement. Was Ok when I dropped off at her house. I was transport for everyone not in the ambulance. Left her house after the ambulance and still got to the hospital first. Thinking about taking Tracey out for breakfast. Suches on my mind. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I, for one, don't mind the JW's or the LDS coming to my door, and if I have a few minutes to spare I will chat with them. I greatly prefer the LDS over the JW's in this regard. JW's want to give you the Watchtower, and are a little bit preachy for my tastes. LDS, on the other hand, will talk with you about almost anything and will roll up their sleeves to lend you a hand if you're working in your yard. I've actually made them sandwiches and served iced tea and made an afternoon of it in the past. I end up telling them I was baptized Episcopalian but at this point in my life consider myself to be Anglican. The Episcopal church has moved too far into a realm wherein my ideology is no longer aligned with theirs. That's a discussion for another day. I agree that the Star Spangled Banner should be presented in a majestic form. Sally Simpleton is cute and all, but save that for elementary school carnivals, please. John, I hope you're feeling better very soon. I'm really looking forward to seeing you at the end of the week. I'll be setting up camp on Tuesday. I live close enough that I'm actually going to drive up in my car to set up camp, then return home to get the motorcycle. I can't really fit sufficient bags to the Z1000 in order to carry the gear I want. Putting it all on my back was far too heavy for comfort back in April. | ||
| Ourdee |
I don't know about the JWs in your neck of the woods. Here they don't knock on the door if you have a US flag flying. I do not know the why. I kept a talisman well trimmed for nigh on 20 years now. Haven't had an infestation since day one. Now, LDS in my experience are good people. I'll be stopping at an LDS home to visit on the way to Suches. An attempt was made by my Grandma to raise me Wesleyan Methodist. It didn't take. Much later I found my path through the United Pentecostal Church International. Lots I don't know, but I keep trying. Crusty, Snap out of it. Get the bike ready. | ||
| Tootal |
Putting it all on my back was far too heavy for comfort back in April. Loosen the straps so the weight is on the seat and not your shoulders.  Wait till you see how I get my camping gear there! | ||
| Etennuly |
You touched on the topless sports car in place of the bike and gear. That is what happened to me. After having back surgery many years ago for a disc that blew out pinching my spinal chord causing scarring damage, I now have spinal stenosis and bone spurs on my vertebra. At 61 it is getting hard to move into my riding gear. I'm fine once it is on, but some days I desire to skip the pain of starting any trip with that feeling, it is so much easier to slip into the seat of a Corvette. It can be tough getting back out though! There are several JW members that I know. They cannot pledge any faith or oath other than to their God. Ergo, no faith to country, ergo, no saluting of any flags of not only country, but of clubs and or secret society like Shriners or Moose clubs and the like. What I had to do with family members was to tell them of my great respect for their use of their religious freedom to believe as they wish. Then I explained that if their salesman ship did not stop, their complete lack of respect for me and my beliefs was going to push me out of there lives for ever. And if in your mid youth, coming home after a bender at 5 am to have four JW teens beating on your door at 8 am.....you answer the door hair a mess, one eye partially open and you got to pee. They say nothing as they toss some leaflets and rush back,to their sedan. You turn to go to the bathroom as you shut the door, only then to realize you are naked but for one sock. That will actually get your address put on a no call list! | ||
| Tootal |
 | ||
| Ourdee |
During that time frame in my life I slept with my clothes on a lot. It was more a thing of knowing I got in less trouble drunk , if I didn't get naked. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Loosen the straps so the weight is on the seat and not your shoulders. I'm bringing more gear this time... packing food that I will cook over a fire for the few days I'm there while the kitchen will be closed. I'm literally hoping that there will be NOBODY else in the camp ground for the first two days, very much looking forward to being alone for a while. | ||
| Crusty |
Looking Ahead Well, I’m getting psyched up about this ride to Buelltoberfest. Two Wheels of Suches is my all-time favorite campground and there are a lot of really good people who will be there. It’s going to be my last trip of the season. At least, I don’t have any really long rides planned. There’s the meet & eat for Gravydog on Veterans Day, but that’s only three hours away. Other than that, I’ll be staying really close to home. I’ve done a little bit of looking back over this past season, and I’m kind of surprised. I was going to keep a low profile this year, but I rode to six Flat Track races, three Rallies, a couple of meet & eats and I went to western Colorado. Now, I’m getting ready for one more rally with a side trip to Cumberland falls to see the Moonbow. Yup; that’s low profile, or somethin’. It is low profile if you’re comparing it to a ride to Tuktoyaktuk, or a trip to Australia to ride across the Nullabor to Perth. Those are two major rides that I still want to do in the next couple of years. It’s a shame I’m not a persuasive talker. If I was, I’d try to talk my way into getting sponsorship to do both those rides. I’ve had a few people tell me that I should publish my Snippets in a book, or to try to get a magazine to print them. I doubt that I’d make enough money to pay for my tires alone, let alone all the big expenses. I guess I’ll just have to fall back on Improvise, Overcome and Adapt. That’s what has worked since I first set out to hit the road in 2014. Back when I started thinking about it, I had a few major obstacles I had to deal with. I was getting my blood drawn every week or two to test my PTINR level. I also needed to find cheap storage for my possessions and I had to buy a bike. There were also other, lesser problems that had to be sorted out as well. But the day came when my Moto Guzzi was sold, I had a portable testing kit in my saddlebag and the Roadster was under my butt as I rode away from my storage garage. I learned to set my goal and just do the Next Right Thing. So now all I have to do is continue that process. My goals are achievable; I just have to keep my focus on them. In the meantime, I’m riding to Buelltoberfest on Thursday morning! | ||
| Ourdee |
See you there Crusty. | ||
| Crusty |
Major Bummer Greg rolled in this afternoon, a few minutes before 3:00. We sat and shot the bull for a couple of hours, then headed out for Woot’s. Traffic was predictably heavy, but we eventually got there. When we pulled up in front, there was a long hand written note on the front door saying that as of October 13, Woot’s was closing forever. I think I read the note five or six times. I really had trouble believing that a restaurant that good was shuttering the doors. Greg and I were both stunned. I think we just stood there for about ten minutes before we started looking for someplace else to go for dinner. We eventually settled on a Mexican restaurant a few doors down, but throughout our meal we kept talking about Woot’s and trying to figure why they went out of business. I feel gravely disappointed. I just hope that Jim’s Smokin’ Que doesn’t pull anything funny, this weekend. For both places to go belly up would really suck big time. I guess I’ll just have to eat at Jim’s at least twice to make up for the ribs we didn’t get tonight. Greg and I will be heading out just after Sunrise tomorrow morning. That should put us there around mid-afternoon. I wonder where we’ll go for dinner tomorrow night? | ||
| Crusty |
Major Bummer, Part 2 After the big disappointment of discovering that Woot’s had gone out of business, I was really looking forward to eating ribs for at least two meals at Jim’s Smokin’ Que. That helped motivate me to ride down to Suches. To be honest, I really didn’t need much help with that; I was really motivated already. Greg and I left the house around 8:30 or so in the morning and had a brisk ride for the first hour or so. We stopped for gas and breakfast about 30 miles north of Lexington, Kentucky, and made a short lunch stop at a Wendy’s on Rt. 68 in Tennessee, but we pretty much had an uneventful ride. When we pulled into Two Wheels, a bunch of folks were here ahead of us. We were warmly greeted and got our tents set up, then we discussed where we were going for dinner. Everybody who had been there had gone to Jim’s for lunch, but they had no objection to going back for dinner (the ribs are that good) Except for RD; He’d ordered a full slab at lunch and still had half of it, so he was going to stay at the campground and eat them. So we all headed over Wolf Pen Gap and made it to Jim’s. There was a hand written sign on the door that said, “OUT OF FOOD”. I couldn’t believe it! Greg and I just looked at each other and laughed. I was starting to think that maybe somebody had put a curse on me. It turned out that they weren’t completely out of food, but our group got the last of what they had. Three of us got pulled pork and the other two got brisket. When it came time for sides, they were out of baked beans (of course) I had my choice of cole slaw, potato salad or fries, so I got the fries. There also was no bread, so I had a very big mound (at least a pound) of meat and an equally large pile of fries. As much as I tried, I couldn’t eat it all, so I put the left overs in Styrofoam containers, slathered then generously with BBQ sauce and Ketchup (respectively) and brought them back to TWoS. I almost hit a deer on the ride back over Rt.180, but I managed to brake in time. I sure am glad I put that Daymaker LED bulb in last year. If I’d had the stock anemic headlight, I probably wouldn’t have seen the deer in time. We got back to the campground and RD had started a fire, so we sat around the fire and shot the bull. I had the camera packed away, but I pulled it out this morning. Hopefully, I’ll take a few photos today. Jim’s opens at 11:00 this morning. I was assured that if I was there that early, they would have ribs. I know where I’ll be for lunch. (Message edited by Crusty on October 19, 2018) | ||
| 86129squids |
"Wendy's on 68"? Oh heyull no! They're closed on Sundays/Mondays, but Tellico Grains Bakery is where you wanna get lunch! The pizza and sandwich equivalent to Jim's, all from scratch, with wood fired ovens. Just ask Matthew.  | ||
| Tootal |
It wasn't about the food but more about needing a break. We didn't eat much so we would have room for non existent ribs! | ||
| Crusty |
An Awakening I needed this trip a lot more than I realized. While I wanted to come down to Buelltoberfest and I expected to have a good time, the awakening I had yesterday was completely unexpected. I haven’t been riding as well as I normally would. When we were out riding the local roads I was hanging back in the group and letting everyone pull away from me. After all, I’m on a Sportster and they are all on fast sport bikes. Then, a switch in my head clicked and I started riding. I was able to keep up with them. And the Roadster was loving it. I’ve been able to do that in the past, but for a while now, I haven’t. I’m doing a really lousy job of describing what happened, but it really was amazing. We did get to Jim’s for lunch and the ribs are every bit as good as I remembered. My taste buds were having a transcendental experience. After we ate, we first went to the Sunrise Grocery and filled up with ethanol-free Premium, then we went down the Richard B. Russell Parkway. When we got to the end, we turned around and rode it back. It was during the ride back that my Riding skills awoke. Then, it really became fun. After the Richard B. Russell, we took US 19 over Blood Mountain and around the Rock Pile, then got on Rt.60 at the southern end and rode back to TWoS. Last night was another enormous campfire and I retired fairly early. I woke up around 1:00 AM to the sound of rain on the tent, and I went back to sleep, just snug and warm. The rain is intermittent; it’s been off and off all morning. Intellicast says that it’s supposed to end by 1:00 PM and the sun will come out this afternoon. Tonight, it’s supposed to get really windy as the temps drop into the 20s. I guess this is when I find out just how warm my sleeping bag really is. I’ve been trying to talk everybody into going to the Springfield Mile this May. Froggy and Dani went to the Meadowlands Mile and really liked it, so I think they’ll go; RD wants to go and everybody else seems fairly positive about it. It would be pretty neat if we could get a bunch of people there! Now that Froggy has seen a Mile, he understands why I love Flat Track so much. He was pumped. I think if more people go see a good Mile, the rate of growth will be almost exponential. I hope it happens. Well; it’s almost time to go get lunch. I don’t have to tell anyone where we’re going. | ||
| Ourdee |
For salad? | ||
| Crusty |
And Okra! | ||
| 86129squids |
IIRC that would have been Sweetwater TN for Wendy's. Tellico Plains is a bit further, so +1 on the break. Just sayin', that bakery is flat awesome. I stop there and get something even if I'm not hungry, their sandwiches are THAT good. They also sell spice blends from Alchemy Spice company out of Chattanooga, good stuff to take back home. Roadcrust, I've seen you ride like a champ, good to hear your mojo is back. I kinda feel like I'll be doing that too in the spring, haven't had a chance to ride much this year except locally, no good overnite trips except a short one to Nashville and back, boo hoo. Sounds like the weekend is going splendidly! |
