Watching Talladega

Today, NASCAR visited the monster of a track that is Talladega. At 2.66 miles around, the high banked track is the largest on the circuit. Similar in basic geometry to Daytona, a meaningful twist was added when the start-finish line was moved beyond the end of pit road. As I understand it, the motivation was to make the seats normally beyond the finish line more attractive. It has made for some exciting finishes as the cars thunder past the stands.

Today, my team pretty well knocked itself out in one fell swoop. Tony Raines and Jimmie Johnson got into one another. Jimmie swerved a bit leading to a chain of events that put Kyle Busch into the inside fence and then into Jeff Burton. One little thing and my team was down to one car running. Oh well... it's just one o' them racin' things, I guess.

Jimmie Johnson finished second, Jeff Burton finished thirty fourth, and Kyle Busch finished 37th. Juan Pablo Montoya actually finished thirty-first, ahead of two of my starters. He still has some learning to do but he's well on his way.

#2 Overdue 242 vs. 445 #5 Blue Bayou
#3 Desert Denny 444 vs. 231 #4 halffastracing
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 414 vs. 293 #1 Bear Down Racing

#4 halffastracing was 7-1; lost; now 7-2
#1 Bear Down Racing was 6-2; lost; now 6-3
#5 Blue Bayou was 5-3; won; now 6-3
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy was 4-4; won; now 5-4
#3 Desert Denny was 1-7; won; now 2-7
#2 Overdue was 1-7; lost; now 1-8

Appreciating Drake University

Years ago, I lived in the Drake neighborhood. I was tied into the loop of information on what was going on around campus. I just never really took advantage of what that actually meant, the opportunities that it provided. This year, I've very much enjoyed the sporting and theatrical events on campus. In years past, I've attended the occasional literary or musical presentation but haven't tapped into that channel again lately; that may well change. The quality of the events has been high and the people present made me feel very comfortable and welcome. I just want to go on record saying that I'm very happy to have rediscovered Drake and appreciate its contribution to the quality of my life and others. Thanks Drake!

Considering a play and a movie...

This week, Linda and I went to Drake for a performance of "Baby with the Bathwater," an odd, dark comedy. A night or two later, we watched the charming movie "Simon Birch."

The similarity comes from main characters who were "raised" by parents utterly unprepared to be parents. While I believe very few people are truly prepared for what really awaits when the abstract concept of baby becomes flesh and blood, these were beyond unprepared. The basic difference that I saw had ultimately to do with the faith and sense of purpose that each possessed. In the end, I believe that each character found their way to overcome their obstacles and contribute; they just took very different paths.

Attending my first Drake Relays

You'd have thought I'd have made it to the Relays at some time before now ... but this was my first. It was AMAZING! In one short afternoon, I saw some of the best in the state of Iowa, in the United States, and in the world do what they do. I saw people high jump over seven feet, pole vault over nineteen feet, and run a mile in under four minutes; all impressive feats (at least to me.)

I also got to actually see the steeplechase run; the image in the upper left corner is a participant in the steeplechase. It was pretty odd to see a group of runners approach and negotiate the barriers. From time to time, one would fall, recover, and resume the race. I'd seen the barrier and water pit in the north end of the stadium years ago. It was something else to see it in use.

There were three major levels for competition: high school, university, and select. Long time rivals lined up to do their best and it was fun to watch. It was like being at a four ring circus. There were races, high jumps, pole vaults, and shot puts going on all at the same time! Somehow, the public address announcer kept us aware of what was going on and when something of note was about to be attempted.

I had to park just under a mile away and, as I approached, I joined into little streams of people heading for the stadium. We passed businesses doing booming lunch business on makeshift patios, vendors of Relays memorabilia, and general shows of support. I felt fortunate to find a ticket still available; before the day was done, it was an announced sellout.

Once inside, the energy of the crowd was invigorating. Several were competitors, friends, and family so they had strong rooting interests. Many competitors have made it a point to return to the Relays regularly and have built a fan base with the regulars in the stands. It had a very special feel.

The events clicked off and Relays, stadium, and state records fell with regularity. A few more would have fallen but were considered wind assisted and not accepted; I believe they announced that fourteen records had been equalled or surpassed by the time I left.

I'll certainly keep this in mind in the future.

Celebrating the Bucs

Last night, the Des Moines Bucs went to Omaha to try to close out the first round of their playoff run. Ahead 3-1 in the series, they allowed two goals in the first six minutes of the game; not a good start. It stayed 2-0 until half way through the third period when the Bucs finally got on the board. In the closing seconds, they scored again to go to overtime. Neither team could muster a goal through the twenty minute overtime. In the final minute of the second overtime, the Bucs were finally able to "put the biscuit in the basket" and advance to the second round.

I'm impressed by the presence of the Indiana Ice in the second round. I don't think they had a strong year but they swept the Green Bay Gamblers in the first round, a team that had made the Bucs work hard. While it's as unlikely as a Bears - Colts Super Bowl once appeared, I'd like to see the Bucs and Ice play for the Clark Cup.

First, they each have to get through a three team round robin tournament to get to the final. The Eastern Division is set but the West has yet to be determined. The Bucs will play at 95KGGO this Wednesday night. You know I'll be keeping an eye on things.

Friday Construction Photo #2

I think the rain has hindered their progress this week. The small pond on the right bears evidence that digging was likely part of the plan this week; not a rain-friendly activity.

Appreciating a wet spring week...

While it has been a very wet week here in Central Iowa, the moisture has made the grass green and the flowering trees burst with bloom. The dew on the grass a few mornings ago was pretty striking so I caught a quick shot on my way to the car before work. If you're looking close enough to see all those dandelions about to burst, you're looking too close; and they have come forth in a stunning display. The wet conditions have also given me an exc... er... reason to not mow just yet. (Today, that will likely change.) While the rain has caused roads to close and dandelions to grow, it's really put spring in motion.

Reporting the Phoenix Results

The kinked mile at Phoenix was the first opportunity for the Car of Tomorrow to show how it handles when aerodynamics are important. I think the car turned out to be pretty racy. The complaints are dwindling and the races are contested. Tony Stewart's even moved on to new topics to rant about.

This week, my team faced Desert Denny. Her drivers are just not delivering on the promise. Fortunately, I'm sure her wedding has been taking her mind off her team.

At the finish, Jimmie Johnson finished fourth, Jeff Burton finished thirteenth, and Kyle Busch finished seventh. Juan Pablo Montoya, still on my bench, thirty-third.

#1 Bear Down Racing 430 vs. 246 #3 Desert Denny
#4 halffastracing 452 vs. 333 #2 Overdue
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 360 vs. 424 #5 Blue Bayou

#4 halffastracing was 6-1; won; now 7-1
#1 Bear Down Racing was 5-2; won; now 6-2
#5 Blue Bayou was 4-3; won; now 5-3
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy was 4-3; lost; now 4-4
#2 Overdue was 1-5; lost; now 1-7
#3 Desert Denny was 1-5; lost; now 1-7

Supporting the Bucs

The Bucs came home with a 3-0 lead in their best of seven series with top seed Omaha. The Bucs had gone to Omaha twice and beaten the Lancers on their home ice; now they could wrap it up at home. The stream of fans climbing the hill to 95KGGO Arena bristled with brooms, hoping to sweep the series and put the Bucs into the next round. It was a White Out night so Linda and I had worn white; we were also fortunate enough to get souvenir t-shirts to commemorate the event. We were ready.

The game was hard fought and the Bucs were constantly under pressure when advancing the puck. First goal went to Omaha. As the game unfolded, you could see the tension between players who'd played three games in short order. There were nudges and pokes and occasional verbal exchanges. Familiarity had bred contempt and it showed! One of the Omaha players was actually ejected in the second period.

As time wound down, the Bucs trailed 2-1 with only a few minutes left. They pulled their excellent goalie to put an added attacker on the ice. Omaha struggled with the pressure but eventually did get a player free with the puck and put the game out of reach in the closing seconds. The Bucs fell 3-1 but still lead the series ... 3-1.

They go back to Omaha to try to close it out there.

Between the periods, players from a VERY young Des Moines hockey league took the ice for a few minutes and played to a 1-1 tie. They were pretty cute ... AND good skaters!

Attending a coronation...

Today, I was present at the 28th Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest at Nollen Plaza in Downtown Des Moines. Fifty-two bulldogs were competing for the title and another dozen or so were among the noontime onlookers. For nearly an hour, the panel of local celebrity judges mingled among the entrant, examining each dog, chatting with their handlers, and considering the varied costumes. Then, each was given their time on the runway. Eight finalists were chosen and awarded various distinctions including youngest, oldest, most congenial, and furthest from the doghouse. In the end, Riggs was chosen as the most beautiful bulldog.

Helping kick off the Drake Relays activities

Yesterday was a beautiful day to be out and around so I went to the Drake campus to view first hand some of the festivities that start Relays Week. I stopped by the street painting and it was just getting under way. The spring football game was about to start so headed up to see that for a while. One section of the stadium had quite a few parents and kids in it; I guessed it was some tour that had stopped by to see the venue and some free football. The PA came on and instructed the junior recuits to get to their section so coach Ash could talk with them. That group sat tight and, shortly, the coach was talking with the boys and their parents. After two quarters of football, I stopped in to see the Drake Women's Softball team battle the Aces (not sure where they're from at the moment.) It was early afternoon so I stopped back by the painting but they weren't quite ready for the paint yet; designs had been drawn on the base coat but nothing more.

The day was still nice to I roamed over a good deal of the city looking for other activities. I'd seen a lot of bicyclists roaming the streets so it seemed there must be something else going on. There was a big event at Wells Fargo Arena and a lot of women in line out the door of a downtown sandwich shop. I remembered that there was a Women of Faith event going on and decided to move on out to the Fairgrounds. To my surprise, the only thing I saw going on at the Fairgrounds was spring maintenance activity. I headed home to take care of a few chores.

I'd been home maybe thirty minutes when Linda called and asked if I felt like going for a drive. Rarely will I turn down an opportunity like that so we rolled back over to Drake to see what was happening. As we neared, we started seeing students in brightly colors clothes ... and hair ... and skin! There's been a paint fight! We approached the street with caution but the majority of the paint sharing was over. A few people were sharing painty hugs but it was safe for the casual neutral observer. the street looked good too!

What's Dale Doing Now locations.

Playing with Google Earth...

If you're accessing the internet using dial-up, you should probably skip this post. If you've never played with Google Earth, you've probably saved yourself a meaningful number of hours of not very productive time. That said, Google Earth (sometimes referred to as GE) is a major hoot to mess with.

I've attached a link to a GE file that points at the new building location from yesterday's post. I've also attached the link to the photo so, if you click on the location in GE, you'll see my picture as well. If you click on the link, it will ask if you want to save or open a zip file. I open it. (Okay, you have to have something that will open .ZIP files too. Pretty common and safe to use.) When opened, you'll see a file called doc.kml; open that file. Google Earth will launch and you'll be whisked to a point about 500 meters above the site. The satellite image is a bit dated ... but, if you click on the pin, you'll see my photo. Kinda cool! in a geeky kinda way.

New Building Location

From time to time, I'll probably include more GE files for planetary context. I hope you have some fun with it; I know I do!

Download Google Earth here.

Starting a new Friday Feature...

There's a new building going up but I'm not sure what it is going to be. Last year, and again this year, I passed by a construction site every day and never took one photo. Looking back, I'd wished that I'd taken a photo a week from some preset point so I'd have a series of images of the progress. Today, I decided I'd start taking photos each Friday afternoon. We'll see how it goes in the weeks to come.

Stayin' up late...

Today, I was looking around and saw a VERY big crane and knew I needed to get a shot or two of that. This brute was too big to really get in one shot and generally was set up against a poor background. Eventually, I did get the nice photo you see at the right of a portion of a bright red crane against a nice Midwestern blue sky. As I looked at the image tonight, I started thinking about an image my son had made by channel splitting a photo of a rail yard. That looked interesting... and my daffodils hadn't really exercised the demons of curiosity so I tried again.

I split the image a few different ways, played with the splits, and put them back together. All I got was blurry versions of my original image. I did rather like the striking black and white split images and I started tossing them around. When I colored the channels according to their Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and blacK origins, it was appealing. I decided the best way to present these images was simply as the set of four as you see here.

Correcting spelling...

Marlene knocked my world off kilter by correctly pointing out the glaring error in my earlier post. "Picnicing" is not in Mr. Webster's book; he chose "picnicking" ... and Marlene knew it ... and pointed it out. Thanks Marlene.

Picnicing on a Golden Pond

The weather was so nice this evening that I called Linda to see if she'd be up for a picnic. She was so I grabbed my picnic basket and headed for her place. On the way, I thought of a place we'd not been yet, Walnut Woods State Park. Located in the shadow of a stand of walnut trees along the river, it would be a nice place to enjoy a picnic. We drove through the park and I realized that Maffitt Reservoir was near and she'd not been there either. I set course and we were on our way.

After passing a couple of picnic tables, we settled on one on a hill overlooking the water. It was a nice location but the warm air was beginning to cool. We finished our picnic and thought we'd better get moving if we were going to be getting any photos as sunset approached. Fortunately, we'd wound up on the east side of the water so the sunset was going to be enhanced by the lake. We made our way down the gently sloping hillside and saw the image you see above. It was a great evening to be out with a camera. Linda and I each got several very nice, colorful images... and saw another new place around Des Moines.

Watching the race in Texas

Texas Motor Speedway, fastest in NASCAR, had their first repeat winner this weekend and it was one of my drivers, Jeff Burton! It was a little challenging following him on the track because he was driving a purple Prilosec paint scheme rather than the usual orange and black Cingular design. Unfortunately, Big Orange, Tony Stewart, had a couple of difficulties that lead to my other two drivers being involved in accidents that ended their races so my team didn't fare so well.

At the finish, Jimmie Johnson finished thirty-eighth, Jeff Burton finished first, and Kyle Busch finished thirty-seventh. Juan Pablo Montoya, still on my bench, eighth.

#2 Overdue 302 vs. 328 #6 Red Neck Racing Academy
#4 halffastracing 478 vs. 291 #1 Bear Down Racing
#5 Blue Bayou 392 vs. 325 #3 Desert Denny

#4 halffastracing was 5-1; won; now 6-1
#1 Bear Down Racing was 5-1; lost; now 5-2
#5 Blue Bayou was 3-3; won; now 4-3
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy was 3-3; won; now 4-3
#2 Overdue was 1-5; lost; now 1-6
#3 Desert Denny was 1-5; lost; now 1-6

Visiting the Iowa State University Football Scrimmage

Saturday, Linda and I went to Ames to see the Iowa State Cyclone football scrimmage. We were impressed with the number of people who showed up to see the Cyclone offense run plays against the Cyclone defense. Unlike a game, the idea here was to run the plays, not be entirely accurate with placement of the ball or even actually tackle the ball carriers. That said, we did see some excellent play. This was also the first time I had set foot inside the stadium so it was nice to see the layout and viewing angles.

One of the coaches, I'm thinking an offensive line coach, was very entertaining to watch as he'd work with the players between series. As you can see, his hand gestures were a major part of his communication to the players. Contrary to some of the notorious coaches we've seen before (see Ditka), he often had a smile as he shared his insights and instruction.

In the end, I believe that the offense outscored the defense. Linda and I were a bit puzzled about how the points were awarded. It looked like the offense got the normal points plus a point for a first down. The defense seemed to score when they forced a fourth down or forced a turnover. In the end, the offense was victorious. I enjoyed getting to see the team, the stadium, and some plays.

Remembering the Daffodils...

Nearly two weeks ago, Linda and I went for a walk at Gray's Lake and got these shots of the MANY daffodils that had popped up. Okay... some of these images are composites of the other "real" images. Can you tell which are the composites? I know my Mom can... and I knew I'd better include the real images because those are the ones she'll really like the best. The recent weather hasn't been kind to these little flowers but they're pretty durable. Whenever it warms up, they perk up again.

NOT shovelling this time!

... um... well... kinda makes that "Spring is sprung..." thing look kinda silly now doesn't it?

We were "treated" to an encore by Old Man Winter this week. Just a reminder that we live in the Midwest I guess. There's bound to be some sort of character building lesson in this but I'm not gonna invest the time in trying to find it.

If you happen to be anywhere warm, appreciate it. This isn't all that bad but it's certainly nothing to rush over to see first hand. Heck, by the time you got here, it'd be melted anyway!

Walking outdoors

I'm reminded of a saying my friend Joel has used at times like these...

Spring is sprung,
the grass is riz,
I wonder where the flowers is...

It's springtime in Iowa. Last weekend, Linda and I visited the Ahquabi State Park to see if the trail was ready for the new season; it wasn't. Oh... it was probably okay for some but there were enough truly mucky stretches that I was disinclined to really press the issue. There are portions of that trail that are mighty steep; slipping and sliding around those hills isn't really all that appealing to me, especially when the Annette Nature Center is just up the road. Eric and I had actually visited the nature center a few years ago but I'd not really explored the grounds. Today, Linda and I set out to see what really was there.

The barbed wire bison statue is one of several metal pieces around the parking area at the nature center. We bypassed the center and headed on down the trail toward the water where we saw two nests with geese atop trying to look inconspicuous.

We flushed several ducks at various points along our hike. They soon returned to resume their little paddle parades around the ponds. The preserve is fairly small but makes up for it in hills. Not as wooded as the trail around Ahquabi, these trails were grassy and our footing was sure. We tromped around most of the trails, long enough to get a good sense of the space and get a bit winded. It was a good day to be out among it.

The Defense NEVER Rests!

Last night, Linda and I went to what we expect to be our last Bucs game of the season. The Sioux City Musketeers were in town. On one hand, it was not as entertaining as some we've been to but, with the benefit of a few hours to let it sort out, I'd have to say that it was actually a pretty good game. During the introduction of the starting lineups, I thought we were going to get off to a good start; lots of excellent players were going to be on the ice immediately. The Bucs took the puck from the faceoff, drove toward the Musketeers goal. Some nifty stick work by their defense sent the puck the other way and, a few seconds later, we were down 0-1. Hmmm...

The first period ended with the Bucs trailing 0-2. By the end of the second, it was 0-3 and the home team was fighting VERY hard or it would likely have been worse. Things weren't looking good.

Half way through the third, the Bucs finally got a break and, in ESPN terminology, "put the biscuit in the basket" to avoid the shutout. A few minutes later, they did it again! We had a game! The crowd rose up and, for the last five minutes, it was a madhouse. The Bucs pulled their goalie with nearly two minutes left and mounted a serious and sustained attack. As the seconds were winding down, the tempo on the ice (and in the stands) was nearing a frenzie. As time ran out, the puck was rolling in front of the Musketeers goal but never crossed the line to bring on overtime. The 2-3 loss was one of few we'd witnessed.

Both teams played well and, as usual, when the defenses are strong, the entertainment value is not as high. We like to see the goals, the home runs, the touchdowns. Defense is not as easy to appreciate. Preventing the big plays is hard work and, as I learned playing football in high school, the defense cannot rest. You never know when you're going to be the last man. Last night, two teams hammered on each other for an hour and, in my opinion, played good hockey. Sioux City did it just enough better to get the win. Congrats to them.

Let's go Bucs!

Watching the Bucs...

Saturday night, Linda and I went to see the Bucs take on the Lincoln Stars. The game was better than the final score 5-1 would indicate. The Stars were fiesty and challenged the Bucs all the way along. As the minutes wound down, they even pulled their goalie in a last dietch attempt to put more attackers on the ice. When the Bucs scored, they resigned themselves and played out the closing seconds.

Along they way, the crowd was also very entertaining. The woman in the upper left frame was very vocal when there were calls demanding audiance comment... and there were a few. The two boys and father in the row ahead of us addressed the need for more cowbell ... and air horns! After a particularly nice save by the Bucs goalie, the boys in the lower right paid homage with their form of "We're not worthy!" It was even apparently Sorority night at the Bucs as much of one section was filled with young women with big greek letters on their sweatshirts. I'm guessing it was part of a cultural exploration; they weren't fully up to speed on the audience participation but did show improvement over the course of the evening.

Watching the race in Martinsville... from home...

Rain delay, Car of Tomorrow, and team relationships all came into play today as NASCAR visited the World's Fastest Paperclip, Martinsville, Virginia. There was even an in-car non-fire! NASCAR has clearly stated that the foam in the door will NOT burn... but something was sure smoking in Kevin Harvick's car. Fortunately, men were standing by with non-fire extinguishers to make it stop.

Anyway, today I faced the Overdue team and was sorely pressed until pit strategy gave me the advantage that lasted to the finish.

At the finish, Jimmie Johnson finished first, Jeff Burton finished sixth, and Kyle Busch finished third. Juan Pablo Montoya, still on my bench, sixteenth.

#1 Bear Down Racing 505 vs. 407 #2 Overdue
#3 Desert Denny 347 vs. 263 #6 Red Neck Racing Academy
#5 Blue Bayou 384 vs. 403 #4 halffastracing

#1 Bear Down Racing was 4-1; won; now 5-1
#4 halffastracing was 4-1; won; now 5-1
#5 Blue Bayou was 3-2; lost; now 3-3
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy was 3-2; lost; now 3-3
#2 Overdue was 1-4; lost; now 1-5
#3 Desert Denny was 0-5; WON!; now 1-5