Hi All:
It has been a few days since I've posted, Thursday Geoff from Australia left Ken's (Buzzbee's) home and came here - it is now early Sunday morning (okay, really late Saturday night and we are just getting off to bed.
Geoff is taking up residence in my motorcoach (which he really is enjoying) and Thursday we met, had dinner out, stayed up late and Friday was a rain date, but stayed here having an easy day - Geoff has put 4000+ miles on his rent-a-car from California to here in a few weeks, is heading to Washington, DC then Virginia for a short hello to some people he emails regularly with and then toward TWT's in Georgia, and then to PDMattox's in Northern Florida (to what we affectionately call the work camp) where he'll finish up the South Bound leg of the trip before getting moving Westward again, meeting up with a few other forum members (I'm not sure all, so I'm making no promises here) but there are a few more still. Eventually, meeting up with some Aussie friends in Las Vegas for the final part of his US tour.
So Saturday, we took an express bus to New York City (manhattan) Time Square, Ground Zero of the World Trade Centers, The Empire State Building (2 hour line to get to the 86th level observation deck) and another 45 minutes getting back down - but what a view, lots of images coming and a youtube video too (I'll work on this when Geoff gets on the road again.)
We also had lunch on Times Square at Bubba Gumps, actually very good ribs and shrimp lunch and we took the subway (I caught the right color line but messed up on the train's letter (we were aiming for the "R" train, ended up on the "N" train and saw way more of NY then expected, but finally made it to ground zero. It is sad, first they block nearly all view of it with a concrete wall (the only thing they've built in 7 years) and also with massive shades that we notice had been pulled apart from each other, giving us a view for photos and video. You see the ramp so often seen on TV for years, some bull-dozers and a few trucks and cranes and NOTHING else but a hole as deep as ever - so sad that nothing is done.
We also walked a lot, all the way from Empire State Building back to Port Authority Bus Terminal, and at a fast past to catch a bus that was only 30 minutes from taking off, and we made it in time!!
Geoff is sleeping now, I'm sacking out soon too - but I wanted to say having Geoff here is a real treat, he is a wonderful man and THE FIRST to see behind the scenes here at Beemaster Central :-D
I'll be posting more sometime Sunday /Monday - look for photos first, then a Youtube movie. This was an excellent weekend and to think a man traveling half way around the planet has people he knows through our forum to "Meet and Greet" is really something, something serious magical.
Update: Geoff just left this morning for Washington, DC. It is torrential our, wind rain all up and down the coast - he'll have his hands full driving, that's for sure. Here are a few photos for now.
This above is Geoff on Times Square taking photos, notice the recruiting office (just seen by his raised arm - it is where a few weeks back a pipe bomb was tossed by a man on a bicycle.
Here sadly is GROUND ZERO at 1 World Trade Center Plaza. This glimpes was hard to take, very few spots allowed for actual viewing in the pit area. But here 7 years later, it is only a dirt filled hole, no better looking that the day they finished carting off the initial debre.
Here were are at the 87th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building. I have shots of Geoff up there I 'll be posting soon, but this was just a neat looking "sim-city" like shot.
My wife Tracey took this the first night Geoff sat down and we got in a place to take a photo - she caught me off guard a little, but here is our achient kitchen which we say goodbye to next month.
More photos and a YOUTUBE highlights video coming soon!. I just want to say, Geoff was a blast to have, an honor to have someone as far on this planet away from here make the trip to meet our members and on the personal note - we had 4 nights together, each day was either a relaxing day or a busy one. The bus trip (express to Port Authority) was perfect for us, we just chatted all the way there and back.
So on Geoff goes, I'll say now I hope he makes it back again some day. I could enjoy his company any time - he is a gracious man with lots of personal stories to share, as talkative as I am and the stories Geoff shared - we NEVER ran out of things to say. Heck.. I even got him set up with the online Poker we all play in Ventrilo, so when he gets back home (or at a stop over in the states) we might just hit the tables and win a few thousand play dollars.