Bama Ed's 2015 WDW Marathon Weekend Trip Report. ADDED-FT DESOTO UPDATE

[Bleu Zoo]

Good Luck Ed.. We arrive tomorrow for a week and I will look for your site to say hey .. No Marathon for me ..but I will cheer for you

 

[John VN]

A little FYI, http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2003/11/new-florida-half-ironman-set-for-walt-disney-world-in-may.aspx#axzz3O7fwEuoj, WDW-FW played host to Ironman 70.3 Florida some years ago.

Currently the 70.3 is held in Haines City and I as many others would be happy to have it back at WDW-FW.

BTW, the swim was in Bay Lake.

McFlurry John

 

[KristinU]

Yeah, they used to have a Danskin wmen's tri at WDW as well...with the swim in Bay Lake. I always wanted to do it but never got around to it

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Interesting start, but stopped reading right there . . . Bring on the non-organic greasy . . .

1) I am not into "organic".
2) However, I have trued the recipe with non-organic and there was difference.
3) So, I do follow the recipe (only in this instance).

NOTE: As an ex-Big-Ten football player, the ONLY thing we know about organic
is that green grass that gets stuck in your faceguard after a tough tackle and your
head & helmet hit the ground. Luckily, as a defensive LINEMAN, it was usually
the other guy that usually got the organics! (Of course, this was in the days when
the term AstroTurf wasn't yet invented.)

 

[bama_ed]

 

[4077]

Would've been lousy to show up only to see "closed" on that sign! Have fun!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Welcome Back !

 

[tiggerdad]

green grass that gets stuck in your faceguard after a tough tackle and your
head & helmet hit the ground. [/I]

Wait, they had faceguards and helmets back then!?




OK Ed, I'm really getting interested now...

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Wait, they had faceguards and helmets back then!? . . .

1) Now, now, now.
2) Let us not make sport of my advanced years (we get no respect).
3) We had to be rough & tough BACK THEN.

For safety, we used Coon Skin hats.
. . . And, the raccoons were still alive. *
The Pig Skins?
. . . You guessed it!, the pigs were still in them.
The Grid Irons?
. . . Yep, real iron.
And, the Half Time Band?
. . . It was Genghis Khan and his Mongol Band.
When the quarterback threw a Bomb,
. . . They were real bombs.
We were called The Big Ten.
. . . This was because you hoped to count those many fingers & toes after the game.
The spectators hard it rough when they went for Hot Dogs.
. . . They were still warm and walking around.
The home town crowd frequently did The Wave.
. . . We used real tsunamis.
They did Tailgate Parties,
. . . They had to dodge Wagging Dinosaur Tails.
Some pulled an RV Prowler to the games.
. . . Of course, the prowler was a Ravenous/Voracious Sabre Tooth.


* Take that Fess Parker!

 

[tiggerdad]

Just as I suspected...

 

[bama_ed]

Flametamr, went nowhere near Mobile buddy. I had the option of leaving Birmingham and going through Atlanta then down I75 (all interstate) or I65 south to Montgomery to Dothan to I10. Based on when I left I chose the southern route today and tried a short cut around Dothan which worked fabulously well. Got here in 9.5 hrs towing which is as good as it gets for me.

Kris, you've talked me into the TE buffet on Sunday morning. It sounds yummy!

Kristin, thanks and I'm going to get over to your blog tonight to read your TR.

Bleu, please do find me or let me/us know your site. I'll look for you too. My Aliner has a distinctive shape so not hard find. I like meeting other DISsers.

John and KU, wish they still did that event on property.

Scupper, I might give it a try then based on your rec. I like rye anyway.

4077, I'll have you know there is a vhf aircraft band small radio on as I type this and we're hearing Jacksonville Center mostly and a little Orlando approach.

Well we made the drive just fine today. Left the 'Ham about 6am and got to Lake Louisa State Park (30 min to Fort, $24 per night) in 9.5 hours. We've grocery shopped and back the Aliner in (pix momentarily) so ready to run to the Fort tomorrow morning.

Here is my lashup as we're running down the interstate.

Taken at the Burger King at the first Lake City exit. They have have those new Coke dispensing machines that give upteen flavors of Coke products so I slurped a raspberry diet Coke down the highway (large, thank you).

I like LLSP. It is what it is - a nice state park with adequate amenities. It's not an RV resort. But for $24 it serves its purpose - stayed here once before and I'll cruise over to the Fort 30 minutes in the morning. I left the Aliner hitched, just backed in, dropped the stabilizers, and plugged in the 30amp plug. It's a clear dark night with stars but the glow from my phone and tablet (plus the backlit keyboard) break the darkness. I'm rocking the Samsung galaxy hot spot feature on my at&t data plan and it's simple and easy. Here is the Aliner at rest for tonight.





There is a pier next to the bath house and I got some nice sunset pictures.





Weather app says 64F in Orlando now but feels a little cooler. Clear sky with stars as I said. Oh, BTW, LLSP can be reserved with specific sites at www.reserveamerica.com.

Tomorrow after checkin I'm going to poke around the Fort and then head over to the Wide World of Sports complex to check in and get my bib number.

Bama Ed

 

[PaHunter]

Well glad you made it safe. BTW, love those coke machines, but takes forever to decide, what to have. Temps sound nice there, it is currently -2 degrees outside with a windchill of -15 degrees.

 

[iheartpeterpan]

Down south here it is 4 degrees with a windchill of -8, so I am quite jealous.

Have a great run!

 

[bama_ed]

Sunrise at LLSP.








Computers went down overnight so no arrivals for today can be assigned. Todays list did not get printed before it went down. Fort checkin CM had to check me in the old fashioned way. But see the picture above, they have a mnual to tell them how. So waiting and on bus to Meadow TP.

Bama Ed

EDIT - got assigned site 218. Got to pick which one i ended up with which was nice. Set up now then got more for later.

 

[4077]

Glad you made it safe and sound

Even though I hear it at work all the time, I still like to "tune in" to ATC from time to time by "radio" on ground (by "radio", I mean a website on my phone). Cool that you picked up some ATC stuff!

Rig looks nice going down the road and in your site at the state park, but I bet it looks AWESOME at the Fort

Will be passing by on Saturday on way to Miami, will rock the wings at 40,000 feet (well, maybe not, don't want CEO to get mad and fire me). Only quick stay...take airline back home to CT that afternoon, but will be thinking about all the fun you and everyone else will be having down there. GOOD LUCK with the race...enjoy your stay!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . Fort checkin CM had to check me in the old fashioned way. But see the picture above, they have a mnual to tell them how . . .

1) Yep, some don't know how to do things without the computer showing then every step.
2) Like having to make change without the computer telling them how much to give back to the customer. *
3) Us OLD dudes remember the steps and can do check-in without a manual.
4) But, either way, I am glad it went well for you.


* Was at a small store last month and their computerized cash register didn't work.
I gave the clerk the bills, and some coinage to make the change easier. She had to count
the change three times to figure if she was giving me back the right amount. Some day,
maybe, we will teach people how to add and subtract - and who knows, even multiply and
divide - without a computer or calculator on their phone.

 

[tiggerdad]

Ed, glad you made it in safe. Sounds like you scored on a good site too.

Those of us in the medical field know about downtime manuals. Those of us who have been taking care of patients for years know how to fill out a head to toe assessment on paper easy as can be. The new ones, the ones who have only been with us since we went to computerized charting, just sit there with panic in their eyes and stare at their pens...

Looking forward to some pics and reports, but have fun first.

 

[ruthies12]

Loving the pics and the report! Looking forward to hearing how you do on the race.

Rusty- thanks for posting that recipe, we love rye bread so I am definitely going to try that one!

 

[jbrostek]

Welcome Home Ed! Due to the cooler weather, I been taking it slow this morning thanks to the chilly wind. But I think it is now time to shower up and head to a park for a couple hours as I am getting kind of stir crazy.

 

[bama_ed]

Well it was pretty nippy and windy this morning in Central Florida. We got up and zipped up the Aliner and headed Fort-ward about 715am which was a little earlier than expected but there was not sense waiting around. The sky was a clear blue (still is) and the sun was coming up over the horizon and we hit the Fort as expected in 30 minutes.

I showed above how we could not be processed right away. I was told (TIFWIW) that when the morning shift arrives at 630am they print the day's arrival data/sheets but the computers were down when they came in. They could not look up my pre-assigned spot and said they would take my cellno and text me a site when the system came up. Told me to go "start my day" and wait to here from them.

Mmmmmmmm. Okay I will be nice. We parked in the overflow and went to the Meadow TP a little after opening time. A new-to-me sweatshirt is only $40.


I prefer inexpensive Fort stuff like key chains, magnets, playing cards, pens, etc. They have a new fridge magnet but no price is on it. Note the sticker says PURPLE which tells the cashier CM to look on a cheat sheet at the register and see it's $6.95. My question is if they have room to put the word "PURPLE", instead why don't they put "$6.95"?


Pricing checking the Fort groceries, a single/solo 16oz bud is $6.


Eight pounds of charcoal is $9.


Run out of Maxwell House instant coffee? The small 30 cup jar is $5.


Then we decided to check out the Preferred loops 100 and 200. I had reserved a Preferred and requested 100. So we walked from the Meadow TP down towards the beach. 100 was still completely full this morning but 200 had a few empty sites.

We swung by Trails End porch and Tiggerdad's highboy tables are still there.


I noted their numbers then we bussed back to the lobby. This time a manager was out front in the blue button down with name tag (not the Fort CM uniform) and I asked him if I could just take one of the empty sites. The one I wanted was 218 because it was an outside site with nothing behind it but an open area then trees and the swamp trail/road beyond. No other trailer right up against us. He walked into the backed and checked a list that 218 was vacant overnight and sure, I could have it.

SWEET.

About 915 I rolled down to 218 and we began setting up. It's almost 180 degrees around loop 200 so you won't find it unless you go looking for it. But it's nice. After lunch here I can hear the train whistles, boat horns, and the breeze blowing in the trees. It's 58F now and cool in the shade but the sun feels good. Just before lunch we went to pick up my bib number for the run. I'll show some pix of that later.

As Tiggerdad said, now to go have some fun.

Bama Ed