Finally going to take that campus visit. Leaving Fri. morning and should be there most of the day on Sat. I'll watch the weather and if it looks good I'll pull you for a surf on Sat. afternoon if you're game.
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Finally going to take that campus visit. Leaving Fri. morning and should be there most of the day on Sat. I'll watch the weather and if it looks good I'll pull you for a surf on Sat. afternoon if you're game.
Pat - I will send you a PM. Depending on your schedule, I'd like my son to meet you and your daughter and show you around campus. I told him you might be making a visit. I will be in Birmingham Monday - Wednesday and just miss you.- Stuart
Well, dang it! I tried. We're happy to meet up with L and looking forward to it. Are you passing through Tallahassee in the few days after your visit? I'm not sure if that was the same trip or not.
Well, now it's changed to the 17th and 18th. I sure hope we see everybody then.
So it's changed to the 17th and 18th? Let me know. That is actually a better weekend. I have a heart walk early that Saturday morning but it will be over early. Took the boat out the weekend before last. Did well and all set to go. Bring a surf board. I have wakeboards but no surf board.
This Saturday is fine also by the way. Sunday I am on call at my job so kind of have to hang around the house in case I get called in.
It's definitely the 17th-18th now. Going on a campus tour Fri. afternoon, gymnastics meet on Fri. night, trying to go to the basketball game vs TN on Sat. at 12:30. Free after that.
I was looking at maps-- what lake do you hit?
Lake Tuscaloosa. Pretty decent lake. Clean. Looks like your schedule would work out great with what I got going on. Got my number, right?
That I do. I'll be in touch. Watching the weather too.
did a brake job on my truck today as it poured down rain and I got to tell ya, Love the shop.
Jack - I sure would like to check out that new shop of yours and say hello. I will be in Birmingham on business this week and plan to carve out several hours on Tuesday evening or Wednesday for Tuscaloosa to visit my son. I will send you a PM when I have a firmer handle on the schedule. - StuartQuote:
Originally Posted by jmb
Me too. Can't wait to do a valve job in there.
Let me knowQuote:
Originally Posted by deerfield
Got up with Stuart last night. Showed him around and the shop. Really had a nice time. Looking forward to him coming back down and do some skiing. I am hoping he will help me improve. Told him he needed to go to the Sinclair Moomba Jam
Jack - That is one sweet shop! I appreciate your showing me around. Great to meet and visit with you and Mindy. You can count on my coming back to do some skiing. After leaving your place I made it as far north as midway between Nashville and Louisville. Pulled into a truck stop for a couple of hours of sleep. Arrived home this afternoon. Some rain on the way, but not a problem. It's in the twenties here. Man, I enjoyed that 60 degree day in Tuscaloosa. I'll give you a heads up when we set another travel date to Alabama. RT - Stuart
WHOO HOO!
Sinclair Jam 2012 is going to be FANTASTIC!
Gotta figure out best weekend to have it. Past years we have done it weekend after July 4th so all the morons were cleared out. Don't know what will be best this year with July 4th on Wednesday.
I was looking at the calendar this morning. It does look like stuff will be booked the whole week and the lake more crowded from the 1st through the 8th. Maybe July 14th for the Jam would be better?
Man. I'm ready. I get to get into the water this year and bring the boat. Maybe it would be best the second weekend after the fourth. Just a thought but I will take whatever.
Stuart - I am glad you made it home safe. Looking forward to you coming back down for a pull.
We're all set to head out on Fri. morning. Now for the most important question:
WHERE TO EAT?????????
Two places we enjoy. The first is Cypress Inn. It's on the river and serves tasty cat fish. More on the upscale side. Then there is Moe's Original Bar B Que. Located a few blocks west of campus on University Boulevard. Started in Tuscaloosa. Today in addition to Alabama, it has locations in Colorado (including Vail), Georgia, and North Carolina. Bet Jack can give you a broader selection of choices.
Man, almost forgot about Rama Jama's. Located in the shadow of Bryant Denny Stadium, it's the place for breakfast. On game weekends, it's a mob scene.
It's a game weekend, but BB so it doesn't really count. They have Tennessee on Sat.
Dreamland Bar-B-Que, Bridge Avenue, Northport. Chuck's fish on Greensboro Ave. Baumhouer's for wings! Wenzell's Oysters right next to Dreamland. Hooligan's (small little place) Greek Food.
This daughter would do the BBQ and the wings. Visited their websites. Looks perfect. Got tickets for gymnastics meet on Fri. night vs Arkansas. She's excited. No basketball game tickets yet. Game is at 12:30 pm vs. TN and sold out. Looks like rain on Sat. too.
Just checked again. High of 58 plus rain and thunder on Sat. Don't think I'm going to bother putting the surfboard in the back of the daughter's Mustang. BTW, I'm not driving up. I'm riding along. She's got to drive her car up there-- all the way!
Not going to be a nice day Saturday at all. I am supposed to do a heart walk at 9:00am but not looking good. May have to give and go and come home and drink beer (blood thinner).
You interested in having a beer at happy hour on Fri. or after the gymnastics thing around 9:30 somewhere? I'll PM you my phone number. Call me any time. We're leaving at 7 am but the tour is pushed back to Sat. at 8:30 am for some reason.
Had a great and productive visit to Tuscaloosa. Daughter is sold and sending in room deposit today so she'll be Jack's neighbor. I'll take the boat up there at some point for a visit and take her new friends out for a day on the water.
We got there Fri. afternoon and drove through campus. We went to eat some BBQ at Dreamland. Outstanding ribs! Then we parked by the stadium and walked the campus, taking pics. Went to the bookstore to get some t-shirts and swag. Then we drove out by Lake Tuscaloosa to check it out. Went to dinner at Baumhowers and got some wings. Went to the gymnastics meet-- over 15,000 there for gymnastics was really amazing.
Afterward, we went to Buffalo Phil's on The Strip where we met Deerfield's son. What a fine young gentleman. Had a nice visit with him and it was good for us to talk with a current student about what campus life is like. After we dropped him off back at his frat house we went back & turned in.
On Sat. morning we did a campus bus tour. Lots of history and very well done. Overall I was extremely impressed with how organized everything is and how well planned and organized everything seemed. Also, I never saw a place where everyone wears their colors so much. Close to 90% of the people we saw were wearing AL gear. It looked like game day each day we were there. And, the campus is spotless and neat. There is a huge respect factor that is obvious about every square inch of the place. I was very impressed.
After the tour we checked out a model dorm room. They are way bigger and way nicer than what I remember. Private individual sleeping rooms and bathrooms shared with only one other person. Nice.
Finally, we headed out of town and stopped to see Jack. We could still see the after effects of the devastation from the tornado last year. Huge trees still down, debris strewn about still- piles of refuse. Jack's place looked way better than most. He has done a great job of cleanup and rebuilding. I am sure he is an inspiration for his neighbors. It will be years before things are anywhere near normal again though. The house is new and very nice. The shop is amazing. Below is a pic of me and Jack in the shop next to the Outback. Didn't get to stay very long and it was in the 50's and raining. Next time we'll hit the water together. It was great to see Jack & Mindy again and gain an appreciation of what they are still enduring in their area. Next time we'll have a little fun.
Here's a couple pics from our visit:
It was great to have Kaneboats stop by and visit. Looking forward to this summer if he gets up here and also going to the Moomba Jam. I am hoping the weather breaks here soon. I do have IBS (irratable boat syndrome) going on right now. Everybody is a great bunch of folks that I have met on this forum.
Sounds like a great trip. Is that lake big enough for a couple of Moombas?
25 miles long. Plenty of room and places to go when the wind gets to blowing
Hmmmmmm . . .
Sept 22 home game vs Florida Atlantic. Depending on start time, we could do some morning tailgating, catch the game and have some afternoon fun on the water.
Kane - I'm pleased for you and your daughter. Sounds like it was a great father/daughter trip. Most important, she's decided on a college and can focus on finishing strong this last year of high school. Man, I am jealous that you will be only six hours from campus. Still a bit of a distance, but pretty manageable when it comes to the drive for start/end of school year, football games, vacations, etc. And I hear you on the school spirit, respect, and general cleanliness of the campus. Had to chuckle when I saw the pic of her next to Coach Bear Bryant. Did the same thing when we visited a year ago. Jack's a great guy. Real down to earth. He and Mindy have gone through some real trials in the past year. Would love to see them enjoy a long season of peace. Am glad that you and your daughter got to visit them. The Mrs. and I are planning to be in Tuscaloosa March 27 for a short visit with Lewis. Hoping that she can meet them. Then we proceed to Camp Shelby in Mississippi. We are giving Jesse a ride back to base. Got to be there by March 28. Mrs. and I will be headed east across the Florida panhandle. If it works out, would like to stop to say hello on the way through Tallahassee. I'll send you a PM as the date draws closer. Thanks for the kind words about Lewis. I was worried about him not connecting, but sounds like it came together. - Deerfield
That may be the day of the Flint River Mini-Jam, 5th Annual.Quote:
Originally Posted by wolfeman131
Quote:
Originally Posted by wolfeman131
I spoke with the Mrs. We are up for this. Would drive down and back, leaving the boat at home. Would be a great weekend!
First Annual JMB Alabama Jama!!!!!!!!
^^^ and a new tradition is started!
Sound like a plan to me. I'm ready to start now. Think we would have a great time.
funny, I think im suffering tooQuote:
Originally Posted by jmb
Hopefully more than a coupleQuote:
Originally Posted by wolfeman131
Longest running Mini-Jam ?Quote:
Originally Posted by kaneboats
That has a nice ring to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by kaneboats
I'm about ready for a Moomba Jam anywhere right about now. I am hoping our weather is going to turn for the better in the next few weeks. Started the boat this evening as a matter of fact. Started right up and ready to go. Getting to be tornado season though. Possible storms tomorrow night.
Found these two images of and writeup (I plagiarized) on Lake Tuscaloosa.
The lake is located five miles north of the cities of Tuscaloosa and Northport. It is a 5,885-acre water supply reservoir with 177 miles of shoreline. When the reservoir was impounded by the City of Tuscaloosa in 1971, little material was left behind to serve as fish habitat. Water visibilities near the dam often exceed 20 feet. Upper reaches of the lake near Binion and Turkey Creeks are more fertile, have lower water visibilities, and are generally better areas to fish. Lake Tuscaloosa was constructed to supply domestic and industrial water for the City of Tuscaloosa. However, the lake is popular for recreation including boating, swimming, and fishing. There are public and private boat ramps located on the lake, as well as several private marinas. Public launches are located at Binion Creek (State), Rock Quarry and Sharps Landing (Municipal).