SpaceX’s Dragon Launch 3:44AM EDT
Yes - we got up at 2:30AM to watch SpaceX's Dragon launch across the early morning sky. There really isn't much I could say about it - I am as speechless now as I was when I saw Atlantis launch two years ago. If there was a way to share this experience with more people there would be a huge priority shift from dropping bombs on sand castles to exploring what lies beyond Earth's atmosphere. The sights, sounds and feelings that come with watching a launch are hard to explain. So posting at 4:30AM? The explanation isn't going to make a ...
Kennedy Space Center
Almost two years ago a few friends in Raleigh rented an RV and headed South on a trip to see one of the last shuttle launches (STS-132). I know - I probably talk about it all the time. If the first trip was "To Infinity and Beyond" this one is Infinity behind the scenes. At the close of the shuttle program the Vehicle Assembly Building is open for tours for the first time in almost three decades. Currently the building is open because there is no vehicle to assemble. It it not only one of the largest buildings in the world ...
Brewgaloo
Or Veni, Vidi, Setit Linea. In the words of Julius Caesar I came, I saw, I stood in line. Et tu, Brute? Nope. This event went from - I bought tickets for what??? to nearly epic in a fairly short span of time. I'm not sure how that happens but for us the letters V-I-P are usually involved. And yes - a couple of us were speaking Latin by the end of the night. What went on exactly? This voicemail might make things a little clearer... We also popped into an Indian wedding. Almost had a kitchen tour. Saw someone get kicked out ...
Christ of the Abyss – Key Largo, FL
So today's diving included getting to use my new Canon PowerShot SX230HS with the Waterproof Case on the second dive of the day. Fortunately for all of us we went to the famous Christ of the Abyss in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. There isn't a lot I can say about the underwater statue except he didn't have a golf cart and I don't think a 8 foot tall statue would be underwater in the New River. Sorry Golf Cart Jesus - I get the feeling this isn't happening for you. The original Christ of the Abyss is a submerged ...
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or Hockeytown, R.F.D.?*
There is no better place in hockey in the United States than Carolina deep in the playoffs. The coterie of fans swells in the spring — currently the Hurricanes, outside a playoff spot, are drawing at a little less than 90 percent of capacity — and it treats each game like an event, tailgating as if it were North Carolina playing N.C. State in Carter-Finley Stadium across the parking lot from RBC Arena. In Game 7 of the 2006 final against Edmonton, there was no one in the seats at the rink. The reason: fans stood the entire game. Cameron Crazies met Caniacs. In the past decade, the NHL has not had a more delightfully organic moment.
and
Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos expressed it well: after reaching a Stanley Cup final in 2002, winning the Cup in 2006 and serving impressively as All-Star host, Raleigh has crossed the divide from non-traditional hockey market to traditional hockey market.
Read more: Venue will go down as biggest star of NHL’s All-Star weekend
* R.F.D. (R.F.D stands for “Rural Free Delivery”, a quaint postal depiction of the rural Mayberry community) is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title. [LINK]
Our man on the scene is at the NHL All-Star Game right now and is sending over images. I’ll add them to this page as they come in during and after the game. So far we have images from the tunnel, ice level, and during warm-ups. More to come… Go Canes! Go Team Staal!
Thanks to BobG for the behind the scenes look at the game.
In the Fan Fair area they had activities for all ages – these were out for the little ones. Thought they were pretty cool. The accessories include a mullet and a smile with a missing tooth. Awesome stereotyping.
More pictures after the jump. If you happen to run across one of these in Canes gear let me know where you found it. I might try to pick it up to add to the various Potato Heads I have sitting around (Star Wars / Indiana Jones).
The NHL All-Stars Skills Competition. Courtesy BobG. Check out the All-Star Locker room and more after the jump…
One of the highlights of the NHL All-Star Fan Fair was getting to see the Stanley Cup. I’ve been in relatively close proximity to the cup before but never really had the opportunity to get my picture made with it. As you can see to the right I can cross this off the bucket list – done and done. It was pretty cool to see the cup and while I am not a huge hockey fan I go have a good idea of what it means.
Cooler than getting to see the cup was meeting Phil Pritchard (aka the “keeper of the cup” – full job title is vice president of the Resource Centre and curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto) and chatting with him for a while. He complimented Hurricanes fans on their tailgating skills and we chatted about local restaurants and things to do in town. For someone with what one might call a fairly prestigious job and a minimal amount of celebrity he was a really cool guy. More pictures after the jump of us, him and of course Lord Stanley’s Cup.
UPDATE: Added a picture of BobG with the cup – he wasn’t with us but he did get a visit earlier in the day.