Archive by Author | Springwolf

The Simple Things

Do You Like Trains?

Many people plan for months for their spring break. Taking exotic vacations, or visiting family or running off to the beach for fun in the sun after the cold winter months. But in this financial recession many families can’t afford those big plans to get away from it all. For those folks there’s still things to do to enjoy the week and relax a little.

We’ve learned that sometimes the best memories come from the simple things that cost little to no money at all. As long as you’re spending the time with those you love. And doing something you truly enjoy doing.

Evil & Spring 04/2012 – Watching the Trains In Ashland

For us, that’s a little 20 minute trip into town. In particular into Ashland, Virginia. Touted as the “Center of the Universe“, it’s a simple little historic town where one of the countries oldest colleges calls home. That would be Randolf-Macon College.

One of the advantages of living in the middle of no where is that going into town is often a an adventure. And that’s true for us.

Because we’re so far away from civilization we plan our trips, whither we go north to Fredericksburg or south to Ashland.

But on occasion taking a spontaneous trip brings the most fun. And on our last Saturday of Spring Break that’s exactly what we decided to do. We made it a train day! Continue reading →

Coming And Going

Apr14

North & South Bound Passing

As we’ve mentioned in our little train tribute section, it’s not often we see north and south bound trains passing each other in the middle of town. Today was one of those special days.

CSX 751

Continue reading →

New Research About The Athletics of Nascar

Apr13

3-Time Champion Tony Stewart

Update:

In 2010 I wrote an article about the validation of Nascar as a sport and it’s Drivers as athletes. New research and more information has been published since then. So I took the opportunity to update my initial article to include the new data.

Check it out: Is Nascar A Sport? Are Nascar Drivers Athletes?

The White House Honors 2011 NASCAR Champion

Apr12

2011 Chase Drivers Honored

The White House Welcomes the NASCAR Champion, Tuesday April 17, 2012. The tributes to sports teams are a long-stranding presidential tradition. It’s an opportunity for the President to celebrate excellence and achievement by American sportsmen and women.

Tony Stewart of Stewart-Haas Racing

The 30th President of the United States is credited with starting the practice. In October of 1924, Calvin Coolidge welcomed the Washington Senators after winning the American League championship. “The Washington team won because it deserved to win,” said Pres. Coolidge. And the same could be said about our own 2011 Nascar Champion Tony Stewart and the entire #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team!

Say what you will about Pres. Obama, he’s still the sitting President of the United States and it’s an honor for any sports champions to be recognized by the White House.

Every Nascar fan agrees that last year was a unique and special Championship series. The level of intensity expressed by Stewart-Haas Racing and in particular the #14 team and our 3-Time Champion Tony Stewart especially, was a story for the ages. It was spectacular. It was heroic. It was an excellent achievement to raise the bar in the last 10 races of the season. And it deserves the same recognition that any NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB champions have received no matter who is in the Oval Office. It’s about the history of recognition and accomplishment by a country who is grateful to have heroes to cheer for on Sundays. Continue reading →

Mixology: Captn Jack White & Captn Jack Black

Apr11

Spiced Rum Recipes

Last night we went to dinner at one of our favorite places. During dinner we began talking about Sir Evil’s brother and his favored drink. We asked the bartender if they had ever heard of such a drink and did it have a name? She hadn’t heard of it, but thought it was interesting and called a friend who teaches Mixology. Yes he had heard of the drink, but as far as he knew it didn’t have a name. We began thinking up names and we finally came up with one that we think is perfect for a ‘rum’ drink.

Here are two drink recipes for you. Compliments of Sir Evil’s brother. And inspired by Captn Jack Sparrow’s love of rum!

Captn Jack White:

2 ozs spiced rum
1 cup milk
Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla

Captn Jack Black:

2 ozs spiced rum
1 cup milk
1 tbsp chocolate syrup
Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla

This Is Your Brain On Stupid — #5

Mar30

The Wheel Barrel Incident

Um..Momma..I went into the backyard and recognized that the wheel barrel was filled with water and I put dirt in it, so it was muddy water. And I tried to pour it out…and…I poured it out into the lake…and..the wheel barrel went with it! Now I can’t get out!

Yep..the man child does it again…

A Nascar Record That Can Never Be Broken

Mar28

Robert “Red” Bryon
(March 12, 1915 – November 11, 1960)

"Red" Byron

The first race run at the Martinsville “paper clip” occurred on September 7, 1947 and Robert “Red” Bryon won $500 out of a $2,000 purse.

Robert “Red” Byron holds a record that can never be broken: he was the first NASCAR points champion. Red won the first NASCAR-sanctioned race on the beach-road course on February 15, 1948. He won 11 races that year, finished in the top three 23 times, and captured the first NASCAR championship.

Boulder, CO, Robert “Red” Byron moved to Anniston, AL at an early age. During World War II Byron served as a tail gunner on 57 missions in a B-24. He was shot down over Kikta in the Aleutian Islands on his 58th mission; one he flew for a friend whose wife was expected to give birth to their first child at any moment.

Although the doctors did not know if he would ever walk again, Red was determined to race. After 27 months in military hospitals with doctors trying to rebuild his left leg, Red returned to racing in February 1946.

Red retired from racing in the early 1950’s to head a sports car racing team. He died in 1960 from a heart attack. He was only 45. In 1966, Byron was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association’s Hall of Fame at Darlington Raceway.

Why Nascar Fans Don’t Like Danica

Mar25

Earned..or..Entitled?
By Springwolf

Nascar is a family, for drivers and teams and for fans. Get to a track at 7am for tailgating and behind the back of every truck, suv or car will have some form of ‘homestead’ ready to party and have a good time with their neighboring tailgaters. People share specially cooked goodies, treats, recipes and cheers or chides for their neighbors favorite driver compared to their own. With such a family and fun loving comradery, why is it that some drivers aren’t welcomed into the fold equally or as openly as others?

Fans have their favorite drivers, favorite teams and favorite owners in each of the Nascar series. They also have those they don’t like and they’d love to see hit the wall and knock themselves out of the race. I could say there are drivers fans love to hate, but no matter how much fans don’t like a driver, they don’t want to see them hurt when they do hit the wall. So you can’t say real fans hate any of the drivers in the series. As long as they don’t hit the wall and then turn down into our favorite driver or one of his team mates.

So with all that family emotion going on in the stands and outside the track, as well as in the infield; why has it been so hard for Danica Patrick to find acceptance in Nascar? Well that’s easy, she hasn’t earned it. And that’s the only real reason. Continue reading →

We’re Simple Nascar Fans

Mar24

Our Nascar Fan Stories

Yes we are huge fans in the Evil household.

Dale Earndhardt Jr.

Evil was born and raised in Charlotte, home of Nascar. You can’t grow up in that town without being exposed to racing. But his interest was a gradual thing. It began in the 1980s when he hung out with his closest friend, who happens to be his cousin, Kevin. Kevin was a big Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan. So it wasn’t unusual to find both boys relaxing on a hot Charlotte Sunday in the summers watching a race on TV. EW is all about family and of course he supported the guy who was his cousins favorite driver. But that support slowly became his own and soon EW was not only a fan of Nascar but a die-hard fan of Dale Sr and that black #3.

Like everyone else, Evil was stunned when Dale Sr. was killed at Daytona. And like a lot of fans, his commitment to racing didn’t end, but rather shifted to The Intimidator’s son; Dale Jr. And he’s proud to be part of Jr. Nation!

Spring has been a fan since Darrell Waltrip’s rookie year in 1972. Being a fellow Tennessean, from Franklin Tennessee that little link made him her guy. As seasons came and went she picked up a second favorite, Davey Allison. Continue reading →

The NEW Evil Wordsmith Blog

Mar23

Well…it wasn’t easy, but I upgraded Sir Evil’s blog software and enabled a whole lot of new options. Which comes with a bigger and better theme. At least we think so.

So we hope you like the new look!