Archive for November, 2007
Downtown Charlotte by Day
November 27th, 2007 | 
Author: After Thanksgiving I took a trip on the new light rail system Charlotte had installed into downtown. It was the first day the train was in service so along with 50,000 or so other people who had nothing better to do that day, I went downtown to take some pictures of the buildings. I figured it would be a cheap way to get some shots since I wouldn’t have to park.
Well it was pretty successful and I really like the way these shots came out. A Christmas tree had just been put up and it made a nice centerpiece against the buildings. My personal favorite is the first shot where you have the tree in the foreground and a building with a reflection of another building in the background.
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Carolina PCA – Porsche Club Race
Carolina PCA – Porsche Club Race
I went down to Kershaw and Saturday to check out the Carolina PCA Club Race. Instead of the normal Driver’s Ed time trials the drivers actually compete in classes to show off their skills. The drivers and cars are matched together with a rolling start and go for a 30 minute sprint race. Each group gets two races with the final group going in reverse order – slowest car first with a staggered start to the next fastest car.
By the time the fastest car was able to go, the slowest car in the field had almost completed a lap. After starting just a few hundred yards from being lapped that same car was able to progress through and regain first place before sprint ran out. Not only is that a damn fast car, that’s some impressive driving.
Fastest car of the day
So here is the tally
So here is the tally
After all is said and done here’s what it takes to have a flaming good time at Halloween.
1 gallon of lamp oil – $6.99 a gal
2 gallons of kerosene – $2.99 a gal
13 rolls of toilet paper – $8.99 for 12
13 festive pumpkins 3 for $10 at local market = ~$35
1 video camera to take footage
1 digital still camera to record the massive flames
6 or so giddy teenagers to marvel at your work and to say you’re cool 
You were expecting the MasterCard slogan at the end of that list weren’t you? It’t not exactly cheap, but you have to pay to indulge in this kind of excitement!
So there you have it, 13 pumpkins met their demise at my hands. The last batch did have templates from ZombiePumpkins.com which were pretty easy to work with. I didn’t roast the seeds since I’m not that big of a fan. Although maybe next year I will have to roast them over the open fire of the pumpkin itself, that would be cool!
I have already begun my plans of what to do for next year. I believe I will build a stage for my demonic cast or at least something a little better than having them sit on the dirt in a line.
A big thanks once again to Tom Nardone over at ExtremePumpkins.com for his fun and spirited ideas.
And to ZombiePumpkins.com for their cool templates.