Even "Huger" victory seen today near NAS.

[Ocklawaha]

The whole family was piled into the little car and here we were happily headed down Roosevelt or US-17 towards Orange Park. We got to Yukon/Target/Nas and hit a WALL of cars. Nobody could move, only a few inches at a time. some 30-40 minutes later, we finally got up to the entry of the big naval base... but the traffic wasn't theirs! It went all the way into Orange Park, OP ambulances went screaming north into Jacksonville, and I decided the home shopping trip to "Ortega Bluff" wasn't going to happen today. We turned into the park entry across from the base entry. I made the loop and started out when I spotted a railroad foamer with his cap and $1,000+ camera, taking a bead toward the South along the rail line. 3:30pm, "hummm, Silver Meteor Time?" As far as the eye could see was JTA buses, cars and assorted trucks dead stopped. I struck up a conversation with the photographer and the lady that had followed me into the loop move, started laying on her horn, screaming YOU #Y(Q#)(@#(+)%)+ MORON~! GO Idiot! Go! (well the light did turn green) but I grew up right at this spot, right where this little park road crosses the tracks was the Yukon Depot of the old Atlantic Coast Line. My second daddy, Mr. Pete Rood was the agent there and took me in as a junior member of the Coast Line family. When the gates went down the lady nearly came out of her car! OMG! Worst thing in her life! The photographer got a great shot, as the meteor was pushing the legal track speed down from 79 to 70 (after all passenger rail has to slow down past San Juan Avenue). Like a rocket this silver beauty sped toward the city, when I finally crossed and got back to the light it was red again. By now my tail was jumping up and down in her seat... When it turned green I just played the role of old hippie, I stomped the gas and pulled back north at 3.4 MPH! When she flew around me I took the opportunity to blow her a kiss... but it's okay, my wife did too!

Figured she works for the BRT division of JTA?!?! Anyway, that train was history before I got past the runways at NAS. Maybe in the City before we got to the Ortega River. I started thinking, ANY AFTERNOON, when that base is backed up solid, somewhere around 3:30 to 4:30 we have the perfect chance to YOUTUBE JTA and the Train and see which looks better to the viewers.

I think the train won a huge victory today, and the old hippie made another friend!

Ocklawaha

[JeffreyS]

I have been a part of that scene so many times. At Christmas the wait  plays out extra special.  To me it has always been frustrating, using that mess against the BRT will make the scene easier. Thank you.

[thelakelander]

I got caught in the mess down Roosevelt on Thursday on my way down to Green Cove Springs.  All I could do is smile as an Amtrak train came blowing by on the CSX A line while we stood at a standstill.  Is the backup near NAS a regular rush hour thing or is this Christmas traffic trying to reach Orange Park Mall?

[JeffreyS]

Every weekday about 3:20 as people start leaving NAS and get worse through 6:00.  Christmas adds to it.

[reednavy]

To be quite honest, I woulda got outta my truck, got up to her windo and cussed her out on the spot, I swear, JAX drivers, take a shot of Jack Daniels, sit on a front porch swing and chill the f out!

[Ocklawaha]

Jack Daniels? NOW I KNOW what I did wrong, I stopped at the American Grill at the Landing and fed the family before heading down Park and Roosevelt. My car was running on Spinich dip and SOUTHERN COMFORT... But then maybe that's why I didn't cuss her out. Funny thing is, had I pulled forward, she would have been DEAD in the middle of the CSX mainline with only 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 second to live!


Ocklawaha

[Lunican]

Here is a good tour of the area, including a video from an Amtrak train:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/371/116/

[gatorback]

This is what it takes me to get to Macys Department Store.  I walk downstars and cross a two lane street with a posted speed limit of 15 MPH.  However, today, I decided to get gas for the Rover and wanted to find the best price so I went out and about.  After stopping at the Goodwill, by the way I found the perfect shirt for you Ocklawaha...it's a teeshirt that says "Every Game Counts  O  v UT!, I continued my quest for inexpensive petro and found it for $2.93.  On my to get gas the north  bound lane of Loop 1 was stop and go but the south bound lane was moving at 70+.  Funny, the freight train that runs between the north bound and the south bound lane was stopped as well.
Gosh it's nice to live where I can walk to where I want to go and that's what I love about the Domain.  www.residencesatthedomain.com

[Ocklawaha]

The more I sip the Southern Comfort the more entertainment value I see in having let her go on around and get in the middle of those tracks. Ever shoot a propane tank? Same effect...

Ocklawah 

[gatorback]

OMG.  Southern Comfort.  Isn't that for highschool kids?  It's like a pathway to Jim, then Jack then Johnny.  I'm a huge Johnny Walker Black fan myself but I don't hit the fire water much these days.  It's more about beers from the UK.  I can't seem keep enought New Castle in the fridge. 

[Ocklawaha]

Tsingtao, From China, rated as one of the worlds best.
Anchor Steam, from San Francisco but hard to find.
Henry Weinhardts’s, only available in the Pacific Northwest
Leopard Lager, imported from New Zeland
Titanic Ice, "Stays Ice Cold - Goes down fast!"

Got to be my top 5 in the World. As for Southern Comfort, My Vietnam digestion will no longer allow hard drink, HOWEVER, a shot with a meal I can handle... sometimes. Often if I think the meal will revolt after I eat it. Last time I REALLY had much to drink was Thanksgiving, where I took out a bottle of Vodka and cranberry juice, then drove from Orlando to Miami, a few hours later. Never caught a buzz, never felt a thing... Guess the old hippie liver is still down there somewhere.


Ocklawaha

[gatorback]

Sky Cape Cod.  Never had a hang over with it but it did put me in jail, rather those bastard State police on the Mass Pike.  So I was driving the wrong way at 70 miles an hour.  That doesn't mean I was drunk!  And yes, I smelt like vodka...it seems to happen that way. Doesn't mean your drunk.

If I DIDN'T beat the crap out of the inside of the police interceptor and then the jail cell ( I didn't do it) I wouldn't have had those 2 felony destructions of state property ( not good ) counts along with the other charges.  I agreed pleaded guilty to the dui and they found without cause on the 2 other counts.  I would have gotten off had I not pulled the wire off his radar gun because I didn't blow and didn't submit to a field test.

Kids, don't do this at home.  We are what you call professionals.  You might hurt yourself, or worse, somebody else.  Plus, it will cost you lots of money and possibly your job.  4 Real.  One my best friend killed my other best friend in a drug and alcohol related accident on their way home from Gainsville.  Todd has never recovered from that.  It's been 20 years he's lived knowing he killed his best friend.

[Ocklawaha]

Gatorback is speaking words of wisdom here boys and girls. I too have survived some close calls thanks to the rather mis-spent youth as a happy hippie in Florida-California-Oregon and sometimes elsewhere. I just don't remember! Had a good friend right here in Jax that got blasted and went out cruising with his brother, he was hanging out the window of his car as they side-swiped the telephone pole. I don't know if they ever found his head, but it ruined the whole night.

Remember too that when I was tripping along stuck in Lodi again,  and went out to Ride the Tiger, on one of those really warm San Francisco Nights. Then while Sitting on a corner in Wilcox Arizona, Sitting In a Broken Down Van, One toke over the line, I'd tell everyone, I Get by with a Little Help From my Friends. Most of this crap including LSD was STILL LEGAL! So we were what you call professionals, we were doing clinical testing for new and mind expanding drugs, the world was all Incense and Peppermints. For those who didn't follow this path, our government had a nice Jungle Rice Field in Vietnam waiting for you to lay your body down. So you could die in the street on the run, or die in some crazy war where 1/2 the time it was illegal to shoot back! We were the Crown of Creation, and sadly, many of us were shot to hell for nothing...Night found us All Along the Watchtower, Looking for Somebody to love.  Either way there was no cause to Celebrate, we were all Walking a Tight Wire.  Anyway, we didn't have drugs made with drain cleaner, sinus medicine or baking soda, not even The Low Rider. It was a much kinder and much more gentle time, everyday another Magic Carpet Ride. So today, when they check out my digestion and liver, they always say, "DAMN MAN!" Have you seen the White Rabbit? Some think it was the 4,642 acid trips I took, but I still think it was because I was In The Navy, and it was the Coffee. Don't try this at home unless you find that portal to 1968...of course if you do find it, you'll need a guide...hee hee.

Ocklawaha

HA HA! The above post has the titles (or near titles) of 13 classic Rock songs of the era, and lyrics to one more... If your real... Can you name them?

[gatorback]

Ha.  I've got them but I see only see 9.5 with vids and let me tell you, the last one was a tough to find.  I could be wrong, but you do have "me" in part above.

1) White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xhYk9PEmXA
2) Magic Carpet Ride, Stepping Wolk
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwDa5dMmfZ4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcSxgOxjrT8&feature=relatedhttps://wsbvt.austin.ibm.com/builds/WAS602.IPACK64.html
WAS602.IPACK64
3) In The Navy, Village People LMAO
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2iKrMina8Y
4) Somebody to Love, Jefferson Airplane
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1cfTMdjkYM
5) Somebody to Love, Jim Carrery (Not of the era but hallarious)
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMrusIGYq0c
6) With a Little Help from my Friends, The Beatles
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poUoCggQZd0
7) My Tummy's All Caput, Dygel
8 ) One Toke Over The Line, Brewer & Shipley
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xewL59PQ-_8
9) Low Rider, War
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6c3emqC6aw
.)
   
All Along The Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aUDVpHxw9c

5) Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqg1WVVmgx0

I'm with ya Ocklawaha.  If JTA gave us better service we might be able to save a life or two.
My brother told me on Christmas day 1986 that my best friend Andy was killed the night before.

Let's not end this on a down note.  This is a classic.  It reminds me of me, and you? The Charges!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM5Gwzk3Vfc