Corn Daze, Part Deux

That's why we want him there 

Looking forward to corn Daze.         We deserve the decent driving weather  #@$*!

    I spent this weekend getting my Speedster tuned up and maintained.    Changed the oil in the motor and transaxel...     adjusted the clutch.     Also a new fuel pump and electronic ignition.

Today was the best weather yet all year.   Went for a 45 mile drive without a jacket.

Yes, Chris, it was a beautiful day yesterday, too bad I was too busy and tired to take advantage of it. Simply a great forecast for the rest of the week, eh? 

A little glimpse of last year's Great Race:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...%20News%2004-24-2013

I reminded Carey Hines of the weekend adventure when we were at Carlisle, he checked his calendar and it's open. HE HAS NO EXCUSE NOW. Plus he needs more vacation time ...Carey Hines, c'mon down! Kevin too!

Just booked my room, they seem to be running low and had to get a handicap access room.

As Rich indicated, it'd be a good time to get a room if you are planning on coming, and haven't booked yet. We're right at a month out on this.

I could REALLY use a good head-count on guys planning (for sure, uh huh) on coming for Sat/Sun/Mon (or any portion therein). I need a semi-accurate count for reservations for dinner Sat and Sun night, and for the parking "on the grass" for Monday's "Great Race" rendezvous.

Bob G. unfortunately has a conflict that cannot be avoided, and will be unable to help with the festivities. /Any help you gentlemen can give me would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I am booked for Friday and Saturday night, will be riding solo.

Joe, Saturday/Sunday would be better...check the schedule.

I am planning on arriving early Saturday afternoon (hopefully 1:00-ish). Anything this moron could do to help will be offered up. My plan is to stay until they kick me out...2:00pm-ish, Monday.

Guess it's time for me to harass Joe Soltis again.

The wife and I are coming for Sat. night.  We have a room booked,  but we need to head back late Sunday afternoon.

We plan to link up with you guys as you head South towards Starved Rock Sat. Morning. 

I can help too...       But I'm also a Moron

CS

Just got a personal e-mail from Joe Soltis. Though it would really be great to share in his experiences and see his car, he will not be able to make it to this year's Corn Daze Part Deux activities. Joe always has plenty going on and this weekend he will be chaperoning 200-420 recently graduated high schoolers (including his daughter). Send condolences to Joe if you have time.

I being lazy here, or call it tired.  What Hotel? Thanks  

Marty, Embassy Suites, East Peoria. I think they still have plenty of suite rooms, just seem to be short on the less costly ones.

http://embassysuites3.hilton.c...r-PIAESES/index.html

Marty, good for you, now we'll have to start making more plans to hang together again. This short mileage adventure should allow for the presence of my Speedster.

Now we need John Hallstrand to start our rain dance.

Okay, guys -- it's about crunch time for the big "Who's coming?" question.

I spoke to Stan a couple days ago. I don't know if I'm being furloughed yet, which is about a $350/check hit for me -- and the cancellation of my scheduled leave. That hasn't been decided yet, so Jeni and I are still very much "In" for the shindig.

Since we don't have that answer, I'll just say that the other variable has been resolved -- and that's that my 14-year-old son will NOT be in summer school! Woo-HOO! We'll be flying him from his home in way-the-hell-out-there North Dakota to his grandparents' home in West County St. Louis for the month of July (as it stands now, anyway), and we'll be dragging the Hoopty to Illinois with Jeni's SUV (and Warren Miles' single-axle trailer).

I couldn't be more delighted to say we're going to be there. If I have to, I'll tarde or swap my shifts for the four or five days to make it as far as Stanistan and then turn around and head home. Since Morgan's going to be in St. Louis for the month, that takes a real logistical load off of how we're going to manage our summer if I get furloughed.

Bottom line; we're there. With f****** bells on -- so let's try to avoid any last-minute changes of plan that put Stan in a bind, hey? He's got a ton of other things going on also ... but he's orienting the last week of the month around this gathering.

Hoo-YAH!

Cool Cory and Jeni, and you'll be rested for the drive after your towing experience...I'm actually driving my Speedster all 200 miles and 4 hours worth...unless of course it's going to rain, then I go to fallback mode again. I'm such a wimp.

Rich, your fallback mode was pretty fricking cool. I'll bet it gets as much of your time and attention as your Speedster does, too. Nice car.

Resolved some family issues that were going to preempt participation in CORN DAZE - PART DEUX. Looking forward to welcoming anybody who can make it to Stanistan and environs.

This ought to be fun, with some interesting cruises, the Great Race event, some super meals and maybe some surprises along the way! 

It ain't Carlisle, but then we are just simple country folk.

Rich, dialogue me with your phone number, please.

Wish I lived close enough to join you guys for 'Corn Daze'. Sounds like great fun, but then again, hanging out with you knuckleheads is always fun. Looking forward to seeing those pics.

I do 200 miles on my Saturday lazy weekend cruises. 

Jim:

I can't think of anybody I'd rather meet. Your posts on SoCal take me back to my earlier life there and I always look forward to your posts and video work.

I would like to connect with you to discuss the right settings and techniques for success with a GoPro Hero. I still haven't mastered the thing and I want to get it right for Corn Daze. Thanks in advance!

Awe!  Now I wish I could come.  No fair bein' so far away!

Lane: 

We'd love to host you, buddy! What's a mere 900 miles or so? (one way) 

Bob, I'd be more than happy to offer tech tips with your GoPro. It's quite simple. My email is musbjimATcoxDOTnet 

We have a tentative schedule, Gentlemen:

Saturday, June 22:

• Check-In at the Embassy Suites, "Manager's Reception". Free drinks. I'm slightly frightened with the possibilities...
• Dinner at a Peoria steakhouse at about 6:30 or so (as soon as the reservations are confirmed, I'll forward the information).
• Ice cream at Emo's, root-beer at Lou's, or hand-dipped shakes at Steak-n-Shake. We'll take a vote, and I'll decide what I want. Everybody's entitled to my opinion .

Sunday, June 23:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• "Bob Garrett's Most Excellent Drive"-- along the river, through the park, and a stop at the Kickapoo Creek Winery.
• Lunch in Peoria, unless I feel like the "Burger Barge", in which case we'll drive across the river for some 1/2 lb burgers and homemade chips. Potential "Cold War Era" cars/coffee-lite before/during/after lunch. Bob knows people who know people. Sean Connery will be there with his DB5. Perhaps. No pressure, Bob.
• "Stan's Corn Daze Hick-Town Tour". Uncork the headers, boys, and hold on tight. Once they drive under a farm implement, how are we gonna' keep them down on the farm?
• Dinner: Casual. Local. TBD, but it'll be nice, and in keeping with the whole "Midwest Ethos" of the event.
• State Reception at the Presidential Palace of the People's Republic of Stanistan. Bench racing, desert, and merriment.
• Back to the hotel.

Monday, June 24:

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Hotel check-out
• Great Race, show-'n-shine. If the Peoria Convention and Visitors Bureau (now THERE'S a "cold war era" name, if ever there was one) would ever get back to me, I'd sleep better. "Great Race" cars start rolling in at 11:45 or so, but "the Bureau" wanted everybody on "the lawn" (just like Pebble Beach, only slightly different) by 10:00 or so.
• Lunch at the down-town "push-carts" on the courthouse square. It's only a block up the street from the Gateway Building (where we'll be set up), so we can grab a Haddad's Gyro, or Thai-Lin's Vietnamese noodles, or one of Willie's Tamales. There's about 20 different choices, so you call it-- you've got to drive home.
• Early afternoon "good-byes". We'll sing Kumbaiya, shake hands in a manly way, and promise to stay in touch. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
• You'll drive home. I'll go to work. I'll wish I was you.

Of course, all of this is subject to change, as the situation on the ground dictates. This is a driving event-- and as such, we'll probably be driving for a good part of Sunday, so pack sunscreen and a hat. I'll try to hit the highlights of our little corner of the world, and have a good time.

I'm actually getting pretty jacked up about this. Having Bob and Cory back in the fold increases my enthusiasm exponentially. If we could get Mr. Hines to come out, and a couple of other Chicago/ St. Louis/ Milwaukee/ Indianapolis guys-- it would only increase the fun. The more, the merrier.

... but if you are planning on coming-- please reserve a hotel room soon, and shoot me an email (stangalat*at*yahoo.com), or post something here. We look forward to seeing you at Corn Daze, Part Deux.

Stan,

Right from the Manager's Reception... with free drinks!... to the "wailing and gnashing of teeth" the Corn Daze Part Deux promises great, great reminiscing memories of the glorious Republic of Stanistan

Here's wishing you kunckleheads terrific top down weather  

Yeah, what Stan said.

I'm going to drive the Sunday cruise route again next week to confirm that our floods and unbelievable rains earlier in the year haven't effected the roads. Much of the route is back roads through the woods and farmland along and above the Illinois River on the bluffs.

Some long straights, tight or sweeping turns with a switchback or two, changing elevations and great scenery!

Should be great fun.

I've been out galavanting around and warming up for Corn Daze in Door County this past weekend. Good to hear things are looking better for you, Bob G. Stan, you seem to have things mostly under control. I'm booked in a handicapped room, they saw me coming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...a04bia8w&index=2

Later in the day on Sunday it gets more exciting when the deer might just decide to join in the festivities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...a04bia8w&index=1

Around my "hood" in Door County, Wisconsin. Lake Michigan just off to the right:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3yegy2Wf4E

This Corn Daze thing could morph into "Trees and Deer In Your Headlights Daze" 

Just a heads up here guys-- plans are coming together nicely, and we're really looking forward to our get-together.

It's still not too late to get in on the fun! It's only a couple of days later this month, and it's shaping up to be a really great time. The more cars, the merrier!

If you are thinking of coming, though-- it'd probably be good to make a reservation for the hotel. Out-of-town guys are staying at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria, IL, and the hotel is our "jumping off point" for a lot of the activities. I just checked, and there are still rooms available, but getting the reservation in would probably be a good idea at this point.

Bob and I had a planning meeting Friday AM, and things are really shaping up. We're both really looking forward to it. Cory Drake is coming out form Maryland with his "hoopty", we're lining up some interesting local "cold-war" cars, and should have a nice mix of SOC cars for the get-together.

Admit it, you know you want to be here  resistance is futile.

Dear Carey Hines (and Kevin), you are cordially invited to Corn Daze Deux.

I just received confirmation that Tom Boney is in! That's excellent, Tom-- we' re really looking forward to meeting you!

Here's a list of the SOC guys who've been in touch with me (so far) to confirm they are coming:

Stan Galat (& Jeanie)

Bob Garrett

Rich Drewek

Cory Drake (& Jeni)

Joe Fortino

Marty G. (& Sandy)

Chris Starleaf (& wife?)

Ricky Montiel (& wife?)

Tom Boney (& wife?)

If you're on the fence, come on out-- we'd love to have you. Shoot me an email at stangalat<AT>yahoo.com to let me know what you're thinking. I'll get you the information you need.

We're really looking forward to seeing you all!

That's great Tom! I look forward to meeting you. 

I spoke with Carey on the phone last week, Rich. He's unfortunately got a scheduling conflict.

Maybe next year?

Carey probably backed out in that he probably didn't have a spare 904 this year .

We'll leave a light on anyways just in case.