Crooked Cars

Straighten them out, NASCAR to tell Cup teams
DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Saturday, May. 17, 2008

CONCORD, N.C. - Expect NASCAR to tell Sprint Cup teams that they've gone far enough - and in some cases, too far - with making crooked cars.

Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said Saturday that teams will get a memo, likely this week, telling them to "clean up" the way they're turning their wheels to help the cars handle better.

"They need some of that, but there are some of them that have pushed it," Darby said.

The rear wheels on some of the cars were turned to the point that some were having difficulty being pushed onto the scales used in inspection

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As an added note...none of the Hendrick cars have used this method of having the cars run "doggy style." That's what we called it in our day, today it's called something else. Gnarly perhaps. And not in the rad sense either. More like rheumatoid arthritic fingers. Crooked. Yeah, that's the ticket...

Maybe now there will be a more even-playing field for all the cars.

Let's Go Racing Boys

Excitement is wrapping itself around me. Why? The All-Star race weekend is finally here and will be on TV Saturday evening. A lot of shows on SPEED will be leading up to it like a gigantic wave...and I will be watching every one of them.

I can't wait for all the glitz and glamour. Wait...that's another show on Sunday night. Something to do with country western music. Yes, I am a fan of that too.

Back to the All-Star race. I love non-points racing. Anything goes ~ and it usually does. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is held back by the drivers. Of course, I have to brag on Dale Jr. here because he is the only rookie ever to win it back in 2000. The night his father was never more proud of him and stayed in victory lane to help celebrate. The night I couldn't control my happiness because of what I had witnessed. The night I will never forget as it unfolded and Dale Jr. made history.

It is this race that I would love to see Dale take out his frustrations on one driver in particular. He shall not be named here. He has been given far too much publicity and is beginning to believe all of it. Believe me, he doesn't deserve it. He has a far, far way to go before he is considered a great race car driver. Right now he's just a punk kid trying to get even with the driver that he thinks took his job away. And it's not as if he hadn't brought that on himself either. His initials are KB and that is all I will reveal at this time.

I know, I hear ya, I should just let it rest. And I will. After the All-Star race. I promise I will not write anything more about that other driver. Honest.

Six Of One Half A Dozen Of Another

Last year as each week passed by it was Let's see if Dale Jr. can win this week. This year that has been replaced somewhat with Let's see if the race is going to be exciting. Some have been exciting, but for the most part the rest of them were either boring or the winner wasn't very likeable. And you know who I am talking about. Hint: he has won 3 races ~ and I don't mean Carl Edwards.

We are dealing with a whole new car that has changed tremendously all the way around. The drivers haven't changed...therefore, it must be the car's fault. The only driver happier than sh*t is the winner. You can see, hear and feel the frustration of the other 42 drivers. The losers.

I remember going through something like this years ago when Dale Sr. was alive. Both he and Jeff Gordon were the biggest complainers of the aero package given them by NASCAR. The car wouldn't perform, it plowed, they couldn't drive side by side, they couldn't pass and if one car got out front it would take off into the next zip code.

Sound familiar?

I'm all for safety of every driver on the track. Yes, even that one. But NASCAR needs to step up to the plate and make the car more competitive instead of playing follow the leader. I started watching races in the late 80's. And those were some races back then. We'll never see anything like that again. So I guess we just have to shut up and watch, huh?

I realize I will get backlash from this post. This is just my take on the car they race today. Even though racing was so much more exciting in the 80's and 90's, I realize it also was very dangerous. I will take the good with the bad. I also realize that I am contradicting myself so I'd better quit while I'm ahead. No wait, I'm not ahead either. OK, that's it, I'm finished.

Ain't This The Truth

This sign should have been posted at my last job. And the part about knifing friends in the back would be highlighted. Because that's how I lost that job. Some people just think they're better than others. And then one day they wake up only to realize that what they had done came back full circle and bit them on the rump. And people like me have the last laugh. And I have had a few laughs since then.

Yeah, I know, almost three years and I'm still not over it. But it's kinda hard to get over being betrayed by what you thought were your friends.

JR Nation Fans Embarass Even Me

I'm a member of JR Nation...proud of it, too. I don't understand those fans of his that get all bent out of shape when things don't go their way where Junior is concerned. Why do they do that? Why are they so different from other drivers' fans? I fail to understand that. Sometimes it's just a small thing and they take up arms and go after whoever or whatever is attacking Dale Jr. I mean, they can get really crazy at times. And I don't like that they make the rest of us look like fools by the way they act and what they do or say.

Take this Kyle Busch incident that happened at Richmond last weekend. If Dale Jr. said he felt it was a racing incident, why couldn't those fans take his word for it and back off? No, instead they decided to e-mail every sponsor of Kyle's and they also decided to boycott their products. They even e-mailed the Gibbs organization to let them know their displeasure at what Kyle did to Dale Jr. People...get a grip! By the time Darlington rolls around and the activities start on Friday, it will have been forgotten for the most part, so why dwell on something you can't do anything about anyway?

And just so you know, I'm not giving Kyle Busch a free pass here. I still believe he is an egotistical smart-mouthed arrogant punk. I personally call him Sir-Wrecks-A-Lot. And it certainly fits him because he doesn't care who he runs over or who he takes out just to win a race. He is a menace on wheels who has a lot of growing up to do before I even consider him as a human being, let alone a race car driver. His brother straightened his act out, so I hope Kyle can do the same. Besides the fact that he is trying to prove to the world that Rick Hendrick was a fool to let him go,
he needs to have an attitude adjustment and it cannot come too soon for me.

If anyone thinks there will be retaliation by Dale Jr. sometime in the future, you can just forget about it. Our Junior doesn't roll that way.

5-5-8

Ten years ago on this date our house was entered illegally by a person who had been welcomed into it a few years prior. He was a young father who held his infant child while inquiring about an engine he needed for the family car. His wife was a friend of ours so we gave them a break on the sale.

After a few years passed by, that young couple divorced and each remarried. At the time he robbed us he had a new wife and infant. He also had been in and out of jail and was on probation at the time. By the time he got to our house he already had a few other hits under his belt. What we later learned from his ex-wife was that he was very comfortable robbing houses that he'd been inside in the past.

On the morning of the fifth as we went about our usual workday routine, he was just down the street a piece way watching and waiting for us to leave. After we left for work, he then pulled his minivan into our driveway, walked to the front door, jimmied the lock and walked in as if he lived here all his life.

He left no fingerprints and no destruction behind. The things he took weren't noticeable when I came home long before my husband did. What I did notice was some lights were on and a door was open that is always kept closed. I thought my husband was just careless because he left for work after I did.

When he came home I reprimanded him on his carelessness. He denied everything ~ so much so that he then started looking around. It was then we noticed things that weren't right...not to mention missing items.

To make a long story short (and it is a long story), we had the state police come out and check everything but we got nowhere with that. They did, however, keep the investigation open. There were no leads. Things looked dismal for us. At that point we felt we had just learned a very harsh lesson in life.

It was the guy's ex-wife that put us on his trail. She had become friendly with his wife at that time and that new wife had loose lips. One of the items taken was a new camcorder I had just bought my husband for Christmas. I had written our name on the manual. The new wife asked the ex-wife if she knew the name. Bingo! She called me at work. The state police took it from there after they located the guy with his wife and child just a few blocks away from the state police barracks where he was living in a motel.

He has been in and out of jail since then and recently was paroled. His probation runs through 2016. We're betting he will never last that long on the outside. His fingers are just too long to last till then. Oh, and then there is a little thing called a drug habit that he also has.

We did get some things back (they had to be kept as evidence till the trial was over) but not everything was found. Insurance paid for some of the missing items. He is responsible for the cash he took, but those checks from the prison are very sporadic. Insurance also covered some of the cash.

Shortly after that happened we had an alarm system installed. But believe me that still isn't enough to make me feel safe and secure. The world is getting crazier by the day and people are getting more desperate and daring.

A Work In Progress #6 ~ Update

My husband's two-month checkup was this past Monday a week ago with his knee surgeon.

Although it's been well over eight weeks since the operation, he still cannot walk too far without the knee swelling up like a balloon. It happens mostly when we go shopping right after his therapy session. His doctor said because this was a replacement of a replacement within three years' time, his recovery would be twice as long. All of my husband's questions were answered to his satisfaction and he was reassured that he was coming along quite nicely, something he tends to forget once in awhile.

He was taken off one painkiller and put on another one that isn't as potent. He was told he can now resume all activities (within reason) as long as his knee doesn't swell too much. Then his friend the ice pack will help him. Also, his therapy sessions were cut from three times to twice a week. They aren't free, folks, we still have to pay a $15 co-pay on each session. And last but not least, the cane is going to be banished to the darkest corner of our house once again.

Meanwhile, I cannot plan on going anywhere that includes a lot of walking yet. It's been that way now for at least the last 4-5 years. I feel like a prisoner at times, and I should be used to it but I'm not. Hopefully in another month things will be better when he has his three-month checkup.

Meanwhile, I have a lot to take care of with my own body. I recently had a checkup and bloodwork done. Let's just say, for now, it's not a pretty picture. I was shocked and scared with the results. Between my cholesterol being all out of whack and my blood pressure spiking again (doc said that may have been from not taking my meds that morning), I am about ready to give up. But I can't do that. Let me just say here that this was a huge wake-up call for me.

And that means I have only one way to go: diet with healthy foods and exercise on my treadmill. I can add here that I have since started both of those programs immediately after coming home from my appointment. I also have to take double my normal dosage of the statin med for my cholesterol. What upsets me the most is I had everything under control, but somewhere along the line things just went haywire.

And if all that doesn't work to bring me back to being semi-normal within three months at my next checkup (and more bloodwork), then I truly am in big trouble.

Oh Please, Give Me A Break Already

Warning: It's raining, it's damp inside and outside, and I am in a foul mood)

I'm not wasting my time or blog space by writing about who or what car manufacturer won the race at Talladega yesterday. All I care about is one driver who finished 10th and kept his 3rd place standing in the points, even gaining a few over last week.

Now, let's move on to the anticipation of the race in Richmond this weekend. The Nationwide race will be held Friday night; the Cup race, Saturday night. I love night racing. I was raised on it; however, it leaves a huge void for me the following Sunday. If I don't watch a race on Sunday it seems like something is missing. It's not that I don't have plenty to do to fill that void, it's just that I'd rather spend Sundays curled up watching the race.

On another note...I am getting so tired of fans and the media bringing up the fact that Junior hasn't won a race in two years. As a matter of fact, it was at Richmond where he won his last race. I didn't hear anyone talk about Talladega being his 300th start either. To me, that's more important than not winning but to the media it's not newsworthy enough I suppose. Granted, if Dale were, say, around 20th in the points, then throwing around the fact he hasn't won in two years would make sense. Although it would still piss me off if they kept saying it.

Let's be honest here, folks, the boy is doing great. (Oh, don't get your panties/shorts all in a bunch because I just called him a boy ~ I'm much older than he is, so I have the right to do so.)

I also would like to remind some people that Matt Kenseth won his NASCAR Championship without having won a single race that year! It can be done, so please LET IT BE! When the timing is right and all the planets are in proper alignment, Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr., will win. And once he gets started I will sit back, prop my feet up, put my hands behind my head and say to those that insist on rehashing his so-called losing streak week after week, He's only just begun, so look out world. Let the good times roll!
And now that I feel so much better that I got all that off my chest, it's at least a little warmer in here. But still raining outside.

Why I No Longer Watch American Idol

I have been a long time viewer of American Idol. I started watching at the end of the first season. I didn't want Kelly Clarkson to win; I had hoped Justin Guarini would have won. Had he won, I highly doubt all the problems he had since then would have happened. And then there was the time that I had hoped Clay Aiken won, and we got stuck with Ruben Studdard. Anybody heard from him lately?

Moving on, I was elated when Fantasia won, as she was the only one I have ever voted for before or since. Taylor Hicks? American Idol? Hardly. No one seems to know where he is either. And when Chris Daughtry left long before winning, well I thought that was ridiculous. All his voters must have been out to lunch. He has gone on to make a name for himself. He should have won it that year. And last year's Jordin Sparks did nothing for me as a singer either.

So let's fast forward to this year. When I first laid eyes on Michael Johns, I thought to myself Wow! That's some specimen. He had the looks and he could sing. He is from Australia. I like Australian men, especially their accents (and a few other things too). He is 29 and has been in the United States since he was 18. Feast your eyes on this awhile:

So I decided that I would follow him as each week went by. And he was always in the top, never in the bottom three. So, when I fully expected one of three other people to be sent packing, I never thought it would be Michael. But it was Michael. I was stunned. And I have since found out that a lot of other people were just as stunned. They say the audience went silent, as if they were waiting for the punch line. But it never came. I didn't notice the silence because I felt like I had been gut-punched. I still do. What really ticked me off was the fact that during last year's "Idol Gives Back" week, AI went through the motions of someone going home, but they decided no one would because it wouldn't be right when they were trying to "give back." But this year that went right out the window. Double gut-punch.

The way Ryan Seacrest handled the situation didn't help. He was downright obnoxious in his delivery of the result. He supposedly has apologized since (to the public but not to Michael). Not good enough for me. It doesn't bring Michael back. Ryan's excuse was he is told by the producers to make the bottom three believe they are staying and then send one packing.

And as far as I am concerned, it is my belief that those three so-called judges know how to manipulate the voting public. Just by their reactions, their actions, and the way they talk...tells me that they sway voters. I don't give any of them credit as a judge; they are entertainers and they just want to be heard. It's an ego thing. AI needs to think of a different way to handle the voting, because what we have now leaves much to be desired.

I didn't watch the show Tuesday or Wednesday last week and I won't be watching it for the remainder of this season. When I vowed not to watch it this year, I meant it. I...will...not...watch...American...Idol...anymore. Period.

I can only hope Michael Johns will go on to bigger and better things. I will be first in line when his CD comes out. And it can't be too soon to suit me.

Now, about that David Archuleta that everyone is so hot to trot over...he is a ringer and will probably win the title. I remember when he won the title of Junior Singers on Star Search back in 2003 when he was all of twelve years old. I didn't like him then, either. Yeah, I know...sour grapes.

Congratulations Danica Patrick

I've followed her career since day one, and every time I watched her race I'd think maybe today's the day she'll finally win one. Well, it finally happened. She became the first woman in history to win an IndyCar series race, when she took the checkered flag in the Indy Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi oval in her 50th start.

She is the teammate of my other favorite driver, Marco Andretti, and now she will go on to win many, many more races. Still waiting on Marco though to win his first one. He almost won the Indy 500 (was it two years ago?) when that dreadful Sam Hornish Jr. stole it away from him on the last lap just before coming to the checkered flag.

Enjoy this win Danica. Just remember, it won't be the last. You go, girl!

Unbelievable!

So here I sit on a Saturday afternoon without a weekend of NASCAR. Oh there will be racing Sunday, but it's only the Nationwide series in Mexico. I will be watching because Junior's #88 Navy car driven by Brad Keselowski will be competing.

The unbelievable part of my blog for today? I would never have thought that at this time in my life that I would see 86 deg. on April 19th and gas that cost $3.40 per gallon. $60.00 for 17.5 freakin' gallons. Pure highway robbery.

I try to combat high prices elsewhere, so I went to the post office and bought a bunch of those Forever stamps. The price of stamps will be going up a penny on May 12th, I believe. But I can use my Forever stamp and not have to add any more stamps to whatever I'm mailing. As a matter of fact, the price of stamps can go up ten times, and my Forever stamp will be enough to mail whatever I have. (Regular mail, that is.)

I don't use that many stamps but I think I will be getting more of those Forever stamps. I saved a whopping forty cents today by buying them. Gosh, if I bought enough over time, think of the savings. No matter whether I use them in my lifetime, it's the savings that counts, right?

What? Oh, excuse me...they caught me red-handed typing away and I have to go back to my "other home."

Whew! Glad That's Over with

Actually the tax man didn't get one red cent from us this year. And that's a first. We are getting everything back that was withheld over the year. It's not exactly a refund per se. We are just getting back what we shouldn't have paid in the first place. Too bad we can't charge them interest. It's their fault, not ours. Oh well, live and learn. I e-filed this past Sunday, two days ahead of schedule.

Actually I had our taxes all figured out months ago. But I can't break my record and get them done early now, can I? That's how I always felt other years only because we always had to pay in. So you would think if we are getting money back this year that I would want to get them done early and out of the way. Nope. Not my style. Once a procrastinator always a procrastinator. And I don't make any excuses for being one either. I sort of like that title. And believe me, it fits me well. And I wear it well. And I'm damn proud of it.

And on top of all this we get a stimulus rebate from the government. That's a joke, really. But, hey, if it's free, it's for me and I'll take all the money I can get when they're giving it away.

Now I can sit back and relax...till next year when the nasty taxman comes a knockin' once again. I hope y'all had an easier time of it than I did. Well, that's a lie too because I did have an easy time of it. So much so I can hardly wait till next year. *cough* *cough*

Now That's What I Call A Race

That's what I like to see in any given race that Junior is in: either the National Guard car or the Amp Energy car in the lead. This shot is at the very beginning of Saturday night's Phoenix race. He went on to lead 87 laps during the race, but not the most important one: the last lap. His teammate, Jimmie Johnson, won and I was glad. Yeah, bet you never thought you'd read that here. Well, a teammate is a teammate, no matter who they are. With Johnson winning, maybe the press and the media will lay off Hendrick Motorsports about not being where they should be. It took a while, but they are catching up. All four drivers finished in the top 13 spots.

Seeing Mark Martin in that #8 Army car leading the race with his teammate, Martin Truex Jr, aggravated the sh*t out of me. Tremendously. I so hoped the 8 car would blow its engine. Once Truex dropped back and wasn't a threat any longer, I moved onto other things to concentrate on. Like my voodoo doll and Mark Martin.

I thought for sure that this was Junior's race to win, and I was wrong again. But I must say it was one heckuva race for a change. Very exciting compared to the first seven races...well, Martinsville was a good one too.

Watching Junior weave in and out of traffic on those re-starts with heavy infestations of lapped cars had my adrenalin pumping like an oil well. My heart was in my throat so often, I could feel it touching my tongue. Nice visual, huh?

That kid can drive. No doubt about it. I wish they would follow only his car for one race so the non-Junior people could see what he can do with a race car. He is a sight to behold when everything is working 100%. And after that first adjustment early on, it was right there.

He finished 7th in the race and moved up one spot in the points standings from fourth to third and is now only six points out of second place. Way to go Junior. So you didn't win the race, don't hang your head. Raise it high and know that you are doing exactly what you have to be doing at this point in time: consistency racing. That will keep you in the top five in points. It's all about being in the Chase after the 26th race of the season.

And for those who are so very hard on Tony Eury Jr., Dale's crew chief, he made all the right calls and earned an A+...not that he doesn't always. Some people just have nothing better to do than to dis someone they don't like.

If I heard correctly, I believe the upcoming Talladega race will be Junior's 300th start. That little tidbit is floating around in my tiny brain for some reason. Then again maybe I dreamed it. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Sshhh...Genius At Work

Be vewy vewy quiet...

The tax lady is hard at work and she needs everyone to refrain from any kind of noise.

Thank you kindly.

I Survived...Barely

So I went to get blood drawn yesterday for my doctor who has been pestering me to do so for way over a year now. As you recall, it is not something I enjoy doing. But I did it and it's over with and now I can go on about my business without that hacking away at my brain all the time.

The nurse seemed like a friendly sort as she invited me into her lair. I sat down on what looked like a torture chair and waited till she came back. They always seem to have some place they have to go once they acknowledge you.

She did come back and set about her job. The rubber tourniquet was put on my left arm and the needle was inserted. And then she tells me it's a small vein. That should have been my first clue to run out of there. But I had my big girl pants on so I stayed. She told me it was a very slow drip because the vein was so tiny and she also had to use the pediatric vials ~ the ones the lab people don't like. Meanwhile that damn needle is still stuck in my arm and I am still looking to my right. It took like forever.

Finally she ripped the tourniquet off, with the needle still in, and I feel this P.I.N.C.H.I.N.G. sensation like no other. Holy hell! That mother hurt. I asked her what happened (since I have never had that sensation before from a needle) and she said it was a collapsed vein. All I could do was ask her why, since I have never experienced a collapsed vein in my entire lifetime. She told me it could be due to a high stress level. Me, stressed? Well, let's think about that a bit...

I had to get up at the crack of dawn, I was not allowed to eat or drink anything (other than water, which is not even on my diet), the traffic was heavy and we were running late for my husband's appointment, his therapy session went way over the usual time while I am starving, SO WHY SHOULD MY STRESS LEVEL BE HIGH?

I didn't believe that for one minute. No, I blamed it on her ineptitude. And after all that she then had the nerve to ask me for a urine sample. Like I can pee on demand. Oh yeah, that went over big. She's just lucky I was able to perform that little deed. I set it on the counter and got the hell out of there before she wanted something else from me.

And as far as my doctor is concerned? He won't be getting any blood samples from me for a long time. I am very good at running away from those. He's just lucky I was in a good mood when I decided to get it done this time. There might not even be a next time if I have anything to do with it. Maybe.

Not My Favorite Thing To Do

By the time most of you read this, the dirty deed will have been done and I will be going about my normal business. My doctor has been wanting blood work done for quite some time now, and since I am on a statin med for high cholesterol, I figured this was as good a time as any to get it done so he quits his whining about it.

I will be getting it done at a diagnostic center (sounds like I'm getting it done at a garage - maybe I should ask for an oil change while I'm at it), in the hospital. And this is what I will see when the nurse comes at me with her ginormous needle:



I absolutely detest needles of any kind. But there are some things in life that we must put up with in order to make other people happy. I could do without any of this needle business, and I am only doing it because I was asked almost a year ago. Yup, this procrastinator held off as long as she could.

Since the hospital is right next door to where my husband is currently undergoing therapy, we are making things easier by combining both. Because I must fast 12 hours prior, the appointment for my husband had to be made as early as possible so I don't end up wanting to kill everyone in sight due to hunger pangs. I didn't have to make an appointment because where I am going is a walk-in site, no appointment necessary. I will be meeting Dracula right after the therapy session, which should be around 9 am.

I guess I really don't mind needles as long as I don't have to look at them while they are doing their dirty work. I am just glad I have come this far in facing my fear of them. There used to be a time when I had to be tricked if anyone wanted to jab me with a needle. And then they had to make sure they could outrun me.

What Happened?

Although I am projecting myself to look happy through this cartoon, I am not. Well...maybe I'm a little happy. OK, make that a lot happy. I'm happy that Dale Jr. is still 4th in the points, but I am a tad upset that he didn't at least finish in the top 5. I was holding out for a win since he got both his first Busch and Cup wins at Texas, and that made me all sentimental and stuff leading up to this race. But it just wasn't meant to be. And even though he finished 12th and a lap down, all he lost was 18 points from last week. I can handle that.

I guess it could have been worse...after all, look what happened to Jeff Gordon. Ouch. Other years that would have made me quite happy to see Gordon exit a race. But now that he is Dale's teammate and also he is such a wonderful daddy, it darn near broke my heart to see that. He finished last in 43rd position, only the second time for that to occur in his career.

I spoke to the TV today. No kidding, I really did. When Martin Truex Jr's car starting acting weird and the announcers were saying the engine wouldn't last till the end, I got all excited yelling Blow sucker, blow! And then when the engine did let go, I was all over that too, yelling How does it feel? in reference to all of the engines Dale lost last year driving for that same nasty woman that Truex now has to put up with. Don't get me wrong, I am far from anti-Truex...I just wish he had a different owner. But maybe now he will understand what Dale went through, as did all of his fans last year. And maybe Martin will think twice before re-signing with DEI at the end of this season.

The next race is in Phoenix and will be on at 8pm this Saturday. I thought that would leave me with nothing to do on Sunday, and then I remembered I haven't done my taxes yet. The federal ones anyway. Well, they are done, I just need to enter them via the software and zap the pesky little things off to federal land. And we don't have to pay in this year; we are getting a very nice refund. Four figures. Yeah, baby!

Look Who Grabbed The Pole @ Texas!

It turned out to be a very happy day for Dale Jr. and a not so happy day for rookie Michael McDowell. Thank God for those S.A.F.E.R. barriers. He was able to walk away uninjured.

Mystery Building

For over a year as we drove around our community, we could see a building far off in the distance from where we were anytime we headed north of our house. Our normal routes of travel don't usually go north, but every time we did we would see that building. And one of us would always bring up the subject of wondering what it is. It always stood out, high upon the hill, among the houses scattered all around it.

We kept saying one day. This past Saturday that one day finally arrived. We kept driving around all the back roads that we thought were near the structure. From the distance we could see it, the only thing we could make out was that it was tan in color. We could not ascertain the type of building it was.

As my husband drove around, I as usual had my nose stuck in a book. I heard him say excitedly there it is! I thought he said there he is and my first thought was that someone was playing cat and mouse with us and was now behind us. I came back to reality when I was told to look behind me in the distance, and indeed there it was. I used the telephoto lens for this:

Now the trick was to get there from where we were, which was a different hill. The area is nothing but hills and valleys and nothing is level. Before we knew it, we were looking right at it and by choosing the right road we finally came right up to its driveway. We had noticed flags flying from each of its three spires/towers. At first we thought it was a private home, as our area is known to have celebrities sprinkled among us and most of those homes/estates/manors/mansions are well hidden for the most part. This one stuck out like a sore thumb sitting high on top of the hill.

This is what we saw at the driveway at the front of the property, and on the huge sign nestled in very neat landscaping was its name and what it was used for. At the very bottom it read Hindu Temple. (It was at the right of this photo)

As we continued on our way, circling it almost entirely, I snapped two more photos:


And before we knew it, we were at our house. We had made a complete circle and had found that the Temple is closer to us than we originally thought. Almost in our back yard you might say. Had we gone backward we'd have found it much quicker. As far as I know, this is the only Hindu Temple in our Valley. There may be others; I just don't know about them. And if this one wasn't on a hill, I might not have known about it either.

Is There Any Hope For Him?

~ Kyle Busch ~

He can give all the pre-race interviews he wants making him sound like he has matured beyond his 22 years, but when he climbs into a race car or truck his brain turns to mush.

A Work In Progress #5 ~ The Wife

I guess by now those of you who are following my husband's progress are probably wondering just how I am handling all this so far. You're not? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.

I feel like I have a new name: "Hey-hon-get-me" and I am wondering what that translates to in any given language.

In English, for me, it translates to Why must you always wait till I am settled anywhere, or in the middle of doing something, before you ask me to get you something?

That was how it was the first 3-1/2 weeks. By the fourth week, things got a little better. I wasn't running so much, and he wasn't vocalizing so much from the pain. I was hearing noises I never heard before and at times I felt like I was living with a caveman with all those grunts and groans. Just try and watch one of those deep and profound detective shows on TV while all that's going on. Clues? What clues?

Yeah, three weeks of craziness. Craziness I had forgotten about from the first time he had his knee replaced three years ago. At least then I wasn't subjected to a lot because after staying home the first week he came out of the hospital, I went back to work. Blissful. This time there was no escaping it.

In time, all of this will go away and be forgotten, hopefully. The good thing is that he can drive now and that takes a big burden off my shoulders. I like having a chauffeur.

He is currently in rehab and has to go three times a week for at least four weeks before another checkup with the surgeon. I have been going with him each time, but I think it is soon time to cut the apron strings and let him go by himself. After all, he is a grown man, and my Fridays are filled with lots of racing on TV. And you know what I say about my NASCAR: Nothing comes between me and it. Nothing.

A Work In Progress #4 ~ The Scare

In my last entry (#3), I alluded to a problem my husband ran into once he was home less than two weeks. He had to inject his belly with medicine the first four days he was home and then on the fifth day he was to start a daily regimen of 325mgs of aspirin. This all was to prevent blood clots.

He has had a reaction to aspirin in the past causing what looked like a rash to start at his feet and work its way up to his torso. A dermatologist confirmed it was purpura, which is leaky capillaries (small blood vessels) and that it is caused by a reaction to a medication. Back then (2002), we narrowed it down to the aspirin because his cardiologist had just prescribed it to him to be taken daily. When the rash (it really isn't a rash) appeared, he had been on the aspirin over a week.

This time, I was a little apprehensive when his surgeon said he would be taking aspirin after his knee operation. I voiced my concern to him at one point, but he didn't seem to think it would be a problem, and there aren't many alternatives.

I won't go into detail as to how the reaction manifested itself this time or what he had to do as a result, simply because I don't like talking about it. Or writing about it either. Like I said, it really freaked me out. But I will say one thing...what he had to go through to accomplish the home testing was comical. Well, I thought it was very funny because it wasn't me that had to do it.

The test results came back negative. They told him he is normal. I snickered. Normal? Hardly.

And guess what...all things point to aspirin as the culprit that upset our household once again. Somewhere down the line, if someone, anyone, suggests he takes 325mgs of aspirin, they had better hope they can run faster than I can.

It's That Time Again

And here is my wish to all my readers:

A Work In Progress #3 ~ The Surgeon

He walked up to the receptionist's desk with his cane, and when he was asked his name he simply replied "Charlie Chaplin." (Yes, I am married to, among other things, a comedian.) That is exactly what my husband did when he had his first post-op visit with his surgeon.

Three weeks and one day after the actual slicing open of my husband's knee (an 8 inch gash), he sat across from his scalpel-wielding surgeon. It seemed more like three months for me, and I'm sure it felt that long for my husband too, if not longer. It was his first time outside since coming home, except for the two times the in-home physical therapist took him out to walk on our driveway. But that doesn't count.

We did run into other problems just days before his visit to the doctor however. Problems concerning his blood. His hemoglobin/hematocrit numbers were supposedly lower than they should have been. It dealt with an issue I don't want to get into right now. Let's just say it really freaked me out at the time. Because of it the nurse drew blood and took it directly to a lab where the tests were immediately run, informing us of those low numbers.

As a result of that test, another test was ordered. All I can say is: gross. I will probably make that a separate post once I get up the gumption to write about it. Oh yeah, and after the results come back on it. I'll just keep you in suspense till then.

His surgeon told him all is well, and everything is progressing nicely. He gave him another prescription for pain pills and also a new one to relax the muscles. Oh joy, just what I need. Now he'll never get out of that recliner. Actually we haven't filled that prescription yet and I am going to let it up to him as to whether he really wants to take it.

The butterflies came off, and most of the scar has lost the scabbing. He no longer has to wear those dreaded compression stockings. His rehab starts next week and he will be going three times every week for a month. He tossed aside the walker a couple days ago and is now using a cane. Thank God for ice packs. We have three of the super duty size that a chiropractor friend gave us. All three are on rotation constantly. The nurse told him the ice pack is your friend. I think his pain pills are a lot more friendlier to him.

As far as driving...the doctor is letting that decision up to him as to when he feels he can safely drive. But he cannot drive within four hours after taking a pain pill or two. The knee replacement is in the left leg so that is a good thing as far as driving goes.

All I can say is that after three weeks I am hoping the worst is over. Things can only get better from here on out. He goes back to the surgeon in a month. I wonder what he is going to say to the receptionist then.

A Work In Progress #2 ~ Staples

The big day had finally arrived. The staples were due to come out. I wasn't privy to watching that the first time, and I don't remember if he even had staples, or just stitches, back then. I was still working and I missed a lot of what was happening.

I wasn't too sure as to whether I wanted to witness the actual removal of the staples. I'm a real wuss when it comes to that stuff. Really...squeamish isn't even near how I feel about that stuff. But I needed to satisfy my curosity once and for all. And so, in the end, I did watch.

It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't pass out. And even though I was standing up, I didn't even sway. I was actually disappointed. How could this be? How could I not even be the least bit upset? I have no answer for that.

But the fact of the matter is my husband at that point was well on his way to recovery. Once those staples (all 39 of them) were out and the site was inspected, cleansed and said to be looking real good, the nurse applied steri-strips aka butterflies.

It would be a week before they fell off on their own. And by then he was scheduled to have his first office visit with his surgeon. It was time to have some questions answered. Like, when can he drive? Stay tuned and I'll let you know.

Whether You're Irish Or Not...

Not The Same Bristol I Remember

Ever since they reconfigured this track, things just haven't been the same. Whenever the word Bristol was mentioned, it would bring up visions of beating and banging and activity all over the track. Someone would spin someone else out, drivers got angry at one another, and there would be cautions galore. I used to look forward to the Bristol races because I knew there would be fireworks, and not in the sky either.

But now...it's not the same anymore. I wonder if it will ever be like it was? The track has changed. Now it's just another track. It has lost it's charm. It's not different from all the other tracks anymore. It makes me sad. I miss the old Bristol.

But on a happier note, Dale Jr. finished 5th (by the skin of his teeth) and came up one notch in the points where he currently sits in 5th place also. See, I look at the big picture. You don't have to be winning all the time; just get those top 5's or even an occasional top 10, and you'll still be in the hunt when the Chase comes around. Of course, an occasional win does wonders for my psyche so I'm not saying that I don't care whether he gets a win or not. I want to see a win soon.

I must admit I was a bit worried when he went in to pit early in the race and his crew messed up and he came out in the 26th position. I kind of lost interest in the race at that point, so I walked away from it. I couldn't watch, but I did continue to listen on my radio headset. And then I decided to watch the live leaderboard on NASCAR.com. That calmed my nerves down somewhat. I watched that until he was back up in the top ten before I even considered going back out to watch it on TV.

When he was at DEI and something like what happened in this race would occur, a lot of times his team would seem to give up. Or they would try but would never get the car dialed in. These first five races so far have shown me that not only does he have a great crew behind him now, but the equipment has been more than exceptional. But we all knew that going in. And so did Dale Jr., hence the reason he chose to sign with HMS.

The bad part about the race being over is now we have to wait two weeks till we see another Cup race. The Nationwide Series will be in Nashville next Saturday so that is at least something to look forward to. I will certainly try to hang in there till then.

A Work In Progress #1 ~ Going Home

On the fifth day of my husband's hospital confinement, he was released to my care. The only reason his stay was extended a day longer than normal is because they didn't get around to walking him on his fourth day. And I have no idea whose fault that was either.

Getting from his room to the exit was a bit humorous in a way. The transport person had a conflicting appointment (so she said) and zipped him through the halls to the pharmacy as if he was a blur.

Bringing up the rear was me: carrying a normally heavy handbag, a suit bag with his Western boots, jeans and belt inside that seemed to weigh 20 pounds, and a plastic bag with all the goodies from the hospital. His parting gifts, as it were.

I didn't complain because I thought that's just the way they do it these days. Everybody's in a rush, so the hospital staff must be too. When I finally caught up with them in the pharmacy, the transporter left us. And it was now my chore to get him down the oh so very long hall to the exit doors, along with everything else that I was carrying. Or trying to carry.

What we didn't know is that the transporter called one of my husband's nurses and she was waiting for us outside the pharmacy with another nurse. I don't have to tell you that she was very ticked off and she told us she reported the transporter. She said that is her job and each patient is to be treated with respect until you get them to where you are told to get them. In our case it was the exit doors of the hospital, not the pharmacy.

Another thing that puzzled me is that we had no help getting my husband into the truck. Other than the nurse, who did a bang up job of getting him all the way up onto his seat. It wasn't easy, but I wish I had a video camera. He insisted I pick him up in the truck and not the Mustang, but this is one time I should have listened to my head instead of him.

The ride home was quiet and uneventful. Until we got into our driveway. Now it was up to me to get him out of the truck and into the house. Somehow, with the help of a walker, we managed to get him inside and settled in his recliner.

He is getting in-home therapy and Tuesday his staples came out. More to follow on that.

My Husband: A Work In Progress

After jumping in and out of trucks most of his life instead of using the steps like normal people do, my husband's knees started shutting down. I can't exactly remember when the pain first started. It just kind of started at a low level and escalated to unbearable over the years.

Finally when he couldn't stand the pain much longer, he consulted with an orthopedic doctor about his left knee in particular. The right knee was not a problem yet. The doctor turned him away saying he was too young for a knee replacement. Three years passed before another doctor was consulted. He agreed to the replacement procedure, which took place in January 2005.

These procedures are not a happy thing to do. Well, at least until you get to the pain pills anyway. (I hope I never need a replacement of any kind.) My husband was in the hospital three days, transferred to a rehab unit of another hospital where he spent the next four days, and finally released to me on the eighth day.

Until his stitches were out, there were nurses and physical therapists that visited our home for at least three weeks. When the in-home care ended, he would board the little metro bus at the end of our driveway, dressed in sweat pants and sweatshirt, new white sneakers, with his cane in hand, and off he went to another rehab facility. He looked so cute, as I relived the day when I sent my only child off to kindergarten so many years ago.

Meanwhile, his pain meds were adjusted and readjusted till he found a comfort zone, and believe me, some of those meds made for a mighty nice cocktail if you played your cards right. We never did, though. I was the keeper of the pills, and he didn't want any addictions, so we were very careful in the dispensing of them.

After thirteen weeks off the job, he was finally cleared to go back to work. Within less than six months, he had pain once again. It wasn't bothersome like before, just enough to let him know that something was there and it wasn't the way it should be. He ignored it, tried to shut it out thinking it would go away, and the years passed.

After 1-1/2 years of severe pain 24/7 and a few complaints at office visits to his surgeon (the one that kept telling him there was nothing wrong and everything was as it should be), he decided to see a different doctor who is now at the first place he went to and was turned away. We had come full circle. The only reason he went back to the first place is because he had heard so many good things about this new doctor.

And he turned out to be nothing less than a saint. After many MRIs, X-rays, CT scans, etc. at the first doctor, the new doctor ordered a bone scan (something the original doctor never offered or talked about). That bone scan gave us all an answer as to where the pain was coming from and why.

Finally! The results told us that the original replacement parts had worked themselves loose somehow. When his current doctor saw that he said, "No wonder you have pain." That was almost two months ago. A date was set for a replacement to the original knee replacement. That was done on the 26th of last month.

This time, my husband was in the hospital for four days and sprung on the fifth day with no rehab. I was prepared to pick him up on the fourth day, but they weren't ready to release him just yet.

(I will post more when racing news is at a lull, like today after that sleeper of a race we watched yesterday.)

It's That Time Again

Sunday. 2:00 AM. Set your clocks ahead one hour. I'm giving you enough advance warning. Don 't forget. Especially if you have some place of importance that you have to be on Sunday. Why you would want to miss the race is beyond me though.

Ah yes, the race...Dale Jr. sitting on that front row looks mighty pretty now, doesn't it? Warms the cockles of my heart. And his teammate, Jeff Gordon, on the pole.

Let's talk about Jeff. I never liked him. Actually it was his first wife I couldn't stand. She was a real twit. And she took so much from him when the divorce was final. But then he met Ingrid. And they had baby Ella. And Jeff softened up. And I became a fan. I'm a sucker for guys who love their kids as much as Jeff loves his baby daughter.

And I just need to vent a little here...I am so sick and tired of hearing about that dadgummed oil cap on Carl Edwards' car that I am ready to throw something. The lid maybe. Yeah, that's it. I'll throw the lid they claim came off during the race. Funny how it never was found. And Jack Roush should just shut his pie hole about the whole thing too. He just can't stop attacking Toyota, can he? What a clown.

So remember folks...your clocks? Except you folks in Arizona and maybe a few other places that don't partake of the clock changing ritual. I feel so sorry for those people. They don't know the fun they are missing.

Presenting Pee Wee Herman:

My husband's new name for Kyle Busch is PeeWee Herman. Actually he calls him PeeWee Herman in a racing suit but I couldn't find a decent enough picture of him in his suit. And he calls his brother Kurt, Howdy Doody.

Well, PeeWee Herman is back on top of the points, no thanks to the #99 team and their lame excuses. I don't expect Kyle to stay on top for too long. He'll pull a few bonehead moves and drop down. But the good thing is that the other drivers gained 21 points. Dale Jr. is now only 109 points out of first place instead of 130.

And God bless NASCAR for giving Robby Gordon back his 100 points. They should never have taken them from him in the first place.

And one last item before I go. Martin Truex Jr. will be driving Junior's #5 car in the Nationwide Series at Bristol next week. How cool is that? I really would like to see Truex leave DEI because I don't think he has a future there. Maybe this is the first step...

Well, Carl, What Do You Have To Say Now?

I'm sitting here reading other people's blogs, and back in one corner of my little mind I am also thinking about something I read earlier that had to do with the "issue" of Carl Edwards' post race inspection and failure thereof.

If NASCAR deems it necessary to take points away from Carl and hands out fines or suspends the crew chief and puts him on probation...whatever...I am concerned that there are many people that would like to see the win taken away from Carl too. I have been thinking about that myself. The problem with NASCAR taking the win away from Carl is that it would then be given to Dale Jr. Really, that's not a good thing. First of all, it will be a cold day in hell when NASCAR takes a win away from anyone.

Granted, had the #99 team not cheated (and that is yet to be proven), Dale Jr. probably could have won that race. However, would Carl have been up front, would Junior have spun his tires on that restart, would this would that? See where I am going with this? Circumstances change all the time during a race.

Some say a win is a win no matter how you get it. I say, if it's not an earned win, it's not worth it to boast that you won that particular race. And I know that is the way Dale Jr. feels, too. He would rather earn his wins, not back into them.

I was very happy with a second place. It did, after all, bring him from 23rd to 10th in the points. But to take that win away from Carl? And give it to Dale Jr? Nope...not in my book.

Yes!

Pins and needles. That's what it felt like for me for that entire race today. You know...before it starts, say a little prayer that everyone makes it through, and a special prayer that Dale Jr. finishes the race. I am still a little leery after last year. Guess it's going to take me awhile to get over that. And then I feared that the little black cloud followed him to his new digs.

But, hey, he finished second today. And he moved from 23rd to 10th in the points. I couldn't be happier. Unless, of course, he would have won the race. But those wins will come. And when they do, I believe there will be more than just one or two.

Another nice thing that happened was when his boss, Rick Hendrick, told him he was proud of him. He hasn't heard that since his father used to tell him that. It's nice to hear those things. Makes you feel wanted and worthwhile.

For the second time this year, Junior finished ahead of his teammates. And I believe he would have done just as well last week if Casey hadn't slid into him and wiped out his car.

I was glad to see both Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon walk away from their wrecks. Jeff's was really nasty. Baby Ella needs her daddy. I was thinking: what if Jeff's radiator had flown through the air and into the open window of a fellow competitor? Not good.

Atlanta here we come!

A Few Days Off

Pardon me while I pause from posting...my husband had knee surgery done this past Tuesday and he will be coming home from the hospital this Friday. Needless to say, I will have my hands full...and then some.

Of course, if anything happens in the world of NASCAR that ticks me off beyond belief, I will post about it. But for the most part, I probably won't be back until Sunday with my usual scripture for the day.

I Need To Vent

So lend me your ears and give me a shoulder to cry on. Please.

Thanks to a weeping track, Dale Jr. went from 8th in the points to 23rd. He was the unlucky recipient on the wrong end of a spin from teammate Casey Mears, who spun due to water on the track.

As most of you know, the race was finally called at 2:00 am EST and yes, I stayed up till then. It had looked promising around 11:00 pm that they would get it going, and in all honesty they should not have done what they did on Sunday. They should just have postponed it until Monday and not even started it at all. But do they ever do the right thing?

I don't even want to think about all the fuel they wasted drying the track eleventy hundred times over the weekend. It seems that was all they were doing. So yeah, I sat there and watched; at least it was vehicles going in circles on a track. Worked for me.

In my opinion, NASCAR pulled another bonehead move...again. But they never own up to their mistakes. One of these days that will come back to bite them in the butt. They put every driver at risk when they started the race on Sunday afternoon. At least five cars were unnecessarily involved due to water seepage on the track. And the fact that one of those was Dale Jr. just makes me irritated all the more. And I have every right to be irritated.

NASCAR should be shot for what they put the drivers through.

NASCAR should be shot for making fans wait all day only to cancel at 11:00 pm PST.

NASCAR should be shot for penalizing Robby Gordon. When are they ever going to stop picking on him?

NASCAR should be shot for all the stupid things they do or don't do.

NASCAR should be shot period!

OK, there...I think it's all out of my system. Till next time. Vegas, please be a little kinder to my boy. Does anyone else think that little black cloud has followed him from last year? It too should be shot. Hmmmmm...I do have a license to carry.

Snow Is Coming! Snow Is Coming!

And it's due to hit us sometime after I post this starting around 1 AM Friday continuing into the early hours of Saturday morning. 'bout darn time, I say.

It will start as snow with a possibility of sleet and freezing rain later in the afternoon, then possibly changing back to snow. 5"-8" of snow, people! I'm so excited I cannot contain myself. Really.

Finally something to write home about. I'm so snow-starved it ain't even funny. I sit here and read all about everyone else across the country getting snow and lots of it, and this region ~ which is known for some doozy snow storms ~ hasn't gotten anything to sneeze at for years. I believe the last big ones were over ten years ago.

This one won't be anything like those, but it's better than nothing. Although we don't have to go out in it, we are planning on doing a little bit of shopping in the morning.

And for once, I hope the meteorologists are dead on with this storm. Because all the other storms have either missed us or given us little bitty amounts of snow. Although we did have a good ice storm last week. But that's different...I like me some snow ~ and lots of it.

Abomination

The following (in quotes) is from one distributor, but I am assuming most all of them have similar wording:

"Motorsports Authentics, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and Richard Childress Racing are going to come together for one of the most historic motorsports unveilings in recent memory…. if not ever. As part of the Daytona 500 50th anniversary celebration, Motorsports Authentics and the above mentioned teams will release details about this one-of-a-kind marketing and licensing program celebrating NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. Aptly titled “Timeless,” this program honoring the “Intimidator” will resonate with NASCAR fans, collectors, historians and everyone in between."

I wrote about this a couple days ago but didn't really go into detail and I didn't have a picture at that time. And I really don't like to dwell on the subject because it gives me a pain in my heart, but here goes...

To me, this is the dumbest thing I have heard of in a long while. I know "she" contrived the idea first, ran to Richard Childress with it, he wasn't too keen on it and almost didn't agree, but he did; it was then presented to Motorsports Authentics. I heard it straight from Mr. Childress about his hesitation to go forward with the idea when he presented the car on QVC a few days ago.

When I first heard about it, I literally spit out whatever it was I was eating at the time. Too bad, because I also wanted to throw up and had nothing to throw up with. Anyone who thinks this is a good idea...well, I won't even go there. To each his own.

If those people mentioned above wanted to honor the late great Dale Earnhardt Sr., then they should have used the exact same car he drove to win the Daytona 500 back in 1998. I am sure more people would have bought that than will buy the CoT version. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Dale never laid eyes on a CoT, not in person and not on paper. The car and its concept did not exist in his time. So why in hell would they want to put something out on the market that is bogus to start with?

Well, I will tell you why. Remember whose idea it was in the first place? Yeah, it was her idea. She is so damned afraid the public will forget who Dale Earnhardt was. I was not a big fan of his but I will never forget him, and not just because he was Junior's father. I'm sure the majority of his enemies, if he had any, will never forget him either. And most of all, those that loved him dearly will never ever forget him. So why is she so damn worried?

Honor the man the right way... not with some dumb version of a car he never drove.

I'm In A State Of Confusion

(Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports)

Just what exactly does Dale Jr. have to do to gain a little respect from the majority of the media? These days he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. When he does good he's everybody's sweetheart; but let him finish ninth in the Daytona 500 and all of a sudden he's in deep trouble. Say what?

And that's what confuses me. How can the whole remainder of the season be judged by one race, and the first one at that? I truly believe a lot of those writers just like to see how many hits they can get on their sites when they write something derogatory about him.

I am going to try and justify that ninth place finish with the fact that it was their first points race, and I think Tony Eury Jr. just got mesmerized there at the end and couldn't make a proper call as to whether Junior should pit or not. At the very last second he told him to stay out. Most of the leaders came in. Had Junior been allowed to come in and get four fresh tires, I think he may have been a factor at the end, too. But we'll never know that. Anyway, I am hoping it was first race jitters. OK, I know they won the Shootout and also the first Duel qualifying race, but those weren't points races. They were fun races with no pressure. OK, I also am aware that the qualifying race was important, but Junior never has qualified well and he can start at the back of a race and still work his way to the front.

What it all comes down to in the end is that this is the first race of the season. The entire team still has a bit of time to grow as a team, a team that gels and comes together as one. They may be lacking that yet. But for heavens' sake let's allow them to do that before criticizing them and writing them off as one reporter (that I know of) has already done. He stated that because of what the team did or didn't do, that they won't even make the Chase, let alone win a race before the Chase. Well, mister, put your money where your mouth is...because you certainly have a big one.

Daytona 500

Congratulations to Ryan Newman on winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500.

Dale Jr. finished 9th. I was hoping for a better finish, but I am truly satisfied with what he accomplished overall considering what he went through during the entire race.

I watched the free DirecTV HotPass that concentrated solely on his car and team, including the communications between his spotter, his crew chief, and Dale Jr. Yeah, I heard some F-bombs and the S word and I thought it kind of cute that the audio was turned off after the word was said. Kind of like shutting the door after all the horses run out. Hey, I'm a grown-up, I can handle those words.

Listening in on everything can be sort of nerve-wracking because you get to hear all the things that go wrong. Like after the first caution when Dale Jr. said he felt a vibration the likes of which he'd never felt before. And then after another caution when he peeled onto pit lane and he broke his gear shifter knob off the lever, including the threads. And all I could think of was, I thought he left DEI.

Due to my watching HotPass, I really didn't get a grip on what was happening behind Junior for most of the race. I did see what happened after the fact though, but I will say here that I don't think I would want to tune into HotPass on a regular basis. This ole heart can't take much of that bad news.

At any rate, even though he finished 9th, he is 8th in the points, sitting only one point ahead of Robby Gordon. He earned 5 bonus points for leading a lap, and that explains why he is ahead of Robby.

So now all the SpeedWeeks hoopla is over and I can go back to some normalcy in my life. Until next week when we visit the Auto Club 500 in Fontana CA.

I have a question...if a driver won his Championship while Winston was the NASCAR sponsor at the time, why aren't those drivers referred to as Winston Cup Champions? As in, Bill Elliott, Winston Cup Champion. Instead they were saying Nextel Cup Champion when Nextel became the NASCAR sponsor, and this year it will be the Sprint Cup Champion due to Sprint being the sponsor. And now Bill Elliott has become three different champions. It just makes no sense to me at all. And I really think it is very stupid.

But what is really stupid is the fact that this year they are all being referred to as Sprint Cup Champions, and we haven't even finished any races under the Sprint sponsorship. What's up with these people in NASCAR? I wish they would just refer to the drivers as the champion of their particular sponsor at the time they won the Championship. Is that so hard to do?

********************

And another thing that has me really ticked off is the latest thing Dale Earnhardt Sr's widow has done. (For the record, I refuse to acknowledge her by name; we all know who she is. And she has become quite the professional widow, hasn't she?)

What I'm referring to is the 10th Anniversary diecast of Dale Sr's 1998 Daytona 500 win using the CoT car! Why? He never saw that car, let alone drove it. What was wrong with honoring him with the car he actually drove to victory? What the hell is wrong with her? And why did Richard Childress go along with what she wanted? I don't think he cared for the idea until she talked him into it. And just where did she get that kind of power? Oh yeah, that's right...she did kick her step-son to the curb, so I guess she can do just about anything she wants.

Just for the record...I will never buy anything that puts money in that woman's pocket. Please, woman, let that poor man rest in peace already!

Two For Two

The Budweiser Shootout was won with the National Guard car. The first Duel 150 was won with the Amp Energy car. Does anyone still have questions as to how good he is?



The next step is Saturday's Nationwide Series race. Dale Jr. will be driving the #5 National Guard car. Let's hope he can make it three for three.

Just Another Hurdle

All the Hendrick drivers had their engines changed "due to a lifter problem likely caused by a bad batch of coating." The rules state they must now start at the rear of the pack. I don't like it, but rules are rules.

Some drivers can get in a heap of trouble starting behind a lot of other drivers that must race their way into the Daytona 500 on Sunday. And those eager drivers will be hell bent for leather and will take more chances than they normally would. Add in the fact, too, that these CoT cars are in unfamiliar territory, having never raced at this track let alone in a field of 43 cars. The Budweiser Shootout had 23 drivers, and mostly top tier drivers at that.

I'm excited to see these duel races, finally, but not exactly eager to watch the possible carnage. With any luck at all, the Hendrick boys will escape any wrecks and help each other to the front where they can show their stuff. Ok, so I dilligently followed my driver over to the so-called "dark side" of Hendrick Motorsports. Big deal. I have been telling you all along that no matter where he went that I would follow. I don't care who he drives for, and to top it all off...I have become a follower of Casey, Jeff, and even Jimmie. And I'm not ashamed to admit it either.

Now, let's hope the Toyotas don't muddy up the show. I am also not ashamed to say that I do not like the idea of having Toyotas in NASCAR. Nope...just don't like the idea at all. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Skeet Ulrich & Jericho

The long-awaited (for me anyway) second season of Jericho was on Tuesday evening.

The last episode of the first season was shown on May 9, 2007. That's a long wait from then till now. I am so glad they decided not to cancel the show after all. That's a very long story that I don't want to get into right now, but I had a tiny hand in helping to bring it back.

It was well worth the wait though. There will be six more episodes, and if enough people tune in each week it will be in the lineup for Fall this year.

Because they filmed only seven episodes, they were able to cram lots of excitement into each one instead of having to draw things out over a full season. And that makes for some pretty exciting viewing.

If you missed it, too bad. Tune in next Tuesday at 10:00 PM EST.

Hang On!

I have been scouring every article I can to read about Dale Jr's fabulous win in the Budweiser Shootout, and some of them are somewhat upsetting to me.

There are those people who think that Dale Jr was "given" that win. Think again. Any racecar driver on any given day would prefer to win above all else. Yes, they are often told by their owner to help their teammates during the race, but when it comes down to the last couple laps and they see that there is a possibility that they could win the race, they will try to make that happen. No one is told to give a race to a teammate. Ain't happenin'. Junior has enough laurels to rest on to make it on his own to win without someone being told to help him win.

Besides, circumstances in the Shootout put Junior in the right place at the right time. He fought to be in front, as he well deserved to be. He didn't get to the front while waiting to be pushed there until the very end when it counted, just like he did in 2004 to help Dale Jarrett win during the same race.

The one thing the Hendrick organization stresses is teamwork, and they simply showed us how it can and should be done. There is no doubt in my mind that Junior had that race won from the get-go, just as soon as he took command of that first spot. (But I still held my breath all the way to the end.)

The people who have discovered him within the past few years and have become his fans are in for a real treat. They haven't seen the real Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not the way I have seen him when he first hit the track. He used to start in the back and just slice and dice his way to the front. A lot of times he would purposely drop to the back so that he could pass other cars. He loved every minute of it. He was having fun and he was doing what he loved the best: racing.

Somewhere along the line, the bottom fell out. It wasn't just one thing that happened, but rather a lot of things that were out of his control. Given a decent car, he can work magic. But if that car sucks, like the ones the she-bitch was giving him this past year, there's not much can be done to make it work, no matter who the driver is.

I truly believe that Dale Jr is very capable of being as good as, if not better than, his father. Just give him time and he will prove me right.

Meanwhile, climb in, pull your straps tight, and hold on because you are in for one helluva season!

So, Who won The Bud Shootout?

Damn straight it was Dale Earnhardt Jr!

What? You didn't think he would?

Well, shame on you.

Baby...he's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Days Are Here Again

Yes indeedy I certainly am smiling...and I will let you in on a little secret as to why: the racing season has started. Between SPEED channel and ESPN2, I am quite the happy camper. And I watched the drawing for positions in Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout. Junior drew position 7. He usually draws a number putting him way in the back of the pack, so I am glad to see his luck in that department has changed. Now let's hope his luck stays that way for the remainder of the year.

Most of you are aware that Junior has marketed a candy bar called Big Mo, and it comes in two varieties. Chocolate covered caramel and chocolate covered peanut butter. The majority of the country had them at the beginning of the year, but in my area the candy was delayed for some reason and it wasn't being distributed till just a week or so ago. And guess what? It's made one county away from me. Yeah, go figure.

So when I finally found it in the store I bought one of each variety. But I didn't eat any right away. I'm funny that way. So yesterday I felt was the day I should try one. I chose the caramel first because I always save the best for last, saving the peanut butter. I'm funny that way too. Don't laugh. It's not funny.

Let me tell you right here and now that if you find the candy in your store, buy it and eat it right away. You will think you died and went to heaven. I can't buy any more. The amount of fat and calories in just one bar is beyond my quota for the whole day. But if you don't have to worry about clogged arteries or gaining weight, then please, by all means munch away to your heart's content.

And finally, for those of you anxiously waiting to see some racing, enjoy the Shootout Saturday and I hope your favorite driver wins. Especially if your favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr. You saw that coming, didnt you?

This Just In From Jade Gurss

(For those of you who don't know who Jade Gurss is, he was Junior's PR person when Budweiser was his sponsor. Jade was employed by Anheuser-Busch. He turned the job down when he was asked if he wanted to continue with Kasey Kahne as the new Bud driver.)

The following is from Jade's site:

Speaking of the #88 team, I laugh whenever I read or hear speculation of the immense pressure Junior is under this year. Don't believe it: he suddenly can go out and race with an owner that is supportive professionally and personally as well as not having the hopes and expectations of an entire company on his shoulders. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, this move will be as valuable to Dale Jr. on a human level as it is an opportunity to drive the finest equipment. Any true competitor thrives on this: the chance to show your stuff in the best possible scenario.

I recall a brief exchange between the spotter and Dale Jr. during last year's Talladega race with the CoT...

Spotter: "It looks like the Hendrick cars can go whenever they like..."
Dale Jr: (droll) "Yeah... I remember what that feels like."

He will again experience that feeling this year.

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Thank you Jade for those wonderful encouraging words. We are about to find that out, too, as race day approaches.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME RACING?

TV coverage from Daytona officially starts on Thursday of this week. Be there.

A Giant Upset

Congratulations to Elisha Nelson Manning and his band of rag-tag Giants on their Super Bowl win. When you believe, things happen. It was also announced a few minutes ago that Eli was named the MVP.



Here is a picture of some of my favorite scenery throughout the game:

Brady going down...again.

Which Chowder Will It Be?

Manhattan clam chowder vs New England Clam Chowder aka The Big Game aka The Super Bowl.

Can you tell the difference between the two chowders? Here is how I separated them when I was in my teens: Manhattan clam chowder is red, therefore I associate it with the redskins that sold that island to the white man. And, no, I do not like that term redskins, but it is the only way I can explain this.

New England clam chowder is white, therefore I associate it with all the snow that falls in that area. Simple, huh?

For all intents and purposes, this year I am a Manhattan clam chowderhead. Since I was raised in New York (both Manhattan and Long Island) as a child, naturally I have become a Giants fan. But remember, I am a 49ers fan first, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Cowboys since I am a Terrell Owens fan and follow him wherever he goes. My being an Owens fan goes back to when he played for the 49ers.

I am hoping the Giants can pull this one out and win. I don't care if it's only by one point, as long as they win. For some reason, and it goes back years before Tom Brady and his Patriots, I have had a dislike for that team. I don't remember why, it just is. And every year they make it to the Super Bowl and go on to win just adds fuel to the fire. And it's starting to burn out of control...