Summer's Over

When my first flower bloomed at the beginning of the season, I was so excited that I had to take a picture of it. Yes, I am weird that way. I was the same way with my kid when she was small. I think I have a picture of her in every new outfit she ever wore.

I planted bulbs for the first time in a long time in the Fall of 2006. I got absolutely no flowers on any of them the following Spring. That was a bit devastating since I had hoped at least one of them would spring forth with a flower. No dice. So I had to be patient and wait until this year. This particular plant is a Stella D'Orio...a plant I have admired for years but never planted due to lack of space. Back in 2006 I bought a bunch of bulbs including day lilies and irises. I made room by clearing out a patch of ground alongside our garage.

The picture above is from the kidney-shaped area in the front of the house where we have the light pole, a dogwood tree and a rose bush. My husband said he had plans for that area, so I just never thought of it as a place to put my bulbs. After many years of waiting for his so-called plans, I finally decided to take over the area and that is where I planted. And that's the end of that discussion.

But getting back to the title of this post...I never look forward to Labor Day. Ever since I was a kid in school, Labor Day meant the end of summer and also the end of fun. We had long summers back when I was in school. At least three and a half months long. And they seemed to last longer than that because when you're a kid time does stand still. Not so today...you blink and there goes three months shot to hell.

I can't exactly say I accomplished much this summer either. Sometimes it was just too hot to go outside. As long as I kept the cats outside happy, that was all that mattered. We welcomed new kittens in May and I think every one of the older females had a litter, but not all of them survived. And I suppose there were litters we never knew about and they didn't survive. We can now account for four kittens that made it through the summer. Up to a week ago there were five, but one has gone missing. They do that sometimes and then show up later. I think they like to drive me nuts wondering what happened to them.

So, yes, summer is over and now we turn our thoughts to cooler weather, new shows on TV, things that are only open weekends and no longer during the week, and my most unfavorite thing: Winter.


And not to forget my favorite subject of all, NASCAR. There is one more race to go (Richmond) before the Chase starts. There is one thing I am looking forward to as far as the Chase goes and that is hopefully one of the drivers will take it upon himself to knock the you-know-what out of Kyle Busch for being such a snot nose all season long. Now that the Chase is getting closer and a lot of the other drivers have mentioned they owe Kyle one or two paybacks, Kyle is having second thoughts. NOW he is wanting to make friends with them. Too bad, so sad. Also, too late. I can't wait till he gets the snot knocked out of him and he is finally put in his place during the Chase. And maybe next year he will be likeable ~ just like his brother is now. Ya think?

The Dark Knight

I'm not a fan of Batman (this is the first one I've paid to see). I'm not a fan of Christian Bale (although he's not too bad on the eyes). I'm not a fan of sinister...however, the sinister in this movie was to my liking.

So, with all that said, you're probably wondering why I went to see this particular movie. Because of this guy:

He is worth the price of the ticket alone. He played The Joker with just the right touches: not too evil, not too overly funny. Just perfectly. And for that I truly believe the Academy of Arts & Sciences should bestow an Oscar posthumously to the late Heath Ledger.

I first discovered Heath in A Knight's Tale. I was so enamored by him in that film, I watched it over and over that day (I was home on sick leave with a horrible cold). So enamored, that I couldn't let go. The day he passed on from this earth is the day I was forced to let go. But he'll always hold a place in my heart.

I miss you, Heath.

Mauled By A Kitten

Since we have a feral colony of cats like forever, I feel it is my duty to provide shelter for them during inclement weather. Besides having a large dog house with a fluffy comforter as bedding, there is also an upright wooden box with bedding. Early last winter, I took two of these chairs on our deck and pushed them against the house. I then took another comforter and draped it over the two chairs and tucked it over the backs. That provided shelter on both sides and in the front.

When I went out to feed them this morning, I noticed activity on the one chair but underneath the comforter. I thought this quite strange because it looked like the smallest of the kittens and if it was her, she would normally be long gone by the time I even set foot on the first step of the deck. As I got nearer to the chairs she still hadn't left.

Very tentatively I lifted the comforter and was quite dismayed at what I saw. If you look at the back of that chair up there you can see that the slots are wider at the top than at the bottom. That poor little kitten had somehow gotten its front leg in that slot, only it was all the way at the bottom of the slot. She had it in there almost up to her shoulder and the leg wasn't going anywhere. Of course I was welcomed with a hiss like nobody's business. Not to mention the squirming that was going on and the pitiful mewing. I tried to slide her leg up but both her other paw and mouth came at my hand. So I reached around the back to try and slide it up. That didn't work either. It was really wedged in there.

Around the front again, and she still wasn't having anything to do with it. Only this time she sank either her teeth or her claws into the main knuckle of my ring finger on my right hand. At that point with all the blood she drew I wanted to run inside and take care of my wound, but that little kitten was in more trouble than I was at that point. Finally I took the comforter and put it over her head and free paw and managed somehow to slide the stuck leg up where she could pull it out. She acted so fast that she was gone in a flash. Poof! it was that fast. Poor little bugger.

Her name is Tuxsie and she was born May 13th. She had at least two other siblings but they didn't make it so she is a survivor. This is not the first time I have been bitten or scratched by a feral cat. And it probably won't be the last time. This is not a picture of her, as she is tinier than this one, but it gives you an idea of what I was facing.

I think she bit me rather than clawed because of the shape of the wound. It is horseshoe shaped right over the knuckle. It bled like a beast. There are also two smaller puncture wounds above it toward the hand. I poured peroxide over it and put a bandage on. And I am glad to say, I will live till I die.

Yes, This Is How I Feel

Not Meant For Splitting

Personally, I am so tired of looking forward to a weekend of racing with the possibility of Dale Jr. winning a race and having to walk away wondering what went wrong.

In the end, the car just goes from being wicked wonderful to just plain wicked. How it manages to turn itself into a piece of crap mid-race is beyond me. It turns itself into something even the best rodeo rider cannot tame. Why is that? Who do we blame?

I blame no one. I blame the dadgummed CoT. Yes, I know other teams are managing the CoT, to their good fortune. But no team has a greater advantage over another. Except of course, the #18 of Gibbs Racing. And please don't make me tell you who the driver is because it leaves a very unpleasant taste in my mouth. Of course, we all know what has happened to Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide series over the weekend, so let's all hold our breath and see if anything erupts in the Cup series with their teams and the "C" word. (For those of you not privy to what is going on, the C word is cheating.)

From now until the Chase I am going to try and not get so caught up in pre-race activities, or pre-race hype via the media. Because I get so tired of that let down feeling week after week.

But let me get something clear right here and now. I have not, nor will I ever, give up on the dynamic duo: Dale Jr. and Tony Jr. But I do wish they would both get their sh*t together before the Chase starts after the next three races.

How can anyone even suggest that these two cousins be separated? They're blood.

Scott Speed - One Of A Kind

When I first saw or heard of Scott Speed I was immediately "taken" to him. I just adore him. I could say I have no idea why but that would be a lie. He's just so different which is what I was all my life. I never was and still am not what they call a conformist. Quite the opposite. If someone said to me This is the way it's supposed to be I would always question Why? And I haven't changed.

Scott's only problem is he drives a Toyota, which as you all know by now my opinion is that Toyota does not belong in NASCAR. I apologize if I offend anyone by stating that, but it's true.

Scott has proved to me that he does deserve a place in NASCAR. He wins when he drives in the truck series, and he wins in the ARCA series. And if he must drive a Toyota, so be it. I still like him.

One Wrong, One Right

I watched the entire season of Nashville Star this year for the first time ever. When I first heard Gabe Garcia sing, I felt he would win the entire competition.

Gabe finished second, losing out to a 32-year-old mother of five boys all under the age of 10, I believe. She has a great voice now but it wasn't all that good when she first started at the beginning. As a matter of fact she was in the bottom three a lot. But she won and Gabe didn't, and that was a shock to me.

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At least they got it right on So You Think You Can Dance. I picked the winner when I saw his initial audition. Joshua Allen, a 19-year-old from Fort Worth TX. His dancing blew me away and I enjoyed watching him grow as a dancer over the season.

Josh is what they call a street dancer and he has had no formal training. As a matter of fact, he had next to no training in dance in his young life. So, yeah, they got that one right when he was chosen the winner. Not only does he have the honor of winning Season 4, he also won $250,000 and a role in a movie as a dancer.


I'll be watching for that movie because I love to watch Josh dance.

Comedy of Errors

That's exactly how I feel about the race at Watkins Glen. Why Tony Jr. didn't bring Dale Jr. in to pit when everyone else did is beyond me. I suppose he had a brain fart. They really shouldn't take unnecessary chances at this point in time. Because of Tony Jr's stupidity, Junior had to start 27th but did manage to bring himself up to 22nd at the end. He also dropped to fourth in the points, which is not a big deal right now because more than likely when they reset the points for the Chase he will start fifth.
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On another note...
I don't know how many of you out there subscribe to McAfee for your antivirus. I have been a subscriber since I got my computer back in November 2001. For the past few months I have been having a lot of trouble with shutdowns, frozen screens, McAfee's icon going in circles at the bottom of the screen telling me there is yet another update going on, and I could go on and on. I tolerated it because I knew I was going to dump them when my subscription was up for renewal at the end of September. But I didn't know if I could hold out that long.

Every blessed day, around 4:30 or so, it would start. McAfee would update. I had the scan set to automatically do its job in the wee hours of the morning so I wouldn't be bothered with that part. It usually takes well over two hours. But this update business was really driving me up a wall. It was occurring more and more every day. And whenever it would do that, my computer would slow down or freeze or just be a general pain in the butt. I can't tell you how many times I have rebooted or just shut it down to start up again. It got to be insane after awhile.

When I got this computer, I had dial-up as it was the only thing available and eventually I switched to DSL when it became available. But it was still slow, just not as bad as dial-up. A few months ago I upgraded the DSL so my computer would be faster yet. I read that McAfee slows down a computer but at that time I didn't want to believe that. I was in denial as they say. So when my provider upgraded my DSL, I had hoped my computer would be faster than it was. No.such.luck. It was possessed. I tried everything I could think of...and then I finally gave in and realized that it had to be McAfee causing all my problems. Practically everything I read on other forums said McAfee does that. I became a believer.

What did I do? I uninstalled the damn program, installed a free antivirus program, got everything straightened out, and within a day my computer was finally doing what it's supposed to do. It's possessed in a different way now...like it's on steroids. And I am so liking that.

Anyone else out there with McAfee problems? I hear Norton is just as bad.

Back In The Day

Yesterday while my husband and I were coming home from an errand, we decided to stop off at a place that he and I had visited before we got married. And that was 18 years ago this past April. These are photos of Jordan Creek. It is a main artery that flows all over the Lehigh County.

The water is almost at a standstill at this area. I know where the creek comes from in the west but I have no idea where it ends in the east, if it ends at all. I've never traced the entire creek itself. This photo is looking west and you can see the late-setting sun where it hits the wall at the other end.

At the very top, out of the photo, is an old railroad track which I don't think is being used. It still serves a purpose for the local deer as they use that to cross over the creek when the water is higher. This area is abundant with deer.

Keep in mind that I am separated from the area by a chest high stone wall that I had to lean way over so I could take these photos.

The following photo is looking east. The water is quite low and I'm sure if it were higher it probably would be flowing a bit faster.

This photo is just of the wall at the end of the tunnel and I thought it was a neat area of contrast.

The following photo is blurry and I apologize for that. I guess I was leaning too far out and didn't steady myself.

It really is a shame that places like these that have so much history are neglected and not kept up to par. We have stopped here now and again since that first time but yesterday it was the worst we've seen it. Maybe after a good rain things might change and the water will flow at a good pace again. Nature is a wonderful thing that way.

Pocono 500

Pre-Race Thoughts:

As usual, my first thoughts are for all drivers to have a safe race. Then I concentrate on my driver, Dale Jr., hoping that he finishes the race and doesn't have a DNF, then I think a top ten finish would be good, a top-five even better, and a win would be totally awesome. I tell myself this before every race.

Thoughts During The Race:

Dale Jr. qualified 12th. Kyle Busch qualified 27th. For all intents and purposes, those are the only two cars I keep my eye on. They are at the extreme opposite of my scale, with Kyle being at the very bottom. And I always hope that if there is a pileup of cars that it happens far behind Junior.

After The Race Thoughts:

What the hell! Dale Jr. ran out of gas on the last lap and went from a 4th place finish to 12th place. No matter...he's still second in the points and gained 77 points on leader Kyle, who by the way, finished 36th. And when Kyle has a lousy race (like these last two)...well, that just makes my day. Sorry, but I just can't stomach him.

Sports Odds 'n Ends

I'm looking forward to the upcoming X-Games but not for the same reason that most other people are. I'm ecstatic they are starting soon because I am sick to death of having to watch all those promos on ESPN showing that Darth Vader look alike and his/its godawful acting. No, I'm not a big X-Game fan, but I might look in once in awhile just to see what's going on in that world.

Oh Tony (Stewart), not again. Just when we all thought it was safe to go in the water, he managed to have a $10,000 fine thrown at him plus probation for the remainder of the seaon in the USAC series. He knocked the headset off one official and shoved another. What he was experiencing at the time was very emotional and it's difficult to hold those emotions in, so I won't fault him. I have been there myself. Now, if only we could get Tony angry enough to knock his teammate (Kyle Busch) upside the head a few times. I'd even pay to see that.

The New York Mets are tenaciously holding on to first place in the National League East Division. I can only hope they stay there, or at least be there at the end of the season. Before Willie Randolph was tossed as their manager, things weren't looking so good but they seem to have changed that around under new management. Yes, I am a Mets fan.

And speaking of soul...Well, I meant to...Congratulations to John Bon Jovi, owner of the Philadelphia Soul Arena football team on their championship title. Philly finally got one right.

And finally, speaking of football, I wish someone would step in so Brett Favre can play football again. I'm so not liking the Green Bay Packers for how they are treating him saying his only option is to sit out the rest of his Green Bay career on the bench. He deserves so much more than that. And no, I'm not a Packers fan, but I do respect Brett Favre.

Bad Day At Indy

This is the aftermath of Matt Kenseth's tire after it got tired of being scraped over the surface of the racetrack during the Allstate 400 At The Brickyard. I guess I would blow too if someone scraped my behind over such an abrasive surface.

Sunday's race was quite the fiasco. So much for modern day technology. Goodyear certainly had their hands full and I am hoping they find the reason why their tires were wearing out so quickly.

Having a caution flag flown just about every ten laps is not my idea of a race. Approximately one third of the race was run under caution. It certainly was a very strange day.

On another note...

I honestly would like to know what Kyle Busch's problem is with Dale Jr. He hounds him incessantly (he chose the pit stall next to Dale Jr. after Junior chose his). His interviews are always sprinkled with underlying messages that are not so nice. He is forever dissing not only Junior but Hendrick Motorsports. We are far enough into this season now that he should be thankful for what he has done for and with his new team at Gibbs Racing. But it just seems he can't let things rest. It's as if he blames Dale Jr. for losing his job at HMS, when in actuality Kyle should blame only himself for that loss, because a blind man could see that coming. For it was he who did all the wrong things to cause Mr. Hendrick to throw up his hands and finally decide he had to go. Do you suppose Casey Mears will act the same way after he leaves HMS this year? No. Why? Because Casey has class. Something Kyle needs to learn...and the sooner the better, because I so want to be the one to take him over my knee and beat it into him.

Nice Ride, Tony

Mark Martin: Filling The #5 Seat

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(I wrote this the day Mark Martin was named by owner Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports to fill the #5 seat. And I put it in draft. Since there was no Cup racing this past weekend, now is a good time to release my post.)

Speculation as to who would be sitting in the #5 Hendrick seat after it was announced that Casey Mears would be gone at the end of this season, spurred plenty of scenarios.

The one that kept popping up the most was Mark Martin, and that he would be sharing the ride with Brad Keselowski who currently drives for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide series. Of all the possibilities, that was the one I wanted least. Although giving Brad seat time did appeal to me because that meant he would probably be in the #5 full time by 2010. And that excited me. Except Brad wasn't involved in the acquirement of Mr. Martin.

Another possibility, and one I really would have embraced, was Tony Stewart driving the #5, and also Martin Truex Jr. Either one would have made me happy. But Tony had other ideas. Martin is still sitting on the proverbial pot.

Tony Stewart driving for HMS would give us a "Dream Team" is what I started seeing in print. And I thought that was possible even though rumors were flying around that he was buying Haas/CNC. But I felt that he could buy that team and still drive for another team.

By the time the announcement was made, I was fairly certain it would be Mark. What sort of shocked me though, was the fact that he would be driving full time and would try to win a championship, something that has eluded him his entire racing career.

When Mark left Roush Racing to drive for Ginn, I wondered why. It just made no sense to me back then. Then when Ginn was absorbed by DEI, I wondered how long Mark would stay. It didn't take Teresa too long to dump him, did it? He was their ace in the hole that became quite dispensible in a hurry.

Mark has now come full circle so to speak - another driver Rick almost snagged early in his career but ended up elsewhere. I can only hope he does HMS proud, because he is very good at embracing the company he works for and I've never heard him bad mouth any of his previous bosses.

I stopped being a Mark Martin fan years ago when he left the Busch series, but it looks like I have to revise my thinking. It might take a lot to digest, but I think I can do it. I think.

Monday Morning Chuckle

We call him Giraffe...

So What's The Problem?

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer
fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer
heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and
suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer
fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat a lot
of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart
attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is
apparently what kills you...

What A Waste Of My Good Time

I always anticipate the three-day race weekend with a passion beyond belief. I guess some of my readers have figured that out by now. So why do I always feel like my time has been wasted when the race is over? Do I need to tell you? I didn't think so.

I would rather dance with the devil than have to watch that #18 M&Ms/Interstate Batteries car zipping around the track kicking everyone else's butt. It just ain't right! And that goes for the Nationwide races and the Craftsman truck races.

I remember last year how upset I was every time Jimmie Johnson won a Cup race (ten of them), and then went on to win his second championship. I wasn't a happy camper...but damn it, at least he was easy on the eyes. This joker we have running away with everything just plain hurts my eyes to look at him. Somebody should have slapped his mama when he was born. Just because.

There are very few people on this earth whom I have issues with and he is at the top of the list. Every week I wait in anticipation for him to slip up, but face it, we might as well just hand him the trophy now and get this anger over with early.

So tell me, why is God being so good to him? I really am at a loss as to why we, as fans, have to be subjected to his smugness week after week. Smugness isn't even in my book. People with smugness I just want to smack into next week, or in his case, next year. Oh yeah...that would make me really, really happy. Am I alone in this? Because I really don't want to go to anger management classes. Or dance with the devil either.

Movin' On

And it's about damn time...



I for one am very happy that Tony has chosen to leave Gibbs Racing at the end of this season. He was able to get out of his contract. His crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, will not be going with him. I guess Tony wants to start with a clean plate.

I knew it wouldn't be long before Tony made a decision like this, and I am sure the wheels started turning when he learned that he would be driving a Toyota. And when the opportunity came to purchase half of Haas/CNC I have no doubt in my mind that he knew what he wanted to do despite some of the other scenarios he threw at us.

Starting in 2009, Gibbs will be saddled with three prima donnas (Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano who is said to be climbing in the #20 once Tony is gone). And all I can say is, good luck to Gibbs. Because the three drivers he will be left with are not on my radar screen, nor will they ever be. I always thought Tony was way out of their league in that he has more personality in his little finger than his current three teammates combined.

One thing I'd like to add, and that is I don't think we have heard the end of this yet...there is a strong possibility that Dale Jr. might be involved with some things Tony is cooking up. Stay tuned...

Monkeyin' Around

A monkey could win in that car
-Clint Bowyer 7/4/8

Clint, of course, was talking about the #20 and his comment was made after the Daytona 250. And if you remember, the #20 has been winning most of the Nationwide races this season with four different Gibbs drivers.



Well, to be honest with you I am positive that a few monkeys have driven the #20 car. Namely Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. I'm still out to lunch on Joey Logano, the new kid on the block. Although I must say what little I have seen of him and his mouth, I'm not much of a fan. I tried...believe me I did. It's not working. And Tony Stewart? Don't you dare say anything against him to me.

I really don't like comparing these guys to a monkey, as I don't want to toss any slurs toward or against monkeys as a whole because let's face it, monkeys are cute. But those two guys...well, let's just say they are the closest thing to what monkeys do. Remember, they draw the biggest crowds at the zoos and quite often they make an ass out of themselves, especially when they know they have an audience. Sound familiar? Think about it.

Have A Happy One!

Hello...Anybody Out There?

Is it because it's summer?

Am I boring?

Do I come off as being bossy?

Wimpy?

I've been writing this blog for three years and, although my posts always give me great satisfaction and a feeling of pride, it isn't the same lately.

I feel like no one's reading, no one cares, and it's a lonely feeling. Another one of life's great mysteries.

Maybe it's because I mix NASCAR with my every day life experiences. Maybe I should keep to one subject. Whatever the problem is, I'm bewildered.

I thought after three years that I would have lots of readers with loads of comments on each post. That's not the case, and I don't know why.

I really enjoy putting posts together. An idea pops into my head, I grab pen and paper, and I start writing. Usually it all flows out at once and I don't have too much editing. I would love to post something every day...but if no one is reading them, what's the point? It makes me feel like I'm wasting my time.

So you tell me ~ what is it exactly that I'm doing wrong? C'mon, cheer me up a little.

Problem Solved

We are going shopping today for a home theater system to replace the one that died a few weeks ago. We never did figure out what happened to it. And I thought that by some small miracle it would come back to life, because every day since it left us I have been checking on it. No such luck. It has a one-disc DVD player that we never used.

I have one system in mind and I'm fairly sure we will end up buying it. It too has a DVD player but with a 5-disc changer. It also has a lot more amenities than the system that croaked so I know we will be using the DVD player this time around. When I bought that first system, I really didn't know what I was doing as it was all kind of new to me. I ended up having to buy a separate receiver. What did I know. I'm not electronically inclined.

I had bought it for my husband as a Christmas gift. It was a year before we took it out of the box and tried to hook it up. If you ever want to see something funny, come over to my house and watch two electronically challenged people trying to hook something of new technology up to an existing system. Bring lunch. We'll supply the entertainment.

Months later, after we gave up what we thought would be an easy job, our TV was giving us problems. So when the repairman came to fix it, we were able to talk him into connecting the surround sound system for us at no extra cost.

The new system is wireless. That alone makes it worth its price. And I want to thank Uncle Sam for giving me the money to buy it.

Put Out To Pasture Much Too Soon

This post was originally written shortly after I was helped out of my last job. Because I have absolutely nothing to write about, I went through some old possible posts and found this still in draft mode. This will be my last post on my last job, honest. I will publish it now before it gets lost again...

I wasn't ready for it ~ not yet ~ I just wanted a few more years. God knows it wasn't my idea, but I really needed them. Instead, those needed years were yanked right out from under me (much like the cow above).

How rude I thought. Guess they are making way for the 20-something crowd. You know, the ones that are only stopping by for a visit. You know the type...take the job because nothing else looks good at that moment in time, or maybe no one else offered something better. And then they work a few months eventually moving on using that job as a stepping stone, not caring what kind of destruction they caused before they left. (Ashley J?)

In my case, I wasn't replaced by a young one. No, instead I was replaced by a co-worker returning from an operation. She was someone who didn't have a job waiting for her when she got back into the fold, because her job was given to someone else while she was gone. But at that time they felt she was more important to keep around I suppose. Why? I'll never know because she was as useful as you-know-what on a bull.

And so they figured out a way to dump me so she could have my payroll job. I also audited bills, but that job was taken away from me and was completely scrapped. In other words, it was thrown into obliteration, and I was soon to follow.

As I now look back on those last few days of mine, I really don't feel that I could have done anything different than what I had done. I didn't try to save my job because that fate had already been decided, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to change it. Plus I did have my pride.

And so, seeing the handwriting on the wall, I began cleaning out my desk, cabinet, and other things days before the axe came down. And to this day, I still don't have closure on what happened and it looks like I never will. Worst of all, the person (male) that decided my fate worked there two years and then quit. Now that's rude.

To me that is the worst fate of all. Oh, not the loss of a good job, but the reason as to why I no longer have that good job.

Rest In Peace

Scott Kalitta

1962 ~ 2008

And They're Off!

No, not to see the wizard...to a road course. Infineon Raceway to be exact. Located in Sonoma, California. Aka Sears Point Raceway. Ahhhh...Sonoma wine country. Somebody please put me in your pocket and take me along. I won't be any trouble, honest. Till I get near the wine, that is.

I'm not all that fond of road course racing, but I'll take my weekly NASCAR any way I can get it. Sonoma is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and NASCAR has been there for the last 20 years.

Dale Jr. finished 13th last year, after qualifying 3rd. In 2003 and 2004, he finished 11th both times. We won't discuss here where he finished the other years. In his early racing career he never left it be unknown that he didn't like road courses. But as he learned how to 'handle' them, things changed. By 2004 he was confident enough to want to drive a Corvette in the Infinion Grand Prix, an American Le Mans Series race. During warm up the morning of the race, on July 18th, he had a wreck that spilled fuel causing fire to erupt inside the car. I don't remember how long he was in the fire till he realized what was happening (it seemed like an eternity to me), and was able to get himself out. It almost looks like he was in a daze or unconscious in the video.

I don't like posting these photos, but it is a grim reminder of what can happen.

I have watched that video numerous times and am still amazed at how he was able to get out and not be burned worse than what he was. He received second degree burns on his chin and the inside of his legs. It gives me goosebumps. I don't like to watch it too often, but I do like to be reminded of what could have happened had he not gotten out and that we are lucky he is still with us. And yes, I am a firm believer that he was not alone when he exited that burning inferno. You can tell by the way he came out of the window on his back facing toward heaven.

Hot Damn, He Won!

Oh Geez, Now What?

A few nights ago, after four days of oppressive heat, we finally had a rain storm that cooled things off somewhat. I say somewhat because it's still hot, just not as humid. During that storm of lightning and thundering and pelting rain, our satellite went searching. That's no big deal, because I'm used to it and can usually occupy myself by picking up the current novel I am reading.

We also have a surround sound system hooked up. It has never given me a problem in the past 3 or so years that we have it. I bought the system and my husband did what he could to sort of set it up. But not that it was operable properly. He got the surround sound to work, but not like it is when you hear it in an electronics store. I guess you only attain that sound if you pour hundreds of dollars into it.

When we were having problems with our TV, I summoned our repairman, who came out to do what he had to so things were set right in this household once again. I am certainly not one to be without my TV. It's sacrilegious in my book not to have TV, even though it wasn't till I was 13 that my parents brought a TV into the house. Don't ask me why they waited so long because I don't know why.

Getting back to the repairman...while he was here I took it upon myself to ask him if he would kindly check the surround sound system and make sure everything was hooked up properly, and while he was at it would he please adjust everything too? He had no problem with that and went about his business. He then showed me how to use the remote control and left. We never got a bill for his extra work.

But somewhere along the line during that recent storm, something happened. For two days now I have been playing around both manually and with the remote and I still cannot get the sound to come back on, even though everything else is in order. Now, I'm not too stupid when it comes to these things, so it's not that I don't know what I'm doing. But for the life of me, I just cannot get that damn sound to work at all. And it's really frustrating at most.

And the sad thing is, my husband doesn't know jack sh*t when it comes to that stuff. So I am left on my own pretty much. I guess maybe I could do a better job if the manual were more explicit, but when it's printed in another country something gets lost in the translation. This manual isn't all that bad though, but what irks me more is that when the person that writes it thinks the person that's reading it knows exactly what they are talking about. Well, I don't get it.

So here I am, I have a surround sound system and yet I don't. What to do, what to do...

Hot Hot Hot

This cartoon pretty much sums it all up. Here in the Lehigh Valley, it is hotter than Hades. We hit 97F yesterday and right now it is only 95F. They were predicting the temperature to hit at least 100F today but it doesn't look that way. However, relief is in sight and we should have more bearable weather by tomorrow.

That's good, because I must get out and do some shopping and my husband needs to mow the grass. Since he purchased one of those zero turn mowers, he gets very excited to mow the grass these days. So he is chomping at the bit because I won't let him mow in this godawful heat.

I only go outside twice a day; once in the morning and again around 4:30 and that is to feed the cats and give them fresh water. This heat has been hanging around now since the end of last week. It is oppressive to say the least. When I open the door in the morning and step onto the porch it is like being hit in the face with a sopping wet towel. A very hot wet towel.

My two house cats are happier than you-know-what and snooze the afternoons away in our air-conditioned house. But my cats outside try to stay cool by sleeping under the deck. Every once in awhile we'll see one or two venture out from under there and they look so bedraggled from the heat. Poor little things. I am sure they, too, are looking forward to cooler weather. It ain't easy being out there wearing a fur coat.

We are in a heat advisory today yet. South of us, toward Philadelphia, it is supposedly hotter than it is here and they have more than just an advisory. Other than just this southeastern area of PA, I have no idea how extensive this heat is in other parts of the nation. Maybe I should check the TV for news. Nah...maybe not.

Maybe some of you can tell me how it is where you live and how you deal with it. 'K?

Ups And Downs

Another Pocono 500 is in the books. Dale Jr. made me dizzy today in that he was all over the field going as low as 29, I believe, and as high as second. He'd be up front, next thing I know he was at the back and that happened many times. I was hoping he would at least lead one lap for those precious five bonus points. No such luck.

A good solid fourth place finish sealed the deal. I couldn't watch the last laps after the final caution. I was too nervous. Up until the #18 M&Ms car spun out (was that done on purpose?), Junior was poised to possibly win his first race in more than two years.

I was able to follow his finish on NASCAR dot com's leaderboard. I like watching that because they calculate all the drivers' points at any given point in the race. And on that note, it was a good points day for Junior. He gained a huge amount and still sits solidly in third place.
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Hey, all you Kyle Busch fans...what happened to your boy? He's not so great now, is he? Maybe he should wear those fancy gold sunglasses during the race so he can see others around him...like Jamie McMurray.

This photo is after his first hit on Jamie. He later came back out only to hit the curb and cause a caution to come out. There are those that are questioning whether it was done on purpose to help other teammates. I really don't think so because I truly believe Kyle only does things for Kyle.


Knowing that he would probably finish dead last and take a big hit in the points, it seems as if at last something that major wiped the normally smug look off his face for once. Savor it, folks, it won't last long.

Congratulations Brad!

Driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. under the JR Motorsports banner, Brad Keselowski won his first career Nationwide Series race tonight. He finally got his coveted guitar, the trophy given to the winner of the Federated Auto Parts 300.

This is also a first win for Dale as an owner for the #88 US Navy Chevrolet. I'm sure he's as excited as Brad is. Junior couldn't be there as he is in Pocono for Sunday's race.

Brad was 5th with 29 laps to go and finally with six laps to go, he passed leader Clint Bowyer.

JR Gibbs' prima donna, Kyle Busch, finished 20th three laps down in his second part of the tri-fecta. No win Friday night in the truck race, no win tonight in the Nationwide race, and hopefully no win tomorrow in the Cup race. Karma, ya gotta love it! It's slowly creeping up on him just nipping at his heels. Soon it's going to take a huge bite out of his butt and maybe then, just maybe, the boy will be humbled enough to get his head out of the clouds.

And the new kid on the block at Gibbs? Joey Logano? He was caught up in a wreck that involved his teammate, Busch, and finished 31st.

Green With Envy?

Recently one of my readers questioned why Dale Jr. would drive a green car alluding to the fact that maybe that's why his luck isn't what it used to be. Obviously I don't believe that because driving a green car these days has nothing to do with what they believed back in the day.

I guess what really started the whole a green race car is bad luck was when one of them blew a tire and plowed into a crowd killing 11 people and injuring 10 others. Suffice it to say, I think those people were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was back in September of 1911.

Then in 1920 Gaston Chevrolet, an Indy 500 champ, was killed while driving a green car. Gadzooks! Another green car. Wow.

Flash forward 42 years when the tide started to change somewhat. Jack Brabham, an F1 world champ, drove a green car and earned rookie of the year at the Indy 500 in 1962.
Two years later in 1964, Jim Clark took his green Lotus to second place and a year later he won the Indy 500 with that same green car.

And that brings us to NASCAR and green cars. Once sponsors became so prominent on the cars, it was only natural that those sponsors with green products ended up as green paint themes on the cars.

Harry Gant had the #33 Skoal Bandit, and he won four consecutive races back in September 1991. (I saw history being made back then on TV.)


Current drivers who also drove a green car during their career are Bobby LaBonte in the #18 Interstate Batteries. J. J. Yeley also drove that car.

And don't forget Sterling Marlin who drove the #14 Waste Management car.

And that brings us to Dale Earnhardt Jr. who currently drives the #88 Amp/National Guard car. Every Junior fan knows when he is driving the Amp car that it is green and white, and when it is the National Guard car it is blue. He has had three bad incidents on the track so far this year that took him out of contention. Two of those were accidents while driving the green car, one was while he was in the blue car. None of those accidents were his fault. Just another case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So, for all intents and purposes, green is now politically correct.

Oh, and the peanuts thing? Who on earth would want to be eating unshelled peanuts while driving 200 miles an hour anyway? Or shelled for that matter.

What The Heck?

A bad qualifying spot (25th) put Dale Jr. in a bad position as mid-pack is often where a lot of trouble occurs.

Once again, Denny Hamlin (I'm a professional Cup driver, move over) came barreling into the wreck area. His excuse? Today's cars don't slow down as fast as the others. Where does he find these lame excuses all the time? That boy needs some serious testing done on him before he hurts someone real bad.

NASCAR didn't throw the red flag in a timely manner and they didn't put Dale Jr.'s car on the wrecker in a timely manner. So what else is new? Because of that, when the red flag was lifted and repairs were made to his car, he was 10 laps down. Ten laps down! The way I understand it is that the cars with the most damage were removed first. Dale Jr. was one of the last to be removed. He couldn't move himself because his splitter was stuck. Had it not been for that he would have been able to join the rest of the cars riding around under caution, as he had minimal damage. And we can once again thank Hamlin for pushing Dale Jr. into the wall because up until he came along Jr. was fine.

The bad news is he finished 35th, thirteen laps down. The good news is he remains third in the points but the spread between him and first has grown considerably. I'm not happy with what happened today, but there's not much I can do about it either. And since the eventual winner of the race is someone I don't like to mention here, you'll just have to check the sports pages tomorrow.

Size Doesn't Matter

I was going through my photos when I came across this one that I had stored at the very beginning of my photo journey.


It made me want to post something about it. So here it is:

We have a Ford F-150 King Ranch 4-door truck. It's big. It has two separate gas tanks. If we let it get to near empty and fill it up, it will cost us around $100.00 give or take a few. (Prices in these parts are currently around $3.90/gallon.) So we don't let it get down that low. It's easier on the budget. We don't really have a budget though these days and the cost of gas isn't a major pain for us. It just looks and sounds better if we have to pay $55 rather than $100 at any given time. Granted, we have cut back on our trips and now we also schedule our shopping and appointments etc. to coincide with the area that they are all in. We no longer drive all over the countryside unless it is a pleasure trip to just get away from it all. And those are far and few between.

I have no idea how we would fare if we still had to go to our last jobs. Both of us traveled the same distance which took almost half an hour each way. Although we were making good money, it still would take quite a chunk out of our pays today. That is one of the perks of not having to do that anymore. Which makes me wonder how others are doing it these days with the price of everything going up with no end in sight, wondering all the time if it will ever stop.

The remarkable thing is, it doesn't seem as if people are really cutting back on the trips to the gas stations. So I can only think they are cutting back elsewhere in their budgets. Of course, there are some that don't even have to think about it and just go on their merry way not worrying about gas prices at all. Those are the people I would like to choke. Those that can afford it and think nothing of it.

And in the back of my mind, all I picture is Mel Gibson in Mad Max. Nothing but sand and people fighting for hoarded fuel to drive the few vehicles they have left.

At least we have my Mustang that we can use if things get really out of hand. It's far better on gas mileage than the truck. Oh, and then there is our Virago low rider motorcycle. But it's kind of hard to bring sacks of groceries home on that. What a visual that is...

First Career Win!

My daughter's BF scored his first career win on May 10th at Mountain Speedway in Northeast PA. Following is the write-up from their website:

(Bill Verwys, Sr. led the division to the drop of the green flag from the pole position. Before a single lap was scored, second place starter, Jeff Biegley, grabbed the top spot.

Verwys tucked into second and with five laps in the books, Eric Banashefski ran third, followed by Jake Oswald and Nikki Wachs.

Biegley wasn’t running away with the show by any means as the rest of the field proved throughout the event. Wachs and Oswald ran side-by side for fourth, then with Verwys for third. However, all of the drivers, including Banashefski in second place, began to reel in Biegley for a five-car battle.

Things got even more interesting and involved a three-wide battle between Biegley, Wachs and Verwys over the remaining three laps.

Biegley held on to score his first career win.)

This photo was taken at a different track last year:

And since then, he is currently second in the points. Stay tuned, we may have another Champion in our family.

Things I Am Thankful For

• Kyle Busch didn't win the Coca-Cola 600.
• A Toyota didn't win the Coca-Cola 600.
• Dale Jr. finished 5th by staying on the track when the leaders needed fuel.
• Dale Jr. remained 3rd in the points.

Have A Great Holiday!

A Work In Progress #7 - Finally!

Therapy was over as of last week. The three-month checkup at his surgeon went well. In other words...progression for a re-do of a replacement knee is coming along as it should be.

My husband is pretty much on his own now. He is still using the cane, but that is to be expected. If this were the first time, the cane would have been gone weeks ago. But with a second replacement on the same knee, it takes a lot longer to heal. And that healing process is still going on in the knee and surrounding area.

In another two months he will have his five-month checkup. By then we are hoping all the pain will be gone. He's been off the potent pain pills for a few weeks, only because they stopped working. He can and does take Tylenol Extra Strength. We have switched that to Tylenol Arthritis which is stronger. His surgeon has approved of that decision. He can't take anything with aspirin in it due to severe reactions, thus the Tylenol.

We are also hoping the Tylenol Arthritis will curb the pain in his other knee. Before he has a replacement, there will also be two choices for that knee should it continue to be too painful. He can be injected with cortisone for up to 3 times, or be injected with another stronger solution that is only done once. Neither of us is ready for a replacement in such short order. And, by the way, you don't have to be elderly to suffer from arthritis. I have had it in my back for years now. My mother had rheumatoid arthritis that screwed up her fingers very badly. I just have the pesky kind. You know, the kind that hangs around just to be a daily pain in the ass. It's in my lower back and my right hand, particularly my middle finger. (Perhaps I should flip the bird more often ~ or maybe I flipped it too often.) I have lived so long with this pain, that I am used to it by now.

But getting back to my husband. He was constantly complaining of pain a few weeks prior to seeing his surgeon this last time. So much so, that I thought something must really be wrong or out of whack. When he told his doctor about the pain (read: whined), the doctor reassured him (and me) that what he was experiencing was very natural and there is nothing to worry about. They took X-rays of both knees. The replacement is where it should be and the other knee has the start of arthritis.

So for now I get to listen to two more months of moaning and complaining (whining). But at least now I know that what he is feeling is the knee healing inside and that everything looks excellent and that is good enough for me.

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!