After the Houston race, Todd, Terry and I headed back over to see Frank Gilchrist’s very cool car collection. I wonder if they make a bubble big enough to fit my motorhome? Then I can fill it with helium and float it into space!

Yep, it’s hard to argue with that title, especially if you’ve been following the NHRA tour lately. We lost a day’s worth of qualifying at Charlotte, ditto in Houston, and worse in Atlanta. Of the three, the thunder and lightning show in Texas was definitely the most impressive, but the Georgia precipitation was the only one capable of postponing the entire event.

I head back out to Atlanta today to attempt to chase away the gods of moisture, and try our best to collect our first Wally of the year. We still are struggling with the consistency of our Valvoline/MTS Charger, and we still are being as proactive as we know how in an effort to get back to our winning ways.

In fact, shortly after NHRA “called” the race last Saturday, both our 18-wheelers were on the road back to DSR headquarters in Indiana. By Tuesday our chassis had a new front half installed and was completely back together, ready to head back on the road. I really feel for the guys, as this represents even more work than their already hectic schedules have dictated, and I’m sure they were looking forward to some well-deserved time off. Mark, Kyle, Dan, Chris, AJ, Jim, Brian, Terry and Todd deserve much more than my gratitude…they deserve to win.

Atlanta was by no means a complete bust. Wednesday night Coca-Cola hosted all current and former NHRA champions to a dinner at their headquarters. Thursday I made the three hour drive out to Montgomery (as in, Alabama) to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base. There resides the Enlisted Heritage Hall, which houses a museum as well as the Enlisted Wall of Achievers. I’m pretty sure you can Google it if I’ve totally confused you. My former fellow airman (and still friend) MSgt. Bruce Stansel submitted me for this honor, and I really didn’t know what to expect.

When we arrived for the induction on Thursday, I couldn’t believe that there were only 143 individuals pictured on the wall. I guess I just imagined there’d be thousands of them. The ceremony was really cool, with several Colonels and officers as well as lots of high ranking enlisted personnel. What a thrill to have my picture mounted on the same wall as Charlton Heston, Johnny Cash, and George Bush. My pic is right next to Chuck Yeager, two over from Carroll Shelby, and just above Peter Graves (“Mission Impossible”). Damn…that’s good company!

As soon as my mug got mounted on the wall, it was time to change into a suit and tie (for the second time in two days…I packed stuff into the race transporter back in Vegas so I didn’t wrinkle my clothes in a suitcase) and boogie up to Talladega. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame was inducting Don Schumacher, just the 11th drag racer to be given the honor. There were more than 60 DSR folks there to support our boss, and it made for a special evening.

I spent the rest of the weekend staring at rain.

Once I slid the generator out, wriggled underneath the step and wormed my way up into the myriad of hoses and wiring under the chassis, getting to the defective solenoid was a piece of cake!

Once I drilled out the rivets, pried open the case, unsoldered the coil, and popped out the retaining ring, it was clear the solenoid was worn out. Now feeling much more satisfied, I was able to throw it away with a clear conscience!

Since our reschedule now means that I will be on the road for five consecutive weekends, I’ve done my best to squeeze projects in as time allows (and when I’m not hanging out at an airport!). My list of “stuff” really didn’t include any RV maintenance, but anyone who owns a motorhome knows better than that. Seems that, when the batteries get low on this Monaco, all kinds of crap starts happening (or, in some cases, STOPS happening). Just before leaving for Atlanta last week, I noticed that one of the slides was partially out. Pressing the retract button did nothing (except make a “click” sound). Pressing it harder yielded the same result, as did hammering on it, kicking it, and throwing things at it. Yep, something was definitely amiss!

Being from an electrical background, and knowing what a maze of wiring and circuit boards this beast is, I dug out the wiring diagram book and found the schematic for the slide control system. Only problem was, it simply didn’t match the unit. Nope, no “fuse F11 – located in forward electrical bay” exists. So…I decided to go “old-school” on this problem. By the way, “old school” in this case would be defined as: “multimeter, flashlight, creeper, screwdriver, and electrical jumpers”. It didn’t take too long to realize that the “click” I heard while depressing (depressing…that’s a GREAT word to use here!) the slide button was the hydraulic pump motor solenoid. Unfortunately, though the coil was physically closing the relay, the contacts were so pitted that no voltage was making it to the pump motor. If you’re wondering how on earth I could know the contacts were pitted, by now you should realize that I just can’t resist disassembling whatever I can get my hands on.

Knowing I was getting on an airplane the next day, I still had to exercise every ounce of self-restraint in me to keep from tearing into that project when I needed to be packing. So, while Jason held the slide retract button in, I used the old Craftsman 5/16” blade screwdriver as my high-current, insulated shorting bar, and we managed to get the thing to close.

I was able to get back to it once returning from Atlanta. A 22-minute call to Monaco (on hold for 20, then two minutes with the parts department) yielded some confusion. My coach number showed a hydraulic unit from a different manufacturer, so I sent some photos (thank God for cell phone cameras!) of my unit (the solenoid, that is!) to clarify the part I needed. Then, I went on McMaster-Carr and ordered a 100-amp, waterproof 12-volt universal solenoid that bolted up just fine, works like a champ, and cost half of what the piece of crap that broke did. I’ll keep you posted on how long it lasts. In the meantime, I’m thinking of packing the creeper, flashlight, and screwdriver for our next road trip!

Ed and I took what once were nice surface mounted lights and decided we much preferred the look of open holes with Romex wiring hanging out. Nice home improvement project!

My electrical guru buddy Ed came back out to work his magic in our living room ceiling. Jenna wanted a hanging light mounted over the dining table, and she wanted a dedicated switch to control it. So, her “dedicated” husband and Ed had to split the wiring that went from the existing switch to TWO lights, add a separate dimmer switch for the new light, and it works!

Next on my agenda was the speaker installation in the new loft ceiling. This may get confusing, so you’ll have to follow closely on this, and Google can’t help here: Our house came with a home-entertainment system, consisting of speakers and switches in three rooms. One of those was the entry living room, which originally was a vaulted ceiling. Well, once we extended the second floor, the “new” upper level now no longer had speakers. So…seemed to me that it wouldn’t be that expensive to parallel the existing speaker control switch wiring, run it upstairs to a new switch, and have the ability to enjoy more noise in the new room. Sounds great on paper, but it’s possible that I’ve wasted my time (and a couple hundred bucks) with attempting to parallel the music signal from one switch to two. I’ll surely keep you posted on how it all plays out.

By the way, Jenna and I did the speaker install “old school”, which of course means: dust mask, ladder (to access the attic), drywall saw, and 5 gallon bucket (for Jenna to hold up to ceiling, while I made my cut from the attic, to avoid drywall dust all over the new carpet). It works, the speakers look good, and once Brent helps me hook up all this Cat-5 signal wiring we can see whether or not it was futile.

I’m thinking that’s about it for now. As I’ve said before, typically I look at photos I’ve taken in order to recollect my activities since the last blog. However, our internet once again is slower than a snail with a sprained leg. Two computers, four modems, two AT&T service calls plus half a dozen phone calls still have yielded zero permanent improvement. I’m only saying this because I delayed writing until I could download and attach the photos that are on my computer, but that clearly is NOT going to happen until something gets fixed (something other than me this time!). So, the only shots you’re going to see on this blog are a few that I had on my phone. Sorry!

Stay tuned, stay positive on the weather, pray my speakers and RV solenoid work better than my internet, and stay “old school”! 

By the time the DMV gets around to sending me the actual license plates, this statement may not be true. No pressure on the crew, but I want to keep the plate on for quite a while! Jason is modeling the helmet that a wonderful fan painted for me.

Why, yes I am… and thanks for asking! My friend Rob Castaneda gave me a cool gift while in Vegas for the last NHRA race. I met Rob through this very blog several years ago when I made a remark about my Nissan pickup not passing the California emissions test (also known as the “Smog checkup”). Rob got me a catalytic converter, a smog certificate (not the kind that you frame and mount on the wall), and I got a new friend. Anyway, Rob and Kim ordered me a set (that means two) of the coolest license plates that a guy could ever want. He brought over a “preview” plate (that means DMV takes a long time to ship the real ones) to present to me in Vegas.

Not only is that way cool, but how ironic is it that today I had to go get the PT “smogged” (that’s ‘Californian’ for “a waste of $55 and 90 minutes of your life”), AND I’m writing about Rob? Okay, maybe it was a stretch on the irony thing…let’s just call it a coincidence.

Being as how wonderful my request for vehicular assistance panned out (what with Rob and Kim being so nice), perhaps I should use this entry to formally seek out some lawn care expertise. Apparently whatever I’m doing with the grass ain’t working too well. Last week I spent a couple hours raking up the “less lively” (I sure hate to use the term “dead”) areas of the yard, reseeding and top soiling, followed by the ubiquitous chicken sacrifice, burning of incense, and random chanting for some divine intervention. The blister ought to go away before I see any new blades popping up, and I’m sure all the extra watering will do wonders for our utility bill.

Speaking of the truck (check paragraph one…I’m sure I mentioned it somewhere in there), it still runs. Yep, though it has done little the past few months other than beautify the neighborhood, our little 251,000 mile Nissan proved it’s still tough as nails. Jenna found a nice, used entertainment center on Craig’s list for our new loft addition (we also were able to use Cindy’s old couch, so we’re being frugal). Two trips down to Laguna Niguel, plus a couple hours of bolting everything together (of course, most of the mounting hardware was missing), and we’ve got a near-finished playroom for the kids. I found it ironic (there’s that word again), as I was heading home with the furniture in the bed, that what I was hauling was worth more than what I was driving! I think I paid $3000 for the truck and have put over 150,000 miles on it, so I’m just going to hold on to it until the NHRA museum has a permanent display area for it.

Jason and I are perfecting the “eyes closed, high five with number 10” move during his baseball games. Coaching has been “eventful” for a group of 6 year-olds, but these memories are priceless. Plus, I look cool in the shirt!

Speaking of frugal (yep, right there in paragraph four), once in a while you just have to splurge on yourself. What I have found through all my years of marriage is that Jenna and I just have significantly different definitions of the term, “once in a while”! Anyway, we both are trying to take better care of ourselves now that we are parents. And by that, I mean: now that we don’t exercise regularly, now that we stress far more often, now that we drink more caffeine and now that we have even less regular sleep schedules!

After the Queen of Research (the one who married me…bet she wished she’d have done more research on that!) did her checking, we now are the proud owners of the latest Vitamix 6300 blender. If I ever go to sell the Nissan, and I literally want to double the value of it, I’ll simply throw in the blender! If this thing does half of what it says, the lawn should be beautiful in no time, and world peace is only a fruit smoothie away.

As I think I mentioned in the last blog, I carried a pretty good cold (or flu) with me through the Vegas race, which wasn’t very fun. Being sick sucks, and this one hung around for a while. The blender is something we felt would enable us to take a little better care of ourselves. We’ve burned through lots of fruit, spinach, and flax seed in an effort to improve our diets. I also was hoping it would make my teeth whiter and my coat shinier…we’ll see.

 I have an appointment with a nutritionist later this month (I sure hope she recommends more Mint and Chip ice cream for good health!). In preparation for that, and with my lingering cold, I headed over to Kaiser to get some lab work done. Thirteen vials of blood later and I stumbled back out to the PT Cruiser to head home. Apparently they can drain about 21 tubes out of you before things go blank, so I still had a significant safety margin (or so the phlebotomist told me!).

Today I head out to Charlotte for the first of three races in a row. I really wanted to take my truck, my blender, and my new license plate with me, but flying seems more sensible. With so much of our home improvement list taken care of, my thoughts are now turning towards my next impending decision: Would” NHRA FC 1” look best on Jenna’s Flex, the PT Cruiser, or the trusty Nissan?

Tough call.

Stay tuned, give blood, drink smoothies, and “pass smog”!

Here’s the new baseboard/ no carpet combo. Interesting, but we eventually decided to cover the ugly OSB with some nice brown fabric. My forearm is still sore from swinging the hammer on every nail that wasn’t completely sunk in the floor, but at least now I can sneak up to bed late without being heard from the creaking floorboards!

Since I seldom get to go surfing anymore, this simulator allows me to practice my balance. Gary and I had to touch up some paint of the ceiling, and guess who weighs less?

This is how an Easter Egg Hunt SHOULD look: Safe, professional, well organized. Our little man did okay on his haul from this local event.

This looks more like Easter in Lebanon (no offense to my Lebanese friends, especially the girls!). We forgot to equip Jason with his mountain climbing equipment, and he only passed out twice from lack of oxygen.

Yeah, this area looks MUCH safer than the Matterhorn section of the yard. With all the form boards, leftover concrete and nail-ridden lumber, I’m sure it’s safe to have a one-year-old up there. Way to go, Captain Safety!

Okay, I was just about to call Child Protective Services on this Beckman guy, but it looks like he’s learned his lesson. A practical, sane way to spend an Easter. Way to go, Jack!

|Yes, this is definitely the “before” photo. We needed to see large enough samples of the color that we could REALLY feel stupid when it didn’t turn out the shade we thought it was!

No, I’m not wearing sweats of striped pants…it’s the sunlight coming through the shutters! Yes, that’s a small roller in my hand and no, I’m not glad to see you! I doubt Michelangelo had to tolerate this sort of workplace abuse…but the room sure looks good!

For any of you who’ve been through multiple house projects (especially when done simultaneously/ concurrently), I feel your pain. And, I really feel my pain! But, before I bemoan my loss of money and sanity on the home front, allow me to update you on my racing (and other) ventures…

We’ve seriously been so busy around here lately that I haven’t touched the computer more than twice in the past two weeks. Everyone but me was sick for a time, and now I’m feeling it the day before we head out to Vegas! Truth be told, I’d prefer a bowl of mint and chip ice cream and The History Channel to writing this blog, but Jenna is watching Dancing with the Stars, and that was enough incentive to chase me out of the living room. Okay, here we go:

My trip to Florida was certainly not one I would categorize as “relaxing”, though it was very fulfilling. Thursday morning a contingent of DSR folks, including Mike Lewis, Antron, and moi (that’s French) headed out to see the mining/drilling equipment manufacturing plant for our sponsor Sandvik. Very impressive machinery, indeed.

From there I did a shirt change and headed out to participate in Project 1320’s interviewing process. Check them out on the net…it’s a worthwhile and important endeavor.

Next was a complete wardrobe makeover, and I sped over to the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Antron, Alan Johnson, and mir (that’s German for, “me”) all were given the honor of inducting some very deserving folks. I introduced the team of Hirata, Hobbs, and Vodnik, which was beyond cool. It’s humbling to be in the same room with so many pioneers, legends, and great people, and I sincerely thank Bob Frey and Donna Garlits for making this possible.

After qualifying Friday, I once again styled my hair, put on some Chapstick, and jumped into my “business casual” attire for the Hawley/Beckman seminar. For those of you falling behind, this was Frank Hawley and watashi (a little Japanese culture as well…domo arigato!) hosting an informal lecture/discussion. It was great to be back in “instructor mode” after so much time away, and we felt the 27 attendees got more than their money’s worth.

Our car ran fairly well in qualifying, but we ended up in the bottom half of the field with a first round matchup against a very hot NAPA car. Our guys stayed at the track until nearly midnight Saturday night swapping back in most of last year’s clutch controller system. We were rewarded Sunday with two big round wins, our first of the year (I was initially frightened at the finish line, as I hadn’t seen a win light since last November), and we moved back into the top ten.

We stayed and tested Monday (something we had planned to do for several weeks), and we’ll see if any of that data helps us later in the year. We also plan to stay after the Vegas race and put more laps on our hotrod to try to figure out what tune-up works best.

We’re in the process of stocking the RV for our departure to Vegas tomorrow. Usually travelling with two small children is quite a pain, especially when I’m attempting to get some sleep before a big race day, but I think this time it might be different. Our house has been such a mess for so long that getting away might be just what the doctor ordered.

After consulting all three trades, Jenna was confident that the correct order of contractor’s should be, “Painters, Baseboard/Crown Molding installers, Carpet Installer’s”. At least that’s what each of them told her. My opinion, with some hindsight to benefit me, would be:  LEAVE THE DAMN HOUSE ALONE. YOU’LL BE BETTER OFF! Of course, I was just labeled as a pessimist every time I spoke up, so away we sailed on our home improvement cruise…

We got the common areas painted with no issues at all. I’ve had to do a couple of touchups, but nothing out of the ordinary. Next was to be one week of baseboards, followed by the remainder of the carpet (if you follow my blog, you’d know that we had one room downstairs carpeted already as soon as that baseboard was finished. Well, let’s just say things didn’t go according to schedule (what a surprise!).

The day I returned from Florida was to be the first of two days to finish the carpet, but the baseboard wasn’t close to being done, so Jenna had to reschedule the floor guys. Not only did the trim run a week and a half long, but we had nothing but problems with the paint on the baseboards. Finally the contractor agreed to let us bring in someone to paint and deduct that from the invoice. This is where my Drag Racing School days come in handy!

Former student Gary Douglas, who I see at the races all the time, is a contractor with a painting background. Gary came over probably five or six different nights after his regular job to fix and finish the painting. He even brought in his friend (and fellow former student) Neil to spray the casing and wainscoting in the dining room (I really don’t even know what all those terms mean, I just know they cost me a lot of money!). They actually still have one last area to finish, but we had to pull the trigger (boy, that’s a bad pun!) on the carpeting.

I think I mentioned last blog that we had all the furniture in the middle of each room so the baseboard could be installed. Well, that went on for far longer than we anticipated, plus we needed to empty each room for carpet install. Cindy and ya (Russian) did a lot of it the day before the crew showed up, then I was on my own. Let me tell you, we’ve got some HEAVY furniture…especially when it’s just me and a couple of piano dollies!

Our master bed hadn’t been slept on in more than a week, as it was piled high with all kinds of stuff. Jenna stayed in Layla’s room, and I got the guest room. As soon as I woke, I broke down the bed, stuffed it in the loft with all the furniture from four rooms that Cindy and I had moved the night before, and followed the carpeter’s around with a hammer. No…not ‘cause I was mad at them…I was sinking any nail in the floor sheeting that was showing. We had our share of squeaks in the house, and I ripped up several spots myself and went through a box of drywall screws in the hope that I could lock the floor permanently to the joists (again, no idea what I’m talking about, but it sounds reasonable!).

Once the carpet was down in one area, I would move the remaining furniture into that room until all carpet was done. THEN, it was time to put everything back…damn!!! Did I mention that part of this project was carrying every single weight out and back in to the workout room? That wouldn’t have been so bad if I was in better shape, but most of those weights hadn’t been touched for some time. I missed them….and now I’m over it!

Jason has become adept at riding his new bike. I really thought we were going to have to get training wheels for it, as he can’t even stand up due to his small stature, but he’s been very good with the balance. I figured he’s get discouraged the first few attempts and demand the training wheels, but he (once I “push-started” him) rode it the very first time. I took him to a local park after a couple days in the backyard, and he did just fine.

We had a real low- key Easter here at home. We had taken the kids to a community park for an egg hunt several days earlier, and we had another in our backyard to celebrate. I don’t know who had more fun; Jenna putting my money inside plastic eggs (I think she pocketed some), mich (That’s “me” in Dutch) getting to hide them (I was told the carpet, baseboard, and crown molding were off-limits for hiding things), or the kids searching them out.

Jason likes to wear my helmets, and now his sister is getting into the act. It appears as though she’s about 2 ½ helmets tall!

She didn’t look nearly as happy to try on Jason’s new Evel Knievel bike helmet. Perhaps she was upset that her mom dressed her to look like the game “Twister”. Or, maybe she’s upset that dad’s RV only gets 5.7 mpg and diesel costs over $4 a gallon. That’s enough to make me cry!!

Once I realized that my schedule had a four-hour opening, Jenna booked me to paint the dining room. This is her “statement” room, and it’s going to look fantastic. I really would like to make a statement of my own, but I think it would just lead to an argument! Anyway, I was so proud of my prep job, what with my expert application of tape, my ability to spackle like a professional, my flawless cutting-in, and my impeccable and deft skills with the roller that I just knew it was going to come out perfect. Man, was I pissed when I saw how much paint seepage that tape allows. Fortunately, I know Gary, and Gary knows paint. He told me he’d cover my mess for me, and that made me feel better.

After rehanging/ mounting all the “wall stuff”, I found myself with several more free hours. Great, that left me plenty of time to take Jason to the doctor to see what that weird rash is all about (not sure, but Layla having pink eye also wasn’t a party), mow the lawns, spray weed killer on all the fast growing stuff, and wash the motor home. Man, I was on such a roll that I threw in the PT and the Nissan truck (washing that is a little like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic…but I was motivated).

I’m afraid that the last of my ambition has disappeared with this, page 3, and the nearly 1,700 words that accompany it. It’s time for io (Italian…and I think you guys are catching on) to bid each of you adieu, shalom, arrivederci, adios, and annyeonghi kyeseyo to my Korean following.

Stay tuned, stay multi-lingual, don’t get weed killer on your Easter eggs, and leave the painting to Gary! 

After 2 ½ months on the road with Mopar, getting the Championship trophy back last week was a tearful reunion. The Comstock’s purchased a “brick” to be mounted on the NHRA Museum wall, and a copy of it showed up a few days ago. That just makes me tingle all over!

One simply can NOT mix beautiful new baseboards with old, outdated carpeting…it’s just not proper. So; out went the medium-pile, in came the low-pile, and there’s goes my cash pile!

I sure hope that Jenna doesn’t think that the new paint, carpet, and baseboard necessitate a new pool table! I also don’t think she’ll let my plumb bob suspend from the ceiling forever…but it does look cool!

Here’s Jerry and I toasting the final pour (which sounds eerily like “poor”). Yes, this project has been brought to you by Coors Light, Home Depot, Mechanix Wear, Tylenol, and Ben Gay.

The only upside to having the house torn apart with projects is that we did NOT have a bunch of screaming kids at our place to celebrate Jason’s big day. A local bounce-house provided a great backdrop to a fun day.

I was trying to show you a photo of our beautiful new baseboard in the background, but the bike got in the way. Jason is a bit scared of it, and Layla looks genuinely perturbed that she can’t ride it!

They take their little league plenty serious in Norco, and my little number 10 showed some pretty good form. Now, if only we could get him to stop striking up conversations out in the field!

Rodger and Karen Comstock came over for dinner, and we celebrated our birthday duet with cupcakes and candles.

This bi-weekly report from Home Improvement Central (aka the Beckman home) could also be titled, “How much is left of our bonus money, honey?” Yes, Jenna is proving that she can spend money at a faster rate than our Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger can burn through nitro.

Apparently I caved too easily when she pushed me for new baseboards following the banquet in November. My lovely bride was struggling to cope with those awful, puny and sad excuses for floor trim. I really don’t know how she slept at night, knowing our house just wasn’t a home until we set aside enough funds to upgrade. How the previous owners could even show their faces in public is still a mystery to me. When Jenna hit me with the price for the 6-inch baseboard, I suggested we just use dollar bills turned sideways, which are just over 6 inches She didn’t see the humor, but I think it would have saved me some money.

So; Don, Greg and Eric will spend about 7-8 days handling that, some crown molding, plus some casings to spruce the place up. Me, I’m going to apply for a couple part time jobs to help finance this deal. The toughest thing about projects like this (aside from sharing your house with a work crew and adjusting your schedule to get them set up in the morning) is the fact that each room, including the bedrooms, have all the furniture basically stacked in the center of the room to afford access to the baseboard. That means the dresser drawers won’t open all the way, all electrical appliances have to be unplugged each morning, and the dust and noise are also quite a treat!

In addition to the trim, the paint, and the outdoor projects, we will be installing all new carpet throughout the house once I return from Gainesville. The crew came in and did the front room so that I could move the pool table back in, and I can’t wait to empty every single room in the house after a long flight back from the east coast. I do understand, though, and it just wasn’t fair that my children and wife had to walk around on eight- year- old “builder’s grade” carpeting. I’m just thankful that charges of abuse weren’t filed against me for being so callous regarding floor coverings!

Once the paint dried I commenced installing all new receptacle and light covers, wired in 3 dimmer switches, installed 12 LED lights in the ceilings (much of this as a direct result of our loft project), and rehung everything we took off the walls.

We got the concrete pour done, which now means I am ready to install my final wall (which means I’m calling somebody, ‘cause I’m over it!) and start framing the new garage. Jerry, Jerry Jr., and I made sure the cement work went relatively smooth, and that’s the last big hurdle (who am I kidding?) before things start going together. At the rate I’ve been stepping up that project, I see no reason why I can’t be completed by September…of 2015!

One of the tougher things about concrete work is the removal of all the form boards and bracing. The garage wall was definitely the easiest part…because Jerry did it! I stayed out way past dark hammering, prying, sweating, and cursing while getting all the wood out from the footing for the wall, and I bent some heavy equipment, broke off some steel, and ruined a hammer trying to get the last of the bracing out. Fun stuff!

On the “me time” end of things, I was able to take out my bitchin’ new Valvoline surfboard and try out the waves in El Porto last week. The water was a chilly 54 degrees, but the smile on my face wasn’t just because my lips were blue. Having not been out for so long, just floating in the water with my buddy Rich was cool, but I really love this board. These were smaller waves, and the breaks are different along other spots on the coast, so I can’t wait to try it in the Redondo area…hopefully soon after Gainesville…and carpet…and cleaning…and reinstalling all the furniture…and Jason’s baseball…

I also was able to head up with Brent Cannon for a day to attend the March Meet at Bakersfield. We went up Friday night and sat in on the ceremonies for the Smokers reunion…I dig those guys. Good friend Wayne King (the “Peregrine” Top Fueler) was the guest of honor. We stayed for most of qualifying Saturday, then high-tailed it back home. I’m fortunate Jenna even let me go. Friday was Jason’s sixth birthday, and Sunday was his party, so Saturday was the only time I could get away and smell some nitro.

The downside is that I missed Jason’s opening day of baseball, and apparently my little Joe DiMaggio was one of only three players on his team to get a hit! I hated missing it, but part of the reason I headed up to Famoso was to speak to a group of young “at risk” folks. To say I was a bit miffed when the policeman who brought the group up never contacted me for our meeting, and when I called him said they were leaving early…that would be an understatement. Oh, well.

Still, Jason had a great birthday. We pulled him out of school early so he could open presents, which included his first bike. My dad and Teri, Jenna and I all pitched in, and now all we have to do is wait about 2 years until he’s tall enough to get on the darned thing. Or maybe we can get him some high-heeled boy’s sneakers and some trick training wheels? We did go to four different bike stores to try and find the smallest 20-inch bike we could, reasoning that it will give him several years of use. Plus, we won’t be able to afford any other presents for him, unless you count paint, carpet, and baseboards.

I’m assisting with coaching every day that I am in town, and it’s been pretty hectic with the baseball schedule they’re using. The Tuesday that I get back from Florida he actually has a game, so I’ll be heading over there shortly after unpacking, and of course don’t forget all the furniture moving sandwiched in between!

March seems to be a popular month for birthdays, as Karen Comstock celebrated her 34th birthday (that’s what she told me) on the 5th, my Uncle Ted was 86 on the 7th, Jason hit 6 on the 8th, my dad checked in at 76 on the 10th, and my Uncle John will definitely not be celebrating, but will be 61 (wow…I remember his 23rd!!) at the end of the month. Happy birthday to all those special folks.

I’m really looking forward to Gainesville. I hope our car cooperates, but I know we’ll figure it out very soon regardless. We’ll stay and test on Monday, then I come home and the real work starts!

Stay tuned, just say “no” to baseboard, one birthday per person per year (no exceptions), and please take your shoes off before entering our house…that carpet wasn’t cheap!