The toughest deal about writing this blog is trying to remember what things I have done in the past seven to 10 days. My memory gets the necessary “jog” when I download the digital camera. Not only does it give me content for the blog, but the pics provide a nice balance to the text. Heck, I even went out and bought a “cheapie” camera that I could carry in my pocket when Jenna isn’t around to provide her expert photo skills. Problem is, none of that happened for this entry, so we’ll just have to wing it.

As we are leaving today to drive the RV on the Western Swing, these past few days have been about preparation for the trip. I really wanted to race my Blackbird in the SCEDA series Friday and Saturday (Sunday is our departure), so that added some extra logistical problems. On Thursday we had everything planned out (you probably know where this is going). Stop number one was at the storage building to get the carpets cleaned in the RV. Jenna spoke to the company, and we had a coupon for a $45 job. Once the techs arrived (105 minutes late) and set up their equipment, the haggling began. Seems that it was more like $250 for the “correct” job, and that just wasn’t going to happen. Anyway, $115 later we were cleaned, or maybe fleeced. Now we were well behind schedule to head out to Fontana, where Cindy lives. I needed to use her duallie (which, by the way is for sale). Hey, there’s picture number one to use for this blog! I had to go over to Dalton Trucking in Fontana to get the trailer, take off the flat tire, and get it repaired. Shouldn’t be any problem, unless …

As we left the storage building in Monrovia, the PT started getting HOT for the first time ever. Now, it’s nearly 100 degrees outside and I have my wife and baby in the car. He’s just fallen asleep, and now we have to turn off the A/C and roll the windows down. It’s stop and go on the freeway, so I stay on surface streets until I can find a gas station. My parking lot inspection reveals that the electric fan isn’t turning on. I remove enough of the airbox and accessories (we have no tools with us) to get to the underhood fuse/relay module. I take apart the lo- speed fan relay, clean the contacts with Jenna’s nail file and she opens up a paper clip so I can jump the relay terminals. I use a cigarette butt to keep from burning my fingers, and the fan goes on. Impressive, but no fix. A quick call to the Comstocks (we are only three blocks from their house) gains us access to their garage and tools. Or so we thought. They were in Catalina for Rodger’s birthday weekend (he’s a July 4th baby), but they have a hide-a-key for us to get in. Or so they thought. Seems the contractor had taken it home, so Plan B was to use neighbor Bill’s tools and garage. I had only met Bill once at the races, but I used his house and tools like we were childhood friends! My best guess after troubleshooting with the voltmeter was that the coolant temperature switch (electric thermostat) must be bad. During this time Cindy was already on her way out to pick us up in the duallie (did I mention that it’s for sale?), just in case we couldn’t get the PT fixed. Jason had been without food for hours, and he was getting grumpy. Bill let us dunk Jason in the pool, and he liked that (Jason, I mean … though Bill also may have been pleased). Not wanting to tie up Bill’s driveway any longer, or make a coolant mess, we elected to drive back to the Andy’s storage building, pick up the tow dolly, and take the PT back to Cindy’s in Fontana. That way, even if we couldn’t fix the PT, at least we had a safe place to leave it. Those of you hardcore readers with exceptional memories might be feeling a sense of déjà vu right about now. It was almost exactly this time last year when we had another fiasco involving towing a PT Cruiser to Denver. If you’re new to the blog, go back one year and read the ugly account.

On the way to get the dolly, we stopped at an auto parts store to buy the switch. Not a stocked item, must be dealer only they tell me. Wonderful, it’s 7:30 pm on the 3rd of July. Guess we won’t be taking the PT this trip .. again! One more stop at a different parts store, $16.32 later, and I have the part in my hand. Get the dolly, load the PT, tow to Fontana, unload, and get to work. Here’s where things start to make sense. When I drained the radiator (to drop the water level low enough to remove the sensor), not much came out. Now, the overflow tank was full, so there wasn’t any reason to believe that we were low on coolant, until now. Seems the rubber line that goes to the overflow was cut where it routes through the fender area, and just enough to prevent the coolant recovery system from working. Probably this cycle had gone on for several days, blowing coolant into the tank, then sucking air back into the radiator. Anyway, by 10:30 p.m. we were back in business. The trailer would just have to wait until the morning.

Trucking yard, floor jack, lots of wood to drive the trailer up on, and some elbow grease, and I’m pitted, teched, and warmed-up by 9:15 a.m. Hell, I usually don’t even wake up by then! It was 104 degrees on Friday, and the track had to be 150. I tried a couple of throttle stop combos before eliminations, and thought I was on the right track. First round I take a “comfortable” stripe, still killing 18 mph and convinced that I handily won the race. Or not. I broke out by .004 and was done. I haven’t seen a win light in my lane in eliminations since Gainesville, and I’m starting to think maybe I should have taken that male modeling job after all. (What?)

SCEDA put on a huge Bar-B-Q for nearly 250 people Friday night, and Jenna, Cindy and Jason came out to visit many of our friends. Brent was holding Jason when he started feeling odd (Not Jason, Brent!). Long story short, by 9:30 Staci had Brent in the emergency room at Mount Sac. Hospital, and they we’re pretty sure he was bitten by a Black Widow on the ankle. I can’t even imagine what that would have done to Jason. I drove out to be with my buddy, and he was in some SERIOUS pain, that is until they gave him some good medicine. Then he became Alice in Wonderland, and didn’t make a damn bit of sense for the next two hours. They let him go early in the morning after some antibiotics, and once he rested the next day he was back in business.

Saturday it was much cooler, and I don’t think it ever got over 102!!! First round I have to race my surf buddy Rich. I had decided to run the car all out, as my MADCAP engine is really consistent when it runs in the sevens. Rich went red by .002 (I think he was intimidated … we were talking trash to each other the whole time until we got belted in). We now are 1-1, and since he “worked” me last time surfing it definitely was my turn to win. I went on to win the race (and $1,000), and I hope the momentum continues with the Funny Car. My opponent in the final was Jesi Workman, a student of mine at the Hawley School. Jesi was very good in the Juniors, and appears to be well on her way to a successful “big car” career. As I was writing this blog, Jesi sent me a picture of her and me in the lanes just before the finals. She’s the cute one on the right. I’m not. You never get tired of the winner’s circle, and I so want to get the Valvoline/MTS crew back there soon.

Today we left Jason at Grandma’s while we headed back home to pick up the last couple of things. We’ll drive out to Andy’s, pick up the RV, and head over to Cindy’s. There we’ll hook up the tow dolly, load the PT (I’m getting good at this now) and head east (which is the name of a late-70’s rock band).

It’s time to go … stay tuned.