I just got in the house after a weekend of working in the yard. We were listening to both qualifying and eliminations for the O’Reilly race in Bristol as we worked outside, and now it’s time to come in and watch it on ESPN2.

It was a beautiful weekend and so we all tackled the outside duties as a team. We’ve been adding landscaping to the property and doing it in phases. Now that it’s spring, we have to tackle the weeds. Normally, we have the tractor take care of that, however, with the additional landscaping and drip system, we are restricted from areas that have hoses running through it.

As you can see by the picture attached, the guys still managed to find time to socialize with the neighbors. Unlike the in-town folks, here neighbor greetings are done on tractors.

I also attached a picture of one of my many friends that visited me while weeding by the trees. It’s not quite a gecko, but it’s close enough for me to pause from weeding and go grab a camera to send a picture to our GEICO pals back east.

This was the first and will probably be the only weekend we will be at home before leaving for the Chicago race. I have to tell you that the first weekend back after the Madison was a trip back in time for me. I traveled with my mother down to Los Angeles for a couple of reasons. We participated in the Revlon Walk for the Cure in the morning with a group of friends. It was funny because we passed by the football stadium where my high school used to play. I commented to Dee Dee that it was like a trip down memory lane to see the old field. We then started talking about a few other things from the past. I was known as a “skater” when I was growing up. If you were to be called that now, you would think skateboards, jumps, and ramps. I was actually an indoor skater at a roller rink, and actually, “rink rat” is probably a more appropriate name for me. Funny thing is that there was an article in the paper that week about the rink that I spent most of my teens and after at. It was the most famous and popular skating rink in the United States. I didn’t know that until I read the article. Again, another blast from a part of my past.

Really though, one of the biggest trips down memory lane happened when we went my nephew’s engagement party. Jeff is the oldest of my sister’s three boys and a recent fireman in Southern California. He and his girlfriend, Kate, will be getting married in 2009.

When we walked into Kate’s aunt’s house for the party, I found out that Kate’s parents went to the same school that our family did. Then, when introduced to our hostess, we both instantly and simultaneously said, “I know you,” and laughed as we realized we had graduated together. It was pretty amazing that Kate and Jeff’s aunts both graduated together, and that their parents also graduated from the same school. I have attached a picture of the happy couple. Congratulations!

The trip back home felt short as my mind conjured up thoughts and memories wrapped around high school, Skateland Skate rink, and football games.

So, now the race is over and it’s time to wrap this up. The next few weekends we’ll be heading to Top Gun Raceway for points races for Gary.

See Ya.