Here it is late Tuesday evening and I can't believe I have actually spent an entire week at home. Well, actually, I have spent an entire week either at my desk in the office or in the shop but that is ok considering I've been gone for about three weeks or so.

Last Tuesday, Toni and I left Pomona to drive to Phoenix where we found a nice easy parking spot in the designated lot at the racetrack to leave our rig. We parked, got everything arranged in the rig, sorted through our many bags of luggage, and repacked so we wouldn't have to check anything on the plane the next day. Since our flight wasn't until the next morning I had called our good friends Bernie and Kitty Schaefer, who live in the Scottsdale area, and arranged to meet them for dinner.

We first met Kitty and Bernie while racing for McDonalds. Bernie had worked in the upper management levels of McDonalds for years and had just recently retired so it was great to be able to catch up with them for a nice dinner at Fleming's Steak House. Of course we ended up talking more than eating but I guess that is a good thing. Before I knew it, the hour was late and since Toni and I hadn't arranged for a hotel yet, they invited us to stay at their house. Toni is the type that likes to have all of the travel plans made but I typically like to just wing it. "We'll just find a hotel near the airport when we get there," I said to her, but she thinks they are going to be all booked up for some reason. Not to worry. Everything worked out just fine.

Anyway, Wednesday morning we said goodbye to our good friends, who promised to make it to the track at least one day when we come back for the race, and boarded our flight home. Now, you know you have been gone away from home way too long when you get home and the icy snow drifts and walkways almost prevent you from getting into your own house. I know that a lot of places in the country had massive amounts of snow, ice, wind, etc. and I know that the DC area got off pretty easy, but our house looked like no one had lived there in months!

We parked my GMC in the driveway and I prayed that it wouldn't slide to the bottom of the hill and down the yard (the river is really close.) I can't imagine how I would explain how my Denali got into the Occoquan River!

Somehow we made it to the front door with all of our stuff and had to climb over the icy three-foot solid ice drift to get into our house. What an ordeal. We really looked like a comic act – I would climb over the "hill" and Toni would pass me the briefcases, bags, etc. and then I would pull her up over the ice mound so she could get into the house. At least we had a good laugh every night as we slid into the driveway and over our snowdrift to get to the front door.

Finally, by Sunday, the sun was out for a while and temperature was about 34 degrees so we hacked a path to the driveway using a pick-ax and several shovels. I bought some sand and sanded our path and around my space in the driveway. It definitely has been a lot easier getting into the house the last couple of days and the temps are suppose to be near 50 degrees for the next couple of days so we should be ok when we get home.

Have you ever noticed how NHRA starts the season off at racetracks that are in the warmest parts of the country for that time of year? Well, I like that plan. Tomorrow morning Jamie, Toni, and I will catch a flight for Phoenix and at last check there was no snow or ice in the forecast in Phoenix. However, I bet by the time we get home, this iceberg that surrounds our house may be melted and we will be able to walk in the front door without our snow boots and mountain hiking paraphernalia.

In the meantime we are off to Phoenix to enjoy the warm Arizona climate to win us a race. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for checking in.

P.S. -- Sorry there are no pictures, Toni left her camera in the rig.