Birth of a Valindrome

I find it ironic that I edit an online news site when I was such a poor student of English/Communication Arts or whatever they were calling the study of nouns, verbs and adjectives in the late seventies/early eighties. Granted, I did well in composition and aced spelling long before we were handicapped by the aid of computer spell checkers, but the actual technical aspect of sentence construction - much like algebra - was more than my patience could stand.

So here I am at the age of 40+ spending my days (and nights, and sometimes weekends) poring over the press releases of hundreds of authors all across the country and various parts of the world, checking them for spelling and grammatical errors, the latter of which are harder to find because while spell checkers are pretty good, grammar checkers are yet to be perfected. I do not do line-by-line thorough checks, but rather glance through for anything that stands out, like a misplaced apostrophe or multiple punctuation marks... My main focus is on getting the headline and the lead-in correct so that our site looks nice and feeds don't look like they were written by preschoolers.

Surely I digress.

This post is really not about grammar or spelling or punctuation but more about my love of words in general. No, I'm not one for giving speeches, but I do love to read and I dabble in writing and I just happen to love the way words fill a page when done in a catchy way that holds the reader's attention. That leads me to a little thing I like to call a valindrome, the topic of this post.

Now, I don't know the first thing about word construction and origin, like the Latin meaning for this or the Greek root of that or prefixes and suffixes and such, so I highly doubt that my description of the word valindrome is going to be spot on correct to those who study such things, but when you read on, I believe that you will find that it is likely a very fitting definition.

The word valindrome is a combination of my name and the word palindrome, which is a word that is the same forward or backword, like "wow" or "madam" or, appropriately to my profession, "racecar." What is a valindrome? It is a word that is created by combining two existing words to make a new one. Hence the word valindrome itself being an example of the word valindrome. (Val+palindrome = valindrome, get it?)

Now that you know what a valindrome is, I would like to share a few of them with you here, and as more are created, I will add them to the list, so check back if you are interested.

The original valindrome, which I have not yet verified was created by myself or my daughter, is the word "Mandol" which is an imaginary product whose name was created by combining the word "man" with the existing trademarked product, "Midol." We use it often when discussing the men in our household when they are disagreeable, cranky, moody or otherwise hard to live with. It is our way of saying that they are hormonal and could use a dose of the imaginary drug if there one on the market. We have been known to send urgent texts with the words "Mandol: Jumbo package!" when warning each other of impending meetings with such afflicted men. I would imagine this product to work much like Midol is supposed to work for women, and I would suggest that instead of taking it with a bar of chocolate or a box of wine, they down it with a beer and some pork rinds, although those pork rinds might cause them to retain water and cause more bloating than the Mandol can fix.

And so was born the valindrome.

Next on our list is a one of my favorites, and it has actually become the name of my other blog, "Throttleshock." The definition of throttleshock is: "The adrenaline rush one experiences as an engine acheives maximum power, propelling car and driver into a frenzy of speed and movement." It's the feeling I get when standing just a few feet from the edge of a race track when the engines rev and the cars fly by and the scents and sounds of a night of racing fill the air. There is no other feeling like throttleshock. I got the idea from the movie Bottle Shock when I was brainstorming over the name of a racing e-newsletter. It would still be good for that, but right now I will keep it as my blog title, and maybe some day use the domain names I have registered for something really fun.

The last valindrome for today is "badgitude," which is a combination of badge and attitude. It originated on the parking lot of the University of Dayton when a guy who is most likely a postal worker by day, was given a badge and told to harass parking lot patrons on the weekends. The definition of badgitude is "the mindset of any civillian who is not a police officer by trade, but is designated as a security worker only for a specific event."

Those are the first three valindromes, but I have a few more already written down and defined, and I have no doubt that more will pop out at unexpectd moments.

Back in the Swing of Things

Wow, it's hard to believe that my last entry here was when Spring and I went up to Madison, WI to stay at the hospital with Randy. So much has happened since then!

Randy's accident was major, and his injuries severe, but God has been very, very good. It all happened 12 weeks ago yesterday, and the guy who had only a slim chance of ever walking again is doing just that.

Last night we had a trivia night at our church to try and raise some money to help Randy and Spring with some of the financial stress they are under. We had a great time and managed to raise almost $2,500. My original goal was to make at least a thousand, so we went way above and beyond.

In honor of Randy's progess and God's amazing healing power, Spring and a friend made up t-shirts that were for sale at the event.

They say:
weekend with the guys: 385
ski lift tickets: $125
air lift to the hospital: $19, 456

Randy's miraculous recovery: priceless

There are some things money can buy, for everything else, trust the Master's Care.

I love these shirts and am constantly reminded of just how fast God worked here and how far Randy has come. He still has a lot of work to do, but he's a tough cookie and a hard worker so there is no doubt that he will put his all into the effort.

Thanks to all of our friends and family for their prayers. We appreciate you SO much!

A Different Kind of Road Trip

Over the past couple of years, Spring and I have taken a couple of road trips to go to races in our area. We have always had a great time, filling the hours and watching the miles fly by as we chat and listen to great music.

Today we will leave on a different kind of road trip. We will be heading up to Madison where Randy is still in intensive care, but doing a little better every day. The leaking spinal fluid that was such a concern has stopped, which was a huge answer to prayer. He is supposed to be in a back brace and sitting up soon, and the chest tube is supposed to be removed in short order. All of this progress is amazing, and each step is a miracle. We are so hopeful that he will make a complete recovery.


Spring and I will make the best of this trip, and I have no doubt that we will find some lighthearted moments along the way. I wish with all my heart that this trip was for another reason, but it is what it is, and that won't change. All we can do is keep moving forward.


For updates on Randy's progress, and so sign the guestbook, please visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/randyhansen

The Whole World Can Change in a Minute

What was supposed to have been a fun guys getaway weekend for the men in our family - Spring's husband, Randy, my husband, Scott and my two brothers, Roger and Jim - turned to tragedy in the blink of an eye.

The guys left last Thursday after noon (Feb. 26) for the Wisconsin Dells where they had planned to do some skiing. They arrived late that night after battling some nasty weather, got some rest and hit the slopes. After just a couple of hours, everything changed. Randy lost control and skied into a tree. He hit it hard and was unconscious when Jim reached him. By the grace of God, right behind them was an off-duty EMT who just happened to be out enjoying a day of skiing. He stopped and took control of the situation.

Randy was taken to a nearby hospital and was then airlifted to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. The boys met him there and the phone calls between St. Louis and Madison began, as did the now all too familiar waiting game.

Scott called me and told me what was going on, then asked me to call Spring to break the news. That phone call was the most difficult one I have ever made. She was so upset, and all I could do was try to keep her calm and talk her through it, and pray. Prayer has become my constant companion in the days since.

The news from Madison got progressively worse, and before long it became apparent that Spring absolutely had to get there. She was able to get an 8:20 flight and was on the ground by 9:35. By then, Randy was already in surgery.

The doctors put 9 pins in his back, and fused his spine, and when it was all said and done, they gave him a 2% chance of ever walking again. That was the news that finally broke me. After holding up pretty well all day long, the thought of Randy never getting to horse around with Caleb again, or care for the sheep, or drive the Charger he just bought brought me to my knees with grief. I just couldn't fathom what life was going to be like for he and Spring, in a house with so many stairs and different levels, it would seem impossible to make it work. It felt like one of those dreams where you're running but you just can't get anywhere.

On Saturday, news started to get better. Randy's heart was good, his breathing was good. He is very strong and he has this awesome support and prayer group around him.

Sunday morning brought some of the best news: Randy was able to move his right leg from the hip down! He had sensation in his left leg, but couldn't make it move, but at least we were getting somewhere. The biggest concern was, and still is this morning, leaking spinal fluid. My prayer is that by now that is stopped, but I am still waiting for word.

Scott, Roger, Jim and Spring will be heading home today. She needs to tie up some loose ends, see Caleb, pack and make some plans. My sister-in-law, Deanna, and I will accompany her tomorrow when she returns to Madison.

This is going to be a long and drawn out recovery, but we are ever hopeful that God will grant complete healing. We cherish your prayers for Randy, Spring and Caleb, as well as our family.

Blessings to you all!

Secretly. Frisco wishes he had opposable thumbs so he could be a drummer!

Frisco is so lazy!

One (wo)man's art...

Last summer, my daughter and I decided that we needed a bit of culture to balance out all of our hours spent mindlessly watching musicals like Hairspray, High School Musical, Mama Mia! etc. In attempt to broaden ourselves (not physically because I'm already beyond capacity that way) we made a trek to Forest Park to visit the St. Louis Art Museum.

I must confess that I had not darkened the doorway of this fine tribute to the gifted since my teenage years. My fondest memories are of my brothers giggling in front of paintings of shirtless women. Our parents tried unsuccessfully to hide their own smirks of amusement at such behavior.

It's nice to know that some things haven't changed. The Art Musum still houses portraits of topless women (some of them hideously deformed) and little kids still find them funny. We saw very few children in the museum that day, but the ones we did see found these paintings fascinating. Some of them probably felt their empty little tummies rumble.

We tried to behave ourselves. Really we did. We put on our best serious art-snob faces when we saw the occasional security guard, then tittered mercilessly as soon as they were far enough away not to hear us.

Now don't think I don't appreciate fine art. Really, I do. Things of beauty and the people who create them leave me deeply humbled, and incredibly jealous. Conversly, things that have been labeled art, yet resemble things found in the common junk yard leave me confused. And again jealous that someone obviously cashed in on someone else's misfortune at being born without taste.

Then there's this work, which, I truly believe I could duplicate with a few bucks and a trip to Home Depot. Maybe I missed my calling.

Anyway...

The time we spent at the Museum was fun and filled with girlish giggles. Sometimes we chuckled at the "art" and sometimes at the expressions on other people's faces as they studied the "art." One of the biggest laughs of the day was at my expense. I did not notice the line of tape on the floor that ran all the way around the rooms and ran parallel to the walls, about 18 inches out. That is, I didn't notice it until one of those security guards came over and told me to "move behind the line." Horrors! I actually got too close to the art as I studied the technique and composition. I did my best to look adequately contrite, but I doubt I really pulled it off, especially with Jesse snickering a few feet away.

It seemed I was destined to get into trouble that day, taking pictures of exhibits I wasn't supposed to photograph (at least I didn't make the unforgiveable mistake of using a flash), looking suspicious (I guess the blue jeans didn't fit in because they didn't have strategically-placed holes) and generally just not taking the whole thing seriously.

By the time we left, Jesse and I had all we could do to maintain enough quiet dignity to make our way out of the building. We did get some fun photos that day. I'm going to share a few here. I especially like the one of Jesse imitating the painting of the woman looking away. It was fun to play with on Picnik this afternoon.

Welcome to the Wheel World

Today I would like to welcome a new Sprint Car and Midget site to the web. It's called Open Wheel and you can find it at www.openwheel.org plus we have it listed in our Favorite Links section on the right.

Just got word of this site today, so I cruised on over and checked it out. I have to say that I absolutely love the old photos that have been put up so far. That's my favorite part, but look around and see for yourself, because there is definitely more there than just eye candy.

Open Wheel boasts news, photos and a message board for those of us infatuated with everything to do with dirt track Sprint and Midget racing. I have a feeling that as the weather heats up and all of our fancies turn to dirt, this site will be a very popular place indeed.

Welcome, and best of luck to everyone at Open Wheel!

Three years and 364 days to go...

Bumper Sticker Slogan of the Day: "I'll keep my money, my guns and my freedom. You can keep your change."

Ok, I gave myself one day to mourn and yesterday was it. Today it's back to life as I know it, plugging away at my job, working around the house, raising kids and trying to be the person God wants me to be. I don't like this new administration, but the only choice is just to live with it until things can be made right. My prayer is that we can do that four years from now instead of having to wait eight!

Yes, it was tough knowing that a new President was being inaugurated yesterday, but it was cool having a couple of girlfriends with which to commiserate. Made me feel a lot less alone in my funk, that's for sure! It's just weird looking around this country and not being able to recognize it anymore, and for me, that's the toughest thing to deal with. I have no idea when the moral fiber unraveled and how we have come so far from what our Founding Fathers stood for.

Do I wish Mr. Obama ill or do I hope that he is a big failure? Certainly not. My prayer for him is that he would be successful in helping our country get back on its feet. My prayer is that God will get a good firm hold on his heart and help him to see the importance of life itself. I hope and pray that he finds salvation by grace and he brings that important element back to the White House where it belongs.

In the mean time, he and his family are in my prayers. They will be scrutinized and criticized over the coming months and years. There will be danger, there will be hard and difficult work. I can't imagine being a child growing up under he magnifying glass that will be ever present in their world. I wish them all the best.

Here in my little slice of home town America, we will continue to work hard, pay our taxes (unlike some of those incoming cabinet members), teach our kids ethics and morals and the importance of serving others, and pray that we can continue to do so without unnecessary intrusion.

We'll keep looking forward to 2012 when we hope Sarah Palin gets another chance.

Where Can I Buy a Pair of Ruby Slippers?

In The Wizard of Oz, we follow the story of Dorothy Gale as she is whisked away from her boring life in Kansas to the magical land of Oz and all of its intriguing characters. I have heard it said that this tale is actually a metaphor for modern society or government and when you think about it, the story still fits today.

The way I see it, Dorothy finds her life in Kansas to be pretty lame. Everybody is always telling her what to do, a creepy old bat down the road hates her dog and wants to take him away, she spends a lot of her time doing chores and no one really has a lot of time to spend with her because they are working so hard to keep up with the responsibilities of farm life.

One day, Dorothy finds herself caught up in a storm and carried off to a strange new land inhabited by little people, witches, talking scarecrows, a lion that walks upright and is afraid of his own shadow and a heartless tin woodsman. They embark on an adventure to find a mysterious wizard who has amazing powers and can puportedly help Miss Gale find her way home. We all know what happens with the good witch and the bad witch and those creepy flying monkeys, and how, in the end, Dorothy has the power to return home any time she wants to, right at her feet.

In thinking about this story in current times, I pondered the idea that even though Dorothy was bored to death and felt neglected in Kansas, it was still home and all she wanted was to get back to her home and family. While she imagined a life more glamorous and exciting, when she actually lived it, she found that familiar and humdrum were actually much more appealing. In effect, change wasn't necessarily a good thing.

So how does this match up with current events? Hmmm, let's compare and contrast, shall we?

First of all, there are a lot of folks who think that this new administration will cast a magic spell on our country. That imaginary potion will supposedly solve all of our financial problems, end the war on terror, end our energy problems, find a solution to the imagined "global warming crisis" and give everyone free high-speed internet access, among many other things. Wow. All this and tax cuts for people who aren't even paying taxes. Who wouldn't love this kind of change?

Well, pardon me if I find it a bit far-fetched to think that one guy can do this, but hey, who am I to doubt? A promise is a promise, right? All I know is that behind every curtain that supposedly hides a wizard is just a man throwing switches that power a smoke machine and some loudspeakers. And all it takes is one persistent and nosey little dog to rat him out.

The key to the whole Wizard of Oz story and today's world is that once Dorothy realized that the beautiful land of Oz was not all it was cracked up to be, she longed for the simple life she knew. That life was made ideal by the basic tenets of life: Hard work, following the rules and most of all, love of family. It was all black and white. Glitter and pretty colors were simply an illusion.

There will always be mean people who want to take what we have, but we have to stand up for what's right and tell them to stay out of our business, the way we need to keep the government in its place and out of our personal lives as much as possible. Instead of depending on special programs, handouts and bailouts, we need to put God and family first, work hard, live within our means and help our neighbors when they need a hand.

When we do those things, we use our brains, our courage and our hearts and we have no need of a fake wizard behind a pretty curtain making bargains he can't keep when we bring him the remains of the evil witch's broom. We need to remember that there's no place like Home Sweet America while we still have our home and before we put our faith in man instead of God.

Instead of blindly following the yellow brick road shortcut to better times through a field filled with beautiful, drug-laced poppies and waiting for a freak snowstorm to wake us up to reality, maybe we should just take the longer, more difficult road around the field and earn our way back to economic stability and a better standing in the global community the old fashioned way: Through the positive example of good old American hard work and dedication.

I keep hoping that we will wake up from this nightmare and find it was all just a bad dream but it hasn't happened yet. Those ruby slippers may be our only hope after all.

Seeing Red

Well, here it is January, the garnet month, and most folks have probably already broken any resolutions they made. That's why I don't make them!

Since 2006, when we first started Girls Gone Racin', later re-named Two Girls Gone Racin', the web site and blog have been an up and down thing. That stands to reason, since at times like this, we aren't going to any races and it just seems like the beginning of the season is so far away.

With the Chili Bowl over (congrats, Sammy!) and the Bud Shootout and Daytona 500 still a ways off, our focus right now is on football. Yesterday we gathered to watch the Cardinals beat the Eagles, which was very exciting. Since the Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Arizona, and since the Rams released Kurt Warner and he subsequently made his way to Arizona, there are a lot of St. Louis football fans who were more than happy to see Cool Hand Kurt and his team pull off that victory.

It was a very exciting football game, and nearly became a heartbreaker at that, but all was well when the clock finally ticked down. Now it's time to plan a Super Bowl party and cheer the Cardinals on to victory over the Steelers. With the lousy season our hometown team had in 2008, it's nice to have something positive to focus on when it comes to football.

Go Big Red!
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Oh, and just a note to the guy who likes to send comments to the site about trademark infringement: I still own the domain www.girlsgoneracin.com, pal, so you can pester me all you want about who owns what, but when it comes down to it, the domain registration dates tell the truth. I know your real agenda and you are NOT getting my domain name so buzz off.

Feel free monitor the site and the blog all you want, leave your little comments, whatever. I can and will use and refer to the original Girls Gone Racin' at www.girlsgoneracin.com for as long as I want to. It's legally mine because I bought it and I will continue to renew it long after your little "business" is just a "page not found" error.