Of all the lamb excuses...

We've all done it, right? We've been invited to do something or go somewhere, and we don't really want to go, so we make up some silly excuse to get out of it. No harm, no foul, nobody's feelings get hurt.

Well last Friday I called up Spring to see if I could take her out to lunch for her birthday. I couldn't get her at home or on her cell, so I left a message. A few minutes later, I got a text messaging asking, "What's up?"

When I responded, letting her know what I had in mind, she replied that she would love to, but the only way she could do lunch was if I brought it to her because she couldn't leave the house. Finally, we caught up with each other long enough to verbally communicate what was going on.

As it turns out, one of Spring's sheep had given birth to triplets Monday night. Of the two boys and one girl, the Momma really only wanted to take care of one, so the other two were getting shoved aside. One was bad enough that it had to be brought into the house to get warmed up and so they could attempt bottle feeding.

City girl that I am, this was something I just had to see, so I stopped at the Bread Company (where else would I go?), picked up soup and salads, and headed up the highway to Spring's house. When I got there, sweet Sadie greeted me at the door with lots of excitement, jumping up on me and passing out licks.

We had lunch and visited for a bit and then it was time to go see this little miracle of miracles.


I grew up in the suburbs, but I've been to Grant's Farm and fed the goats, ridden horses, seen cows up close and personal, but never before had I seen a less-than-a-week-old lamb. My goodness, how adorable he was! Little Cisco looked like a stuffed animal all curled up in his wicker laundry basket. He was laying on a heating pad in front of a space heater to try and get warm and didn't respond to us much when we stroked him or said his name. Even Sadie tried to help by licking the top of his head and nuzzling his ears.

It was feeding time for the little lamby-pie, so Spring went and heated up a special formula and put it in a small glass Coke bottle with a rubber nipple. She showed me how to hold it and get Cisco interested. He was interested all right! That little guy almost polished off the whole bottle in no time, and once he did, it was amazing how fast he got energized!

Before long, there was no keeping him in the basket or even in a big cardboard box. Instead, he followed me around the dining room (the song "Mary had a little lamb" kept going through my head the whole time) and exploring the house and the cat. His tiny hooves made the cutest little clopping sound on the hardwood floor! It was really something to see and I just couldn't stop taking pictures of the little guy. He finally settle down after quite a bit of wandering, and just nodded off in a corner of the room.

What a fun day it was for me as I got to make friends with Cisco!

Dirt Track Divas Dare to Dream

Things are starting to look up around here now that we've broken out of our Arctic freeze and shaken the ice off the thermometer. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get warm anywhere but under my electric blanket.

We spent last Sunday at Spring and Randy's watching the Daytona 500 and pigging out on all kinds of down home comfort food. Spring cooked up some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and slaw which we washed down with some kind of fabulous punch. We topped the whole calorie-fest off with hunks of a specialty cake that my daughter made to look like the finish line with Junior crossing in front. (Hence the "dream" part of this title.) That was for Spring, who is a Junior fan. I was, of course, cheering for Tony, who made a great showing and should have won the darned thing. Once he was out, I took to cheering for Mark Martin, and we all know how that turned out. Oh well, don't ever take me to Vegas!

So now I'm starting to think that racing season will eventually get here, and I'm really excited. We already have credentials in place for several events, and I am working on getting them for a few more. It will be a busy summer, which is fine with me. The more time I spend chasin' racin', the less time I will spend mourning the fact that my oldest will head off to college in the fall. Yikes!

For now, I am working on a web site for the newly formed Ozark Mountain Midget Series which is a Midget racing series for low-budget racers. Our buddy Dustin has been working his tail off for ages to put this thing together and it's looking really good. He also let me know that he will be racing a Sprint Car on Friday nights this season, and I know he is excited. Congrats, Dustin!

Girls Gone Racin' is the official photographer of the OMMS, and we look forward to this new venture.

In other news, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. who drives Brent's Midget won two USAC events, both Sprint and Silver Crown, while out west. Way to go, Ricky! We have asked Brent if we can ride along sometime this season to see just what goes into a race weekend, and we're going to try and figure out when we can do it.


Saturday is Spring's birthday so drop her a note when you get the chance. We'll be going out with a bunch of other gals for a true "girls's night out" which should be a lot of fun. I'll be sure to bring my camera...

Wake me up when the engines start!

Yes, I know it must seem as if this blog has been in hibernation mode, and I guess maybe it has, but that does not mean that I've been sleeping for the past two weeks. Not by a long shot!

In all actuality, work has been keeping me busy. Usually this time of year, we can kind of kick back and coast for a while, but there has actually been a lot going on in the racing world. Of course, none of it is anywhere near me, so I've had to settle for watching some of the NASCAR hype and wondering why in the world anyone still gets caught up in it. Maybe this time of year it's a bit more understandable because there is no real racing going on, but in two months, NASCAR will definitely be on the back burner as we head into dirt track season.

With that in mind, you just never know where you might find interesting motorsports stuff this time of year. Thanks to my friend Ron, I learned about the Shifting Gears exhibit at the Missouri History Museum. Yestereday my Dad and I headed off to see it, and we had a good time.

The exhibit features cars that were manufactured in St. Louis. It is amazing how many automobile manufacturers were here over the years and how diverse the styles of cars. We saw cars made by Dorris, Moon and many others on display. Most of the cars had been painstakingly restored and were absolutely beautiful. I was surprised by how big some of them were too. The 1924 Dorris (pictured above) on display had to be at least as long as the modern Suburban! The front bumper on this car reminded me of Lizzie's smile in the move Cars.

There was also an area devoted to auto racing, which I found to be particularly intriguing. The trophy on display was intricately detailed and I can only imagine the pride of the driver to whom it was presented. One of the descriptions of a race, which started at night, described the track as being lit by hundreds of gas-powered torches. Can you imagine? No Musco lighting in those days, that's for sure!

I also enjoyed the display of "motoring togs" that were popular in the early 1900s. The first photo in the blog is an example of one of those styles. Her goggles are lined in purple fur! I think she is quite elegant, but I can't imagine having to get into all that gear just to run to the mall.

There was another section with information about motoring safety and how new laws had to be enacted as automobiles evolved. At one point, the speed limit in St. Louis was 8 mph. This left us with an intriguing question: How did the cops know if someone was speeding? They certainly didn't have radar guns, in the driver's defense, there were no speedometers! Sounds like a slick way of padding the coffers of city government to me.

All in all, this is a small but interesting display. There are only about a dozen or so cars on display, but the exhibit is open to the public, and free, so the price is right. It runs through March 31, 2007.

The Motorsports Zone Radio Show Returns for 5th Season

Our friends at The Motorsports Zone are gearing up for their fifth season on the air. Here's what's in store for 2007:

Courtesy: Chuck Licata

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Motorsports Zone radio show (KVET-AM 1300, Austin, TX) will return Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007 at 10 a.m. for a fifth season of broadcast.

Chuck Licata, who started the show with former co-host Ric Clark, will return to host the show. Licata, co-owner of K-MAC Sports Productions of Austin (an online broadcast company), will be joined by a “rotation” of co-hosts for this season.

KVET-AM 1300, known as “The Zone,” is the flagship station for University of Texas athletics. Steaming of all Zone programming can be found at the station’s web site, www.am1300thezone.com.

“This is going to be a great season for the show,” Licata said. “We’re going to continue to grow the show. This season, we’re going to bring in different co-hosts in anticipation of different racing events. The co-hosts all have different ‘strengths’ that cover the wide variety of racing topics.”

The rotating co-hosts will include “BA” otherwise known as Brian in Austin; Bobby Chaffee, Ric Clark and Dawn Murphy, all of San Antonio; and “Zippy,” also from Austin.

Licata will be joined by Chaffee March 2-3 at the Pro-Cuts Dirt Track Championships at Texas Motor Speedway, where the duo will broadcast the show live from the TMS Dirt Track.

The Motorsports Zone is also available for replay, 24/7, on www.kmacsports.com. Listeners just need to click on “The MZone” logo on the web site.

Listerners can call into the radio show to share their thoughts and opinions at 512.390.LIVE (5483).

Counting Down the Days

The 2007 Chili Bowl has come and gone (congrats Tony!) and now we are counting down the days and weeks to our first live race of 2007. So far it looks like that will be a World of Outlaws Sprint Car race at I-55 Raceway on April 7. Being as that is my 23rd wedding anniversary, I had to ask my hubby if he would mind celebrating at a race, and he willingly agreed to the arrangement. So, as long as the weather cooperates, I guess we are good to go.

Until then, we will continue to muddle through the cold and snow while we patiently wait for spring time and fair temperatures. As a last resort, we will most likely get together for the Daytona 500 and maybe even another NASCAR race or two before the real racing season gets underway.

In local news, it looks like our friends Kevin and Tammy Gundaker will now have double the promotional duties starting today. Over the weekend, they finalized a deal to purchase Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri. Lucky for us, they run 360 Sprints and since this is a track I've never seen, I am more than anxious to make the trip down. Congratulations to the Gundakers and best wishes on the new endeavor!

Before I forget, I need to thank someone who really helped us out. Check out the new logo on the web site if you haven't already. A big "THANK YOU" goes out to Chris and his company 87 Design for the new design. We love what he did and we are happy to be working with him. Be sure to check out his place on MySpace when you get the chance. Thanks, Chris!

Chili Bowl Serving #4: Spicin' it up

Tonight's races are going on despite nasty weather all over the midwest. Inside the Tulsa Expo Center, dirt is flying like nobody's business. It will be exciting to hear stories about the races, and what's going on with folks trying to get where they need to be.

Back here in Missouri, real life is more exciting than the movies, or any race could ever be.

Earlier this week, a young man was kidnapped from near his home in Beaufort, MO. This afternoon he was found, alive, and as if that was not miracle enough, along with him was another young man who had been missing since October of 2002. It's an amazing discovery, and when I first saw the news flash across my tv screen, I thought I was seeing things. When the story was confirmed, I cried.

All week long our family has prayed for Ben, and each day I have followed the news, hoping to see positive news. When it finally happened, the news was even better than the scenario I had imagined. Wow.

So yeah, I guess going to the Chili Bowl would have been fun, although I wouldn't want to have to deal with the weather. For me, being right here at home finding out this wonderful news is better than any race I could be watching.

Of course, I still want to hear all about it, and I'm looking forward to all of tomorrow's news stories. This has to be one of the best-covered events of the racing season, no doubt.

Ben Ownby FOUND!

Ben Ownby, of Beaufort, MO has been missing since January 8.

Contact: FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT 636-583-2567

ABDUCTION INFORMATION

Case Number:
Date Last Seen: Monday, Jan 8th, 2007
Time Last Seen: 3:30pm
Location Last Seen: Beaufort, MO

INCIDENT INFORMATION

Victim got off bus after school approx 1530 hrs and was walking home and did not arrive. White Nissan pickup with camper shell seen in the Beaufort area.

VICTIM

Name: William "Ben" Ownby
DOB: 1993-12-06
Age: 13
Race: white
Gender/Sex: M
Hair Color: brown
Eye Color: blue
Height: 4' 10"
Weight: 100
Clothing: st louis rams hooded windbreaker and blue jeans
Other: wears glasses

Type: Nissan compact pickup
License: unknown unknown
Description: white older model nissan compact truck with white camper shell. Vehicle has "Nissan" in black block letters on upper left corner of tailgate. Last seen in the Beaufort area.

Ozark Mountain Midgets Ready to Roar!

The new Ozark Mountain Midget Series logo.

(Thanks to Dustin Arnall for keeping us in the loop about this exciting new series!)

HARTVILLE, Mo. -- Starting in 2007 will be the Ozark Mountain Midget Series for Sportsman Midgets. The series is a spin-off of the Illini Racing Series in the Chicago area.At this point, the series will race strictly on dirt.

Schedule will be limited to tracks no larger than 1/3 mile. 1/4 miles are perfect for us. OMMS is based in Southwest Missouri.

Any 4 cylinder midget or upright mini sprint (13" wheels, bladder, and no wings) is legal.

An engine restriction formula is in place to keep OEM type engines and older midget packages competitive with any engine package currently used in midget racing.

Chassis specs are in place to keep older cars competitive.

Mickey Thompson sportsman DOT tires are the series spec. The tires lack of grip balances out the competition to an amazing level.

With this rules package, 20 year old cars frequently win races/ Quad 4 spec engines frequently win championships.

Two tracks are already on board to provide an 18-25 race schedule in 2007.

Complete schedule coming soon. Waiting to see final schedule for SMRS, MARA, POWERi, & MOLS. We do not want to schedule on top of any other groups in this region if at all possible.

At this point we expect 16-22 cars on opening day. This is not an optimistic #, this is reality.

IF YOU THINK YOUR EQUIPMENT CAN'T BE COMPETITIVE, WE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND!

Here is where to find more info about the newly formed OZARK MOUNTAIN MIDGET SERIES.

Dustin Arnall, President 417-741-7815 djbarnall@centurytel.net
Neil Gamble, Board Member 417-369-3751
Chris Talburt, Board Member 417-861-5992 jatalburt@aol.com

Complete rules and Illini Series history http://www.illiniracingseries.com/

We will use the Illini Series car/engine rules 100% word for word. Format info and contact info will be different.

OMMS website coming soon!

Special Thanks to Bill Allen at Dallas County Speedway in Urbana, MO and Greg Clemmons at Grand River Speedway in Urich,MO for providing a place for this series to grow!

Chili Bowl Serving #2: Tossed Salad?

Tonight is night number two of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo. We're looking for all you fortunate folks who made the trip to fill us in on all of the details. Otherwise, links to results and related stories will be posted right here Thursday morning.

Remember to click on the "Comments" link below to share your impressions of the big event!

Chili Bowl Pre-Qualifier News & Notes

TULSA, Okla. -- Bubba Altig was victorious in the first night of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, taking that win on the last turn of the last lap just to make things really exciting.

You can read the entire story, get the results and view photos here:

http://www.whowon.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=0&StoryID=210647

For even more news and information about the event, check out www.chilibowl.com or go to:

http://www.whowon.com/ResultsDates.asp?TrackID=843

More stories will be posted throughout the day today, and all through the week, so check back often.

Chili Bowl Serving #1: The Appetizer

Here it is at last, the first day of th 2007 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Haulers are parked, tickets are sold out and race fans from all over the country will be packing the place to the rafters.

Practice starts at 11:00 CST this morning and no doubt folks are hungry enough for racing in these bleak winter months that they will come for practice and stay right through tonight's races.

We're ready to hear from you folks down in Tulsa. Be sure to click on that itty bitty "Comments" link at the bottom of this post to add your thoughts.

While many of you are enjoying tonight's kick off in Tulsa, I will be at a high school basketball game cheering for my alma mater, which is now my daughter's school. Maybe not quite as exciting as Midget racing, but a different type of fun all its own.

Below are a few of my favorite Midget photos from this past season, and all of these cars are registered to be racing at the 2007 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. Good luck guys!




Tim Siner, Waterloo, Illinois



Doug DeWitt, Sunnyvale, California



Mike Hess, Riverton, Illinois



Nick Knepper, Belleville, Illinois



Brent Nausley's #52, driven here by Randy Bateman. To be driven at the Chili Bowl by Joey Montgomery of Farmington, Missouri

Hunka Hunka Burnin' Chili

Well here it is, January 8th again and me and the King (Presley, not Petty) are celebrating our birthdays together. Of course, I'm the only one getting any older and one of these days, I'll actually catch up with, and pass him, God-willing.

I've talked to several people today who are packing their gear and heading for Tulsa, and I have to say that I am green with envy. That's way better than the kind of green Spring is experiencing today as she deals with an ear infection and the flu. Get well soon, chickie! I guess it's a darned good thing we didn't get tickets to the Chili Bowl after all.

With that said, it's been an interesting day of posting news of sadness and that of excitement. The passing of NASCAR legend Bobby Hamilton has been one of the top stories of the day in the sad department, while big news of sponsorships, new sanctions, big rides and all the other silly season stuff is filling up the ol' email box. I've been posting them almost as quickly as they arrive and they have been showing up in surprising numbers for January, let me tell you. Usually I am working hard to stay busy this time of the year, but not today! As usual, for all the latest racing news, check out www.whowon.com

Along with the news, schedules are rolling in as well. Tracks and sanctions are starting to nail down their dates, and so are the GGR girls. Just today I confirmed at least a half dozen dates for the 2007 calendar, all of them Winged Sprints in the bi-state area. Already lined up for this year are several POWRi Midget races, a possible NASCAR race at Talladega and maybe even a run up to Knoxville for the Midget Nationals. And just for fun, an ASA Challenge Series event at I-70 Speedway has been thrown into the mix. No drag races so far, but you just never know. Of course, we will wrap up the season back in Hartville, Missouri for the Fifth Annual got milk? Fall Karting Nationals. Speaking of Hartville, I talked to Dustin Arnall just this afternoon, and he will be making a big announcement of his own soon. Not to spoil the surprise, but I think local Midget fans will be very happy!

Of course, thinking of Midgets leads me back to the good ol' Chili Bowl. With a record number of entries (last I saw the number was 275), and an extra night of racing with tomorrow night's qualifier, things are bound to be exciting in Tulsa this week. I hope that many of you will remember to share your thoughts and comments here as the week progresses, as we are really excited to see how it goes. Remember, we want your pictures too! Feel free to email them to us at girlsgoneracin@sbcglobal.net.

To those of you heading out, drive safely and enjoy the races!

P.S. I received a link to an absolutely adorable web site today. If you're into racing (if you found us, you must be!) and love dogs, then check out www.racerdogs.com. Beautiful artwork and the cutest racing t-shirts ever. Great work!

Chili Bowl Drivers and Lady Ann Doin’ Donuts

(Courtesy Dennis Michelsen)

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Join hosts Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen as they welcome Chili Bowl drivers Shannon McQueen and Michelle Decker to the show. In addition Lori and Dennis will be taking a virtual road trip to the amazing “Land of Velocity” and meet artist Ann Boyer LePere. (“Lady Ann”) Cue up house band “Tar and the Nicotines” and let the fun begin. If it’s Monday at 8pm eastern, it’s time to make the donuts with Lori and Dennis on RaceTalkRadio!

http://www.doindonuts.com

Meet Shannon McQueen The first female driver to win the Budweiser Outlaw Nationals, Shannon is also the only female driver to race on pavement and dirt at the same time. "I'm a pretty simple person really. I work hard as a CPA to fund my racing. All I ever wanted was a chance to make it." This twenty-seven year old from Tehachapi, California has quite a racing resume. This will be her third trip to the historic Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Meet Michelle Decker Hailing from Guthrie, Oklahoma thirty-three year old Michele Decker has been involved with racing most of her life. Michelle runs both classes of sprint cars at her local track and will run her second "Chili Bowl" this year. "They are evil little machines but so much fun to drive,” exclaimed Decker. Michelle works for a mortgage company when she is not busy working on her own racecars.

Meet Lady Ann Boyer LePere Hear ye, hear ye, thee royal court is in session with Lady Ann Boyer LePere presiding. This grandmother of three is an amazing realist painter who spends most of her time working on commissioned portraits. Explore her "Land of Velocity;" the mixture of speed and fantasy are blended into a sort of NASCAR renaissance fare in the wondrous imagination of this creative lady.

Doin’ Donuts Every Monday Night 8-10pm ET A dog named Carbon Super Sport doing commercials? Show hosts blowing up people’s stills? Finding out who ain’t getting any in NASCAR? This provocative racing show will entertain, enlighten, and yes sometimes confound you! Sit down, strap in, and sound off for two hours of high-octane fun NASCAR-style with Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts!”

Do you have a product that needs the best commercial spokes-pup in the business? Put Carbon Super Sport to work for you today! Please contact Dennis Michelsen for details on how Carbon can get consumers wagging their tails for your product!

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2007 season on many of the RaceTalkRadio shows. Contact us today and learn how our radio shows, websites, and newsletter can be put to work for you!

In Racing, as in Cooking, Preparation is Key

Much like a chef preparing ingredients for a big batch of chili, car owners and teams must ready their cars for any big race. The Chili Bowl is one of the biggest races of the year to prepare for and the close quarters, large number of entries and type of facility (indoor) make for many challenges.

(The team works on the #52 car after the crash at Belle Clair in October.)

Car owner Brent Nausley shared a little insight about his team's preparations with me today. He will be entering two cars into next week's competition. Car #52 will be driven by Joey Montgomery and #50 by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Both cars will carry Girls Gone Racin' stickers, so keep your eyes open!

Here are a few insights from Brent, to whom we give thanks not only for sharing this background information with us, but for the friendship we have been priviliged to share. Thanks Brent!

Good morning,

Well we had alot to do to the 52 due to the crash at Belle-Clair, [Oct. 7, driven by Randy Bateman. See photo.] we have repaired the chassis, the rear end had to be repaired, along with a lot of bolt on parts. I took the motor to Dynotech to have it checked on the dyno and everything for it is back and the car is together. The 50 car is still waiting for the motor today. Ricky Jr is bringing it up from Memphis and we will put the 50 together when he gets here.

I try to gather and load as many spare parts as I can for the trip. I also go through every thing on the cars to make sure they are in good shape. I replace parts that are worn. I clean every thing up and Harold repairs and repaints the body work.

It is a lot of work, but this race isn't like any of the other races because there are so many things that reduce your chances to win. The amount of competitors on the track increase the chance of tearing up the car, but the list of great drivers who come each year makes this race special. So the opportunity for me to take my cars makes it special for me.

The uniqueness of the race for preparation is the amount of cars on the track wearing it out. The track being indoors doesn't have weather affecting it but is does dry out and with all the races ran on it it does wear down. We have found it to be consistent though, it is dry slick. The motors also run a little different indoors and we have to work on that.

I don't have a good camera any more but I will get some kind of picture.

We appreciate you writing about the team and following it. I know you will enjoy it when you make the race.

Brent

P.S. Harold and Debbie bring alot of food and take care of the meals. They make the trip a whole lot more comfortable.

Pass the Chili My Way, Baby!

Hey, Mama always said, "Don't cry over spilled chili," right? Something like that anyway. Well, if you're like Spring and I, and can't make it to Tulsa for the biggest event of the winter, that doesn't mean you can't experience the excitement just like everyone else.

We just got this press release today from the folks at Racin' Boys, (Racin' Boys and Girls Gone Racin' hmmmm) letting us know that they will be doing a live broadcast right from the Tulsa Expo. So next week, instead of sitting around wondering which briefcase holds the million dollar prize, or who will get to hear the Donald's famous farewell, fire up the computer and log onto the internet to get all of the Chili Bowl information you can stand.

Many thanks to Bryan Gapinski at Racin' Boys for this report:

Chili Bowl Broadcast Times Set

TULSA, Okla. -- Fans unable to attend the sold-out 21st annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway on January 9-13, can hear all the action via the internet. The event can be heard only on the internet at www.racinboys.com . It’s the second straight year RacinBoys.com will provide the live audio webcast of the country’s premier indoor racing event.

Fan1st.com will be the title sponsor for the broadcast. Fan1st.com allows ordinary fans to become a part of the sponsorship of a car by putting their name in the logo that goes on the car at the track. In 2007, Dave Blaney will be driving the Fan1st.com car in the NASCAR Busch Series.

The RacinBoys, Scott Traylor and Kirk Elliott, are co-hosts of a popular Saturday morning Midwest regional motorsports show called "Track Talk with The RacinBoys" on the countries Largest all Sports Radio station the 50,000-watt Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City, Mo.

The Racinboys will be again joined by Bryan Gapinski, well-known open wheel racing announcer. Gapinski has been involved in previous broadcasts of the Chili Bowl, in the area of television, simulcast, radio/webcast and video. Gapinski is also the media director for the Badger Midget Series and founder of the National Midget Driver of the Year.Veteran sprint car announcer Scottie Cook has been added to the broadcast team for 2007, and will head up the Saturday afternoon ‘alphabet soup’ feature coverage. More than 35 hours of action concludes with the 50-lap championship feature on Saturday night, January 13. More pit and trackside interviews are planned as well as Saturday pre-race ceremonies.

The evenings broadcasts will start on Tuesday at 6:30 pm CST (local-Tulsa time), Wednesday-Friday Jan. 10-12 at 5:30 pm CST. The broadcast of action on Saturday will tentatively begin at 12:00pm CST. Stay tuned to www.racinboys.com for any updates.

The broadcast team will be joined by three lucky fans Dan Anders (Wednesday), Melissa Lazzaro (Thursday) and Bill Morrow (Friday). The trio were the highest bidders to receive a fan package and the opportunity to announce a heat race during the evenings events, that was recently held on eBay. Rod End Supply also recently signed on as a broadcast sponsor.

Got Chili?

COTTLEVILLE, Mo. – In just two weeks, all eyes in the Midget racing community will be focused on Tulsa, Oklahoma and the 2007 Chili Bowl. The Tulsa Expo will be packed with cars, crews and fans as the five nights of the mayhem, madness and excitement that make up this great event unfold.

The girls at Girls Gone Racin’ have been asked many times if we will be there this year, but unfortunately, other commitments prevent us from making the trip. Despite this obstacle, we still want to bring our readers as much coverage as possible. That’s where you come in.

Each night, starting with Tuesday’s pre-qualifier, we are asking folks to contribute their own coverage directly from the Chili Bowl so that those of us who can’t be there get as much information as possible. If you have access to the internet while in Tulsa, jump on to our blog and give us your thoughts and insights, or cheer on your favorite driver. Whether you are in the pits, the stands or a suite, we want your exclusive viewpoint.

If you do not have access to the internet, but want to share your views after you return home from the Oklahoma pilgrimage, you can do that too via our Chili Bowl wrap up blog which will go up after the 2007 Chili Bowl champion has been determined. So take notes on a napkin, the back of your program, or via your cell phone, PDA or MP3 player and then transcribe them when you get back to your computer and post away.

In order to post on the GGR blog, simply navigate to www.girlsgoneracin.com and click on the Girls Gone Racin’ Blog link, or go straight to http://girlsgoneracin.blogspot.com
Each night of the event will have a separate thread, and you can add your comments by clicking on the word “comments” at the end of the thread. Because this is a family-friendly site, all comments will be moderated before they go live, but we will do our best to turn them around as quickly as possible. So keep it clean and rant-free so we can share your views as you write them.

If you are taking a digital camera, and want to share your photos, we welcome those as well. Just pick your favorite one or two, make sure your files have been reduced to a reasonable size and are in .jpg format, and email them to girlsgoneracin@sbcglobal.net We will post as many as we can in the blog and on the web site.

We look forward to all of the great coverage that our readers will provide and we are excited to see just how many respond to the call. Be sure to look for cars with Girls Gone Racin’ decals, as we know there will be a few down there and we are anxious to see how they do.

Good luck to all of our bloggers and photographers. Have fun and thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts on this event with the rest of the world.

Brea Lopez Midget Found!

Yesterday, word spread quickly about the theft of Midget racer Brea Lopez's car, hauler and truck which were taken from their hotel parking lot in Kansas City. They were on their way from Washington state to Orlando for the PRI race tomorrow night.

I am happy to report that the race car, truck and hauler were found. It just goes to show that the racing community is a tight-knit group that works together when someone in the family is hurt or threatened. It is unfortunate that the thieves made off with expensive equipment and parts, and did the damage they did, but I know that Brea and her family are grateful to everyone who got the message out.

Below is a report on the recovery of the stolen operation.

If you are a member of the racer community, Dan Press and Brea Lopez extend the biggest heartfelt thank you to everyone. The car has been found thanks to you.

Two truckers early this morning, a William and a Darren (known as Bear) drove by some brown buildings next to a flying J truck stop in the Kansas city area, and one of the two spotted the midget sitting outside of a white trailer and commented to his partner that he just saw a midget sitting in the wide open between these buildings. The other trucker, being a serious racing fan, immediately responded and said "What!, I just read about a stolen midget on one of the message boards. They went back, and sure enough, there was the midget, trailer, and the Dodge Pick-up. The truckers than called Dan and informed him they were standing there staring at the #25.Dan contacted the police. Shortly following a Mark Hockemeier, a police officer from Kansas city (and a racer himself) contacted Dan to report that he and his partner, Brandon Steele were responding. At the same time, Officer Lambert, who is a police officer in the Kansas City area and married to Rachel Lambert, cousin to Rob Lindsey, past president and now business manger for the WMRA heard of the find, and responded. All three officers arriving pretty close to each other.

Status - the contents of the trailer are gone - tools, spare parts, generator, lights, heater, and the personal luggage of Dan's and Brea's. However, the car is INTACT, no visible signs what soever of damage or missing parts. Brea's drivers' bag was not taken, Helmet, drivers suit, Hans were left in the trailer. The locks on the trailer were gone and some damage to the drop gate is evident. Spare Tires mounted on Wheels were left, however, spare axels, quick change rear were also taken.

The drivers door handle on the Dodge Ram Pickup broken (gaining access) and the ignition on the column was stripped out.

Once the officers confirmed and did their police stuff at the location, Rachel Lambert than made arrangements for the #25 midget and trailer to be dropped at a secure location (locked compound) and the Dodge Ram was taken to a nearby Dodge Dealership. Mechanics at the dealership, when the P/U came in knew it was the "racers" stolen rig, and quickly assessed the damage and ordered the needed repair parts.

Dan reports he most likely will be flying out within one to two days to bring hauler, trailer, and the #25 back home.

Yes, Brea didn't make it to PRI - however, thanks to the racing community, the excellent work of Marty Boyer in getting the word out on the radio stations, and the posting of the theft on the message boards,Brea and the #25 will be racing this spring.

Dan Press and family, Brea Lopez, and the whole WMRA community so thank each and every one for caring and aiding in the recovery.

The bond of racers, never cease to amaze.Thank you, everyone!
Dan Press / Brea Lopez#25 WMRA Vader, Washington

USAC Driver Brea Lopez has Race Hauler & Midget Stolen

We were on our way to Orlando, Florida for the PRI Sprint and Midget Classic; we stopped right outside of Kansas City, Missouri at a hotel to sleep for the night. We got up around 6 am and walked outside and everything was gone.

Our truck was a Black 2005 Dodge Ram, and our trailer was a white Exiss with two big decals on the back one is a WMRA logo and one is a Red Line Oil decal. Every single piece of my racing operation was in that trailer.

The Chassis was a red powder coated 2005 Beast, with black carbon fiber pannels. The motor is an esslinger. Our tool box with all of our tools, shocks and springs, wheels and tires, quad, all of my safety equipment, spare axels rear ends, I can't even name it all off. I really don't even know what to say right now. Just please if anyone hears or sees anything, please let me know.

Email me at brea_lopez@yahoo.com. Thanks.

If seen please call the authorities immediately. Than please contact Dan Press, Telephone - 360-295-3937
Truck License Washington State A82018X
Trailer License Washington State 4533RV
Brea Lopez, Driver
Brea Lopez Motorsports
1397 State Hwy. 506
Vader, WA 98593
Phone: 360.295.3937
Cell: 360.270.2109www.brealopez.com

Jason Aldean, Emerson Drive Concert Photgraphy

(The guys from Emerson Drive wrap their set with a wave to the crowd.)

Spring asked me to write up a quick blog for her because she's so busy. In the aftermath of the winter storm here, our kids have missed way too much school and since mine (finally) went back today, and hers didn't, I guess I can understand that.

(Jason Aldean's Band is smokin'!)

We had a great time at the concert, which you know if you read my blog and looked at my weak attempts at concert photography. If you like pictures, and you like the bands we saw, then you are in for a treat. I have just uploaded three pages of photographs to the web site. In order to view them, just go to www.girlsgoneracin.com/Jinglefest.htm

Jingle All the Way

Last Thursday night, Spring and I were supposed to go to a concert put on by one of our local country music stations, but the nasty winter storm that pounded our area forced a postponement of the event until last night. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, and from our own experience, it was well worth the wait!

(Here we are at the concert, ready to get rockin'!)

We met up early, grabbed something hot to drink because we figured that our general admission tickets (hey, they were FREE!) would force us to stand outside for a while if we wanted to get a decent seat. We needn’t have worried. Upon arrival, we got the best parking spot I’ve ever had at this venue, walked right in and found great seats. Oh, and before I forget, let me say that I brought my Pentax with the zoom and Spring managed to get that big, honkin’ Canon inside too. We weren't really sure we would be able to take them in, but no one seemed to care. Even Cornbread looked right down the barrel of Spring's zoom and shrugged it off.

When you think about it, we weren't doing anything wrong, and we didn't hide the fact that we were taking pictures, so it shouldn't be a big deal anyway. We're not selling the photographs, and the whole point was just to see what we could do under the weird lighting conditions and such. All I can say is that it's a whole lot different shooting a concert than it is a race! It would be a blast to get to do it with no restrictions though, up front, or alongside the stage, even backstage and candid photos. I know that if Spring had her way, she would be shooting CD covers and promos, which would be pefect for her since she has such a great eye for composition and enjoys what she does so much. And hey, I could always work the phones and carry her equipment!

We were right in the middle of a really fun crowd at this concert. I’ve been to a lot of concerts over the years - from full-on rock and roll to contemporary Christian and everything in between – and this was one of the best-behaved audiences I have ever seen. There are times you get stuck with loud-mouthed drunks, or guys who spend the whole concert slobbering all over their girlfriends, or folks who think they know all the words and sing them really loud right in your ear, but can’t carry a tune. This was not one of those nights.

(Our new friends; Michelle, Jake and Zach. Hi guys!)

All around us were teens and early twenty-somethings who were just out to have a foot-stomping good time, and that’s what they did. No boozin’ it up or being obnoxious or anything like that. Instead, they were just downright friendly and we had a good time getting to know them. You guys know who you are, and you really made our night, so thanks! We enjoyed hanging out with you!

(Jason Michael Carroll gets the night going.)

The musical groups were great. First up was Jason Michael Carroll, a guy I had never heard of until the day of the concert, but someone with a very impressive voice. His first release, “Alyssa Lies” is a very moving song about child abuse and he does a wonderful job with it. I loved the fact that it was just Jason singing, accompanied by two acoustic guitars, because I love acoustic guitars. That’s the one instrument I actually attempted to learn, and I even taught beginning lessons as one of my first jobs. That was back when every kid who came to me wanted to learn “Stairway to Heaven,” which really tells a lot about my age!

(Jimmy Wayne performs for the crowd.)

Jimmy Wayne was second up, and I had definitely heard his music before. His songs, “I Love You this Much” and “Paper Angels” are his trademarks. He appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show one morning and told the story behind “Paper Angels” which refers to the Angel Tree Program where kids in need are matched up with folks who provide them with a Christmas gift. It turns out that Jimmy and his sister had been recipients of Angel Tree gifts, which just goes to show that those gifts really do make a difference! Our family participates in this program every year through our church, and our paper angels are right here next to me to remind me to shop for them, but more importantly, to pray for them also. Jimmy did a beautiful job last night, not only sharing his music through his voice and just his own guitar, but sharing of himself as well. His cover of the Hall & Oates classic, “Sarah Smile” was another highlight of the evening, and things just kept getting better.

(Emerson Drive rocks the house!)

The third act of the night was Emerson Drive, and to me, they just stole the show. What a rockin’ great act they have! These guys jammed on songs like “I Should Be Sleeping,” “Good Man” and “Testify.” Wow! I was blown away. It amazes me how many great groups are out there where I sometimes know the songs, but don’t realize who does them. Being a huge music fan, it drives me crazy to think that I might not have paid much attention to them in the past, but I will be making up for that now. One of the best parts of their show was when their fiddle player left the stage and got right down in the crowd to play. He was a lot of fun to watch and it looked like he had as good a time as the fans did.

(Jason Aldean plays for the Jinglefest crowd.)

Last up was Jason Aldean and his band. We started out watching from our seats along the side and just a few rows up from the floor, but it was making Spring nuts that she couldn’t get closer to take pictures, so she went to see what she could do about that. A few minutes later, she came back with floor tickets in hand, having begged them off of someone who was leaving. Score! We made our way down to the floor, and found empty seats just a few rows away from the stage.


(Down on the floor was the best place to get shots like these.)

We had fun down on the floor, and Jason and the band rocked the house with their hits, some new material and then finished up with a couple of Guns ‘n Roses covers, which were really great. It’s a lot of fun for me to hear stuff like that at a country concert because I think there are a lot of folks just like me out there, who have a very diverse taste in music, and enjoy a good mix. The encore cover of Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” was dead on too, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it.

All too soon the lights came up and it was time to go, and we still had an envelope of photos that we wanted to somehow get to Jason Aldean. We had tried before the concert by talking with one of the guys from the station, but his only advice was for us to “rush the stage.” We nixed that idea, although it did cross our minds several times near the end of the show. Just before we left, we saw this guy hand a drumstick to one of the fans who was still mingling along the stage, and so we decided to see if he could help us out. Spring approached him with the envelope, which contained three photos, a couple of GGR stickers and our business cards, and asked if he could get them to the band. He assured her that he would, so we are hoping that he followed through. Guys, if you got them, can you let us know? Just drop us a line via the web site if you would, please!

It was definitely a fun night and not really such a late one after all. We girls know how to have a good time, whether it’s at the races, a concert, or even just hanging out at the local craft store. Thanks to WIL 92.3FM for hosting such a great concert, and to all the bands who re-arranged their schedules in order to perform. It was a blast!

Blessed Beyond Measure

The song “Winter Wonderland” comes to mind this morning as I look out from my cozy warm living room. It’s hard to believe that less than 48 hours ago it was 74 degrees and beautiful outside when we are now in the twenties and everything is covered with a layer of ice and snow. We have not had weather like this in many, many years, and my husband just remarked that this reminds him of the storms we had when we were kids.

I would have to agree, and the current winter storm reminds me very much of the one we had during the winter of 1972-73. It was an amazing ice storm, where things looked beautiful, the trees and everything else encased in a thick layer of ice, but in truth it was very dangerous. My Dad was a lineman, and then a troubleshooter for our local power company for 37 years and that storm, as well as the Great Flood of ’93 are most likely two of the most memorable weather events over the course of his employment.

Yes, it’s cold, frozen and windy out, but we are so blessed here because our power has stayed on so far, and if we would happen to lose it, we have a good supply of firewood to get us through. At last report, over 400,000 people here are without power in these frigid temperatures. It is in stark contrast to this past summer’s storm where even larger numbers of people were without electricity in the stifling heat. Both would be bad, but I have to imagine that this is far worse for those in the dark, and those who try to restore power. It’s backbreaking and dangerous work and my prayers are with all of the Ameren and Cuivre River employees who are out in this mess.

As for my little family, we are all snug here at home. School is cancelled, Scott called into work last night and I am still in my pajamas thinking of getting some work done but trying to keep up with the latest news on this weather system.

It has been a strange one, that’s for sure. After experiencing freezing rain, ice and sleet all day yesterday, we went to bed last night with a temperature of 28 degrees, and the sounds of sleet pinging off the windows lulling us to sleep. Just before midnight, we awoke to the sound of this same precipitation melting and dripping off of our roof, as the temperature had gone up to just above the freezing mark. Not long after that, the temperature began to drop and the wind began to blow, and we opened up the doors to the cabinets under the bathroom sinks and turned on the taps to keep the pipes from freezing. We have been through that experience before and do not want to repeat it!

It was a long night, with little sleep and I anticipate a nap a little later on this afternoon of the first day of December. It’s a heck of a way to start off the countdown to Christmas, that’s for sure! All this frozen stuff put me in a Christmas-y mood last night though and I even set the table with my Christmas dishes, put out my little kitchen Christmas tree and plugged in my Santa night light. It’s definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas here!

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful!

It's 9am Thursday and after a night of steady rain, we are now getting freezing rain and ice, with a bit of snow mixed in. It's very nasty outside. Despite the current weather, and the predictions of worse to come, our school district chose to go ahead and have school. My kids are tucked safely in their beds becasuse I didn't want them out in this. Close call, but I'd rather have them here and safe, than on a school bus.

Of course, it looks like our big plans for tonight's concert are off. I'm hoping the radio station re-schedules it so we can go at a later day. It figures that we try to plan something to fill the long days of the off-season, and this happens. What luck! Rain in the summer that cancels our races and snow in the winter that kills our concert. Grrrr.

Ah well, there is always a positive side to every story, and since we won't be at the concert, that just means I'll be home listening to a radio show that has offered to plug Girls Gone Racin' for us. K-Mac Sports does internet radio broadcasts for racing and other sports and sends releases publicizing their shows to us for publication on WhoWon. They have appreciated our help, and offered to do a few plugs for us on their show. Today I received the scripts for three thirty second spots that will air not only tomorrow night, but on all of their 2007 broadcasts. How exciting! Now I just hope we have some good stuff on here for anyone who decides to check us out. To listen to the show, head on over to http://www.kmacsports.com

Spring is (still) working on her piece from the Phoenix NASCAR experience and told me she will have it up very soon. I hope she gets it edited to her liking because I want to read it and see the photos that she plans to share. Of course right now her concerns are taking care of her home and her animals. Because they live on a farm and rely on a well for their water, she is busily gathering up containers and filling them with water. They have already lost power once with this storm and when it goes out, the pump on the well won't work and they won't have any water.

With all of this cold and nasty weather coming through, racing season seems even further away than before. Of course, many people I know will be attending the big Chili Bowl down in Tulsa come January, but with Spring's big Vegas photo convention falling on that same weekend, we won't be able to make it. Lucky for us, there will be several cars with our stickers on them, which is pretty cool indeed. If you are going, check out Joey Montgomery and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for starters. There will probably be a couple of other ones, but for now, those are the only ones I know for sure, so keep your eyes open and report back to us if you see one somewhere else!

To all of you in warmer climates: Enjoy! Meanwhile, we'll just be hanging out here, watching the ice and snow stack up outside my window.

Music Review: Brad Paisley Christmas

We've done book and movie reviews here, so I figured, hey, why not music? Since Spring and I are both huge fans of music, it only seems right that we throw in an album review now and then. As a big fan of Brad Paisley, I just couldn't resist grabbing a copy of his Christmas release while at Wal-Mart yesterday during my ongoing chase for Cars diecast.

Out just in time for Christmas, Paisley's newest release is a compilation of classic Christmas songs (Winter Wonderland, Away in a Manger, Silver Bells and the like) combined with several of Brad's original compositions. As on all of his CDs, there is an instrumental, and on this album it's a beautiful version of Jingle Bells, performed in Paisley's own unique style.

There is a formula to Paisley’s CDs that fans have come to expect and he does not disappoint us here. He always includes a hymn, at least one or two funny songs, and starting two or three CDs ago, an episode of the Kung Pao Buckaroo series. The Kung Pao Buckaroos consist of "Little" Jimmy Dickens, Bill Anderson and George Jones, who play country music cowboys on what is supposed to sound like an old radio show. The dialog generally consists of lots of double entendres, a little singing, and several inside jokes. On the Christmas CD, the Buckaroos attempt to sing Christmas carols but are continuously “bleeped” because the lyrics are politically incorrect. The bit is really funny, and pokes fun at those in our society who are offended by virtually anything to do with the Christmas holiday.

Among the other original compositions is Penguin, James Penguin, which is a cute, bouncy song about a secret agent Penguin who assists Santa in his annual duties. A take off on James Bond, the song is fun and something kids and adults will both enjoy.

The highlight of this CD for me is Born on Christmas Day which features a recording of then 13-year-old Brad Paisley in his first live performance on a show called Jamboree USA. The song begins with Brad being introduced and then he begins to sing the song. The second verse is sung by Brad as an adult and it wraps with adult Brad singing with his teen self. When I think about how cool it is that this recording exists, and that someone came up with the idea to use it in this way, I get chills. The song is so sweet, and the lyrics about the “little important baby” really say all that needs to be said about why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

In summary, I would give this offering a solid thumbs up. It’s one that I will look forward to listening to every Christmas for years to come. If you want to treat yourself to a great new CD that will get you in the Christmas mood, this one will do it!

Song List:
1. Winter Wonderland
2. Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy
3. I'll Be Home For Christmas
4. Away in a Manger
5. Penguin, James Penguin
6. 364 Days to Go
7. Jingle Bells (Instrumental)
8. Silent Night
9. Born on Christmas Day
10. Silver Bells
11. Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday

To listen to a clip of the songs, or purchase individual downloads, check out www.bradpaisley.com

Girls Get Rockin’

(Val) It’s Tuesday afternoon and right now, our temps are in the sixties. Amazing for November. What’s even more amazing is that by Thursday evening, we’re supposed to be below freezing, with some nasty precipitation on the way. Of course, the timing is perfect, because Spring and I have tickets to a concert that night, and because this is a general admission event, we will need to get there early and stand in line to get decent seats. Oh yes, I am so looking forward to the cold…not!

The upcoming concert should be fun. Performing along with Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift will be Emerson Drive, Jack Ingram and Chris Young. Yes, it will be full night of foot-stompin’ country and we will be there to witness it all. We are still working on getting credentials in order to shoot the event, but time is running out and no one has come through yet. If they don’t, then we will just kick back and enjoy the show, and if they do, we will do our best to get some great pics to share with you.

Spring shot Jason and his band back in April when we were at our first race at Gateway and she’s hoping to get another crack at this whole concert thing. I think it would be cool, and I’m more than willing to go as her assistant. We figured this would be a great way to get out and do something while racing season is in hibernation mode.

Besides looking forward to the upcoming concert, we are knee-deep in basketball season here at home. With my son on two teams, and my daughter managing her high school’s boys varsity team, we pretty much eat, sleep and breathe hoops around here come winter. On top of that, we are all big Kansas fans so when the Jayhawks are on, our tv is tuned in and we’re cheering. Last Saturday night’s game against Florida went a little late for me, and I missed the amazing overtime win, but I heard all about it from the three night owls in my family.

The Cars diecast collecting is still maddening, but at least we are starting to find the “rare” vehicles now. It’s funny how just a few come out and folks immediately start driving up the prices on eBay, when if they would just wait a bit, they could find them for the regular price at the store. We are now down to looking for just a few of the new releases, including Hamm, Brand New Mater, Dirt Track McQueen and Buzz & Woody. Other than that, I know Caleb has them all, and I have most of them myself. Yes, I caved and started my own collection, which is really stupid but the cars are just so darned cute! They were just too much for me to resist.

So that’s the news from here at home. December is almost here, and then Christmas and all it entails. Once the holidays are over and the kids are back in school, it will be a fast-paced race to spring and racing season, baseball and (sniff!) my daughter’s high school graduation. Would someone please pass the tissues?

In Hot Pursuit of Childhood Dreams

(Val) It’s been a busy week here on the home front as we gear up for the holidays. Thanksgiving looms, and Christmas is not far behind. It’s amazing to me, because it feels like we just celebrated these holidays just a short while ago. While we enjoyed the fun-filled months of racing season, all those good times sure make the time pass quickly.

So now we focus on the great American holiday of Thanksgiving and all that it entails. Spring and Caleb will be joining our family, as will my brother and sister-in-law. I haven’t even begun to clean the house or prep anything, but at least my menu and grocery list are down on paper. It’s a start anyway.

One of the reasons I haven’t begun to prepare is because I’ve been so busy doing other things. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve been haunting toy stores, Target and eBay in search of hard-to-find toys.

A couple of weeks ago, Cars was released on DVD and since then, a whole new set of diecast cars have shown up on the market. The new “supercharged” cars include all the old favorites, plus a few new paint jobs. Spring and I have spent a lot of time trying to track down a complete set for Caleb for Christmas, and we’ve done pretty well, but it has become a lesson in frustration.

Why is it that toy companies like to produce limited quantities of items and force parents to go searching for them for their kids? If they know an item is going to be popular, such as the infamous Tickle Me Elmo, then why not make enough to go around? They are going to make a killing in profits, so what do they have to lose? It’s just ridiculous. It all started with those ugly Cabbage Patch Dolls, and has progressed to Elmo, PlayStation 3 and even these little Cars diecast toys.

The thing that is so frustrating is the whole eBay deal. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been buying and selling on eBay for years, and I’ve made some amazing profits in the process, but these people who have multiple copies of the most sought-after items confound and exasperate me. How is it that they can get their hands on 20 Cruisin’ Couples: Radiator Springs McQueen and Sally diecast cars when we have yet to see a single one in a store? Something stinks in retail, that’s for sure.

Yes, people are camping out for days to get their hands on the newest PlayStation for the sole purpose of selling it on line to make a profit, and I can understand that. What I can’t understand is why people are willing to pay thousands of dollars for them, but hey, to each his own. What it comes down to is that for parents like Spring and I, who just want to get a complete set of cars for her son Caleb, the whole thing is just irritating. Why doesn’t Mattel just make enough to go around and rake in the dough instead of letting all the eBay profiteers cash in like they do? Or is it possible that Mattel is actually selling this stuff at auction themselves in order to inflate their own bottom line? It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the sellers are actually Mattel employees who are paid to auction off “hard to find” items to make big money for their employer. Conspiracy? Hmmmm.

Whatever the truth, it’s just nuts to keep up with the chase. They are just little cars that only crazy people pay big bucks for. Folks like us aren’t going to pay $30 for a Hot Wheels-sized toy just to hand it over to a six-year-old who only wants to race Radiator Springs McQueen against Dirt Track McQueen to see who is the fastest!

Trust me, we’re not the kind of materialistic parents raising materialistic children who have to have the biggest and best, latest and greatest of everything that comes out. Our kids are not label babies who wear whatever logo apparel is popular this week. We don’t shell out top dollars for iPods and GameBoys and all that stuff. These are little $4 Matchbox-sized cars for heaven’s sake!

So listen up, Mattel: We’re not buying it anymore. It’s like when we got caught with a piece of gum in grade school and our teacher told us that if we didn’t bring enough to share with the whole class, we had to leave it at home. Don’t tease our kids with your toys if you’re not going to make enough to satisfy the demand because we’re finished with trying to chase them down. Target and Toys R Us have both told us how stingy you’re being with shipments, so if you can’t play nice, get out of the sandbox, take your pail and go home.

As for me, you won’t see my Fabulous Hudson Hornet with the cool decals and my Lightning McQueen with the Radiator Springs paint job on eBay because I’m not out to make a buck. I just want to get down on the floor and play cars.

Jack Roush, Cardinals fan?

(Val) At the beginning of the World Series between the Tigers and the Cards, my former boss and I made a bet. He now lives in Detroit, and works for Roush Performance (part of the Roush Racing family) and our bet was pretty open. Whoever won had to send something representative of their area to the other. My thoughts ran the vein of how would I ever get away with shipping a case of Bud, and my hopes went to seeing a Roush Mustang pulling into my driveway. Ha!

Well, this afternoon my payoff arrived. In the mail was a big kraft envelope and inside was a Michigan magnet, a Mustang DVD and, drumroll....a card featuring the Roush Race cars, signed "To Val, Congrats Cardinals! Jack Roush." What a trip! I totally cracked up. This is definitely the best bet payoff I have ever received!

Thanks to my buddy JC in Detroit. Better luck next year with your Tigers....not! :)

You know it's Monday when...

You walk into the laundry room to find a blinking error message on your eight-month-old washing machine.

Your daughter loses a contact lens up under her eyelid and asks you to help her remove it.

A friend calls and asks if you've heard about the threatening message scrawled on the wall of your kid's high school.

Your daughter still can't find the contact lens, even after trying your first suggestion.

You finally get all your email downloaded and realize that 75% of it is spam.

A second friend calls about the supposed threat at the high school.

Some of the spam you downloaded, particularly that about weight loss, actually starts to look appealing.

Every time you turn on the tv they are showing the last 15 seconds of yesterday's Rams game, and it ain't pretty.

Your son calls from school because he left his gym clothes at home.

Your gas tank is empty, you're out of milk, and pay day is four days away.

Your best race pal is on a her way back from Phoenix and has yet to call you about her experience at her first NASCAR race. Of course, she thinks she has redeemed herself because she called you during the race and held up her phone so you could hear the cars go by!

Life in Technicolor

(Val) As I sit here in my kitchen, glancing out at the beautiful colors God himself painted on our Bradford Pear trees, I am overcome with what an amazing artist He is! It’s hard to believe that it’s the second week of November when the temperature outside is supposed to get into the upper seventies today and the sky is such a vivid blue. Makes me wish there was a race to go to, because the weather is perfect!

Although it will be a few months until I get to attend any races, my pal Spring is headed to sunny Phoenix for this weekend’s NASCAR Nextel Cup event. With garage access that we managed to finagle via a friend who works at Roush (THANK YOU JC!!!), and armed with her big ol’ Canon, I know Spring is going to have the time of her life. I hope the weather is as perfect there on Sunday as it is here today.

It has been a long-time dream of Spring’s to go to a Cup race, and to get to see it from the inside out ought to spoil her for any future events. She will be in the garage area when she can, and then in the grandstands for the actual race. I know she is hoping to get to participate in some pre-race activities as well, so it will be interesting to see what she gets herself into.

This week has been tumultuous, at best. Despite the crazy outcome of the elections, the rest has been good. Disney-Pixar’s Cars came out on Tuesday, so Spring and I met at the local Wal-Mart, picked up our copies of that (the bonus copies with the Rascal Flatts video and behind-the-scenes stuff of course!) along with Keith Urban’s new CD, Love, Pain and the whole crazy thing. After watching the CMA’s on Monday night, I could have spent a lot more on new music, but I limited myself to Keith’s new CD, although Sugarland’s latest will probably be next.

Cars on DVD is just as good as it was on the big screen, with the exception that I can watch it whenever I want to! So far, I’ve played it twice, and watched all the bonus features. I love the making of the Rascal Flatts Life is a Highway video. Those guys are so awesome, and seeing the set and the things that go into the making of the video is really cool.

While we were chatting over breakfast on Tuesday, talking about the future of GGR and what we want to do over the winter, the photos of Jason Aldean came to mind. I decided to contact someone about getting them on his web site, and managed to hit pay dirt. They were looking for new photos to add to his site, and it looks like they will be using a few of the shots Spring took at Gateway back in April. Yay!

With that in mind, and the Keith Urban CD booklet in front of us, Spring mentioned how much she would like to shoot a CD cover for a band. We started thinking about how fun it would be to go check out some local bands and see if we could get anything going there. Then, this morning, I’m surfing around Jason Aldean’s site to see if the photos are up yet (they’re not) and I decide to check out his schedule. It turns out that he, along with Taylor Swift and three other bands will be in our area later this month at a free concert put on by a local radio station. I thought Spring was going to come through the phone when I called her about that!

So now we are trying to figure out how to get credentials so we can cover the event. We’ll let you know here what happens, so wish us luck!

Besides the concerts and Spring’s coverage from Phoenix, we have a few other things in mind to fill in those long winter months ahead. Keep checking back for more information on our plans, and as always, thanks for your support!

Defining Truth

Integrity is telling myself the Truth. Honesty is telling the Truth to other people. – Spencer Johnson

(Val) Yesterday was a day of privilege for Americans. A day where we had the opportunity to cast our vote for people, amendments and propositions that would help to shape the future of our government, both locally and nationally.

As I stood in line to cast my vote, I looked at the words stenciled on the wall above the voting booths. The honesty and integrity quote by Spencer Johnson stared down at me, and I couldn’t help but think about the irony of those words hanging over the heads of hundreds of voters as they checked “yes” or “no” next to one of the most deceptive and contentious items ever to be put before Missouri voters.

In the weeks and months leading up to this election, I had prayed that the truth about Amendment 2 would be known. The truth that it would actually allow for the legalization of human cloning for scientific research, research that would be paid for by Missourians for now until eternity because there is wording built in that mandates funding that can never be taken away or decreased. It also makes it illegal for this amendment to be challenged in a court of law, making any attempt to remove it, even if no cures are ever found, a criminal offense.

I thought to myself that surely Missouri voters would not be as radically nutso as the Californians who passed their own ridiculous piece of “scientific legislation” two years ago. I knew that true Missourians live up to their “Show-Me” reputations with pride and would not allow big business to shaft them again the way they did with the gambling disease that has infected our state like a parasite.

As I fell asleep last night, the numbers looked good. Amendment 2 was losing by a healthy margin, and although I knew that anything could happen as more votes were counted, I closed my eyes with a calm heart.

When I awoke this morning to the news that Amendment 2 had passed, I honestly thought I was going to be physically ill. How this could happen is beyond my imagination. How could so many people fail to educate themselves on such an important issue? How was such misleading wording allowed on our ballots in the first place? Who was responsible for the craftily-worded deception that blinded so many people to the truth?

At first I was angry. Very angry. All I could think about was what I wanted to say to the Stowers family: “Bravo! You bought the outcome you wanted so now you can start raking in your billions of dollars off the backs of Missouri taxpayers. You are masters of the ultimate conspiracy, sellers of the big lie, and you will now be responsible for the sacrifice of unknown numbers of potential lives. You must be so proud.”

Then I sat back, took a deep breath and prayed, and I realized how sad it the whole situation is. I wanted to cry with the understanding that so many people cling to this false hope because they are hurting and will grasp at any available straw, no matter how tiny the chance that any cures will ever be found using embryonic stem cell research. It breaks my heart that people like Michael J. Fox, who, like so many Missourians, never even read the amendment, put their hopes in man and science instead of the only One who can really help them.

Deception and lies are the opposite of honesty and integrity. The group responsible for the creation of Amendment 2, who supported it, pushed for it and actually got it passed are experts at the craft of treachery. They are so deep into it that they actually believe their own lies and are so blinded that they can’t see the truth when it is right in front of them. In other words, they have no integrity because not only did they lie to the public, but they lied to themselves.

Today I made a choice. Rather than hold on to my anger, I let it go and gave it to God. Instead of being mad at the people who did this, I pity them and pray for them. I pray for those who lied to Missouri voters, and I pray for those who were deceived because eventually the truth will come out, and righteousness will prevail, and they are going to feel a terrible sense of shame and guilt.

Yes, we conservatives lost a battle yesterday with regard to our candidates, and more importantly, this huge stem cell debacle. But for those of us who know that this earth and the things in it are fleeting, our hearts are not troubled. We are simply on a brief detour. Yesterday’s battle is over, but others will follow. The good news is that each and every one of those battles belongs to God, and He has already won.

Knowledge is relevant. Truth is absolute. Problems arise when we confuse the two. – David Tait

When the new wears off

(Val) My Dad has only bought one brand new car in his entire life, and my Mom has never owned one at all. Likewise, I had gotten quite used to driving “pre-owned” vehicles myself, that is until last year.

In May of 2005 I bought my very first brand new vehicle: A Dodge Grand Caravan SXT (with Stow ‘n Go seats!) that I absolutely love. It’s the perfect vehicle for our family, especially for trips, whether for a weekend or a week. It’s a dream to drive, gets decent mileage, and unlike my old Jimmy, everything still works, including the speedometer.

When your kids are used to riding around in older cars, they tend to get used to being slobs, so when we bought the van, I had to work really hard to re-train them. It took quite a while before anyone was allowed to eat or drink in there, and muddy shoes are still an absolute no-no! (Not easy when you are a frequent visitor to dirt track infields!)

They whine and grumble, but they usually comply. So for over a year, the van has stayed in pretty darned good shape. I don’t wash it or vacuum it as often as I would like, but I do it when I can. I keep it cleaned out, take care of the maintenance, and work really hard at maintaining that sense of newness.

Last Friday was payday, so after running my usual errands, and since it was a nice sunny day, I decided to take Ol’ Blue to the new Green Lantern Car Wash for a Super and I even splurged on a basic inside clean up. Since I hadn’t done a thing after our return from Minnesota, it was way past time.

Well let me tell you, when I climbed in after it was all cleaned up, I was excited. That blue paint gleamed, the inside was free of dog hair and crumbs, and it even smelled nice! I rolled happily out of the lot with a new sense of pride. All too soon I was reminded of that saying about how pride goeth before the fall!

Later that afternoon I had an appointment to have some warranty work done on the van, and my daughter followed me to the dealership. Just a few miles from our destination, there was some building construction, and, following the city’s code, the street was being washed down after the dump trucks moved each load from one place to the other. You probably see where I’m going here, but I’ll continue anyway. With no warning about the wet pavement, I had no time to slow down, and when I hit that water all I could do was try not to say all the nasty words that came to my mind. I was alone, but still, God is always listening!

I sighed, thinking maybe the van was just wet and would dry to its former shininess, but alas, that was not to be. I soon discovered that it was covered with a dirty film from front to back. So much for my spotless paint job, but at least the inside was still sparkling.

The next day, I had both my kids and my son’s friend with me and we had had a very busy day volunteering at our church, so we stopped at McDonald’s for lunch on the way home. The deal was that we would get food only, and get our drinks at home. My son, being 13, is not the best listener, and he thought he was getting a good deal by ordering a meal, so he and his buddy both ordered meals, which of course, come with drinks.

You probably see what’s coming here too, but again, I’ll finish the story.

On the way out of the parking lot, I hit a pothole, and the next thing I heard was my son shouting, “Get me some napkins, and I need a bunch!”

Well, wouldn’t you know it but there wasn’t a napkin in the entire van, but my daughter quickly tossed back the box of tissues I keep handy. I chanced a look backward and saw a river of Coca Cola rolling toward me and I started yelling at my son. No, I’m not proud of it, but I’ll admit it, I yelled, and it wasn’t pretty. And when my daughter told me to quit yelling, I did, and everyone got the silent anger treatment the rest of the way home.

As the kids hopped out and headed inside to eat, I quickly got to work trying to sop up the mess. There didn’t appear to be as much as I had feared, and fortunately, the carpet is Scotchguarded, and I was able to blot it up rather quickly. I was feeling pretty good when I went in to eat my own, cold lunch.

Later, I went back out to really go over the mess and see what I had missed, plus blot up the carpet cleaner I had sprayed on, according to the directions. A pool of brown caught my eye, and I realized that my lovely Stow ‘n Go seats, as wonderful as they are, had also caused a problem.

You see, these seats, when in the upright position, lock into big brackets that are bolted to the floor of the van. The brackets are in a slightly recessed area, and poke up through slits in the carpet. It turns out that Coca Cola, like most liquids, seeks the lowest point around, and it had flowed through those slits and down into the dips in the floor of the van, under the carpet. I had to wipe up a mess I could only feel, but not see, soaking it with a rag, wringing it out, then starting the process again. Oh boy, was that ever fun!

Not only did I have to do that, but when I was done, I had to explain to my son why I had yelled, and do my best to apologize and set things right. Then I had to humble myself in front of his friend. Talk about eating crow. Yes, even McDonald’s is better than that.

So the moral of the story is, don’t get too attached to anything new. No matter how much you appreciate it, and work hard for it and do your best to take care of it, the new will always wear off eventually. And even those “new car smell” air fresheners can’t change that. And besides, stuff is just stuff, no matter how old it is. It’s our relationships that matter the most.