2008 Pine Wood Derby

Last Saturday was the big day.
The day that all Boy Scout's dream about.

At 8am the 2008 Pine Wood Derby would start.

We have worked on this project for three months now.
This is the day all the hard work could pay off.

We loaded into the jeep @ 7:30am.On the way to the jeep it was quite icy outside. The driver (Bubba the 7 year old ) of the race car slipped and fell.
To my surprise he was OK. We got in the jeep we asked him if he was OK and then asked if he had his car. With a smile from ear to ear form falling into the pile of snow he responded with a quick yes.

Off we went to the event the could change this Pine Wood Derby racers life.
We pulled up to the event,there were race car drivers every ware. Today is the day get your car and lets go race I said. I turned around to see what the 7 year old was doing.Once again to my surprise he looked and me and said I put the car on my pocket and its not anyware to be found !WHAT I SAID ? Mom ,I do not have my car !

At that moment I remembered that the car fell out of his pocket when he had slipped.That was why I asked him if he had his car when he got in. Errrr !!!

So it is now 7:45. We are about 15 minutes away from the house.Car check in is from 8am to 8:30am.We also have our 14 year old coming back from an over night ski trip @ 8:15 or so.What do we do now... I had it planed out to the minute but with no errors allowed.

On the way back to the house the phone rang. On the other end of that call was our 14year old. Mom we got back a little early can you come and pick me up? Before answering her question I thought to my self just my luck ! So we looked at the clock it is now 8:10 and she is about 10 more minutes away....

We passed the house got our 14 year old picked up from the rec center. Went by the house to drop her off and pick up the race car that was in the snow bank.

GO GO GO we are going to be late! LETS GO !!! I do not remember stopping at any lights or stop signs. Good thing I was not driving.

Finley, back on are way to the race track (One of the local church's.)We had to blow out the snow from the wheeles on the little wood car and we had to hold it up to the heater to re-dry the wood glue on the bottom.

Only 10 minutes late , thank goodness we are at the race.I guess when you put 50 little boys in the same room nothing ever starts on time.


First thing we had to get done was Drivers License Photos & Driver check in:



Tony "Bubba" Wallace
Age:7
Weight:43 lbs


Next we had to weight in.The car has to be 5.0 oz.
No more no less. Would we make it? Yes dead on 5.0 oz!
Then we had to turn the car over to the officials to place the car in pit row.





#9 was the pit that was assigned.

We took the opportunity to review the competition out there,seems to be we have a good chance.We then heard over the load speaker calling all racer ,calling all racers the race is about to begin. Racer are you ready? With 50 little boys in a room you can just imagine the sound at the race track. I thouht the jet cars with NHRA were load!

The track was loaded with three cars at a time with three heats each.



After a long morning of racing ,it was time to attend the awards ceremony.
The awards were to be giving out for five different classes
1st,2nd & 3rd and Best in show.






We did it we made it to the end .The guy next to us leans over and says I told ya you would get best in show ! I found myself chuckling and saying we will see.


Tony Wallace please come to the front.




He recived a cerfitcate participation not best in show.
He did not look happy at all.I have to say,he was not as mad as the guy next to me.





We took a den photo and talked with a few of the other racers.
We ever took a few more laps down the track and won a few.



Going to the car,I said all in all it was a fun day win or loose right ?
Yes Mom our 7 years said.Well let's go to my basketball game now, at least I will win that. I did not have the heart to tell him we missed his game two hours ago.

We just said let's go out to get a pizza !
Hey!It got his mind off the basketball game.

We will get'em next year !




Thank you to our sponsors:

Bubba Wallce:Design
Nathan:Technical support
Tom Gardas:Body
Luther Body Shop:Paint

The Big Dig

Snows have canceled classes at the schools and colleges,even has closed State Farm Insurance.(I guess we can't report any accidents today !)

I had shoveled a few time threw out the night to keep up on it.

Then I seen my neighbor this morning ...
Guess he did not need to loose any sleep knowing he had the beast
tucked away warm in his garage.

ERRRR what a #%@ !



Time to go back to bed. We can pull out the shovel in a couple of hours !!!

WE HAVE A SNOW DAY !!!!!!

Celebration

Another cyber celebration for all to enjoy!

This is a celebration for my nephew Cody !

Join us in singing a cyber tune and a slice of cyber cake.

Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)

There's a party goin' on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times, and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you

Come on now

Celebration !
Happy 14th Birthday Cody !





All our love !

Pay back

When I was twelve years old or so,I took a trip to Florida with my brother and his girl friend at the time(now his wonderful wife). We went down to take care of my grandfather that was a bit ill at the time,while my grandmother went on a mini vacation with her girlfriends.

To make along story short.

I will draw a visual for you. My grandparents lived in a retirement community. Anyone who was anybody got around on a golf cart.How cool is was at the age of twelve to drive. Who cares if it was just a golf cart.

The day that no one will let me forget:

So from what I remember(I'm sure some of us may remember better then others)I was enjoying a great sun filled day in Florida.Heck I can even remember what I was waring. For the record ,I had my hair in a side pony tail with a white hair tie, a white t-shirt that had the logo from one of our local radio station in Minnesota (KDWB).

See I remember this like it was yesterday.

I was asked to go pick up the mail from the front office. I was out the door so fast. On the golf cart I went to get the mail.I remember stopping and talking to some of the locals on the way back.I took a bit longer then I should have.
Upon my arrival to my grandparents house I thought I would back the golf cart into it's spot.This way it may not look like I was gone so long.It would like someone else had left and came back with the golf cart other then me. So I flipped the cart around and looked behind me to my left. I was good to go. Hit the gas full blast BING, BANG, BOOM I went.
Seems to me I forgot to look over my right and I backed right into the neighbors parked car.

I remember looking at my brother that came over to see what the commotion was. Then I looked at the car ,then the neighbor of the car I hit had came out .I new I had brook something.This was not good ! I may have said something if I did I don't remember (sorry about that )and I took off crying and running to into the house.
A few things took place after that, I think I just blocked it out.

For nineteen years or so I have head about this event every chance anyone(Tommy:my brother,Lisa:my sister-in-law,even Nathan)ever gets to remind me.I have been crash the golf cart girl for years!


Well about three weeks ago that all changed.

The 27 year old(Nathan)and I had the opportunity to go snowmobiling.

Nathan has been befor on a few guided tours in Colorado.
I my self have been twice,both times I have ended up in the hospital
(not by my fault,I was not even driving).So needless to say I was a bit nervous.

Nathan, my brother and his wife talked me into it.
This time I had my own sled to drive.So I guess it could not be that bad or if it is I can only be mad at myself.

We got ready to go, my brother gave us some intense directions.
I was asking alot of questions being I have never done this befor as the driver.




Notice Nathan in this photo above(center red & black jacket),listing to how you need to lean into turns and jumps.Very critical information...

We were off ... I was still a bit nervous.



Tommy(my brother)lead the way. I was in the center and Nathan was in the back.
I was getting used to how to handle the sled, how to lean the right way with out falling. Then we hit a few trails that we were able to open them up on. I found myself smiling and hanging on for dear life to keep up to my brother. We had passed a few other groups as well as a pack of dogs hooked up to a dog sled(quite neat).I would look behind to see if I lost Nathan and most of the time I did so I would slow down and then take off again when he made it up to us.

It felt like we were going for hours but we had only traveled 5 or so miles away from the house. We stoped a local sled hang out and had a few soda's. Listing to all the locals asking where we came from and how are the trials. I guess we looked like pros. It was getting to be dusk so we decided to head back.We started our engines, flipped the lights on and we were off for part two of our adventure.

We zipped threw the trials bobbing and weaving threw the trees. We made it back to an area about a block or so from my brothers house,next here comes a sled zipping by me it was Nathan. I laughed to myself and said now he picks it up.

The next thing I new I went flying by him and I was off, I hit a hill came down a bit harder then I wanted to almost lost the sled and then I saved my landing.
I road off and was almost ready to pee my pants.

I looked back to see what I thought was Nathan... Oh it was Nathan all right ...
Off the sled on its side and him yelling at the the sled or maybe himself(still unsure what he was yelling at).He went off the same hill I did but did not land as smooth as I did.Guess he was not listing to the direction my brother gave us earlier.




After coming off the hill he hit a split rail fence and took part of it down instead of going around it.My brother came back after a few minutes of him realizing we were not behind him any longer to find that his 13 year old son's sled was totaled and Nathan was still standing.My brothers face only said one thing...

How the heck did you do that ??!







Nathan was mad! Really mad ! I have never seen this side of him befor.
All I could do was laugh(he is so cute when he get's that mad).
I gave him a kiss and express to him that I was glad he was OK .

Then laughed more.

After a few hours or so of trying to place the sled back together,we all sat down to dinner.It was quite for sometime.I was still laughing to myself(OK to everyone).Then I said it...

It only took nineteen years...
I will never have to hear about the dam golf cart again.

Ahh pay back is great !

Pocket Washer

Living in the Midwest in the winter makes for some dirty vehicles. All the snow,rain,back-splash,mud,salt and sand. It is just gross.

I myself have always had a bad obsession with keeping my vehicle clean in side and out.(It could be worse!)

I had a conversation over the holidays ,how neat it would be to have a power washer at the house. I have to admit that the 27 year old that I live with thinks I have completely lost my mind.

With that being said the weekend before last the same 27 year old says to me that he will be needing to wash his demo.This is the vehicle that he travels in across the Midwest.This vehicle is a white F450 with a service body and a crane on it,not to mention he had just came back from Ohio,now looking like a charcoal colored F450.

He stated that he needed to take some photo's for his boss.
So he asked me if I would like to wash it being I liked to clean vehicles? I responded to him clarifying I like to keep my vehicle clean. He looked at me and said so what do you need a power washer for if you are only going to use it on the jeep? I just looked at him wondering what was next...

He then said OK Bubba (our 7 year old )and I are going to wash the demo and take a few photos. It can be a family event ,would you like to go ? I looked at him and laughed,then responded with no thanks, but you boys have a great time. He stated to me,you will be missing out. I responded with yes dear but you have fun and stay dry(while still snickering to myself).

As they pulled out of the driveway I could not help but to remember the last time I had a family event in front yard washing the vehicles.


Ummm let's just say their was no need to take a shower that night.

Latter that afternoon (3 hours latter)the two of them had returned.
I said to them both ,the demo looks nice and clean,did you get the photos you needed? Yep ,the 27 year old said in a funny tone. I asked what was wrong?

He said come on over and fell this ... I looked at him and said fell what ? He placed my hand in his coat pocket and it was dripping wet...!

What the heck happened realizing that then the whole right side of his body was dripping wet and he looked at me and said have you ever experienced a pocket power washer? I could not resits it,I busted into laughter...

He proceed to tell me that he had Bubba(our 7 year old )use the power washer in the truck-wash to rinse the demo,Bubba went to go around me(the 39 lbs 7 years old holding a high pressure power washer ) and it got stuck in my pocket with the water on full blast! While fighting the laughter back ,I asked him what did you think was going to happen? He just looked at me and said we will not be purchasing a pocket power washer for the house anytime soon and walked away.








Maybe next time I will go .
Just to take pictures of who received the bath !

Join us for cake.

I would like to invite each and everyone of you to stop in for some cake.
Today is the Birthday of CHAR(WOR).

You know Ralph's better half.

Char(WOR),
You are 975.24 miles from Normal...
This will not stop us all from enjoying some delicious
cyber cake together.

On your birthday we all wish you much pleasure and joy;
We hope all of your wishes come true.
May each hour and minute be filled with delight,
And your birthday be perfect for you!



Happy Birthday from all of us to you !

New Years Resolution

I have been struggling for the pass three months with what a good new years resolution would be for me. Usually it's just I would try and loose 50 lbs.

Looking on the Internet the top 10 resolutions for 2008 are :

1. Work less
2. Fit in Fitness
3. Tame the Bulge
4. Quit Smoking
5. Enjoy Life More
6. Quit Drinking
7. Get Out of Debt
8. Learn Something New
9. Help Others
10.Get Organized

I have to say ,most of these things I don't do. So I can't stop something I don't do and the others are things I try to do anyways. Hmmmm will come back to this ...

Over the holidays, I had a conversation with my brother about how things seem to take so much longer and things seem so much larger when were kids.

For ex sample,going to our grandparents house in Pine City Minnesota seemed to be a all day event.In reality it truly is only about a 45 minute drive.Even North Minneapolis where I grew up the drug store seemed so large when we walked by
then.Now I can almost touch the awning the over hangs the entrance.

Oh it does not stop there.I had a chance to visit my grandmother at her home.Witch I have not been in over ten years. We pulled up in the driveway that seemed oh so long when I was a kid.Now it only the 50'long driveway that it always has been.
Walking up to the front door that I remember barely reaching,Now walking into the front door feeling like I now had to dunk my head to get in.I'm only 5'8". Sitting at her kitchen table and memories rushing back in to my head doing arts and crafts at this same table over 20 years ago,then I could hardly reach up to the table.Now I barely have to extend my arm to reach to the other side.

Even our conversation felt funny. I remember talking to my grandma about the alphabet in the same chair.Now our conversation is about how long she had lived in her home and the farmland that once surrounded her home.Now 300 thousand dolor town homes surround her little old two bedroom farmhouse.

As I sat listing to my grandmother telling my brother and I about the cost of her home 65 or so years ago my mind started to drift ,I looked at my grandmother the cuteness of her gray hair and thought about how she raised four boys in this tiny little home,then glanced over at my brother now a husband and a father.
Remembering us fighting every chance we had. I could not help but think my Dad growing up in this house ,how he must fell each time he comes back for a visit.

It's just seem funny to me how things that I remember like it was yesterday have changed.Walking back in my grandmother home seems to like it was time capsule for me ,everything was just as I left it. It was a warm feeling inside.

However being it feels like yesterday.I know I am all grown up now.Heck ,I have two children of my own. I have traveled across the untied stated and have lived in three different states since I have left Minnesota.

I realized how places develop,things grow and people change.

Then it hit me I have figured it out .I know what my New Years resolution will be .

Each day I will remember and thank god for who,what,when and how I got to be the person I am today & for all the things that I have.These are things I do think of quite often,however I as I am sure we all do get caught up in the motions of day to day life,forget to do thank god more often.

I myself could not be any more lucky.

I started to have a running list(them lists err) go threw my head that started off with things like

I have a wounder significant other that loves me even on the bad days.
I have two healthy children that light up my heart with there smiles and laughter.
I have a mother and a father that I given me the tools to make it.
I have a brother that has given me guidance and courage.
I have a sister in law that has always made me fell like a individual and I could do what ever I set my mind to.
I have family that loves me just for being me.
I have an new extended family that have opened their arms with love.
I have friends that have been their threw good and bad and will always be.

It just kept going on and on ...

So with all of that instead of seating what I feel is an imposable resolution like have done in the pass.This year I will set one I will achieve. I will be able to continue each year by just adding to this list. Each day I will remember one thing about...

Who,what,when and how I got to be the person I am today & for all the things that I have.

Heck being it's not my resolution this year, just maybe I will loose that 50 lbs. I have tried for every other year !


2008 I welcome you an I look forward to our future.