From Shari's Soapbox.......: August 2008

Well, After I sign off here tonight, I have to disconnect my computer. She needs to go to the "doctor". And no, not Dave, either. He's in Arkansas. I don't think it would be cost effective to sent my unit down to him.
Dean's buddy Paul, who used to live next door to Dean's mom, is a computer guru like Dave. I even think his job is similar to Dave's.
We contacted him and he said he would take a look if we brought our computer to him. I know we need more RAM, so that's one problem. And when I gave Dav remote access and HE looked around in my computer's innards, he said we had a bunch of adware and spyware and that would cause problems.
So, we will see what Paul finds. I think he'll have it a couple of days. we'll see. Depending on what HE finds, we will either buy more RAM and some upgrades for this one, or just keep using it the way is until we can buy a new one. It depends on that cost effectiveness thing.......
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Dean and I had to go to the funeral home today. Another one of his mom's neighbors died. Joe. He seemed like a good egg for the time I knew him. His wife passed last year in May. Now he was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure and was given the option to give up driving or have surgery on a valve in his heart. Joe didn't want to give up the freedom of being able to drive, so elected to have the surgery. Unfortunately, he died on the operating table.
They thought his chances of surviving the surgery were good, from what I understand. Guess they were wrong about that. I would have given up the drive's license if it were me at that age. If I get some desease that is going to number my days, don't tell me. I don't want to know. If there's a cure that's guaranteed, then maybe. But otherwise, don't tell me. I don't want to sit around just crossing the days off the calendar.

We went camping at the race track last weekend and Jordan went too! He seems to really like it. I think mainly because he can be outside most of the time and he gets so much individual attention. He plays and rides his bike all day long! He likes the races too, even though he falls asleep before they're over. But he is only 2 and half.

Tom, Jordie and Zack

Mac, Tom and Lisa (Lori too, but you can't see her face)

Our friends, Tom and Lisa and their 2 boys, Zack and Mac (Zachary & McKenzie) who are 17 and 15, camped with us too! They brought their go kart and Dean took Jordie for a ride. He loved it!

Mark Wilcox, Nick (Virg's boyfriend), Billy's Dad and Jordan

Jordan and Pappap at the races!

When Jordie fell asleep at the races, so after Billy's race, I took Jordan out to the camper and put him to bed. Then the real fun started! Once a year, Dean cooks for the masses. The masses refers to alot of our friends at the racetrack. He made about 40 each of burgers and dogs, a few brauts, and I had made macaroni salad and Lisa made brocolli salad. We fed everybody and we all having a good time. Dean's cousin, Donnie, with 2 of his buddies. They brought a whole pick up truck load of pallets they wanted to put on the campfire. We didn't want them to burn them all at once cause the fire would be too big. The Mileys who own the track, are nice enough to let us camp there any time we want, so we like to be courteous about it. They had started the fire very early. It was raging when I brought Jordie out to put him to bed.The cars of people in the races were still parked near the firepit. So, as I walked by, I let them know about it. (strike 1) After I got Jordan in bed, I started setting up the "buffet" table and slicing the tomatoes and getting the other stuff out of the cooler. Then I hear this rapid succession of bangs. They were between their truck and the back side of the camper and had lit off a whole pack of firecrackers! I ran around and told them I have 2 year old sleeping right in that camper. Don't do that outside this window. (strike 2) So everyone else makes their way out of the races and Dean starts cooking. the idiots are then horse playing in the same spot that they had lit the firecrackers. Again, I go over and tell them about Jordie sleeping in the camper and to take the horseplay somewhere else or just leave. (strike 3)

Everyone has eaten and is thanking us and the idiots start stacking the pallets in front of the camper. I tell them they better not leave them there or put them all on the fire at one time. (Strikes 4 & 5) Then dean told them too cause I had told them what I said to them. So, after they burnt the last of the pallets, they decided to leave, I guess, and were all in the truck. Dean was in the camper and all of a sudden comes running out like it's on fire and reaches into the truck and is yelling at the one guy. I found out later that the one guy said "Man, your cousin's wife is a F*#@ing bitch!" So the guys get out of the truck and the one starts calling Dean on. After a couple of minutes the other one says if he won't fight you, I will. Dean says "I just fed you and you wanna kick my ass?" So, I guess the guy thought about it and told Dean he was right and they man hugged. When they let go, the other guy sucker punches Dean right in the mouth! I heard the hit and when I looked, my husband is on his back on the ground! I start to go to him, and as I do, he gets himself turned over on his hand and knees, with the other hand holding his mouth. As I got there, he pulls his hand away from his mouth and there is all this blood. I snapped. It was like it wasn't even me. I marched over to this guy and said how dare you? What's wrong with you? We feed you and let you hang here. And I just hauled off and punched him dead in the face. The crowd of our friends that had gathered during the inital skirmish let out a unified "oooh". Then one guy in the crowd says "if you hit her, I'll knock you into next week!" That's when I came back to reality. We had to find Dean's glasses cause the punch sent them flying off of his face. Then I went to tend to my bleeding, hurting husband. He ended up with a very swollen, cut lip that was bleeding profusely. He needed stitches. He wound up with 4. During that time, the instigators left and didn't show up att he races this weekend. AS for Dean's face, you can't even tell now that anything happened to it. It's great that he wanted to defend his wife's honor, but the f*#@ing bitch comment was never intended for him or anyone else to hear, but he did and it pissed him off. He loves me sooooooo much........What a way to show it!

Jordan on Sunday morning in the camper
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I had a surprise visitor the other day. My son, Nick! He came to show me his new car and to give me a demo cd which contained 3 songs by his band. The car is a Cadillac DeVille, a '89 i think, but is really cherry. It was owned by an older guy and garage kept. The miles are high, but if he takes care of it, it will last him along time. The songs on the cd are really good . I really like them. Nick plays guitar. he never had a lesson in his life and can't read music. He plays by ear. Another talent, along with his ability to draw, that he got from my dad.

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Speaking of my dad, I was at work the other day and a song came on the radio by a chic named Crystal Shawanda (think she's native American? Uh, Yeh.) called You Can Let Go. See the video by clicking on the 2nd vieo at the right. A more audible version is the 4th pink square. Lyrics only, no video, though. (The top video is just there as is the 3rd. I have no Clue. They just came along for the ride I guess.)The song tells how her dad was helping her learn how to ride her bike and she tells him he can let go now she's ready to do this by herself. Then she is getting married and her dad walks her down the aisle and after saying he gives this woman, he doesn't let go and she tells him again you can let go now daddy. Then the man is older and in the hospital and is about to come to the end of his life, but is hanging on. She has to give him permission to die and again tells him you can let go now. I can't even post this without my eyes filling up. When I heard it for the first time, I couldn't stop the tears. A co worker came in the office and thought something was wrong and was really concerned. I told him it was ok, just a sad song on the radio.

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And for this weekend. Dean and I brought the camper home and I scrubbed the outside and the top and underside of the awning. It gets really dirty at the dirttracks and sitting in the lot at work where we keep it. I cleaned the inside really well and Dean siliconed around all the windows and the door to seal any place that might leak and filled the water tank. I scrubbed the big cooler and washed the truck while Dean went to the grocery store. Then we put everything away and took the camper back to work. It's now ready to go to Eldora the beginning of next month!

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And I actually cooked dinner on Sunday! Deans does almost all of the cooking at our house, being the chef that he is. He calls himself the "trained professional". I made stuffed peppers. Dean grew the peppers in our garden along with zuchini and tomatoes. The stuffed peppers were awesome! I can still cook!

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About next month, here's a schedule for ya. Aug 29th-racing at Lernerville. Aug 30th-racing at PA Motor Speedway, or PMS as it is affectionately known to its patrons. The 31st- a cookout at our house. Sara and the gang are invited, as well as Nick and Dean's brothers and the one brother's girlfriend. Sept. 3-leave to go to Eldora in Ohio for the World 100. Sept. 13-wedding. The bass player of the band we follow, the Fabulous Gunslingers, is getting married. The 18th, 19th and 20th is the big race finale at PMS. Then the 26th is our Deep Creek weekend! Whew! It will be a busy month! So, if I don't post, you'll know why!