The Garage Sale of Garage Sales

If you've ever wandered far enough into the Adirondack Mt.'s you would've found total isolation and serenity. The wilderness is vast and wide with countless small lakes and ponds for fishing or swimming and you can almost guarantee to be alone, other than the hawks flying above or the many inhabitants on the ground. The fed's deemed 6 million acres of this land a State Park in 1892. It is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous U.S., however, more than half the land within is privately owned, including several villages and hamlets.

I first came here from South Fla. in 1978 and I'm still here. At first glimpse it owned me and I've managed to carve out a decent life up here, which is not easy, especially if you're not a local. It's been nearly 30 years since I rode a motorcycle into the southern basin of Lake George Village. I was a young blond haired blue eyed Dutch boy from western Mich. with the 1970's running through my blood and the local folk of this tiny town did not welcome the likes of me or anyone for that matter. But I stayed because I was a determined little bastard with attitude.

Just north is the small village of Warrensburg. 30 years ago this town was nothing but an old loggers place to buy supplies or drink up some hops in one of several pubs. You could practically homestead a piece of land back then... today a building lot will empty your wallet and the homes being built are mostly vacation homes. Within an hour from there you can reach Lake Placid, Whiteface Mt., Gore Mt,. Tupper Lake, Killington and other highly popular ski resorts.

A year after I landed here, 1979, some local "Burger's" set up a town wide garage sale. Within a couple of years this idea turned into what is now The Warrensburg Garage Sale - The World's Largest Garage Sale . And they are not kidding when they claim it to be the world's largest and an annual event every Sept.

We live south of there and yesterday I drove the 3 exits up interstate 87 only to find an otherwise empty exit ramp backed up with traffic out onto the expressway. Fortunately for me I know the area well and I simply continued north to the next tiny town of Chestertown, where I exited and came into Warrensburg from the north down a 2 lane road. I still found myself parking a mile north. I walked from there and was amazed at the vast number of people and vendors. I spent 3 hours and barely skimmed the surface. I found so many interesting things from pure junk to pure art. I did not walk out of there empty handed either. I purchased 2 diecast cars, a set of Tony Stewart bookends for Pattyjo and a Boston Redsox 2004 championship plaque for our 9 year old son. We are going back up there today to see what else we can find.

Below is one of the diecast... the 1999 GM Goodwrench Service Plus... very rare!! I paid only $40.00 for this piece and this pic is the only one I could find on the web. I also got a Dale Jarrett Action Elite #88 autographed 2005 Herbie Fully Loaded. One of 600... so rare that I cannot find a pic of it. And again paid only $40.00. These cars are both new in their boxes and the Dale car is enclosed in an acrylic case.

Nice crash fast at Kansas yesterday!! Hamlin at it again with this time Paul Menard. His "Tude" his going to land him him trouble yet. Carl blaming teammate Kenseth for his woes... but that final slam scared me a bit... it looked so much like Dale Sr.'s hit.

Happy Race Day!!

A Salute to Wood Brothers

Glen & Bercece Wood.

Glen Wood founded the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team in 1953, he's been awarded one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers and was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002.

What's so interesting about this organization is they are the oldest continuously team owners in NASCAR. Glen's brother Leonard came on and guided this team through the 70's and 80's with driver's like Donnie Allison, Neil Bonnet, Cale Yarborough and even open wheel sensation A.J. Foyt. Today the likes of "Awesome" Bill Elliot drives for them as well as funny guy Ken Schrader.

Not much is heard about this team today with so much focus on the big 5, HMS, RCR, DEI, JGR and ROSOX, but it's quite possible that this oldest team in the garage may have some big muscle left towards the future. Glen Wood's grandson, Jon Wood is an up and coming driver as well as Marcos Ambrose and Kelly Bires. These 3, if they stay at Wood Brothers/ JTG Racing, could be a powerful force in the near future. The organization manages to maintain good sponsorship with Little Debbie, Ford Motorcraft and the Air Force and I like some of those Motorcraft and Airforce paint schemes alot!!

I just wanted to give this group a salute and hope the best for their whole organization into the future, afterall they are up against some big guns that are only getting bigger.

Tragic

Connor LaFrance. Photo courtesy Matthew F. Guilbault, Esq.

Updated: Connor LaFrance, R.I.P. News Article // RoadracingWorld.com
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City mourns loss of student, national class dirt bike racer

One of our local boys... very sad to see the young die.
He was on his way to greatness.

Tragic.

Sprint Schedule Released

We might as well start getting used to it. It's official... the 2008 schedule is out. The new logo is cool, but it'll take me awhile to get accustomed to the name change, but I normally refer to it as NASCAR anyhow.

I came across a nice story about G.C. Spencer. He is a NASCAR legend and unfortunately has died at the age of 82.
NASCAR Legacy: Remembering G.C. Spencer

Why does Jack Roush feel he and/or his teams are above penalties? Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter received similar penalties when their cars failed inspection following the July race at New Hampshire and Smoke got by without a penalty because they determined it due to damage. It's cool to appeal, but Roush's Geoff Smith said the team objects to the 25-point deduction, because it deems it too steep a penalty for a driver competing in the Chase. That's just plain stupid!! The Chase contenders should not receive special treatment, but then again Denny Hamlin thinks they should.

Kyle's Temper

Bob Hillan Kyle Petty Exchange Words

I found this on You Tube. It's a tad long but clearly shows that Kyle Petty has been involved with track shananigans since early on.

There's also a bit from young Al Unser and his take on "Open Wheel" vs. "Closed Wheel"

It's cool to watch some old footage.

Foolishness

Opinions on the Hamlin/Petty altercation will vary and everyone is entitled. It is in my humble opinion that from what I saw Hamlin clearly ran up Kyle's rear end. What followed in the garage was comical and I'm sure they are both guilty of running their traps. Kyle's "visor slap" on Denny's helmut looked to me like a statement of "Come on kid... don't be stupid". Rather like a little head slap. But then we know Kyle has a short fuse as he has proven, busting his own hand by punching walls. It was just some garage drama with emotions out of hand due to circumstances, but Denny is clearly the Jackass that started the whole thing. I like both of these guys and I'm sure they will make things right. I wondered if Kyle knew the live camera was filming? AAhhhh.... "The world is all a stage and we are all actors" Mr. William Shakespeare

The standings got shaken up like a crap shoot. Concrete Carl... somehow I don't like that nickname... winning only to fail post-inspection. TV is a funny thing at times. Watching The Speed Report hearing "Breaking News!" how Edward's car failed then at 8:00 NASCAR Victory Lane comes on which is a pre-recorded hour after the race. So much talk about Edwards winning, etc. and they don't even know yet that the car failed, but it's an hour later. The Speed Channel should flip those time slots and the Herminator looked like he might melt in the sun. He appeared to be a Snickers bar. I got enough humor out of all of it that I did not have to stay awake to watch Dispain humilate himself. Some of The Speed lineup should be on The Comedy Channel.

One Tough Cookie

Kudos to Denny Hamlin for the Busch win at The Monster Mile. I caught the beginning of the race and felt bad for the kid as he started the race one sick puppy. Within a few laps he had the lead and I guess the "Bug" helped his performance. Future teammate, Shrub had sat in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevy to see if the seat would fit in case Denny was too ill to race, and I thought..."NO!! That car will be cursed for life!!" Denny looked horrible, but he took the wheel.

The village of Lake George NY is very quaint. It's full of a variety of shops and emporiums. It's waterfront has a beautiful boardwalk and is pretty much a tourist town. Last night Pattyjo and I took the younger kids, Casey 11 and Adam 9, to the Village for the fun of it and to watch fireworks.

Several weeks ago we were there walking around and the Franklin Mint 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car 1/24th diecast seen above was on display in a shop window along with some other beautiful Franklin Mint diecast. It had caught my eye then but we didn't have the time to stop. Last night I went into the shop and checked out these beaut's and then saw the beaut of the price tag on them too. Pattyjo knew I wanted this piece but also knows I hate to pay that much as I am a bargain hunter, so she bought it for me as a wedding anniversary gift. She is such a sweetheart!! The car is displayed among many of my NASCAR diecast in a glass shelved cabinet under lights. It accents things nicely.

Adirondack Hotair Balloon Fest

This shot was taken last night just a few miles from our home, courtesy of ERIN REID COKER -one of our local newspaper photographers. The history of this annual event dates back to 1973 making it the 35th year.
http://www.adirondackballoonfest.org/ It's grown over the years from a Sat. and Sun. event to a 4 days of balloons rising in different parts of the area and now include fireworks and a night flight called "Moon Glow". Anyone can get a short tethered ride for a fee and there are plenty of goings on for the kids all weekend.

The pic above is of our local airport with what is a mere fraction of the balloons that will lift off today. To witness 100 balloons launch almost at once is spectacular.

I admire Red Bull for their efforts to get Scott Speed involved in NASCAR. He is the latest former Formula One driver to move toward NASCAR, announcing Thursday he'll run the ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway. The influx of F1 drivers coming into the stock car world is growing with what seems daily and it's ok by me, yet it's nice to see an American kid get a chance, and it's Red Bull that also has A.J. Allmendinger who is another former open-wheel driver.

SceneDaily has reported that Robby Gordon is without a crew chief this weekend after he and Gene Nead parted ways earlier this week. I like Robby and he is in my top 5 favorite drivers list. I know he can be a stubborn S.O.B., but crew chief/driver relationships are vital to success and Gene is a great chief, he and Robby just don't mesh. Reportedly Robby has former Ginn/Nemechek crew chief Peter Sospenzo in his sights.

Dover Qualifer's

The North Pole

Queen Jimmy rose to the top in qualifying. I almost thought Montoya had it.

Kudos to Denny, Martin Jr., Happy and Bobby for making the top ten. Our winner from Loudon, Clint, is at the tail end and I really thought Ryan would've been near the front.

The CoT seems to be awful loose at Dover. The Biff took a slide and several cars were loosing traction. Probably the Goodyear hard rubber on the concrete.

Dover is one of the best races... I just hope we get another 1st time winner for 07'... not another Johnson victory please!!

8 in Stereo

It's a decent choice and the color schemes look great. I still attribute the #88 to Dale Jarrett and in fact I have some stuff around here with the UPS 88, but cliche' or not... "if the shoe fits, where it". I'm just glad it's over and I'm sure Dale Jr. is too.

I've been extremely busy since returning from Loudon late Sunday and have not had a chance to read or write. At present it is 2:30 am and I am up due to lower back annoyances, albeit, I did sleep for 5 hours. I'm not sure if the back pain is from hard work or from an annoying customer who has a huge sense of entitlement. People with control issues really need to think about other's. This guy only cares about his project getting started NOW!! and the hell with the project I have 2 or 3 days to go on. He had an almost threatening demeanor yesterday, so instead of a huge confrontation I have given in to his demands, but now I have compromised my other customer. Solution... well after much thought... and often my best ideas come to me in the dark of night... the s.o.b.'s job will be getting done, but at a snails pace because I will be there alone with my help finishing up the other job. What's this have to do with NASCAR??? Not a damn thing, but it felt good to write.

Loudon was an awesome experience. It is a very user friendly place and unlike Pocono, I would recommend Loudon to anyone. The layout is great and it makes you feel like you are the heart of NASCAR Nation with drivers being all over the place, whether they be in their trailers or walking around or driving their tricked out golf carts. I said hello to Rusty Wallace and he responded like a gentleman with a nice greeting. It made me feel good to be able to get up close and personal with several drivers and Pattyjo was beside herself, especially when Smoke went by in a State Trooper car. I thought I was going to have to call the infield care center. The race itself is on the boring side but that's typical for the flat miler's, on the other hand, I don't care where you're sitting... the track views are incredible. Overall, I give Loudon an A+.

More Loudon Pics

Pattyjo tailgating behind our T-Bird

Pattyjo getting Reed's Autograph

Robby Gordon


Pattyjo and some guy she met smashing Jeffy Boy

Me near the end of the race wondering why some people leave with 10 laps left... I know!!! Just so I can put up my feet!!

Meeting Michael Waltrip

While at NHIS this past Sunday... my wife, Pattyjo, can get anyone's attention, especially men, celebrities or not. The whole episode was both funny and overwhelming.

Michael Waltrip was doing an autograph session in his novelty trailer during the race. He didn't qualify, again, so he was doing something nice for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Basically he was selling #55 hats with his autograph for $20 with $1 of the proceeds going to the VJGC.

While in the crowd I lost Pattyjo so I called her cell. She told me where she was but I could not see her... I yelled her name and she waved a $20 spot in the air yelling "I'm over here Michael [me], I feel like I'm doing a strip tease"... well that got Waltrip's attention and before we knew it he said she could do a dance for him and within no time he was up close and very personal with us. After the whole fun was over Pattyjo got a hug and I got a hand shake. Pattyjo was making him laugh and the whole crowd for that matter.

The pics show that we probably could have gotten an invite back to his motorcoach.

We both left there with a whole new attitude towards Michael.

No Rain for a Change

The weather is horrible at this moment. The good news is... the fast moving cold front will be off the coast of Maine and well into the North Atlantic by mid afternoon today bringing behind it crystal clear skies, but chilly. This will be our first live race where we have not been rained out or rain delayed. I will take plenty of pics and post.

I'll return on Monday. All of you please have a good weekend.

All Ears

The Busch brothers anxiously awaiting and anticipating the Chase for the Cup.

Actually these are Fennec Foxes, but when I came across this pic I immediately thought of the Busch boys, only these little guys are much cuter!!

Gotta hand it to Kurt for his surge in the last 1/2 dozen races or so. Pat Tryson's presence in the garage has made all the difference. If only these guys were more likable... well Kurt is at least grown up abit and Kyle... well time will tell. Nonetheless, they are both amongst the best in the world and the Cup is within reach of either one.

Pattyjo and I will be on our way east and slightly south tomorrow afternoon. She doesn't know it yet, because I told her we were leaving at 4:00 am Sunday morning. Next week Wednesday, the 22nd, is our wedding anniversary. So unless she reads this first, which is likely, she'll be surprised when I tell her we are spending the night in some countryside motel somewhere in the Green Mountains of Vermont half way between home and NHIS. I'll take us to dinner and and enjoy some time together as all I seem to do is work and go to bed at 8:00... which reminds me, it's nearly 7:00 am and I have to hit the grindstone once again.

Autumn in New England

New England is beautiful, especially from now into late October. Our location in eastern Upstate NY is considered technically part of New England and if you were to travel from Rhode Island north up through Conn., Mass., New Hampshire, Vermont and eventually enter NY you'd see some of the most incredible landscape that North America has to offer. We who live in this region take it for granted, but "Leaf Peepers" travel from miles away to see this countryside in the Fall and bring millions of dollars a year into our tourism industry. Pattyjo and I are taking a road trip this weekend, not so much as tourist's, but en route to NHIS. From our house we take State Rt. 4 east into Rutland Vt. and continue on across the state of Vt. to White River Junction where we'll enter New Hampshire. That's less than 2 hours, then head south on I-89 towards Concord, NH and turn north onto I-93 which will lead to Loudon. The whole trip is just over 3 hours. It offers some of the most beautiful scenery in New England and our final destination... The Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Long Live the 28

It's interesting that Rick Hendrick has filed a trademark application for the No. 28 with the U.S. Patent Office in an attempt to get it for Dale Jr. This number has a history unparalleled. The pic is of Davey Allison's Havoline Winston Cup Car, thanks to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame website, shows it full of glory displayed in the Hall of Fame museum. The number was last used by RYR and Ricky Rudd in '02. In the past the famed 28 has been used by Dale Jarrett, Kenny Irwin, Ernie Irvan, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, Fred Lorenzen and A.J. Foyt. Hendrick said Jr.'s car will have an 8 on it, and personally I like this choice the best.

In memory of 9-11

Scottish Luck

Dario Franchitti's luck ran deep in the final Indycar race at Chicagoland yesterday. If you missed the end, let's just say the luck of the Scottish was hovering over him. With only 7 points separating him and Scott Dixon from the Crown and a 2 lap shootout. Scott clearly had the advantage, that is until the last 1/2 mile when his ethanol burned it's last vapor and Dario went by to take the win and the '07 Championship.

His wife, Ashley Judd was prancing around the pits like a little kid hugging and kissing every person she could get her hands on. It was comical in a way, yet emotional I'm sure. I wonder... if Dario does end up in a stock car next year will NASCAR let her break the pit rules to run around in loose fitting cotton dresses and practically barefoot? He is one lucky guy!

Lucky 13 ?

Richmond always delivers and last night's race was no exception. The guys are driving the wheels off of the CoT... finally. And can those things take a wallop!! ABC kept the commercials limited and was not nearly as bad as ESPN.

Jr. did a fine job, but maintains the 13th spot. I like that number personally and it almost seems fitting for Jr.'s new and yet unannounced car #. It has always carried an element of superstition and associated bad luck, but some label it "The Lucky 13". It's available and only used in the NCTS by Willie Allen. Nah... no one would want to see Jr. with 13 on his car... it would forever remind them of the year he almost made the Chase and anyway I think Teresa has rights to it now since Ginn had it. Well, at least he'll have that 13th spot at the banquet table.

Be sure to tune into this years "Dancing With The Stars"... the lineup includes Indycar extraordinaire Helio Castroneves. Can you believe it?? Well at least it's him and not Dario Franchitti. Actually, Helio is quite accomplished and no stranger to the limelight, but somehow seeing a racer dancing is a tad strange... of course Jeffyboy got away with it on Live with Regis and Kelly.

I'm hoping that Pattyjo and I can make it to Loudon next weekend. Things are so crazy here that I may not be able to get away for 2 days. I should be able to make a decision by Tuesday. We really need the much deserved break and it'll be an awesome race. Geez... it's only a 3 hour drive from our driveway... we could leave at 4:00 am Sunday and be back in time for bed for my early wakeup on Monday. I really want to do the whole weekend gig though and be part of the audience for Raceday as well as attending the Truck race on Saturday. May have to sacrifice.

Flea Market Shopping

Last night we took the family to an annual event in the village of Hudson Falls, NY called "Sandy Hill Days". It's fun for all with craft vendors, a flea market and rides, oh and the typical foods. At the flea market I hit gold!! Below are pics I found online of the items I bought for a total of $25.00. In order it's the 1/24th scale #3 inaugural 1996 Japan race and then the 1998 Daytona 500 win 1/64th scale with autographed card and last the Black Gold #3 1995 Richard Childress diecast with autographed card..... I kid you not!!

$25.00 total investment!!

Hendrick's Disease

Yes, JJ took the pole away from Big Daddy but not without a tongue lashing later. Actually, that wouldn't surprise me. The HMS power up front... now that's something new. NOT!! With Shrub taking the Busch [AT&T] race and these two clowns on the front row for The Nextel [Sprint] race it's turned into a weekend of Hendrickism. I think I'll start a 12 step support group for those of us that suffer from this horrible disease. The opening intro to the meetings from said afflicted would be "Hi, my name is Wilbur and I have Hendrick's Disease."

The 12 steps are:

1] We admitted we were powerless over Hendrick dominance-that our lives became unmanageable.

2] Came to believe that the powers of RCR, DEI, JGR, RYR, Evernham, Penske and all other teams could restore our sanity.

3] Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of the pit Gremlins as we understood them.

4] Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of why we spend our days hating Hendrick.

5] Admitted to the Great Oval in the Sky, to ourselves and to a Hendrick lover the exact nature of their wrongs.

6] Were entirely ready to have Brian France remove all these defects of character from these fans.

7] Humbly told them to remove their shortcomings.

8] Made a list of all persons they had harmed, and became willing to help them make amends to them all.

9] Made direct face to face contact with all Hendrick fans wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10] Continued to take personal care to never become one of them and when we got close promptly admitted it.

11] Sought through other non-Hendrick fans to improve our conscious contact with the Gremlins, as we understood them, asking that they please focus all of their efforts at the Hendrick Camp and help them with the power to carry that out.

12] Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to all Hendrick fans, to persuade them to come over to the other side and practice these principles in all our affairs.

May the Gremlins be with you.

Footnote; Dale Jr. is exempt.

AT&T is a "Go"

Word just out that NASCAR, Nextel and RCR have reached an agreement. Imagine that!!

Well it's a temporary fix that will allow the #31 and Jeff Burton to display AT&T logos. NASCAR has some heart afterall and will allow this through the end of '08 to give Richard Childress sufficient time to replace AT&T. Perhaps their is something brewing in the Busch Series major sponsor... but "The AT&T Series"... just does not have the racing ring to it... pun intended.

The weather looks dry for Richmond, but a touch warm and humid. After California the drivers can tolerate anything.

Everyone Benefits

It's certain that Toyota is the big winner in the recent [confirmed] announcement that JGR will switch to Toyo next season, but by the looks on these guys faces they appear delighted too. One would think that Tony's All-American demeanor would automatically shadow him as a James Dean, but in truth and like most driver's, all he wants to do is win races. Alot of their success comes from Gibbs engine building genius Mark Cronquist. He is sure to take their Toyo engine package to the pinnacle and he has an edge as GM has already delivered the latest technological breakthroughs to him. This will also greatly benefit other Toyota teams, Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Red Bull. They will benefit quickly from Gibbs engineering. Hall of Fame Racing and its new driver, J.J. Yeley, which is basically a satellite Gibbs operation, so Yeley will still, in essence, be on the Gibbs payroll and driving a Camry.

One to watch... Brad Keselowski. This kid is quickly making a name for himself. After his fiery crash at California Speedway a formal contract has been signed with JR Motorsports to keep him in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car the rest of the season. Keselowski stepped into Earnhardt's car on the July 14 race at Chicagoland Speedway and has competed in six races since, earning two top 10s and finishes of 13th and 14th. Keselowski also scored top-rookie honors in three of those six events. He will earn a Cup ride soon at this rate.

An Eye Opener

"Dale" the movie premiered last night on CMT. The production is a work of art and class with the focus being on the positive growth of Dale coming up the ranks as a driver and what he did for NASCAR and the fan base. The movie had me mesmerized, yet I kept expecting to see parts of the turbulence that surrounded the Earnhardt family. All of that was left out. There was nothing about the distant relationship between father and son's or the big whip Dale Sr. carried that drove a wedge between he and the young Earnhardt's. That's another story I suppose, but in my mind it is all part of his legacy. I learned some things I had not known, the biggest being the incredibly close relationship he and Richard Childress had and the influence D.W. had on the young Dale. I also have a new found respect for Teresa. This woman stuck by her man, a man that undoubtedly drove her to the brink of insanity, yet she remained his constant companion and business partner. I have a better understanding as to why his estate was left to her and why she maintains her steadfastness in the running of DEI. If it wasn't for her DEI would not be. So many Jr. fans feel that Dale would want Jr. to own DEI, but I feel the opposite after watching the movie. DEI is where it belongs and there is no one better qualified or more deserving of it than Mrs. Dale Earnhardt.

If you missed last night's airing, it will be re-broadcast tonight.

Happy Labor Day

Some of us have to work... like myself. Well it's my choice, but a choice based on productive results and timing. Timing is of the essence so often in the building trades and more often then I like my production is hindered by the Code Enforcement Office. These days of conscious energy consumption has led to changing the way building codes are enforced with what seems to be new guidelines daily. Bottom line... a building inspector has me under his thumb and magnifying glass and he'll be around tomorrow morning to scour yet another phase which is not quite complete... hence, I must bow to their whim.

Once again the sleep fairy took over during the race. No way can this 50 year old body stay awake much past 11:00 pm. So I miss the finishes of many truck races and the left coast night race... kudos to JJ for winning at home. It looks as if the Chaser's are pretty well set. It will take a DNF [practically] for Happy Harvick to get knocked out by Jr. at Richmond.

The #12 "Kodak Think:" paint scheme was way cool. Congrat's to Raymond VanderLinden of Springfield, Mo. for "Inking" Ryan Newman's Dodge and winning the Kodak contest. If there becomes a diecast of this car I will own it.

Sunday Morning

I had to wake up this morning before I could get the race results from last night's Busch race. What a bright idea to build a track in L.A. and then make it a night race!! NOT! Such visionaries we have in the front office of Francecar. It's too damn hot to run a race there during the day and it's no surprise they don't sell tickets. Just how many Californian's want to come away from their air conditioners and inground pools to watch a bunch of rednecks go in circles? Those of us east of the Rockies have to take an afternoon nap. We were in the backyard last night with a fire going in our outdoor fireplace to keep warm. I have a small tele set out on the back porch and by the time the pace car left the track our neighboorhood guests had eaten their Smore's and the mercury was below 65. By lap 20 I was in my warm bed, but even the beautiful picture my 27" HDLCD offers in our bedroom, my eyes were rolling in the back of my head and the last vision I recall was when Brad Keselowski's car nearly exploded. That jarred me awake long enough to make sure he was okay and then the next thing I see is the slight glimmer of the morning sunrise.

Kudos to Jeff Burton for beating out Shrub... again. And I gotta hand it to Marcos Ambrose for his 13th place finish, which is actually first place for the non-Buschwackers.

Back at the Cottage... Our son Adam has officially been sworn in to the National Guard as of Friday. He is on the delayed entry program as he still must finish his senior year. He is going in next July and 6 months later will be a medic stationed right here in our town. This has been all of his decision and I'm very proud of his choice. Pattyjo is also proud, but full of her maternal fear and struggling with the realization that Adam is no longer her little boy.

Happy Labor Day