Well, another beautiful day in western PA... yeah right..
I swear, the area is slowly becoming Seattle.. more rain and dreary days than sunny. Today was a weird one in that @ work today.. it was mostly sunny all day and back around the house and the places where I wanted to go tonight it rained... alot.
So.. plans change and here I am sitting in front of a computer screen instead of being outside. Of course, NOW it's sunny and nice here...
This weekend promises to be a bit better weather, and with another autocross coming up this weekend I will have a full plate. Depending on what happens I'll be either at a car show, the draag strip or at home. I'll be setting up the course for Sunday, working, and then hopefully at the local cruise night.
Sunday I'll be at the Autocross. This is the 1st time I'm actually putting together a course for everyone to drive. Not sure how I feel about that.
I've got some other stuff I've been working on, but not getting into that until something actually works out.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Finally some rest coming up... Kinda
So, this was the last of 3 back to back to back weekends of travelling / racing. This one was local, but yet still an hour away. it was a 2- day event benefiting some very worthwhile charities.. one being the Pittsburgh Autism Society. Last year, just OUR part of the events raised $6000 for it.
So, this year I had a better prepped car and I HOPED a better loose nut behind the wheel. I wasn't sure what kind of competition I would have, as there was many in my class listed, but turns out that most were in a different index ( street tires ) than in the normal class. So, there was only 2 of us.
I drove like a moron in the AM sessions and couldn't get settled. For various reasons I coudln't focus, and was a bit distracted thru the morning. As usual, I had my best run in the morning when I had a passenger. Maybe it's that idea that you don't want to look stupid in front of someone, and the other is the more balanced wieght in the car.
The afternoon was a bit better, as I got my head on straight and drove like I should've.
So... I won that day by .6 seconds.
Sunday was short due to rain and I was behind by .4 seconds. So... while I won the 1st day, and lost the 2nd day, I ended up winning overall for the weekend. Normally, @ events we don't get trophies and such, so the individual days don't mean much , but at this special event, the combined scores for both days are added up and with that, I came out on top. Barely...
I've never won a trophy in anything.. at least not that I can remember. It was kinda wierd and at the same time a great feeling. I wish it would've been a real win, where we both had equal dry chances... but a win is a win from what I'm told. Hard for me to accept that. Hard for me to acknowledge something like this.. always thinking that I SHOULDN'T have won, or that what I did wasn't deserving of recgnition or anything like that.
Maybe it's just that part of me that is used to NOT doing well and always that guy last picked for things, or not even picked at all.
Such is life
So, this year I had a better prepped car and I HOPED a better loose nut behind the wheel. I wasn't sure what kind of competition I would have, as there was many in my class listed, but turns out that most were in a different index ( street tires ) than in the normal class. So, there was only 2 of us.
I drove like a moron in the AM sessions and couldn't get settled. For various reasons I coudln't focus, and was a bit distracted thru the morning. As usual, I had my best run in the morning when I had a passenger. Maybe it's that idea that you don't want to look stupid in front of someone, and the other is the more balanced wieght in the car.
The afternoon was a bit better, as I got my head on straight and drove like I should've.
So... I won that day by .6 seconds.
Sunday was short due to rain and I was behind by .4 seconds. So... while I won the 1st day, and lost the 2nd day, I ended up winning overall for the weekend. Normally, @ events we don't get trophies and such, so the individual days don't mean much , but at this special event, the combined scores for both days are added up and with that, I came out on top. Barely...
I've never won a trophy in anything.. at least not that I can remember. It was kinda wierd and at the same time a great feeling. I wish it would've been a real win, where we both had equal dry chances... but a win is a win from what I'm told. Hard for me to accept that. Hard for me to acknowledge something like this.. always thinking that I SHOULDN'T have won, or that what I did wasn't deserving of recgnition or anything like that.
Maybe it's just that part of me that is used to NOT doing well and always that guy last picked for things, or not even picked at all.
Such is life
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Time is short
We hear it all the time from our older co-workers, friends, parents/relatives... Life is short...
Think about it... when we're born we're all getting older and the days keep passing by quicker and quicker.. Scary thought. We think when we're 15 that 30 is old, and when we hit 30 we can't think of how in the world we thought THAT was old...
Maybe because in MY generation, our parents were in their early 30's when we were teenagers and we couldn't imagine have that much stuff going on in our lives. Maybe since THESE days, the weddings aren't coming until later... in our late 20's, early 30's... even later for some... people aren't having kids until they're 30 - 40 yrs old.
Life IS short. I don't remember much of my high school days anymore. If I try hard, I can see faces, hear voices, smell the things that remind me of those days. We cling to our pasts as kinda a sick trophy that we survived those years with some amount of knowledge, and strength and it's hard to let go of.
Go to your ____ year reunion and see how old habits die hard. Those same kids that picked on you, yet have kids with yours @ soccer and talk to you like long lost friends all go back to NOT talking to you when they get around their "friends" from back in the day... ones that haven't spoken to them in 10 years... WHY????
We spend alot of time living our lives to serve other's wants, needs, expectations just becuase we feel that if we don't, they will somehow think less of us. We sacrifice our dreams and those little things that make us happy for someone that maybe isn't even aware, or doesn't care about what you want or what makes YOU happy. They only care about what you can do for them, and if YOU want something they expect to be rewarded for them "letting you" do something, or buy something, just enjoy something that you rarely get to...
Last time I checked, when you have someone in your life it's supposed to be a partnership, not a dictatorship. We all need our own time to pursue our dreams, enjoy something that is for "us" alone or just something as simple as having a nice quiet day at the park for no reason.
When we give up that which makes us US.... we die more inside a little everyday. We stop becoming the person that our friends came to want to be around. We stop being that person that our partner fell in love with in the 1st place. When that happens, we slowly drift apart and down the road the blank stares from across the room or next to you in the car turn into resentment, bitterness, regret and apathy.
Life is too short to be miserable. Life is WAY too short to NOT tell the ones you care about that you DO care. Taking that walk in the park with your family, the kids, the pets...
I was told a while back.. "the last thing someone on their death bed is going to say is ...GEE I WISH I WOULD'VE WORKED MORE"
I'm guilty of it... I've been called a workaholic. I've been told I work way too much and take too much on. I've cut back and tried to enjoy life more. Right now, I'm doing that alone. I hope that will not always be the case, but it is what it is... We can't worry about things we have no control over, and right now... I'm flying by the seat of my pants and have NO regrets....
LIVE your life, just don't get thru it... none of us get out of it alive.
Wow... looks like I'm back :)
Think about it... when we're born we're all getting older and the days keep passing by quicker and quicker.. Scary thought. We think when we're 15 that 30 is old, and when we hit 30 we can't think of how in the world we thought THAT was old...
Maybe because in MY generation, our parents were in their early 30's when we were teenagers and we couldn't imagine have that much stuff going on in our lives. Maybe since THESE days, the weddings aren't coming until later... in our late 20's, early 30's... even later for some... people aren't having kids until they're 30 - 40 yrs old.
Life IS short. I don't remember much of my high school days anymore. If I try hard, I can see faces, hear voices, smell the things that remind me of those days. We cling to our pasts as kinda a sick trophy that we survived those years with some amount of knowledge, and strength and it's hard to let go of.
Go to your ____ year reunion and see how old habits die hard. Those same kids that picked on you, yet have kids with yours @ soccer and talk to you like long lost friends all go back to NOT talking to you when they get around their "friends" from back in the day... ones that haven't spoken to them in 10 years... WHY????
We spend alot of time living our lives to serve other's wants, needs, expectations just becuase we feel that if we don't, they will somehow think less of us. We sacrifice our dreams and those little things that make us happy for someone that maybe isn't even aware, or doesn't care about what you want or what makes YOU happy. They only care about what you can do for them, and if YOU want something they expect to be rewarded for them "letting you" do something, or buy something, just enjoy something that you rarely get to...
Last time I checked, when you have someone in your life it's supposed to be a partnership, not a dictatorship. We all need our own time to pursue our dreams, enjoy something that is for "us" alone or just something as simple as having a nice quiet day at the park for no reason.
When we give up that which makes us US.... we die more inside a little everyday. We stop becoming the person that our friends came to want to be around. We stop being that person that our partner fell in love with in the 1st place. When that happens, we slowly drift apart and down the road the blank stares from across the room or next to you in the car turn into resentment, bitterness, regret and apathy.
Life is too short to be miserable. Life is WAY too short to NOT tell the ones you care about that you DO care. Taking that walk in the park with your family, the kids, the pets...
I was told a while back.. "the last thing someone on their death bed is going to say is ...GEE I WISH I WOULD'VE WORKED MORE"
I'm guilty of it... I've been called a workaholic. I've been told I work way too much and take too much on. I've cut back and tried to enjoy life more. Right now, I'm doing that alone. I hope that will not always be the case, but it is what it is... We can't worry about things we have no control over, and right now... I'm flying by the seat of my pants and have NO regrets....
LIVE your life, just don't get thru it... none of us get out of it alive.
Wow... looks like I'm back :)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Another weekend is here... already
So, I had almost two months out of the car in a competitive nature, and last weekend I got to jump back in the car and drive in "anger" again.
I was a bit tentative about it to be honest. It wasn't a local event that I was getting back into the game at either. No, I had to get back in it at a NATIONAL event. The tour event was a blast last year even if I didn't do well. This year, I hoped that my extra seat time and slightly better car prep would help out and I wouldn't finish last again.
The event was consistently wet each day. It rained each day and nothing was consistent.
In the end, I finished last again in my class, but this time, the margin was smaller.
I had a really good time with some of the guys in my class when we went out and unwound... that's all I can say...
Got to meet a few others and get to hang out with people from last season. Got some pointers from experienced drivers and it helped alot on day #2.
This weekend, I am travelling to another part of the country for another event. This time, I'm not driving my car, but driving another local driver's car with him. It should give me a good indication of the driver I am becoming. This is a good car that is competitive and has had good luck in other events. If I can get the car figured out enough to get some good runs and finish well, I'll feel really good knowing that there's hope for me. The car would be more of the problem that I am, and that's easier to fix than "the loose nut behind the wheel".
Next weekend, it's back into MY car for my 1st local event since mother's day weekend. We have our vintage grand prix kick off that weekend and have a 2 day weekend back to back event.
I look forward to getting to hang out with a big group of people I know better and hang out. Play some frisbee, eat some food and swap stories.
It's been a bit crazy around here the past few weeks between work, getting ready for the events and some personal stuff between me, stuff with friends and so on... feel bad that I'm not where I feel I should be at times...wanting to be there to help... to listen etc... but all things happen when they do.
Stay tuned race fans....
I was a bit tentative about it to be honest. It wasn't a local event that I was getting back into the game at either. No, I had to get back in it at a NATIONAL event. The tour event was a blast last year even if I didn't do well. This year, I hoped that my extra seat time and slightly better car prep would help out and I wouldn't finish last again.
The event was consistently wet each day. It rained each day and nothing was consistent.
In the end, I finished last again in my class, but this time, the margin was smaller.
I had a really good time with some of the guys in my class when we went out and unwound... that's all I can say...
Got to meet a few others and get to hang out with people from last season. Got some pointers from experienced drivers and it helped alot on day #2.
This weekend, I am travelling to another part of the country for another event. This time, I'm not driving my car, but driving another local driver's car with him. It should give me a good indication of the driver I am becoming. This is a good car that is competitive and has had good luck in other events. If I can get the car figured out enough to get some good runs and finish well, I'll feel really good knowing that there's hope for me. The car would be more of the problem that I am, and that's easier to fix than "the loose nut behind the wheel".
Next weekend, it's back into MY car for my 1st local event since mother's day weekend. We have our vintage grand prix kick off that weekend and have a 2 day weekend back to back event.
I look forward to getting to hang out with a big group of people I know better and hang out. Play some frisbee, eat some food and swap stories.
It's been a bit crazy around here the past few weeks between work, getting ready for the events and some personal stuff between me, stuff with friends and so on... feel bad that I'm not where I feel I should be at times...wanting to be there to help... to listen etc... but all things happen when they do.
Stay tuned race fans....
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