the final countdown.

It's almost time for vacation part 2. I have three days of work left Sunday thru Tuesday. Then I'm off to Minnesota. Most everything is ready to go. I was able to get a great car rental deal that should cost just over 200.00 for 5 days. Have all the direction printed out. Room reservation for last night in downtown Minneapolis is confirmed.

I will be staying in the town of Brainerd, MN http://www.brainerd.com/. I'm really looking forward to the 27Th annual Lucas oil NHRA nationals. I will be staying with some racing friends for the first 4 nights. The last night i will be in downtown Minneapolis at the Holiday next to the Metrodome. I will be attending the Twins vs Yankees game my last night in town. I'm also going to try to visit St Paul the capitol of Minnesota.

My only wish this vacation is to finally meet Hillary Will. This is her dragster from the Seattle race just a few weeks ago. If i don't get a chance to meet her i want her to at least win the race.

I come home late Tuesday the 12Th wash my clothes then on Thursday the 14Th head to SO-Cal for my yearly trip to Del Mar . My hotel in So-cal is a great place just outside of Los Angeles. At 99.00 a night its a great deal for the hotels in that area. Thursday i think I'm going to a Dodgers game Friday down to Del Mar Saturday Irwindale speedway Sunday no plans Monday the 18Th come home.

Then it will be back to work yuck. check out this youtube video from Del Mar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94mXkaIxceM

look what i found

was looking on youtube and found some old almost live skits check out the high fivin white guys.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQir5rAAes

nothing new well maybe i can find something.

It's been way to long since my last blog. So I'll start with the picture from the NHRA drag races from this past Sunday. This is from the pro stock finals. Allen Johnson far lane vs Jason Line near lane. Jason ends up with the win but just by the hair of his chinny chin chin.

The weather was awesome in the 80's all day long. My good buddies Marshall and Aaron went with me. I was on the hunt for Hillary Will. I had no luck tracking her down. I'll try harder in a few when I'm in Brainerd,Mn. I did finally get to meet Bob Wilber from the CSK funny car team. Bob is the team manager and pr guy for the team. He also has a great blog that i enjoy visiting any time i get a chance. He not only talks about the race team but also whats going on around his house and life. Bob was once a baseball player on many minor league teams. His dad was a former major league player Del Wilber who hit three home runs in one game on three pitches. He also was a manager in Tacoma one season when the Twins had their AAA ball team there.Check out his blog http://blogs.nhra.com/nhrablogs.asp?blog=csk.

On a different note the Friends of James O'Neal are still raising money for his surgery and recovery. James is a great guys from what i know. I Don't know James personally but do know him from going to the races in Monroe. He also comes into work from time to time. I'm putting up a link to a website for James http://friendsofjamesoneal.blogspot.com/

Two weeks from today I'll be in Minnesota for the drag races and to visit another state on my list. The closer i get to the date the more excited i am. While i haven't been to that many states someday i hope to visit them all. I have been to Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, in Colorado in only visited the Denver airport so that really doesn't count of course. I will make sure i have a full report when i get back.

I think next summer i want to visit the east coast. Not sure how i will go about it but I'm sure i can find a way to visit 5 or 6 states.

I was supposed to be in Las Vegas this week. But my good friend Carolyn ran into some problems and had to cancel her trip. I wasn't really to bummed as i have been to Vegas many many many times. I will be there in October for sure for the drag races. Tickets and room at the MGM Grand are already booked. . The weekend I'm there will be Halloween. I'm still trying to figure out what i should dress up as. Maybe the cookie monster, Elmo, a pimp or maybe something else. I still have time to figure it out thank goodness.

That's it for now.

Oh sunny days are here again

Well that title is only going to last a few days. the last two days have been very nice.

Today's picture is from the Disneyland. Me in some Minnie Mouse ears. There is something about that place that makes you do crazy things. Of the places I've been this is one of my favorite places to go. I really miss it and can't wait to go back someday soon.

Went to see the movie Kung fu Panda yesterday. I give it two thumbs up. It was very funny i really did enjoy it with my co-workers.

I'm looking forward to this weekend. Skagit Speedways Dirt Cup is taking place i'll be going on Saturday night. I haven't been to Skagit Speedway since last year. Watching those sprint cars make passes is pretty darn cool. I will be going with my good buddy Aaron and his daughter Madison. I'm sure lots of goofing around and coloring will take place during the night with the girl.

We didn't have a triple crown winner in horse racing this year. I was kind of bummed out i thought Big Brown had a chance but it wasn't to be, I didn't get to see the race. I was at Pacific Raceways for the ASA Northwest tour race on the road course. It was a long day at the track that day as the weather sucked for most of the day. Gary Lewis won the race which was called to darkness. I did win a pair of NHRA tickets to the races here in July which i had planned on going to already. Now i don't have to buy tickets and that made the day alot better.

The other day i went out to Costco and joined. I'm hoping i can get something out of it. So far i think it's going to work out. I have only had one trip but it was a good one.

That's it for now hope everyone has a great week.

A boring thursday.

Well it's a boring Thursday today. Just tied up some lose ends on vacation plans. All i need to dp now is rent a few cars and I'll be all done. MY final plans changed a Little bit. July18Th-24Th I'll be here for the first couples days to attend the NHRA races, Then on the morning of the 21st i fly out to Vegas to hang out with my good friend Carolyn. She hasn't been to Vegas in 20 years so this should be lots of fun. A good former co-worker of mine Jason will also be in Vegas that week. I plan on meeting up with him when Carolyn heads home that Tuesday night. I don't leave till Thursday.

Before i go on the picture today is of Mike Neff. He is a funny a driver for John force racing. I love this pic it looks like he's looking right at me. But what you don't see is all the press guys that are right behind me. How did i get so close for drive intro's. Well it was part of my ticket package. I have to say the ticket weren't cheap 325.00 for three days. But out parking spot was awesome are seats were awesome and we had some great meals in this tent area. Plus if we wanted beer or pop we could go down to the tent and get them for cheaper then what the general public was paying. We also could go down close to the starting line to see the cars take off. It really was a fun weekend in Vegas.

Back to Vacation plans i get home from Vegas the 24Th of July. Go back to work on the 25Th work till August 6Th. The at 11;55 on the 6Th i head out to Minneapolis, Mn to see some racing friends and go to the drag races in Brainerd ,Mn two hours north of Minneapolis. I get into Minneapolis at 5am. There better be a Starbucks right around the corner I'm going to need one. i head home on the 12th. But before i head home i hope to catch a twins game. They will be playing the Yankees and if it works out i will be there to see the game.

My flight home leaves at 1pm and I'll be home at 3pm of so. then i wash my clothes pack my bags and head to the airport on Thursday the 14Th for my annual trip to so-cal. I'll get to see my friends Carolyn her mom Joanie and lots of racing. I'll be going to Irwindale speedway for the Camping World west race. Also will be at my favorite place the Del Mar horse track. I truly look forward to this trip every year. I come home that Monday and head back to for Thursday morning the 21st.

I'm going to finish today's blog with a picture of my good buddies daughter Madison. This is from a few weeks ago at her t-ball game. It was a ton of fun watching her play. I'll be back next week to talk about the chance of there being a triple crown winner this year in horse racing.

Happy Mothers day

It's been well over a month since my last post. I'll try and see if i can come up with anything new from last month. I did make final vacation plans for the summer. July 21st-24 I'll be in Vegas. My good friend Carolyn who lives in California will be joining me down there. we will be celebrating both of our birthdays. hers is in July mine is in August. July 18Th-20Th I'll be at Pacific Raceways for the NHRA drag races. Then in August I'm fly out to the twin cites area for more drag racing. I'll be in Brainerd, Minn from the 7Th of August-12. then i fly down to So-Cal for racing over at Irwindale Speedway and for some horse racing at Del Mar fairgrounds. So far airfare has been so so. 218.00 to Vegas 229.00 for so-cal and it looks like 460.00 to fly back to the Midwest.

Tomorrow afternoon I'll be heading down to the great city of Maple Valley. What could i be doing down there. Well I'll be at my first t-ball game to see my good Buddy's daughter Madison play. Madison is a great little girl and i enjoy playing and coloring with her anytime i see her.she is so funny when we play i either the gordster or a big goober. I go with big goober but I'm not telling her.

Last the picture above is of Doug Herberts Snap on tools top fuel dragster from April 2007. Earlier this year Doug lost both of his sons to a car wreck back in North Carolina. Doug along with his sons fellow classmates have started a website http://putonthebrakes.com/ . Even though this site is geared more towards high school kids i think it a great site for everyone to visit and remember just to take it easy on the road. That's it for now

Big Goober out

Happy playoff day part Duece

Tonight begins round two of the whl playoffs. Seattle takes on the Tri City Americans. This is going to be a tough series for the boys from the west side of the mountains. But i have faith in the and think they can pull off at least one win this weekend.

Today's picture is from this past summer at the drag races in Kent, WA. My best bud Aaron, Three time NHRA Pro Stock Champion Greg Anderson and myself looking like a dork with my bag and cell phone.





I have booked a room at the MGM grand for July 21ST -24Th. Was able to get a room for 59 bucks a night. I haven't been to Vegas in the summer months in a few years. I can't wait to get down there when it 115 degrees outside. The hotter the better for me. The MGM is opening a new pool area for adults this month. This is from one of my favorite web sites on all things Vegas http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/index.htm Here is what they have to say about the new pool at the MGM Grand. Wet Republic, Vegas' first "Ultra-Pool", will open in late April of 2008. Wet republic is an adults only, 53,000-square foot addition to the existing pool area. Wet republic will be an all-day pool party, featuring a club, cabañas, waterfalls, eight pools (including two salt water pools), a restaurant and an open air lounge. Sorry guys, there will not be a topless area.





Sounds like a great time to me just another thing to do when in Vegas.





Now this up coming weekend is the 750,000 Santa Anita derby. It's the last major prep race in Southern California for three year old horses that want to go to the Kentucky Derby. I'm looking forward to watching the races tomorrow. But even better is that there's only two weeks till Emerald downs opens and 102 day till Del Mar opens.

One last thing Congrats goes out to Del Worsham in the team CSK funny cars for his first win in two and a half years. I' have become a fan of Del's this past summer. While most folks root for team Force i thought i would find someone else to root for. I have not meet Del yet but look forward o the day when i get a chance.