Not exactly what Mom and Dad expected

Well, we are back from Pocatello. As usual, TaiChi and Bufus and I were travelling pros in the House With Wheels. I did some navigating for a while.


TaiChi did some power-napping


And then I settled in for some serious napping, too.


I had to make sure Dad got the right turn-off though.

Turn here, Dad.


It looked like all was well.


But then I saw this sign.



Virginia?!? That’s a lot of states away from Idaho. Apparently the Starship Enterprise (as Mom and Dad call the House With Wheels - sort of a long story, but Uncle Charlie and his family call their motorhome the Battlestar Galactica, and since we are bigger than they are, we figured we’d go with the Enterprise. (Mom actually has ordered licenses plates for both our House On Wheels, and Uncle Charlie’s. Alas, NCC-1701 was taken, so we will just be ENTRPRZ)) hit Warp 9, got slightly off track and went East rather than North, and it went REALLY FAST . But Mr. Sulu (Dad, since he’s the one who actually ‘steers’ the ship, while Captain Kirk (Mom), sits around and gives directions - did I mention that my Mom is certified Nerd?) got us back on track and we made it to Pocatello.

Where Mom and Dad didn’t take any pictures. It was cold and rainy when we arrived Friday night, and then Saturday morning started off cold and rainy.

And the race car broke. Twice, actually. Uncle Charlie broke it the first time – he hit a cone head-on and ripped out the bottom of the radiator. So Mom and Aunt Linda drove someone else’s car. Note from Fi’s Mom: thanks, Cal! The Cobalt was a ball – a tad bit different from the Miata, but fun. We REALLY appreciate you lending us your car. Thanks to the helpful people in the Idaho region, we were able to get another radiator delivered to the course, and Uncle Charlie put in a new radiator.

Here’s a picture of the yellow car that Mom and Aunt Linda got to drive (neither of them is driving it here, but it shows you that we were really at an airport!). Needless to say, there are no pictures of the Miata….


So, in the afternoon session, it had finally stopped raining, and Dad and Uncle Charlie got their runs in, and then Aunt Linda did her runs, and then Mom did her runs. Well. She did two runs. (And hit A LOT of cones…) And on her third run got “red-flagged” (the race was held at the Pocatello Airport, and they have to stop running cars every time a plane taxied down to the runway, or a gas truck came by, or a fire truck came by – any car on course gets stopped with a red flag…). So, she came around, and got ready to take her ‘re-run’. And got up to the start and stepped on the accelerator, released the clutch (she told me this all in great detail) and went nowhere. Uncle Charlie dashed up to the car and had Mom shift it in to second gear and try to launch. The car shifted fine, but still didn’t go anyway. So, it wasn’t the transmission. But the car wouldn’t go anywhere.

Uh-oh.

So, Uncle Charlie pushed the car back to grid and had Mom start it up again while he looked under the car. And something was definitely broken. So with the help of some friends, they pushed the car back to the trailer, where Uncle Charlie got it up on jack stands, and determined that the rear axle on the passenger side was broken. And at 5pm on a Saturday in Pocatello? No such luck of tracking down another Miata axle.

So, with help from a lot MORE friends, they got the car pushed up in the trailer, and called it quits. And Mom started muttering something about ‘Stock cars’ again. I think that she wants to go back to the Big Yellow Car. At least until she can get something that has horse silhouettes on it…

Mom and Dad were hoping that they might be able to co-drive with someone else on Sunday, but no one seemed willing to offer up their cars (despite offers to help pay for tires), so Mom and Dad packed up the House With Wheels and headed back home.

Uncle Charlie and his family stayed so that the kids could run their karts, and when they left Sunday evening, the truck (that tows the trailer with the broken Miata) wouldn’t start. Aunt Linda and the kids came home with another friend from Utah, while Uncle Charlie stayed up in Pocatello with friends while the truck was getting fixed. Apparently the truck will be fixed tomorrow (the computer in it blew up), and he will come home.

So. I had a good time looking out the window (even though my teevee opened on to a grass field where people had cars and trucks parked and where kids played soccer, and where Dad threw my football for me; rather than on the race course), and I got to spend quality time with my toys.


And TaiChi got lots of quality sleep time in, and Mr. Bufus ruled his domain with an iron paw, but Mom and Dad were a little frustrated.


And now my Granny (Mom’s Mom) is sick, and I’m worried about Granny. I hope she gets better soon, or AirFiona may have to fly Mom back East to see her. (Actually, AirFiona will fly Mom out there at some point, but hopefully when Granny is feeling better.)

*whew* That was a lot of stuff going on, huh?

But to not end this post on a downer, I have a picture of Mr. Bufus for you. Dad had raw Ahi tuna for dinner a few nights before we left for Idaho, and Mr. Bufus got to have a couple of pieces. And this is a picture of a Very Satisfied Cat, taking his After-Tuna-Dinner Nap. He’s got the life!



*kissey face*
-Fiona