What a Weekend Finale!!!

OMD!!!! What a fun weekend!

Mom and Dad had the Season Finale races for their car racing. Dad has always wanted to set a course, so he volunteered himself, Mom, and Uncle Charlie to “chair” the event. What that means is that they are responsible to get the stuff to the venue, make sure that there are people to do the “core jobs” (registration, tech inspection, safety, set up and timing), and they set the courses. There are a bunch of core workers in our region, so it wasn’t like Mom and Dad had to work hard to get the jobs filled, but they were very lucky to have a guy do the work of bringing out the truck (that carries all the cones) and the trailer (that has all the other stuff that you need to run a race, like a computer, and timing lights, etc., etc.).

Because Mom and Dad (really, mostly Dad – Mom just sort of assisted on occasion) were supposed to set the course, we got out early Friday afternoon, and met up with Uncle Charlie and this other guy, Kyle, who was bringing out the truck and trailer. Which meant that the House With Wheels had a primo parking spot.


Sort of. The first day they raced on a lot that had a building separating the House With Wheels’ parking lot from the racing, so I didn’t get to watch live action racing teevee. I had to watch NCIS, and harass TaiChi, instead…


Oh. And yes, the Starship Enterprise – as Mom and Dad call the House With Wheels - has its license plate. Mom says NCC-1701 was already taken. Whatever that means. I mean, they get a little weird with this whole “Starship Enterprise” thing. Mom keeps calling Dad “Mister Sulu” – which is NOTHING like Dad’s name, and when we are climbing up steep hills (I-80 has a section that is probably an 8% grade, by my practiced eye) she used a fake Scottish accent and keeps saying “I canna give ye’ more power, Captain, the dilithium crystals are going to blow!”. And then, when we hit the part of the road where the speed limit is 75 mph, she tells Dad, “Warp 7, Mister Sulu”. I seriously think Mom is losing it, because I have No Idea what she is talking about. I’m beginning to feel like Dennis!

Anyway, Mom and Dad and Uncle Charlie and Kyle spent the evening setting the course until the sun set. And then I got to spend quality time with Dad.


Including ear scratchies!


TaiChi pretty much napped.


Oh, and Mr. Bufus?!? Mom got some medicine from the vet that was supposed to stop him throwing up while we were driving, and it seems to have worked. At least for the hour drive out there (and back again). I think he was quite happy about not losing his lunch.


And I didn’t get any pictures on Saturday because Mom and Dad were really busy, and I have a tough time using the camera, what with the complete lack of opposable thumbs and all. Even though it rained at one point in the day, Mom and Dad seemed to have a really good time, and it sounded like they both drove really well. But they had worked really hard, and they didn’t sleep very well Friday night (it was warm in the House With Wheels, but when the opened the window it was Very Cold on Mom’s head), so TaiChi and Bufus and I were restless all night, and we kept Mom and Dad up. So, on Saturday night they were both Very Tired, and went to bed Very Early.

They were racing on a different lot (in the same complex) on Sunday, but we didn’t move the House With Wheels Saturday night because there was a “drifting” event Saturday night and a bunch of the contestants were parked right where the House With Wheels was supposed to go. And if you don’t know what drifting is, go watch Fast and Furious. Or, actually, if you don’t know what drifting is, it’s probably just as well! ;-) So, we stayed in our same place. And everybody slept really well, because we kept the window open and Mom just slept in a knit hat! (And I cuddled up next to her to keep her warm!)

So we got up Really Early on Sunday so we could “pull in” the House With Wheels to move to the new lot in time for Dad and Uncle Charlie and Kyle to set the Sunday course.


Dad, working hard!


Our parking place on Sunday was Much Better because I had a front row seat, and had live action racing on my teevee!

Mom didn't get a picture of the view out my window, but this is close:


And TaiChi slept a lot (like usual).


She did decide, however, that she wanted to race, so Mom got her classed and a number. PSL = Poodle Stock Ladies – since she is pure poodle, she is “stock”, and well, she’s a she, hence the Ladies’ Class. And she’s #18, because, well, she’s 18! Heehee! And yes, she won her class. She wasn’t very fast, but she was the only PSL out there, so she won!!!


After Dad set the course again in the morning, and they raced the Big Yellow Car. And apparently Mom and Dad both did REALLY well, because they just looked at the results and were congratulating each other. But, of course, I wasn’t able to get any pictures of them racing, because, well, a) I don’t have opposable thumbs to work the camera, and b) I’m not allowed outside the House With Wheels without Mom or Dad. So maybe someone else got some pictures. If so, I’ll post them, because Mom and Dad had “break through” days this weekend. And I like posting pictures of the Big Yellow Car!

And while I LOVED being out in the House With Wheels, I also loved being home!


Zoom-zoom! Heehee!


Especially since I know that we are going to go live in the House With Wheels for a month, starting in about a week!!!!

*whew* With all that excitement, I’m tired. Sleepy time! I'll catch up on bloggies tomorrow!


*kissey face*

-Fiona

Last Night in Pocatello

I wrote this last night, but Mom's been too lazy tired to post it. So just pretend that it is still Sunday night.

You are getting sleepy.... You think it is Sunday night...

Our final night in the House With Wheels for a while, so I'm savoring my moments on the couch, watching teevee:

(note from Fi's Mom: yes that is an IV bag - TaiChi gets fluids under the skin so she doesn't get dehydrated; with the couch there, the kitchen cabinet is the best place to hang it), harassing TaiChi and making sneak attempts at stealing cat food (note from Fi's Mom: somewhat unsuccessfully, but not entirely).

This weekend was Octoberfast (yes, I KNOW it's September; but you know humans - they don't ever seem to be quite on the ball); which is apparently a big rivaly autocross race between the Utah and Eastern Idaho regions. It is held every year at the Pocatello regional airport (which means that sometimes they have to stop the race so a plane can taxi on the side of tarmac) where the races are held.


Mom and Dad went two years ago when they were racing the Mini Cooper, and it snowed!!!! Mom and Dad were VERY happy that the Mini had a roof, and a windshield, and, best of all - says Mom - heated seats! (Note from Fi's Mom: Yep. The heated seats were HEAVENLY!!! It was COLD then!)

Mom in the Mini two years ago. For the record, this was the first time Mom ever spun a car. A front-wheel drive car, at that! Additionally for the record, this weekend Mom spun a front wheel drive car both days! Must be something about Idaho! Heehee!

This weekend, however, was nothing like that. Instead of snow, it was sunny and warm, and beautiful!

We arrived in Pocatato on Friday in the House With Wheels, and Uncle Charlie and his kids arrived shortly after we did with the Corvette in the trailer. Mom wasn't feeling well (she had a cold - she's getting better now), so she decided to hang out in the motorhome with us while Dad and Uncle Charlie did a practice session in the Corvette. Apparently the tires were a little more worn than they had thought, so after the practice session the tires were getting "thin".

Because this event is a BIG rivalry between Utah and Eastern Idaho, there were a lot of Utah people here, including a couple (Ed and Carolyn, for reference) who had offered on multiple occasions to let Mom drive the wife's car, a Chevy Cobalt SS (apparently is it "super-charged"- whatever that means). Wanting to help save the tires so that "the boys" (as Mom calls Dad and Uncle Charlie) could get as many runs out of them as possible, Mom asked Carolyn if the offer to drive her car was still open, and the answer was a resounding yes.

So on Saturday morning, Mom found herself driving the Cobalt. The last time we were up here in Pocatato, this summer (for, you guessed it.... Summerfast), when the Miata (aka The Grenade) broke, she drove another Cobalt. So it wasn't like this was the FIRST time she had been in a front-wheel drive car since the Mini, but her experience was limited.

Anyhoo, it turns out that Mom was the more experienced driver of the two women. Really. Seriously. Mom is actually more experienced than someone. Yeah, I can't believe it, either. So she ended doing stuff. Like checking tire pressures. And adjusting tire pressures when she didn't think they were right. You have to understand that in the past, Mom would sometime checks tire pressures, but she checked them to be whatever level she was told they were supposed to be. But this weekend? Mom actually made Her Own Decisions about tire pressures in an attempt to make a car run more to her liking. My. Mom. (!!!) This is just groundbreaking stuff for her!

And Mom clearly had a ball. She was giggling and smiling, and very obviously very happy.

So, after the first day, Mom was all excited about changes that she was going to make on Sunday to make the Cobalt run even better. It's a stock car, so there is only so much she could do. Besides, her knowledge is pretty much limited to tire pressures! But after the first day, Dad and Uncle Charlie had pretty much run the life out of the tires on the Corvette, and they weren't sure what they were going to do.

Ed, Carolyn's husband, has a new model Corvette, and had offered to let Dad drive his Corvette.


Dad in another Big Yellow Car. What is with these people and Big Yellow Cars?!? Oh. Yeah. Corvettes are SUPPOSED to be yellow. Porsches are red.


So Dad took him up on the very generous offer, and Ed even offered his car to Uncle Charlie, as well. I guess there were some set-up issues with the Corvette, too, so Dad and Uncle Charlie worked with Ed to get his car running better. And at the end of the day? It sure seemed like everyone had a good time, and I know Mom was very excited about learning and being an "example" this weekend. And she still got to hit cones, so she was happy! *grin*

Me? I had a great time!!! Because we were at an airport that is (or maybe was) a military base of some sort, there are all these little streets with no houses, and Mom took me on lots of walks.


And there was lots of pee mail to check!


And we played tug-of-war with the leash. Mom said she had to take this picture specifically because she wanted to post it on the internet so all my friends could see that I look like a doofus. THANKS, Mom! (Don't be surprised if I leave a present for you some cold morning! Teehee!)

And I got to bark at cars, and people. This car (an A Mod, for those of you who might wonder) broke in the test and tune on Friday, but the owners were around all weekend, and I got to bark at them a few times, since they were parked right in my teevee.

And yes, we have a little trash can by our door. That's because we are "responsible". (That's what Mom says, at least...)

It was REALLY fun. I'm so glad we came.


And here is Mom, being all artistic like. The airport is also a military base (I think - there were a couple of Hueys that landed on the second day - Mom was working and didn't get pictures, but it was an impressive sight, if somewhat chilling for some of the racers who had seen similar helicopters in, ah, less congenial environments), hence the barbed wire.

But there were plenty of places for me to walk around, and I was Quite Happy.


And so now, rather than getting home in the dark, Mom and Dad decided to spend the night camped where we were all weekend, and we'll leave in the morning. Now I'm off to harass TaiChi!

*kissey face*
-Fiona, The Autocross Dog!

Pee Ess. We are home now, and TaiChi and Bufus and I are snoozling, as any hard traveling people should do. My stummy is much better - after I saw the vet on Wednesday, I took some pills (covered in peanut butter - thanks, Mom!), and I didn't throw up again after I saw Dr. McDonald. But thanks for all the comments. And so you know, TaiChi and Bufus are traveling pros; we are happy to be home, but we are all really happy that we get to go with Mom and Dad when they travel. There is nothing better!

The weekend in review

Okay, it will take me forever to catch up on all these bloggies because Mom was Too Tired to turn on the computer yesterday. (Except to go on to eBay….) Just because she was baking in the sun all day Sunday. Heehee. Get it. Sun? Sunday? Heh.

Note from Fi’s Mom: Sunday was a great event, the course was technical and challenging, and I learned a lot, even if I hit a lot of cones, but sitting on asphalt in an open-cockpit car in 100+ temps? Ugh. I had other drivers who were spraying down their tires actually spray me, as well… All the stock car people with air conditioning were mocking me…. *sigh* At least my loving husband – who was working while I was driving – brought me lots of water. It was still MIGHTY hot. Anyhoo… Back to Fi.

I don’t know what Mom was complaining about. TaiChi and Bufus and I were Quite Comfy in the air conditioned House With Wheels.

And I had a great view on my teevee/living room window.

So I got to see the course.

And watch Dad standing around ‘working’. (He's the guy in the green vest. That doesn't look like work to me....)

And Mom hitting cones. (There aren’t any pictures, but boy… Mom hit A LOT of cones. And I talked to some of the other autocross doggies, and they say that you really ARE NOT supposed to hit cones. So my Mom is doing something wrong. According to Dad and Uncle Charlie, too, she is doing something wrong. But she’s getting better. So they say. Because she had 1 run (out of 8) where she didn’t hit any cones….). She also spun the car once. Which was kinda of cool, but I guess also not what you want to do…

Fi’s Mom here again: In my defense, my driver’s license is only 2 years old. Really. So I’m still on the low end of the learning curve. And here I am (below), NOT hitting cones (in the picture above, yeah, um... well, there was supposed to be a cone next to the one lying down...). At this particular moment.

In this picture, Mom is Going The Wrong Direction!!!!! I think the course worker is trying to tell her which way to go!!! Silly Mom; there are cones on the course that tell you what direction to go....

Dad drove really well.

And Uncle Charlie won the whole thing. Of course, he should, as he’s the National Champion, In This Car. So he should be fast.

And at the lunch break? Uncle Charlie’s kids came in the House With Wheels, and I got to try to steal pieces of their lunch (much to their dismay…. But I had fun!). I wasn’t successful, BTW. But neither was TaiChi, and she is the Master of Wheedling Food Off People, so I don’t feel too bad that I wasn’t successful in getting some lunch from someone.

Here's another autocross doggie..... Check out that tongue!

Anyway, I will try to keep up with bloggies now. Although Mom is hogging the computer again – she has been ‘writing’ – something that she hasn’t done in A Long Time, and so she’s sucking up all my computer time. I may have to talk to her about my own computer.

P.S. From Fi's Mom; the driving pictures were not taken by my, but by other photographers whose watermarks are on the pictures. Thanks to "Ray the Rat" for the hard work- I'm not trying to steal credit!