Track day!

We got up early Sunday morning & headed over to Putnam Park for the motorcycle gangs track day.

I think this pic is cool because it shows the shape of the track. They start below the "m". When Jeremy crashed, I ran from the "m" to "p" in park. More on that later...

Brad & Jeremy got a new tire changing toy & it got used...a lot.

Suiting up.
Doesn't he look tough?!
I stood up on this little tower thingie to take pics. It's basically on TOP of the track & it's a weird feeling to be up there. Brad's on the left (77M) & Jeremy's on the right (23).

When I was up in the tower thingie, I decided to take some video. You'll have to be patient 'cuz I didn't know I was recording (you know, it's a new camera & all...). There's like 20 seconds of nothing, but you CAN hear the bikes buzzing under me @ 140+ mph... You can hear people in the background helping me find them on the track. I did manage to get both Brad & Jeremy coming around turns 9 & 10.

Jeremy

I even get into the action. I have 2 jobs: 1) take their bikes off the back tire stand thingie.

and 2) help Brad pull his suit up over his back protector. See my arms?!It was going pretty well. There were a few crashes here & there. Nothing too serious. One of the gang members did crash & broke his wrist.

Then Jeremy crashed. I saw him & the bike go flipping through the air. And I fuh-reaked. I ran down to where he was, but he was fine. Just a hurt ankle. And I should be able to tell you what he did. Because they talked about it the.whole.way.home. But my eyes glaze over & I go to my happy place.

Now he has [more] awesome crash stories to tell. Yes, I said "more". He was not a crash virgin.

During the last session, Brad crashed. But I didn't see him crash. And I think I like that better. I didn't even know he crashed until he was driving around & I saw white smoke coming from the bike. He is ok too.

I love the grass embedded in the plastic.

The motorcycle gang.

A friend/neighbor, Judy Liebert, does photography. She & her family came up to watch Brad & she wanted to take some pics. They are freaking awesome. She did a GREAT job! She's got one of the hella cool cameras w/ the big long lense. She took a bunch of pics, but there's NO way I could put them all here. I picked out my favs.

She was able to zoom in & get pics on corners that I can barely see w/ the naked eye.

The day before Trackday

The motorcycle gang had a "trackday" for the group. Everyone went up Saturday night & stayed @ a hotel. We got up there around 7:00 Saturday night. We all sat around in the parking lot & talked. About motorcycles. And nothing else. Brad's buddy, Keith (grey shirt), has been racing motorcycles a long time. He's from England & he raced there. Like w/ some really popular racing people. But I have no clue who they are. So he's like the motorcycle whisperer & a couple of the guys had him setting their suspension in the parking lot.

I finally had my limit of motorcycle discussion, so I went up to the room. I should've had my head examined because my roommates were: my hubby, my bro & their friend, Derek. Luckily I didn't have to spend much time in there w/ them. I don't think I would've made it out alive.

And then Jeremy & Brad came up to the room. And my 15, er I mean 31, year old bro decided to moon everyone left in the parking lot. Brad's job was to knock on the window to get their attention. Jeremy's face cracks me up!

"Hot" backyard bbq

Our buddies/family, Daniel & Alicia, had a bbq Friday night. It was called a "Backyard BBQ & Usbourne Book Party". Now, I dunno what Usbourne books are. If it doesn't involve Edward & Bella, I don't really care. But I DO care about bbq's & I said we.are.there!

It was really freaking hot outside. So I went inside to cool down. Now...let me tell you about the chaos inside. There were, uh, I'm gonna say 8-9 couples there. And every couple (obv other than Brad & I) had at least 1 child...under the age of 3... and in two cases, the ladies were pregnant again. I think I read on Alicia's blog there were 19 kiddos. GASP! The adults were WAY outnumbered. And please, do NOT misunderstand. The kids are GREAT kiddos. They mind their mommies & daddies. But, alas, they are children & they were loud. And Jaime couldn't take it much more....so I went outside...to sit w/ the guys...

And then the "Usbourne Book Party" began. For those of you who don't know, apparently it's like a "Pampered Chef" or "Premier Jewelry" or even a "Tupperware" party, but w/ childrens books.

So while the mommies sat inside & looked through the books...

The kids started to slowly filter outside...

Eventually they were all out there. And the men folk were taking care of the kids. These ladies have their men trained...& I like that!

After the book & pool party wound down, the guys played some cornhole.

And Brad & Daniel resurrected the "box". And they even came up w/ a new usefulness for it!

And they sat outside & drank. And talked. For-ever. I kept going, "c'mon, Brad. We gotta go...." Then they decided to play ping pong. And I tried to steal the little plastic balls, but they had a never ending supply. Then I stole the paddles, but Daniel got more out of the closet.

And like we usually do where Daniel & Alicia are concerned, we stayed too long. I must say we heart them & we don't get to get together very often so we have LOTS of catching up to do. They're busy w/ their kids, and we're busy with, well, you know...farming & motorcycles & stuff.

I was finally able to get Brad to back away from the cooler & into the car. Then he got the camera out. And, well, you see...

Thanks for having us over & accepting & loving us even though we don't have kiddos. We had a great time!

I'm sorry, I haven't abandoned you...

I know I haven't posted anything in like...a week! And for that, I am truly sorry. But let me tell ya why & I hope you will forgive me!

Since the "dog vomit slime mold" post, I didn't really do anything. But we had the busiest weekend in our recent history & I had.no.time to blog. And I'm not gonna lie to you, I was unhappy about it.

But I promise today is the day. You're gonna hear tales of a bbq w/ friends, an overnight stay before Brad's motorcycle race & the actual race day. Which includes, but is not limited to: a crash by Brad AND my bro on their bikes. They're ok...but the bikes are not...

Dog Vomit Slime mold

Last year after I put down mulch, this weird ucky slimy yellow stuff appeared. I didn't know what it was. I just knew that it was gross. So I googled it. God Bless the internet! And I swear to you this is what I found:

Fuligo septica is a large slime mold in the order Physarales. In urbanized areas it is usually found growing on bark chips which it digests for a carbon source. Like Physarum, the plasmodium consists of a multinucleate mass of protoplasm that is not differentiated into cells. It moves like an amoeba, the protoplasm streaming internally in one direction and then in another. The yellowish, bile-colored plasmodium is the origin of the uncomplimentary name "dog vomit slime mold."

Really, people, I couldn't make this stuff up. Those words are WAY too big for me! All I understood was bark chips & dog vomit slime mold...

Well, my dog vomit is back. Below is a pic from the website:

This is what is in my mulch: This is in the early stages. It's bright yellow & slimy!

This is a pic of the aged dog vomit from the website:

This is MY aged dog vomit:

I wanted to include these 'cuz I think it's funny. Ya know how my faithful & loyal steeds are always there for me & follow me around the yard? Well, poor Brad wants to hold them & they run from him. (Mu wah, ha, ha...)

He set his sights on Sparky & Sparky took off.

A-ha! Victory!

He will love him & squeeze him & call him George...