Adrenaline Pumping. Heart Throbbing. Engines Roaring.

24 Heures de Mans

Today I watched a classic, Le Mans, Starring Steve McQueen - the man behind the wheel. It is almost a documentary of the 1970 Le Mans race. I would recommend anyone who hasn't seen it to go to their local library and borrow it. (If your library is the one near me, they have it - I just returned it today)

Although it was filmed 40 years ago, it needs to be watched in Hi-Def and Surround Sound in order to appreciate the beauty, the thrill, the energy that surges through your veins.

Anyone who has ever raced before knows this feeling. Anyone who has ever pulled 3 G's back into your seat, and 2 G's rounding corners. Anyone who has ever been worn out by the raw energy that racing drains from your body, used to fuel the speed, which urges you to keep going, not wanting to stop, even when you are out of the energy, you can still go on. One more meter. One more turn. One more lap.

I was debating whether I should embed a video from Youtube, guessing that most people would not watch it in Hi-Def with surround before watching the clip, but I finally found the original trailer from 1971.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Here is a fun fact for you. Some of you may have known this. (I knew half of it)

Previous to 1969, before the race started, the cars would all be lined up on one side of the track (in the pits, essentially) and when the flag would wave, signalling the start of the race, the drivers would then run across the track, jump in their cars, start their cars (unassisted) and speed off, trying to get out of the pits before anyone else, so they can win!

(The above, is what I already knew...)

Then, in 1969, Le Mans rookie Jacky Ickx was against the method by walking across the track while his competitors ran. He almost got hit by another car while walking, but once he got to his car, Ickx took the time to fasten his safety belts before pulling away.
During the very first lap, there was a fatal accident, which neither of the two drivers involved had taken the time to strap in securely.
Guess what. Jacky Ickx ended up winning the race.


So yeah, that's an awesome part of history. Don't worry, it gets better.


Because of the time that Ickx spent to walk across the track, and safely buckled himself in, the next year, in 1970 (the year that this movie was filmed) Le Mans officials allowed drivers to start the race already properly secured inside their vehicles, with the engines off, before the flag was waved.


So yeah, flag is waved, people aren't ran over, or killed from lack of seat belts (now, it's just the fire after the car explodes). So what? What's the point?


In 1971, Le Mans introduced the Rolling Start, sometimes known as the Indianapolis Start (btw, the initial way of racing is known as the Le Mans start) which is what they have used ever since. Yeah, they still start that way today.


So... My point is....
Isn't it awesome that...

1. Jacky Ickx stood up to all the un-safe stupidity of rituals, and then won! BooYah!
2. The officials changed the way, and decided to have a non-running start, and then a rolling start?
3. The year that this wonderful movie was filmed, the fabulous year of 1970, was the ONLY year that Le Mans ever started a race that way? Also, It was the first year for Porsche to have a double finish, also captured by this fantastic film.

Isn't this an amazing film? I'm sure you are agreeing with me as you are reading this, and you probably haven't even seen the film. Go watch it. Turn up your surround. Strap in your seat belts, and get ready for the *time of your life.

Trust me. It's a wonderful movie. Amazing Cinematography. Excellent Race Cars. Nothing like you would find in Hollywood today.

Do it.

*For most people. If you actually raced, participated, or attended the 1970 24 Heures de Mans, that was probably better than this film.

I'm Just Sitting, Waiting, Wishing...

...that I knew what I am doing.

Why am I still awake?

What am I listening to?

Why do I hear colors?

Does anyone else feel this way?

How do I fix it?

Can I stop it?

The world is spinning. She tells me her secrets. I tell her mine. We exchange stories. I love her. She loves me. We can make this last forever. This is a different LOVE than what people talk about in stories. It is the love a father must have for a daughter. What an older brother must feel for his younger sister. She IS my younger sister. I don't want her to be sad. She won't be happy. I want her to be happy. She lights up my world when she sings. When she smiles, I smile. When she dances, I almost want to dance. I do dance. I want to make her happy.

Why can't I be a better brother? What can I do to change this?

I hope I make you happy.

I hope I protect you from getting hurt.

I hope I will never let you down.

I hope I will always be there for you.

Because

You have always been there for me.

You have never, ever let me down.

You have never hurt me.

You make me happy.

Je t'aime

Dragon's Breath

It might be the fact that I've been listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) or that it really does catch your breath on fire. I call this drink Dragon's Breath. This drink, created by my wonderfully loving nurse of a mother, is the remedy for any sinus stuffiness and sore throats anywhere.

This is the magic potion that will kill anything living inside of you

It was horribly disgusting, as always, but it relieved me... or so I thought. later, after being drained of energy (not sure why, I didn't do anything today) I started coughing. :( oh no!

So I am going to try to take it easy the next couple of days. Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow. Hopefully I can get through the day, and not have to leave early.

Pray for me.

The Grandest of Them All!

Today, as we left Kanab for our 6 hour drive home, we took a nice little democratic vote, and decided to go and visit the Grand Canyon! Jake, being the only one who hasn't been there, didn't want to go, but everyone else did. (Once we got there, and went to the lookout point, he didn't want to leave)

Here are a few pictures of the lovely occasion.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

Me, Jake, and Archie at the overlook point

(I didn't get the memo about wearing a blue shirt)

Archie, Me, and Jake up at the top of the hike

I even found a Butterfly on the front of the truck when we stopped for ice cream outside of the canyon.

(It was stuck... and when I mean stuck, I mean splattered=stuck. Too bad, it was such a beauty)

Oh, I almost forgot. We actually got lost while at the Grand Canyon. We were walking around in circles at the visitor's center and the lodge, just trying to find bathrooms and ice cream. (We only found one. No ice cream :( sad day)

Other than the lovely detour, we had an uneventful trip, which is usually a good thing. We made it home safe and sound. We also listened to more Harry Potter 7. Such an awesome story!

When we arrived at our door at 10:30 PM, it was still 105 outside, as well as inside our house. It took about 20 minutes to cool it down, but I'm good now.

I have decided that I love Kanab, and hopefully I can have a summer home there someday. With only an hour's drive to Powell, and the wonderful country/cowboy feeling of the town, who wouldn't want to call it home?

97 Years Young

Each time we come to visit my grandparents in Kanab, we try to go and see my great grandmother who stays in an assisted living home. (An "old-folks home") She is actually not sick, or too dependent, it's just that she is dependent, and my grandparents are almost to the point of being dependent themselves. We joke that Grandma Black is going to outlive us all. She is 97, and her husband passed away 8 years ago. That must be hard, to miss your spouse, and want to reunite, but don't want to upset your posterity and be depressed and want to die. She's a trooper, that's for sure.

Today, we decided to go and pay a visit to her, and the other lovely young women who live with her in the home. My brothers and I took turns playing songs for them on the piano. They loved it. After each song, they would all clap, and say things like, oh, "isn't he wonderful?" I have recently learned an arrangement of God Speed The Right, by Aaron Waite. I wasn't planning on playing it at first, I just wanted to play some slower songs, like a few Bach songs I know, and The Luckiest, to keep it simple for them. (I didn't want to rock out Sweet Child of Mine.) While I was playing, I was inspired to play that song. (God Speed The Right, not Guns and Roses) I still don't know the whole thing, but I have down the first part. I also didn't have my music with me, so it was just off memory. As I played, the wonderful sound filled the room. Right when I finished, everyone's faces were lit up, and they were full of excitement. One of the ladies, who was sitting closest to the piano (Whom hadn't said a single word previous), smiled and said, almost like a little child that knows the answer to a question, "That's God Speed the Right." And then she said, "thank you."

We visited for a while longer, and then as we were saying goodbye to Grandma, and getting ready to leave back to my grandparents' house, the lady touched my arm, motioned for me to lean down to her, and she said, "You played wonderfully. Thank you for the music. I used to play the piano." I looked at her face, and she was full of light and peace. 

The camera used to take pictures was my grandparents', and I'm not sure where it is located right now. I'll be sure to either get the pictures up tomorrow (Monday, before we leave back home), or I'll have my grandpa email them to me.

3 = 4

Here in Kanab, Utah, whenever Independence Day falls on a Sunday, it is celebrated on Saturday.
So first, we went to the parade, on main street. Here are a few pictures.
Oh, I almost forgot. We met a lovely brother and sister from Chicago who were travelling through Kanab for the day. She was moving to Las Vegas, and he was on the Police force back in Chicago, just coming to help his sister move. He gave myself, and my two brothers, CPD hats. (as seen on my head below)

I got hosed down by the firetruck.

I usually don't opt in for that part of the parade, but it was warm hot outside.

We also saw our friend, the manicop, who is a famous dummy who sits in a parked police car to slow down traffic. This time, he was driving through the parade. The officer in the passenger seat is one brave man. (My brothers were baffled at how the dummy was driving)

We also went to the public pool, which was pretty fun. There was a lazy river, which after glorious hours of my brothers begging me to come in with them and ride in the river, I decided to be a good older brother, and I joined them. It wasn't too bad. Maybe I'll buy one for myself.

Then, we went to the park for a barbecue and to watch the fireworks. While we waited for the fireworks, we had some live "entertainment". Unfortunately, we were only entertained by the second act, which only lasted about 15 minutes (The whole show was 3 hours).

We had good seats though. :) A little too good.

(Grandma and Grandpa are now 100% deaf)

No, I did not take pictures of the fireworks. I don't believe in photographing fireworks. Photographs are for art and preserving memories. If its not art, what would you say when you are reminiscing about that night.

"Remember that burst? We all said Ooooh."

"Oh, and look at this one, I loved that one. We all went Aaaaah."

I love watching fireworks. Live. In Person. Real-Time.

I have a few more pictures, but I left my cable upstairs. I'll try to get some uploaded onto this post tomorrow.

I want to end by saying how grateful I am to have the freedom I do. We all have free agency. I am working on teaching Jake and Archie something important this trip. (It's kind of working...) It's ALWAYS our choice to be happy OR sad. Nobody else matters in that decision, however, our happiness or sadness, can affect others happiness. I learned years ago that when I'm happy, my mother is happy. And she always makes me happy, especially when she is happy. Thanks Mom, I love you. Thank you America, I love you too.

P.S. Typing my last sentence, I was reminded of this. Enjoy.

Harry Potter and Monopoly

This afternoon, I jumped in the truck with my family to go visit my grandparents in Kanab, Utah.

I was able to burn half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows onto 8 cds, and we got through 4 of them. So far, it's pretty exciting. :)

Once I got here, I discovered treasure! My wonderful aunt, Joni Lang had recently taken a trip here to help my grandparents clean out their storage and throw away trash, and keep treasures.

Sitting on the table, right when I entered the basement, were these.

A 1946 and a 1961 version. I call dibs.

So I told my grandma that I no longer want her leather jacket from the 1950's, but I want these. I don't care how much they are worth, I'm not going to sell them. I want these for myself. These are top-notch B.A.

Other than this treasure at the end of the dark tunnel (or highway?) and listening to Harry Potter, and laughing and having a great time with my family, nothing much really happened.

Oh, we had a few great quotes... Several from Jake.

After Archie farted, in the direction of my mother, Jake says, "You could have farted on me, I wouldn't have minded." We all burst into laughter. He then said, "What? It's not nice to fart on women."