Cold water caching.



And Snakes!

Geo-Shussing!

I had a crap load of projects to get through today. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  Besides Brooke slept over and they were looking bored.

So I loaded up the GPS with some GeoCaches and we went hunting.

We found 8 in a few hours.  Most on the Eiesenbahn State Trail.  We hiked about 4 miles and the girls lost interest in about 45 minutes.  Oh well.  At least we got some fresh air.

I am sure Brooke will load the video of me getting barefoot and rolling up the pants to get to a cache.  It was almost knee deep in water.  Or the snakes we found and they thought they were poisonous.  Or the turkey or the chippys or the ground hog that raced along side the car.

 

Hmm April 21 or Jan 21?

Auto Cross - The real deal

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!


Well it wasn't quite like a monster truck rally.

After all the cold and wet practice of Saturday, Sunday is where the rubber meets the road.  (Booo).
Sunday was slightly warmer and sunny, but very windy.  Got to Miller PArk around 7:30.  Registered, work assignments, car inspection, walk the course, tape numbers, grid placing, drivers meeting.

This was a huge event.  First Auto Cross for the Milwaukee SCCA Chapter for 2011.  There were over 150 cars and over 200 drivers.  It was part car show part road rally.  Grandma's Camry to race prepped Corvettes and Porsches.

9:30ish The heat 1 cars start staging.  Thats me.

First run I completed pooched it.  So amped up I missed a turn.   82 seconds and DNF.  Second Run, almost the same damn thing and the same damn result.  78 seconds DNF.  Last run of heat 1.  I finally hit it.  70.585 and no cones and no DNF.

Back to grid.  Heat two was off (different car groupings and classes).  They finished about 1:30 in the afternoon. Was not looking good to get in 3 more runs.  Heat 3 got off and I put down a blistering 66.2 but took a wrong angle on a cone before finish and DNF.   ARRRRRRRGH.  What is wrong with me?  Never was good with directions.  Mind you there are only cones were there needs to be and there are no lines or other aids to keep you on course.  This is why the let you walk the course before you run.  Still it did not help me at all.

Final run of the day for me.  Just got to do it.  I nailed it!  65.6.  I was so giddy. Three tenths off the leader in my class.    Until the radio informed me of my late DNF.  I did the same thing as the last time.  I was so pissed off.  I knew we were not going to get another run either.  Way too many entrants and running too late to make a 6th run.  

I took the course for my work assignment.  Working cones and flagging cars.  This gave me over an hour to mull my day and mistakes.  The day ended, Mike and I hung around for some award presentations and headed out.  What a long drive home.  My face was a sunburned and windburned as you can get.  I went over the course in my head a million times.  So close yet so frustrating.  Two days later I am almost over it,  chalk it up to being a newbie.

Can't wait till the next session in May.  I know May 8th.  Mothers day....

Auto Cross (Solo Racing)

Day one,  Early start got to Alterra at 7:00 and Kelly's Bleachers by 7:30.   After a lengthy wait and sign in, we started the class.  More of an overview than a class.  Still very valuable.

Had lunch and headed to Miller Park.  They had two 30 second courses set up.  I was paired up with an instructor, Bart and Todd another driver.   Bart and Todd both drove WRX STi's so I have e feeling that's why we were matched up.

First few time through the course I felt like I was going fast.  35 seconds for my first few runs.  Bart then drove my car and posted 30.1.   Wow, I now understand what my car could do,  I was just a bit too tenative.

My next run was 32 seconds, then 31.5 then 31.2.  The last run of the day on the east course I turned in a 30.448!  Only 4/10ths of a second slower than a driver who has been doing this for over 10 years.  Bart actually said my sloloms were some of the best he's seen for a newbie.  One second better than Todd too.

Now time to tend the course.   Basically, grab a spot and put cones up when knocked over or flag drivers when some other driver has slowed or spun out.  Cars run about every 10 seconds so not much time for errors.  It was cold and of course the coldest they have run, that they could remember. Of course.

When that was over, got to hit the west course.  Of course it started getting a bit wet.  Feeling a bit more confident I pull two 31's right off the bat.  Bart's turn.  Puts in a 28.7.  Ok I know what needs to be done.
A few more pulls I get it down to 29.3.  That's the best I could do.  Next run I got loose and brought back, the run after that I got loose and did not get it back, slid 90 degrees one way and then 390 degrees the other.  Can't say I have ever spun a car like that on pavement, without snow.  First it was a slight panic, then a few choice words as I spin.  Then a big grin.  Bart said it was good to do.  It means that I am pushing the edge of grip.  He also mentioned I was money on my lines and sweepers.  Feeling pretty good I parked the car and took the course again for the second group.

That's when the drizzle turned to snow, no more like ice needles, then snow.  One hour of tending codes and my jeans and shoes were soaked.  Glad I had my ski shell and gloves.  It was pretty miserable.  4:00 came and the last runs were over. Had some further instruction, got to my car  headed home.

Tomorrow I get to do it again.  Without the snow.  I hope!

Irony?  Mailing Robin Hood and a check to the IRS at the same time...

Rub the Meat.  This time I used some sweet spices.  Chinese Five Spice and instant coffee just to name a few.

Ok the weather is shit.  but that don't mean anything.

Just ordered up 4 bottles of the households most favorite BBQ sauce.

There is 10 pounds of pork shoulder waiting to be rubbed down, smoked and slow cooked this weekend.  That's how you do it.