I gotta say...
We haven't even started racing and it's already an adventure!!! Brother... it's gonna be a crazy week!!!
So, let me bring you up to speed!
Peanut here...
For those of you who don't know how the hell I got this silly nickname... it started last year back at Nationals....
Oh.... forget how I got the name!!!! My nickname is Peanut and that's, THAT!
My Teammate and constant traveling and racing companion in absensia... That would be Flea...
In other words, She is not with me at the moment... and Bigpit... her husband and the 2nd member of what has become my posse, he's also MIA!!!!
Can you tell I'm not happy that they aren't here!!!
So that leaves me.. Peanut... just Peanut... alone, racing alone.
Well, not really, I'll have lots of company, but it's gonna feel wierd.
Okay... I must move on...
My bunk mates for the week will be Tom Stevens and Paul Curley. I have known them both for years, traveled with Tom (my coach) overseas and all over the country, so we know each others habits well.
I've never roomed with Paul, that should be fun... there are a million urban legends about the guy and I plan on finding out if a few are true... Like, does he really sleep with that tiny little mirror???
Kay... Here's a quick recap of the past 24 hours
It's 4:00 pm and less than 1 hour ago I was bouncing along in the shotgun seat of the van while Tom tried to keep the van on all 4 wheels.
Tom drives like he races a bike. The van whipping all over the road while he wiggles in his seat and flaps his long arms around... normally reaching for food or something else well out of reach. Despite his enormous wing span... from the drivers seat, it is never safe to turn around while rocketing down the highway at 75 mph and try to locate doritos!!!
I have been taught not to alarm the driver... so as calmly as I can.... I'm screaming at the top of my lungs.... WTF!! LET ME GET THAT!!
Tom just hammers the brakes and says " no I got it'! Ignoring the fact that we almost slammed into a 14 ton truck, hauling cargo with skulls and cross bones plastered all over it!!!
The weather today is mild for Wisconsin, a far cry from the blowing slush we drove for hours in last night.
So... things are going well...
Aside from almost tearing down a toll gate (totally my bad)... Who puts a drop down gate in a high speed EZpass and has a green light over head... it's like a tease!!? I never saw the gate and only saw the green light... it was Tom yelling that got me to slam on the brakes....
It was a totally close call... and required a smoking lock up... and a load shift of immense proportions and an amazing swear combination (that's Tom's interesting combination of swear words when under high levels of stress). Kinda makes up for his driving foo phaasss....
A narrow miss with food poisoning.... That's totally Tom's fault.
I wasn't aware the proper protocol prior to accepting food from Tom was to watch him sniff it first and then wait15 seconds to see if he tosses it out the window! That's exactly what he did with his stuffed grape leaves, after he said "want one"... wagged a single grape leaf 1 inch from my face from a fork (as I'm driving)... and I say "sure", pop it into my mouth and proceed to focus on the traffic.
Next thing I see out of the corner of my eye, is Tom sniffing his grape leaves and then rolling down the window and tossing a few out the window. I ask him what's the deal?.. and he informs me that "stuff is growing on them"! That's when I asked the fated question. "Hey, when did you buy them?". Answer... "a little over a week ago."
"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!?" I yelled.... toss those damned things out, the last thing we need to do in come down with food poisoning!
He did see some wisdom in my logic and tossed the balance of the grape leaves.... I luckily, felt fine for the balance of the day.
And staying in a hotel that doubled as a demolition zone (again... my bad).... Note to self: When in Cleveland, it seems that it is necessary to inquire if the entire first floor is under renovation and covered in plastic sheeting when calling for room reservations. Seems this information is not volunteered over the phone... they feel the free breakfast is the compelling reason you are staying there!!
So... other than that, so far, it's been a relatively uneventful trip :)
I will get some pictures loaded in the next day or so... for your entertainment pleasure...
Tomorrow, course check out!!
Peanut out.
