a side of me you may never have known

This post has no pictures, and really, might boar you, so don't feel obligated to read it, but if you do you might just learn a few things about me you wouldn't have imagined:

When I dream about my future house, I imagine three or four bedrooms. One for A and I, one for the kids, and a guest room. Now if I have boy/girl children then of course at some point they will need their own rooms. I think children should have to share a room for a little while. While I had my own room growing up and felt so special because of it I did share a room with my brother for a while. I remember clearly the night I decided I was done! I was 9 or so and my brother was 4. We were sharing a bunk bed with these quilts that matched...red and blue sailboats on white. I liked those quilts a lot! I think mom bought them, she was a quilter at the time but not great yet. Well one night he was coughing all night long. I was tired but kept waking up to him. All of a sudden he started crying and crying. Mom came in and I said "That's it! I can't sleep with B anymore!" B had had a nightmare so after mom consoled him she helped me clear the bed in the guest room and that was my room from then on.

My brother has grown into a wonderful young man. He is so smart, and funny. I wish I lived closer to him so I could spend more time with him than I get to but at the same time before I went to college we wanted to kill each other! He is 5 1/2 years younger than me and a pest. But he's my baby brother pest and I love him. This week he is off at a racing school where he won a 1/2 off tuition for one week because of something, I want to say it was IROE (I will get to what that is here soon) but I can't remember for sure. My brother has been racing for one or two seasons now. He races with SCCA and is apparently good. I have not been able to watch him race but I have seen pictures thanks to his lovely girlfriend, and facebook. He also is doing something with his school and cars, I think he's trying to get his degree in Mechanical Engenering and wants to do somethign with cars.

Now where did this love of cars come from? Dad. While I got my love of fabric and quilting from Mom, B got his love of cars and speed from Dad. My dad always loved cars, racing, speed, all the stuff that comes from a high risk sport. He grew up in Seattle and LOVED SeaFair and the Hydroplane races. He now is a very active member of The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum and owns three of his own boats and is a happy little Seattle boy. We exhabition the boats, mostly the 1980 Miss Bud but its still fun.

Growing up though before he was able to get into the hydros he loved cars. We spent weekends when he was a turn worker for SCCA and for SOVREN (I will get to them soon too!) at home without him until mom looked into what she could do. I learned Timing and Scoring for both organazations as a youngster and learned "track etiquite" It's a little gruff but still respectable. I learned respect for the cars, for the ways of track life, how ot talk with much older men, how to hold a conversation with wealthy individuals as well as those who have less than me, a little bit about life and death, and most importantly, I learned respect for my dad and who he was. I learned a lot on the tracks, most my weekends were spent there from March through October.

When I was away at summer camp one summer, I think between 5th and 6th grade, my dad bought a 1963 split window Stingray Corvette. White with red, number 14. the following race season he started racing. Since he had already put in a lot of time as a turn worker he was ahead of all the other "novices" and was gung ho about racing. Over the next few years we went all over the place, mostly throughout Washington and Oregon but we also went to Elkhart Lake WI, Steamboat Springs, CO, Monteray CA, and a few other places.

The one event I always looked forward to, and never missed from the time I was 10 or so be it as a volunteer, an observer, or as the daughter of a racer has been the Pacific Northwest Hisoric Races by SOVREN (Society of Vintage Race ENthusiests). I have not made it the last three years, or all of R's life. I really wanted to go out there this year, I was going to do the Quilt Shop Hop with my mom, and then stay a few days and do nothing, then we'd go to the races. Well, baby had other plans. A and I are really hoping to go next year, take the kids. I want to go to SeaFair too, but these races are more important to me, especially since all the procedes go to Childrens Hospital and Regonal Medical Center. A place that saved my dads life when he was a little boy.

So back to that IROE thing...International Race of Executives. Interested individuals pay huge amounts to learn how to race with pro drivers. Someone backed out at the last minute last year so my brother took their spot and was apparently really good. I wish I could go see him race. I wish I could let my kids learn the lessons life on the track can teach you.