Speed Racer - Sprint Racer

Our return to Las Cruces as NMSU alumni would probably have been enough to entertain us all but the fact that we also were there to support the Michael Curtis team made it even more eventful.  As you know Rob reveres racing and has been helping Michael's team regularly, as well as that of the Ogle's.  When we heard that Michael's team was planning on attending both races in El Paso and Las Cruces, then Rob's racing trip became a family vacation!

So we and many other racing teams descended upon the La Quinta Inn.  I found it surprising and amusing that the teams would just open their trailers, pull out their cars, and get to work - in the hotel parking lot!  The first night was in El Paso, and the boys returned late - almost 3 am!  The next day they slept in, then hit the parking lot to finish work from the night before and prepare the car for the Cruces track.  Here is the 6JT team!

Spenser got to climb into the car and get a sense of the driver's perspective.

Sienna and I just stood around, observed, and took pictures. 

After taking the car out, it was time to put it back in.  Watch that process...

Here is a view from our trailer in the pits of the Southern NM Speedway.

Here we are having Subway dinner in the trailer before it got too crazy.

One of the first cool things Spenser got to do was ride on the quad with his Dad!

After preparing the car it was time for mud-packing and then hot laps.

Here we are in the stands watching Mikey during hot laps and mudpacking.

Spenser was Rob's little helper, learning some of the ropes.

He's having some fun.

After cleaning the mud off, it's time to shine them up with some baby oil.

What are the girls doing?  Oh yeah, sitting around again.  Or more like just trying to stay out of the way!

In the stands or in the pits, it didn't matter, fun and excitement was had everywhere.  Here's the whole team getting ready to pack it up.  Thanks to Greg, Kevin, and Michael for letting us tag along!

Memory Lane is Open

Las Cruces may be a small town but in our lives it's a b - i - g city. It is the crossroads where New Jersey meets California and the rest is as they say - history.  What a long haired Spanish-speaking boy from New Jersey wanted was to go to college where there was a spanish influence and perhaps some pretty senoritas too, and so NMSU was his new temporary home.  It was there where he found other long haired, motorcycle riding engineers to hang out and share the college experience with.  On the west coast, a hispanic girl hoped to finish her tennis career at NMSU after a disappointing year at the rival University of Texas El-Paso.  Happy to join the Aggie team, she lived on campus, practicing, studying, and enjoying the fruits of a full-ride scholarship.  Her only friends were other athletes on the team and so she ventured often alone to the cafeteria for three meals a day.  Decked out in t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, and a ponytail, fashion was clearly not her thing but developed leg muscles and dark skin showed many years of dedication to a sport played outside.  Jersey boy noticed California girl in the cafeteria dining alone, and asked her to join him for breakfast.  A bit taken aback and startled at first, she agrees and they get to know each other over eggs and cereal. 

 (Original cafeteria is gone, and the current one is under reconstruction. But this is the place!)

After breakfast NJ, in quite gentlemanly fashion, asks to walk CA to her class.  She agrees and they head down the main walk to the Hershel Zohn theater for her first class, Introduction to Drama.

He proceeds to ask her out to the upcoming football game, but she declines as the thoughts, "I don't know you well enough" and "too much too soon" come to mind.  They part and make no definite plans to get together again, but sharing the same cafeteria or crossroads will bring them together almost 3 times a day, and that was all it took. 

New Mexico is known as The Land of Enchantment, and for Rob and I, I would say that is appropriate.  Whether or not enchantment occurred at breakfast in the cafeteria or sometime later, love did blossom there and so NMSU and Las Cruces will forever be special to us.  It's been about 12 years since we've been back, and returning with Sienna and Spenser was really neat.  They both seemed genuinely excited to be on campus and find out where, when, and how mom and dad met, lived, and experienced college.  Let's continue our trip down memory lane, shall we?

The bookstore is now affiliated with Barnes and Noble, which makes it look pretty fancy.

 

Of course we spent some too much money in there buying NMSU wear and vanilla bean frappucinos, but who knows when the next visit will be - so no need to leave empty handed.  The bookstore used to be located in Corbett Center Student Union where we are pictured in the next photo, but improvements demanded a move and after seeing it, rightly so!

Sienna acted as photographer, and thought this tree made for a good backdrop.

 

Spenser and Rob are sitting in front of the old library, a hangout spot for Rob and his buddies to take a break and scope chicks.  Tee hee!  Rob could be found here often in his levi's and muscle tanks!

Can you find Spenser in the next picture?

 

A trip to campus wouldn't be complete without a visit to the tennis center.  Of course the one I played at had been removed, replaced, and much improved, just like the bookstore.  My coach Carlos set us up there to play one morning and we posed for a few pictures. 

Everyone is decked out in their bookstore purchases!  Carlos let us borrow rackets and balls so I could share NMSU tennis with the next generation.  It was pretty hot so we didn't play for long, but both Sienna and Spenser were able to play with mom for a little bit.  Here I am feeding balls to Spenser.

And here he is hitting one back.

Hard to believe that 20 years ago, this was my life! 

But as one chapter closes, another one begins, and trading tennis for starting a family is one of the most rewarding parts of the book.   

While in the Southwest, one must also soak in the southwest decor, play tourist, and buy stuff!  This shop in Old Mesilla was awesome!  As you can see, the size of the pots has no limit, and I was able to find blankets and pottery to take to the relatives in California.  Score!

It was a fun trip down memory lane, which traveled to Las Cruces, New Mexico via New Jersey and California.  Now that Sienna and Spenser have visited too, it's a memory we all can share! 



I Hope You Had the Time of Your Life

Today was the last school day of the 2011/2012 year and with it came pomp, circumstance, reflection, and emotion.  It started with Sienna's Celebration of Learning, and luckily her team was the first to commence.  Here is the program, showing Sienna's place in the ceremony.

Here is our little girl, getting up in front of the whole gymnasium to share her thoughts with all.

 

She said she was really nervous, but I think she handled it beautifully!  As the video and picture below show, Sienna was introduced by Mrs. Flyte, her Science teacher.

 



After the student speakers, it was time for the reading of names.

After the reading of names and handing out of certificates, the symphonic band played the recessional.

That was the last performance of the symphonic band, other than the three celebrations that followed, that Sienna was required to play. 

And here is the graduate...

Then it was time to celebrate Spenser.  Mrs. Eberhart handed out personal awards to each student.

Spenser received one for asking the most questions.

Here's part of the class video in which the teacher and the students remember how they earned nicknames.

 

And the last video shows some fun times at school.  Spenser is in the bottom center of the group photo at the pool.

After root beer floats Spenser and I headed home for the last time from the elementary school.  Here is the big boy after his last day.

He personally asked that I also take a picture and blog his report card, showing straight A's all year long.  Here it is Buddy!

The kids opened gifts and then we were off to Chili's for celebratory dinner!

Congrats Sienna and Spenser, now it's time to enjoy summer!

Aloha

Sixth grade is ending for Spenser and that occasion was celebrated today in an after school dance for all the sixth graders.  I think the only reason Spenser went was because I was going to be there helping out, but motivation aside, I'm glad he attended. 

Here is the entrance to the shindig..... 

quite nicely decorated I thought.  Inside the multipurpose room were many more decorations, food and game stations, and a pretty neat photo booth where Spenser struck a pose.

 

Spenser hung by me most of the time, more inclined to bounce a beach ball back and forth rather than dance, but I think fun was still had.

 

Here he is with his teacher, Mrs. Eberhart.

 

His last day is tomorrow and I'll be helping out in the classroom with a root beer float party.  After that madness then summer will be officially started!

 

Roil-ridding Rob!

Dirt, muck, mud, soil, or roil - whatever you call it - sprint cars ride on it and when they do, that junk flies everywhere and splatters the car like crazy.  Luckily, both racing teams of Thomas Ogle and Michael Curtis have the hard-working hands of Rob Samour, mudscraper extraordinaire!  After each hot lap session or heat race, Rob can be found bent over, hind-side up, scraping tires, ridding the car of dirt clods, wiping down the car with water soaked rags, and spraying the tires with baby oil to make them shine!  I would call it a thankless job but that would be a misnomer, as I was witness to the deep appreciation both teams felt for Rob's toiling.  As you know Rob loves racing, and although he'll never be a Thomas Ogle or a Michael Curtis, he can live vicariously through them and pitch in however and whenever he can.  He may not be the engine builder or chassis set-up expert, but he'll turn a wrench and make the car shine each time it goes out on the track.  He's away from us often on weekend nights, but we're okay with that because we know how much he enjoys it and now that I've gone to a race myself, I see how much he's utilized.

Here is Thomas getting pushed off for hot laps by his wife Michelle and his dad Tim.  Notice the car is fairly clean.

Here's the car upon its return from hot laps.

Then it's time for Rob to get to work.  The rump is up and the mud is falling.

There's always opportunities to talk shop and that's a plus.

Michael's car gets dirty too and could definitely use a de-mudding.

The team goes to work and it looks better.

Here are the Ogles pushing Thomas off for a heat race. 

Rob and I are in the back on a ride-along!

Here's Michael in action.

Don't you want to hear what sprint car racing sounds like?

Michael did pretty well.  He was in the B feature and running good until someone bumped him and he cut a tire.

Thomas had flipped the previous night, spent all day getting the back up car ready, only to experience the same fate.  He was on the pole of this heat race - in the black car - when disaster struck.  Watch and listen....

On the first lap near turn 2 Thomas flipped again.  It was definitely not a good night for him and for my first race in years, the amount of cars turning over was quite frightening, especially now that I actually know two of the drivers personally.  Thankfully Thomas is okay, just sore in body and poor in spirit and in pocket.  This racing thing is expensive and often a money pit.  I thought Samour Sounds was an expensive endeavor but after going racing for a night, I realize it's far from. 

Thanks to the Ogles and the Curtis team for allowing me a sneak peek at life in the pits.  I look forward to traveling with Michael to New Mexico.  Let's hope for lots of luck and fortune in the Land of Enchantment!