Cars

Last big car show of the year. We'll still hit one more local show, but this was the second and last Goodguys Show we go to of the year. This one was in Kansas City, KS at the Speedway: The Mr. and I have a little game we play after every car show. What was our favorite car? His was this one:

And this one. He likes the Camaros:
This was mine. I like Camaros too, but I saw this Hemi Cuda and the Camaros went out the window:
And the boys, being carnuts as well, decided that Twizzlers make good roads:


And you have to get "tatoos":


Fall is my favorite time of year, but I'm always sad to say good-bye to Summer and car shows. One more local show, then the '68 will be in the garage and The Mr. will be going over it with a fine-tooth comb and getting it ready for next year.

Redneck

I remember hearing somewhere that everyone has a little redneck in them. Okay, actually I think it was Denise Richards on her reality show and she said something about everyone having a little white trash in them. I think that's what she said. Don't quote me.
I don't know about that, but I do know that I have a little bit of redneck in me, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I say a little bit because I have all my teeth and even though we do own a '68 Camaro, it aint up on blocks, thank you very much.
I grew up with a dad that hunted and shot blue rock and I thought nothing of it. I knew how to shoot a gun and had my own Red Ryder BB gun (think Ralphie) by the time I was eight.
I was driving tractors and pickup trucks pulling the pipe trailer to lay irrigation pipe before I could even reach the pedals. I would just sit on the edge of the seat and jump off and stand on the brake when Grandpa said "whoa".
I helped butcher and clean chickens. My job was to clean out the gizzards. Yeah, I don't much like eating them, but they sure were fun to clean out. You'd be amazed at what chickens eat.
I almost drowned in the pig lagoon when I was three. I vaguely remember it, but my mom and dad still tell the story, always saying it was a good thing Grandpa was nearby and heard my screaming or I'd be a goner.
I know the joys of driving out to the field on a sultry late summer afternoon to pick sweetcorn until the box on the back of the 4-wheeler was full then bringing it back home to shuck it.
Growing up, my playground was the pasture, the "crick" (we call creeks "cricks" around here), and the grain bins. My mom never worried about where my sister and I were because there were no strangers around and Dad and Grandpa were always nearby.
My Mr. grew up almost exactly the same as I did. Farm living. Nothing better.
We live in the "big city" now, and it makes me more than a little bit sad that our boys are growing up so differently than we did. They're city boys, born and bred. They will never know the joy of going fishing in your own pond for Bullheads, of jumping in the back of a grain truck loaded with corn or milo, or climbing a mountain of haybales.
Although The Mr. and I enjoy going to fancy-schmancy restaurants (when we have a sitter, that is), we still always have the most fun when we're with our "redneck" friends doing "redneck" things. You know: drinkin' beer, going bowling, parking in the country (oops, did I just say that? and we don't do that with friends either, just to clarify.)
Call it redneck, hick, white trash, hayseed. I just call it normal.

Happy Monday! FF

Hot Rods

We are a family of hot-rodders. We own a muscle car and we love taking it to car shows every summer. Our favorite one is the Goodguys Heartland Nationals in Des Moines. It's always held on or near Independence Day and this has become our new 4th of July tradition.



Here's a shot I took from the aerial tram looking down on one of the streets. It is street rods as far as you can see, it seems. We heard there were nearly 3500 cars attending this year! There's always cool stuff to see, like this. This was one of the picks for the Winners' Circle.
Check out this cool tricked-out bus. That's a surfboard on the top. That's one of my little dudes in the picture.
A custom-built truck. It even has a DVD player in the dash. Sweet!
Here's my other little dude. He thinks attending car shows is exhausting. That's what we're actually doing today. Attending a car show. This one isn't so far away, only about 45 minutes or so.

Peace. FF