Parrish 02-05-10

Friday, February 5, 2010
We try so hard to teach our children about responsibility. We tell them that once they have made a commitment to something, they must honor that commitment even when it is not convenient. We preach that they should be there for their team and work hard to achieve their goals and aspirations. That said we didn’t get on the road to Parrish until after Brianna’s gymnastics class ended at 7:00. Sometimes doing the right thing is terribly inconvenient.
Being the wonderful parents that they are, my mom and dad volunteered to pick Brie up from gymnastics. This allowed Mimi and I a little extra time to grab some dinner and complete any final preparations for the weekend’s camping expedition. Mimi had planned to go and get Brie, but the opportunity to save fuel and have a few extra moments to relax seemed like a nice option. When Brie arrived at 7:45, after having enjoyed a quick bite of McDonald’s, Mimi, Brie, and I promptly loaded into the truck and headed out for our 2 hour journey.
The ride was uneventful, as we only encountered a tiny amount of rain. Luckily we were able to see the poorly marked streets in the dark and made it to our destination with no problems. Apparently there had been a decent amount of rain early in the evening though because we were re-routed to an alternative entrance into the back portion of the parking area. The road that we utilized was extremely hard packed and easy to maneuver, the problem arose as I exited the road and made my way through the grass toward the campers. It was at that time that our road tires demonstrated exactly why they are meant for the road. Fortunately the ground was hard packed, but our tires just didn’t have enough tread to grip the slick grass and the muck that lay beneath. Five or six times we spun our tires losing the grip that was required to move the apparatus forward. After starting and stopping many times we finally managed to maneuver ourselves into our assigned spot in the compound. The next little while was spent setting up the camper: jacks down, awning out, carpet spread, generators attached, and everything locked down. The three of us girls had made it. Now it was time to settle in and head to bed. After a few moments of relaxation, we completed our nighttime routine and drifted off to sleep.
 
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Another wonderful morning of rest and relaxation! It was about 8:00 by the time Mimi, Brianna, and I were out of bed and getting ready to start our day. The forecast called for a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 68 degrees. I can say that the forecasters were partially correct as our morning certainly consisted of clouds; the sun however was nowhere to be seen. With no sun and a constant breeze of around 12 miles per hour it was proving to be very chilly. Nonetheless, we got ourselves up and going and ventured outside to see what we were missing.
It didn’t take Brianna long to jump right into the mix and begin playing with the other munchkins. Mimi and I were a bit slower getting into the racing routine. We moseyed out, set up our chairs, and took a few moments to sit and take in the racing atmosphere. It wasn’t long before we noticed Michael putting on his gear and double checking his quad. He was followed closely by Michael J. who was preparing for his practice as well. That was our cue to prepare to head to the track. Conveniently, we were parked near the pee wee track and the starting line so it was a short walk to check out what Mikey J. was up to. They decided to break the 30 minute practice time that the pee wees usually had into two separate 15 minutes practice sessions. This would allow the larger and faster quads an opportunity to let their bikes do what they are meant to do while also allowing the slower quads to practice without as many distractions. The pee wee quads had a great turn out and even with the separate practices each practice had around 12 quads.
As the first group took the track they immediately had a pile up. One of the turns through the palmettos had a young oak tree that was preventing the wider quads from passing through. After finding an ax and chopping down the tree, it was determined that the path was still too narrow for the quads and an alternative route was established. The remainder of practice went on without incident and the MTB munchkins seemed to enjoy themselves.
It was then back to the camper, but as always, the time passed rapidly and before we knew it we were headed back out to the pee-wee track for the munchkin racing. Mimi and I headed out to the back portion of the track where we had watched practice. It was an open track, so we were able to see the majority of it from our location. We were also able to get some entertainment from watching the children maneuver their quads through the many double-greens that were part of the track.
As we were preparing to head back to the campers we noticed that the Saturday morning bike races were just preparing to start. Since the pee wee track was located directly beside the starting line Mimi and I wandered over and took a few moments to watch the start. This turned out the be far less interesting than the Sunday races, but it was still nice to get to see a bit of racing that we usually miss out on.
After chatting with Jason and Katie for a bit, we made our way back to the camper to enjoy a bite of lunch and wait around for the quad race. With about two hours until the start, I figured we had time to waste. Yet after chatting and watching the munchkins enjoy the freedom that they seem to acquire on race weekends, I soon realized that Michael was beginning race preparations. That was our cue to end the playtime, take turns in the potty, gather our stuff, and head to the line.
Michael got off the line in 4th place, giving him a nice starting position heading into the first turn. After watching the remainder of the rows, we were off to find a prime location for viewing (and also for the kids to play). It didn’t take us long to spot an open area where we could watch the boys come by. Michael, Keith, and James all looked strong as they passed their cheering section. Of course James and Michael flew by us without as much as a glance in our direction. Keith on the other hand stopped by to say hello, grab a drink of water, and put a smile on the kids’ faces (perhaps the adults too).
For the most part, the race came to an end with few incidents. But, Michael had the best story to tell. It was the last mile of the last lap of the race. He was moving along just fine until out of nowhere a tree just jumped out in front of him (well, that is Michael’s version). Anyway, he managed to roll three times and land with the quad on top of him. As he laid their beneath the quad yelling for someone to get it off of him, he realized that the group of boys that had been laughing at the incident were the only ones around to come to his rescue. Obviously at that point he didn’t care who got it off of him as long as the quad was removed from on top of his body. The kids were able to help and Michael quickly hopped back on and was on his way…thankfully uninjured. A great story to tell and no trip to the hospital, those are the best!
As the sun was going down beyond the horizon the steady breeze was getting colder and the night air was beginning to settle in. We made our way back to the camper and began to prepare a simple dinner. We really just wanted to get some healthy food in our bellies so that we could walk next door and get some ice cream (yes, we parked next door to the ice cream man!). And that is exactly what we did. After our quick dinner the gang all walked over and enjoyed the ice cream man’s delicious treats. What a way to end an awesome day of racing!

 
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Trey finally arrived this morning at about 3:45. I, of course, was curled up so warm and cozy in my comfortable bed as he dragged himself in from the cold. He tried his best to carry on a conversation, as we hadn’t seen each other since Thursday, but this time of morning was not the best time to be friendly with me. When he realized that he was having a one-sided conversation he decided to give up and get ready for bed. It wasn’t long until we were both cozy in our comfortable bed and sound asleep…that is of course until the beautiful sound of our Angel’s voice yelling, “Can I get up now???” So, we all got up and got our day started.
Trey decided that he would skip practice this morning and take on the course like a GNCC. After a yummy breakfast sandwich, we all headed out to watch the start of the morning race and see if we could locate another viewing area for this afternoon’s race. Austin had shown up to spend the day as a spectator so he joined us as well. He should be back as a racer at Gatorback in two weeks, but he is playing it safe until he has signed his paperwork with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office – smart move, Austin. We wandered over past our viewing area from Saturday and headed out to find a creek crossing. It wasn’t long until we found one and it was pretty deep. After viewing a variety of methods for crossing the creek, much discussion occurred regarding the best manner in which to approach the crossing. Jason and Trey decided to take it slow and easy in an effort to stay dry – sounds like a logical plan.
We stuck around and watched for a while before heading back to the camper to make sure that things were in order for the afternoon race and to grab some lunch. Time flew by once again (I am discovering that is a common occurrence at the races) and it was time to prepare to go racing. It wasn’t long until Trey and I were on the line and the first row was rounding the first corner. This meant that Jason’s row was coming up soon. It was his first race in five years, so we were all eager to see how he would do. The horn sounded and his row was off the line. This meant it was getting close. Trey and I had decided to try a new process for his starts. We had done it in previous years and had practiced it last weekend on the property – and it worked great! It’s not like we were trying anything unusual, just the normal holding the kick starter back and starting the bike in gear. This is perfectly common. Yet, we found a way to screw it up. We aren’t exactly sure where we went wrong, but I got kicked in the arm and Trey missed the kick starter completely. We are going to have to try that again…perhaps with a longer tape?!
Fortunately his start was not worse than usual, so we hadn’t really lost anything in the process, but hopefully gained some knowledge. When the start had concluded, the gang all headed to a creek crossing where the munchkins could play in the dirt and I headed out to the crossing where we were this morning. As with the morning race, riders had many different theories as to the best way to make it across. Some just stayed on the gas and flew through, others slowed a bit and held their legs up on the radiator shrouds, while others stood or put their feet behind them on the seat. Then there were those who slowed to a snail’s pace and just crept across – this is what I was expecting from Jason and Trey. I finally saw Jason rounding the corner and heading for the crossing, but he wasn’t slowing down. What happened to the plan??? Not too long after that Trey came through, and yet again the plan was out the window. I knew the boys couldn’t sacrifice even a few seconds just for their comfort!
After I saw Trey make his third trip through the creek, I decided to head back and meet him at the camper. I am not sure that it was the best choice I have ever made, as I was greeted with rather unpleasant language and a rather grumpy face. Just one of those days, I suppose. After a few moments of venting and a nice warm shower he was back to his normal self. He then began to focus more on what he could learn from the track, as opposed to just being perturbed by his performance. That’s the attitude I like!
As another racing weekend was coming to an end, the children spent their time playing and getting dirty while the adults packed up and prepared to head home. It was then off to get our Sunday night dinner. Personally, I was hoping for a cozy barbeque place, but since we couldn’t locate that choice, Chili’s made a nice second option. It was a great dinner to complete another wonderful weekend of family, friends, and racing! I can’t wait until Gatorback!!!!