Slinging dirt successfully

This is all about Andrew and racing and a tiny bit of running and working out.  Three lifts, upper body, lower body, and all things pull and two runs.  This summer is about to get super busy, and I am going to be content getting what I get when I get it.   

First of all, my baby turned 14 on Friday.  We took the day to go to KC and spend time with one of his good friends for his day.  We took in a place called the Main Event (think Dave and Busters), Bass Pro Shop, and a little brewery for drinks and pizza.  We accidently stumbled onto a huge world cup party and had so much fun cheering on team USA!

We had our second ever dirt race this weekend and it was so much fun!  At first, we had storms pop up and didn't think we would get to race period.  We hung out in the parking lot for a little bit before going in, just in case.  We got lucky and the storms all went around us for once.  

Yes, it was cold enough to wear sweats.  Yes, by the end of the night we all had blankets.  Our goals this weekend were to finish a race and to keep his foot in the gas and not lift in the corners.  He drew P2 next to another rookie.  We told him to just GO when he passed the gas up line as she wouldn't and we were right.  Unfortunately, he panicked even though he was leading and let off causing him to spin three times which meant he was out.  The previous car owner came over and worked on his car and gave him a pep talk along with several of the Jay husker members.  Jay husker is the series we are doing this year and most of the people don't know us at all.  Anyway, their words of encouragement worked as he finished his FIRST feature race and got all 20 laps done.  We had hoped he could stay on the lead lap, and he did get lapped BUT he stayed in the gas in the corners and never spun and every lap he pushed his car a little bit more.  In true ginger racer style, this is going to take a little bit for him to get used to dirt, but the race craft and sense are there, just got to give him the amount of time he needs to bring it out.  It was so special, we had parked on the back of the pit side stands and the entire stands emptied out, and they were all standing in our pits giving him a standing ovation.  He literally smiled the rest of the night.  I seriously can't thank them all enough for their encouragement, their little talks, their fist bumps and high fives, and their support.  It meant so much to him.  Also, the professional photographer was there so I paid him (gulp) to get some shots and videos.  I seriously love all of them.

I can't love these enough.  We have been so blessed to have amazing photographers over the years of Andrew racing.  Check out Andrew's Facebook page Andrew Coleman Racing for more!

Have a great week y'all!  We hope to race and we hope mother nature will let up on the weekend rain but it's not looking good at this time.  We are back at the same track, and Andrew is ready to push a little more.  

I just suck....but there may be a reason

 It occurred to me the other day that part of my loss of passion for both writing and running and a lot of things lately could be due to the SRI that I am taking for my anxiety.  It's not a bad thing as it has helped me immensely to sleep, to function at work, and to just function in life.  It for sure hasn't lessened my love for either of those things but I think that "need" that I use to feel is deadened.  I feel like that is why writing has become a chore and not something I want to do as badly.  I'm still doing vlogs on my FB page for Running with Reds but it's not the same.  Since I am two weeks behind here are some pictures from the last two weeks.  We've gotten rained out for two race weekends, so we filled it with music and concerts and friends.  

First of all, Happy Birthday Tony!  It's that magical time he and I are the same age for a few months.  He picked out the cake, and it was a very delicious ice cream cake.  Sorry I only had one candle!  

We took a trip down to Aggieville now that the students have all gone home for the summer.  We had dinner at So Long Saloon and had some famous raspberry bean dip.  They now have corrals outside that you can stay in and have a drink while you wait, and we had a couple of their famous Nancy beers while waiting.  If you've ever been, the place is tiny and eclectic, and we love going but not so much the wait.  

Three runs and two lifts the first week, one run and 3 lifts the second week.  The summer heat and humidity have finally hit and it's time to focus on strength for me.   Pray for Ollie.  She would run herself into the ground in the heat if we let her.  She would like to be running now and if I had an all-shaded trail or something with lots of water like out at Clinton, we could probably still run, but we don't have that.  

Also trying to spend more time out with Boom Boom.  Tony takes him to work a few times a week, and I am trying to take him on walks and hikes when it isn't one million degrees.  Mount Mitchell is perfect for shorter hikes but it's full sun, no shade which isn't ideal.  

The library mural is done and I just love it!  

Another weekend and more concerts.  Synth band at Switch Wicked and a country/rock band at Aggieville Brewing.  Why does my kid look like a grown man lately?

I'll end on this.  Work has been a little crazy lately.  I've been back from QC into my original RD lab and things have been a little rocky.  When I can share more, I will but know for now that I hope what is best will happen for all involved.  

Have a great week y'all!

Promotion!

More lasts this week.  Last week of middle school and on to high school. 

Hopefully not the last semester of all As.

Since he is not in honors classes, he doesn't have a 4.0 but I'll take it.  He just got all of his test scores back from the standardized testing and he is above the school and state average in all subjects   I will take it!  He doesn't need to be a copy of little ole me.  It's going to be so exciting seeing where he decides to go in high school and beyond.   He has signed up for band, choir, and art classes as his electives, and we are going to probably sit out all sports this next year.  I've said it before and I will say it again, I am sad to see him give up on some things that he could be good at eventually as his body matures but also, I am very happy that he is finding his own way and figuring out the things he loves and wants to do. I will throw my full support behind whatever he chooses because I want him happy and thinking about what career might make him happy for the rest of his life.  He has also become a very big advocate for himself in classes and in life and I love that.  

We had to move promotion due to predicted really bad weather.  We were VERY lucky in that we only got 80 mph winds and lots of trees and limbs down versus tornados.  I will take some clean up any day over devastation.  Our boss was very proactive in letting us off early so we could get home and get settled before everything hit and I am so thankful for that.  

I had a great time just spending the week with my mommy.  I am so screwed up on what week I am even talking about now since I am so behind at this point.  Her and my MIL came up from Tennessee to see Andrew's band concert, to see him race, and to see him get promoted.  Mom even got to listen in on one of his bass lessons.  I took a day off to spend with the moms, and they got to have fun spending their Mother's Day present at the local nursery.  I would love for my mom to live her and never leave but I am not sure when or if that will ever happen.  Why God chose to plant me in Kansas, I will never know but here we are and here we will stay.

We also had a race on the weekend that we could have attended a few hours away but decided not to.  Instead, we took in a live bluegrass band and just enjoyed each other.  After the whole Kyle Busch death, we've pulled a little tighter and are loving each other a little more.  You never know when it will be your last day.  

I did do some running and some lifting.  Even got a lift in right before the storm with my momma watching and cheering me on to go faster.  

To end here are some pictures from Andrew's ceremony.  I loved it!

Have a great week y'all!

Two weeks in one because I'm lazy

Three runs and two workouts both weeks.  Looks like run plus legs is my new future.  The next few weeks are going to be jam packed with concerts, promotions, and lasts for middle school.  Stay tuned. Plus, the temperatures will only be rising, I am sure.  

Morning running here I come?  Bleh.

The biggest story of the week was we raced!  I wrote a book on the book of faces about it but let me tell you, it was emotional.  Andrew has big emotions, always has, always will, and he's not afraid to show them to you.  Before the hot laps he was all tears and shaking again, just like last weekend.  This is all new and change is hard for him so we tried to just support him the best we could.  We know he can do it; he has the skill set to do well in this sport for sure, but he has to believe in himself, something we have struggled with for years.  As the night went on, he got more and more brave and comfortable, but he spun out in his heat race and didn't get to finish the laps and spun out twice in the Feature and didn't get to finish that race either.  I'm still calling it a win because he had seat time, he ended on a good note, and he won some money that gave him incentive to do better next time.  Since I am two weeks behind, here are some pictures.

It truly ended on a good note.  Charlie got third in junior sprints and Madden won restricted.  Can't wait for the next one at a new track Jefferson Speedway in Fairbury Nebraska.

The rest of the two weeks were filled with lasts.  Lasts choir concert, last solo and ensemble competition for middle school, and last teacher appreciation for our favorite teacher who does it all.  Can we just transport her to high school????  We also got a live band in at Aggieville brewing who needs a bass player (hmmmmm).  They play more 80s hair bands which he knows, but he's more of a 90s kid musically.  

Okay I know I need to be better about writing and posting but I've just been very unmotivated lately to write.  I have really enjoyed doing live videos even though no one watches LOL.  Have a great week y'all!