January Goal Check

I'm blasting through my goals for 2024!

It helps when you have goals to get outside more and read more

to have spent three weeks travelling, mostly to warm destinations.

(Or supposedly warm, but weren't--I'm thinking of you, Kauai!)

January:

5 hikes (shooting for 24 in 2024)

13 books (goal of 75 for the year)

78 hours outside (trying for 500 annually)

The stream was really flowing on Mt. Olympus this morning.

I was tired and slow, but arriving at the sound of flowing water was rejuvenating.

Also, two guys hiked past me with SKIS on their backs! 

They were going to try to ski down the backside. I didn't even know that was possible.

They said that much water which indicated lots of melting snow didn't bode well for them.

This just literally cracked me up for a full minute.

 

Laughing with Friends

Temple morning with friends.

Jenn and KT were giggling at one point and I had to work really hard not to

get caught in the contagion.

Fortunately, with having a sister and spending every Sunday in church, I've had a lot of practice

not laughing even when you're dying to get caught up in it.

That being said, I've also spent many boring Sabbath Meetings covering up laughter (as a child).

Here's the worst offender that'll make you laugh out loud in church:

Open the hymn book, read the title (in your head) and then add "on the toilet."

We were children.

Jenn, just crawling into the front seat from the back.

And giving praise for her two new hips that allow such flexibility.

Dan's been making dinner all week so I can work on my book in any free time.

I didn't get home until 3:30, but was able to work right up until 7:00 when dinner was ready.

Thanks, Dan!

Watching the Sun Come Up

We got home yesterday afternoon and laid on the couch because we were so dang tired.

Chris came home and that got us up, catching up with him.

We took an afternoon walk then turned on the football game at halftime,

so excited that Detroit was going to win, then watched that dream wither away.

(tbh, I didn't care who won our lost before the game started, but Dan and Chris' 

enthusiasm rubbed off on me.)

Today I'm enjoying my home routine--

sitting outside doing puzzles and Instagram while the sun comes up.

I am SHOCKED I got this one!

LEGGY? Seriously?

Goal of the week is to finish all revisions. Can I do it?

Kershaw is also happy to be home. He's been at the trainers for three weeks

and she has given him strict instructions not to jump up on people

and come when his name is called!

Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona

This morning we exercised, did our work on the patio,

laid out for an hour, worked some more back in the condo,

took a nap, then went to the Speedway at 5:00 p.m.

It's fascinating that cars drive along the beach like its a road.

We should have done it ourselves, just to say we did.

I'm sorry we didn't think of it!

This is becoming a familiar sight.

We sat in the bleachers watching the dusk turn to night.

Then got hamburgers from a food truck and ate them in our car so we could talk.

The cars on the track are so loud you have to be wearing earplugs at all times!

We drove to different viewing spots in the golf cart Dan had rented for the weekend.

They've learned its imperative at their races for getting around. 

Especially for enduro races where after their stint, they need to get back to the motorhome/trailer to relax or sleep for a bit before their next stint.

Also, we have IMSA "crew" credentials so we can go to places that other fans can't.

And having the golf cart makes it so fast and easy to go anywhere we want!

The infield is packed with motorhomes. In fact, a few of Nick's teammates families hoped to bring their motorhome and apparently spaces were sold out over a year in advance!

All the car parking lots are full of people tailgating or with pitched tents.

Everyone's strung lights and set up camp chairs outside their RV's with TV's going so they can watch the race when they're not viewing it live at the track. 50 yards away.

Everyone's got bbq's or firepits if they're not eating at the food trucks. 

Some even have loud music competing with the noice of the cars.

It's a verrry festive scene!

There's even a carnival set up infield with a Ferris Wheel, a couple turny rides, and games.

We stayed until the fireworks at 10:00 and then went home.

I can't believe I've turned into a race car fan! 

But I am! Heading to Sebring in March!

He's in the Money!

He's officially a pro driver because he came in 9th place,

which means, he got paid!

Today's race was very exciting as Nick battled to get in the first pack.

The top 15 cars were pretty close together for a while, but in the words of his coach,

the pack Nick was in wasn't working well together.

The draft is so important in this series--especially at Daytona.

The draft works to everyone's advantage when they stick together.

You have to be strategic, though, because of course you're trying to pass people too.

It's easiest to pass the car in front, because you're being propelled by that draft,

and even better if two cars pass at the same time.

The front pack was battling it out and the second pack, where Nick was driving was super close behind them, but one driver was looking out for himself rather than working with the other cars and kept trying to get past everyone, breaking up the draft and making the second pack fall behind.

(Okay, I may not have explained this exactly correctly because I'm still trying to learn how it works,

but this is how I understand it. Also, I met that guy and my mom spidey-senses were on alert.

So when they said it was his car, I wasn't a bit surprised.)

This was a morning race, and all the volunteers were arriving for the big Rolex 24-hour event

the next day so we couldn't sneak into the box where we watched yesterday.

So we watched from the stands and kind of liked being outside and hearing the action

(muffled by headphones. I was listening to Tom Lake, narrated by Meryl Streep and it is AmAzing.)

Another rookie on Nick's team, Nathan, was having a race of a lifetime right up with the leaders,

but unfortunately one car bumped another and spun out. Nathan tried to avoid the spinning car and spun out himself and they both went flailing around the track right in front of us.

That put two of the leaders out of the race

(we weren't secretly glad or anything because we're cheering for everyone to have a clean race),

and created a full-course yellow which means the safety car comes out, everyone follows, no passing,

and you can get bunch back up again.

The race started again, but close to the end two cars hit each other taking out two leaders,

and another started smoking. Suddenly Nick was in 11th place.

As he came around the last corner, his spotter (coach) gave him the signal, 

and he pulled out in front of the car in front of him to pass.

He was crossing his fingers the girl right behind him would pull out too.

She did, which gave him extra momentum (literally), so he could get past the other car 

just as they crossed the finish line.

He took 10th and she took 11th. 

I wasn't sure how the rest of his team and one of the dads whose son got out would respond 

since his kid got out because someone hit him and missed out on winning.

Like would they qualify his 10th place finish with a, 
"well, it isn't really 10th because the best five crashed."

But no! They were so excited! Crashing is an unfortunate part of racing and "part of the game."

That dad grabbed Nick and was so excited!

He's the first one to say, "You're not an amateur anymore! You just got paid!"

It was really fun to see everyone so generous with their praise.

Nick ended up in 9th, technically, because one of the guys that caused the crash got a 10 second penalty which put him right behind Nick. And probably behind the girl that pushed Nick in.

We'd planned to stay in Florida through Saturday night so we could watch some of the 24-hour.

Dan was very excited about how cool it would look to see the headlights racing around the track at night.

However, Nick wanted to get home to do homework (and maybe see a girl he likes...).

Dan was changing the flights for all of us last night until I told him,

to have fun at home. I was staying. It's warm and we have a view of the ocean.

And once again we remembered Nick is in college and we're empty nesters and can do what we want.

So Nick went home with his coach (who was planning to leave that afternoon anyway),

and we stayed.

I took an evening walk on the beach and even though I got a blister from walking in barefeet,

this is the ethereal view I was rewarded with.

Race Day

Nick and the guys went to the track around 9:00 and soon after, I went for a walk on the beach.

It was one of the nicest hours I've spent in my whole life.

Or at least in the top ten of the last two weeks.

The sand was packed down so you could walk as if you were on a sidewalk or path or mountain trail, without the frustration of digging and scooping along like you have to in soft sand.

People parked their cars right on the sand--tailgating, but for a beach day.

The real estate in this stretch of Daytona isn't nice. Much is run down, vacant or abandoned.

But the people are friendly, the endless beach clean and uncrowded,

not a cloud in the sky and the shallow waves skim along the sand for yards and yards.

I would have kept walking all day, finishing my podcast then listening to my book.

(Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett. Narrated by Meryl Streep.

It's the whole package--five stars!)

But I was eager to spend more time editing my first ten pages--I'm almost there and I've felt more creative in the last two days than I have for months. Perfect weather and sitting outside on the balcony listening to the ocean all day with zero distractions. It's heaven.

By 3:00, it was time to head to the track and watch Nick's first race!

Yesterday a woman asked me what number he was and I didn't know.

She was shocked that I couldn't tell her.

But now I know he's 88.

Look carefully at his window sticker.

In the words of Lizzie--or was it Courtney?--when the sign at the hotel directing us to Gram's party

said "Welcome: Ellen Schaeffer's Birthday Party"

"It wouldn't be a Shaeffer party if Shaeffer wasn't spelled wrong."

He didn't qualify well, so started out 25th out of 29 places.

But right away he overtook lots of cars and made it to 15th.

It was a battle for the first 15 minutes until he got hit and spun out.

Fortunately he was able to get back on the track, 

but when you lose the draft with other cars, you're toast.

It's next to impossible to catch up without it.

For the next 30 minutes he raced around the track in front of a handful of cars

but behind the two main packs.

Mazda is making a TV movie on some of the women racing the Mazda series,

and as it turns out, it was one of the girls that hit Nick.

The camera crew followed her after the race when she apologized to Nick

and he referenced the sun going down and not a car in sight to race with. 

"It was a pretty sunset." 😂

They've got another race tomorrow morning. 

He was able to put down a faster lap in today's race than in Wednesday's qualifying, 

so he's starting in 16th place tomorrow.

Good luck, 88.

 

Drafting and The Two Week Rule

Nick, Dan and Nick's coach, Chris S. (not our Chris S., a different Chris S.),

had to be to the track earrrllllly for meetings, pictures and race walk.

I could barely drag myself out of bed by 9:30. 

After exercising, I spent the afternoon working and I'm not sure there's 

a better place for open minded creativity than a private porch with a view

 and comfortable couches. I was very, very productive. 

(A heartfelt prayer may have helped too.)

I met the guys for dinner at Outback Steakhouse,

(oh man, that used to be our favorite splurge back when we were first married),

and then we went to a "mandatory" IMSA event for racers--autograph signing!

Nick's car wasn't here because they only brought one from each team,

but these are the Mazdas he's racing.

He had a great day. (No crashes in practice, phew. Another fervent prayer answered.)

(Fun fact, two people I met today--a man in the gym and my Uber driver 

both said, we'll be praying for your son! I love being in a place where its common and normal to 

tell a perfect stranger you'll be praying for them.)

Dan reported that after the first practice, 

"He felt like he was making a bunch of small mistakes."

I responded, "I expect the first time out he'll find areas he needs to improve.

That's what's going to keep it challenging and fun!"

One learning curve is figuring out how to draft.

Nick said by the second practice he already felt more confident.

Isn't that a good life lesson? 

The first time doing anything (or even the the first few times) 

is scary and hard and even frustrating.

But before long that difficult thing becomes more natural and comfortable

and pretty soon you look back and think,

"I can hardly remember when I used to not be able to do this."

Starting a new job you always feel like the new person and so unsure.

But within two weeks, you're comfortable, at ease and have the routine down, 

and suddenly it feels like you've been there a long time.

My mom taught us the two-week rule for missing someone.

Like a broken heart or moving away. 

It hurts for about two weeks, and then it gets easier.

Chris and Courtney both quote that to me all the time.

Chris used it in his mission a lot and shared it with others who were homesick.

When it seems like those challenging feelings will last forever, its helpful to know that they won't.

Two weeks isn't really that long, and in just two weeks, things will be looking up.

Spotted

As I headed out to the pool for my outside time,

I found lots of deer tracks,

...and dog prints. 

But Kershaw hasn't been home since we've had snow.

Do you know what makes tracks that looks like a dog?

Coyotes.

And tonight we arrived in Daytona.