Hey all - did you see Sari on the 6 o'clock news last night. CTV sent a crew down here to talk about cougars, so they interviewed Sari (insert joke here.... ba dump bump)
Seriously though - a cougar with two "kittens" (whatever you call baby cougars) was spotted in our area (a couple of times). The school where Sari works is just two blocks from there so they had to make sure the kids all had rides home, got home safely etc. In the process of doing the story, the reporters heard about that so they came to interview the principal, but she was busy - the vice principal did not want to do it, so they sent Sari.
It was a good choice. She did a really good job! It was cool. People from all over the province have been writing saying "Hey we saw you on the news".
I said it is one of the only times that a Pippus has been on the news without handcuffs being involved! :)
Good job Sari!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Enduro 2010 (video number 1)
Here is just a taste of what it was like - I will post more later. Muddy track + 60 mph + turns = fun (or something like that)......
Monday, September 20, 2010
Enduro race 2010
Some pictures from my adventure yesterday. Video and more pics in the days to come....
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Race results
A quick update on my race today..... I completed about 71 laps of the 103 or so that the eventual winner got done before the 1 1/2 time limit. I was doing well until I t-boned a guy that got spun out by another guy.... that punched a hole in my radiator, but that was not the end of my race. In the end it was the transmission that quit - so my day was done a little early.
Once we got it home we assessed the damage.... Valerie is a little worse for wear - the steering is a little off due to the frame being bent some.... but at least I did not roll my car like the one guy who did and had to be taken to hospital on a stretcher.
I got hit so hard that the gear shift does not move any more (something is bent... stuck in drive mostly)..... I banged my left elbow, left knee (somehow) and my neck is sore from my head hitting the steering wheel when I t-boned that other guy. I was off the track a couple of times (over the top of the corner b/c I went in too fast and could not get it turned).... I only spun out once and that is when someone hit me from behind (almost every corner someone was spinning out so I felt good about the fact that I kept it going straight the whole day).... my visor was so covered with mud that I could barely see - the inside of the car is caked with mud.... it was bizarre!
You would be going through a corner at 40 or 50 mph between two cars - one high and one low - so you are trying hard not to slide into one of them.... wrenching the steering wheel back and forth to keep going straight - then, as you get on the straightaway you look up and there are three cars spinning out and blocking the road..... dodge them - almost lose control - someone hits you from behind - mud gets shot off the tire of the guy in front of you and hits you in the head covering your visor so you can see even less - then you are in the next corner with a guy on your left and right - bounce through the corner - etc, etc.....
So - would I do it again? Maybe. If my brother so some one else I know puts a car in - maybe (I think I can resurrect Valerie). On the the other hand, it was a lot of work (like 40+ hours getting ready) for an hour of fun (and a wrecked car in my garage now). So we will see. Definitely not tomorrow though.
So all in all - living my dream was fun! My car was as fast as anyone at times (once the track was dry) and best of all I had a lot of help and a lot of family and friends hanging around. A bunch of people from church came to watch. A bunch of people from the speedway gave me things, hauled the car out there, made exceptions so that I could show up late (I had to be in church until just a 1/2 hour before the race started - they wanted us out there 2 hours ahead of time at least)..... nice to have so many family members helping out..... it was just great! Thanks to anyone who helped in any way to make this happened. An experience that I am glad I had - a dream come true. Pictures and video to follow later in the week.
Once we got it home we assessed the damage.... Valerie is a little worse for wear - the steering is a little off due to the frame being bent some.... but at least I did not roll my car like the one guy who did and had to be taken to hospital on a stretcher.
I got hit so hard that the gear shift does not move any more (something is bent... stuck in drive mostly)..... I banged my left elbow, left knee (somehow) and my neck is sore from my head hitting the steering wheel when I t-boned that other guy. I was off the track a couple of times (over the top of the corner b/c I went in too fast and could not get it turned).... I only spun out once and that is when someone hit me from behind (almost every corner someone was spinning out so I felt good about the fact that I kept it going straight the whole day).... my visor was so covered with mud that I could barely see - the inside of the car is caked with mud.... it was bizarre!
You would be going through a corner at 40 or 50 mph between two cars - one high and one low - so you are trying hard not to slide into one of them.... wrenching the steering wheel back and forth to keep going straight - then, as you get on the straightaway you look up and there are three cars spinning out and blocking the road..... dodge them - almost lose control - someone hits you from behind - mud gets shot off the tire of the guy in front of you and hits you in the head covering your visor so you can see even less - then you are in the next corner with a guy on your left and right - bounce through the corner - etc, etc.....
So - would I do it again? Maybe. If my brother so some one else I know puts a car in - maybe (I think I can resurrect Valerie). On the the other hand, it was a lot of work (like 40+ hours getting ready) for an hour of fun (and a wrecked car in my garage now). So we will see. Definitely not tomorrow though.
So all in all - living my dream was fun! My car was as fast as anyone at times (once the track was dry) and best of all I had a lot of help and a lot of family and friends hanging around. A bunch of people from church came to watch. A bunch of people from the speedway gave me things, hauled the car out there, made exceptions so that I could show up late (I had to be in church until just a 1/2 hour before the race started - they wanted us out there 2 hours ahead of time at least)..... nice to have so many family members helping out..... it was just great! Thanks to anyone who helped in any way to make this happened. An experience that I am glad I had - a dream come true. Pictures and video to follow later in the week.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Freezing at the football game and other things
At noon yesterday my buddy Matt called and asked if I wanted to go to the Rider game with him (he had free tickets from the radio station), so I went. What a good game.... made even better b/c we were in the old "University section" (for those who don't know - section 28 used to be cheap tickets for university kids - but they got too rowdy in there - drinking, swearing, drugs, etc - so they split it up). Well, the official title is gone, but it is still the "Uni section" (That sounds like a medical procedure doesn't it?)
I have been to three other game this year and have sat in sections where the fan cheering ranged from some yelling to simply polite "golf clapping". There was no golf clapping in the Uni section..... they were cheering and high-fiving when the Jumbo-tron first lit up..... they cheered for TSN reporter Sara Orleski..... they about killed one another jumping for those sponge footballs that they shoot into the crowd... not to mention when the security guards started throwing bags of Old Dutch chips into the crowd (I have never seen that done in any other section - maybe they feed them in hopes that it will soak up some of the alcohol that is in the before they drive home... I am not sure - but we had a feast..... "Duuuuuuddddeeeee.... have some chips, man!!!!!") :)
We never even got close to our seats. When we got to our row there were 23 people standing in an area of 10 seats.... not sure where they should have been but they all were there.... we could see our seats but never got there... we just crowded in with the rest of them. That ended up being good though b/c it was "0" degrees last night (seriously - with a wind that made it like -10), so needless to say the body heat sharing that was going on was welcome. We did not sit down for 3 1/2 hours..... first, we had no seats (as noted above), secondly everyone else was standing and there would be no hope of seeing and thirdly the seats that were behind us were filled with girls standing on them (One of whom kept grabbing my head and shoulders and shaking me every time something good happened.... she apologized profusely for it each time but.........).
Every time something good happened you had to high five everyone within 2 sections and 20 rows of you...... there was a guy in a "Gumby" suit in front of me (don't ask) who snuck a bottle of whiskey in..... it was crazy! People coming and going all through the section all game long (It was like being in a kennel with a bunch a puppies..... jumping and crawling all over each other).... it was bizarre!
I am not endorsing all that went on in there, but in a game that went back and forth (and where everyone was "cheering" at Henry Burris), it was a fun place to be.
Good thing I am still 23 years old.... I would have been out of place otherwise! :)
In other news, we are doing the last few things on "Valerie" today (a little more painting, filling gas tanks, etc). My mom, step dad and brother are coming down today for the race tomorrow. I will post "before" and "after" pictures of the car and give an update when I can.....
I have been to three other game this year and have sat in sections where the fan cheering ranged from some yelling to simply polite "golf clapping". There was no golf clapping in the Uni section..... they were cheering and high-fiving when the Jumbo-tron first lit up..... they cheered for TSN reporter Sara Orleski..... they about killed one another jumping for those sponge footballs that they shoot into the crowd... not to mention when the security guards started throwing bags of Old Dutch chips into the crowd (I have never seen that done in any other section - maybe they feed them in hopes that it will soak up some of the alcohol that is in the before they drive home... I am not sure - but we had a feast..... "Duuuuuuddddeeeee.... have some chips, man!!!!!") :)
We never even got close to our seats. When we got to our row there were 23 people standing in an area of 10 seats.... not sure where they should have been but they all were there.... we could see our seats but never got there... we just crowded in with the rest of them. That ended up being good though b/c it was "0" degrees last night (seriously - with a wind that made it like -10), so needless to say the body heat sharing that was going on was welcome. We did not sit down for 3 1/2 hours..... first, we had no seats (as noted above), secondly everyone else was standing and there would be no hope of seeing and thirdly the seats that were behind us were filled with girls standing on them (One of whom kept grabbing my head and shoulders and shaking me every time something good happened.... she apologized profusely for it each time but.........).
Every time something good happened you had to high five everyone within 2 sections and 20 rows of you...... there was a guy in a "Gumby" suit in front of me (don't ask) who snuck a bottle of whiskey in..... it was crazy! People coming and going all through the section all game long (It was like being in a kennel with a bunch a puppies..... jumping and crawling all over each other).... it was bizarre!
I am not endorsing all that went on in there, but in a game that went back and forth (and where everyone was "cheering" at Henry Burris), it was a fun place to be.
Good thing I am still 23 years old.... I would have been out of place otherwise! :)
In other news, we are doing the last few things on "Valerie" today (a little more painting, filling gas tanks, etc). My mom, step dad and brother are coming down today for the race tomorrow. I will post "before" and "after" pictures of the car and give an update when I can.....
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Valerie's Transformation
So Valerie (my Enduro car) continues to improve in many ways. For example....
- She does not have mice in her any more (that is always nice)
- Her gas tank is not all clogged up with disintegrating foam any more
- The gas lines are all cleaned out
- The carburetor is on
- Best of all, she runs (I even took her for a little test spin)
- And now the paint job has begun (thanks to the help of Sari, the girls, Joel and Shane)
More pics to come as we put the second coat on her, put lettering on etc.
Old decals off
- She does not have mice in her any more (that is always nice)
- Her gas tank is not all clogged up with disintegrating foam any more
- The gas lines are all cleaned out
- The carburetor is on
- Best of all, she runs (I even took her for a little test spin)
- And now the paint job has begun (thanks to the help of Sari, the girls, Joel and Shane)
More pics to come as we put the second coat on her, put lettering on etc.
Shady and me cleaning out the fuel tank on Tuesday night
Old decals off
Family stuff
So everyone is doing well.... not too much to report. School is going well for all - everyone is starting to get settled into a routine, etc. We had a really nice day in Minot on Labour Day Monday. The girls shopped and I wandered around with them - but it was nice anyway! :)
Just a short note to say "Things are good!"
Just a short note to say "Things are good!"
Friday, September 03, 2010
Every Dream Starts Somewhere...
These are definitely the "Before" pictures... (well - they are the "before" pictures for MY project - they are obviously the "after" pictures of a couple of really rough previous races).... I think her name is "Valerie"..... (she seems like a Valerie to me.... but I will get back to you on that)
Now I know that she may not look like much, but she has everything you want in a good Enduro car (An Eduro race is just what it sounds like - an "Endurance race"... 150 laps or an hour and a half whichever comes first. Bumping and running into others is not just something that happens - it is encouraged)
1. She was cheap (Actually free - a lady that I know from the race track just gave it to me - can you imagine???)
2. She is a big heavy boat (Something very desirable in an Enduro car because they wet the track down a lot to keep speeds down - so you need a good "mudder")
3. She has really good tires - almost new - and two brand new ones to come.
4. A rebuilt carb
5. The rear end is welded so you have both back wheels pushing equally (posi-traction)
6. Did I mention it was free?????
I just hauled her out of patch of weeds about six miles out of town today (thanks Dennis for your help).... so the project begins. Step 1: Get it to run. Step 2: Pound out some of the dents. Step three: Cool paint job (any suggestions?). Step 4: Kick butt in the race (actually my big goal is just to be able to drive it back onto the trailer at the end of the race).
Progress reports and pictures to follow in coming days.
Now I know that she may not look like much, but she has everything you want in a good Enduro car (An Eduro race is just what it sounds like - an "Endurance race"... 150 laps or an hour and a half whichever comes first. Bumping and running into others is not just something that happens - it is encouraged)1. She was cheap (Actually free - a lady that I know from the race track just gave it to me - can you imagine???)
2. She is a big heavy boat (Something very desirable in an Enduro car because they wet the track down a lot to keep speeds down - so you need a good "mudder")
3. She has really good tires - almost new - and two brand new ones to come.
4. A rebuilt carb
5. The rear end is welded so you have both back wheels pushing equally (posi-traction)
6. Did I mention it was free?????
I just hauled her out of patch of weeds about six miles out of town today (thanks Dennis for your help).... so the project begins. Step 1: Get it to run. Step 2: Pound out some of the dents. Step three: Cool paint job (any suggestions?). Step 4: Kick butt in the race (actually my big goal is just to be able to drive it back onto the trailer at the end of the race).
Progress reports and pictures to follow in coming days.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
First day of school
So there was a lot of.....
"I don't want to go to school!!!!!" and....
"I don't like the kids!!!!" and.....
"The teachers are mean!!!!"
And that was just from Sara! ;)
We now have a kid in the "Junior High" portion of her schooling and one done her first day of High School. Hard to believe, hey?
But everyone had a great day (even Sari).... once they got there. :)
Off and running for another year!
"I don't want to go to school!!!!!" and....
"I don't like the kids!!!!" and.....
"The teachers are mean!!!!"
And that was just from Sara! ;)
We now have a kid in the "Junior High" portion of her schooling and one done her first day of High School. Hard to believe, hey?
But everyone had a great day (even Sari).... once they got there. :)
Off and running for another year!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Rider game
One of the things that the girls wanted to do this summer was to go to a Rider game - so I bought these tickets 4 minutes after they went on sale - they were the "best available". Nice, huh? Actually, being up high was fun (see the plays developing, see the city, see the rain clouds go past - thankfully) and the Riders won. Good times!
Gift or Not ????
I am taking a vote..... a very nice lady at the race track offered to give me her Enduro car (think a demolition derby on a stock car track). It comes complete with roll bars.... an extra rad in the back window..... extra tires...... a rebuilt carb (though I have to put it on myself)....... the race is in a month.
Three questions.....
1. Do you think I can get it running and ready in time?
2. What would it look like painted orange and black?
3. Would you be as excited about this as I am???? I have hardly talked about anything all week. My own race car!!!!!! Have a look! :)
Maybe a 4th question.... anyone want to sponsor my car????? Time, money and TLC will be required.
Stay tuned for more updates! My racing career is taking off!!!!! :)
Three questions.....
1. Do you think I can get it running and ready in time?
2. What would it look like painted orange and black?
3. Would you be as excited about this as I am???? I have hardly talked about anything all week. My own race car!!!!!! Have a look! :)
Maybe a 4th question.... anyone want to sponsor my car????? Time, money and TLC will be required. Stay tuned for more updates! My racing career is taking off!!!!! :)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Faster Pastor 2010
The 2010 version of "Faster Pastor" (a race featuring preachers from the area) took place on Aug. 10th at Estevan Motor Speedway. In past years, they have put us in various classes of race cars, but this year they went a different route. This time they got a bunch of old junkers from an auto wrecker and told us "Have at 'er! Bang them up. Run into one another. We don't care!" As you will see on the video, some of the guys took that more seriously than others.
The video is of me winning the feature race (and - therefore - the trophy). I am in the red car. As the video begins, I am in second place. The third place guy has just run into the back end of my car (hard enough to slide the car sideways and to cut his tire so that he could not continue). The video goes on to show me catching the first place guy and passing him for the win.
This may not mean anything to most of you, but I have wanted to win a real trophy in a real race at a real speedway since I was a little kid. This was my third try (I was in the middle of the pack after the first "Faster Pastor" - I came in first last year but did not get a trophy - so this year was the topper). Have a look!
The video is of me winning the feature race (and - therefore - the trophy). I am in the red car. As the video begins, I am in second place. The third place guy has just run into the back end of my car (hard enough to slide the car sideways and to cut his tire so that he could not continue). The video goes on to show me catching the first place guy and passing him for the win.
This may not mean anything to most of you, but I have wanted to win a real trophy in a real race at a real speedway since I was a little kid. This was my third try (I was in the middle of the pack after the first "Faster Pastor" - I came in first last year but did not get a trophy - so this year was the topper). Have a look!
Summer holidays continued
So as summer rolled on, we found ourselves at Lenny (aka my brother Kurt) and Tracy's cabin. We went tubing, had fires, played golf, went canoeing, played on the trampoline, swam in the pool, I learned to water ski, and we got to visit with my family. It was a really good time. Here are some of the pictures.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Reunion, Dauphin, Clear lake, Family, etc week
The Homestead
The Family
Clear Lake
Reunion (Amy and Joel on the right)
At the beach
The Girlies
In Riding Mountain Park
Big Reunion Picture
Our Clear Lake transportation
Ice Cream at the Lake
Josh and Jeanine's Boy Jonah wearing his Rider gear (being raised well - even in the USA)
Jonah wanted to try my motorcycle gear one day
Sari and her mom
Clear Lake Sunset
Sari and me at Clear Lake
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