I want to report on a couple of things in the column this time. One of them makes me feel really good about people and the other makes me feel rather bad about people. I guess it depends on where I find those people and what they are made of.

The thing that makes me feel really good about people is the unbelievable response to my plea to help a fellow drag racer. In my last column I told of Kathy Fisher’s minor need of a few dollars so she could attend the last event on the IHRA schedule in Rockingham, N.C. As I reported, she needed just $1000.00 to be able to meet the budget to attend. While she and I were talking, it occurred to me that if only 20 of her friends would donate $50 each, she would have enough to make the last race.

Feel Good, Feel Bad and Bucketlist

I want to report on a couple of things in the column this time. One of them makes me feel really good about people and the other makes me feel rather bad about people. I guess it depends on where I find those people and what they are made of.

The thing that makes me feel really good about people is the unbelievable response to my plea to help a fellow drag racer. In my last column I told of Kathy Fisher’s minor need of a few dollars so she could attend the last event on the IHRA schedule in Rockingham, N.C. As I reported, she needed just $1000.00 to be able to meet the budget to attend. While she and I were talking, it occurred to me that if only 20 of her friends would donate $50 each, she would have enough to make the last race.

I wrote in the column about her need and asked for the donations. I am stunned … STUNNED … I tell you … (to steal Bob Frey’s line) ... with the response to that column. Within about 5 minutes of posting the story, I had the first call offering a donation and the offer to print some “Kathy’s Friend” tee shirts to be worn in Rockingham as Kathy runs.

 

 

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Steve Hall of Stateline Designs just informed me that 50 shirts have been printed and are being shipped to me to give to the donors in Rockingham. In addition to the donation by Steve Hall, I have received donation from all around the drag racing community. As much as half of the donations have come from people who do not even know Kathy. They commented, “A drag racer needs help” and made donation from the mentioned $50.00 up to $500.00. The total as of this report is an unbelievable $3100.00. Kathy told me that she was going to give the surplus to charity but when some of the donors heard of that, they told me to tell her, “That is racing money … use it to go racing.” She is, however, going to host a party in her pits in Rockingham for all those who have helped her to make the last race of the year to celebrate their generosity. Also, Kathy is putting the name of every person who contributed on the car in Rockingham. Laurie Cannister is taking care of the name stickers and putting them on the car. Amazing.

I want to also say thank you to all those who have made this a very “FEEL GOOD” project that I just happened to be part.   Thank you very much!

As good as the Kathy’s Friend project makes me feel, the current fuel price and shortage scam makes me feel terribly bad. It seems to me that the oil companies will use any excuse to raise prices and gouge the American public to satisfy their own personal greed.

Two weeks before the hurricanes began to affect the Gulf coast; the oil companies were already claiming damage and started raising prices. Now that is just pure greed! Once the storms had passed and NO significant damage was incurred by the oil companies…. did they reduce the prices?  Absolutely not ... they carried the “disaster” as far as they could.  The real damage was to people’s homes and they were the one who needed help. But the oil companies, instead of helping people in need, chose instead to try to extract as much money from those people in need as they could grasp. Shameful!

Instead of responding like drag racers did to help a comrade in need, the oil companies and those in charge chose to steal from those in need. I am personally embarrassed at those actions and would like to see them do the honorable actions and apologize, fire those in charge and give back to the American public what has been stolen.

That is my Geezer rant for now.

Speaking of Geezer things: I want to start a bucket list of things I intend to complete before it is all over. Not that I plan to kick the bucket anytime soon.

1.    Take my doggie with me on my travels and let him mark at least one tree in every state. I am about half way to that goal now. His favorite thing when he goes to the track is to march through the parking and pit area to mark as many trash cans as possible. The embarrassing thing is when he runs out of marking fluid and I have to help him mark the remaining cans.
2.    Visit Seattle’s racetrack. I have been to all the IHRA and NHRA national event tracks except Seattle. I have been told that I haven’t missed anything special, but I want to go there to see for myself. It seems I am always scheduled to be in Canada when the NHRA visits Seattle. I never get a memo about the schedule when they make it out. Why is that?
3.    Make a pass down the track in a real race car. Maybe on a TF Harley.
4.    Get that motorhome to help me go to more races. (I’m working on it)
5.     Attend an event every week of the year. I have been at a track somewhere at all but about 6 weeks in 2007 and will come close to that in 2008.
6.     Remember my wife’s name.  I saw her last month and it almost came to me.
7.     
8.   

I am going to complete the bucket list as I find things that are just as important

See you at the track.

Luckiest geezer alive

 

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