Monday, August 18, 2008

Go Speedy Go!



The kids have been begging us all summer long to drive go-karts at a track nearby. We planned to go earlier in the summer, but the day we were going to go just didn't work out.


So we waited until August to go when it's nice and toasty outside.


Because nothing says I love you better than taking three kids to a hot asphalt go-kart track in South Texas when it's 100 degrees, in the shade!


That's what I thought.


As we were heading out the door, I noticed my husband was wearing closed toe shoes, which is odd for him considering he lives in flip flops when he's not working. I asked him about the shoes and he said, "Serious go-karting calls for serious footwear."


I replied with, "But I'm wearing flip flops."


His response? "I guess you'll be coming in 2nd place on the go-kart track."


Since when did go-karting become serious competition with place awards being given? Apparently when the boys in the family are involved and they are sitting behind any kind of steering wheel.


I went back and changed my shoes.
At the race track we took turns driving on the Family Track where the adult drives and a child (of almost any age or size) sits next to the adult and uses a pretend steering wheel.
My husband was prepared for 1st place, at any cost. Which child was in on it with him? Our daughter, of course. She is so much like her daddy. When she was asked how she wanted to drive, she replied, "Fast." Not so with the boys. The oldest is like me, cautious, analytical. (At the bowling alley the other day he, out of the blue, asked me if he should be concerned about getting foot fungus from the shoes. Poor kid, I can relate.) The boys did not want to go as fast as possible.
The first picture is of my husband and daughter. What's that you say? It looks blurry? That's because they were speeding past everyone on their quest for "1st Place". Let me mention just a couple of things that were taking place during that blurry picture.
1. They were passing a sweet but startled mother and her 18 month old child.
2. There were only 5 cars on the entire track that time, most were mothers with children under the age of 2
What can I say? He's my husband and I love him.
We managed to stay outside for about 30 minutes until everyone collectively melted down from the heat.
Then we went inside to the air-conditioned game room and spent a small fortune on video games. Take care, Julie
One more thing: The second picture is just a testament to proper go-karting foot apparel.




8 comments:

Suzie said...

I've never been sounds like serious fun. Serious though with serous shoes

D... said...

Ah, good times!

We went go-karting with the Bubba's Sis family once. Bubba's Sis is competitive, I'm cautious. So she took my daugther, who likes fast, with her. Collectively, they probably only weigh 150 lbs. Both are tiny. So, of course, they were able to fly past everyone. My daughter loved it!

I'm glad everyone was wearing proper racing footwear. I'd hate for any toes to be lost. ;)

Michal Ann said...

Thanks for your great post on "Bring the Rain." I really liked your comment about "being too soft on the enemy." I just wrote this yesterday, from I Peter 5..."And all of you must put on the apron of humility to serve one another for the Lord resists the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up in His own good time. Leave all your worries with Him for He cares about you. Be alert, be on watch for satan roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Stand firm in your faith and resist him for you know that your fellow believers in the whole world are going through the same kind of sufferings. After you have suffered for a little while the Lord will HIMSELF will lift you up, perfect you and give you firmness, strength and a sure foundation. To Him be all glory forever and ever. Amen."

That's I Peter 5:5-11 from memory, TLB...its pretty much correct due to my practice of going over and over it through the years. I have gleaned different things such as "How can I be alert and on watch for the (toothless) roaring lion unless I LEAVE my worries with God?" "My fellow believers in the whole world are going through the same kind of sufferings. The enemy is a liar when he says I am alone, that no one has ever been through this, that nobody knows the trouble I've seen." I can let my lousy perfectionism go..."He will perfect."

I hope these thoughts help a little and that the meditations of my heart are acceptable to you and the Lord we love.

With you in His Grip,
Michal Ann McAllister
Lake Forest Park, WA "

SOOO..as I said, I wrote that yesterday when I was reading postings about anxiety, the torture of being a perfectionist, etc. but I think you will get something out of it, just as I gleaned from your note today.

Yes, satan ((I don't like to dignify his name with a capital "S," either))~~seeks whom he may devour but we also "pass each other down for salt and pepper" as the old folk song says. We need to be aware of who he is, his subtleties as well as his outright cruelty and destruction. (Read C.S. Lewis "The Screwtape Letters.")He is a viscious liar and deceiver and his power is very real. We know "Who wins" in the end but EVIL is EVIL!!

Once, my youngest baby got a terrible burn from my in-law's scalding hot tap water. As I tended her raw skin, I got my most powerful sensation of what evil really is. I suddenly knew deeply to my core that satan would cheerfully peel the hide from her tender bottom. I knew evil.

What satan intended for evil had great negative impact on me as well as my injured toddler. Because she was hurt when she pulled the tap in a 5 second span when I was tossing her diaper, I accepted a viscious spirit of self-hatred which took a long time to overcome. However, in the end, the accident bonded me closer to my little girl. She recovered fully and is now a wonderful young mother of two.

Further, I took photos of her injury to our WA state legislature and assisted to gain passage of a new law requiring safer hot water tank temperatures. Ten years later, a study proved that the tap water burn rate in our state had been cut in half!!

In fact, our story was just mentioned in this article when I called to ask the home improvement reporter why he was recommending high tank temps. In his follow-up story, he makes it sound like he knew how dangerous it is, but he didn't know until I told him!

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2008008857_hay21.html?...

I'm sorry for keeping you so long with my stories. This wasn't meant to be "all about me"!! It sounds like you are well-acquainted with Psalm 139 as well as I Peter 5...both favorites of mine!

This system might snatch my password so I might be "anon" but as noted above, I am Michal, the namesake of the daughter of King Saul who was David's first wife.

I don't have a blog but~~
immichal@yahoo.com

With love in the Lord, Michal

Angela Nazworth said...

Hysterical. Sounds like fun. Didn't know that go-carting required serious footwear. LOL

Jillie Bean (AKA Bubba's Sis) said...

Well, I was going to tell you how much I love go-karting, but I see D... already told you! Hee! Good times, indeed!

But for the life of me I can not remember what I had on my feet!

Kristin said...

Hey Julie, please tell me one of those feet don't belong to Pete! Is he really getting that big...Wow times marches on.
John made me laugh. Such a competitor!

Tales From the Eurovan said...

Ok D and Bubba's Sis,
I want to see pictures sometime from go-karting! I should have posted a picture of how we all looked at the end of the day...sweaty. Lots of fun!
Take care,
Julie

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

OK, I just have to say, I'm a little concerned for the kid wearing plaid with camo.... :-)