Getting back into the swing of things, all heck broke loose. We were getting ready for the Concours in the Desert car show and we get a call. A friend in Mexico is having trouble and needs to be repaired by the 1st of April. Getting photos of the damage and assessing what needs to be done, arranging to work on it here or go down to Mexico, and at the same time find another jet to run with him.
Well we get the parts needed to fix it and send down my dad to fix it. After my friends down in Mexico lose my dad for a little while all is good! Repair one problem, solve another, and trouble shoot a third. All while I get back to work, and start the prep for the car show.
Craig and I work on the car, work on the trailer, work on the artwork for the new 2006 t-shirts, and design and layout the new hero cards. All this in a week, while I work full time, and the wife works full time on the cookies. (see previous entry)
Saturday, my dad returns from his trip to Mexico after learning some Spanish. At least he won't starve when there next time. Thank God for leche and donas!!
Later Saturday night, I start to feel bad! I can't pee!! After sitting in the ER for four hours, the triage nurse tells me, it most likely kidney stones and I have a few more hours to wait until I even get into a room for the doctor to check me out. Forget that! I head home, take some pain meds and go to sleep.
4 am... knife in the side... knife in the back... blood coming out where it shouldn't... this time a different ER. Checked in, examined, cat scan, meds prescribed, and kicked out in 4 hours. Time to pee in a strainer, and look for gold.
Monday & Tuesday nothing more but mild pain, but I can pee again. In the mean time, get the word from the artist designing the t-shirts that she can even start on it until the end of April. Forget that, I need them now! Calls trying to find an artist willing to work some what fast took two days!
Also proofed the hero card art work and told it would be ready by Friday. Competition Commercial Printing did an awesome job, quick and on time! (Even Bob Gilbertson had them do a rush job, art work in by 9 am, 10,000 out by 4 pm, overnited!!) Check them out at www.compprint.com .
Go back to work on Wednesday, leave early in pain, 3 am Thursday panned 2 small nuggets of gold. Thursday & Friday recuperated!
Thursday, my dad goes and helps a friend out for the week in LA. Working on a movie set running a jet track dryer, hanging out with the cast getting paid. What a way to spend seven or eight days!
Friday, the team took the Invader out to the Peoria Sports Complex for the local news television spots. They put the truck and trailer into position for the show and went home.
Saturday, I spent the day keeping America safe, pulling a drill weekend out at the Air National Guard. While I was busy with your freedoms, the team (My brother Chris and his wife Cheri) set up the display. Unloaded the Invader, set up the awning, set up the simulators, and answered questions. The rest of the team showed up a little later (My wife & kids, my mom, and Philip Boucher) to help out.
As a side note, I want to publicly state that I messed up!! In the haste, read above and below, I left off Philip's bio on the hero cards. I will remedy that on the next printing, I swear!!
After I was done with work, I raced out just in time to receive the Racing & High Performance award for the show. Mind you, I did nothing at the event, and all the credit goes to my brother Chris, Cheri, Deborah (my loving wife) and my mom Sandy. Also we received a hand made plate complete with the Invader Logo painted on it.
With all of that completed, I am looking forward to forty hours of relaxing time at work to rest up for the coming season!!! 