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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Love Potion No. 9

Favorite soda: Diet Coke.
Favorite band: Rascal Flatts.
Favorite animals: Cats, Bears, Monkeys, Dolphin
Favorite fruit: Strawberries, Apples.
Favorite weather: Sunny, Clearn, Warm.

Do You:
Have a girlfriend/boyfriend: I don't know what is up with us.
Like someone: Yes but does it help the situation, NO!
Want more piercings: No.

Last:
Person talked to on the phone: Amy.
Person you hung out with: Dad.
IMed: Nikki.
Movie watched: Laci Peterson movie on Lifetime.
Last Movie you've seen in theatres: Spiderman 3.

Evers:
Ever cried over a girl or boy: I've been doing that a lot lately.
Ever been arrested: No.
Ever had a friend die: Yes.
Ever dated a cousin: No way!!!!! I'm not from Kentucky.
Ever used a gun: Yes.
Ever finished a puzzle: A few actually.
Ever had surgery: 13 as a matter of fact.
Ever hated someone: Yes.

Pick one:
Blue or red: Red
Spring or Fall: Both, please.

Random stuff:
How old do you act: 22.
Braces: When I was younger.
Do you have any pets: Yes
Names: Lilo.

Level 1
[] Shoplifted
[] Been fired
[x] Been in a fist fight

Level 2
[] Snuck out
[x] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
[] Gone on a blind date

Level 3
[X] Had a crush on a teacher
[X] Skipped school
[] Slept with a co-worker
[x] Saw someone die

Level 4
[] Been to Europe
[] Been to Canada
[X] Been to Mexico
[x] Been on a plane

Level 5
[x] Eaten Sushi
[] Been surfing

Level 6
[x] Been in an abusive relationship.
[x] Taken painkillers
[x] Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
[] Made a snow angel

Level 7
[x] had a tea party
[x] Flown a kite
[x] Built a sand castle
[x] Gone puddle jumping
[x] Played dress up

Level 8
[x] Jumped into a pile of leaves
[] Gone sledding
[] Cheated while playing a game
[x] Been lonely
[X] Fallen asleep at school

Level 9
[X] Used a fake ID
[x] Watched the sunset
[] Felt an earthquake
[] Touched a snake

Level 10
[x] Been tickled
[x] Been robbed/vandalized/had anything stolen from you
[]Robbed someone

Level 11
[x] Won a contest
[] suspended/expelled from school
[X] braces


[] Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
[x] Had deja vu
[x] Danced in the moonlight

Level 13
[x] Hated the way you looked
[x] Witnessed a crime
[x] Questioned your heart
[] Been obsessed with post-it notes

Level 14
[x] Barefoot through the mud
[x] Been lost
[] Been to the opposite side of the country
[x] Swam in the ocean
[x] Felt like you were dying

Level 15
[x] Cried yourself to sleep
[x] played cops and robbers
[x] Recently colored with crayons/colored pencils/markers
[x] Sang karaoke
[x] Paid for something with only coins

Level 16
[x] Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
[x] Made prank phone calls
[x] Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
[] Caught a snowflake on your tongue

Level 17
[x] Written a letter to Santa Claus
[x] Been kissed under a mistletoe
[] Looked up at the stars with someone you cared about
[x] Blown bubbles
[] Made a bonfire on the beach

Level 18
[] Have traveled more than 5 days with a car full of people
[x] Gone rollerskating/blading
[x] Had a wish come true

Level 19
[x] Worn pearls
[] Jumped off a bridge
[] Ate dog food
[x]Told a complete stranger you loved them (Alcohol was involved)

Level 20
[x] Sang in the shower
[] Glued your hand to something

Level 21
[] Got your tongue stuck to a pole
[] Kissed a fish
[x] Sat on a roof top

Level 22
[]Done a one-handed cartwheel
[x] Stayed up all night

Level 23
[] didn't take a shower for a week
[] Picked and ate an apple right off the tree
[x] Climbed a tree
[x] Had a tree house
[x] Scared to watch scary movies alone

Level 24
[x] Worn a really ugly outfit to school
[] Played ding dong ditch

Level 25
[x] Played chicken
[X] Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
[x] Broken a bone
[x] Been easily amused

Level 26
[x] Caught a fish then ate it
[] Caught a butterfly
[x] Laughed so hard you cried
[X] Cried so hard you laughed

level 27
[X] Cheated on a test
[x] Forgotten someone's name

Level 28
[x] Rode a roller coaster (and puked)
[] went scuba-diving
[] had a cavity
[] Blackmailed someone
[] Been blackmailed

THE WHO'S
Who is in the room with you?
No one.

Who was the last person you told i love you to?
Nikki.

Who gets on your nerves the most from school?
Some girl in my Health class.

What was the last thing you ate?
Cheese Itz.

What was the last thing you drank?
Diet Pepsi.

What color pants are you wearing?
Pink.

What are you wearing on your feet?
A pink long sock for my boot cast, and a white sock for my Birkenstock.

What instant messaging service do you use?
AOL, Yahoo, MSN.

What is your favorite shoe brand?
Merrel.

What do you wear more, jeans or shorts.
Jeans.

What do you currently hear?
ESPN's coverage of the Spurs vs. Jazz

When is your birthday?
September 12th.

Where is your phone?
In the bed with me.

Where do you sleep?
In my own bed.

What instruments do you play?
Nothing

Run or walk somewhere?
Walk.

A couple good friends or many casual ones?
A couple good friends.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Dale Jr leaves DEI

Focused but subdued, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. confidently strutted up to the podium one Thursday morning in May, 2007. He settled himself, strolled up to the mic, and took a deep breath.
Then, he gathered the courage to utter the words that will change the scope of NASCAR forever.
D.E.I. and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are no more.
Junior announced his departure from the only Cup organization he's ever known on Monday, leaving when his contract expires at the end of 2007. Claiming negotiations were "never even close," Junior said the time was now to end the process and for both parties to move on for 2008. Remaining cordial in the face of obvious disagreement, Junior thanked his stepmother Teresa Earnhardt, Max Siegel, and everyone at D.E.I. for negotiations that fell short after months at the bargaining table. Apparently, the majority ownership Junior sought in the company, something he felt like he deserved, was never given to him as an option.
"Obviously, I feel like his vision was for me to have a huge role," Junior claimed as to his father's intentions for D.E.I. "That was not in the cards (with these negotiations)."
"It may be in the cards 20 years down the road, but for what I want to accomplish in my driving career, this is the decision I made today."
Certainly, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. loomed large over the discussions; while Junior was careful not to criticize anyone from the organization, he made it clear there were differences in opinion as to what he felt his father wanted this organization to go.
"If he was still here, we would all be in a different place right now," he said. "Without him here, it's a much more difficult task (to accomplish his goals with the company). (D.E.I.) may not be the exact thing my father wanted, but it could still be successful (without me there)."
"In this sport, you don't keep a secret very long," said Kelley Earnhardt Elledge. "I think our fans deserve an answer as to whether we will be at D.E.I. or not, and now we can focus on where we're going."
"We've done contracts with D.E.I. before," added Junior. "This was ten times the work, the effort, the discussion, and the meetings, but we never even got close."
Junior's press conference was preceded by a solemn meeting at D.E.I. where Junior announced his decision to leave the organization. Claiming he loves his team and there's still great camaraderie, he explained he doesn't expect everyone to understand, but will give maximum effort the rest of the season and expects his team to do the same.
As for Teresa, "She wasn't surprised," said Junior. "It seems like she's focused on keeping the morale of the employees as high as possible. She's looking around the corner to do what she needs to do and prepare her company for 2008."
Shortly after the press conference, Teresa herself released an official statement, which read as follows :
"While we are very disappointed that Dale, Jr. has chosen to leave the family business, we remain excited about our company's future. Our aggressive expansion and diversification plans have not changed. This company has continued to thrive since Dale left us in 2001, and it will thrive following today's announcement. Dale and I built this company to be a championship-contender, and those principles still apply. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will win, and we have other extremely talented drivers and hundreds of employees that are dedicated to the programs we founded. This company has a great legacy and a bright future, built on loyalty, integrity, and commitment."
Junior's future will obviously now be the source of intense speculation for the following weeks and months. Junior was quick to shoot down several rumors : Martin Truex, Jr. is not going with him, Budweiser and No. 8 will likely be part of his future but have not been 100% secured, and current crew chief Tony Eury, Jr. will "do what he wants to do." Most importantly, the widely rumored announcement that he was starting his own team was false. What is true, claimed Junior, was that he's a free agent; and that means he's available to anyone.
"It doesn't cost anything to listen," said Junior. "So we're going to listen to anyone who wants to talk and go from there."
Kelley also chimed in on Junior's possible future plans, further dispelling rumors Junior was ready to form his own team. Claiming the first choice was to join an already competitive program, she speculated forming a team for Junior would be a last resort.
Clearly, there will be no shortage of car owners who will come calling in the next weeks and months. For Junior, he claims money is not the issue.
"For me, I made this decision to put myself in a better position for next year and down the road," said Junior. "I feel like this is what I need to do personally."
"I only want to make a change once," he continued. "It's not about the money. It's who can give me the best opportunities for the rest of my driving career."
=====================================================
I keep wondering, is it wrong that I am not sad?
I don't see Dale Jr leaving as a bad thing. Hopefully Teresa is able to keep DEI afloat now that the biggest name in NASCAR and the biggest sponsor is out after 2007. She has already lost NAPA, now she will lose Budweiser.
Way to go Teresa!!! You have screwed up something that was near and dear to your husband.
I am really worried about Dale Jr. This has to be one of the hardest days in his life. This announcement showed the world that he is his own man and can make his own decisions.
I wish him nothing but happiness, fast cars, and seeing the checkered flag in 1st place. No matter what, I am a Dale Jr fan...Today, tomorrow, and until the day I die!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

All about Talladega

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!
Boy is that a true quote. Getting up early on Sunday really wasn't a big deal to me. By early I am 3:30am to be out of the house at 4:30. Most of you don't know this but my dad is one of the big security people for the Talladega races. He gets the opportunity to do some amazing things and for the first time, I was able to tag along with him. Wow is the only word that comes to mind.
When we first got to the track it was dark still so no one was up. We had to check into the security gate and get his assignments for the day.
His first assignment was to go to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and do a sweep of it. When I use the word sweep, I mean he will make sure that there is no bombs or chemicals in there that are dangerous for the spectators and fans. Going to the IMHOF was amazing. You saw all these classic cars that had been used on the famous Talladega track.
His second assigment was to sweep the garage before the crews were to arrive. There I was with 43 of the fastest cars at Talladega. I went over straight over to Reed's car and touched it, took some pictures with it and just sat around and soaked it all up. The next place I would go would be the 8 car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. So, yeah, I had to dance all up on that car. One of the K-9 units with us, has now officially called that dance the "Dale Jr Booty Dance". I was touching the car, making sure I got pictures of everything. I even saw the checklist for the crews. I was amazed at how much, even during an Impound, the crews are allowed to do.
Breakfast was the next order of events...Nothing exciting there!
The third thing on the list was the Talladega Municipal Airport. I just stood by the tarmac and watched the planes come in. I had to bite my tongue when I saw Jimmy Spencer. Dude is such an ass! I even saw Dale Jr's place...yes, I took a picture of it.
The fourth thing on the agenda was a sweep of the Souvenir City. I didn't do much there...Went shopping at the Budweiser Hauler and watched Joe Nichols perform. He is amazing and cute.
Back to the garage area I go. It was almost time for the Driver's Meeting and with my dad being a BIG WIG, I was able to be right there for the action. I met some of the drivers including Jimmie Johsnon, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart(who is a prick), Dale Jr, Paul Menard, Denny Hamlin, Mike Helton, Reed Soreson, Casey Mears, and David Stremme. By the way...Juan Pablo is short! I even saw Kelly Earnhardt-Elledge and Karsyn. She is getting so big.
Time for the race...I got to watch it from the spotter's stand. Before the race started, I had the opportunity to meet Steve Hmiel. He is so nice and sweet. He took the time to pose for a picture and we chatted a little bit about the car. Casey Mear's spotter, Chuck Joyce, remembered me from last year. He said that I had changed a lot and looked great. Guy made me blush. I took some pictures with him and we talked for a little bit as well. He told me to e-mail him, so I think I'll do that today when I get a chance.
I'd talk about the race but we all saw it. Not my favorite Talladega race, but at least there wasn't THE BIG ONE like the Busch race the day before. I was glad to see Kyle Busch was okay after both incidents. He was ready to get out of Alabama, I'm sure.
Hope you enjoyed my race report!