Was it cold?

The first show of the season for us is the North Stafford High School show that benefits the Skills USA team from a couple High Schools in our area. Susan & Kennard manage the students and direct them as they do everything for the event. I mean everything, except the car judging. This is what impressed us the first time we attended, the direct involvement of the students with the event….from start to finish. They plan the event, secure the sponsors, do all the advertising, design and fabricate the awards, secure vendors, perform the registration process, collect the money, park the cars, answer questions, ensure participant contentment, make the award announcements and presentation of the awards….and much more. We really like this program and would support it even if we didn’t have a car to show. These programs give students real life problem solving opportunities that will serve them well. It also teaches them that positive self esteem is obtained by facing life’s challenges and beating them rather than participating in a “no one looses, everyone is a winner” exercise that will be irrelevant to their future sojourn through life.

The weather guessers said it was going to be sunny with temps in the high 40’s….I think they only missed it by 118 degrees. It was so cold I could see my breath and my fingers were sticking to my camera! And when the wind blew it drove the temp down to near absolute zero…. It was so cold I thought some of the people sitting in the chairs were mannequins. They were stiff and kinda pasty white with blue lips. I know I know….it was a dry cold? Like that helps….

This is a show that brings most people out of winter hibernation with their cars for the first time of the year. I heard many people say they hoped nothing happened to their cars over the winter because this was the first time they had it on the road in 4 months! It was the same for us. In years past I tried to work on the hot rods during the winter and never seemed to get enough time to do everything I had put on my “list”. I would feel guilty every time I went into the garage all winter. This year, right after our Toys For Tots run in December, I changed the oil, put some fuel stabilizer in the tanks then hooked up the trickle chargers and covered up both hot rods. I didn’t do any work on them all winter and because they were covered up I didn’t feel guilty about it. Last Monday I unwrapped both hot rods and fired them up for the first time in months….the both roared to life and the noise reminded me why I like this sport. After driving my daily driver all winter the sweet sound of real cars was music to my ears. The RedRat sound is especially good for me….

The show was well attended by 147 entrants….I’m sure it would have been many more except that it was cold. We brought one of our neighbors, Linda, with us so she could experience the “car scene” around here….I think she just wanted a ride in the RedRat! One of the things that this show is getting a reputation for is the quality of their awards and this year it’s no exception. As I explained before the students design and build the awards and it is so very cool to see the expression of their ideas in the awards. This year some of the awards were built by a professional artist….and they were very neat and well received….but….I prefer to have the student built awards rather than a professional item. The professional item may be worth more but the student built award means much more to me….just my opinion. The Princess and I sponsored an award again this year….the longest distance driven, no trailered cars! It was won by a guy in a 300Z that had driven over 200 miles to be at the show! Hard core!

This event has good parking, shade trees, indoor restrooms, good food vendors and something going on most of the day. Because of the extreme cold they cut the show short by about an hour….which was welcome by all. The Princess won a plaque so there will be harmony and tranquility in the Shotwell home….for a while….grin.

Was it cold? We woke up the next morning to find 2 inches of snow on the ground….I hate this global warming stuff…. Be sure to check the photos I took at; http://rides.webshots.com/album/579969036FSgdKx