On Saturday, Rian and his friend Paul picked me up at the house. Destination Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Samsung 500.

Rian and Colby had been working on this for a couple of weeks when it began coming together. They were actually planning a surprise for me and Coach. Problem was, Coach and I talked on Friday and discovered both of us were going to the races.

Sneaky sons.

I called Coach in regard to another matter and in the course of that conversation we discussed the Washington trip in June and Colby and Kirby. Coach told me you never know where those boys are going to be from day to day, and I commented that I knew where they were going to be on Saturday. Kirb was fulfilling the obligations of Best Man in a friends wedding and Colby would be at Texas Motor Speedway.

Coach asked me how I knew Colby was going to the NASCAR race and I told him because I will be there too!

"Me Too!", he exclaimed.

Turned out we met them in the parking area. Me, Rian, Paul. Coach, Colby, and their friend Chance. Colby had secured tickets on the internet. Just past the start finish line, near the exit to pit road, Row 22. Pretty good seats at the fastest part of the race track.

We did pretty good. On our way to the metroplex, The West Texas group stopped and ate at Chili's. At the race way our only purchase was a race program (although we looked at various T-shirts, camps, and caps).

I probably need to apologize to all those people that a red chevrolet pickup passed on the right hand shoulder of I-35W. (As much patience as I preached, it had little impact).

At the raceway, people were mulling everywhere. Vendors were doing big business as the group Foreigner played in a pre-race concert. They were really loud.

All of our neighbor spectators were very friendly and courteous, five of them were from Australia (although they now live in Houston).

Weather was excellent temperature wise and cloud cover wise (although I still got a touch of sunburn) while the wind was a little excessive.

Colby rented a Racing Radio scanner with two headsets and it was so neat he went back and rented another. At any given time, four of us were listening to team strategies and raceway announcers. That is a pretty neat way to watch and listen to the racing. My biggest gripe is that Colby would not let us share in the cost ($70 each). I appreciate him doing what he did to put the trip together and I would hate to want to do it again and him feel taken advantage of.

I will say, Junior is a foul mouthed cry baby! (I know he is Colby's favorite but oh well.) Colby purchased a few Junior items (cap, T-shirt, Tank Top. I can't wait for Colby to post pictures of him wearing his tank top!).

Good racing. One of my picks won. Man are those things fast and loud. Ideally I suppose it might have been advantageous to be eighteen or twenty rows higher. We were directly across from a television monitor so we could check it out too. Only two cautions the entire race and both for debris.

After the race we headed west (although Colby had extended an invite). We ate breakfast about 1 at Petro in Weatherford. Meat lovers omelets with biscuits. Afterward we began searching for a motel room. We finally found one at the Sleep Inn. We rented a "family room". Huge room. Excellent beds. Even better shower.

By the time I got to sleep it was almost four in the morning.

I woke at 8:32.

By the time we checked out, it was on the verge of missing McDonalds's breakfast at the drive through. That meal was probably the worst decision we made the whole trip. While it was good and up to standards, we paid $22 for three adults. That probably isn't far off of IHOP or some other restaurant.

We got to Abilene about 12:20 this afternoon.

I did the grocery shopping and returned home, hauled them in and took a nap of over three hours.

And I am still tuckered out!

Hope your weekend was as good as ours!

Have a week!

FATHER, thank YOU for the safe trip. For the time together and the memories we made. We ask if it is YOUR will we get to do it again. Thank YOU for the opportunities we have in living in this country.