STLRaceChicks' Blog

How dare this sorry excuse for a leader call Republicans "unpatriotic" for their hand in this bogus bailout situation!  She has to be the most partisan, divisive person ever to hold this position. If it weren't for her and the rest of the BOOGEDY in her stable, we wouldn't have this situation in the first place.

How is it that problems that started way back in the Clinton administration -- that Republicans tried to stop but were overrun by the Dems as recently as 2005 -- are now being blamed on the Bush administration?  Nancy Pelosi needs a history lesson and a remedial education when it comes to how to bring people together.

Of course the phrase "Democratic leadership" is an oxymoron, but come on, Ms. Speaker:  Get over yourself and do your stinkin' job!  If your group has such a wonderful solution for this problem, you don't need a single Republican vote to pass it in the first place.  That so many of your own party think the package stinks ought to tell you something.

Bailing out all of these hoodlums is a joke and a nightmare that we and our children and our grandchildren will pay for and the greedy jerks that did this need to be investigated, punished and made to pay for their crimes, not rewarded with huge, undeserved bonuses paid for by taxpayers.

I don't know about anyone else, but it's about time we set term limits and take back our government which is no longer of, by or for the people.

It is sad and frightening that the American Dream is disappearing right in front of our eyes and the average citizen can't do a darned thing to stop it. The Great Depression could look like The Golden Age compared to the fallout of this debacle.

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, 46, died Saturday from multiple injuries suffered after his car went out of control and crashed in a high-speed racing accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park during the fourth and final round of qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals.

Kalitta was extracted from his car by NHRA emergency services officials and transported to Old Bridge Township Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Kalitta, a two-time NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel champion and one of only 14 drivers in NHRA history to earn victories in both premier nitro categories, earned 18 victories during his career, his last coming in Chicago in 2005 in Top Fuel.

Kalitta earned most of his racing success in Top Fuel, where he claimed back-to-back world championship titles in 1994 and 1995. He retired from racing in 1997, sitting out most of two seasons before returning for a 10-race campaign in 1999. He sat out three more seasons following that brief stint and then returned again in 2003, joining cousin Doug as a second driver for the family's two Top Fuel dragsters. 

Kalitta started his pro career in Top Fuel in 1982, running limited events for four seasons before moving to Funny Car in 1986 for his first full-season of competition. He returned to that category fulltime in 2006. He posted a runner-up finish two weeks ago in Chicago, his 36th career NHRA final round appearance.

Kalitta is survived by his father, legendary NHRA racer and team owner Connie Kalitta; wife, Kathy; and sons Corey, 14, and Colin, 8.

Release from NHRA courtesy WhoWon.com

We have these little critters all over our yard but we are not sure what they are. They do not have blue tails like the other skinks we have seen. Does anyone know if they are a different type of skink or some other reptile?

All I know is that they really like to drive our dog to distraction!

The impending reunification of Champ Car and IRL is certainly the hot topic of the day in motorsports. Of course, no one would know by the lack of attention given this subject by local media, but this could be a major turning point for American Auto Racing. My Dad and I talked about it at length over lunch at Cracker Barrel yesterday and had some interesting thoughts on the topic.

Since the news broke on Friday that IRL and Champ Car are close to reaching a reunification agreement, many teams, tracks and media have released statements regarding their opinions on the topic. I have read many of those statements, and right now, it seems the most negative feedback I have seen is from the tracks that were set to run Champ Car events but will lose their dates because of conflicts with the IRL schedule. The teams, at least publicly, seem to be embracing the idea, but you just never know what they are saying behind the scenes.

In my opinion, I would love to see these two come back together stronger and better than before, but it is going to take a LOT of work. The damage done by the split runs deep and has been left to fester for twelve long years. People don’t forget that kind of stuff over night. They also don’t forget the way both of these sanctioning bodies have turned their backs on domestic talent while embracing every foreigner on the planet. Is it any wonder that guys like Sam Hornish have defected to NASCAR? I don’t think so.

It used to be the dream of every American Midget and Sprint Car racer to drive in the Indy 500 someday, but that day is long gone because no one gives them a chance to prove themselves on that level anymore. Instead, these drivers are now working their way up through the ranks of NASCAR who (and I hate to admit this because I’m just NOT a huge NASCAR fan) has welcomed these up-and-coming drivers and showcased them in a very positive way. For all its faults, NASCAR has the largest fan base of any sport and those fans support their drivers regardless of on track performance, or off-track antics.

 IRL/Champ Car have come off as snobby and elitist and that is a huge turn off for fans. It is going to take a major PR campaign and a large dose of contrition and sincerity to bring fans back to open wheel racing. If they want to do it right, they will take a page from the books of guys like our local POWRi promoters, the World of Outlaws and yes, even NASCAR, and study them well before making their next move.

One has to wonder if these two entities can put their egos aside once the negotiations are complete and the real work begins. When one looks at the situation in light of a divorced couple getting re-married, the chances of things working out for the long haul are pretty slim. Will these two be able to play well together after their long separation? Only time will tell.

In conclusion, I say bring back open wheel racing, but do it the right way. Continuing on the current paths of either IRL or Champ Car will spell certain disaster for American Open Wheel racing. And while they are at it, put the engines back in the rear of the cars where they belong!

Each January, racers from all over the country, representing many forms of motorsports, converge on Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

The Chili Bowl is by far the biggest racing event on the winter calendar. With most dirt and asphalt tracks in hibernation mode in all but the most temperate of climates, racing indoors is the only viable option. With that in mind, two of dirt track racing's top promoters, Lannie Edwards and Emmett Hahn took a gamble over twenty years ago that has turned into much more than just another Midget race.

This year's entry list was comprised of 285 drivers from 29 states, Canada and Australia. Among these drivers were NASCAR Cup champions, Drag racers, Dirt Late Model and Kart drivers in addition to those who routinely turn laps in open wheel machines. Men and women and drivers of all ages from mid-teens to early seventies filled an impressive list of who's who in motorsports today.

Missouri boasted 17 pilots, while 29 Illinois drivers made the trek to the Sooner state. Many of these drivers run our local tracks as a part of the O'Reilly POWRi Midget Series and a few were able to play the alphabet soup game and work their way up through four grueling nights of qualifying in order to claim a spot in either of the "B" or "A" Main events.

Roughly 14,000 fans make up the crowd of this sold-out-by-May event, and untold numbers of others listen to the races via internet broadcasts or get updates through blogs and forums. In fact, so many people logged onto the Chili Bowl web site this year that the server crashed and was down all day on Saturday. This year, for the first time in history, both C-Mains, both B-Mains and the A-Main were all broadcast live via HBO Pay-Per-View on Saturday night. That's how we watched it, and the network did a wonderful job of bringing us all of the racing action, behind-the-scenes interviews and commentary that we were hungry for. The broadcast lasted almost four solid hours, and was well-worth the $25 price tag.

The following is a list of the Missouri and Illinois drivers and how they fared in the 2008 Chili Bowl. Many of these drivers and others will be on hand this Saturday at the DuQuoin Fairgrounds for the first POWRi Indoor Series Midget race of the season. Along with the Midgets will be the POWRi Micro Series. All will race indoors at the DuQuoin Indoor Center. With temperatures outside predicted to be in the twenties this weekend, it's time to warm up to some winter time indoor racing!

Illinois (29) – Joey Moughan (2m), Kevin Olson (4ko), Zach Daum (5d), Patrick Bruns (5x), Austin Brown (7a){Made it to the "B" Main], Dan Mecum (8m), Jay Mounce (12m), Tim Siner (15)[Made it to the "B" Main], Chris Windom (17)[Made it to the "B" Main], Kenny Brown (17b), Levi Jones (20J){Finished 11th in the "A" Main], Lee Beckwith (21s), Derrick Myers (25x), Donnie Lehmann (31), Davey Ray (33), Jeff Davis (d33), Mat Neely (35)[Made it to the "B" Main], Tyler Robbins (35T), Don Hammer (45), Daniel Adler (50), Mike Hess (51), Nick Knepper (55k), Bubba Altig (67a)[Finished 24th in the "A" after a warm-up incident], A.J. Fike (69), David Gough (75x), Kellen Conover (76), Justin Allgaier (86), Dave Camfield, Jr. (86c)[Made it to the "B" Main], Rich Camfield (87c).

Missouri (17) – Jesse Stovall (00s), Hunter Schuerenberg (1h), Tony Roney (1T), Robby Ross (4R), Bill Allen (5a), Joey Montgomery (5c), Brad Loyet (05)[Made it to the "B" Main], Danny Lasoski (05L)[Made it to the "B" Main], Joe Boyles (7b), Doug Frye (7c), Eric Todd (7T), Will Pierce (10T), Steve Stroud (21x), Jesse Hockett (29L)[Finished 12th in the "A" Main event], Joe Walker (37J), Andrew Felker (73F), Todd McVay (89JR).

It's offical. Tri-City Speedway has ushered in a new era of racing in the St. Louis area.

After several weather delays, the gates opened on the 2007 racing season at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach and it looked as if every driver and fan in the area turned out to see what all the fuss was about.

With the pits filled to capacity, a tightly packed parking lot, and grand stands bursting with people, it was clear that all of the hard work the Gundakers have put into this facility was well worth it. The new 3/8 mile, high banked track has everyone standing up and taking notice. The show moved along very well, and the action was lightning-fast.

My Dad and I made the trip over by ourselves, and had a really good time. We got there about a half an hour after the gates opened, and haulers were backed up all the way to the road. It was clear that parking would be at a premium, but they managed to squeeze everyone in. The new pit area outside of turns three and four helped a lot.

I walked around and took quite a few shots of various things, which you can see on our web site. I'll post a few here on Fox2 as well. One of the more interesting vantage points was from inside the flagstand. I've been to most areas of the track before, but this was my first time to take in the best view in the house! It was fun being up there for the opening festivites, which included a parade of beautiful classic race cars.

There was a lot of excitement in the air, and I know folks will be talking about opening night for weeks to come. After watching Late Models boogie around that track, I can't wait to see how the Sprint Cars do on it. We'll find out on May 4th when the World of Outlaws come to town.

The track, the lights, all of the other changes that have gone into this track have really made it a premier facility.  It's too bad local media doesn't cover big events like this, but I'm glad we have this blog to help get the word out. www.girlsgoneracin.com

By www.girlsgoneracin.com  
 

PONTOON BEACH, Ill. -- With just two days to go until opening night, anticipation is at an all-time high at Tri-City Speedway. 
 

Some of the changes are obvious, even to the casual fan. The brand new 3/8 mile track with its ten degree banking and sweeping turns, lit by Musco lighting and surrounded by a concrete wall looks fabulous.  The new 42' x 60' beer garden will be a great place to hang out with friends while enjoying a night of racing.  
 

But the changes at the facility go far beyond the cosmetic.  
 

This week, Tri-City welcomes a new sponsor in Dynamic Transit, a trucking company based out of Granite City.  Dynamic Transit has over three hundred trucks, and will be a major sponsor, adding to the purse for two of the weekly divisions.  Late Models will now pay $1,200 to win, while Modifieds will receive $700 to win and $100 to start.  
 

Another exciting announcement is that the Factory Stock division will now be sanctioned by United Midwestern Promoters (UMP).  The UMP Factory Stocks are an affordable 4-cylinder class, and with sanctioning, drivers will now be eligible for national points besides their weekly track points.  This division will help new and up-and-coming drivers make their way into racing.  
 

Drivers in all classes will now be able to get their Sunoco race fuel in-house.  Just look for the big new Sunoco sign above the pump. 
 

Tri-City Speedway will definitely be the place to be on Friday nights, for drivers and fans alike. Major improvements over the winter have turned Tri-City Speedway into a premier racing facility.  These changes would not be possible without great companies like All Purpose Erectors, who installed the lighting and Glawson's Concrete who put up the new concrete wall.  
 

In another attempt to properly launch the new season, it is only fitting that the honor of "Little Miss Tri-City Speedway" be bestowed upon a deserving fan.  Watch for details about this contest as they become available soon. The new era of racing begins on Friday, April 6 with Kenny Wallace racing his Modified.  Gates open at 5:00 with racing starting at 7:30. 
 

Tickets are: 
Adults (General Admission) $10.00 
Children 12 & Under (always FREE at every event) 
Senior Citizens (62 and up) and Military $8 
General Admission Gates Open 5:00 

Pit Gate Opens 5:00 
Hot Laps 6:45 
Racing at 7:30 
 

More information is available at www.tri-cityspeedway.net

My dog Frisco is mercilessly teased by squirrels in our backyard.  Just this morning, I was outside trying to coax him back in so he wouldn't bother the neighbors with his barking, when I saw the strangest thing.

On the railing of the deck next door sat the squirrel who was teasing my dog.  He turned to run away, and I noticed something furry with what looked like a tail hanging from his mouth.  Frisco startled him, and he dropped his prey to the ground below.  Upon inspection, I discovered a dead baby rabbit.

So now I am wondering, do squirrels kill and eat rabbits, or is it possible that my dog or some other animal attacked the baby rabbit and the squirrel was trying to rescue it?  I just assumed squirrels always ate nuts and berries and stuff, so this was quite a shocking site!

Anyone out there an expert on squirrels?

Trees are blooming, flowers are poking their heads up after their winter slumber, birds are chirping merrily outside my window and all of that points to only one thing:  It's almost racing season!  

There are a whole lot of great opportunities on the horizon for motorsports enthusiasts in St. Louis.  It's time to get off the couch and head to your local race track to support the greatest sport on dirt.  The Girls Gone Racin' dirt divas are more than ready for racing season to begin.  We've already had our fill of televised NASCAR and are anxious to get out for the up close and personal thrill that is what makes grassroots racing so great.  There is nothing to compare with the roar of the engines, the smell of spent fuel and the great people we meet each season. 

Over the winter, I made some cosmetic changes to the blog and web site, since there wasn't a whole lot of actual racing to keep me busy. Today I added a slide show that uses several of the photos we shot last season and I think it turned out really well.  I also found time to put together a web site for the all new Ozark Mountain Midget Series which kicks off their inaugural season in May. 

Here is some of what is on the menu for the first week or so of the 2007 racing season in St. Louis: 

Belle Clair Speedway will be one of the first tracks in the St. Louis area to open the gates for 2007 with their first weekly racing event scheduled to take place on March 30.  Racing will include UMP Late Models, Modified and UMP Sportsman and Allied Pure Stock. 

March 31 will be opening night for the Ken Schrader and Ray Marler owned I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri.  The weekly racing there consists of Late Models, Modifieds, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. 

On Friday, April 6 racing season officially kicks off at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach with the first running of Late Models, Modifieds, C.A.R.S Late Models, Street Stocks and Factory Stocks.  It's Kenny Wallace night, and Herman himself will be on had racing his dirt Modified. Rain caused a few problems before the season even began, delaying opening night at Tri-City by one week.  They have been scurrying to get the final touches on the new track design, lighting, concrete wall and all the other loose ends that need to be knotted beforehand.  Don't miss the opportunity to see history in the making on this first night of racing on the new track.

Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois also opens on April 6 with a $1,000-to-win 360 Sprint Invader race, as well as Late Models and Street Stocks.  This will be the first year for the former Jacksonville Raceway to be under new promoters Bill West, Jr. and Kim West. 

Heading on into next weekend, Saturday, April 7, will see the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars to I-55 Raceway.  This will be the first night out for Girls Gone Racin' and there is a good chance that my pal Spring won't make it to this one.  She is laid up with some serious back problems and until she gets those straightened out, traipsing through the infield trying to catch racing action with her camera is out of the question.  It will be up to me to get the best shots I can, take notes and get everything on our blog and web site the next day.  With my new camera lens and way too much time since my last race, I think I'm up for the challenge.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for racing and a little tailgating beforehand.  

Get out and support your local racing!  
www.girlsgoneracin.com

The Grassroots Gospel:  The Gundaker Family 

 

The Grassroots Gospel is a Girls Gone Racin’ series celebrating the drivers, promoters, fans and others who contribute to the preservation of the grassroots Motorsports effort and its traditions.  It is intended as a tribute to the people who believe in the importance of maintaining the foundation of American auto racing. 

 

Here in St. Louis, the Gundaker name is well known in two circles.  One sees it everywhere from billboards, to yard signs to tractor trailers.  If you have purchased real estate here, there’s a good chance that you have used their services. To local race fans, the Gundaker name is less about down payments, equity and interest rates, and more about competition, excitement and the thrill of dirt track racing at its finest.  

 

Three years ago, G&G Motorsports, which consists of Kevin Gundaker and his Dad, Gordon, purchased what some would consider an historic racing facility.  Tri-City Speedway, in Pontoon Beach, Illinois is a dirt facility that opened in 1961 and consisted of a half-mile track surrounding a quarter-mile track.  

 

At the time of purchase, the facility was in need of quite a bit of TLC.  The Gundakers dove into the task and learned fast the true meaning of sweat equity.  Instead of spending the winter bending sheet metal for his famous number 11 Late Model, Kevin spent hundreds of hours cleaning and painting, hauling off debris and old pieces of machinery.  The beat-up old trailers that used to be an office and a catch-all were replaced by new buildings to house the track’s hard-working staff.  The pit gate was moved, making it easier for haulers to negotiate the pits.  And everywhere you look, from shirts to building accents, you see patches of Kevin’s trademark color:  Purple.  

 

Kevin and his wife, Tammy attended promoters’ workshops, met with marketing people, and held drivers meetings. They hired staff members, discussed changes to the classes, nights of operation and a multitude of details that even they had not anticipated.   

 

By opening night 2005, they were ready.  

 

That first year was just the beginning of the learning process, and Tammy will be the first to admit that they made a lot of mistakes along the way.  At times it was overwhelming and exhausting, but they survived and put what they had learned to good use.  

 

Last year was better as they took what they had learned in their rookie season and began to apply it.  Then they began to really work on the bigger improvements they wanted to make, ones that were more than paint brushes and brooms could fix.  

 

This year the fruit of those labors is obvious to everyone, whether you walk through the gates, or fly overhead. Not only have they moved race night from Sunday to Friday, but the track has been completely re-configured.  Gone are the half-mile and the quarter-mile circuits, and in their place is a wonderful 3/8 mile high-banked track that ought to challenge drivers and thrill fans. A new concrete wall is in the works, and to top it off, all new Musco lighting is going in this week and should be shining brightly by opening night, March 30.  

 

Along with all of the changes at Tri-City comes a new addition to the G&G Motorsports family.  Earlier this month, they became the proud new owners of Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo.  Lake Ozark will run on Saturday nights and will certainly keep the Gundakers hopping, burning up the pavement between St. Charles and Eldon.  

 

The Gundakers are committed to preserving the grassroots racing effort here in the Midwest, and for that we should all be thankful.  Without the efforts and hard work of people like them, those of us who love racing would continue to see dirt tracks meet the fate of others, like St. Charles Speedway and 67 Raceway Park.  

 

So now you have even more good reasons to get out and support your local racing. Do your part to keep the tradition alive. It’s great entertainment for the whole family!

I don't know if anyone cares, but Fox2 has been reporting all morning about the fire on Mid Rivers Mall Dr. The fire was at 339 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., which is a building that housed National Auto Warranty. They have been referring to this as the "former BJC building," when in fact, the former BJC/GHP building is next door, at 335 MRMD. This building is now a dialysis center.

The only reason this caught my eye is because I worked in the 335 location for many years, and when I saw the footage, I just knew that wasn't the one that burned.

The building at 339 was formerly a State Farm Insurance building, fyi.

USAC Driver Brea Lopez has Race Hauler & Midget Stolen

We were on our way to Orlando, Florida for the PRI Sprint and Midget Classic; we stopped right outside of Kansas City, Missouri at a hotel to sleep for the night. We got up around 6 am and walked outside and everything was gone. Our truck was a Black 2005 Dodge Ram, and our trailer was a white Exiss with two big decals on the back one is a WMRA logo and one is a Red Line Oil decal. Every single piece of my racing operation was in that trailer. The Chassis was a red powder coated 2005 Beast, with black carbon fiber pannels. The motor is an esslinger. Our tool box with all of our tools, shocks and springs, wheels and tires, quad, all of my safety equipment, spare axels rear ends, I can't even name it all off. I really don't even know what to say right now. Just please if anyone hears or sees anything, please let me know. Email me at brea_lopez@yahoo.com. Thanks.

If seen please call the authorities immediately. Than please contact Dan Press, Telephone - 360-295-3937
Truck License Washington State A82018X
Trailer License Washington State 4533RV

Brea Lopez, Driver
Brea Lopez Motorsports
1397 State Hwy. 506
Vader, WA 98593

Phone: 360.295.3937
Cell: 360.270.2109
www.brealopez.com

Last Thursday night, my pal Spring and I were supposed to go to a concert, but the nasty winter storm that pounded our area forced a postponement of the event until Monday night. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, and from our own experience, it was well worth the wait!

We were right in the middle of a really fun crowd at this concert. I’ve been to a lot of concerts over the years - from full-on rock and roll to contemporary Christian and everything in between – and this was one of the best-behaved audiences I have ever seen. There are times you get stuck with loud-mouthed drunks, or guys who spend the whole concert slobbering all over their girlfriends, or folks who think they know all the words and sing them really loud right in your ear, but can’t carry a tune. This was not one of those nights.

All around us were teens and early twenty-somethings who were just out to have a foot-stomping good time, and that’s what they did. No boozin’ it up or being obnoxious or anything like that. Instead, they were just downright friendly and we had a good time getting to know them. You guys know who you are, and you really made our night, so thanks! We enjoyed hanging out with you!

The musical groups were great. First up was Jason Michael Carroll, a guy I had never heard of until the day of the concert, but someone with a very impressive voice. His first release, “Alyssa Lies” is a very moving song about child abuse and he does a wonderful job with it. I loved the fact that it was just Jason singing, accompanied by two acoustic guitars, because I love acoustic guitars. That’s the one instrument I actually attempted to learn, and I even taught beginning lessons as one of my first jobs. That was back when every kid who came to me wanted to learn “Stairway to Heaven,” which really tells a lot about my age!

Jimmy Wayne was second up, and I had definitely heard his music before. His songs, “I Love You this Much” and “Paper Angels” are his trademarks. He appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show one morning and told the story behind “Paper Angels” which refers to the Angel Tree Program where kids in need are matched up with folks who provide them with a Christmas gift. It turns out that Jimmy and his sister had been recipients of Angel Tree gifts, which just goes to show that those gifts really do make a difference! Our family participates in this program every year through our church, and our paper angels are right here next to me to remind me to shop for them, but more importantly, to pray for them also. Jimmy did a beautiful job, not only sharing his music through his voice and just his own guitar, but sharing of himself as well. His cover of the Hall & Oates classic, “Sarah Smile” was another highlight of the evening, and things just kept getting better.

The third act of the night was Emerson Drive, and to me, they just stole the show. What a rockin’ great act they have! These guys jammed on songs like “I Should Be Sleeping,” “Good Man” and “Testify.” Wow! I was blown away. It amazes me how many great groups are out there where I sometimes know the songs, but don’t realize who does them. Being a huge music fan, it drives me crazy to think that I might not have paid much attention to them in the past, but I will be making up for that now. One of the best parts of their show was when their fiddle player left the stage and got right down in the crowd to play. He was a lot of fun to watch and it looked like he had as good a time as the fans did.

Last up was Jason Aldean and his band. We started out watching from our seats along the side and just a few rows up from the floor, but it was making Spring nuts that she couldn’t get closer to take pictures, so she went to see what she could do about that. A few minutes later, she came back with floor tickets in hand, having begged them off of someone who was leaving. Score! We made our way down to the floor, and found empty seats just a few rows away from the stage.

We had fun down on the floor, and Jason and the band rocked the house with their hits, some new material and then finished up with a couple of Guns ‘n Roses covers, which were really great. It’s a lot of fun for me to hear stuff like that at a country concert because I think there are a lot of folks just like me out there, who have a very diverse taste in music, and enjoy a good mix. The encore cover of Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” was dead on too, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it.

All too soon the lights came up and it was time to go, and we still had an envelope of photos that we wanted to somehow get to Jason Aldean. We had tried before the concert by talking with one of the guys from the station, but his only advice was for us to “rush the stage.” We nixed that idea, although it did cross our minds several times near the end of the show. Just before we left, we saw this guy hand a drumstick to one of the fans who was still mingling along the stage, and so we decided to see if he could help us out. Spring approached him with the envelope, which contained three photos, a couple of GGR stickers and our business cards, and asked if he could get them to the band. He assured her that he would, so we are hoping that he followed through.

It was definitely a fun night and not really such a late one after all. We girls know how to have a good time, whether it’s at the races, a concert, or even just hanging out at the local craft store. Thanks to all the bands who re-arranged their schedules in order to perform. It was a blast!

I put three pages of photos up on our web site yesterday, a few of which are here on the Fox 2 Community page. Hope you like 'em!

We officially have frozen precipitation here in the Weldon Spring/Cottleville area. Sleet/frozen rain/snain, whatever you want to call it. It’s pinging on the windows, driveway, etc.

Wonder how long it will be until the school busses start bringing kids back home. Glad mine never left!

Every year I add a few new CDs to our Christmas collection. This year I have purchased Third Day's Christmas Offerings and Brad Paisley's Christmas CD. Both are collections I would highly recommend.

Third Day's "Christmas Like a Child" is just one of the awesome songs on this CD, and my personal favorite, although they do a great job on the classics as well as all the originals.

Brad Paisley has a great mix with classic songs, originals and a fun little bit about the ridiculous-ness of being "politically correct" about Christmas. This is one should be mandatory for all ACLU employees! Be sure to share Penguin, James Penguin with your kids. It's destined to join the classics like Frosty and Rudolph.

So what's your recommendation for best NEW Christmas music?