Have we all forgotten what it is like to be a new person at a new school, or job? Is it any different when you are new in an online community?

Too often new members are attacked by our veteran members, even though that very "veteran" may have been new to our community just 3 months ago himself. Is it more helpful to attack the newcomers or to take them under your wing and assist them in the ways of Race2Play? Is it more helpful to avoid racing with them or to ask them to practice with you so they can come to a race more prepared?

If you were that newcomer (again), which would you prefer our veterans do to you?

Th   [... read in full]

In a few days, my son and I are back on the road for a 5-week long road trip totaling just over 4100 highway miles across 8 western states.

The first week of the trip is spent in Yellowstone Ntnl Park with Conor joining us. This is a first time visit for both Conor and my son, so I am pretty excited about showing both of these 'kids' the park.

After the week is up, Conor heads back into Colorado on his own while my son and I head West into Portland for a few days before heading South into California to visit my family for a few weeks. Then, the week long drive back into Colorado taking the southern rout   [... read in full]

As some of you know now, (thanks to DiPino, McCarrell, and Onofrey for blowing the whistle on me), I have been a little quiet lately. To Todd's dismay, I purchased a very large van to take some road trips this year. The van is effectively a class-B RV, complete with bed, storage, fridge, toilet, electrical, etc. I added in some gas burners, and a cellular Internet connection (Yea, I am a rolling WiFi hotspot baby) and I was good to go.

While I promised I would keep it fairly local, it quickly turned into a 8000km (5000 mile) road trip across the western USA. In early April, my son and I took the new van on a short 1   [... read in full]

On August 31st I announce my "pause" of smoking (I do not quit). While I do not need the pats on the back, I did want to give an update on where I am today. My family may be tired of hearing my updates, so you guys have to listen to me blabber on about it now.

First, let me explain where I was back on Aug 31st:
38 years old and had been smoking for 22 years. I have always weighed in between 135 and 145, and at 6 foot tall, that translates out to "real skinny". The most I had ever weighed was 151, but that lasted only one week before I dropped back into the 130's. I have not excercised since my teens where I used to run cross country and 5 minute miles. While    [... read in full]

You may have noticed that I have been a little quiet the past few days. Yes, I decided to take an unscheduled, lat minute, multi-day adventure... just me and my 280Z.

Saturday, following the broadcast of the 2.4h of Leinz event, I packed the car up with some basics and took to the road for the 9 hour drive from Colorado to the Yellowstone National Park in NW Wyoming. I have been there once before in the early 90's and I have been wanting to go back for years. With this being the last real opportunity (for me) this year, I decided to get on with it.

My Datsun and I had many adventures over the past 3 days and 1400 miles; From early morning deer dodging (and co   [... read in full]

I have paused smoking indefinitely. I'm no quitter, so I will not "quit", but I figure a 50 year long pause should work around that little issue.

I made the decision today not to buy that next carton of smokes. I will be forced into waking up tomorrow with no tobacco in the house (can you smoke coffee? hmmm) and I just promised my 11yr old son I will not buy another pack. That is one promise I can not back out of, and that is why I made it.

As a warning, please do not take anything I do or say personal for the next few weeks. I suspect I will be cranky, moody, cramping, gaining weight, retaining water, hungry for pickles and ice-cream, and maybe even sheddin   [... read in full]

It is not often I get out to do this sort of thing, but this past Saturday evening there was a local twilight air show that I just could not pass up. The though of watching these planes fly around against the backdrop of a setting sun on the Rocky Mtns... well, judge for yourself

I was actually planning to drive to Yellowstone, just my son and myself. Instead, my mother informed me of a family camp trip in California this same week. We have not done this since I was a kid... at least not one I was invited too. So, with all my brother's kids attending I could not allow my son to miss out on the fun of such a large scale camp trip in the Sierra.

I was lucky actually, as Conor was out in Colorado July 15th through the 20th. Conor is from Los Angles and driving back to California the same week I needed to arrive in CA. Lucky break (for both of us) as he needed someone to help him stay awake for the 2 day drive, and I really did not want to   [... read in full]

Well, it is done...

...the Season 11 schedule that is. Actually it has been 'done' for about a month, but getting it all input into the R2P database is something I procrastinate on until the very last days. This is something I have learned to do for reasons stated below. Today I put in 12 straight hours of data-entry just to get it done in one sitting. Usually, it is a task that takes me 3 or 4 (or more) days.

Now that it is complete, I will begin work on the Season 12 schedule (April - June 2009) as it usually takes me a few months of research and planning to come up with a rough draft. That rough draft goes through another half-dozen drafts/changes/revisio   [... read in full]

So here I am just browsing the R2P site and I go to look at the driver rankings and where I fall in the order. To my surprise...

Overall ranking (both Career and Rolling)
1. Tim McArthur....

Now, "Overall" ranking is for drivers that run in multiple racing types so that does narrow the field a bit but I will take it, as it doesn't happen often enough.

Special thanks to Tristan for taking some time off from sim-racing :-)