Forget that stupid Miley Cryus song,
Today was the American Lung Assoc' stair climb at the Presidential towers downtown. Now I have Run marathons, Done Tri's, Ridden 120 mile on a bike in a day, done kayak races, Bike races, and Race snowmobiles but this was tough! I'm not sure why this was so hard. But the breathing was intense. As i got though the first 40 flights my chest was tighter than Lisa Dents wallet!
Out of all the stuff I have done this was by far the toughest.
More on the event tomorrow.
RR
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Racing, Obama, and Waterparks!
Spent this past weekend watching some friends race at the Lake Geneva snow cross, It basically young kids doing crap on sleds that defies explanation. then the crazies that can pull back flips? really? When you think about the size of a snowmobile, the rotating mass of a track, and being able to flip it? that's nuts. It takes youth, practice, broken bones, large kahonies, and an athlete to do that. and the money? unless your top 3 in the pro's its not worth it!
Thanks to all of you that voted for the great Barack. this guy has no concept of his Nancy Pelosi run circus. If you rely on these people to improve your life you have none. Most hard working men and women will work thru June this year just to pay taxes to bigger Government. And its not just me, He has forgot his Black constituents to the point that there was a summit in Chicago this weekend among many respected leaders of the African American community. We all have a right to expect one to keep his promises. He has done nothing. And the hope is gone.
Well its that time of year again, the time of year when my wife and kids head to the Wisconsin Dells. Why would anyone do this? lets float in the lazy river and grab an ear infection or two. I will admits the rides are a hoot but my God, Its a small fortune. She could go to Florida for less! But the kids like it and that's all that matters. I think they like to go without me cuz I always complain that the whole whoring out of that part of the Wisconsin river is a sin. Its one of the most geological fascinating parts of my favorite state yet its all been lost to Jelly Stone parks and the water slides. Oh and fudge and go-karts. For me its just depressing. I look out the window at a Wisconsin that's lacking snow, Usually I would still be riding sleds this time of year, But due to global warming from water parks and fudge machines, The snow no longer lasts up north!
Happy Spring
RR
Thanks to all of you that voted for the great Barack. this guy has no concept of his Nancy Pelosi run circus. If you rely on these people to improve your life you have none. Most hard working men and women will work thru June this year just to pay taxes to bigger Government. And its not just me, He has forgot his Black constituents to the point that there was a summit in Chicago this weekend among many respected leaders of the African American community. We all have a right to expect one to keep his promises. He has done nothing. And the hope is gone.
Well its that time of year again, the time of year when my wife and kids head to the Wisconsin Dells. Why would anyone do this? lets float in the lazy river and grab an ear infection or two. I will admits the rides are a hoot but my God, Its a small fortune. She could go to Florida for less! But the kids like it and that's all that matters. I think they like to go without me cuz I always complain that the whole whoring out of that part of the Wisconsin river is a sin. Its one of the most geological fascinating parts of my favorite state yet its all been lost to Jelly Stone parks and the water slides. Oh and fudge and go-karts. For me its just depressing. I look out the window at a Wisconsin that's lacking snow, Usually I would still be riding sleds this time of year, But due to global warming from water parks and fudge machines, The snow no longer lasts up north!
Happy Spring
RR
Saturday, March 13, 2010
So long Uncle Joe.
Yesterday I drove to the lake shore town of Port Washington Wisconsin. Home of the Fazios. This had been one of the places my family and I went to as kids to visit Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Joe. Now these two family's have gone there separate ways as the kids (4 in our family 8 in the Fazios) found their paths in life.
To try and blog about My dad and Uncle Joe is near impossible there is just not enough space in the Internet for story's that have become legend, My dad never really had a close relationship with his brother George. I think he tried but as some brothers , and as some friends part ways over their life Dad and George just were two very different people. Dad was always good on his word, and you couldn't find a harder worker anywhere. George he was just kinda along for the ride. (nothing wrong with that either). But to be close to big Ray you needed to earn your way to his soul, hard word, and payback on your word was a necessity.
My Mom ,and what I would call her closest sister, aunt Lorraine is How my dad and Joe met. funny how when you're a kid you don't know how things work, My Uncle Joe was just always part of the family landscape. You go to weddings birthday party's, camping, fishing, and there just family. always around. Well as time goes on you drift from the kids, That's cuz we have to grow, we find our way. We move on but we always keep the memories. Sure we stay close to our brother and sisters, and we form the next Fazios and Stejskals. But when your in Illinois and there in Wisconsin you cant help but drift apart. Its the way of the world.
The friendship and legend of my dad and uncle Joe is just nuts, My Dad and Joe would hunt, Fish and they would drink like no two men I would ever meet in my life. They got in fights (not with each other) and my Dad would get his ass kicked while Joe an Italian bad ass right down to the core could whip three guys at a time. they at times worked together, And my two favorite storeys of all.....The one where Dad and Joe got so mad at each other that they actually grabbed their hunting rifles and were going to duel like two cowboys. (keep in mind this is a long time ago the late 50's maybe early 60's) Mom and aunt Lorr always joke they should have let them shoot each other.
The other is when they were going to a bachelor party and driving down 31st street in Brookfield at a high rate of speed, It was a little late at night and Joe didn't feel the need to stop at the stop signs. They were supposed to be home by midnight, Or I should say that was their curfew. Well according to some accounts it was around 4a.m. .As they blowing through stop signs my dad (I'm sure as clam as he always is), says to Joe "you gonna stop at any of these stop signs?" The reply: "what the hell for we can stop tomorrow".
Through the years the boys grew up, Both went to AA and both quit drinking. Over the past few years I would always see Joe and Lorraine at mom and dads place in Northern Wisconsin. Funny how we would just sit and talk, I love a good story and a story teller. I think its part of how guy like me can make a living though something as silly as a speaker. My dad and Joe tell/told great story's. but as I look back now they were story's of a bond. A love. A friendship born out of two guys who hooked up with two girls. How cool is that?
The end result in these two men, is what they will leave or have left behind, two family's with many kids, grand kids and great grand kids. The way they grew to be there for their kids every need, at any time. and doing it when they had no or Little money.Both self made, hard working men. two guys cut from a moment in time when your worked, and failure wasn't an option. the end result is an American success story.
As I walked up to pay my respects to Joe, I tried my best to not try be too emotional. It had been a week since he passed, and I didn't want to do that to Nancy, Lorrie, Dawn,Cindy, Jenny, Joe Jr, Billy, Or Micheal. But here was a guy who never in my life said a bad word to me, and trust me in the scope of the bigger family picture, I was kind of an outlaw. (The family part that resides around Chicago? some think that I was a little to wild back in the day and they had some opinions as to how they felt) Not Joe he was just Joe and I think that's why my dad and him were such great buds.
As I said my goodbyes I couldn't hold it in. And its not that BS that we think of our own mortality crap. It was because I was thinking of my Dad. Big Ray didn't make the funeral due to the fact that he was is in Florida with my mom. They had stopped to see Joe just about a week before he passed. He was glad he did. I think he said his goodbyes there. I think the boys knew.....
It was at that point that I knew that as I was saying goodbye to Joe a big piece of my Dad was there with him. and when they closed the coffin we said goodbye to a little bit of both of them.
See you on the other side Uncle Joe.
To try and blog about My dad and Uncle Joe is near impossible there is just not enough space in the Internet for story's that have become legend, My dad never really had a close relationship with his brother George. I think he tried but as some brothers , and as some friends part ways over their life Dad and George just were two very different people. Dad was always good on his word, and you couldn't find a harder worker anywhere. George he was just kinda along for the ride. (nothing wrong with that either). But to be close to big Ray you needed to earn your way to his soul, hard word, and payback on your word was a necessity.
My Mom ,and what I would call her closest sister, aunt Lorraine is How my dad and Joe met. funny how when you're a kid you don't know how things work, My Uncle Joe was just always part of the family landscape. You go to weddings birthday party's, camping, fishing, and there just family. always around. Well as time goes on you drift from the kids, That's cuz we have to grow, we find our way. We move on but we always keep the memories. Sure we stay close to our brother and sisters, and we form the next Fazios and Stejskals. But when your in Illinois and there in Wisconsin you cant help but drift apart. Its the way of the world.
The friendship and legend of my dad and uncle Joe is just nuts, My Dad and Joe would hunt, Fish and they would drink like no two men I would ever meet in my life. They got in fights (not with each other) and my Dad would get his ass kicked while Joe an Italian bad ass right down to the core could whip three guys at a time. they at times worked together, And my two favorite storeys of all.....The one where Dad and Joe got so mad at each other that they actually grabbed their hunting rifles and were going to duel like two cowboys. (keep in mind this is a long time ago the late 50's maybe early 60's) Mom and aunt Lorr always joke they should have let them shoot each other.
The other is when they were going to a bachelor party and driving down 31st street in Brookfield at a high rate of speed, It was a little late at night and Joe didn't feel the need to stop at the stop signs. They were supposed to be home by midnight, Or I should say that was their curfew. Well according to some accounts it was around 4a.m. .As they blowing through stop signs my dad (I'm sure as clam as he always is), says to Joe "you gonna stop at any of these stop signs?" The reply: "what the hell for we can stop tomorrow".
Through the years the boys grew up, Both went to AA and both quit drinking. Over the past few years I would always see Joe and Lorraine at mom and dads place in Northern Wisconsin. Funny how we would just sit and talk, I love a good story and a story teller. I think its part of how guy like me can make a living though something as silly as a speaker. My dad and Joe tell/told great story's. but as I look back now they were story's of a bond. A love. A friendship born out of two guys who hooked up with two girls. How cool is that?
The end result in these two men, is what they will leave or have left behind, two family's with many kids, grand kids and great grand kids. The way they grew to be there for their kids every need, at any time. and doing it when they had no or Little money.Both self made, hard working men. two guys cut from a moment in time when your worked, and failure wasn't an option. the end result is an American success story.
As I walked up to pay my respects to Joe, I tried my best to not try be too emotional. It had been a week since he passed, and I didn't want to do that to Nancy, Lorrie, Dawn,Cindy, Jenny, Joe Jr, Billy, Or Micheal. But here was a guy who never in my life said a bad word to me, and trust me in the scope of the bigger family picture, I was kind of an outlaw. (The family part that resides around Chicago? some think that I was a little to wild back in the day and they had some opinions as to how they felt) Not Joe he was just Joe and I think that's why my dad and him were such great buds.
As I said my goodbyes I couldn't hold it in. And its not that BS that we think of our own mortality crap. It was because I was thinking of my Dad. Big Ray didn't make the funeral due to the fact that he was is in Florida with my mom. They had stopped to see Joe just about a week before he passed. He was glad he did. I think he said his goodbyes there. I think the boys knew.....
It was at that point that I knew that as I was saying goodbye to Joe a big piece of my Dad was there with him. and when they closed the coffin we said goodbye to a little bit of both of them.
See you on the other side Uncle Joe.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Ramblin Raycing!
Getting ready to race at Lake Holcoumb Wisconsin
Well, We took the #224 Goodwin-Ramblin Raycing Moto-Ski to the race track this past Saturday.
The results, Not too bad for my first race. I have raced before on what you would call "cross country" and that was back in the mid 90s. This past Saturday was a test of sorts. A test to see if I still had some race left in me. And a test to see if all the work (and money) in this sled paid off.
I guess I would say it was a success, I came in 4Th out of 6 in both my races, The first was just me getting used to the sled, the second race I got it! I took the hole shot and actually drove the sled. The first race the sled drove me.
I think I would have come in second in race two, But in the final lap in turn two I was run across by another sled and had to back out of the gas. But I was right there. within striking distance. And that's when I had my Epiphany that I was hooked, that I have the ability, and that this is my new passion.
When the guy who finished in front of me told me "I knew you were there, I could hear you" that did it. I was pretty nervous before the race, I wasn't worried about me. I just wanted to run a clean race and not get into anyone. These guys put a lot of time in these machines (and cash) And I didn't want to get in the way.
Thanks to Brad Miller for all his help. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be out there, Thanks to Kurt Krueger as well. These guys are what Friends and sportsmanship are all about!
We hit it again this week in Minnesota! I will keep you posted!
RR
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