Well, fall is finally upon us and that means show season is finally over with. I've been AWOL for quite sometime so I assume an update of sorts is definitely overdue.
The past week was hectic as all hell while Kate and I prepared for the last show of the season in Ocean City, MD. Last minute details and what not got the best of me and I guess it took it's toll on my body as I got sick as soon as I passed over the MD line and it kicked my ass all the way to Sunday morning when I finally started feeling better.
I must say, when you feel like absolute shite, you can't swallow due to a swollen set of tonsils and all you want to do is sleep, but when you get to spoon with yer GF and it suddenly makes you feel better, it makes you appreciate yer better half. Friday night when I was feeling my worst, kate and I went to the supermarket, got ingredients for grilled cheeses and soup and went home and cooked. I know that is fairly boring but it really was nice to feel "at home" hundreds of miles away from yer real home. I dunno, I guess it was just a little thing like that that made me love her even more.
The weekend was awesome though. The missus and I rented a FANTASTIC place that was far away from the crazy parties in town and was about 3 blocks away from where all of our friends were renting houses as well. Sooo, thanks to kate's perfect ability to surf craigslist, we got a three bedroom house in the middle of the woods with a porch, enclosed sunroom etc etc for 250$ for the whole weekend.
We drove both of the girls down and didn't have any issues getting to the ocean which was a plus. It was also nice to get there a day early because Friday was spent working on the final touches on one of our friends cabby (who took first place I might add) and generally lazing around the house like a real married couple.
Saturday we spent it driving around to various get togethers and cruising up and down the strip. At one of the final get togethers, we ran into an old friend from way back in the day who had flown in from Arizona just for the show and we offered up a room for him to stay. It was really nice introducing kate to some old buddies and catching up on funny stories.
Sunday, we rushed to the show bright and early and set up the car and tent and frantically cleaned for judging but we knew as soon as we got there that we were outgunned by the other competition. The car next to us was completely torn down and repainted with fresh paint and brand new parts so it put a pretty dark disheartening cloud over my shoulders for an hour or so until I just shrugged it off and decided to just have fun at the show.
Kate and I walked around the show handing out our stickers for the jkrate.com site (coming soon) and talking to new friends we had met over the web over the past several months. Betty got LOADS of attention and even got shot by the PVW camera jockys which made my day as well!
We went to the VW booth where there was something called a carfessional. Essentially, VW took a new limo-tinted jetta and hooked it up with wifi, a camera and a massive video screen in the dash. The tv would talk to you and you would have two minutes to say whatever you wanted to VW and they would then possibly use it in a commercial.
So, kate and I decided to do what any couple would do, we crawled into the back seat and made out for 120 seconds. The look on the VW guy's face was priceless as we crawled out of the back doors when our time was up and casually walked away from the car.
Betty didn't even place at the show and definitely humbled my beliefs that she was a top dog show winner but it taught me a lesson and I now know the difference between winning a local show and winning one of the nations largest shows. If we intend to win anything at this show again, we are definitely going to need to step things up MANY more notches. All in due time I guess. I came away with a lot of inspiration, many new friends and all in all a stronger love for the VW brand once again.
Betty will probably be put up for sale this winter. Hopefully she will go to a great home but for right now, it's just not in our budget to take her to the next level. I'm sure there is someone out there with the means to really make her shine but it's not in the cards for Kate and I. That and I have the bug for an older VW and maybe cleaning up that Speedster now =)
All in all it was a great time. The drive home was awesome while we were escorted by several other dubbers along the way and kate and I even got to mess around with a soccermom in a Merc SUV who was quite possibly the worst driver of all time. AT one point on the bridge, she cut off kate so I, of course, sped up around the two cars, severely cut off the Merc and Kate then came around both of us so we were in front again. Highway justice I say ;)
Waking up without kate is totally lame though. Time to put a rock on that dame's finger...
The past week was hectic as all hell while Kate and I prepared for the last show of the season in Ocean City, MD. Last minute details and what not got the best of me and I guess it took it's toll on my body as I got sick as soon as I passed over the MD line and it kicked my ass all the way to Sunday morning when I finally started feeling better.
I must say, when you feel like absolute shite, you can't swallow due to a swollen set of tonsils and all you want to do is sleep, but when you get to spoon with yer GF and it suddenly makes you feel better, it makes you appreciate yer better half. Friday night when I was feeling my worst, kate and I went to the supermarket, got ingredients for grilled cheeses and soup and went home and cooked. I know that is fairly boring but it really was nice to feel "at home" hundreds of miles away from yer real home. I dunno, I guess it was just a little thing like that that made me love her even more.
The weekend was awesome though. The missus and I rented a FANTASTIC place that was far away from the crazy parties in town and was about 3 blocks away from where all of our friends were renting houses as well. Sooo, thanks to kate's perfect ability to surf craigslist, we got a three bedroom house in the middle of the woods with a porch, enclosed sunroom etc etc for 250$ for the whole weekend.
We drove both of the girls down and didn't have any issues getting to the ocean which was a plus. It was also nice to get there a day early because Friday was spent working on the final touches on one of our friends cabby (who took first place I might add) and generally lazing around the house like a real married couple.
Saturday we spent it driving around to various get togethers and cruising up and down the strip. At one of the final get togethers, we ran into an old friend from way back in the day who had flown in from Arizona just for the show and we offered up a room for him to stay. It was really nice introducing kate to some old buddies and catching up on funny stories.
Sunday, we rushed to the show bright and early and set up the car and tent and frantically cleaned for judging but we knew as soon as we got there that we were outgunned by the other competition. The car next to us was completely torn down and repainted with fresh paint and brand new parts so it put a pretty dark disheartening cloud over my shoulders for an hour or so until I just shrugged it off and decided to just have fun at the show.
Kate and I walked around the show handing out our stickers for the jkrate.com site (coming soon) and talking to new friends we had met over the web over the past several months. Betty got LOADS of attention and even got shot by the PVW camera jockys which made my day as well!
We went to the VW booth where there was something called a carfessional. Essentially, VW took a new limo-tinted jetta and hooked it up with wifi, a camera and a massive video screen in the dash. The tv would talk to you and you would have two minutes to say whatever you wanted to VW and they would then possibly use it in a commercial.
So, kate and I decided to do what any couple would do, we crawled into the back seat and made out for 120 seconds. The look on the VW guy's face was priceless as we crawled out of the back doors when our time was up and casually walked away from the car.
Betty didn't even place at the show and definitely humbled my beliefs that she was a top dog show winner but it taught me a lesson and I now know the difference between winning a local show and winning one of the nations largest shows. If we intend to win anything at this show again, we are definitely going to need to step things up MANY more notches. All in due time I guess. I came away with a lot of inspiration, many new friends and all in all a stronger love for the VW brand once again.
Betty will probably be put up for sale this winter. Hopefully she will go to a great home but for right now, it's just not in our budget to take her to the next level. I'm sure there is someone out there with the means to really make her shine but it's not in the cards for Kate and I. That and I have the bug for an older VW and maybe cleaning up that Speedster now =)
All in all it was a great time. The drive home was awesome while we were escorted by several other dubbers along the way and kate and I even got to mess around with a soccermom in a Merc SUV who was quite possibly the worst driver of all time. AT one point on the bridge, she cut off kate so I, of course, sped up around the two cars, severely cut off the Merc and Kate then came around both of us so we were in front again. Highway justice I say ;)
Waking up without kate is totally lame though. Time to put a rock on that dame's finger...
Sorry I didn't make breakfast Sunday morning. Matt/Phil decided to put this weird crack energy supliment in their beers and ended up screaming spanish gibberish until 5 in the morning and it made sleeping rather difficult... well, I'm sure you know how the Ocean Voyager is.