I hope Mark W ("limey" on this board) doesn't mind me posting this. I just thought it was too damn funny not to share.

So some of you may know Mark. He's a great guy despite the fact that he's a Brit (), and I am always jealous that he can drink a beer at lunch without feeling guilty. He started racing a white Civic Si in ITA/NASA and quickly moved to a SM.

So we were at lunch this week with a bunch of THSCC people, and Mark (who had just had a beer) and I got to talking about kids. See, my wife is 5 months pregnant, and he was congratulating me on my, ah, accomplishment. I find out his wife is also pregnant and even further along. Here's how the rest of the conversation went. Read all of Mark's comments in a British accent.

Mark - "Yeah, so, my wife is due in a week." (this was on Wednesday)
Me - "I thought you said you were racing at VIR this weekend".
Mark - "That's right, thought I would go anyways, VIR isn't too far from the hospital. See, I planned it out with the organizers, and if she goes into labor, she'll call up the track and they'll make an announcement on the PA that my wife is having a kid and I am to go to Durham Regional Hospital right away."
Me - spits out drink...

I guess he will have to decide whether to unhook the tow rig or just drive the race car straight to the hospital in full gear. That would be about the best excuse for speeding in an unlicensed car that the cops would have ever heard

for Mark and to a happy and healthy baby.

Mike (who hasn't thought much about W2W racing since the wife got pregnant)

 

lol.

On a more serious note. I guess it all depends on what kind of father and husband you are. If you can give 110% at the house then I guess its ok to give 110% at the track.

It creeps me out thinking of how I would die if I wasn't at the hospital when my wife gives birth. And I think Im a 110% kinda guy.

 

Number 337 on the list of reasons that we aren't having babies. Don't get me wrong - there IS a list of reasons TO have kids. It has six items on it, including Christmas morning, cute fleece hats, and the carpool lane...

K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Number 337 on the list of reasons that we aren't having babies. K</TD></TR></TABLE>

HAHAHA My wife and I are up to #2569 not to have kids. I though we were the only ones keeping track! Sooo funny to hear that we're not the only ones!

Whitney--- hope everything works out well with the wife and the kid is healthy as healty can be.

--KC

 

A few friends from Durham came to visit last weekend with their 1 yo. His name was Graham. I called him Hurricane Graham, because after he left, the house was a wreck and we needed FEMA assistance.

No f-ing way I'm cut out for kids. It took 2 people to watch him at EVERY WAKING MOMENT: 1 to keep him out of trouble, the other to clean up the mess when person #1 got distracted for 5 seconds.


Modified by MaddMatt at 8:39 AM 10/24/2003


Modified by MaddMatt at 9:37 AM 10/24/2003

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RangerDan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I guess it all depends on what kind of father and husband you are.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I find this particular subject to be very interesting as it is near and dear to my heart. Yet I find it difficult to comment on one family's approach vs. another family's, let alone my own family's arrangement, because the only people that these "agreements," "arrangements," or "understandings" need to make sense to and to satisfy the particular needs, wants, values, dreams, and aspiriations for are the two parents it involves and affects directly. Beyond that, we're simply passing judgment. Not trying to wax righteous here because, for me, I know I wouldn't be comfortable committing to a weekend of racing on my wife's due date, but that's me. More power to you if you're able to race and make it to the birth of your baby on the same day. Should make for a good story, too.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by whitney &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Mike (who hasn't thought much about W2W racing since the wife got pregnant)</TD></TR></TABLE>

And wait, the pregnancy part is easy. It's the next 6 months that really suck donkey butt.
After going through this twice (I've got two girls, 4 and 1.5) I have developped the utopian, perfect way to have kids (for men):
- get wife pregnant
- move out of the house - work assignment overseas would be a great excuse
- wait 9 months and show up for the delivery
- go away for another 6 months ("finding yourself", in Nepal, maybe good here)
- move back in - and enjoy a baby that probably sleeps through the night, and that you can actually interact with.

IF you're still alive, and married, you got it made. Well, like I said, it is a utopia. Kids are awesome, but as Poe (the pop-singer chick, not Edgar Allan) so acurately said: "There's nothing more sadistic than an infant." Enjoy.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SJR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
And wait, the pregnancy part is easy. It's the next 6 months that really suck donkey butt.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I can vouch for this. I'm working on month 3 now. I think the 'whites' of my eyes are about 40% compared with 60% red veins.

 

Kids rarely arrive on their due dates. You might as well race. My first daughter (I have three, 3-9yrs, sucking from the teet of the racing budget) was born just over 24 hours after the last race of the season. The wife was at the track waddling all over the place. All three kids have been at the track within weeks before and after their births.

I barely made it to birthing class one summer. My attendance at the class was very high on wifes priorities. Qualifying was running late and was very high on my priorities (its not like the baby was coming). I ran qualifying and as I was exiting the track had a quick shift in priorities when I realized my wife is going to be the only one there without a partner. This would be a racing CLM. I Paddocked the car, jumped out like it was on fire, jumped in my street rig with suit and helmet on, and left the track. I successfully changed out of the racing gear and into street clothes while speeding down the highway and arrived, to see my wife glare, 5 minutes late.
She still reminds me about this to this day, nine and half years later.

Rick

 

Interesting subject....there's no such thing!

Since this all relates to procreation and how to deal with the resulting offspring, I'll get a little autobiographical since I've been living this dilemna since July 20, 1996, when my son was born. It got worse on October 7, 1997, when my daughter hatched. Yup, irish twins!

Now that they are 7 and 6, I can honestly say it was easier to deal with a racing season when they were smaller and littler. They don't have weekend activities of their own at the diaper stage. My local auto-x's are mostly Saturday events, and what with little league and football going on spring and fall, I think I've made 2.

Also, when they do come to an event, you long for the days of just needing a stroller and playpen. Lets see, bikes for both, Game Boy stuff for the him, dollies for the her, activity books, etc. etc. One reason I bought a rolling house to use as a tow vehicle.

Another random thought: when they're babies, they just cry. When they're bigger, they talk back.

Actually, I'm probably coming off crankier than I really am about being a dad. My kids are great, and are now at the age where all the labor and effort my wife and I have put into parenting is starting to pay off. The big one is really looking forward to running the jr. kart that is already in the garage. That should help me out with excuses to getting out and playing more.

 

There is a difference between living and existing. Figure out which one you want to do, and be happy with it.

My wife and I were so adamantly opposed to children. Then there were some life changing events that made us both take stock and look at what's important. I basically have the rest of my life to goof off on track. My wife's child bearing years are numbered. That is how I make the two (very) different lifestlyles co-exist. This was obviously what worked for us. Each couple is going to have to strike a balance between absentee fathering (or mothering) and sacrifice of their own personal pursuits. Whether it be career, racing, or anything that takes up your time

 

Thats really funny!!
Thanks for the laugh I needed that after a long bad day.

 

I think this is another great thread

it gives me a really good perspective of how racers live their daily lives

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Mike (who hasn't thought much about W2W racing since the wife got pregnant)
</TD></TR></TABLE>

[Jedi mind trick] You will give Matt your Civic... [/Jedi mind trick]

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by preparedcivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Interesting subject....there's no such thing!

Since this all relates to procreation and how to deal with the resulting offspring, I'll get a little autobiographical since I've been living this dilemna since July 20, 1996, when my son was born. It got worse on October 7, 1997, when my daughter hatched. Yup, irish twins!

Now that they are 7 and 6, I can honestly say it was easier to deal with a racing season when they were smaller and littler. They don't have weekend activities of their own at the diaper stage. My local auto-x's are mostly Saturday events, and what with little league and football going on spring and fall, I think I've made 2.

Also, when they do come to an event, you long for the days of just needing a stroller and playpen. Lets see, bikes for both, Game Boy stuff for the him, dollies for the her, activity books, etc. etc. One reason I bought a rolling house to use as a tow vehicle.

Another random thought: when they're babies, they just cry. When they're bigger, they talk back.

Actually, I'm probably coming off crankier than I really am about being a dad. My kids are great, and are now at the age where all the labor and effort my wife and I have put into parenting is starting to pay off. The big one is really looking forward to running the jr. kart that is already in the garage. That should help me out with excuses to getting out and playing more.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks Rob. It's a realistic approach that I have seen you and your wife perform as parents firsthand, and I will use it as inspiration in the coming months of pregnancy and fatherhood.

Anthony "Mario" Crea

 

So glad I saw this post.

I don't race yet. (1 or 2 years away) I'm still in my early learning years as such. But, there are so many times that my Wife and I feel almost guilty when people ask "So when are YOU going to have kids?" Mostly from my parents (who gave up years ago) and other friends of ours that are reproducing like rabbits and living vicariously through people such as ourselves.

Just because you CAN reproduce Doesn't mean you MUST!

I am 32 and my wife will be 30 shortly, and although we have never said that we will NEVER have children. Having them has just never been a preoccupation. Careers (following mine for the most part) has many times in the past consumed our ability to even afford children, let alone offer us enough free time to think of spending those fleeting moments raising them.

My wife sums it up best; "Honey, you work very hard and play just as hard. And you just about love every minute of both. You are a passionate person, your career and sport are passions that take alot of devotion." More so, I love that my wife has begun to follow me to the track and act as support, for video, food, and however she can assist. She also ironically enough enjoys this. She likes spending the time with me (again fleeting moments) but, during the day when I am out during sessions, she will balance her time between support, and just meandering through the local towns and areas. Looking for places to shop, places for us to fuel up and have good meals and drink to talk about the day and our days ahead.

Is there a balance? Yes.

But, for this balance there must be Major Compromise and that Special person. Because I clearly remember one of my instructors in conversation at over 100 MPH,"So what does your wife do when you do this?" I said "She's here today and loves it, heck she even said to make sure that we come back to this particular track again next season, maybe even twice!" (This track being Watkin's Glen.)

"Well then," He said, "You've got a keeper, most of us don't have wives or family that come close to understanding or being supportive. Heck most of our wives send us off thinking that this is all a guys thing."

Of course this was his take but, ya gotta admit ya rarely see many women around a track. Heck Autocross was boring as Hell for her (I think she did it once or twice with me but, she resolved to never again for fear of falling asleep into a coma before I got all my runs in.)

The track thing has more family appeal. But It isn't for everyone.

Just like driving the way we do and or learning how to, Just isn't for everyone. Which goes back to what I said about having kids and feeling obligated to reproduce, Just because you can doesn't mean you must.

But, I like it that way.

I guess I'm just very lucky

Thank you Jeanette.

 

reason #1 for kids: karting

 

Mike, no problem at all posting this, in fact I was thinking about to posting something about the "racing-family balance" subject myself. Luckily, the baby didn’t arrive this weekend (although early last week he dropped down into the “launch position" – so it’s anytime now), and I got in some excellent racing in both the SARRC and Carolina Cup races in rather damp conditions. A little more on that later…..

Anyway, to address the subject, everyone knows that racing will eat up your time and money at a rapid rate of knots, so you really need to have an agreement worked out with your spouse - plan ahead and don't spring any surprises on them. The way we work it is that any time I take out for racing, she gets back to do what she wants with the time, and I get to do something with my 4 year old son. That way, the time I missed hanging out with him when I’m racing I get back when it’s her “weekend off”. However, I do tend to get several extra days on her so she’s probably likely to be taking a weeks vacation with friends next year to catch up – fine with me, she deserves it. When my son is old enough, and assuming he’s going to be interested, he’ll be with me at the races. He’ll certainly be owing me by then! And with another pit crew member on the way, I’ll be set in like, 15 years time?! Of course by then I’ll be to old and decrepid to race and will probably be crewing for them…….

As far as the races went, on Saturday I qualified 24th out of 48 for the SARRC and about 8th from last for the Carolina Cup race in a 40 or so car field (I tried to run a ridiculously low fuel load and had fuel starvation problems). So Sunday rolls around and the dark clouds are looming on the horizon. About 10 minutes prior to the start of the SARRC race we get a light rain, so I opt to keep the shaved tires on. We grid up, light rain is still falling. I get a good start and get past a couple of cars into turn 1. It was pretty greasy, but hey, I’m from England and am used to driving on wet roads! So, I romp several more cars in the first 2 laps and get into a groove. Then it starts raining more heavily. Running, well I should say, hydroplaning, at 110 mph down the front straight a foot off the rear bumper of the car in front (the spray was so bad you literally had about 20 ft. visibility) was absolutely mental, but for some reason I didn’t have the heart to lift. Then the car started missing at high rpm and I suspected I was sucking H2O up the intake. The car would intermittantly pull to redline, but most of the time I was stort shifting as I only had 5K rpm to play with. Hydroplaned off at turn 1, but apart from that I managed to keep her off the green stuff – just. Finished as I started in 24th place. After drying out the intake and modifying it, it was time for the Carolina Cup race (45 min. race). The rain had eased to a drizzle and the track was drying somewhat. It made for a faster race, although still slick as hell in turn 5 and at the top of the Esses (made that turn a little "dodgy" as the Esses were almost flat out for some reason). The car would pull cleanly to 7K so I had a pretty good race, finishing 19th overall, 1st in ITA, even after doing a 3-way, syncronised, 360 degree spin with an ITB escort and an IT7 car. There was more carnage in this race, a buddy who runs an ITS TR8 got his bell rung after hitting the wall track left after that blind left-hander at the top of the Esses, and several SM’s were picking fights with one another.

All in all a pretty good weekend out – can’t wait for next year.

Cheers, Limey

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RangerDan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">lol.

On a more serious note. I guess it all depends on what kind of father and husband you are. If you can give 110% at the house then I guess its ok to give 110% at the track.

It creeps me out thinking of how I would die if I wasn't at the hospital when my wife gives birth. And I think Im a 110% kinda guy.</TD></TR></TABLE>


I dunno..i'm kinda glad i wasn't there at the time of my daughter's birth, but that's just me. I worry too much, anxiety sux.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SJR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

And wait, the pregnancy part is easy. It's the next 6 months that really suck donkey butt.
After going through this twice (I've got two girls, 4 and 1.5) I have developped the utopian, perfect way to have kids (for men):
- get wife pregnant
- move out of the house - work assignment overseas would be a great excuse
- wait 9 months and show up for the delivery
- go away for another 6 months ("finding yourself", in Nepal, maybe good here)
- move back in - and enjoy a baby that probably sleeps through the night, and that you can actually interact with.

IF you're still alive, and married, you got it made. Well, like I said, it is a utopia. Kids are awesome, but as Poe (the pop-singer chick, not Edgar Allan) so acurately said: "There's nothing more sadistic than an infant." Enjoy. </TD></TR></TABLE>


PERFECT ASSESSMENT!! LMAO!! I was lucky to find a girl that has no problem doing more than her share. heck, i work 60+ hours a week, and i felt like a loser compared to her. She works 30 hours/week (worked 60 hours a week until last 2 weeks, and she work 40 hours until the day she delivered), she just started college for the FIRST SEMESTER (she's 22), and still finds the time to take care of the baby...talk about a winner .
Finding a good woman is the hardest task in life, even harder than being happy (cuz being happy with someone else CAN be much more difficult than just tolerating yourself)..

good luck with the babies, everyone. I hope you guys still find time to run NASA, i'm pondering the 2004 season here in texas (if it goes through).

 

Mark must have the most accommodating wife on the face of the planet.