Okay, this page is a journal of my thoughts on anything from the car to world events to just plain BS! Basically, it's my opinions page. And if you don't like it, well, that's your opinion! I will periodically update this page. And since I got laid off recently, I now have the time to mess with it! So here goes...
March 22, 2003: I had a great time at MSR in the Subaru Track event on March 15th. Thanks to Steve Harvey and his wife and group for putting on a great event. And what an event it was. Check it out on the Pictures/Racing section! I even won a case of Amsoil oil, Octane Booster and some hats. I think that's about a $60+ prize. Not bad for the $95 entrance fee. Thanks to Ches Cain and Amsoil! (Although I would have liked to have also won the rims, the paintless dent removal or a free track day!) Oh well! I had fun at the track and felt I did very well after I got help after my first open session. After I found out how to take certain areas I was having trouble with I was able to suprise some of these turbo Scooby guys. :) I am itching to go again! This was so much fun and a huge adrenaline rush! It's been about two years since my last track event at Sears Point (aka: Infineon Raceway).
I'd also like to thank my wife and baby for hanging out all day even though you guys were bored stiff! hehe! I love you baby! Also, thanks to Mark and Diane for trekking out to the track with us! I promise to get better directions to the next event! ;) And to Chris, Migs and Matt for showing up too!
Oh yeah, on April 12th, my Bro Reid and Vic are coming out to visit us! That'll be really fun and it'll be great to see them again. Now we just need to figure out what the heck we are going to do to entertain them! hehe! We'll think of something! Plus, Reid is supposed to bring my new header so we'll have something to do, at least for one evening! Thanks again for visiting and listening to my BS!
February 22, 2003: I'm very excited about the Scooby track event on March 15th! I'll be the only Honda there. But what's so cool is that it started out as a track only event and has bloomed into a full on EVENT! Prizes, seminars, mini car show, sponsors and so on. This will be fun! I'll post pics and stuff! Wish me luck running with all those scoobies! Although, I believe there will be a Supra and 2 Miatas running too, so I won't feel all alone! hehe! Check out the link to the event on the Intro page and come on out to see everything!
June 22, 2002: Yeah, I know, it's been a while. I got my tranny and front end fixed along with the hood. I was considering trading the car for a '00 A4 1.8T but after conferring with my wife we decided not to. Oh well.
June 20th was my baby's first birthday! She's still a munchkin knucklehead but she is the reason I live and breathe. It's amazing how fast they grow up, as cliche as that sounds. It's all true! It doesn't seem like a year. Pretty soon I'll have been in Texas for a year as well! This stuff blows my mind!
I was reading an article on street racing in the Observer. Interesting read but I found it idiotic that the people in the article gave their complete names.
Plus, with the media, a couple idiots race on a busy street and crash, possibly killing some people and themselves, and it is the fault of all import drivers in the country. When, in fact, most of the street races (which are actually semi-organized) occur on empty wherehouse streets really late at night away from the busy streets. I'm not saying it's right but it's not like the media portrays it.
Another example I got from a friend would be the meets (not races) that would occur near 635 in Dallas somewhere. A bunch of guys would get together and show off their rides. No biggie! But across the street a robbery attempt occurred and the robber just happened to run to where the meet was. He was captured but in the eyes of the cops and media, somehow the car guys that meet suddenly became street racers and thugs or gangs looking for trouble. No more meets there for a while. Cops will just harass you. It's almost comical how the media will skew things to make a story.
Oh well, enough of my bitching and ranting. I'm standing down from my soapbox. Have a good week until I decide to update this section again! One day... hehe!
November 1, 2001: Wow, another update! It only took me a few weeks this time! Well, I met a few guys here that seem to be pretty cool. They are into helping each other with fixing cars, meets, and so on. Not just street racing only! I set up a DAAE (Dallas Area Auto Enthusiasts) Yahoogroups and I'll have to link it to my site one day. hehe!
As for me, I'm okay. I still want a WRX or something like that. I'm getting old and I need a 4 door for the baby. Boost and a baby seat! That would be cool/funny!
Nothing much is going on right now. I am setting up my garage little by little. I saw the work desk/station I want at Loews(sp?). It'll fit perfectly in the spot I want and I can finally have a place to mess with things instead of on the ground or a make-shift table top.
My wife and baby flew out here for a few days. It was great! Ariel didn't really recognize me for the first few days which was a little heart breaking. But I kinda knew it was coming seeing that I see her only once a month! Ack!!! But by Saturday, the day before they were to return to SF, she was daddy's little girl again! They are the loves of my life! I do everything for them cuz they mean so much! I really miss them! I can't wait to see them again! I'm planning to go back home one day soon and probably go snowboarding in Tahoe with some friends! That's something I won;t be doing here in flat-ass Texas! hehe! Oh well, gotta go for now! Thanks for reading my gibberish!
October 13, 2001: It's been even longer. Another update on my so-called life...
I am now working and living in the Dallas area. I am solo for now, that is until my wife and baby finally make the move to Texas. Aurora is finishing school to get her degree so it'll be worth the wait for her. But I really miss them a lot. Ever since the September 11th attacks I can't stop thinking about their safety. I am too far away to be able to do anything if something bad were to happen. That scares me the most. I couldn't go on if I lost them. I just want them to get here and be safe with me so we can be a family again. I love them and miss them soooo much!
I also miss my mom and Bobby. I want them to move here so, one, we'll have someone here just in case we need someone to help us with baby Ariel [read: babysitter! hehe!] and two, because I'd like for my mom to be close since she has cancer. I already lost my dad to cancer in '96. I don't want to feel that way again. Mom, I love you! Get better so you can see your grand kids grow up, and maybe your son too!
The import scene, or what little I have scene so far here in Texas is no where near what Cali has to offer. Then again, it's not exactly the forefront like the West Coast has been for the import scene. There are a lot of domestics and big trucks here. And they all tailgate! Drags and street racing are big here. Although there are a couple road courses I hope to attend someday soon. I do think there is a good opportunity here to open a GOOD import shop. A dyno would be cool too! Not too many out this way. I wish I had the time and money to do so.
I think my enthusiasm for the sport is dying down. Part of it is because I have a kid and partly because I am away from my BAAE guys. We have a good group of guys and gals there in NorCali. I will certainly miss all of them and the help and support I have gotten over the past two years. Can you guys believe it all started in a Good Guys Parking Lot a couple years ago? 90+ members later they have a BAAE 2 year anniversary meet today. Unfortunately I was not able to show. But my spirit will always be there!
I will certainly miss all my friends in the Bay Area. It will always be my home and I will always have a place for all of you in my heart! I have truly "left my heart in San Francisco!"
July 13, 2001: Well, it's been a while since I've updated this site but here goes...
First off, On June 20th, 2001, we became proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, Destiny-Ariel Lorylita Lee. I'll get pics up soon. She was born at UCSF hospital at 6:56am after about 26 minutes of pushing by my wife, Aurora. She was 6lbs, 2ozs and in perfect health. so far she hasn't been too bad at night. She only wakes up a couple time while we are sleeping. Since I work, my wife has been the best and hasn't woken me up much to help her feed or change the baby. Thank you baby! And prior to the baby I didn't think I could cahnge a diaper. But once you have your own baby it's very different. I'm still not too big on the funk and smells but I'm not scared to do it anymore! :P I can not be happier though. Frustrated at times but very happy.
In other news, I am leaving SF to work in New Jersey for a month working for Prudential starting in August. I will leave the wife and baby behind and visit every other weekend. It'll suck big time but the opportunity is too great not to go. Then in September I will move to Dallas, TX permanently. My wife and baby will not be joining me immediately though. She has a couple more classes to finish to get her degree. So after she finishes in Dec, she and the baby will finally move over as well. We are in the process of looking for a new home in the Plano area. It, again, will suck big time but it's something we have to do to make a better life for us. The SF Bay Area is just too expensive and I am having a hard time finding a good job that I like. But my heart will always be in SF!
This also means leaving family and friends behind. I have lived here all my life so leaving won't be easy. It's exciting but not easy. But my sister is already out of state in Maine and my mom is planning to move to AZ of FLA, so I won;t have many close family ties here. It'll be different for my wife though. Her whole family is here. But she reconizes the opportunity in Dallas and knows it's best for us. But i will still be available through email and IM, so I won't be a stranger and I definitely won't be a Cowboy's fan! hehe!
Thanks to all the friend's I have made over the years that have forever changed my life! And thanks to the ImpostR's, BAAE and Honda people in the Bay Area for all their help and friendship! I will surely miss everyone!
April 3, 2001: Tomorrow we go to get a sonogram and hopefully find out the sex of the baby! I can't wait! Couple more months and the baby will be here! As long as the baby is healthy I really don't care what sex it is!
Well, I finally got the ITR exhaust cam in! Not too bad of an install for my first time. But a lot of stuff had to come off to get it installed. And then the valve adjustment was messed up 'cuz I used the wrong size feeler gauge! It was too large! Luckily nothing happened to the engine. I checked the timing this time too. Don't want to run way advanced like I did last time when the CTR cam was installed. The car feels a bit stronger on the butt dyno! Feels like the exhaust flows better now. No back firing probably caused by the backup of exh. gas due to the smaller cam lobe of the GSR cam. I also swapped valve covers over the weekend for Jimmy's Si cover.
April 1, 2001: Well, this is my first entry! First off, I bought my car in Feb, 1999. After much research I chose this car for many factors: reliability, resale value, aftermarket following, warranty and so on. They discontinued the ITR and it's rebirth was only a rumor. So the GSR it was! After talking to helpful and informative guys like Jeff Taylor (LIP) and checking out Geeser's page, the mod bug began to burrow it's way into me! Dan Phan was also very helpful in getting me to learn how to do engine and tranny stuff for the car. He also got me to go racing! Now I am addicted, although still too broke to go again anytime soon! hehe! Also, the BAAE guys (and my ImpostR bro Reid) have kept the love for cars going! Thanks to all you guys/gals for your friendship and help!