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You have been passed by Grandma

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We were all ready to take the car to the track; our first outing in 2013, car all prepped, the Pyalla Command Center (our motor home) all filled with food and drinks, but then I found out that my son-in-law had a commitment and would not be home Saturday night.


The important part was that my Granddaughter, Ella, is about to arrive – there are still three weeks left to the doctor’s estimated due date, but baby is growing fast and by my own estimate could decide to arrive at any moment. I find it very strange that not only do we know that it is a girl, we know her name, and we know what she looks like!

Same time of year, some years ago, I was waiting for my child to arrive – she did, April 27, and only then did I find out she’s a girl! Technology has advanced … so, here is Ella, captured just a few months ago:

Yes, I have always been an overprotective mother, so why should I change now? It wasn’t even a choice; of course I stayed to keep an eye on my very pregnant daughter and to be ready to get her to the hospital should anything happen. After all, it was a weekend about driving fast, so I was prepared to drive fast if there was the need!
I have to admit that I was keeping my iPhone handy to check on Richard’s track progress – as I said, I have overprotective tendencies, and I asked that he text me after each session so that I would know he and the car were both intact. Turned out, they were just fine.
I missed being on the track, I missed the opportunity to drive fast and to learn more. I will keep it up, even if I am a Babcia now (that’s Grandmother in Polish; the other grandparents will be Grandma and Grandpa, I will be Babcia, as my Mother was before me).
OK, enough of this family excitement, I talk about Ella way too much! Back to the car stuff: I think we made the right decision retiring Frankenstein, our supercharged, blue, 2006 Corvette, and switching to use the proper track car, the Z06, even if it is a 2003 and simply red! The car is manual, so you know which gear you will be in when exiting the corner – what a refreshing change after having been upshifted and downshifted (behind your back) by the Frankenstein! It also feels way lighter and now that we put in a proper harness our behinds no longer slide all over the place and our knees are not ruining perfectly fine Bose speakers!
Richard went to Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) this weekend while I was playing Babcia, and he came back all smiles! He loved the track, he loved the car, and the only thing that perhaps kept him from being fully over the moon was that the leadership of NASA suggested that I might make it to HPDE Group 3 before he does!
No, he is not competitive with me, says he, but somehow he did not manage to hide “the look” – but he did proceed to tell me that he is my biggest fan, provided I stop letting everyone pass me just so that they can enjoy their weekend! He asserted that with any future move to group 3 it would be my obligation to enjoy myself out on the track and in turn would be an encouragement to stop constantly looking into my mirrors to see if I should make someone else happy. There’s a fine line between staying focused on the track and watching everyone behind me – maybe I just need to prioritize just a tad. Hmmm!

As for right now, yes, I’m guilty as charged in this respect. I do let the boys pass me, but perhaps with the new license plate frame we plan to order it might be a little different for me next time on track. The frame will say, “You have just been passed by Grandma”!



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Robert said…
Margo, congratulations on your upcoming babcia-hood. I suspect that will ultimately bring you more joy than any amount of driving.

Robert
April 10, 2013 at 12:30 PM
Jangirl said…
Love that BLOG and the license plate...!!
Can't wait to hear about Ella too!!
April 18, 2013 at 8:10 AM
Margo Holen said…
So they say....I hope so.... Thank you!
April 21, 2013 at 9:21 AM
Margo Holen said…
New due date is Wednesday! Unless she decides to surprise us!
April 21, 2013 at 9:22 AM
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