Laney Dancing

Just a little video I found on my phone that I forgot about...

Mandy's Theatrical Endevours

Recently I found out that Mandy was quite the thesbian in her youth. I didn't feel right not sharing this with the world. For your viewing pleasure:

I'm not sure what production this was, but I like the attire.

This looks like her debut solo feature.

Now I know why Kramer was afraid of the clowns at the circus.


Her biggest role ever: The Magic Carpet.

Discount Tire For The Win

So, if you've ever read my blog, you will know that I am disgusted with the current trends in customer service. I have to say that just about anyone that has shopped or gone out to eat or taken a taxi (don't get me started on those thieves) knows that customer service is dead for almost every industry ... except the tire industry.

I'm not sure why, but I always end up having the best service ever when I buy tires. Tires, of all things. Not when I bought my car (car salesmen are liars AND thieves) and spent almost $30k, not when I bought my house, not when I bought a large TV, it is when I buy tires, and I just don't get it.

Or perhaps every other industry doesn't get it, and should pick up some cues from these guys. I buy all my tires at Discount Tire (America's Tire in CA). I have never been mistreated, never been ripped off, in fact, I'm often able to swing a better deal just by talking to the guy. They also match prices and fix my flats for free.

If you have a problem with a tire, regardless if it is your fault for driving 10 miles on it after it had gone flat (I may or may not have been in this situation) they will work with you to get it fixed. They will pro-rate a tire based on its remaining usable life and will not charge you full price on the new one. At least in my experience.

Return customers is their main focus, and rightfully so. Customer retention is the best business model, and since they are selling a wear item, it makes good sense. All other businesses take note, Discount Tire has it figured out.

Racing and Videos

So, this last weekend I helped participate in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in which you race a single car for 25 hours straight. The team with the most laps wins. We finished 5th overall (were only 2 laps out of 3rd) and won our class. There was a total of about 75 entrants. I played crew chief for the Competition Associates car driven by car owner Keith Rossberg, Lara Tallman, car engineer Vesko Kozarov and Dan McKeever.

The second car on our team finished only 3 laps behind us, 6th overall and 2nd in our class. It was a lot of work, but it paid off with minimal down time, decent pit strategy and excellent driving.

More here.

Also, thought I'd post up a link to my YouTube videos, just in case someone would like to enjoy some automotive shinanigans.

My YouTube Vids

One of this year's on track shinanigans. I lose it in six and my friend is behind me to catch all the action.

The Girls

This shot confirms that Allie is actually my daughter. No need for a paternity test now. Even though she sounds like a purring cat whilst asleep, we still love her and suppose we'll keep her around. I'm sure she'll grow up to do some major dominating.

This one on the other hand is already doing some major dominating. Mostly of Allie and some of Garrett (who is still scared to be left alone with her...). She likes to say All-ie, although the Al is more of a high pitched scream and the -ie is just kind of the remnants of the same scream. She is a good big sister and wants to hold Allie all the time. Unfortunately, she also wants to give her vision examinations in the way of a finger poke directly to the eyes (the same thing she does to her parents if she thinks we're asleep).

She wants to know where Allie is at all times. If Allie is in our bedroom, Laney needs to be in there too. If Allie starts to cry, Laney is there with her arms outstreched ready to hold and comfort her (an eye-poke seems to do the trick).

You heard it here first - Babensteins Part 2 ESTA AQUI!

So, today at 13:52 mountain time Allie Jane has emerged from her plush home named Amanda. Both are well and are excited to be living a non-parasite-host relationship from now on. Pictures below.

Actual weight. Contents may vary.

Sorta cleaned up, ready to dominate.

The obligatory mom and baby shot.

Our Trip to Disneyland...and POOP!

So we took Laney for her first trip to Disneyland. I doubt she knew where she was, or even that she had left the state. My parents wanted us to all go down to southern California to see each other, and since we had missed the bi-yearly Christmas trip, we thought this would be a great time to catch up. My immediate family was there, the half-sister and brother, and my Uncle. It was good to see them all.

Here is where I would go off on Disneyland for being crowded, overpriced and generally as bad as McDonalds or Hitler. But something much more exciting happened on this trip.

We had just returned from the happiest place on earth, I was relaxing from hours of walking around trying not to bump into people (most having strollers and on a search and destroy mission), lying on our bed at the hotel. Mandy had just run a bath for Laney and I could tell by all the splashing that Laney was now inserted into it. The next thing I know, I am half asleep when I hear Mandy yelling. I got up and ran over to the bathroom to see this:



A picture is worth a thousand words, but this one only needs one: POOP!






Two good things happen in the land of Disney: Churros and POOP.