O - H - I - O

Ohio was quite an adventure I must say. I decided to make cookies for everyone like I did for Boston last year so Thursday morning I was up bright and early at 7am baking cookies before my hair appointment and meeting for work. After all that was done I got into my car and headed for Spencerport where I was dropping my car off at Jon's and riding the rest of the way to Ohio with Barb, Dan, and Jon. After driving in the pouring rain I made it to Rochester. We loaded up the Jeep and took off, only for a quick turn around to go home to grab the grapes Barb had forgotten in the house. Then we were off! We stopped in Fredonia to grab a bite to eat at KFC. After our departure from Fredonia it began pouring and lightening. It was pretty cool to watch all the lightening. After a long drive we finally made it to Dan's around 10:30pm. Jim and Jenna were already there. We all relaxed until it was time for bed because we had a early morning ahead of us.



Up and out the door at 8:45am to head to Norwalk, Ohio. Another hour and 20 minutes in the car. Dan, Jon, and I rode together in the BMW and Jim, Jenna, Dan, and Barb rode together in Jim's car. We could hear all the cars, and smell the food and rubber from the cars. We found a parking spot and headed in. Around to the other side of the track and up a ton of stairs were our seats. I sat down and put on round 1 of sunscreen because it was a sunny, hot, day with no clouds in the sky. We watching some of the different cars warm up then Jon, Jim, and I decided Dan's $1 ice cream looked good so we went and got ourselfs some. A whole pound of ice cream for one dollar!!! You can't go wrong!

I've never seen cars drive so fast and it was soo cooolll! Watching them burn out and then take off!

Every so often Jenna, Barb, and I took a trip down under the bleachers to escape the scorching sun and to grab more to drink. Barb and I walked around a store we stumbled upon and looked at the shirts and things to see which souvenir we would buy later that weekend.

We watched a lot of cars speed by us at speed up too 310mph! During one of the breaks all of us went down into the pits. Jon and I got our picture taken next to one of the funny cars. Then we walked around and looked at the different trailers and cars being put together and worked on.

This was one of seven of John Force's trailers.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Schreiner vacation unless Dan snapped a picture of himself on camera!



Jon's dad kept telling me this was my car because it was PINK!... I rooted for it each time it raced!



Here are some other snapshots of the cars...


(Mopar and Jegs)

(Force and someone else)

(Nitrofish)

(Budwiser)

At the end of the first day many cars had raced and the sun had finally gone down. To get out of the racetrack we had to drive down a runway at an airport. It was pretty cool. Then it was another hour and 20 minutes back to Dan's. We got back late and we were all exhausted. After 7 applications of sunscreen I was burnt and in need of some aloe!! Good thing I brought my jumbo jug of aloe gel! Sun - 1, Kara - 0

(Driving down the runway after the races)

Another early morning leaving at 8:45 for another day at the races. I put on a shirt to cover my sunburn and decided to go with shorts because my legs were not burnt. We left a little later because we went to the store to get lunch stuff and ended up parking further away this time. We climbed back to our seats for another exciting day of racing. This time I put the sunscreen on as soon as I sat down. The racing began and it was another awesome day! I just couldn't believe how fast the cars were flying down the track. More breaks from the sun were taken today because it was another cloudless day of hot sun! No matter how much sunscreen I put on I could feel myself getting burnt. Jon's dad said something about how red I was getting. He then asked Dan if there were any farms around there. Dan said not where he lived why? Jon's dad said that he heard cow manure was good for sunburn. Just as he said it (his face was quite sunburnt himself) I proceeded to say "Why don't you try it on your face?" Everyone broke out in laughter and Dan gave me a high five! Jon's dad did not know what to say! He is the one that told me if I was going to survive around here I'd have to dish it back and that is just what I did. It was hilarious!!

After another great day of racing, not quite as long as the first day, we headed back to Dan's. With 20 minutes till the pool closed at Dan's apparement complex (8pm) we all changed quickly and Jon, Dan, Jim, Jenna, and I went over to the pool for a quick swim. Jenna just sat and dipped her feet in while Jim did a big cannon ball followed by Jon. Dan said it was my turn but I told him no because I was afraid my boob might fall out of my bikini!... Dan ran and jumped in and then I held on to my chest and jumped in. Of course, all 3 boys were watching careful!!... After a successful cannonball Jenna decided to come in the pool clothes and all. The water was warm but felt great to everyone. It really helped my sunburn from day two, which was worse than day 1. Sun - 2, Kara - 0.

After swimming we ordered pizza. While Barb and Dan went to pick up the pizza Jon's dad looked up sunburn treatment on the internet. He found different things like aloe gel, mustard, and noxema. He then stumbled upon Windex. Jim found some Windex in Dan's cupboard and Jon's dad started spraying it on his burnt legs!!! Mountain Berry Windex was now covering Jon's dad's sunburnt legs!! It was hilarious. He then proceeded to ask Jim to spray some on the back of his neck!!! We were all cracking up!

Bedtime earlier that night because the next day was the last day of races and we wanted to get there extra early!! This time Jon and Dan serenaded me with Bohemian Rhapsody. It was hilarious. We got to park closer that day because we got there earlier. Then we headed to our seats. Before climbing the stairs Jenna, Barb, and I decided to go to the bathroom and wait in line for more $1 ice cream for Jim and Jenna to share, one for Dan, and one for Jon. While waiting in line I mentioned how horrible I looked but that we would never see these people again. Just then I look up and someone from ESPN was video taping the ice cream shop. I looked at Jenna and we laughed because we knew the camera was coming down the line to video tape us. After getting up the bleachers we watched some awards and things and then Jon, his dad, and I went down to the shops because I had to get my uncle a hat. Jon and I went back up to the bleachers after we found a hat and sat down. Just then a lady came walking fast down the stairs saying "Here it comes!" and pointing down the track. All of the sudden you could see the downpour of rain coming at us down the track. Jenna, Jon, Barb, Dan, Jim, and I quickly put on our coats and opened the unbrellas. POURING!!! Dan and Jon would didn't have jackets or a poncho (like Jim!) went down under the bleachers while Barb, Jenna, Jim, and I sat it out in the rain. My jeans were soaked and I thought they would never dry but never fear my good friend Mr. Sun came out to play and the clouds went away. This day of racing was the best I thought. People were getting eliminated and it was great competition!! Getting down to the top two cars in each divison was cool and watching them race to the finish!! None of the cars we cheered for one but it was still awesome!!

We weren't back in time for swimming but was did get back and order some dinner and watch the race on television. As ESPN came back from a commercial break I saw the ice cream place I mentioned earlier. Sure enough Jenna, Barb, and I made it onto national television on ESPN2!!! Jim and Jenna left for PA around 10 and most of us were in bed by 11:30ish all exhausted from our fun top fuel dragster races!!

(Dan was awfully tired!!)

The next day we all slept in. When I woke up I went into the bathroom making the final score Sun - 3, Kara - 0. My lips had gotten sunburnt and my bottom lip was swollen, my right ear was swollen, and I had a blistery bump of sunburn on my right shoulder!!

We all sat around and watched t.v. for a bit and then packed up and headed back to Spencerport. The car ride was long but Jon tried to keep it interesting!

After getting back to Spencerport I relaxed there for a while and had some Spaghetti Suprise for dinner and headed back to Oswego. It was a long fun weekend!!!! Full of racing, family, fun, food, swimming, sun!, and laughing!!