March 21, 2008   

I have not been to any East Coast Supercrosses. Chad Reed has won zero East Coast Supercrosses. Just saying...............

February 23, 2008

 

I just read Ed's latest journal entry and he said it would take me 3 months to write this article.  Ed...the extra blankets and pillows for the couch are in the hall closet.  Anyway I have a good excuse for not writing the past few weeks.  1) I've been sick for about a month now  2) Traveling  3) Doing taxes for 3 different businesses we're involved in.  Enough said.  Right now as I'm writing this I'm listening to the webcast of the Atlanta Supercross.  I think I might like Supercross a little too much.  I just hope Chad can focus and run a good race tonight and not dwell too much on the fact that I'm not there right now.  Speaking of Chad....last week in Houston I was sitting in the booth with Erv Braun during practice and he was doing his usual announcing.  He looked over at me and had that look he gets when he's about to say something embarrassing.  So he began to announce to the crowd that I was sitting up in the booth with him.  It went something like this......"I have Sue Wilson up in the press box with me.  Sue is with the FirePolice team and well she's also with Chad Reed.  Sue is really with a lot of people.  She really gets around".  I was laughing until it dawned on me that Erv just basically called me a tramp to all within earshot of Reliant Stadium. hahaha  Thanks Erv.  I have a new favorite stadium.  Reliant Stadium in Houston is by far the nicest stadium on the supercross circuit.  One level has beautiful couches and chairs and bar areas.  Looks exactly like a place JR Ewing would hang out.  The stadium is huge and completely enclosed.  Very clean.  The press box is so high up off the floor you can't read the numbers on the bikes.  That could be the reason why no one was up in the press box that night.  We usually have to fight for a seat in the press box and it's important to be there by 5pm just to get a seat.  In Houston we had the entire press box suite to ourselves.  It was so fun.  Since the weather was so bad I went inside the stadium around noon and stayed there the entire day.  All day there were tornado warnings and we keep looking out at the pits waiting to see what happens.  About half way through the night show I noticed a huge gust of dust coming out from one of the tunnels.  People were running and dust, paper etc was flying out of the tunnel onto the track.  I pointed it out to everyone and then I ran out of the press box to look outside.  As I did that the sky lit up.  Transformers with exploding all around the pit area and the lights went out.  The only lights in the pit area were from the semis.  Awnings were flying everywhere.  The worst were the awnings for the KTM Jr. riders.  Thankfully they were all in the stadium getting ready for their race.  It was pretty scary.  I've never been in a tornado before.  Rich and I were sort of freaking out and Ed was calm.  Typical.  Ed shows very little emotion when it comes to these type of things.  My job is to freak out and his job is to remain calm.  Ed is very allergic to wasps and hornets and has ended up in the intensive care unit after being stung.  One day he was out mowing the lawn and came in the house and said "I think you should call 911, I was just stung by something that was in my hair and I'm not sure if it was a wasp or a bee".  Well, of course, I freaked out and began to panic.  I dialed 911.  Within minutes the paramedics arrived.  After having been through this before with Ed I know he needs epinephrine immediately before his throat closes up.  So when the paramedics arrived I ran out to them and kept asking them if they carried Ipecac with them.  They kept looking at me and not answering.  After about the fourth time of me asking one of the paramedics turned to me and asked "ma'am why do you want your husband to vomit?"  Oh.  Oops.  Then they took Ed's blood pressure and it was normal and they joked that they should probably take mine. haha  Ed's blood pressure returned to normal this week since we did not have to be at a stadium this weekend and he didn't have to figure out how to get the semi there and how to pay for it all.  Maybe I will be able to buy groceries this week. ha  I love supercross!!

2/6/2008

 

We take pride in the fact that the riders and crew members of  Team All American Firepolicemx.com are a close knit group but I think we might be a little too close.  It seems we are all passing around the flu bug.  So far it has hit 6 or 7 of us...me included.  And it's not fun!  Ed was smart and got a flu shot this year so hopefully he will be spared this illness.  Last week at Anaheim 3 I barely had a voice and that was just the beginning.  I've spent the last week in bed but I'm finally getting better.  Yay! :)  Last Saturday was a great day though.  We had a lot of FPMX friends and fire department friends and family show up.  It was so great to see all of you and I hope you really feel apart of this team.  We are there to represent you.  And we try our best to make all of you proud.  Our riders looked strong again.  I knew from watching practice that Ryan Beat would make it into the main event.  He had one of the fastest lap times during practice that afternoon.  Ryan is a great kid and he has a pretty amazing story.  He began riding as a little kid and when he reached the age of 12 he was offered a factory ride with Yamaha.  One condition of that factory ride was to quit school and be home schooled.  His parents did not approve of that and so they turned down the offer from Yamaha and took Ryan out of the sport of motocross.  They wanted Ryan to focus on his schooling.  So from the age of 12 to 19 Ryan didn't ride at all.  During those 7 years he never even threw his leg over a bike.  His dad told him he needed to graduate from high school before he could ride again.  As soon as Ryan graduated (with honors) he asked his dad if he could start riding again.  His dad said he could but he needed to work and pay for the bike himself.  So Ryan set out to earn the money to buy a bike.  Right before he turned 20 he had enough money and he bought himself a motorcycle.   Ryan has now been back riding for a little less than 2 years and every week he's getting faster.  He rode the BooKoo Arenacross Series last year and did really well and he's working hard at getting use to the technical supercross tracks.  We are very proud of his progress.  I have great respect for his parents and the decisions they made for him.  That is good parenting if you ask me and they have given him something to fall back on.  The one downside of motocross racing is that most kids who are committed to the sport often quit school at a young age.  And the number of racers who actually make the big bucks is very low....so you do the math

 

We are having a great time with one of our sponsors, OC Energy Drink.  The "OC Angels" are the sweetest girls.  One of them, Ashley, had a birthday last week and invited us to her birthday party.  It was being held at a club in Orange County called Fury.   We had a great time.  Ed mentioned to the guys at his fire station about our new sponsor and much to his surprise there were several of them who were big fans of the show.  He was shocked to learn they knew everything about the show.  So at the party Ed had fun taking pictures with his phone and sending them to the guys at his station.    You will notice in the pictures below that Ed is having the most fun of anyone.  I guess this is my pay back for my small...very tiny....itsybitsy..teenyweeny...crush on Chad Reed.  haha   Who by the way won again this week at Anaheim.  Go get that championship Chad! 

 

I hope all of you who will be riding at our next FPMX race at Perris  Raceway took advantage of the "safety course" offered by Rick Johnson.  Yes....I said safety course.  That is what Ed told me it was.  Not a riding class...but a safety course.  Do I have stupid written on my forehead?  Wait...don't answer that.

        

 

 

 

1/28/2008

 

When I last wrote I asked everyone to cross their fingers that our drama for week 4 would be over.  I think I jinxed ourselves.  So I won't do THAT again.  Ed spent last Thursday getting the semi ready to head up to San Francisco.  He spent the ENTIRE day doing that.  Finally it was on it's way that evening.  Mike Wright, an L.A. County Firefighter who works on Ed's shift in his station, agreed to drive the semi along with his brother Jerry.  About midnight on Thursday he was regretting that decision.  The weather was pretty bad here in Southern California and there was snow on the Grapevine so it was closed down.  Mike would have to take the semi in a different direction.  Rain was making that even more difficult.  It was shorting out the electrical and along with some other problems caused Mike and his brother to have to get out in the snow in the middle of the night to fix the semi.  He said he went through three sets of clothes because he was soaked and frozen.  Ed was very stressed about the semi not making it to San Francisco.  So he told Mike "I don't care what you have to do just get there".  Because of these instructions Mike was doing his best but got caught by the CHP and got a ticket!  Come on...he's in the FirePolicemx.com semi and he's a firefighter...give him a break! haha  But nope, he received no break and instead got a ticket.  While all of that was going on Ed and I had a flight to San Francisco.  Our flight was suppose to leave at 1:15pm.  We got to the airport and checked our bags and discovered our flight was delayed because of poor weather in San Francisco until 3:45.  The nice man at the Southwest ticket counter got us on another flight that was leaving at 12:00.  We had just enough time to get through security to make it to our gate.  When we got there we saw Ryan Beat, one of our riders.  He was on the same flight.  So they board us on the plane and Ed and I are the first to board.  When we walked onto the plane the pilots and the flight attendants were sitting in the seats in the middle of the plane having a good old time.  They were shocked to see passengers boarding.  The pilot told me that the plane was delayed and wasn't scheduled to leave for another hour and a half.  But they let us board anyway but said we can go on and off the plane as we liked if we wanted to get something to eat or use the restroom.  In a post 911 world we were pretty surprised at that.  After about 1/2 hour they told us the plane had now been delayed for another 1 1/2 hours.  We groaned but what could we do about it?  The plane was only 1/3 full so everyone had plenty of room to stretch out.  Not long after that they told us that the flight had been canceled.  This was shaping up to be a horrible day.  After standing in a long line they finally put us on another flight and thankfully we were able to take off at 3:00.   Once we landed in S.F. we had to get our rental car and head straight to the stadium.  It was pouring rain.  And it was almost dark.  Our semi had no lights because of the electrical problem so Ed was forcing Mike to drive as fast as possible to get there.  Once again the FirePolice semi was the last to arrive and all the other semis had their positions.  They saved a spot for us but it was a tightly packed pit area and when Mike arrived he had to back the semi into the spot.  Ed was standing out in the pouring rain directing him into the spot.  Ryan and I sat in the car and watched and we were both amazed they were able to do that.  Once the rig was parked the awning needed to be set up.  It was a necessity  since the weather was so bad and the riders needed a place to keep somewhat dry the next day if the weather didn't clear.  So Ed and Mike and Jerry began the process.  This awning takes a few hours to set up in dry conditions.  The rain makes the process ever harder.  Dave Charette and his son Anthony and one of our riders, Brad Graham showed up to help.  By the time they were done they were all completely soaked head to toe and freezing!  Ed only brought one pair of shoes and so after he was done and we went back to the hotel and he got showered up and thawed out he had to put those same wet shoes on to go out to dinner.  He squeaked as he walked in them.  You could hear the water sloshing. haha  But he never complained.  He's good like that.  We took Mike and Jerry out to dinner that night to try and thank them for all they had done for us.  The next day we woke up to no rain and clear skies.  It was a miracle because they were calling for 70% chance of rain, heavy at times.  We had a great day with no rain.  I went up to the press box early to get a seat since I knew it would get crowded quick up there since it was more than likely going to rain during the race.  We got some great seats and settled in for the night.  What a great race it was!  Our team did very well.  Carlos made it into the main during his qualifier and Brad and Ryan nearly did during the last chance race.  Brad fell and just couldn't recover in time because of the thick mud.  Just to show you how thick the ruts were and how bad the mud was they ran the KTM Jr. Supercross kids during the day to see if they could race that night and the ruts were so big their little bikes got stuck in them up to the seats and they just couldn't ride through the thick mud.  They couldn't make the jumps either because the dirt was so slippery and the ruts were too big.  It was really funny watching them try to do them though.  So once Brad fell he was out for the night.  Ryan was right behind him though and finished 5th so he got to take home the race card worth $250.00.  He was interviewed on the podium and spoke like a true professional....like he's been doing this for years.  We were all very impressed with the way he conduced himself.  All the guys riding for us this year are great guys.  Carlos did really well in the main and took 15th!  We are so proud of him and know he will only get better results.  Well as many of you know it began to rain pretty hard during the main events.  And we all just looked at each other knowing we were going to have to take everything down in the rain.  And that's exactly what happened.  It took us two hours in the pouring rain to dismantle the awning and put everything in the semi.  Rich Eggett came to the race sick as a dog.  But he didn't want to leave Ed to do it all himself so as sick as he was he stayed to help take everything down.  It was a mess.  We were all soaked.  But it was all worth it because our guys rode so well this weekend.  On Sunday it was time to fly home. Ed and I went to check our bags and were told we had been flagged as a security risk.  Are you kidding??  Even the Southwest workers didn't know why.  They finally got us cleared and we went through security.  I went right through, but not Ed.  I looked back to see where he was and they had him locked in this glass room.  I couldn't stop laughing.  He had to be wanded and patted down.  It was pretty funny.   Everything was once again delayed but only by a few hours.  Our plane was completely full...every seat taken.  So even though Ed's boarding number was better than mine he gave me the window seat and he took the middle seat.  He hates the middle seat!!  He'll have to tell you about that experience and I know he will.  He was not happy. ha ha  Next week is Anaheim and it is also Ed's birthday.  So if you are at the race come by and have some birthday cake!  Till next week.....

January 23, 2008

 

It has taken me a few days to write a new article but I'm doing it! 

 

Phoenix Supercross was once again filled with drama.  Our race rig was stuck at the border of California and Arizona and it looked as though our riders were going to be pitting on the asphalt at Chase Field.  Ed was pretty stressed the entire drive to Phoenix and the following day until the rig finally arrived.  I think he slept 2 hours that night.  We didn't pull into Chase Field until 4:30am and we went to our usual spot right outside the pit entrance where we like to park the motorhome.  Our spot was open except there was another semi blocking the way.  It was parked vertical across the entire area opened for motorhomes.  We wanted to part horizontal.  When I saw the dilemma I thought we'd have to park somewhere else until the morning when the semi moved.  That wasn't Ed's thought at all.  He pulled in along the semi between it and the fence enclosing the pit area and began to back up...pull forward...back up...pull forward.  If you've seen the Austin Powers movie you might have a visual reference to what I am talking about.  He shimmied our motorhome in between the semi and the fence like nothing I'd ever seen before.  I was amazed.  Every time I give Ed crap for his driving his response is always "I'm a profession driver" since he drives fire trucks and I always roll my eyes.  Now I have to admit...he's a professional driver.  I may have even called him a stud that night.  It was pretty impressive.  One of the other teams had just pulled their semi into the pit area and they got out to watch Ed at work.  They were also impressed by what he was able to do.  I'm sure when the semi truck driver awoke and saw our motorhome he scratched his head wondering how that motorhome got in there. haha  The weather at the Phoenix Supercross was much warmer this year.  Last year we nearly froze!  It was so much fun to see all the FPMX'ers there.  Here are a few pictures from the race.

 

 

 

Anaheim 2 was a blast!  It was retro day and it was so much fun seeing people walk around the pits in Damon Bradshaw jersey or Ricky Johnson.  And seeing some old familiar faces.  We had very little drama this last weekend which was great!  We have a new sponsor come out this last Saturday.  They are the OC Energy drink.  If you watch the reality show The Real Housewives of Orange County you might recognize that name.  If you are not familiar with that show, go check them out at www.bravotv.com.  They brought us a ton of product and the "OC Angels".  The "OC Angels" are three of the girls from that show who represent the OC Energy drink company at various events.  They are the sweetest girls and they seem to have a pretty big following.  Our riders seem to enjoy having them in our pit area.  To see pictures of them with our riders go to our myspace and check them out. It took Ed about 3 seconds to upload a picture with them on his journal. haha  We hope to have them at Anaheim 3 and the San Diego round of Supercross.  That night I was able to watch the race from the press box.  I could get use to that!  Erv Braun had his wife Winn save me a seat.  So I had the best view of the track.  This week it is suppose to rain in San Francisco so I might sneak back up there to watch from the press box again.   I went down for the track walk Saturday morning and took a few pictures of James Stewart and Chad Reed in their retro wigs.  You have to love guys like that who get into the spirit of it all.  I loved the track!  The fact that it was the exact same track they used back in 1986 was very cool and I hope they do more tracks like it at upcoming races.  All the racers commented on how hard of a track it was to race and I think we need to see more tracks like it.  This week we are off to San Francisco and the drama has already begun.  We had to search far and wide to get a driver to drive our semi up there and Ed finally found one today.  He is an L.A. County Firefighter who is licensed to drive big rigs.  Cross your fingers that this is our only drama for week 4 of supercross!  I'll write again when we get back.

 

 

So today is February 14 and it's also trash day here in Carlsbad.  Today the trash man picked up our Christmas Tree.  Yes, you read that right.  Almost two months after Christmas Ed finally got rid of our Christmas tree.   Look up procrastinator in the dictionary and you will see Ed's picture next to it.  So for those of you who have waited for a returned phone call or a refund or anything else he's promised you and may still be waiting for it, you're not alone.  I will say that I am very happy we even had a Christmas Tree this year.  It's been a long time since we've had a real tree in our house.  About 15 years ago Ed came home from work one morning and I was doing some housework in the same room our Christmas Tree was located.  Ed walked in the door and without saying a word to me walked over to the Christmas Tree and picked it up, walked outside and threw it on the lawn....ornaments and all.  I stood there with my mouth wide open.  When he walked back in I said "have you finally lost your mind??"  He said "we will never, ever have a real Christmas Tree in our house again!"  He had just returned from a very devastating house fire that killed an entire family of five all because the Christmas tree caught on fire.  So for the last 15 years we've had one of those fake trees.  This year when it came time to put one up both Ed and my son Danny said they didn't want to help put it up so I decided to just forgo having a tree at all.  We had several people come over and ask where our Christmas tree was and I explained that Ed didn't want one so we're not having one.  They all looked at him like he was Mr. Scrooge.  So a week before Christmas Ed came home one night with a happy smile on his face.  He decided he didn't want to be  a Scrooge this year and he went out and purchased a real Christmas tree.  I was SO happy!!  Our house smelled so great and it finally felt like Christmas.  I loved looking at that tree everyday.  After Christmas was over he took the tree and put it in our backyard.  He kept saying he needed to get rid of it but other things kept getting in the way, namely Supercross.  So here it was the middle of February and we still had that tree in our backyard, now a lovely shade of brown.  After I gave Ed one of my "you're such a procrastinator" talks it finally was put out with the trash.  Gee only 10 more months till Christmas!

 

Today is not only trash day it's Valentines Day.  For most women Valentines Day is a huge let down.  It never lives up to all the hype.  I usually don't look at it as a huge deal so I'm not ever really let down.  Ed came back from his physical therapy this morning so proud of himself that he remembered to get me something.  He handed me a card, a box of Dove chocolate and a plastic holder for my ipod.  I was happy he remembered too.  So tonight we go to Claim Jumpers for dinner at 4:30 with all the rest of the senior citizens in San Diego County.  I believe that is a sure sign you are getting old....eating dinner at 4:30.  So we're having this nice dinner and I said to Ed "I thought you might get me a ring for Valentines day since you messed up on our anniversary."  Ed said "I looked at rings today".  I said "and then I thought you might get me that puppy I've been asking for".  Ed said "I looked at puppies today".  I sat there staring at him in disbelief.  I said "Ok so you looked at rings and you looked at puppies and you decided upon a plastic ipod holder because???" hahaha  Men!

 

I was going to try and write a little bit each week during Supercross season because until you live it you have no idea how crazy this business can be.  I've never seen anything like it.  Everything changes on a daily basis and every week brings a new drama.  But it's also been a lot of fun.  I really enjoy the racing.  Especially watching my Chad Reed fight to get that first win this season.   I keep hoping each week will be his week.  It will happen.  But I will have to say the highlight of this season so far was when Debbie Marquez and Rob Harper sang the National Anthem at the Phoenix Supercross.  It was beautiful!!  Gave all of us the chills.  I really love visiting all the different cities and different stadiums.  This will be my first time to do many of the Eastern rounds so I'll let you know if I still like Supercross when May rolls around. 

 

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

10/29/2006

 

I have so much to say this time that I hope I remember it all.   I read Ed's last journal entry and I just have to comment on a few things.  First of all Ed likes to think that for the first week he was like a newborn baby.  But it was much longer than that.  In his drug induced state time must have stopped for him.  This has been an interesting experience for both of us.  Ed is not the type who likes to ask for help.  For anything.  I use to ask him all the time when he was working on something or fixing something if he needed any help.  And he would always say no.  So for him to be completely dependent on someone was a huge change for him.  But pain is a very motivating factor.  As for me, although it's been hard at times having to basically wait on him hand and foot it's also been good.  I probably shouldn't say that because he will use it against me.  But it's made us even closer than we were before.  Funny how something like this will do that.  Yes I was very angry with him in the beginning because I just couldn't believe that he would continue to purposely do this to his body but once that went away I was left with just wanting to take care of the man I love.  Now when he tries to do something on his own I have this urge to jump up and do it for him.  For example, he had a meeting in Newbury Park this past week to talk to a potential sponsor for our Supercross team.  Newbury Park is a good 2 1/2 hour drive from our house and in order to get there you must pass through LA which if the traffic is bad it could easily add on another hour or two.  He was all set to make the drive himself.  He got himself situated in my car with his hurt leg up on the passenger seat and took off.  A minute after he left the driveway I called him and told him that I didn't want him to make that drive by himself and to come back and I would drive him there.  He is being much more independent though as the days go by.  He's just started rehab and soon they will take the brace off his leg.  He's already talking about not wanting to go back to work and he doesn't have to do that until April 2007!  Secretly I think it's cause he'll miss me too much.  :)   I thought the pain meds would be the hardest thing to wean Ed off of, I was wrong.

 

As he mentioned we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.  Here's a story the women will love.  When we had our 20th wedding anniversary I told Ed "For our 25th I'd love to have a new ring.  So you have five years to save for that".  He said that he would and I've pretty much let it go for the last five years, maybe mentioning it here and there as a reminder.  So the day before our anniversary this year Ed said to me "Tomorrow we're going to go get you that ring you want".  I was shocked and surprised to find out that he'd been saving the money all along.  So I said to him "Ed, wow you've actually been saving money for my ring??"  To which he said "No, but I have some money so we can go buy it if you want".  So I said "You just happen to have that much money lying around??"  And he said "well yeah I have about $500.00 so we should be able to get you a nice ring".  I said "FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!?!?  YOU THINK A NICE DIAMOND RING COSTS FIVE HIUNDRED DOLLARS??  WHAT YEAR ARE YOU LIVING IN!?"  I could not stop laughing.  I started to get a stomach ache I was laughing so hard.  Then I went on  "Think about it Ed.  Do you think I gave you five years to save $500.00??"  He said "Oh.  I didn't think about that.  How much does a good ring cost??"  Men!   So I've now given him until our 30th anniversary to save.  I'll let you know what happens then.

 

I just wanted to thank everyone who came out to Mesquite this year and to those who attended our year end banquet.  What a blast that was once again.  The food was great again and the show was even better this year.  I did not think anything could top last years show but somehow it did.  I had the pleasure of sitting next to Marc Savard during dinner.  What a great guy.  It was fun getting to know him.  And the fact that he donates his time is amazing to me.  Says a lot about him.  The show was so freaking funny.  Since Ed was injured he wasn't able to get hypnotized this year and thus wasn't able to sleep through half of the show.  I've never seen him laugh so hard.  He was laughing so hard that he was using the table cloth to wipe the tears from his eyes.  The minute Rob Harper showed up at our race we were bugging him to go up on stage and get hypnotized.  He said "NO WAY!"  But for two days we just kept telling him he had to, that he would be so funny.  Finally that night we were able to talk him into it.  And we were right.  He was SO funny!  I will never forget his dancing during the dance off.  The moonwalk was priceless.  But the surprise of the night was Ken Armstrong.  He did not want to go up on stage.  But somehow he was able to be hypnotized while he was sitting in the audience with his wife.  Marc told him that every time he heard the River Dance song he would become the worlds best river dancer and would take center stage and show off his skills.  And believe it or not he knew that dance better than Michael Flatley himself!  He did the river dance with perfection.  It was the funniest thing I've ever seen.  This is something you have to see to believe.  Rob Harper was not a believer in this at all until it happened to him and now he is sold.  It's truly amazing.  We will more than likely have Marc back again next year and so everyone must be there.  You won't regret it.  I really  need to thank all of you who stepped up to help at this last round.  Ed couldn't do much of anything and so many stepped in to help me out and I can't thank you enough.  The BBQ held at the compound on Monday night was so much fun.  I think we need to make that a tradition on Monday nights.  Don't worry Mike and Mark, I'm not saying you guys have to foot the bill. hahaha.  But it's a great opportunity for us to just hang out and have some fun. I also think we need to have Debby Marquez and Rob Harper sing the National Anthem at every round!  Amazing!! 

World Famous Butt Model Rob Harper	Me and Ed Niemala.	Chillin with the AZ guys at the Casablanca
Ken Armstrong, Worlds Greatest River Dancer	Before Marc worked his magic.	After.  Gary what is your face doing in that girls chest?!
Brittney George, Miss Supercross presented the #1 plates	Banquet	Mike Dunn, winner of the YZ 250 from John Burr Cycles

 

Brittney and Damian Lys	Brittney and Garrett Bartelme	Brittney and Cody Barnes	Brittney and Ed

10-9-06    This article for Inside the FPMX is way past due, I know this.  I should have written it weeks ago since it was going to mainly be about our trip to New York.  But someone decided to have a little fun at Starwest and ended up on a surgeons table 3 days later and ever since then I've been playing Nurse Susie.  I always knew I could never go into nursing because of all their job requires of them but now I know FOR SURE.  I would make a terrible nurse.  I do not care for bodily fluids and the emptying of them.  And my face shows it.   Ed is basically helpless with this injury.  This has been, by far, the worst injury he's had.  It's been almost two weeks and he still can't really get around at all.  So I basically have to wait on him hand and foot.  And for those of you who know me, I don't resemble anything close to a 1950's wife.  He's pretty much at my mercy though and so he eats when I feed him and he changes his clothes when I get them for him.  Its only Ed and I in our home now that our son is away at college and so we mostly eat out.  That has completely changed.  I've gone from cooking maybe 2 or 3 meals a week to THREE MEALS A DAY!   Martha Stewart has nothing on me!  The day of Ed's surgery I went to pick him up after he was done and he was still really out of it so I sat next to his bed and bonded with his nurse.  Her name was Sue also.  I mentioned how I was a little angry that he got hurt riding his stupid motorcycle AGAIN.  The nurse said "Yeah I can relate with you.  My husband rides mountain bikes and he gets hurt all the time.  In fact he recently recovered from a broken neck"  To which I said "And he's probably already back on his bike again, isn't he?"  And she said "Of course.  He's a moron"  Right then I knew that this woman and I were meant to be friends for life.  From there it just became a bash fest.  Ed was coming out of his drug induced state and just sat there and took our abuse.  What else could he do?  He was in no position to fight.  A doctor came to offer his support to Ed but after the list of injuries I gave him and Nurse Sue gave him he admitted defeat and told Ed he was on his own.  I know I've said this before and I will say it again and again.  I can not understand what causes a person to want to have a hobby that continually lands them in the ER.  To me it makes no sense.  And I know I will never understand it.  Such is life, I guess.  But I do think you guys need to take a good look at the people who are your caretakers and understand that you're not the only ones affected by your injuries.  Oh and did I mention he'll be off work for 6 months??  Yeah I love that my husband races motocross a superduper lot! :)

 

Ok now on to something fun.  Our trip to New York was a blast!   We were super nervous about this whole adventure since it was a huge risk financially.   And, of course, we'll be paying for it for awhile but what we got from it was worth the money.  We met some really awesome people and we got to know so many of you a lot better.  The track was beautiful and the people who ran it were so incredibly nice.  We made a commemorative 9/11 shirt and it sold out  the first day.  People were buying 8 or 10 at a time to take back to their fire or police stations.  That's how important this 5 year anniversary meant to people.  And I am happy we did something to show our love and support to those who lost their lives that day.  We have reprinted more shirts so if you are interested in having one, email me.

After both race days we all met up at a bar and grill named Curley's.  Both nights we had a great turn out and pretty much overwhelmed the wait staff at this place.  But what fun we had!!  The food was great and it gave us all a chance to just hang out and have a good time.  It's times like those that make these trips special.  Ed Niemela and Ryan Chapin made me laugh so much that my stomach hurt.   Ed even had my Ed cracking up which is pretty hard to do.  So it was a great time for all of us.  If you didn't make the trip, you must next time.  You won't regret it. To those of you who made the trip, thank you thank you thank you!  You have no idea how much it means to us and you will forever have our utmost gratitude and respect.  We thank your for your support!   After the racing was over we headed to New York City.  This would be my first time there.  We were staying right in the heart of Times Square.  I was like a wide-eyed kid on Christmas morning as we were driving down the streets of Manhattan.  I've never seen anything like Times Square in my life.  People, cars, taxis everywhere.  No one followed traffic laws and it was just an amazing sight to watch all these people busily going their seperate ways like little ants.  The weather was not the greatest.  It rained for the most part so there were things we weren't able to do.  But some things we just decided to do anyway.  Like take the double decker bus tour.  I wish I had a picture of us sitting on top of that bus in the rain.  We had on ponchos provided by the bus company and we were huddled underneath them trying to avoid getting soaked.  Didn't work.  We were such big dorky tourists that we didn't even go down to the first level of the bus where it was enclosed.  No we sat on top and took in the sights in the rain.  Ed couldn't help but laugh at me as I was trying to hold on to my poncho in the pouring rain as the bus was traveling at 40 mph.  But it was fun!  We even paid the $16.00 a piece to go up to the top of the Empire State Building and not see a thing!  But hey, you're in NY, you have to do it.   The best part of the trip was the visit to Ground Zero.  Luckily it had stopped raining by that point.  As I went through the displays set up at the church behind GZ I couldn't help but weep.  I always struggle with what happened that day.  Anytime I think about it or see something about it on TV, I cry.  So being there on the very ground it happened was overwhelming.  Ed stood back.  He couldn't even look at the displays or read the accounts.  It's just too painful for him.  I was standing on sacred ground and I knew it.  I felt it.  And it touched my very soul.  On our way back to Times Square from GZ we decided to take the subway.  You can't visit NY without riding the subway.  And we experienced it at the best time....rush hour.  We were packed in there like sardines and I loved it.  I felt like I was truly experiencing NY life.  How those people do that everyday is beyond me.  Crazy.  I was sad to be leaving after only 3 short days.  I can not wait to go back!  There is so much we didn't see and so much I still want to do.  Ed loved it too and is looking forward to going back.   I must say that I love NY.   Hope to see all of you in Mesquite next week.  We're really looking forward to the banquet.  Last year was unbelievably fun!  I'm sure this year will be also. 

 

Here are some pictures from New York;

 

 

 

Mark & his pit tootsie Dee and Don Fitch	Some of the boys outside of Curleys
Ed, Damian and Edub	There was a food fight started by Ed Niemela. Look closely and you can see bread in mid-air.
Don and Melissa Upton and Justin McMurrich	Blake, Vinny and Darren
Ed after a few irish car bombs	Mark Davenport in training
Ed sending his Shape O Meter to 19.9	Race Day
This plaque was signed by all the riders and presented to the NYPD	Ed and Julia hanging out at a party in New York.
Me and the guys of NSYNC just chillin.	Ed on the double decker bus just before it began to pour
9/11 Tribute	Erv interviewing Ed at Frozen Ocean

 9/10/06

 

Supercross season is fast approaching and I had no doubt going into the 2007 season that I would be cheering for Chad Reed to take the championship.  Now I am having to re-think things.  If you follow my articles, you will remember the one I posted last year after MotoBowl.  The one where I talked about wanting to get a picture with my favorite rider and Ed failing to inform me that Chad was in the building until after the night was over.  Well I wasn't going to let that happen this year.  When I heard that Chad was going to be one of the team captains for 2006 Motobowl I was bound and determined to win a spot on his team.  As soon as I was told by my friend Lindsay that his team was up for bid on Ebay, I posted my first bid.  The bidding started at $35.00.  I was more than happy to pay that to bowl with Chad, my little thunder from Down Under.  Soon I was being outbid.  Dangit.  So I had to raise my bid.  Soon it got to $100.00.  Most of the other riders were hovering around $50.00.  I knew Chad's team would go for higher and I was willing to put Ed's truck up for sale if I needed to.  I decided to watch the bidding and wait until the last minute to bid.  I ended up winning the auction for $170.00.  When Ed found out he thought I was nuts but he didn't say anything because it was his fault I didn't get a picture with him last year.  So this was the price he had to pay for not paying attention. :)  So we headed to Anaheim for Motobowl and I was having visions of me bowling a strike and Chad running up to congratulate me.  Then I would have to break it to him gently that I was married so he needed to take it down a notch.  Yeah right Sue.  Anyway when we got to the bowling alley Ed checked in and told them who he was bowling with and they gave him his wrist band and ticket.  Then I stepped up and said "My name is Sue Wilson and I'm bowling with Chad Reed".  The girl looked at me with a sad face and said "Hang on a minute, you need to speak to Sharon"  Ed and I looked at each other and I said "This doesn't sound good".  Sharon came over to speak to me and informed me that Chad would not be showing up.  He apparently had to return to Australia that day.  No one was happy about this turn of events, especially me.  I paid $170.00 to bowl with him!  Did Chad hear that I called him my thunder from Down Under and was avoiding me?  Maybe his wife was afraid he'd want to run off with me?  I don't know what caused him to run but run he did.  So I would not have my moment with Chad.  Guess I will have to wait till 2007 Motobowl.  Or  not.  So Chad, I will except a heartfelt hug and apology or else I will have no choice but to cheer on my second favorite rider, Nick Wey. 

 

Now if you have read my previous posts you will also remember a story I told once about Ryan Hughes and the fact that he has the best butt in Supercross.  Well Ed came up to me at Motobowl and said "Sue, Ryan Hughes is here.  Do you want to get a picture with him?"  I said you don't have to ask me twice.  So I walked up to Ryan and he was signing some autographs for a few kids.  After he was done I asked if I could get a picture with him.  He said "Of course!  How are you?"  I replied "Great thanks".  What I said next surprised both he and Ed.  I said "Hey Ryan, I once wrote an article about your butt".  He laughed out loud and said "I hope it was a good one!"  I said "Of course it was, you have the best butt in Supercross!!"  He couldn't stop laughing and said "Well I'm glad someone has noticed because I work hard at it!"  I told him the story behind the article.  I'll repeat it here so you don't have to go searching for my old post.  A long time ago my son was racing at Barona Oaks and Ryan was parked next to us.  Racers are never embarrassed to dress into their riding gear right in the back of their truck.  I normally don't look (honest I don't!) but when Ryan took off his jeans his back was towards me and there he stood in his sports shorts and he had that most muscular butt I've ever seen.  Ed says his is the same.  No comment.  Anyway I told Ed about it right away and it's been this joke ever since.  And that was a long time ago.  Ryan was probably 17 or 18.  And to this day I've never seen a better butt than his.  haha  So I told him the whole story and he thought it was funny.  I asked if I was freaking him out a little and he laughed harder and said not at all.  Ed took a picture right after and you can see how hard we were laughing.  I would bet money that Ryan went home that night and checked out his butt in the mirror sort of the way Spike did in the movie Nottinghill.  What a fun night! 

 

8-21-06    I've been trying to write this article for awhile but for some reason just kept putting it off.  I could never figure out how to put down on paper what I wanted to say.  But yesterday I went and saw the movie The World Trade Center and now I know what it is I want to say.   I have been exchanging emails recently with one of our own FPMXers who is currently serving over in Iraq.  His name is Michael but if you are a frequent visitor to our message board you will know him as BigDogThumper.  We began exchanging emails after a post he made on the message board about sending some patches he has to NY for the race in September.  He wanted some placed at Ground Zero too.  Since I know we will be visiting there I told him I would do that for him.  So for the past month we've been sending emails back and forth and it's been so incredibly interesting to me.  I am, in some small way, learning what it's like for the men and woman serving our country over there.  And it's hell.  Michael's writings are so thought out that you almost feel like you are there.  I have asked for his permission to share bits and pieces from them and he has agreed.  I just thought maybe someone else would be interested in what he has to say.  Michael serves as a firefighter and his fire station is located right next to one of Saddam's palaces.  Just a regular guy from a small mountain community in Southern California who happens to find himself in one of the most dangerous places in the world.  But someone who has become a hero to me.  Here's a little of what he has to say:

 

6-2-06

It's amazing that after 25 years of marriage Ed can still surprise me.  I think I know him pretty well but then he does something totally out of character.   I am a huge fan of American Idol.  Ed got dragged into the whole American Idol scene because I wouldn't give up the remote on Tuesday or Wednesday nights.  This year he really got into it.  We both became very familiar with the contestants and had our own favorites.  When I find a music group or tv show I like I usually find a way to meet them.  I love going to Hollywood with a good friend of mine and seeing concerts or tapings of tv shows.  We've met so many people and always have the best time doing it.  Last year I figured out a way to get into the finale of American Idol and I was able to meet not only all of the contestants but Simon, Paula, Randy and even Ryan Seacrest.  I scored a front row seat at the finale and that's how I was able to meet all of them.  Well this year was by far my favorite season of American Idol.  So I HAD to be at the finale again.  Once again I was able to score some tickets and was there to see the final performances.  Afterwards the winner, Taylor Hicks, practically ran right into me and so I was able to meet him.  I couldn't wait to call Ed and tell him I met Taylor.  He didn't answer.  As I was walking away I ran right into another one of the contestants, Kellie Pickler.  She's this adorable blonde with the cutest southern accent.  She was Ed's favorite.  So I took my picture with her and had a chance to talk to her for a bit.  During our conversation my phone rang.  It was Ed.  I didn't answer it.  When I was done talking to Kellie I called Ed back and told him "Sorry I couldn't answer, I was talking to your girlfriend".  When he heard I had met Kellie he immediately said "I wanna talk to her!  Go back and find her and let me talk to her!"  I looked at my phone and said "who is this and what have you done with my husband??"  Was this shy, quiet Ed who wanted to have a phone conversation with a perfect stranger??  This was so unlike him but he just kept asking me to go back and see if I could find her.  So, of course, I did and told her that my husband was one of her biggest fans and he wanted to talk to her.  So she took my phone and walked off with it and had a nice little conversation with Ed.  It made me laugh.  Sometimes you just think you know someone and they just do something to surprise you.  I can remember the first time this ever happened with Ed.  We had been married for only a few short years.  We had a brand new baby and we moved to Ventura, Ca when Ed was hired on Santa Barbara Fire Department.  We didn't know anyone in the area at all.  We went to a church there and Ed got involved with a basketball team at church.  At the first game I went to watch and all the wives were sitting together so I went and sat by them and introduced myself.  They asked who my husband was and I pointed out Ed to them.  They were asking questions about us and I began to describe Ed.  I said he was very shy, quiet, mellow.  Nothing really gets to him.  Just a real sweetheart of a guy.  Next thing I know there is some shouting on the court and Ed is toe to toe with another player screaming at him.  Now remember this is a church basketball game.  Ed is toe to toe with this guy telling him to go outside because he was gonna kick his f-ing ass.  All the women turned to me as if to say "Is this your shy, quiet, mellow husband?"  I wanted to crawl out of there.  Even I was surprised by Ed that day.  It was then and there I learned to never be surprised by something he would do.  At least it makes life interesting.

Sue

 

Isn't she pretty?      

2-09-06    I witnessed something last weekend that I just had to share with all of you.  Last Saturday I'm sitting on the couch in our motorhome and Brad Hannig is sitting in the chair across from me.  Brad is reading my Glamour magazine (don't ask).  Ed is in the bedroom getting dressed for the day.  Ed walks out with his black and gray pit shirt on and black shorts, black socks and black shoes.  He begins to put on a belt which is brown.  Brad (Ed's stylist, I guess) tells Ed that he can NOT wear a brown belt with black pants.  Ed shows Brad that his belt has two sides, one brown and the other black, but that he can't figure out how to change the belt buckle around so he can wear it on the black side.  Brad calls Ed an idiot and asks him to hand over the belt so he can figure it out.  After looking at it for a few minutes he can't figure it out either.  Now mind you, I'm just sitting there watching the two of them.  So Ed states that he thinks they need a screw driver to take out the small screws holding the buckle onto the leather so they can switch it around.  I now insert my only comment during this whole scenario.  I say "I can't imagine that they would make it that difficult".  They both glance at me and continue on with what they are doing.  Brad asks if Ed has a screw driver, Ed says "no".  Brad pulls out a pocket knife and Ed walks away and comes back soon with his leatherman.  He finds the knife on the leatherman and Brad takes apart the buckle and turns it over so Ed can now wear the black belt.  Brad hands the belt back to Ed.   Ed pulls on the buckle to make sure it is secure.  When he pulls on the buckle he discovers that if you pull on it and twist it will rotate from the black side to the brown and visa versa.  All it took was a simple pull and twist and these two guys spent and hour and forty five minutes working on this belt. HAHAHAHAHAHAA  I called them both idiots and I say "Well there is my next article for Inside the FPMX" 

Sue

1-11-06    LIFE IS FUNNY....literally

 

Today I go to get a haircut and I'm just having your normal small talk with the hair stylist.  We start talking about where we grew up and she tells me she grew up in Long Beach.  That is not too far from where I grew up and so I ask her what high school she attended.  Anyway the conversation leads to what year she graduated and she tells me that we probably graduated around the same time.  I asked her what year she graduated and she said 1992. Yeah right!  I wish!! haha  I laughed and thanked her for the compliment but I graduated in 1978.  She was surprised to find out I was as old as I am.  Great compliment, right?  Well about an hour later Ed goes into the same shop to get his hair cut.  He comes homes and says "You won't believe what happened to me when I was getting my hair cut!"  I asked who cut his hair and found out it was the same girl that cut mine.  He said that after the hair cut he went to pay and she asked if he wanted the senior citizen discount today.  He looked at her in shock and asked "How old do you think I am??"  She said "I don't know, 56??"  Sadly he had to tell her he is only 46.  He couldn't believe it when I told him that the same girl thought I was around 30.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.  Life sure is funny...literally.

12-21-05    As 2005 comes to a close I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support of the FPMX.  I think we have an amazing group of riders and we've all made some really great friends.  You and your families are great people and we feel blessed to have you apart of our organization.  I especially want to thank all of you who attended the grand prix and donated a toy.  The outpouring of toys was amazing and it will brighten the day for many children who have a parent serving our country.   You guys are awesome. 

 

I came across this picture and thought I would share it with everyone.  This is from our very first Fire Police Motocross Nationals held in 1989 at Perris Raceway.  I dig Ed's pink riding gear! HA

 

 

 

Pictured from left to right: (front row) Rick Rapier (our brother-in-law and one of the original founders of FPMX, Not sure, a representative from the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation (that was the charity we donated our money to that year), Ed, (back row) Goat Brecker, Terry Boyd (the original announcer for FPMX).

 

12-17-05    My Ironman

 

Ed told me that he was racing the team race and it would be two hours long.  I said "TWO HOURS LONG!?"  I thought that was a crazy thing to do even though you do only run every other lap.  Who in their right mind would race for two hours?!  So with interest I watched the start of this crazy race.  Off went Ed.  Soon he came around and I waited for him to switch off with...well I didn't even know who his partner was going to be.  I was shocked to see that Ed didn't stop at all, he simply rode past the drop off area.  I thought to myself "what the heck is he doing??"  Then it dawned on me that Ed was going to ride the entire two hours by himself.  Ok, up to this point I knew my husband was a little crazy but at that point I realized how deep the insanity really goes.  Was he really in the kind of shape it took to run a two hour motocross race on a rough track?  I tried to search my mind for the times I'd seen him workout, run, pass up a double cheeseburger or butter pecan ice cream.  Nothing was coming.  Again I thought "what the heck is he doing?!"  So I continued to watch the race inbetween t-shirt sales and handing out medals.  About every 6 minutes I would see Ed ride by and I was thankful he was still on two wheels.  With every lap my admiration for him grew.  I honestly couldn't believe that he was running this race by himself.  When the race was over Ed pulled off the track and parked his bike behind the motorhome.  He was so tired he couldn't even get off the bike by himself.  Marco had to help him off.  He went straight from the seat of his bike to the ground with a tree trunk as his back rest.  He was completely exhausted.  But he did it.  Even though his body begged him to quit his heart wouldn't let him.  I was very proud of him.  Do I still think he's insane?  Of course.  But I also think he's a man who sets his mind on something and has the heart and will to finish it.  That heart and will is what makes the FPMX what it is today.  He had this idea...this vision...and even though his wife or his wallet have told him many times to quit his heart wouldn't let him.  I admire that. 

 

Here is Ed shortly after being helped off his bike:

 

11-07-05    This picture was taken before the show with hypnotist Marc Savard.  Danny made a big point of letting everyone know that there was no way he could be hypnotized because of his high intelligence.

 

 

This next picture was taken about 15 minutes after Marc began his show:

 

So much for that high intelligence theory.

 

This is what happens to you if you are hypnotized after not sleeping for 3 or 4 days:

 

Yes, that would be Ed flat on his back where he spent most of the show until he was kicked off the stage by Marc.  Good times.  Good times.

 

10-15-05    I almost lost my life because of the FPMX.  Not really but it makes for a dramatic start, doesn't it?  One night during the Nationals in Mesquite I was laying in bed in our motorhome watching some TV.  Suddenly the alarm on the Carbon Monoxide detector went off.  I laid there for a few seconds waiting for my firefighter husband to come and investigate the situation.  Nothing.  No movement from the front of the motorhome where he had his butt parked working on the computer.  I'll give him a few more seconds, I thought.  Still no movement.  Becoming concerned that he might have already passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning I go out and check on him.  What follows is the honest truth.

 

Me: "Ed, do you hear that alarm?"

Ed: "Yeah"

Me: "Why do you think it's going off??"

Ed: "Don't know"

Me: "Well can you please try and figure it out?"

Ed: "You figure it out!"

Me: "Excuse me, but aren't you the firefighter??"

Ed: "I'm busy!"

Me: "What is more important than our lives??"

Ed: "Figuring out the points standing"

 

Raise your hand if you finally believe me that Ed is truly obsessed...umm I mean dedicated to the racers of the FPMX.

 

I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who traveled to Mesquite for the Nationals last week.  I hope that everyone that did were happy they made the trip.  I know it takes a little more time, effort and money to travel but it is what binds us together as a family.  Some people may question why Mesquite.  The answer is pretty simple.  Ed wanted to do something different.  Let everyone experience something a little different.  It was a great time to attend the US Open at the MGM and then head a little more north to run the FPMX.  Believe me it's more work for us to put on a race that is out of state.  But I think the extra work was worth it.  It was a blast.  I hope those who attended the banquet had a great time too.  We were a little nervous to do the banquet.  The whole "fear of the unknown" type of thing.  Would the racers go?  Would they even want something like that?  You get where I'm coming from.  It was also a risk financially.  We had to commit to the Casablanca hotel.  Ed and I have been talking for years about doing something special at the end of the year. Erv finally gave us the courage to do it.  Thanks to Erv and Brad Hannig, we were able to pull this off.  They worked very hard on making things happen.  I, for one, had a great time.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.  I was very impressed with the food.  So good!  And the hypnotist was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.  It was priceless to see people like Danny Lowers and Ryan Chapin dancing like ballerinas (look for pictures soon!).  Those memories and stories will be with us forever.  I treasure times like that.  So I want to thank Erv for his hard work on our behalf.  Also to Brad, thank you for all that you do for FPMX and RISK.  You've become a treasured friend to us and it's friends like you who make us glad we got involved in all of this.  Thank you to Ryan, Brad and Jessica for getting us the goodies to give away to the riders.  You guys have no idea how hard it is to get that stuff! ha  A big thanks goes out to Rich Kingham for talking Jamie Little into attending and handing out the awards.  I don't know, but I think she might have been a big hit. :)   Most importantly I want to thank you, the riders, for attending the banquet and buying the raffle tickets.  Your support of the FPMX and RISK means so much to us.  Hope everyone had a great time and are looking forward to next year!

9-12-05    How could he not know?  How is it that Ed could go to every Supercross with me, sit right next to me and still not know?  How is it possible that he would listen to Jessica Snyder and I talk in length about our love for him and not have a clue?  Men!  Sheesh!  A few day ago Ed and I had the opportunity to attend the 2nd Annual Motobowl held in Anaheim, Ca. One of the reasons I wanted to go was the opportunity to meet Chad Reed and possibly have my picture taken with him.  Before we left for the event Ed looked at the list of riders participating and Chad's name wasn't on there.  I expressed my disappointment but decided it would be fun to go anyway.  Who knows, I might run into Ryan Hughes. :)  I've had a small crush on Ryan since 1991 when I saw him change into his race gear at Barona Oaks.  That's the first time I'd ever witnessed, in person, buns of steel.  Go Ryan!   But to my disappointment Ryan was a no-show.  But back to Chad Reed.  I walked around the event the entire time we were there taking pictures of all the various riders.  Had so much fun doing that!  They were all so nice.  They were happy to pose for pictures and sign autographs.  I was impressed as I watched them.  But all night I saw no sign of Chad Reed.  So it was a surprise to me as Ed and I were looking through the pictures from the Motobowl on RacerX's website that I came across a picture of Chad.  I was shocked and said "CHAD REED WAS THERE??"  Ed calmly states "Oh yeah, I saw him at the other end of the bowling alley"   WHAT?! And you didn't tell me??  To which Ed replies, "I didn't know you cared about him"   Pay attention ED!   

 

 Ed was so excited when he found out he'd be bowling with Jeff Ward.  Jeff is a long time favorite of ours.  We loved to watch him race back in the day.  We also loved the way he conducted himself off of the race track.  Just an all around nice guy.  So it was exciting that Ed would now be on his bowling team.  I got a kick out of how nervous Ed was on the way to the event.  He seriously was nervous! They had a great time and won the event.  Ed commented on the way home "I finally beat Ricky Johnson!  Too bad it was bowling and not motorcross.   I was sad that I wouldn't be able to bowl but happy to be going to take pictures.  It was a good chance for me to get to know the riders and put a face with their names.  I am familiar with all their names but since I usually only see them with helmets on I didn't know what most of them looked like.  All I had to do is walk up to them and point my camera and they were more than happy to pose.  My favorite picture of the night was of Ricky Johnson.  We always loved the whole Bad Boy club pose he use to do and we have many pictures of my son as a little boy mimicking that pose.  And so I was so surprised when I went to take a picture of Ricky and got this:

 

 

But it wasn't until later in the evening when I realized the real reason I was there.  It was for one reason and one reason only.  To get this shot for Ed:

 

 

Too bad I don't have my pic with Chad Reed to show you.  Men!  Sheesh!

08/05/05

 

Sometimes I think Ed may have taken one fall too many on his motorcycle.  Yesterday we were traveling home from visiting our son who is in college.  We stopped at a Wendys in Beaver, Utah.  We parked our motorhome across the street in an empty dirt lot.  As we were crossing the street we had a conversation that went like this:

 

Ed: "This reminds me of that place we ate at on our trip back east.  Remember that?"

Sue: "What place?"

Ed:  "I can't remember what it was but remember that guy with the thing?"

Sue:  "What thing?"

Ed:  "I can't remember"

Sue"  "Well what city were we in?"

Ed:  "I don't remember"

Sue:  "So you're asking me if I remember the place we ate with the guy with the thing in that one city?  Ed, what the heck are you talking about and did you just have a stroke or something?"

 

Speaking of too many falls on a motorcycle, I wrote in my last article about how confused I am over the fact some of you continue to race after serious injuries.  I want to post my favorite email I received.  I was hoping to gain a little insight from those who had a lot of experience both in years and racing.   Instead I was taught by a young man of only 14.  He may not be as experienced as you FPMX riders but he is already completely hooked on the sport of motocross.  Thanks for the insight Garrett and get well soon!

 

 

7-24-05    The past month has been a crazy one.  I have been home for only 6  days in the past month.  After our cross country trip to Quebec we had to repack the motorhome and head up north for round 5 & 6 of the FPMX nationals.  Whose idea was it to hold a race in the middle of July?  Crazy!  The days were hot and the track was scary.  Too many injuries.  The first question I always ask Ed after a race is, how many were taken away in an ambulance?  Nothing I hate more than seeing someone being loaded into an ambulance at a event we put on. I somewhat feel responsible. At one point I glanced at the two ambulances that sat next to the race track and wondered "Do any of these guys think it's odd that they participate in a sport that requires an ambulance to be on call??"  I find it odd.  But then again my blood type isn't MXpositive.   I hope those that were injured are recovering well.  I've seen many injuries in the 17 years we've been doing this and it never gets easier.  I've watched many of you get injured, sometimes seriously, and after a time see you sign up to race again.  And I wonder why?  What is it about this sport that causes a person to heal up from a broken neck and hop back on a motorcycle to feel the rush of racing again?  If anyone can explain this too me, please feel free to email me.  I'd really love to know. 

After the nationals I had to catch a plane the next morning to Chicago for a charity event I was attending.  It's always fun to see how other organizations run their charity events.  It's a good opportunity to learn what to do or what not to do.  This charity event was called Challenge for the Children.  It's sponsored by the musical group NSYNC.  The main event of the weekend is a celebrity basketball game.  I looked....no ambulance was on call.  Any chance you guys would switch to basketball?? :) 

After five fun filled days in Chicago I flew back into San Diego on Monday night.  Tuesday morning we had to once again repack the motorhome for a trip to the Colorado River with the guys in Ed's fire station.  There is nothing I love more than riding my waverunner.  So I was excited to get to the river.  What I wasn't excited about is the weather.  We normally only go to the river in May and October.  The Colorado River in July is very, very hot.  The only way to keep cool is to stay on the water all day.  No problem.  For me.  For Ed though it was a problem.  Ed has an aversion to sunscreen.  He doesn't like to use it.  Why?  I can't answer that.  He just doesn't.  So we were out on the water all day and Ed was a very nice shade of red by the end of the first day.  We had a great time though.   So as you can see it's been a crazy month.  I have loved every minute of it.  I love that Ed has a job that enables us to take off as much as we do.  Play as much as we do.  Life is good.