Toy cars

I remember playing with toy cars as a kid, just like any other boy in America. One thing that I found odd about some of the toy cars I had was a hole underneath the car, about center of the frame. Another odd thing about them was they were all gold (a few were silver).

I didn't find out until sometime in my 20's that those cars were the tops of racing trophies. He had so many that they were almost insignificant to him. My Dad is a pimp.


This is just one of the many pictures that he has of a pile of trophies in front of one of his cars. Click on the image to see the full size picture.


Notice the rear tires. The deformation you see is the effect of the torque rotating the inside of the tire faster than the outside. Those are "wrinkle wall" tires that are designed to do that, but it still takes a good deal of torque. So you can imagine that he can do almost anything with a car. Even to this day:

Yeah, the 51 Ford is a fast (and loud) car.

He used to be a bit of a punk back in high school and during part of his racing days. He'd punch you in the face if you upset his wife or daughters (he still would too). He's probably been in more fights than any 20 people I know. It's fun listening to he and his brothers talk about the old days.

I want to note that he is freakishly smart too. He can do long division in his head, instantly. And he knows just about anything, at least from his time. Imagine an encyclopedia from the 70's. He has about that much information in his head.

He can build a house. When I say that, I mean every single insignificant step. I've seen him draft plans on old-school blueprint paper. I've watched and helped him frame up and pour footings for a foundation, frame walls, insulate those walls (and attic), run pluming, electrical, and ventilation. Don't forget sheetrock, oh man, I've done a lot of sheetrock and cannot imagine how much he must have done in his time.

I can identify the parts of my personality that I've gotten from my father. All of his kids have his intelligence, wit, charm, and sense of loyalty. We also have a desire to learn that comes from both him and our mother.

I couldn't ask for better parents.