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These little cuties sit under the monitor of my computer at work. They are from the cartoon Hamtaro that Cartoon Network used to play in the early 2000s. The one on the left is Hamtaro, and Bijou is on the right. They are just a little taller than a quarter. Rob bought me the whole set of hamsters, plus the house they live in, for my birthday about six years ago. They have been in the basement since we moved into our house in '05, and I just found most of them a little while ago. Maybe I'll set up the rest of them on one of my craft shelves in the office...if there's room...

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27 MPG isn't too bad for racing the rental all weekend, then driving 300 miles home in the same day! I may not like this car, but at least it gets decent gas milage.

I didn't do so well yesterday at the races. I made it further than Saturday, but I was elimated in the second round by a Honda S2000. I thought I was going too fast since the other guy was so far back, so I let off the gas. Then he came screaming up the lane right past me for the win. I should have known better. Those little S2000s make all their power at the top end. Silly Sara.

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This is it.

This is where the nerves explode and my heart tries to beat out of my chest.

I am next.

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*drool*

Here it is. My dream car. In the flesh...or metal, I guess. This is a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34. If I could have any car in the world, it would be this one. It has a 2.6L inline 6-cylinder, twin-turbo engine pushing 276hp from the factory, with all-wheel-drive. Of course, that's just a starting point. If only I could find one...only a handful were imported from Japan by a company that used to sell car parts.

Rob and I drove down to New Jersey today in the rental car to Raceway Park. Since my Honda still has a busted engine, my Mitsubishi still has a dead starter, and my Subaru is still at the body shop, I'm racing the rental! Unfortunately, I red-lit in the first round today. I've never raced an automatic before, and it's a lot different than what I'm used to! Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

198/365

Whoa.

I am sitting here at work listening to the deluge outside. One minute it was partly sunny, the next extreme thunder and buckets of sideways rain. The roar of the rain sounds like a helicopter, and the cracks of thunder are fireworks going off next to my ear. I feel bad for everyone who left their windows open in their cars. It was warm out before this, after all. I hope it slackens before I leave here, I don't have a jacket!

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Today I dropped off my Subaru to Bump and Grind Autobody. They will fix my hood and bumper that got damaged by the truck a couple weeks ago in Dover. I hate to leave my cars with anyone, but I'm sure they will do a good job. I get to drive a rental car for the next few days. Enterprise sent me a Pontiac G6. The car is not very nice; it has tranny issues, needs an alignment, and has the worst steering I've felt in a car. Oh, well, it's just for a few days. At least I don't have to pay for anything.

193/365

Today is Father's Day. Rob and I met up with Dad, Sam, Donna, Grampy, Carol, and A.J. at 8:30 at the Hilltop Steak House in Saugus for their buffet breakfast. I know, I know...a steak house for breakfast? What can I say, they have great waffles! Dad piled his so high with freshly made whipped cream that you couldn't even see the waffle. :) He liked the photo card of us and picture frame with his pool trophy in it. After that, we stopped by Mom's house to see Lance, but they weren't home. I left his card and gift in the mailbox, then called him later that night. Around 4pm, Rob and I went to the Outback on Rt. 3 with Jim and Andrea, his dad and step-mother. We had a nice early dinner. I'm glad we got to see both our dads today.

192/365

Import Wars 2 was today. My CRX wasn't ready, so I ended up racing my Subaru. Rob had to work most of the day. I got there around 8:30am and Rob I. was already there setting up his vendor booth. It was just him in the Team XXX Racing 11.50 index class, and Claudio and me in the bracket class. I got two time trials, and then dialed in at 15.1 seconds for first round eliminations. It was kind of funny, I lined up against the same blue WRX for both my time trials and first round. Both him and I ended up breaking out, but I had the better light so I won that round. Because there were only eight cars to start with in the class, by second round, we were already paired up. I raced against J.C. in the black Cobalt, while Claudio raced against an Audi. I ended my run hard on the brakes, since J.C. was so far behind me and was through to the finals along with Claudio. This was the third time we'd both made it to the finals together, and unfortunately, the third time that he beat me! I ended up breaking out by a few tenths (on the brakes) but it's ok. Second place is not losing when your teammate takes first. There will be a rematch at Summer Slam next weekend! Rob I. ended up winning his 11.50 class. Rob drove up just as the race was finishing up and Rob I., Claudio, Rob and I ended up at Uno's by our house for dinner. It was a good day with great company. I'm looking forward to next weekend, hopefully with my CRX fixed and tuned.

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Woohoo!!! The year is halfway over!

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Flip it upside down and what do you get? Why, what I feel like at work right now, of course!