Some good news and some bad news

So the doctor says, I have some good news and some bad news.

The patient ask, "Oh geeze... what's the bad news?"

The doctor replies, "We have to amputate both your feet right a the ankles."

"Oh crap! What's the good news?"

"The good news is the guy across the hallway wants to buy your shoes."


I am extremely happy there were no serious injuries during this years La Carrera Panamericana and that what few minor ones that there were are ones that we can all look back on with relieve.

One of the best "good news/ bad news" scenarios for me during this adventure was that of getting reacquainted with a long lost friend. It was Roger Dauffenbach who crewed for the number 588 Subaru of Bruce Redding and Ronald McRae. It seems that the La Carrera is not only a place to meet new friends but better yet to get reacquainted with some old ones as well. Some thirty years ago Roger, his gal and myself spent lots of time watersking, four wheeling and basically living life to the fullest. As happens all too often things happened which led us down our own separate paths and eventually we lost touch with each other. By the time either of us realized what had happened neither of us knew where to look. Then one day about a year ago I was talking to a performance shop in Reno Nevada about the La Carrera and he told me he had a friend who was also building a car for the race. I damn near fell off my chair when he motioned Roger's last name.

The long story short is that somewhere in Texas during dinner when the Coyote Convoy was growing in numbers in walked Roger and sat down right next to me. I still get choked up thinking about it. Roger had changed in so many ways all for the good and yet he was still the very same Roger we had all known and loved so many years ago. Finding time to rekindle old friendships is NOT to be attempted during the La Carrera however thank God every time I looked up it seemed there was Roger with something positive to say and a smile to go along with it.

Since it had been so many years that we had lost touch Roger hadn't even known about my wonderful son Will but without asking during most of the dangerous transit stages he took Will under his wing and they stayed together. The bad news is I didn't get a single good photo of Roger and myself but the good news is he lives close enough that we will surely be able to not only renew a wonderful old friendship but in fact do some bench racing of one of the most amazing races in the world... La Carrera Panamericana.