BfloGirlGeek: Random Thoughts of Geekery

• Logan trailer – shut the door! And did they have to use Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt, because I could’ve handled it with NIN’s version.
• Arrival trailer – totally looking forward to seeing this movie…and Jeremy Renner… #TeamHawkeye
• Guardians II trailer – “Do you need a hug?” Ha! Ready for another great soundtrack – and Baby Groot.
• Rogue One – I’ve got my t-shirt, now I need a movie…
  
• Doctor Strange – yes, I’ll see it, I’m just not sure what to expect. This isn’t a traditional Marvel movie, and the characters are new to the movie universe, so I’m going in blind.
• Red Vengeance – if you haven’t tried the Marvel Young Adult book out yet, do it! Black Widow: Forever Red was pretty good, and Marvel fans are craving more Black Widow (movie, please?!?!). Black Widow: Red Vengeance is the latest book – I just started reading it – and next week there’s an Iron Man book joining the collection. Don’t get turned off by “Young Adult,” because we’ve all read them – you know, Hunger Games, Divergent and, of course, all the Harry Potter books.
• Ahsoka – I really want to start reading this one too – Ahsoka Tano was one of the coolest chicks in the Expanded Universe, and now she’s part of the new canon. I don’t want to get caught up with too many books at once, though, because I’m also reading Dark Disciple right now with another cool EU chick, Asajj Ventress.

My 12 songs of Christmas

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Albertyanks

Even though I can only play it a few weeks out of the year, I love Christmas music. I have no idea how many Christmas CDs I have, but it’s a lot. Here are my 12 favorite Christmas songs (in no particular order), many of which I have on one CD or another.

• Snoopy’s Christmas – The Royal Guardsmen. This is probably my dad’s favorite Christmas song – every time it comes on the radio, it gets louder. Tell me you can listen to this song and not see Snoopy in your mind flying around in his airplane…you can’t, I know it!
• Christmas Dream – Perry Como. This was my grandmother’s favorite – even though I had the 45 (that’s vinyl, kiddies!) so Grammy could listen to it, I didn’t fully appreciate it until she was gone. And, yes, I bought a Perry Como CD just to have it.
• My Favorite Things – Lorrie Morgan. As I mentioned here, I absolutely adore Lorrie Morgan’s version of this song – Kelly Clarkson’s is pretty good too.
• I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Reba McEntire. Only Reba could take a holiday classic and give it an Oklahoma swing.
• Two-Step ‘Round the Christmas Tree – Michael Martin Murphy and Suzy Bogguss. This one’s just fun.
• Do They Know It’s Christmas? (original) – Band Aid. The original mega-collaboration for charity: I was really into Brit-pop in the ‘80s, and one of my favorites, Paul Young, opened up the song…people in the States are still going, “Who??”
• Christmas Time – Bryan Adams. No explanation – just like it a lot.
• What Christmas Means to Me – Paul Young. Yep, him again. This was a Stevie Wonder remake from the “A Very Special Christmas 2” CD.
• Please Come Home for Christmas – The Eagles, Pat Benatar. Love the Eagles’ original, and of all the remakes, Pat Benatar’s is the best in my books.
• Sleigh Ride – Debbie Gibson. Also on the “A Very Special Christmas 2” CD – lots of fun.
• River – Sarah McLachlan. A Joni Mitchell remake, Sarah sings it beautifully.
• Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses. “Bah Humbug, no that’s too strong ‘cause it is my favorite holiday.” Sassy ‘80s pop does Christmas – thumbs up!

2015 Chevrolet Colorado at Pocono Raceway

I am a long-time small truck girl – after my first car (1988 Ford Escort wagon), I’ve had trucks ever since – five Chevy S-10s, one Chevy Colorado and two GMC Canyons…then they were discontinued L

I’ve loved my three GMC Terrains, but I’m still a truck girl at heart – so I was overjoyed to hear the Colorado and Canyon were being re-introduced.

I was even more overjoyed when I got to see one up close.

Chevrolet has a HUGE display that goes around to race tracks, and they’re always at Pocono Raceway in the Fan Fair area. I was hoping – but not expecting – that they would have a Colorado. My father rounded the corner of the display before I did, stopped, turned around to me and said “Take deep breaths and don’t drool.”

Thanks Dad J

Dad checking out the Colorado

That truck was awesome! I think I took more pictures of it than of certain cars on the track – here are a few more shots of the new model:

rear seat area

front seat area

While I really liked the Colorado, I’m still going to go for the GMC (I just like the grill more – it’s beefier looking). I can’t wait to check them both out at the local dealers!

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Confessions of a Car Kid

In spite of my mother’s hopefulness and her dressing me in skirts every other day when I was in grade school, I was still something of a tomboy. I played with Barbie, but I also played with Tonka trucks in the sand box. My favorite gym classes were floor hockey games – square dancing? Not so much. On Saturday afternoons, I helped Dad load up his truck for the race track that night – on Sunday mornings, we unloaded. My favorite car as a kid? A metallic blue IROC Z – as well as my dad’s 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500 (I miss that car – and so does he!).

Like this one! (wikimedia commons: order_242)

Having been brought up around auto racing and cars in general, it was tough not to be a car kid. I remember my first foray into racing photography: one of the sponsors for Dad’s team wanted some photos taken in front of his parts store, which happened to be on a busy street with very little parking out front. So, we improvised: dad dropped the car off in front of the store in the median on a Sunday morning (early!) while I set up a ladder on the sidewalk so I could get more than just the side panels on the car. Somehow, we pulled it off – the photos were pretty cool too!

I’ve always loved going to car shows and the races, AM perusing of car dealerships before they open, Sundays in front of the TV watching NASCAR, Thursday Night Thunder on ESPN…

The kids (paulathompsonfreelance.com)

It’s carried on through my adult life. Dad’s now got two Mustangs that we take to car shows, and even if we leave the ponies at home we still walk around. I still love going to the races (with camera in hand!), and I still have favorite cars (2005 Mustang in Windveil Blue Metallic – any type! – and any Saturn Sky – I miss that car!). Add to that the fact that I now write about auto racing and get paid for it (it’s not full-time, but I’ve made back my college tuition doing it!)…

I guess being a car kid has paid off. Thanks Dad – and thanks Mom for putting up with us!

Happy Independence Day Weekend!

Polish used: Julep Bunny (White - It Girl), Cara (Red - Bombshell) and Bailey (Blue - It Girl)