Highlights from the KC Hilites Midnight Special

Joe Hengeveld signing autographs for the youngin's.

Elliott Brainard and Lindsey Carnett.

Just finished the first half of the race!

Elliott in front of the Henge racing vehicle.

Thumbs up for racing!

Elliott, the navigator.

Lindsey Carnett and I headed out to the desert this past weekend for the KC Hilites Midnight Special to cheer on the racers. The rundown below:

106 degrees and we’re driving through the Mojave Desert- I’m thinking “turn this car around! I’m not getting out of the air conditioned car!”. As I pass a sign saying “The Mojave Desert- your link to outerspace” and I watch a tumbleweed roll by I can’t help having the classic western movie tune play in my head. Doodledoo wah wah wah.

This past weekend I was out supporting Henge Racing in the KC Hilites Midnight Special in Ridgecrest, CA. As I walked around handing out samples I got to experience the off-roading culture. It was great to see how receptive everyone was to the Brainard's Natural Remedies antacids. After all the hotdogs, bean dip and beer they were all following me around for more!

Off roading was fun to learn about- the precision of gas mileage and high tech GPS systems. One of the Henge Racing driver's wife, Julie, was sitting with me explaining the math that goes into planning each race; from split times to gas mileage every thing was very precise - needed to be precise. Julie is pregnant and after noticing her discomfort from eating all of the racing food, we happily stocked her up with Brainard's Natural Antacids.



The intense race went from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am. Can you even imagine what the racers felt like afterwards? Or even during? Henge Racing did amazing well during the race, with a stuck throttle, fuel pump replacement, lights weren’t working correctly and a brake scare they still finished 5th!

I'd love to go to another but next time I bringing a pocket fan!

Do heartburn pregnant women really squeeze out hair babies?

When I found out I was pregnant I thought my only problem was going to be shaving my legs when my bump became so big that I couldn't see my feet. Seriously, it's a hazard trying to shave your legs because a) you're in a wet, slippery tub daring you to slip, b) you've got this insanely huge uterine protrusion, and c) you're handling a weapon - the blades of the razor. Why did man make it so women had hair on her legs? Why?!

Sure, I could've waxed but what pregnant woman has the time or energy to shower, get dressed decent enough for the general public, and drive to a waxing appointment just to be even more uncomfortable lying on her back with a 20 extra pounds pressing on her spine? Plus, there's just no way I was going to wax my own legs. It would be just as bad as trying to shave my legs - trust me, I tried.

Anyway, that's not what this post is about. It's about that other discomfort and sneaky little problem. The one where you sometimes curse the day you became pregnant because not only do you have a little alien squirming inside of you kicking your lungs and headbutting your bladder, you also have to deal with that sinister burning feeling you get after eating. Yeah, heartburn.

Many a wise woman warned me about how the sneaky rat that is heartburn would creep its way into my last trimester along with many other warnings of pains and discomforts but I thought they were nuts. Why would a pregnant woman get heartburn or any discomfort? They're carrying a sweet little angel inside of them - they are a sacred temple that is immune from anything bad. I mean, don't they just stay inside a little bubble anyway and then come out when the baby shoots out? It's like double gestation, the mama is in her own little incubator of pregnant bliss and the baby gets to swim happily inside of the happy incubated mommy. Pregger women are sacred, Babies R Us has designated parking spots to prove it - even my hometown grocery store.

Heck no! I should've heeded those women and their loving advice. Their sweet, sweet loving advice.

Anyway, my first trimester I vomited enough to fill a dump truck, my second trimester I epic leg cramps, and my last trimester I was discontented with heartburn, acid reflux, the ole stomach and esophogeal 1,2 knock out! Babies should be delivered via a stork.

The vomiting I could handle ok since all I needed to do was pop a cracker in my mouth and I was good. The leg cramps were annoying but tolerable but the heartburn. Nah-uh! It took a toll on my because I could no longer enjoy my favorite foods, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, and fried chicken. I love fried chicken - even had it at my baby shower but I paid. I paid bad for eating the friend chicken at my baby shower. At the time I didn't take anything because I was paranoid about any lingering chemicals that might've been in an antacid because some brands contain aluminum or aspirin or are high in sodium (and who needs another swollen appendage?) so I just switched my diet to just plain foods and eating small portions.

If only I had known about Brainard's Natural Remedies (my son is almost two now) back then I think I would've had a more enjoyable and carnivorous last trimester. I use it now though whenever I eat something that I know that will release the stomach acid demons. It tastes surprisingly yummy too. So it's like candied relief.

Blue(berry) Hawai'i

Aloha!!! Last week I was lucky enough to spend some quality time in the beautiful land of paradise; aloha, hula, and poi <--- try with caution! Although I didn't get to witness a lu'au or do some actual surfing I did chow down on some local grub.

Well, OK fine Hawaiian pizza isn't necessarily LOCAL but hey it is called HAWAIIAN pizza. So there. Anyway, as you may know my first and previous post that I love to eat and I'm not afraid of junk food. I figure I mine as well have some hawaiian pizza while I'm in Hawaii. BUT as you may also know my innards don't necessarily always agree with the food I consume. SO, I popped a yummy blueberry Brainard's Natural Remedies tablet before I grubbed down on the cheese-topped, pineapple pie. You see that tray up above? Yeah, I ate all that. Well, I shared some of it but I sure do like me some well made pizza. Growin' girl's gotta eat.

You see that shaka sign up above? That's what the locals do when they say "Hi!" or just whenever. It's like the equivalent of a thumbs up or high five. As to why it's called shaka - I have no idea but it's fun and well that pizza AND my non-indigestion deserved a Hawaiian Hi-5. Who came up with the idea of putting pineapples on pizza anyway?

I did try some actual local food - though very reluctantly...I like my food simple and the less green the better. But it seems like Hawaiian food is always wrapped in something green. I tried laulau - shredded pork wrapped in taro leaf and that was interesting but I wouldn't make it a part of my daily diet. Oh and poi? That stuff is NOT for me but it isn't bad on the digestive system which is nice. My friend suggested I try it with sugar, it wasn't as bad as it is plain but I won't be eating poi again.

The Thai food wasn't bad - I ate calamari and spring rolls. What? It was my first time. After tasting some of the Hawaiian food, I had to be careful with the Thai food. Maybe, MAYBE I'll try some Phat Thai next time. Maybe.

This guy? He tried to get me to surf. That wasn't happening but he did play a couple jams on his ukulele for me. Mahalo!

Aloha and shaka!

Stay tuned for my next adventure but in the meantime, what kind of adventures are you taking?