THE THRILL OF VICTORY!

Were you ever involved in a pinewood derby race? Did you help your son make that block of wood into a lean, mean, racing machine? Did you help him paint it with racing stripes and make sure it weighed just enough to qualify by using a glue gun and pennies or screws? Was it a last minute project that had the whole family rushing around to get it done and hoping the paint would dry before the first run down the track?
Or was it all Dad's job? Did he re-live his childhood with his son's race and want the car to be the best design, the fastest and the best paint?

We had a great opportunity in our ward, (our area for our church) to have a party with a chili cook-off AND a pinewood derby! One of the categories was the "unlimited" where anything goes - as long as it fit on the track. We had the old duffers talking smack for months about their fast cars. Andy, my husband was one of them.

Andy has a pinewood derby truck that he had bought over 10 years ago. He realized he had a secret weapon and wanted to keep it under wraps until the night of the race. He had everyone curious about his "car." Andy sent it to our son in Albuquerque, who is a custom airbrush artist, to have it painted.

The truck arrived, beautifully painted and ready to be revealed.

The night of the race, Andy happened to be fashionably late and placed his secret weapon on the table next to the other cars. The race began.

The truck, I mean, Andy, won every race he entered. He was awarded the Gold Award and a 100 Grand candy bar (the stakes were high).
He triumphantly carried the truck home, with a smile on his face and the satisfaction of knowing he beat all the other old duffers!
Saturday morning I noticed that everything had been rearranged on the mantle and the truck had taken it's "rightful place!"

Victory is sweet!