Life as a Virtual Assistant - Lightening Your Load One Smile at a Time: Georgia

Sorry, NASCAR Nation.  I've been gone for a couple weeks.  Tons of stuff that's been going on in my personal and professional life that has kept me busy and away from social media.  But I'm back.  I haven't been missing my NASCAR (heaven forbid).  However, I have been unable to keep up with my NASCAR blogging.  That is being remedied right now!

There were some hot tempers at Hot-Lanta this weekend.  Between the tire issues that befell many drivers, the huge wreck that happened late in the race, super-duper fast speeds (sometimes in excess of 190mph) and the more bumpin' than draftin' going on between Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards twice during the race, it was quite a thrilling ride for any NASCAR fan!  There were 11 cautions, two Green-White-Checker attempts and two cars dominating most of the day: the #9 of Kasey Kahne and the eventual winner, the #2 of Kurt Busch. 

This video shows Brad hitting Carl at beginning of race, with a cut to Edwards being sent to the hauler after hitting Brad. Doesn't seem like Brad hit Carl on purpose. This actually looks like Carl's fault, too.

This video shows Carl's retaliation.

The biggest news of the day seemed to be a spat between the #12 of Brad Keselowski and #99 of Carl Edwards (see video above).  On Lap 40, Brad and Carl bumped into each other, which caused Carl to make a sharp right turn into poor Joey Logano's #20 Home Depot car.  This sent Carl to the garage for damages.  He didn't make it back out until he was approximately 100 laps down.  When he was interviewed after the wreck, he admitted that it didn't look like it was an intential hit by the #12.  Maybe the time in the garage gave Carl the opportunity to build this up and change his mind because with only 3 laps to go and Brad looking at a great top 10 finish, Carl (again, approximately 100 laps down) found himself behind Brad and decided to give him a nudge back.  Unfortunately, this not only sent Brad's car turning, but also gave him wings as his car was sent airborne, upside down and into the fence that, luckily, protected the fans from being squashed like bugs.  NASCAR immediately black-flagged Edwards and sent him to the trailers for a good "talking to".  In his interviews THIS time, Edwards all but said the words "I wrecked him on purpose."  He said that he didn't mean for Brad to be upended like that.  Did that mean he meant to spin the lead lap car and take him out of contention for a great finish?  Hmmm...

Because of the altercation between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski, the first attempt at a Green-White-Checker finish brought the afternoon's only big wreck.  The cars seemed to accordian on each other on the restart (probably with someone spinning tires).  The #1 (Jamie McMurray), #5 (Mark Martin), #11 (Denny Hamlin), #18 (Kyle Busch), #33 (Clint Bowyer), #38 (David Gilliland) and #56 (Martin Truex Jr) all get caught up together.  The second attempt at Green-White-Checker brings about Kurt Busch's triumph.

Next week is a by-week, with the next Sprint Cup race scheduled for Sunday, March 21, 2010 on Fox at 1pm EST.

Top 5 Finishers of Kobalt Tools 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway are:

1. Kurt Busch #2
2. Matt Kenseth #17
3. Juan Pablo Montoya #42
4. Kasey Kahne #9
5. Paul Menard #98

I'll see you then, folks!  Boogity, boogity, boogity!

Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!

Here is a great Friday Story about giving! I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to forward this email! Click on the link below to check out the organization

"For the Man Who Hated Christmas"

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it, overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son, Kevin, who was 12 that year was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended, and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in the spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids, all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse.

That's when the idea of his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition, one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.

You see we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

Nancy W. Gavin

This story is a true story and inspired four siblings from Atlanta, GA to start The White Envelope Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting this tradition and charitable giving. The White Envelope Project founders are regularly in touch with the family in the article and are thrilled to have their support. The Gavin family and now thousands of others continue to celebrate the "white envelope" tradition each year. For more information about The White Envelope Project or to honor a loved one through a "white envelope" gift this year, please visit their website: www.WhiteEnvelopeProject.org 

peace everyone and have a great day.....zane

Again, always a bridesmaid and never a bride.  My man, Jeff Gordon, just couldn't quite make it to victory circle this week.  But, I'm confident that, with the year he's having so far, I will be posting a "Way To Go #24" soon.  I can't wait!  Jeff cemented his place as #1 in points, with a 43 point lead over second place Clint Bowyer.  Congratulations go to Kurt Busch, who very definitely had THE dominating car this week.  An astronomical 11 caution flags were waved today at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.  With 31 of the 43 drivers finishing one lap or more down, Atlanta Motor Speedway did what Talladega usually does: chews 'em up and spits 'em out.  With Kyle's win in the Nationwide Truck Series and Kurt's win today, the Busch Brothers had a great weekend for sure.  Next week NASCAR is off, but it will return to Bristol on March 22nd on Fox at 1:30pm ET.  See you there!

Results of Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 8, 2009:

1. Kurt Busch (#2)

2. Jeff Gordon (#24)

3. Carl Edwards (#99)

4. Kevin Harvick (#29)

5. Brian Vickers (#83)

6. Clint Bowyer (#33)

7. Kasey Kahne (#9)

8. Tony Stewart (#14)

9. Jimmie Johnson (#48)

10. Martin Truex Jr (#1)

Heather Chavez - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Just Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!