Trip to the land of Haunestein
Mark and I returned from Yucca Valley by way of Kingsburg on Saturday. Took over 4 hours to get to the Oregon border from Redding as there was snow at Lake Shasta up past Weed a little bit. I had chains but it just sucked having to put them on. I met Mike, Fred, John a close family friend(his last name escapes me, that old thing again), and Mikes father in law.
It was a blast to hear about the family, and a brief conversation with Mike that involves ill fitting cushions for him and an Armor-All coverd seat on a Ninja ZX11 I owned about 10 years ago. Something about not being able to release the throttle while your legs are stuffed in the back of the hull or your A$$ is sliding off the back of the seat and feet off the foot pegs. It was comical to share those kinds of stories that one would normally be a little gaurded with! We heard a little about Jim, and learned that Don was an accomplished aircraft mechanic up in Alaska, and that John is totally able to get away with things with Fred's mom that Fred would never dream of getting away with! We all laughed about that as I can identify with that in my family.
The boat is sadly collecting dust and there appear to be a bunch of Black widow webs all over the bottom, with me running my hand underneath it to see where the air trap was. My dull tack never got put in the package. During the time in the storage building my buddy Mark and Fred were talking about airplanes and seems that Fred learned how to fly the Piper Colt that his dad owned. That was as we found out someone broke into the building and stolen the brass radiators out of a couple of cars earlier this year, they did not get to the forklift, looks to me like you just about have to remove he counterweight for that. I am thinking a valiant effort could have yielded a 2011 Darwin Award had they loosened the bolts and let it fall on them. A fitting end to a parasite, not much for people that steal from the rest of us that work for it. Missed the nomination for this years awards.
On the way down to Yucca we were talking about them and he had said that most boat guys were usually involved with planes also. Turns out Fred is more than an engineer, he also knows which way is up, which helps in flying! For those of you that have never had the chance to meet Fred or his kids you will likely find them to be a very approachable bunch. John was an absolute character from the beginning, I can see why he fits in the family the way he does. While I has crawling around on the boat I never noticed the Arcadian Racing Team logo on the front of the cowl.
Thanks again for lunch Fred, and when you get up around here next time if you are around for one of our races you can drive the Arcadian model, I promise that you will not have to work up through all the classes or "qualify" to compete with it. The URC does not run our program, neither does HydroProp! Next time the food is on me.
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Got To Out Live Freddy....
Before I could ever tell "MY STORY" of how Jimmy aka Fat Jimmy, whose Rocket never made the moon in 8th grade...(Everybody's rocket made it to the moon, except Fat Jimmy's, his rocket fell over because it never moved)...Every parent in Kingsburg knew whose rocket didn't make it to the moon....Jimmy was always the "STAR"...
I'm afraid I'll have to out live Freddy Hauenstein and his mother Francis before I ever tell "MY STORY" of how Jimmy went from LAWYER to TRUCKING MAGNATE, AKA Arcadian Trucking.
I could tell the story of why Old Fred's airplane was in Ed Kurakowa's barn......but don't want Freddy getting "RILED" over "TAIL FEATHERS"...
The real story is why the Arcadian 8 Engine boat didn't really get a good chance to dominate Unlimited Hydro Racing.
Now that OLD FRED is gone, I guess Freddy could admit to the world that it wasn't his brother Donny, who bent the trailer frame......46 years ago....Freddy still has the trailer and the frame is still bent, I think!
Jimmy and I were really good friends........His birthday is Monday, July 11. He would have 67, just like me. He's been gone14 years.
This Chad's boat at Bay City, two weeks after Jimmy's death. We finished the season, because we'd made commitments, but I retired Chad at the end of the season. You can't really see the word ARCADIAN.....but it is on the boat.
Don't Tell The Doctor I Can't See
I knew Arcadian was on there but on the shop computer I couldn't see it....Chad was 19 then, he'll be 34 this August...
Probably should tell at least one Jimmy Hauenstein Story, for his birthday on the 11th....I won't tell how he got stabbed or how he wrecked the Marcell Hydro (The one with the V-4 Evinrude on it)...Or how he had the tow truck drivers keep an eye out for OLD FRED...Those stories will have to wait...
7/11/11 Jimmy's Birthday....
I was at a Bakersfield race once, and Jim was there with his old white pick up truck, and a Marcel C Hydro on the trailer.....Looked like a lot of stuff in the back of the truck so I started looking at it: There was a nice stereo, great speakers, a nice bicycle, bowling ball, golf clubs, maybe a surf board...snow skis for sure, bar-b-que....motorcycle, cooler....and a couple of suit cases.
I said to Jim, where you going on vacation? He said, "I'm starting law school next week at USC.....I need this stuff." I always laugh about it...No books, but Jimmy did graduate law school, did pass the bar and did practice law for a few months...maybe longer.....
One year at the Needles Marathon I talked Jimmy into borrowing Johnny Carnakis's DeSilva runabout and I loaned him a motor....Damn thing ran good actually, just before the finish line the Keller clamp loosened up on the steering and Jimmy flipped. He drifted down current across the finish line for a second.....Like being second to me in the Needle Marathon was like winning. The next year the city of Needles fenced in their golf course.
Great weekend, we had a deep pit pig bar-b-que at Griswold's river house, rode the Farris wheel at the carnival....drank some beers...
If Jim was alive today, I'd find him and MAKE him drink some beers with me! And wish him HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
ADD:
When Jim was going to law school he loved to come to my dad's house. My dad had a big refrigerator in the patio and it ALWAYS had cold beer in it. Jim liked stopping by, but he liked stopping by more when dad wasn't there....then, he could drink ALL the beer....