Big Tuesday next week (one week from today if you're counting, as I had BETTER be!) as it is not only Valentines' Day--a day dedicated to all the florists, jewelers and greeting-card makers and purveyors throughout this great but often confusing & bewildering country of ours==but also wife Carol's birthday (none of yer beeswax which one!) and our 49th wedding anniversary! No shit. If we can survive one more year without yrs. trly. giving her reasons or excuses for Justifiable Homicide, we'll make the magic 50. Hard to believe when nobody on either side of the aisle at our wedding thought it would take. Or last.

Go figure...

Speaking of Carol & I, my recent eyeball (actually eyeLID) operation to try and curtail sporadic but often floodlike tearing lefty me looking like I'd gone several poorly defended rounds against this guy (trivia bonus if you know who he was and what movie he was in):

Anyhow, the operation was supposed to reduce the tearing problem and, as a bonus side effect, make me look far younger and handsomer than ever before. The upstate vote is still out on both counts (don't hold your breath) but the immediate upshot was that lots of folks thought I'd "crossed the line" one too many times and that Carol had come after me with the business end of a ball-peen hammer. Or maybe a fence post?

See "battered husband" mugshot below (I would be the 'mug' in the mugshot):

LAST-MINUTE VALENTINES' DAY REMINDER! Yes, folks, there is still time to buy that special someone a signed, personalized copy of one of my fine books or a CD set or USB flash drive copy of the celebrated and outrageously entertaining audio version of THE LAST OPEN ROAD. Order by Friday and I'll ship Priority Mail at no additional charge to get it there on time. Shop on the website at www.lastopenroad.com or email thinkfast@mindspring.com with any strange, off-the-wall requests or personalization needs. And remember: these books are NOT just for confirmed, even hopeless gearheads or racing fans. They're ideal for unsuspectimng folks (especially younger ones) you're trying to lure in to the sport/hobby/time-and-money sink we call MOTORSPORTS ADDICTION! (Insert insane "BWAHHH-HAA-HAA" cackle here). All the best, Burt (longer update & upcoming plans e-blast next week! Consider yourself warned...)

TRIVIA! Please identify: