For our anniversary, we took a trip up north to Napa, the city and a few other places.  We flew up there and drove back in a 240SX, one that we bought up there.  This would make this the 6th 240SX we’ve bought!  Between eating amazing food, hanging with good friends and buying another 240, I’d say this trip was one of our most memorable trips ever!

If you are new to my blog, and don’t know the significance of the 240SX & me + Benson, rather than explaining, read this past article.  Reading this article brings back so many memories…like ducking from cops in Irwindale so we could get cool photos at a warehouse.  Ahhh memories!!!!!

Here are some photos from our trip:

The San Jose airport is the coolest airport compared to all the SoCal ones!

Remnants of Ryan’s scotch

my husband is a photographer-in-training but he just doesn’t know it yet

me and Benson finally getting a taste of Thomas Keller’s famous fried chicken.  At Addendum in Yountville, CA

 a chateau cat…one of my favorite shots from this trip!

there is something romantic about us driving home in our new 240SX.  I think we’re the only couple that can say 240 and romantic in the same sentence…

Teaser
I just finished up a super fun photo shoot with a local make-up & fashion blogger.  Photos coming up soon

Just the night before I was answering questions via email for a magazine article that’s being done on Drifting Pretty.  I was asked, “who do you idolize and why?”  That was easy peasy to answer, with no hesitation.  I guess the question I have, is: does everyone need an Idol?  Do you have to be a certain age?  To me, you have an idol when you are driven to do something.  I think we all are driven, but possibly in spurts or at different times in our lives.  Who to YOU idolize?

My idols

Danica Patrick.  A name synonymous with women in racing.  From the looks of this picture, she just looks like another pretty face, but you would never guess she is a Indy & Nascar driver, who is in it to win it.  She’s outspoken, sees the playing field as level (no special “she’s a good driver for a chick” handicaps), and capitalizes on her empire.  She can do hot photoshoots for sports illustrated or be a spokesperson for Tissot watches and godaddy but when it comes down to it…she is a driver.  She does it all, because she can.  Why not do that Sports Illustrated photo shoot.  There are no rules!  If anyone has earned it, she has.

Jasmine Star.  She is one of the most sought after wedding photographers in this country.  She quit UCLA Law to pursue photography.  She had no formal training (except from the university of the internet) and in just a few years, she quickly became an icon in the industry.  Jasmine does workshops (like the photo above) to teach aspiring photographers (AND current pros) while still running her photography business.  She took a risk, made her own unique brand and is making a difference in the photo community.

Both these women who I idolize are strong, driven and are out there making it.  I still have so many things I want to do with taking Drifting Pretty to the next level and even starting my own photography business.  You have got to idolize someone to help get you there.

See you at the finish line ladies!!

Last weekend was a testament to this when ACT so graciously hosted the 2011 Drifting Pretty Field Trip.  The founder & President Dirk Starkensen, along with Daniel Starkensen & Chris Martin, opened up ACT’s doors on a Saturday afternoon and hosted a private clutch workshop & factory tour for Drifting Pretty.  They don’t get a magazine article or tv feature out of this, they did it simply because they believe in our purpose.  Now tell me if that isn’t authentic!?

We were honored to have this opportunity to come and learn at ACT.  We marketed this field trip to our students as a once-in-a-life time opportunity.  It was.  You can’t get this education from your traditional school.  From the bottom of my heart, again, thank you Dirk, Daniel and Chris.  Your support speaks volumes.

Here are some photos from the exciting field trip:

I have a lot to say.  But for now, I will let my photos and videos speak (vids are at the bottom).

Nadine Hsu 2011 – Drift Feature by Mondoy from Nadine Hsu on Vimeo.

Nadine Hsu is back! 2011 from Nadine Hsu on Vimeo.

Benson named this stray “Gary Busey.”  He likes to come and visit our outdoor cat Vera Wang.  He is TORE up.

As we prepare for summer break, we’re touring preschools for Elise and college prep courses for Kristy.

Another  advantage I have over the guys…I shop at craft stores with hot duct tape!

my daughter Kristy helped design my new sticker scheme…its multi-functional design ensures my bumper doesn’t fall apart!

(taken with my iPhone) the DriftQueen runs for the 1st time, in…2 years.  She starts on the 1st try with no problems.

I’ll see you after the car’s brakes are bled!

Each of my students showed up right on time and ready to work.  With the increasing popularity of our twitter account, I tweeted the play-by-play of our tech day.  For you, here are the play-by-plays (taken with my iPhone):

10AM: we take an inventory of the Stop Tech big brake kit we’ll be installing, elect project managers and go over functions of each part

Linda starts off the install by taking off the old brake setup (Z32 [Nissan 300ZX]) calipers/rotors

We split up into 2 groups and start project #2: re-coloring the face of my new AME wheels.  With fine grit sandpaper, we start scuffing up the surface of the wheel face

12:30PM rolls around and we break for lunch (in the ac cooled house)…followed by scoops of ice cream.  This is our most clicked on photo out of all the photos we tweeted!!!  Why??

We get back to work and the passenger side is finally finished.

Rena heads up the other team and finishes masking the wheels.  The painting starts.  Yes, we’re using spray paint.  High temp engine paint to be exact.  We spray a semi-gloss…which comes out as a nice satin finish (which is exactly what I was hoping for!!).  See the detail pics towards the end of the post!

We let the wheels dry and the gals are let loose to go at the other side with no instruction.  They do a fantastic job working as a team.  Chanting out names of tools that they need and the “righty tidy, lefty loosey” quote.  I could barely get in to undo a bolt…they were so fast to change it all out themselves!

with a short time in the sun, the wheels dry enough to be slipped on to the car.  Here is the finished product

Success!  (Linda had to leave before we could snap this photo)  after 8 hours of work/laughing/eating and lots of learning. my car was done and hooked up, courtesy of Julie, Samantha, Linda, Rena and Sarah.  I can’t thank you enough for hooking my car up ladies!  Big thank you goes out to Marc, Benson & Steve for leading the morning training session!!!

Photog
Out of all the photos I take, I’ve taken ZERO of my race car.  After we ended I pulled the DSLR out and started taking well-deserved photos of my race car.

Close-up of the finished wheel faces

The ol’ gal tucked neatly back into the garage

My ricey tailights.  They’re genuine from Japan with LED filaments.  No china stuff here.

For now that’s all the photos.  I think I’ll take the rest of the photos when she’s at the track later this month!!!  Back to work I go.  Still have to buy a battery, install the new rear brake system and get new intercooler piping.  That’s all.  HA!

The Baby Who Stole the Show
I had the opportunity to borrow a pro-level Canon lens over the weekend.  (a 35mm 1.4 L-series for you photogs).  I didn’t have any photoshoots setup for the weekend, that’s until Easter dinner started!  Our friends, Steve & Jenny (the same couple from the engagement photoshoot) were at Easter dinner.  They brought their adorable son.  The rest speaks for itself.  Here are some test shots with the show stopper:

Dusty Show Stopper
I’ve been hard at work doing accounting side jobs to fund the repair of my race car.  I sat there in the garage tonight, staring at my car, searching for one original piece of the car.  There isn’t any.  I started in 1997 and here it is, 14 years later, and I’m still NOT done with the car!  I’ve changed everything from the bulbs inside my gauge cluster, to the tail-lights (3 times) to the lugnuts, to the glass on my quarter panel, to the hinges on my door…wait the door has been changed too!  I can’t find much of anything “stock.”  What a show stopper my car was and still is.  I love that I could keep going 14 years later with just as much interest as I had before.  I’m going to be a senior citizen and still be tinkering with my show stopper!!!

I could write on and on and about my car, but that will be another time.  Perhaps in a book or screenplay (I’m not joking).  The ladies of Drifting Pretty will be working on the ol’ drift machine with me this weekend.  Its going to be a blast.

Jesse's 1965 Shelby Cobra replica

Jesse’s car just happened to be hanging out at Temple City Auto Repair during the Drifting Pretty tech day workshop.  Its a new car built from the ground up.  Its new but not.  Hot car hello!!!!

Shant's 1974 BMW 2002

Shant, of my lunch bunch at work, seems to always get suckered into driving us to lunch spots in his BMW 2002.  I’ve never driven a car more difficult to drive in my life.  I love this car though, its a beaut!!!  On the roof of the parking structure at work during the last 5 minutes of our lunch break.

As I work my full-time accounting job, run Drifting Pretty, be a mommy to my gals, be a wife, enjoy my hobbies, help take care of both my grandmas who are having health issues and somehow find time to write blogs and brush my teeth…I realize time is so scarce and so valuable.  Its been so difficult choosing what to spend my time on.  Right now its everything!  I think something has to give.  It certainly won’t be easy.  Maybe I’ll just stop brushing my teeth or doing laundry?!

One of the loves in my life…Drifting Pretty kicked off its 8th year of operation this past weekend.  Its truly amazing.   Tons of gals rumbling in with their noisy cars,  running around my culdesac screaming, laughing, flipping photos while carrying textbooks on car racing…all joining together for a good cause: learning how to race.  Its a pretty magical sight!  Congratulations to our 2011 students.  Can’t wait to race with you this year!!!

She Drifts Again…
I finally have plans to take my 240 back to the drift track.  Oh how I have missed you pink drift car.  As I slated up the 2011 Drifting Pretty schedule, I committed to driving a drift event with the DP gals.  My deadline will be May 1st to get the car back to working condition.  There aren’t major problems with the car, just faulty intercooler pipes that I warped when I drove last and ran over my own front bumper.   I’m going to have Elton @ Raceline fab me some new piping.  The only challenge is to get my car there…she has no tags or intercooler pipes.  So she needs to be towed.

After that, I need to work on the brakes.  I’m hosting a Drifting Pretty tech day to finally put on some StopTech brakes and Z32 rear calipers.  That feeling of having brand new parts sitting around un-installed is depressing!  I hope I can do that job in a day.  I also got a beautiful new Veilside hood (thank you to Benson, I love you :), so I need to install the hoodpins for that.  And I need a new battery and a fluid change and I ::hope:: that is all I’ll need to be ready for the track.  That’s all?!  Wow that list sure got long.   Here we go!!!

Photog
All the time I usually spend blogging has been dedicated to my new hobby of photography.  Benson & my friends got together and got me an SLR for my birthday last October.  I got a Canon T2i.  Friends have been so generous to lend me all sorts of lenses.  6,000 shots in, I’m possibly getting the hang of it!  This weekend when it was about to rain, I took Elise out for a quick Birthday photo shoot in the backyard with a borrowed 50mm 1.4 lens.   There is this beautiful magnolia tree in my backyard just covered in flowers!!!  Talk about photo opp.

Elise turns 3 later this month.  There are a few more fantastic photos, but you’ll see those if you’re lucky enough to be on her guestlist haha.

Happy Girl Scout cookie month and Happy Chinese New Year this Saturday.

See you soon!

Aptera entered the Progressive Automotive XPRIZE Competition, which boasts a $10mil prize purse.  The object of the competition is to build the most fuel efficient vehicle that still is practical enough to mass produce and sell.

Check out Aptera’s interview with Progressive Insurance’s Flo below and check out their profile page on the XPRIZE Site.  Good luck to Aptera!

Gal Drifting
You wanted it and you got it. More girl drifting in Japan from NoriYaro.

Here is a pic of Sachiko’s car in Japan.  I feel some connection with her because my Japanese name is Sachiko and my car is pink too lol.  She wins though on interior…how does she pass tech inspection!?   My pink dildo shifter and 3 beanie babies is nothing compared to this insane drift car interior.  I’m inspired.  Go Team Sachiko!!!!

SATC2
I was one of the many hundreds of thousands of women who saw Sex & the City 2 last night (Thursday).  Perez is posting that it brought in $14.2mil Thursday alone!   It was great for a sequel.  The drama wasn’t as insane like the first one, but it was funnier and its awesome that the characters are evolving.  They’re like pokemon!

Enjoy your long BBQ weekend!