The bitter taste of DEFEAT.

PINE WOOD DERBY...2009

Gage was one of the score keepers this year. I think he liked doing that better than when he was in Cub Scouts and actually racing!

Saturday, Drey participated in his LAST Pine Wood Derby. He will be eleven next year so won't be racing again. We knew this year would be our last chance. Joey (bless his heart) always spends so much time with the boys getting their cars just perfect! Yet, every year, with both Gage and Drey, our car was dead LAST! I really was hoping this year would be different. I don't know what the secret to a fast car is...but we do NOT have it. I was watching Drey's face when his car raced for the first run. Not only was he last...he was beat by a LONG stretch. He looked over at me and I gave him a thumbs up and he just gave me a look and put his thumb down. As the races continued, he came in last again and again. I felt so bad for him. Poor kid. He was pretty upset. Last year he didn't seem to care that he was dead last. This year he wanted to WIN! Joey tried to talk to him and perk him up but he was humiliated. Some of the other kids teased him a little about his slow-poke car. We tried to teach him a "life-lesson" and told him that sometimes you just have to be happy for your friend that is winning instead of feeling bad for yourself. He wasn't buying it. He went into the bathroom to compose himself and so Joey grabbed his car and made some "adjustments" to it. He put on some graphite and loosened up the wheels. When Drey came back out it was the final race. Wouldn't you know it....Drey's car came in FIRST place in that run! He was SOOO happy! I could not believe my eyes! His friends all gathered around and cheered with him and slapped him on the back and he was all smiles. He still came in 19th place out of 19 cars but just winning that final race made a little ten year old boy one HAPPY camper!

Drey got the award for "Scouting Spirit". I'm kind of sad we're done with Pine Wood Derbys. Even though we always had the slowest car there, it was fun to watch how into it the boys (and some of their Dads) were. Blue Lightning......