[rblanshard]

It's been a while since I've been here. No reason for my absence; Facebook has something to do with it. I love Ten-Tenths and consider some of you I've met on this site really good friends. But I cannot think of a better place to say:

I'M COMING BACK TO LE MANS!!!! I'LL SEE YOU ALL IN 3+ MONTHS.

For my first Le Mans in 2011, I used a tour group based here in the States to get me to Le Mans. Well, I developed a bit of a friendship with the tour organizers. Once they built the The Circuit of Americas down in Austin, because of my proximity to the track, they'd ask me to drive down and help with various tours - F1, MotoGP, Aussie V8. I actually worked the 2014 Le Mans for them and I'll be working the Indy 500 for them in May.

I got a phone call today asking if my flight plans to Indianapolis are finalized. I say yes, and then I hear: "How's your calendar look for mid-June?" Are you kidding me?!?!?! I'm totally free.

It turns out their regular Normandy-based tour guide is unable to travel and they need someone with my "expertise". They've never been and they need someone who knows his way to and from the track as well as a bit of history of the race to entertain our guests.

Here's the best part: it's all paid for and I get paid to go to the race!

I can't believe it. I still have a massive smile on my face 6 hours later.

Really looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting a few new ones at the pre-race meetup. I'm taking suggestions of what to bring. Maybe another Texas based whiskey - two of you I still owe bottles to and I promise to get something shipped before the race.

See you all soon and I'll see you all more frequently here on the message boards.

-Robert