May We All...

Hey Ya'll- Thank you for your continued love and support through my recovery from my BAT (Big Ass brain Tumor). I've written a whole lot about the process of overcoming brain surgery and what it's been like. I've told you about all of the support I've received and why I fight. I also promised a few blogs ago to share with you some of where I get my tenacity, drive, and heart which has kept me pushing and working so hard to heal. This is a very special and personal story I want to share about one of my biggest heroes.

Most people I believe are lucky enough to call their own parents their heroes. In my case it's so true. My Mom, Dad, Step-Dad, and Step-Mom are all amazing and I am blessed to have them in my life. They have always been there for me 100% and it was the same through my surgery and recovery. Today's blog is extra special and important to me as I want to share with you what true tenacity, dedication, and hard work really means to me. Often I think of what I've gone through and it pales in comparison to what my Dad went through early on in his own life.

My Dad, Norm Paul, celebrate

s his 75th birthday on June 30th. (Happy birthday Dad! I love you!) He has most everything he needs, so I wanted to give him the gift of my words and his remarkable story as his birthday present this year. I hope that you read it and are truly inspired by my father's own amazing tenacity and recovery.

A short history of Norm Paul- he was born at Highland Hospital in Oakland and when he was a young boy his family moved to the small town of Chicago Park (Between Colfax and Grass Valley, Ca). He was very active and helped maintain the family ranch while participating in 4-H, hunting, fishing, football and going to school. At a very early age he developed a passion for racing. When he was young he would go and watch the jalopies race and he knew that was something he had to do. When he was 14 years old he lied about his age and completed his first race car dirt track race at the Grass Valley Speedway.

Dad built his first race car in autoshop at Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley, Ca. He raced that car at the track and quickly gained attention. He was now a Sprint Car driver- one of the original "Outlaws." From Grass Valley he quickly progressed to Roseville Speedway and West Capital where he raced on Friday and Saturday nights. He still holds the track record at the track at Plymouth Speedway which is now closed.

He raced all over California and Nevada in the beginning and then he traveled across the country. He won a whole lot of cash in Carson City, Salt Lake City, and Lemon Valley just to name a few. It was a great life for him. He was living his dream. His favorite car was the red and black #33 car. Back then you just kinda welded shit together and made it work. No one actually went out and bought race cars like they do today. You would lay a piece of metal on the ground and weld the cross members. I'd like to see someone be that awesome today. <3

Dad was addicted to racing. His hero was the world renown driver, AJ Foyt. More than anything else, Dad wanted to get to the Indianapolis 500. He didn't want the fame and fortune- he just wanted to win. Dad talks about Johnny Rutherford who was a sprint car driver from Dallas, TX who went on to have an amazing career at Indy and beyond. Dad said that Johnny was always helping out the young guys,. Dad had just got his foot in the door, in part with Johnny's help, when Dad was in a race which would end his career forever.

In Spencer, Iowa on September 13th, 1968 at the age of 28, Dad was racing his last race back east with his crew, Dennis Wisgerhof and Jerry Pittman before heading back home to Northern California. Back then the tracks they used did not have half of the safety features required nowadays. He was in a horrible accident which left him in the hospital for six weeks. The long and short of it, another driver veered in front of Dad and he did what he could to avoid hitting the guy in front of him. In trying to avoid hitting the other driver he went off track ( the track was only lined with small, round, wooden, white markers every ten feet or so). Dad crashed into a horse barn there at the fair grounds in Spencer. He was badly injured to include a portion of the wooden barn basically lodging in his right arm.

He was in the Iowa Catholic Hospital for 6 weeks. He said he had the best nurse, but it was a terrible experience. The life saving medicine they gave him made him lose his hearing. (He is still 100% def and reads lips.) The medicines also made his kidney's quit at least 7 times which also nearly killed him. He was finally able to go home only to have appendicitis only a week later.

He was then in the hospital in 1969 in San Francisco where the doctor wanted to fully amputate his right arm from the shoulder because it was devastatingly damaged during the crash. Please also understand that Dad was right handed. Dad said, "You're not taking the whole thing." So the Dr. handed him a pen and told Dad to draw a line where he wanted him to amputate. Dad drew a line just above his elbow so that he would at least have a nub. So, that's what the Dr. did. There was no other way to fix his arm back in 1969. Dad also tells me that at one point while he was there, he was roommates with Evil Knievel. Very fitting.

That's far from the end of the story or what I want to share with you. My Dad's wife at the time left him shortly after he got back and moved out with their two twin daughters- my half sisters. He learned to write with his left hand because there was no other option. The first check he wrote bounced because the bank said that wasn't his signature. He had his own machine shop called "Auto-align and Engineering" on Nevada Street in Auburn in 1962 where he did automotive work. After his accident, without even asking, my grandfather started selling and throwing away items from Dad's shop because he said that Dad would never be able to do anything again.

In 1970 my Dad proudly started his own company called Norm Paul Watertrucks, Inc. He built the trucks from the ground up and continues to be the owner, operator, mechanic, etc for the business. He started fishing again a couple of years after his accident and learned to tie a knot in the fishing line with his arm and his teeth. As long as I have been alive my Dad has been an amazing fisherman. I learned to reel and cast with a left handed reel since that's what we had. I have so many great memories of fishing with Dad-whether it be for trout at Hell Hole or for big fish in Baja. He rigs all the gear 100% by himself with one arm, a nub, and his teeth. He reels in using a harness and his left arm and lands them himself no matter how big the fish. I'm telling you as a 100% fact, my Dad is amazing. He does more with one arm than most people ever do with two. Whenever he faces a challenge he just figures out how to make it work.

After the business grew he bought a Jeep and started racing Jeeps. Granted, this was back in the day when California was fun and people could just take risks and race up a giant steep hill. The places he raced, such as Mammoth Bar, aren't even accessible to vehicles anymore. It really was the good old days in many ways and he could get his racing fix with one arm in the Dutchess. With the Jeep, as well as the truck and anything other piece of equipment, he did all the work-wiring, building, fixing, whatever and he still does today.

I asked him if he ever thought about giving up. He said, "I was too stupid to give up. I should ask you the same question. You've been through some shit. Did you??? There are some bad days, but you just keep going." Yep. That's what we do. Some days seriously effing suck, but we keep getting back up and making things happen. Thanks for that gift Dad...

Dad met my Mom, Nancy back in 1969. Mom was a big part of the business and helped get it going. Mom, Dad, and my brother Tim all put a whole lot of time and energy into the business back in the early days. Auburn area local, Jim Dobbas was just starting out with a small trucking company and after Dad got hurt he suggested to him, "Why don't you build your own water truck?" Jim and several other local guys floated Dad a loan for $35K that kicked it all off.

Dad went to Grass Valley and looked at an old 1950 Peterbuilt for $3,500. Dad then went to Newcastle to scrounge for parts which was nothing new. He had a 300 Cummings that had an old blower which made the exhaust so hot it would set the floor boards on fire. His first job was part of building the Foresthill Bridge. He went on to work with logging and building roads in Downieville, Mariposa, French Meadows, Hell Hole, and so much more. He also went on to work on wildland fires which is his absolute favorite and he continues to do this. He's quite amazing at it- just ask the local firefighters he has worked with on fires. One arm, deaf, and he operates that truck like no one else. Did I mention it's dual shift- so he drives his right nub, slips his left arm across the wheel to hit both gear shifts. You have to see it to get it. It's remarkable. He now has four trucks- all Peterbuilt ('49, '50, '72, '99). They are all beautiful and well maintained trucks. I always get a huge smile on my face when I see one of Dad's trucks on the road.

Clearly you can tell that my Dad is an incredible man and one of my heroes. I am so proud to be his daughter. He epitomizes hard work, dedication, tenacity, and the ability to overcome whatever obstacles life may throw at you. Dad is one of the big reasons that I will never quit working hard and pushing my own limits. If Norm can overcome all that he has been through then I damn well can too. He and my Step-mom, Sue, continue to run an amazing business and they are so hardworking and generous. They would never tell you, but they go so far above and beyond for their friends and customers- to include free deliveries often for families that need water desperately and can't afford it- even on holidays. They truly are great people with heart and values.

I hope you have been encouraged and challenged through this blog to never give up. Stay motivate no matter what obstacles get in your way. Thank you for reading- this is blog is so meaningful to me and has brought me to tears more than once. Again, thanks Dad for being a great example for me to follow. I love you with all my heart- Happy Birthday. Hope someone figures out that you should be in the Sprint Car Hall of Fame! "Stormin' Norman!!- the Original Outlaw."

I always like to leave you with a song at the end of my blogs that I have loved- this is one that I wanted to add to my blog for a while- when I saw the video I knew this was Dad's Song- except we're a Chevy family- not Ford. LOL There are two video clips below- one is the original FGL music video and the other is the words to the song so that Dad can hear it too...

So listen, don't you ever effing decide to give up or feel sorry for yourself! Do the work. Find a way to make things happen even if it's not what you originally had in mind. Use your arm, your teeth, and your nub if you have to, but make it happen.

With much love to ya'll and thanks for reading. Hope I captured it all correctly Dad. Happy birthday.<3 Thanks for all you have taught me.

-Mel aka "Kid"