Billy and Sara Jane House

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Welcome Graphic
Updated 01/01/2009

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Link to our family web site..

Link to my facebook photo album..

Billy and Sara Jane House
 
Our Favorites: 

  Sara's: 
 
Band:             Barry Mandilow 
TV show:        CSI (all) and 2.5 men  
Movie:            Gone with the Wind and Seabiscuit   
Book:             Seabiscuit  
Sports team:   Dallas Cowboys - (because Billy says so)
Food:             Salads and Heath Bar Blizzards (no wheat glutten please)
 
   Billy's:  
Band:              ZZ Top    and   Steppenwolf
TV show:         SPEED channel (any motorsports racing) 
Movie:             Friday Night Lights (about Periman High School) 
                      (they have'nt made a good movie since JOHN WAYNE died
                       and thank god for Clint Eastwood))
                      << The Magnificent Seven (1960) Directed by John
                          Sturges. With Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen --
                          is the best non-John Wayne movie ever made -- followed 
                          by the 007 series of movies and now Grand Tornio with 
                          Eastwood >>  
Book:              (I don't read -- just pictures please)  
Sports team:     Nascar's Tony Stewart #14  (RCR was my favorite when Dale,
                        Sr. was alive) 
Food:              Bar-B-Que at Rudy's, Hobo Cafe, Ross' on Lamar  
Favorite Quote: "Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're 
                    stupid." John Wayne
Favorite Beer:    the NEXT one (or Bud if I get to choose)
 
                     B -- Because
                         U -- yoU
                             D -- Deserve
                                 W -- What
                                      E -- Every
                                           I -- Individual
                                              S -- Should
                                                   E -- Enjoy
                                                        R -- Regularly   

 

Sara Jane and Billy with her 2004 Le Mans Blue Commemorative Special Edition Convertible Corvette: 

 (Billy gets to wash, wax and maintain Sara's Corvette and ever since totaling the 1978 Dark Blue L82 Corvette in 1994 Billy has been trying to get out of the dog house so to speak -- also notice in this photo Billy still has his pony tail, July 2004 )

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Sara Jane with her 2004 Corvette at the Mill Pond, San Saba, Texas

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In December 2008 Billy brought a 2009 BMW 335I Artic White with Chestnut/Black interior, premium, sport and cold packages. This replaces Billy's pickup and for the first time in many, many years (30+) neither Billy nor Sara have a truck unless you count the Yukon as a truck. Billy made this decision after studying many luxury and performance oriented cars.  Billy finally decided on the BMW 135I which is a modern muscle car but Sara insisted on 4 doors, hence the 335I. It is very fast, has great brakes and like all BMWs is a driver’s car. The 335I is a 3.0L twin turbo, double cam OHV straight six with 300hp and 300 ft pounds of torque. The 335I has larger brakes and sport suspension plus the sport package adds additional handling to an already great car. The brakes are 13.7 inch front and 13 inch rear disc with dual piston calibers.  The wheels are 18x8 front and 18x8.5 rear with 225/40R and 255/35R run flat tires. The transmission is a 6sp automatic with a sport or full manual modes with paddle shifters. BMW claims 0-to-60 in 4.8 seconds and 13.5 ¼ mile times. The top speed is electronically limited at 155MPH. Here is a link to a write-up on a 2008 335I sedan by Car and Driver.  

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/quickest_cars_0_60_mph/the_quickest_sedans_of_2008_30_000_to_40_000_feature/2008_bmw_335i_feature --

 

Billy's BMW and Longhorns
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These Longhorns are on a ranch just west of our house west of Georgetown, TX
Photos :::::::

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At home of Pat McDonald in Salinas, CA. -- where I purchased the car.

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1963 409CI/425HP, Richmond 5-speed, Ford 9inch, 4 wheel disk brakes.

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Body & interior is original -- repainted in 1988 and red/white seat covers about same time.

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In front of backyard garage at our house.

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Being offloaded.

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Billy with his 1961 Impala 409 SS and the 3rd place award voted on by the other drivers at the 2005 Texas Classic Car Show for Make-A-Wish at Rudy's on 183, Austin, Texas. Also at the October, 2005 Marble Falls Texas Hot Rod and Muscle Car show Billy's got a top five drivers choice award.  Since this event Billy has been in two events where drivers vote and in both he has been awarded a  top 5. Marble Falls in October, 2005 and Red Poppy, Georgetwon, TX., April 2006.  Got a top three in classic 60's car class at Hooter's on 183, Cedar Park, TX on July 15th, 2006. Got a top three in class for classic/customs at Sun City Car Show, May-2007 and a 2nd place for muscle cars at the Jarrell FFA Show and Shine car show October-2007... 2nd place for Chevrolet full size cars at Longhorn Corvette Club Fall 2007 car show Wolf Ranch, Georgetown, TX...

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3rd place drivers choice award at Texas Classic Car Show 2005

Billy's 1961 Belair in 1961 and then in 1963
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1st phote is at Hobbs NM drag strip May 1961and 2nd is with trophies won in 1963

Our 1970 Corvette LT1 at Little River Drag Strip
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This was a mid/low -13 second car on BFG T/A Radials -- not bad for a "stocker"

Our 1962 Corvette NCCC Record Holding Drag Car
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This was at Texas MotorPlex in 1988 and we both won Top Eliminator --

Photos going to Little River for Nostalgic Drags
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At LittleRiver Nostalgic Drags about 1992 -- Won $1000 for 11:00 to 12:99 Bracket

Our GrandKids -- Andrew  and  Michelle :

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 Our grandkids parents are Jeffrey and Linda (Cude) House. Jeff and Linda are Texas A&M graduates. They live in Marlton, NJ which is about 15 miles east of Philadelphia, Penn.

Andrew was born February 29, 1996. Michelle was born April 21, 1999. Both were born in Philadelphia.

Jeff works for Campbell Soup Company in Camden, NJ. Linda until recently worked at Temple University also in Philadelphia. In 2003 Jeff graduated from Drexel University in Philadelphia with a Masters Degree in Operation Research.

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Jeff, Linda, Andrew, Michelle, Sara and Billy at Nasa in 2007

 Our Home:
 

Link to Gabriel's Overlook (includes a map)

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Our Cats -- the real bosses -- Pilar and P. Newman:

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These were two of three abandon cats found in NJ by our daughter-in-law, Linda.  At the time with all the animals that Jeff and Linda had Sara and I  "decided to bring two of the three home with the one already promised". This is our first time in a very long time to have pets and now we can't live without these guys.  P.Newman, the male, was brought home when he was just a few weeks old. Pilar was a couple of months older when we brought her back to Austin and she flew with me returning from an east coast business trip. They are brother and sister as if you cannot tell. Newman is 20+ pounds and Pilar is about 13 pounds, big for cats. 
 
For those of you who know me well, when I talk about my drinking partner it is Pilar. She goes out on the front porch of our house with me and sits in the chair as I have my beer-30. Newman comes out also but he tends to wander like an alley cat will and I don't want the have to chase after him so he ends up back in the house, mad of course. In any case, these are my regular AA (Altitude Adjustment) drinking partners now that I am a full time retiree from IBM after 39 years, 5 months and 18 days but whose counting. For the past 4 years I had been a full time W@H (work at home) employee of IBM so that part hasn't changed but finding something to do all day may be a challenge. 
 
POST NOTE to retirement::   retirement is 6 saturdays and a sunday --- if you have to think about this then your not ready for retirement. 

Favorite Links:

Longhorn Corvette Club

National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc. (NCCC)

National Corvette Museum

Tejas Chapter of BMW Car Club of America (BMWCCA)

Central Texas Classic Chevy Club

Lake Area Rods and Classics

Austin Area Car Club

GeorgeTown Area Car Club -- Georgetown, Texas

Texas Classic Car Show at Rudy;s, 183

Vettes and Jets on the Lexington

BMW USA web site

Georgetown, Texas

Liberty Hill, Texas

Williamson County, Texas

ZZ Top

Steppenwolf

 
Want to get in touch? You can send e-mail to: