Flat Stanley’s
Journal
Originated by alexis sanchez
Trip with Grandma Liz and Grandpa scott
To
NASCAR race
Diamondbacks Game
NMSU computer center

Sunday April 6, 2008.
Las Cruces, NM.
The weather is very nice and warm.

Sunday April 6, 2008
Tucson , AZ at Cracker Barrel.

Stanley stopped in Tucson to visit Alexis and her family during lunch. He learned Alexis has a very nice family. He liked the rocking chairs at Cracker Barrel that were just the right size. He also learned the game of checkers with Alexis and her brother.

Stanley is helping Grandpa Scott drive the truck and trailer from Las Cruces, NM to Phoenix, AZ. Stanley learned you have to pay close attention while driving and not bother the driver too much. He also learned that Alexis’s usual job of making sure the trailer is doing okay behind the truck is tougher than it sounds!

Monday April 7, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix AZ
The weather is warm and WINDY!

Stanley learned the Saguaro cactus is the state flower of Arizona and only grows 1 inch a year. This one is about 10 feet tall so it’s close to 120 years old! He also found out that it is very prickly!!!

Tuesday April 8, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix AZ

Stanley met the neighbors dog Buster who has a cozy bed to rest in. Stanley learned that is is very important to never pet a strange dog unless their owner and your parents say it is alright with them. Some dogs don’t like to be petted, but Buster just loved it!

Stanley learned how to set up and live in an RV in the desert. The hardest part was learning how to flush the toilet with your foot! He thanks Alexis for letting him use her bunkbed.
He also learned that when attending a NASCAR race you use flags to let people know where you are from (NM, USA), and who your favorite racecar driver is (Dale Earnhardt Jr.)

Wednesday April 9, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix AZ

Stanley learns from Grandma Liz that breakfast is a very important meal if you want to have enough energy for a busy day. And Stanley wants to have lots of energy today because he is going to a baseball game!

Wednesday April 9, 2008
Chase Field, Phoenix AZ

Stanley really enjoyed watching the Diamondbacks play baseball at Chase Field. Grandma Liz taught him all about the rules and what RBI means (runs batted in).

Stanley buying his ticket for the game.

Meeting the organ player .
Nice guy!!

Wednesday April 9, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix AZ

Stanley and Grandpa Scott next to a NASCAR hauler semi-truck. This truck carries everything a race car driver needs for a race such as his car, tools, and extra parts. And it happens to be our favorite driver and soft drink!

Friday April 11, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix AZ

Stanley and Grandma Liz meet Border Patrol Agent Looney. Agent Looney shows Stanley an actual race car that will be racing later today that is sponsored by the Border Patrol. Stanley learns that the Border Patrol keeps our country safe by protecting our borders against bad people. Stanley was interested in becoming an agent like Alexis’s Dad, but Agent Looney said he needed to be a little older and gain some weight!

Saturday April 12, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix AZ

It’s finally RACE DAY!! Stanley takes some pictures with Alexis’s family before going in the gate. We are going to watch 43 cars race 312 laps (500km) to see who has the best team.

We are finally in the races and who do we meet? Stanley’s cousin from Michigan!! Over 120,000 people and they find each other. We spent a few minutes catching up and then it’s off to the races! Stanley learned to stay close to Grandma Liz as 240,000 feet sure can step on a flat person!!!

Saturday April 12, 2008
Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix AZ

Stanley meets the TV crew from the SPEED channel. He learns that being a celebrity is not that much fun. Folks are always telling you what to do and wanting your autograph!

Stanley points to the Goodyear blimp. He learns the blimp weighs 12840 pounds, but when filled with helium it is lighter than air which enables it to fly. It takes 24 hours to travel 300 miles. Much slower than racecars!

This car, driven by Jimmie Johnson won the race and it is tradition for the winner to do a burn out after the race. He spins his tires until they smoke. The crowd loves it but it really smells bad!!!

Grandpa Scott, Stanley, and Grandma Liz watching the race. THE CARS ARE SO LOUD! That is why you have to wear headsets. They protect your ears from the loud noises and let you hear the drivers over the radio. The microphones let us talk to each other as it is SO LOUD you can’t hear even if you are sitting next to each other!

Thursday April 24, 2008
NMSU Computer Center, Las Cruces NM

Stanley is visiting the computer center at New Mexico State University. This is where all the computers that help run NMSU reside. The computers help with admitting new students, registering for classes, grading exams, paying teachers, and running the universities websites. Grandma Liz makes sure all the programs run correctly and at the right time. That’s a big job!

This is the back of a computer that shows all the wires that connect over 300 computers. Stanley is trying to find the one that will take him back to Alexis’s house, but he is too big to fit inside the wire!

This is the command center where Grandma Liz monitors all the computers to make sure they are behaving themselves.

This is Grandpa Scott’s office where he does his job as a system administrator. He fixes the computers when they are broken.
Stanley thinks he might like to come to NMSU for college when he grows up!