Gentlemen & Ladies: Start your engines

Just another Monday morning walk with my big boy Kirby. I'm too lazy to get out the door at 6 a.m. when it's a tad cooler - right, like it's cool in AZ in July. We look forward to catching sight of a bunny or some quail by the Game and Fish but not today-all hiding . I'm in my head alot during my walks trying to work out plans, events, schedules, challenges but need to be somewhat alert. Several of you remember Pete, what a fixture in the neighborhood. Walking and talking to all into his 80's. He and I were alot alike - repeating stories. I knew well of his growing up in Chicago, father killed when Pete was an infant, WWII,wounded in Germany, recouperated in England, shipped back to Germany. He used the GI bill to attend college and then on to law school just to see if he could do it and pass the state bar. He did and then never practiced law. Married Carolyn "Yippie", nickname stuck as soon as she was born and her dad saw she was a girl and shouted yippie. Pete passed a couple of years ago and I miss him. We usually visit with a couple of Beagles now days that poke their noses through an opening in a concrete block fence. Today we rounded a corner and came upon a lose, unattended Pitbull!!!! She started running for us & I instantly remembered every news report of maulings by Pitbulls. Kirby, bless his big heart, decided to run to her. Great - impending death by mauling & trying to control my 100 lb. dog. I start yelling & waving my arms at the pb, does no good - isn't this a cute mental picture. I next forever change a neighbors desert landscape by grabbing handfuls of rock and throwing it at the attacker. Took 3 throws and a lot of yelling but I've lived to blog another day. My heart was pounding and racing for several minutes after this episode. I was very blessed. Now, I ask you the question:

What starts your engine?