A few months ago, perhaps in the throes of distraction related to the WIP or fresh from the happiness of a shoe shopping extravaganza, I uttered these famous words: “Sure, I'd go to Talladega to see a race.”
Oh be careful what you utter! This Sunday, I am going to Talladega for a Nascar event. I know nothing about Nascar. Ricky Bobby is my favorite driver, if that tells you anything.
Truly, the full import of what I have done is beginning to sink in. They drive around and around. For hours. It's loud (someone told me to bring ear plugs for pete's sake!). It's crowded (the gates open at 5-freaking-AM people! On a Sunday!).
We live a good 150 miles from Talladega, so I can't imagine what unseemly hour we shall have to rise for this occasion. (Can I confess that before I moved to Alabama, I thought Talladega was in Florida? It sounds like Florida, and since they have Daytona, I was certain Talladega must be there too.)
Getting up early and driving so far won't be fun, but maybe the day will be more fun than I'm currently anticipating. We are going with two other couples, people we like, and people who, apparently, already know things like who drives what car and what a points leader is and all that stuff.
Since I'm also the person who said, “Sure, I'll go to the Pro Bowl,” and who had a good time there (it was the tailgating more than the game) and who said, “Sure, I'll run an 8K race with you,” and who survived it with only two dead toenails (always get running shoes in the proper size), I suppose I should look forward to this whole Nascar thing. There will be tailgating, and that's always fun. There will be beer. And I — the person who brought a newspaper, a notebook and pen, and 2 books to the Pro Bowl just in case of boredom, and who never did a thing with any of them — will be taking an iPod, a couple of books, and maybe some paper and pens. Just in case.
So how's your spirit of adventure? If you don't know a blasted thing about Nascar (like me), would you go to a race with friends? Has your adventuresome spirit ever gotten you in trouble or committed you to something that you then asked yourself why did I agree to this?
Man, I hope I get to see Ricky Bobby……
Yes, take reading material.
And sunscreen. And earplugs.
At least it’s not a July race….
Oh gee, you aren’t helping. 🙂 Why didn’t I let hubby buy me that video iPod when he wanted to?! I could watch a movie or two. Or six. 🙂
You’re right. Thank God it’s not July.
I don’t know anything about Nascar, but when my dad was alive he used to race cars at the local drag race track. He worked on his own car in his spare time, suping up a Corvette that kicked all kinds of arse at the track. I used to go with him and his friends just to watch him.
At the time, I just liked spending time with him, but I honestly didn’t see the point in what he was doing. It just seemed silly. True, I was a kid, but racing from one end of the road to the other didn’t make sense to me. And that’s all they did. For hours. ROFLOL! Back and forth, back and forth. And the stench was incredible. Smoke and exhaust and burning rubber. Yuk.
But man what I wouldn’t give to be able to sit in those bleachers and watch him race again. 🙂
Tanya
I don’t think going to the races would be my thing. But there is no event that having a good book can’t cure. 🙂
HA! been there… done that.. but not at Talladega (sp?)
We were in Panama and we sat on the base on a hill watching the small cars go round and round. It was funny!
The same year, hubby took me to a motorcross race in Panama. I saw a PNP (Panama Policeman) with a AK47 across his bike pointed at the crowds. Nope never went back… too much excitement for me. (I think the bikes were more fun that the cars)…
Today… it’s a problem to be too adventurous. Soon, I am trying to convince the hubby to go looking for “ghost towns.” 🙂
Have fun!!! 🙂
Kathy
Tanya, that’s such a nice vignette! Hugs on not being able to go to the races with your dad again. You’re right that it doesn’t make much sense, even going around and around in circles. But, it was interesting, and I will report on that soon….
Rhonda, I took two books and never cracked one! There was a point where I probably would have done so, but it was so blasted hot in those bleachers that I didn’t feel like doing a thing.
Now, Cyn, THAT’S an adventure. 🙂 I guess the one thing I got talked into that scared the crap out of me at the time was riding the cable car down the Zugspitze. We took the train up, and everyone wanted to cable down. It WAS beautiful, but I was so scared, especially when the car would bump over the towers. Yikes!
Thanks, Kathy! I did actually….
Otto tried to get me on the cable car on Zugspitze.. I flaked out… LOL