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BizB
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NASCAR Weekend
2007-08-21 |
What a weekend! Friday was pretty uneventful, but Saturday was just the start of it all. Talix showed up around 4 and we went to the Maumee Indoor Theater  for Bubbles's Hip Hop dance recital. We weren't allowed to take pictures during the performance, but I do have a DVD on order so I will share that when it comes in. The recital was very well done. Tony, from across the street, performed a solo dance near the end. He was amazing to watch. Bubbles performed the in the second dance and the finale. She was equally as fun to watch. She even jump-roped during the dance without messing up - even some criss-cross jumps!
The usual suspects were there including Rosemary and Tom.
Sunday, we were supposed to go to the NASCAR race. It had rained all morning, so we sat around and watched TV and kept our eyes on the weather sites and the various NASCAR related sites. We waited
and waited for some word about a postponement, or a start of the race. At least Talix had some good company!
At some point, Talix called her mom who checked ESPN and we got word that the jet-driers were on the track and NASCAR officials sounded hopeful about a Sunday race. So, we left and drove to the track. Well, we drove almost all the way to the track. We were turned away by the Michigan Highway Patrol about a mile away from the track. When I asked if they had word that the race was canceled, the officer said, "No, but everyone is leaving so we have to set up the roads for them."
Ninety minutes of driving for nothing. We turned around and drove ninety minutes back. Bubbles's grandma dropped her off and we had Bubbles and her best friend stay the night.
Monday promised another opportunity to get the race under way. At around noon, we dropped Bubbles off at her mom's house and made the drive to MIS one more time. This time, we got to the track. This time, we got to park the car.
This time, we got to go inside the raceway and do some shopping!
Unfortunately, the break in the rain that everyone was seeing on radar never really happened. There was a light mist or drizzle the entire time we waited. At around 4:15, NASCAR decided it wasn't going to happen on Monday, either.
Fun fact: The last time that a NASCAR race was postponed two days in a row was 1997.
There was all kinds of talk about when the race would happen, now. NASCAR really wanted to get it in on Tuesday, but the forecast for Tuesday wasn't much better than the previous 2 days. If it was rained out for a third day, there was talk about having the race next Monday after they had raced at Bristol on Saturday. As it was, Talix was going to have to use another day of leave so that she could stay and watch the race on Tuesday. I did as well. We decided on the drive back from MIS that if they didn't get the race in on Tuesday, we were giving up on it.
Tuesday morning, we woke up at 7:30 so that we could make that lovely 90 minute drive to Brooklyn, Michigan. The race was scheduled to go green at 10:00. When we got to the track, we found that the parking lot was much more full than it had been the previous day.
We parked and walked the mile or so to the gate. This time, they actually asked to see our tickets. On Monday, they didn't even bother. That was the first good sign we'd had in three days. Since the stands were only about 1/4 full, we decided to sit in the grandstands near the exit from pit road.
Not long after we took our seats, they went through the motions of the national anthem and the invocation. Then, the most famous words in all of motor sports.
GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!
The cars rolled off of pit road
and they made 9 laps under what they call a green/yellow situation. This was an opportunity for the drivers to provide some feedback to NASCAR officials on the conditions of the track and the weather in general. Unfortunately, the drivers and their spotters were not happy with the fog that had rolled in even thicker during those 9 laps. They brought the cars back onto pit road and stopped them. That was our queue to remember that we had forgotten to remember to get a bite to eat before we left the house. Coffee and cheeseburgers... mmmmmmm! It was 10:30 by then, so let's call it brunch.
Eventually, the fog lifted and they got the race under way for real.
The race was just as amazing even with the less than full crowds. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that it was better because we weren't forced to sit in the 9 inches that NASCAR provides for each ticket purchased. Hell, we could have sprawled out and lay down if we wanted to. In the end, Kurt Busch won the race. We both hate him. Talix's favorite driver finished 9th! That was awesome. My favorite driver... finished.
We got home by 3:30 and Talix packed up and was on the road shortly after 4:00. She will probably get home around 11:30, unless she really speeds. Hopefully she won't need to take any time off work tomorrow after all.
Tonight, I had the joy of going to Bubbles's "Meet The Teacher" night at school. We weren't thrilled with the teacher that she got this year, but we've been assured that the rumors we'd heard about him (which were true) have been dealt with. Further, the school has a new CCTV system where the principal can look in on any class at any time. the principal also assured us that he's aware of Bubbles academic abilities and that she won't be falling through the cracks. The teacher she has been given this year is actually the most demanding of the 5th grade teachers.
All in all, I'm pretty content right now. Tomorrow, I'm back to work and that'll change, I'm sure. |
 Betty Boop Thu Aug 23 08:08:39 AM
So fer, how was your anniversary dinner? Did Miss M get to go too> Tell us all. So sorry I didn't get a card off to you. Will make up for that error someday.
POPS is back in therapy (physical) and seems to be doing much better already. No cane now at all and we are back to walking at the mall but not the mile yet and have been out on our bikes a couple of times too.
The heat here is tiring and we only have about 6 - 8 weeks of it left for this year. I am so sorry about the terrible weather you guys up north are getting. I suppose the Toledo area will get some of the water before it makes its way to the Atlantic. Findlay has made the national news! really awful.
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 BigBro Wed Aug 22 03:53:29 PM
It was fun. I can't wait to do something like that again with the both of you.
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 BizB Wed Aug 22 01:51:55 PM
Oh! I forgot all about that when I was writing the update. I only took the time to do the update last night so that I'd have something to keep me awake until you got home.
We did have a great time at dinner on Monday!
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 Talix18 Wed Aug 22 11:27:15 AM
Biz didn't even mention that we had dinner with BigBro and Froggie! A wonderful meal of Middle Eastern fare at The Beirut. We (Biz and I) were tired after our second useless trip to MIS, but still had a good time (and felt better after we ate).
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Talix18 Wed Aug 22 11:23:35 AM
Just about 11:30 on the dot. Rain, drizzle, mist, fog, brief periods of sun, and night...drove through just about everything.
I did take advantage of having called my supervisor to sleep in a little, unpack, and have something to eat before I came to work, so two more hours of leave down.
That Penske racing picture is from me (not bad for a phone pic at 72 MPH!) - I passed three of the race teams' haulers on my way home!
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BizB Wed Aug 22 09:01:48 AM
My coworker Dan wrote this Flash game for a contest. He took second place!
*link*
I like it better than the game that won.
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BizB Wed Aug 22 07:07:44 AM
I told b33ns about it in a chat.
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 b33nz Tue Aug 21 08:19:36 PM
Wow it looks really fun! I never knew that the middle of the track had RVs.
So how did you break your toe?
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BigBro Tue Aug 21 07:27:07 PM
Yea!!! you did get to watch a race afterall
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