Indy 500 Memories-1992

Currently Reading: A Falcon for a Queen by Catherine Gaskin. I probably won't be reading today, as I've got to get the house straightened up for my sis and her family; trip to the store for ingredients forgotten yesterday; and most importantly, a memory card to download to CD so I can reload it with pics of my niece and nephew!


The Coldest Race?
The forecast wasn't great. Maybe 35 degrees? Rain? Snow? Either way, we bundled up in thermal underwear, layers upon layers of clothing, and stuffed raingear and blankets in a large duffel bag. The coolers were stocked with the usual sandwiches, soft drinks, and beer. As a person whose ideal weather is bright and sunny 70+, this would be a Race Day long remembered.

During the pre-race festivities, my sister and I kept active by constantly moving. We went to the concession stand for hot chocolate. We enthusiastically greeted friends who had bought our extra tickets. And we took walks up and down the stairs and around our Paddock area, looking at the various Pits across the front straightaway. And we decided, most of all, to remain positive.

Mother Nature decided to bless us by holding off on the rain, and the race began. But the temperature, combined with the cold wind, kept us jumping up and down no matter who was leading. And after 450 miles, my shivering body no longer cared who won; I wanted it over so we could get in our warm car and go home to a hot tub of water.

Lap 198 found me standing up, surrounded by cheering fans standing on the bleachers....and the wind was blocking me! Imagine that...my own little pocket of warmth, finally! I was cheering for Little Al Unser, and the only way I knew he crossed the finish line was the fact I had a clear view of his pit crew between the shoulders of the people in front of me. I don't know how close the victory was; all I saw was his pit crew jumping for joy and running toward Victory Lane!

I think that year was the only year we weren't some of the last stragglers to leave the area; I think we left as soon as Little Al took his Victory Lap in the Pace Car after being kissed by the 500 Queen, the obligatory drink of milk, and the interview. I know conditions were ideal for the cars, but for the fans, this was one race I believe I would have enjoyed better from the comforts of my living room!

Switching Gears (pun intended!)
I received an email saying a nice young Arab man has decided to let me have his 18 Billion dollar fortune. Isn't that nice? Think of all the lives I could help make a little better...and the e-books I could buy...and the e-reader, the laptop, and fuel-efficient vehicles....

Hey, I can dream, can't I? I sent it to my Spam folder.

Dinner Plans
My culinary arts will be put to the test tonight. Why? I've never cooked a meal for my sister before. I've treated her to pizza and taken her out to restaurants, but I'm fixing the Wolfgang Puck chicken recipe that my kids rave about. Here's hoping everything goes well; the sauce alone takes no less than 30 minutes to prepare, since I have to double and triple it; otherwise, it's a battle over who gets to scrape the last bit onto the rice!

I don't know if I'll post tomorrow; we'll be heading for Holiday World, which an hour away, and I'm not exactly sure when we'll be back. But in the meantime, all blogs to the right are good reads until I return. Hopefully I'll be able to post a picture.