Race Day

(I posted this originally on April 27, 2008....many of you missed it so here it is again.)


"Gentlemen! Start Your Engines!!!" That was the cry from Talladega Super Speedway here in Alabama today. It was the Aaron's 499.

This post will be most curious to those that know me in real life because I am NOT a NASCAR race fan in any way, shape, or form. However, once again, I felt compelled to post about something that I am not really informed about. So maybe I will know more. You know, like doing a research paper back in high school. Yea that's it.

If you live in the South you know that people have certain stigma's they associate when you tell them that's where you live. For example, they think we all have tractors, wear no shoes and still use outdoor bathrooms. The same goes with NASCAR racing. And I'm sure the movie "Talladega Nights" did nothing for folk's mental image of this so-called sport. Shake and Bake, Ricky Bobby.

When I image googled "NASCAR fans" this is the second photo that came up:



No, I did not have permission from these gentlemen to use their photo. Somehow I think they would have another round, high-five one another and holler "WHOOOOOOOO" if they saw it.

However, after a little bit of searching I found that the NASCAR fan base stretches far beyond the backyard BBQ fellas as seen above. Take for example this:



This would be a photo from an article in the NY Times about race fans who have penthouse condos that over look raceways. This little jewel was about $500,000. So, see, rich folks like NASCAR too.

My conclusion about the racing fan base is people, who transcend all walks of life and socioeconomic levels enjoy watching cars go round and round in circles for hours at a time. Interesting. Very interesting.

I can't really call the hubby a devout NASCAR fan, but he did have some reason to turn it on today after church. Perhaps to get me in the right frame of mind for my usual Sunday afternoon nap. Because not long after the engine revving began, I was out like a light bulb. Only to wake up with about 48 laps to go (that sounded a bit like an informed watcher, huh). Before I knew it, I was mesmerized by those cars going around lap, after lap, after lap. Then *CRASH* and out came the yellow flag. You think in a sport that involves cars going 200mph they would have something other than a handkerchief on a stick to let folks know there's a problem. I found myself watching and waiting for another crash. Kinda like going to a hockey game and hoping there's a good fight!

Another thing that totally amused me were the announcers in suits and ties. I don't know why, but for some reason I envisioned them to be in Bud Light shirts and jeans or something like that. I know, I know that is very judgmental of me and I'm sorry. My husband informed me they are paid professionals. Ohhhh! Sorry guys.

Finally, how does one pick who they cheer for in this sport? Is it the guy driving the car with your favorite number, the cutest driver, the one wearing your favorite colors? Is it passed down in the family--kinda like being an Alabama football fan? Who knows. I went outside the bounds of logic today and simply chose the guy sponsored by one of my favorite things. Who could cheer for any other car when there's some guy driving around in a cute little car with ginormous M&M's on it??? I mean really. And to boot, I *think* there was a giant Snickers bar on the back of the car. Awesome. Seems like there should be a sticker for a PMS pill on there too. It just seems.



I must have done something right. My guy actually won. Woooo hooooo. Anyway, today I have investigated this sport that intrigues so many. Have I now become another crazed NASCAR fan? Certainly not. But I can chalk this up in the "learned something new today" category of my life. And you can too!

Raising Arizona......GRITS Style

I don't mind taking my kids shopping. Now that they are older, I don't have to look for them inside the clothes racks and they typically behave well for a longer period of time.

Take last Saturday, for example. We had to finish up some pre-Easter shopping and found ourselves at a local shoe store. The hubby was in the man shoe area and I had the kids with me.

As we walked around, I heard the kids talking and laughing. However, at some point I became completely oblivious to my kid's behavior, until I noticed one of the sales girls looking behind me and giggling.

How, ummm, marvelous is it to turn around and find your children looking like this:


Seriously. I can't make this stuff up.

How fortunate for me, I lived in the 80's and the first thing that popped into my head was this from Raising Arizona, a favorite movie of mine.

Son, you got a panty on your head. sound bite Raising Arizona sound bites

Just in case you wondered (because I DID), they took the socks fresh out of the box, so no nasty foot germs were transferred to their sweet faces in the making of their fun.

Not scratch and sniff…..

Look at this:

Can you believe how cute this is??

And it is so fitting for the Alabama fan in your life. Ahem, Jennifer at Dust Bunny Hostage, you totally need this.

What? You want to know what that little note reads in the top left corner?

Oh. Sorry. Let me look.

“MADE WITH REAL POO”

Huh? Let me flip that over for you to get a better look.

How’s that:

See, nothing to worry about. It’s just paper made from “Elephant Poo”.

Oh and even better, “100% Recycled AND ODORLESS”.

Well thank goodness for that. I can imagine Aunt Myrtle opening up her super cute Christmas card from the GRITS family saying to Uncle Earl “do you smell something that kinda smells like the zoo?”.

I even LOVE that there are poo piles behind the elephant for a more authentic look.

I would SO love to know who came up with this and what they were smoking thinking at the time.

Can you imagine the conversation in the elephant exhibit at the zoo

“Rusty, you might think this is crazy, but I think we can come up with something to do with ALL this elephant poop”

“You think so, Cletus”

*Poof* Middle of the night vision, “POO POO PAPER”

And the rest is history……

For the rest of the poo poo paper history, complete with exactly how they make the paper from the dung, click on over to Poo Poo Paper. You will not be disappointed.

The site is complete with the “Poo-tique” Online Shop. So, if you’ve got that one person on your list who has everything. You might want to think about some elephant poop. Recycled, of course.

*SNORT* *GIGGLE*

Showed it to my kids when they got home from school, guess who asked, “does it smell?” while holding it up to HER nose? *cackle* *snort again*

Genius, sheer genius

 

I got these pictures in an e-mail from a friend and this Greek Geek got the biggest kick out of them.

These are too good not to share, so laugh with me people (especially you, Penni, the goddess of e=mc² ).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now for my absolute favorite:

 

 

Folks, I’ve taken many a test with questions very similar to these in my lifetime.  Don’t think for a second that some of these answers more than likely crossed this simple mind of mine.  Who knows, some of them may have made it onto the paper….you know, just to give the professor a good laugh.