The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

This was my third year participating in the festivities surrounding the Indianapolis 500 (race cars, folks, we're talking about those cool little open-wheel race cars)  While I opted out of the actual race this year (standing in 100 degree heat on metal bleachers with 10,000 of my closest friends isn't exactly spectacular, even though this year it was only 80....) we have a big group of friends who turn the holiday weekend into a big party.

via Brian on Facebook

The festivities kick off on Thursday night at St.Elmo Steakhouse in downtown Indy (this almost-a-vegetarian loves every side dish, salad and appetizer and their fish is amazing) with a huge dinner reservation and a night out in Indianapolis afterward. Our regular after-dinner stop the last few years has been Ike and Jonesy's where we are usually the youngest patrons by a decade or so.

Friday is Carb Day (short for carburetor since cars used to have those) so it's off to the track bright and early to watch a race of the up-and-coming Indy drivers, eat deliciously disgusting track food and marvel at the Pit Competition. (Seriously, how fast can you change a tire?) There's always a..."concert" after the race and by concert I mean a band that's...not exactly filling stadiums anymore plays on the lawn inside the racetrack using the worst sound system known to man. We usually swing by but never stay long. Washed-up metal bands aren't my thing. By that point we're hot, sweaty and tired. This portion of the trip is not heavily photographed.

On Saturday we sleep in, have Skyline Chili for lunch (so much cheddar cheese!) and invade the home of one of the nicest families we know for a party that begins in the late afternoon and ends long after the kegs are empty and the daylight has gone. Sunday is race day! For me this year that meant going back to sleep when the guys left at 7 am. They got back in the late afternoon after watching a record number of lead changes and a victory by our favorite, Tony Kanaan!  It really is something everyone should see once. That many cars that close to each other going that fast, it's impressive. During the race one inevitably needs to take a break from standing in the sweltering bleachers so a walk to the golf course is sometimes in order. (The first half of a full-size golf course is inside the racetrack at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.) There will be more gross and delicious food to eat, awesome people watching opportunities (oh man, the wardrobe choices) and the final dozen laps of tension as you wait to see if your predicted winner can pull it off. Despite sitting this year out, I've been twice in the past and look forward to going back in the future.

We finish out our weekend with breakfast on Monday morning before everyone parts ways. There's a slow, sunburnt pace to that breakfast every year. Our group can say with only their body language and their tan lines, "We did it again. Who knows how but here we are. See y'all next year."

The best thing about spending Memorial Day weekend in Indy is that there is so much tradition surrounding these events. There are specific games, food, drinks, speeches. It's familiar and new, exhausting and wonderful each year. I never thought I would get excited about race cars and while the actual race is not the highlight of the weekend for me, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on Memorial Day weekend.

Tiny Airports

Airports are one of my favorite kinds of places. That first scene in Love Actually, about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport always being a place of hope and love, that's how I've felt about airports since I was old enough to take in the wonderful atmosphere around me. I know, flying can be a hassle. There are long lines and at the end, people telling you to put your computer, your belt and your shoes in a bucket. Even with all the weirdness that is the security process, airports are exciting. They're the first step in your travels! Adventure!

When we lived in Charlotte we did more flying than usual since we were in our own little corner of the county. Flying from Charlotte to Kansas City where our parents live was always so easy; just hop from one major airport to the next. But, while I was living in Charlotte I had a couple occasions to fly to Michigan. I went to my family's big Thanksgiving shindig in Bay City and my brother graduated from college in Marquette.

Neither of these cities are near large cities with large airports. They are however, near fun little airports that resemble an outdated living room more than a hub for international travel.

The Marquette airport is on a former Air Force base and therefor one drives on the airport's property for probably a solid five minutes before actually seeing the little building where half a dozen gates (maybe) are located. The airport closest to Bay City is in Saginaw, the next town over. Saginaw's airport has as I remember 4 or so gates and a gift shop. In Saginaw I beat the security personnel to the airport and had to wait to even do through the metal detector. While flying in and out of one of these small airports can be strange for those of us used to massive campuses of terminals, there are perks.

Sawyer International (yeah, Canada) Airport in Marquette, MI

The first thing you'll notice is that whoever is tasked with dropping you off or picking you up will probably not have to pay to park or wait in a long line to pull into the correct curbside area. A small half-full parking lot is much more the norm. Once inside the airport you probably won't find a Cinnabon or a Starbucks but you won't have to search like a detective for bathrooms and your gate won't be in a different zip code. Remember that the adventure of travel begins the minute you leave home.

Boyfriend and I have a couple family-oriented trips back to Missouri planned this summer as well as plans to have more visitors in Indiana. Unlike last summer-4 weddings and a move to a new state, this summer should be a relaxing, low-key one.

Mother's Day in Indiana

My parental units came to visit this weekend! Hooray! They've only seen our little Indiana home one other time. That was very brief and way back in November. Since then we've painted our bedroom, gained a few pieces of furniture and really settled in to making the place cozy. It was also the first time they've been here since I've become a bonafide future graduate student so a little campus tour was in order. Plus, company is the best excuse to hit a different restaurant for every meal! We managed to try Indian (in the rain on the patio, so cozy), vegetarian and Burmese this time. This weekend was also Mother's Day and so...

As a belated thank you to my fantastic mom, here are some important things she has taught me:

The 'rents and I at my college graduation

There is no secret recipe to being in great shape in your 50s. Exercise and a healthy diet does it. Don't waste time with the gimmicks.

A bad mood can be remedied by a little aggressive activity: running, weeding the garden, pulling up carpet.

Food you grow is always better than food you buy.

A dog is a girl's best friend.

The gray pants, they go with everything.

Thanks Mom! Stay tuned for a Dad version in June!