Revisits

Last weekend my guy took me to the races at a regional short track speedway, which is the first time I've been since I was like ten years old. He loves fast cars, and I was willing to revisit one of the few fond memories of my childhood.

It may surprise you to know that I was quite a racing fan when I was a child. I often went to Hialeah Speedway with my family in the late sixties and early seventies (back before all the NASCAR hoopla), and I loved it every time. The cars looked big and tough and yet beautiful. You picked a driver and cheered him on as if you were one of his personal sponsors. As the cars passed by the stands you could feel the roar of the engines in your bones. They also had demolition derbies, which went on until only one car was left running. I think all the kids especially liked watching those old bombers smash into each other because it was something you never saw adults do on purpose.

Forty years later, the races really haven't changed all that much. No doubt the cars are better and faster, but but the races are still just as exciting as they used to be. All the changes I noticed were pretty positive: drivers wear better safety helmets and clothing now, and the track officials are more careful when there's a crash (a very good improvement) and make sure to inspect the track carefully before letting a race resume. I did have to pay three bucks for a cup of coffee, but they let you bring in your own drinks and snacks if you want to be thrifty. They ran all the scheduled races, so we were there for about three and a half hours; more than that would have been a bit too much for me. And of course my guy was in heaven, which I like to see very much.

I don't see myself becoming a racing enthusiast at my age; it's a lot louder than quilting. I think I also saw too many very real car wrecks when I was in the medical field to feel totally comfortable with racing now. That said, I wouldn't mind going back again. It was fun, and I really liked seeing my guy so happy.

Have you ever tried something you haven't done since your childhood? How did your revisit go? Let us know in comments.

While Waiting for Blogger

During the days when Blogger was tossing my previous posts into their scheduled maintenance black hole, some bad weather also rolled in, making it necessary to unplug everything and instead work on projects that wouldn't be demolished by a lightning strike.

Our current big project has been our second bathroom renovation of the year; my guy and I decided to update the long, narrow bath that our daughter uses. Originally it had a colorful fish theme, which Kat picked out herself. It was cute when she was nine, but now that she's a teenager she wanted something a little more mature.

My daughter and I collaborated on this one, and at first I didn't think it was going to work. The kid wanted less obvious colors -- white and silver -- and picked out bathroom accessories and towels in a stark geometric style that probably would have been more at home on a Greek space station. I could see this bathroom turning into one big futuristic igloo, so I convinced her to go with a frosty blue instead of white paint for the walls, and guided her toward some subtle, nature-themed art. That softened the edginess into more of a winter look, which we both liked:



My favorite fountain pen quit working a year ago, and I miss it terribly, so I tackled fixing it. I'd read an article that suggested taking it apart and soaking it overnight in lukewarm water to loosen and dissolve any dried ink that might be blocking the nib. That was a bit messy, but it worked:



Btw, if you try this method, be sure the materials used to make your pen can withstand being immersed (if your pen barrel is made of wood, for example, it might swell from absorbing water.)

During one of the calmer afternoons we went to one of our favorite lakes to have lunch and stroll along the boardwalk, where I photographed this handsome guy to add to my bird pic collection:



That day we also saw a strange little blackbird with bright red shoulders, but she was too quick for my camera.

Finally I worked up my nerve to walk over and meet one of the new neighbors:



They're not especially friendly, and at night they tend to bellow at each other, but I like them better than the chickens who used to fly over the fence and tempt my dogs into opening their own private KFC franchise.

So what did you guys get up to during the Great Blogger Fail? Let us know in comments.