Race cars!

Simone et al went to a speedway over the weekend. It was an adventure she was unprepared for.

Well, not completely unprepared for: she did change out of her sundress into jeans, a t-shirt and a sweater just in case. She'd eaten dinner with the family, so there was no need to purchase overpriced junk food. She forgot bug spray but luckily, the mosquitoes were noticeably absent from the party.

So how, you wonder, was she unprepared?

For one thing, she forgot the earplugs. Holy smokes was the place noisy. And the ground vibrated so much when the vehicles started up that you could feel it outside the stands! How do people have conversations? They yell, and holler, draw pictures in the clouds of smoke and dirt stirred up by the racing cars but that still leaves tons of room for misinterpretation. Simone found herself staring with envy at the kids who arrived with colourful noise blocking ear muffs. She even briefly contemplated grabbing a pair off one rather small child who likely wouldn't have been able to catch Simone but Simone's kids would probably have disapproved so she refrained.

By the end of the hour or so spent watching the vehicles, Simone had learned very little and lost track of nearly every race and was noticeably deaf in her left ear, after having tried to have a conversation with an old friend. She watched one vehicle drive off the track. She watched another with so little gumption that other cars lapped it once, twice, thrice. She inhaled gross quantities of foul smelling air and felt a rumble in her tummy, never mind the early supper.

But what is stock car racing all about? Simone still doesn't know.