• It doesn’t say “Indy”
• It’s not open wheel
• It doesn’t look like a car
• I can’t picture it actually racing; flying seems lore likely
• It is wild, cool, innovative, but UGLY AS SIN

The concept itself is fantastic – it would solve a lot of problems the league is suffering from now. The argument in favor of going with it, despite its radical departure in appearance, is that Indy has always been a place of innovation. This is where I have finally discovered my problem with the Delta Wing (besides my searing eyeballs): Radical innovation at Indy has always come in trickles, dribs and drabs. One guy showed up with a  rear engine car here, another with a wacky sidecar design there. If a concept really proved itself,  it was adopted – sometimes more quickly, other times more methodically. What is really bugging me about the possible adoption of the Delta Wing is that it has to be all at once: ugly IndyCars today, uglier “Bonneville Salt Flats meets Elroy Jetson” things tomorrow. It’s just too unattractive and too radical a departure for these all-or-nothing times – especially when the league is positioning itself to remind the world that it is “Indy.”

So far, I’m all for Swift #33 – a batwing front wing with a wild look, but it still says “Indy.” I want to see the league climb back into a position where it can support multiple chassis and then open the door to this “jettified” radical departure. Let it prove itself in the tradition of all Indy innovations, by showing itself to be the best of several.

I saw Chesley Sullenberger at DFW in June last year, walking alone through the terminal corridors. He went right past where I was seated for lunch. I couldn’t help but smile when I recognized him and I nodded when he saw me smiling, but I quickly felt the need to look away and leave him be. He came by a couple more times as I awaited my flight, and I noticed other people recognizing him as well and just smiling or saying hello, but not engaging him further. He was polite with a nod or smile in return, but seemed to be as he was after the ditching – someone who normally wouldn’t seek out this kind of attention.

The crew and some of the passengers reunited on the Hudson today to celebrate their good fortune and many of them can tell tales of their lives being affected for the positive after the events a year ago. For them, the ditching may be a blessing in disguise – in dealing with the event and its aftereffects, many have no doubt gained an evolved  perspective on what is really important. It could be a small blessing in disguise for New Yorkers as well. For the rest of their lives, any headline containing their town and aircraft will turn their minds  to 9/11 and the trauma that no doubt will linger with them always. But once they can tear their thoughts away from those awful days and weeks and months, they will always have this other “Plane in New York” story to bring a healing, brighter thought – to remind them that sometimes, life can go terribly right.

That is probably the real miracle on the Hudson.

Bright spots:

• I had my Felix for a few short months at least. He was such a comical kitty!
• I fell madly in love with U2. Better late than never! I’ve spent all year exploring and discovering the 30+ years of their work. The two concerts I saw on their 360 tour were mind-boggling, and the stage and screen developed for the tour have fascinated me all year.
• The work situation was resolved in such an inspiring way, and I ended up with the most amazing boss as a result. I am so lucky to be where I am.
• In September, I was adopted by Moxie, an adorable black and white kitten who is my new rambunctious little angel.
• I met tons of great new IndyCar people – some in person, but mostly through Twitter. (How did we survive before Twitter?) The Winter Indy Tweetup was a highlight of my year.
• I’ve pared down my social list a bit. Certain folks were taking up some time and energy but weren’t contributing positive things to my environment. Buh-bye!
• My beautiful Sebastian is still the sweetest thing. He’s slowing down now (he’s almost 16), and I’m making a point to spend as much time as I can enjoying his kitty company.

2010 has more races and race fans in store, as well as more U2 shows. Hopefully, my work situation will continue along its lucky path and my health and that of the kittehs will stabilize and become something to celebrate. Here’s to 2010 being a great one for us all.

http://www.theindychannel.com/video/21960780/index.html

Adam Clayton in Las Vegas - photo by Ayaz Asif

See all of Ayaz’ photos at http://www.ayaz.com/.

Was pleased to get a great spot on the Red Zone 2 rail when they finally let us into the Rose Bowl. The stadium is a gorgeous, massive old thing sitting on lovely grounds in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The neighbors got an earful that night. The roar from the show’s one great surprise probably shattered windows. That surprise came during the Black Eyed Peas set, when they welcomed Guns n Roses’ Slash onto the stage and did “Sweet Child o’ Mine” with Fergie singing. WOW.

The U2 set itself wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t up to par with Las Vegas. First of all, the Rose Bowl leaves a great deal to be desired acoustically. Secondly, to use a racing term, there were “offs” by almost every member of the band at one time or another. But it was a great time spent with rabid Red Zoners with frequent visits to the catwalk by members of the band. (Catwalk was about 5 feet in front us with only an occasional security guard in between.) I could have gone home happy after the first time Adam came down our way – I got a twinkly-eyed smile from his lordship that curled my toes a bit.  :)

The entire show is archived on YouTube – over 10 million people watched as it streamed live.

My photos are here for now.

And here are a couple of video clips I took:

——-

Want to see Anaheim and Oakland on the second leg of this tour next June. Highly recommend it if you can get to a show – an amazing experience and setup that may never be repeated.

I headed to Sam Boyd Stadium a bit early that evening and caught part of the soundcheck. Fans were gathered at various points around the perimeter cheering, dancing and singing along like it was the actual concert. Excellent vibe as we headed in to our seats – everyone was excited to be in such a small place – maybe 42K – to see a show that had been playing to much larger stadiums elsewhere. Not a bad seat in the house.

Really enjoyed the Black Eyed Peas set –  they know how to throw a great party. Then, my boys finally came on and after all these years, I saw U2 live. I was not disappointed. New songs and old came off really well and we were all dancing and singing along, having a great time. My very favorite part of the night was the elderly couple (60s at least) standing near me, singing and dancing like they were kids. Completely adorable.

My photos from the show are on Flickr for now.

I didn’t have a backup battery for the camera, so I only took small clips of video to capture lighting and screen effects. Here are two from Las Vegas.

—

Loved the view from my seat and left the show one very happy camper…

As it was, I was hot and tired and without @shagers for the extra laughs, but it was a funtastic time at Homestead for the IndyCar finale. My boy Dario won the race and the title, I at least had one good night out with my Tweeps, and I got to spend long, lovely mornings at the hotel with my pal J, who came down from central Florida and spent time with his music pals while I did race stuff.

I even got to see a few places besides the room and the track. Went to Coconut Grove for a bit, took in a meal and a sandy stroll in South Beach, and socialized in skanky Florida City, where race folks chased clandestine encounters or holed up in their seedy rooms for a little illicit online sex chat. Well, that’s the kind of town it seemed to be, anyway.

My room near the airport was quite nice – top floor, 10 stories up, facing a golf course with the Miami skyline in the distance. Lots of people moaned before the trip about how bad the traffic would be. I had no problems getting anywhere and only hit pockets of slower traffic at the Homestead exits on race day. Piece of cake.

The time at the track was spent hiding from the sun or crawling pit lane with fellow camera-toting Tweeps. Met some fantastic folks and really enjoyed Homestead. Had what looked to be a nice seat for the race, but spent the whole race in the pits, mostly pit-out, getting shots of cars and stars and being right there for the wife drama as the last laps unfolded: Emma Dixon gnawing on what looked like a plastic bag with ice in it; Ashley Judd taking a slow, measured walk down into turn one to shake off some nerves; both women, married to teammates, congratulating and consoling one another when the outcome was known. It was my first time to attend a championship-deciding race and the strategies and people drama lent some excitement to what was otherwise not a terribly notable race.

Already hating that the season is over…is it March yet?

And here’s how it sounded.

More to come…

The fun awaits – four members of Planet-IRL.com will be in the house and who knows what that will lead to! Got a decent seat for the race, and if I don’t get flaked-out-on, I should have pit access as well. The other three P-IRLers got our media credentials. Off track fun looks like it could be dangerous… If there’s time, I’ll post from the trip; otherwise, see ya once I recover.

Owie: So I finally start feeling better and end up with a throbbing toothache. Hard to concentrate on anything at the moment. Just doing mindless housework and taking little naps.

Might Be Allergic: The more I read about gluten allergies, the more I think it could be my problem. I’ve bought a few gluten-free items at the store and will try to eliminate gluten for a week or two, once I get a few more items in the pantry and can make a real go of it.

But All in All, I’m Lucky: One of my best buds back east just had her thyroid out due to cancer. Things can always be worse, it seems.

Miami: All systems appear to be go for me to attend the last race of the season. Using more travel credits/discounts to make it possible.

Moxie: A sweet little kitty girl is being fostered by someone on my Friend Feed, and I may get to adopt her this weekend. Here is a picture of her cute little self.

Sonoma: What an about-face from last year’s experience, at least on a social level! Last year, I enjoyed roaming the pits taking photos, but my off-track time was highly disappointing. This year, I enjoyed the race and being at the track as a reporter for Planet-IRL.com, and the very same person who aggravated the daylights out of me last year was a very enjoyable companion off track. A great crowd and a more interesting race at Infineon Raceway this year made for a lovely weekend. Some photos at my Bashtography site.

Work, Work, Work: Been super busy, having been assigned to a special unit in addition to normal work. Fun!

Fleas: Yup, still battling them. This long weekend ahead will give me a chance to get the rest of the purge completed, dump all the clutter, and do an extra-intensive clean and flea spray. Still sleeping on the futon, which means I don’t always get a good night’s sleep. Meanwhile, last night Sebastian got his fourth bath in the last 2-3 weeks. He didn’t even try to get out of the tub this time. He yowled a little and didn’t squirm as much. He’s such a tolerant kitty boy…and goodness, he’s sooo soft today!

Radio Star: Well, podcast guest. Not sure if it’s up yet, but I participated in the weekly podcast at Planet-IRL.com with Kohl Kirkland and Paul Dalbey, two big IndyCar fans I know on Twitter. It won’t win any awards, but we had fun.

Testing: Sitting in a user testing lab right now, watching people interact with a prototype we’ve created. It’s usually interesting but not exciting, except that we had a real corker in here earlier today. Guy acted like he was hopped up on 5 Red Bulls – he gave us good feedback, but he was a source of constant laughter in the observation room. Spastic!

Intrepid Reporter: Yours truly will be blogging and photogging at the IndyCar race at Sonoma this weekend. You’ll find a few things here, at my photo site, Bashtography, and also on Planet-IRL.com and pressdog.com.  Huge props to Kohl and Planet-IRL.com for supplying me with media creds for this race. Also, I’ll be tweeting as time allows: @SpeedFreakBash.

From http://twitpic.com/photos/partygirl181084

]]> http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/1460/feed 0 http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/1452 http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/1452#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:58:43 +0000 Bash http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/?p=1452 Solidarity: U2’s “New Year’s Day” was inspired by the Solidarity movement in Poland (think of jailed leader Lech Walesa singing to his wife when you hear “I will be with you again…”), and the song is always quite a moment when U2 plays it live in Poland. Tonight’s show featured the audience in a self-organized flash mob, displaying the colors of their flag to astounding effect.

And, of course, what’s a U2 post from me without a gratuitous shot of Adam? 

From Belga Pictures - click to view their site.

Sun March 14 Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sun March 28 St. Pete
Sun April 11 Barber
Sun April 18 Long Beach
Sat May 1 Kansas
Sun May 30 Indy 500
Sat June 5 Texas
Sun June 20 Iowa
Sun July 4 Watkins Glen
Sun July 18 Toronto
Sun July 25 Edmonton
Sun August 8 Mid-Ohio
Sun August 22 Infineon
Sat August 28 Chicagoland
Sat September 4 Kentucky (might be Sunday, though)
Sat September 18 Motegi
Sat October 2 Homestead

Props to Joe at Trackside Online for sharing this over an hour before the press conference. If you aren’t a subscriber, it’s highly recommended and well worth the subscription fee. All the news and on-site reporting straight to your inbox, or you can choose to read it all on their site.

• Mid-March – Preto Riberao, Brazil (and maybe another race as well)
• March 28 – St. Petersberg, FL (via St. Pete’s Twitter feed)
• April 11 – Barber Motorsports Car Park (via various media reports today)
• April 18 – Long Beach (Googled it and found it on the LBGP web site)
• April 25 – Kansas (? – a guess)
• May 12 – Opening day at Indy? If they stay with the shortened month, a May 12 start would mirror this year’s timeframe. Does this not feel reallllly late?

Kentucky has Labor Day, if previous reports hold true, and we know Watkins Glen wants to return to September.

Live Blogs: One person’s view of the race’s events – comments are possible, but it’s a soapbox for a blogger to react to what’s happening (or not) during a race.

Twitter: Quips, quotes, news, photos, and one-to-many comments. You can have conversations on Twitter, but it’s not as concentrated as other forms of contact. Twitter is where it’s at, and it’s not just what’s for dinner anymore.

Group Chat: A few of us gather in a single chat room to experience the races together. Loads of fun – like a virtual race party or tailgate that is very fast paced with lots of zingers flying.

One-on-One Chat: There’s always Yahoo Messenger, once and still the bastion of kids, stalkers and lonely married men getting off in their basements or hotel rooms during narty chats (usually not with their wives). I’m enjoying it as a way to have side conversations with one or two others during a race.

Email: Slower and less-centralized version of one-on-one chat.Good for long-form expression, but I know someone who uses it like text messaging. (Might as well just use chat…)

Texts: One-on-one chat, short version. Good for when one or both parties are actually at the race.

Facebook: Some folks have their Twitter comments populate their FB status; others use FB as a full-featured Twitter. I like it best when race teams and fans post photos and happenings from the race site – using the FB galleries for multiple photos is a lot more convenient than one-at-a-time shots from Twitter via Twitpic or Yfrog.

Forums: They roll a little slower than a group chat – a laid back version of a tailgate party.

At one point today, I had one of each of these rolling, along with the TV broadcast with the volume down and the radio network coverage streaming. It’s a lot of input to take in, and I couldn’t do it all day, but it’s definitely enhancing my enjoyment of the races.

And Robocoaster caught this video of Fatal Shore from the same night:

I’m happy to see these because I was busy at the back and edges of the stage all evening taking photos. You can see those on my photo site.

My friend Carrie is planning to participate in Kili Rocks. She has $7400 and needs $1600 more to reach the $9000 participation donation. She needs to raise the $1600 in the next month to secure her spot on the climb. I’m scheming up something I can do to help raise a little $, but if you can add anything – $5 is terrific – please visit Carrie’s Kili Rocks page and scroll down to the Paypal donation button and lend her a hand. Your donation will help save lives in Kenya.  Thanks!

This is my massage therapy ball. Nothing special about the ball – I bought it at a toy store. I’m using it to break up the adhesions in my abdomen by placing it under my tummy and slowly rolling over it. When I hit a sore spot, I stop and stay there and just breathe through the pain. I’m supposed to do this for 15 minutes a day until there’s no more pain, then five minutes a day after that for maintenance. I’m gonna have to work up to that 15 minutes, I’m afraid. Just spent my first few minutes on it this afternoon, and I have already learned to fear the frog…

Some days it all adds up
And what you got is not enough
Some days are better than others

Some days are slippy, other days sloppy
Some days you can’t stand the sight of a puppy
Your skin is white but you think you’re a brother
Some days are better than others

Some days you wake up with her complaining
Some sunny days you wish it was raining
Some days are sulky, some days have a grin
And some days have bouncers and won’t let you in

Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others

Some days are honest, some days are not
Some days you’re thankful for what you’ve got
Some days you wake up in the army
And some days it’s the enemy

Some days are work, most days you’re lazy
Some days you feel like a bit of a baby
Lookin’ for Jesus and His mother
Some days are better than others

Some days you feel ahead
You’re making sense of what she said
Some days are better than others

Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others

—- Bono

Think I’ll go to bed early so I can get extra sleep and still catch IndyCar practice online in the morning. Bubble bath, then big comfy bed with super soft sheets and an even softer feline…sounds like the perfect kickoff!

• Marco Andretti – “Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car”
• Mario Moraes – “Walk On”
• Tony Kanaan – “The Unforgettable Fire”
• Danica Patrick – “Party Girl”
• Helio Castroneves – “Some Days Are Better Than Others”
• Alex Tagliani – “Gone”
• Dan Wheldon – “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
• Ryan Briscoe – “Seconds”
• Ed Carpenter – “One Step Closer”
• Paul Tracy = “40″

More to come…

Then I got a call from The International Superstar himself, Shane Rogers, sharing details about his visit with IMS historian Donald Davidson among other things. Always good fun to chat with him. We met at Texas not long after I had surgery, and he’s been aware of the road bumps and keeps asking after my condition. Smart, funny, attractive, dedicated and a good guy – this is the kind of guy you want as a friend.  And as an employee for your IndyCar entity. Jussayin’.

The Bad: It feels like I’m forming adhesions in my abdomen. Had surgery in there three years ago, and this most recent bout uncovered loads of adhesions – all my organs were stuck together. Feels like it’s happening again – the usual stretching or too much walking and there’s a pain in my tummy. The fix if it keeps on this way? More surgery. And what causes adhesions? Surgery!  LOL! Left work a little early because I was hurting a bit. Bubble bath and early to bed for Bashie tonight  – more hours in the “off” position gives a better chance at getting some decent sleep.

Speaking of J-Dub: The blogging world’s very own Meesh got her photo of Justin in Victory Lane in the Indy Star – here’s the electronic version! Good on ya, Meesh!

Taking over his responsibilities is the team of Curt Brighton and Jeffrey Belskus. For starters, this now means we’ll have have to ask “Which Curt?” now that Flirty Curty Cavin (nod to pressdog for the nickname) isn’t the only one you’ll be hearing about/from on a regular basis. But serious questions loom – what does this mean for IMS and especially the Indy Racing League? And how are fans, the media and bloggers reacting to the news? Here’s a roundup:

• First, a preemptive blog post from George at Oilpressure.
• Then, the news from Racer.com.
• Meesh cautions that this isn’t the time for the Anti-IRL brigade to dance for joy.
• Jeff at MyNameIsIRL.com shares his concern for the stability of the sport and the great unknown that it faces at this inopportune time.
• The aforementioned Cavin has reaction from team principals about the change at the top.
• pressdog shouts vindication for his (and Meesh’s) favorite, Robin Miller, and links to Robin’s story from late May that states he was right about this from the beginning and we’d see how long it took to prove that. Robin also gets into the family feud (between George and his sisters) that is driving today’s events.
• Over at Is It May Yet?, there are more props for Miller and the asking of the million-dollar question many of us have – what are The Sisters George’s intentions?
• Meanwhile, Cavin was delivering the mail double-time today, tweeting that “it’s raining news” and giving us much-anticipated details about the league’s softening of oval aero restrictions, starting with the race at Kentucky August 1st. Hopefully we can take down those “No Passing Zone” signs and pave over the double yellow lines that have appeared at almost all of our oval races this season.

Personally, I am a bit saddened that we’ll be spending the speedway’s Centennial Era pondering the fate of the league and of the 500 itself. We should all hope that the potential new deal with Apex Brasil comes to fruition – the deal is believed to bring the series closer to profitability, which may buy the new management team a little extra time from the Sisters George and their demands. But who can say what the long term might hold? And will this uncertainty affect the involvement of new manufacturers and the timing of the new spec, which many are hoping will breathe new life into the sport in on many levels? We live in interesting times…

At night, with show lights and amazing screen…

During the show, they had an actual satellite hookup with the International Space Station to talk with the astronauts – only U2 could pull that off…

Here’s The Claw in its various states:

That rainbow thing is a video screen! The screen shows patterns or it shows the performance to help everyone see…the band looks like ants!

The screen MOVES! It can stretch down almost to the tops of the band’s heads!
Here’s what it’s like during a show:

Those two gray things at the top that have 6 rows each are actually speaker banks! The whole Stage can be a bunch of different colors, or all one shade.

photo by mrbill666

Photo by mrbill666 – see his great Fixx shots on Flickr!

Energy: Or lack thereof…man, I’m wiped out! My energy has been low all week, so the chores haven’t all been done, plus I brought back all the leftover booze from Santa Cruz and it’s in bags all over my apartment until I find a place for it all in my crowded kitchen. Looks like a tornado hit a liquor store and then hit my place.

Writing: Trying to figure out when I’ll have time to resume personal writing projects – the type of writing I do at work is very focused and specific and I’d like to stretch my muscles in other areas again. I wrote a brief bit for pressdog leading into his race notes for the Texas race and discovered just how rusty I am. (Not to mention my usual style doesn’t blend so easily with pdog’s snappy tone.   ) I need to give myself  a few assignments and knock off some rust.

Cy Curnin

The Incomparable Dan K. Brown

Rupert Greenall

The only madman you'll ever need, Adam Woods

Chimey (err, Jamie) West-Oram

It’s no secret that the stars are falling from the sky
It’s no secret that our world is in darkness tonight
They say the sun is sometimes eclipsed by a moon
You know I don’t see you when she walks in the room

It’s no secret that a friend is someone who lets you help
It’s no secret that a liar won’t believe anyone else
They say a secret is something you tell one other person
So I’m telling you, child

Love…we shine like a
Burning star
We’re falling from the sky
Tonight
A man will beg
A man will crawl
On the sheer face of love
Like a fly on a wall
It’s no secret at all

It’s no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest
It’s no secret ambition bites the nails of success
Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief
All kill their inspiration and sing about their grief

Over love… we shine like a
Burning star
We’re falling from the sky
Tonight
A man will rise
A man will fall
From the sheer face of love
Like a fly from a wall
It’s no secret at all

Love…we shine like a
Burning star
We’re falling from the sky
Tonight
A man will rise
A man will fall
From the sheer face of love
Like a fly from a wall
It’s no secret at all

It’s no secret that the stars are falling from the sky
The universe exploded ’cause of one man’s lie
Look, I gotta go, yeah I’m running outta change
There’s a lot of things if I could I’d rearrange…

—————- Bono

I’m bringing my entire (meager)  liquor cabinet and delegating purchases and contributions to other attendees, and I’ve found a whole mess of basic drink recipes to try on folks. (We usually have our fabulous bartender Ms. Pippi with us, but she’s traveling to Michigan on a family emergency. Love you, my sister…miss you so much…) I’ve built a checklist to make sure we end up having another great gathering. No guarantee the guys will join us this time – it always depends on their travel schedules – but we’ll have a great time, either way. Gotta rest up a lot this week so I can stay up a little later on Friday… 

Blue Moon: A friend of mine tried to order a Blue Moon last weekend when we had lunch at Esparza’s in Grapevine. (They didn’t have it.) I’d never heard of it to that point, but in the last week, I’ve had two others recommend it and read a few references to it. I’m not a huge beer drinker and like my lagers on the light side, so I picked up some Blue Moon this evening and I really enjoyed it. Add that to Boddington’s and Asahi as a beer I will be happy to drink.

Day 1 Photos

Day 2 – Practice/Quals: More photos during a sweltering practice and qualifying session. FINALLY met Crash Gladys and Kenny Sargent from SpeedFreaks-Crash snuck me into the Media Center where we sat in the empty auditorium and chatted up a storm in air-conditioned comfort. Really needed that break – I wasn’t doing to well from the afternoon heat. After quals were complete, I hung out with TISSR, Paul Dalbey and Marc Bever while the NASCAR truck race started. Took off a bit after the race got going – I was only one month-post surgery and really needed to rest. Photos:

Day 2 Photos

Day 3 – Race: Had lunch with a friend at Esparza’s in Grapevine. THE best chips and salsa I’ve had. More, please! Met Crash at the track, where she hooked me up with the Victory Circle access sticker that the SpeedFreaks got.  Since they didn’t have a photographer with them, they let me use it. So cool. Crash and I spent the whole race together, during which she surprised me with a visit to the Live 105.3 suite in turn 4. Had a blast up there!  The racing wasn’t spectacular, but seeing the cars under the lights on that amazing track was thrilling. Left the suite just in time to hit Victory Circle and Helio’s celebration. Photos:

Day 3 Photos

A big thanks to everyone for making my visit to TMS  most enjoyable. I’ll be back – this place is just too awesome to miss!

Finally Together!: After emailing each other all through Helio Castroneves’ run on Dancing with the Stars and staying in touch since, commiserating over the loss of pets and the declining level of competition in our IndyCar series, I FINALLY met Crash Gladys of SpeedFreaks in person this weekend. She is a doll – full of energy and sass and just plain adorable! Kenny Sargent was there as well, with that bad-ass exterior over sweetheart interior. It was great to meet them both.

More Reconnecting: Spent a little more time catching up with the person I disconnected with last fall. I could be wrong, but I think this person may believe I disappeared last year because of  something small, green and shiny. I’m really not petty like that – it was actually some intensely self-focused behavior and a general negative vibe that caused my exit. Hopefully, things will be okay going forward…

Social Butterfly: This week I’m going to meet with a friend and some co-workers I haven’t seen since my surgery. So far I’m booked through Wednesday with one more date to set. This is good for me – I need to build towards being active all day – and it’ll be great to see everyone! Tomorrow I’m finally getting to try GFC – Good Frickin’ Chicken! Nope, not southern fried with a biscuit on the side…this is Mediterranean fare. Shawerma, kebabs, falafel and hummus, etc. Yum!!!

Shrinking – YAY!: Laparoscopic abdominal surgery has many upsides – less pain, faster full recovery, etc. One of the few downsides is something I call the “bloaties,” caused by the CO2 gas used to distend the abdominal wall (this gives the surgeon more room to work). Imagine that “ate too much Thanksgiving dinner” feeling, 24/7. The bloaties can take several weeks to dissipate and I’ve been feeling pretty icky due to them. But it’s getting better! A few days ago I put on my “big pants” and couldn’t get them zipped. I went to Old Navy and got some clearance rack pants in the next size up so I had something other than the one skirt that would fit. Not even a week later, my new pants are already loose and my old “big pants” are now zipping up. Hoping to be down yet another size in the next few days so I can start trying my usual wardrobe.

Watching the 500 Banquet is kinda like taking down the Christmas tree. Its time to put the Decorations away, take a deep breath and look forward to next year.

Shoe-in – Helio Castroneves. Since his acquittal on tax evasion charges last month, Helio has been on a roll. Everything seems to be falling his way – strong finishes in his races so far, the pole, the pit stop competition…it’s really hard to go against him.

Co-star – Teamie Ryan Briscoe is fast, smart and a bit overshadowed by Helio. He could sneak into Victory Lane if his day goes right.

But Wait, There’s More – Dan Wheldon seems to have found what he was looking for. He wrestled his car all month and today it just came to him. He should be watched. Closely.

Long Shot(s) – Graham Rahal and Mario Moraes. Each solid and quite quick, Moraes surprisingly so. There should be some excitement from these two.

Loooooong Shot – Davey Hamilton. He’s found the speed he wanted after spending the month selflessly putting his preparation time aside to help his teamies get qualified. Davey’s a smart driver and Master of Strategy and Setup, Larry Curry, is calling his race so you just never know…

Davey Hamilton and Sarah Fisher

Follow Sarah at:  http://twitter.com/SarahFisher67

Follow Davey Hamilton at:  http://twitter.com/DaveyHamilton

Health Check: Feeling a little better and a little more mobile every day. Kinda limited in my excursions by wardrobe considerations, of all things. I have one skirt that will fit over my blown-up tummy.  (With laparoscopic surgery, they inflate your abdomen with CO2 so they have more room to work. It takes several weeks to dissapate and I look quite pregnant!) I guess I can always opt to wander out in my favorite PJ bottoms – I do have a few pairs of those that I can get on – but that’s kinda like going out of the house with rollers in your hair…  LOL!

Sebastian likes them too!

Here are the balloons from my family:

Here’s a kitty my mom and sis sent:

Three years ago I had surgery to correct a situation in my abdomen, and the condition returned. This surgery was to stop the situation once and for all. It turned out to be  a little more involved than we thought – when my doc got a look in my abdomen, she found a lot of scar tissue (adhesions) from the last time. Before she could take out what she went in for, she had to spend quite a bit of time separating organs from my intestines and my intestines from each other. But it all went without complications so I’ll be recovering pretty much as planned.

The worst part of the whole thing is the post-anesthesia nausea. I didn’t experience it last time, but this time I’ve been awfully queasy and the anti-nausea meds make me disoriented and cause headaches. Better not to throw up after abdominal surgery, so I can’t skip it.

I’ll be off work for six weeks to recover from surgery and recover my overall health. Looking forward to getting out and about for short walks (maybe next week) and then really revamping my overall fitness. But I have to take it easy for a little while and I’m not known for my ability to relax.

I’m looking forward to ending the losses (2 cats and now a body part in 5 months) and to gaining my health back. I haven’t felt well in well over a year. That’s about to change. And I have so much lined up for my convalescence at home – Giants baseball on the radio, all the Indy festivities for May, a stack of recently-purchased CDs and concert DVDs (mostly U2), some movies and a bunch of books to read. Can’t wait until I can resume power walking and regain my health.

Davey Hamilton, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Jeff Olson (most awesome writer) Comment on Viso Status: Take Franchitti with you.

hee hee!

um, no. Leave Hottio his gorgeous hair!

Ramblin’: I’m on Networked Blogs – see the module lower on the right side of the page and follow me if you dare… 

Amblin’ (barely): My health condition has me moving so slowly I really don’t know how I get through a day. Cannot WAIT to feel better – possibly as soon as next weekend!

Gamblin’: Well, not really – no cash at stake. Made my Indy 500 picks on the Downforce site. The usual suspects: Dixie, Hottio Franchitti, Hello-io Castroneves, TK and Briscoe/Disco Infrerno.  Nice that I can change them up until race weekend if a dark horse shows a strong hand…cannot WAIT for engines to fire on Tuesday!

April 7 – Big handoff deadline at work tomorrow and of course I now knew why I was feeling so tired the day before. Sick. As. A. Dog. I called in sick, hit the Nyquil and hit the hay.

April 8 – Even sicker, but worked from home. Won a Red Zone auction ticket for the U2 concert at the Rose Bowl. This means I can sell the other two and pay myself back for the hefty auction price. Red Zone 2, which I believe means i might just be close enough to pinch The Posh One after all. (Look out, Mr. Clayton!) I cranked out a copy doc and handed it off, took care of as much other work as possible and begged off Thursday and Friday to rest.

April 9 – NyQuil + sleep. Can’t keep anything down. Lost about 7 pounds in two days. Noticed a troubling issue with Felix – it seemed like he wasn’t in full control of his legs. No, please. No more kitty problems…

April 10 – More kitty problems. No sleep today – instead, I loaded up on DayQuil and tissues, grabbed a ZIPCar and took Felix to the vet. His legs had completely abandoned him. They kept him for a while and took xrays, blood samples and gave him some meds. The dreaded letters F, I and P were mentioned as a possible cause.  We went to bed early, with Felix in his carrier on the other side of the bed.

April 11 – Still feeling puny, but dragged to Cinta for my scheduled mani/pedi. First one since January. Got home to rest and care for Felix. Vet called with test results – either an infection in his central nervous system or FIP. I got another ZIPCar, went to get his antibiotic prescription and a larger crate and puppy pads for his comfort. He wasn’t able to use the box on his own at this point, so I wanted to be covered for accidents. Got the crate set up on the bed, with a soft towel and a puppy pad.We needed to give the meds a few days to take affect, so we needed to be ready for major cage time.

April 12 – Felix wasn’t interested in cat food or people tuna anymore, so I headed to get him some baby food meat. He was slightly weaker and spent most of his time sleeping.

April 13 – Worked from home to nurse Felix. In the afternoon, I called the vet with a follow up report and they wanted to see him. Nothing different really stood out, so we stuck with the meds and wait-and-see approach.

April 14 – Worked from home  again. Little dood couldn’t hold his head up at this point and wasn’t able to drink from a bowl anymore. I started giving him water with a medicine syringe. He was still interested in eating his baby food meat and cleared a jar plus a little more every day.

April 15 – Arranged to work from home half days the rest of this week, since I was up in the night with Felix. I slept late and worked from 1 -5 pm so I could finish up and hand off another project document. Felix was more listless and ate a little less. The meds weren’t affecting him so far, but the recommendation was to give him just a little more time.

April 16 – Felix continued to slip into worse health. I fed, watered and changed his puppy pad every 3 hours or so, around the clock. During the evenings the whole week, I’d listen to Giants games on the radio while holding him. There were loads of tears…

April 17 – Practice on Indycar.com for the Long Beach grand Prix. Felix was in his crate next to my computer desk as I followed the practice. One lovely moment in a week of dark clouds happened when Twitter and news alerts delivered news that Helio Castroneves, his sister Kati, and their lawyer were all acquitted of the tax evasion charges they were being tried for. I was elated to hear the news and it lifted my spirits for a while. I finished another project for work, handed it off, and came back down to earth for a moment…and reserved another ZIPCar for the trip to the vet I had to make in the morning.

April 18 – 8 a.m. and we were at the SPCA animal hospital again. We all agreed that Felix had had adequate time to respond to the meds, yet he was worse. FIP was the final conclusion – and there is nothing that can be done for that. So we set him free from his suffering and sent him on to his next life. Rest in peace, my adorable little kitty dood.

I signed an agreement that allowed Felix’s tissue and fluid samples to be shared with UC Davis for a study they are doing on FIP. Afterward. they told me the study covered everything – all the tests, the euthanasia charges, and even adoption fees the next time I adopt from the SPCA. They were so supportive and compassionate in the way they handled Felix’s case from start to finish. We have a wonderful SPCA here and I feel lucky they care here to help me with Sebastian and his old kitty age. I went home after the vet and tried to decompress. Followed practice and qualifying for the Long Beach Grand Prix – it was a joy to see Helio back in the car and to hear his funny broken English and experience his joy for living again.

April 19 – Watched Dario (Hottie-O!) Franchitti quickly re-establish his place in IndyCar with a win at Long Beach, and got myself a full-sized laptop for use when I’m laid up in bed next month. (HP dv4-1275mx special edition with a pretty blue swirling design on the cover.) Mostly, just decompressed from a very trying couple of weeks. Really warm and it was hard to sleep from the heat, as well as the fact I was really congested.

April 20 – full day at work. I felt like a zombie.

April 21 – Another full day at work. Still really tired, but getting back into the swing of things.

April 22 – Sebastian is 15 today – that’s 77 in people years. Long in the kitty tooth! Another day at work, and finally some time to write up the last two weeks’ events. I’m hoping to update more frequently with less-depressing content…

7:00 AM: Armed with personalized presale code, jumped online and snagged one GA and one seated ticket to see U2 at the Rose Bowl in October. (May be too old to GA – so I grabbed a seat and can decide on the day what I want to do.) GA ticket was a reasonable $55. Don’t even ask about the seat…the sticker shock definitely woke me up. 20 rows or so up, on Adam’s side. No pinching The Posh One from there…drats.

8:30 AM: Tooled down 101 in my ZipCar on the 15-minute commute to Brisbane for work. Daily to-do list only slightly longer than my arm. That’s an improvement. I dove in and barely come up for air…

12:20 PM: 20-minute chair massage from the most-awesomest Sabina. Ahhhhh….

1:00 PM: Leave of Absence orientation meeting with HR. I was the only non-pregnant woman in the room. They all checked out my big, round tummy. Nope,  not a baby. Cake.

2:20 PM: Finally got off the phone with my boss (he’s at the Web 2.0 expo) and almost fainted. Gee, I guess it’s time for lunch. Headed out in the ZipCar and found something terribly unhealthly to eat. Gorgeous day in the bay.

3:10 PM: Back at that to-do list.

4:45 PM: Brain-fried. Needed the car today to run errands, so I headed off to the nearest discount store (Target) to start stocking up for post-surgical recovery. Double doses of toiletries and some lounge/sleepwear and undies a size bigger than normal to accomodate the post-puncture swelly belly. CA state tax went up to 9.75% today. Ouch.

6:30-ish PM: Ocean Beach. I try to see the Pacific when I have a ZipCar. Got out into a stiff wind and I’m still finding sand in things. Got back into the car, rolled down the window and breathed………

7:00 PM: Got the ZipCar stashed in its bed, walked home to find two squalling felines who wanted their dinner, then mine. Deja vu…

10:30 PM: Poli-shows watched (Maddow is Must See TV for me), emails read, Twitter skimmed. Bedtime and some Web 2.0 time for me tomorrow. Night.

Life: I really need surgery. I coulda had it earlier, but one of my coworkers is on leave now (due back April 20) and I didn’t want to leave the other one alone. (Seriously worried neither will be there when I get back in June, as it is.) So it’s surgery May 7th. Meantime, the discomfort grows. Is it MAY yet?

Work: Bad, meet worse. IS IT MAY YET?

Work - Insanely busy. Working on some really interesting projects, but they’re all happening at once.

Cats - Felix had a bad tummy but the vet fixed that up for him and he’s back to his cute little kitten self. Sebastian is doing fine.

Music - So it happened again. I have a habit of getting really into a band at least 15 years after they start. This time? U2. They’ve only been at it for 32 years at this point…guess it’s time to really pay attention.   Been enjoying getting into their entire body of work and hope to see them on tour this year or next (hoping they’ll come closer than Vegas/LA next year…).

Racing - Is it MAY yet? Srsly. DO NOT WANT wait. Tickled that Davey Hamilton will be gunning for another 500. Glad to have Dario back in the IndyCars. Hoping Helio beats his tax rap. Can’t wait for St. Pete in 3 weeks. NASCAR is barely tiding me over…HALP! (Oh, yeah – Versus is helping. Loads of programming this month, including a really good hour on Danica Patrick. Not fluff. Encouraging work from our new network!)

Life: Busy. Reading, writing and following racing and Tour of California and baseball’s about to start.

Health: Not so great. I need more surgery and it won’t wait all year…I have a visit with my specialist March 9th to get a read on where things stand.

Work: Hooo, boy. Crazy busy projects, more on the way, with the terrain constantly changing. Other things are changing, as well. Some of it’s due to the economy, but there are non-economy-related things going on…not all are enjoyable, but they may eventually work themselves out for the ultimate good. All week, a verse from nowhere keeps playing in my head:   “The ice under your feet is as thin as a sheet of paper…”

Kitties: Sebastian is himself – hanging out, sweet, and all seems decent with him. Little Felix is having tummy troubles – everything seems to cause frequent trips to the litter box. I’m slowly trying him on different foods to see if that helps, and he has a vet appointment on the 28th.  He’s comical and sweet and I’m so glad we have him. And Sabrina…I miss her so, but it’s a little better the last few days. I had a very vivid dream last week in which she visited me. It felt like she was curled up in my arms asleep, as she always was, and the message I kept hearing in my dream was “I’m always with you…”  Things have felt a little lighter since that dream.

There’s a red stripe up the heel to compliment the the red star at the ankle. Now if it will stop raining long enough for me to wear them… (not much worse than soggy Chucks…)

Meantime, I’m hoping for the best for Helio. Some folks I know who know Helio say it wouldn’t be like him to knowingly do something illegal – they are citing his trustful, naive nature as something that may have gotten him into this mess. I just hope he doesn’t have to do time, if these folks are right.

Update: Both the Indy Star and Robin Miller at SPEED TV are reporting the driver is Power!  He’ll be on board until Helio’s situation is clear. So Team Penske hasn’t backed away from supporting Helio after all…they’re just announcing their game plan early. That sounds like the Team Penske we know and love…

Sebastian: He’s been so bummed without his little Brina Bean to play and snuggle with. He’s extra-clingy and only eats well if I sit with him. I’ve been giving him as much attention I can.

SF SPCA: I stopped by Saturday on an errand and walked through the kitty condos to see if it was the same as 10 years ago when I volunteered as a cat socializer. Same lovely lofts, mostly full of adorable fuzzballs that need a good home. Including…

Felix!: I saw this little dude, who’d just been made available for adoption 30 minutes before I got there, and had to go in and say hi. I found Mark, a really kind socializer, who joined me in Felix’s room to get to know him better himself. Little Felix was immediately engaging and curious, with the typical energy of a 6-month-old kitten, but a nice settled sweetness to him as well. I wasn’t considering adoption so soon after losing Sabrina, but fifteen minutes later I was telling Mark I wanted to take him with me, so we now have a little bouncing ball of fur in the house. Isn’t’ he cute? 

Sebastian is still hissing a little, but is starting to play with Felix some, and although my heart still aches for Sabrina, it’s fun to have a bit of comic relief and such a sweet kitty boy around to brighten our place a bit.

Work: We’re getting another senior-level writer after all, which is good – we need more hands on deck.

Health: The condition I had surgery for in 2006 is really reasserting itself. Time for another round of tests…more surgery seems a given at this point. The sinus/ear infection has cleared up, but my right ear is still clogged and my hearing is about 40% on that side.

Racing: Is it May yet? Or at least April? Okay, we’ve got the Rolex 24 and Speedweeks coming soon…

TV: Jack is Back!! Other than the political news shows on MSNBC, the only show I see regularly is 24. So happy it’s finally returning after a year off due to the writers’ strike. A girl needs her weekly heart-attack drama…  LOL!

Meanwhile, Santarchy Reigns (Reins?): San Franciscans are participating in SantaCon 08 today, a flash mob of people dressed as Santas, reindeer and elves, cruising the bars and doing just whatever happens. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow the SF festivities at http://twitter.com/sfsanta. Or use Twitter search to find  SantaCon movements in your own town.  Several Santas and a herd of reindeer were on the 1 California bus I rode home from errands – Santa and Dancer were ready for the good times now invading the Mission district and heading towards the wharf.

Sleeping on His Head: I love when Sebastian is sitting up straight, then tucks his nose between his front paws and takes a nap without lying down. So funny.

Mobile Joe – Really?: I saw this in downtown San Francisco the other day…a mobile Starbucks. Ironically, there are at least four Starbucks locations within a two-block radius of where this truck was dispensing joe. How much is enough?

My Lights: I love that you can find inexpensive lights in an array of interesting colors at your local Walgreen’s.

Their Lights: They being the San Francisco Shopping Center’s. Stopped on the upper level to grab a book at Border’s and admired the display of lights under the dome. They reminded me a little of jellyfish…

Work: Chasing last minute updates before the site sees it’s highest traffic of the year on Friday and Monday. Have really done nothing else today but try to get one change approved and implemented. I have to get approvals from very busy VPs who are in meetings all day, so forward progress is slow.

Turkey Day: Gonna roast me a bird, make some dressing and some pumpkin custard (pie without the crust) and have a nice quiet day with the puds, and my friend Rani might come by for a bit. Need a nice, restful day. Lots of stress in all parts of life right now.

I took MUNI 39 up to Coit Tower, took the Filbert steps to Montgomery Street, and walked down the Greenwich steps to the last flight. There’s a home for sale there that I’d love to own (see it here), so I took a couple photos before heading back up the steps to Montgomery street. I cut over and did the rest of the Filbert steps, visiting Darrell Place and the authentic boardwalk of Napier Lane on the way down. I took loads of photos – steps, homes and a lot of the parrots, who were always perched in green and red foliage that camouflaged them perfectly…

Prop H8 Protest: San Franciscans took to the streets this evening to protest California’s vote on Prop 8 ( or Prop h8, as we call it). The passing of 8 bans same sex marriage – I can’t believe this state has actually voted to write discrimination into the constitution. Of late, the city was crawling with Elders bussed in from Utah, Mormons working to get 8 passed. I believe in complete separation of church and state, and abhor that another state and even the Catholic church on the national level spent so much money to meddle in our politics. We’ll turn this thing over somehow…here’s another place to chant “Yes We Can”…oh, and there are photos, of course.

Cats: Sebastian has recovered well from his dental surgery and is back to his big ol’ snuggly food-beggin’ self. Sabrina is steady – eating normally, playing a little, sleeping a lot, no blood clots or strange behavior. I got information today on the procedure and costs for saying goodbye, cremation, etc. Broke my heart, but I need to be ready for it.

Life: Things are calming down a little – lots of stress over the last month and it’s been a tough year all around. Since my hospital stay, I’ve slowly decompressed and have been able to relax and sleep better. I’ve also lost 8 pounds while following the advice of the cardiologist I saw. Still having issues accepting Sabrina’s ultimate fate – tears well up very easily – but I’ll do my best with that. It’s a tough one.

Work: Short-term hiring freeze means no more writers for us this year or early 2009 – to take up the slack, my direct reports will now report to my boss as well, which frees me up for more project work. It didn’t make sense to have two managers and two non-managers if the team isn’t growing for a while. It’s disappointing, but I will find other ways to challenge myself and may resume managing once the team is large enough to need two managers.

Politics: I cannot wait for Tuesday. I’m hoping for a massive change of direction for the whole country – we’ve been doing it one way for too long and the pendulum needs to swing the other way to see if balance can be found.

NaNoWriMo: To write or not to write – that is the question. The annual exercise of cranking out a 50,000 word novel in one month’s time has begun, and I’m sitting on the fence. I guess I can start, and drop out if I want. Better than deciding half-way through that I want to do it. It’s 1667 words a day…still not sure what I want to write about.

Yum: A coworker brought us cocoa puffs from the Liliha Bakery on Oahu – puff pastry filled with chocolate pudding, topped with chantilly frosting. Incredible. Too bad it’s a 5 hour flight to get more…

Charming: While riding a cable car the other day, an adorably-attractive elderly couple were singing (beautifully) “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as I stood in front of them. After they finished, I thanked them for starting my day with such a lovely moment. I love this city…

This last week or so has been an awfully big adventure – one I hope not to repeat any time soon.

Please keep my angel in your thoughts. Whichever way it goes, I want her to feel no pain, so will make a firm decision when the first sign appears.

My angel with the funny face

UPDATE (9 a.m.): The little one was active most of the wee hours of this morning, walking into the living room/kitchen several times, drinking lots of water, using her litter box twice, and this morning, she batted a string around for a few minutes (not a full-out romp, but definitely a good sign), then ate a few bites of kibble and a few bites of tuna. I’m happy to see her more active and eating (!!!), but I have been awake for all but an hour or so as a result, and I’m pretty groggy. Mommy will be worthless today.  *grin*

(A big thanks to PattyChaseVan for the heads up.)

Last fall, Peters, Curnin and another cast of adventurers climbed to base camp, Mt. Everest, to perform the world’s highest-altitude concert to benefit a Nepalese treatment center. To support Love Hope Strength Foundation’s promise of “One Cancer Center in Every Country, One Concert at a Time,” they’re now in Peru to perform, inspire and raise money for INEN, the main cancer center in Peru.

Nick Harper, Brien McVernon and Fastballers Joey Shuffield, Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga join Peters and Curnin as performing musicians. Everest trekkers Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats and Jamie West-Oram of The Fixx are shown as additional fundraisers not making the trek this time. Meet all the trekkers, read their stories, follow their journey, send messages, and most importantly, donate MONEY, here:

http://www.perurocks.org/journal/

Photo from Stan at The Score by way of Meesh.  (You can  -  and should - read Meesh at “So…here’s what I’m thinking…“  )

Cold, Again: I have my third cold in four weeks and it’s freezing in my place. I’m happy I can stream SpeedFreaks on my phone with the iPhone upgrade – may just do a bubble bath, dose up on Nyquil and hit the hay early, and I can listen to the Freaks’ two-hour Paul Newman tribute wherever I go in the house.

Settled In: Finally got time to complete unpacking and here’s what my new space looks like:

Yum, Part II: Hauled home a Panda Feast from Panda Express today – steamed and fried rice, Kung Pao and Orange Chickens and Beijing Beef. Froze half and will eat the other half over the weekend…bliss!

Live Traffic Reports, 24/7: Thanks to Feedjit, you can see what towns visit this blog, over in the left column. If you click “Watch in Real-Time,” you’ll go to a live feed page that gives you browser, operating system and referrer information. Of course, since this is just a little stop way off the main road, there won’t be much activity, but it is kinda fun to see where folks are coming from and going to…

Training: I’m attending another day-long seminar here in SF tomorrow – “Coaching and Team Building for Managers” will keep me preoccupied 9-4, then I’ll be rushing home to bake up a storm, because…

Bake Sale: …I formed a team of folks at work, named us “Project Yumway” and we’re going raise the most money for the Children’s Miracle Network at our company’s competition/bake sale on Friday. Peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies, lemon shortbread and garlic cheese biscuits are my contributions. My team mates are bringing bundt cakes, cup cakes, Pavlovas, fruit tarts, croissants, brownies and more. We will crush the other teams with our yumminess.  *grin*

Zoo: Strained a muscle in my back moving and unpacking things, so I didn’t participate in re-landscaping part of the San Francisco Zoo along with my coworkers. (Walmart.com participated in “Be the Change” Day, organized by Hands On Bay Area.)

2009 Races: Been exploring which races I might attend next year and nailing down hotel reservations while the choosin’s good. My Facebook buddy Tom Beeler is encouraging Kentucky, Chicago or both (I had to take a moment to catch Tom up on my Sonoma adventure…hoo boy) and I’ve been looking at several other races as well. Won’t be able to make all the races I’ve booked rooms for, so I’m selecting options that have flexible cancellation polices…

Corned Beef Hash: Yeah, it’s a heart attack on a plate, but I get a hankerin’ for it 3-4 times a year. (Since it’s so seldom, I always indulge myself when the hankerin’ hits.) Usually, I make it from scratch, but didn’t have all the ingredients I needed this time. So I broke the glass with the little hammer and accessed my emergency rations (aka Hormel Homestyle in a can). I’d been reading well past lunch time and was starving – and why does it take so incredibly long for the stuff to reach that “crispy but not burned” state that makes it so yummy? Anyway, there’s a little left for breakfast tomorrow – an egg and some toast and that’s a hearty start. Mmmmmm!

Out of curiosity, I checked my stats to see who’s been looking at this year’s photos. I noticed a few folks were stopping by here a few times, then going off and looking at my Sonoma photos from last year, but never seeing the ones from THIS year. Funny, I posted links to this year’s photos right here, two weeks ago. (You people just don’t READ, do you? LOL!)

But…

I’ve found a better place for all my photos and they all (33 albums as of this date) live on my Picasa Web site now. Just:

1. Click the words “my Picasa Web site” in the last sentence.
2. Click an album to open it.
3. Click a photo to see full size, or click “Slideshow” to automate the display.

It’s all there – the last two Indy 500s, last two Sonomas, loads of Fixx concerts, Martin Gore from Depeche Mode playing the piano in our penthouse suite on the Exciter tour, my kitties, other critters, niece and nephews, etc.

Enjoy!

Sabrina stalks a snack…

]]> http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/772/feed 0 http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/767 http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/767#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:01:27 +0000 Bash http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/?p=767 Light of Day: I’m moving from a cube that is very small and very dark to a bit larger space with plenty of light and a window. Here it is, pre-move:

And the view from my seat includes the bay and Candlestick Park to the right of the hill:

My boxes are all unpacked and my electronics all set up and running – just need to decide where to store a few things and the desk will be ready for visitors tomorrow. Look for a photo or two tomorrow evening.

photo by icka
© All rights reserved

Another day is lost tomorrow when we all convene at AT&T Park for Walmart.com’s Day at the Ballpark. Brad Hennessey will start for the Giants after we all enjoy a tailgate with the usual dogs and burgers fare. I’m really torn about that – will probably attend but not eat anything until I get inside the park. AT&T is known for its food – especially Gilroy Garlic Fries and a huge range of additional San Francisco treats.

So today, we’re all packing in a hurry since tomorrow is a total loss. And we’re eating more sweets in honor of two birthdays: George’s is today, Alvin’s is tomorrow. They both sit next to me (for two more days) and are two cool designer doods. George knows Dario Franchitti’s cousin, Jarrett, who’s director of apparel at Nike, so we sometimes chat about that and racing. Alvin is another shutterbug who loves the Nikon D80 as much as I do. And the coolest thing happened today: George and Alvin’s boss Vanessa had her second baby – a special present for George. Needless to say, we’re getting nothing done but some packing (NINE boxes for me – I’ve been here 4 1/2 years, so I gots lots of STUFF).

Saturday, the company’s involved in four Hands On Bay Area events – I’m participating in the replanting of landscaped areas at the SF Zoo. We had an informational potluck today (I brought baked macaroni and cheese), got our tshirts and stuffed our faces for a bit. Our company’s partnering with Home Depot, Accenture, Symantec, CBS5-TV, The Gap, See’s Candies, Glaceau’s VitaminEnergy (I love their SmartWater) and Panera Bread on these activities. The ballgame, the move and the zoo cleanup all look like photo ops to me, so check back as the days progress to see wildlife in various forms…

• Scott Dixon clench his second championship
• The second-closest finish in IndyCar history (.0033 – a few inches). Race all afternoon at 214 mph and it comes down to that. (The closest IndyCar finish was .0024 – 2002 at Chicagoland Speedway. And the closest finish in motor sports history happened in an Indy Lights race last year – .0005 was the difference. Where? Chicagoland Speedway, of course.)
• The results reversed – at first we were told that Scott Dixon won the race, but a review of the video tape showed it was Helio
• The record set for the winner starting from the farthest back in the field. (Helio started 28th – dead last – due to a penalty during qualifying. The previous record was 26th.)
• The record set for most laps led in a season (Scott Dixon)
• The record tied for most wins in a season (six)
• E.J. Viso come from 26th to race as high as 4th before a punctured tire put him into the wall and out of the race
• Mario Moraes starting 27th and running well into the top 10 for a good while before crashing out
• Milka Duno leading a few yellow flag laps and a single green flag lap and holding a good speed and line as she got passed by the contenders on that restart
• A “true” rookie (Hideki Mutoh) winning Rookie of the Year
• Will Power having his best oval finish and sounding exhilarated at the close racing, saying he’d had the most fun all season
• Three wide racing for the lead for 3-4 laps just shy of the midpoint of the race, with lots of other three wide and pack racing all day. I found myself holding my breath on numerous occasions.
• Vitor’s last race for Panther end with an mechanical failure that put him in the wall (real bummer)
• Tomas Scheckter out early with yet another mechanical issue (not drive shaft this time)
• Both Vision cars showing some speed (though not showing great final results)
• Another chance to use “Graham Rawall” (or “Graham in the Wall Camps”) as the 06 found the wall on an oval yet again
• Sarah Fisher crashing out and suffering a foot injury

There was so much going on today that I’m sure I missed some – it was a terrific finish to the championship and I can’t wait for next season. There’s a non-points race in Surfer’s Paradise, Australia (Oct 25 at 10:30 PM eastern on ESPN Classic; re-air Oct 26, 11 PM ET on ESPN2) and then the long, cold winter sets in.

Happy Kim-Day!: Kim Diep is my technician at Cinta, and today is her birthday. She didn’t seem to mind working on her day and was excited that her husband was coming in to the city to take her to dinner after work. She keeps me laughing all through the buffing and polishing with tales of the adventures of her two young sons, Kevin and Jordan. Happy birthday, sweetie!

I’m set for the weekend – happy as a clam. Just need to score a nice bottle of sangiovese and all will be perfect!

I connected with Bud on MySpace and finally met him at Infineon Raceway at Sonoma last month. Bud races a temperamental Ferrari and a trusty backup Ensign in the Historic Grand Prix and he and his wife Carol are two of the sweetest people you could meet.

So here’s to Bud on his day – I know there are good friends, good food, and good wine surrounding him today!

Happy Birthday!

(Hope you like marzipan frosting!)

A birthday message?

My first thought is that it must be someone’s birthday and that this is a very clever way to mark it. But then I got closer and read the message:

Everyone loves a winner!

Now, I don’t imagine Michael Phelps’ girlfriend really works at Walmart.com, and I don’t know who has the massive crush on Phelps, but this technique has multiple applications – birthday, weddings, new baby, promotion, good luck…very smart.

Indycar.com says Wheldon will drive for Panther, replacing Vitor Meira. (Indystar.com has it, too.) If the money comes together, they may run a 2nd car for Vitor. If not…where will Vitor go? Some of the “transition” teams are talking about expanding or, in the case of Derek Walker, joining for the first time. Many of them have struggled with drivers who just haven’t been catching on. Vitor is very talented and a solid driver who could help any of those struggling teams. And where does Paul Tracy fit in to the picture? And Alex Tagliani? This will be interesting to watch.

Gus is in town – it’s been over a year since I’ve seen him. Our friend Lucy is moving to Kauai next week, so we sent her off with our favorite pizza at Giorgio’s, joined by the delightful Marilyn and the perfectly demented Demery. The salad, pizza and chianti were delicious and we added to the enjoyment with a text message “orgy.” Gus texted a folk singer friend of his, Beth Patterson, who lives in New Orleans and was battening down the hatches for Hurricane Gustav. When Beth replied, Lucy texted her back. A different member of our party would follow and we passed Beth around “like a groupie,” as she put it, and the conversation was warped and hilarious. (At one point, I asked her if it was textual harassment…) I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. After dinner, we crossed the street to the Plough and the Stars Irish pub for a nightcap. (And we all agree that Clement Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues is the best block on earth.) There’s a stage for live music at the Plough, but this evening the musicians were casually seated around a table to play their reels and jigs. At one point, the bartender (a real authentic Irishman) sang a hilarious tune about a dubious Scottish barber and the unfortunate haircut he received from him. It was a terrific moment, so this Scotswoman forgave the insult to her fellow countryfolk.

And while I was reveling with my friends here, Diamond was hanging with the racers in Oswego and sent me a photo of himself and Davey:

Diamond and Davey Hamilton party it down in Oswego, 8/31/08

(Is that what beer goggles look like to the beholder? LOL!)

Just a perfect way to top the perfect evening.

Davey in his HP fire suit, Oswego Speedway, 8/31/08

UPDATE: Davey brought the new car home where he started, in 4th. Awesome to see him racing again! His next event is September 12 at the Terre Haute Action Track, where he and other IndyCar notables, including Sarah Fisher, will race modified stock cars in the Race to Recover – benefiting the recovery from the June floods in the Wabash Valley in southwest Indiana.

Classic, Too: Once the painting is done and I re-floor the kitchen and bathroom, I want to fulfill a long time goal and buy a collection of wicker furniture for the bedroom. With its white woodwork and yellow walls, it’s perfect for creating a country cottage vibe and I’ve spent some time today looking for just the right white wicker. Of course, being a radio junkie who grew up in central Indiana, I can’t think of wicker without hearing a certain radio jingle playing in my head. A small shop near Tipton, IN, called “The Schoolhouse of Educated Wicker” advertised heavily on several local stations when I was growing up. It’s made wicker shopping pretty fun to hear that tune in my head again. *grin*

Classic, Again: House salad with Italian vinaigrette, Giorgio’s perfect New York style cheese pizza and a glass of chianti…I’m heading out at 6 for a walk to 3rd Ave and Clement (via a couple shopping districts) for dinner with Gus and Lucy.

Davey Hamilton (red) at Oswego, 8/30/08

Ready to Roll!

Last check, Davey was running second quick in practice, so it looks like that brand new #6 car is a good one! Go Davey!

UPDATE 9:45 p.m: I just got a message from a Danica fan on MySpace saying, “You must be the one who let IMS Radio know we couldn’t hear KO in the pits – how many Bashes can there be in San Francisco? Thanks for doing that.” LOL!

Not long after practice ended, I got an email from my friend Gus, whom I haven’t seen in ages. He’s here in the bay area and we’re going to get some pizza at Giorgio’s (best pie in SF!) with our friend Lucy tomorrow night. Woo hoo!

Good Fortune: I can never resist lunch at Panda Express, and I love the fortune I got yesterday and just now opened: “Participation in sports may lead you to a lucrative career.” Guess I better invest in some pro lenses. *grin*

3 1/2 Day Weekend: We’re about two hours from being sprung from the office for a long weekend. Other than following the IndyCars and baseball, I have made no plans. I like the idea of winging this one. Do whatever comes up, which may be nothing. *grin*

Meantime, it’s time for lunch, and there isn’t a Mary’s Pizza Shack to be found around here. I’m stuck with the usual salad/sammich/burger/soup and taco truck fare. Not much else available out here on Sierra Point.

Time Warp: Back in mid-June, I ordered a nice silk camisole and tap pant set from Wintersilks. No special occasion, just something nice for me. Our mailroom head, Mr. Z., said he left a package for me one day in late June, and that was the only package I was expecting, but it was nowhere to be found when I got to my desk. It appeared that someone had swiped it, and the item was sold out on the Wintersilk’s site, so I thought I was out of luck. I just now got back to my desk with takeout from Baysider Cafe to find the package waiting for me…two months later. Nice way to start the weekend. *grin*

http://www.bashful7.com/marcohuge.jpg

George Lucas was at Infineon for the race. I did not see him, but did hear an interview with him on the radio network, after which nearby Lucas Valley Road and Skywalker Ranch were mentioned. I had the good fortune to spend a weekend at the ranch once – here are a few pages of photos from my old website.

The Best Abs: Nice photo of Tomas Scheckter and Scott Dixon on Tomas’ MySpace page. Now, I’m not usually into the too muscled or “cut” look, but check out the bod on The Scheck!

1. Click the larger photo of Roger Penske for the full-sized view.
2. Look for a box on the right side of the page. The box will contain text (You are at the first photo) and another picture. Click that picture to view it.
3. Continue clicking the photo on the right side of that box to go forward, or click the photo on the left to go back.

Love the orange - one of my favorite colors

Living room, looking into the dining nook

Cozy love seat - just the right size for shorty me to curl up on

Loads of pillows...

The bedroom window box

I’m considering a return visit for my birthday or a weekend getaway soon. Can’t imagine staying anywhere else in Sonoma.

A little KINDness: Had my chair massage today. I sent Sabina some Helio photos yesterday and gave her a brief overview (2-3 lines?) of the race weekend visitor situation. She shares everything with her sister Kathleen (from whom I’ve also gotten great massages) and after reading what I sent, they bought me a Sesame Peanut Chocolate KIND bar because they thought I deserved better – and for a laugh. (I’m laughing too – everything else last weekend was perfect and I can’t wait for Sonoma to come around again.) Proceeds from the sale of this little snack benefit Peaceworks.net – a yummy treat for a good cause with a kind (and funny!) intention behind it. Sabina and I always have a lot of laughs during massage time, but today I learned that she used to work as a producer at KCBS radio, where my dial is set most of the time. So I shared my radio background with her as well – just one more thing we have in common.

Tasty: One of my direct reports is a baking whiz and today she brought us her first cheesecake. It has a gingersnap crust with a thin layer of pear and then the cheesecake filling. Incredible. Thank goodness for the walking trail and the gorgeous 80-degree weather.

I’m heading out for a walk…

Another email was waiting from the CEO, telling us we are being kicked out at 2 p.m. Friday for the Labor Day holiday. I like having another long weekend lined up. Maybe I’ll resume painting my place, or do my favorite cross-city walk to the beach if the weather’s warm enough. There will be baseball games and racing to enjoy, as well.

• Cars, cars, cars of all kinds
• Bud Moeller, in the flesh! (Remember last year?)
• Helio and his hot new girlfriend
• Ryan Briscoe’s cute caboose
• Mama Ice, Papa Ice, Emma Ice and Ice
• Tomas “Hot Papa” Scheckter (and the world’s skinniest legs!)
• Daniker, Daniker, Daniker
• Marco’s newest movie theme paint scheme (better than Indy at Indy!)
• The best media folks, even if they’re a little hard on the lens (think RM, bless his heart)
• Owners and drivers and tires, oh my!
• Air show jets making smoke hearts
• Lollipops
• The World’s Cutest Cottage(TM)
• Did I mention cars?

I appreciate your patience as I dig out from under the photo blizzard. Got some good ones!

I had pit access – except it wasn’t hot pit as I was led to believe. No biggie, but nice to know I can get the exact same credential through Indy Downforce, so I can grant myself access occasionally for great picture taking opportunities. Schweeeet!

I’ll be sifting through the 2200 photos I took over the next few days and sharing them here. Just have to share a couple now – this is the cutest thing I saw all weekend, followed by the other cutest thing I saw all weekend:

Davey Hamilton

Davey and a cute kid

*grin* I have tomorrow off and will work on getting more shots up here on the blog. Meantime, I’m starving and there’s an incredible cheese waiting for me in the fridge. I had it for dinner Friday night at The Girl and The Fig – it’s called Redwood Hill Bucheret, and it was the star of the cheese sampler at my table. I’ll be enjoying this one all week.

Stay tuned for more photos!

The exhaustion portion of my health condition is really playing havoc right now. Despite gorgeous weather, I’ve only spent 2-3 hours a day at Infineon Raceway so far for the IndyCar event. If I do everything I’m booked for tomorrow, I’ll get to the track around 7:30 a.m. and be there until at least 5 p.m. I’m due to take a hot lap ride around the track in a safety car, and that session begins at 8 in the morning – UGH. I’m sorely tempted to skip it, but it represents my one true thrill for the weekend, and I’d hate to miss that.

I’ve been given a credential that allows me access to the garage and pits, even during competition. That will be a first for me. So I’m snapping away, capturing cars, personnel, media folks, drivers, wives and girlfriends – a real kid in a candy shop experience for this race fan – one I’m grateful to my visitor for arranging.

The painting I’ve done recently has caused additional problems, in the form of very tight back muscles. Yesterday I carried a backpack and camera bag at the track, and it proved too much. This morning at about 3 or so, I awoke with spasms between my shoulder blades. I did as much yoga stretching as I could muster and eventually the spasms let up. But as the day in the pits wore on today, my lower back seized up, even though I’d left all bags behind and had only my camera with me. Once Helio Castroneves nailed his 26th career pole, I headed back to the cottage, stopping along the way for some take-out slices from Mary’s Pizza Shack (HIGHLY recommended). I have one pepperoni and two cheese slices remaining – a delicious evening snack and blissful breakfast ahead.

As far as the visitor goes, well, let’s just say it’s been a strange trip so far, and it will be done soon enough.

Just had a nice nap and I’m off to soak my back now…need to rest up for tomorrow.

Activatin’: There’s so much talk around the IndyCar series about the need for sponsor activation – I saw an example of it a couple weeks ago that I caught with my iPhone and sent to some interested parties as proof that it’s happening out here. Now, not everyone would think to push Enrique Bernoldi, but here he is, big as day on top of my favorite Indian restaurant. And apparently in other parts of SF that I haven’t seen – I’m hearing about various locations and different designs from this sponsor.

1. Foodie - they want to try the hottest restaurant in the Michelin guide, which of course will be hard to get into. Now I don’t mind a good meal, but I really hate the “see and be seen” scene that usually goes along with the “hot spots” in The City.
2. Tourist - the tour bus or gimmick restaurants are a nightmare. The line’s out the door to get in, the service is spotty and the food is inconsistent at best. And you can often expect a three-ring circus for atmosphere. These places exhaust me.
3. Enthusiast - doesn’t have to be fancy, or even a real sit-down place, although it might be. These folks like what they like and they go every time they’re here because you can’t get it where they live. This is more fun for me than the other two, even if I don’t particularly love the place they love. I have these places myself, back in Indiana, and it goes beyond food and into ritual to get a meal there. I enjoy seeing others have the same experience.

Fortunately, my visitor is an Enthusiast and we’ll be grabbing a meal at a quintessentially-Californian fast food place that I love as well. There will be plenty of time for more fancy food the rest of the weekend! *grin*

Speaking of Sonoma: I will be taking loads of pictures and trying to blog from Infineon. At the very least, I may get a report or a photo or two posted here during the weekend. A more comprehensive post will likely appear here on Monday.

Rounding the Corner: Got the bedroom all squared away last night, and cleaned the kitchen this evening. Tried to hang the towel bar and shelves, but the screws are too long for the drywall and whatever’s backing it. I’ll have to see if Cole Hardware has something shorter that might work – otherwise, it’s back to the old “over the door” towel rack. (grrrrr…)

Welcome, Joe!: My new boss started work today – he had orientation and lots of meetings, so I only saw him at lunch. We have our first meeting tomorrow and the brain dump will begin… Glad to have him on board!

After work, I picked up a computer accessory and about $25 worth of candy for my desk (Den Mom likes to supply the whole floor at work with chocolates). I also stopped at Cole Hardware and got bunch of items, including a gallon of ceiling paint. I was loaded down like a pack mule, so I wanted to catch a bus instead of walking home. The plan was to paint the bedroom ceiling and start on the woodwork this evening, so I needed to save energy for that. A few moments later a bus arrived, but the driver wouldn’t let me on. “You can’t bring paint on the bus.” Imagine me – a chubby mid-40s woman in her 92nd running Indy 500 event jacket – a threat with a new, sealed can of ceiling paint. Yup, I was surely gonna whip that can open, bust out a brush and start tagging “Danica Patrick” and “Tony Kanaan” on all over the bus interior. *sigh*

I knew from NextBus data that another bus was just a few blocks behind this one, so I dug my canvas bag out from under all that candy in my backpack, stuffed the gallon of paint in it, slung it over my shoulder and took that next bus home. But now I’m royally peeved….as I shuffled on and off the crowded vehicle with my haul, I managed to tweak a muscle in my upper back. No painting for me tonight – and I really needed to get a start on the job. Will be handling some smaller chores, catching some Olympics coverage and going to bed early. Tomorrow will be a very busy day.

Sunday: Lots to do and here’s what’s happened so far:

• Speed-watched over 20 hours of Olympic competition (fast forwarded unless men in spandex were on!) with the opening ceremonies still waiting – gonna watch those in full
• Washed the kitties’ water fountain
• Washed, folded and put away 8 loads of laundry while rolling the TV broadcast of last night’s IndyCar race
• Washed dishes
• Scrubbed kitchen – ceiling, walls, woodwork and cabinets
• Spackled the dents and nail holes in kitchen walls
• Painted kitchen ceiling and walls
• Caught the wreck and last 8 laps of NASCAR at the Glen
• Heard another AWESOME Giants come-from-behind win over the Dodgers

Cabinets and woodwork tomorrow night and the kitchen’s DONE!

UPDATE: TK tells Mike King that he never got directly involved in the conversation about driving for Ganassi, so it must have been his agent fielding those calls. And just now, he told Kevin Olson that he and Marty Roth discussed forming Roth-Kanaan racing…one night over dinner….and “a few drinks”… LOL! Also, word has it the sale of Kentucky Speedway to SMI is slated for October, so rumors of trouble might just be rumors.

As the Bashie Turns: So, with everyone else changing their minds, seeming to change their minds, or just being rumored to have changed their minds, I think I’ll join in. I’ll let you all know when I decide what to change my mind about…unless I change my mind. :p

Doggone It: So I’ve babied my bad left knee (by not exercising, mainly) to the point where stairs aren’t a problem anymore and I’m ready to start my walking program again. Of course, that means the left foot issue I had xrays for a few months ago has reared its head again. Pinched nerves – crikey…

Changing Plans?: My little Sonoma vacation later this month may need some tweaks – life and work could interfere to make it a regular two-day weekend. Still have a friend stopping by in that time frame, so I gotta have my house painting done. Bust a move, girl! *grin*

I gotta finish my place before a friend arrives that weekend. And there’s so much to do at work.

On that note, better get back to it…

Drama, As Usual: So, another tour has ended and of course there was drama. Even though I wasn’t at a gig, I heard some of the silly stuff that went on and made some cryptic comments about it on my MySpace blog. (No names or places were disclosed – you’d have to know that set of people to get any of it.) Not very many people saw it (I can get stats on readers there), but one person did and threw his customary hissy fit. I took it down because he was yelling at the friend who gave me the scoop – but he had to share the fact that I blogged about it with others, of course. Not too long afterward, someone who usually travels with the tour but wasn’t there this time got in touch, wondering what had happened. It’s all so silly – I just shake my head and laugh.

Woik, Woik, Woik: Attended a management conference yesterday and had a great day at work today with my team. Jon’s birthday is tomorrow, so I decorated his desk and went in on some donuts (he’s more into pastries than cake) with my other direct report, Lisa. That was the decoy – Lisa’s a terrific baker and made a cake and cupcakes that were killer. She collected about 20 people and invaded a project meeting I had with Jon after lunch. He was successfully surprised. Also, it was the last day for my contractor, Tim, and we took him to lunch. Spent the rest of the day working on goals and issues for the team. My boss (actually, it’s a crime to call him a boss – the guy is a world-class leader, and I couldn’t be more lucky) is helping me use our goals tools to set a course and measure progress in a way that is sensible, concrete and clear. We also had a great brainstorming session to identify issues we’d like to address as we move into our new structure over the next month. It was a rewarding day and has been a great week.

UPDATE: Lookit that! They’re rolling the radio network as well. Bob, Scott…have a good one. I’ll be sitting over here with Davey…  *grin*

Progress Report: Bathroom and kitchen purged of unneeded items. Living room half done, with an estimated completion date of 7/24. That leaves the bedroom (and books…loads of books) and the hall closet to tackle starting Friday. Saturday morning, it’s off to the hardware store for a ladder, heat gun, spackle, scrapers and paint. Whee. *grin*

Yellow: As in caution. In addition to my bad left knee, I now have a bad left foot, victim of a toppled heavy wooden chair at a Thai restaurant in South city today. Two toes are not sure what color they should be, so they’ve gone a range of pinks and purples with some deep blues edging in. This will hinder my progress on several fronts, so I now have to re-plan my attack… *sigh*

Meantime…: Both my team and myself spent a ton of time in training last week, they for collaboration skills and techniques, and me for product management. This all plays into the re-org nicely, but we couldn’t get much done outside of that. So, of course, the CEO asked us for a high-quality presentation exploring something we’re not doing on the site right now so he can present it at the Home Office this week. *sigh* I think we got a good set of ideas out the door, but it was a mad scramble. Back to the training – if your company does software dev of any kind and you need your processes and thinking straightened out a bit, Marty Cagan’s your guy.

Ruht Roh!: So, you might have read me here or heard me there mutter something about the massive purge and paint project I need to do to my entire apartment. You know, the one I’m starting right about now and was planning to have done by … oh…say….end of September? Well…seems like my big Sonoma weekend in August now includes having a house guest for a couple of nights. And no, it wasn’t MY idea. LOL! It WILL be lots of fun, but guess whose revamp of abode is now in fast track mode? Uh-huh. Apologies in advance if I get a few paint splatters here and there on BashUp.

Watching the Daytona 400 now. 60 laps to go…

• You’re Just Jealous – Lots of fans think any criticism of Danica equals jealousy that she gets all the attention. No doubt there is some jealousy – she was the face of the league long before she won her race – but that doesn’t mean that she’s incapable of making mistakes or driving in a manner that ticks off other racers. It’s been politically incorrect to criticize Danica so far – but in the spirit of “What’s good for the gander is good for the goose,” I think that should stop. She’s good enough to be out there and competing, and she has to take the good, bad and ugly as a whole, just like everyone else.
• What Do You Expect? She Sucks! – Uh, no. She’s definitely not the best driver out there, but she’s far from the worst. If you divide the current field into threes, she’s likely near the top of the middle tier. And for all the recent criticism of her style when protecting her spot, a lot of drivers will tell you that she has improved steadily as she’s gained experience in this series. Helio Castroneves in particular went out of his way to point out that she doesn’t overdrive her car like she used to, and makes good choices about how to handle on-track situations.
• Our Princess Gets Special Treatment – If she really is Princess Blocks-a-Lot, why doesn’t Race Control black flag her? Is there a separate rule book for her? I think there’s some complexity in this angle. Brian Barnhart has stated that he hasn’t seen any reason to black flag her for blocking, and some broadcasters and journalists agree that she isn’t blatantly blocking, just protecting her line within the rule book. Her own point of view is that she shouldn’t be easy to pass – why should she just pull over? “If you’re gonna pass me, earn it.” But I have to consider that there is likely a set of “unspoken” on-track rules of etiquette that develops in any series – especially one as small and dangerous as IndyCar. It’s pretty likely that the drivers’ definition of blocking is broader than the league’s rule book – we are talking about race drivers, here. They’re by necessity “lead with the forehead” types who are inclined to think you just need to get out of their way. And due to the danger inherent in close quarters open wheel racing, a driver’s perspective of “taking care of each other” is going to be different than that of Race Control as well.

My own perspective is that we probably have a case of Danica not adhering to the driving community’s “rules of etiquette,” yet not quite meeting the rule book’s definition of blocking. And that’s something she needs to be concerned with. “What goes around comes around” can strike you at just the wrong time if you haven’t built up much good will with your fellow competitors. Hopefully she can open and keep a dialog with her fellow competitors, to learn what they think she’s doing “wrong,” as well as to remind them where appropriate that she’s not going to pull over to the apron and let someone by every time they come up on her. That might also help keep the complaints about her out of the press, where her reputation takes a hit as well.

Pride (in the name of love): It’s Pride Week here in San Francisco, with a big celebration tomorrow and the huge parade on Sunday. I’m not one for big crowds and don’t have plans to attend, but am delighted to see all the marriages taking place here this week. Even though I’ve never been interested in participating in the institution myself, I firmly believe it should be for all who want it. I know some very happy, long term committed couples who are getting married this summer, and it just makes me smile.

Back into the whirlwind!

Rest Weekend for Racing: Well, sorta. My IndyCars have a weekend off, so the focus will be on Michigan International Speedway for all the NASCAR goings on there. I have a friend who’ll be on location, so should hear some stuff from him to make it more interesting.

So Tempted by Texas: Last 3 days, I’ve quelled the overwhelming urge to hop a plane last minute and do the race at Texas Motor Speedway. Instead, I kept my responsible side to the fore and stayed home. I have, however, managed to exchange well over 100 emails with a friend who’s there covering it – just in the last two days. I almost feel like I’m there. Feels weird to have no ICS race tomorrow, though. I’ll have to go outside and play…

Stunner: Got out for a nice walk to run some errands today. It was perfect here in San Francisco, and will be a few degrees warmer tomorrow (that’s still perfect). Clear skies, low 70s, slight cool breeze. My city sparkled as beautifully as ever today.

Indy winner Scott Dixon led a good deal of the race and finished 2nd.

High- and low-lights:

Graham Rahal is in danger of becoming Graham Ra-Wall. Two races in a row he’s tried to go outside slower traffic and skated into the fence on the marbles. A motor sports writer I occasionally correspond with says Graham is a real dream for his line of work and I can see why – he’s communicative, well-spoken, says what he thinks and it’s clear that he *does* think. He’s got skills on the track, as well, but he still needs a bit more practice picking the best time to make a move.

Townsend Bell started the race like a rocket – passed 11 cars on the first lap! He fell back mid-race but ended up 11th, a full 10 spots ahead of his starting position. A.J. Foyt IV made a similar gain on the first lap, as well.

Oriol Servia drove his way past his original starting place after going down a lap due to needed repairs to a damaged right front wing. Servia finished 6th.

Marco (low): got into another incident, this time involving three cars. (high): As Marco usually does, he manned up and accepted responsibility. Really admire that about him.

E.J. Viso continues to impress on track, even if he still has that little smirk that says “I’m better than this American oval stuff.” Perhaps. But he’s learning quickly and definitely isn’t afraid to make a move. A good 8th place finish for Viso.

Sarah Fisher was the clear recipient of a Bash “Den Mom” Hug for her difficult month at Indy. This week, the hug goes to Vitor Meira. Coming off a terrific 2nd place finish at Indy, Vitor had a rotten weekend at The Mile. He crashed during qualifying, and spent the entire evening (until about midnight) in the garage with his crew while they rebuilt his car. According to the IMS Radio Network, Vitor ventured out for 15 pizzas to feed his guys, and went out again for 30 coffees as the evening wore on and his guys grew tired. Vitor didn’t have a great car today and played it safe all race, just looking for a finish when he got collected in the Carpenter-Andretti crash with three laps to go. Panther has more thrashing ahead of them in order to get themselves ready for Texas next weekend.

8:30 p.m.: SuperShuttle arrived, transported me to SFO.

10:30 p.m.: Boarded AirTran flight. (Darn, not the Air Tranica plane…) Plane was loaded with race fans for the direct flight to Indy – great vibe. Overheard someone saying he was the great-grandson of Ray Harroun.

11:30 p.m.: Despite the fun and laughs, I inserted my noise canceling ear buds, settled into my business class seat (almost big enough for me to curl up sideways in), and tried to get some sleep.

May 22, 2008

6:30 a.m.: Flight landed at Indianapolis International. Took an eternity to taxi to the gate.

7:10 a.m.: At the Alamo counter, they upgraded me to a Parnelli Jones orange Mustang. Almost too bright to look at that early in the morning, but I figured it would be 1.) fun to drive (yes) and 2.) easy to find in race track parking lot with thousands of other cars (yes).

8:00 a.m.: Arrived at my sister’s house in Fishers, mauled by 5-year-old nephew Josh, (the 11-year-old, Luke, had already caught his school bus) and a happy, slobbering yellow lab (Chase).

10:00 a.m.: Napped while my sister helped out at Josh’s kindergarten class.

12:00 noon: Met dad, stepmom, brother-in-law, and Josh (freshly sprung from kindergarten) for lunch at the Nickel Plate bar and grill in Fishers. Had an excellent hand-breaded tenderloin sandwich.

2:00 p.m.: Parents headed back to New Castle; drove to my hotel and checked in.

5:00 p.m.: Dinner back at sister’s house – followed by a brief concert by Luke on his Guitar Hero game. (Josh sings “Going out on a whale on the Crazy Train” – cute.)

7:00 p.m.: Headed back to the hotel, listened to Talk of Gasoline Alley and Indy Live while setting myself up for my five-night stay. Wanted to sleep early but it was midnight by the time my eyes closed for good. Ugh…

May 23, 2008

6:00 a.m. Whose idea was it to get up this early? :p Very slowly gained a state of semi-awake while checking email and looking at the doubtful weather forecast. Although armed with the recommendation to try breakfast at Brickyard Crossing (thanks, CC!), was unable to wait that long and partook of my hotel’s breakfast instead. Next year, for sure!

8:00 a.m. Left hotel for IMS.

8:50 a.m.: Parked in Lot 2, entered Gate 5 and headed for the garage area to make my morning rounds.

10:00 a.m. Settled into the Tower Terrace in front of the Media Center, tried to get online to blog with my Asus Eee PC. Plenty of public wireless signals detected, but could not get connected. Ah well. IndyCar practice eventually got underway and I was joined by my Facebook pal Tom Beeler, who took a break from his media job to come say hello. And then, the rain…I tried to connect with other Facebook pals John Edward and Crash Gladys, eventually getting a text back from Crash, sharing that it was “Limo to all the race parties night” for her. (I just can’t live like that…) Told Crash I’d find her on Sunday.

5:10 p.m.: After a day of sheltering, wandering, shutterbugging and not seeing any more track action, it was time to head to Plainfield for Curt Cavin’s Carb Night Burger Bash. My mom, two sisters, niece and three nephews headed down from points north to join in. The party started at 6:30 and they arrived a bit late, but still got to see eventual race winner Scott Dixon in person. The little ones spent a good bit of the evening outside with me, full of milkshakes and shivering, so I left the party early (apologies to CC, Jeff of “My Name is IRL” fame, and his readers- really wanted to meet you all). We finished the night at sister’s in Fishers, where the little ones wore themselves out on her new Wii Fit. Didn’t get to sleep until 1 a.m.

May 24, 2008

6:30 a.m.: Whose idea was it to get up this early? :p Very slowly gained a state of semi-awake while checking email. Needed to be at sister’s at 7:30 so we could drive to New Castle for breakfast at 8:30.

8:30 a.m.: Stacks Restaurant, New Castle IN. Two sisters, niece, three nephews, dad, stepmom and I laid waste to some pretty decent breakfasts, then went to parent’s for a few hours of lolling around while the kids ran through the house. For some reason, dad decided to make real, stove-top popped kettle corn right before we had to leave for lunch in Muncie. But it was awfully good…

12:30 p.m.: Mom’s house, Muncie IN. Two huge Pizza King pizzas were delievered (I can’t tell you how happy this made me!). Kids had a fenced-in yard and a full-sized trampoline with safety netting to romp on. It was a lovely day, so we hoovered down the pizza and lounged around outdoors under the big patio umbrella.

6:00 p.m.: Back in Indy at Scotty’s Brewhouse. Picked at a salad while visiting with a friend I hadn’t seen in 4 years. She and I could gab all night, but I enforced my 9 p.m. curfew so I could try to get some sleep. Ha. Still not adjusted to the time zone and finally got settled after midnight.

May 25, 2008

6:00 a.m. Whose idea was it to get up this early? :p Very slowly gained a state of semi-awake while checking email and looking at the glorious weather forecast. Quick breakfast topped it off.

7:15 a.m.: Pointed the Parnelli-mobile towards IMS.

8:20 a.m.: Traffic? What traffic? Split the early- and late-arrivers perfectly. Parked in Lot 2, in through Gate 5, headed off to the Clabber Girl stand for another quick breakfast. Wandered around, enjoyed the gorgeous day, took tons of photos and kept track of Facebook pal John Edward, who was stuck in the late-arriving traffic jam. Texted with my sister – she and the whole family were at a cousin’s house for a BBQ and they had a race pool going. She was asking me who to keep and who to trade. Settled in my spot early and quickly found the stands around me packed in with race fans, so by the time John arrived, I knew I’d miss shooting the main ceremonies if I went to greet him. Never tracked down Crash, either – need to email that woman!

1:11 p.m.: Kristi Yamaguchi (always a favorite – so cool to see my skating and racing worlds collide) dropped the green on the 92nd 500 and we settled in for what I later called “four hours of pit stop practice with a few sprints in between.”

5:30 p.m.: Wandered around the grounds after the race to let some of the traffic get out of my way. Finally left grounds at 6:10 and didn’t get out of my lot until well after 7. Back at hotel at about 8, completely exhausted from a day in the sun (big shout out to my best friend SPF 85 for keeping me pale as ever), but too wired to sleep. Watched most of the race replay and some local sports coverage while catching up with email and my usual round of web sites and blogs. Got to sleep about 1 a.m.

May 26, 2008

7:00 a.m. What the…? My alarm was set for 8:30 and there I was, wide awake at 7. Sleep deficit continued to grow. Everyone came to my sister’s in Fishers for a BBQ. We had a way too much to eat and a really nice day.

7:00 p.m.: Back at the hotel to pack while watching the victory celebration on TV. Planned to get to sleep early, but yet again I got caught up in following coverage of the race, reading papers and blogs and emails. Got to sleep at midnight.

May 27, 2008

6:30 a.m.: Ugh. Showered, finished packing, checked out and headed to my sister’s for breakfast with Josh. Left at 8:45 to turn in the Parnelli-mobile, then wasted time at IND waiting for my 12:05 flight. Stopped over in Vegas and touched down at SFO at 4:30 p.m. Grabbed a SuperShuttle to my place, where I was greeted by one feline (Sebastian) and hissed at by the other (Sabrina, who soon purred and made up). Posted some photos on my blog before turning in early for a real night’s sleep at last…

Deja Vu: Milwaukee. The (historic) Mile. West Allis, fair surroundings, beer and brats everywhere, and friendly folks who love their racing. And an Andretti and a Rahal on the front row. Wait – is it ‘92 again? *grin* Looking forward to tomorrow’s race. If it plays out as usual, something dramatic will happen that will feed Eddie Gossage’s publicity machine in Texas and we’ll then have a week of fun with that. Hey, Texas will be fun enough as it is – The Dragon has added it to their limited schedule, and with Scheckter racing, there’ll be a little extra something to watch.

A Few Laughs: Actually, quite a few. Curt Cavin’s Inaugural Carb Night Burger Bash was a big hit, despite the blustery weather. There was an auction of several racing related items and some chat time with Cavin’s radio show co-host, Kevin Lee. The guest of honor was pole sitter Scott Dixon, who had other commitments and couldn’t stay all night, but did a nice Q&A session and took loads of photos with folks.  Here’s one with the intrepid Cavin himself:

Despite the cold temps, everyone had milkshakes – 96th Street Steakburger shakes are the best in town.

It’s a bit more orange than this in full daylight…and it really GOES!  :p

Tour More Days: More Fixx dates, including one in Vegas that got bumped to a Saturday (July 26). That makes it much more doable and it’s on my short list for a little summer diversion. (Just gotta build up some defenses for the drama and bullshit show that often accompanies that scene…*sigh*)

Snore More Days: Neeed Sleeep. It’s been really warm here in San Francisco, with the last couple of days in the 90s. This is rare and most residences in the city do not have air conditioning. Last three nights have been fairly sleepless and I’m really dragging. Today is much more tolerable and I’m hoping to get a nice walk in before the sun sets.

ESPN and ABC will carry TV coverage, but they are generally not so great. Turn down the audio and listen to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.  The Radio Network provides coverage for the first two hours and the last hour of quals. In between, local coverage is provided on 1070 The Fan. The Fan carries the radio network coverage as well, so you can hit them up at 12 noon local time and ride out the whole 6 hours.

Follow the speedway video boards and live public address and launch a live timing and scoring app here: http://www.indycar.com/

Curt Cavin’s blog will have the scoop and answers to readers questions all month.

My Name is IRL and Pressdog have commentary as only they can provide.

Follow the Indy Star’s tweets on Twitter!

Enjoy!

For the Fixx Fans: A few summer dates trickling in. July5 at Kettering OH; July 12 at Portsmouth VA; July 13 at NYC; July 25 at Las Vegas; July 27 at Anaheim; July 31 at Saratoga, CA. Hearing about a possible date near St. Louis.

Still Hungry: Eating regular food once a day, but still doing liquid/soft most of the time. Still a little hungry most of the time, but in many ways, I feel pretty good so will keep it up for a while. Once I get back to Indiana, there will be too many things I have to have (Pizza King, for one), so I’ll be off this modified diet at least for a few days!

Vacation!: Truly, really taking one. I never take more than 3-4 days off, but end of May, I’ll be off 11 whole days in a row, thanks to Memorial Day and two weekends. Heading to Indianapolis for family and 500, then will just hang at my place for a few days. Maybe a spa day. Considering the Fourth of July weekend back east. Maybe. Definitely taking a day or two at the end of August for the IndyCar race at Infineon.

Asus Eee!: My new ultra-portable laptop should arrive tomorrow – I’ll be able to blog updates from Pit Road at IMS!

Lightning McQueen, Where Are You?: Just saw Cars for the first time. Adorable. :p

Speaking of Cars…: Today I worked from home due to my tummy disorder, but I needed to drive to the office to get some paperwork and notes. I’m a ZIPcar member and the only thing left to reserve at my local stop this morning was a BMW 325i. My first Beemer experience…it was a dream to drive…I’m ruined for the usual Civic hybrid or Prius.

I just don’t want to go…

One of the musicians breaks down and sobs every time I see him. “My life is so hard…” You can only advise someone to stand up for himself so many times. “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” To dump your troubles and sob on someone’s shoulder every time you see them is rude and thoughtless. I’ve taken to avoiding him when I’m around (and then he mopes). Sheesh.

There are “drama queen” fans who always seem turn up just when you’d like a nice, low key time. (And then you have to listen to the opinions the guys have about those fans once they’re out of earshot!) For instance, there’s a sad case who turns up with a long-time friend of theirs. She lives near one of the guys and is always IMing or calling him. He can’t stand it: “The cow’s said she got me some Bali Shag. Now I have to be polite and deal with her.” He notes her obsession with one of his band mates, adding: “No way – he has high standards. And he’d never live it down if we found out he was with her.” She’s not a happy person, even less so when she doesn’t get much attention from her favorite – I feel sorry for her. Then there are the “desperately cling to the singer while my husband sits in the corner” types, and the “two beers and I’m making a scene” types – they all seem to turn up at once (often together)! Some people find it amusing to have all those agendas bouncing off each other, but it just makes me sad.

Top it off with some the folks who help out (and sometimes take advantage of their position with the guys, costing them money or power tripping on and alienating others in attendance.) The guys have very sharp opinions about that, too..

Add it all up and the vibe’s toxic. I’ve been too busy with my management career to hang out much these days and haven’t been in their scene for a while. I miss hearing their music live, but some of it’s on my iPod. And I miss some of the folks, but I am in touch occasionally. I just like my space to be clean and toxin free. I hope my sister won’t be too upset if I decide against it…

Sick Kitty: My sweet little Sabrina put a scare in me the last couple of days. Fortunately, I think she’s going to be fine, but she was weirdly wobbly, with dilated pupils, a glassy stare, lethargy and no appetite for about 24 hours. She’s doing a bit better now, but I’m keeping an eye on her per the vet’s orders to make sure all systems are going well. She’s definitely eating now, and is back to her cuddly self, but she’s still a little spacey looking…

Flu Bug: I’ve been aching and chilling from the flu the last two days. Ready for that to be gone…

Racin’: So much racing this weekend. Danica’s first race since winning her first. Trucks, N’wide (yay Smoke – sorry about your broken ankle, Dario. That’s a bummer.), Sprint Cup and Forumla 1. Plus I still have Grand AM from last week to watch. Sheesh! Listening to the Giants-Reds game right now, but will try to squeeze it in a bit if the game doesn’t run to extra innings.

The menu for this dinner-time race includes a small salad with fresh lettuce from today’s farmer’s market; California Pizza Kitchen four-cheese thin and crispy pizza (the fontina and smoked gouda make it special); and a nice 2005 sangiovese from Ortman Family Vinyard in Paso Robles, CA. Dessert is Ben and Jerry’s Creme Brulee ice cream. Salut!

The race is live on ESPN Classic at 10 pm ET, but if you opt for that, turn down the audio and hear the ROCKIN’ IMS Radio Network call.

*Engines have fired. Four laps to warm up instead of three – it’s cold and we need extra heat in The Magic Rings. Whoa – TK’s car is waaay smoking. We’re GREEN GREEN GREEN. MARCO INTO THE WALL turn 2!!! Man, poor kid. We’re yellow. More yellow good for weaving and building tire heat, so hopefully everyone will restart safely. Marco’s out and walking. Wasn’t a hard hit, but enough to bust the left front suspension. His day is toast.

* GREEN GREEN GREEN! We get a full lap in without trouble… :p We’re all watching TK, who was smoking quite a bit before the initial green flag. NO SMOKING signs being ignored by 7-Eleven car. Race Control has checked in with him about it. Davey Hamilton explains that cold Hondas sometimes smoke, but only a little. This wasn’t a little.

*Godzilla and Danger Mouse fighting it out for 10th. Godzilla wins.

* 20 laps in the books. Twinkle Toes leads it. Marty Roth just got lapped. Yasukawa next. Helio’s dancing away with the early lead. Round and round and round we go. When we slow, nobody knows…

* Target cars are gaining on Mr. Disco Ball…

*Lap 47, Roth’s down two laps, Ed Carpenter pits.

*Festival of pitting: Danica’s in now. YELLOW!!!! why? Marty Roth is stalled. Godzilla has a damaged “flipper.” He lost in in front of the safety car! Left front wing busted, otherwise looks ok.

* 50 laps in the books, second caution of the day. Penske cars runnning 1-2.

*Godzilla has a nice new flipper and a full tank of ethanol. We’re still yellow at lap 55. Getting the furled green – let’s get back on this ride! GREEN GREEN GREEN! Dixie breaks up the Penske Party, Townsend Bell has moved from 16th to 6th.

*Lap 72, Briscoe Inferno is falling back. Currently 5th after Nariz blew by. Nice showing by the Foyt team – Danger Mouse is running 6th!

* Lap 91 YELLOW! Meira brushed the wall in turn 4. Half the field is pitting. Bent suspension on Meira’s right rear. Pit replays: Carpenter stalls on Pit box entry. Hits his tire, team mate Foyt hit him. Ed’s pitting again for a top off and inspection. Meira’s day is done.

*Lap 97 GREEN GREEN GREEN! Dixon’s got the lead now. Twinkle Toes is 2nd. Danica’s climbed to 6th. Now to 5th. Girlfriend is looking hooked up.

*We’re past halfway and now official. The Iceman Cometh…Jay Hot Rod Howard’s in for a look-see after brushing the wall.

*Briscoe Inferno used Hot Rod as a pick and passed our Princess again. Wonder if she’ll swat him for it. :p Quattro’s out of his car, after being several laps down. Perhaps the pit contact with his team mate did him in…

*Nariz is nosing in on his old buddy Twinkle Toes’ 2nd place spot… lost it a little and both Briscoe Inferno and Well Done got him.

*Lap 140 – Yasukawa pits. The other local hero, with both American and Japanese citizenship. Now O’Ryan the Hunter pits. Nice easy stop for the ethanol car. More pittage – Danger Mouse in. Oh no – YELLOW! Yasukawa into the wall. Sucks for the pit partiers…More pittage – Loads of red cars coming. Also Danica! and Nariz. They move in and out in unison that would make a synchro team cry. Nariz scored himself a couple of positions.

Lap 149 – more pittage. Helio, Ed and Danica are topping off. Strategery! Lean it out or get another yellow and they might make it.

*50 to go GREEN GREEN GREEN!!!! Nariz blows by the Inferno again…

* Godzilla pitteth. Easy stop.

*O’Ryan hunted down the Hammer and took over 5th. 25 laps to go. The Iceman is skating away…will he have enough fuel? TV goes to break – the story of the Magic Rings gets air. It’s good, but Ode to Racing set the bar soooo high…

*Briscoe scrapes the wall, continues to run high. We’re still green with 18 to go. I may get to bed by 9:30 after all. (There will be a 5 a.m. alarm for me tomorrow…) O’Ryan stops for a sip of ethanol. Radio says Danica is hanging way back to make fuel. The others on her strategy have been flying and may not make it. Townsend answers the pit bell. Seven laps…who’s on fumes?

*Hammer pits! Iceman pits! Nariz pits! Well Done pits! Twinkle Toes and Danica lead with 4 to go!

*Danica slides past Twinkle Toes and leads!!!!! 2 to go!!!!!!!!!!!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! DANICA WINNNNSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Okay, we’re unified. Then, second race out, a transition driver, and the youngest ever in Graham Rahal, wins. Now in race three, the first woman to win a major open wheel race. You couldn’t write it any better. I was hoping to sleep early tonight, but I may not be able to…this is just terrific. I’ve been crying since lap 198 when she took the lead…

STUPENDOUS! Watch this explode!

———————

A huge nod to My Name is IRL and Pressdog for the live posting inspiration and for establishing most of the driver nicknames used in this post. It was fun – but I have a ways to go to match you guys…

Weekend Wanderer: It was amazing here in San Francisco this last weekend. Low 80s, clear skies, a nice breeze. I went out for three walks and did my “One-Woman Economic Stimulus Package” routine again. Hit the Farmer’s Market for almonds and gorgeous flowers:

Saw my favorite Attack Cat:

Saw some gorgeous goldies:

And dropped loads of money on Macy’s Hotel Collection 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets that are BLISS to sleep on. Also got a Michael Kors giraffe print flat sheet to serve as a futon cover:

There were a couple of night races and some pretty good Giants’ baseball games to make the weekend extra sweet.

Is It May Yet?: Can’t wait to see my family and the Indianapolis 500. It’s about a month until opening day at the speedway and the coverage of qualifying, practices and the silly season that goes with it all. Read today that Jim Nabors is well and will be back to sing Back Home Again in Indiana. Helio’s dancing partner, Julianne Hough, will sing the national anthem. She’s as good a singer as she is a dancer. Should be hearing announcements of one-off teams and drivers over the next 2-3 weeks, and waiting especially for confirmation that Davey Hamilton will race again.

Poor (yeah, right) Babies: My two spoiled fur children are curled up on their little table…the one with the soft blanket / heating pad / soft towel on top…sitting in front of the heat fan. They’re snuggled up in all that warmth, purring their pea brains out.

Time Suck: For ages, I’ve resisted completely giving in to my motor sports fascination, but the last few months I lost that battle – now following F1, Indy Car, Indy Lights, ALMS, Grand-Am, Craftsman Trucks, Nationwide and Sprint Cup series in NASCAR. Add baseball and I’m pretty much booked until mid-November. *grin* It’s pretty easy to write, take care of many household chores, etc., while keeping up with all of it, and it fits the bill for a nice, chill weekend. I’m enjoying it.

Squish: Went for my baseline mammogram Tuesday (a few years late). Who in their right mind thinks it’s a good idea to X-Ray round parts with a square machine? It took forever to get the X-Rays taken correctly. We can do better, I think. *sheesh*

SuperDavey!: Mike King mentioned a few weeks ago that Hewlett Packard is on board to sponsor Davey Hamilton in the Indy 500 again this year. And Davey’s been quoted saying he’s definitely running Indy, but no races leading up to it. And No Fenders reports that it will be in a third Roth Racing car!

Racing to Keep Up: There’s so much racing news going on and so many radio and TV programs that I can barely keep up. I may not get to leave my house this weekend…*grin*

I haven’t written much about my managerial situation because at least one of my direct reports occasionally reads this blog, but I nearly left my current company on two occasions last year due to a complete lack of support and guidance in my new role as a manager. I had decided in late January I was leaving for sure and started my job search. I was about to apply to a batch of jobs when my former boss gave notice about two weeks later.

In the month since she left, my new boss has worked with me to create a structure I’ll have a real chance to succeed in: cutting my availability for project work from 26 to 16 hours a week, freeing up time to spend with my direct reports. He’s given me tips and pointers for processes I can use to guide my team and prepare them to take on more challenging projects. He also shared some good feedback from my team. They knew I was getting no help (and they would tell me that regularly), but they were understanding and empathetic when talking to my new boss about their experiences. My new boss has attributed that to the fact that I’ve maintained and nurtured good relationships with them. He encouraged me to continue being genuine, open and honest with my team. I had talked about my lack of availability, acknowledging that I knew they needed more of me and that I hadn’t given up on finding a way to make that happen. He held that up as a big success, saying the team could easily feel exasperated and ready to work elsewhere, but my efforts to acknowledge their needs and to do the best I could had prevented hard feelings.

By contrast, my former boss would tell me, “your team doesn’t get the support it needs.” (Uh, thanks for letting me know….)

I’m still pretty exhausted from the stresses of the last year, but I feel myself growing more excited about the opportunities ahead. It could be pretty darned good.

Many of the new drivers have little to no experience racing on ovals, and I have to wonder how long they’ll be doing their best Milka “the moving chicane” Duno impressions. It just follows that when I think of Milka, I think of probation and that led me to wonder what the newcomers will think of IndyCar’s punitive measures. Not having followed ChampCar closely, I still seem to remember one possible penalty was the removal of some or all of a ChampCar driver’s “Push to Pass” allotment. (Without the few seconds of extra turbo boost provided by “Push to Pass,” ChampCar racing apparently had even more bouts of “lockstep” than our own beloved league.) I’m amused at the thought that the former ChampCar drivers will find our punishments as down on power as the cars are. Probation? Especially when it’s IndyCar policy not to publish details? 10 lashes with a feather would hurt worse. Yeah, okay, thanks to such esteemed blogs as My Name is IRL and Pressdog, we eventually learned the whole field was placed on probation about 3/4 of the way into the season. (shhhhhhhh…don’t tell… but Brian Barnhart channeled the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, faced with so many unruly children that everyone got a swat…just to be safe.) Some drivers could well have been on the much dreaded “quadruple-secret probation” by the end of the season. But we don’t know for sure…

Wonder if the whole field will be put on notice for Homestead? Wonder if the newbies snicker behind driving gloves at the lack of teeth (figuratively. literally?) here in “Down Home Land?” Whatever their thoughts, I hope they eventually come to enjoy their stay. I know I will.