High drama, intense action and the rarefied atmosphere of Monte Carlo was the algebra of excess at the Monaco Grand Prix. Without a doubt, the most exciting Formula One race I've seen in years. Lots of passing (which is nearly impossible on the tight streets of Monte Carlo), hammer and tong racing for the lead, and tire wear/strategy that turned the volume up to the proverbial Eleven!
A little later the "Ladies and Gentlemen Start(ed) Their Engines" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 100th running of the Indy 500. Aside from the production screw-ups during the pre-race hoopla (I always look forward to hearing Jim Nabors sing "Back Home Again In Indiana") the race was a welcome throw-back to the days before American Open Wheel Racing's split between CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and the Indy Racing League (IRL) Double-file restarts combined with a fairly decent three wide start, recalled Indy's Glory Years. Not a lot of crashes...certainly no serious ones...
A Cinderella Story was just waiting to happen as a Rookie was leading the 500 into the last corner of the last lap...only to be dashed when he passed a slower backmarker and got "up into the gray" and slid into the wall! The second place car passed the hapless skidding rookie for the lead down the home straight, and the rookie slid across the finish line in second. Man oh man!
So far, so good...
Monday was blustery and wet come newspaper retrieval time. I busied myself with editing and burning DVDs of the Monaco GP and more of the AMGEN ToC stages for BajaBabe and my collection. There was a Grand Am race and AMA motorcycle road racing on TV too. I tuned in the Grand Am, but it seemed awfully tame compared to Sunday's socko fare. When I tuned in the AMA races, to my horror they were contesting the road race in the rain!
Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City is only a few years old, and a good track. Monday it was like rubbing salt in an open wound! Just a light drizzle, but there was a fair amount of standing water on the racing surface. Lots of riders were losing the front end and skidding off into the mud. Those who could restart were muddy from head to toe and their bikes dripped mud for half a lap as they tiptoed around.
That was enough...I couldn't take it and tuned out. I took refuge in a trip to the local hardware store. I needed to use my 15% Off coupon before they closed at 6PM. I picked up a sprinkler timer and called it a day.
I set my alarm for 0315 so I could view a "double pass" of the International Space Station followed by the Space Shuttle Endeavour. I got up and looked outside...no stars, just total overcast...sigh...back to the rack...
I'd intended to do a big shopping trip Tuesday morning, but it was raining when I fetched the paper. I busied myself getting a package of DVDs ready to mail to ChicoDupre.
I finally headed out about 1PM...it was still raining lightly. Post Office, then out to COSTCO for a tank of gas. Jeez, everybody and their uncle was in line to the pumps...more than I've ever seen there. I figured everyone else was fighting the Post Holiday Cabin Fever...I hate it when I'm right sometimes.
After filling up, I found the parking lot mired in Gridlock...no way was I going in the warehouse today. The rain really picked up...I didn't want to be on the roads anymore. I bagged the rest of my errands, and stopped at the Safeway for a few things on my way home to the Ancestral Digs...Giants lost in the 9th...blecchh...
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