A couple months ago my dear friend asked me if I would be her date to her company BBQ. As I am a bit on the adventurous(and mischievous) side, I automatically acquiesced to her request. I mean, I have been married for almost 23 years, how often do I get to be somebody's date?
That said, I adore my dear friend and getting the opportunity to eat free food and to be someone's wing woman seemed like a pretty fun way to spend a Friday night. Plus, it amused my hubs which is always a good thing lol!
Anyway, my friend works for Tedder Industries, a manufacturer of firearm accoutrement, and imagine my glee when I found out the company BBQ was to be held at Stateline Speedway.
Descending from a line of people with lead in their feet and a propensity to float the valves of everything they drive, let's just say I love the smell of octane in the evening. Stupidly though, I have never been to our local racetrack in the over two decades I have dwelled in the Idaho panhandle. I mean the place even was the site of a riot that destroyed the original venue in 1976 because of a canceled rock concert shenanigan, how could I have missed such a site of historical importance!? Last Friday rectified that horrid oversight!
As I was to be someone's date, I spent a bit of time Friday afternoon primping. This of course means I actually wore makeup, fixed my hair, and gasp wore clothes that fit and didn't had holes in them.
This made me feel kinda like a grownup and made my friend ten watts of happy when I walked out of the house resembling a pinup heading to a Fast And The Furious casting call. (Okay, so I don't get to dress up that much, I might have even worn winged eyeliner...)
Anyway, we arrived at the racetrack and quickly found the company BBQ on the lovely and shady grounds behind the racetrack's grandstand. I quickly become known as my friend's sidepiece and had to bite my cheeks to keep from laughing at the reactions every time she introduced me to a gaggle of her coworkers. Not gonna lie, I might have had fun.
After a few rounds of socializing, we found our assigned seats in the grandstand and the world of coworker drama faded away as I beheld the circle track of rubber eating doom.
My heartbeat sped up in rpms, I mean bpms as cars started coming onto the track for qualifier laps. Each time they passed up the roar of their exhaust would vibrate our carcasses.
Anyway, one of my friend's coworkers, a guy who she's been working with for awhile came up behind us. It's obvious the two are interested in each other, the way they banter back and forth, and I was happy to be part of the social interaction that resulted in her giving him her number.
Really, though, my attention was on the cars, but one glorious moment did happen when my friend's guy looked at me and blurted,
"How old are you?"
"Oh, I replied, I'm quite advanced in age, I'm 41."
The image of that man's eyes widening like an overheating tire on a scalding track whilst he simultaneously blurted, No WAY, will be forever with me. I am truly thankful to my Ma for her ageless genetics, looking like you are in your twenties when you are in your forties is pretty hilarious.
But honestly, enjoyment of my mostly ageless carcass aside, the cars had my attention held hostage.
I mean, there wasn't just standard cars!
The first race was in Kat-sized cars! They were go-carts that had mini funny car tops, I loved those! The kids that drove them were awesome!
And speaking of kids, in one of the later, full-size classes, a ten year old driver crushed everyone! That kid's going places!
But my favorite thing of all time was the baby poop colored mini van that hurtled around the track in one of the races with a bunch of cars. That mini-van killed me, I guffawed like a donkey every time it passed us by, and when it came in second I hollered with unrepentant glee!
Before you could say I wanna go fast our evening came to a close. I could have watched the racing action for several more hours, but alas, we had a very special birthday party to attend.
But as we walked to the parking lot, green apple snow cones in hand (the racetrack has TONS of concessions), my face was all smiles, for there is a Wreck It racing event in September that includes wonderful sounding things like bump to pass and bump to pass boat races. I'll be back at the racetrack before I know it!
