7 Quick Takes, The Hodgepodge Edition

1. October has been a crazy month. We've had almost no time to sit down and relax--but we don't mind because it's all been good. Larry has been involved in two plays--one children's production called Still Life with Iris, and a one-act radio-style version of The Thirty-nine Steps for school. The performances of Iris were last weekend, and next weekend he'll be performing in 39 Steps both at school and for a one-act play competition three counties away. Some days he's literally had to go straight from one rehearsal to the next while wolfing down a Big Mac in the car. But he loves it; do you know what he said the other night? "Acting is the most fun thing to do, EVER. Except for skiing."

2. After Saturday's performance, Larry took the girl who played the lead to their school's Homecoming dance. They had missed about half of the dance; after the show they quickly changed into their nice clothes, and I snapped a quick photo of the two of them before I whisked them off to their school. I was very proud of Larry for remembering to open the car door for her. The next day I asked him if he pulled the chair out for her once they got there, and he replied, "Mom, we didn't sit down." I think they had a good time.

3. A couple of weeks ago our parish introduced the Gloria and Holy, Holy, Holy from the new translation, and do you know what? I LOVE them. The music our pastor and music director chose for them is fabulous. I'm looking forward to Advent, when it goes into full swing.

4. I know I promised to share with you some things I've been doing with my third grade Religious Education class, so here's a brief summary of some of the things we've done so far. We're using the Christ Our Life series from Loyola Press, and this year I've been trying to use the textbook more as a resource and guide, rather than having the kids take turns reading it word-for-word during class. Most days this has worked out great, and it gives me time to use other resources and plan other activities (although this past week I felt like I was rushing through the material, and wished we had taken the time to read more of the text). The kids particularly enjoy acting out the Bible stories as we read them. In the coming weeks I hope to share more details with you, including some photos; as well as some NEAT things I'm learning about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in the new Montessori preschool where I work.

5. I was surprised in the week or so that followed the death of Indy Car driver Dan Wheldon at how much I really grieved for him and his family. I can only imagine the anguish his wife Susie must be going through right now. Seeing the photos of his brothers and fellow drivers carrying his casket, and parts of the heartbreaking letter Susie Wheldon wrote to her husband in the days following his death, as well as the fond memories and photos that his friends have shared have touched me more than I thought they would. I almost feel as though I've lost a friend, even though he wasn't someone I really thought much about except when he was racing. (Click here for the thoughts I shared the night after he was killed.) I changed my Facebook and Twitter avatars to a photo of Dan, and for a few days last week I wore the Dan Wheldon hat that Larry got at a race in Richmond a few years back (which, ironically, was signed by two other drivers--Will Power and Graham Rahal--but not by Dan). Little things have made me think of him; like the orange, yellow, and white flowers I bought because they reminded me of the colors he--and his car--were sporting the day he won the 2011 Indianapolis 500, or the young man I saw last weekend who looked a little bit like him.

Some say that people will quit watching Indy Car Racing because of the horrible crash that killed Dan (which had been struggling already, and was only just starting to make a comeback) but not me. Next year the cars will be safer; they've got a brand-new model they've been testing (Dan Wheldon spent quite a lot of time driving them and was very excited about them), and rumor has it that they're going to name the new car after him.

6. My next few blog posts--hopefully I can pound out a couple this week--will be for my other blog, Cooking Nick's Books. For that one I've made beef stew, jalapeno burgers, and shrimp kebobs, and have not had a chance to share them yet. I even picked up a copy of Nicholas Sparks' new book, The Best of Me, but I haven't had a chance to read much of it. I hear it's getting good reviews, and it's number one on several different bestseller lists. And I can't wait to see what we'll be cooking!

7. We're blessed to have my parents are for the weekend. Curly and Moe had a day off from school today, and they took a trip to Washington's Birthplace National Monument. Tomorrow my brother and his wife will be here to celebrate Bro's fortieth birthday, and on Sunday we're having Moe's eleventh birthday party. My house isn't very clean; I'm sure the mostly fifth-grade boys who are here won't care, or even notice. I'll try and make sure it gets a good scrubbing before Christmas...hopefully.

Have a great weekend, and be sure to check out Jen's Conversion Diary blog for more Quick Takes!

Oh, and I almost forgot: There is just over a week left of this fall's 40 Days for Life campaign! I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to think about planning a trip to Richmond to pray at the Planned Parenthood clinic there. My friend J. and I were talking the other day about it, and we're hoping to go one afternoon next week. Click here to find a 40 Days for Life campaign near you!

Have fun trick-or-treating--if you do that sort of thing; we do--and don't forget to go to Mass on Tuesday!

How I Became a Racing Fan, and Why I'm So Sad

(The first photo I ever took of Dan Wheldon, in Richmond, 2005)

Joe has been a fan of open-wheel racing all his life. Me? I never paid any attention to any of it. Every Sunday during the warmer months, Joe spent many hours watching Formula One, Indy, and Kart races. Even though I really wasn't interested and didn't watch them with him, it wasn't long before I could distinguish between a Formula One and an Indy Car race just by the sounds the cars made.

Then the Indy Racing League came to Richmond. You have no idea how excited this made Joe. He went to the race there every June with a friend who is even more of a die-hard racing fan than Joe. One year Joe decided that Larry was old enough to go with them to the track to see the qualifying, meet the drivers, and maybe watch one of the minor races that are usually held the day before the main event. They had so much fun that the next year, Joe wanted to bring all of us to the festivities. Reluctantly I went along, and it wasn't nearly as awful as I thought it would be; in fact, it was kind of fun. The race was the next evening, and Joe and his friend went together as usual; I stayed home with the kids, having no desire to watch it on television.

Fast-forward to the following year, Memorial Day Weekend 2005. I decided to watch the Indy 500 with Joe, since the previous summer I had seen some of the drivers and their cars, and was somewhat familiar with who most of them were. That was the first auto race I watched from start to finish, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was exciting to see Danica Patrick come so close to be the first woman to win that race, and equally exciting to see Dan Wheldon finish first, since I remembered seeing him in Richmond the previous summer. After that, I watched every race for the rest of the season. When it was time to go to Richmond for the qualifying and (my favorite part) the autograph session, I was actually looking forward to it. Imagine my delight when, after the qualifying runs, we were lining up to enter the building where the drivers were signing autographs, I looked over and saw Dan Wheldon standing quietly to one side, with a set of headphones and a mic, and a cameraman nearby. He looked like he was waiting to be interviewed or something. I quickly snapped his photo, and went inside only slightly disappointed that we wouldn't be getting his autograph that day.

(At first I wasn't going to post this photo, because it's such a goofy picture. There's a little story behind it: It was June 23, 2006, the day after Dan Wheldon's 28th birthday. At the autograph session in Richmond, when it was our turn to greet Dan, I wished him good luck, held up my little pocket digital camera and asked, "Did you have a nice birthday, Dan?" "Yes," he replied, "It was very nice, thank you." I made the mistake of snapping the photo while he was still speaking and I think I caught him just as he was forming the word "Thank." It's not the best picture of Dan, but it makes me laugh.)

When Joe went to the race the next night I decided to watch it on TV this time around. Mostly I was trying to spot Joe in the crowd, but I found myself paying attention to the race and was actually interested in what was happening on the track. The race winner that night was Helio Castroneves; he's known (besides winning three Indy 500's AND Dancing With the Stars) for climbing the track fence every time he wins a race. As I watched him climb that fence in Richmond, and saw how much crazy-fun everyone there was having, I decided right then and there that I was darn well going to the race with Joe next time, come hell or high water.

(Getting this picture of Helio in '08 was the highlight of our racing weekend that year, at least for me!)

The rest is history. We went to every race in Richmond after that, watched a lot of qualifying and practice sessions, and collected many autographs from many more drivers, including some from Dan Wheldon. Moe's first red hat is graced with his signature, as well as a flag with the Indy Racing League's logo that we have hanging in our rec room. When the race in Richmond was dropped from the schedule, we sought out others attend; a couple of years ago we took a trip with friends--the one Joe used to go to the Richmond races with and his family--to the Finger Lakes region of New York for the Watkins Glen race. (The series dropped that one from their schedule, too, unfortunately). We've been to the race at Mid-Ohio in 2010, as well as this year's Baltimore Grand Prix. We're hoping--someday--to take a trip to Indianapolis for the Indy 500.

(Dan Wheldon on a qualifying run at Mid-Ohio, 2010)

Last night we cranked up the DVR to enjoy the last race of the season (and in Vegas! What a fun place to go for a race!), which we had recorded earlier in the day. We speculated about who would win the championship, and remarked how great it would be to see Danica Patrick win once more before racing full time in NASCAR next year. We were pulling for Dan Wheldon, too, who was starting from the back of the field; and for his friend Tony Kanaan, who had pole position and hadn't won a race in a while.

(Here's Dan and Tony signing stuff for the boys in 2009. We took Curly's picture with Tony; that was the highlight of his weekend.)

After that horrible crash that halted the race and left everyone in shock, we watched with increasing dread as little by little, it became clear that Dan Wheldon was hurt very, very badly. As we heard accounts of the accident from other drivers and saw team owners, crew members, and drivers alike praying, pacing, and even crying as they waited for news about Dan, we began to fear the worst. Part of me wanted to run and turn on the computer for a real-time update, but then there was the part of me that wanted to believe that all this hadn't already happened hours before, and that I still had time to hope and pray that Dan would be OK. If we pretended that this wasn't prerecorded and was in fact happening at that very moment, then there was still hope. If Dan was dead, I didn't want to know that yet. I could still pray, please, Dear God, let him be all right.

When the horrific news that Dan had been killed finally reached our ears, I cried. I cried again this morning when I saw a photo on TV of Dan with his wife and two little boys. I mean, really little. They will never remember their Dad.

I wondered aloud today why I keep watching this sport where a person straps himself into a rocket ship on wheels and drives around and around at unprecedented speeds. Sooner or later, what happened in Vegas is bound to take place, and someone is going to die. We've seen plenty of crashes, and even a few injuries, (and one driver, Paul Dana, died a few years back when he crashed during a practice session) but never one as grisly as that one yesterday. It's hard to fathom that a young, energetic guy, with two Indy 500 wins under his belt, a lovely family and his entire life ahead of him, can one minute be smiling and joking with reporters, gushing about how excited he is about this race; and in a second he's gone.

Dan was the first driver I was really excited about. (Joe once teased that I had a "thing" for him. Not true.) I'll keep watching races, that much is certain, but it won't be the same without Dan.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

We Heart Racing

I've been trying to convince my friend L. and her family to come with us to an Indy Car race.

You'll love it, I tell her. I was a reluctant race attendee at first, after all, and now I'm a huge fan. It's one of the highlights of our summer, going to the track; watching practices and qualifying runs and other races leading up to the main event.

Sometimes we get to meet and talk to the drivers,

or watch the mechanics working on the cars.

The races are fun and exhilarating, I assured my friend.

L. is a football fan. We go as much to socialize as we do to watch the games.

"Isn't racing loud?" she asks.

Yes, you need ear protection.

"So when do you talk to each other?"

You don't.

"But, doesn't it...smell? Like fumes?" she says, wrinkling her nose.

Yes.

It smells like exhaust and fuel and motor oil and rubber.

We love it.

But it also smells like popcorn and funnel cakes and French fries and pizza.

You get to meet all kinds of people, too; NASCAR fans, open-wheel fans, and folks who show up knowing nothing about racing but just want to have a good time.

There's always at least one fellow sitting near you who, every time Danica Patrick drives past, stands up and pumps his fist and yells, "WOO-HOO!"

I'm told that the Indy Car crowds are more subdued and laid back than NASCAR crowds.

Someday I'll go to a NASCAR race and find out for myself.

Soon racing season will be over. We'll be planning our next trip to a race.

Perhaps the Indy 500? We'll see.

(All photos taken by yours truly at Mid-Ohio in August 2010, and Baltimore in September 2011.)

Get Thee to the Church: St. Jude Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland

Every summer we attend at least one Indy Car race, and this year it was the first ever Baltimore Grand Prix on Labor Day Weekend. I was hoping to get something up on this blog about that before now, and I hope to post a few photos and thoughts about it sometime this week. Anyhow, since this was the first Indy Car race in Baltimore, and the first street race we've ever attended, we decided to splurge and get a hotel right beside the track. When we went down to the lobby for the continental breakfast, we could hear the race cars on the course.

There were several churches withing walking distance (including the Basilica of the Assumption; I hope to visit that one the next time we're in town); and the closest was the Shrine of St. Jude.

The morning Masses were back-to-back, and we arrived just before the first Mass ended. You can see the priest blessing folks on the left.

My favorite Station of the Cross.

One of the lovely stained-glass windows

A close-up

Mary Queen of Apostles

There was a lovely side chapel dedicated to St. Jude, but I didn't get any photos because there was a steady stream of people going in there to pray and I didn't want to disturb them. During Mass, Larry and Joe got to bring up the gifts!

After Mass we headed downstairs to their gift shop. While we were there a lady asked Joe if we were here for the Grand Prix. Yes, we were, he told her. The woman then asked, "Are you one of the drivers?" Joe (laughing inwardly) said, no, we were just here to watch the race. The nice lady told him that if he was a driver, she would say a prayer for him.

Someone must have been praying for the drivers that day; take a look at this:

This crash happened on Sunday morning during practice, right in front of the grandstands where we sat during the race. We weren't here for this because, well, we were at church. Tony ended up finishing in third place.

And look what we stumbled across on our walk back:

Pretty cool.

Moe's Red Hat

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you may have noticed that when I post pictures of the kids (I've only been doing this since mid-April when I joined the Outdoor Challenge; although I'm careful not to show everyone on the Internet what we look like), you may have noticed that Moe is often seen wearing this hat:

I took this picture a few months ago, almost a year after he got it. Over the summer it has become dirtier and more frayed; near the end of the school year a fifth-grader snatched it off of his head and tore the velcro fastener thingy in the back--you know, the one that lets you adjust the size depending on how big your head is. I was able to sew it back on; but now it's so grimy you can hardly see the signatures anymore. He wore it every day at school, and every day all summer.

Those that know me, and even my Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging friends probably know that we are big fans of Indy Car Racing. (I got hooked after Joe and the kids dragged me to a couple of races in Richmond, Virginia. Being the only female human in my house can cause a girl to like boy stuff.) At every racing venue, sometime during the weekend the drivers hold an autograph session, and fans wait in line to meet their favorite drivers and have them sign various and sundry memorabilia. Last summer when we attended the annual (and the last, we would learn)Richmond race, we all got our necessary souveniers; Moe picked out the cool red-and-black cap with the Honda logo. (All the cars in the Indy Car series have Honda engines, don't ya know.) He collected quite a few autographs from drivers:

Hideki Mutoh

Dario Franchitti, the 2010 Indy 500 winner, and husband of actress Ashley Judd


Graham Rahal, son of racing legend Bobby Rahal


Tony Kanaan, who is EVERYONE'S favorite driver (Well, except for Danica Patrick, of course; and Helio Castroneves certainly got a boost from Dancing with the Stars). If drivers and fans were to vote for best sportsmanship, nicest driver, best all-around, Tony would probably win. He was the Indy Car Series champion in 2004.


Curly got a Tony Kanaan 7-11 hat, which of course got an autograph too. That's Dan Wheldon signing Moe's hat. Dan won the Indy 500 and the series championship in 2005.

This year there was no Indy Car race in Richmond. Since we can't go an entire season without attending at least one Indy Car event, we took a trip to Ohio to attend the race there. Moe decided months in advance that he would get a NEW Honda hat at the Mid-Ohio race, and have the same drivers sign it in exactly the same place. Well, no surprise, it didn't quite work out that way; since the autograph session was scheduled for Friday afternoon, there was no way we were going to make it to the track in time for that, especially after driving all day. On Saturday, the day before the race, we wandered through several booths selling many different kinds of hats;

...and Moe was delighted to find a Honda cap identical to his old one.


On Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning--Yes, we did go to Mass; we were staying with friends, and there is a lovely little church right in their neigborhood. We got the kids up in time for the 7:30 am Mass there. I will confess that we wore shorts and our brand-new racing T-shirts to church, though. Normally we wear more churchy clothes than that--we wandered around in the garage area, hoping to see some drivers and get a few autographs for Moe's hat. All the more well-known drivers seemed busy or out of sight: no sign of Danica, Tony, or Scott Dixon (who has probably won more races than any driver in the series right now); we did catch glimpses of Dario, Helio--you know, the one who was the winner on Dancing With the Stars--and Helio's teammate, Ryan Briscoe; but (dang it all) they weren't talking to fans or signing autographs.

BUT...we did run into some of our favorite drivers nonetheless:

Simona De Silvestro, a rookie who is arguably the best woman driver in the series--maybe even better than Danica, if I dare say so

Milka Duno--famous for being the worst and the slowest driver in the series. But she was very gracious to us, and delighted to sign Moe's hat.

Takuma Sato, who used to be a Formula One driver. Joe (hubby) was especially excited about this one, and even got to shake his hand.

and J.R. Hildebrand. This was his first Indy Car race, having just been promoted from the Indy Lights series (the minor leagues of Indy Car racing). Who, by the way, was born in 1988. I was halfway through college. Sheesh!

Next year, the Indy cars will be racing on the streets of Baltimore, Maryland. We will plan our summer around this race so as not to miss a minute. Baltimore is reasonably close, and we could even day-trip it if we wanted to. In the meantime, Moe will probably wear his new hat every day--we still have his old one, too--and maybe next year he'll get a T-shirt instead. But probably not. I'm sure he'll want to continue the tradition of the red Honda hat.