BashUp

Well, Sorta: One of my direct reports is a first-time dad! His baby girl was born early yesterday morning - all are well. Baby Girl Baron didn’t have a name as of this morning, but her sleep-deprived dad was thinking it should be “Michael Phelps Baron”… *grin*

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 ahve 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!

Partially Painted: Got some things done in the bedroom, but the muscle pull from Friday night’s adventure will keep me from continuing - sustained overhead work is just too painful. I got some ceiling repairs done and sealed and the windows are painted. Also scrubbed the window blinds. But that’s the end of the painting for now - the rest can wait for a week or so. I need a break from the drop cloths, clutter and sore muscles! Today I’ll clean up in the bedroom and rearrange the furniture a bit. There are plenty of odds and ends to do after that, and I’ll have a Giants-Braves game and NASCAR at Michigan to supply a backdrop.

Fuming: Most of my longer-term readers will remember I had a medical condition that required surgery two summers ago. I could tell the condition was returning earlier this year because my weight shot up about 25 pounds over a couple months and NOTHING I do knocks it back down. That’s a lot of extra for a 5′2″ person to carry around and it makes me tired most of the time. On top of that, the condition causes periods of extreme fatigue (like right NOW, for instance). Overall effect - I’m always trying to conserve energy when I know I have physical activities coming - such as painting the bedroom this weekend.

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.

Ready, Set, Paint!: Last two nights, I’ve spent an hour or so in the bedroom, sorting through the items I collected there and recycling most of it, and then taking the duster to all the woodwork. Tonight, I have some wall and ceiling repairs to make, then will paint the ceiling and start on the massive amounts of woodwork. Saturday, I’ll finish the woodwork, and Sunday’s a quickie - paint a lovely yellow color onto the center panels. (It’s an old Victorian - loads of woodwork, less wall.) Don’t want to spend the entire weekend painting - need to catch up with Olympic coverage and spend some time chatting with a friend who’s arriving next week. We have plans to make and laughs to generate!

A (Sorta) Breather: So tonight, I cleaned the kitchen appliances and scrubbed the floor and will move stuff back in tomorrow morning before work. Tomorrow night will be busy - I relocated all the stuff I didn’t know what to do with to the bedroom, and it’s time to deal with all that…

Gleaming White: So, I finished painting the kitchen this evening, then took a break to watch all the highlights of the Olympics I’ve missed the last two days. Next three evenings, more cleaning and purging, then Friday through Sunday I’ll be painting the bedroom. That’ll be the stopping point for a week or so.

You Left Me Sore: “You” would be the scrubbing, painting and lugging around of the last couple of days. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that my place won’t be completely painted before my friend hits town next week. Most of the worst of it is already done, so I’ll paint the rest of this week, pick a good stopping point, and tidy up. The rest can wait until after Sonoma. My muscles (many of them newly-discovered) can use a break! *grin*

Saturday: Got loads done - moved a bookcase, recycled a ton of stuff, cleared out dozens of books to donate or take to the office for our library. Got a ZipCar twice - first time, went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get bathroom hardware and some new dinner and drink ware. Didn’t have time for Petco, so got the ZipCar again in the evening to get new litter boxes and kitty food. Once home, set up the boxes (they’re covered and the kitties weren’t sure about them at first - too much like going into a pet carrier!) and took a bunch more recycling down to the basement. Sprinkled in, I caught up with the Trackside podcast, followed the IndyCar race on the radio network and listened to a terrific Giants’ victory over the Dodgers. Whew!

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!

As the TK Turns: So, we’re learning that Tony Kanaan might indeed have been ready to jump ship to Ganassi but had a last minute change of heart last night (which made it into the Indy Star about a half-second later). Fandom’s all abuzz - how pissed is Chip? What turned TK’s mind? And folks are pitting Robin Miller (who reported TK to TCGR) against Curt Cavin (who reported TK’s signature on the AGR contract last night) against one another. “Robin gets p0wned” vs. “Robin got the story first” with a few folks speculating that Team TK may have played Miller to pressure AGR into what he wanted. Meanwhile, IMS Radio Network driver analyst Davey Hamilton has chimed in. Mike King was talking about Miller’s story and Davey chimed in with “who’d you say wrote that?” in a very “consider the source” tone and commented that it wasn’t a signed, sealed and delivered deal, so maybe Robin’s pen moved too soon. Davey also speculated that Robin was used as a tool to get TK what he wanted. On another deal that was announced and may be going another direction, Davey reported that the sale of Kentucky Speedway to SMI might be off. The KY Speedway folks seem to have had a change of heart, too.

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…

Spin Doctor TG: What do I expect? The IRL announced its new multi-year TV deal today - 5 races, including the Indy 500, on ABC, and the remainder on Versus. Tony George lauded the deal as a way to grow the series’ audience through expanded programming. Hey, more time on the tube for the IndyCars is great for me, the die-hard fan who already gets Versus on her cable package. And here’s to that being better coverage than what ESPN has offered up - that change would be quite welcome. Tony George also commented that the “casual fan” doesn’t go in search of the IndyCar broadcast on TV (no doubt true) so it won’t matter if they don’t make a point to stop by Versus to see what’s on. Well, here’s my question: Who the heck does TG expect to become new “hard core” fans - Martians? (At least they can bring the ice…) Even if the ESPN coverage has been lacking in quantity and quality, the network has a stranglehold on the “sports coverage” mind share. I could tell a friend “check out the race on ESPN Sunday afternoon” and they’ll remember where to look. But Versus? What’s the likelihood my friend’s gonna bother to call me and ask “What network did you say that was again?” The IRL now has to create awareness about not only itself (which it hasn’t been adept at) but also count on a successful awareness campaign around the network itself. I’m concerned that the growth the league is looking for will be very hard to come by.

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*

Archives, Not Chives: Listening to the archived radio broadcast of the Giants-Braves game from this afternoon. Tim Lincecum on the mound makes me want to listen, even though the game’s over. And while I listen, I’ll be archiving, purging and rearranging the house so I can get the painting done more quickly. This place is total chaos right now and it really gets on my nerves…

Takin’ a Break: Working hard today, after being up until 1 a.m. working on my place. (Bathroom painted - Bashie wiped out. Sore muscles on sore muscles!) Taking a brief respite now and daydreaming about a long weekend later this month when it’s up to Sonoma for the race weekend. I am ready for another race - nothing live for me since Indy. Sonoma will be great, with gorgeous cars and beautiful scenery - look for loads of photos to appear here soon after. I’ll also be taking a hot lap ride in a pace car and will have pit access (a first for me). A priority is to find my MySpace friend, Bud Moeller - there was much merriment in my “search for Bud” at last year’s race. I’m also looking forward to tracking down Curt Cavin - I attended his Carb Night Burger Bash and he posted a link to my photos on his blog, but I wasn’t able to stay and say hello.

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…

Whew: It’s 12:15 a.m., and my bathroom is PAINTED! Can’t wait ’til it dries so I can move things back in…

Paintin’ Place: Dinner’s over, dishes are washed, I’ve got the Giants and Braves on the radio and I’m about to jump into the old shirt and sweats and take up the paint can and edger. The bathroom will be done before I go to bed, or, or….or else! (Or else it won’t.) But that’s my aim. *grin*

Some Progress: Medicine cabinet and bathroom door painted. Spackling, wall repair and sanding complete. Now I’ll spend the rest of the evening scrubbing the bathroom so it’ll be ready for a fresh coat of white. I may not get the painting done tonight. More repairs were needed than I had anticipated and phone calls and emails have slowed my progress. Got a chuckle when a friend called - he just got a Samsung Instinct and was calling me on it for the first time. His number didn’t change, but instead of his name showing on the caller ID, it just read “Indianapolis, IN.” He’s so big, they named a town after him. *grin*

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.

Brief Break: I’ve spent every evening this week tossing out, re-arranging, re-orging, scrubbing and prepping things for painting - gotta get all this done and ready for the arrival of my house guest on the 21st. Tomorrow, I’ll finish the last scraping of paint and do all the spackling I need to do in the bathroom and kitchen. Then it gets sanded and both rooms scrubbed, ceiling to floor. Sunday, both get painted. And maybe the wood work in the front hall, if there’s time. It’s been a lot of work, and I gave up a concert in the interest of progress (thanks to the singer guy for the message encouraging my attendance and to the keyboard guy for the offer of guest list - sorry I couldn’t be there). I’m having a great week with this project - it’s incredibly satisfying to freshen up, declutter, re-arrange and decorate anew after living in this space for almost 11 years. It’s a bit like moving without moving, and I can’t wait until it’s done.

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.

What a Joke: With a competition yellow every 10-11 laps, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard was the worst excuse for a race I think I’ve ever seen. Time to trot out this old gem:

Gimme Back My Radio Network!: Bob Jenkins is sitting in for Marty Reid on the TV side of IndyCar coverage this weekend. And we’re back to the TV crew doing quals coverage on Indycar.com. Bob (bless his heart) + Scott Goodyear = zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I need my Radio Network guys as often as possible - a girl’s gotta have her Davey Hamilton fix, especially. Slow afternoon at work - most folks are outside at the company picnic. Went out for a bite to eat earlier - loads of cute kids running around. I’m sitting here full of chicken, curried potatoes and ice cream, trying not to nod off…

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*

Quick Update: Last week’s thrash to get a presentation done for the CEO landed the hoped-for 6-figure funding we wanted. Woo hoo!

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*

Reporting In: Yeah, yeah…I’m here, okay?! LOL! Goodness, it’s been a whirlwind, mainly due to work. Last Wednesday, we learned that our entire dev team is moving out of the creative group and into the program management department. That department is being realigned to match industry best practices, and our processes are due to follow. The end goal is to lead with user experience, instead of letting engineering resources and constraints or the whims of “Hey, what if we did THIS?” continue to drive what happens next. Now, I’m realistic enough to know there are rough patches ahead and to realize that the degree of success will depend on how “religious” we get about the new processes, but I am STOKED that we are making this first step. One of the most exciting things about it is seeing our director and VP level folks move into areas that are definitely playing to their strengths. Another thing - my team will eventually start playing a larger role in product definition, which is a great opportunity for us all.

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.

Tarrrrrd: Man, what a sleepy day. I didn’t do anything too vigorous this weekend, due to a banged up left knee. Missed the Todd Rundgren show here last night, but the consolation was spending several hours on the phone with my buddy who was traveling back home after a weekend in the Fingerlakes. Got some pretty interesting inside scoop about that particular scene. And the scoopage continued today when Rupert gave a call and caught me up on all the news with his band. I’m rolling the IndyCar race from yesterday so I can hear the TV commentary (I listen to the radio network live during the races) and once that’s over, I’m seriously considering a 9 o’clock bedtime. Thumbs up to Ryan Hunter-Reay and RLR for their win at The Glen!

Name That Tune: My pal who traveled to western New York for the weekend engaged me in a bit of Name That Tune via chat today, while listening to his iPod (which contains a whopping 29 songs!!! LOL!). He’d type the lyrics as the song played along and leave me to quote the title. Some of the songs I haven’t heard in 20 years, and I missed a few. It was a delightful way to start my Saturday. *grin* I have a few home improvement projects lined up and spent today finalizing the plan of attack. The bathroom isn’t quite ready for prime time - needs a fresh coat of paint, for one. It’s top priority on my list - that room is my favorite in the house, with a big clawfoot bath tub I visit every night.

Watching the Daytona 400 now. 60 laps to go…

Low Key: It started last night, when I spent over two hours trying to talk to a friend who was driving through northeastern Ohio. Talk about dropped calls! Was a nice chat, though. (And if you’re reading this, my friend, these words from me to you: hands-free device. :p ) This morning, I got some strength training and yoga stretches in, and spent another hour or so trying to chat with above friend while the drive continued through Western New York state. More dropped calls - LOL! Meantime, I was following IndyCar practice at Watkins Glen, which was delayed due to baby deer bounding around the infield. They eventually relocated them and the cars got underway, but it was comical to watch the track workers think they had half a chance to catch the little sprites without an army. A few texts came bouncing in, including one from Diamond in Oswego, and one from Rupert of The Fixx - both saying “Happy 4th.” Watched the Nationwide race while chatting online with above-mentioned pal (no more dropped calls!) and I coined my new pet name for the series: Yawnin’Wide. Hamlin, Ky. Busch and Junebug were yer podium there. In general a much-needed, quiet 4th with a nice walk and quite a few laughs. A multiple-home-run kinda day…

Fun Fun Fun: The day started with an online chat with a friend I usually only hear from on weekends due to our work schedules. Was great to get the morning going with a few laughs. Everyone was in a light-hearted mood at work and they hoovered down the cookies I made last night - Den Mom was happy to provide the treats. Then “school” let out at 2 p.m., turning us all loose on a gorgeous NorCal summer afternoon. Planning a quiet 4th here, following IndyCar and NASCAR (not quite as interested now that Dario Franchitti’s out) and tackling the house chores. Probably get a walk or two in, as well

Weakling: Back in the office today - feeling somewhat better, but still dragging a bit. Looking forward to the long weekend. The office is shutting down at 2 p.m. tomorrow, so I’ll be home in time to kick the holiday off by listening to Trackside with Cavie and Kevie live, instead of podcasting it as usual. Wish I could be at The Glen…instead, I’ll be following all the race activities online while I begin the massive purge of my apartment. (whee… LOL!)

Icky: Worked from home due to flu bug. Fortunately, it’s a somewhat slow time for projects, so we’re just cleaning up odds and ends and nothing requires a great deal of thought. If there’s ever such a thing as good timing for the flu, I guess this is it…

Ugh: There’s a virus going round the office, and I think it’s got me. Started the day feeling really fatigued, and as the day wore on, aches and chills set in. Now have a slight fever. Whee. Coming up the stairs tonight was a delight - I could not step up with my left leg at all. Had to ascend two and 1/2 flights by stepping with the right foot, then bringing the left up. Awfully slow. My knees have been giving me more trouble as I work my way into my summer fitness program, so a friend who used to be a personal trainer is going to show me some exercises to help strengthen the knees, probably Wednesday evening. Meantime, I’m heading for a bubble bath and an early bedtime…

I’ve Been Thinkin’…: This whole blow up around Scott Dixon’s comments on Danica Patrick’s driving style after the Iowa race has been interesting to watch. There’ve been so many different responses to the comments, from all different corners, that seem to fall into three main categories:

• 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.

SmashUp: “What a wreck! Wait, there’s another one! Oh, no, someone just came ass-around and backed it into the wall!” The IndyCars at Richmond were better at demolition derby than they were racing tonight - by the halfway point, about half the field had wrecked out, with Tony Kanaan surviving the CARnage to win his first race of the season. Best to leave this one behind quickly and move on to Watkins Glen next week. Wish I could be there - such racing history at that track and in the town, and everyone raves about how gorgeous the area is.

TGI the Weekend!: Man, today was a brain shredder at work! Glad to have a nice weekend with a race or two and nothing else planned but a manicure. We’ll see if anything king-sized comes up…  *wink*

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.

Time for a Teensy Breather: It’s been a hectic but fun time since my last post. I’ve been following races, keeping in touch with old friends and fostering a nice new friendship. Also, planning my Sonoma vacation in August - my new friend will have the cottage next door  to me, and I’m looking forward to us having time to hang in the common garden and continue discovering just how “separated at birth” we are. I’ve also taken on a third direct report a work, a contractor who was reporting to my boss until this point. And I’m planning the complete purge, clean, paint and re-floor job I need to do on my apartment. I’ve been in here since 1997 and it’s time…

Back into the whirlwind!

Traffic Jam: Not quite as bad as the post-race road out of Indy last month, but there’s been a traffic jam here at BashUp - thanks to Curt Cavin posting a link to my Carb Night Burger Bash photos. Glad you all stopped by! There are three more pages of 2008 Indy 500 photos - you can find the links on the right side of the page. Also, if you follow my Bash*tography link, there are photos there from the race at Sonoma last year. I’ll be back at Infineon in August, so bookmark me and stop by again after that race if you want to.

RIP, Mr. Russert: Last week, Jim McKay. This week, Tim Russert - broadcasting has taken a huge hit in the last few days. Russert was the best in the business with a political interview, and his influence has spread through NBC’s coverage. I saw several debates between Obama and Clinton, and the ones involving Russert made the others look like bumbling amateurs. Huge loss.

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.

Prelude to a Rockin’ Great Time!: Man, I’d love to see Tony Stewart’s charity race in person. Watching it on pay-per-view was a blast. That and the Chili Bowl are now on the Bucket List. (Wait, I’m way too young to have a Bucket List.)

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.

Roll Call: Hands up - who’s gonna watch the HBO pay-per-view of Tony Stewart’s Prelude to a Dream at Eldora Speedway? I’m planning on sitting down with a soda and bowl of kettle corn and watching the dirt fly the minute I get home tomorrow night. Here’s hoping it’s not a complete mud pit from all the rains that have hit Ohio the last couple of days.

160 Gigs Enough?: I hope so! I have once again demonstrated an uncanny ability to destroy electronic devices, and my 30-gig video iPod hasn’t been spared. I have the bad habit of carrying my iPod everywhere - in my back pocket. Many times, the headphone plug will be caught on the lumbar support portion of open backed chairs at work, and the jack eventually gets pulled loose. End result is the plug doesn’t make good contact and one audio channel is lost. Yet again, I found my iPod faltering and stopped at the Apple store tonight for a new 160 gig video iPod and a nice little case that I can clip it to my front pocket. Between this and the case for my iPhone, it’s gonna look like I’m wearing a utility belt. (Well, sorta am, aren’t I?) The new iPod is syncing now - I included all podcasts this time, so I will have 3+ seasons of IndyCar races, Talk of Gasoline Alley episodes and lots of SpeedFreaks and Trackside with Cavin and Kevin. Plus some videos, all my music and photos. This is gonna take a while…

Fightin’ Traffic: It was a crowded Milwaukee Mile, with 26 cars starting the IndyCar race - largest field in quite some time. Ryan Briscoe got his first IndyCar win, which should divert some focus from his crash-filled career thus far. The trick for him will be to avoid reminding people with more carnage.

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.

Renewed and Booked: Renewed my race ticket and booked a hotel near my sister’s in Fishers. I’m ready for the 93rd Running of the Indianapolis 500! Now, off to read piles of pages from the Indy Star that my sister saved for me all month…

May 21, 2008

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…

Uh-Oh: Got home from my fun but tiring trip to Indy on Tuesday evening and have been very low-key ever since, just relaxing and sorting through all the photos I took. So today I’m feeling lethargic, woozy and a little queasy, like I’m getting the flu. I’m due back at the office Monday and this isn’t how I want to go back into the fray… *sigh* I did go for my scheduled girl maintenance (mani/pedi) and fell asleep during each. My technician, Kim, just laughed at me - usually we chatter all the way through both. She told me “You go home and take a nap now…” And I did. Early sleeps for me tonight, too, if I can manage it.

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.

Finally Done! Check out all my Indy 500 photos by starting on the Carb Day page, and following the link at the bottom of each page to work through all four pages. You’ll see Carb Day Practice (all 15 minutes!), Curt Cavin’s Carb Night Burger Bash with eventual race winner Scott Dixon, pre-race festivity shots and action from the race and afterward.  Enjoy!

Sonoma-bound: Went to the IndyCar race at Infineon last year, but drove back to San Francisco each night. This year, I’m making a little vacation out of it and just booked an adorable cottage for the weekend, adjacent to the Fig Pantry (relative of The Girl and the Fig and home of yummy artisan cheeses). Really looking forward to it! Meantime, I’m cropping and sizing photos from the 500 and those should appear on my site in the next day.

A few photos from Curt Cavin’s Carb Night Burger Bash.

Back Home Again (in California): Made it home around 5:30 pm. Nothing amiss when I arrived - lots of mail waiting, and Sabrina hissed at me as she usually does when I’m gone a while. (Within 5 minutes, she was snuggled up to my neck, purring her brains out.) Uneventful flights home after a nice visit to family, friends and The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The race will last all week for me - I have all the broadcast stuff to catch up on, loads of TSO emails and racing blogs to read. Happy I took the rest of the week off - I’ll need it to catch up! I have loads of photos to sift through and will place a separate page of them here as soon as I get them resized for the web.

A Few Laps: The IndyCars got on track for something like 15 minutes today, and the rest of the Indy 500 festivities were rained out. The Freedom 100 Indy Lights race will be held at noon Saturday and the pit stop competition was canceled. *sigh* Did spend some time chatting with Facebook friend Tom Beeler - he’s a media-type, though, and his editor was there, so he spent his day in the warmer, drier confines of the Media Center.

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.

Alamo upgraded me to a sports car this morning:

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

Photos and reports from vacation will appear here if I can manage the time to make it happen!

Four More Days: Heading out Wednesday for a few days of family, fun and fast times in Indianapolis. Seriously need a break, so I’m really looking forward to it. Right now I’m listening to qualifications and practice for the 500 and keeping an eye on the long-range forecast for the 25th, which looks great one day and dismal the next…

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.

Here’s a site with up-to-the-minute news and a live blog:  http://www.indy500coverage.com/

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!

Wiped Out: It’s been a busy week and I’m exhausted. Gonna have a low key weekend and follow qualifying for the Indy 500. Nothing sounds better… *grin* At least the weather’s due to hold for tomorrow…it’s been raining most of the week. Sunday looks awful, though.

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!