Speedy Sonoma

Most people think of Sonoma as a place to relax and sip wine while walking through endless vineyards. This is true, but it is also home to Infineon Raceway. The Mr. is a longtime Nascar fan and insisted we visit the raceway on our recent trip. Since he came with me to meet blog friends and ate at Herbivore, it was only fair.

Mr. B&B at Infineon Raceway


I was not a Nascar person until I met my husband and learned that not all race fans meet the stereotypes placed upon them. We had been dating less than a year when he invited me to a Nascar race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. I am always up for new experiences. The seats were about 8 rows up and right in front of the pits near the start/finish line. It was exhilarating!

I go with him and my Father-In-Law to the summer race every year now. The sun is warm. The people we sit near are friendly, her in her leather bra top and him with his "fun flask". The pits and the race are always entertaining. It isn't anywhere I would ever choose to go without Mr. B&B, but even I, the environmentalist vegan, have come to enjoy and embrace it.

Check out the inspiration for this post, The Meanest Mom's Nascar Adventure, here.

I leave you with photos of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma:
The sheep on the hill behind the Grandstands.

The Start/Finish Line

Vacation

My husband was on vacation last week and I was at my nanny job on Wednesday and Thursday which left me little time for writing. It was wonderful to spend time with my husband though and awfully difficult to say good-bye when he went off to work this morning.

My husband is a "car guy." He loves driving them, changing his own brakes, cleaning his wheels, racing them, and watching other people race them. This brings me to this past week during which we spent three days at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and one evening watching demolition derby at Brockton Fair. Being a writer, no matter where I am, I am always looking for stories and inspiration for stories. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy motorsports, but four days of car activities in one week... a lot. So, I observed people and let my mind wander. At Nascar in New Hampshire there were so many 'characters': a man in a bathingsuit, the Indian couple with their young son all decked out in Dale Jr. merchandise, the two Asian couples, the man with a long red ponytail and a bottle full of a vodka/redbull mix, the ladies with their tanktop and bra straps folded into their tanks so they didn't get tanlines on their shoulders, and all of this within three rows of me! If I can't come up with any material from all of that, how can I call myself a writer? The Brockton Fair was interesting because it is like stepping into a time warp and it brings out all of the kooky people. I was also fascinated by the animals in the petting zoo, for sale, putting on a show (elephants, camels, ponies), to ride (ponies), and racing (pigs). I wanted to set them all free. I think I could write a childrens book with the premise of a little girl or boy wanting to free the animals at the fair and imagining what would happen if she/he did OR write a short story from the perspective of the animals OR write a story where the animals are in charge and the people are racing, in a zoo, for sale, and putting on shows. Inspiration is everywhere.
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I officially applied to the Lesley University Writers Conference. It starts on July 27th, so I should be hearing back soon. Waiting is the pits, but I am trying to think positively in the meantime. I appreciate any positive energy you might send my way.
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I have been noticing more traffic and returning traffic to my blog the past few weeks. Thank you for reading!