First off..... no one wants to ding their precious sports car baby... 2nd of all, they all want to drive REALLY fast! LOL So it really is a controlled environment with lots of rules and spotters and instructors. There are 5 levels.... Instructor, Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D. Classes B, C, and D all MUST HAVE instructors ride with them. Joe started doing these DE events a year ago and of course you start off in D class until your instructor feels you are ready to move up. As you move up in the classes, the cars in those upper classes, run much faster and have more skill taking the turns and such. Joe was thrilled to see he was moved up to Class C this weekend, and then after the event, he was scored by his instructor who is recommending that he be moved up to Class B next event..... which is only 2 weeks away. Joe wants to make it to Instructor level. And once he is moved up to B, A or Instructor, I will then get to start racing in the D class because we will then be able to share his car. I'll have to get me a helmet, cause I'm gonna start racing that sweet baby too!
It was a fun, a real hoot and a holler weekend...... even tho the weather felt like November and it was still August. We seriously had on 2 shirts, sweatshirt hoodies, windbreak rain jacket, footies on both my feet with my flipflops and on my hands and thank goodness I had my big ole fleece blanket. Every time we have been to this event (this was our 3rd time) it has been the same exact weather..... URG BRRR!!!! But..... it's like going to a tailgate and football game in that kind of weather.... somehow.... it adds to the experience. And actually it is better on the cars and the tires because the track doesn't get too hot.
I had made lots of bread the day before we left on our weekend, so I took a whole fresh loaf of cranberry bread with me to nibble on in between races. We had two other fellas that had gone with us and when I broke out that bread around lunch time.... everyone snarfled it up. Then... later after the concession stand was closed and we were starving.... out comes the other 1/2 of the loaf leftover from earlier and it was inhaled snarfled up! It was delish and made me feel like I had my little friend Julia with me.
Missing Julia lately. I've read all the good books on her, am currently reading "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom", which is a good book, but it is more of a cookbook about her notes when she was doing her shows than actual biography type of reading. It is still a good book, but.... when I was reading her biographies, I just felt soooo connected to her... kinda like we were chatting each day and she herself was telling me about her wonderful stories and adventures.
I just finished listening to "Julie & Julia" on CD.... thanks to my very sweet and adorable cousin Nancy.... THANK YOU BUNCHES!!!! for letting me listen to it! It was as I expected and, all the critque remarks that were written about Julie Powell's blog book..... well..... they were spot on. She is a whinner, she had constant meltdowns..... her mother completely annoys her, and well just about anything can cause her to have a meltdown temper tantrum fit. She is a good writer, or she has good writing skills... but... she is sooo negative and egotistical. Julie ... should you ever read this, this isn't anything personal, you don't know me, I don't know you, this is just observations from your book. I felt that the idea Julie had for Julia's project was a really good one, and she did put a time line on her quest making it more of a real challenge. And I sure Julie knows really good food and is an amazing cook herself..... having said that tho...... I was miffed that the project was less about doing something for yourself for the pure joy of accomplishing it, but more of a 'hey look at me, and what I'm doing' kinda of thing'. I felt like you were constantly trying to get attention, but always negative attention. The challenge became a maniac chore for you instead of a true journey with a wonderful witty lady. The language.... yes... I know it is more accepted in your age group, but... being a writer, I would think you would have better word choices and phrases that you could use to make your point stand out, with humor instead of sarcasm and F bomb language. And when I got to the place in the book where you thought you "had to go on with this project, you couldn't stop.... because 'your bleeders' as you like to refer to them.... couldn't wake up and go about their day if you had not posted a blog!..... so then the project came about being your blogger/bleeders savior instead of sharing this wonderful journey. You seem to have a cynical view on things and I have a pollyana view on things. Just one small person's opinion and I am sure if you read my blog, you would have equal critique about mine. Which is fine.... that's why it's out there.... for comments, thoughts, but mostly and hopefully for inspiring and encouraging anyone interested in discovering their cooking talents to pick up a pot and spoon and cookbook and go for it and have fun doing it.
So in summary.... since I have read every other book about Julia other than the Julie Powell blog book, it was nice to have the full story from both sides. Julie Powell said she felt like Julia saved her from drowning in a mundane life. Julia is like that..... she does have a very inspiring way about her, she actually saved herself by finding her niche in life when she discovered cooking. Her passion for cooking, eating and french culture exudes from her in such a bubbly breathy delivery, you can't help but fall under her spell. You can see in her face how truly good whatever it is she is making tastes when she samples it, and well.... it makes you want to have that same bite...... I find myself thinking...... I want some of that!!!!
Fall feels like it is here with both the schools back in session and this weird cold weather. I have a really crazy calendar from now til after the holidays, plus I need to go back for my last class to earn my culinary certificate, so while I hope to be cooking Julia as much as possible, it will be somewhat sporadic until Jan. Will be interesting to see how many of her yummy dishes I can get made between now and then. French bread..... gotta conquer that dadgum recipe. I should shelac my first attempts just so when I finally master french bread, I can have these poor flop loaves to compare it too.
Joe out of town again this week.... won't be a lot of cooking since it's just no fun cooking and eating alone. But I have my DVD's to watch to get my Julia fixes! LOL
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