Just a Moment

So if a new toothbrush can make me giggle with delight, a new blender is sure to make me shiver. I picked the most powerful one I could find…700 watts. It has 3 positions, fast, faster and pulsate. The one I’m throwing away has 10 buttons of which I only ever used 2. Serious overengineering.

Back to my regular smoothie mornings tomorrow. Life is good. Maybe it will be a pina colada weekend. Crushed ice anyone…I can’t wait to pulsate.

Dale Jr. is leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. (Theresa) and becoming a free agent at the end of this year. The marketing machine is poised to go over the wall. The colour chips are jockying for position. Numbers hope to be the chosen combination. Manufacturers are smoozing. Owners are dreaming and fans are waiting to be “brand loyal”. As for the objects of our affection affixed with the number 8, they will be safely packed away, adjacent our shrine to number 3.

I was NASCAR when NASCAR wasn’t cool and I’ve enjoyed watching clever marketing push a southern, red-neck sport to mainstream popularity. Both NASCAR and Nextel have done well to bring in new markets and use technology to deliver the excitement to fans across the continent, in a relevant way. Its paid off. NASCAR is the most watched spectator sport in North America.

I can tell you from experience, a live NASCAR race is like nothing else. The rush of adreneline starts on the approach to the track. With branded hats waving, fans will their driver to the front of the pack, and pray the race won’t end under caution. As a spectator, it’s powerful to have 100,000 people follow your lead as you jump to your feet with a barely audible “uh-oh”.  While a scrape or two keeps things interesting, I don’t think crashes are favoured like a fight in hockey. NASCAR fans have seen too many bad outcomes and losing “your” driver is like a kick in the stomach, or lower. It takes a long while to regain your wind for the sport.

For most Senior fans, Junior filled the void left by his father. But Junior too is an intimidator, when he’s allowed to be. I can’t wait to see it happen, and get a new
t-shirt.

Related Link:  An amusing commentary on the Dale Jr. DEI split.

The wave is tumbling me head over heels. We are not alone for long in this life. Eventually someone will walk in and change our perspective, bring some new focus or outlook or force you to redefine yourself. If only I weren’t so sponge-like these days, I could avoid potential problems. If only I were a brick. Then, I’d stand still and let the wave rush over me, not budging, stuck, safe and sound. But that approach sounds like opportunity lost. So, I gather my brick and bring it tumbling with me. When I reach the other end, I’ll be strong again.

My focus has shifted. I feel lost, hitchhiking a deserted road back to my centre. I’ve moved away from orderly chaos to a place where everything feels clumsy. I think of my friend Kate and her little boys so often. Perhaps this is tipping me off balance. If so, it’s no sacrifice, it’s the least I can do from my helpless position. I actually feel purposeful sending light and love their way. Scouring her blog and flickr for news and photos, listening to every comment as though we are conversing in a room together. Showering Kate and Justin with surplus strength in case their tandem load runs low. 

Inevitably, as we pour ourselves into the lives of others, we snag an edge and hang around for a while, sometimes enjoying the break, sometimes envying freedom. Patience to this, move with the riptide and come out the other end with a deeper knowledge of what life is about.

My most recent homework is to determine my perfect career. Since I rescheduled this week’s appointment with my life coach—even my hair is taking precedence—I’ve given myself space on this. But, driving to work this morning, the words business development popped into my mind and something around that made me feel hopeful that I may be onto something.

Oh, and Heathertoo told me I looked slimmer…I hugged her.