The V8s

Last Saturday I got the callup from the boss to head on down to Surfer's Paradise for the V8 Grand Prix. The beach town is the perfect setting for this type of competition --perfect weather, ocean setting, wide roads? Just when you thought the races in Gran Tourismo didn't actually exist. I couldn't walk 10 meters without seeing some beach babe trying to hawk some product posing for pics with some random bloke looking for a facebook pic. The vehicles are street cars much like the one you and I drive, only gutted and souped up and flogged onto a main drag for a four day event. All the roads get blocked off and grandstands are set up to accommodate the patrons. Part of the track rides up right next to beach while copters fly around getting overhead tv shots, F-111's do flybys, and Australian roulettes turn tricks. oh it's a scene man. (5:47 into the video)

My access was unprecedented in my experience of attending sporting events. (not saying car racing is a sport) But my tickets had me right on pit row and right above the car garages. Also as a part of the package it included an all you can eat food and drink deal, which I was happy to take advantage of. Actually, everyone was happy to take advantage ... because the food hardly got to the back of the room before the famished in front had swarmed to the waitresses and cleared their trays.

I meandered around the grounds checking out the track and got to tour the garage in between races. Even got to see them replace the sponsor decals on the cars. It was definitely a cool experience as the crew scampered around searching for brake pads and tires and broke down video of the previous races. Technologically these vehicles are far advanced and you can even adjust fluids and control certain elements of the car from the pit. It was riveting.

Overall a pretty fun day all around ending with a snooze on the way back after having slurped down a few too many Boags.

I am McLovin, over here too.

About a week ago, my housemate Sharon had a big birthday bash at the crib. I had been reminded of the occasion for about the last 10 days as women typically like to do. It started with the selection process for the appetizers, then a few days later the taste testing of potential hors d'oeuvres, three days of cleaning leading up to the day and then nervousness about who will or won't show up.... it was quite an ordeal.

Anyways, for those that don't know, birthday # 40 for an attractive, single woman officially means cougar status for chicks like her. She's a bit of a swinger and didn't fuss too much and that gained a touch of my respect. And I think she realizes that 40 is the new 30 and that puts her ahead of the game.

The party itself was semi-fun, mostly full of middle-aged couples and divorcees eating quiches, dim sums and finger foods. Technically, it wasn't my crowd, but who's to say I can't enjoy the festivities? So I tried.

At one point I stepped up my game: everyone was tired of listening to James Brown, Prince, and other clearly not party type music when some crazy lady who was dressed up like an evil pippi long stocking shrieked out for some Neil Diamond... a voice of reason! Now this woman had a hankering for some Neil Diamond let me tell you. Alas! there was no Neil Diamond in the host's music collection (blasphemy). Fortunately, I always keep my two disk set in my toiletry kit when I go on travel, so I busted out some Kentucky Woman and needless to say, saved the party.... I could end this tale here, and you might be semi-satisfied....But that's not all.

Earlier in the night, I struck up some cheap conversation with some of the blokes and made the rounds introducing myself as the American import. By the time I got around the room, sure enough the McLovin reference came out.

Yes, McLovin that character from the movie Superbad. Here's a synopsis for those that aren't familiar with the movie:

Played by actor, "Christopher Mintz-Plasse, as an even geekier kid who gets a fake ID with the one-word name McLovin, pretty much steals the whole thing in his first film. Initially you think he’s going to be a minor figure, a guy who floats in and out, gets tooled on for laughs and then leaves. But similar to the respectful treatment Steve Carell received in Apatow’s “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” Mintz-Plasse’s scrawny, bespectacled Fogell has a rich, full experience all his own — much more so than other characters in the movie who kid themselves by thinking they’re higher up on the food chain."

The back story behind this is that once the movie came out a few years ago, friends were calling me up saying I had a striking resemblance to the guy in the movie. And it's a great movie and mostly because of this super cool character. It seems I can't go a night out in the States, at a bar, club, concert, poetry reading, wherever there's always at least one person that gives me the stare down and busts out the reference..... "HEYYY MCLOVIN!!!!" Ya , ya, ya, heard that before. So I usually embrace it because hey I am McLovin.

Well it turns out Aussies pick up on the similarities too and this guy wanted, handshakes, photos, autographs, locks of hair, etc. For that, I bartered his first born son. He obliged.

From the airport a month ago...

I had to post some of this merchandise I saw at the airport last month. This was in a store at Dulles Intl. It was one of those "welcome to America" type stores-- Apparently some people are against the virtue of "hope"? Way too much of that going around these days. Really? Who buys this stuff?

Oh, I was on a layover one night in DC, perusing the AIRPORT mall and just had to have that top to match the jeans I was wearing. It went perfectly with a sweater I have at home.

Australia

And just like that I'm on the other side of the world.

For those of you that don't know, for the next four months I'm going to be stationed in Australia working for a new start-up baseball league headed by Major League Baseball and the Australian Baseball Federation. It's a difficult job that I've been tasked -- baseball is not even remotely on the radar when it comes to mainstream sports here. It's Australian Football, Rugby, Cricket, and Soccer that keep people's attention here. Anything less, would be ... civilized. I'm fortunate enough to get the opportunity, but it's far from a vacation. Not only is the sport unpopular, but the people who are involved don't seem to get along. So it's a challenge to get everyone headed in the right direction and right now that's the focus. It's tough work and I hope I can be agent for change.

The league is basically being converted from an existing national tournament that's taken place since the 1930's. Now if you haven't heard of this tournament you've probably been holed up somewhere watching the E! network, which is a shame, not just because you are watching the E! network, but also because it's a very well known event. Think along the lines of Mardi Gras, The Running of the Bulls, The Daytona 500, Kentucky Derby.... The Claxton Shield!! Like something Robin Hood fought over with his merry men or more modernly some inconsequential college football rivalry like the battle of the Iron Skillet! Anyways, it's very prestigious. Blood has been spilled.

The squad I am assisting with is in Brisbane (pronounced Briz-bin) and the team is called the Queensland Rams (logo looks more like a mountain goat). For those of you that don't know (I didn't) the deal here is that Brisbane is the capital of Queensland which is one of the six states of Australia. The other teams are in Adelaide (South Australia), Melbourne (Victoria), Sydney (New South Wales), and Perth (Western Australia). Each team has its own obstacles, but until I know more about theirs I'm only going to detail the one's we face:

Lights. They aren't good. And that's from what I've heard since I haven't actually seen them turned on. But the first game is on November 20th and the process has been dangerously slow. Unfortunately it's something I cannot control and I do not enjoy the uncontrollable. For the most part though the ballpark is decent and has some character appeal -especially if you like concrete seats with no backs!

But truthfully, there is some character to the place and if it had been properly maintained over the years it would be quite charming. And in my opinion there are a few dozen obvious upgrades that could be made if we had the funding to do so, but we don't. So I won't go too much into the state of the grounds - it's a bit tiresome. The other problem we face is that the field is only a temporary home for the RAMS for the next couple years...so it doesn't make sense to start dropping birthday money on it.

Ok, well that's a good start to this journey. More later. Time for bed.