3 words - In, dy, Car (or, unless you are a serious Indycar geek like me, please skip to next post)

OK peeps, springtime on this ol marble is looking much, much brighter for me.

IndyCar has mended its rift and more cars than I can remember will be on the grid this season driving what amounts to the fastest and most competitive formula in all of autoracing.

For all of you who are also race fans with me will say "I know", but stop for a minute and think about that.

Fastest AND Most Competitive.

Think about the last time you watched a car race, ANY car race, where:

• the cars can average over 225 mph on oval tracks,
• top-ending around 235 mph on straightaways,
• turn both left AND right,
• in highly-competitive and scary-close wheel-to-(open)wheel racing,
• with (likely) over 25 cars and world-class caliber drivers in most of them.
• and the cars looked sexy as hell.

I can't remember when that was. Even in the halcyon days of the early-90s when CART was peaking, the caliber of driver was there, but great divides in equipment quality meant that approximately 65% of those cars were also-rans with next to no hope of winning a single race, let alone even be within 5 laps of the leader at the end. That won't be the case now.

The quality of teams coming over to the IRL this year from ChampCar will raise the new pool average greatly. The league is increasing it's car count by nearly 75% and much of that will be race-winner-contending quality. That means in all likelihood a typical IndyCar race will now have around 16-20 cars on the lead lap at speeds that frighten the senses. Those of you who've been there, you know what I mean.

Traffic just got a lot heavier at many of the best American race tracks and, I for one, LOVE IT!

Four little words from my Doctor that really hurt

Let's check your prostate.

I know he's probably got the worst end of the deal, but really, what's with the phrases they use in this situation like, "Let me know if something doesn't feel right" or "Try to relax".

Yeah. That's one that's far from helping me relax. I don't mind saying that I'm tight as a drum and you're going to have to work a bit down there. I apologize for nothing Herr Docktor.

When he did invade that specific orifice, I rue not having begun a chorus from Moooooon Riiiveeeer. Those of you who know me, almost certainly will know that movie quote.

Ah, turning 40 just keeps on presenting wonderful little events that signal you've just taken the field for the second half, and son, it likely won't be pretty.

Results from last night's test

OK, so those of you who called your bookie last night and put a sawbuck down on me feeling better after tennis last night, you win! So at 4:1, you may now reap the great $40 reward.

I am actually feeling better. Even up to the moment I had to set foot in my vehicle to drive to the tennis facility, I was sure I'd better served (no pun intended) to stay on the couch or even in bed at 7:00pm.

After moving around a bit and having some early success, I forgot about my aches and queasiness. I'm sure the two Aleve I took right before leaving helped.

Oh, and on my way, I picked up a VitaminWater for breaks between sets. Maybe the catalytic effect of all these sugars, vitamins, polypeptides, and analgesics was just the thing I needed.

Anyway, off I go today feeling better than the day before. Vaya con dios, mi amigos.

DZ

Aches n pains

OK, so despite the potential for whinyness this post's title may contain, you ventured in.

Good for you.

Good for you because not only were you bold, but you were also correct. If you're the type of person who's thrilled at being right, or more specifically one who delights in being a problem-solver, read no further. You will not enjoy it. As the pop bottle top often reads, 'Thanks and Try Again'.

I woke up today feeling just a bit more flu-like than yesterday. It's that vague, mid-back, shoulderbladey-type of non-muscular ache and chilled feeling that typically for me precludes a bout with the flu. Based on a local, non-scientific sampling, I have concluded that I don't 'feel right'.

I'm scheduled to play in my local, mixed-doubles tennis league tonight and, although willing, I am not sure if it's wise to do so. Problem is, we have only one substitute to call on and knowing others in the group are feeling worse than I am, I feel obligated to play, all the while risking a further decline in my general health. The other possibility would be that my enjoyment of this physical activity could raise my endorphin levels, yielding a therapuetic result.

I'm laying even odds on the outcome, so we'll roll the dice and see. Tell you how it goes next time.

Wait a minute. Upon further consideration, I'm going to say that odds are 4:1 I acutally feel better afterwards. Odds are even I lose multiple bodily fluids after this exercise. Come on, endorphins, you can do it!

Initial Post

OK, like I need another distraction, right? I just can't not think that something I say may be of value and to post it somehow validates that fact. Sort of a self-fulfilling theory really, but being the seeker of control that I am, this blog allows me a slice of space where I can just be. DZ's Place 2B. I like that.

Also, this is a test to see how things look. Don't be alarmed by font changes and the like. It only means I'm attempting to, as go the lyrics in 'Hey Jude', take a sad song and make it better.

Thanks for reading this and be assured that posts which follow this initial one will be of varying interest and skill, but largely better than this one. At least that's the plan.

DZ