Racing and Reading
This first half is kinda insider stuff….
Silly Season.
For the uninitiated, “Silly Season” is the term in auto-racing for all the rumors that go flying about what driver is going to which organization at the years end. As the year progresses, rumors start flying thicker and thicker. Retirements are announced, drivers get fired or quit, teams have bad years, pretty much anything will exacerbate the rolling sea of rumor.
Yesterday, Jason Leffler, a rookie driver who simply has not been performing well, was let go from the #11 FedEx to no one’s surprise. What was surprising was this morning Kurt Busch announced he would be leaving Roush and the #97 Sharpie/Crown Royal for the #2 Miller Lite ride in 2007 at the very least if he could not be released from his 2006 contract. Mikey is still standing in the doorway of DEI, keeping the future of the #15 Napa in question. While the #6 Viagra car is taken for 2007, it still an open seat for 2006. Of course, no one is slated for the #42 Havoline seat when McMurray takes over Mark Martin’s ride in 2007 either. #2 Miller Lite seat is still open for next season as well if Busch cannot be released from Roush. Rumors have gone flying about Matt Kenneth and Bobby Labonte leaving their respective organizations as well (though I really think those are rumors because of the bad years both drivers are having).
Am I missing any others?
In any event, having so many seats open in the “Muscial Stock Cars” has made for a very fun silly season, especially when you consider that when the seat opens up, the CC is usually is up for grabs too.
*brief fantasy about Jimmy Fennig in Bud red*
Hey, it’s an intriguing thought…admit it.
This last Friday while practice was rained out Dale Jr. sat down with some media types to answer their questions. Jade’s got it up on his site here. While sometimes I can get peeved with Dale for the occasional bone-headed move pulled on and off the track (he's fallable, just as I am, he just has the venue to make human errors on a much grander scale than I do *chuckle*) but on top of his skills behind the wheel, one of the reasons I am a fan of his is because he’s learns and grows both on the track and off. He’s a better driver than he was when he started Cup and he’s a better man too. That what a dynamic personality is: a personality in motion. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. I was glad to hear he and Tony Jr. have gotten to a point where they respect and listen to one another and that something positive has come out of all the troubles of this year. I also like the fact that he seems to be as honest with himself as he can be (more than many are) and is a genuine race fan as well as being a driver.
Reading
I enjoy reading a great deal and believe it or not, not just SciFi & Fantasy novels and political commentary. Mostly I prefer historical adventure stories. I have the entire O’Brien Aubery/Maturin series (better known as the “Master and Commander Series”, which one reviewer called “the most productive literary affront since D’Artagnan offended the three Musketeers”) including the unfinished 21st novel and all the supplemental works like Sea of Words as well as every single work by the meticulously accurate and incredibly entertaining Sharon Kay Penman and Candace Robb’s Owen Archer mysteries. Shortly I will be diving headfirst into C.S. Forrester’s Horatio Hornblower novels.
Mostly what I want is a story where stuff happens that has a true resolution. I do not want to read about some whiney self-absorbed jerk wandering around aimlessly accomplishing nothing while the author tries to pretend that is it is so terribly “deep”. (Swear to Gawd, ten pages in I was wishing for Holden to be fatally stabbed during a mugging.) I was in Borders last year and some author was having a reading where her character’s great symbolic act of rebellion against her unfaithful, abusive husband was to hide the remote.
*gag*
Give me a Alexandre Dumas anytime. Bloody hell, my life is realistic enough, thank you. When I sit down to red a novel I want diversion. I want adventure.
However, last Friday on a whim I picked up an interesting short novel called Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. It the story of a man grieving and coming to grips with his wife’s sudden death by obsessing over teaching his dog to speak and tell him about her last hours. Honestly I picked it up for the sole reason that it had “dogs” in the title, but was very pleasantly surprised by what lay within. Not a kitchy or cute novel by any means, it never feels formulaic. It’s a story of knowing and not knowing the ones we love and depths and gentle heights the human soul goes to. There is some very disturbing events, especially if you are a dog lover, in this book, but the realism and realistic drama of the emotions played out with elegant imagery by realistic characters against the improbable plot device (not so improbable when you consider the state of mind of grief) had me riveted.
Silly Season.
For the uninitiated, “Silly Season” is the term in auto-racing for all the rumors that go flying about what driver is going to which organization at the years end. As the year progresses, rumors start flying thicker and thicker. Retirements are announced, drivers get fired or quit, teams have bad years, pretty much anything will exacerbate the rolling sea of rumor.
Yesterday, Jason Leffler, a rookie driver who simply has not been performing well, was let go from the #11 FedEx to no one’s surprise. What was surprising was this morning Kurt Busch announced he would be leaving Roush and the #97 Sharpie/Crown Royal for the #2 Miller Lite ride in 2007 at the very least if he could not be released from his 2006 contract. Mikey is still standing in the doorway of DEI, keeping the future of the #15 Napa in question. While the #6 Viagra car is taken for 2007, it still an open seat for 2006. Of course, no one is slated for the #42 Havoline seat when McMurray takes over Mark Martin’s ride in 2007 either. #2 Miller Lite seat is still open for next season as well if Busch cannot be released from Roush. Rumors have gone flying about Matt Kenneth and Bobby Labonte leaving their respective organizations as well (though I really think those are rumors because of the bad years both drivers are having).
Am I missing any others?
In any event, having so many seats open in the “Muscial Stock Cars” has made for a very fun silly season, especially when you consider that when the seat opens up, the CC is usually is up for grabs too.
*brief fantasy about Jimmy Fennig in Bud red*
Hey, it’s an intriguing thought…admit it.
This last Friday while practice was rained out Dale Jr. sat down with some media types to answer their questions. Jade’s got it up on his site here. While sometimes I can get peeved with Dale for the occasional bone-headed move pulled on and off the track (he's fallable, just as I am, he just has the venue to make human errors on a much grander scale than I do *chuckle*) but on top of his skills behind the wheel, one of the reasons I am a fan of his is because he’s learns and grows both on the track and off. He’s a better driver than he was when he started Cup and he’s a better man too. That what a dynamic personality is: a personality in motion. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. I was glad to hear he and Tony Jr. have gotten to a point where they respect and listen to one another and that something positive has come out of all the troubles of this year. I also like the fact that he seems to be as honest with himself as he can be (more than many are) and is a genuine race fan as well as being a driver.
Reading
I enjoy reading a great deal and believe it or not, not just SciFi & Fantasy novels and political commentary. Mostly I prefer historical adventure stories. I have the entire O’Brien Aubery/Maturin series (better known as the “Master and Commander Series”, which one reviewer called “the most productive literary affront since D’Artagnan offended the three Musketeers”) including the unfinished 21st novel and all the supplemental works like Sea of Words as well as every single work by the meticulously accurate and incredibly entertaining Sharon Kay Penman and Candace Robb’s Owen Archer mysteries. Shortly I will be diving headfirst into C.S. Forrester’s Horatio Hornblower novels.
Mostly what I want is a story where stuff happens that has a true resolution. I do not want to read about some whiney self-absorbed jerk wandering around aimlessly accomplishing nothing while the author tries to pretend that is it is so terribly “deep”. (Swear to Gawd, ten pages in I was wishing for Holden to be fatally stabbed during a mugging.) I was in Borders last year and some author was having a reading where her character’s great symbolic act of rebellion against her unfaithful, abusive husband was to hide the remote.
*gag*
Give me a Alexandre Dumas anytime. Bloody hell, my life is realistic enough, thank you. When I sit down to red a novel I want diversion. I want adventure.
However, last Friday on a whim I picked up an interesting short novel called Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. It the story of a man grieving and coming to grips with his wife’s sudden death by obsessing over teaching his dog to speak and tell him about her last hours. Honestly I picked it up for the sole reason that it had “dogs” in the title, but was very pleasantly surprised by what lay within. Not a kitchy or cute novel by any means, it never feels formulaic. It’s a story of knowing and not knowing the ones we love and depths and gentle heights the human soul goes to. There is some very disturbing events, especially if you are a dog lover, in this book, but the realism and realistic drama of the emotions played out with elegant imagery by realistic characters against the improbable plot device (not so improbable when you consider the state of mind of grief) had me riveted.
posted by KiplingKat | 8:50 PM
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