Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD
After leaving the track, I went to the Holiday Inn near the track where I had a room, and cleaned up to go to the restaurant for dinner. I was alone, and the only table available would seat four, but the hostess put me there anyway, even though the place was very crowded. After I had finished my dinner, I sat there for quite a while, thinking about how to get Brayton up to speed, and writing some things on a notepad. The hostess came over and asked me if I could please leave the table and go into the bar because there were several people waiting for a table. The bar was jam packed, so I just wandered around, killing time, because I didn’t want to go to my room since it was pretty early, and I wanted to park somewhere and have a beer. I soon discovered why the place was packed. Not only were there a lot of racers there, they also had a live band playing, so there were a lot of “locals” who had came for music and dancing. I looked around for quite a while, then spotted a table for four with only one person sitting there. It was a lady about my age, and I wheeled over, and asked if I could sit there and have a beer. She informed me that she was holding the table for some friends, but I could sit there until they arrived. I ordered a beer, and I felt kind of uncomfortable, so I asked her for her name, and she said it was Sandy, then I told her my name. She asked if I was one of those damned racers that were jamming the place, leaving no room for the local people to enjoy the band and dance. I laughed, and said that yes I was one of those people. She was not a race fan at all, and said that she had never been to any kind of race, then asked me what all of that was about anyway. I jokingly told her that we were like a traveling circus or carnival that traveled around the country putting on shows. She detected my humor, and lightened up some, then the conversation was not so strained. She said that she hadn’t meant to be rude, but she was upset about just going through an ugly divorce. We began chatting about things, I asked her where she was from, and she said that she was born in Indiana, but her family had moved to California many years ago. I told her that I was from Indiana also, and that led to one thing and another. She asked me if I was married and had children, and I told her that yes I was married and had four children, but my wife and I were separated, and not getting along. Shortly, her friends showed up, a lady and two men. She told me that I didn’t have to leave the table, they would make room for me. As the band played on, Sandy got up and danced a couple of times, but after each dance she would sit down and talk to me, and ignore the guy she had danced with. I asked her if she would like to go to the track the next day to see what all of the excitement was about, and if so I could get her a pass. I explained how to go to the pit gate and have me paged if she was interested. It was getting late, and I excused myself, thanking her for letting me join her at the table. I went to my room, and went to bed to get some sleep, wondering if she would show up at the track.
I got to the speedway early in the morning to look the car over, and try to figure out what to do to get Lee up to speed. The track didn’t open for practice until ten o’clock, so I had some time to kill, Brayton came, and we talked things over, and decided he would take the car out as is, and try to get an idea what it or he was doing wrong. About that time I got a page to go to the pit gate, and I thought, now what? I headed for the gate not knowing what to expect, but when I got there, I spotted Sandy standing there. I was surprised, I didn’t really think she would take me up on my offer. I picked up a pass for her that would give her access to the garage area, the grandstands, or anywhere else she might want to go. I took her into the garage area to show her where we were parked, so that she could find me if she wanted to know anything. She went strolling off, and I went back to work on the car, getting the oil heater in and doing all the other little things that needed attention. I figured that at some point she would get bored and leave, and I would never see her again.
Larry
After leaving the track, I went to the Holiday Inn near the track where I had a room, and cleaned up to go to the restaurant for dinner. I was alone, and the only table available would seat four, but the hostess put me there anyway, even though the place was very crowded. After I had finished my dinner, I sat there for quite a while, thinking about how to get Brayton up to speed, and writing some things on a notepad. The hostess came over and asked me if I could please leave the table and go into the bar because there were several people waiting for a table. The bar was jam packed, so I just wandered around, killing time, because I didn’t want to go to my room since it was pretty early, and I wanted to park somewhere and have a beer. I soon discovered why the place was packed. Not only were there a lot of racers there, they also had a live band playing, so there were a lot of “locals” who had came for music and dancing. I looked around for quite a while, then spotted a table for four with only one person sitting there. It was a lady about my age, and I wheeled over, and asked if I could sit there and have a beer. She informed me that she was holding the table for some friends, but I could sit there until they arrived. I ordered a beer, and I felt kind of uncomfortable, so I asked her for her name, and she said it was Sandy, then I told her my name. She asked if I was one of those damned racers that were jamming the place, leaving no room for the local people to enjoy the band and dance. I laughed, and said that yes I was one of those people. She was not a race fan at all, and said that she had never been to any kind of race, then asked me what all of that was about anyway. I jokingly told her that we were like a traveling circus or carnival that traveled around the country putting on shows. She detected my humor, and lightened up some, then the conversation was not so strained. She said that she hadn’t meant to be rude, but she was upset about just going through an ugly divorce. We began chatting about things, I asked her where she was from, and she said that she was born in Indiana, but her family had moved to California many years ago. I told her that I was from Indiana also, and that led to one thing and another. She asked me if I was married and had children, and I told her that yes I was married and had four children, but my wife and I were separated, and not getting along. Shortly, her friends showed up, a lady and two men. She told me that I didn’t have to leave the table, they would make room for me. As the band played on, Sandy got up and danced a couple of times, but after each dance she would sit down and talk to me, and ignore the guy she had danced with. I asked her if she would like to go to the track the next day to see what all of the excitement was about, and if so I could get her a pass. I explained how to go to the pit gate and have me paged if she was interested. It was getting late, and I excused myself, thanking her for letting me join her at the table. I went to my room, and went to bed to get some sleep, wondering if she would show up at the track.
I got to the speedway early in the morning to look the car over, and try to figure out what to do to get Lee up to speed. The track didn’t open for practice until ten o’clock, so I had some time to kill, Brayton came, and we talked things over, and decided he would take the car out as is, and try to get an idea what it or he was doing wrong. About that time I got a page to go to the pit gate, and I thought, now what? I headed for the gate not knowing what to expect, but when I got there, I spotted Sandy standing there. I was surprised, I didn’t really think she would take me up on my offer. I picked up a pass for her that would give her access to the garage area, the grandstands, or anywhere else she might want to go. I took her into the garage area to show her where we were parked, so that she could find me if she wanted to know anything. She went strolling off, and I went back to work on the car, getting the oil heater in and doing all the other little things that needed attention. I figured that at some point she would get bored and leave, and I would never see her again.
Larry
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