Gearing Up for August

This is going to be one of my busiest months in history. Every weekend this month I have something going on, which is exciting, but it also has its downside.

This upcoming weekend, I will be heading to Spencer, Iowa to visit relatives who live down there. My cousin Brady has repeadedly asked me to come down because he is now part of a pit crew for a team that races in figure-8's. Yeah, that's right -- cars will sometimes collide in the 'X' of the figure-8, somehow making the whole race exciting. Who knows -- I've never seen anything like this, but Brady assures me that this is the real deal.

After that, it is the annual Threshing Show back in my hometown of Hanley Falls, Minnesota. I've been going to this thing like I was a little tyke, so this is nothing new to me. Lately, the effect has been wearing off. The only thing that I usually make it back for is the softball tournament, which is the premier tournament in the area that weekend, but yet again -- the tournament has lost some luster. Also, there is a street dance uptown at the "Pop Shop," but eh ... quite boring. But mainly it's to hang out with the old boys: Mike, Robb and whoever are partying into the late hours of the night. It's always quite the challenge to wake up on Sundays to drag yourself out of bed to take the field with a hangover, but it's all part of the experience. I will be available to play if anybody needs me -- I'm semi-retired, the knees aren't holding up too well anymore -- otherwise I'll be the drunken cheerleader for whoever.

On August 22, I will be in Brooklyn, Michigan to watch my first ever NASCAR Nextel Cup race, to see my favorite driver, Ryan Newman, take to the asphalt to seek his third straight win at Michigan International Speedway. Hopefully I'll get to meet him when we venture into the pits -- he'll be driving a special paint scheme on this car, the Justice League; with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and others to make the car look somewhat patriotic. In preparation for the race, I'm currently on the lookout for a scanner. As a fan, you can pick up the in-car communications between the driver, crew chief and spotter and occasionally hear some colorful language. I'm about ready to shit my pants, I'm so geared up for this.

And the last weekend of August, is Mike and Lacey's Housewarming Party. Yee-haw! It'll be Keg City I'm sure. I've been to their new house before in Hanley, so it's nothing new, but now they're engaged to be married someday so we'll have to make the house warming a little extra special. Maybe we'll just drink a little more ...

School starts for me on the 31st in Madison. I'm excited, since it's going to be my last year in college and then I'll graduate.

The downside: limited time to spend with Katie. Katie isn't coming along to my trips to Iowa, Michigan, or the Threshing Show, but she'll make an appearance at Mike and Lacey's house. It's been hard on us for the lack of time spent together, but soon I'll be working part time at PPD when school starts.

Overall, quite the busy month! Before you know it, it'll be September and football season will be here -- BOO-YAH!