10.14.2005

TRACK SMACK: As faithful Camel readers know, I've become a NASCAR fan in the past three or so years. I've recently noticed how deeply the lingo has infiltrated my day-to-day driving vocabulary. The other day I was making a turn in a rain-soaked blacktop parking lot, and I felt my tires start to give way. "Wow, got loose," I thought, using the term the NASCAR commentators use when a car doesn't handle smoothly in the turns. Then this morning I hurtled past a piece of metal on the highway, narrowly avoiding it and certain tire trouble. "Debris!" my internal voice shrieked, mimicking the call that's made when a piece of somebody's car breaks off and a yellow flag is imminent.

16 comments:

L. said...

Just don't find yourself yelling, "Boogity, boogity, boogity" before you get in your car in the morning and I think you'll be OK.
L.

Casey said...

That's fantastic. E, nice work educating your wife on the three most important words in racin'.

Boogity!

Scott Hess said...

I get a lot of stares at the park when I do NASCAR racing on the baby-swings. I put two kids next to each other, they shake hands, I do "gentlemen, start your engines," then they take a warm-up "lap" before I give 'em the "boogity" call and then unleash 'em...

They love it.

L. said...

Eric didn't actually educate me. The kids did. They walk around here all the time with their matchbox cars yelling, Boogity, boogity, boogity." I finally had to ask them what the heck they were talking about.
L.

Scott Hess said...

Sweet.

CJ and me were watching the Sox game the other night, and a 7-11 commercial came on. "Ryan Newman!" he shouted. "Daddy, Ryan Newman!"

Actually, he shouted "Vryan Newman." He used to always say "Brian Newman," but now he knows that's not exactly right...so his latest attempt usually sounds like "Vryan."

Casey said...

Laurel, that's absolutely awesome.

CJ and I had races last week with about 13 NASCAR matchbox cars. Rumor has it he's up to about 24 cars. Aunt-Jackie-Scott Hess apparently buys him about 6 cars per week.

I remember having to dive off the diving board to get a matchbox car, and at the time, Mrs. Everill was the buyer, not Mom.

Scott Hess said...

I've done the best job I can trying to dress Laurel's kids in NASCAR apparel. I intend to further that trend this holiday season.

Yes, I'll buy CJ any new NASCAR Hot Wheel that I see...it's true.

isaacjosephson said...

I've tried, but I truly don't get NASCAR. Then again, I also never got Pearl Jam, Everyone Loves Raymond, or the fleece vests that the Gap pushed a few years back.

L. said...

My kids have NASCAR sheets on their beds and NASCAR posters on their walls. Some thanks to Scott Hess and some thanks to other family members who think NASCAR stands for Now A Sweet Child At Rest, but they bought the damn stuff anyway 'cause the cute kids were asking for it. Actually, my mother at this very minute is ripping down the very cute teddy bear wallpaper border in Stevie's room and putting up a NASCAR border instead.
L.

Casey said...

Ike,
I agree on PJ, Raymond, and most fleece vests in general. For that matter, and most will argue, I never got South Park, Tenacious D, or Lost in Translation. Yuck!

I think NASCAR discovery has to occur with a fantasy league, a group of trash talkers, or some gambling, all three of which got me into it. Come to think of it, I could get into basket weaving with that criteria. But now, having put in the time, I enjoy NASCAR without any of the above. In fact, I'm looking forward to some Saturday night Lowe's racin'. Boogity!

Scott Hess said...

I don't get Tenacious D., either. Nor Pearl Jam or Raymond. This deserves its own post, this topic.

Ike, there's a great parallel between the Dead and NASCAR. It's all about the backstory, the nuance, the communal experience. Archetypes!

Clance' McClannahan said...

Nice to read your blog!! I t is nice to see another ...ummmm...normal person that likes Nascar. Come see my blog. I have a recent post that's kinda fun about Nascar fans not being all republican men.
I also had a Nascar Dad comment today about a terrible thing he found regarding Nascar Dad's on the net.You will be appalled.
http://www.michaelspeaker.com/Pages/Portfolio_5_inchers/NewFivers/Maquettes/NascarDad.html

Unknown said...

Ike, as Claude Levi-Strauss says, myths think themselves through people.

Just passing by …

Scott Hess said...

Trisha, it may as well be.

Clance', I'll go check out your blog and that michaelspeaker blog. Thanks for coming by, and for the links!

Unknown said...

Trish and BC: Yes, it can indeed be considered spam. I prefer to think of it as “trolling in NASCAR-daddy land (proudly sponsored by the makers of BushCo).”

Unknown said...

BushCo Theater now returns to its production of “The Secret Life of the Blind Camel.”