The morning after [2014 original with AI background]
Looking out the window this morning, the neighborhood looks so quiet and serene as to almost feel lonely. It’s difficult to believe that less than ten hours ago there were over 100,000 people in our neighborhood alone. Many things made this year’s race unique, from the midday evacuation to massive crowds, early departures because of storm #1, people camping in neighborhood yards, and those already drunk coming into the race. This was definitely one for the books and I’m not sure we want to repeat all of it.
As of midnight last night, when the second round of rain started, there were still hundreds of cars waiting to get out of the North 40 and the neighborhood. I’m not sure who was in charge of traffic on 30th Street, but they blew it. With both of the North 40 gates open, one should have had cars turning left (West) and the other turning right (East). That didn’t happen. Cars coming out of the main West gate were allowed to turn right. That immediately gridlocked with those trying to exit the East gate, which, in turn, backed up traffic coming out of the neighborhoods. How much of a factor darkness was in the mess, I don’t know. The rain showing up certainly didn’t help matters any. I’m sure officials will take a look at what went wrong. I’m also sure they will come up with the worst solution possible.
I’m glad I hadn’t planned on taking pictures at the end of the race for a number of factors. First, it was too dark. The skies were already gray as the second storm system approached and the sun was lower in the sky. I would have needed to use a flash and it still wouldn’t have yielded great pictures. Second, there wasn’t the sense of happiness and fun that we usually see after the race. Instead, there was a sense of urgency for everyone to get to their cars and get on the road before the rain started again. There were fewer smiles, more arguments between couples, and no one seemed to be in a celebratory mood. If anything, the feeling was closer to, “I’m glad that mess is over,” despite the fact that everyone I talked to said they enjoyed the race. The looks on their faces didn’t match their words.
I will say we noticed fewer drunk young people this year and more completely wasted over 40 adults. More grown-ass people were falling down in the middle of the intersection yesterday than any of the past 12 races I can remember. Be aware that when you pull a stunt like that, everyone sees you, everyone judges you, and most of us are happy not to know you. You’re embarrassing.
We saw more little ones going to their first race, including a number of babies under six months old. I get the desire for creating family traditions from birth to the grave. That’s one of the things I like about the race. Every year, I talk with someone who has been to every race since … whenever. And while the race really isn’t designed to accommodate those who are very young, they’re your kids and if you want to put up with the tired whining and needing a nap right about the time the race normally starts, that’s on you. However, if you’re going to take any child under 16 or so, please make sure you have ear protection for them! Of all the little ones we saw, only half were carrying any ear protection. I’m hoping I just didn’t see it for the others. The noise of the race is far too loud for little ears.
Talking with Lionel at Fat Cat BBQ around 11:00 yesterday, he was in a panic. It wasn’t noon yet and he was almost out of food! Yesterday’s crowd came hungry and ready to eat! This was ultimately a good thing. Lionel’s wife of 20+ years is battling stage four breast cancer and treatments aren’t offering much help. There are options, but they’re expensive. Giving Lionel one of the financially best days he’s had all year really helps. Thank you to everyone who patronized some of the local food vendors yesterday, and thank you, Lionel, for some absolutely wonderful rib tips!
We parked our first car around 5:30 yesterday morning, a man from Ontario traveling alone. I enjoy our conversations with the people who park in our yard. A retired couple from Colorado Springs, attending their first race, were especially delightful and kept Tipper busy with conversation for the bulk of the morning. One of the things I heard multiple times, though, was people from all over the country who are worried about how angry everyone seems to be right now. Understand that these are not partisan views. Politics was never the subject. There are a lot of people who feel that the general population is more angry than ever and these people are concerned that no one is addressing the why, or even asking the right questions. This is definitely a topic worth exploring later.
The day went better than I had expected. When I first woke up at 3:30 yesterday morning, I did not want to get out of bed. Everything hurt. My bones, my muscles, my head, and even my fingers were in pain. Going outside and being friendly with complete strangers did not seem like a good idea. A couple of cups of coffee later, though, we were ready to go. I’m glad our spaces filled early. By 8:30, I didn’t need to bother with trying to flag people down before one of our neighbors snagged them. That gave us more time to visit and talk with all the people who came to the race, and they’re always talkative. They love telling about previous trips to the race, their traditions, and who they’re rooting for. The looks of excitement on their faces, despite the early hours, are enjoyable.
We did get a couple of naps in, one during the first storm and another short one during the race. That helped us be able to stay up and keep impatient people from driving across our lawn as they searched for a faster way out. Checking my sugar level around 9:30 last night, I was pleased that it was all the way down to 105. That might be because the only thing I had to eat yesterday was a healthy serving of Fat Cat’s rib tips. I certainly don’t expect my fasting level to be that low this morning.
I’m not sure my body could handle a day like yesterday more than once a year. The experience is exhausting. I enjoyed yesterday more than many previous races, though. The weather uncertainty put a different twist on the experience. I wouldn’t want to have that delay very often. We certainly don’t need to repeat last night’s traffic debacle. But keeping this different adds to the excitement of the day. I hope everyone had a good time.
I just wonder why our friends never park with us? Hmmmm …
Looking out the window this morning, the neighborhood looks so quiet and serene as to almost feel lonely. It’s difficult to believe that less than ten hours ago there were over 100,000 people in our neighborhood alone. Many things made this year’s race unique, from the midday evacuation to massive crowds, early departures because of storm #1, people camping in neighborhood yards, and those already drunk coming into the race. This was definitely one for the books and I’m not sure we want to repeat all of it.
As of midnight last night, when the second round of rain started, there were still hundreds of cars waiting to get out of the North 40 and the neighborhood. I’m not sure who was in charge of traffic on 30th Street, but they blew it. With both of the North 40 gates open, one should have had cars turning left (West) and the other turning right (East). That didn’t happen. Cars coming out of the main West gate were allowed to turn right. That immediately gridlocked with those trying to exit the East gate, which, in turn, backed up traffic coming out of the neighborhoods. How much of a factor darkness was in the mess, I don’t know. The rain showing up certainly didn’t help matters any. I’m sure officials will take a look at what went wrong. I’m also sure they will come up with the worst solution possible.
I’m glad I hadn’t planned on taking pictures at the end of the race for a number of factors. First, it was too dark. The skies were already gray as the second storm system approached and the sun was lower in the sky. I would have needed to use a flash and it still wouldn’t have yielded great pictures. Second, there wasn’t the sense of happiness and fun that we usually see after the race. Instead, there was a sense of urgency for everyone to get to their cars and get on the road before the rain started again. There were fewer smiles, more arguments between couples, and no one seemed to be in a celebratory mood. If anything, the feeling was closer to, “I’m glad that mess is over,” despite the fact that everyone I talked to said they enjoyed the race. The looks on their faces didn’t match their words.
I will say we noticed fewer drunk young people this year and more completely wasted over 40 adults. More grown-ass people were falling down in the middle of the intersection yesterday than any of the past 12 races I can remember. Be aware that when you pull a stunt like that, everyone sees you, everyone judges you, and most of us are happy not to know you. You’re embarrassing.
We saw more little ones going to their first race, including a number of babies under six months old. I get the desire for creating family traditions from birth to the grave. That’s one of the things I like about the race. Every year, I talk with someone who has been to every race since … whenever. And while the race really isn’t designed to accommodate those who are very young, they’re your kids and if you want to put up with the tired whining and needing a nap right about the time the race normally starts, that’s on you. However, if you’re going to take any child under 16 or so, please make sure you have ear protection for them! Of all the little ones we saw, only half were carrying any ear protection. I’m hoping I just didn’t see it for the others. The noise of the race is far too loud for little ears.
Talking with Lionel at Fat Cat BBQ around 11:00 yesterday, he was in a panic. It wasn’t noon yet and he was almost out of food! Yesterday’s crowd came hungry and ready to eat! This was ultimately a good thing. Lionel’s wife of 20+ years is battling stage four breast cancer and treatments aren’t offering much help. There are options, but they’re expensive. Giving Lionel one of the financially best days he’s had all year really helps. Thank you to everyone who patronized some of the local food vendors yesterday, and thank you, Lionel, for some absolutely wonderful rib tips!
We parked our first car around 5:30 yesterday morning, a man from Ontario traveling alone. I enjoy our conversations with the people who park in our yard. A retired couple from Colorado Springs, attending their first race, were especially delightful and kept Tipper busy with conversation for the bulk of the morning. One of the things I heard multiple times, though, was people from all over the country who are worried about how angry everyone seems to be right now. Understand that these are not partisan views. Politics was never the subject. There are a lot of people who feel that the general population is more angry than ever and these people are concerned that no one is addressing the why, or even asking the right questions. This is definitely a topic worth exploring later.
The day went better than I had expected. When I first woke up at 3:30 yesterday morning, I did not want to get out of bed. Everything hurt. My bones, my muscles, my head, and even my fingers were in pain. Going outside and being friendly with complete strangers did not seem like a good idea. A couple of cups of coffee later, though, we were ready to go. I’m glad our spaces filled early. By 8:30, I didn’t need to bother with trying to flag people down before one of our neighbors snagged them. That gave us more time to visit and talk with all the people who came to the race, and they’re always talkative. They love telling about previous trips to the race, their traditions, and who they’re rooting for. The looks of excitement on their faces, despite the early hours, are enjoyable.
We did get a couple of naps in, one during the first storm and another short one during the race. That helped us be able to stay up and keep impatient people from driving across our lawn as they searched for a faster way out. Checking my sugar level around 9:30 last night, I was pleased that it was all the way down to 105. That might be because the only thing I had to eat yesterday was a healthy serving of Fat Cat’s rib tips. I certainly don’t expect my fasting level to be that low this morning.
I’m not sure my body could handle a day like yesterday more than once a year. The experience is exhausting. I enjoyed yesterday more than many previous races, though. The weather uncertainty put a different twist on the experience. I wouldn’t want to have that delay very often. We certainly don’t need to repeat last night’s traffic debacle. But keeping this different adds to the excitement of the day. I hope everyone had a good time.
I just wonder why our friends never park with us? Hmmmm …
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