A Blue Collar Weekend

My favorite weekend activities this lifetime have mostly involved the beach, the ocean, the spa, the theatre and the latest trendy gourmet restaurants. My nirvana has been all about sitting on a warm sandy beach under an umbrella reading a novel, taking a bay cruise or sailing to a nearby island like Catalina, getting a massage and a facial at a relaxing aromatic spa, seeing a fabulous Broadway show or even a great new movie and going to a trendy Top Chef restaurant then talking about it with friends the next day. And of course, I have always wanted to do those wonderful things with my lover, although I also enjoy being in the company of girlfriends.

Obviously I would have been a great match for a "metrosexual" type - a guy who likes to get manicures, wear crispy starched shirts, drive a Beemer, and who sports a perfect spray tan. But no, instead I fall for guys who like to work on engines - boats or helicopters or cars. I pick someone who prefers wearing jeans or shorts instead of suits, who is more comfortable in a man cave watching football or auto-racing than a theatre watching a play. So is it any wonder that I spent a recent weekend at a nearby casino resort seeing "Larry the Cable Guy" on Saturday night and going to a NASCAR race at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Sunday? The only wondrous part is that I actually enjoyed the entire weekend, immensely.

At the NASCAR race, I was surprised to meet a lovely, petite blonde woman, probably in her early 70's, who looked a bit like Shirley MacLaine. She asked if she could sit with me at the round plastic picnic table under the bleacher seats that I had staked out for lunch. I motioned her to join me and she set down her hot pretzel with cheese sauce. I was already enjoying a Pink's hotdog. She wore a black jacket emblazoned with patches that blared "professional gear" - Dunlop, PepsiCo, DuPont, Quaker State, GMAC and a gazillion others. Around her neck was a well-worn lanyard carrying a plastic holder for her pit pass. She told me she was alone and that she lived near the track. She loves to drive and she loves drivers. She knew the Unser's and other famous NASCAR names. When my husband joined us, they talked as if they'd known each other for years. I couldn't believe such a refined lady existed at a NASCAR race, let alone one who knew all there was to know about the history of auto-racing. She had a great laugh, too, and I could tell she had many other stories to share about lifelong adventures.

Alas, we never shared our names, so I don't know who she was. But she made a huge difference in my life that day. She was an angel sent to help me suspend judgment and just enjoy myself in a new world. And that I did. It was one of the most exciting sporting events I've ever been to, especially the second-to-last lap when Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick passed Kyle Busch, who had led the entire race. Then Harvick sped around Johnson to win after leading only that last lap. I was jumping up and down and screaming along with everyone else!

After the race, we topped off our blue collar weekend with a visit to Bass Pro Shops in Rancho Cucamonga. It just doesn't get any better than that...until next weekend when I get back to the spa.