Eyes on the race....

Winter has been a beastly one for many people.  Started out that way for me.  Cold, snowy, foggy, with stagnant air inversions that leave you breathless, and not in a good way.  Then Mother Nature decided enough was enough.  She made winter go away and brought us a tease of spring.  Here in Utah, the saying goes, "wait 15 minutes, and the weather will change".  I guess Mother Nature is having her 15 minutes of fame..............I found this out to still be true when the hubby and I traveled to Las Vegas last week for the Nascar races.  Something HE wanted to check off his bucket list..........

We left the Salt Lake Valley under cloudy skies.  No rain, no snow.  Just clouds.  The further south we traveled, the clouds began to break away and revealed snow covered mountains enveloped by huge puffy clouds that I almost felt I could reach up and touch.  They were that low. Traveling 80 mph, I was amazed how well my itty bitty IPhone captured the scenery.

Approximately 1 1/2 hours south of Salt Lake City, the scenery starts to change.
Cattle farms, lavender farms, apple orchards....then nothing
but wide open spaces in all directions.  Small towns nestled up against
the mountains, that once were on a map to be traveled
through, are now bypassed by a freeway.  Its these roads less traveled
that I like to take.  I like driving through small town America.  As the weather
warms up, I'll be heading for those forgotten towns.....

Driving farther south on Utah's freeways, the climate changes, the
terrain changes, and the altitude changes.  You go from 5500 feet above
sea level to about 2000 feet and lower in southern Utah. It's
a perfect climate for people who "fly" south for the winter.
These pics are taken in a canyon just outside of St. George, Utah, heading towards
Las Vegas which for me, means I'm only 2 hours away to cocktail time!

Nascar racing was in Las Vegas this past weekend.  It's something the hubs needed to check off his bucket list.  He's not getting any younger.  My human host isn't either!!  (I'm the kid inside that refuses to grow up).  He was given the opportunity to go, bring the wifey along, and enjoy several days of racing with all-access passes to everywhere on the speedway, and sit in a cool comfortable suite.  He hit a jackpot with this deal.  One he couldn't want to pass up.

I was in 7th heaven going.  I do like to watch the races and I'm a fan of several drivers, too.  But that is not what thrilled me.  It was being able to take pictures.  Lots and lots of pictures.  Between my camera and cell phone, I took well over 400 shots.  When I told the hubby how many I took, he just smiled.  When I told him I would probably delete 99% of them, that's when his mouth dropped.  For the first time in my picture taking history, I should use him for final say on which ones to delete.........Will I do that?  Probably not.  Only because once I show him the race pictures that I did save, he'll know that I used good judgement.  You take a lot of pictures so you have a choice to pick from.  Some good, some bad, some okay, some just right..........As much as I would love to save every one for him, I can't.  I may take 10 shots of the same thing, and only get 1 good one.  Or maybe nothing.........

It was a fun, fast moving weekend, literally.  It was loud.  Very loud.  Thank goodness for ear plugs.  you definitely need them.

I learned a lot.  I learned that the pit crew is a well oiled bunch of not to bad looking guys to glance at, that keep the cars and engines in tip top shape.  I marveled at the speed, rhythm and how efficient they were when the car came in for a pit stop during the race.  New tires, windows washed, gas.......why can't service on our own vehicles be this fast?  I remember those days long ago when the men in the white uniforms and hats could come out as soon as you drove over the black cord that was on the pavement in front of the pumps.  It triggered a bell inside the station that a driver was here and ready to be taken care.  They came out, several at a time. Rubbing grease off their hands with a blue cloth that stuck out of their back pocket.  One washed your windows.  One checked under the hood of the car.  Did you need oil?  Did you need more water in your radiator?  If so, they filled it.  Another asked, what kind of gas do you want?  Fill it?   Which kind, regular or ethyl?.......not anymore, well...some states still do that.  Watching them do all those things for the drivers here, brought back some memories of the good old days.  I can say old because I am getting older......like just now another minute passed by me.  I'm another second, another minute, another day older, but none the wiser..........

Winning was close for Dale Earnhardt Jr, but so far away when you
run out of gas and the fumes can't carry you across
the threshold! 

Winner of both days races.....
Brad Keselowoski

Nothing clears your sinuses out better than the
smell of burning rubber.  The drivers show
of appreciation for winning.  Burning rubber and
raising and waving our American flag!!!.
Well done, Brad.  Well done......

I took a number of pics of the drivers cars.  Fun cars so colorful, and
displaying the sponsors they drive for.  When I saw this car, and it's
the local Vegas boys car, I kept expecting to see Juan Pablo come flying out of
nowhere and leap onto the hood.......I'm hoping the yellow M & M on the
hood of this race car will forever erase the imagine I have with Juan
Pablo and the yellow M & M.  I afraid I will never look at a yellow M & M the same
again, let alone eat 'em.  

It was a fun 4 day weekend.  I'm glad we went.  It was loud, fast, and I met a lot of fun and interesting people.  Walking around the speedway grounds,  I was amazed how big it is.  I needed a nap after our waltz around it!!  I appreciate the hard work those guys do.  The energy level is so infectious you cannot help but get excited and get pumped up.  I'm amazed how detailed the pit crew is.  How efficient they are in keeping the cars running properly, changing tires, putting gas in......all in a matter of seconds.  Amazing......Fortunately, no accidents on either days of racing.  Only a blown engine on Saturday, and a tire blow out.  I'm glad everyone came through alive and well.......

These are not the kind of pics I like to take, but I am always open to new adventures which give me opportunities to snap away.  I'll make a book for the hubs with these and other pictures, and he can always be reminded of the weekend he checked off another item on his bucket list............

Thank you for reading my blog.  I hope my journeys bring a smile to your face.........come with me.....I'm headed to Phoenix.  It's time to bond with my baby boy............no telling what kind of trouble I will get into now!



Twitter@CotySimon
Instagram/Howunique310

Beginning to End

I have had a few requests to post more pics of the before, during, and now the after of the house remodel we did.   I'll do a massive photo dump of what was the longest 30 day period in history.  I found out that what I thought would take a day to do, it takes a crew of several 3 days or more.......moving fast is not a mode for them.......

Our home is 66 years old.  We're the second owners.  Original owners did some wacky things to this house.  It was a post World War II home and building supplies were still in short supply, but they managed to stay true to building standards.  It's lath and plaster which is harder than rock I'm finding out, but also softer than sand when you try to drive a nail in the wall and instead of a hole you get a crater!!..........Back then painting was not I guess the thing to do.  Every friggin' wall and ceiling was covered with wallpaper. The old paste and paper kind.  Then painted over, and repapered, then painted.  Back and forth for 30 years they did this.  They covered up a built in china cabinet.......when I found this out my thoughts were WTF why!!!!  Our home and the two next to us, all have the same blueprint inside.  They still had their china cabinets and they also had their original fireplace.....we had this ugly, huge white rock of a monster as ours........I liked it at first, but living with it, having to scrub the rock to keep it clean, was not a fun task, nor an easy one.  It still is a real wood burning fireplace..........

I finally convinced the hubs that I was serious when I told him I was packing my suitcase and moving out because I could not stand the house any longer.........he gave in.  It's funny when knowing that I won't be around to fix dinner can wisen the guy up............Just kidding......but I was that close to loosing my mind......His philosophy is "if momma's happy, he's happy"......

Home Improvement Check List:

China Cabinet

Fireplace

Crown Molding

laminate floor

updated lighting

Build in Microwave

replace interior doors

carpet

paint

and a few surprises along the way...............

Nothing major.  Just superficial things that can make a house a home.   This gives this old house some restored character.  It's still an old house, always will be an old house, but it's a house that I will probably live out my remaining years in (or maybe not).  My human has raised 3 boys, fostered a couple of dozen pets,  and she's watched countless snow flakes fall from the living room window, and watched lightening shoot across the sky............This was never her dream home, but she's made it warm and inviting as it was before.  You can still come in, kick your shoes off, and sit a spell.  Put your feet up and relax.  She made sure that there isn't anything in her house that cannot be washed if it gets dirty, or wiped up if spilt...........................

Here's the before, during, and after..................

Yes, those are windows that have been closed up.  I WILL OPEN
THEM UP once again, but I will have to be a widow to do it.  Opening
them up now, creates a larger problem on the outside that the hubs
is not willing, nor will he ever while he is alive, let me
do.  (Yes, we knew they were there.  Our neighbors have them!!!)

There is a method to my madness.  The contractor made
sure that when the time comes to open up the space and
let the windows be free, it can be done without
a lot of headache!!!.....Have I said how much
I love the contractor I used!!!

My original intention was to put a large screen TV on the mantel itself.  It's a
deep 12 inch mantel.  Mounting it the wall was a
better choice and I'm glad that I did......

Behind this wall is the china cabinet 

Yep, there she is!!!

All done........my pride and joy!!!! This
fills my heart full of happiness.

These are the original kitchen cabinets.  I had them
resurfaced 20 years ago.  A coat of fresh white
paint on the inside makes them all pretty again. 

The kitchen ceiling is now tin.  When you replace an ugly
ceiling fixture, you're left with having to replace the ceiling.
Tin was my answer.  I love it.....

My old microwave sat on my counter.  Counter space that
is precious to me.  Finally got a micowave built in. Of course I had to
give up my old olive green, 1970's double oven stove for it.  Darn!!

The new, updated, double oven gas stove.

New oak stair treads and risers

Crown molding was added and I said bye bye to
my yellow walls........

Original hardwood floors are underneath, but once the old
carpeting was pulled up, it's not worth refinishing in the living room.
At some point in time (like when I am a widow) I will have
the dining room refinished.   I like the warmth of carpet in the
living room.  I have hardwood in my spare bedroom which I
use for my office/craft room and love it.  I'll rip out our bedroom
carpet at that time too.....I've got to give him something
he likes and he likes carpeting.  Think this is called
compromising...........

Carpet is done.  The cabinet was once my entertainment center.
I had the glass put in the doors and now is used for
the rest of my glassware, china, serving dishes, linens, etc...

Panoramic view....I'm scaling back again of knick knacks.  Looking through my own
camera lens. I see what shouldn't be there.  I'll pack it up, and pull it out when
I'm looking to change it up some.

My kitchen is small.  I have two more projects for
this kitchen.  I'm replacing the tile counter and sink.  I'm
still looking for the counter top.  Not sure if I want granite or what.  

Frig gets replaced when it dies......hopefully soon......

I love pillows, lots of them....quilts, and afghans

I love country.......I'm not modern or contemporary.  I'm just an old school gal, who loves the look of well worn pieces.  I'm still into roosters.......so you will see roosters everywhere.  I still have empty, naked walls.  Pictures are being scaled back.... I have clean, fresh walls that some of my photos now hang from, but I'm not sure what others I want to hang.  Right now I'm busy repainting picture frames and from there I'll make my decision what gets hung, what gets put away.  For sure, my main man, John Wayne,will be back in my office!!!!  Sounds corny I know, but these pictures are awesome of the Duke, the man himself.  And, it's my office and he can hang out there with me.............

I can sit back, relax and drink a glass of wine, watch the shenanigans of The  Bachelor, and know that I'm pretty
sure this wine was made just for me.  I am the Mad Housewife............

I'm all done with the remodel and just in time.  Me, the human host, and the hubs are heading to Las Vegas this weekend.  Fast cars, loud engines, crashes spell Nascar.........Looking forward to snapping a few dozen pictures................

Thanks for coming along on my remodeling journey.  I'm done.........now its time for  the fun of looking through a camera lens again.   I've missed my trusty companion.  

Twitter @CotySimon

Instagram/Howunique310