Memorial Day weekend in Indiana means only one thing: The Indy 500.

Ugh.

I have lived in Indiana since 1998 and have never seen the race. I haven’t even been to the track. Hell, I couldn’t even tell you how to get to the track. (16th St., on the west side is about as good as it gets.) The only good thing about the race is that once it’s over, people will stop talking about it. It’s a month-long event here. Like, yesterday was Carb Day. It has something to do with carbuerators, not pasta, but that’s all I know. A has-been band usually plays. This year it was the B-52s. Need I say more?

When I lived in my old neighborhood, I used to enjoy walking around on race day because it exposed me to a peculiar Hoosier tradition: Entertaining in one’s garage. People will set up folding tables and chairs in their garages and sit and listen to the race (it’s not televised until it’s over). They eat, drink, socialize … all in their garage. In my neighborhood, some people painted the inside of their garage and decorated it, just like another room in their home. And these were attached garages too! I could understand if you had a detached garage and you wanted some place to go to get away from your wife or whatever, but in a brand new home? I just don’t get it. (Of course, their trashy asses parked in the street or in the driveway … heaven forbid they put their car where it’s supposed to go.)

I got on an e-mail list for a local nightclub. They were having “celebrity” night on Friday. Aside from Patrick Dempsey, the only other name I recognized was Luke Perry. Luke Perry! Is he still even a “celebrity”???

One year, my ex and I were offered free tickets to the race. I wanted to go and people watch and drink beer. He refused. I haven’t wanted to go since. I can sit at home, read and drink beer in air-conditioned comfort — which is exactly how I plan to spend my day.

∗ Posted by Monique on 05.28.2006
∗ Uncategorized