NaBloPoMo 2018 - Day 21

During this time of year when we stop and think about families and being with families, I stop and think about the strange Son of the South that I married and how my life has changed... remember, I'm a born and bred SoCal city girl...

This is now my team. Weekends during the fall are spent cheering them on... #RollTide

Suddenly I'm going to Monster Truck rallies...

This is Talladega... What? I'm at a racetrack watching cars going around and around?  Have I actually been to Daytona Beach and Las Vegas Raceways as well..?  Yes, but Talladega is like home...

I've learned how to tend to chickens, and cows, and now sheep... 

I've learned how to work a tractor, and a bulldozer...

And grits... I've had to learn to cook grits...

And, we have "dressing" for Thanksgiving, not stuffing...

And, I learned how to make my mother in law's yummy Sweet Potato Casserole, but according to my Southern Hubby, I still can't make biscuits as good as his mother's, nor can I make "fried pie" like his aunt... I'd never even heard of fried pie...

Still this is now my family.  And, 20 years later, I still have to pull out the English-Southern dictionary because every once in a while that dog just won't hunt... 

#NaBloPoMo18

#272 - T is for Talladega!

I'd have laughed in your face

if I had ever been told that I would one day be

traveling to Alabama for a NASCAR race.

Yet, here I was... joining DH whose cousin works

at the hallowed Talladega...

We went to a fund raiser on Friday which

got the weekend started...

But it was the pit passes that made the weekend...

Front row as the drivers entered for their pre-race meeting...

And DH wanted plenty of photos of his favorite:

Jeff Gordon

I like the tire changes, and I was bummed

our passes wouldn't allow us up close and personal

as the pit crews did their thing...

But still, we got to see the cars,

and the trailers...

And the track... 

Start of the race, "boogety, boogety, boogety...!"

yeah, we saw him too...

We had time for a short walk through town...

And at a LOT of Southern Food...

Catfish and hush puppies...

Shake and bake...!

Yeah, I got into the spirit a little...

If you ain't first, you're last...!

Post-Challenge Recovery

Photo by C.B.

There's always a bit of recovery period needed after the April A to Z Challenge.  It's a little stressful coming up daily with something new to write about.  And, then there's a little bit of a letdown when your page count drops back down to pre-Challenge levels.

So what do you do to recover...?

You got to Talladega!!

And, you eat lots of fried Southern food...

and blow your calorie count out the window...

Fried Catfish with Hush Puppies

Moonshine Punch

Fried Chicken with cheesy Grits

Of course, we sat high up in the stands,

so climbing all those stairs helped burn them off...

a little...

And there was excellent fruit wine to enjoy

at home afterward...

How did you recover...?