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IMS Pagoda, a decade later during the Indianapolis
500's Centenary year. (The Tomaso Collection)
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How does a decade and a half seemingly go by in
Thou blink 'O Thee Eye? And does anybody still remember the 2001 USGP at Mother
Speedway?
For which I've recently noted this fifteenth
anniversary of said event previously. As it's somewhat sad, and definitely
feels strange not attending this year's USGP at COTA...
For Mwah, the Twenty-oh-One' USGP holds a significant place in Thy Heart.
Although it wasn't my debutante Formula 1 race, having already attended two
Grands Prix in Arizona, the first and last Formula 1 races held there; Y'all
know, those Iceberg GP's run on the Streets of Downtown Phoenix! Which I last
scribbled 'bout in;
Not to mention my maiden European Grand Prix
at someplace called Monza in 1999, when I thought I'd be seeing my Hero 'DER
TERMINATOR, aka Michael Schumacher in Scarlet overalls in person the first
time, before he broke his leg at Bloody Silverstone just months prior to
leaving for Italy...
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'01 USGP Pocket Programme
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But the 2001 United States Grand Prix is
special to me for several reasons, most notably when Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary
Ellen cemented her place in my heart everlastingly by not only offering, but transporting
me Coast-to-Coast in the most wondrous 17-day Roadtrip to Indianapolis for that
year's Grand Prix. After I'd been previously stiffed by some "Friendz"
towards attending the Man-trip inaugural USGP - with my place being usurped the
year prior!
As Thy Memories are slowly draining away, as
I'd clung to the notion that I still wasn't going Blind 'Wayback then, by
attempting to scribble copious travel notes Freehand; which
fifteen years later are most annoying for the fact that they're very illegible;
SHEISA!
9-11: A Day of Blasphemy!
Will try to somewhat refrain from going A-L-L
WONKY here, but! What I recall most 'bout 9-11 is how I guess I was in a
stupour, like everyone was, right? Since it took me some three-plus Dazes to
finally figure out what was wrong?
As
Seattle went BLUTO! A few days later when the silence of the sky was shattered irrevocably
by a lone military F-16 Jet Fighter being scrambled; Aye Karumba! (Presumably
taking off from Everett's Paine Field...)
shrieking southwards fully L-I-T! Nee Full
Afterburner - paralleling our Interstate Five (I-5) Freeway, I heard the jet
blast past my Frumpy 'lil Abode that long forgotten day, as everybody went into
a frothing tizzy! Flooding the local media outlets with calls 'O Hysteria...
BE AFRAID! BE VERY, VERY AFRAID!
Eureka! Now I know, there hasn't been one single,
solitary civilian aircraft flying since 9-11! Y'all know, the day when some
String Quartets could NO longer Busk' aboard Washington State Ferries.
Having scribbled last year, regarding thou most
legendous' Day 'O Dazes! When ironically I began posting stories on thy 'lil No
Fenders 'BLOB thingy five years after the B-I-G' BANG! For which Don Henley's
Karmically released Album and title song that very same year says I-T all, eh?
VIDEO: Inside Job
FRIDAY, SEPT 21, 2001
Can
still vividly recall Sarah greeting me in the parking lot that Fall day, when
Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary Ellen commanded her to G-O GET TOMASO! As Sarah, a
fantastic (Purebred) Cardigan Corgi was the canine who began I-T all for Mwah
being smitten with Mary Ellen's plethora 'O Hoonds...
Having
been successfully corralled by Sarah, we left thee parking lot of Everett's
"Evil Empire's Twin Towers" at 3:15PM. Trundling off in thou
legendous' 'Ol Blue, Mary Ellen's trusty 'Ol 1978 Ford Econoliner Camper Van
with custom sliding glass windows Pop-top towards Rosland, WA; Y'all know where
some 'Ol TV Show called Northern Exposure took place. Setting sail for our ultimate
destination, thee Brickyard in good 'Ol Indiana, for that year's rendition of
the USGP at what's ultimately become fondly known here on thoust No Fenders
BLOB' as Mother Speedway!
And I WON'T try recounting everythingy',
especially since after six-plus hours of trying to decipher my handwriting, and
only getting thru to Butte, Montana! Our trek eastwards included multiple
firsts for Mwah. Visiting Custer's Last Stand and 'Jellie-stone, nee
Yellowstone! Along with Mount Rushmore on a Postcard perfect day! Along with a
still under construction Crazy Horse and Wounded Knee.
As the latter was very important to Mary
Ellen, as I still recall her fretting 'bout having missed the turnoff, and
calmly telling her to turn back round. Ultimately visiting a very somber
Wounded Knee Massacre monument. While the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in
South Dakota is one of the saddest places I've ever visited in my life!
Since although we
cannot change this sad affair 'O history, we can make a small amends for
Leonard Peltier's highly questionable Forty years of Incarceration, can't we
Mr. Barrack Obama!
To
continue reading, see; RETRO: The year McLaren pissed in Scuderia Ferrari's Sandbox at Indianapolis...
IMAGES
IMS Pagoda Photo Courtesy of No Fenders ‘Official
Photographer ‘CARPETS
'O1 USGP Pocket Programme - The Tomaso Collection