I don't know if I can catch up with every hare scramble we've had this year. It's mostly due to the fact that I'm way behind and that we've gone to every race this year. It's a lot.
This race was in Morrison, IL. We went the afternoon before and stayed in Le Claire, IA because driving four hours to arrive at a race by 8 am is too early. We chose Le Claire because my sister said I should stop at the American Picker's place, Antique Archaeology. This place is tiny but it is stuffed with great things, some of which you can buy and some of which you can't. I rummaged through a bin full of pull down maps but didn't find anything. I ended up only buying a t-shirt for my sis.
We meandered along with edge of the Mississippi River before grabbing some pizza at Happy Joe's. The Happy Joe's in Ames closed a few years ago and we miss it. Bill misses their taco pizza. The kids miss the games. I miss ski-ball. This Happy Joe's had a fortune teller, which Audrey tried out and we don't think her fortune will come true, mostly due to the misspelled words. Luke spent his quarters and got enough tickets for a handful of cheap toys and Ben tried his hand at a real Pac-Man game. There was no ski-ball. Le Claire is a small town and you might pass it by but don't if you have the chance.
After a dip in the hotel pool, some shut eye, a carb-loaded continental breakfast, and a thirty minute drive (yippee!), we were reading for racing.
Luke's start was a little rough. First off, the starter did an awful job signalling that was going to start and Luke wasn't prepared. Second, a bike with training wheels almost took out Luke. It was not a pretty start. Luke kept his ride together until another racer didn't pass very cleanly and clipped Luke's bike and he went down enough to lose several spots. He ended up placing pretty low and was dejected. He said it wasn't worth coming to the race.
Ben's race was up next and he was all game. He was out to seal the deal for year 'round points. He had an excellent start. If there was a holeshot prize, he would have been in the money!
Mom can't stand the tension. I had to go stand away from the scoring area for the entire race.
In the end Ben placed second (but first for points for our Iowa club, which is what he needed. WooHoo!).
Even though Luke placed low, he got one for participating and let me tell you, that turned his frown right upside down! He was so happy! He showed it to his new friends he made the night before at the hotel swimming pool (who came to watch him race- some 16 year old boys are so nice) and all the people who parked on either side of us.
Time for Bill's race. Oh no, his kick start thing slipped! (I don't know everything yet.) It was okay. It was a very, very dusty race. If you weren't out front, it was better to be a little back to keep clear of the big cloud of dust.
And here's where I tell you what I miss most on race days.
Running water.
To be exact, pressurized running water. As in from a hose, a spigot, a faucet.
We always have the blue portable thrones available and that is nice; I don't miss flushing for a day. But after a day of racing, we are grimy, sweaty, dusty, gritty and more and I miss modern plumbing. Also, my hands never feel clean no matter how many hand wipes I use.
Sometimes there is water but it's nothing I would actually get clean in. It is fun, however, to watch others in the water.
Next time, I might bring an inner tube and just float. Or is that even a good idea in a creek next to a very obvious cattle grazing field?
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