Paul Newman's death on Saturday shook me a little. It's hard to lose an icon and I was pretty crazy about him. I admired his charity work, his enduring marriage to Joanne Woodward and of course, his acting. The blue eyes didn't hurt.
Several years ago, I met him. OK, maybe "met" is a stretch. He was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (he owns a racing team,) and I was taking corporate clients through the garage area. He was cordial to my clients. He was also wearing sunglasses so I didn't get to see the blue eyes.
I buy his salad dressing and spaghetti sauce -- not just for the cause. This afternoon I might watch, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Brick was a disturbed and troubled character. (Probably because of Big Daddy.)
Unlike Brick, Paul Newman seemed to be a well-centered man.
Now if something happens to Robert Redford, I will really lose it.
Showing posts with label Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Show all posts
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Picking Up Men
Politeness and the teensiest bit of charm can open a lot of doors. I wish more people understood that.
My niece majored in theater so after we toured the husband's office, we decided to visit some of the theaters in town. They were all closed -- setting up for evening performances, etc. We talked our way into every one. One person went to the trouble of turning on all the lights so she could see the venue in its full glory.
It's May and in our city that means an obsession with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She mentioned that her father is a racing fan. Time was a little tight so I didn't see the point in paying to park, buying tickets, etc. to watch 5 minutes of practice. We thought we'd just run by the IMS and she could hear the racing engines and see the facility.
When I worked in the corporate world, I spent the entire month of May at the Speedway so I know my way around a bit.
We talked our way into a parking space. We talked our way through multiple people who wanted to see our tickets, our suite pass or credentials. We almost hit a dead end but through some luck and some fast talking, a very nice gentleman showed her the track from several vantage points. He even opened an empty suite for us so she could see the view from the balcony. (It doesn't hurt that she has a charming accent and legs like a gazelle.)
Her mother jokingly said, "Don't pick up any Yankee men." Hell, that's what we did all day. We weren't looking for dates; we were looking for access.
After a dinner where we ran into several other people I know, we headed off to one more stop. It was a private party but we crashed it so the niece could hear the husband's band. I warned her that we wouldn't know anyone. Turns out, we knew at least half the people there. We were once again surrounded by men.
We picked up one more man. He followed us home. We felt pretty safe since he lives here.
My niece majored in theater so after we toured the husband's office, we decided to visit some of the theaters in town. They were all closed -- setting up for evening performances, etc. We talked our way into every one. One person went to the trouble of turning on all the lights so she could see the venue in its full glory.
It's May and in our city that means an obsession with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She mentioned that her father is a racing fan. Time was a little tight so I didn't see the point in paying to park, buying tickets, etc. to watch 5 minutes of practice. We thought we'd just run by the IMS and she could hear the racing engines and see the facility.
When I worked in the corporate world, I spent the entire month of May at the Speedway so I know my way around a bit.
We talked our way into a parking space. We talked our way through multiple people who wanted to see our tickets, our suite pass or credentials. We almost hit a dead end but through some luck and some fast talking, a very nice gentleman showed her the track from several vantage points. He even opened an empty suite for us so she could see the view from the balcony. (It doesn't hurt that she has a charming accent and legs like a gazelle.)
Her mother jokingly said, "Don't pick up any Yankee men." Hell, that's what we did all day. We weren't looking for dates; we were looking for access.
After a dinner where we ran into several other people I know, we headed off to one more stop. It was a private party but we crashed it so the niece could hear the husband's band. I warned her that we wouldn't know anyone. Turns out, we knew at least half the people there. We were once again surrounded by men.
We picked up one more man. He followed us home. We felt pretty safe since he lives here.
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