The difference between happy and thoroughly disappointed is just about a 1/4 of an inch, just a hair too short and it would have been all over. Today was a fun celebration with a group of pre-teen and teenagers driving super fast go karts. Our son’s birthday party at the Speed Raceway.

I am not entirely sure that I understand the attraction, but it is there – not just boys, which is a given from my perspective growing up, watching NASCAR with my dad – but plenty of girls were there, too. I guess, it is just not for me.

Sure, give me a real car, even a sporty, racy one – I am happy to give up the mini-van…but give me the open road and a chance to scare you; just a bit.

On the track, inside, watching from the sideline was more than enough frightening – to watch these boys race the curves, get a bit too close to each other and not have them understand the instructions of the track coach – scar-y. We are going to have to train them well before they get behind the wheels of a real car, on a real road and we will, oh, we will – but we still have time to prepare for that.

However, nothing could have prepared us and would not have been more frightening than not letting one of the boys race, for being just a hair too short. (His curly hair is full so they flattened it out to be sure he would be safe…they even checked how tall his sneakers made him, too. But it was all ok.) That anticipation. Pre-race, was so much more edgy. Oh, it was a close one!

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl