Let's Talk Boy Stuff. Like, NASCAR. Not Bieber.

So. We need a Bieber break, huh? Okay, maybe not all of us, but the boys do. I doubt I have very many boy readers, but I know I have a few. And one of them is my brother.

I was at the 'rents for supper last night, and when little brother walked in the door, the first thing out of his mouth was this: "If you write about Justin.friggin.Bieber one more day, I'M NEVER READING YOUR BLOG AGAIN!!!!!" (you could hear the capslock and exlamation points in his voice)

Alrighty then. I can take a hint, subtle though it was.

I actually have a boy topic to discuss: NASCAR.

You see, I've never really understood the interest in watching racecars go around and around and around on a track for hours and hours and hours. And they do this, like, almost all year. Little Bieber-hatin' brother runs a NASCAR pool, and it seems like two days after he announces the winner of one pool, he's starting up the next. Geez, racecar drivers, take a break, would ya?

So I always enter Luke's pool, even though I know zilch about racing. I've tried to learn, people, trust me. But I've just never been able to figure out where the fun is in this. I like when they bring out a celeb to sing The Star Spangled Banner. I like when the airplanes fly over head. I like when they bring out another celeb to say, "GENTLEMEN...START...YOUR...ENGINES!!!". It's all very patriotic and spine-tingling and awesomeness.

And then they start driving. As my 5-year-old nephew would say, Booooooooooooring.

At least there's hot guys, right? Yep. Like Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has been my favourite ever since I first saw a picture of him about 10 years ago. Yummmmm. BUT my dad and brother laugh at me all the time for basing my pool picks on hot drivers, like Earnhardt Jr. It's a girl's perogative, though, isn't it?

This year, however, I decided to act like a real racing fan and pick my 8 drivers not solely based on looks. (Well, okay, I still took Dale Jr. but I have to have some loyalty to my hot boys). I did real, actual research on NASCAR drivers that did well last year and who was expected to do well this year.

Then, I invited myself to a Daytona 500 party. (It's okay, it was my cousin who was having it, I didn't just randomly show up at a stranger's door). When I arrived there, I somehow got myself into another NASCAR pool that costs $2/race. And, as I mentioned, they race practically every weekend, all year long (or like 35 weeks or something like that), so this one costs approximately $75 for the year (I have no idea, someone else do the math). eeeeeep.

We drew numbers out of a hat, and I got the #6 pick. My favourite number! YAY!! So when my turn came to pick a driver for the year, I looked at Luke. Resisted the urge to shout "Dale Earnhardt Jr.!" And whispered, quite urgently, over and over, "Who do I pick? Who do I pick? Who do I pick?"

He finally told me to go with Carl Edwards. And I did.

So let me tell you everything that I know about Mr. Edwards.

1. He's kind of handsome.



2. His car is #99. (That's got to be good, right? Gretzky's #?)


3. He drives a Ford. (This is important in my family).


4. He drives for Roush Racing. (I have no idea what that means).


5. His sponsor is Aflac. (I think).


6. He's Wayne's favourite driver.


7. Wayne has a Carl Edwards cap.


8. Wayne is my friend.


9. Wayne had the #2 pick and went with Jimmie Johnson instead of Carl Edwards.

That's about it. And half of it is more about Wayne than Carl Edwards.

But here is what I have decided, after one race so far this season. (I'm not even sure if they call it a "season" in racing, but whatever)... Watching a race is much more fun when you have money riding on one particular driver, and he's in the top 10 cars with only a few laps left. Edwards wasn't in the top 20 for most of the Daytona 500 (at least, not when I was paying attention), BUT after many crashes and caution flags (HATE those), he suddenly ended up in second heading towards the checkered flag. (That's the finish line).

And I was excited!!!

Of course he didn't win. That would have been too magical. Magical things do not happen to me. But he finished second, and I think that must be pretty good. And the guy that won, I have no idea who he was and nobody had picked him in the pool, so nobody won this week. That pot carries over to the next race.

Voila. A racing fan is born. I actually can't wait for the next one.

Go Carl Go! (and Earnhardt Jr. too, because you're so handsome!)

Hearts & love to Justin Bieber.