It's JUST LIKE a Grateful Dead Concert

Back in the days of wine and roses and college, I spent a little (okay, a lot) of time wandering around at Grateful Dead concerts.  As the, you know, designated driver (bwah ha ha! If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you). 

Anyway.  Part of the fun of going to a Dead show was wandering around the parking lot before the show, checking out the stuff that the Deadheads had for sale, in order to finance their trip (pun intended) around the country going to more Dead shows.  Lots of hippy jewelry, t-shirts, veggie burritos, all kinds of weird stuff.  And lots of interesting people to watch. 

But then I got a job and a family, and oh yeah, Jerry died, so the Dead show days ended for me. 

I've found my new Dead show venue...NASCAR.

The Big Guy does business with an autoparts company that gave us tickets and access to their hospitality tent at the Quaker State 400, held this past weekend in Sparta, Kentucky.  So TBG, the Sam Stanley Experience and Drama Queen and I went down Saturday aftternoon in the middle of the most gawdawful heat that I've ever experienced.  We hung out a little in the KOI tent, which WASN'T anything like being at a Dead show, drinking free water and playing cornhole and eating free food. 

But going out and walking around was absolutely crazy.  There were about 100,000 people there, and they were all tailgating.  There was this big area where businesses set up to give away free stuff, like...get this...Fixodent. And, okay, maybe they never did that at Dead shows, either, but maybe some of those old Deadheads need Fixodent by now. 

I've never seen so much body art, either.

 Oh, and the best part?  No matter how fat, sweaty and unstylish I am?  I am looking pretty good compared to at least 50% of the other women there. 



Okay, maybe not THOSE women, but I can also attest that my husband looked way better than this guy:



There was a concert--Chris Young played, God Bless him...he played on the track, facing west, with  at 5:30 p.m., on, did I mention, a 100+ degree day? 



Then there was a lot of hooplah, driver introductions, semi-famous people and Kentucky dignitaries...Oh, and this guy, Dakota Meyer, was there...Big Smoochy Fourth of July kiss to anyone who knows who he is, and what he did...go ahead and google it, I'll wait. 
  

AND THEN!  There was a car race!  CRAZY!!!!  Did I mention it was hot?