Is it the history, the traditions, or the 500 miles of racing? Whatever the reason, every year the Indy 500 is one of the famous and memorable races of all time.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red knows next to nothing about the Indianapolis 500 race, unlike her sister, Black (who prefers to call it the Indy 500), who knows far more than most people would care to, but Sunday's race was about more than history (Helio Castroneves became the fourth driver to win four times), tradition (including the drinking of milk), and interesting facts.
Whether you're a race fan or not, it only took a passing glance at the fans in the stands to realize that maybe, just maybe, things are starting to return to a sense of normalcy. Even with the venue restricted to 40% of capacity, the Indy 500's the world's largest sporting event since the start of the pandemic. Roger Penske, who bought the racetrack a few months before the pandemic shut down everything, summed it up best,
We're just excited to be opening up America.
Well, Red had no idea who owned the track, but she did know that inside the oval track where the Indianapolis 500 is raced, there's a road course (where drivers make both right and left turns). But, she only knew that because Black raced there with the Ferrari Challenge,
Even after all these years, I'm always amazed and proud of how you were the first woman to race the road course at Indianapolis. And I'm not the only one. Whenever you mention it at speaking engagements, it always gets people's attention, especially girls. Plus, I love how you use the track map to teach about racing, or so people think.
Well, Black, as always, is non-plussed by her achievement. However, she couldn't help but be impressed with how the Paretta team, which features almost all women, went from hoping to qualify (great NPR piece) to making history by racing in the Indy 500 known as the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," although the race ended for them when the brakes locked on their final pit stop,
The women of the Paretta team – the owner, Beth Paretta, the driver, Simona de Silvestro, and four of the seven over-the-wall pit crew members, the two spotters, two of the engineers, and the entire front office at Paretta Autosport – are the most in motorsports history. Besides adding to the great history of the Indy 500, it is more proof that, as I always tell girls, "Women can do anything!"
When the news is challenging or life’s stressful, there’s something comforting about Girl Scout cookies. Always has been, which is why we’re rerunning this post from several years ago.
Girl Scouts, though, are about so much more than cookies, as year-round girls learn important life skills, gain confidence, and discover leadership skills. But buying cookies is such a sweet way (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to support the organization. Red’s favorite is the classic shortbread (now known as Trefoils), and Black buys a large assortment and gives them all away.
But hurry! Cookie season ends on March 23.
P.S. - If S’mores and Toast-Yay! are your favorites … make sure you stock up as this is the last year they’ll be available.
Let's play word association. If we say, "Girl Scouts," what's the first word that comes to mind? Ok, what's the second word?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: When Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting – hoping to create an organization that redefined what was possible for girls everywhere – there was no way for her to know the difference it would make in the lives of millions of girls and their communities.
Many people's first (and sometimes only) image of Girl Scouts is as cookie salespeople – either selling door-to-door or at a make-shift table at a grocery or other store (or having their parents hand you an order form). But if you've been a Girl Scout (both of us have) or know someone who has, you know that Girl Scouts are about so much more.
So, as we celebrate the Girls Scouts being around for over 100 years, we should celebrate the years of fun and friendships, and for helping girls learn important qualities such as responsibility, courage, strength, and independence. Qualities that are as important in 2021 as they were in 1912.
And what better way to celebrate than to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Guilt-free as you're helping a good cause.
Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.
If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."