Monday, May 5, 2014

The Good, The Better, The Best!

I've been trying to concentrate on the positive and ignore the negative in the last week or so.  I think it's working!

Last week started off rather ho hum.  Alex was sent up to Beale Air Force Base to solve some technical problems.  I was a bit bummed about being alone, again.  Now, I know I've bitched and moaned for years about how much Alex travels.  I hate being left to my own devices.  Okay, I don't trust me with my own devices.  I've been known to do some reckless, foolish and occasionally dangerous things when I get bored.  Inviting the Kirby vacuum cleaner guy in for tea might be an example of one of my stupid moves, but on occasion it has been worse.  Much worse.  I won't elaborate on that.

Yes, I could go on and describe depravity, insanity, and that one trip to the City Jail (not being in custody though), but I won't.  Sometimes I can be discreet.

Anyway, the positive started when Alex called on Wednesday late afternoon and said he was coming home early.  Happy Happy Joy Joy!  I pulled some lamb chops out of the freezer to defrost, changed the sheets, and bought some flowers!  I also ran to the market for some fresh organic vegetables!  I bathed and primped until I looked like a sparkly eyed minx, or an overly made up hussy. (Alex likes me either way.)

When Alex got home I opened a bottle of "Prisoner", (a wonderful Zin), and spent about an hour listening to him emote about the challenges of his trip.  I shook my head and clicked my tongue at appropriate intervals while I prepared dinner.  Finally, Alex started talking about something that interested me more than his technical issues.  He mentioned the Kentucky Derby!

I have long been a fan (sometimes way too fanatically) of horse-racing.  I try to watch the Derby most years because of the color, the scenery,the hats, and the magnificent horses.  Alex was telling me about a Yuba City horse named "California Chrome" who was going to be running in the Kentucky Derby this year.   (Yuba City is adjacent to Beale Air Force Base and apparently California Chrome had been talked about constantly while he was on site in the area.)

The horse is something of a mongrel.  His sire was not of royal lineage, nor was his mare.  Chrome was the equivalent of getting a "mixed breed" from the shelter up against all the horses with royal pedigrees.  None the less, California Chrome was looking like the favorite to win the Derby.

We have a local cafe where the owner, an Irish woman named Noreen, is an avid fan of horse racing.  Noreen actually owns a couple of horses and races them.  She and Alex were discussing the Derby when we were having lunch at her cafe.  Noreen was sending her husband to the race track the next day to place her bet for the Kentucky Derby.  Alex asked Noreen if she would mind having her husband place a bet for him as well and she said "sure".

Alex gave Noreen $100 and asked for it to be placed on California Chrome to win.  She took his money and said she would take care of it.  (I was somewhat surprised because we really have never bet on horses in the 25 years we've been married - and $100 to win is a fairly serious 'bet" to my way of thinking.) 

We were invited to a "Kentucky Derby" party at Pican Restaurant in Oakland on Saturday.  Pican is a gorgeous restaurant with a truly Southern feel, and dressing up worthy of the Kentucky Derby to sip mint juleps and watch the race sounded pretty fun to us both.  We spent a couple of hours sipping fine bourbons and nibbling on Southern delicacies waiting for that heart pounding two minutes of the race. 

By the time the race was 2/3rds over, it was obvious that California Chrome was indeed the winner!  Wow!  Our horse came in!  That in itself made it a great day.  But wait!  The odds had been 2-1 on Friday when we placed the bet.  I figured that we would get back our $100 and get $50 on top of that.  Okay, I'm thrilled with getting $25 (community property, you know), and we came home happy.

On Sunday, Alex went by Noreen's cafe and she had his "pay off".  She counted out $350.00 and handed it to him.  Alex was shocked!  When he came home and gave me "my" half of the winnings, my mouth flew open in surprise!  We both did the "money dance" for about two hours!

Why it's so much more fun to win money than to earn it, I have no idea!  But it is!!!



45 comments:

  1. That is a fun surprise! Welcome back, I've missed hearing your voice.

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  2. Thanks, Honey! It's good to rejoin the race! (Human and horse!)

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  3. Oh yeah! Isn't yours like this one?

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  4. No, I was wearing a hockey helmet. Damn Bruins.

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  5. You do look fabulous all done up and whatnot. Alex better stick close to home before somebody snatches you up. I'm sure you'd put up a good fight though.


    Yeah, winning is fun, Folk feel good to have a little luck every now and again. Especially when it comes to winning some coins.

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  6. Foxy lady! What a fabulously fun day that must have been. And congratulations on the win. I agree. Won money is the best. You feel like you can just blow it on something fun without feeling guilty.

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  7. What a thrill! All that dressing up, going out, winning, and two hours of monkey dancing. Whoop whoop!

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  8. Money dancing! Money dancing! You hold the money up in the air and dance like you just don't care! (Monkey dancing sounds dangerously like "monkey sex" and I don't do that! - very often anyway!)

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  9. It surprised me how excited we were! But dang! It is fun to win!

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  10. Thank you Totsy! I do fight against getting "snatched up" all the time. Alex's mother tells me to "stay put" and I do! Since we don't gamble, we don't win money like ever! That's what makes this so exciting!

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  11. You know what's funny about this? I thought 'monkey dancing' was code for celebratory sex. :D

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  12. The whole event sounds like fun, and winning is exciting, but winning more than you expected is a great surprise. Woohoo!

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  13. Yay for California Chrome and you and Alex! You look smashing!

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  14. I LOVE horse racing. I typically watch by myself so when I scream like a fool I only bother my pets. I tried a couple of parties in the past and found they limited my vocalizations far too dramatically. Also, they didn't serve bourbon. (WTH?!?) I think I would have enjoyed watching the race with you and Alex very much!

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  15. No no no! Cheryl! The money dance is when you hold your money in your hands and dance like a whirling dervish! Monkey sex is pretty wild stuff (I've heard)!

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  16. Next time, plan to vacation in the Bay Area. Alex and I will take you to Golden Gate Fields and we'll have a blast! Both Alex and I scream like banshees when our horse is running. I've done very little betting since I was in my 20's and then I was a horse race addict. I spent most of my time with the racing forms.

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  17. Thank you Jeanie! We really had a fun day!

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  18. Yeah, we were both just knocked out when we found out how much we had won! What a fun event!

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  19. Sounds like a ball! I haven't been to the Bay area in years. I could use a vacation! :)

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  20. Consider yourself invited! We'd love to have you! And I've got plenty of room.

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  21. That's so nice! Thank you for inviting us!

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  22. I'd love it if you'd come! We would have a fantastic time.

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  23. I live near Newmarket, and really should go to the horses more often. I could pop a suit on and look half as smart as you and Alex :)

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  24. I have never seen you looking less than dapper, suit or not. I do love the races! We'll go when you visit!

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  25. http://ladyfi.wordpress.comMay 8, 2014 at 7:57 AM

    You look amazing.

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  26. You are too kind Fiona. I think I look fat and lumpy in that dress. I like the dress, but it's not the most flattering!! LOL! Why can't we women simply say "thank you". Well, Thank you!

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  27. You look lovely and how I wish I could have joined you at Pican. I hope you gave Michael my regards!

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  28. Reneejohnsonwrites.comMay 11, 2014 at 1:08 PM

    Love the hat Linda. You are really rockin' it!

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  29. Nancy/BLissed-Out GrandmaMay 11, 2014 at 1:45 PM

    What fun! Winning money is always great, but winning it by picking a horse makes you both lucky and SMART. So it's double fun, I imagine. And winning while you are all dressed up and looking good? What a fabulous day. No wonder you danced.

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  30. Hi Linda!! I haven't been blogging for a while, but I think of you often. I am glad you are still at it. I'm thinking I might have to begin blogging again. Same blog, same crazy family :)
    PS You look great, as always!

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  31. Hey Terry! It's so nice to see your pretty face! I wish you would blog! I've missed you. And, please link your blog to your name so other people can check you out too!

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  32. It's just winning money that really makes me zing! The thing is, I never gamble so I guess I limit my ability to win. But fortunately, Alex loves to place a bet every once in a while! It really was a fun day, Nancy!

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  33. Thank you Renee! I don't do hats very often, but they are kind of fun once in a while!

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  34. Michael asked about my gorgeous Canadian girl and wanted to know when you are coming back. I've been wondering the same thing!

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  35. Don't you look pretty? Awesome picture!

    I have never bet on a horse race but it sounds like great fun....I am sure it's much MORE fun when you win.

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  36. I'm now seeing, you have been posting and I've missed your posts again...even though I subscribed! I'm going to just have to keep checking up on your blog. I would have missed the most recent except I saw it on FB.
    That is so cool that Alex won! I've never won a bet...then again, I guess you have to bet to win! I've also never been to a horse race, but I've sure enjoyed movies about racehorses.

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  37. Yeah, I was MIA for about 3 months. The money was cool, but the WINNING was the bomb!

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  38. Cheryl, thank you so much! Winning is something I don't do often (or like ever)! Actually, I don't bet so I guess that's part of the reason! LOL!

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  39. The Equestrian VagabondMay 18, 2014 at 7:42 AM

    Whoop Whoop! That was an exciting race. The biggest bet I've ever made was $5. And I didn't win! See, it just took a horse to get you back on track! ; )

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  40. Merri, yesterday, my pony won the Preakness too! Holy cow, that's a good pony!

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