My First Visit to Churchill Downs

My friend Kurt and his mother came to town this past weekend for a visit and Kurt and I decided to head over to Churchill Downs to watch a few horse races. Of course, some betting took place at the track. Kurt managed to pick the last place finisher in his first race. That was AWESOME! HUGE congratulations to Kurt on that one...and believe me, I made just as much fun of him at the track as I just did right here.

Anyhoo...my first bet was a trifecta 4-5-6. The horses finished 5-4-6. Had I bet Trifecta Box (horses finish any order in the top three), I would have won $300 (oops). Had the horses finished 4-5-6, I would have won $700+. Oh well... maybe some other day. I did win $48 on the 2nd race I ever bet on when my horse came in first. Well...my horse actually finished 2nd - but was awarded first when it was determined the winning horse used illegal tactics to cut my horse off down the stretch.

Anyways...all good fun. Kurt and I had a great time, Mint Julips all around. Something tells me this won't be my last visit to the track.

Here are some photos....

Churchill Down and THE Twin Spires from the parking lot
The Main Entrance at Churchill Downs
Bottom Shelf Bourbon + Sugar Water + Spearmint = Mint Julip = Blech!
Pre-race horse parade in the Paddock just inside the main gate
'And Down The Stretch They Come' My first Race at Churchill
The Race Winner 'Grandstanding' just shy of the finish line
Some racing on the grass track inside the dirt
My horse in race 2 was cheated. Here's the proof!!! Ching Ching!!

Thanks to all those who put up with my picture messages during the course of my trip to Churchill... The Z's, Mr. Joe K. and the others I don't remember :)

Four Years Ago Today...

Four Years Ago Today...June 5th, 2004 (or 6-5-4)...I took my Jar Jar Binks Soap Dispenser out of the trunk of my car for use on the Props Table at a wedding. Four Years Ago Today...my Jar Jar Binks Soap Dispenser was lost after that wedding, most likely left to rot in a piece of shrubery outside of The Rex Restaurant, Patio Bar and lounge in Billings, Montana.

Though not a picture of my soap dispenser - here's a photo of Jar Jar for everyone to look at and remember the wonderful Jar Jar Binks - who was given to me by my friend Mr. Joe Falkenstein after the opening of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in May of 1999. Jar Jar spent the subsequent 5 years rolling around in the trunk of Black Magic (my Pontiac...aka P.O.S.) and HAL. Jar Jar... you are still missed. Sniff Sniff, Tear Tear...

Another friend of mine - Mr. Rasch - who attended the wedding and may or may not have been the last person to see the Jar Jar Soap Dispsenser (so could the other 25 people that meandered over to the Rex for after hours) - replaced my soap dispenser with a Jar Jar Binks coin bank which proudly sits atop my cubicle at the NWS office in Louisville. I still wonder what the U.S. Customs folks thought when they found Jar Jar in Mr. Rasch's luggage on his return from a trip to Turkey. Yes... Mr. Rasch found the Jar Jar bank in a store in Turkey (and paid 9,900,000 Old Turkish Lira for him...about $9.00) and brought him back to the states for me. Thanks Mr. R.!



On another note - Four Years Ago Today two of my very good friends Jeff and Jen were Married! Happy Anniversary Jeff and Jen!!!! Yes...you are more important to me than that soap dispenser - I just wanted to make you sweat it out a little bit while you read this. Congrats Jeff and Jen!!!