Sunday, May 4, 2008

Sad Derby Day

We had planned on going camping this weekend with our friends the Lamonts, but the threat of rain, and the reality of cold temperatures, made us decide to cancel Friday morning. Instead, we decided on a Kentucky Derby party for Saturday evening. Memories of our time in Louisville. So we spent the afternoon making Burgoo, Hot Browns, Benedictine, and Mint Juleps.



We also decided we'd have a $10 prize for whoever picked the winning horse's number out of a hat. John was happy with his picks -- the favorite, Big Brown, plus Colonel John. I chose Pyro and Eight Belles.



Well, if you follow the Derby, you know that Big Brown won, so John got the $10 prize. My horse, Eight Belles, came in second, but then came up lame right after the finish, and had to be euthanized right on the track. It put a real damper on the race. Isabel and I have been to, and watched on TV, plenty of horse races, but you always get that same aweful feeling when you see a beautiful animal have to be put down. John was hit especially hard by it, animal lover that he is.



After they announced what had happened to Eight Belles, we turned off the TV and I went upstairs to put the food out. John followed me. He gave me a hug and told me I could have the $10. It took me a second to realize he was trying to make me feel better about my horse getting hurt.



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Tomorrow, Peter will be in New York City, where the FMI All-State Symphonic Band will be playing a lunchtime concert on the plaza outside Lincoln Center. He'll be playing also sax. They needed extra chaperones, so both Isabel and I will be able to go and see him. I'll try to get some pictures up in a couple of days.



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Hey, Nicole -- I don't want to spoil it for everyone, but does the answer to your riddle have anything to do with Roman numerals?

5 comments:

  1. It was a sad derby day. I always watch the triple crown races since it reminds me of watching them with mom (grandma Buck). She has the uncanny knack of picking the winner based on their walk to the starting gate. This is the second horrible tragedy in the last few years.

    Bob - I think you got Nicole's riddle 13 / 2 = 8

    XIII with a division bar through the middle would be VIII - awesome. Clever of you to figure that out.

    Dividing the word thirteen into its letters could yield eiht and tern that is close but obviously barking up the wrong tree.

    Mary had a student who evoked howls of laughter from his classmates for saying that 11 divided by 2 equals 1 - she understood right away how his mind was working.

    Tom

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  2. Sorry about your horse, Bob.

    On the previous music discussion, my biggest embarrassment is that the 11-year-old Joe shelled out his hard-earned paper route money for the Best of the Carpenters. Mary and Tom, don't tell Julia; she apparently thinks I'm cool, despite abundant evidence to the contrary, because I went to CBGB's in the late 70s and know some of her favorite punk bands. I'm just a big poser.

    As for the list of 10 cheesy musicians, I have a couple of Billy Joel albums, none of the other nine. I do think that Morrisey put out some good stuff, even if his emo schtick (he was emo long before the word was invented, he's the prototype that every misunderstood, whiny young guy aspires to) was always laughable.

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  3. man you guys are good...ill post some more for something for you to think about :)

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  4. Nicole,
    Sometimes if you don't get the answer you want, you need to rethink the question. Remember that.

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  5. Bob -

    Thanks for the advice to your niece, but as Nicole's father, I can assure you that "relentless" is not only the NHL motto, but also Nicole's. Especially when it comes to spending my money.

    Come on Dad, pleeeeeeeeze can we go to the (insert one - Verizon store, American Eagle, Abercrombie, Hollister, Forever 21, blah, blah, blah).

    I'll pay for this comment, but it's worth it.

    Congrats to Peter on his selection.

    Mike

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