Bits and Pieces

Turley's Kitchen performed it's normal magic yesterday and presented Bea and me with a fantastic breakfast.  It was a little unusual, in that it was a home football game day for Boulder, and that Bea and I decided to eat out anyway.  The restaurant was bustling with the normal Saturday patrons, returning alumni, visitors from Arizona State, and the normal passel of Rocky Mountain tourists.  I was excited about a three-in-a-row game line-up for the afternoon and evening - South Carolina and Georgia, Florida and Kentucky, and then the home game of Colorado and Arizona State...
   The first game was at Columbia, South Carolina - and it was delayed for almost 90 minutes due to lightning strikes.  Sixth-ranked Georgia against the South Carolina Gamecocks, coached by Steve Spurrier - on the SEC pre-game show, Tim Tebow said that the Ole Ball Coach would prevail (and he gave another hilarious Spurrier impression).  Tebow was right.  And the team ranked 23rd defeated the team ranked sixth.  ...   Due to the weather delayed start, the first game ran into the second game, and I was switching channels like crazy.  The Florida-Kentucky game ended up running long, as there were three over-time periods, and the Gators managed a unanswered TD on the last play.   ...
 Poor Buffs.  Arizona State came in and ran over the Buffaloes - it was quite odd, because I could hear the game and the crowd, less than a quarter-mile down the street from me, so I could switch the TV channel over to see what had happened here, while the Gators were playing overtime.  I have to admit I stopped watching the game in the middle of the third quarter.  I was tired from exerting so much energy in "helping" the Gamecocks and Gators win....   And today, I get to cheer on the Broncos.  At least yelling at the TV screen yesterday allowed me to get rid of any stress I had stored up - I feel like a cooked strand of vermicelli today, just limp.
   It was in the 40s when I arose this morning, but it's 68 degrees outside now, and we're supposed to reach the low 80s - Denver has plenty of sunshine, but Boulder is overcast, and ther's a cool breeze that's been blowing in from the west-northwest all morning.  I have the patio door open for the kits to run in and out, but I have the window closed, and I'm watching the upper branches of the trees wave in the breeze.
   My new next door neighbor plays the piano beautifully.  He picks at guitar strings, rather than strumming, or playing a complete tune.  However, his voice is awful.  He plays and sings from about 1 in the afternoon until about 10 at night...  His voice is flat, almost toneless, and he doesn't sing in time with the music.  I can hear him over my television.  Oh, well.  At least he isn't abusive or screaming or throwing things about.  I'm sure I'll get used to it.
   In horse racing, the favorite for the Irish Champion race at Leopardstown was Australia; he was beaten by a neck by The Grey Gatsby.  ....  Black Caviar, the undefeated Australian sprinter, has given birth to a beautiful bay filly sired by Exceed and Excel, a Darley Stud stallion.  She has a small star and two front socks.  ....  And America's champion mare, Zenyatta, is enjoying a year off as a brood mare.  Her foals, two colts and a filly, are doing exceedingly well.  Cozmic One, the two-year old, is in training with Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs.  Ziconic is undergoing yearling preperation training at Lane's End Farm.  The filly, currently officially un-named, but called ZPrincess, is still with her Mom at Lane's End, but will soon be weaned.
   And I start house-sitting again at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning....  So much for my vacation!  But I feel much more relaxed than I did last week.