Working Here, Working There

Heaven in Colorado - three college football games on television; the the Gators and the Gamecocks kick off at 5 and 5:30, so I'll be switching channels like mad for a little while....  The Buffs, here in Boulder, are playing at home, against the University of Massachusetts. I want to watch the game, and I don't want to watch the game.  Twenty-five years ago the CU Buffs were the best team in the nation; now, we're lucky to win three games a season. Oh well, not everyone can be a Gator.
   I've taken care of my kits and done the Saturday house-cleaning.  I've gone to Lynn's house, fed all of her critters,taken in the mail and newspaper, and watered all the exterior plants.  I've gone grocery shopping.  I did laundry yesterday.  My one objective for today is to seek and find the dUSB cable for my camera.  I will accomplish this one task.
   Waiting for client checks to arrive - can't get my meds until the checks are in the bank.  When the MD used to write the prescriptions for one month at a time, I had no problem having the $15 co-pay; now that the meds are being dispensed for a 3 month period, I have to shell out $68 for them...  So, it's a waiting game.  The pharmacy has called twice to tell me the drugs are ready, but I can't pay for them...  I will be able to pay for them tonight, as Beatrice will pay me some of her rent money when she returns home form work.  I just hope the pharmacy is open late tonight.
   I wired my red crab to the outside of our balcony yesterday afternoon.  So far, only Bea and Mike have commented on it.  Nedi is thoroughly enjoying himself, as Beatrice is allowing him out on the balcony while I'm away.  Both kits enjoy sitting on the balcony, especially after being indoor/outdoor cats at the other apartment.  The only worry I have here is high traffic levels and lots of loud, unexpected noises that startle the kits - so they are restricted to our second floor balcony and the interior of the apartment.

Found Kitten, Christmas Shopping

I stepped out into the front hall yesterday evening to check my mail, and I ran into my friend Dave.  Dave lives at the end of the hall, while I live in the middle.  I have always seen and spoken to Dave outside.  I knew he was tall, but I never realized how tall until we talked in the hall last night.  His head almost touched the ceiling light.  Now, I know I'm short - 5 feet, 1 inch; Dave must be 6 feet, 8 inches at the least.  Anyway, we had a nice talk and Lovey decided to join us in the hall - and actually walked right up to Dave and let him pet her.  Nedi peeked out, then ducked back inside.  I came back inside and began to read.
   About 30 minutes later, there was a knock on my door.  I opened it, and there was Dave with a handsome grey marmalade-swirled kitten.  Dave had found it in the laundry room, when he went to do his wash. The kitten had popped out from behind a washing machine, and followed him down the hall.  It was a little boy, about 4 months old, very confident, and extremely loving.  Dave didn't know what to do with him - leave him in the laundry room, or take him home.  He ended up going to the laundry and staying with the kitten - and finally someone who lives in building B showed up, looking for the kitten.  We were both relieved.  If Dave hadn't kept him, and he had gone unclaimed, I'm afraid I would have had another kit in my brood...
  I found a few books I was looking for at The Bookworm yesterday, but I'll be visiting the other used bookstores today, in hopes of finding more Joe Grey mysteries.  And I'll also be keeping my eyes open for small stocking-stuffer gifts...  I hope I'll find plenty.  Beatrice is going to wander about the Pearl Street Mall with me today, and I plan on having a good time.  One of the stops that we must make will be at the Liberty Puzzles shop - I love the wooden jigsaw puzzles that my nephew makes, and the whimsey pieces from Liberty make them really special! (See:  http://www.libertypuzzles.com/about)
   Watching the introduction interview/commentary right now with the University of Florida introducing Jim McElwain as the new Gator head football coach.  Having seen him in action on the sidelines when he coached at Alabama, and this year (plus the past two) as head coach for Colorado State, I'm very happy for my alma mater's football program.

Warmth and Football

Boulder has just seen two days with the high temperatures 20 degrees warmer than normal - we've been in the low 80s instead of the low 60s.  We had a temperature of 70 degrees at 9 this morning - but our high temp tomorrow is expected to be 52, the Monday night's low around freezing.  Yuck.  Our plants don't know what to do - there are daffodils and iris getting ready to bloom.  Brother-in-law Jim is still gathering 5 pints of ripe raspberries every afternoon (and that's after I eat them off the canes for breakfast each weekday).  Lovey and Nedi have been enjoying the sunshine and warmth - and the squirrels are getting quite plump.  Lovey is sprawled across the foot of my bed at the moment, while Nedi is stretched out on the patio, absorbing the sun's rays.
   Yesterday was Homecoming for the CU Buffs here in Boulder - and they had to play UCLA.  I have to admit that I expected a blow-out by UCLA - but the game went to two over times, and CU lost by a field goal.  I had much higher hopes for the South Carolina Gamecocks playing at Auburn - even though SC hadn't won at Jordan-Hare Stadium, ever.  And the Gamecocks scored first!  The only problem was that two of Dylan Thompson's passes were intercepted - the last one in the end zone that would have tied the scores at 42.  There was less than a minute left, and Auburn kept running the ball, making sure that the Gamecocks couldn't get the pigskin in their hands....  *Sigh*  It would have been wonderful if Steve Spurrier could have won that game!  Thankfully, the Gators had a bye, and so I didn't have to watch their inept efforts.  I don't think Will Muschamp will be the head coach next year...
  I'm starting to get excited about the Breeders Cup races at the end of this week.  As soon as the entries and fields are known, I'll be commenting on them.

Black-Out?!?!

I had my whole day planned for college football yesterday - I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Gamecocks beat Furman, and I also appreciated Steve Spurrier's deprecating remarks.  I watched in awe as the Georgia Bulldogs ripped the Arkansas Razorbacks - I thought the Hawgs were much better.  Just before the end of the Georgia game, I switched over to ESPN2 to see the Florida Gators play the Missouri Tigers for their Homecoming game.  All day long I had remembered Gator Homecomings - the parade on University Avenue, which I saw in person for 33 years in a row, with all the marching bands from high schools all over the state and all the University bands; Gator Growl, the "biggest out door pep rally" in the country - and all the celebrities that guest-hosted; and Game Day itself.  When I was a kid, we played other conference members and the Homecoming game was always hard-fought, and wins were celebrated as real wins.   While I was in college and for several years after, we played non-competitive teams that weren't in our class and pretty much had an assured win.  Once we got Steve Spurrier (back home) as the Gator head coach, we started playing SEC opponents and again our victories could be celebrated.
   I was shocked and outraged that with over 700 channels on my satellite TV, the only one which was showing the Florida-Mizzou game, ESPN2, was blacked-out in Colorado.  I was so ready for the game - I had all of my snacks on the coffee table, and a full 20-ounce bottle of cold Diet Coke at my elbow.  And NO game to watch.  I admit it.  I was totally ticked off.  I closed the window curtains,  made certain that my kits were inside with me, locked the doors, and went to bed.  I did read for a couple of hours - Archaeology magazine, since it was International Archaeology Day - but at 7 p.m., I turned off the light and I went to sleep. (My thoughts were, "So there!" to all the advertisers and the television executives who had decided I couldn't watch a game on TV that was taking place two time zones and 1,751 miles away.)  Childish, I know.
  I would have been cheering for both teams, actually.  The Gators were my team growing up, and where I went to college.  Missouri is where several friends have graduated, and my cousin Sarah is a big fan of theirs, also.  And I just happen to like the Tigers - they joined the SEC recently, and this is only their second football season.  But those Mizzou Tigers know how to hunt, pounce and kill their prey.  When I got up this morning, the first thing I did was check the college scores.  It might have been the Florida Gators Homecoming game, but the Tigers showed they know how to hunt and kill a Gator.  It was an  **ouch** game - the final score was 42 to 13.  I think the Tigers wrapped the team up in orange and blue ribbons and gave them back to the fans, served on toast.  Kinda glad I didn't watch the game, now.  I probably would have been having conniption fits throughout.....

Horse Racing, Gators, Left-Overs

Poor Gators.  I was cringing by half-time, but I watched 'til the bitter end....  Ouch.
   Yesterday's 3-year-old thoroughbred racing was exhilarating and fun, on the other hand.  In the Santa Anita Derby, California Chrome was, again, a dominating winner, in the lead at the finish line by more than five lengths, and having been asked to slow down for the last sixteenth of a mile.  It looks like the bright chestnut colt, with plenty of white markings (aka "chrome"), will probably be the betting favorite for the Kentucky Derby.  Victor Espinoza rode the winner with beautiful precision; Mike Smith  was able to grab second place with Hoppertunity; while second-betting choice Candy Boy was third, under the guidance of Gary Stevens.  In the Santa Anita Oaks, Gary Stevens was in the saddle of the winner, Fashion Plate; Ria Antonia was second, and Bajan finished third.
  The finish of the 1 and 1/16 mile Ashland Stakes was a rare dead heat, with both Rosalind and Room Service hitting the finish line at the same time.  Thank You Marylou ran third (or second, since the first two tied).  In the Calder Derby, Ring Weekend looked to be the winner, but he shied away from his jockey's whip, and Our Caravan flew past him.  Cleburne was third.
  At Aqueduct, the Bay shore Stakes was run for sprinters (though, years ago, it has also been used as a Derby prep race) - 7 furlongs. Coup de Grace nosed Oliver Zip for the win, and Kobe's Back was in third.  The Wood Memorial was described as a show-down between Uncle Sigh and undefeated Samraat.  I looked at the field in the paddock and picked Wicked Strong as my choice to win.  I have to say that I was amazed when he did win.  Rajiv Maragh guided Wicked Strong through the race with patience, and then unleashed a strong drive down the middle of the stretch.  (I think the colt wanted to bolt to the outside as they came to the final turn, myself...) Samraat placed second, just ahead of Social Inclusion.  Uncle Sigh was fifth.  Samraat's trainer felt this was a good effort by his colt, and that the race would teach him to tighten up and want to win more strongly.
   And I wanted to also write about a very small incident that happened to me on the Pearl Street Mall during Friday's stroll.  Beatrice and I had eaten brunch at Turley's.  Friday they had made a batch of their scrumptious raspberry muffins, and I had one with my meal.  Before leaving, I purchased two more, and was given them in a small brown cardboard box inside a pale green plastic bag.  For some reason, most restaurants in Boulder use this green bag for patrons carrying left-overs.  During our stroll up and down Pearl Street, I was approached three times, by three different people, each asking if I would give them my "left-overs."  I was so amazed that, each time, I just shook my head "no" with my mouth agape.  The people asking this were not the usual homeless folks seeking food.  They were well-dressed women and a man, all in their mid-20s.  I think that was a large part of my shock.  They all caught my eye and asked the question in passing, without pausing in their stride - I asked one of my friends, a Boulder police officer, about it later that evening.  He said that since the City has passed the no-panhandling laws, this was one of the ways the younger folks were feeding themselves, while they used their actual cash for drugs and drink...  That is just so disappointing and sad for our culture.  I know over 150 homeless people, and, if I have cash, I'll take them out to eat, if they tell me they're hungry - I consider that my duty as a human being.  But begging for left-overs completely turned me OFF.

Weather, Football, Child Abuse

There was an interesting view on the way back from the bakery this morning - pale blue sky with orange clouds almost straight above me, but to the west a haze was hanging over the far peaks.  I could see snow on the top of Green Mountain and Flagstaff; the Indian Peaks were white, but with the haze, it was hard to tell where the mountains and sky parted ways; to the northwest, Mount Audubon was invisible in the haze - or were they clouds? ....  Yesterday was very windy here - winds steady between 20 and 40 mph, with gusts up to 92 mph.  This morning we seem to be leveled out at 20 mph - cold and crisp, with clouds moving to the south at a good clip.
   Boulder celebrated last night - the CU Buffs won a home football game, beating the U of California Golden Bears 41 to 24.  I have to admit I was listening to the crowd in the stadium a block away, but I was watching the Florida Gators - South Carolina Gamecocks game on the television.  I'm a Gator; but I dearly love Steve Spurrier and his team, too.  The Gators have been pretty awful this year - but they have a legitimate excuse, being decimated by season-ending injuries to their starting players.  The Gators had lost the last four games, and the last time they lost 5 games in a row was in 1979 (which I remember) under head coach Charley Pell, who had replaced Doug Dickey...  If the Gamecocks beat the Gators, and if Missouri lost one of their two next games, then the Gamecocks would be in the SEC playoffs.  If the Gators won, neither they nor the Gamecocks would be in the play-offs for the SEC Championship.  I was rooting for the Gamecocks.  I must say I was highly impressed by the first-time starting quarterback for Florida - Skylar Mornhinweg.  He kept his cool, he became more sure of himself with each play, and he made no mistakes until he made a big one late in the fourth quarter.  Overall, his first game was awesome.  I also enjoyed seeing the Gamecocks kicker, Elliot Fry, a 150 pound six-foot string bean, who made 4 of 5 field goals, as well as kicking the PATs.  The Gamecocks won, 19 to 14.  And I'll definitely be watching the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs tonight - the best NFL offense against the best NFL defense.  (Go Broncos!)
   I am, finally, puzzled and outraged by what was found in North Carolina yesterday.  A Sheriff's Deputy had been dispatched in Union County to check out the report of a loose pig on someone's property.  The Deputy found an 11-year-old boy, handcuffed to a porch railing, with a dead chicken around his neck.  The temperatures were frigid, and the boy was shivering with cold, wearing jeans and a T-shirt.  The Deputy knocked on the front door, and was chased by several aggressive dogs back to his car.  He called for back up.  While awaiting assistance, and with the dogs still growling and barking at the cruiser, a man came onto the porch, unlocked the handcuffs and took the boy inside. When back-up officers arrived, the dogs were caught, and the Deputy went to the door.  The 11-year-old was a foster child, and there were four other children inside the house.  The man was a registered nurse at the local emergency room; he and his wife had fostered and then adopted the four other children.  The 11-year-old was a "new" foster child.  The shocking detail was that the mother-wife of the pair was the head of the Union County Social Services!  Both adults are under arrest; all the children are back under the auspices of the County's Social Services, and the woman has been stripped of her job.  -  There is still no word as to why the boy was outside in freezing weather, hand-cuffed to a porch rail, with a dead chicken around his neck...   What were these people thinking - or even doing - how did they get custody of these children?   Heaven help us.
 

First Day of Fall Equals More Rain After Flood

Today arrived sunny but cool - 47 degrees and a breath of breeze from the west.  But the clouds have begun to pile up in the west, and we're expecting more rain this afternoon and evening.  At least we didn't have the low that was forecast for one of the ski towns last night, which was 27!  I thoroughly enjoyed supper last night, as my friend Bea and I walked the 9 blocks to Turley's Kitchen, at the corner of Pearl Street and 28th Street (aka US 36).  Besides the the heavenly food, we had a good time observing other customers, and chatting with out server, a young lady from Alabama.  Then we strolled back home, stopping to pick up a few odds and ends at the grocery store.
  My kits wanted out immediately upon my arrival home, and I opened the patio door.  Then I visited the bathroom, and changed clothes.  By the time I approached the patio door, I could hear Lovey in full battle mode - howling, growling and hissing.  As I stepped onto the patio, the girl next door started yelling, "You!  You leave my cat alone!"  I immediately called Lovey and made both her and Nedi stay inside for the rest of the night.  When the girl next door adopted her cat, she told me that she'd never, ever let it run free in the back yard - apparently she started doing so while the kits and I were staying at Kathy and Jim's.  The problem is that after 7-plus years here, Lovey considers herself the queen of the complex.  She doesn't have upper teeth, but she has mighty claws, which move incredibly fast - and she feels the need to chasten anyone who strolls about without her permission.   I hope that Baby and Lovey, and the girl and I, can come to a less war-like understanding.
   I was able to cheer the Gators on yesterday, and am watching the Packers now.  Tomorrow night I'll watch the Broncos, but I also want to see the new TV show with James Spader - The Blacklist.   I have the feeling that James Spader will win in that contest.

Sporadic Blogging

Well. Kathy and Jim have made their escape off into the wilds of Washington state - making a road trip, just for the fun of it.  I'll be staying at their house, without internet access, and without cable or satellite television, which means I can watch ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, or a religious network.   I've gotten spoiled with my satellite dish and internet access here at home.  I'll be home for only a few hours each day, so don't be surprised if my blogging becomes very spotty until the 18th of September.  - I'll probably move Lovey and Nedi in with Boo and I, as they get along well.
    Last night was the "big match up" game to begin the NFL season.  It was played in Denver, and the Baltimore Ravens, the Superbowl Champions from last season, faced the Denver Broncos.  There was a heavy rainstorm, and the kick off was delayed due to fears of lightning for 35 minutes.  The Broncos won the game, with a score of 49 to 27.  Peyton Manning threw for all 7 touchdowns for the Broncos. -  But the funny thing was the article in The Columbus Dispatch that stated that John Elway threw for 7 TDs; the lead paragraph states that it was Peyton Manning, but the following paragraphs, as well as the headline, state it was Elway.  What a hoot!

At least I can get my fill of college football tomorrow - first the Gators play, then the Gamecocks play, and tomorrow evening is the first home game for the Colorado Buffaloes - one long block from my apartment!

Fun - And the Gators

I had a great time this morning, first walking Rosie out in the cool, grey light before the sun rose, and then walking Cooper and Lola, and watching Cooper go into the "hunt" mode...  Tipsy and Pounce were very loving this morning, and all of us had a blast watering the plants, with the dogs playing duck and run from the water - and the cats trying to catch the dogs as they ran by...  It was a total circus, and i had to remember not to laugh too loudly - because it wasn't 7:30 yet, and I didn't want to disgruntle the neighbors on a Saturday morning.  We're supposed to be much cooler today, but with a higher than usual humidity - so I'm not really looking forward to the afternoon hours.
  I'm trying to remember how long ago, and who the Athletic Director and Head Coach was, when it was decided that the University of Florida Gators needed to play a non-SEC, much weaker team to begin their football season.  I suppose that when I was a child and teenager, the Gators played fewer games per season, but I know that we played the University of Miami, Florida State and Florida A & M - they were considered in-state rivals.  Since I was a student at UF, it seems that the Gators start off the season playing a much smaller, less-competitive school just to have an easy first game win.  To me, that is not sporting. That is like having me (age 57, with COPD, a bad back, bad hips and knees, bad ankles and feet) race against Usain Bolt - unless he drops dead in the middle of the race (which I do NOT wish upon him), there's no way I would win.  I easily remember playing LSU, Auburn and Alabama for Homecoming...  But then, college football wan't the big business then that it is now, either.  Oh, well.   I'm not yet 60, and I miss "the old days" in sports.  That's kinda sad.
  Speaking of which, the Gators will kick off the season in about an hour - and who are they facing?  The University of Toledo Rockets - the school was begun in 1871 in Ohio, and - this is amazing in this day and age - the UT regents have not raised tuition costs in two years.  That's almost enough to get me to root for them, in and of itself.  Of course I want the Gators to win, but I wish we were playing another SEC team, or a team that can be a contender in this game, today.
 -   Oh, and, just as an aside, former Gator Timmy Tebow was not caught in yesterday's first cut from the New England Patriots.  Right now, it's just "wait and see"...

CU Football

I'm going to stick my neck out a bit and blog about college, football and coaches. If you know me, you know I love football - collegiate and professional. For me, I enjoy it because I can yell at the players, coaches and referees from the comfort and privacy of my own home, and that's my way of venting all of my frustrations that I find in this world. I love to watch a good defensive game. I like to see and hear the hits and the grunts of the men exhorting themselves. I am not going to delve into the very real problems of traumatic brain injuries and concussions. They are an existing fact, and I wish the game could be played without their occurrence. (But as long as the players accept their paychecks and go out and play, I have to admit that I'll watch them.)

  This all started when the University of Colorado at Boulder, whose proud stadium is two blocks down Folsom Street from my apartment, fired their head football coach of a little less than two full years. CU will be borrowing money to pay off Coach Jon Embree, so that CU can legally break their contract with him. They had to pay-off the previous coach, Dan Hawkins, too. That, to me, means there's something fishy in Denmark. Some one, some where is not doing their job; but is it actually all on the head football coach's shoulders? Jon Embree was hired to take the place of Dan Hawkins; he has coached the CU football team through 25 games, and was fired this past Monday morning. Last year, the Buffs played in their old Division and won three games. This year, CU began competing in the PAC-12; they won one game. As I said before, I love football - but, but, but, but the collegiate sport of football should never be the be-all and end-all for any university, college, or assembly of alumni of any educational institution.

  I've looked at the University of Florida head coach position as opposed to the University of Colorado head coach position - Between the years of 1950 and today, each university has had 11 head football coaches. Bill McCartney coached longest at CU; 12 seasons - 153 games, with 93 wins, 55 losses, and 5 ties. Steve Spurrier was the coach at UF for 11 years; 150 games - 122 wins, 27 losses,and 1 tie. UF had a head football coach for one single game in 2004 - Charlie Strong (the Gators lost). In 1962, CU had their shortest tenure with Bud Davis for 10 games, with a 2 and 8 record. So what is the big difference between the two colleges and the two athletic directors and the two head coaches and the players who go out for both teams and almost bust their guts trying to play well?

  I honestly have no idea. Will Muschamp started coaching the Gators when Jon Embree started coaching the Buffs - the Gators were 11 and 1 this season; the Buffs, 1 and 11. Jon Embree was told to pack his bags and leave on Monday. I'm pretty certain that Will Muschamp hasn't received that directive. Is "the problem" recruitment? Is it CU alumni? Is it the Athletic Director? Is it the Board of Regents? Is it the whole university? I don't think the problem is those young men who go out and practice so hard on a daily basis. They give their bodies and their pride to the game and to the fans.

  Whom has failed who in the CU football program?

Windy, Windy

It's a good thing no football, baseball or golf games are scheduled here in Boulder today. We have a constant 25 to 35 mph wind from the west (with a forcast of gusts up to 50), and it would really mess up the various games. I've walked Silver, and paid my morning visit to Skippy. I'm currently at home with the kits, and have my sneaker blocking the screen door to the patio open, as the wind keeps closing it. Neddy and Lovey are running in and out, and enjoying the weather (it's 91, but the humidity is is 8%). Tonight we're supposed to drop into the low 50s and have a high of, maybe, 71 for Labor Day. It will be a nice change. I need to visit the library again - I'm out of books to read. Local author Margaret Coel has another new book that just came out - if you're interested, see: http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_15941525?source=rss
A big "Hello!" to Darren L. Hutchinson, a fellow Eastsider! Mr. Parker's band leadership was absolutely the best in the state, and it really helped weld our school into a single community - since he was there for us at the very beginning (like me) when the school was first established in January 1970. The Marching Ram Band was something every student could be proud of! - And, yes, I might have been hard on my comments about the Gators' first game yesterday. It was Brantley's first game as the starting QB; Brantley and Mike Pouncey, the center, just couldn't get on the same wave-length; and it was only the first game of the season. Of course, I'm partial to the defense - and, for the third year, I fell in love with Janoris Jenkins' plays. That young man is going to be another star!
In thoroughbred racing, Kent Desormeaux has to sit out riding until at least Sept 25, as he has re-broken C-7 in his neck. He went down when his horse collapsed under him on 2 Sept at Saratoga. His mount died while running - a probable heart attack. ... Here Comes Ben was an upset winner in the Forego Stakes yesterday at Saratoga, while Cape Blanco was the surprise winner of the Irish Championship Stakes at Leopardstown. Quality Road won the Woodward Stakes impressively by over 5 lengths under a hand ride, also at Saratoga.
In Boulder County, we have lots of wildlife - black bears, fox, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, elk, mule deer, etc. We can now say we have a moose population as well. Wildlife has been in the news recently, as a mother bear was killed by the Department of Wildlife after she and her cub parked themselves in a neighborhood tree. The mother bear was killed because the homeowner reported there was "something terribly wrong with her mouth." DoW people came, took a look, and verified that the mother bear was missing her entire lower jaw and most of her tongue. The open wound was heavily infected. The bear was shot, but the cub, who was still nursing escaped the DoW personnel. The search is still on for the cub. ... And in Grand County, across the Divide, a young pair of brothers, aged 2 and 6, were playing alongside a lake that sits beside thick woods. Without any warning, two adult moose ran out of the woods, and one of them ran over the two-year-old. The child spent a day in the hospital being tested and treated for bruises and a few abrasions, and then was sent home. - Again, a good reason to always be aware when you're outside in Colorado!

Horses and Team Spirit

It was a semi-quiet day at home yesterday; CU kicked off a home game at 11:30, and they won the game by 1 point - so there were a lot of happy Buffs running around the neighborhood up until midnight. I enjoyed watching the Breeders Cup races, and had more fun making my bets - I let myself start with $30 on Friday, and only placed $2-to-win bets (in my mind). I placed 6 $2 bets on Friday, and ended up with $56.60 (which didn't include the $18 I didn't bet); yesterday, I picked 5 winners out of 8 races, made 9 $2-to-win bets, and ended up with $134.00 - which made $190.60 total. If I subtract the $30.00 I used to start with, I still "made" $160.60. - I think I still have the touch on betting my horses. The horses that I bet on and won with yesterday were: Pounced in the Colts Juvenile Turf; Dancing in Silks in the Sprint (somehow, I pick the Sprint winner each year); Vale of York in the Colts Juvenile on the dirt; Goldikova, who became a repeat winner of the Mile (on the Turf), and who challenged and again beat the boys; and Zenyatta remained undefeated and beat the boys running a mile-and-a-quarter on the dirt. It was the first time Zenyatta had raced males; it was the first time Zenyatta ran 1.25 miles in a race; for the 11th time in a row she was ridden by Mike Smith; it was the first and only time in 26 years that a girl won the Classic; and she performed her distinctive haute ecole dressage Spanish Walk in the paddock and out onto the track - she is a character! - There were two injuries in this year's Breeders Cup, where none occurred last year. Quality Road, who refused to load, and, then, once he did, imploded and freaked out in the gate stall, ended up with minor cuts and scrapes on his hind legs; he was the first "gate scratch" in Breeders Cup history. And on Friday, Lillie Langtry, the favorite in the Fillies Juvenile Turf finished an undistinguished 8th - during the race, she suffered a slab fracture in the knee of one of her forelegs. She will have a pin inserted today, and will be shipped back to England in 10 days.

I watched the Gators play last night, and was puzzled. The Gators are unbeaten and have an 18-game winning streak going. They are ranked number one in the nation, and are a shoo-in to face Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Other than a few shirtless young men, who were painted Gator blue (with orange letters spelling "Go Gators!"), the crowd at The Swamp seemed listless - as if they were at the game because it was a duty to be there - not because they were enjoying a game and enjoying cheering on their team. Even the college cheerleaders for both sides seemed as if they were just waiting to leave. It was an oddly upsetting scene. Maybe because my folks brought me up to support the team with all my heart and lungs, whether they win or lose? Or I am just dissatisfied with the "mighty Gator Nation" that seemed dissatisfied with its winning team?