Category: Rando

Time’s a Goon

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I LOVE SUMMER SO MUCH.  Even when I get tangled up in the pool vacuum hose.  (and no, I don’t know where my bellybutton went in that picture…maybe the whiteness ate it.)

It doesn’t hurt that Paul’s sister’s boyfriend’s mother (did you get that?) has a house with a pool around the corner from where we live.  And she lets us use it pretty much whenever we want.  She even brings us lemonade and pretzels while we float around in the sun, which reminds me of summers in high school when we lived at Emily’s pool and her mom would bring us popcorn.  And now that I’m not doing 3 hour bike rides every weekend, this is what I do instead: lie on my floatie reading my book, drinking lemonade, getting sunburned, and dreading the end of August.  It’s amazing.

Anyway, the book I’m reading above is A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, and I thought it was pretty phenomenal.  Different format than most novels, almost a series of short stories, very fragmented and unconventional in both the narrative and the actual visual presentation.  Really good.  Recommend.

TIME OUT

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It is time for one of these.  A quick break from trip posts.  For this:

Paul has this dream of putting Spike in a bag or basket and riding around town with him.

Training has been going well so far.

Does your face hurt?

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SB Zoo, circa 1986

I remember this day and specifically this ride largely because, despite my father’s best efforts to convince her it would be a great time (which it obviously was), my mother refused to get on the camel.

Happy Father’s Day to the best Dad ever.

Tornados, Tiaras, and Trifectas

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Just another April in Kentucky.

Tornados

I have spent the past two weeks peering out the window at 2am, looking at the trees bent in half from the wind, telling Paul that we should get in the crawl space under the house (we have no basement.)   Paul has spent the past two weeks mumbling to me half asleep at 2am that no, we should not get in the crawl space, and that I should go back to sleep.  Then last week a friend of mine posted this, taken out the window of his office:

I know this pictures is tiny, for a full version go here 

Next time I am taking Spike and getting in the crawl space.

Actually, I learned that if you don’t have a basement, the best place to go is an internal bathroom with no windows, bring a mattress with you to cover yourself, and either get in the tub or hug the toilet (I guess the plumbing is more likely not to get sucked up or something?)  I have also learned that if a tornado is coming, it sounds like a freight train, so it’s not going to catch you totally off guard (a fact which, strangely enough, has provided me some comfort on those windy nights.)

Tiaras

The royal wedding was great.

Trifectas

The tornadoes cleared up just in time for the last days of Keenland, one of the premiere racing tracks in the country and everyone’s favorite hangout in April and October.   It was my first time here, the weather was absolutely beautiful, and it was packed.

We walked in just before the 5th race with about 4 minutes to post.

I bet $2 on horse #5 to win it all, at 12:1 odds.  He won.  I promptly went and got myself a bourbon.

The next race I bet $3 on a horse with 31:1 odds to show (his name was Ndongo…I had to.)   He got 3rd.  I am amazing.

The last few races weren’t as successful, but you can’t really beat a beautiful day outside at the races with a free bourbon.  I also saw my first Dale Earnhardt tattoo.
Next up: Derby.