One week to go

First Saturday in May, the Run for the Roses, the most exciting two minutes in sports, THE DERBY!! Who is looking good - Eskendereya, Lookin at Lucky, Mission Impazible. Not liking Sidney's Candy. Hoping that Jackson Bend gets in.

Paddy O'prado has a strong work in the mud. Time to start checking the weather forecast to figure out the mudders to bet.

See it as Eskendereya winning big or completely flopping. If he flops then it is anybody's race with a closer getting the win at the wire.

So the betting goes like this, Eskendereya on top of some exactas and triples, then some box exactas and triples without him. Hope he flops and make a big number.

More as the week progresses.

Later
JH

Horsie update

Okay, the top two or three have separated themselves from the early Kentucky Derby field. Eskendereya, Sydney's Candy and Lookin at Lucky are the horses to watch at this point. Eskendereya had a huge win in the Wood Memorial at Belmont. Probably will be the favorite for the Derby. Of course, if we go back a year we can see what happens to favorites sometime. A 50-1 shot won the Derby last year.

What does that mean. Time to find that longer odds horse that will be in the money this year and make a really good payout.

Later,
JH

April means horsies

Two big races today, the Santa Anita and the Wood Memorial. Two top horses came out of those. More later as dinner is almost ready.

Still a month to go so lots of investigation to do.

Later
JH

Almost over

Yeah, I know I don't do this very much anymore. I guess I don't have much to say or am just too lazy to post. Anyway.

Curling season is winding up. We had close to 1200 people come through the door to try curling in some way. We have three separate greenhorn leagues running right now with about 90 people total and a waiting list for next season. Been helping out with the greenhorns and most of them are enthusiastic at least and a few can throw a decent rock already. Ice melt down is the middle of April which is my happiest day of the year.

Baseball season is approaching and the Phils are looking good. Hopefully they will play to their potential. And of course the Mets already look like they will suck again this year, so no worries yet.

The horsies are starting the Spring campaign and April will see the start of the run up to the Roses. Need to start pouring over the intarwebz to see what is what. Oh yeah, and we are heading to Saratoga Springs again. Not during the racing season but still a nice place to visit anyway.

Work is work. Onto a new assignment soon I hope.

And I think the clock is ticking louder on a new kitten since curling is over soon.

Later,
JH

I need to vent

Okay, completely Olympic curling related.

Really, these are the best teams in the US? You can't draw the fucking eight foot? With last rock? Time to find a new sport champ. You suck! You had a run, now find a bar to throw darts in and drink beer full time.

Just frustrating to watch. Sorry if you don't know curling and are reading this but I need to vent. The US men's team could be 3-1 easily. They look completely lost. The US women? please, if that had a clue it would say "go home and play ping pong". Seriously, at 54 with two bad knees I like my chances against either team.

I also fear the end of competitive curling on the East coast. The almightly dollar (USOC) is not gonna be happy with these results at all. There will be a serious effort to create "all star" teams from this crap fest in Vancouver. Of course, the "center of the universe" has all the curlers that matter. Good luck East Coast, you may get to play for Worlds and Olympics in 20 years if you are lucky.

Okay, now I feel better.

Later
JH

Okay, another try

So, one post in January. Guess I need to decide if this blogging thing will continue or become a once in a while thing. Maybe I just need to collect Facebook status updates and post them here.

What has been happening? Work is crazy with lots of driving to and fro to NJ. That will get worse in February. Curling is kind of over for the season for me due to that. Just wont be in CT enough to make it to the club on a regular basis.

We did host the GNCC Mixed Championship and I did the ice. I must admit, it was really good ice. Nice and fast and decent curl.

Beginning of March sees us off to Kalamazoo for the Nationals. Coaching a women's team out there. First time for me so it will be interesting. Hope I can add something to the team.

Olympics start soon and with it a rush of open houses to hopefully add a bunch of new members. Interest seems pretty good so far with quite a few people already signed up online.

Later,
JH

The new year begins

So, here we are in 2010. It has to better than 2009.

Curling also starts again after a long break for the holidays. I have not really thrown a rock in a month and the break was good. Playdowns are coming up for the US and some of friends in Canada. The Olympics is just around the corner. Have to find time to fit in a bonspiel somewhere I guess.

The Phightins' are just a month or so away from spring training. Winter can't last that much longer. March also begins the run-up to the Run for the Roses. Time to start watching the horsies soon. April brings the melting of the ice. Really does not seem that far away.

And somewhere along the way, I have a feeling a new kitten will enter the picture. Probably one of these.

Later,
JH