Cook's Landing

The Geezers and I walked 6.3 miles mostly on the River Trail this morning in 1:50:13. It didn't snow but the wind-chill was below 30°F most of the way.
Ruth stopped by for lunch today. She looked healthy, and seemed happy to see me.

Orange Street Loop

Late this afternoon I walked the Orange Street Loop through light snowfall in 47:47.

Levy Loop

Man, it won't stop snowing. Tom Zaloudek and I drove through it coming home from Hot Springs last night and it's still going. They say it'll stop a little bit after dark. I walked through the snow late this afternoon. It took me 33:25 to complete the Levy Loop.

Maple Street Loop/Oaklawn Park

I walked the Maple Street Loop this morning 34:10. Z Man and I will leave for Oaklawn Park to watch the Southwest Stakes about four hours from now. It's a wide-open race. At this moment, I believe my money will be on Mr. Z, but that could change. Mostly I hope for access to everyone I need to speak to, and that I write a good story.
At 2:47 p.m., about an hour and a half before the Southwest, it's just shitty here at Oaklawn. It's 38°F, with rainfall mixed with a smattering of snow, and the wind is blowing from the north at about 20 miles an hour. Now I'm leaning toward Bayerd. He was second in the Smarty Jones and shows a propensity for off-track conditions. The track here is officially listed as sloppy.
Far Right won again, this time to take $18 out of my pants, leaving me with a profit of $78.70 after six trips. The great benefit of this particular trip was a bit of slap-stick comedy that had the group I was with in the grandstand laughing out loud.
BJ noticed it first. Before the sixth race, with cold rain falling nearly horizontally through a hard, wet wind from the north, there was a man at the rail watching the post parade. He was the only person outdoors and all he had to protect himself was a tattered umbrella. No more than half of it was functional, which he held near his head. The rest blew in polyester shards across his hat, neck, and chest.
"Man, this has gotta be the most important post parade of that guy's life," Pete said. "What could he possibly be looking for?"
BJ laughed. " 'All right, fellas, the four looks good. You couldn't have seen what I saw. I'm telling you, he looks great!' "
As soon as the horses walked past and began to jog away, the man turned to go back inside. God it's cold. As dark as dark gray gets. Fucking driving rain. It's 35°F. This guy has to be miserable. And then his hat blows off. And suddenly here's this poor sap with a five-hundred-year-old umbrella chasing a one-size-fits-all truck-stop hat down the apron in front of hundreds of witnesses, all laughing hysterically.
"If anyone deserves to cash a ticket, it's that motherfucker," BJ said.
Last Sunday, eight days ago, this weird late winter weather started. That morning was the last time I've seen Ruth. Abby (with whom I played golf the morning you fried chicken for me eight years ago) asked about her last night in the Oaklawn pressbox. I hope to have good news when I see Abby a week or so from now.

Park Hill Loop

I walked the Park Hill Loop this afternoon in 1:23:19, and as I sit here writing an advance story for the rescheduled Southwest Stakes, I have my new OaklawnAnywhere TV account tuned to Gulfstream Park near Miami for the Fountain of Youth Stakes, and to Fair Grounds in New Orleans for the Risen Star Stakes. This account is fantastic; it's free, and it allows me to watch every race run on every race track in America, Europe, and Australia (not that the latter two matter to me). It also allows me to watch replays of every race run anywhere since Jan. 1, 2011. It's free because they hope I will put money into their account and bet on races from my couch. But I won't, so it's free. This is great.

Levy Trail

Man, I'm here to tell you that it's colder than two motherfuckers in Levy. I wore my big coat as I walked two miles on the Levy Trail in 34:13.

35th Street Loop

I alternated one-minute jogs with four-minute walks to complete the 35th Street Loop tonight in 56:48, with splits of 14:30, 14:10, 14:27, and 13:41. I was whipped. Four miles at a 14:12/mile pace whipped me.

Orange Street Loop

I walked the Orange Street Loop over snow and ice this morning  in 49:27. The Southwest Stakes was snowed out today. I think they will reschedule it for Saturday.

Maple Street Loop/Levy Loop

It was 29°F when I started my walk this morning. I completed the Maple Street Loop in 31:35. They say it will get to 69 this afternoon, and then a deep freeze will set in for a while. A talented colt named War Horse has already pulled out of the Southwest Stakes, scheduled for Monday at Oaklawn Park.
Tonight I walked the Levy Loop in 30:15.

OVERHEARD
"Horses are a lot like people. Just like us, sometimes they get up on the wrong side of the bed. On days like that they won't do anything you ask them to do. They wish they could flip you off."
— Racing Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith

Levy Trail

I walked the Levy Trail at lunchtime today in 31:47.

Levy Trail

I walked two miles on the Levy Trail late this morning in 34:07.

Levy Trail

I walked three miles on the Levy Trail this afternoon in 47:15, and believe that whoever took one of the many published photographs of Kayla Mueller should be the richest photographer in history. You'll know the one I'm talking about.

Hash

I ran with the Hash way out in west Little Rock for 53:23. Jayme was there, with the woman who got dumped by the woman who Susie dumped Jayme for. Her name is Rebecca and she is an absolute knockout. I can't tell you how many times people other than I said the words fuck and goddamn. BJ said, "Listen, I love Susie, but fuck, goddamn."
The final future-pool odds on Competitive Edge were 37-1, so if Edge wins the Kentucky Derby my ticket will return about $3,800.

Levy Loop/Oaklawn Park

I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 31:05 and then rode with Tom to Oaklawn Park, where I lost $18. After five trips, I'm up $96.70. I made my first ever bet in a Kentucky Derby future pool, and it was twice as large as any bet I have made before. I bet $100 on Competitive Edge to win the Kentucky Derby. His current odds are 35-1, down from 47-1 when I got up this morning. Wagering in this pool runs through 6 p.m. Sunday. This is for me a very cool wager. I believe it will add a level of interest through the next three months that's worth the cost of the bet. And, heck, I might win $3,500 and be able to brag all goddamn summer.

Two Rivers Park

I walked for 1:38:04 through Two Rivers Park with the Geezers this morning.

Levy Trail

I walked two miles on the Levy Trail this morning in 30:20.
As of today, I have lived in Levy exactly half of my life. I moved to 35th Street on February 4, 1987, or twenty-eight years ago.

Levy Trail

I walked two miles on the Levy Trail this afternoon in 31:39.
It's too bad I can't interview Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson today, who made such a big deal after the comeback against the Packers about how his god was looking down on him, as if He fucking favored the Seahawks. "Heck, it's kind of a slow day. I think I'll just sit on My fucking couch and cheer for the Seahawks." My only question would be: "Hey, Russ, where was your messiah last night?"

Hash

I was out with BJ and Elaine Gimblet for 38:05 on the Hash run from Tom Zaloudek's today. And, oh yeah, I finished second in the senior division of the beer mile with a time of 15:47.2.