Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 33:11.

UALR

 I walked through and around UALR at lunchtime today—for 36:37—to find that 26 buildings have been constructed on its campus since I graduated 39 years and 11 months ago. There were not nearly 26 buildings here when I was in school. By the way, I am at the Stephens Center to cover a UALR women's game for the newspaper. Unfortunately, the hot Swedish player I fell for in November 2017 has run out of eligibility. ...My memory is not as good as I once, perhaps, overrated it. Here is what I wrote of the "hot Swedish player" after UALR's 86-57 victory over Memphis on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017: By the way, UALR's first-year junior forward Yanina Inkina bubbles over with pete-prettiness. She's a 6-2 blonde from Minsk, Belarus, who plays for the Belarusian national team. I interviewed her after the game and figure at least half of UALR's students, faculty, and staff already have a thing for her.

OVERHEARD

“I’m really glad that I came here. It’s a good school with a good basketball program, and I know for sure that Coach Foley is going to help me to be a better player.”

—UALR basketball player Yanina Inkina

Levy Trail North

 I walked Levy Trail North this morning in 31:51. ...I spent right at $55 yesterday for a ribeye, oysters, and shrimp. My goal is to eat all of it—grilled, fried, and steamed—as I watch football on Thanksgiving. I might bake a potato, too. ...The above is Mavis (Second Dog) Stapleton singing the Staple Singers' I'll Take You There.

Levy Trail South/Oaklawn Sports

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 29:23. This was a bit faster than I will be willing to go very often, at least for now. By the way, the cat is no longer up the tree. ...With one day to go in my tenth week of sports betting, my Oaklawn Sports account is $13.18 in the hole. I won 90 cents last night with a $1 bet on Kansas City and the LA Chargers to combine for more than 52 points. They scored a total of 57 points. I won when the Chiefs scored a touchdown with 31 seconds left to play. ...Tonight, I have bet a $1 parlay, which means I will turn $1 into $3.30 if San Franciso outscores Arizona by 11 or more points and those teams combine to score 43 or more points. So, I need San Fran to cover the 10-point spread and San Fran to beat the over-under of 42 points. So far, I think I'm at .500 for two parlays. They are the sportsbook equivalent of exacta bets in racing.

Levy Trail Loop/Levy Trail South

I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 31:41. Two minutes away from my house, as I approached the house from which a dog nearly hung himself or herself on a chain over a seven-foot fence a few years ago, I heard a cat meowing with a very steady and loud beat. I stopped to try to look through the c. 1/8th inch partitions between the fence boards. There were two dogs, including the one on the chain I helped rescue, but I could not see the cat. Half an hour later, the cat was still wailing as I headed home. I got the cop car and drove to examine outside the house. The cat was perhaps thirty feet up the tree and way out of reach of even a schoolboy tree climber. So, I drove to the Levy fire department and described the situation to Captain Simpson, who asked for the house's address. After I gave it to him, he said he would do what he could. By the way, on my walk, I saw one of the two feral cats from last summer. It looks as if someone has adopted it. ...On Friday, I walked the Levy Trail Loop in a little over 34 minutes.

Levy Trail 5K

 I walked the Levy Trail 5K this morning in 50:39. I went through three miles in 49:17

Levy Trail Loop/Oaklawn Sports

 I walked the Levy Trail Loop this morning in 32:59. ...Tonight, I bet $1 on Washington and Philadelphia to combine to score more than the 42-point over/under. ...The teams reached a total of 43 points with 14:54 left in the fourth quarter. Consequently, I am now a mere $14.50 in the hole after exactly nine weeks of rabid gambling.

Levy Trail North/Hash/Oaklawn Sports

 HOT SPRINGS—I walked for about an hour with Hashers this afternoon on the Hangover Run at Hashfest. This morning, I walked Levy Trail North in 31:03. ...After my loss Thursday, I am down $16.37. I have risked $1 on the Los Angeles Chargers to cover a +7.5-point spread tonight against San Franciso.

Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South this 40°F and windier-than-two-motherfuckers morning in 31:39.

Levy Trail Loop

 I walked the Levy Trail Loop through a steady drizzle this morning in 32:18.

Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 33:31. ...As for tonight and Oaklawn Sports, I like the Atlanta Falcons to cover the spread as the 2.5-point favorites over the Carolina Panthers. Once again, this household will risk $1.00.

I PLAN TO STAB. ...whichever Democrat created the cliche, "Defund the Police," and the first Republican who failed to understand, "Black Lives Matter," two people who allowed irrationality and illogic to mar their parties.

QUESTION OF THE DAY. ...In your experience, has an above-average percentage of pit bull owners you've known been prone to anger?*

*I have known three, and they were frequently mad as hell, including my next-door neighbor who lives in John Lukas' former house and yells at his girlfriend a lot.

Levy Trail South/Oaklawn Sports

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 33:13. ...My Oaklawn Sports pot is down $15.33 after a profit last night of 90 cents thanks to the Baltimore Ravens. ...Surprisingly, my lottery number missed.

Levy Trail Loop/Joe Report

 I walked the Levy Trail Loop this morning in 32:18. ...I was stunned to have not won the $1.2 billion lottery drawing on Saturday night. There is no way the numbers I turned in will lose two drawings in a row, so I will dig deeply for two more dollars. I will then turn it over to the old Asian lady at the Shell station across from what used to be Pizza Hut but is now a Popeye's Fried Chicken. I will email the number of tonight's winning ticket to my preferred subscribers. ...I have not seen Joe since I drove away at 11:45 a.m. yesterday (Sunday). It is now 2:05 p.m. Monday. He usually shows up about ten minutes after I post a Joe Report. Do you suppose Marshall calls him? ...Joe knocked on the front door at 4:37 p.m.

Hash/Oaklawn Sports

 I ran for somewhere in the neighborhood of forty-five minutes on Janine's Little Rock Hash House Harrier run at lunchtime today. Afterward, I raced an official fundraising Fleet Feet Beer Mile in 28:42. I missed a couple of marks and probably walked more like a mile and a half. One of the race officials, who I dated for several weeks in the fall of 2004, was flabbergasted I had no telephone in my pants. She said, "What if they need you at work?" Somehow, the three women running the show let me race without signing the obligatory heart-attack waiver, which requires a telephone in this new world, the one in which the Green Bay Packers lose to the New York Giants, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions in the same Goddamn Season. ...My Oaklawn Sports losses rose to $16.25 with Philly's loss last night, meaning I will likely have to hold up liquor stores and minimarts for a while. Fortunately, though it is perfectly legal to rob people in Levy, I forgot to bet Sunday Night Football.

Levy Trail South/Oaklawn Sports

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 33:49. ...My pot is down $15.25 after about seven weeks of serious gambling. Today, I will bet $1 on Philly to beat Houston. Philly's pitcher has a slight advantage, plus I kind of want a Game 7.

Levy Trail South/Oaklawn Sports

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 33:20. ...With $5.75 in my Oaklawn Sports pot, I bet $1 on the Phillies to win tonight (Thursday, Nov. 3). Last night, bettors reacted as if Philly could not lose, so the odds worked well for me, considering the Astros clearly started the best of two starters. So far today, everyone has loaded up on Justin Verlander, ignoring his subpar postseason starts. His ERA this fall is a bit over 7.20. The Philly starter Noah Syndergaard has an ERA this postseason of 1.69. My dollar will return something like $2.80. If the odds were even, I would take Verlander. Still, they are not. Besides, I would like to cheer for Philly at least once more this fall. ...Also, with the Powerball over $1 billion, I bought a $2 ticket today for the first time since Jan. 11, 2016. As before, I went with the jersey numbers of the Green Bay Packers top four leading career rushers and top three passers. Most of my friends know how well that paid off for me six and a half years ago.

Levy Loop/Oaklawn Sports

 I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 33:25. ...By the way, the Green Bay Packers came back enough to not get their butts absolutely kicked, but they still lost by 10 points, so I lost my $2 bet. After a terrible selection on Monday night football, my $20 investment is now worth $4.84. Today, I bet $1 on Houston. Its starter Cristian Javier has been quite a bit more reliable and, momentum aside, I believe Houston is the better team. Still, what a home-field advantage for the Phillies.