Everybody Else Made An End of the Year List...

2006 can take a flying leap out of here.

It was, in a lot of ways, a fully rotten year. So, 2006, don't let the proverbial door hit you in your proverbial ass.

My Pop Culture (and Other Stuff) List of the Year

Best Movie I Saw in 2006
You know, that was tough because I figured out I saw five whole movies in the theater and saw one new release on video. Guess it wasn't a movie year. So I'd have to say Casino Royale, partly because of that kickin chase scene in the beginning (the guy who played the bomber is AMAZING) and because Daniel Craig can look alternately creepily unattractive and full-on sexy. Not too often you run across a guy like that.

Best Book I Read in 2006
This one's a no-brainer. Dick Francis put out Under Orders, and since it brings back Sid Halley, my all-time favorite hero, this tops the list. And Sid ends up happy. I think we can end his saga right there, satisfactorily.

Best New Author I Picked Up in 2006
My family convinced me to read Janet Evanovich, and I've been laughing ever since. Pick up her number series (Stephanie Plum) and answer for me the question: Morelli or Ranger????

Biggest Hassle of 2006
Moving. I hate moving. I only like unpacking when it means decorating. Now I'm at that boring part where I have to figure out what ELSE to get rid of. The guest bedroom still looks like I just hauled all the boxes in. Ugh.

Least Missed Person in 2006
Stephen C Trivers. Yeah, you know what I mean.

Babies of 2006
This is a good one! Rachael and Vivian, welcome!!


What I want for 2007:

On TV
- I want Veronica Mars to get a man worthy of her wit - Logan is one trauma away from a full-on meltdown and Piz is a marshmallow - soft and gooey. And more Wallace. I miss the way he works with Veronica, and the fact that they are such good friends with no hint of a dating relationship, which is realistic.

- I want Lost to get back to the good stuff, including the old Losties like Hurley and Locke, two of my faves. And don't just get rid of Ben yet - he's so creepy I enjoy watching him even while I cringe. And show me more about the hatches and that guy with the eyepatch! Intrigue me! Make me think! Shock me!!

- I want more Rush on Supernatural. And more of that sexy car. And more naughty lines out of Dean's mouth. For my next Hot Man Movie Moment night.

- I want CSI Miami to stop David Caruso's acting tics RIGHT NOW. They used to be endearing. Now they're annoying.

- I want Bones to give Cam something to do so bloggers stop bashing her (I have too much time on my hands). And I want more of Angela's off-the-cuff comments and Hodgins' conspiracy theories. And more of Booth's socks.

- I want more humor on Studio 60. More Aaron Sorkin make-you-think humor. More coconuts through tables. More witty/snide lines from Jordan McDeere. More so-fast-you-have-to-rewind-it dialogue. More references to Brighton!

- I want more stuff to blow up on Mythbusters and more of Adam's maniacal laughter. And anything that will make Jamie giggle (like Mentos and Diet Coke).

- I want Ghost Hunters to find something downright creepy, like the Civil War soldier or the lighthouse ghost. Anything that makes my hair stand on end.

- I want really good shows for people like DB Sweeney, Bradley Cooper (Alias), Mark Valley (Boston Legal is SO not the way to go), and of course Nick Lea - if only I could see it in the States. In fact, anybody from the X-Files back on my TV screen would be welcome.

After I leave I will think of twelve women who I would also like to see get good shows. Give me time. I'll come up with them.

- Ooh, here's one, Aisha Tyler. LOVE HER. Why can she not find a really good show to make use of her wit? She's freakin' hilarious.

- And what about Amber Benson, who was Tara on Buffy? She had a guest spot on Supernatural but that's all I've seen of her.

- Ooh, and Eliza Dushku, who was all sass as Faith. Miss her in that role.

In the Movies
- I want the next Harry Potter to be amazing. Phoenix is a difficult book. I want the movie to really delve into the changes in Harry's life. (Never read it? Call me, I'll loan you Book One.)

- I want the next Pirates of the Caribbean to be a little tighter than the previous one and feature a lot less juvenile behavior. (And more of that lady witch doctor, eh? She was good.)

- I want something at the theater that moves me the way the Lord of the Rings movies did - a fully-realized world that draws you in so completely you feel like someone squeezed the breath out of your chest when its over. Then you find yourself counting the days until it comes out on DVD so you can watch it all over again.

In Books
- I want another Dick Francis novel. If he wants to write it, that is. He's more than earned his retirement, but while he was gone I missed him.

- I want to be blown away by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but not in a bad way. I want a happy ending for our boy hero, and his friends - and don't kill off any Weasleys! I love that family. And I want to know that JK Rowling will someday revisit this world she's created, because I will be depressed when I finish Book Seven. That's how good she is. Really, people, she's amazing. I want to create like that.

In Sports
- I want a healthy happy retirement for Barbaro. And I want his story and his treatment to save the lives of other racehorses who might otherwise have been euthanized.

- I want a nice quiet retirement for Perfect Drift where he lives out the rest of his days in comfort - preferably somewhere I can go to give him a peppermint.

- I want another racing hero the fans can get behind, like Smarty Jones or my boy Afleet Alex.

- I want another great Tigers season! (Without the ego problems that smacked the Pistons.)

- I want the Lions to finally realize what a colossal mess they're in. Fire Millen. The league should also snap its fingers in William Clay Ford's face and say "Are you awake? Do you care?" If he paid more attention to the team, he could help the state's struggling economy by boosting Detroit economically. But I honestly think someone should put a mirror under his nose just to be sure he's even breathing.

Just Disappear Already
Brangelina, TomKat, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan - PLEASE!! Go somewhere FAR FAR AWAY! And take your lack of underwear/class/brains with you.
Britney amazes me in all the wrong ways. For someone as cute as she can be (and she really can be cute), she usually looks like a tart or trash, and acts like it too. I'm done giving her the benefit of the doubt. And Paris Hilton has three brain cells and they're all focused on making sure she stands in the exact same off-kilter pose in every picture.
Oh, and when you leave, take Mel Gibson with you. I'm SO OVER that guy.

She's Right, You Know
Just to put my two cents in, Rosie O'Donnell was right when she said Donald Trump is a snake-oil salesman. He gives me the creeps. Not that he's not smart, mind you, but come on, you can't tell me he honestly doesn't make you squirm. Maybe it's the hair.
Not that Rosie is always the model of appropriate attitude.

Best Modeling Development of the Year
Fashion houses are now restricting super skinny models on the runway. Hear, hear!!! It's one thing if it's natural, but it's another when it's not, and we can all tell. HIPS. Women have HIPS, people.

That'll do for now. I'll come up with a few more I'm sure. In the meantime, Happy New Year!!!

Why do I love my family?

I love my family for a lot of little things.

I love that we make each other laugh so hard, we cry, or at least give ourselves sore stomachs. It's the worst when my brother and my cousins and I get together, because inevitably someone says something so wrong, it's utterly hilarious. Like when my crazy great-aunt gave my dad and my cousin-in-law black gloves for Christmas, my brother quipped, "I think OJ has a pair just like it."

I love (and occasionally do not love) when old incidents come back to haunt. "Have you shut your ear in a car door lately?" might get the response, "Did you hit yourself in the face with a boot this week?" (Yes, the former happened to me. I was present for the latter but not responsible.)

I love watching the family deal with said great-aunt when she's refusing to leave a tip at a restaurant because she doesn't think she has to, or when she's telling the gas explosion story for the 80th time, or when she straps on the fanny pack to go to Christmas Eve service but won't put in her hearing aid. If ever there is a family bonding moment, it is usually over the requisite black sheep and the fact that social mores and expectations have COMPLETELY passed her by, quite with her assistance.

I love sitting at the kids' table, even though I'm almost 34, listening to the guys dissect the stuffing. (I love that my cousin-in-law has started to really show his 'silly side' now that he knows us better, because he's hilarious.)

I love being at the age where somebody will slip a little bottle of Absolut Rasberri in my stocking.

I love sitting around the table playing Apples to Apples with every generation, although the baby (at age 2) has no idea what's going on, but when you ask her who's cute, she points to herself - and her sassy new pink cowboy boots.

I love how the baby turns my uncle into a big teddy bear. I love being Aunt LaLa, even if I don't always know what to say to her.

I love that nobody pressures me to get married or have kids, although my grandmother once wondered what I would offer a nice young man when I got married, if I couldn't cook.

I love playing games. We love board games and card games and Numerica (a number order game, at which I suck mightily, but I more than make up for that at Buzz Word). The day after Christmas is almost exclusively reserved for board games and snacks like puppy chow and caramel corn and cookies.

I love how we buy Christmas gifts for each other's pets.

I love how we take zillions of pictures and then mail them to each other throughout January. Actually, we do this all year long. If there's a family event, expect a camera. There is no 'shy' with the family.

I love how we welcome new people in with open arms, including significant others. We have been known to overwhelm new family members, especially at Christmas, with our all-day present opening tradition. More than once I've heard a departing spouse or fiance(e) say as they leave for their parents' house, "I want to stay here, you guys are so much fun!"

Well, yes, yes we are. Black sheep included.

Nerves Nerves Nerves

Ah, let me count the way the stress is pounding me.

First of all, it's the holidays. And that means trying to get all the Christmas cards written and mailed (after, of course, the Christmas letter gets written and printed); buying all the appropriate gifts for almost 20 people - friends and family - and wrapping them; negotiating stores, parking lots, roads and everything else that's insane; going to parties; making food; and protecting everything I already bought from theft.

Second of all, it's also winter. Not that we've had much to complain about so far, but whenever there's bad weather, my blood pressure goes through the roof. I slid down the icy stairs outside the office a few weeks ago - I wasn't hurt, just sore afterward, but that was upsetting and whenever the weather is bad, I'm on edge.

Third of all, in case you didn't hear about my little incident the other week, a thug stole my bag in my apartment complex parking lot. So now I'm stressed out whenever I go to and from my car, in a relatively safe neighborhood. And I'm stressed going to and from my car at work, which is a several-minute walk. And all this takes place in the dark. And whenever I go to a store, I find myself clutching my purse just that much tighter whenever a young man comes near me, regardless of color or age or clothing type. I leave the store with adrenaline rushing through me, sometimes with a headache from clenching my teeth. I suspect every young man I see, just about anywhere. (Sorry guys, but there it is.)

Fourth of all, it's the sickness season. I am getting over a rotten cold, and I just found out that a large chunk of my family is recovering from what appears to be a norovirus. Yes, those nasty stomach flu bugs you hear about on cruise ships (sometimes mistaken for food poisoning). Our local Applebee's closed down a few weeks ago - TWICE - because of the bug. The last time I had it I was sick as a dog for about 24 hours. (I loathe throwing up. I dread it. I do anything I can to avoid it.) They say you're only ill for 24-48 hours but I can tell you that's the longest day of your life. This is coming from someone with terrible acid reflux, so I feel rotten a lot. I really don't think in the grand scheme of things I should have to suffer stomach flu on top of it, all things considered.

The experts say you should avoid preparing food for three days after you feel better. Um, guess who will be making food to bring to our family Christmas in a WEEK??? I'm trying to figure out how to ask nicely that they wait to make something. I'm TERRIFIED of getting sick after Christmas, like I did a few years ago. Well, I'm terrified of getting that kind of sickness - I'll take almost anything else over stomach flu - and I'm about to pull a Michael Jackson and buy a breathing mask for the Christmas festivities. My mom already had a bout of influenza, and she's hosting. Oh boy, I am going to cart around an antimicrobial hand solution. Something that kills viruses and bacteria. And I'm going to wash my hands even more than I do now. ANYTHING to avoid getting sick.

I'm trying to get plenty of sleep, eat well, and like I said, wash my hands. I'm afraid my nerves will make me more vulnerable to a bug, but I don't know how to settle them. I'm thinking I'll probably take New Year's Day or the day after and just SIT. On my butt. In front of the TV.

If I'm well.

Today I learned that Kalamazoo has one thing Lansing doesn't.

Salt.

I took a fine header (or would that be 'butter') down some steps outside the office today, because apparently either the city of Lansing or the state of Michigan doesn't think it's a good idea to salt the walks AFTER THERE'S BEEN AN ICE STORM.

I didn't see a damn grain anywhere. And I wasn't skipping merrily down the walk. I was watching every step very very carefully. In fact, I nearly slipped going to and from work several more times today. (And the worst part is it was one of those days where I kept getting everything wrong. This was the icing on the proverbial cake.)

I'm fine, sore but otherwise fine. A nice man stopped to see if I was okay and helped me down the rest of the stairs. Oddly enough, what always happens to me after I've nearly been hurt and someone is nice to me is I want to burst into tears, even though there was nothing wrong with me (which I learned after a brief inventory - it's hard to tell if you're hurt immediately sometimes). Dunno why that is.

But anyway. By the time I got home it was too late to call and yell at anybody because it was after business hours on a Friday. And I should have called my office mates to warn them, but by that time they had already gone home. So come Monday I'm going to have to find out what the hell they were thinking. Or revel in somebody's lawsuit. Because somebody's gettin' an earful.

Hovering

I've been reading a lot lately about the 'helicopter parents' syndrome. That's where parents become so overly involved in their children's lives, they won't let them have any unstructured play time. They freak out if their boys make weapon toys out of sticks (which, I'm told, boys do pretty much on their own) or run through the neighborhood. They not only help kids with their homework, they do it for them, and if Johnny doesn't get an A, they call the teacher to demand it.

When the kids get older, these parents talk to their child daily from college, read their papers and correct them, calling the professors if the child doesn't get good grades. After that, they actually call job recruiters to find out why their child wasn't hired. In fact, they probably wrote the resume and the cover letter and scheduled the interview as well.

WTF????? When did we get to the place where we couldn't just let kids be kids and make their own mistakes? Granted, I don't have any of my own (kids, not mistakes, I have a lot of mistakes), so I'm speaking from an observer's platform only (and as a former kid). Can't we fence in our back yards to prevent kids from abduction and then let them run around and get messy instead of worrying about clean clothes and PC play? To paraphrase my cousin's grandmother, it was a good day when the kids came home dirty.

Can't we let kids make their own mistakes? Didn't do your homework? Take the F. Didn't pay your bills? Pay the penalties and the collection agency. Didn't get up in time for class? Set your alarm next time and explain it to the prof yourself.

One guy on this blog I'm reading says his young daughter found a rusty razor blade on the playground. She told another child to keep an eye on it while she went to get a teacher. When the teacher arrived, the razor blade was apparently thrown out, while the girl was taken to the principal's office, and suspension papers begun because she had 'endangered the other students by pointing out a weapon to them.' The dad called his lawyer.

I'm not sure here who overreacted, but I think it was both of them. The principal for being WAY too anal about the 'rules' and the dad for getting furious immediately. Stupidity has run amok with the fear of litigation, and we've stopped looking at what really happened here. The little girl was smart and safe, and behaved EXACTLY as I'd like my kid to behave. She should have been commended.

I used to get on my mom's case about some similar behavior. I admit it, my parents helicoptered, all with the best intentions (as I'm quite sure all these parents have). We were shy kids and it was hard for us to stand up for ourselves, especially when we were very young. Still, I'm finding there are drawbacks when you get older to letting your parents helicopter you. It's hard for them to LET GO. While I was in college the first few years, my folks came to town and took me grocery shopping (I didn't have a car then). When I got a car and a job, I was able to take care of all of that myself, but they still asked if I needed groceries. That continued after college and almost to this day. "What do you need?" they'll ask, which is very sweet, and I'll either tell them 'nothing' or in the recent instance, I bought shelves for my guest bedroom and needed another set of hands to help me carry them home from Lowe's. Then my brother and my dad installed them while I was hanging up pictures in the other room with my mom's help.

So I guess on the one hand it's nice to have their assistance and their willingness to help when I need it, and we do help each other out often. On the other hand, my mother still wants to know if I've paid my bills, and my dad keeps wanting to offer me money (I had a low paying job for several years). And after a while I get a little testy about it, because as much as they want to help, sometimes it just gets a little smothering. So I'm learning how to handle that - to 'push back' gently, to say "I can buy that myself" and when Dad asks if I can afford it, I just say yes and offer no further explanations. (Okay, I did say "I have a credit card" which didn't help.)

It's odd to have to assert one's independence at this age, but I still do. And my guess is a lot of these kids will eventually find all of this help restricting, and the parents will find Junior living at home at age 30 to be a real pain in the butt.

Oh The Random

In the category of 'random thoughts'...

Does anybody else use the word 'flavor' when they really mean 'scent'? Like when referring to candles or lotion? I love it when people correct me, like apparently I'm just three IQ points from algae. Um, I have an English degree. I know what I'm saying. I just do it wrong on purpose.

I cannot summon up even an iota of interest in the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes wedding. It just gives me the wiggins. It's not even the age difference that creeps me out. It's Fan Girl Marries Childhood Lust Object. Ew. When I was little I liked to watch the Mike Douglas Show, but I sure didn't want to marry him. (Good thing, since he's dead.)

Nor do I give two hoots that Paris Hilton and Britney Spears are hanging out together. I'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner. Think Justin Timberlake is counting his lucky stars he got out when he did?

At work I discovered I can walk in the underground parking garage during my lunch hour to get some exercise. Other people walk too, so I'm not alone, but I gotta tell ya, I find myself thinking of every horror movie or creepy TV show where a woman is assaulted in a dark parking structure. That's why I only wear one earbud on my headphones when I'm down there. So far the most dangerous thing I encountered was nearly getting run down by a maniac in a bright yellow Hummer. All you see is grille when that thing's headed toward you.

Got a call the other day from the guy you could probably label my 'high school sweetheart.' He was cleaning out some stuff at home and decided to track me down. Now, I haven't talked to this guy in approximately eight years. Suddenly he's on my phone. Huh. Think it would be weird if I asked him if he had any single male friends?

For somebody who talks so much you think I'd be better about calling people, but I'm really wretched about it. I need to do better!! I'm more consistent with email, really.

Anybody else starting to panic about Christmas cards? It's not even December!!!

I won't even tell you about the panic involved in my credit card bill. Heh.

All These Things I Think About

So I like my new hometown so far, and I like my job, even though I'm used to something much more hectic. Still, I like not having a sales manager constantly trying to dictate my news content or a company president breathing down my neck every five minutes. No micromanaging! I don't know what to do! Ha

My old city doesn't seem quite like home anymore, and my new city doesn't quite feel like home, yet, so I feel like I'm kind of caught between two places, but I know that will eventually fade and everything will straighten out. Howell still feels like home to some degree and I haven't lived there in 15 years, so I suppose I'll always feel some sort of kinship to Kzoo.

I admit that I have a bit of a 'habit' when it comes to television (and Chex Mix, but that's neither here nor there). I read the TV Guide online comments and I post from time to time (those of you who know my horse racing fetish will be able to figure out who I am). One of my fave shows is 'Supernatural' - two hot guys, a hot car, ghosts and other beasties, and the occasional Rush tune. What's not to like? But I read the comments posted on the website, and I can't get over the fangirlness! These people are gushing like Jensen and Jared are going to win Oscars some day, and I gotta say, it slays me! Like I roll my eyes when they get all protective and analytical of every tic and twitch and sad face, and it's all I can do not to snort. And then it occurs to me - didn't I do the same damn thing with the X-Files?

Well, sort of. I mean, I overanalyzed that show to the nth degree, and I was a huge fangirl/shipper (and don't EVEN get me started on how hot Krycek is). But when it came to that gun-toting, one-armed bad boy, I wasn't overanalyzing his every eyebrow raise like it was going to win him an Emmy. I was just picturing him ..... um, let's just stop there.

I guess I just have a thing about jumping headlong into any sort of hero worship, any overwhelming trust, any slobbering devotion, all of it. I tend to be skittish about devoting myself wholeheartedly to anything that asks for such complete immersion. (Which is part of the reason why I'm not a regular churchgoer, but that's a discussion for another time. And it's probably a good reason why I'm not married.) I used to do anything I could to keep my friends around (when I was young) and made a total ass of myself, and I've gone the other way in my old age - a little too selfish, in self-preservation. Which doesn't excuse my behavior on occasion, but at least I recognize the fault. So to listen to these people gush wildly about these CW actors, of all people, strikes me as both ludicrous and funny, like they don't have anything else to do but slobber headlong over two twenty-somethings. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the show - it's the high point of my week almost (Veronica Mars is right up there too, what a damn good show!) and yes, the acting is good, and the scripts are fun, but I guess I find the fangirl admiration a bit thick.

Then again, if that's the worst thing that happens to me all week, I'm doing really well. And that's the beauty of having a free country!

I'm glad the elections are over, because the ads were so wretched I don't even know where to begin. One woman was painted by her opponent this way: "She supports gay marriage. And opposes traditional marriage." NOW WAIT A DAMN MINUTE. I think if you polled everyone in this world about their feelings on marriage, you might get 1/2 of 1% who really think marriage as an institution is a crock. But everybody else probably doesn't have anything against it. So supporting gay marriage means you oppose traditional marriage? What the hell is that?? Look, if you're lucky enough to find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, God bless you, and I envy you. The woman didn't win, but it was a close one, and she wasn't even expected to do as well as she did. My guess is people got sick of that crap real fast.

And I 'm glad we defeated the mourning dove ballot. You mean we DON'T have enough to kill in Michigan, we've got to shoot these fat stupid little birds???? (That I happen to like because they're fat and stupid and have that sad little cry?) I'm glad people realized that banning mourning dove hunting wasn't a slam on all of hunting, even though people tried to paint it that way. I personally do not get what is fun about killing things, but whatever. Keep your trophies out of my sight, and we're good.

I didn't quite mean to get on a soapbox. It just sort of happened that way.

Anybody watch Prison Break? When Sara sticks the iron to Kellerman? I'm in the house whooping at the TV. The neighbors have no idea what to think by now. She's gotta come save Michael from Mahone. And Kellerman's screwed. Whaddya wanna bet he starts to help the brothers now? That would be FAB.

See, there I go, all fangirl.

I Officially Have a Future Sister-In-Law!

Yup, Lloyd did it. He proposed to Stacey. I knew he was planning on it, but he just told me he did it! This is very exciting! Stacey gets the family seal of approval, and I think they'll be very happy. If Gizmo will leave them alone!!! (He's the needy cat. Sweet, but needy.)

Anyway, I'm really excited about this and happy for them.

Double Oh Yum

What is the big deal over Daniel Craig being the new James Bond? I gotta say he's pretty smokin' and looks good in a tuxedo. I do want to see if he's got the requisite sly smile and witty banter, but that's about all that concerns me. But people are freaking out because he's blond. Well, I think they need something better to do with their time. Like write Miss Moneypenny some real lines for a change. I think in the last Bond movie ever made, he finally decides he's going to try and bed her, and she laughs and spurns him and runs off with some other hottie. Or Q.

If you watch the Mummy Returns, you get to see Mr Ecko minus his chin braids. I like him better with facial hair. I hear he was something of a stinker on set of 'Lost.' Speaking of which, is that getting freaky or what? Now we have to wait until the new year for new episodes. Well, at least I have 'Supernatural' to keep me company.

The Breeders Cup

Breeders Cup Day Blog

Running Tally – Hey, they do this on TV Guide.com all the time!

11:58
They’re starting off before noon with Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit wearing jockey silks and picking their classic winners, Corso using a bent hangar as a whip. Who made Allen Paulson silks big enough for Herbstreit??? I didn’t know College Gameday cared, but hey, I’ll take it.

12:10 - The Past BC Recap
Personal Ensign beats up on Winning Colors in the 88 Distaff. WC was my girl! And here’s my boy, “the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!” That gives me goosebumps, hearing that call as he wins the Classic. He’s a doll; if you get down to the Kentucky Horse Park, stop by his stall. He’s a ham and he likes the attention.

Pat Day has a buzz cut. Now THAT’s weird.

12:15-12:30 – The Juvenile Fillies
Cash Included is looking out of her stall in the preview and she’s darn cute, her ears forward, head up. That’s the look Luki gets when he hears somebody turning on the water in the guest bathroom. Appealing Zophie has a good name. I’m big on the names, especially this year when I didn’t have a chance to really go through the past performances (didn’t think I should look up the Daily Racing Form at work).

Oh now Jeannine Edwards is interviewing a guy whose horse died a few years ago when she flipped over and hit her head! Do we need to hear this??? NO.

Her Majesty is resisting going into the starting gate and tries to sit down every time the butt push is applied. Why don’t they blindfold her before she hurts herself? Oh, she doesn’t like the blindfold either. Now she’s freaking out in the gate. But I think she’s okay.

AND THEY’RE OFF.

Lots of dust. Did they water the track first? Not a fast pace as Dreaming of Anna takes the lead with her tongue hanging out. Wow, Anna’s running a beautiful race. And she wins on the rail, even after that delay at the gate, without much sweating. Octave second, Cotton Blossom third. Uber-trainer Todd Pletcher gets second and third. Cash Included fifth. I’m not off to a good start.

12:50 - Juvenile
These are next year’s Derby horses, possibly. I always look for a horse who does well for the distance and pace, especially on this track, but not the one who wins. The winner of this race has never gone on to win the Derby. Finally the analysts are saying this race is for the early bloomers. Well, yeah. I figured that out a couple years ago.
Circular Quay is the second favorite, Thunder Gulch’s progeny. Pegasus Wind has a Derby-winnin’ daddy too – Fusaichi Pegasus. Most of these boys are regally bred. But I’m going to go with long shot with Skip Code, whose daddy is Skip Away, a horse I really liked (not a Derby winner but a champ nonetheless). And he’s a long shot, all right. What am I thinking at 53 to 1?
Oh right. A bunch of Derby winning/running sires. Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking.

D Wayne Lukas has ditched the Blue Blockers! He’s chosen a smaller aviator style sunglass. A much better look, there, D.

Skip Code is like seven wide at the first turn. Crap.
A calvary charge with Principle Secret in the lead. Quay is last at the half. Scat Daddy is making his charge. A few falling back.
WOW. Street Sense blew their damn doors off. Biggest margin of victory ever in this race. Quay was all over the track but he tried. He veered in but he looked good coming from behind. I can’t even figure out where Skip Code went. Did he finish? Oh, he finished 9th. Well, Skippy was better as an older horse anyway, so I’ll keep an eye out for him at late three and four.

When you watch the head on view, you can see how young these horses are – they’re veering in and out. When they get older they figure it all out.

1:31 - Ruffian
ESPN is doing a movie on Ruffian coming June 2007 and now promoting it. Watch it. Her story and her tragic ending are heartbreaking but inspiring. Get out the Kleenex.

1:32 - Filly and Mare Turf
How can you not like the name Dancing Edie? Watch Ouija Board, she’s fantastic. Film Maker will hit the board, I think; Honey Ryder’s had a good year; Wait a While has a nice pedigree and a strong record. This is a heck of a race. I’m sticking with Ouija Board because she’s so amazing, with Film Maker to place. I haven’t seen Wait a While run much myself, so I can’t say much about her, but she’s getting a lot of respect from the bettors and analysts alike. Let’s look at her PP – ooh, four straight wins in G1 and 2 races. Yikes! She’ll be tough.
This load is going pretty well. They’re older gals, they’re used to this.
European jockeys actually ‘bounce’ in the saddle. It’s kind of funny. American jocks urge with their hands and arms; European jocks use their whole upper body.
Edie holds the lead, Ouija is in sixth, Film Maker fourth, Wait a While in the first bunch but I missed her position. Ooh, she’s in a good spot ahead of Ouija, when she moves, they’ll go together.
They’re moving now together, Ouija pouring it on, Honey Ryder trying to catch up, but nobody’s going to get her!! I have a winner! I think Film Maker was second too. Honey Ryder third. Wait a While fourth. Not too bad. I had the exacta.

1:42 – Starting Gates
Jerry Bailey goes over the starting gate setup – this is an old program from earlier this year, showing lots of horses breaking through the gates prematurely, flipping over, freaking out, you name it. Even Barbaro’s Preakness breakthrough (before his breakdown) is being shown. I can live without seeing that again.

1:47 – Planes
Now they’re showing how the horses fly. That’s actually pretty interesting. They get individual metal stables that are airlifted onto the plane. Great idea. Sure, it’s a plug for Emirates, but I was always curious about how they got them on and off the plane.

2:07 – Jump
Frankie vaults out of the saddle. It’s a habit. Got to be hard on your knees but the crowd loves it. Ouija looks good going back to the barn – her ears are up and she’s walking well. She’s retiring at the end of this year. I hope she has a lot of fun being a mama.
She’s owned by Lord Derby (say it ‘Darby’) but yes, his ancestors are the reason we have a Derby. When the pronunciation changed, I will never know.

2:10 - Sprint
This used to be the first race on the card, but they changed things around. This whole day is like the Olympics of horse racing, or at least the track and field portion – all the distances, courses, genders and ages. I can’t believe you’re not here watching it with me!

Only five of 22 favorites have won this race. Bettors must love it.

Friendly Island is really checking out the camera. Lewis Michael is 51-1? Are you sure? Henny Hughes is the favorite. A Hennessey boy. Pat Valenzuela is either shaving his head or he’s gone bald. War Front has a whiskery chin. Siren Lure, now that is a cool name. If Pomeroy liked this track I’d go with him, but he’s a Saratoga boy. I’ll stick with Siren Lure but I like Henny Hughes. Let’s go with that exacta.

This is always a fun race to watch because it’s speed speed speed right from the git go. Somebody clipped somebody’s heels. Yikes. Siren Lure is last. Ugh.
Attila’s Storm and Thor’s Echo in the lead. Pomeroy holding close. Henny’s out of it after a lousy start. Thor’s Echo charges forward, and he’s going to win convincingly. Corey Nakatani has won this race four times! Guess he knows what to do.
Thor’s Echo’s silks have the Superman logo on them. That should have told us everything we needed to know. Friendly Island place, Nightmare Affair show.
Siren Lure 8, Henny 14th, dead last. Urk.

2:20 – The Maktoums
The Sheikhs of Dubai (of which there are five, I didn’t know that) have spent over 406 million dollars in bloodstock auctions in the last few years. If they pull out of the racing industry, it collapses. Hey, they have the money, and they spend it. I’m happy they’re spending it on horses. It could be cars, or real estate, or whatever (they’re probably pretty savvy on that stuff too) but they pour a lot of money into the US economy. I just wish they smiled more!

2:56 – Mile
Back to the Turf. We’re getting to the good stuff now – the four biggies. Aragorn is the horse I picked for Angie, based on his name. I hope he does well for her!
Gorella is the tough one. Oops, I didn’t start the VCR up in time, I missed part of that. Crap! I was messing with the blog. Anyway, I think she’s really tough and she’s the one to beat, but Aragorn is having a really good year, and she’s running against boys. If she’d been against girls, hands down, she’s the winner. Don’t count out Araafa either. The Europeans tend to do well on the turf. I almost overlooked him! I’m going with a Gorella/Araafa exacta. I just wish Jerry Bailey wouldn’t call the horse ‘Aragon’. It’s ARAGORN. Don’t you people read?

Some early packing in the race, then stringing out. Araafa about six off lead, Gorella at the rear, Rob Roy in the far back; Aragorn and Araafa are near each other about a half mile in; Gorella hasn’t moved yet. Silent Name is pushing them hard, still a pack with lots of bumping and shoving – Miesque’s Approval setting up a huge upset! Wow! Aragorn second, Badge of Silver third, but how they can tell in that mess I will never know, since it was a herd heading to the finish behind Miesque’s Approval.
ESPN is running the Mile’s post position draw at the bottom of the screen, after the race is over. DUH.
Gorella 7th and Araafa 9th. I really am not having a good day, but that’s typical on BC day. Guess I should have studied the past performances first. Oh well.

3:34 – Married horses?
WinStar Farms asks some kids about how baby horses are made, and one girl says the boy horse stands next to the girl horse and then they’re married. Kenny Mayne makes light of the mating process in only the way he can. Shawklit Lover seems a little concerned about Victory Gallop showing up in the hookup barn, as he called it. Oh boy! They spare us the tawdry details.

3:36 – Distaff
This is a great field – Pine Island, Healthy Addiction, Sharp Lisa, my girl Lemons Forever, Spun Sugar, Fleet Indian, Round Pond, Hollywood Story, Asi Siempre (I LOVE that name, but I don’t know what it means), Happy Ticket, Balleto and a few others. This is a hell of a race. I’m going on sentiment – Lemons Forever and Asi Siempre. This may end up being better than the Classic.
(A shot of Kenny Mayne’s empty chair and Hank putting on his mic, then one of Randy Moss laughing. Oops!)
Todd Pletcher looks focused. He’s wishing he’d done better than second all day.
They’re using the double load, very smart. I watch the little feet in the starting gate. Healthy Addiction sharp, quick pace to start, still dusty. Fleet Indian holding off leaders, Asi Siempre toward the back, Lemons Forever toward the back as I expected, Pool Land looks like she’s fighting, Sharp Lisa third at half, Round Pond fourth, what a field! Who is moving? Pool Land moving on, Fleet Indian eased, oh no, what a charge, Balletto charging, Round Pond fighting ahead, but she was challenged, Lemons is coming on late, but Round Pond gets them - Asi Siempre second.

Pine Island broke down, Javier Castellano laying on the track – now he’s up and it appears he’s going to be fine, which is a relief; Fleet Indian should be okay; but Pine Island apparently broke a leg. Edgar Prado won the race, but he’s watching what happened. He was on Barbaro when he broke down, so you know what’s on his mind. He looks really stricken. I hate it when this happens, and it does. That’s why so many tracks are going to Polytrack – it’s safer. It’s just that the horses don’t like it, or at least aren’t used to it yet. I want all tracks to use it and get the horses used to it. This is why people don’t get into horse racing. They see how dangerous it is and see it as cruel. I could go on about that for a while, but that’s not why I’m here today.

Waiting for the update on Pine Island, but it doesn’t look good. Every year I pray before the races start that they’ll all come through okay.
PI dislocated ankle, damaged skin introduces infection, need x-rays, significant injury according to vet. We’ll know more later. I wish they wouldn’t show her going head over tail again. She was struggling for a while, I don’t know why she didn’t stop sooner.

Edgar Prado looks so stricken I want to hug him. And it’s hard to win a race and be happy about it, when that’s going on.

Michael Matz won the race with Round Pond – he was also Barbaro’s trainer. So this is really hurting a lot of people, not to mention Pine Island. I hope for no pain for her whatever happens.

Asi Siempre disqualified and placed fourth because she ran over Balleto. Where did Lemons finish? Oh, fifth. Joe Pesci is in the winners circle??
PI was euthanized, that’s the update. The vet says this was a hopeless injury. At least she’s not suffering, but this makes me sick. And it seems to be the same for the hosts. I’ve heard it said that the empty stall in the barn upsets everyone. So this isn’t just ‘part of the game’. And the sport is doing what it can to change this. Just one wrong step. It’s what it is. How often do you take a funny step? I nearly took a header over the fan just today. Ugh.

This just sucks all the air out of the room.

4:26 – Turf
Now they’re talking about Polytrack. Synthetic dirt is easier on the legs, it’s softer and easier on their joints, so says Jerry Bailey.
Scorpion is tough at 5-1, but is he healthy? I gotta like Rush Bay just for the name, but Cacique is the one to beat (I always think of underwear, there used to be a store called this that sold underthings). Hurricane Run is also tough, and there’s Better Talk Now who has a MySpace page and hasn’t approved me as a friend yet! English Channel another toughie. I’m going with Cacique, and Better Talk Now in my exacta out of sentimentality alone.

Castellano should have pulled PI up sooner; it looks like the strides before she fell her head was down low and she was struggling a little, and his failure to do that not only cost the horse her life, but almost cost him his. That’s my opinion anyway. He says he didn’t notice anything wrong turning for home, it happened quickly.

English Channel doesn’t want in the gate, but there he goes. Rush Bay up toward front, Cacique close to the pile – Icy Atlantic, the rabbit out front, Better Talk toward the back, English Channel shadowed by Cacique, Hurricane Run behind them, Silverfoot dead last and dawdling, Icy now being shut down as planned, Scorpion eyeing the leaders, Better Talk still trailing, Rush Bay and English Channel take over, Cacique moving, TH Approval following, Hurricane Run no race today, English Channel big run, Red Rocks challenging, Red Rocks, Better Talk Now challenging – Red Rocks knocks them all down! BTN second and Rush Bay fourth! Wow…..that was unexpected. Where did the biggies finish??? Another Frankie flying dismount. English Channel third. Cacique tenth.

PI was a barn favorite, according to Jeanine. The stable is apparently devastated. Now Fleet Indian does not have a fracture like they thought, now the prognosis is good again.

4:56 – Classic
Here’s the biggie, kids. And here’s the one I know the best. I think it’s going to be hard to beat Bernardini, but a full field could do it. Still, I think he’s one of the best this year, and that’s where I’m going. Lava Man I hear doesn’t like to ship out of CA and that’s going to affect his run, but he’s classy. George Washington is one of Europe’s finest, but I’m not sure he’s ready for dirt and American horses. Invasor is really tough too; he should have a great race. Perfect Drift is my sentimental favorite, and I just want him to do well. He’s such a scrappy horse and he’s been around for such a long time; I hope he gets a really great retirement when his career is over.

Now we’re doing a 2003-2006 for PI. I’m out of Kleenex, for God’s sake. But it’s respectful and a little odd.

There’s my boy Perfect Drift! And his odds are 29-1, which is my birthday (reversed)! Maybe this is his year to win! Giacomo is back, back at Churchill since the 2005 Derby. I still think Afleet Alex should have won that race. Dammit!

This is an amazing field. I wish Second of June was there, but he took a bad step earlier this year and had to be euthanized. (The same injury Barbaro had.) I wish Barbaro was here too, but I’m just glad he’s still grazing, and is doing well – could have his cast off soon, actually.

Now after what happened to Pine Island I’m nervous for this race. They’re loading and I’m so nervous my palms are sweaty. Lots of talk, lots of speculation. Just get them through safely.
George Washington is fractious before the starting gate, and the asst starters have grabbed his ear. That hurts, but it works! Bernardini standing well waiting. Time to crank up the sound.

AND THEY’RE OFF!

Who swung wide? Lawyer Ron off fast, Flower Alley close – Bernardini sixth, Lawyer Ron being held tightly, Brother Derek takes early lead, Drift off the pace as always, Giacomo far back; Brother Derek sets some fast fractions, Bernardini in fifth, should be picking up, going wide, George coming through inside, Invasor trying to move up, PD still out there, Derek still leading, Ron second, Bernardini kicks into gear and he’s putting a huge run on, oh my god!!!!! What a move! Hits the front, Derek fighting back, Invasor coming up, Bernardini being faced with Invasor, nose to nose, Invasor got in front of him! Oh my god, he beat Bernardini! Premium Tap third, Giacomo fourth – better than I expected. I can’t believe Invasor won! I mean, I can, but wow! Who is Horse of the Year now? Invasor just made his case. He and Bernardini were supposed to meet in the Jockey Club Gold Cup but Invasor had a cold.

Lava Man no factor. PD of course not, but I do adore that horse. Invasor saw a camera and arched his neck. Showoff! J He’s so wound up he’s dragging his walker down the track! PD finished 8th, Lava Man 7th. I think PD’s best days are behind him, but that’s okay. He’s like 7!

Bernardini will be retired probably, and I’d say he earned it. He ran some nice races this year. Ashley Judd is in the winner’s circle with the trophy. Huh!

Whew! So many ups and downs. I’m tired. And it’s time for dinner.

Get Your Freak-Out On

One of my TV addictions (and I have so many!) is Sci-Fi's Ghosthunters show. It doesn't run often, but when it does, it's usually pretty good, so I'm recommending this show to anybody who likes the supernatural (even if it doesn't come with Jensen Ackles) or wants to debunk it.

It's run by two guys, Jason and Grant, who work for Roto-Rooter in Rhode Island somewhere (I think that's where they are). They have a fluctuating staff, and they drive around the country investigating sightings. They use electronic equipment to look into reported hauntings, and sometimes they find something and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they figure out that the reason the person feels uneasy in his house is because (like in one case) his electrical box is 'leaking' and that apparently can cause headaches. This same guy had his basement set up so that the shelf containing all his chemicals and paints was unfortunately right below the air vent, and it was blowing toxins all throughout the house. So they debunked that haunting right there, but I think the guy was pretty relieved.

But sometimes they come up with the freakiest sh*t. The episode called "haunted lighthouse" features the team 'chasing' someone up and down the stairs of the lighthouse - someone who doesn't set off the motion detector lights at the top. Last week's episode featured some amazing EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon, which is sound captured on audio tape but not heard at the time) of a little girl asking "Who is Jason?" and singing to herself. Another episode featured a guy who lived in the house his grandparents used to live in, and the team captured some EVPs that led them to think the grandparents were still hanging around but not in any malicious sense. That guy seemed happy to have them still there.

Yeah, this stuff can be faked. OF COURSE it can. But I like to think that since these guys make a point of debunking stuff, that the stuff they can't debunk can possibly be the real thing. Or we just don't know how to debunk it yet. Anyway, it's just entertainment, and sometimes when they take a freaky picture or capture something odd on the thermal camera (that's my favorite), it just makes the hair on my neck stand on end. (See the Civil War soldier episode. If that doesn't freak you out, not much will.)

PS - Another good show, by the way, is Mythbusters on Discovery. A show where sh*t blows up. (You should have seen them decimate a concrete truck with explosives. There was nothing left.) More maniacal laughter please!

The Big Fat Move (or) Why Chris Wants Me to be Illiterate

So I haven't been here in a while because I've been trying to move and start my new job and unpack. Safe to say, I loathe moving, the job is going well, and yes, I have too much stuff (something all my movers felt so compelled to point out that I made them recite it all at once so we could get it out of our systems). That did not, however, stop my mother from making comments behind my back or from looking into all my boxes so she could remind my friends (while rolling her eyes) that I have SO MUCH STUFF. Next time the Snotty Comment Princess stays home.

I'm still unpacking, but I'm making progress, and Luki has finally forgiven me for the drastic change. Now he's obsessed with the guest bathroom sink. The water in Lansing is MUCH better than the Kalamazoo water - one person already told me my hair looks blonde again after years of tending toward the slightly orange, despite my best efforts - and Luki seems to appreciate it. I found him sitting in the sink yesterday and wondered what he would do if I just turned on the water full blast.

But anyway, during the move people kept reminding me that moving is the best time to purge one's stuff, and the thing is, I did. I went through bookcases and boxes and closets. And I gave a lot of stuff to the library, to friends, to Goodwill. (You should have seen all the books that went out the door.) But I've also found that another good time to purge (or re-purge, so to speak) is when UNpacking. I've been going through some of the boxes and rubbermaid tubs that were already sealed up and ready to move, and I'm finding a few more things I don't really need anymore. I guess the move helped bring about the 'purge urge', since I only really get rid of stuff when I'm in the right mood to do it. So a few more boxes will probably go out the door of the new place.

Oh, and why does Chris want me to be illiterate? I still have a freakin' ton of books. A TON. That's really not an exaggeration if you had to lift them all. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. (NO, I am not getting rid of them!!!)

Horse-racing tip of the day: Saturday is the Breeders' Cup, which means I will spend approximately 7 hours in front of my television set, twitching with glee. Bernardini is the class of the Classic, but there are a few other gems in the eight races that day. Perfect Drift, my boy, runs in the Classic, and the one name I can't get out of my head is a filly named Asi Siempre. I'm not sure if she's any good but that is just the coolest name ever.

The Art of the RSVP

When you see an invitation on paper or in your email (or an Evite) that requests that you RSVP, what do you generally do?

Most people I know will write or call to say yes or no, they're in or not. But I know a few people who don't bother to get back to me at all. So let me refresh everyone on the art of the RSVP.

It's French for "Respondez-vous, s'il vous plait" or 'respond, if you please'. That means if you can attend or cannot attend, you should let somebody know. Don't just respond only if you can make it, and for heaven's sake, don't ignore the invitation until you find out for sure if you have something better to do that weekend. (I know of one person I suspect of doing that.)

And don't ignore the invitation altogether - not hearing from you at all is just rude. After a while, I stop inviting people who don't bother to communicate or who never come to anything. It's the same with Christmas and birthday cards. If I send you a card several times and get nothing back, I stop sending you cards. And I'm sure you do the same!

RSVP a 'maybe' if the 'maybe' reason is worth mentioning ("my grandfather could be coming home from the hospital that day" or "I could be having kidney surgery that afternoon") or if you'd like a spot reserved for you for a short time while you double check your calendar, but not if you have to find out for sure if you have to wash your hair or bathe the cat. Granted, this is coming from a person who sometimes says "I may have committed to something else that day and have to double check" (because I'm forgetful, and I know it) but I only say that when invited to something in person or over the phone (never when invited to something in writing, unless I'm asked whether I'm coming before I have a chance to respond and/or determine what that nagging thought at the back of my head might be). When I call you or email you to RSVP I generally know for sure if I can come or not.

"RSVP Regrets Only" assumes you're coming unless you call to say "I can't make it".

The RSVP is there so the host or hostess knows how much food to buy, chairs to put out, seats to reserve at the restaurant, tickets to buy, bowling lanes to reserve, etc. So RSVPing at the last minute doesn't help in that regard, unless it's super-casual. Just to be clear, I'm talking here about any event that would require an RSVP, (such as my upcoming moving day, or the WMU Homecoming gathering) not the general Thursday Night Fairfield Beers-type get-together.

I don't know if that helps, but there you go. One person's thoughts on the RSVP! Anybody else? I'd love to hear your experiences or your thoughts on it. Am I being too Miss Manners? Not fussy enough? Weigh in!!

Hork

That sound you hear coming from Detroit is the sound of the Tigers coughing up a hairball. They had the division title practically handed to them in the form of the Royals and they barfed it up. They blew a 6-nothing lead yesterday, let the errors cost them runs, and tried to be the heroes by slugging in a grand slam with the bases loaded rather than trying for a base hit to bring in the man on third and win the game.

Look, really, I'm glad they have done better this year than last year, and all things considered we had a really great time at the game yesterday (a friend got tix). Once the sun came out it was comfortable, although breezy. I could be slightly sunburned on one side of my body. And we got more game than we paid for (12 innings!) so it was a good deal. I only wish the Tigers would lose games because they were outplayed by the other team, not because they outplayed themselves, which seems to be the story in Detroit far too often (in the dictionary, see: Lions).

Now they have to play the Yankees in New York, I understand. That's going to be tough, if they play the way they played against the Royals this past week. Derek, honey, be nice to your Michigan team, please? Um, yeah, I didn't think so.

"Supernatural" Doesn't Disappoint

My appointment TV of Thursday night was Supernatural (I taped CSI and still haven't watched it yet - too much going on). And of course, it didn't disappoint - lots of Dean, which is a general bonus. Someone tell Jensen Ackles to call me. THAT'S a booty call I say yes to.

I hear a lot of girls like the guy who plays his brother Sam, but while Jared Padalecki has an offbeat and adorable smile, he still screams 'little brother' to me. Cute, but I'd pat him on the head and set him up with somebody younger. Jensen, I keep for myself. Heh.

I AM however, disappointed that the black Impala is in pieces after the semi crash. Put that baby back together again, Bobby! That way we can hear more Rush from the tape deck. (You gotta love a show aimed at teens and creepy old people like me, that uses classic rock like Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, AC/DC, Metallica, and sometimes these are tunes the younger set won't be familiar with. I can hear them now: "Who is Blue Oyster Cult???")

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is now officially the Guy Who Dies in Hospitals, following the Supernatural Season Premiere, and last season's Grey's Anatomy finale. He's going to get typecast, but at least it means he doesn't have to shave much.

On an odd note, I've noticed that the local TV guide (not TV Guide) doesn't include the CW listings. However, two guys I used to work with are now at WWMT, and their business cards include the CW logo, so it appears the local CBS channel is running the CW too. So why aren't we getting those listings in our local newspaper? I just have to know when Veronica Mars and Supernatural are on. (Tuesday and Thursday at 9 in case you're wondering.) The VCR is already set. Craig and Hunter, you're getting a call to find out what the heck's up with the guide!

I'm Blaming This On Sarah

Sarah started this whole TV thing.... really she did!

I've started in on some of my favorite shows. I picked up one new show "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" because I really adore Aaron Sorkin despite never having met him. Love the trademark quick quips, long camera shots, endearing personalities. I'm sticking with this one for a while.

I picked up 'Desperate Housewives' again - it's a show I don't think much about until I get to it on my tape and then I generally laugh out loud. Some of the things Gabrielle says and does leave me in stitches. And I'm waiting for Lynette's smackdown of the love child's mommy - whoever that actress is, she's fabulous. And we get to hear Dougray Scott talk for a while, that's always a bonus. Now, when do we get to find out that Andrew's been hustling???

'Supernatural' starts tomorrow. I'm waiting with bated breath. Meow!!! (That does not mean, people, that I was eating cat food.)

'Prison Break' continues its run of being tense and occasionally ridiculous. All the women on this show are hot for Michael, which is understandable, since he is the strong yet sensitive smart type. But Lincoln is the brawny sexy type and nobody seems to look at him twice. Are these women on crack??? There's a sandwich right there!

Speaking of that, I saw an ad for the movie "The Prestige." Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Somebody bring me the mustard, because that's one hell of a sandwich.

Back to TV *ahem*. CSI Miami continues being ludicrous in plot yet beautifully shot, on CSI NY Gary Sinese's character is finally getting some love - in the form of Claire Forlani (yes, she of "Mallrats" fame!); the regular CSI has not answered our questions about Gil and Sarah, but has already hinted at a bit of sparkage between Catherine and Nick - and since she had sparkage last season with Warrick, I'd like this woman to find a decent man - one or the other or somebody else (You may remember the always sexy Nick Lea broke her heart a few seasons back. I taped all those episodes. Yes, I am a loser). On top of that, if something shitty happens to someone on that show, it's always to her. What's up with that?????

'Bones' is hilarious, but I hope you weren't eating during the early parts of tonight's episode. The tension between Bones and Boothe is well done, and she seems to be conscious of it now. And the sparkage between Angela and Hodgins is a little odd but well done between them (didn't think they were each other's type, but that's the fun I suppose). Best line of the night: when Hodgins finds out Zack gets to go out on a case, he says to Cam "Out out?" and she replies without missing a beat "We'll pin our number to his sweater."

Bonus - did anybody notice who was playing the red headed wife? Melinda McGraw, formerly Melissa Scully on the X-Files whose character was shot and killed by Alex Krycek, played by her ex boyfriend, and my permanent meal plan member, Nick Lea. (Yes, shut up!!!)

Cold Case and Without a Trace remain generally reliable and formulaic but in a good way. Veronica Mars starts next week and so does Lost, I believe. I hope they come up with some doozy moments this season, and I hope the fact that I haven't been reading all of those hanso foundation ads in Entertainment Weekly or surfing the web maniacally for clues doesn't mean I'm left out of the loop when the show airs!

Updates

I did NOT get a booty call last night after the shindig, in case any of you were wondering. (MIKE.) And even if I had, I would have said no!!

My knees however are very sore from dancing in high heeled boots. The price we pay for fashion. And dancing, which I love.

As for the catsitting, Tammy is providing all food and litter. She and I are going to discuss the price this weekend, but thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it!! Angie is helping out with the cats too so I'll be splitting the costs with her. I can only watch them through early October.

Oh, and the big one, I GOT A JOB. I forgot to mention that first. Provided my drug test comes back clean (:-)) I will be working in Lansing at the Secretary of State's office doing elections education type stuff - PSAs, working with clerks, etc. I'm a little nervous, I admit. I'm trying to find a place to live that isn't overrun with college students! And the best part, I'm making a hell of a lot more money than I ever did at Fairfield!!!! I'm so excited for that first paycheck. Whee!!!

Catsitting with Crowbars

Today I locked myself in Tammy's master bedroom while feeding the cats. The doorknobs are loose, and when I closed the door to keep the other cats out of the master bedroom, the doorknob on the outside fell off, and the piece between the doorknobs got pushed back so I couldn't put the inside doorknob on it and turn it to open the door.

So picture this. I'm first wrestling with the door while balancing two water dishes in my hands (I was headed to the bathroom to change the waters when I realized I was locked in) and I have seven pairs of eyes watching me. Jasper had followed me into the room and wanted out again, but when he realized it was going to be a while, he jumped up on the window ledge and watched the entertainment from there. Such help. Also observing me: Mia, Scarlet, Al, Goldie, Gracie and Izzy, the latter three who are dying for me to pet them right that minute, winding around my knees as I try unsuccessfully to fit the doorknob back on. Gracie will go so far as to nip me if I don't move fast enough, so that's another distraction.

So then I consider calling Tim to come let me out, since the room has a phone, but he's in the middle of his shift, and I know that would be a story that would circulate around my old office in a hurry, so I try to come up with another solution. Several of the cats, mind you, think this is really entertaining, and are twining around my ankles as I survey the hangers and search for a screwdriver or something to turn the latch mechanism. High entertainment, I'm sure.

Finally I spot a funky kind of straight hanger (she had no wire hangers!! argh!) that I use as a crowbar to pry the door open with minimal damage. Then I pick pieces of doorknob out of the cat litter box on the other side of the door, and put everything back together, reminding myself NOT to latch the door the next time.

I Have a Question...

I could sure use your thoughts on a question I'm pondering.

I'm catsitting for the Abramowski 17 (cats, for those of you who don't know who the Abramowski 17 are). Tammy has taken a job out of state, but until she can find a place to live where they'll be accepted, she's leaving them in her house in Kzoo, and I'm going over once a day to feed the fish, play with the cats, scoop litters and put out food and water. (Don't ask why the husband isn't doing it.)

Tammy has said she'll pay me to watch the cats since this will probably be a relatively long-term deal - at least a month, and maybe more. She originally planned to board them at the vet's, but that was going to cost $3000 a month.

My question is, what is an acceptable amount of money to ask her for? I don't want to screw a friend or get greedy, especially since she's been out of work as long as I have and is just starting a new job, looking for a new house, and traveling a lot between her new home city and Kzoo. Plus she's trying to get the Kzoo house ready for sale, arm-wrestling the husband and trying to pack all at once. The last thing I want to do is provide more stress.

On the other hand, I am looking after all of those cats, taking out the trash and taking in the mail, and driving 17 miles round trip daily to do it. (I was curious, so I checked.) Not that that's a big distance, but I do generally spend 1-2 hours taking care of the cats and in transit, so it's not like I can stop in and run out again most days, but I enjoy playing with them - they're really all sweeties. She has catsat for Luki in the past and I've catsat her cats before, and we generally don't charge each other, but because this is long-term, she wanted to pay me this time.

Any thoughts on what I should request? Thanks!

Okay, I Have More Than Three Readers....

Sorry Blake, didn't mean to leave you out. And Cat posted so that's cool! I just like knowing my ramblings are at least getting a few brave souls to wonder what the hell I'm talking about.

Cathleen, you're quite right about PB, considering that's the staple food of my diet (peanut butter, not Prison Break, although my TV diet is pretty much Prison Break right now - insert joke here.) Freud would probably say something about the Jif in my cupboard. And my dateless life. Heh.

I had a 'feeling sorry for myself' morning since I realized everybody I knew who lost their job right around the time I did, or has since, has found a job. But then I started helping Tammy pack her house and forgot to feel sorry for myself, so that's good. I'm still plugging away! Large chunks of the state now know who I am thanks to all the resumes I sent out. NOW HIRE ME, DAMMIT!

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. Damn, was it heavy.

Prison Break Update

Anybody else watch this show? (It would explain the Wentworth Miller dreams. He has got the weirdest smile - kind of feral and awkward, like he's not sure what he's doing and it's mighty uncomfortable. I can see now why in all of his pics he just sort of smirks.)

Last season was pretty much set inside the prison so I couldn't say for sure where the plot holes were, but now that they're on the lam, I'm finding them left and right. Sucre escapes from a cop through a cornfield onto a train, and is traversing the country in Mach 2 time. Lincoln has a gunshot wound to the leg, but a little cayenne pepper and a whole lotta vodka takes care of that so he can run easily by the end of the episode. C-Note isn't noticed talking to his daughter at day care, even though everybody's on the lookout these days for men who lurk by daycares and schools. Everybody contacts their loved ones without thinking through the 'lines tapped' thing. Tancredi is in and out of jail in record time, and into an AA-type meeting, with a Secret Service guy on her tail, of all things. Huh?

I did however love Bellick and the other ex-guard getting into the scrum at the convenience store and then sitting on the back of Bellick's car drinking beer and plotting to bring in the escapees themselves. I'm not a guy, but isn't that the way they make peace? Beat each other up and all's good. Those were some great scenes, and more to come, I'm sure. And Mahone (I think that's Fichtner's character) is now peeling like an onion - there's an old case he's got a history with, but we don't know what it is yet, and he's popping pills. I hope in the end he ends up on Linc's side and LJ's, and works to get them both cleared. But that's because I like Fichtner and like him better when he plays the morally conflicted.

Horse-racing updates of the day: Lost in the Fog is undergoing chemo, but it still doesn't look good for the fella. On an up note, jockey Victor Espinoza won seven of eight earlier this week at Del Mar. Can you believe it? He had mounts in eight of the 11 races, and won seven of them. I don't do math. What kind of batting percentage is that?

PS. Does anybody else feel like we oughta have a beer for the late Crocodile Hunter? Instead of cheers, you say 'crikey' (no, I'm not being flip). I feel awful, we just watched one of his shows the other day! If anybody loved his life, it was Steve Irwin, and he did a lot for animals. I'm awful bummed.

I Have Three Whole Readers!!

Thank you to Sarah and Heather and Mike for being my loyal audience, especially when I get to rambling or pontificate for much too long on movies and horse racing. (And you thought I was long-winded in person! Ha!!) Sarah and Mike, I always check your blogs and enjoy them! Heather, you should really start one. You have so many good stories to share!!!

My New Word is Wanktard!

Thank you to 'Bones' for that little gem.

In other random thoughts...

Do you ever find yourself quoting 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' whenever you pass a certain brand of convenience store? (Say it with me, kids: "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.")

I must stop having dreams with Wentworth Miller in them. Last night we blew up empty buildings. Then I went camping.

I will be really bummed if the sheep farmer on 9th Street ever sells his land. I like seeing the sheep. It's proof condos haven't claimed everything.

Creepy Man shaved his mustache. What makes him creepy, I've realized, is how he watches the car when I go by. Maybe he does it to everybody; I dunno. And now I don't have Harley Man or Ian living nearby! Harley Man could take Creepy Man, bum knee and all. Ian, eh, I dunno about that one. He's kinda skinny.

My crazy great aunt made my uncle sit out in the yard with a cane when she let the dog out 'to whack the other dogs that come into the yard.' My uncle was out there approximately 30 seconds before he came back into the house, saying he wasn't going to whack anybody.

Does anybody actually read this or am I, once again, talking to myself in public?

Your Early Guide to the BC Classic

I caught up with Saturday's Travers today after I got home from the family reunion and watched Bernardini (this year's Preakness winner) decimate a small field that included perennial bridesmaid Bluegrass Cat. So, if you're gearing up for the $5 million Breeders Cup Classic like I am (okay, maybe you're not), here's who you should watch:

Bernardini has been impressive all year. Although he's been facing small fields, he shows a nice stride and is relatively low key during saddling and the post parade. I have enjoyed watching him in this race and the Jim Dandy, and I'm curious to see if he can handle some of the other horses he may face in the BC Classic. He won this race by some seven lengths, the Jim Dandy by nine lengths and the Preakness by 5. So it's pretty clear he can be dominant.

Bluegrass Cat couldn't keep up with Bernardini in the Travers, even though he hung with him from the moment they left the gate. They found out this morning he's got a fracture in his right hind leg and has been retired, but the injury isn't life-threatening (although it may need surgery), and he'll get to do a lot of eating, sleeping and meeting girls. What a rotten life. ;-) But his absence from the BC Classic makes things a little more interesting.

Invasor has won three races in the States with real style, beating Sun King in the Whitney Handicap most recently after wins in the Suburban and Pimlico Special. (You should hear Kenny Mayne say this horse's name.) He's going to be overlooked by people who only watched the Triple Crown and the Travers, which is the biggest race of the fall for Classic distance horses until the Breeders Cup.

Lava Man has been consistantly ignored, which is odd, considering he's classy and has shown he can handle the tough races. He won the Pacific Classic a week or so ago, and in addition, he's racked up wins in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Santa Anita Handicap, and Sunshine Millions, among others. But he still doesn't get respect. I think he'll be overlooked at the betting window.

A horse you're not hearing much about is one called Discreet Cat. He's mostly been an enigma to US racing, but I'm hearing lots of good racing buzz about him. He won the UAE Derby (beating Invasor), skipped the KY Derby, and then got back into the action this weekend with an 11-length win at Saratoga. I haven't had a chance to look over his past performance index yet, but I'm going to be doing my homework on this one between now and November. (He'll race again in October too.)

A Note: Last year's BC Classic winner Saint Liam died this week after a freak injury at the farm where he stood at stud. There was nothing anyone could do to save him. He never got a chance to make the impact on the racing world that he should have.

On Another Note: Lost in the Fog is undergoing treatment, which is a change from when it sounded like he wouldn't get treated for his cancer. And Barbaro continues to do well. I'll keep you posted on both.

The Annual Family Reunion

So this weekend is the annual family reunion in Indiana. Many of you know of this as the weekend with the Crazy Great-Aunt, the family's closest thing to a 'black sheep.' Well, some black sheep get arrested or marry people half their age. Ours hugs you to her rapidly-sagging-but-still-hefty bosom, shouts in your ear because she refuses to wear her hearing-aid, and wants to know WHEN you're going to write that biography of her dearly-departed mother, and WHAT you think of the war in Iraq and the president, and WHAT you think of her latest rant to the newspaper (she's saved a copy and its usually religious in nature and rambling in style) and WHY somebody is doing something that is not God's work (take your pick on who the 'somebody' is).

Every year I promise myself I'm going to be nicer to her. And then ten minutes in, she's asked me one of those questions, usually at top volume, and I find myself gritting my teeth.

It's worse at mealtimes. She fills her mouth full of food and THEN wants to talk to you. My repeated admonitions of "Chew. Swallow. Then Speak" are treated with a hearty laugh (I've learned to protect my plate) and continued conversation, again usually at top volume. She wants to engage me in political discussions, and she pesters my aunt with questions about 'Izzy' which is what she calls my niece ('Izzy' to me is Mike and Jenn's cat). I hate to think what she's going to do when she realizes my brother and his girlfriend bought a house together. There could be more 'God' in the conversation that any of us would be comfortable with, even the Big Guy Upstairs.

This is the woman who once called me a traitor because I had a British flag hanging in my bedroom. She has raised a succession of dogs that are so poorly trained, I imagine not even Cesar Milan (The Dog Whisperer of National Geographic fame) would know what to do with her.

And yet we go to the reunion, knowing full well we'll have to do the cleaning the day before so the outside chairs are free of cobwebs and the inside chairs free of dust and dog hair (the dog is now kenneled after one unfortunate year in which a dog, now passed on, bit both me and my uncle). We'll scrub dirt and mold, check expiration dates on the mustard and ketchup in the fridge, find they're from last year, and force my aunt to go to the grocery store, where she will buy that mustard and ketchup using a check. Never mind the total is three bucks. A check it is. She once tried to buy a $1.50 sarsparilla at a city celebration with a check, much to my mother's horror. She had to intervene with the cash.

The kids (that being me, my brother and my two cousins, really 'kids' no longer) always find things to do, even to this day, when we ought to 'know better'. One year we scrubbed the bird baths with what turned out to be the vegetable brushes. Another year we kidnapped the macrame frog in the bathroom and held it for 'ransom', leaving clues throughout the yard for my aunt to follow. I had had to leave before that game was afoot, so, in the face of my aunt's considerably funny wrath, the other three blamed it all on me. Then there was the year (not long ago) where we found ourselves buying 'bling' from the grocery store quarter machines (instead of gumballs, you got dollar signs on a string) and we went back, turned our hats backwards, and paraded around with our plastic bling prominently displayed. I have the pictures to prove it. Another year we gave my aunt marker tattoos - I think they washed off but I'm not entirely sure how long it took.

And with one bathroom shared between eight or nine of us staying at the house, my aunt disappears in there for a long stretch at a time while the rest of us do the potty dance in the living room, or drive up to the CVS for their bathroom and the diversion of the magazine aisle.

But she's family, and we go with the best of intentions. How those intentions turn out is always the fun part. Stay tuned for that update later.

TV is Back!

With last night's season premiere of 'Prison Break' I am happy to report the Fall TV Season is underway! Granted, it's on early on Fox because Fox has baseball to contend with later in the fall. But at least we don't have to wait until late September to get into some of our favorite shows. I think 'Bones' is on next week! Whee!

That said, PB had a few holes - how the transition between the end of last season and the start of this season was actually handled is a big one. Last season the cons were steps from being captured, this season they're way ahead of their pursuers. Huh??? And (spoiler!) they decided to kill off Veronica? This show could use some tougher women on the right side of the law, actually, even though they didn't give her a great chance from the beginning. So we'll see what happens next week. I feel bad for Sucre; he's about to get shafted, and he's beginning to suspect it, but he's been so loyal to Scofield this whole time I feel bad he'll be on his own soon enough. Or will he? I expect the cons will be together for a while longer yet.

The bonus is the cons are now out of their prison grays and both Scofield and Lincoln are suited up, which, at least for this gal, is MUCH more appealing to view. Meow!

And PB did one thing right - seeing that 'Invasion' wouldn't be renewed they snapped up William Fichtner (apparently called 'Bill' on this show - potaytoe, potahtoe) as the person who is actually as smart as Scofield, unlike the belligerent Bellick. The Bellick/Fichtner scrum should be interesting to watch, since one is brains and one is testosterone, which equals out the Scofield/Lincoln dynamic.

Yes, I think too much about TV. There's a creative angle to it, I guess. That's my excuse anyway.

Lost in the Fog

I found out yesterday that champion sprinter Lost in the Fog has terminal cancer, a rarity among horses, I've since learned. He's back at home where he'll get pampered until he shows signs of being in pain, and then he'll be euthanized. I'm sorry to see this end for the horse - he was gutsy and he won something like 11 straight sprints leading up to the Breeders Cup Sprint last year, which he lost.

Anyway, the racing world will be much poorer without Lost in the Fog, and I'm sorry to see him go, but I'm happy at least that his last days will be spent in comfort, and that he won't suffer.

Barbaro Update: Some good news - Barbaro is going outside to graze about a half hour every day, and he is no longer in need of the sling to keep him comfortable and keep the weight off his hind legs. He's not out of the woods yet, but the video I've seen shows him acting like a perfectly normal horse - his ears forward, his eyes bright, tearing up the grass. I also hear they've cut back on the medication he needed early on. Some good racing news after the bad news above.

Movie Review - V For Vendetta

When it came to watching V for Vendetta, I found myself thinking that if Natalie Portman had shown this much emotion during the recent Star Wars movies, they might have been much better.

Portman plays Evey, a Londoner in a not-too-distant future, in which a totalitarian regime has taken control of everything, under the guise of 'protecting' its civilians (and if any of this sounds eerily familiar to the world we live in now, it should). This world persecutes anyone who is different, including homosexuals, and there are very few people of color who turn up on screen. Art is considered 'dangerous' and is hidden away, as is the Koran. Trucks stroll through city streets, listening in on conversations. Protesters simply disappear from their homes.

Evey is headed out to dinner one evening when she breaks curfew. She's attacked by men representing the regime who plan to rape her, but she's rescued by a mysterious man in a Guy Fawkes mask known only as 'V'. From there she's drawn, a step at a time, into his world and his goal. He wants to break the country free from this regime and reintroduce a little anarchy through violence, and as the movie progresses we see how he plans to do this and how he came to wear the mask in the first place. You can easily debate with your friends whether bloody violence is a worthy way to end such a regime or not; that's a good question.

After V has made his manifesto, he's tracked by Inspector Finch (Stephen Rea) and the Chancellor (John Hurt, needing Crest White Strips very badly). One of the most compelling parts of the film for me was watching Finch come to terms with what this regime has become and how it contributed to V's need for revenge.

Portman actually does quite a bit emotionally in this movie, although I'm beginning to see her as an actress whose emoting lacks - something. I wish I could say what it was, but I'm just not sure. I've liked quite a few of the movies she's done, and here she's asked to cover a lot of ground, but for a while now she hasn't entirely convinced me on-screen. Still, despite that, she does a worthy job here, especially in a late but pivotal scene with V (you'll know it because she's wearing orange, and that's all the spoiler I'll give). And if you're wondering how she looks with her head shaved, it actually works for her.

Hugo Weaving plays 'V' without benefit of facial expressions because he remains behind the mask the entire film and uses his fabulous voice to convey much more than you might imagine. (If you're wondering who Hugo Weaving is, all I have to say is 'Mr. Anderson?' and you should hear him speaking immediately. Or remember Elrond from the Lord of the Rings.) In supporting roles, Rea does well with his weary everyman approach, and Stephen Fry shows Evey the power of television, and the inevitable results.

I will be honest in displaying my preference for movies that take a poke at the current state of the world. You'll see at least one protest sign that mentions President Bush, and although it's quick, there are references to society as it's becoming for us now. In fact, the movie says the United States is in the middle of a civil war and hints it has become merely another Third World country, embroiled in its own battles and ravaged by disease. This is a cautionary tale, and it strikes close to home, even though the graphic novel, I'm told, was written in the early 80s. You need to pay close attention to follow the setup in the beginning, although by the very end the movie twists into an action flick, with a sword/gun fight that resembles a dance in the way it's filmed. I found the ending a little unsatisfying but the movie had to be ambitious, covering a lot of ground in a short time, so I don't recommend you try to watch this while playing Texas Hold 'Em. This film needs all your concentration.

Animal Trauma: None. Cute men with guns is another story altogether.

Overall: If you want to see a graphic novel adaptation, skip the cinematic crap we've been doused with the last few years (Sin City and Batman Begins being the exceptions), and watch this movie. Four roses out of five.

Movie/DVD Review - Crash

(I know I mentioned that I saw this a while ago, and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. Bear with me on Walk the Line, that will come later.)

If you haven't rented Crash yet, what exactly are you waiting for? Are you sure that like many Oscar Best Picture winners this movie will be so dry, so depressing, or so utterly confusing that it isn't worth your time? Trust me when I say you won't be sorry to rent this film. It's enthralling, easy to follow (essential with ensemble casts), and leaves us with some rays of hope at the end - some things not every Best Picture nominee or winner can ever promise. (I sat through 'Gosford Park' a nominee a few years ago. I still can't figure out what the hell was going on.)

What is racism, and who is racist? That's the essential question this movie asks, but it asks a lot of little questions. What makes a man strong and what makes a black man who he is? When is respect for the law necessary and when is it dangerous? What are we all carrying around with us that makes us prejudge people? What little moments betray us to others?

This is a movie with no good guys and no bad guys (the only exception being the little girl, who we can probably unequivocally argue is a good guy). Everyone (and I mean everyone) has their prejudices, their misconceptions, their problems, and best of all, their redemptions.

And we get so many questions. Why is Matt Dillon's cop such an ass? And what moment spurs him to see the world a little differently? (To me, it was one of the most powerful scenes in the movie, although a friend disagreed.) Is Terrance Howard waiting to be carjacked, or merely sitting and thinking? Did he do the right thing by his wife, Thandie Newton, or not? Did Sandra Bullock really see Larenz Tate and Ludacris coming toward her and thus take her husband's arm, or did she take his arm purely innocently? What's really going on with Brendan Frasier and Nona Gaye? (Another scene I almost missed, at the very end.) Who let down Don Cheadle - himself, or his family, or his society?

You must watch this movie carefully for its small moments, a stellar cast and some great acting. Fraser doesn't get to bombast like he should but Bullock is amazing taking the role of a bitter wife - maybe she should skip the crappy love stories and go for something heavier. The critics have been right about Ludacris; he CAN act, and I expect to see more of him in quality flicks in the future. Ryan Phillippe doesn't layer his character enough, but there are so many other fine performances that it doesn't really matter. Terrance Howard, Don Cheadle, Loretta Devine (I have loved her since "Waiting to Exhale") Bahar Soomekh, Jennifer Esposito - the list goes on. In fact, you pretty much get fabulous acting from nearly everyone in the cast - people you recognize and people you don't.

And everyone is intertwined in such a way that we recognize the effects we have on others. We're not islands, despite the legendary cliche. We run round and round and round with each other, and our prejudices affect other people, whether or not we're willing to admit they're there. The question is then, what are you carrying around with you, and why? And can you let go of it?

The movie does have some redeeming moments, which to me is essential - I personally do not like movies that end with everybody dying or ending up horribly depressed or ruined or something dreadful. There is hope in this film, if you look carefully for it. And that elevates the movie beyond the usual ensemble cast film.

Not too many extras on the DVD - I would have liked some lighter moments to balance out the gravitas of the film.

Animal Trauma: None, but there's enough people trauma (emotionally) to more than make up for it.

Overall: If you miss this you only have yourself to blame. Four and a half roses out of five.

If You Need A Good Laugh...

....you can always reflect on my dating life.

But if that's not working for you (and considering how old that joke is now, it probably isn't) I suggest tuning in to ABC Family to catch reruns of the American "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" I taped a bunch of those for giggles this week, and every episode I end up laughing so hard I'm in tears. (And not just because Ryan Stiles does things I remember seeing my brother do when I was growing up - oh, how I wish we could get the two of them on stage together! Throw in Neil Patrick Harris (Barney on How I Met Your Mother) and I would be in convulsions from laughter, and how much they all look alike, the entire time.)

And if you don't ask yourself at least once an episode "they're showing THIS on ABC FAMILY???" I'd be surprised. Some of it isn't as family-friendly as it is effing hilarious.

Just thought I'd share that little bit o' sunshine with you. Now I'm just waiting for the antihistimines to wear off so I can return to normal.

Horse-racing Tip of the Day: I've been watching the progess of a horse named Invasor over the last several weeks - he's from someplace like Uruguay, and he's had three wins in the US, beating horses like the highly touted Flower Alley, and the 'I can't believe he can actually run, but he can!' Sun King. Watch this horse if he makes it to the Breeders' Cup Classic. He's tough and he's good. He made Flower Alley look like a maiden (non-winner) in their last race, and that's saying something.

There's a Handbasket with My Name On It

The day after the previous post took place, I had to (politely) tell two Jehovah's Witnesses to shove off.

I am SO going to hell.

What is Instinct, and What is Prejudice?

I'm asking myself that question this evening after an unusual encounter, and I'm interested to hear what you think.

I was pulling into the driveway of a friend's house to cat-sit this evening when I saw a woman walking along the side of the road. She was African-American, slightly heavyset and probably around 40. I gave her a quick smile - the kind you give other drivers at a 4-way stop. Then I pulled up the driveway, parked the car behind the house and got out of the car.

Then I see this woman walking up the driveway, asking me, "Are you from around here?" I say "no," thinking she's going to ask a question about the neighborhood - perhaps to locate a house or a business - but I do find it odd she's just walked up the driveway without invitation. (The neighbors, an unusual bunch but generally friendly, are out on their deck talking and are within sight and earshot, so I feel relatively safe. Had they not been there, I would have been much more on edge if a stranger approached me.)

The woman starts in on a tale about how she's been walking around for two days since her mother died. I don't even let her finish to get to whatever it is she wants, since I sense a request coming; I suggest she go downtown to the train station area, since I think she's asking for transportation. She says she's been down there and they can't help her. I see she's wearing a white t-shirt, backwards and inside out, but she doesn't look entirely unkempt. I suggest she go downtown to Ministry with Community. She says she's been there and a woman named Judy Mingus told her there was no funding left.

Now, I know Judy Marcusse Mann who runs Ministry with Community, and although I know funding is usually a problem at her organization, I'm torn by the idea that this woman could have talked to Judy, since she knows her name (or close anyway), and by the feeling that if this woman was in such dire straits as she claims, Judy would find her assistance (and perhaps she knows Judy from past visits to Ministry). So I interrupt her in a firm voice and tell her, no, Ministry with Community would help her if she desperately needed help and there's also the Gospel Mission downtown too, as well as several other places. At this point, she gives up and heads down the driveway again.

I go into the house and then a few minutes later I go out through the front door to get the mail, and I see her walking by again from the other direction - meaning she didn't go back downtown as I directed her, but walked up the street further (which doesn't get you any more houses).

So here's what bothers me about the encounter. Was it my instincts that told me she was telling me a fairy tale? Or was it a form of prejudice? And what was it that made me suggest the train station, Ministry with Community and the Gospel Mission, all sites for poor people, many of whom are African-American? (I've been there, so I know what the population is like.)

I asked myself, as I went through the house feeding the fish and petting the cats, that had she been white, would I still have reacted the way I did? I'm pretty sure I would have (had the person been male of any race, I expect I would have had my cell phone out in seconds). I also have to admit the last several times I've been 'panhandled' for lack of a better word, the person has been black.

Now I'm not making any statements, blanket or otherwise, about African-Americans, and most of you know me well enough to know that's not how I live my life. But to NOT question something just because someone is African-American, is taking PC to the extreme.

This same friend of mine and I were discussing instinct the other day, and she said not enough people trust theirs, and I agreed. I was telling her about a guy who lives in my complex. He's white, probably around 45, tall and skinny with a dark mustache, usually wearing a short sleeved button down shirt and jeans, and he's always in the road smoking a cigarette. If I don't see him four or five times a week, that's unusual. And there's something about this guy that gives me the creeps. I can't explain it. He hasn't done anything particularly odd, unless you count the fact that he comes out into the road to smoke a cigarette instead of using his balcony or patio. But there's something about him that causes me to avoid eye contact with him when I drive by. In fact, I've taken to going the other way around to my apartment if I spot him out in the road. I don't know why. I mean, maybe you've met my neighbor Harley Man. The guy's straight from central casting in the biker man role, and I'm not the least afraid of him. (The yorkie pup he and his wife have has a lot to do with that. You can't be afraid of a guy who carts around a two-pound dog.)

So when am I trusting my instincts, and when am I making a rush judgment? Tonight I lingered around the friend's house for several minutes (all I needed to do was feed the fish and make sure the cats had plenty of water and the house wasn't too warm, and all was well, so I didn't need to stay - I'd checked on them extensively earlier in the day), and when I went out again I looked around carefully, and I didn't see the woman at all. The neighbors know the homeowner and are friendly to her, they've chatted with me briefly, and the house has various lights on, so I felt reasonably safe leaving the house. But I'm still a shade nervous and won't be relieved until I go back in the morning to be extra extra sure all is well.

And is that a racist attitude? To assume somebody might break in? I lock my car in my parents' driveway in the middle of Caucasian Howell, so I think that's more of my safety concerns than racism (too many episodes of Cold Case Files and Forensic Files). But I have to tell you, I felt guilt for shoving that woman off abruptly without even asking her specifically what she wanted - even when my instinct told me she wasn't in the kind of need she expressed. Also, I always try to be nice to people, and so being deliberately curt is difficult for me, and usually induces guilt.

I think of myself as pretty open-minded, although I have my blind spots (and they tend to do more with things other than race - like money, for example, I'll be honest), and after having seen 'Crash' not too long ago, it's on my mind. I'm honest enough to recognize those spots. But right now I'm trying to convince myself that instinct is there for a reason, and I should recognize it for what it's telling me - and trust that, instead of questioning my behavior.

Cars and Horses

So I have a lot of racing on the brain these days.

I caught Saturday's Jim Dandy (horse race) and watched Bernardini blow the doors off the rest of the field, an appropriate turn of phrase because I found out he's named after some European race car driver. He was only facing half a dozen competitors, but he got a hand ride all the way to the finish line - which basically means the jockey didn't pull out his whip. More than that, the jockey didn't even push him that hard; if you see a replay of the race and watch his hands, you can tell Bernardini is coasting. You might remember Bernarndini won the Preakness this year after Barbaro's ill-fated step. He's been overlooked, but I'm impressed.

Speaking of Barbaro, he's doing well - still eating well, still in a sling, and last I heard, he had started to grow some hoof back on the foot that got laminitis. So there's still hope. Keep your fingers crossed!

The point of that is, Bernardini, if he stays healthy, is a big threat for the Travers at the end of the month and November 4th's Breeders Cup. I'm gonna be watching the BC so if you're around and want a day full of races, you're welcome to come over.

I've also watched some auto racing over the last few days. Danica Patrick signed with Andretti Green racing for next season, which surprised me, since Bobby Rahal and David Letterman did so much to get her this far BUT rumor has it, Bobby has been spending a lot more time with his son Graham, getting him ready to run, and so a little owner neglect may be behind the move. I don't know more than that. Anybody else hear anything different?

She did however throw a rather unattractive hissy fit at the end of the MIS race, complete with foot-stomping. I know the male drivers do it a lot, and it's never charming. She got it together enough for the interview, but anyway, it would have been nice if the TV crews had stopped following her down the track and focused on the guy who actually won the race, Helio Castroneves, especially since he's fun and climbs the fence after he wins. (Sorry Tony Stewart, he just does it better than you.)

Speaking of auto racing, my mom and I got into a big discussion about the future of open wheel racing. TONY GEORGE, SUCK IT UP AND COMBINE THE LEAGUES. Tony owns and runs the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his big thing was to create a league that would be All-American and allow new drivers the opportunity to get behind the wheel, and the owners disagreed, so that's why there are two similar open-wheel leagues.

What has he actually done? He's created two mediocre leagues, neither of which is All-American, and both of which are suffering to come up with 20 drivers in a race. He couldn't even get 33 drivers into the Indy 500 without bringing in drivers from the other league and calling up retirees like Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr (known as Little Al in our family, although 'little' he isn't). That makes Bump Day a virtual joke because there's nobody to bump!

When I can watch 43 go bumper-to-bumper in NASCAR, I can see why people bail on open-wheel. And here's another twist - some NASCAR fans say they like the league because its All-American, but with Juan Pablo Montoya headed there next year, NOBODY is going to be 'All-American' - whatever that means, since most of these guys live in the States now, regardless of where they started out. And if we're not a nation of immigrants, I don't know what we are. If you want to be technical, the only All-Americans in this nation are the Native Americans because they were here a lot longer than the rest of us. The rest of us are immigrants, it's that simple.

That's my car-racing rant of the day. I still haven't picked a full-time NASCAR driver, and I probably should, before my mother or my aunt assign me one. I have two in IRL (Scott Sharp and Danica Patrick), one in Champ Car (Katherine Legge, I always try to root for the gals), at least one who dropped off the face of the earth (Patrick Carpentier), and one NASCAR guy who sometimes runs and sometimes doesn't (Terry Labonte). Yes, kids, this is the story of my life!