Go Baby Go!

Ball Game

Look at the picture above. That's Afleet Alex in high gear.

That's something that I had never, ever seen before and the most impressive thing I've seen anything with four legs do since my old dog Cindy scarfed down a whole burrito in three seconds.

Hey gang, the Triple Crown season is over and oh man did we have a blast at The Belmont Stakes in NYC. Vinny, myself and his friend Marissa headed down to the track at around 9:oo am, a little later than usual but with the absence of a Triple Crown contender, the crowd was lighter than in recent years.

The Stakes was a race for the ages, but we also had a rare opportunity to see a former Triple Crown contender race as Funny Cide ran as a five year old to the delight of his hometown crowd. It was a little surreal to see the old colors out again two years after the weather and a bad stumble at the start of the 2003 Stakes cost him.

However, Afleet Alex was the story of the day. His sprint from the final turn to the finish line stretched over a third of the race, the final third of a mile-and-a-half race. Where most Triple Crown contenders run out of steam (just like the rest of the 2005 field), this horse just kept getting faster. The jockey even had time to pump up the crowd before he crossed the finish line.

The $1 exacta box on the 9 (Afleet Alex)& 7 (Andromeda's Hero) won me about $30 bucks...ending the longest horse betting schnide I have ever been on.

We missed you there, Chubb.

Birthday Bash for Ron & I tonight at The Barking Dog in Bethesda. Ron says his goal is to get just slightly less intoxicated than I was back on New Year's Eve. If that is the case, please keep Ron in your thoughts tonight and wish nothing but good things and an unimpeded trip to whatever bathroom he ends up in.

Finally, I know I'm a sappy, Lloyd Dobler-like guy...I don't apologize for it but it needs to be mentioned how freakin' hard my wife is working right now. Not only is she working her full-time job at her Elementary School but she's doing that while finishing up a full load of classes at LIU. This week imparticular has been extra tough as all of her classes are coming to a close. She's working all week and then taking a full load of classes this weekend. It really is quite impressive to see and hear because she's not only taking these classes but doing very well in them. I am amazed every day by her.

To paraphrase Rod Tidwell....she's the shit.

Here we go again!

Hello people!

Great news out of Louisville, KY where our good friend Lt. Chris Remillard popped the question to my sister in law, Deanna. Needless to say, she answered with a resounding, "YES!" The whole story is priceless and I recommend you head over to Chris' blog to see the details.

Congragulations to you both, I could not be happier!


The Happy Couple

What this means of course is that we will soon again be in "wedding mode". Alfred will once again need to be mobilized in anticipation of an invasion, even more so this time because of the number of service people that should be attending. Tentative plans call for a May 27, 2006 wedding at St. Jude's (where Aim & I got hitched).

In other news, Amy makes her first trip down to DC in awhile. She has been unable to because of weekend classes at LIU which she signed up for to ensure she has her Master's degree before moving down here. There is something I will be able to do to show her just how much I appreciate her sacrifice....I just have not thought of it yet.

Also, Flag Day is approaching. Flag Day is my favorite holiday of the year. The day that the country celebrates the adoption of the stars and stripes as our national flag. It is truly the most underrated national holiday and deserves more of the country's attention. So this Flag Day, get out there...plant a flag and paint the town red, white and blue.

-Good Day!