It is day one of the Lino and Joe Cribbage Tournament. We are playing one game of cribbage each day for $5, $10 for a skunk. And if you get skunked, you have drink a shot of some disgusting liquor that Lino brought with her. Friday result: Joe wins, up $5.
The car saga continued. Today drove Lino & John back to enterprise to finally get a car. Lo and behold, the Happy Girls (Rachel and Olivia) were there. “Good news! We have cars on the way – be here any minute!” I left them there. After an hour they had a car for Lino – a Traverse SUV. Way too big for her to be driving. They did have a Hyundai Elantra but it had a tire problem. “Oh, we’ll just send it down to our tire guy and it will be right back!” It was back another hour later, and they finally left Enterprise. They caught up with at the Village Pump in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LTBS).
The boys (John, Larry, & me) spent the afternoon at the Pump where we were over-served. Willsey and Paula joined us a bit later. The other girls (Elaine, Sue, and Lino were at the pool playing Quidller.
Quiet day food wise. We skipped breakfast, had various snacks for lunch, and had sandwiches delivered to the hotel pool for dinner.
SUNDAY
Elaine and I went for an early breakfast at Country Ham & Eggs in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS). It’s only a short walk away. Good to eat a real meal again. Sunday centered around watching the Cardinal and Patriot games.
Cribbage Tournament: Joe skunks Linda, now up $15. And Lino has a shot to drink.
We watched the games poolside. We had fried chicken, slaw, beans, and garlic bread delivered after the Cardinal game. The Cardinals did great even though the game was not great. As the evening passed into night Patriot gloom settled over us, not so much about losing a game (which is good in the long run) but about the Gronk injury. Things are not looking good in Patriot Land. Oh, and watching Sunday night football is definitely more enjoyable in Scottsdale so you can go the bed at 10:00 pm rather than midnight.
Sunrise at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS)
The Entrance to the Beach
The Beach
The Fishing Pier
Elaine and Friend
The Christmas Tree is Up
The Girls (Lino in front; Elaine, Willsey, & Paula in the rear)
Easy flight on American Airlines from PHX to FLL. Nice French toast meal in first class. No drinks! (Well, they had drinks, but we did not partake – Are we getting old?) Arrived fifteen minutes early at 3:45 pm, got our luggage, met our limo driver, and we were at the Beachside Village Resort by 4:30 pm. Three of our friends were already checked in, so we all sat around the pool and imbibed with their alcohol.
At 6:00 pm we walked down the road for our planned and reserved Thanksgiving dinner at the Sea Watch Restaurant. As we entered, disaster appeared imminent – the place was jammed and we had to wait. But it all worked out fine. We had a great server, and the food was delicious. Everyone had the famous Sea Watch conch fritters for an appetizer. Some had the special Thanksgiving dinner, but I opted for the bouillabaisse (which was superb). Then it was home to bed.
FRIDAY
John, Lino, & Willsey flew down together and had opted to wait until Friday to pick up their car. I had done the same. So begins the great Friday car pick up adventure. Lino and I took a cab to my rental place (Avis) from where I would drive her to get her car. As an aside, I didn’t take my phone (mistake!) and Lino’s phone was at 5% battery. She quickly looked up the address for her rernatl car location before her battery died.
So, we are at Avis, the cab has departed, and they don’t have my SUV. They are getting one but it will take an hour or so. Phones are dead, so we can’t call anyone to tell them we’ll be longer than expected. Anyway, they loan me a dinky car until mine comes it, and we set off for Lino’s car pickup spot (25 minutes away). No GPS for this car. We get to her Enterprise rental location and cannot find it. We circle continuously but cannot find it. So we go to a 7-11 to ask. No help. But Lino buys a car charger for her i-Phone and we charge it up. Siri is no help finding the Enterprise location. Finally I pull in the hotel near the address and Lino asks the bellman. Lo and hotel, the Enterprise location is there, hidden and impossible to see from the road.
So in we go to meet the Enterprise Happy Girls, the two desk attendants. “Oh, hi, great to see you. Oh, you have a reservation. Great!” All smiles.” Then, “Oh, we have no cars right now but we getting some soon!” Ok, we ask, how long will it be? “Oh, we have no idea, it should be soon, most likely today. You are welcome to wait!” So Lino tells them to call her when the car is ready. (They do, in fact, call four hours later).
So it’s back to Avis again. My SUV is indeed almost ready, just being washed. We get it (with GPS) and head back to the hotel. I cannot get the outdoor mirrors to adjust, but I finally manage it so we can avoid rear end collisions. We get back to the hotel four hours from when we left with one car instead of two.
So we all pile into the one car (thank goodness it’s a large SUV) and head to Publix Market to stock up the rooms with beer, liquor, mixers, and snacks. Then, totally famished, we go the Ocean Manor Beach Bar for some appetizers and drinks. And then it is back to the hotel for the traditional Thursday night meet-and-greet at the hotel – free pizza, sandwiches, salad, other odd appetizers, and full open bar from 5:00 – 7:00. The pizza is delicious, the drinks are excellent (and free), and a good time is had by all. The open bar is still going at 8:00 when we do last call.
Meanwhile, Willsey’s friend Paula has arrived, and we all sit around chatting about the old days and all the stupid things (most involving copious amounts of alcohol) that we used to do. Seems like we are just adding to the lore. At last, bed. It felt like 3:00 am but it was 9:30 pm.
Some pics of the hotel. (Click to Enlarge) People pics in next post.
Today is the last day of racing for me. No news to post.
Some pictures I took yesterday (Click to enlarge)
Outrider Headed for the PaddockHorses for the First Race On Way to PaddockBack row: Ed, Jeff P., and Ron; Front row: Mut (Go Red Sox) and Jeff W.Michael from NYC (Mets & Giant Fan)Mike and Rosemary
Mike ‘Mut’ Mutansky, the Red Sox pre/post game show host
(Mut, Jeff, & Jeff are close friends who I have known for years. They in turn are close friend with Mike and Rosemary’s son Stephen who is a professor at St Anslem’s and father of three, soon to be four. Stephen also does highly respected basketball analytics studies)
Saturday was a very good (almost great) day at the track. I had a $25 winner in the second followed by a 5-2 winner in the third. Then I hit the two big races: Cavorting in the Test Stakes ($7.60) and Honor Code in the Whitney Stakes ($9.50). All that made it very good. Great would have been my 15-1 shot leading for one more step in the 11th race, but he got beat on the wire. The winnings for the day guaranteed I will come out ahead for my stay in Saratoga.
It’s Sunday morning now. Just today and tomorrow left for races and I head home Tuesday via Boston. I fly out of Logan on Jet Blue Tuesday late afternoon. It’s always tough to leave Saratoga, but I’m tired and ready to go home. Maybe one more report with pictures; maybe not. Keep checking.
Pictures (Click to Enlarge)
Humphrey Phinney Sales Pavillon for Fasig-Tipton Horse SalesFasig Tipton Celebrates American PharoahKing’s Tavern (The Open Windows are New – Nice Touch)The Booths are Now Tables and There are TVsThe Bar Looks the Same but with Draft Beer OptionsBack at the OfficeThe Backyard Crowd (on a Quiet Day)Ed Does Some HandicappingArtists Sell Their WaresGet Your ProgramsThe New Walk of FameArguably the Best Saratoga Jockey Ever (Angel Cordero Would Not Agree)The Giant Killer Trainer – Famous for Beating Secretariat Twice
Have hit two of three jump races which is weird because I never hit jump races
Bad news: not cashing in many races; lots of seconds (no, i don’t bet to place)
Good news: have hit some very good long shots
Net: I am well ahead for the seven days so far; five days to go
Best hit: liked both an 11-1 shot and a 13-1 shot; bet them both to win and boxed the exacta. It came in, the winner paying $25.80 and the exacta paying $319.
Longest shot: had a 21-1 shot come from last at the top of the stretch to win and pay $44.20.
But the weirdest win came on day three when I hit the big exacta. Late in the day I thought I bet $25 on a horse in the 10th race. That horse lost. But when I came back the next day, my account (I bet using a NYRA account card) had $425 more than when I left the day before. So I reviewed my bets from the previous day on the terminal. See, when you bet on the self service machines, the first thing you do is select the track. There are lots of tracks as NYRA takes simulcast bets on tracks all over the country and even in Australia. Right below Saratoga, which is naturally on the top of the list, is Australia. When I bet the last race at Saratoga, I must have accidentally hit the “Australia” button. And weirdly enough the horse that I thought I bet at Saratoga won in Australia and returned $425 for my $25 bet. Talk about blind luck! I am good at those “down under” races!
Tuesday is a dark day at Saratoga – no racing. Bob from Arlington was staying with me through Wednesday, so we considered our options for the day. A movie at Saratoga’s new Criterion movie house? Bob doesn’t go to the movies. A trip to the harness track and casino to bet other tracks? Only the worst race tracks run on Tuesday. A 2.5 hour (one way) trip to Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame? I’ve been there, and Bob is not a big baseball fan. A 2.0 hour trip to Hyde Park to visit the home and library of FDR? Not a bad option, but four hours in the car was not appealing.
Instead we hung around, took a ride to Lake George (boring), skipped the numerous outlet stores there, drove up Prospect Mountain Veteran’s Parkway, took the slow route back to Saratoga, and visited the Saratoga National Historical Park that I stopped at on the way into town on day one. We had an ice cream for lunch. It killed the day.
Bob on Prospect Mt – Lake George in BackgroundLake George PanoramaBob at Saratoga MonumentJoe at a Grave at Saratoga MonumentBob at GravesiteBob Was Fascinated by the Outdatedness of the Sign
On Monday Bob and I ate at Pennell’s, a Saratoga institution for 93 years. It was as good as ever although Bob wasn’t overly happy with his steak. On Tuesday we ate at the Wishing Well. Everything was excellent as usual. Bob loved his steak and I had the triple cut lamb chops. The corn on the cob was superb.
The new King’s Tavern is terrific. It’s being run by three brothers in their 30’s. They also own the five-floor Saratoga City Tavern with a rooftop deck downtown. They keep King’s open all year. I met Adam, one of the brothers, and we talked about the history of King’s. Heh, he learned a lot from me. They leased King’s for three years with an option to buy (this is their second year), so I asked him if they planned to buy. He said they certaimly did. Patty is asking $2.0 million for the bar, so it’s a steep price. She says the price is firm, but I’m sure they will try to haggle the price down. The terms of the lease sate that any improvements they make stay with the bar if they choose not to buy. They have made a lot of improvements.
I have seen lots of friends at the track and in Saratoga so far:
Patty Bendon and daughter Misty and son Jimmy
Bob Paroyan (retired Boston Garden usher, retired Arlington Fireman, & my old barber)
John and Linda Toomey (from Boston)
Michael Alshuk (from NYC) – He’ll be back next weekend with wife Nicole
Carole Reardon and her lovely daughters Chrissie (14) and Michaela (12)
Anthony and Rose (from Ballston Spa) – they own horses now
Miles (an ex-track maintenance man) better known as “Zoom” or “ZoomZoom”
Bill, John, and Neil (locals from Saratoga) Neil is now the track mailman.
Joanne from Saratoga with her delicious chocolate chip cookies
Milton with his mother (96!), granddaughter, and brother Jerry (from Auburn, NY)
Milton’s daughter Nikki with her family entourtage
John and Frank (from Montreal) – saw them with wives at the Brook Tavern
Dennis (An old Suffolk Downs reprobate)
Michael Geraghty, an artist who sells his stuff at the track
Poughkeepsie Joe Brenner, roofer and former crazy drinker & gambler – dry 13 years
Ron and Pam Evans, fellow Derby goers
Ed the Pharmacist from Connecticut, also an occasional Derby attendee
The Three Old Boys from Baltimore, annual weekend attendees at the Spa
Museum “Stinky” Steve, former maintenance man from the Racing Hall of Fame
Jean Cruguet, retired jockey, now staying at my hotel
A collection of folks from Marshfield visiting the Toomeys
Too many of the people I have known here over the years are dead.
Dick Bendon (King’s Owner and Proprietor)
Bill Carrig from Connecticut
Jim Ellsion from Connecticut
Tommy Pascuma (an old Saratoga trainer and King’s habitué)
Oliver Cutshaw (an old jockey and King’s habitué)
Mike Geoghegan (really!) from Ireland and Staten Island
Unseen so far:
John from North Adams
Captain Mike, lobsterman from the Cape
Mike and Steve, alcoholic gamblers from Hartford
Jamaica Man, a street musician who started his Saratoga run in King’s
Mut Mutansky, the red Sox pre-game host & Jeff Plummer. Jeff got married here last week before I arrived.
Mike and Rosemary – Mike is Alice’s brother. Alice’s legacy lives on in Saratoga.
Dinners (in order):
The Wishing Well with Patty and Misty was as good as ever. Great steak.
Hattie’s take out friend chicken for eating in the room was grand
Home cooked spaghetti in the room – hey, one can’t always eat out
The Brook Tavern (owned by the Wishing Well) with John & Lino – great veal chop
Take out pizza with Bob from the new Gennaro’s to eat in the room – delicious – good pizza in Saratoga has been hard to find
Google maps said my drive from Alton to Saratoga would take four hours. My GPS for the same route said five hours. Anyway, I was awake at 4:30 Am after an early night at Sue & Jeff’s, so rather than pretend to sleep for another hour or so, I got up and showered and hit the road. Knowing I would be leaving early, we had all said our good-byes the night before. I was on the road at 5 AM.
[Sue commented and told me what I said was the front of the log was actually the side. The front is where the porch is and from where I took the pictures of the three of us. It faces Mt Major, which Sue aptly pointed out did not appear in nay pictures. Bad photographer.]
The drive was all on state roads, no interstates, and there was almost no traffic anywhere. And Google won the time prediction competition. The ride took four hours to the minute. The route (for those who care) was on routes NH 28, US 202, NH 9, VT 9, and some other various and sundry numbers. I went through or near Concord (NH), Keene (NH), Bennington (VT), Schuylerville (NY), and finally arrived at Saratoga Springs.
Just before arriving in Saratoga proper I decided to make a very brief stop at the Saratoga National Historic Park. Alas, it is only open and manned on Friday through Sunday, but I saw what I needed to see (nothing?). “Here in the autumn of 1777, American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender. This crucial American victory in the Battle of Saratoga renewed patriots’ hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world.”.
Self Explanatory (Hope You Can Read It When Enlarged – Click to EnlargeThe MonumentMore InfoUp Close
In Saratoga I went to Patty’s house and picked my cooler and chair left there two years prior. Patty had an appointment but left the stuff by the front door. I bought some beer for the cooler and visited the Saratoga Public Library where I renewed my library card and did a couple of quick printouts of racing information. Then it was off to the track for my first day at the races. Sunny and hot (low 90’s) and very humid No winners. Just not a good start.
I left before the last race and proceeded to the Marriott Residence Inn, my home for the next 13 nights, and checked in.. A quick shower and I was off to pick up Patty and her daughter Misty for our annual dinner (missed last year) at the Wishing Well, my favorite Saratoga restaurant. It’s a great steak house, and we all enjoyed cocktails, huge shrimp cocktails and NY strip steaks. There was much talk of the “good old days”. Alice was fondly remembered. She was great friends with both Patty & Misty.
Thursday
Still hot and humid in the morning, but a front was going to be coming through with cooler air behind it. Alas, a front usually means rain, and in Saratoga rain usually means a deluge. I set up at the track, watched a few workouts, and then visited Hannaford’s, my grocery store of choice in Saratoga, and stocked up on essentials for the room.
My Office (That is not! a Yankee logo on the chair)Working OutAnother WorkoutWhat Better Place to Be?
The front arrive when I was at the track awaiting the first race, a steeplechase over hurdles. And a deluge it was! The steeplechase was actually cancelled, and all the grass races for the day were moved to the main track. Bummer. Still, I had a good day with two nice winners to win back a bit of what I lost yesterday. The rain was gone by 2 PM, and sunny and less humid weather prevailed for the rest of the day. The forecast through Sunday is excellent.
If you didn’t see the pictures of me in the glass booth at the Willis Tower, go here and see them now.
Drove up to Sue & Jeff’s house in Alton, NH at exactly 10:00 AM as planned. We sat around and reminisced, snacked, drank, and ate dinner. I won’t bore you with family stories and gossip. Here are the pictures for the day (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Trophy Room at Sue and Jeff’s Log Cabin (All shot by the Swain family)The Biggest MooseMoose and AntlersMore Trophies OutsideThe WoodpileWinter is Coming!The Front of the LogThe Front DoorSue’s FlowersFrom L to R: a Fox, a Coyote, a Black Bear, and a BullJeff & SueJoe & SueJoe & JeffFoster Kitty (That’s his Name!)
About toilet facilities on the Southwest Chief: there are sleeper bedrooms that do have en suite toilets; the roomettes do not.. If you have to go in the middle of the night, then you leave your little nest to visit one of the community toilets in your sleeper car. (You learn to hold it or perhaps concoct your own chamber pot scenario)
No, I didn’t research what might be best side of train for scenery. I know when you reserve on line, there is no opportunity to choose a particular roomette. Perhaps you can if you call customer (dis)service.
We did not cross the mighty Mississippi at La Crosse, WI. Wisconsin is not on the itinerary. We crossed from Fort Madison, Iowa to a pretty uninhabited part of Illinois (near Nauvoo)
Breakfast Sunday morning on the train was OK. I sat with a couple from Wisconsin. She promptly spilled a full cup of scalding coffee all over the table, but mostly on her husband. Amazingly, she missed me totally.
After arriving at Union Station just a few minutes late, I went to Amtrak’s Metropolitan Lounge that is reserved for first class and sleeper passengers. There I was able to check my bags, keeping just my nifty new Tom Bihn Ristretto messenger bag with my Surface Pro 3 and my camera safely tucked inside.
With six hours to kill between trains in Chicago, I had planned a little adventure for myself. I decided to go up the Willis Tower (born the Sears Tower) and visit the Sky Deck and the little glass (top to bottom) cubicle located 104 stories up. I booked in advance and splurged on a Fast Pass admission ticket (which puts you right to the front of the elevator line). The Willis Tower is just two blocks from Union Station.
The Fast Pass purchase proved wise – the wait to go up was 90 minutes without it. It costs $20 for normal admission. The Fast Pass was $45. Well worth the extra to me. I entered the Sky Deck lobby and within two minutes was on the elevator going up to floor 104. At the top they will graciously take your picture in the little glass cube and then, of course, charge you a minimum of $15 for a single print and digital image. I bought several. Again, worth it. I took a few pics of my own, and, fully satisfied with my little adventure, I headed down again to search out sustenance.
Picture Update: Well, to get the digital images of the pictures they took, I am following their arcane (i.e., stupid) procedure. The process is underway, and they will email me the links to the files within 72 hours. so, maybe you will get to see them next time.
Union Station, ChicagoThe Willis Tower from the GroundThe Glass Jut Out (Pictures with Me Next Posting Maybe)Looking Down from the 104th FloorThe River from the Willis TowerThe Line to Leave the Sky Deck – Fast Pass Only Works Going UpWonder How Many Stairs?
Having skipped lunch on the train, I was hungry. Union Station has a food court with a wide range of fast food choices, but it was crowded and hectic. So I walked around the neighborhood searching for a place with food and wi-fi. Not so easy – everything seemed to be closed on Sunday. But I found Beggar’s Pizzeria & Bar that was open and had wi-fi. I hate Chicago deep dish pizza, so I ordered a small thin crust with pepperoni and a pint of Green Line pale ale. The pizza was going to take a half hour – no worries as I used the time to paste the previous blog entry that I had written on the train. The ale was delicious, and I ordered a second. And the pizza hit the spot.
Then it was back to Metropolitan Lounge to await the departure of the Lake Shore Limited at 9:30 pm. Incidentally, the Amtrak sleepers in the eastern US are single level – the taller cars of the West cannot fit through some eastern tunnels. And the roomettes DO have toilets, rather disgustingly located right next to one of the two seats in the room. Not a good design choice!
Amtrak’s Metropolitan Lounge at Union StationReady for BedLooking from the Head of the BedAnd There’s the SinkVoila! The Toilet
I boarded the Lake Shore Limited at 9:00 pm and met Eugene, my new sleeping car attendant. I had him convert my room for bed and promptly went to sleep shortly after departing Chicago at 9:30. Just 50 miles down the track, we entered the Eastern time zone. I slept well but was awake at 5:00 just as the train pulled into Cleveland. So I got up and was the first one in the shower down the hall.
Cleveland at 5:00 AM
At 6:30 I had breakfast in what was quickly a full dining car. I sat with a guy who as best I could tell has lived everywhere, been everywhere, and done everything. The other guy at my table was from Pasadena heading to Boston for two weeks with old college friends. Mostly we listened to Mr. Expert. The rest of the train ride to Albany passed quickly under clear blue skies. I skipped lunch on the train – just was not hungry – go figure.
In Albany I disembarked and quickly picked up my Enterprise rental car right in the station. I drove about an hour and found a Marriott Fairfield Inn for the night. Dinner was next door at Wendy’s. At dawn I will be on the road north to Alton, NH to visit my sister Sue and her husband Jeff. I will spend Tuesday night with them, and then early Wednesday morning I will be on the road to Saratoga, arriving well in time for the 1:00 PM post time.
Next likely post here will be on Thursday morning and will have pictures from my mini family reunion in Alton (and maybe the much anticipated “Joe over Chicago” pictures).
