I’m not a huge racing fan, but even I could appreciate what an amazing race Mine That Birdie ran this past weekend at the 2009 Kentucky Derby. Coming all the way up from last place, Mine That Birdie overcame 50-1 odds to secure the victory.
Living so close to Del Mar it’s almost a crime that I’ve only been to the races one time over these many years. But, after witnessing this particular race, I think I’ll have to make it a short term goal of mine to visit the track again soon.
Here it is, Mine That Birdie on his winning run:
But wait! To truly appreciate the skill and daring of the jockey, take a look at this amazing overhead view:
Calvin Borel skillfully weaved his 1500lb horse through a thrashing, frenetic field, scraping against the blurred guard rail at 45 miles per hour, gripping tight on the reins as Birdie finds another gear, slices through stinging mud and cracking whips, until there is nothing else is in front but the finish line.
Man…at 50 to 1, who could expect such an incredible performance?
I had one day off from work this week, so everything that needed to be taken care of was squeezed into what felt like a truncated Sunday. The wife and I built a giant shelving unit and a custom riser for it to sit on so we can squeegee underneath it when we hose out the garage. Grocery shopping had to be done, as did a trip to Home Depot for various household hardware needs. Managed to get in a nice hill run before dinner, then it was off to slap together this (admittedly bland) post. After dinner we’ll hopefully work in a quick game of Memoir ’44 (review coming soon) before we settle on a movie for the night, then hit the hay.
*Whew!*
Sure am glad I’m taking vacation next week. We’ll be heading up to Sea Ranch. Ya know, grab some down time to recharge the batteries. Run a few trails and beaches. Enjoy a beer while watching the sunset. Break out the Nikon D200 and grab some nice shots. Spend some quality time with Karin. Who knows, maybe take a few happy pills?
Whelp, it’s back to the grind for me. Have to go iron a shirt for tomorrow, press my slacks, and make sure the blackberry is charged (the battery indicator is blinking red. Is that bad?). *sigh*
I love games. Board games, video games, puzzles, crosswords, cryptograms…I love them all. As it happens, my favorite magazine is Games magazine. I’ve been reading this publication since high school, and Karin ensures that my subscription is kept up to date. During the weekends one of the things I most look forward to is lounging in the backyard, feet up on the patio table, a tall glass of soda slow dripping with condensation by my side, and a Games magazine opened to the current month’s The World’s Most Ornery Crossword puzzle. Hard clues, thankyouverymuch.
My current puzzle obsession, something that’s taking up far too much of my time as of late, is a Nintendo DS game called Picross. Now, this puzzle shows up in Games under the moniker Paint By Numbers, but I’ve never really paid it much mind. I always dismissed it as a simple time waster, but this DS incarnation has shown me how addicting this puzzle really is.
The objective of Picross is to determine which blank squares within a matrix are to be filled in, with the ultimate goal of revealing an image. Squares to be filled in are identified using numbers that have been placed along the outside of the grid. These numbers tell you, in order, how many squares are to be filled in, how they are sequentially laid out, and how many spaces there are between sets of shaded squares. With each incorrect move the game penalizes you a set amount of time which eats into the 60 minute time limit you have to complete each puzzle.
The obsessive compulsive part of me is fascinated with this game. It makes for a nice break between Rubik’s Cube sessions and memorizing movie monologues.
