Toga! Toga! Toga!

The road trip to Saratoga this weekend was a successful blend of excessive drinking, swimming, eating and horse betting that exceeded all expectations. Ted and I got a late start Friday on the drive and the trip up was a painful six hours with traffic. Once we got there the margaritas and beer were flowing and Kro's beautiful new pool provided a needed late night cool down. Making the trip up were Goose, Weist and Ray along with their wives, and Ted and I made up the single contingency. CNN and JFTB both backed out at the last minute and were missed by all.
Saturday morning we arose early for breakfast and to get ready for the big day at the track. Wendy and Ray had secured a prime picnic location in the wee hours of the morning while we all slept off our margaritas. We packed up the food and beer (after a few of Goose's bloody marys) and hit the track just before noon, with the first race scheduled for 1 pm. The long shots were having a field day in the early races and it was tough to pick winners, but as the day progressed and the beer intake increased we started to hit some winners, at one point going 4 for 4 with the #5 horse! In the tenth race we had the 29 to 1 longshot across the board and it was the most exciting race of the day. He almost won the race wire to wire, but faded in the final stretch and came in second for a nice payday that more than made up for the earlier disappointments and losses. We left after the tenth race and missed the eleventh race as it was after 6 pm and the sun and beer had taken its toll on us. All we wanted to do was get back to Kro's and jump in the pool.
After some dinner and even more beer I was content with the evening prospect of hanging at Kro's house playing some beer pong and chilling, when the subject of going Down Town was broached. One by one we conceded and before I knew it we were piling into Wendy's car as she had graciously offered to drop us off Down Town. It was after 10 pm as Kro, Goose, Ted, Ray and I (Weist stayed back at the house) made our way into the first bar of the night. By 1 am we had hit four different establishments, including a rowdy college bar with a drinking game table at center stage, a fifth floor rooftop bar and a reggae bar that had sold out of Red Stripe!
We settled in at the fourth stop with a couple dozen hot wings and a couple pitchers of beer. Around 2 am we decided it would be smart to call a cab and head home. The waitress told us she called a cab and we closed our tab and proceeded to wait outside. The town streets were packed with people and we figured it would be a bit of a wait, but after thirty minutes we were really getting impatient and a few of us ventured back inside to wait at the bar. When I strolled back inside I found Ted and Ray with a fresh round of margaritas and Ted was beginning to work his magic on the juke box with a montage of AC/DC & Van Halen selections. I ordered a 'rita myself and settled in at the bar. A few minutes later Kro strolled back in and a few minutes after that Goose finally figured why should he be waiting outside for a cab while we were all inside drinking!? Within minutes we had our full drink on and we were feeling no pain!
At one point it appeared that our cab actually pulled up out front but another drunk person jumped into it before we could get to it or even put down our drinks. By 3 am, and many margaritas later, Kro was getting worried that we might not be able to get another cab, and that fear was confirmed when the bartender tried to call us one but all the cab company phone lines were busy. When the bar employees began turning off the lights and mopping the floor around us we got the picture that they wanted us to leave and we headed out into the street in search of a cab and/or more drinks (after I argued with them for not staying open until the advertised 4 am closing time). At this point Ted made it clear to us all that "we still have a solid hour of drinking ahead of us". We went in search of an open bar to continue the festivities and Kro finally called Weist to come get us when the true impact of a potential hour long walk home sunk in with the rest of us. Weist was happy to oblige which made us want to stay and drink even more, but somehow the voice of reason prevailed, although I did not recognize the voice at the time, and we were soon enroute back to Kro's. All in all it was a great trip Down Town!
I awoke Sunday morning to the wafting aroma of bacon and eggs. My eyes were as red as my sunburned scalp and my head was pounding. Only Goose's patented bloody mary could bring me back from the depths of hangover hell. After breakfast Ted and I said our goodbyes and hit the road for home. The ride home was not nearly as bad at just under four and a half hours and it was good to be back in Media. Of course I can't wait until next year's trip!

Vegas, Baby!

My airfare is booked, my two bedroom, two bath villa is reserved and I am looking forward to my next trip to Vegas! I'll be heading out the week of Thanksgiving (Sunday to Saturday) for some fun in the desert. I want to rent a car to get me around to all the different casinos and poker tournaments that week so I am investigating my options and have it narrowed down to two choices. The Lamborghini Gallardo Spider or the Ferrari Modena Spider. Which do you think is the best choice for me?

Saratoga

This weekend is the start of the races at Saratoga and a group of us are heading up to visit Krotow and his family and of course we will be attending the races on Saturday. This has always been one of my favorite trips (along with the Pocono trip) and I am looking forward to relaxing, drinking and making some money on the ponies! My good friend Street Sense (who won me a bundle at the Derby) will be racing on Saturday, too!