Fall Racing Week 12

 Saturday November 15:  Claiming Crown Day

The week started in South Florida with our first real cold front of the year when the thermometer read a brisk 48 degrees as I had coffee out on the porch.

No Time To Wait

Blue Kingdom

Julee's Legacy

Master of Arms

Accelerate Me

Fionn

Shipmate

Ashima

Curlin's Malibu

Ohana Honor

Echo Lane

Saturday's Results

Social Media this week

So my pretty wife Kim left for Erie, PA on Tuesday morning leaving me nearly four full days to myself.  And in this "era" where I have little face-to-face human contact I had to rely on my social media pals to keep me company.  So I ran a screen saver of my "peeps" and how we'd interacted, but still not the same.  And as I watched the photos scroll I was reminded of just how lucky I am to have such a sweet and beautiful wife.....who continues to always be the best looking girl in the room no matter where we are.  Made me grab some "recent" photos of her as a montage :)

I don't have much contact with gal-pal Jessica who was my "go-to girl" at Ford's Garage in Fort Myers a few years ago.  Several evenings when I was in town alone, Kim on the other coast, I'd go to Ford's for dinner and Jessica would spend a lot of time with me chatting.  She had a new born then and now has a second....boy how they've grown.  When I reach out to her with comments I nearly always get a reactions, so I'm happy she still "knows me."

Former school gal-pal and graduation committee helper Sha had her birthday this week.  She appreciated my birthday wishes.

I had a three-way conversation with buddy Jeff Nelson, his wife Gina, and their daughter - my gal pal Chloe.  Chloe was sad to tell me she wouldn't be coming to the Florida Derby but had a very good comment for my Breeders' Cup adventure with my son Brad.

Former weekend morning anchor Teri posted a cute pic of herself....I reacted and she replied.  Teri is really good about nearly always at least "liking" what ever I post / send to her.

I find it oh-so-cool that Saturday (and this has happened several times) while watching football in Ohio....playing races from New York, Louisville, and So Fla, I was chatting with my girl Petra as she sailed down the Nile River in Egypt!  Technology!!!  I was particularly happy when I asked her for a recent pic and she had the Guest Services Team do a group photo for me.  Viking staff are the best.

Like most weeks, the most social interaction came with my buddy Lauren Pastrana.  When the weather was due to turn chilly and we'd have, as she calls them, a "coffee in a hoodie" morning I reached out during the news and she quickly "liked" my comment.  The next day I saw a reel Lauren posted about an upcoming investigative piece.  When I messaged her about it she wrote me right back that it would be a "good one!"  Then on Tuesday evening she had on a cool pair of boots - she enjoyed my comment admiring them....and later that evening I happened to have the news on at 7pm and the local news cast was back in place of the national news.  This had been Lauren's domain as a solo anchor.  I asked her about it and she responded she tried to get it but it was given to another reporter.  Boooooo.  Thursday I messaged her that I was going to the game and was hoping for a story at 11pm about a Panthers win.  Got an almost immediate heart to that.  Friday shortly before leaving for the airport I reached out to tell Lauren I was off and would be following via the streaming service and/or Direct TV and she again liked my message before I even left for the airport.  But the best was on Saturday when Lauren started a donation page for a local charity.  I admire her work in the community and typically when she does this I will contribute.  I did so and quickly she wrote to me in reaction to her 11pm story (she liked that) and messaged me her appreciation :)

To "keep me company" I watched a screen saver of my interactions with my favorite social media girls - the best of the photos they've posted online of themselves.....