Jack Habich

Rod,

The Belmont Stakes..........a week ago I picked Revolutionary (because of good lungs) to win, along with Orb and Oxbow for the trifecta.

Now, with the wet track, I understand Freedom's Child loves the slop and has to be a strong factor.

If you catch this in time......any thoughts on my thoughts?

For the Preakness, I told somebody who could have used the cash to bet Oxbow.  She bet a 30-1 longshot instead.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Jack,  Sorry, but Sat. was hectic and I barely got home to see the race myself.  I wanted Gary Stevens to take Oxbow to the finish, but, he was just run out. Even though the odds were not that hight, Revolutionary was my dark horse pick.  I know early on, the track was said to probably be wet and muddy.  However, before the race it was upgraded to Fast.  The real story was the winner.  Unless you were at the track all week and had an inside source, you would not have known they planned to take off the blinders for this race.  I don't think the owner or trainer were sure what would happen, but guess what, it worked.  Gotta say, the horse and THE Jockey ran a great race.  It was a good, clean, fun race to watch.

Milan - I got my letter from Fred Clemens out.  He is the Rev. Fred Clemens, and has been for 42 years in the United Methodist Ministry.  He lives with his Wife, Becky, at 134 Raleigh Way, Huntsbille, Al.35811

If you will get me his Phone Number, I will call him ASAP.

Milan Jackson

Does anyone know this fine lady? :)

Victor Jackson

Jack Habich

Rod......I missed the first 15 seconds of the race myself.  In the last 7 races before this one, Revolutionary finished in the top 3...won 3 of them.  I pick him and he comes in 5th. 

Good thing I didn't know it was a dry track,,,,,,,I could have lost my allowance.

And Victor, I can read your stuff but can't pick the horses.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Jack, never lose your allowance on a horse.  That means you have a problem, so some would say.  Put it on the Hawks to win the Cup.  Don't be too upset.  I thought Revolutionary would run a better race myself.  But, I had to bet Oxbow.  I wanted Stevens to win so bad.  When you're at the track, you can see a lot more of what's really going on.  Here is a hint.  If you have doubts about the track, once you see the jockeys on the horse and the parade begins, always check to try and see how many pairs of goggles they are waring.  They always know right to the minute what the track condition is.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Victor:

Thank you.  I enjoyed reading it.

Linda

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

Milan, at first glance I thought the picture was of Ms. Bottomly our 6th Grade Teacher, but after looking at it longer, don't have a clue who she is? Give us a clue!

Milan Jackson

She is the mother of one of your classmates. :)

She was very active in the community.

Jack Habich

Maude "Ma" Pease?

Ann Bailen

Harriet Rust?

Michael (Mike) Franks

I don't remember her name, but I think she was my blind date once. It was dark, and we were in the back seat..............

Milan Jackson

Harriet Rust

Jack Habich

I knew I was wrong as soon as I posted because I believe Ma Pease was Joan's grandmother.  What threw me off and had me give a pavlovian response was the "very active in the community".

Michael (Mike) Franks

I'm mistaken. It must have been darker than I remembered. Those old VW's were pretty tight and the windows were fogged.

Milan Jackson

Ma Pease was very active in the community. (laugh)

Jack Habich

And created a lot of activity as well, as people ran for the back door.......if they could........even, I was told, Mayor Bob McGraw, who was in a joint after hours. 

"Ma" Reece capably filled her shoes in later years.

Michael (Mike) Franks

A "Pavlovian Response"?

I think that was on my GED exam. (3rd or 4th try)  I just remember dogs slobbering when they drove by Taco Bell! I'm sure Victor will bring me up to speed. Am I close?

Jack Habich

Something I picked up from your cousin's thesaurus, Mike.

I did hear that once the dogs found out Taco Bell didn't use top quality meat, they had to run them past Chipotle to get the same result.

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

Are any of our classmates affected by the fires in Colorado?  Be careful out there!

Michael (Mike) Franks

I should have known. When you're a retired State Farm jock, you keep Roget on your night stand. That's the difference between us...........I keep SUDOKU on my night stand, with an eraser!

Michael (Mike) Franks

One question, Jack.

Is the late Steve Goodman still an icon in CTA land? He's as Chicago as Capone, Ditka, or Buckingham Fountain. When the Cubs win, (not too often) Goodman is honored with " GO CUBS GO! That is an incredible thrill, to sing that song at 4:00 on a sunny afternoon.

Milan Jackson

But Jack, Ma Reese left and no one took her place. Makes you wonder. :)

Jack Habich

Milan, I deny, and deny emphatically, that I had anything to do with her disappearance.  I never got pinched, at least by her.

Jack Habich

Mike,

Steve Goodman is still a big name around folk circles and beyond.  The owner of Earl of Old Town, where Goodman and John Prine got their start, died just a couple of months ago..at 80.

He'll never be in the same league as Big Al though, who gets talked about in all states that I've been in, and in all foreign countries I've visited.

Capone/mob seems to have an especially big interest level in Texas.  Last time I was in Navasota, a little ....kicker town there,  I spent at least an hour talking to an old cafe owner who wanted to be updated on Cicero, IL.