Thank goodness for Erik and Shana's blog. Without it, we may have missed Syttende Mai, the Norwegian Independence Day, when our forefathers threw out those oppressive Swedes. Here is their daughter, Anja, one and a half, with her classic Scandinavian features, wearing a traditional outfit. If you want to know more about the Norwegians and the big day, click on the Erickson blog, linked at left.If you want to know about horse racing, see Kathleen, a Swede. She took her big brother to the Shakopee track today to view the Preakness and to bet on the live races.
As she left the house, Stan sagely advised her to put money down on Big Brown, because that's Mom's maiden name. All very scientific, don't you know.
Brown won, but of course everybody else bet on that horse too, so it didn't pay out much. $2.40 on a $2 bet. Now Brown is vying for the Triple Crown on June 7.
Kathleen did score some other winners, but that is to be expected. A few years back, she hawked pink tip sheets at the track for two bucks apiece. She competed with Jake Mauer, who sold his own green tip sheet right along side her, as the patrons entered the gates of Canterbury Downs. Jake is Joe Mauer's granddad and he still handicaps the ponies, but he's not at the track so much anymore. He's got other fish to fry at the Twins ballpark.(For those of you who don't know, Joe Mauer is the catcher for the Minnesota Twins and won the major league batting title last year. We saw him do it in the metrodome, going 3 for 5 on his final day of the regular season, besting the Yankee contender, Derek Jeter, and somebody else. This singular achievement is all well and good, but Joe is from Kathleen's hometown, which alone had already elevated him to sainthood.)
Kathleen won some money at the track yesterday. Didn't say how much. Hope it is enough for Sunday breakfast.Her brother will be eating peanut butter sandwiches all week.
