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#1
08-19-2008, 03:16 PM
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My Scavs Style Holiday Timeline
This will have to come in stages, I just hope I can remember everyone who I was lucky enough to see and chat to. I am shockingly bad at remembering things but this is my version of events..
Thursday 4.30pm ish - arrive in America - get a taxi from the airport to the hotel. The taxi driver, from Ghana starts going crazy at me for asking him if he had a GPS device. I say the S word to quiet him down (Soccer!). I tell him Im racing this weekend and asks me who I'll be riding. Yeah I'm Johnny Murtagh, 1st jockey to the most powerful stable in the world. I'm also 6ft 2 and Im being dropped off at a very cheap Holiday Inn Express. He was delighted to meet a great jockey though, he said he'd tell all his friends and make them jealous.. 7.30pm - Go to Woodfield Mall to get some shopping. I needed a pair of jeans so went into Hollister and asked some girl for some jeans that are: 1. Slim 2. Straight and 3. Not wrecked.. She then proceeds to hand me a pair of Slim (yes fine!), Bootcut (were you listening to me!) and wrecked (no you weren't!) jeans. I told her that's not at all what I wanted but she replied "Well my brother has a pair and he likes them". For her sake, thank god, she was good looking. Anyway finally got my jeans and went to sleep for the night.. Friday 12noon - got to the track, not really making any plans, just hoping I would bump into someone I knew. I got there very early to have a look and bet on Saratoga but that got rained off so I took a few walks of the racetrack. It's a proper proper place - very nice. After the 1st race, I did eventually bump into Bob, Chuck and Paula. Hung around with them for a while, met Brian Spencer later on, chatted about the next days racing (some of my more memerable quotes were " Spirit One is an awful awful horse" and "Winchester just isn't that good") Found some more of the gang that kidnapped me for a Breeders Cup weekend as the day progressed. John Marzec in particular wanted to use me as bait to chat to 3 lovely women. didnt do much except hang out at the tent for the rest of the day, listening to a not so good U2 tribute band Elevation. Scavs got to the course later on and took me on a grander tour, going upstairs to the really nice rooms. Met Mr Scavs. Jesus, you would never think they are father and son!! I said "Hi" and got a thumbs up from some guy named Kirk Hinrich who I had never heard about. He apparantly plays Ball... Had to get a few photos of myself and Jessica, I dont know what you would call her, but she's on the screen before every race giving her thoughts and usually backing the fav or 2nd fav. Anyway, myself and Scavs are chatting away to her for ages about the big races tomorrow ("I think Einstein in the Million because I want an American to win" - not the best angle!), we asked if she was up for heading out with us that night, she paused for ages then said she couldn't, I then went up and gave her a big hug. I think she liked it. Myself and Scavs went on the streets of Arlington Heights that night for their festival - twas great fun, though I did feel like a bit of a circus act with people coming up for a chance to talk to a "Genuine Irishman". Got an obligatory photo of me drinking on the street with a Cop. We ended up meeting the "Bono" who played earlier on at Arlington Park and he gave me his business card. I remember thinking when I woke up - "I havent a clue where my phone or sunglasses are, but thank god I have Daniel Burrow's business card" I'm still trying to remember what happened on Saturday...
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  #Grand 
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#2
08-19-2008, 03:27 PM
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i live in the tall building right behind where the bandstand was set up at the festival. didn't know you where there else i would have come downstairs to meet you. scavs must have lost my number. how do you rank AP compared to the venues over there?
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#3
08-19-2008, 03:48 PM
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You Lucky ,Lucky ,Lucky ........barstard 
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#4
08-19-2008, 03:51 PM
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I apologize for not mentioning it although I didn't know that is what my friends were doing until I called one of them and they said they were down there.
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#6
08-19-2008, 04:41 PM
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You should know better than to hang around that guy....unless you like meeting women from ages 18-65 
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#7
08-19-2008, 08:10 PM
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If you go into Hollister expecting 'normal' jeans, I don't know what to tell you. LMFAO
__________________
http://www.facebook.com/cajungator26
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#8
08-19-2008, 08:19 PM
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"Always keep your heads up and act like champions." Coach Paul Bryant
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#9
08-20-2008, 10:36 AM
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Continued..
Saturday 11am ish - get to the track and hit the (free) beer straight away, no rest for the wicked.. Was introduced to Mrs Scavs, lovely woman.. Can't really remember much about the first part of million day except myself, Scavs and 3 of his mates went into a show parlay. 4 of us did the job perfectly but guess who lost all our wad? :-) I go down to chat to Chuck, Paula, Bob, Barney, Philscki and his wife before the Secretariat and gradually Winchester become a lot more appealing. Then I get to the stage where I REALLY like him, and play him big.. Most of us around the box had him, knew our money was safe turning for home and it was fab. I then went back to Scavs with a big smile: Scavs - "What the F**k, I thought you hated Winchester" Me - " Yeah, well, eh, eh, yeah, I sorta got to like him" Scavs - "F**k" I go back to the lads in the Box and tell them that that big French outsider Toque de Queda is growing on me to, especially as 50-1+ is an insult. She ran a huge race for 3rd and could have been 2nd with a bit more luck (apparently, Mr Murtagh, the real Mr Murtagh was a pound or two overweight!!). I think Barney told me that had that French horse won, he probably would have raped me!  !I really pounded Archipenko in the Million despite his very short price (drink kicking in I think), but saved myself a small bit by having boxed the 3 euros in an exacta. It was a disappointing way the race panned out, but Mendizabal did what all good jockeys do on lone speed. Oh yeah just before the Million, a few women dropped by Scavs' box - Barb and Bessy.. They were great girls, brilliant fun, but they somehow didn't quite understand me when I called them "savage" - "What, savage? like from the jungle?" Lost in translation I guess! Actually one of them made about 100dollars where all the rest of us lost money, so not bad. And congrats too to Brian who made a nice killing on the Pick 4! Went to Gators afterwards for some food and more drink with Scavs' mates and the girls. Had a fun night, had enough to drink. I dont think we got into too much trouble though. I did learn a few new words though from the lads - my fav has to be "tramp stamp"!! Went to bed wrecked on Saturday, ready for Red Sox - White Sox the next day Sunday 8.30am - up, surprised Im not that hungover ready for breakfast at the Egg Factory. That is the place where Scavs and his mates have breakfast and where the girls from yesterday work.. There were plenty of sore heads this morning. Geoff, one of the lads, gave me a few "Geek Squad" t-shirts that I can proudly wear back home. Myself and Scavs (who has to wear his Cubs cap!) met up with Barney, Roger and Lucy and headed to US Cellular Field. Great place, I have to say, but we did miss out on a Nick Swisher Bobble head - so disappointed! Anyway, it was a fab day just sitting in the sun having a few beers, chatting away. Scavs kept saying how if you wanted to visit a real place, you have to visit Wrigley Field, well about halfway through the game with a fair few beers on us, Barney suggested we go to Cubs game that evening against the Cardinals. So Scavs dropped us off somewhere near Wrigley and we went to our 2nd game of the day. It was very much like Fenway, and I have to feel for the woman a few rows down from us who was seated right behind a pole. Next day, I buzzed round with Barney for it. Met possibly the most beautiful woman Ive ever seen in my life that day in Shoeless Joes, in some NW suburb of Chicago - went to the Red Sox - White Sox again that evening to watch Beckett pitch.. We got a close hand view of these 2 South Chicago women that I had been warned about. Man, they were excruciating to listen to. Just awful.. Anyway, it was great to see Beckett pitch.. Didn't really do much of note the next few days in Chicago and then onto Boston, just relaxed and took it easy. I did go to Suffolk Downs on Friday and had the distinction of winning the opening Pick 3 at Arlington, but actually lost money. I played 2 in the first (they came 1st and 2nd) 2 in the 2nd (they came in 1st and 2nd) and 3 in the 3rd (they came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd) but still lost $1.50.. Anyway, Rosa Grace at Saratoga got me back the money.. So that was about it. I had a brilliant time, was great to see everyone and thanks to all for their kindness and hospitality.. Will see ye again for the Breeders Cup!
__________________
#Grand
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#11
08-20-2008, 10:43 AM
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Jim, I thought it was a fantastic track.. It looks great, the facilities are grand and it was easy to get around.. The paddock looks beautiful too. I'd have to say it was probably the nicest US track Ive been to..
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#Grand
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#12
08-20-2008, 10:59 AM
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ha, the last time i fit into ANYTHING hollister had in their stores i was 4. Extra tight clothes for tall lanky men, it does not accomodate for the short and fat like myself sounds like a fun weekend though -bt-
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#14
08-20-2008, 11:02 AM
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Hollister? What are you a poofter?
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#16
08-21-2008, 08:38 AM
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Irish men. 
__________________
http://www.facebook.com/cajungator26
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#18
08-21-2008, 10:44 AM
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"but there's just no point in trying to predict when the narcissits finally figure out they aren't living in the most important time ever." hi im god quote
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#20
08-21-2008, 12:46 PM
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__________________
http://www.facebook.com/cajungator26
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