instead of staying home and working on my short story like i told myself i would. i went to the races with sister #2, princess jaycie, max, the stink and various other family members who aren’t in the sister club.

i love going to the track. it’s one of the few places outside the state fair (coming august 26) i get to commune with the unwashed masses of minnesota, the masses that are my people. unfortunately, i don’t get to the track that often. which is probably good for my pocketbook, but definitely bad for my soul. the sisterclub and i try to make it out there at least once a season.

max, pictured above in a self-portrait, has a memory like me. while this makes me kinda proud, it sorta makes me uncomfortable too. oh! first, there was this really cute old lady sitting on the bench next to sister #2 and the stink. i was on the bench behind them with princess jaycie and max, when frank sinatra’s “come fly with me” came on over the loud speakers.
“aunt bad lady, aunt bad lady,” jaycie said. “this is on our CD.”

both jaycie and max immediately launch into a song and dance routine while standing on the bench next to me. the old lady next to sister #2 and the stink clapped along.

“that’s one of my favorite sinatra songs,” she said.
“it’s my favorite sinatra song,” max said.

that picture, the one up there, that’s the penguin keeper. and brings us back to max of the magnificent memory. last year when we went to the races (see #63), max asked me what was way on top of the clubhouse. i, of course, told him that’s where the penguins live in the summer. because there are penguin races in the winter. when maxspotted the guy up there, he was very excited to be able to see the penguin keeper.
“who won the penguin race last year?” max asked.
“yeah aunt bad lady, who won?” jaycie asked.
“umm, sammy snow. . foot.” i said.
“sammy snowfoot?” max asked.
“yes.” i said.
“is he really very fast?” jaycie asked.
“the fastest penguin in minnesota.”
“can we go to the penguin races?” max asked.
“yes, but not until you’re 10.”

thanks to our good luck charm, above, we didn’t do too bad at the races today, jaycie, max and i. before each race we would huddle around the program and i’d read the name of the horses to them. then without much arguing at all, we’d come to a consensus on who we should vote for. jaycie and max decided it was voting and not betting. as soon as we’d pick a horse they’d start chanting “let’s go vote! let’s go vote! let’s go vote!” i tried to explain to them that it was betting and not voting.
“why is it not voting?” jaycie asked.
“because it’s betting,” i said. “we give them money because we think that horse is going to win and if the horse wins we get even more money back.”
“but don’t you have to vote for the horse you want to win?” she asked.
“well, i guess it’s kind of like that,” i said.
“let’s go vote!” max shouted.

sadly, we didn’t leave the races with all that much money. after much debate, jaycie and max decided we should spend our winnings on ice cream and mini donuts. but still and all to only spend a grand total of $20 on the whole day (including dinner), i guess i can’t really complain.