Hey, old sport

What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

Horseracing or horse riding are two ever so different recreations.

Those who ride are further divided by the shape of their saddles. English aficionados have a slight disdain for the Westerners. I have ridden both styles and had an equal liking.

Taking to horseback is an often exhilarating activity and very fine exercise.

You won’t burn as many calories in the stands at Saratoga even if you jump up every time number 7 takes his turn round the track.

While riding is a way to canter away a leisurely afternoon, it’s a bet at the races that gets your heart racing.

Going to the window to put your money down turns this spectator sport into a participatory one.

Dated

The year before I completed college.

1971 draws a blank for the moment.

In 1967, I had a roommate who matriculated. She was finished with her studies a year ahead of me.

It’s a little game, silly, really, that I like to try. The universe hands me a date and I connect it to a memory.

The idea is not just to stay sharp but also to keep the timeline of my personal history fresh.

The latter has a way of slipping as time passes. It comes in handy, keeping a grip on who I am.

Disasters

The term we use when we experience horrific destruction is ‘Acts of God’. It’s a term of convenience for insurance agents who don’t want to fund natural disasters.

Sometimes, in a more neutral frame of mind, we blame Mother Nature. As if your mama would inflict that upon you.

Of course, the God-fearing among us still turn to prayer when unthinkable catastrophe hits.

I, as usual, turn to a favorite atheistic catchphrase: God has a lot to answer for.

Sing along

What is your favorite genre of music?

🎼Classical music, big splashy symphonies, and intricate piano works are wonderful.

My teenage years played out mostly to Brahms and Bach and Mozart, and Liszt and some more obscure and lesser composers. 🎹*

In college, I bopped to classic Motown and R&B repertory.

As I grew to young adulthood, I started grooving heavily to country tunes.

Yes, folks, let’s sing along with Miss Barbara Mandrell. “I was country when country wasn’t cool.” 🎵🎶🎸

I love the great American musical, like Pajama Game or Hello, Dolly, to name a few. It’s billed as The Great American Songbook and

Jazz was an eye-opener when I was introduced to it. Over the years, I went to many a jazz concert and a few jazz clubs.

Let us not leave out Big Bands and blue grass for a full roster of favorites

*Classical music and the classical music station were part of the family dynamic.