
Things I have to do to get ready for the Hawthorne meet:
1. Dust off my German Shepard bobble head and put it in the rear window ledge of my car.
2. Keep practicing my retort to panhandlers: "Damn--I was just going to ask you for a loan"
3. Practice my Spanish, in case I need to use the tellers, or not bother changing the language on the machines. Numero cinco,por favor.
4. Stock up on Tums--in case I get hungry and am forced to eat there.
5.Go to the gun range and get some practice in with my.357.
6. Remember to use valet parking to avoid long walks in dark parking lot back to your car.
7. Do some puzzles to sharpen my brain so I'm ready for the challenge of figuring out the"gamesmanship" of the new trainers and barns that ship in.
8. Allow 90 seconds to cap a race instead of 60 due to larger fields.
9. Try not to think of what happened to Sportsman Park and the good times spent there.
10. Write myself a note to wear my shabby clothes.