On an almost-whim, F & O took off for Emerald Downs on KY Derby day. While they had been there several times before, going for such a momentous occasion (in the horse-world at least) was a new adventure.
Here in the NW it was a stunningly beautiful day, with sun and temps hovering at 70. Sorry Kentucky! The track facilities were primed and ready to go: tons of free parking and free shuttles, hats and booze for sale, and fully staffed up with friendly folk. F & O have a loyalty card, and admission was free. Mt Rainier was dominating the background, and with all the dressed-up race-goers, the place was just darn festive. F & O befriended Colin and Marlie (in black & white, below) who were venturing to a track for the very 1st time ever on a ‘Seattle brunch and derby’ package excursion. They asked lots of questions and got some instructions, before heading off to explore the rest of the facilities.
Pretty hats and outfits ~ even Flynn wore one.
Of course, no free day would be complete without booze and gambling, so Flynn had a double-something-or-another that put him on his lips, and Ollie had a giant beer. Ollie was probably buzzed but Flynn didn’t notice because he was too busy looking at all the hats. Flynn likes hats.
Back to the task at hand. The Derby itself was a bust. Sorry, again, Kentucky. F & O cashed a few tickets for the races the bet on at Emerald Downs. In the end, Flynn lost his $20 racing allowance. Ollie lost some too, especially since he bought the drinks. By the time F&O didi’d out of there, they were sober. And ready for poker, which was conveniently just up the road.
For those of you who keep track of such things, you will remember that last week’s outing to Renton did not go so well. This week’s was not perfect, but F & O will take a break-even this time over a loss that stung. It was a fun night, the games were good, the staff was great, and the food was right on point. Flynn and Ollie sat at different tables, finally, and just sorta hung out. Ollie quadded up some Aces to hit a high hand, and Flynn had his dinner bought by the super drunk man on his right. Yep, the guy actually reached over and touched one of the spring rolls to see what they felt like ~ then, when that piece was cut off and offered to him to sample, he double-dipped the peanut sauce. At least he had the sense left to pay for the meal. Gotta love wasted poker players. + EV, he lost about $1500 he had amassed, – EV, he didn’t lose it to Flynn. Random fact ~ he had been at the track before poker as well, but F & O hadn’t seen him. Bummer.
Other characters at the table: the ‘TV time slow player’, the ‘here to watch the basketball play-offs dude’, the ‘super nit’, and two really cool I.T. guys from Alaska travelling to Seattle for a job. Nothing earth-shattering happened, Flynn lost a little, Ollie won a little, and they both had a good time.
Fin
Flynn