Playing the ponies.

The sport of kings.

I went to the track today. It was one of those last-minute things decided when Jaime invited me just before noon. We'd thought of going to see Pearl Harbor, but I, for some reason, had no desire to sit inside a dark theater today. No particular reason � it wasn't even particularly nice out � but I knew I wouldn't get through it. So when she said the three of them � her dad and fiance Dave as well � were going to Monmouth Park, I liked the thought of an afternoon at the track.

I had to wear a jacket, though, since Bill (her father) had been given passes to a private box (a "parterre" as they call them) from a customer at his store. So we were watching the races in style � high above the grandstand, on a shaded, breezy deck, a television to see the race up close, a table with cloth napkins and tablecloth, and waiter service to bring us lunch and drinks. We drove right up to the entrance, entrusted our cars to the valets, took the free programs and made our way through the track regulars lined up at the self-serve betting machines and manned teller booths.

And on top of it all, Bill, Dave and I did quite well at the windows too. I placed $35 in bets and won $58.80, including a $35 exacta, to walk away with a net gain of $23.80. Not bad for two hours' fun.

Afterwards, I drove over to my uncle's house � Dad's brother � in nearby Long Branch for a barbecue. Uncle Chic (you'd get it if you knew our Polish last name) and his new wife (year and a half) have built up the patio and deck around the pool, adding a tiki bar to entertain all the extended family members who live in the state. I met my cousin Scott's fiance, Kathleen, and sat talking with Scott and Chic and enjoying a pleasing end to the afternoon. It's the first time, I think, that I really did anything with that part of the family without my parents around. Usually, any get-togethers with Chic and Co. (my other cousin Donna) would involve the whole family, since we live so close, weird as that may sound.

I'm a-gonna go home tonight (momentarily, I hope) and stay up and watch some TV, hopefully get through my backlog of season finales � mainly the Fox Sunday night lineup. I know, I'm pathetic. It's an addiction.

But I want to get them out of the way because I'm itching to watch "High Fidelity" again, and I want to have all the TV stuff out of the way before I go watching (and rewatching) movies through the summer.

Loser.

Anyway, feel free to recommend movies to me in my guestbook (you know, the Garden State Parkway sign up in the corner) and tell me why I should watch what you think I should watch. Particularly older ones, because I know a lot about what's out now. But don't let that stop you from telling me how cool something like "Frequency" is (I know, it's a recent favorite of mine too).

I also decided that, if my schedule allows, a little road trip may be in order to go to a memorial dedication for the national D-Day memorial in Virginia. It will be dedicated on June 6, the anniversary of the attack, in Easton, the town that lost something like 24 of 35 men in the army and national guard who died on the beaches of Normandy.

The BlueClaws are home tomorrow, so it should be a nice Memorial Day afternoon out at the ballpark.

I just hope I can avoid all the northbound end-of-holiday weekend traffic heading home tomorrow night.