It's Not Mad Cow

William and Christina get married!

William...well actually...Bill, Billy or B.K. (he's really only 'William' when he's getting a talking to for doing something wrong) and I got married! Finally....we've been together for five years.
Please enjoy some wedding pics.

Jen Bailey - Maid of Honor...and me. Apparently we're sniffing the boquets. Ha!

That's the back of the dress. It's got racing stripes.

That's my grandpa walking me down the asile (to "Hard Times Come Again No More." Bill and I are real nerds.) All the bridesmaids told me to bring a tissue in the event I started bawling. The thing is, I knew laughing hysterically would be more likely.

Yeah, Bill, he's grinning too.

Our first kiss...
Awww!
We played the whole "you may kiss the groom" joke for the easily entertained audience. Honestly, while I'm not a real sentimental person, this is the happiest moment of my life. I married the biggest crush I've ever had. You should be so lucky.

The ladies with boquets...goregous photo.

Here's a wide angle of the inside of Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church. This is great place, it was built in 1860 as a "temple of abolition." The first pastor, Theodore Cuyler was the founder of the National Temperance Society. Apparently (according to the pastor), Abe sent his kid, Robert Todd up here to break the ground for the what is now the modern church. (I guess Abe used to use his boy for P.R. appearances. Someone correct me if that is wrong.) Early drafts of the emancipation proclamation were worked on in the library here. The current pastor is Rev. David Dyson, a former ACTWU staffer and decorated social justice warrior.

Mr. and Mrs. William E. Towne...

Adios amigos!

Wow...I'm married. That's so cool...

A nice portrait of Bill and I outside the church...

Look we're smooching!

There's the bridal party in all their glory...except for the best man, Mike Donovan. This is no more than 10 minutes after the ceremony and he's already at the bar. Geesh...

Oh yeah...here comes the happy couple, complete with cold Stella Artois.

Our first dance...awwwwww....
We ended up using Raul Malo's version of "Beautiful Dreamer" by Stephen Foster. You have to understand, Bill and I find this wildly funny. We're having a decent discussion about how nuts we are and how we may have inadvertently had a Civil War theme wedding. Apparently the war ruined the market for American popular music, and poor Stephen wrote this song in 1864 shortly before he fell out of his bed, cut his head open and died with 38 cents in his pocket. Tres romantique! But its a great tune..."list while I woo thee with soft melody." I mean, come on...that's classic!

Oh goodness...that's so adorable. How could you not just melt?

This is such a fantastic portrait of Bill and his eight brothers and sisters. He's the oldest and least responsible of the group. My new in-laws...they are awesome...all of them.

Whatever, someone started the stupid conga line garbage. I think was "tipsy" enough to actually find it funny though. LOOK! I have a beer. I think Bill is dancing with the valet out front at this point.

Bill and I are having some type of really deep conversation. In the foreground is Kathy and Cackle Jr. (Bill's brother Danny's son and his wife). They are proud Team Belmont members. Proof that you can dress up Team Belmont, but you can't take them out.

Back to Bates

I went back to Bates College in Lewiston Maine. Yeah...I did. Shoot me. What was I thinking? Bill, of course, is back in the world doing all kinds of important stuff defending workers. College is worse that I remember it. I took 5 classes: one about poltical participation in America that I got a B+ in; one about environmental policy that was wicked good; one about environmental chemistry (really overachieved on that one, but now I'm stuck with it...3 words people...rocks for jocks); one about urban planning and parks (I think, it had some Olmsted and Jacobs and maybe a little Bobby Moses but I don't know what that class was about); and one about the Vietnam War. Next semester I'm taking: two comparative policy classes (one public policy, one environmental policy); the second half of the environemental chemistry class (I've heard our lab is taking care of a fish tank); thesis (yikes); and an independant study on labor history in America from the beginning of Roosevelt, through the founding of the CIO, up until just '49 and the communist purges and all that. My professors include: a green party activist, a Wobby, a marine, and a former Maine Yankee worker. So that's Bates, I'll post pictures if I ever take them.
In the meantime...enjoy the "FBI/Free the Alpacas/you might be a terrorist if"...letter they sent me right before I terminated my first attempt to graduate.

Preakness Stakes 2006

Well, the Preakness was a pretty heartbreaking experience. Barbaro...my Derby pick, the Derby winner and the horse that was to break the two and half decade plus Triple Crown drought broke down a few hundred yards out of the gate. His pastern bone was shattered into more than 20 parts. The tarp came out. Even the most grizzled railbirds (like Bill) had a lump in the throat. He got loaded in the van though, and wasn't put down. The bone never broke the skin. But Bobby is far from out of the woods. Good luck Bobby. Man, I hope you live.

The Preakness was as usual, the Preakness. This year, Bill saw a guy get his finger bit off in a fight. And I have to say, I saw the SWEETEST chick fight EVER! Amazing. It took like 4 security guards to pull them apart. This year, however, I took a less than helpful posture toward random college drunks. Instead of bringing them to first aid, I decided it was easier to just shove and kick bodies out of the way. We waited in a 45 minute melee up to my knees in mud, piss and warm beer to get in. I was not in the best frame of mind. Here's the evidence...

This is the melee at the gates. I was standing next to a guy with a 6 inch blade (at least at 11 AM, he was still using it to shotgun beers.)

Kathy (Mrs. XVP) is pretty disgusted with this whole scene. This is her second Preakness, so she knows what to expect.

Ok, this was the sweetest chick fight ever...they just kept going. They started going at it after they were broken up for the third time. There's always at least one chick fight at the Preakness, but this one was the best. What makes it so funny, is that they were actually fighting over some guy. Considering the quality of the men one can find at Preakness, I find hysterically funny that two chicks would actually fight over one.

Note: Do not black out drunk by the 4th race at Preakness...its a real possibility that you'll get your undies ripped off...while you are wearing them.

This guy blacked out, and ended up with some guy's balls on his head. Nasty.

This guy talked his girl into hitting the vodka slip and slide topless. So...so classy.

Shortly after she asked him to hold her bra and shirt, he tossed it to an eager crowd of frat boys. What a great guy! You got a winner there girl! Don't let that one get away!

The ubiquitous funnel...

The even more ubiquitous "man hug."

Look at the size of those cops. They're pretty stacked. That kid is big...but those cops are bigger...and there are two of them. He got dropped SO fast by these cops and hauled up even faster. It was pretty cool. I didn't get a picture of the front, but his t-shirt actually said, "Do not arrest this man."

100,000 plus attendance, and I end up next to can of O'Douls. Wild.

The Team Belmont car sign. Bar-ba-ro! Bar-ba-ro! Tragic. That's how the day ended up.

Frat boys + coolers = all American Preakness fun!

The aftermath!

Team Belmont leaves Preakness again...intact. Amazing.

Kentucky Derby 2006

Well, we hit the Derby again of course. This time Cackle Jr. (Team Belmont XVP) and his wife Kathy, Mrs. XVP came with us. They are pretty brave to ride 12 hours in a Chevy Impala with Bill and I; although the ride did produce some classics that have earned a place in permanant Team Belmont vernacular. For example, "It don't run on love" means, "its time to stop for gas." "Get on the leash" means, you are not behaving appropriately, and will be punished by being leashed to the bumper of the car. Considering the good driving time we made, we got to make the Oaks this year too. The Oaks is the lady version of the Derby. The Derby, as you've probably seen before, is much less obnoxious than the Preakness. But its not as good an undercard as the Belmont. Once again, we met up with Steve, the general of the southern cav. division. This was a special Derby for Steve...it was his 30th...in a row! Now that's an amazing feat! Congrats Steve. Vince appeared this year, and Chet. No Sean though. Also, the Belknap crew made it down from Gloversville. The hotel parking lot was a major beer blast.

My horse, Barbaro ate up the field. I saw that horse win his first graded stakes at Gulfstream in February, and I knew then he would wear the roses. I have never seen an animal quite as impressive, majestic and powerful as Barbaro. I smell a Triple Crown in the air.

Let me say, I had the best handicapping day I've ever had at the track. 6 winners across the board, 5 exactas and a triple. One of the best feelings ever is being on top of your game on Derby Day. I also won the Derby future pool...Cackle Jr. paid me out. I can't wait to Compani's nose in my victory. I would have won last year, but he wouldn't let me in. They say girls can't handicap. I say, "Gimme 20 across on the 8."
Anyway, here's the evidence.

Oaks Day is cool, because its a good card, not real crowded and they have concerts. I got to see Everclear. And I bought the 12 year old kid I was looking out for a pack of smokes and a Southern Comfort on ice. That was pretty cool.

This is the Oaks field. Lemons Forever (out of Lemon Drop Kid) won at 43-1!

Derby Day: Check out this fantastic glimpse in Cackle Jr.'s future. Leopard print shirts and argyile sweaters. I love the track.

There's Steve and Vince doing last minute reviews of the card before the 1st. Steve, over two days went 0 for 24. Ouch.

The guy in the hat sitting on the ground is Chet. His old lady tossed him out and he's been living in the Extended Stay since Thanksgiving. If he's still there by the Wood Memorial next year, Team Belmont is going to have to organize a "Get Chet out of the Extended Stay" fundraiser. First month's, last month's and deposit. How hard could it be?