CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
Hello everydoggy,
Captain Perky speaking
Oops, sorry ! Hello everybody ! That was a slip of the tongue, due either to July dogdays, or to Canaille who, in spite of the current heatwave, makes a point of keeping my toes warm !! But he is such a die-hard supporter of Perky Busy Bee and a first-rate entertainer that taking my feet for a comfy pillow is one of his numerous perks.
Come on,don't worry, no more dog stories ! I guess you have had enough of them ! And one too many, and I would have to rename Perky Busy Bee ocean liner, and call it Doggy Doting Lover.
No way !! You know why?
Because, according to a sea fisherman I know, it is bad luck to change the name of a boat. He told me that boats develop a life of their own once they are named (no wonder then that life is cheerful on Perky Busy Bee), and if you do rename the boat,you absolutely must have a re-naming ceremony !
I'll think about it for my second blogiversary, but for the moment, let Perky Busy Bee flag fly in the wind of laughter, lightness and joy(we need that, don't we ?).
Don't get me wrong : as I am a budding captain, I always trust seafarers when they speak, but otherwise I'm far from being superstitious. I have no problems with black cats, ladders or open umbrellas in the house, and, Friday 13th is like any other day for me !
I have no Lucky charms....well, ...let me see, ...oh, yes I do !
A four-leaf clover I have kept in my wallet for years, and well, I guess it brought me good luck at least once !
So today, let me take you on a day-trip to the racecourse, and then you'll decide whether lucky charm talismans can change your luck for good ...
First of all, have you ever been to such a place?
No, never ? Well, even if you are anything but a punter, an occasional risk-taker, let alone a gambler through and through, it is a venue worth going to !
Of course, to see fabulous horses and fillies, to admire the jockeys'bright silks, but also to feel the thrills and spills floating all around.
Perhaps, my opinion is not that unbiased, cause I went there just once, but as it is still etched on in my memory, let me tell you about my first steps as a one-day punter.
One day, Dearhubby, one of his best friends, and myself had been to the movies to see " A day at the races ", a film starring the three Marx Brothers (still a must even if dating from 1937 !).
Once out of the movie theatre, on an impulse, we decided to go to the races, the next weekend.
As none of us had ever been to such a place, we wanted to get the full monty !
So, we arrived quite early and went to the pre-parade ring to see the horses warming up before being saddled.
There were 14 thoroughbred horses, one more beautiful than the next, but I immediately got a crush on Sweet Zephir.
Within a wink I could feel a kind of betting craving !
Dearhubby and our friend laughed at me and said that my 'sweetheart' had very poor odds, and then, wasting money to offer Sweet Zephir some extra oats was just my own business!
So, they bet on the favourite, Sudden Lightning, but I stuck to my decision to back Sweet Zephir!
After the bustle of betting activity,suddenly, as the stalls flew open, a hush fell over the racecourse.
A few seconds later, the thundering hooves and the roars of the spectators burst out, and I could hear and feel my heart beat in my head like a huge drum !
Dearhubby and our friend were shouting their heads off, cause Sudden Lightning was galloping far ahead, whereas Sweet Zephir was just going on his own sweet way ! He had adopted the stately pace of the perfect loser !!
My two punters were laughing up their sleeves, when suddenly, just before the final stretch, the favourite, certainly driven by a kind of desire for freedom or a feeling of rebellion, took the wrong track , followed by all the others except ....Sweet Zephir !
He crossed the finish line quietly under the gaze of flabbergasted spectators !!
I was as happy as Larry when I got my winnings !
Then, as I was putting the banknotes into my wallet, I came across my four-leaf clover.
If I had been a good girl, I would have given it to my two losers, but after all, they had made fun of me,so I just dangled it in front of them and said mischievously :
" A stroke of luck ? "
Anyway, to soak up their disappointment, on behalf of Sweet Zephir, I treated them with a good dinner and they ate like a horse (actually like two horses !!).
I still have my four-leaf clover,and I must confess it brings me good luck,because you are still onboard Perky Busy Bee ocean liner !
Have a nice and lucky week,and don't forget : be perky !!
