The Rundown: Happiest Places on Earth

Last week's installment trumpeted the awesomeness that is Wonderland.

As I stated in 10 Things this past Sunday, it was everything I expected and more, easily topping the All-Time Wonderland Trips list.

Wonderland made me think of Disneyland / DisneyWorld, the latter of which I have been to. These places bill themselves as The Happiest Place on Earth if I'm not mistaken, but all I remember of my Grade 4 March Break Vacation to Disney World was that Space Mountain was overrated and The Tea Cups nearly made me barf. What's so happy about that?

There is nothing happy about feeling like you're going to yak, but there is happiness contained in the list below, at least for me there is...

Top Five Happiest Place on Earth
Note: I'm sparring everyone the sappy and sentimental "Anywhere as long as Sarah is there" and "Lying next to Sarah while she sleeps" mentions because #1 isn't always true and #2 doesn't happen anymore now that we have a dog. Luke sleeps between us...
5. O'Neill's Pub in Earl's Court, London, England
O'Neill's is like the Firkin Group of Pubs here in Ontario - a chain that doesn't really feel like a chain - and this one in Earl's Court became my watering hole on my first excursion to Jolly Old. Whether it was just relaxing with a pint and the paper after a long night out, watching Champions League Football with a room full of Liverpool supporters going insane or Monday Night Pub Trivia with Big Dave, this spot quickly found a place in my heart.

4. Along the fence on a Picnic Table at Any Ontario Harness Track
Chirping with friends as they jog by during warm-ups. Getting a close-up look at the longshot I like in the 8th during the post parade. The thundering of hooves as they charge out from behind the starting gate. The crack of the whip and whistles from drivers as the field charges for home. If I wrote a list like this when I was ten, this one would have been there.

3. Chapters
Not all the time - sometimes a trip to Chapters is just a run in, grab something and run out event. I'm talking about the days when you just lose yourself in the store. Hit the Starbucks for a Venti Komodo Dragon with room for dairy, find a big comfy chair somewhere and just lose track of time, either reading or working on something. Sarah and I used to do this fairly regularly in St. John's and we need to get back to doing it again... soon.

2. Middle Cove Beach in Newfoundland
This place has been on my mind a lot lately with the hot and humid summer that has hit Ontario. How I wish I could just take a twenty minute drive out to the ocean and climb along the rock faces to hear the crashing of the waves. I'd even welcome an unexpected splash from the water below. Luke would love it out there too; tons of sticks to crew on, chasing the tide in and out, all kinds of other people and dogs to antagonize...

1. Right Here
Not just sitting at this computer, but sitting here in my home, knowing that Sarah is somewhere in the house with our dog, fully supportive of what I am doing even though it means less time with her. It was the same when "right here" was in the spare room on Crosbie Road in St. John's, in our bedroom in Portugal Cove or in the living room on Wexford Street too and I'm certain it will be wherever we end up next too.

Pictured: That's about what I see my home office looking like in the future...

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Where Was This When I Was Growing Up?

Horse racing - be it thoroughbred or standardbred - has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. One of my parents' favourite pictures of Pete and I was taken sitting in a box in the Fort Erie Grandstand. I couldn't have been more than five.

Until I learned what all those jumbled up numbers and symbols and letters in the program meant though, I had no interest whatsoever in going to the track. It was all foreign to me. No matter how diligently everyone tried, you couldn't make horse racing fun and interesting to me.

There needed to be something like this.

OHHA, the Ontario Harness Horsemen's Association, launched a harness racing website not that long ago and it's absolutely awesome. As someone who has spent countless hours trying to explain the finer points of the industry to friends and family alike, a site like this is a welcomed tool. Seriously, where was this when I was growing up?

Get Sulky provides some history, general information and contact points, as well as a chance to win $10,000.

Whatsthatnow?

You read that right - $10K. All you have to do is play a game where you bet on the horses. How sweet does that sound?

Besides the opportunity to potentially win a mint, the game is also a great way to familiarize yourself with betting on the ponies. Not only do you learn for yourself, but you also stop asking fiends like me 3,000 questions while I'm scouring the program trying to find the longshot that's going to help me make my millions...

As someone who grew up around the industry and makes his living in the ever-growing world of the Internet, it's nice to finally see the old school sport of harness racing taking a step forward into the technological age.

Now I'm off to play the ponies...

Pictured Above - My good friend Jody Jamieson guiding Tell All to victory last year in The Little Brown Jug.

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10 Things I Learned This Week

1. Never Strain a Muscle in Your Chest
Unless you want to know what having someone kicking you in the same spot over and over and over feels like. I have no idea how I managed this, but I've done something to something in my chest and it effin' kills. Breathing hurts. Sleeping is damn near impossible, at least comfortably and there is only so many Advil you can take in a day. Off to the clinic tomorrow...

2. Spencer Kyte - Podcast Guest!
Later on tonight, I'll be taping my podcast debut with the guys from Drunk Jays Fans and lemme tell you - it's not going to be pretty. Saying we don't see eye-to-eye is a bit of an understatement. We're like Israel and Palestine, except without the suicide bombers. It'll go up on TheScore.com later in the week, so be sure to check it out...

3. Best Horse Ever
I got home from work last night in time to watch the North American Cup, one of the premiere harness races around and witnessed the sheer dominance of Somebeachsomewhere. "The Beach" is an absolute machine - 8 for 8 so far in his career - and beat everyone last night with minimal urging. Word from my harness connections is that this might be the best horse ever. Sadly, no one outside of the harness racing industry has any idea what I'm talking about.

4. Sad State of Cinema
Frequent follower Newt left a comment yesterday about have free movie passes that he hasn't used in over a year. Sarah and I copped some a couple weeks back too and so far there hasn't been one movie where we've thought about using them. What does that say about the movie business? There is nothing I want to go and see, even when it's free.

5. Where My Newfies At?
The Blockbuster Crew has been curiously absent around here as of late... whatta ya at ladies? I need some updates and info on what's going down out there! That goes for you too Deuce!

6. I May Become a Beer Snob
The days of Coors Light and Canadian and everyday, run of the mill beers may be over for me. I think my beer snob stage of life is about to begin. Went to a get together last night with a pack of Mill Street Stock Ale - loved it - and was provided with the best tasting beer I've ever had. It's called Innis & Gunn - it's Scottish, it's aged in oak barrels and it is outstanding, well worth the $3 a bottle you pay... I don't think I can ever drink anything generic again.

7. Good Times, Good Friends
Hung out with my friends Mark & Shelby last night and have to say that I think this is one of those friendships that is going to stick with me for a while. D'you know how some people are just good people? That's them. Plus, the currently refer to Sarah as Polk-a-roo since they have yet to meet her and that kills me.

8. I Was Thinkin' Arby's
So I indulged for the first time in years the other night. Lemme tell you how good it was! Curly fries are always awesome, but the two Beef n' Cheddars that I hammered back... MAN! Is it just me or does cheese sauce make everything better?

9. Wallets: Still Used or Have We Moved On?
I barely ever carry one. Sometimes when I do need it, I've left it at home and I don't even have a "proper" wallet. I use one of those fold in the middle, slotted card holder jobs... What do you think?

10. Happy Father's Day!

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