Bad Karma

There are so many things I want to write about today. I thought I would pick this topic because of something that happened yesterday.

I'm cruising along at the track, playing a multitude of simulcast tracks, dogs and horses. I'm deep into "homework" making my bets, mostly losing. Right now since it is the end of the month, I'm "pretend" betting to hone those skills. Being at the track is advantageous because I'm on the spot and can analyze the outcomes, payoffs, and my thinking simultaneously with the running of the race. It was about 3:30, the matinees were winding down, and Bluffs run was fixin to start. I had just hit a nice WP and Exacta/Quinnella combination at Southland. I'm at the window cashing in my $45 and making the rest of my matinee plays all at once. I turn around, and there's my friend Carol.

"Hi" she says. We start talking and she asks if I want to go to the game room with her.

#1. This is the last thing I want to do at that moment, because I am rolling so to speak, and I'm still not finished with my "homework". But I am a "do for others" kind of person, so I agree. The game room we both went to had closed down a month ago. Another one I go to was 5 minutes away. So I jump in my car and she follows me. (We don't ride together because I tell her I'm coming back to the track and I want to leave when I'm ready) If she's not ready, then I can leave. We drive over to "R and R's". I have a card there and Carol doesn't. Usually at these places if you come with a "member" they'll let you in.

#2. They wouldn't let Carol in. They said they were closed to new members and she couldn't play. One strike. Carol suggests that we drive to Hitchcock where game rooms are as plentiful as Shell stations. "Let's go to the one across from the Catholic church". We drive there and it takes another 15 minutes.

#3. Carol tells me when we get there that I went "the long way" and we could have been there sooner.

#4. They wouldn't let either of us in. They didn't even answer the door when we went in. We discuss our next option, and decide to try "Joker's Wild" down the road. (like the next Shell station) We drive down the highway.

#5. Some guy in a black truck cuts me off. He pulls right in front of me. Now, I'm feeling the bad karma and my blood starts to boil. I'm pissed and it's leaking into my psyche. We go up to the door with several people.

#6. They wouldn't let us in. The room and parking lot is full and I guess they don't need our money. Someone there tells us that "Ocean's" is run by a friend of the owner of the closed one we used to go to. It's right down the road. So we get in our separate vehicles AGAIN. We drive down the road, this time I'm following Carol. I guess she didn't trust following me since I missed the "short cut" before.

#7. We pull into the WRONG driveway. Honestly, when you're not sure where you're going and you just have general directions, turn right at the game room seems logical. Of course it was a different one (another Shell station). There's a couple getting into their car, so we ask where "Ocean's" is. It's the next driveway. The karma is really feeling bad by now and I'm wishing I was in my cozy little carrel at the track. We park at "Ocean's" nestled down in a dip behind a driveway and go in. YEA!! The girl who answers the door is someone I recognize from a past game room. Ok, it's looking up a little. We sign in, sit down, get our $5 match, and start to play our games. We start chit chatting, because this is why Carol said I HAD to come with her.

#8. Carol hits the "Take Out" button and the girl has to come over and fix it for her. She tells her "Don't do it again because if you do I can't pay you. I'm going to do it just this time." Now this is Carol's bad karma, not mine, but I'm sitting right by her and karma will rub off on neighbors.

#9. I lose.

I knew when I sat down that I was going to lose. My psyche was in such turmoil that it was inevitable. I was in a pretty bad mood and not very friendly. By the time we left, Carol had started apologizing over and over. Bad karma is a sure sign that you are going to lose. Ignoring it only means that later I'm going to tell myself, "I told you so". From now on, when I feel bad karma, I'm hitting the door!!!!

Carol hit the "Take Out" button three times by mistake. I guess her karma was bad too.