Winnings and Losings: Hayes's Pole Vault and Hollywood Casino

This spring, Hayes qualified for the State Track Meet at LSU in pole vaulting. We had no idea just how impressive he was to watch in action! Bonnie planned the road trip, and after driving over to Houston, we both headed out to Baton Rouge to meet up with Amy and family. It was thrilling to see Hayes win third place - he really showed what a superb athlete he is - and to see the older talented pole vaulters as well. Claude Jr. and Molly were both there to support their brother, and in the middle of exams it must have been a bit of a reprieve. And speaking of a reprieve, Bonnie was enjoying the break from babysitting and was all in for a night at the Hollywood Casino near our hotel. We felt lucky after Hayes’s win, and though we started out pretty well, our losings topped our winnings. We counted it small change in the spirit of the gambling at the Kentucky Derby that evening, and in honor of Mom who loved both the graceful running of the horses and the thrill of winning at the casino. And once I returned to Austin late the next day, I convinced Mark to watch Seabiscuit with me, again in memory of Mom.