Well the first weekend of the track has come and gone and we are smack dab in the middle of it. The Division Social Hour was moved to the track on Friday night. The first of two twilight racing nights proved to be a fantastic spot for us to meet. The usual group of rascals met up by the Big Red Spring and we were under way. I have to add that I was on my best behavior when the two security guards approached and asked us to pack up and leave. I have never been kicked out of the track before and I can't recall any Hibernians being tossed from a Social Hour before. We looked around and saw that we were the last people at the track. So, we weren't really being kicked out it was just that the guards wanted to go home after a long days work. The social Hour continued at Chris Millis' favorite Italian bistro till the wee hours. If you are not attending the Social Hours then you are missing out on the camaraderie and friendship of your brother Hibernians. If you are staying away because you don't drink, that's no excuse. We would love to have another designated driver, but honestly all are welcome so that everyone can get to know each other outside of the meeting atmosphere.

What's Happening this week:

Studioarts Entertainment presents Torch Song Trilogy at the Dee Sarno Theater, the Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, 320 Broadway. ( for all you locals it's the old Library at the corner of Congress Park, you know across from O'Dwyers)

The show stars local acting legends, Michelle Summerlin, J.J. Buechner, Michael Curran, Mitchell Conway and PJ Duell. Performances are August 3, 8, 10, 16, 18. All shows are at 7:30 and for more information call 222-5129 or http://www.studioartsentertainment.com/

The Commodore John Barry Division #1 AOH meeting will be held Thursday night at the K of C on Pine Rd. at 7pm.

Saturday's feature race will be 82 running of The Darley Test for 3-year-old Fillies $250,000 7 Furlongs Grade:I

Sunday will feature The Fourstardave Handicap, named after the Saratoga favorite. It is also tee shirt day so get there early and spin, spin, spin those turnstiles.

Fourstardave with bobble head Angel Cordero up.

Now that you have had a few days to let the first part sink in, here's the rest of the story. The meetings ended Friday and we all went off on our merry ways, to different hospitality rooms. Dick Nelson had called it a convention and left for home ( By the way Dick, Emmit was a bit saddened that you left without saying good-bye. The rest of you get you mind out of the gutter, Emmit is Dick's private bartender). This left Chris and I to carry the load. We met up with some of my family in the Albany room and drank until dinner. That explains why when most everyone else, including Chris, were dressed in suits I was still in shorts and a tee shirt. Chris changed because he found out that the division was getting an award and I voted for him to except it. We were seated at a table with four extremely beautiful women, if only we were twenty years older we would have been in. Mary and her friends from Orange County were wonderful and we laughed all through dinner. After dinner we hit the rooms again. Ben Campney, Jeff Carney and Chris Templin joined the fun. We even hit the LOAH room, what a spread of food they had. The rest of the night gets a bit fuzzy and what I do remember will stay out of this blog. What happens at the convention, stays at the convention. Saturday was pretty much a free day. We voted on the one election that was needed and we planted ourselves in the Albany room at noon with Ed and Tom Leach. Greg Gallagher was our advance scout, he was headed to the Albany Hall to see how lunch was but we never heard from him. Saturday afternoon they held a major degree and four of our members attended. When that was over they came up to the Albany room and joined in our fun. At this point we had ten members and that made for a great showing amid the other divisions from around the state. At five o'clock we had changed our clothes and were lining up for the march to mass. Chris felt a little under dressed because he was asked to help out with the installation and was wearing a golf shirt. When mass was over we had time for a couple of quick ones before the cocktail hour ( only the Irish would squeeze in a couple of drinks before the cocktail hour). I drank with my cousin ( a term everyone was getting tired of hearing,this is my cousin, this is my cousin, this is my cousin) Donna, her husband Bill, who piped us back and forth to mass, and their son Ian. At the cocktail hour we were joined by Paul O'Donnell who had packed up all his wares and was now ready to enjoy the evening. Dinner was outstanding and then the installation began. first the woman, then the men. As the doors opened to bring in the new Officers, they were led by a group of pipers. Then each officer was led in, escorted by Jeff and the two Chris's, the boys looked great dressed in matching kilts and blue AOH shirts. As they escorted each officer in, they handed them off to three members of the National Board. This was a great showing for our Division.
Soon the ceremony was finished, the band resumed playing, Mary grabbed me for a dance, If only she was single and I was sixty. Soon the party started to break up and it had nothing to do with my dancing. In truth the party was only beginning. The Hospitality rooms were jumping. Chris and Paul bailed out around three, Chris to our room and Paul to Chris Kelly's room. I lasted to 4:48. I only know the time because that is when I made a phone call ( I didn't wake anyone up. It's the easiest way to get a girls phone number, you call her or she calls you; now you both have each others numbers.)
I love being Irish, I love the AOH, I love going to these conventions. I met a lot of fantastic people. Dennis and his buddy from Orange County, Mr. O'Donnell. The entire McNabb family, it would not have been as much fun with out you guys. Denise, what can I say. Martin, didn't get to hear Boston Rose. Pat, you are anything but a shrew. Michelle, you looked breathtaking in that black dress. Kenny and the gang from Watervliet, you do know how to put on a party. Mary and the girls from Orange, you were grand. All the rest who made my vacation great, thanks so much and see you all in New Orleans. http://picasaweb.google.com/saratogairish/Convention
Anyone who reads this and has photos please e-mail them to me and I will add them here.

Highlights of the Convention. Chris and I went to the New York State AOH Convention this past week. The convention was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany, or as I kept referring to it as the Royal Crown. We arrived on Wednesday and checked into the hotel with our division ambassador, Dick Nelson. As delegates, Chris and I signed in and got our credentials. The first order of business was a cold drink at the Albany/Schenectady Hospitably room ( to be known hereafter as the Albany room). Old acquaintances were rekindled and time passed quickly. Mass was held at historic St. Marys Church. The contingent of Hibernians were led to the church by pipers and drummers from the Schenectady Pipe Band. The mass was wonderful or so I was told. After mass the first social event of the convention, the icebreaker was held in the one of the banquet rooms. We sat at the table with two of the singers from mass and two Hibernians from Orange County. I looked across the table and asked if the one guy had been on the job and what was the first song they would play on the jukebox after a shift. He laughed out loud and said " I thought I remembered you from Long Island" Dennis Brown, the outgoing District 8 Director. We had a great time all weekend with Dennis and his brother Hibernians from Orange County. The party's lasted into the wee hours at the different hospitality rooms.

Day two started off with all day meetings and committee meetings. At 5 o'clock there were buses to Alive at 5 and to the three local AOH Halls. we opted for Alive at 5. Cherish the Ladies and Hair of the Dog were playing. Russel Bergman, Rob Przedwiecki,John Cromie, and Greg Gallagher were all in attendance. We were waiting for Ken Field to join us but he was lost in the crowd. After a few phone calls and making him stand with his arm in the air we found him. The place was packed and many from the convention were enjoying the concert. After the concert finished we boarded the bus and headed to the Watervliet AOH Hall. We opted to stay on the bus and go to Schenectady. Watervliet had a Monte Carlo theme and Schenectady took us the the South Pacific for a Luau, where we all leid upon entering. Meeting us in Schenectady were Chris Templin and Jeff Carney. We passed on a few buses and finally boarded the last bus back to the hotel. The bus had one passenger that was not from our Division which only proves, Saratoga Rules.

Back at the hotel we visited as many hospitality room as we could. Ken, being young and at his first convention, was amazed at each room that the Guinness was free. As the hours past the group became smaller and smaller till I was the last and the Albany room was closing. The night ended with me bringing in the morning paper to the room.
Up a few hours later and back to the meetings. During the meeting I had the pleasure to second the nomination of Phil Sheridan as District 8 Director. We also nominated and elected the State Board.
I want to have photos to post so This will be the end of the first part of the blog. Tomorrow I will continue with the high jinx of the Saratoga guys at the convention.

I'm Baaaaaccccckkkk. Well the move is over and I am finally back on line. It only took Time Warner two weeks to get me cable and the Internet again. So what have you all missed? The Curran clan went to Westbrook CT. for my nephew Tim's wedding on the 23rd of June. It was great to have all the kids with me for the weekend. We stayed in the Days Inn in Saybrook, it was not their flagship Inn. I have been in better hotels with crack whores ( that is only a literary description, I have not ever been in a hotel with a crack whore. I can't be sure if she was on crack or not. Most crack whores don't use hotels anyway, or so I'm told. Has this entry hit rock bottom yet?) We stayed in my room watching the Yankee game and drinking beers, around 1:30 am the desk clerk stopped to tell us we were making too much noise running around. Apparently someone complained and the clerk went to the wrong room or to all the rooms were the guest were still awake. I overheard the woman telling the desk clerk the next morning and she went on to say that after they complained the upstairs guest started to stomp their feet. That I assure you it was not us. I heard her say that her room was number 115 and when I looked at the map of rooms I saw that the room over 115 was really 211 and not 215 (our room). I was planning on getting drunk at the wedding so we asked for a couple of cabs, the only problem is that Saybrook only has one cab and the 20 minute wait stretched out to 45 before we threw in the towel and all piled into my car for the mile and a half ride. The wedding and reception were held at The Water's Edge Resort and Spa, very swanky. The ceremony was on the lawn at the edge of the beach. In case you are planning a outdoor seaside wedding remember this. Irish people burn in the sun. The ceremony started 25 minutes late and then proceeded at a snails pace till we were all a rosy color. Not that it wasn't a very nice ceremony but for me the highlights were the woman in the red bikini (nine months pregnant) and catching a pop fly that was heading straight towards my mother's head. Eight years of little league baseball and it was the first fly ball that I caught. The rest of the day was the usual wedding stuff, drinking, dancing, food and fun. I'm not trying to downplay the whole thing but I do have other news. So hear are the photos of the big event. http://picasaweb.google.com/saratogairish/AlisonTimSWedding

Since it has been so long since I updated, again thank you Time Warner, there are other things happening in the Curran family. Mike has been cast in Studio Arts Entertainment's production of Torch Song Trilogy. The performances are, August 3rd, 10th, 16th, 18th.
All performances are at 7:30pm at the Dee Sarno Theater (Saratoga Arts Center 320 Broadway Saratoga Springs). For more information check out their website at www.studioartsentertainment.com/

The other news in the family is that Sean asked Sara to marry him and unbelievably she said yes. The whole Curran family is very happy and excited about this. A September 2008 event is planned. We are looking forward to invading South Jersey and show them just how an Irish family celebrates. For it has long been told that the only difference between an Irish Funereal and an Irish wedding is one less drunk. I posted a bunch of photos of the happy couple and I know you will enjoy them. Sara and Sean were fixed up when he was a freshmen at Colgate and Sara was a sophomore at Hamilton College. Little did she know on that fate full night that she would become a fixture at all the shenanigans at Colgate over the next few years. She was able to survive with only a broken finger and the devotion of the entire cross country team. Sara will be a perfect fit into the Curran clan. Enjoy the photos. http://picasaweb.google.com/saratogairish/SeanSara