I miss it.

I miss being at the racetrack. I miss getting up early and dressing in my white shirt and burgundy vest with the emblazoned words Santa Anita Park... I miss the tie, black pants and suspenders. I miss the drive... I miss arriving in the morning at Santa Anita and walking from the parking lot through the gates, up the ramp to the windows. 
I miss being a teller.

I miss the trip to Del Mar, driving the coast, the magnificent Pacific ocean on your right, heading down to where the turf meets the surf... I miss that. It's summer... bikini tops with gypsy skirts and sandals and soft summer sundresses and cool linen suits & hats and precocious young players eager for cocktails and the thrill only attending live thoroughbred horse racing can bring... who do you like in the next race? I miss working Del Mar.

I miss seeing the horses and the jockeys and the public up close... 
I miss the gamblers. I miss the horse players. I miss the old timers and the guessers, the system's players and $2 acrossers. I miss the big shots and the longshots, the winners and the losers... the whales... and the minnows. They are my favorite. The regular folks. 
The 'this is my first time at the racetrack so...' I miss them most.

I miss being a pari-mutuel teller at the racetrack...
one of the best jobs I ever had. ~ Dell Yount @ www.UPINCLASS.com