Fun Facts To Know

I'm guessing that everyone who finds this blog gets here through my Horse Alerts or Face Book--and therefore knows all there is to know. In case that isn't true, as promised, here are the Fun Facts to Know:

Horses—we currently have three: BAt, Stay Alert and Cape Town Bay. BAt and Stay Alert are at Penn National with our PA trainer, Mike Salvaggio; Cape Town Bay should be back in training any day now. He’ll stay with Walter. Over the last 10 years, we’ve owned 18; we have 19 Winner’s Circle pictures; we have six picture frames available for such pictures. These frames have been collecting dust since October, 2008. I dusted them over the weekend. While we hope January was not a bellwether month for the stock market for 2010, we certainly do hope January was a bellwether month for the Heppermann stables.

Horse Owners—there are 10 of us who have some interest in these three horses. We had one brave soul join us last year; we had several more throw in the towel. Yes, it was a brutal year. However, with brutal years come tax deductions.

Horse Alert folks—there are 213 of you! You come from 24 states and 5 countries. Most of you live in Kentucky with the next largest contingent coming from Texas and then Missouri. Folks living in Italy (thanks to Eddie the priest), Dubai, South Africa, Switzerland and France have helped add an international flair to these missives. I don’t know our average age, height or weight, but based on anecdotal evidence, we’re all good looking, smart and young—or at least young at heart.

Folks with money in the Heppermann Bank: 5—with much healthier balances than just a week ago!

Websites: We have one: http://www.equinebusiness.biz. It was developed for us by Susan Weiss (one of you) and her crew at Net Tango. Under the various tabs, there are Winner Circle type pictures out there of Trick Lantern, Back Alley Tales, Nobodyknowsbut Ed and Shiloh—in that order. We average about 50 visitors a month—some of whom send us legitimate “Contact Submission” forms looking for equine-related services. There is another group that sends us “Contact Submission” forms requesting stuff in foreign languages. Amongst the stuff I can’t read, I usually can pick out words like Viagra, porn or sex. So far, I’ve not responded to those I can’t read.

Blogs: I have one: http://jheppermann.blogspot.com. I started this after I started writing my book, thinking someone might “discover” me and offer to someday publish my book. There are 14 of you who have signed up to be “followers.” I had hoped that “followers” would be notified whenever I put something out there (which corresponds exactly with when I send out Horse Alerts), but since I am one of those followers, I know that isn’t true. So, I don’t know what the purpose of being a “follower” is. I do know it makes me happy when new people sign up. Maybe that’s the purpose. I’m also guessing that one or more of you could tell me how I can find out how many people are actually looking at it. So far, no one has “discovered” me.

Face book Page: I have one—mainly to get grandbaby pictures, but I have also posted pictures of horses out there. No Winner’s Circle pictures, of course, since those six frames are still in their plastic wrappers, but, someday soon. Thirty-six of you are “Friends.” I have forty more “Face book Friends” of which maybe two or three appear interested in the horses. In the hope that all will eventually buy the book, I continue to put a notice out on Face book when I have a horse running—and link my Face book Page to my blog and website. If nothing else, this is a high-tech operation.

Twitter: Yes, I do that too. 7 folks follow my Twitters. One is my son—he is a courtesy follower since I signed up to follow his Twitters; the remaining six want to sell me something. I don’t know any of them. I deleted the guy who wanted to have sex with me. I didn’t know him either.

The Book: I’m on page 194. It is about the highs and lows of being a horse owner, with musings along the way. It has kept me entertained over the last few months. Perhaps some day it will entertain you as well!

Now you know what I know. It would help my psyche if none of you would suggest that I write a book, develop a webpage, start a blog or Twitter! That said, thanks for your interest—you make it more fun!

Jo Ann