Go ahead, I deserve. It has been over two months. Just very, very busy between HHYF, Herps Alive! and other "stuff." Beginning This Friday, Smokin With the Giss moves to ustrotting.com and for grammatical accuracy adds a g at the end of smokin. Columbus, OH --- The United States Trotting Association is pleased to announce that Keith Gisser will be providing a weekly column of selections on its website, beginning this Friday (April 6). Keith Gisser's "Smoking with the Giss" column will debut this Friday. The column will be titled "Smoking with the Giss" and will replace Steve Carpenito's Carpe(nito) Diem column that ran on the website for the past two years. For 15 years Keith Gisser was Northfield Park's on-air track handicapper. His most notable public handicapping success was giving out the 2010 Back To The Track Pick-4 to Northfield patrons. He also served Northfield as Publicity Director, Webmaster, Advance Wagering Platform Coordinator, Players Club Director and fill-in announcer. An award winning harness writer and radio host, he is currently a Project Manager with the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.

Finally getting things moving again

Sorry it has been so long since I posted. the combination of the holidays, some minor illness and just getting busy with Herps Alive! has forced the blog to take a back seat, but I will be posting on a regular basis as we go forwward. I will also be posting side-by-side at my new site (http://smokingwiththegiss.blogspot.com/) for the next month at least so everyone can get their bookmarks in order. Thanks for your patience. We are closing in on the one-year anniversary of my separation from Northfield Park and a recent visit there shows the departure was none too soon. While the racing remains exciting, pools that were $80-90K a race are now $55-65K a race and a number of long-time employees have been shown the door. The joy and excitement that used to be there are gone and that is truly a shame. In the year since leaving, I have had the chance to work on the Breeders crown media Guide; do winners circle interviews for Ohio Super Night at Scioto Downs (Stacey,call me) and appeared at Vernon and Tioga Downs as the handicapping Herpetologist (I will return to those model race tracks the first weekend of June, by the way My reptile program, a part-time endeavor as I watched my kids grow up and toiled at the Route Eight Oval, is back in gear with dozens of programs upcoming (you can check our facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Herps-Alive-The-Interactive-Reptile-and-Amphibian-Experience/62345873433, for schedule updates, and a website is coming soon.

But the most fun has been working with the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.I have attended a number of events, but mostly work from home. This organization. The picture is of me in on the grandstand apron on Kentucky Futurity Day at The red Mile with Ima Hit (originally named Ima's Hit until we realized what happened if you left out the space between words. If you have kids, check out our website (www.hhyf.org) for our summer camp and event schedulem which will be posted soon. We also have compiled a list of available scholarships and are in the process of finishing a new harness racing careers guide. So lots is going on.

This space will be the new home of Smoking With the Giss starting in January. Better searchability, a better interface and a better experience for everyone. See you then!