{"id":5583,"date":"2015-04-23T13:02:54","date_gmt":"2015-04-23T13:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2015\/04\/column-hr136-get-well-soon-katie-hopkins\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:24:06","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:24:06","slug":"column-hr136-get-well-soon-katie-hopkins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2015\/04\/column-hr136-get-well-soon-katie-hopkins\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR136 Get well soon, Katie Hopkins!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday,\u00a0April 23,\u00a02015<\/span><\/span>
\nColumn HR136
\nGet well soon, Katie Hopkins!<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the Old Dart Coach was on his yearly tour of Thailand and Philippines – this year called \u201cThe best Go-Go\u2019s that play YMCA\u201d and subtitled \u201cLook\u2019n for Love in All the Wrong Places\u201d – \u00a0his dear friend Kate Hopkins underwent heart bypass surgery in Sacramento. \u00a0Updates from her husband, Donald – who everyone but his Mom and the ODC call Hoppy – inform that she is doing well and looking forward to three months rehab. \u00a0Looking forward to \u201cthree months rehab\u201d – consider the alternative.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder she needed a bypass, as although only four foot nothing – and that standing on three New York City phone books – she has the heart of a giant. \u00a0Besides being a dear friend, she also was one hell of a darts player. \u00a0Twice she represented America internationally. \u00a0In the 1986 Pacific Cup with\u00a0 Kathy Karpowich, Tony \u201cI\u2019m a\u201d Payne, and Lenny Heard they won the first overall gold.\u00a0 Kate is known to some as the doubles partner of Sandy Reitan, for playing mixed with John Kramer, and trips with JK and Dick McGinnis.\u00a0 She survived darts despite being a pal and sometime traveling partner of the ODC.<\/p>\n

Here is some stories about Kate, from the yet unpublished ODC book, One Night I Was Out Drinking With the Fat Swede<\/em>…<\/p>\n

At the wedding of Sandy and Andy, the ODC noticed when talking with her that she was looking at him eye level. \u00a0Looking down, he noticed that (Kate) not only was wearing a skirt but also platform shoes that elevated her. \u00a0The ODC, always the gentleman, remarked…<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re floating like a Hover Craft.\u201d<\/p>\n

From thereon, Kate would be \u201cHC\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kate used to work horses at the racetrack, sharing a love of horse racing with the ODC that included betting. \u00a0In 1985, the duo was in Cleveland at Kentucky Derby time. \u00a0They both liked a horse named \u201cTanks Prospect.\u201d \u00a0They bet him. \u00a0He ran 7th. \u00a0After the race, it was discovered that the horse had trouble breathing. \u00a0A hole had opened in his throat. \u00a0So when he ran in the Preakness (the duo were then in N\u2019awlins) it made no sense to bet a horse with a hole in its throat. \u00a0At the OTB, they bet on a horse that ran last. \u00a0Tanks Prospect? \u00a0Second. \u00a0The following week they were in Dallas during the Indy 500. \u00a0Someone was taking bets. \u00a0The ODC asked Kate…<\/p>\n

\u201cWho should be bet on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of them. \u00a0We\u2019ll end up killing them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kate and the ODC played pairs only twice, once at an all-girl Tournament in Concord, California. \u00a0There were extenuating circumstances…<\/p>\n

A dozen of the ladies from Southern California made the drive north, basing their assault at the Rancho de Reed in Martinez. \u00a0They arrived in the wee hours of the morning – of course, this called for adult beverages.\u00a0 About 4:30 a.m., only the ODC and Kate were still discussing strategy, as the others had gone to bed.<\/p>\n

One lady, Anne Maheux (pronounced “may-hew”) did only two things that weekend –\u00a0 sleep and play darts. \u00a0In fact, she got enough sleep for Kate and the ODC combined. \u00a0As the ODC hadn\u2019t met her and didn\u2019t know her name, possibly due to over training, he called her Sleepy. \u00a0She\u2019s still around – and known as Anne \u201cSleepy\u201d Kramer.<\/p>\n

Oh, by-the-way, Kate and the ODC lost first round – at the all-girls tournament!<\/p>\n

The old Golden Gate Classic (now history) was unique in that they didn\u2019t have a Friday night Blind Draw. \u00a0That opened the door to Joe Klingensmith at Chris\u2019s Club in Vallejo. \u00a0His blind draw put visitors in one hat and locals in another for the draw. \u00a0“I don’t do blind draws” Kate (the #2 player in America at the time) was convinced to play by the ODC. \u00a0\u00a0She reluctantly entered as a visitor. \u00a0When the local pool came up one player short the \u201cI don\u2019t play blind draws ’cause I don\u2019t want to draw someone like myself\u201d ODC, entered.<\/p>\n

The ODC and Kate were drawn as partners and faced a first round match against a local who was wheelchair bound. \u00a0When playing, he would use hand crutches, hobble to the oche, throw his darts with crutches in one hand, and then retrieve them. \u00a0The dart room at Chris\u2019s had about 15 boards with picnic tables and benches for socializing.<\/p>\n

With the match tied and maybe 30 or 40 people watching, the ODC noticed that when the handicapped player hit a big score one of his crutches was over the oche. \u00a0Being a sportsman, the ODC immediately called “CRUTCH FAULT!” – which the match official ignored, but the crowd didn\u2019t, one of them saying…<\/p>\n

\u201cHe called a crutch fault on a cripple.\u201d \u00a0Many said other things.<\/p>\n

When Kate and the ODC lost, Kate, being a gentlewomen, shook hands, gave the ODC the look of death, and headed to the \u201cL-shaped” bar. \u00a0As she sat at the empty bottom of the \u201cL\u201d and when the ODC approached and started to say something he was abruptly told, \u201cDon\u2019t say a word.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0They were shortly joined by the Grand English Dame of Darts, the late Lil Coombs, her playing partner Dave McElvaney, World Masters Champion Sonja Rolphs, and a lady who would soon to be a propionate ADO official.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have a shot of Cuervo Gold,\u201d was Kate’s answer to the bartender when asked, \u2018What\u2019ll you have?\u201d \u00a0Ms. Coombs and Rolphs, who had never tasted tequila thought that sounded like a good idea, as they were also drowning their sorrows.\u00a0 The lady “soon to be an ADO executive” joined in as did David Mac. \u00a0The ODC, showing some sense for a change, opted for Schnapps. \u00a0When the group had drunk the bar out of 1800, and the owner made a visit to the liquor store for reinforcement, the ODC made his exit. \u00a0As he left the \u201csoon to be ADO official” was crawling around the bar on all fours being ridden cowboy-style by Rolphs.<\/p>\n

At last report, Kate is on the mend with her bigger-than-life heart now working full speed ahead. Her recovery will probably not be as long as those that took part in \u201cThe Night of Tequila.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ODC\u2019s book has not been published (the publisher said, “Your books sucks!).\u00a0 For the sum of just $10 and a promise never to reveal the contents to anyone, you can, however, have your very own copy emailed by contacting either the ODC or Dartroid’s World.\u00a0 This special offer is available only because the ODC finds that his tour of Go-Go’s is costing more than expected.<\/p>\n

Stay thirsty my friends.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Old Dart Coach was on his yearly tour of Thailand and Philippines – this year called \u201cThe best Go-Go\u2019s that play YMCA\u201d and subtitled \u201cLook\u2019n For Love in All the Wrong Places\u201d – his dear friend Kate Hopkins underwent heart bypass surgery in Sacramento…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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the Old Dart Coach was on his yearly tour of Thailand and Philippines - this year called \u201cThe best Go-Go\u2019s that play YMCA\u201d and subtitled \u201cLook\u2019n For Love in All the Wrong Places\u201d - his dear friend Kate Hopkins underwent heart bypass surgery in Sacramento...","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":17,"user_id":4,"is_guest":0,"slug":"howie-reed","display_name":"Howie Reed","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg"},"first_name":"Howie","last_name":"Reed","user_url":"http:\/\/www.dartoidsworld.com","job_title":"","description":"Astute, often controversial, and always humorous, the Old Dart Coach, Howie Reed (a former rodeo cowboy and advertising executive), is heralded as the Dean of Darts Chroniclers - the most prolific and widely followed writer ever about our sport. He goes back decades with the legends and knows where the skeletons are buried (just ask any of the ADO and WDF old-timers!). Here are four well-known facts about the Old Dart Coach: 1) he is a Republican, 2) he loves the ladies, 3) he can drink most anybody under the table, and 4) he throws darts as bad as Dartoid."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5583"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6388,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5583\/revisions\/6388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5583"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}