Derby 137 Recap!

 Did anyone out there bet on Animal Kingdom??  I sure didn't.  I liked Mucho Macho Man and of course, Pants on Fire with the female jockey.  And I still like them both for the Preakness coming up in two weeks.  Unlike last year, Stud and I had a very low key Derby, hanging out at my parents house and sipping on mint juleps.  But no worries.  I placed all of my bets online.  Stud had to work late Friday night and was back at it Saturday morning.  Med school really puts a damper on celebrating the Derby.  People should know better than to need medical services on the First Saturday n May.  It was also a record setting crowd at Churchill Downs this past Saturday, 165,000 people!  And Detective Stabler attended his first Derby, definitely my favorite celeb.  I'm already looking forward to next year, looks like it could be a big one!  Stud will be FINISHED with medical school and I will actually be able to take some time off...can't wait to celebrate!

A Different Derby Race!

I finally found something about the Derby Festival that I didn't mention last year in my thorough coverage.  Last weekend, Stud ran in the Derby Festival Mini Marathon!  I, being the loving wife, dropped him off downtown at 6:30, went home and watched all my DVR'd shows from the week (I remained in my PJs and relaxed with my coffee), and the returned to watch him cross the finish line two hours later.  I was standing on the sidelines with my camera at the ready to snap him finishing the race, but when I saw I was so excited to actually see him among the 15,000 racers and he flew by so quickly, I missed my chance.  So here is a little post race pic for you.  With an extremely flooded river in the background.

The mini  (and full) marathons wind through the city the Saturday before Derby and this was the first year I even had the slightest involvement.  Stud also has a good soul and ran the race to donate his medal to a child with cancer, fighting in a different type of race.  It was all organized by the charity Medals4Mettle.  For a lot of people, the mini and full marathon are a huge part of the Derby Festival.  It was good to even be collaterally involved this year.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Yes.  Derby 137 is just a few short weeks away!!  The festivities are just starting to get in full swing around here and it would be nice if it actually didn't rain.  Just once.  That's all I ask.  It rained during Thunder, so it was a little more subdued than last year.  But nothing stops the fireworks!  Due to Easter, the Thunder kick off was last week, three weeks before the Derby instead of the usual two.  The first batch of mini Derby pies has been made and I am looking forward to the next few weeks!

And my apologies for my long absense.  I was spoiled last week - Stud had a week off from taking temperatures and checking blood pressure and he cooked me dinner all week!  I did nothing!  It was a really nice treat.

RECAP

Derby 136 proved to be another super duper weekend, despite the weather. Flash flooding does nothing to hinder Derby celebrations! I had eight amazing college friends in town and we hung out at my house the entire weekend catching up and spending time together. They even threw in a little surprise engagement celebrations the wiley fellows. We ate a lot of good food and consumed several mint juleps.

Alas, no one had the trifecta this year. No one even bet on Super Saver. I was all over Dean’s Kitten and Paddy O’Prado. I bet they win the Preakness and Belmont. That would be just my luck. BUT I did have a bet on the Oaks winner Blind Luck! Which reminds me…Haudge owes me some dollas!

Anyways, a perfect weekend. I can’t wait to see them all again in October!

The OAKS

So the Derby is amazing, we have established that. But alas, we average folk are sequestered to the infield unless we want to shell out the big bucks for a box. And I don’t have the big bucks. So most Louisvillians go to the Oaks instead. The Oaks is the Derby for fillies (girl horses) and is on Friday. To Louisvillians, it is a big of a deal as the Derby – that’s why Oaks is a holiday in high school. No one would be at school anyways, so it was always closed the Friday before the Derby. One of my poor science teachers in high school (she was from Boston or Rhode Island – something like that), when she saw Oaks Day as a holiday on the syllabus, thought we had a day off to celebrate nature. Oh how wrong she was.

The Oaks is just as big of a day of races. You see, the Derby and the Oaks are not the only races to run on those days. There are usually around ten races each day, with the Oaks and Derby falling towards the end, but not the last race. And the other races run on today and tomorrow have huge purses and draw the best horses in the sport. For example, Rachel Alexandra will be running today in another race than the Oaks (she already dominated that one). Besides the difference in the gender of the horses running, there are other minor differences between the races. The winner of the Oaks is draped in a garland of 133 lilies whereas the Derby winner gets red roses. Also, instead of the Mint Julep, the drink for the Oaks is the Lily. So tasty. It has vodka, sweet and sour mix, cranberry juice, and triple sec. Yum. But the fashion is the same, as is the feel at the track. And this year, Oaks is the day to go since Louisville is supposed to get HEAVY rain on Saturday and today is 85 and sunny.

For the past two years, the signature of Oaks day has been the Pink Out. Churchill Downs partners with Susan G. Komen for the Cure ® and Horses and Hope to host the Pink Out. They encourage everyone to incorporate pink into their Oaks outfit (very fitting for the race for the fillies). One of my parents’ friends last year sported his pink Chuck Taylors with his suit. I want to be my parents when I grow up.

Anyways, I am off to have a Bloody Mary, enjoy the weather, good friends, and some beer pong.

Talk Derby to me.

Another Reason I Love Derby

These people come in town to celebrate.  Can't wait to see them all!!!

Get your Gambling Face ready!

The post positions have been drawn – the field for the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby is set.

Interesting developments – the two favorites are in the #1 and #20 post positions. Those would be the two most difficult from which to win. Also, Louisville is expected to get oh you know, just about four inches of rain on Saturday. A long shot could come through and win it all like Mine That Bird did last year on a wet track.

My betting strategy – Well, Paddy O’Prado is a gray horse. So there is one bet. And I have Jackson Bend in the office pool, so I’ll have to put some money on him as well. Last year, I had Mine that Bird in the office pool. Did I put a measly $2 on my office pool horse – NO! And it paid a gabazillion to win. UGH never again. So this year Jackson Bend gets $2. And Dean's Kitten. Cat in the name - must bet. And then there is Devil May Care. The filly, the girl racing against all the guys. Two years ago, the filly was Eight Belles and she placed, but broke both ankles right after crossing the finish line. The tragedy stirred talk that fillies should not be allowed to race against the males. Then there is Rachel Alexandra (heyo fav horse ever with the awesome name). She ran in the Oaks instead of the Derby last year coming off the death of Eight Belles in the previous Derby. And she killed all those measly girls. So in the Preakness, she ran against all the guys to prove her awesome-ness and won. She is the 2009 Horse of the Year and she put to rest any qualms about racing fillies in the Derby.

So make your bets people. The time is drawing near.

For additional information on contenders, you can go to the Courier-Journal, they have a huge section. And so does the Kentucky Derby website. The list of contenders came from Equestrian Life - theirs is very interactive.  Never ending options.  Time to do some research!

Oh and this is Haudge displaying his excitement for the Derby. He comes home tonight. He has a gambling problem.

HATS HATS HATS

Tonight is the Steamboat Race. Not as cool as the balloon race. Maybe you’ll get to hear more about it next year since today I have decided it’s high time you heard about Derby Fashion.

It doesn’t matter what the weather is outside on the first Saturday in May – people are in their spring best. And it’s really all about preppy. The men wear seersucker suits, light jackets, and colorful ties. They all look so handsome. And the women. Some I’m sure spend more money on their Derby outfits than they did for their tickets, or what they will spend at the betting window that day. The women, like the men, can be found wearing the brightest colors and HATS. Oh the hats. They are, along with all other horse racing events, the must have item. But – do you buy the hat and then match your dress, or try to find a hat that matches a dress you already have???? Typical chicken and egg scenario. You will see everything from homemade beauties in the infield to high end designer hats over on the Third Floor and Millionaire’s Row. Our local paper has an entire section dedicated to hat shopping. I personally have never worn a hat because I feel silly in hats and I have never had the time or resources to dedicated to finding the perfect hat. If I was a good blogger, I would do my research and tell you the hat trends for 2010, but alas. I am just here for my own self gratification since I am obsessed with blogs.

This year, for the second year in a row, Churchill Downs is partnering with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and Horses and Hope. Oaks Day (Friday) will be a “Pink Out” in which all attendees (infield and otherwise) are encouraged to incorporated pink into their outfit. More on that on Friday!

I am off to the track (sidenote - when Louisvillians speak of the track, they are referring to Churchill Downs.  I had many people in college give me weird looks thinking I was heading to the gym to spend the day at the track - like track and field. No sir.  Kentucky does not exercise!). So today I will be spending the day with my office – betting while getting paid….good day.

Gambling Addiction

Betting is what makes people come back to the track. That dream of that elusive big win. And it gives you something to cheer for during each race. But betting isn’t easy. My parents set a good example, so I was betting on my own at about 13. And I do the same bets today that I did then. Hey, if it works.

First you have to choose a horse. I wish I could tell you more about how to read the program, but I really pretend to know what I am doing and then choose a horse based on name and the color of the jockey’s silks. I also often bet on the gray horses. And if a horse has a cat themed name – winner. And the more absurd the name, the better. I believe Stud gave up betting against me when I won betting in one race on Precious Kitten and Sparkletime. Something like that. Below is an example of the results from a race yesterday at Churchill Downs – Purrfect Alibi – I would have totally bet on that. But there are things you can check. I like to look at the distance of the race (measured in furlongs) compared to the horses past performances at that distance. You can go across and see all the splits, but that’s too much work for me. The Daily Racing Forum has a great little interactive tutorial if you are interested in learning how to really handicap a horse.

Once you have chosen your horse, or horses, you can head up to the betting window. Here is where it can get technical. I like to bet safely. So I usually bet $2 Across the Board, or for the horse to Win (1st), Place (2nd), or Show (3rd). If my horse wins, I get the payoffs “Across the Board” - $7.40 + $3.80 + $3.00 = $14.20. Pretty good on a $6 bet. You can also bet win, place and show individually, but you only get that pay-off. Then there are exactas, trifectas, and superfectas. Exactas are picking the horses that win and place. Trifectas are choosing win, place, and show, and superfectas are picking the first four horses to come in. You are choosing these horses in the correct order as well. Unless you want to box the bet (always a good idea) which means you increase the amount you are betting, but order is no longer an issue. I like to do three horse exacta boxes. So I would have bet “A $2 exacta box with 3, 4, and 5” and I would have won $40.20 since the order didn’t matter. And then you can bet a wheel in which you choose one horse and bet it with all the other horses in the field “A $2 exacta all with 4.” That would be betting an exacta and it doesn’t matter who comes in first, as long as 4 comes in second. Good idea for races with only a few horses. I doubt this makes any sense. And you must phrase your bet correctly as well – amount, bet type, and then the horses by number, not name. Here is a pretty good link to all the vocab and another one with simple instructions on how to bet. I particularly like the last step.

So a brief tale of betting success. It was Derby 2008 and I took the weekend after finals and before beach week to rush home with two friends to attend the Derby. This was the year I was fortunate enough to have third floor walk arounds and the year I went to the Backside Derby morning. Neither of my friends had ever been to a horse race, so we were betting and I was trying to teach them the ropes. It’s the Derby and there are about 25 horses running and they are all the best – it is a VERY hard race to bet. My friend WhitTritt heads up to the betting window alone, I trust her at this point and makes her Derby bet. We head out, watch the race, and as soon as the horses cross the finish line, we sprint out to catch our ride home. As we are sitting in the full van learning the tragedy of Eight Belles, WhitTritt pipes in, “I think I may have won some money on that race.” Our driver, a race horse owner, whips his head around (I would have preferred he keeps his eyes on the road, but whatever) and immediately begins peppering WhitTritt with questions. She reviews her bet.

WhitTritt: I voted for Big Brown because he was the favorite. And I voted for Dennis of Cork because I liked his jersey. And I voted for Eight Belles because she was the only girl.
Horse Man: Wait, you bet all three?
WhitTritt: Yes – trifecta?
Horse Man: Well, I am pretty sure you just won a lot of money.

When we get back to my house, we immediately get on the computer to confirm the results from the race. WhitTritt had indeed hit the trifecta on the Derby. She had bet, thanks to the woman at the betting window, a $1 trifecta box (total of $6) and had won just over $1,700. She had to pay taxes on her winnings. It was that much. You can read her recount of the story on her blog.

So the Derby is only four days away. Can’t wait!

Bourbon Balls and Derby Pie

So Kentucky has some weird food things, enough that they all warrant their own posts at another time. But a few are Derby related, so here we go.

Bourbon Balls – Now, if you are my one and only avid reader, than you know how obsessed we Kentucky folk are with our bourbon. So why not take bourbon and improve upon it the only way known to man by mixing it with chocolate (heyyyo like the name of this blog) - and the bourbon ball is born. A chocolate candy with the subtle burn of bourbon….yummmm. You can find them all over Louisville and the most popular are the ones made my Maker’s Mark. There were some in the office the other day – don’t mind if I do help myself to seven, choke on one and cause a scene in the kitchen. Totally normal. Choking on one has not deterred my love. As much as I eat them, I have never made them. Here is a pretty good looking recipe. I might try them this week to have some for Derby. I think I would like mine rolled in cocoa powder.

Derby Pie - Now, since I am not Kern's Kitchen, I really should not call it Derby Pie. They wisely trademarked the name ages ago and now everyone else has to call it "Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie" which sounds totally lame compared to Derby Pie. If any restaurant in Louisville wants to serve Derby Pie, they have to serve a Kern's Kitchen Derby Pie. Good thing I am no professional. And my mom just told me they use almonds, not pecans, so this is better.  So CPBP (again, I am not Kern's Kitchen, so I must call it Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie and that is really long to type so I shortened it) is delicious. Notice a trend?? We Kentuckians like to add bourbon to everything and it undoubtedly makes it better. Chocolate Pecan pie - bleh. CPBP - amazing. And you know what makes them better - making them mini. Like babies - smaller = cuter = better. Basic logic. Anyways, my family and I bake up about 140 of these mini pies every Derby and I don't know if we have survived the weekend with any left. They are that good. Anyways, below is the recipe we use and we cut up the pie crust with a biscuit cutter and use mini muffin pans to bake them.

Chocolate Pecan Bourbon (DERBY) Pie
1c. granulated sugar
1/2c. flour
1 stick melted butter
2 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips
1c. chopped pecans
2 T. Bourbon
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix the sugar and flour.  Melt the butter and allow to cool and then mix with the eggs.  Add flour mixture to egg and butter mixture.  Add the chocolate chips, pecans, bourbon and vanilla.  Pour into a 9" pie shell and bake for 45-60 minutes.  (This is where we cut up the pie crust and make the mini delicious-ness.  Bake for 25 minutes)

If you would like another perspective on Derby bourbon-y foods, this was an interesting article.

The GREAT Balloon Race

After a brief tangent on my obsession with Target, back to the Derby Festival… This weekend, the big event is the Great Balloon Race! Sound thrilling and exhilarating??? It is. It starts with the balloon glow this evening followed up by the race bright and early tomorrow morning. Looks like this year it could be cancelled due to weather, but I have been in the past and it’s more fun than you think.

When I was little, my parents would roust my brother and I with the promise of doughnuts for breakfast, pile us in the car, and take us down to the Fairgrounds to see the hot air balloons. They are all laid out in different stages of inflation and the shapes and colors were always my favorite part. And the best balloons give out candy and stickers. After that, the “hare” balloon takes off (floats off?) and flies to some spot and lands and marks the spot with an “X.” All the other balloons must follow the Hare (they are called the “Hounds”…how clever) and attempt to drop a bag of seeds from their balloon onto the X. The closest bag wins!

Now I did not know any of this until I checked the rules on the website….After the balloons started taking off, my family and I would run back to the car so we could follow them. Once we got bored, we would head back into town for the promised doughnut breakfast.

By the way....All these festival events have free admission with the a Pegasus Pin. I get one every year and if you get a gold one, you can turn it back in and enter a drawing for all sorts of cool prizes. Or you can hold onto the gold one and show it off to everybody and maybe sell it for thousands one day on eBay!! Right. My dad always gets the gold ones. Also going on this weekend is the Derby marathon and mini marathon. People run all over the city causing traffic. I could maybe walk a mile. Therefore, I will be getting doughnuts in honor of the Balloon Race.

Chuchill Downs

OK so I love Churchill Downs. And I love that everyone in Louisville loves Churchill Downs. I have pretty much watched a horse race from every part of Churchill Downs, and I can say - they all have their benefits.

The Backside – Of the track…get your mind out of the gutter. It used to be a tradition that every year on Derby Week, my godfather would pick me up at 5am and we would go to the backside and watch the contenders get in their morning workouts and then have breakfast at Wagner's. Since there are races all day at the track, all the horses, trainers, jockeys, and Al Roker are all at the track at 5am to watch the Derby contenders practice and get a read on the times and strength of the horses. And I learned that jockeys are very small people. You get to see the horses, the barns… I love it. I have also been to the backside Derby morning with a friend to attend a crawfish boil before the big day. The backside is like the laid back beer drinking husband to the rest of the track. The infield is their delinquent child…more to come on that. It’s hard to see the races since you are opposite the track from the finish line, but you see them literally feet from your face breaking from the gate and the power of these thoroughbreds is amazing. Overall, by far my favorite part of the track. You can wear jeans and be lazy – drink beer and there is always tons of food. I get to pet the horses, give them carrots and peppermints. The lines to bet and go to the bathroom are really short. On a sunny day with a full day of races…there is not a better place to be.

The Third Floor – Boxes. There are six or eight seats in a box. There are people everywhere. Everyone is dressed to the nines – some are not so cute. I once saw a woman in a head to toe highlighter yellow outfit with matching finger nail polish. Derby really does bring out the best of Kentucky. If you have a box, you are lucky enough to have a seat which is essential with the day full of mint juleps and beer you have ahead of you. If you just have a walk around ticket (what I had)…get ready to fight for open seats. But the vantage point cannot be beat. If you are in the right section, you have a clear view of the horses racing across the finish line. Such excitement! The third floor is normally where I go during the rest of the meet – for $7 you can get in a box.

Millionaire’s Row – Never been here on Derby, but it’s where you will find all the celebs.

General Admission – On a normal day, $2 will get you general admission to the track. On Derby, it’s $40. You gain access to the paddock area and the INFIELD. If you get there around, oh the crack of dawn, you might claim one of the 17 benches and actually see a horse. If not, you are standing still being bumped by drunken rednecks orrrrr you barge your way through and make it to the….

INFIELD – Oh. My. Goodness. Wave your chances of seeing a horse goodbye. It’s like a scene from a movie. You walk through this long dark tunnel and when you emerge, you are in this land of debauchery and ridiculousness. There is a small corner dedicated to families, but I think it gets smaller and smaller every year and I have never actually found it. It’s been compared to Bourbon Street from Mardi Gras rolled into one compact fenced in area. There are beads. There are boobs. There is over-priced alcohol everywhere. I have lost Stud every time I have been. This year he will be leashed. He thinks I am kidding. Going to the infield is an event. You must be mentally prepared. Churchill Downs actually has a CPO – Chief Party Officer – who is elected every year, and is usually an infield fixture. My friend Sammo has an uncle that has been for the past like 30 years. There are people of all ages, and 95% of them are wasted out of their minds.

The Run for the Roses

I realized I was making an error of monstrous proportions believing that anyone really understood the full awesome-ness of the Kentucky Derby. I mean, if the Queen deigns the Derby cool enough for her attendance, than it is pretty amazing. British people are automatically cooler than Americans, ergo whatever the Ruler Supreme of the Brits chooses to do is important. In business terms, it’s a Grade I stakes race for three year old Thoroughbred horses that is held every year on the first Saturday of May. It is the first race of the Triple Crown and a horse has not won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. I thought Big Brown had it in 2008 – he just gave up…loser. And according to Wikipedia (which must mean it’s true), the Derby is considered the most prestigious horse race in the world. Final fun fact – did you know the Kentucky Derby is the oldest, continuous sporting even in the US?? It's been running since 1875 - that means it's cooler than say...The Masters! Take that Augusta!

Some fun traditions:

• Every year the winner of the Derby has a garland of 554 red roses draped over his haunches. You can go to Kroger to watch them assemble it the night before. And of course, when I think of flowers, I think of Kroger Supermarkets....
• Every year, one of my favorite moments, is when they play My Old Kentucky Home when the horses step on the track for the Derby. Every year I get chills. It’s not even the song really. It’s the masses of (drunk) people singing a song together that touches on the spirit and life of the state. Goooood times.
• Churchill Downs serves approximately 120,000 mint juleps over Derby weekend. I think last year I drank 738 of them.
• Bobby Flay comes to the Derby every year. And last year I saw Mario Batali. Louisville loves food. We’ll get more into Derby food later. And Jessica Simpson came with Nick Lachey – see that Newlyweds episode??
• The mint juleps at the track are served in a mint julep “glass” and lists the winning horse from every Derby. This glass is second best if you can’t get your hands on a Wakefield-Scearce julep cup. It's a really good idea to give intoxicated peole their next drink in a glass. I think I broke 727 of the glasses from my juleps last year.

More to come! Can’t believe there is more awesome to the Derby than what you have already seen??? Be prepared to be amazed – shocked – and on your way to Louisville to celebrate.

A REAL Mint Julep

The Mint Julep is the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby and although I am tempted to enjoy them year round, I usually only have them on Derby. They have been the tradition for as long as I can remember - it has been the official drink of the Derby since 1938. And a few years ago, they released a recipe for a $1,000 julep. But now onto the serious stuff.

OK so I have seen a variety of recipes for a Mint Julep. But there is only one way to make it. And it only involves a few things - mint, bourbon, and simple syrup. Sounds simple...right?? But ooooh no.

First - what bourbon? I learned far too much about bourbon on my excursion for Stud's birthday along the Bourbon Trail a few summers ago. His cousins own and operate a bourbon distillery we will hereby call Wan Vinkle Bourbon (for anonymity of course) and they kindly set up an amazing behind the scenes tour at Buffalo Trace that was much more informative than the standard hour long tour. Did you know that in order to be considered bourbon, the following things must hold true?:

• It must be distilled within the United States
• It must be made of a grain mixture including at least 51% corn
• It cannot be altered in any artificial way: no coloring, flavoring, or special filtering
• It must be aged for at least two years in new charred white oak barrels
• It must be distilled to no higher than 165 proof, and introduced into the barrel at no higher than 125 proof

Try that on for size, rum and vodka...posers.

The first thing you must decide is if you prefer wheat or rye bourbon. I prefer wheat - I think it has a much smoother flavor. Examples of wheat bourbons are Maker's Mark and Old Weller. Brands that use rye are Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam, and most other bourbon brands. Rye bourbons have more of a spicy, peppery kick. Then, you must decide if you are a bourbon snob because there are many people in the world that refuse to mix their bourbon with anything - not even ice. I am not one of those people. Stud can be, depending on the glass.

Second - OK so you have your bourbon. Now you need a mint julep cup. This is not just a cup. A true mint julep cup is a sterling silver cup - truly frat-tastic. If you want to go all out, then you need to get your julep cups at Wakefield-Scearce in Shelbyville, KY. Their julep cups are modeled after the original which was made in Kentucky around 1795. They have signature decorative beading and each one is dated by stamping the initials of the current president on the bottom. In Louisville, they are popular gifts for births, weddings, graduations, and birthdays. Some people judge you on the amount of julep cups you own. I am not one of those people. Stud can be, depending on the person. Kidding, of course. (Sidenote - If you have a party and you catch somebody looking at the bottom of your julep cups to see if it is a Wakefield-Scearce, it is socially acceptable to kick them in the shin and tell them to go stand in the corner and think about what they've done.) Anyhoo - When an icy cold mint julep is in a silver julep cup, the frosting on the outside along with the spring of mint from the top - a truly beautiful sight. Shivers...down my spine. Gulp.

Third and final - how to make a mint julep. Some people add club soda - NO. Some people use granulated or powdered sugar in the bottom of the glass - NO. Some people drink the pre-mixed cocktail - NO - part of the fun is making it! Some people add weird things like fruit and other stupid stuff ABSOLUTELY NOOOOO. OK so here's what you do. You take a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar in a saucepan and boil it until the sugar is dissolved and now you have a simple syrup. If you are making a ton, like me this Derby, do about 3c. water and 3c. sugar. Maybe more. Then take a spring of fresh mint and some ice and crush them together at the bottom of a julep cup. Gotta release those minty juices. Fill the glass the rest of the way with ice, and add bourbon until the glass is about 3/4 full. Then top off with the cooled simple syrup, give it a stir, add a spring of mint, and enjoy. The bourbon to simple syrup ratio is a personal preference, but a julep is really all about the bourbon. And......enjoy. Drooling thinking about it. Candy in my mouth. Please, feel free to try this at home.

Festival Update!

So this weekend was AMAZING. The weather could not have been better and I got to spend a ton of time with people who came in from out of town for the engagement party/Thunder. Stud's two best men are his twin cousins (Contractor Clak and Haudge). This past fall, they both up and left Louisville, one moving to Birmingham and the other following the rest of the under 27 population to DC. I have share some pics of them here so they know I was stalking them for the brief stint back in Louisville.

And since I showed you the best men, here are some pics of me with my Maids of Honor (how would you pluralize that?) and the view of the fireworks from my friend's house. And the best part - both my Maids of Honor are in Louisville!! At least until July.....

The day started with Bloody Mary's, delicious food, cornhole and friends. It ended with fireworks, four square and maybe a little power nap before we went to the bars. I don't remember the last time I laughed as hard and as much as I did this weekend.

The Derby Festival event this evening is the Pro Am Golf Tournament and that's all you're going to hear about that. Let the celebrations continue!

Kentcuky Derby Festival

OK so here is the deal. The KY Derby is amazing. And it's probably my favorite time of the year and I hated it when I was in college in NC and I couldn't be in Louisville for the festival. For people in Louisville, the Derby is not just one day. It is a two week celebration. And it's always right when spring really starts to warm up, everything is so green, the dogwoods are blooming....amazing. The festival consists of over 70 events, culminating with Oaks and Derby. More on all of that later! So for the next few weeks, this little blog will be an insight to the awesomeness since 75% (aka three of my four readers) live in DC. Losers. With the occasional Daily Fluff.

Tomorrow is Thunder over Louisville. It is the day long kick off to the Derby Festival and one of my favorite events. And for more than a decade, it has remained the largest annual pyrotechnic in North America. Didn't know that little ole' Louisville was so cool did you??

It all starts around 3:00 with the airshow which I get to hear practice today as the jets zoooom by my office building. But the stunts they do are amazing. The little kid in me always loves watching the airshows, the jets, and the aerobatics. Another fun fact - did you know that the Thunder Air Show is ranked as one of the top five in the nation??? Pretty cool. Then around 9:30, the fireworks begin. When I was little, Thunder was always a day long event that involved trekking down to my mom's office building. She (luckily) had a corner office that faced the Ohio River and was a great (and air conditioned) place to watch all the days activities. I could watch the planes cut through the buildings downtown and then watch all the fireworks from her 14th floor vantage point. We would also venture down to the Chow Wagon on the Belvedere to stuff our bellies with Snow Cones, Funnel Cakes, and my personal fav, Frater Taters. How can you not love that??

These days, my mom no longer has her amazing office. But last year, two of my good friends moved into a house with a perfect vantage point. So an adult appreciation of Thunder has come on. Now, I get to their house around 3 to see the start of the airshow, and spend the afternoon drinking and eating while appreciating it all far from the body to body crowd that is down by the River. And tomorrow starts even earlier with a little engagement party they are throwing for me and Stud. They will have tons of Bloody Mary's. And Stud's Best Men are coming in from out of town to celebrate with us this weekend. Going to be a great/epic weekend.