Twin Spires
Whooooooo doggie! I'm-a here to tell ya that ol' Kentucky Derby was one rootin'-shootin' time y'all!
It'd be easy to think that
everyone in Kentucky spoke like that but it's just not the case. I apologize to any Kentuckians whom I have offended with the above exclamation. However, it is how I am feeling about the whole weekend......what a freakin' blast.
Chris, you were a gracious host and very, very forgiving! Thank you for showing us a great time and for showing us what kind of place you can get in Kentucky for a little less than
half of my rent. Two floors, two bedrooms and 1 & 1/2 bathrooms with, basically, your own personal Burger King.
Derby day started early, we parked about three blocks from the track, got to the gate about 30 minutes before they opened and , when they did ($40/person later), we found exactly what we wanted to...a spot up close to the fence and near the big screen. A word about the infield at Churchill Downs,
nuts, absolutely nuts. I mean back in the day we would probably have done the same kind of thing but we're not those kinds of people anymore. There were a whole group of guys dressed as Austin Powers, and another dressed as football referees (complete with flags which they would toss at women whom would
not show their.....you know). It's a different world, one where the famous Mint Julep costs a whopping eight bucks, that's right EIGHT BUCKS for what amounted to probably about a 10 oz cup. With beers being six bucks (for a much bigger cup) and water being three bucks a bottle we stuck with the tested rotation methos of the latter two.
Another thing about Saturday's Derby. It was hot! Damn hot! Real hot! Temps hovered in the 80's with little cloud coverage. I put on a healthy amount of suncscreen and never took off my t-shirt. My reward? A tan that Walt Czworka would be extremely proud of. From the neck up and the elbows down. With my Doebler's hat on, the transformation was complete.
Now after spending 40 bucks to get in the door and close to that on drinks I was left with little to wager with and when I did it was only on the Derby itself. Of course we know how
that turned out. Giacomo? 50-1? OH COME ON!
Another was eye-opening facet of Louisville itself is the sheer number of smokers in the city. Chris informed me that a recent study in a mens health magazine rated L'ville the unhealthiest city in the country and after 48 hours in the area, I can understand why. I mean everyone smokes there. We had two groups in the same are that we were in the infield. On our left were the college kids, probably about 15 of 'em and all of 'em, at one point or another, lit up. On our left, the family....mother, father, daughters, sons and friends, probably 15 in all, puffing away. It was a very interesting thing to see.
So now, back in DC. What was first on the agenda? Well an eight hour marathon of Season Two of
24. Eight hours! I have a greater love for that show than ever before and am so addicted that it borders on insanity. Thank you Ron for purchasing them before I moved in! Tonight it's back to Season Five. Were there enough numbers mentioned in that last paragraph?
After that focus shifts to the premiere of Episode III next Wednesday at the Ziggy. Please do not forget do click on the button on the right and donate to the Starlight Children's Foundation. I'll be back in NYC for a looooooong overdue visit with my wife and to subject myself to my first of two overnight shifts on 54th street. I'm looking forward to it.
Folks, if you have been trying to call me and haven't been getting the call back let me apoogize both for past and future occurrences. This May is a very, very hectic time for me. Work, travel, my
NYLine commitments and two weddings will conspire against me and test ProfRocket 2000 to it's very limits. I'm not bad at this, I just have this nasty habit of putting too much on my plate at once. I am very sorry if I have snubbed you.
Finally. This weekend did have one drawback. It was the first time in a while that I wasn't able to spend Mother's Day with my Mom. She, of course understood why and, like the trooper that she is, signed up for an extra day at work so she could make some extra coin. She teaches me new lessons every day. She doesn't hear it enough from me but I love her. Happy Mother's Day. I'll see you on Friday. Also, I was unable to spend Mother's Day with my new Mother-In-Law. A cool thing on Sunday for me to do was to make two phone calls. Lucklily I was able to speak with her, say hello and gain an even deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for the way she has welcomed me into the family. That may sound cheesy, but it's the truth!
