A tradition unlike any other

It's about time I get my act in gear and share my Oaks/Derby weekend with more than just my inner mind.  I find myself getting so caught up in the act of life, and time just slips by.  So here we go.

I'd started a long post about my first Derby and what got me there, and then a little about my trip down there this year, but, you know what?  That really doesn't matter.  Here are a few facts, though, which explain a little more about my annual trek to Louisville.

I attended college in the Commonwealth of Kentucky at Western Kentucky University.
My first Derby was in 1995.
I attended other Festival events throughout my college years, including Thunder Over Louisville.
I have been to Louisville for Derby weekend 13 times.
I stay with girl friends from college.

I have been to the Oaks at least 6 times, but I'm not keeping track.
I don't usually bet on the horses.
I did not see a horse at the Downs for the first 6 years I attended.
I have LOTS of Derby glasses.
Wait, there are horses there?

Derby is one huge party.  OK, I admit that it's all about a horse race, but if you asked most people who go to the Derby, I think you'd be hard pressed to find any who truly go for the horses.

This year was the first year we didn't go to the infield.  The infield is where the real party is at Churchill Downs.  All I can say is I've never seen anything like it.  You've never been to a party like this.  Here's what you can expect in the infield on Derby Day, and even at Oaks.

Mint Juleps
Beer
Awesome frozen drinks
Mud
Bare feet
Bare other parts
National Guard
Young cadets
Lots of uniformed men and women
Things flying in the air
Beads
More beer
Lots and lots of drunk people

That doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the feeling you get in the infield when you find yourself amidst thousands of people.  I like crowds, though, so if that's not your cup of tea, you can skip this one on your bucket list.  I have to say, too, that whether you're there on Oaks day or Derby day, you're going to have yourself one hell of a time. 

Anyway, this year we didn't go to the infield, we got tickets for seats instead on Oaks day.  Ah, no, we didn't pay for them, they were given to us by a coworker of one of my girlfriends.  He generously purchased bleacher seat tickets for myself and three girlfriends, and we could not have been more excited.  We would need to dress up, something we'd never done before for Oaks or Derby!  Wow!!

Seriously, the most dressed up I've ever gotten for Oaks or Derby was if I bought a new shirt or shorts because what I had didn't fit.  Derby weekend is usually the first time I have the opportunity to break out warm weather clothing, so often I've found myself needing warm weather appropriate clothing that fits!

Not having a lot of money to spend, I ended up finding a dress and a pair of heels at a really great resale shop near my house.  A week or so later, I stumbled upon a hat at Marshall's for less than the dress.  SCORE!! The dress - blue seersucker, the fabric of Derby.  The shoes - pale pink.  Oaks day is Ladies First, it's all about the gals that day.  Everyone is asked to wear pink that day in honor of the fight against breast cancer.  The shoes touched on that theme, and I knew I'd adorn the hat with some pink, as well.

My friend, D, and I agreed that we'd work on my hat once I got to Louisville, because, let's be honest, the selection of flowers at the craft stores up here is slim to none compared to Louisville (or anywhere south of here), where just about every woman in town will be wearing a hat Derby weekend.

In the end, I created a simple hat with lilies, the flower of the Oaks.  Lilies for the Fillies.  Very fitting.  I was rather pleased with my ensemble.  Simple, just the way I like it.  I'm not a real dress kind of girl, so basic is really my style.

My drive to Louisville was nice and it was a great day for a drive.  Sun, not too hot, and I got out of the city in almost record time.  Then there was the construction on 65 north of Indy.  30 minutes stopped, in park, almost lost in a sea of trucks.  Once we got moving again, though, it was smooth sailing all the way thru Indy and on to my friend, C's, house.  I've met C in person now twice, but this visit was my first time meeting her husband and children, whom I've only heard of over the years that C and I have been friends online, along with many other moms of kids born in the fall of 2004.  I was tickled to be invited to have dinner at C's house, and it was the perfect break in my trip.  After several hours of playing with the kids and talking to C and her husband, I got back on the road headed for my friend Danert's place in Louisville.

It was an amazing feeling to sleep through the night, and then to wake on my own.  I had no deadline, no place to be, nobody needing anything from me.  Glorious.  I almost felt lost for a second, then I snapped out of it and soaked it up.  I cleaned up just in time for Danert's early arrival home after a short day at the office.  We eventually headed out to gather items to glue to my hat, followed by some dinner, followed by conversation and drinks, and a very late (for me) bed time.

Friday.  Oaks.  Exciting.  I wasn't exactly sure if we had a plan, but, since I wasn't driving it didn't matter much to me.  Danert and I got ready while we waited for Binkie and A to come by.  A was the driver of this lovely crew, and we headed out to Churchill Downs all dressed up, four hot ladies on a gorgeous Friday morning.

Once we selected a place to park, not too far but not too close to the Downs, we secured our hats with hat pins to try to combat the predicted 40 mph winds, and began our walk to the track.  We didn't get very far before a young man in a six-seater golf cart pulled up along side us offering us a ride!  BINGO!  We accepted the offer and he delivered us just steps from the gate at Churchill Downs.  It was the best trek from car to track I've ever had.  Seriously.  Especially since this time I was in heels.

The day was beautiful and sunny and windy and relaxing.  Danert and I immediately befriended the young gentleman selling Lilies, the drink of Oaks day.  As he described it, it's similar to a Cosmopolitan.  I needed no sales pitch to convince me to have one, or five, or ten Lilies.  Seriously, this stuff went down like water.  It was warm, sunny, and very windy.  Did I mention it was windy?  Ya, it took four large hat pins to keep my darn hat on!!

The day was wonderful, and we were so thankful for the opportunity to finally sit on the other side of the track.  After 13 Oaks and Derbys in the infield, it was fun to actually dress up and see how "the other half lives", so to speak.  We took a couple walks into the paddock area to visit with friends and some of Danert's family, and to take in a change of scenery.  Other than that, we enjoyed our time in our bleacher seats and the sun that shone all day long.  It was truly a gorgeous day.  And, wow, did the drinks go down easy.

By the time we left, after the Oaks was run, we were ready for more.  The sun was still up, we were happy, and we thought we had plenty left in us.

We didn't.

We got back to Danert's and that was pretty much the end of the line for us.  Rather than go paint the town red, we held the soft, comfy chairs and couches down at Danert's, and her beau and I ordered late night wings from Buffalo Wild Wings.  Nothing like hot wings at 10:30 at night, right?

Saturday, Derby Day, was not as nice a day.  This was the weekend of the fabled floods in Nashville and parts of the south east.  It was serious rain.  This was the weekend I realized that I'm probably growing up.  It hurts to even write that.  It really does.  We dressed up and acted like adults for Oaks, and I opted not to go into the Downs on Derby Day in the rain.

Seriously, it wasn't long ago that I would have LOVED to go into the infield in the rain.  Dude, you've never seen mudslides and general debauchery like what you witness in the infield, rain or shine, but mostly in the rain.  Trust me, you never have.  It's the true definition of "I hope nobody has a camera around here".

This year, I chose the dry, warm environment of Binkie's parents house.  I chose time with good friends that I usually only see once a year, who mean a lot to me and saw me through the good and bad in college.  I chose cheaper drinks, better odds betting with a small group, and the view of the Derby on the wide screen HDTV.  Yes, I did.

In the end, I was about $12 lighter when I walked out the door, but, I was armed with new dance moves (thank you, on demand!) and a tummy full of good food and lots of Bloody Marys.  Yum.

If Oaks and/or Derby is/are on your bucket list, bump it up to the top.  It's an experience you'll never forget.  And one you'll never regret.  I promise.

That's all for now.