132nd Kentucky Derby - Run for the Roses

Wow! Sorry guys! I didn't mean to cause such a stir. I just figured everyone would know that I was recovering from the weekend. And, boy, did I have one hell of a weekend! The Derby is a very hard thing to explain. And for those of you who have never experienced it, or even if you have, if you don't live here - you'll never fully grasp it.

The Derby is something that all of us "natives" have grown up with. It's a very serious part of our heritage and it's something that we are extremely proud of. The history and inspiration of the events surrounding the Derby are something that we all hold dear, and everyone - and I mean everyone - celebrates!!! It's not just a four or five hour party one day of the year. This celebration lasts two weeks and the final two days - Oaks and Derby Day - are something that you should actually train for!! LOL!!

I literally went on about three hours of sleep between Friday and Sunday. It's just non-stop action from dusk til' dawn.

One of the best things about where I live is our hospitality. We have so many people come to our town from all over the world during Derby Week, and everyone is in such a great mood! It's just the most fun and exciting time, even for our visitors! I made so many new friends over the weekend that my head was spinning - of course that may have been from all the partying!!!

I took some pictures while I was at the track (and hijacked some). I hope you enjoy them!!

This is the "infield" which is the party section of the track. If you want to be classy and regal, you can sit in the grandstand - which is in the background - but what is the fun in that? The twin spires (which you also see in the background) are the most famous part of Churchill Downs. The track is absolutely beautiful and we take great pride in it!

Another thing about the Derby is fashion!!! For the ladies, it's generally all about the hat. I'm not sure where or why that got started, but that tradition has been around long before I was!! As far as being in the infield, the more outrageous the outfit, the better. It's all about letting loose and having fun!!

The funniest part about the goofy outfits is that you can always tell who the tourists are!! Most Kentuckians get into, but not as much as the out-of-towners. It's always fun to just "people watch". These guys were from Chicago.

They were from New York.

You never know what you're going to see in the infield - which is part of the fun!!! This guy was absolutely hilarious! He would pick someone who was standing around and make up an entire song about them and their outfit. I know I stood there for at least 30 minutes - or three beers - however you want to look at it!

This guy was from Cincinnati. His quote for me was that he wanted to be "that guy" (meaning the one who made the biggest fool of himself in the infield). Mission Accomplished!!!

These guys were next to us in the infield. The started out sitting in a nice little circle, talking amongst themselves - until about three hours later (and many, many, many drinks later).

I met her in the bathroom when she commented on my hat, and wanted her picture taken. I can't remember her name or where she was from - but she did tell me that she couldn't believe how nice and friendly everyone was. You'd think with all of the alcohol involved, it would get really ugly, but 99% of the time - it's all about the love!! Which makes me very proud.

My obligatory "Derby Hat" picture. I was loving life by the time we left on Friday!

This is me and my friend, Steph, who was having trouble getting out of the car. LOL - I was then off to another party!

I lost every bet I placed on Friday. BUT - I was 6 out of 7 on Derby Day - and that was pretty damn good!!!! I even had the Derby Winner!!! I would tell you guys how much money I won, but if I divulge that information, I will have to kill you all!!!

Another Derby came and went - and I'm still standing - BARELY.