Derby Days

I've never been to the Kentucky Derby. Or any horse race for that matter. And the closest I've been to any type of "derby" would have to be the Sigma Chi "derby days" at WVU. Although I don't think it has anything to do with horses either. If I remember correctly, that derby involves racing soap boxes down high street, bands, and Budweiser trucks with kegs attached.

My neighbors have been to the Kentucky Derby. Actually, they've been to the chaos that is the center ring. So they decided to have a Kentucky Derby party. Not a center ring type party either (those can get a little wild and out of control and involve lots of boobs) but a little fancier with mint juleps, Kentucky Derby pie, and fancy hats. Besides we are all over 30 and have about a million of these:

Owen, Ben, and Sophie. I can tell you now that the way Sophie and Ben fight they are possibly destined to be married. At the end of the night a fight ensued over a bouncey ball to which Ben rightfully declared "I HAD IT FIRST." To which my daughter replies, "SO, I HAD IT SECOND AND YOU AREN'T SHARING SO GIVE IT TO ME!"

Meet the Mint Julep.

Let-me-tell-ya, this is the nastiest concoction on the planet. I like mojitos. I like mint. But 2 ounces of straight bourbon and only a teaspoon of mint infused sugar water does not make for a delicious cocktail. Instead, it makes for a lethal weapon. Force these upon terrorists and they just might beg to be water boarded.

Enter, the ladies.

See that one on the end? That's me. Don't want you to get confused with this:

Jesus! If that doesn't get you on your treadmill I don't know what will!

Enter some of the fellas.

Like Steven's bow tie? He had to borrow it from Jared. Thanks Jared! And he had to watch some British guy on YouTube 39384 times to learn how to tie the thing while standing in front of a mirror.

And it needs straighted up by one big daddy's girl.

Poor kid. She was the only little girl out of 8 boys. There had been a 7 year old little girl but she didn't stay very long. She got a little frustrated and kept asking us if it was time to go home because all of the boys were sucked into a movie about aliens.

So home by 10 but felt like 5 am. Getting old sucks. But nice that we were only 5 houses away from our comfy beds. And by the way I love our new neighborhood. It's taken awhile for me to realize that neighborhoods are what you make them. If you want to throw a party because the sun is out then invite some neighbors over. They'll come. If you sit around wishing that you could live in a place that does cool things like block parties and egg hunts don't just wish, make it happen. Get a pink bike and race a 10 year year old down the street. You'll loose but she'll think you are cool for trying.