96. The 133rd Running of the Kentucky Derby

Briefly.

It is Derby Day here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River at Milepost 606. It is also my step-nephew Jimmy's 16th birthday. He and his full brothers and sisters and half- brothers and sisters and step- brothers and sisters will all be at my brother's place on S. Brook Street to celebrate both birthday and horse race.

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the day with friends from the John Yarmuth for Congress campaign at the track, celebrating the Kentucky Oaks, on which I had the exacta. Aaron Horner, Jason Burke, Ben Basil, Marty Meyer, and Antonia Lindauer and I held forth in a box in Section 117, under the overhang, and thus out of the weather, all at Aaron's invitation. (Aaron is the guy who stepped in in late April to help along the Yarmuth campaign, and served as Interim Campaign Manager, before Jason was brought in to orchestrate the November victory over Anne Northup. Ben Basil was the uber-master of the volunteers who made sure everything which needed to be done actually got done, and thus as much as anyone was responsible for the defeat of a five-term incumbent congresswoman who now thinks she should be governor of the Commonwealth, Marty was one the many volunteers who did the things Ben needed doing and did more that most any of them, all of whom did a lot, so Marty did a whole lot. Antonia came into the campaign late, as another of the dedicated many who helped change the community and the country on the first Tuesday of November in 2006. But, I digress). An estimated 100,000 people attended yesterday's race exclusively for fillies. On the exacta - I haven't cashed the ticket - it isn't much, but it is still something. Derby plans today are incomplete.

At a party last night in the 200 block of East Burnett Avenue, I met a 26 year old guy from Frankfort, a place which my regular readers know is of some interest to me. We chatted all evening about hangouts, friends, cousins, politics, and highways. He seems to know as many of Kentucky's county seats as I claim to know. I was intrigued. We are going to meet again for a cup of coffee and more discussion of related interests.

No new pictures today as I am blogging from a friend's computer and am not quite sure exactly how to make it work.

Oh - I made my Derby bets yesterday while at the Oaks. A three horse exacta box of Street Sense, Circular Quay, and Nobiz Like Shobiz. Here are the words to a version of Kentucky's state song, a song everyone should sing sometime today. These aren't the original words, but they are close.

THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT ON MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME
'TIS SUMMER THE PEOPLE ARE GAY
THE CORN TOPS RIPE AND THE MEADOW'S IN FULL BLOOM
WHILE THE BIRDS MAKE MUSIC ALL THE DAY.

THE YOUNG FOLKS ROLL ON THE LITTLE CABIN FLOOR
ALL MERRY, ALL HAPPY, AND BRIGHT
BY AND BY HARD TIMES COME 'A KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
THEN MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME GOOD NIGHT

WEEP NO MORE MY LADY
O WEEP NO MORE TODAY
WE WILL SING ONE SONG FOR MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME
FOR MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME FAR AWAY.

Happy Derby.