356. Saturday Evening Post

My blog of late, when I've entered a post at all, has tended to be more diary than blog, which was not the intention when we began back in January of last year. Gas was a hell of a lot cheaper then and travels were a hell of a lot further then, even if they still were pretty much restricted to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the State of Indiana. Today's cheapest gas here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 was seen at the corner of Seventh Street Road and Algonquin Parkway on the former City of Louisville's southwest side where the posted price was $4.09. Most places are closer to $4.20 than $4.10.

There are several others issues occupying my plate presently, not the least of which is the health of my father, which has been sharply declining since late May or early June. He has been hospitalized twice in the last two weeks, currently on his third day in the Transitional Care Unit at Norton's. He has an irregular heart beat, bad sugar, and there is a great concern about how much blood is getting through how much of his body, and apparently it isn't nearly enough. I've just left his hospital room where he is still healthy enough to complain about Barack Obama, John McCain, and most anyone else on this fall's ballot. Although he voted against him twice, he saw former President Clinton on C-Span today from his hospital bed, and like many Americans, both those who did or didn't vote for him, found himself wishing ol' Bill was back in residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, instead of the current occupant or either of the possible future occupants. Dad might have voted for Hillary this fall - it is certain he will not vote for Obama. As an old establishment Republican who several years back switched to an Independent, in protest of the Republican planned and led War in Iraq, he's come a long way, but voting for Obama is simply a road too far. I'll take his vote for John Yarmuth's reelection, which he has promised. This will be only the second time in his voting career, dating to 1957, that he has voted for a Democrat. The first time was John's first election in 2006.

Earlier in the day, I trekked out to the Metro Democratic Club's Summer Picnic, held in an idyllic setting along Ormsby Lane at the Lyndon Elks Lodge Park. Ormsby Lane, one of several streets in Louisville by that name, is one of the county's oldest roads, connecting La Grange Road (or New La Grange Road, as it is called by the Metro) with Old Whipps Mill Road, the old road which ventures off to the northeast of US 60 at the old Eight Mile House, an historic toll house (shown at left in an 1886 photo) still standing on the northside of that intersection. The toll house in mentioned in Karl Kron's book "Ten Thousand Miles on a Bike" published in New York in 1887. The Elks Lodge Park is about 3/4 mile east of the toll house. The land in this area was originally owned by Col. William Christian, statesman and military officer from the pre-Revolutionary days of the Republic. He was married to Patrick Henry's sister and located in Jefferson County when it was still a part of Virginia in 1785. His estate was "across the street" from Alexander Bullitt's Oxmoor Farm and his daughter later married Mr. Bullitt, who would become Kentucky's first lieutenant governor. It is a point of trivia that Bullitt did not serve under Isaac Shelby, Kentucky's first governor. The office of lieutenant governor wasn't created until 1800, eight years after statehood was achieved. Bullitt's service in the number two role was under James Garrard, who was Kentucky's 2nd governor, serving two consecutive terms, the last governor to do so until Paul Patton's re-election in 1999, 199 years later. But I digress.

Today's picnic featured a softball game between the Metro Council Democrats and the Jefferson County Legislative Democrats. But, since neither of those groups had enough people present to field a team, the day was saved by the First District Metro Councilwoman Judy Green, who brought along her children and foster children, enough to fill out the rosters of both sides. Congressman John Yarmuth served in the #1 position for both sides, fielding a few balls hit straight ahead, and making a spectacular out by tagging a runner at home plate, although the runner (one of Judy's sons) got the best of the congressman who took a tumble to the ground. Elected officials, in addition to Green, filling out the rosters were Jefferson County Judge/Executive Ken Herndon, State Senator Denise Harper Angel, State Senator Perry Clark (who coached), State Representative Joni Jenkins, and Metro Councilman David Tandy. While Metro Councilwoman Vicki Welch didn't play, her husband, Assistant Jefferson County Attorney Matt Welch did. The final score was 8-1 in favor of the legislature, although I think Judy's family scored all the runs on both sides. For the record, there were two errors on the Council's shortstop, played by Tandy, and one of the Legislative shortstop, played by Herndon. Although the Jefferson County Democratic Party Chair wasn't in attendance, the State Democratic Party Chair was, accompanied by her regular date, my dear friend Dan Borsch. It was explained to me they spent the week out of town in Michigan, celebrating Dan's 32nd birthday. After the game, a three-inning thriller, barbecue, potato salad, slaw, and desserts were served. Another typical Summer-Saturday meal.

There were concerns throughout the day about rain, but none came until just a few minutes ago. The Summer Picnic was an excellent diversion for what would have otherwise been a mundane, hot, and muggy July Saturday.