Kentucky Derby

I have been watching the Kentucky Derby on TV for as long as it's been televised. Yes, my father enjoyed this particular race. Why? I don't know. But I did enjoy watching it with him.

So, today is Derby Day here in Kentucky. Derby parties will be held this afternoon and early evening all over the state. It's a big deal. We have attended a party every year since we moved to Kentucky and there is always a hat contest. Alan has won that contest twice. I just wear my only hat -- it's a straw hat. Ugly as can be, but it's all I have, and I don't have the ambition or desire to make something silly for the party.

Here where we live, Alan and I will attend the community's annual shindig, lose five bucks, and enjoy camaraderie with our neighbors.

I still enjoy watching the Derby, rooting for my favorite (usually I pick a jockey, rather than a horse), and hoping that I picked the right one. That hope of picking the correct horse is not because of any bets on that particular animal, but because I like to think I can "pick 'em. I can't. I don't think I've ever picked the right horse, even when the winner was the favorite. Therefore I don't bet on win, lose, or draw.

I rarely want the favorite to win. I prefer to pick as I mentioned by the jockey, but second choice is by name, and that name can't be the usual name. I prefer odd names. I don't even know who is on today's list, but I can guarantee that if some horse named Brownie is on the list, that horse will be panned by me, even if it is the favorite. I like names like "She's so sweet" or "Born of the 4th of July".

Are there any horses with those names? I don't know, but I think you can get my drift.

So this afternoon, Alan and I will shut down our computers, head over to the clubhouse, enjoy the company of our neighbors, and I will be rooting for some horse that has several words in its name, and Alan will share $5 with someone else in our community hoping his horse wins, so he doesn't have to share it. But he will share it. He always does. So silly, you know. You know you're going to be out five dollars, but you still put the five dollars in the pot anyway. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

That's all I have to say on this subject. NOT!

We're back from the community party and as I stated, Alan lost $5, but that's okay. I just couldn't get into the Derby at all this year. No great names for me to choose from. I guess the best unusual name in the lot was recapturetheglory -- all one word just like that. But recapturetheglory did not win.

Sounds sort of like a dot com should follow the name, doesn't it? (recapturetheglory.com.) Well, I did check it out and guess what -- it is a dot com site about the derby and Louisville, KY. It's not about that particular horse, though.

So, Derby Day 2008 is finished. There was a winner, and there were 19 losers. Horses, that is. I'm sure there were millions of people losers as well -- I mean Alan is one of them! And, I'm not bitter, but why do the same folks win every single year?