MINT JULEP, ANYONE?

So guess where I was last Saturday. Uh... about 6:00 in the evening, let's say. Need a hint? Think: women's hats. Give up? 

I was at a KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY, of course! 

Which naturally meant: a festival of hats. Actually, the only rival I can think of where hats take center stage is probably: on Easter.  

Unfortunately you can't see my entire hat here, but no big deal. It wasn't anything to necessarily to write home about although it was perfectly acceptable and maybe even sorta pretty. Regardless... what I love about the picture up above is how the shot is framed. You know... with just the rim of the hat showing. Something about it just knocks me out.

What I loved even more  however, is... as we walked up to the entrance of the party, boom. A lady was there handing out champagne!! Now THAT'S what I call a fantastic way to begin a party, alright. In the meantime, I'm going to guess that there were what? Maybe a couple hundred people there? Well... maybe not that many but whatever. In the meantime, I'm thinking that then, half of the folks were women and pretty much all of them had on their own hats. Which makes me wonder... if there were almost a hundred hats... why wasn't there at least ONE that absolutely just took my breath away??? Why no out and out to die for's? I don't get it. For the truth be told... I don't remember even one hat simply screaming: TOTALLY FABULOUS. Including my own, I might add.

But it all matters not. For it happened to be a pretty happy party anyway, beginning of course with watching the Derby itself. We all had a chance to wager our bets, but I decided... Hey. If I can't win at bingo, why the hell would I imagine I'd win at the Kentucky Derby? Although way before the betting was closed, the guy next to me DID tell me the number five horse was going to win. SHIT. IT DID WIN! Which means I could have easily gone to wager on it and then come home with some nice bucks in my purse. Talk about the story of my life. Anyway...

After the race was run, then yippee. Time for dinner. Which as you know, takes very little to please me. But I will admit the tenderloin was pretty damn good and the desserts were pretty damn tasty. As it happens, btw... I never did taste the mint juleps but that's only because it's made with bourbon and never in my life could I ever down bourbon. I did have some other icy type concoction however... made with vodka maybe??... and it was totally delicious.  

Okay. So the first leg of a possible Triple Derby has been run. And I have to admit I have ALways loved watching these particular races. Especially when watching the owners go nuts seeing the chances of their own horses winning, going higher and higher as they round the final part of the track. Talk about an adrenalin rush.

For now... I just have to wait until the Preakness and then the Belmont Stakes are run. If all this turns out to actually have a Triple Crown winner then... YIPPEE. I'LL BE SO DAMN THRILLED. Not to mention: shocked. I mean seriously... I was out of my mind watching Secretariat. 

Oh yeah... in case you're interested... the year I was born, Citation won all three races, too.