What Happened and What I Learned

I am going to try something new this post. I think it should have a good flow. It probably won’t be as substantial as something I would normally post. We will chalk it up to laziness. The format will be in a “What Happened” and “What I Learned” format. See if you can follow.

I had a cookout last Friday. I learned that pork tenderloins grilled up in barbecue sauce are as good or better than barbecue chicken. I also learned that I couldn’t duplicate Paul Griffith’s barbecue burgers if I had to. Cookouts without Unit 899 aren’t as much fun as cookouts with Unit 899, but Jason Will almost makes it that good. On his way over, Jason asked if anyone was playing cornhole. I told him no, but we would play when he got there. He said, “I can beat anyone there and if I can’t beat 'em, I’ll trash talk 'em ‘til I can!” He said it. Believe it. Also, I like it when people leave before 1 a.m. Beth does, too.

Saturday morning, Beth and I took Flat Stanley around Lexington to take pictures of him in cool locations for our niece, Emma. I learned the wind always blows when you wish it wouldn’t. Each picture we tried to take, ten minutes were wasted because we never could get Stanley to stand up due to the wind. So, most of the pictures ended up with one of us holding Flat Stanley. I also learned there are some really photo-esque places in Lexington. If you want to see some of them, I can take you on a walking tour of downtown sometime. I learned of a singer worse than Sanjaya, just kidding, that was singing the national anthem before Transy’s women’s college softball game last weekend. We were walking around Transy’s campus and heard something sounding like Wing off of Southpark. It really hurt.

I went to Wes Graham’s wedding on Saturday. I learned that going to weddings are really fun until you get married. For every wedding you attend after your own, you are inclined to compare and contrast the wedding your at with your own until you just want to leave. Either you say, “Man this is an awesome wedding.” Or you say, “This sucks, I’m out.” Our wedding was the gold standard in my books. I think (hope) everyone feels that way about his or her wedding. Also, I learned the wind never blows in Lexington when you wish it would. Wearing a suit in the sun is not cool (no pun intended).

Brandon Pigg and I went to Keeneland on Sunday afternoon. I learned that if it has recently rained, don’t walk through the barns to get to the track. There are mud holes everywhere. I also learned that if it has not rained recently; don’t walk through the barns to get to the track. It will be dry and very dusty. Your shoes will be covered in dust. Remember where horses poo? Yeah, horses poo on the ground. The poo dries up and breaks down to dust size particles. Then, it gets blown by the wind into your hair, on your clothes, and if you aren’t lucky in your mouth. Sick, huh? Yeah, I won some loot. Not a "We're-all- going-to-Malone's-and-I-am-buying-type winner. I just left with more scratch in my wallet than I came with.

I posted an entry on my blog today. I learned that if you are too lazy to make an entry or feel like it has been too long since your last post, you shouldn’t force it. Otherwise, you end up with something crappy like you have just read.

But JD, what about the Kentucky Derby? You haven’t given us any of your picks, yet.

I swear to Chuck Norris, do you have to sound so whiney? Hold your horses (Ha! Ha!) and I’ll let you know. This year I am going to change my strategy and go with a large exacta wheel. Exacta, you remember, betting the horses that finish first and second in order. Glad you remembered. This week my strategy looks like this:

$5 Exacta Wheel
Street Sense, Scat Daddy, Curlin
over
Street Sense, Scat Daddy, Any Given Saturday, Curlin, and Hard Spun
For a total of $60.

$10 Across on Curlin for a total of $30.

This will be for a grand total of $90. Not set in stone, hopefully, I will be able give you a more solidified pick next week once the post draw is finished. Plus, I still haven't figured out Circular Quay.

If you try to get up with me this weekend, I will be in West Virginia for Emma and Erin’s (Chris’s wife—Beth’s brother for those unfamiliar) birthdays. Catch you on the flip.