Talk Derby To Me!

Gabi wearing her Derby hat.
Yesterday, was the Kentucky Derby. This event is celebrated in this area beginning about a month before the actual race and the celebration continues all the way up to that famous 2 minute race and even continues throughout the night with the after-Derby parties. The month's activities include Thunder Over Louisville (an air and sea show and fireworks celebration that lasts the entire day), Pegasus Parade, lots of concerts and parties, Oaks Day (The race day before the race day) and many other festivities that fill the month. I never realized what a big deal the Derby was until I moved here. I remember my first year here, I worked during the Derby and come race time, the whole hospital was quiet except for the sound of the announcer on the television. No one could be found in the hallways or at the computers. I looked around wondering where everyone had gone. Any staff that was working that day, took that time to enter their patient's room to watch the race with them. Then as fast as I realized that everyone was gone, they were all back out in the halls again talking about the winner. "That was it?" I asked. "You mean to tell me that all that hoopla all month long was for that?" "It's the fastest two minutes in sports," someone replied to me. Okay, I don't get it, but I do enjoy all of the month's activities.

The pictures below are from the Pegasus Parade that I took Gabi, Preston and Ryan's mom to on Thursday. I enjoyed watching Gabi and Preston the most though since it was both of their first parades. But if I don't include my kids, then the part of the parade I was most excited about was seeing Patrick Henry Hughes twice! The first band to march through the parade was from The University of Louisville. I was recording a video on my phone at the time and realized that Patrick Henry and his dad were right in there with the rest of the band. I wish I could figure out how to get it from my phone to here, but it is a Quicktime clip not jpeg. Anyhow, you could hear me on it going, "Look Gabi, it's Patrick Henry!" I was like a little school girl! The parade was sooo long that we decided to leave and I turned off my phone that I had been taking pictures with. Wouldn't you know, just as I turned it off, Patrick Henry and his entire family come by on their own float! Argh! I could have kicked myself! By the time I turned the camera on my phone back on, I got a picture of the back of them as you can see in this next picture:

Patrick Henry Hughes and Family.











Kynt & Vyxsin from The Amazing Race.



Carrie Ann Inaba (judge for Dancing With The Stars.)


I had tons more pictures but decided to just include my favorites. I am heading to take a nap now. Ryan and I are going to see Casting Crowns in concert tonight! Yipee!!!