When I first became sexually aware, I immediately took a liking to the girls. I knew in my heart, soul and mind that I wasn't really a boy, but at the very same time, I just didn't find males all that attractive. No, what I prefered were girls and that meant immersing myself in their world. I've always, ever since early elementary school, prefered the company of girls and just felt way more comfortable around them. I had friends who were boys but I always seemed to have such a very hard time of relating to what it was that I was supposed to do with them. Throughout high school, most of my friends were girls and that mostly carried over to college where I first began to feel that maybe if I found the right one, I would somehow be okay with being a boy.
If memory serves, and I think it does, I had five girlfriends during college, one of whom I dated for over two years (In an ironic twist, Cathy went through a phase, many years after she and I broke up, in which she dated only girls). A couple of those relationships were rather forgetable but two of them really meant something to me. To this day, I'm great friends with one of them and I'm glad that she stayed in my life. As much as I did like and enjoy those relationships, the fact is, they were always a bit strained, perhaps due to me having more of an interest in what was in their closet than inside their pants, but I digress. During most of my 20's, I seldom went more than a few months without either a girlfriend or a steady source of nookie. It wasn't that I was needy or addicted to having a girlfriend, it's just that it felt good being around women all the time.
My last serious relationship lasted over three years and from time to time, we did talk about getting married, even living together for two of those three years. In the end, we both realized that we pretty much hated each other and went our separate ways. Today, Valarie lives in California, which isn't quite far enough away for me. A couple of other small time relationships followed but pretty much that was it, though not by choice. In August of 2001, the woman of my dreams walked into my life and in the very instant that my eyes took her in, I knew that I had met the one woman who I could honestly spend the rest of my life with.
I fell head over heals in love with her and for several years, I kept my feelings for her to myself. It wasn't until some friends held a sort of intervention that I felt compelled to act and one fateful night in October of 2003, I told her how I felt. I laid it all out there and hoped against hope that she would leave her no good boyfriend and see that I was the one for her. It didn't happen and the next year or so was spent in a funk of epic proportions. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why things didn't work out. She and I seemed perfect for each other and I really did love her with all of my heart. It's pretty safe to say that I'll go to my grave still feeling a bit of love for her. She and I are today the best of friends and even though I don't see her as much as I would like, I'm so glad that she's still a part of my life.
When I decided to begin transition, I made a decision to stay out of the dating scene, more out of fear of rejection than anything else, but it also seemed like the best way to move forward. When I was given my first prescription for estrogen, I knew that my life would never be the same and it was a really big step towards becoming Kelly. I knew that there was a very real possiblity that for the first time in my life, I would become sexually attracted to men. I was totally okay with that and to tell the truth, there was a part of me that hoped it would happen. For some reason, becoming attracted to men made the whole thing seem more authentic. I freely admit that from time to time, I'll see a guy and think "I woulnd't mind shacking up with that."
As I said in an earlier post, I do have a strong sense of curiosity about what it would be like to have sex with a man as a woman. It's something that I wouldn't pass up if the right guy came along, but it isn't anything that's going to happen as long as I have my current equipment. For some, that might pose a problem, a sense of confusion on my part perhaps, but it's only natural that someone like me would be curious to find out what it is like to be sexually satisfied by a man. The problem only really comes into light when you finally realize that what I really, really want is not a boyfriend but a girlfriend. Now it's not really a problem per se, but it does create quite a conundrum for moving forward.
TO BE CONTINUED.............
I Want My Own Luce or Rachel
I've got some pretty good stuff to talk about later tonight but for now, I'll present just a teaser. When I first started to be attracted to the girls, I always pictured myself as one of them and not the boy I was. Perhaps that's why it took so long for me to actually have a girlfriend as I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that it really wouldn't be the way I pictured it and imagined it to be. It hurt really bad to know that I had to play the part of the guy and as a result, my relationships with various girlfriends were always a bit weird and certainly a lot strained. I wanted something that wasn't going to happen and I would always let it get in the way of what was otherwise a really good thing.
Anyways, I think I might be ready to start venturing into that strange world of trying to find someone special. I know it's a longshot and all, but don't we at least deserve the chance to have it happen? I think so and that's what I want to talk about later. You see, I want my own version of Luce (pronounced Loose as in short for Lucy) and Rachel and it isn't going to happen unless I do something to help make it so. I have no idea if my Luce or Rachel is out there, I hope she is, but it's still nice to imagine that anything is possible.
Let's Take a Break
Last nights post was one of the more important I'll ever put up but it's also pretty depressing. Let's do a 180 tonight and have some fun. This one comes from Helen Boyd:
What is your favorite word? Peloton
What is your least favorite word? Republican
What turns you on? Chicks with...brains.
What turns you off? Being timid in bed.
What is your favorite curse word? Well fuck of course though cunt comes in a close second.
What sound or noise do you love? Thunder
What sound or noise do you hate? Gasoline powered lawn mowers.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Formula One or Indy Car driver.
What profession would you not like to attempt? Lawyer
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Your dogs have been waiting for you.
If you get something out of a vending machine, it’s most likely: Coke
A word you sometimes catch yourself misspelling: Cincinnati, did I get it right?
You least want people to see you as: A man
You’re a little scared of: Mice.
The least attractive thing you do in your sleep: Talk and sometimes things I don't want people to know.
The number of contacts in your cell phone: 20
How many of them are relatives: 4
You lose your cool when someone: Blames high gas prices on oil companies.
When you go to the drugstore, you often can’t leave without buying: Magazines
Your dance moves can best be described as: Very bad.
The majority of your underwear is: Victorias Secret bikini panties though I do have a fair number of thongs.
Something you eat even though you hate how bad it is for you: White Castle cheeseburgers and I love every bite of them.
You think you’re really not a great: Person
How much cash is in your wallet right now: $2 but I do have my debit card.
The majority of your shoes are this color: black and brown equally.
You don’t think you’ll ever be able to get rid of your: Male features.
If your breath is bad, it’s most likely because you had the: Onions
You feel embarrassed when you: Stumble over something and look like a total dork.
The last public place where you used the restroom: Work
Something you don’t like to debate in mixed company: Religion
You don’t think you can pull off wearing: Sleeveless shirts.
Something you own entirely too much of: Clothes
Someone you would love to see in concert who might bring down your street cred: Bon Jovi
The last thing that you spilled on yourself: Snot
If you were on a reality show, the producers would likely portray/characterize you as the: The insecure Tranny.
Feel free to do it yourself.
What is your favorite word? Peloton
What is your least favorite word? Republican
What turns you on? Chicks with...brains.
What turns you off? Being timid in bed.
What is your favorite curse word? Well fuck of course though cunt comes in a close second.
What sound or noise do you love? Thunder
What sound or noise do you hate? Gasoline powered lawn mowers.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Formula One or Indy Car driver.
What profession would you not like to attempt? Lawyer
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Your dogs have been waiting for you.
If you get something out of a vending machine, it’s most likely: Coke
A word you sometimes catch yourself misspelling: Cincinnati, did I get it right?
You least want people to see you as: A man
You’re a little scared of: Mice.
The least attractive thing you do in your sleep: Talk and sometimes things I don't want people to know.
The number of contacts in your cell phone: 20
How many of them are relatives: 4
You lose your cool when someone: Blames high gas prices on oil companies.
When you go to the drugstore, you often can’t leave without buying: Magazines
Your dance moves can best be described as: Very bad.
The majority of your underwear is: Victorias Secret bikini panties though I do have a fair number of thongs.
Something you eat even though you hate how bad it is for you: White Castle cheeseburgers and I love every bite of them.
You think you’re really not a great: Person
How much cash is in your wallet right now: $2 but I do have my debit card.
The majority of your shoes are this color: black and brown equally.
You don’t think you’ll ever be able to get rid of your: Male features.
If your breath is bad, it’s most likely because you had the: Onions
You feel embarrassed when you: Stumble over something and look like a total dork.
The last public place where you used the restroom: Work
Something you don’t like to debate in mixed company: Religion
You don’t think you can pull off wearing: Sleeveless shirts.
Something you own entirely too much of: Clothes
Someone you would love to see in concert who might bring down your street cred: Bon Jovi
The last thing that you spilled on yourself: Snot
If you were on a reality show, the producers would likely portray/characterize you as the: The insecure Tranny.
Feel free to do it yourself.
Oil Surges Ever Higher and Higher
I've been harping on this for a long time and I'm sure that many of you assumed I was crazy and going off the deep end, but more and more, my fears are coming true. Each day brings a new record high for the selling of crude oil and prices at the pump seem to set records every few hours. Oil closed today at over $124 a barrel and all signs point towards $200 a barrel oil by the end of the year or early spring 2009. For me, the two most troubling things about all this is that so many people seem to think that this is a temporary thing and prices will soon be back to normal and as a result, I fully expect governments, especially our dysfunctional one, to do a lot of very stupid things.
As I've said before, there are several reasons for the increase in the price of oil:
1. Production has been flat for nearly three years now- Peak Oil is here.
2. OPEC seems unable to raise production and it now appears that Russia has peaked as well.
3. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia, the two largest crude producers, have seen their economies roar with the increase in oil revenues. As a result, they have less and less oil to export thus reducing the amount of oil available to importing nations like America.
4. China and India continue to see strong economic growth and as a result, more and more people are now able to afford to buy automobiles.
5. Americans are incredibly wasteful and use so much more oil than the rest of the world that until demand destruction happens here (and to Europe to a lesser extent) supply will be tight or unable to meet demand.
So what does the future hold? Well, in the short term, it means higher and higher prices at the pump. As fuel prices increase, other goods that depend on oil for production, transport and other inputs (that means pretty much everything) will also rise in price. I'm not sure at what price demand will begin to fall, but we haven't reached that point yet. As of now, only the smallest and poorest countries are being severely affected. It's probable that it won't be long till those at the bottom of the economic rung in this country will begin to be priced entirely out of the oil market. At that point, the only thing that will determine when the rest of us join them is time.
My predictions for the future are not pretty, but maybe if we get our asses in gear in a hurry, we can still prevent the worst of the worst from happening. The near future promises to be tough and what we do during these next five to ten years will determine if things go from mearly bad to downright awful. Our entire economy and way of life is based upon the premise of cheap and abundant energy. Those days are over and will never be back. We must adopt to a new way of life, one that demands that we power down immediately. The illusion that we can continue with business as usual is simply crazy and will only result in heartache and severe loss of life.
I cannot say it enough and so I'll say it once more: THE PARTY IS OVER! It's been a nice run, it really has, but the past 100 years or so will ultimately prove to be nothing more than an abberation in the history of the world. Abundant fossil fuels have made everything possible and I mean everything. The food you eat, the home you live in, the car you drive, the medicine you take and the life you are living is the result of one thing only, cheap energy derived from fossil fuels. Were it not for the discovery of oil, the greatest gift ever given us, most of us would not be here today. We were born only because fossil fuels and more specifically oil, made it possible to overshoot the natural carrying capacity of Mother Earth.
I hope that this is getting through to those of you who read this blog and I wish I had a bigger microphone to yell this from but this is all I've got. Life is really going to change for all of us and some of us are going to be better prepared than others. I want to be optimistic, I really do, but something just tells me that we won't get serious until it's way too late. I hope I'm wrong, but so far, nothing seems to indicate that things will go well. Best hopes for a low energy world. Best hopes for somehow, someway, making it through what James Howard Kunstler calls "The Long Emergency."
As I've said before, there are several reasons for the increase in the price of oil:
1. Production has been flat for nearly three years now- Peak Oil is here.
2. OPEC seems unable to raise production and it now appears that Russia has peaked as well.
3. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia, the two largest crude producers, have seen their economies roar with the increase in oil revenues. As a result, they have less and less oil to export thus reducing the amount of oil available to importing nations like America.
4. China and India continue to see strong economic growth and as a result, more and more people are now able to afford to buy automobiles.
5. Americans are incredibly wasteful and use so much more oil than the rest of the world that until demand destruction happens here (and to Europe to a lesser extent) supply will be tight or unable to meet demand.
So what does the future hold? Well, in the short term, it means higher and higher prices at the pump. As fuel prices increase, other goods that depend on oil for production, transport and other inputs (that means pretty much everything) will also rise in price. I'm not sure at what price demand will begin to fall, but we haven't reached that point yet. As of now, only the smallest and poorest countries are being severely affected. It's probable that it won't be long till those at the bottom of the economic rung in this country will begin to be priced entirely out of the oil market. At that point, the only thing that will determine when the rest of us join them is time.
My predictions for the future are not pretty, but maybe if we get our asses in gear in a hurry, we can still prevent the worst of the worst from happening. The near future promises to be tough and what we do during these next five to ten years will determine if things go from mearly bad to downright awful. Our entire economy and way of life is based upon the premise of cheap and abundant energy. Those days are over and will never be back. We must adopt to a new way of life, one that demands that we power down immediately. The illusion that we can continue with business as usual is simply crazy and will only result in heartache and severe loss of life.
I cannot say it enough and so I'll say it once more: THE PARTY IS OVER! It's been a nice run, it really has, but the past 100 years or so will ultimately prove to be nothing more than an abberation in the history of the world. Abundant fossil fuels have made everything possible and I mean everything. The food you eat, the home you live in, the car you drive, the medicine you take and the life you are living is the result of one thing only, cheap energy derived from fossil fuels. Were it not for the discovery of oil, the greatest gift ever given us, most of us would not be here today. We were born only because fossil fuels and more specifically oil, made it possible to overshoot the natural carrying capacity of Mother Earth.
I hope that this is getting through to those of you who read this blog and I wish I had a bigger microphone to yell this from but this is all I've got. Life is really going to change for all of us and some of us are going to be better prepared than others. I want to be optimistic, I really do, but something just tells me that we won't get serious until it's way too late. I hope I'm wrong, but so far, nothing seems to indicate that things will go well. Best hopes for a low energy world. Best hopes for somehow, someway, making it through what James Howard Kunstler calls "The Long Emergency."
Will You LIck My Swizzle Stick?
Okay, I admit it, I'm a Weather Channel junkie. I've been a huge fan since it first aired in the mid 1980's and to this day, I remain addicted to the goings on of my favorite cable channel. Growing up, I always wanted to be a meterologist, but science kept getting in the way. Mom and Dad used to have fits over my opening the door to check to see if it was snowing or raining yet. I had all of the geeky weather equipment and just knew that one day I would be a real meterologist.
The Weather Channel would of course been a dream job, surpassed only by working for the National Hurricane Center, but alas, I ended up being a teacher instead. Still, I'm as fascinated by the weather today as I was all those years ago. Few things excite me like a round of severe thunderstorms, a looming hurricane or a big white blizzard.
Most people who like the Weather Channel, go ahead and admit it, you like it, have their favorite on-air meterologist. I've always been a big fan of Jim Cantore (Kelly Fact: When I worked at Snowshoe, Jim Cantore used to come up a few times a year to go skiing and I would wait on him from time to time. He's as nice in person as he is on TV.) and Dave Schwartz (totally goofy and he really gets into it), but I must confess, the girls of the weather channel have always held a place in my heart.
I suppose it had to do with the fact that it proved that women could be beautiful and have brains, but truth be told, a lot of it was the beauty. Anyways, news has broken this week that former meterologist Bob Stokes was fired for sexual harrasment (the title of this post comes from one of his comments to Andrews) after Hillary Andrews filed a complaint of sexual abuse from Stokes. Andrews has since been fired as well.
Stokes came across as a bit nerdy, but evidently he had a bit of a twisted side to him. If what Andrews claims is true, then he deserved to be fired though I wonder why no action was taken against him when reports surfaced that he had done the same to a previous coworker. I never was a fan of Andrews, she was a bit too annoying for my taste, but no woman should have to endure the things he is alleged to have said. That being said, I'm going to venture into the gutter a bit myself. Had Stokes done those things to Stephanie Abrams, well, it'd be time to open up a can of whoop ass on Mr. Perv. For those who don't know her, well, Abrams is simply the most beautiful woman on television today. She's a rising star at the network and it won't be long till she gets snatched up by one of the big 4 networks, possibly for a morning show like Today.
Stephanie Abrams, the most beautiful woman on television
Abrams has her own internet fanclub and Youtube is filled with clips of Abrams doing nothing more than giving a weather forecast. Her coverage of Hurricane Katrina was top notch and she parlayed it into her own prime time show, Abrams and Bettes. But what's really gotten her noticed, at least among her male fans, is her penchant for wearing rather tight t-shirts while reporting from the field. To say that she is generously endowed would be a serious understatement. She's got it going on in so many ways and her personality is the icing on the cake. Stepahanie Abrams is my new celebrity crush!
The Weather Channel would of course been a dream job, surpassed only by working for the National Hurricane Center, but alas, I ended up being a teacher instead. Still, I'm as fascinated by the weather today as I was all those years ago. Few things excite me like a round of severe thunderstorms, a looming hurricane or a big white blizzard.
Most people who like the Weather Channel, go ahead and admit it, you like it, have their favorite on-air meterologist. I've always been a big fan of Jim Cantore (Kelly Fact: When I worked at Snowshoe, Jim Cantore used to come up a few times a year to go skiing and I would wait on him from time to time. He's as nice in person as he is on TV.) and Dave Schwartz (totally goofy and he really gets into it), but I must confess, the girls of the weather channel have always held a place in my heart.
I suppose it had to do with the fact that it proved that women could be beautiful and have brains, but truth be told, a lot of it was the beauty. Anyways, news has broken this week that former meterologist Bob Stokes was fired for sexual harrasment (the title of this post comes from one of his comments to Andrews) after Hillary Andrews filed a complaint of sexual abuse from Stokes. Andrews has since been fired as well.
Stokes came across as a bit nerdy, but evidently he had a bit of a twisted side to him. If what Andrews claims is true, then he deserved to be fired though I wonder why no action was taken against him when reports surfaced that he had done the same to a previous coworker. I never was a fan of Andrews, she was a bit too annoying for my taste, but no woman should have to endure the things he is alleged to have said. That being said, I'm going to venture into the gutter a bit myself. Had Stokes done those things to Stephanie Abrams, well, it'd be time to open up a can of whoop ass on Mr. Perv. For those who don't know her, well, Abrams is simply the most beautiful woman on television today. She's a rising star at the network and it won't be long till she gets snatched up by one of the big 4 networks, possibly for a morning show like Today.
Stephanie Abrams, the most beautiful woman on television
Abrams has her own internet fanclub and Youtube is filled with clips of Abrams doing nothing more than giving a weather forecast. Her coverage of Hurricane Katrina was top notch and she parlayed it into her own prime time show, Abrams and Bettes. But what's really gotten her noticed, at least among her male fans, is her penchant for wearing rather tight t-shirts while reporting from the field. To say that she is generously endowed would be a serious understatement. She's got it going on in so many ways and her personality is the icing on the cake. Stepahanie Abrams is my new celebrity crush!
Here Versus There
Atrios pointed to this yesterday and so I thought I would do my own little take on the insanity that is the US housing market, or more specifically, what was the US housing market. As most people are well aware, the housing market in this country has totally tanked, but when you dig a little deeper, it's not a uniform tank. In many parts of the country, housing prices never saw the huge bubble and as a result, prices just haven't plunged. While there are a fair number of homes in Louisville and other fly-over markets in foreclosure, the fact is, the housing market has been relatively stable.
California is one of those states were things have tanked in a big way and to tell you the truth, I really don't feel sorry for most of those people. So many got in way over there heads and had no business taking on these crazy ass mortgages that they couldn't afford. Of course, the plan wasn't really to live in those houses for too long, the plan was to flip the house as quickly as possible and turn a big fat profit in a then hot housing market. Well, reality is a bitch and now it's time to pay the piper. The house I am about to show you is located in the Turtle Rock area of Irvine, a place I've never been too and have no plans to ever go to.
PIECE OF SHIT HOUSE IN IRVINE, CALIFORNIA
This piece of shit 2,128 square foot home is on the market for a cool $799,000, a half million less than it fetched this time last year. That's right, this shit ass ugly home with no yard sold for $1.3 million. It simply blows my mind that something so ugly and so sterile could ever sell for that much, but sell it did. What's worse, the home is advertised as a great opportunity to do a complete remodeling. Evidently the people who got forced out, trashed the place and now it's just an empty shell that will take a couple hundred thousand dollars to fix. Unbelievable. Now lets assume it wasn't trashed and that it was in move in condition, would it still be worth what they are asking, much less what it sold for last year? Well, I don't know, California is California and they say the weather is mighty nice year round, but give me a break.
So, what can you get in Louisville, an thriving midwestern city of 1.3 million where it does tend to rain and snow a bit more than in California? Well, it turns out quite a bit. Just one example is this classic turn of the century (19th-20th) mansion in the Cherokee Triangle, by far the most prestigous neighborhood in the city. It features 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths, 6,175 square feet and a 3 car detached garage. It's within walking distance of fine dining, hot clubs, great shopping and intimate coffee shops and galleries. It sits right across the street from Cherokee Park, a 600 acre urban park and is just minutes from downtown and the expressways to take you to the burbs. I live in this zip code and can attest that this part of town is simply amazing.
BEAUTIFUL LOUISVILLE HOME FOR SAME PRICE
Now I know that there are people who will say "yeah, it's nice, but you have to live in Kentucky to enjoy it." To that I say you don't know what you're missing. With the exception of the 360 days of sunshine and gridlock traffic, we have all the amenities of any big and exciting city. We've got great eats, wonderful shopping, a thriving arts scene, a great sporting community and a lot of qualities that people say they are looking for. Oh yeah, once people come here, they tend to stay for the rest of their lives. Give me this anyday over that piece of shit ugly ass house in bland and ugly Irvine.
California is one of those states were things have tanked in a big way and to tell you the truth, I really don't feel sorry for most of those people. So many got in way over there heads and had no business taking on these crazy ass mortgages that they couldn't afford. Of course, the plan wasn't really to live in those houses for too long, the plan was to flip the house as quickly as possible and turn a big fat profit in a then hot housing market. Well, reality is a bitch and now it's time to pay the piper. The house I am about to show you is located in the Turtle Rock area of Irvine, a place I've never been too and have no plans to ever go to.
PIECE OF SHIT HOUSE IN IRVINE, CALIFORNIA
This piece of shit 2,128 square foot home is on the market for a cool $799,000, a half million less than it fetched this time last year. That's right, this shit ass ugly home with no yard sold for $1.3 million. It simply blows my mind that something so ugly and so sterile could ever sell for that much, but sell it did. What's worse, the home is advertised as a great opportunity to do a complete remodeling. Evidently the people who got forced out, trashed the place and now it's just an empty shell that will take a couple hundred thousand dollars to fix. Unbelievable. Now lets assume it wasn't trashed and that it was in move in condition, would it still be worth what they are asking, much less what it sold for last year? Well, I don't know, California is California and they say the weather is mighty nice year round, but give me a break.
So, what can you get in Louisville, an thriving midwestern city of 1.3 million where it does tend to rain and snow a bit more than in California? Well, it turns out quite a bit. Just one example is this classic turn of the century (19th-20th) mansion in the Cherokee Triangle, by far the most prestigous neighborhood in the city. It features 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths, 6,175 square feet and a 3 car detached garage. It's within walking distance of fine dining, hot clubs, great shopping and intimate coffee shops and galleries. It sits right across the street from Cherokee Park, a 600 acre urban park and is just minutes from downtown and the expressways to take you to the burbs. I live in this zip code and can attest that this part of town is simply amazing.
BEAUTIFUL LOUISVILLE HOME FOR SAME PRICE
Now I know that there are people who will say "yeah, it's nice, but you have to live in Kentucky to enjoy it." To that I say you don't know what you're missing. With the exception of the 360 days of sunshine and gridlock traffic, we have all the amenities of any big and exciting city. We've got great eats, wonderful shopping, a thriving arts scene, a great sporting community and a lot of qualities that people say they are looking for. Oh yeah, once people come here, they tend to stay for the rest of their lives. Give me this anyday over that piece of shit ugly ass house in bland and ugly Irvine.
TALK DERBY TO ME
My Old Kentucky Home
Words and Music by: Stephen C. Foster
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day;
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy, and bright,
By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Weep no more, my lady,
Oh weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.
They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by that old cabin door;
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
With sorrow where all was delight;
The time has come when the people have to part,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the people may go;
A few more days and the trouble all will end
In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
No matter, 'twill never be light,
A few more days till we totter on the road,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Words and Music by: Stephen C. Foster
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day;
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy, and bright,
By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Weep no more, my lady,
Oh weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.
They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by that old cabin door;
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
With sorrow where all was delight;
The time has come when the people have to part,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the people may go;
A few more days and the trouble all will end
In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
No matter, 'twill never be light,
A few more days till we totter on the road,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Derby Vibe and the Time I Drank Myself to Near Death
You can just feel it in the air, the city is alive and ready to party. Derby Week is without a doubt, the one time of year that being in Louisivlle is probably more fun than anywhere else. Few cities throw a party like we do and with each passing day, you can just feel the excitement build as the big race gets closer and closer. I know it sounds silly to throw a two week party over a two minute horse race but around these parts it's a pretty big deal and a huge sense of pride for everyone in the community. Yesterday was the Great Steamboat Race and being a steamboat race, there was a lot of cheating. Sometimes the rules apply but for the most part they're strictly optional. Needless to say, the rules seemed to apply yesterday and the local Belle of Louisville was disaqualified for using a tug boat to help make the turn up river.
Today was the Pegasus Parade and a huge crowd lined Broadway for one of the bigger parades in the country. Tonight the bars will be hopping as most people have tomorrow off. Friday has typically been known as "Louisville's Day at the Races", a day for the locals to enjoy the second biggest day in racing, the Kentucky Oaks, the premire race for 3 year old fillies. Lately though, Oaks Day has taken on a life of it's own and a crowd of over 100,000 will pack Churchill Downs for a day of racing. That's when the real party begins though and things won't slow down till sometime Sunday morning. All around town, parties will be in full force as Hollywood invades once again. Bars that normally close at 4 AM will be allowed to stay open around the clock till 6 AM on Sunday morning.
Thankfully I won't be among the 150,000 drunken fools at the track on Saturday, I'll be at a friends party with 20 or so drunk fools. I've done the Derby many times myself, I think I've been to about 15 races, but I just don't have what it takes to throw down in the rowdy infield or the money for a $1,000 ticket in the grandstands. My wildest Derby infield would have been 1993 when I got so damn drunk on everclear that my eyes rolled back in my head and the military police had to drag me out and parade me around the track to the first aid tent. From what friends have told me, I didn't cause any trouble but my blood alcohol content clocked in at over 2.5, as close to death as I've probably ever come.
Scene from the Derby Infield
What made it worse was that out of all those people, the cameras for one of the local television stations somehow fixed in on me being dragged out of the infield and naturally everyone, my Mom and Dad included, saw me in all my glory. It took several hours for the medical staff to clear me to leave and it wasn't till they gave me fluids that I was even able to stand up. That night I slept 26 hourse, waking only a couple of times to go to the bathroom. Sadly it wasn't the last time I got stupid drunk at the Derby but I never came close to being an idiot like I did that May day many years ago. Party On!
Today was the Pegasus Parade and a huge crowd lined Broadway for one of the bigger parades in the country. Tonight the bars will be hopping as most people have tomorrow off. Friday has typically been known as "Louisville's Day at the Races", a day for the locals to enjoy the second biggest day in racing, the Kentucky Oaks, the premire race for 3 year old fillies. Lately though, Oaks Day has taken on a life of it's own and a crowd of over 100,000 will pack Churchill Downs for a day of racing. That's when the real party begins though and things won't slow down till sometime Sunday morning. All around town, parties will be in full force as Hollywood invades once again. Bars that normally close at 4 AM will be allowed to stay open around the clock till 6 AM on Sunday morning.
Thankfully I won't be among the 150,000 drunken fools at the track on Saturday, I'll be at a friends party with 20 or so drunk fools. I've done the Derby many times myself, I think I've been to about 15 races, but I just don't have what it takes to throw down in the rowdy infield or the money for a $1,000 ticket in the grandstands. My wildest Derby infield would have been 1993 when I got so damn drunk on everclear that my eyes rolled back in my head and the military police had to drag me out and parade me around the track to the first aid tent. From what friends have told me, I didn't cause any trouble but my blood alcohol content clocked in at over 2.5, as close to death as I've probably ever come.
Scene from the Derby Infield
What made it worse was that out of all those people, the cameras for one of the local television stations somehow fixed in on me being dragged out of the infield and naturally everyone, my Mom and Dad included, saw me in all my glory. It took several hours for the medical staff to clear me to leave and it wasn't till they gave me fluids that I was even able to stand up. That night I slept 26 hourse, waking only a couple of times to go to the bathroom. Sadly it wasn't the last time I got stupid drunk at the Derby but I never came close to being an idiot like I did that May day many years ago. Party On!
Bummer
All week, I've been looking forward to my Thursday manicure and pedicure only to just find out that my appointment was actually on Tuesday. Needless to say, I won't have pretty nails for the the Derby Party I'm going to Saturday. The next available appointment isn't till Monday. This time I won't forget.
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