I am, admittedly, extremely disappointed with Churchill Downs. $80 a ticket gets you a spot on a cold, metal bench—the weather was also only 40°F—next to some beer swillers strikingly reminiscent of Nascar fans, and absolutely zero view. Your also left to walk 2 miles to your car, unless you want to pay $15 per person, each way for the shuttle bus, to go those said 2 miles, after you've already paid $20 to park. We left early on Friday, watching the remainder of the races from a really great bar just over the Ohio river in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The seats, drinks, and company were all leaps and bounds above the experience at the track.
Perhaps my expectations were just too high. I've been to Kentucky before, but had spent most of my time in Lexington. Even though it was only a short, short amount of time, I feel in love with Lexington, and I though Kentucky. After driving across the US and back, twice, we found the best hospitality in Lexington. It is true that people are much more friendly as soon as you get outside of California—I'm not a hater, I love California, but in California people do not say "Good Morning" to you as you pass them on the street, they don't even make eye-contact with you—but there is something special and supremely friendly about Lexington. The last time we were there, I was ready to buy a fantastic house and buy a horse. I thought that these were my people.
Well, I quickly learned that Louisville is not Lexington. There are hardly any horses, or friendly people. I did see a house with at least 12—yes, I counted—broken down Camaros on the front and back lawn, and two separate Jesuses on the front lawn in vertical bathtub houses, I assume to protect him from the snow?
Ramon flew back on Sunday, and my mom and I drove on to Lexington from there. Well, there she was, the beautiful, and friendly town that I'd remembered. Wow, the people are just so friendly there and it is beautiful with its proud fall colors. My mom and I went to Keenland, and then to the Kentucky Horse Park, followed by the Fasig-Tipton auction, were we saw fillies and mares being auctioned who actually just ran, and won races at the Breeders Cup at Churchill Downs two days prior. While we couldn't see them from our "seats" at the track, we saw them up-close as they sold for extremely hefty bids at the most amazing horse facility I had ever seen.
Sold for $1.95m!
An excited filly at the Keenland Auction. Note how when the video begins all four of the horse's legs are off the ground.
That night we went to the well known Malone's Steakhouse, had steak that rivaled Peter Lugars in Brooklyn, delicious bourbon drinks, and then ran, literally, into Bob Baffert as we fumbled through the rotating door as we were leaving. He giggled at us. We were clearly having a good time.
On Day 2 in Lexington we went to Lanes End as they were having an open house in the Stallion barn. I actually got to meet, and pet Curlin like was a pet, even though he is the most money winning race-horse of all time, and two-time horse of the year. He stands stud at Lanes End now, and his first weanlings are just coming on the auction block. We saw a few at Keenland and at Fasig-Tipton. Just amazing, and beautiful to see him up close after watching him race. He was like a freight-train on the track. He just kept on coming, and nothing was gonna get in his way.
While Curlin doesn't get the win in one—one of the few—this is on of the most amazing races of my time, and a good display of his amazing ability.
While I was busy horsing around not only in Kentucky, but in the days before the trip began, I didn't have time to finish the blue sweater dress before departing, which actually worked out, unexpectedly, for the best. It was way, way to cold in Louisville to be wearing anything to Churchill Downs but thermal pants under jeans, furry snow-boots, two long-sleeved thermal shirts, a sweater, a hoodie, and a fuzzy mountain-hardware jacket, along with a leather and faux-fur, ear-flap hat, and an umbrella. Given that the blue sweater dress was so closed to being finished (only two sleeves to go), I elected not to take it to the blue-grass state at all. To much bulk in my beautiful DVF handbag, which was my singular carry-on item. I know, I can't believe it either. Instead, I decided to take an entirely new project, which is more the color of the limestone rock, gray, which is, oddly enough what causes the grass in Kentucky to have that famous blue hue.
Using my airplane friendly bamboo size 5, 29 inch circular needles, I cast on the sweater front at the airport, and even though we had less than 20 minutes on our layover at Chicago, Midway, I had the sweater through to the first few bodice increase stitches by the time we got off the plane in Louisville. To my mom's horror, I did it all while reading a book—it was a fluff book, The Carrie Diaries.
By Saturday the entire front side was completed, and I'd moved onto the back-side. Last night I finished the ribbing on the neck. And, even though I haven't even started the sleeves yet, I stitched the shoulders and sides together, to test the fit, anyway. I just couldn't help myself, and I am super happy with it!
I have named this sweater the Lexington Sweater for obvious reasons, even though it is very clearly based off of a Theory sweater currently at Neimans.
Ok, so I am not ready to move to Kentucky by any stretch of the imagination, but I did have an amazing trip, and I loved spending the time with my mom and Ramon, even though Ramon only participated in the shitty end of the trip. I am now feeling extremely behind in my Patternmaking class, but it is well worth it for—oh God this is corny, but still true—the memories that we shared on our vacation.
Now it is time to get back down to business. I am rounding up some Halloween pictures, so there will be a less horsey, more "horrific" post coming later today. My Bernina has a fine layer of dust on it too. That has GOT to go!
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