Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Derby Debunck Final Disasters

We arrive at the hotel lounge where the party was being held, and looked and felt great! I had some mac and cheese in my belly, champagne in my hand and a smile on my face! Kip had a painkiller in his belly, his fourth cocktail in his hand, and a smirk on his face that says, We both know I'm better than this.

He was reeling at our vodka friend for suggesting that he and I had acted like, "Scared little kittens" at the Michael Jordon party because we didn't want to socialize with entouraging hanger on pieces of hookerdom. This made Kip very angry as one could imagine. And me too for that matter. The truth is that I could spend all day BS ing with almost anyone and get them to find me charming, but I didn't want to waste my time!

I am introduced to a gentleman who was married to my friends boss, and had also married his eyes at my chest. He was rich and boring, and his wife couldn't stand me...shocker! I look around for Kip and can't seem to locate him. He was chatting up a nice guy and I went out to smoke.

While outside vodka friend comes out all a flutter about some stupid someone, and I decided that I was going to introduce myself to everyone there till there was no one left. I met all kinds of people! Politicians, PR guys, publicists, and another male model. This ones name was Sterling, or Stephan, or Stupid....I don't remember.

We begin to talk, and I am almost immediately regretful. He was very stupid, and very uninteresting, but very nice to look at. So I did that thing where you act like your listening to the person in front of you, and really your listening to a conversation across the room. I noticed that he was looking me in the eye. He appeared to be looking at my chin, or probably my mouth, when I turned to bob my head around to locate Kip. I could tell he was going to say something sexual. Then he sniffed me! Yes that's right! The man sniffed me! I had to ask!

"Did you just sniff me?"

"Are you staying at the hotel?"

"No."

"I am."

As I lock eyes with Kip and give him the HEEEEELP look, the model man bites my neck! Thank God for my Kippy whoms voice could be heard from all across the room as he leaps in my direction shouting,

"Okay! Time to go!"

I agree, and tell Kip and vodka that I will be using the ladies room and then hailing a "cab".

I come out of the bathroom to find vodka propping up Kip as he laughs histerically! And Kip says,

"Oh my God gurrrl...I'm that guy....I just fell down!" (laughing)

"What?!"

"Yeah he fell, and into my boss!" says vodka.

I laughed the rest of the night. We arrive back at the motor home and both fall fast asleep. We wake up at around 1 the next afternoon and laugh once again! Once for Kip saying over and over again, "Was I really that guy!" and secondly because when we looked outside, and all 400 RVs and tents were packed up and gone! It was like we were the one VW bus you see still in the parking lot 2 days after a grateful dead show. There we were. Me, Kip, and our neighbor boys. We packed up and left for home two hours later. It was a really good time, and priceless in stories!

Here's to you Kippy, the boys, and especially International Male Model Brad! Love you all!

Derby Debunck Part 2

Eleven thirty a.m. Derby Day I awake feeling fantastic! (Probably because I am still a little drunk.) Kip yells to the back bedroom, "Oh my God! What time did we go to sleep?"

"Uh....7 ish?"

"No way!"

We both start laughing. Kip raises the blinds and reveals the crappiest Derby day ever! It is raining, it's cold, and it's dark! I wanted to cry.

We decided that a good breakfast and some primping and we would feel different about it. Boy was that a mistake! Kip made breakfast for me and the man Kip will only refer to as "International Male Model Brad". One of the neighbor boys. We had some omlettes with Gruyere cheese, and a lot of rich ingredients, and that did me in. I immediately felt like absolute ass! Hangover in full swing!

I look outside again, and my stomach sinks. First of all, there is no way I am wearing my gorgeous hat and dress in the weather similar to the movie "Cast Away"! Secondly, there is also no way I'm not going! I spent $80.00 on the tickets and we are going to the Derby!

Kip and I both slowly begin getting ready. Then the parks lead toothless meth head on a golf cart, comes by to inform us that the race has been postponed an hour. I lay down till the last possible minute, and see the boys all lining up outside in their seer sucker blue and white suits. They looked adorable. They had cigars hanging out of their mouths, and manners to match. I came out of the motor home in one of my proudest impromptu outfits ever. I won't bore you with the details, but I looked fab...and felt sick.

We all were miserable! We arrive at the Churchill Downs grounds, and begin walking in the rain. And walking. And walking. The downs is full of very loud drunk people. I mean DRUNK! We get cattle prodded into the infield, where as far as I could tell was similar to Mardi Gras on hillbilly heroin at a Garth Brooks benefit for High School kids. It was loud! It was wet! It was muddy! It was the country version of the 1999 Woodstock. It was so not my scene!

Kip helped me search for a bottle of water, that we never found. He wanted something to eat. Couldn't find that either, what we could find is bourbon and beer, and drunk minors. Apparently they don't card anyone Derby weekend. If they were out of the house and could grow arm pit hair, they were drunk. Kip and I look at each other and keep asking one another, "What do you wanna do? I don't know, what do you want to do?"

Finally, I threw in the towel and was the first to say Uncle. I kept looking around and couldn't see the track. Apparently, everyone but me knew that you can't see the track from the infield. Why go see a race you can't see?

So Kip and I walked out. There was also a line to leave! That's how crappy the weather was! We get out of the grounds at the Downs and catch a ride to in our words, "any bar with a TV."
The bar was also loud...loud with good ole country music, loud! It was at the bar that I learned the words and audience participation words to a song called "Why do you Drink"...(audience) "Get Drunk!", "Why do you blow smoke?" (audience) "Get hah!" (That's 'get high' to those of you still speaking English.)

I watched a middle age woman dance a jig bare foot on the bar floor to "Good Old Rocky Top". I couldn't help but think how much she would come to regret that decision the next day. Everyone clapped and hooped and hollered. Finally at 6:30 the race began! 90 seconds and an upset.

I begged Kip to let us go back to the motor home and take a nap. He obliged. After a nap I felt a whole lot better! I told Kip that we came here to look fabulous and sit on white couches and sip cocktails, and that is what we are going to do! Our vodka friend promised us free drinks and fanciness, and we are going to get it! And we did...sort of.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Derby Debunck Part 1

A friend of mine is a regional party planner for a major vodka company in the mid west. he told me one Friday evening in April that he was planning an event for the Kentucky Derby. My gayer half Kip was all aghast, as was I, at the idea of sipping mint juleps and betting in the most fabulous attire in Louisville, on the studs. Hoping to become one of those people on the news that win big and forget the little people.

We (and by "we" I mean Kip and his fancy phone.) begin to research what is was going to cost us to go to the Derby, and it turns out...Hotels are stupid pricey! Like $1500 a night stupid. I gave up on the idea, and my gay came through! He suggested that we take his fathers motor home. Perfect!

So many many phone calls later between a gal and her gay over which seer sucker, which hat, what shoes, and then we had to talk about my outfit, and we are off to the Derby.

It was a time of many firsts. My first trip without my husband that didn't include my parents. My first trip with my friend Kip. And my first time in a swanky motor home. (Just to fill you in, this thing was the Cadillac of motor homes! It was 47 feet long. Full kitchen, full bath! Even has ceramic floors! ((Funny how technology has gotten ceramic tile to work in a motor home, and the tile in my bathroom is cracked everywhere!)) This thing is so nice you can take a number 2 while driving!

I slept most the way there on the white leather sofa. We arrive in Louisville KY just in time for the sun to come out. As we enter the motor home park, my friend Kip and I exchange a look that I will never forget. His look was "sweet", and mine was "I hope I'm not raped."

I've never been to a Nascar event, but if I had been, I think it would look like this! It was a proverbial sausage fest! As we pulled in tens upon tens of men without shirts held there beer cozys in admiration to the motor home! They were fascinated at the the size, at the celebrity of the whole thing. Tent after tent and RV after RV, I think I saw 3 woman and probably close to 400 men.

We get into our parking space, and Kip true to his Susie Homemaker form, starts getting out citronella candles, rugs, awnings, and patio lights for the outside of the motor home. I was told to stand there and look pretty. After all was setup, Kip made me a fabulous steak dinner. We got acquainted with the neighbors and got in the shower to begin the parade of derby fashion.

One of the coolest things about Louisville on derby weekend is that as far as I can tell the entire city shuts down for 72 hours, except for the bars. They stay open from Friday to Sunday, and absolutely everyone is a taxi cab. Apparently it is not against the law to give anyone a ride to anywhere, as long as you don't charge a fare. You can however ask for a donation or a "tip". Everywhere you go people ask you if you need a ride.

So we get in our shuttle and are driven downtown to a hotel where we were going to a party. Us and our very drunk neighbor and cab mate from Knoxville jammed out to some hair metal from the 80's, hopes were high, and so was our driver.

Arriving at the hotel we find our friend, and begin on a journey I like to call red carpet denial. We walked from club to club with our friend trying to get into these celebrity clubs and getting very cranky! It seems our vodka friend wasn't as well connected as one may have been lead to believe. I, being under the impression that I would be laying about on white leather couches and fanned by jockeys somewhere, wore four inch Betsy Johnson heels. Block after block we walk and finally get into the Michael Jordan party.

The venue was gorgeous! Must have had 120ft ceilings, and it did have a complimentary bar...of vodka. (I don't drink vodka.. It makes me nuts.) The crowd was very well dressed and the DJ was awful. The food was crappy, and I saw no celebs, unless you count the hookers that entourage for T.O. celebs. Honestly, I had never heard of a T.O. until this night. And still couldn't tell you what he looks like or who the hell he is.

Kip and I spent this part of the night letting our eyes roll in unison, and looking for the door so we could smoke and make fun of everyone. We then went to the playboy party, where there were actually girls dressed like bunnies and tanned like Cheetos. We stood outside with the creme de le creme of worse than B celebs...... rich people. Freaking really rich people. They ooze money and look down at us all the while pretending to like us and buy us drinks. It's an odd feeling and one I'm sure they do on purpose. It's sort of like they are letting you know not to get to comfortable in their world cause you'll be cast away soon. I think I saw a woman reach for Purell in her purse after shaking my hand. I wanted to tell her that friendliness isn't contagious so she need not worry. Needless to say, the party sucked. I once again found a door where I could smell cigarette smoke and told the boys they could find me there.

I found a wirey and very uneven bar stool on the cobblestone in what was pretty much the alley behind the bar with umbrellas and speakers, and sat down for the remainder of the night. Not because I wanted to, but because my feet at this point have swollen to twice their size and no longer have feeling in them. I met a couple of nice people, and asked Kip if he was ready to go several times. I finally discover that he was waiting for last call which never came. I was after five am when we left and I was pooped!

We arrive back at the trailer park...(cough)...motor home village, to find our neighbor dudes still awake, very drunk, and sitting in lawn chairs on the roof of their motor home. Kip, never one to miss and opportunity, invites them into our motor home, where they seemed to camp out in until we left the state. One of these boys was named Brad, and he was from Knoxville TN. He said it best when he said, "Honey we're Southern, if you want us to leave, your gonna have to make it real clear." He was very charming and informed us that he once made his living modeling in Milan. Yes folks....a male model. And funniest part, not the only one I met that weekend!

We drank and laughed till six thirty. Kip made them all food, and they loved it! It was like he was taking care of the dirty boys. Telling them what to wear to the derby, and making sure they ate something etc. I am not a country girl, I hate camping, but I had more fun drinking beer with the boys then cocktails with the important. And I had the Derby day hangover to prove it!