Derby eve

For the third year in the row, we went to a Derby eve party hosted by another church member, Teri. Each year Teri asks people to dress up as celebrities and bring themselves, their oufits, their props, and some food to her home in the lovely Cherokee Triangle Louisville neighborhood. Two out of three years now, later on the party, a group of us walks two blocks down the road to the outside of the Barntstable Brown party. There the two former Doublemint twins - scions of Louisville high society - host a star-studded Derby even party with hundreds of gawkers and celebrities arriving in limousine who actually get announced by loud speaker. Two years ago we saw Smoky Robinson, Nick Lachay (Jessica Simpson's ex), Jamie Pressley (of "My Name Is Earl"), and rap star Ludicrus.

This year the theme was celebrities behaving badly. Vincent went as supermodel Fabio, with a blood stain on his face from his recent attack by a bird, on an amusement park rollar coaster. Stephanie went as Elizabeth Taylor, in an outfit from her days playing Cleopatra, trolling for her ninth husband. And I went as Mick Jagger (see the "Shine a Light" entry), with a sign saying "But I never REALLY married your mother" (a reference that few got to Mick's alimony-avoiding effort in his divorce trial with Jerry Hall, that they had never officially gotten married - although they'd also had kids together). Among the other great arrivals was friends from church as Eve (bearing apples), Gov. Elliot Spitzer, and Martha Stewart (bearing designer plates, in handcuffs). Teri, as always, was very well prepared as troubled British singer Amy Winehouse. This year Teri made Derby pie as always - but cut into squares. Let's just say we've had better Weight Watchers evenings.

I was yakking and missed the dancing and the videotaped interviews with us, the celebrities. Vincent actually shmoozed a little more than usual with the half a dozen or so other youth from church who were there.

Late in the party half a dozen of us did walk down, late, to the Barnstable party, where we got there in time to see the crowds, Jerry O'Connell (formerly of "Crossing Jordan" and now married to Rebecca Romijn) and then the arrival, again, of Nick Lachay (who had sung at the Louisville Palace Theater in between his two Barnstable appearances). After that the crowds started to melt away and we left. (Among the performances inside a tent we apparently missed, ones by: DMC [performing "Walk This Way"], Nick Lachay [performing with brother Drew above bottom in a picture we didn't take], and Eddie Money.)

Today it's off to my first (and Stephanie and Vincent's second - they went to a Derby pie once before, at the home of Marilyn's mother Flo - three years ago in Bradenton) Derby day party. Four years ago I was in Louisville in Kinkos and on Bardstown Road during the Derby, as I apartment-hunted for a home here. Three years ago while Stephanie shopped for a Derby hat for Flo's party I listened to the Derby while I moved boxes into our new home in St. Matthews. Happy Derby weekend everyone!