Horse Racing. A majestic sport. A gentleman's sport. I enjoyed the splendor of the event and the company of good friends. I didn't enjoy the fact that I had to compute an algebraic equation in order to place a bet. I know for those more math literate it would be more statistics...but it took all the fun out it. Box, place, show, exacta.....trifecta...what the? I guess with more racing experience I would understand it and enjoy it.

Maybe it is my upbringing....the being frugal part.....that makes me a horrible gambler. I'd rather by another drink or snack. By the end of the day all I could think about was what I could have bought instead of the worthless tickets that didn't amount to anything but a wing and a prayer. I could have put them to good use like the overweight man in a purple tee I had the privilege of observing. He decided to create art and to entertain the masses. He created confetti and then threw the tiny pieces into the air while shouting expletives for all to see. One of the highlights of the day. People watching was a blast. Next time I'll try a mint julep. Maybe that was what I was missing.

fireplace and family

We here in the South are big family folks. We have reunions, sunday dinners, thanksgivings and christmas feasts that could feed more then all the cousins that were twice removed that didn't show up for the festivities. Family is as important to a Southerner as fashion week is to fashionista living in Manhattan. ( I am just making this terrible simile from what I have gathered from cable....even though I have been to Manhattan.....I am not a fashionista nor have I been to fashion week.) However being stuck with your family in snowy weather for a period of time will test your nerves like no other. In the house there is plenty to do for all but when the lights go out......for a six her old (and her mother that has to listen to her) it is the end of the world. Can I watch tv? No. Can I play with the Wii? No. Can I watch a movie? No Can I play on the computer? No. Can I watch the tv in one of the bedrooms? No. Can I listen to music? No. Can I have microwave popcorn? No. Hot Pocket? No......you get the general idea.

I am glad to say that we do obviously have power, but I am not sure who is more thankful...the six year old or myself....but being "Stuck" with your family makes you spend that quality time that we often neglect-unintentionally. At one point in the afternoon my husband got out his guitar while my daughter and I looked at family photo albums while the little one played with his truck in front of the fireplace. That picture perfect moment made all the other frustrations of the day seem obsolete. This was the true meaning of family time. I was glad the lights were out for a time. Maybe they should go out more often.