Good morning, and !Feliz Cinco de Mayo! The thought occurred to me to write to you entirely in Spanish to celebrate with our friends across the border, but then I realized that it would be a very short blog (which would be a welcome relief to some of you, I’m sure). Still, have a taco and remember this day of celebration for Mexico. For the record, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when Mexican forces defeated an invading French army twice its size. The French puppet Maximillian of Austria still managed to take over the country until 1867, so I’m not sure why it gets a holiday. Probably because the battle symbolized the spirit of independence among the Mexican people and fueled the resistance.

It is also a week of celebration here in Kentucky—Derby Week is upon us. For those of you everywhere else, Louisville is now celebrating the festivities leading up to the 131st Kentucky Derby, the “greatest two minutes in sports.” By now, the second week of the Derby Festival, we’ve managed to race everything it is possible to race except horses—Saturday was the mini-marathon, Sunday the Great Balloon Race, Monday the Great Bed Race, and yesterday the Great Steamboat Race (the Belle of Louisville won the Golden Antlers for the gazillionth time).

I must confess that it is difficult to work on Derby Week. First of all, no one is in the office. It is like the day after Christmas around here, as everyone else takes vacation, calls in sick, or just flat out leaves to go pig out at the Chow Wagon down the street. Ann, Lisa, and I have been holding down the Women’s Ministries fort, valiantly pushing forward and resisting the temptation to go see the Spin Doctors and Gin Blossoms at the racetrack this afternoon. But I’m still hoping to check out the Pegasus Parade later. After all, would you want to work with all this fun stuff going on?

Of course, all the festivities culminate with the running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon, probably sometime around 5 pm. Last year was terrible weather for NNPCW alumna Amy Robinson and me, but this year promises a high of 78 degrees. A factoid for you all: on the day of the Kentucky Derby, the infield at Churchill Downs officially becomes the third most populous city in the state of Kentucky. And yes, my friends, I will be there, singing with 150,000 other people the words to Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home” and screaming my horse on.

So this Saturday around 5 pm, when you’re flipping channels and happen to notice the Kentucky Derby on TV, look out over that crowd and remember that there is at least one person you know in it. And if you happen to be down here, look me up—you might swing an invitation to my Derby Brunch, too.

“For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” --Psalm 92:4

Kelsey

The Great Steamboat Race is rigged. The Delta Queen and the hometown favorite Belle of Louisville have won roughly the same amount of times. No boat has ever won the race more than 3 years in a row. They predetermine who'll win. It's just a ploy for people to go spend money watching the race downtown at the Chow Wagon or on the boat. But, it pumps money in the local economy, and gives people something to do for an hour or two in this boring city .

A Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors concerts, that would be a killer show...

in 1995.