Race for the Roses

Saturday was Kentucky Derby day!!! I love the Derby. I just do. And Derby day is one of the best days of the year.

I didn't get to go to Louisville this year (and I haven't gone since I was 2 years old, so it's not like it's out of the ordinary to not be in attendance), but I couldn't let the day go by without letting myself get super excited for the race. In honor of this year's race for the roses, Emma and I went to Eastern Market to try on the silly hats. The usual hat lady was not there, which is too bad because last year we purchased ridiculously froofy headbands from her to wear to the Preakness. Anyway, we managed to find some pretty stellar hats for sale there at another vendor.

floppy hats of all colors

emma is under there somewhere...

oh you fancy, huh?

Can you believe how stupid these particular hats are? Me neither.

emma dahling

and hats with which one can sport a ponytail

the floppiest of the floppy hats

I think I like the Derby so much because when I lived in Chicago, we'd get together with the "Monopoly Group" (family friends who are close enough to just really be family) and have big clam bakes and such for each of the Triple Crown races. My family hosted the Preakness party, but the Kentucky Derby was the best party. While all the grown ups did a clam bake and ate lobsters and such, I busied myself with the other kids fishing in a little lake and finding people to take our catches off the line for us because heaven forbid we touch the top fin and get stabbed or something. I also would spend most of the day eating the hostess' delicious french bread and butter. Oh my lanta, it is the very best bread. I guess for me, the day means fun traditions that have changed and evolved but that always take me closer to home, even if just in spirit.

This year, my chosen horse came in 2nd (that's Nehro, to you buddy), so I won the family pool. My mom diligently collects the win, place, show picks for all of our family members and some friends and tracks who the winners are. No one picked the actual winner, Animal Kingdom, so my choices brought me 2011 Kentucky Derby glory! Bragging rights for a year, baby.

To My Mom on Mother's Day.

It's technically still mother's day in Wyoming, even though here in DC we've just inched into Monday. Ich liebe dich, meine Mutti. You're the best mom in the world.

Happy Mother's Day!

>>I have re-named this post because it's former title was apparently also a popular Google search that correlated with someone in the business of adult entertainment, turns out. I kept wondering why it got so many views. So, oops, sorry, and please enjoy the new title.

Dear Host Family,

I have to write a letter to my potential host family. It's due tomorrow. Here's the thing: I don't know where I'll be or who they are. I'm encouraged to include pictures of myself, information about my family and hometown (which hometown... I have a few), and other informative tidbits about me. GAH! Mostly also I don't feel like it, but I'm pretty keen on the idea of not being homeless for a year, so I should probably just buckle down and do this. Here are potential pictures of me in the running for "persuade my unknown host family that they already like me":

Ok, so maybe there aren't many pictures of me where I'm looking nice and normal and standing still. As of right now, I am accepting all pictures of me meeting the above criteria. Gracias (you like that? Happy Cinco de Mayo).

Maybe it will go something like this:
Dear Host Family,
My name is Elisabeth, and I'm really excited to move to Germany. My name is even spelled with an "s", so I should fit in perfectly. Please keep Nutella on hand. It's delicious.
With much enthusiasm,
Elisabeth

Well that was easy! Now I can focus on plans for Cinco de Mayo errrr I mean work. Focus on work.

Bin LaaaaI'm just kidding... cell phone pics!

Word on the street is that a certain "Most Wanted" responsible for the attacks on 9-11 exists no longer. But you know what, I'm not going to use my blog to rant or rave about that. This place is my escape. So instead, I feel the need to report that I just spent the last 4 days in the Phoenix area, and let me tell you-- I feel so refreshed. It was a fantastic trip in every way, and I'm back now feeling happy and rejuvenated (and looking a bit tan, which is nice). I'm too much in vacation bliss mode to compose a comprehensive post of the trip, so for today you get a few little cell phone pictures. Happy Tuesday!

Rachel's new house. Pretty!

A little last morning walk around the ASU campus.

ASU swim team already doing sets of all-out 100's. It was like 7am.

Palm Walk- ASU campus

Have you read "Where Men Win Glory" by John Krakauer? You should.

This is horrible picture of me, but I had to prove that I was there. Don't judge.

Ok, so the only cell phone pictures I took were on the Arizona State University campus, looks like. I have better pictures from my big-kid camera. You'll see.