Kentucky Derby - dream come true!

The Kentucky Derby was a dream come true. 

I've wanted to go for awhile, since it combines so many elements I love - the thrill of a race, fancy hats, and the excitement of a huge event. So when the $100 tickets went up for sale in October, I bought five of them. I hoped Kris would be able to go, but for the last seven months, we knew it would depend on the corn planting. I just kept saying that I thought he was going to be able to go. The weather looked like it would happen in our favor...he said if it rained on Tuesday he'd be able to leave, so he tentatively bought an outfit, and then on Wednesday he confirmed...planting wasn't happening, so he was coming! I was so happy. Andrea was always my ride-or-die in this scenario, but then it turned out Chris couldn't come, Gage couldn't come, but Annie and Rondi were in! 

We drove, since it's only a 5.5 hour drive for us. We wanted to break it up, so we stopped at Eagle's Crest Nature Preserve and went on a 1.25 mile hike. (The trailhead was not the obvious one, but one at the far end of the park, past the house.) The writeup promised dramatic views, and it did not disappoint! We ate at the Boathouse Grill and were able to sit outside in the sunshine. 

The first Airbnb I rented in October canceled on us in April due to the flooding in Kentucky. That meant I had to find another spot, which was the basement of a house in New Albany, Indiana, 12 miles from Churchill Downs. As we drove into the super nice neighborhood with beautiful houses, I thought...does their HSA even allow this? There was a car with four flats in the driveway, and we entered through the basement door. We never saw one person in this entire neighborhood. But the basement apartment was just as described - four beds, some couches. It didn't mention the odd things about it, like random wires sticking out of the walls, and only one fork, one spoon, and three coffee cups. Oh well! We were just coming here to sleep anyway! 

We threw our stuff down and went to explore New Albany. We went to Floyd County Brewing, which promised a Monty Python vibe. It was festive, and there were people there who had just been to the Oaks, all dressed up. Our server was really nice and gave us tips about the Derby. We walked down the street and couldn't resist Boomtown Kitchen, where Annie got one of those giant and beautiful ice cream shakes that is actually made for five people with big appetites. We walked around and stopped by the Dog Haus, where once again our server was happy to share about the Derby. While we were there Rondi realized she left her bag at the first place. We went back and it was there - money and everything intact! It fit with the night, because everyone was already so nice. We went to Meijer to buy breakfast food and boots for Annie and Andrea.

Derby Day

I could barely believe it - it was here! I woke up super early, excited. We looked at the weather, and it promised rain, especially hard until 2:00 p.m., and then tapering off a little bit until the race. It had been predicting rain all week, but I didn't believe it. We decided we would go, park, and then stay inside a restaurant or indoors until about 2:00 p.m.

We drove right up to Churchill Downs, and people were aggressively trying to get us to park in their lots. Kris asked how much, and the guy told us $80. Kris said no, and he immediately dropped the price. We moved on and went to a quiet woman with a sign and parked right in her yard. Like actually IN her yard. (My friend Jan had told me this was the way to park, so that was nice.) She charged us $30. 

As we walked toward Churchill Downs, it wasn't raining. There were so many people streaming in, all dressed to the nines, and there was that sense of excitement in the air. 

"Let's just go in!" I said to Kris. "Yes, let's just go in!" he said. We couldn't help it! 

We stopped for a couple of pictures, and we entered the tunnel. The sense of anticipation was just wild. We heard the bugle call, and I was just so excited. 

Then - we were in! Finally there! 

We walked all around and checked everything out. It was more than I imagined. (I don't look up how anything looks before I go because I like to be surprised.) There were spots to bet, places to buy food and drinks, indoor bathrooms, and giant screens. Many people set up tarps and camping chairs to hold their spots. 

We watched the first race - oh, the excitement! And they're off! We watched and cheered. The horses seem to glide by you, since they jockeys don't move up and down at all. We'd watch them as far as we could, and then watch the giant screen. The races started in different spots, depending on the length, and some happened on the grass even closer to you.

Over the entire day, there were 14 races, and we saw them all! We could walk right up to the fence and watch the horses. We walked all around and tried to decide which spot we'd want to watch the Derby. 

They - unsurprisingly - made it super easy to bet. They had so many spots, and they had a sign on how to do it. The tellers were always super patient and helpful. Kris and my friends placed small bets on all the races, and then we would cheer and cheer for our favorites. 

Eventually, there was a spot where a DJ held a dance party. This was amazing. We'd dance to the music, and then seven minutes before race time, the DJ would stop the music. We'd all walk the 10 steps to the fence, watch the race, celebrate your wins or mourn your losses, and then go right back to dancing! Andrea declared that it was the perfect dopamine cycle.

You know when you're anticipating something and then it happens? I frequently just looked around, happy to be there. I told Kris this was up there with Yellowstone and Alaska...you wait for something and then it's even better than you thought. There's all of this and a DANCE PARTY?!

There were rules about what you could and couldn't bring, and we saw it really didn't matter. They didn't check you before you came in, and you were allowed to bring food anyway. Some people were super prepared with full blown picnics. When it rained, we stood under a roof at a betting place. We - along with mostly everyone - wore clear ponchos so you could still see everyone's outfits. As the day went on, it got muddier, and there were giant puddles. I wore sandals, since it wasn't cold. Kris threw his shoes away afterward, as planned. I rinsed mine in the sink and they were fine. Boots were a great choice, but I just couldn't make that fashion concession. People were super friendly and chatty. A couple of girls told me when they went a few years ago during nice weather, they "never saw a horse" due to the crowds, and waited two hours in line to buy a drink. They encouraged me to come back when it was nice, but said that I was seeing and doing far more since it was rainy. Also - Kris and my friends are the chillest, go-with-the-flow people. Totally up for anything and happy to be there!

The hats! The outfits! They sell 150,000 tickets to the infield, and although attendance was down a little due to the rain, there were so many people to observe. I loved seeing what everyone was wearing. 

The day flew by. As we neared the Derby race, we decided to watch from our favorite spot, close to the twin spires. We were about row three at the fence, and we had a clear view. We watched the horses enter. We loudly sang 'My Old Kentucky Home,' because we learned the lyrics in the car on the way down. I was giddy with excitement. I'd also placed one bet the entire day - on one horse - Sovereignty. He wasn't the favorite, but he had good odds, and I liked the meaning of his name. 

And they're off! We watched them glide by, then turned to the screen. We were screaming with excitement and adrenaline. Then, Sovereignty was right up there, he was in the lead, he won!!! I was lightheaded with joy. It was like it was scripted. You can go to the Kentucky Derby with your husband and friends, you can have a great time, and then...your horse wins?! I was so happy. I still am.

We watched Junior Alvarado and Sovereignty accept the Garland of Roses, and they put the winner banner on him. They paraded by just feet from us. 

I ran to cash in my winnings - I bet $5 and got $77 back! Kris said he had a bunch of losing tickets, but he turned them in and got $55! Rondi and Andrea were up, too. Annie had tried some fancy bet, so even though she had placed some money on Sovereignty, it wasn't exactly right, and she didn't get money. She said she had to get better at gambling, and I laughed and told her it was all just luck, no sure way to win. I hadn't picked a winning horse in years.

After the Derby there are two more races, and this was interesting too, because everyone had left. There was trash all over the infield, and people had left their chairs and tarps behind. We were again right by the fence, and we watched our two last races, cheering all the way. 

We made our way out of the tunnel as it was getting dark. I was completely, totally satisfied. I told Kris, "I'd say that this day couldn't have gone better, but I guess the weather could have been better, but then - maybe we wouldn't be able to see as much. So this day couldn't have gone better!" Kris agreed.

I drove off the woman's lawn, and we went back to New Albany for dinner. We were a mess. My feet were dirty, our hair was messy, and we were happy as could be. We had great food (and yet another nice server) at Parlour Pizza, and then I got nice and clean again before falling into bed.

What a day, what an experience, what a race! This was truly one of the best days of my life.

 

 

  

Atlanta, GA work trip

I can't stay out of the Atlanta airport! I just can't get enough!

This time it was a direct flight from Grand Rapids to Atlanta, to go to a meeting for work.

I ubered directly to my meeting in the city, up in a pretty high rise, next to a pond with a waterfall, irises,  and a blue heron.

After our meeting, we went to dinner at Culinary Dropout with an outdoor patio, and that was nice.

We then went to a new place - new to me and new to our group of 26!

Game Show Battle Room.

It was run in a big room by two people - a cheesy host and a guy running the audio and visual. 

It combined different games - Family Feud, Blank Space, giant tic tac toe...and the Anderson Olympics!

Okay, they don't call it that, but years ago my mom and dad started a family Olympics at our house. Now many years later, I host it and it is A. Big. Deal. We do all sorts of activities, so when the host said the next games were bouncing pencils into a cup and flipping sand pails, I told my team, "I've been preparing my whole life for this."

The entire thing was so fun! Lights, music, and really enthusiastic team members made it even more of a blast!

We went to Jeni's Ice Cream afterward. I only had a small, but it was so filling that I had to walk around the hotel parking lot and skip breakfast the next morning!

We stayed at SpringHill Suites Perimeter Atlanta Center, and it was one million times nicer than the Super 8 Six Flags from my Africa trip. Please note a review written by someone else:

"Everything was horribly disgusting. I wish I could post photos that I took of the place. Please, tear down and rebuild. I do not recommend this hotel. The front desk person was sleeping on a sofa in the lobby."

Honestly SpringHill Suites was the exact opposite. Lovely, nice gym, nice little breakfast I didn't eat.

We spent the second day there in a meeting, and then when it was over, Jeanie, Zach, and I went for a walk around the pond. There was a spot where the sun was hitting another building and reflecting onto the ground. If you stood there, you felt like an ant under a microscope right before it sets on fire. It was amazing, this heat. Imagine the summer!  

We ubered back to the airport, and Jeanie had accidentally gotten a sedan. No big deal at all, but we were packed very close together and the traffic was incredible. We had a hilarious, hour-long conversation, and it was one of my favorite moments of the trip. Yes! In a small car in the Atlanta traffic!

Zach suggested we use the international terminal to check in, since it would be less busy. Walking in was a completely different experience than seeing it on the Africa trip. Where there had been hundreds of stressed out people in multiple lines, there was...only the people working there.

My coworker and I had a later flight than everyone else, so we ate burgers and had milkshakes at Bobby's Burger Palace. It wasn't our first choice, as we sat at a different restaurant for awhile but no one waited on us, but it turned out to be a great one. And so I left the Atlanta airport for the third time this year...so far!

Cocoa Beach, Florida spring break 2025: Cuckoo for Cocoa

Spring break! Ty and Cole were invited to go on a cruise with another family, and we decided we should go somewhere with Max. That somewhere was Cocoa Beach, Florida!

Our friends the Uptons were already going there with a big group, so we just got another house a half mile away. Many of them have been vacationing together for a long time, and they were all so, so fun. Fun kids, fun adults!

Two days before we were supposed to leave, I got a message from American Airlines that there was upcoming bad weather, and did I want to change my flight for free?

I have learned my lesson from Africa. 

"Let's just leave a day early," I said to Kris.

"There's no possible way I can leave early," he said.

Five minutes later, he returned. 

"Okay, let's do it."

We packed - Max was already packed! - and flew from Detroit to Melbourne, FL with no problems. (The next day was an awful weather day across the U.S. 95 mph winds, tornadoes, an ice storm, severe storms, etc. So glad we got an additional day instead of losing a day!)

We ubered to their house on Orlando Ave, just two blocks from the beach. It was amazing. It had a see-through pool made out of a shipping container, outdoor ping pong, foosball table, air hockey, murals, twinkly lights, a gorgeous outdoor kitchen - so nice. And 24 of our friends!

We immediately swam in the pool, then the ocean. The waves were massive. This beach is gorgeous. Huge, white sand, long, and commonly empty! No crowds. Everyone went to Ron Jon's, then to Coconut's on the Beach (just 0.2 walk from their house), which had music and was right on the water. We watched MSU play in the NCAA Elite Eight game, and the guys brought a TV outside to watch. MSU lost, we were all sad, and we went back to our hotel to sleep (La Quinta) even though our friends totally offered to let us stay in the house too, which was really nice of them. What's three more? 

Day Two 

We headed to the beach! We went from the house and played in the waves. When we got crispy, we went back to their house, swam in the pool, and we three went out to Sergio's Tacos for lunch. We all got burritos and each burrito also came with a taco! Great food - even more than we could eat! 

We borrowed a friend's car to go and get groceries, and from the parking lot we watched a SpaceX rocket launch! It was so bright, so cool, and so loud you could feel it in your chest. Absolutely amazing. We checked into our Airbnb, which was 244 Brevard, only 400 steps from the beach! Really nice place. 

We headed back to the beach, then hung out at the house in the outdoor kitchen while it rained, listening to music. Everyone took turns with dinner, and we ate some amazing food.

We walked home and went to bed. Niles (Max's friend) went with us. Matt sent us a text that said, "Get those boys out of bed for the rocket launch." We'd forgotten - and it was in five minutes! We four flew outside and watched the night launch at 9:45 p.m. It was incredible. It was even easier to see than in the day, it had a long red tail, and again you could hear and feel it! We saw it was a launch with people on it, and it just seemed amazing that people have figured this out.

Day Three

Matt, Kris, Niles, and Max left the house at 6:00 a.m. to go fishing about an hour away with a charter. I ran along the beach, worked, and then went to Cocoa Beach Pier with my friends to meet up with more friends. This place had a different vibe than Cocoa Beach by our house. It was really full of people. Nice to see our friends though! Not my beach vibe. Funny that you can go just a little bit away and there's no one. But if you're looking for action, this place had it! 

Max and Kris returned, and we hung out and helped Kate prepare dinner. More friends came over to their house, and we talked around the little fire table in the backyard until we walked home. 

Day Four

Rondi rented three pontoons from Cape Crossing Boat Rentals in Merritt Island for the 33 of us who wanted to go. Matt took Niles and Max fishing again, so they didn't go with us. (They had a little success on the first day, and they had massive success on the next day! Max said every time they cast in they caught a fish.) We saw many dolphins, tons of birds, and one manatee. They rented poles there for $10, and some kids fished. There was a rope swing over the water the kids, Kris and I enjoyed. Kris was the first one in the water, helping the kids get the swing back. Our friends joked that Kris and I didn't even have kids there, and he was the first one in. I told them that Wardins love a rope swing. Kris' family has had one at their pond his whole life! I went off of it and then Kris did a super cool dive. So fun!

Rondi suggested we go to lunch at Gators Portside in Port Canaveral, and I'm so glad she did! We sat down outside in the shade - and what do we see across the water? A SpaceX rocket booster, returned from space! It was obviously used, covered in soot, and people were power washing it. Then as we had lunch, a tugboat came, hauling the rocket we had seen in the night launch! Also in a fun coincidence, the tugboat pulling it was named the St Johns! This was amazing and so, so cool to see. I was blown away.

We stopped back at the house to see Max, then left for a bioluminescence kayak tour. I've always wanted to do one. We met our guide, and he told us it was just the three of us. Oof. The conversation was super awkward, and he couldn't tell that I wasn't interested in talking about my favorite hobby or vacation. Kris even less so. We found a place of comb jellies, which are small transparent blobs of jellyfish. The guide forgot glow sticks and told us he had to go back for them. I told him it was okay, and he said he couldn't lose us. We were in 3 foot water, it was still as glass, and we were 2 feet away from him. There was no possible way he would lose us. But okay! I whispered to Kris that I was excited for the tour to end, but then...it got dark.

"If you run the net through the water, you'll see the dinoflagellates light up," the guide said. 

I ran my net through the water, and I was amazed. I plunged my hand in. Anytime you touched, splashed, and flicked the water, you were rewarded with what looked like blue firefly sparks. It didn't matter how many times you did it or where you were in the water. There were millions of blue fireflies there. I cried. How had I never seen this? How magical is this world! Not only are there people in rockets, but there are underwater microscopic fireflies! I loved this experience so, so much. 

We also found some comb jellies, and whenever you touched them, they glowed. This was cool, but not as surprising as the dinoflagellates. 

As we ended the tour, I realized we didn't need a tour at all, and I basically wanted to jump into the water to make it happen. (Later my friend Jessi told me they did this in Thailand, and were in a whirl of sparks.) The tour guide gave what he thought was a big reveal - he was a high school senior! Kris and I were not at all surprised, given the awkwardness. 

Back at home, the girls had gone to the beach and I ran to meet them at Hunkerdown Hideaway until we walked back to our house.

Day Five

Last day. (I should include here that I worked every day, but that's not super interesting.) Everyone but two kids were at the beach, so we took a group picture, and Brandi cleverly photoshopped them in. 

A lot of the kids had boogie boards, and I grabbed one to try with Max. It was incredibly fun! I'd done it in Hawaii 23 years ago...had I not tried since then? I think the waves are usually scary, since they're dragging me around and pummeling me, but with a boogie board I could ride them easily! It was such a blast. Such a rush! Max and I boogie boarded a long time, Kris joined us, we did it on and off all day. We walked on the beach, played bocce, played in the sand, and headed back totally burnt to a crisp. We had been using lotion, but I'd bought some spray. I was talking about how great spray was until we all got burned. Whoops! A little souvenir.

After dinner, we all walked to The Fat Donkey for ice cream. I got Calypso Crunch, which was chocolate with chocolate covered pretzels and a river of peanut butter running through it. I ate it in a cone, trying not to drip on my dress (impossible), and it was perfect. It was the best food I had on vacation.

Day Six

We left the house at 4:00 a.m. to catch our 6:00 a.m. flight. We got stuck on the runway because our steering broke, and even though we sprinted across the airport, we missed our connection. It didn't really bother me this time, though. Usually I'm desperately trying to get somewhere, and here I was already with two members of my family, and the other two weren't home! I just worked in the airport. We made it home sweet home on the next flight.

Thank you friends, and thank you Florida for a magical time!  

Friends featured: Fillwocks, Finks, Uptons, Kincaids, Barretts, Zieglers, Boettgers, Staubus, Kiebler, Simons, etc!

Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tourney 2025

 

Indianapolis is a great city, and even better when the B1G TEN tournament is there!

We rented an Airbnb and drove the four hours down with our friends Jess, Peter, Lisa, and Brad.

Our house was on State Street, and we walked to St Joseph Brewery and Public House to eat. It was in a building that used to be a church, and I ate open faced bison meatloaf! I know I've had bison before, but I couldn't remember what it tasted like. I had my tonsils out recently and couldn't eat for three days, so everything I eat now is so GOOD. No exception here!

My shoes rubbed my toes, but it was 75 and sunny, so I walked barefoot to the next place - Natural State Provisions. 

It was right next door to a dog park, full of people! Or maybe the dog park was part of the brewery. Regardless, it was the place to be.

"Is there a more dog friendly town?" Peter wondered. Last time we were in Indy every place allowed dogs too.

We headed back to the house, and some of us went to the nearby Kroger to get groceries. It was a little sketchy, as in the other customers seemed to have made some rough life decisions, but not bad.

Right across the street from our house was State Street Pub. After we ate our groceries, we walked over to check it out. It looked closed, but it was open! We sat outside and talked to the people working and hanging out there. They had an old school record player, which was cool. The bartender said his band was playing Saturday night and invited us back then.

Friday

Game day! Jess and I got up and ran around the neighborhood and to a park with a great view of the city skyline. We stopped by the Tin Roof right outside the stadium, and it was everything I love about the tourney. We were sitting outside, it was sunny and warm, the guys next to us were chatty students, the people going by yelled Go Green at us - it was just a wonderful, happy atmosphere!

We had bought tickets online and had good seats to watch our beloved Spartans win! So fun, so exciting. On the way out of the stadium they handed us packets of beef jerky, and it was really good - Old Trapper. And I don't even like beef jerky! 

We'd heard good things about Tom's Watch Bar for sports. It was fine but kind of lacking personality. I really wanted to go up to the top of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. (I'd seen the nighttime show but never gone to the top.) We rushed over there, hoping to get there before it closed, and we made it! We climbed the 331 steps for a great view and good history. We also took a picture in front of the giant B1G.

We wanted to be outside to enjoy the weather so we went to Pivot Bar & Balcony, which has an open rooftop. There were players' families and fans and everyone wanted to talk sports. Gage, who got in later than the rest of us, met us here! We wanted dinner so we ate at the Slippery Noodle and danced to the band, and then ended the night singing karaoke downtown! (Bring your ID! They wouldn't let Jess in.) We went to these same places last time and there's a reason why - they are GREAT. Fun people, great places! Gage and I sang and we all had a blast.

Saturday

Another game day! The wind was crazy. There were tornadoes and storms in other parts of the country. We stopped for Mexican food at Loco Fresh Mexican. In a close exciting game, MSU lost. We watched part of the next game, then watched the end at Kilroy's. (This time on the way out they handed us chocolate covered almonds. They were actually forcing them upon you!) People were also there celebrating St Patrick's Day, and it was super loud. We also ran into Frankie Fidler there!

We had fond memories of Fountain Square Brewery, so we went there and played darts and watched MSU win their hockey game, but it wasn't where the action was. We found that at the Dugout, which had a band and lots of people! We ended the night across the street from our house at State Street Pub, where we saw an eccentric band and then our bartender's band. Neither of them were our style, but that doesn't mean we didn't have fun watching them and taking in the entire atmosphere! 

Sunday

Since our team wasn't in it any more, we left. As Kris said, "I'm sad we lost, but I'm not sad about getting home 12 hours earlier."

Thanks for another great trip Indy!