KENTUCKY DERBY RECEPTION

Newlyweds To Be

Saturday was one those “blue moon” days with both the 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo occurring on the same day. 

Tempting fate, since last Saturday was the Prickly Pear Margarita incident; Lord, Nurse and Butler decided to go out for drinks and watch the Kentucky Derby at Social Vinings, a local bar.  Nurse Sherry did not think we would want to return to Noche in Vinings, the site of the Prickly Pear Margarita incident, for a little while longer, or perhaps never again.  In any event Social Vinings was perfect, with comfy leather chairs, lots of TVs, an upscale thirty to fifty crowd, and good food and drinks.  It is within walking distance of Vinings Mountain Castle, and this spot may become a FOG favorite.  They had reasonably priced tapas style plates and drink specials. 

Still the Newlyweds

While Sherry and Mario are still officially the Blog  “newlyweds” for a few more months, time does goes on.  The Blog is pleased to report that in a few months a new couple will assume the coveted Newlywed title.  Anna Beaver, the “Almost a Duffy”, and Dan Duffy, who would probably  be “Almost a Beaver” if society were not still somewhat sexist, will pledge themselves to one another.  They have set the date for Saturday, October 13, with the nuptials taking place at St . Simons Island. 

Given these matrimonial plans, our Kentucky Derby Reception became a pre-nuptial celebration for the happy newlywed couple to be.  This is one of many receptions I am sure, before the wedding, as friends and families celebrate the engagement.  Please join us in wishing Anna and Dan much happiness.

Joining the couple at Social Vinings for the celebration were Mr. FOG, Tom (the younger), Nurse Sherry, his Lordship Mario, Jay, and Megan.  A good time was had by all.  Dan has a number one, to indicate our winning Kentucky Derby pick.

Although not sporting the traditional Derby hat, Nurse Sherry or Megan easily won the best dressed in our little group, or perhaps even the bar.

Jockey Mario Gutierrez rides I'll Have Another to victory
 in the 138th Kentucky Derby. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Back to the Kentucky Derby, lucky Lord Mario had placed bets on the race to make it more interesting.  It adds to the excitement if you are rooting for your horse.  Mario placed the bets, but allowed Nurse and Butler to pick their favorites.  Obviously thinking alike, both Nurse Sherry and Mr. FOG picked “I’ll Have Another”, number 19, as their favorite.  Great minds and drinkers both think alike.  Surprisingly,  a bit of a long shot and with a bad post position, the horse won!!!    At the last moments of the race, apparently spurred on by the bar tender announcing it was “last call”, I’ll Have Another, got into gear and won the race.  Hopefully he got his second bag of oats or whatever he was having.   The Laird is about $150 richer, we think, thanks to the Nurse and Butler pick.  

Ask Mr. FOG

The evening had many different conversations going on simultaneously and all around our Kentucky Derby group.   For the most part, Mr. FOG understood and or could hear what being said, but got lost a few a times.  He blamed the generation gap and his hearing for missing some of the stories and jokes.  He drifted from conversation to conversation , but also strayed away, enjoying the people watching of those at the bar; and speculating on relationships—a father and daughter perhaps, or perhaps not.  It was almost like being at a piazza in Italy.  Well, almost.  Here are a few things that peaked Mr. FOG’s interest during the evening.

Correcting Bad Habits:   During the soiree, someone said “I have broken him of this bad habit”.  This reminded Mr. FOG of the old wedding joke, that women marry men hoping that they will change, and they don’t.  In contrast, men marry women hoping that they don’t change, and they do.  Although easier said than done, Mr. FOG thinks, we should try to accept people, and especially spouses or significant others, for what they are.  Changes or the lack thereof are part of life, and often only happen if the person wants to change, and not because someone else want him/her to change.  Setting positive examples and asking the cooperation of a mate in changing a bad or irritating habit is a better approach.  A spouse is not a stallion or mare to be broken.  Also discussed, can a virtue, such as cleanliness be a bad habit to be corrected?  FOG would say probably not, except in very rare cases where it becomes an obsession.  Ultimately if you love the person enough to be with them, you were attracted by the overwhelming good that drew you to that the person in the first place, and with that should come the willingness to accept the little bit of bad you knew was there before you selected the person.  Again, this easier said than done.  Mr. FOG, mostly self-described as a sociable loner, probably has grade of B- in relationships, so consider this when reading his advice and work out your own life strategies.

Mars Understanding Venus:  Mr. FOG saw a lady at the bar playing with hair as she was talking to a man at the bar and wondered what this body language meant? Mr. FOG already sort of knew the answer, but looked it up to make sure.  The gist is that women give out subtle signals, while men tend to be more direct.  In relationships, and especially when relationships are new, it is important for the man to decode these signals correctly to avoid a relationship faux pas.  A woman playing or toying with her hair or jewelry could be sign of nervousness, but more often it is a positive sign that the woman is receptive to the man.  If she is smiling, looking at the man, and otherwise engaged in the conversation with him, either by sharing her thoughts or attune to what he is saying; this may reinforce the signal.  The attached link discusses this further; giving options of what perhaps the man might want to do to be sure he is decoding the signal correctly.  http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_100/129_dating_girl.html

Where You Shop:   What does where you shop say about you?  Some shopping options to draw help contrasts are thrift stores, Walmart, Target, Macy’s, and designer shops.  And even among these one can pick, "styles", e.g. out doorsy, business casual, etc.  Also age comes into play.  An older person would look silly wearing even trendy clothes typical of another generation.  It is important to remeber that people have different styles and clothing is one of the way we express ourselves.  Also clothing may not be important to you.  Mr. FOG  already has so many clothes in his closet he doubts he can use them all before he dies.  Therefore, Mr. FOG doesn’t really shop for clothes anymore.  He only buys consumables that he can use before he dies.  Booze and food are at the top list, followed by things he will enjoy, such as things for his garden, hobbies, ect.   “Use” is also an interesting term.  “Use” for Mr. FOG means wearing out the clothes completely.  Perhaps “use” should mean that when clothes have a permanent stain, no longer fashionable, or you simply do not like them any more, they should discarded or given to charity.   Admittedly. Mr. FOG may need help in clearing out his closet. He might ask Nurse Sherry to help, but then he may not have any clothes at all.  For Mr. FOG, shopping is usually about value and you can find value in any of these places.  Designer stores generally offer fashion, a status symbol, and often better quality, but this usually comes with a higher price.  It is probably a personal decision, but if you select good clothes and traditional styles, you may get a very good value even if more expensive.

Washing:   We also duscussed how often one should wash clothes and yourself.  Options for the clothes were, daily, weekly, monthly, or when you run out of underwear.  Apparently for some this is determined by number of underwear one has, but we shall save this washing discussion for another Blog. 

DUI  It appears that you can get a driving under the influence citation skateboarding, kayak paddling, etc.  DUIs are not just for motor vehicles.  Beware the next time you are on roller skates.

READER COMMENTS ARE WELCOME.