Kentucky Fan At Keeneland

It's almost that time again! Keeneland opening weekend is coming up and with the recent BIG UK WIN, why not get decked out in your UK Blue for the races?

1. Tibi Lace Dress, 2. Forever 21 Dress, 3. Milly Dress, 4. Milly Dress

What are you thinking of wearing to Keeneland?

Writing the Rivalry

Over the past week, a lot of ink has been spilled about tonight's UK-U of L game.  With two Kentucky teams in the Final Four, the national sports media has subjected us to many trite musings about "legacies" and "dynasties."  We've heard ridiculous tales of old men erupting into fisticuffs.  We've heard stories of houses divided.  We've been taken to rural towns and urban areas.  We've been introduced to hillbilly fans and soon-to-be-millionaire players.  And yet, none of these stories -- and I'm pretty sure I've read them all -- has captured what it actually feels like to be a basketball fan in Kentucky during the most intense rivalry week of all time.

All week, I've known that I had to write something about tonight's game.  With each passing day, it's seemed harder and harder.  With each cliched story about the Calipari - Pitino rivalry or the mania across the Commonwealth, I've felt that I had less to say.  But, I am a writer in Kentucky.  I write a sports column for a Lexington magazine.  I write for two blogs about Kentucky life.  And I am a passionate University of Kentucky basketball fan.  I have to say something, right?

As I sit in front of the computer screen with a few minutes left before tipoff, I don't know how to convey a Kentuckian's love of basketball.  How do I explain taking First Grade P.E. classes in the same gym where King Kelly Coleman -- the greatest high school basketball player in Kentucky history -- once played?  How do I explain that a family friend -- one of my town's most prominent citizens -- is remembered not for his civic accomplishments or his well-respected, successful children but for the fact that he played a season for Coach Rupp?  How do I set to paper the many times this winter when my brother and I were terrified to ask our father  (a retired coach) about his cancer recovery, opting instead to joke with him about ridiculous plays and matchups? (Little Brother believes a 2-3 zone conquers all...) 

A few weeks ago, my father and I were walking through the Pikeville Wal-Mart when a little old lady stopped us.  She was riding in one of those store-provided motorized wheelchairs.  Daddy and I were both wearing UK blue which, she said, told her that we were Good People.  She then asked me to get another of the motored chairs and drive it across the Wal-Mart to her husband.  At that moment, it hit me.  Our blue shirts signified a tribe, a bigger whole to which we all belong.

Over the past several days, I've heard the UK-U of L feud portrayed as existing along racial and socio-economic lines.  I've heard that it is a rural versus urban matchup.  To me, it's much simpler -- it's the team into which we are born, the tribe to which we choose to belong.  It's as simple as being born in an Eastern Kentucky county rather than one close to the big city.  It's where your parents attended school, or the team they chose to support.  It's the subtle nuances of which Louisville neighborhood you live in.

I suppose, in the end, there's no way to explain it if someone hasn't lived it.   

 

The Big Game

It’s been a crazy, crazy week in the Commonwealth.

Red and Blue Twin Spires, via Churchill Downs.

There’s a little basketball game going on tomorrow, in case you haven’t heard.  There have been instances of old-guy fisticuffs, and general bad behavior.  It’s the sports news story of the week.  And, here in Kentucky, it’s the Game of the Century. *

Now, it’s no secret around here that I love UK basketball a lot.  Probably more than is healthy.  Here on HerKentucky, we’ve discussed it before: Sarah thinks basketball is just a game; I consider it a way of life.  I always just assume that every Kentuckian is as fanatic about basketball as I am, but maybe they aren’t.

 

This morning, I started thinking.  Maybe tomorrow’s UK-U of L game isn’t the biggest thing going on in everyone’s weekend.  Maybe every Kentucky girl hasn’t spent a ton of time researching the best Wildcat Blue nail polish for her Final Four mani-pedi.  (It’s Essie’s Mesmerize, btw.  You’re welcome.)  I’ve heard plenty from my UK fan friends, and a good bit from the Cards fans I know. 

But, I’d love to hear from our non-fan friends and readers.  Are you a displaced “other team” fan in the Bluegrass State?  Are you cheering for the Buckeyes or the Jayhawks? Or, are you just ambivalent about a college basketball game? 

Please (respectfully) share your story in the comments below or on our Facebook page.  We'd love to hear what you have to say!!

*I hate the “of the century” device as much as the next gal, but for once it’s accurate.  It doesn’t matter if, over the course of the next eighty-eight years, someone scores 100 points, wins the BCS bowl, or runs a sub-1:50 Derby.  This is it. It could only be topped by a UK-UL National Championship Game.  Bring it, selection committee.

Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon

Eight months ago, I would have laughed in your face if you said that I would ever run more than a half mile at one time.

On Saturday, I’ll be toeing the line to run 13.1 miles – well, attempt to run it all! I’m sure there will be some walking. (I’ll also be starting somewhere in the back of the pack, but I’m fine with that!)

I started the Couch to 5K program in August of 2011 at 90 pounds over my healthy weight. I learned how to run using an app on my smartphone and buoyed up by the encouragement of my Twitter friends. I ran my first 5K at the end of October. A month later, I was signing up for the Run the Bluegrass half marathon. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Run the Bluegrass bills itself as “one of the prettiest half marathons in America.” I can verify the truth of that claim.

Starting near the main entrance of Keeneland, the race course flows out the back gate – near all the horse barns – and through the rolling bluegrass hills of Central Kentucky. Horse farms feature prominently along the course. There is even one pasture full of miniature horses who will run up to the fence and cheer you along. The final mile of the course runs alongside the famed white fences of Calumet Farm. The most beautiful thoroughbreds you’ll ever see will race you down the length of that fence. Undoubtedly, they will win!

The course is challenging. There are LOTS of hills! One portion of the course runs on Old Frankfort Pike past the Headley-Whitney museum. It’s one of my favorite backcountry drives in the world – both for the beauty and the roller-coaster feel of those hills. I’m not so sure my feet will feel the same joy on Saturday!

The race, hosted by Lexenomics, has a decidedly Bluegrass and thoroughbred feel. Mrs. Penny Chenery, the owner of the legendary Secretariat, is this year’s honorary starter. The race expo offers the option for participants to buy a bottle of Maker’s Mark and have their caricature drawn on the label. Kentucky companies like Swim Bike Run of Kentucky, WellFed Meals, Ale8One, Flav-O-Rich and more are all well represented. The organizers are as local as you can get and have worked hard to follow through on their mission of “invest[ing] energies & resources into the capabilities Lexington already has.”

With over 2000 racers in only its second year, the event is growing by leaps and bounds. You’ve got plenty of time to train for next year! If I survive Saturday, I’ll see you in 2013!

Redbud and Dogwood Winter

When I was growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, I rolled my eyes at a lot of conventional mountain wisdom.  Some of that was, of course, the traditional child's prerogative; parents and grandparents simply can't know what they're talking about with their old-fashioned perspectives.  And, to this Muppets-and-Madonna-loving child of the '80s,  old-timey mountain traditions seemed a relic of a long-gone era. 

As an adult, I've had to rescind quite a bit of my know-it-all scorn. The twangy mountain music that my granddaddy played on his vintage Martin guitar sounds curiously like the hipster-standard Raconteurs and Avett Brothers tracks that fill my iPod.  My grandmother's Crisco-and-butter cooking turned out to be far healthier than the fake food revolution of my childhood.  And, so many pieces of folk wisdom -- the most embarrassing, "unscientific" observations of the natural world -- have turned out to be true.  I've been forced to eat my words time and again.  The most dramatic example is Redbud Winter and its close, usually later, cousin Dogwood Winter.  

 

Now, when I was a kid, I hated hearing about these supposed weather phenomena.  When the first warm spring rolled around, it should be warm and pretty and springy from then on.  Without fail, someone would note "Oh, it'll get cold again.  We haven't even had Redbud or Dogwood winter yet.  Don't put your coats away." That was surely just an old wives' tale.

Except, it wasn't.  Every spring, the pretty, delicate blooms on the flowering trees brings a dramatic cold snap.  This year was no different -- last week brought 85 degree days, then the redbuds and dogwoods started to peek out.  As I started to unpack my spring dresses and shorts, I immediately thought that I'd better leave out a few cold weather items, just in case.  Of course, redbud winter came a few short days later, bringing cold mornings and brisk days.  

I guess the old-timers are right after all.

{all photos were taken in my mom's Floyd County backyard over the past week or so...}

Lexington Pizza: Pazzo's, Joe Bologna's, LA Gourmet

Megan already covered the amazingness of some Lexington pizza joints including Mad Mushroom, where I inhaled hundreds of cheesesticks during my stint at the University of Kentucky. I wanted to share a few more Lexington institutions, as I am a self-proclaimed pizza expert (meaning, I like to eat it.)

L.A. Gourmet Pizza

The Wildcats pizza with the best white dipping sauce

L.A. Gourmet doesn't seem to be widely known, but in my opinion, it is some of the tastiest Lexington pizza. The secret? The white dipping sauce that comes with their pizzas, sandwiches, chips, and cheesebread. I'm not quite sure what it is - some combination of ranch and garlic perhaps - but it tastes like heaven. L.A. Gourmet has two Lexington locations: 1 downtown and 1 near Tates Creek Center. My personal favorite? The Wildcats on whole wheat crust. The Wildcats has chicken, ham, onions, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese.

Pazzo's Pizza Pub

Pazzo's is known and loved by most Lexingtonians, especially those near campus. Sitting on Limestone directly across from North Campus, Pazzos is known for the 3 P's: pizza, pint night, and patio.

Pizzas are hand tossed, fresh made, and piping hot when they come out of the oven. Personal favorite is the Great White: garlic, onions, broccoli, chicken feta and provolone in olive oil sauce. Just thinking about it takes me back to celebrating the last day of finals there every year.

Wednesdays at Pazzo's are Pint Night. A special beer is put on tap. Order a pitcher and you take home two beer glasses from the brewery. I know many people who have amassed a treasure of pint night glassware!

If the weather is nice, it's worth it to try to get a spot on the patio. Sitting under the awning on South Limestone staring at campus is just a fun environment.

For another treat, be sure to order a pretzel. Chewy nom city.

Joe Bologna's

Joe B.'s is located in a Victorian Gothic building  between campus and downtown that has served as both a Presbyterian church and a Jewish synagogue. With over 40 stained glass windows, it really is a unique place to dine. In addition to pizza's, they also have tremendously delicious Italian food and salads.

My favorite Joe B.'s pizza is the Lite Supreme: Thin crust and homemade sauce with onions, green peppers, hot peppers, green olives, black olives, pineapple, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes and romano cheese. They also have a gluten free crust option which is a welcome inclusion for many.

You can't visit Joe B.'s without eating a breadstick. You simply must. The massive-doughy-warm-deliciousness sits in a dish of garlic butter. You can also get it with marinara sauce, but it definitely doesn't need it to be edible. Nom.

Any other Lexington pizza places we haven't covered?

Reason #2 to come visit

So, the last reason I gave you to come visit was kinda gross...fascinating but gross.

Then Lydia wrote her awesome tutorial and I was reminded of the real reason you should come to Paducah. Such a good reason I ranked it #2! (#1 being ME...of course)

THE QUILTS!

Paducah is Quilt Capitol of ... wait for it... the WORLD!

We have a Quilt Convention. We have a Quilt Museum. We have lots and lots and lots of quilts.

So, what's the big deal you ask? A bunch of blankets. Who cares?

GASP!

Quilts aren't just blankets. Quilts are ART and until you've stood inches from tee tiny stitches which are not only exactly the same size but were done by hand.  Then you may not look down upon the art of quilting.

It's not just the incredible skill that is required.

(Side note: Upon graduation from college, I decided to make my now husband a quilt. I spent an insane amount of money on fabric for a quilt that ended up being about the size of a crib sheet and was pushed to tears in frustration. I've all but blocked the entire memory.)

Real quilters create incredible tableaus that put color and shape together in ways you can't even imagine.
The quilts themselves are beautiful. They are unique. They are definitely worth a visit.

~ Sarah Stewart Holland