Why I'm Voting: Heather
When you know the candidates, you have absolutely no excuse to not vote.
The Huffington Post recently ran a piece entitled Why 27 Influential Women Are Voting This November (And Why You Should Too). The post, and its accompanying hashtag campaign, come in reaction to a Fox News host's suggestion that young women stay away from the polls and "stick to Tinder and Match.com." Here's my own take on #WhyImVoting. -- HCW
This year, for the very first time, I put an election sign in my yard.
For me, voting has sort of come full circle. When I was on college, I was on fire for a candidate. I belonged to my school's party-affiliate club, I campaigned, and I met the candidate. My friends and I were all political science, pre-law types. We were going to rule the Commonwealth and possibly the nation. Then, along the way, I got disenchanted. As I've said before, I started to feel really distant from the process. I railed against partisanship. I made excuses. I stayed informed, and I usually voted (well, in the big elections, anyway...), but it became much more of an academic exercise than a personal interest.
This year, I got a pretty significant reminder that I have absolutely no excuse to not get involved. This year, I know a lot of the candidates, both personally and professionally. Obviously, this comes from the fact that my fiancé and I spent our twenties working in big law firms, and from the fact that we've both lived in Kentucky for most of our lives. As people announced their candidacy for this year's elections, we started to see more and more friends and acquaintances among the ranks. A partner from Bob's old office, and an associate from mine. One of my former clients. Our classmates. My sorority sister. My college roommate's then-boyfriend, now-husband. A friend with whom I sit on a charity board. Family friends. These folks hope to become our next judges and Congresspeople. There's even a candidate for Coroner up in the mix.
Now, this doesn't mean that I'm solely voting for old friends. Some are running for local offices in other corners of the state. Others may not do the best job. It does mean that I'm a lot more interested in the process because I know these people well. I've been to their houses. I've engaged with them over dinner, drinks, or in-depth conversation. I know them, and I no longer have the excuse that I'm not part of the process.
I vote because I know these candidates. I quite literally have NO EXCUSE not to vote.
Izakaya Pop-up at Atlantic No. 5
Pop-up Japanese dining at Atlantic No 5!
Atlantic No. 5 is one of my favorite spots for lunch and coffee in Louisville! So, when they contacted me to see if Bob and I would be interested in taking in their new dinner concept, I accepted within, roughly, 1.5 seconds. (Pretty sure I hit a new personal best in email turnaround!)
Over the next few days, ANo5 is transforming itself into an Izakaya, which is kind of like a Japanese pub -- a casual spot for after-work drinking and dining. Think drinks and small plates. Very, very good drinks and small plates.
The concept here is casual fun. The curated playlist was old-school hip-hop, heavy on the LL Cool J. The wine list was no-frills. You aren't buying a label, just the description of a wine's tasting notes. The vibe was fun and casual.
We started with the Ahi tuna, which was served on a bed of burrito with pickled pear and celery leaf and drizzled with olive oil and freshly cracked pepper. The tuna was insane -- the best quality I've found in Louisville. The pear was delightful, and the cheese was creamy. I felt the oil overpowered the flavors a bit, but it was overall quite good.
Next came the Hoisin Pork Toast, with cilantro and radish. Bob was enchanted by this one. It was hearty and delicious. My impression was that it tasted like the best pot roast you'd ever eaten, if the pot roast included Hoisin sauce...
Next came a smoked peanut soup with crab, coconut, curry, and black rice. This is a unique soup for a cold day. The black rice was amazing; my only wish was that the crab had shone through a little more. It was very good, especially when paired with a dry red wine.
Our final dish was by far our favorite. The Ramen Carbonara came with miso cream, quail and crow eggs, and salmon roe. Every bite was an amazing taste explosion. The salmon roe was intense and rich. The eggs were delicate, and the cream had the perfect hint of miso. Bob and I simply loved this dish!!
Cheers to Atlantic No 5 for an incredible dining experience!!
Thanks so much to Atlantic No 5 for the invitation and the fantastic meal! I hope to see y'all there soon! The Izakaya Pop-up continues this week on November 5, 6, and 7 and the new dinner menu will launch on November 12. For more information on reservations visit www.A5onmain.com or call 502-883-3398
Kentucky Mule
A Kentucky twist on the beloved Moscow Mule cocktail!
I've discovered the perfect no fuss cocktail for fall. The Kentucky Mule is so simple to make, yet tastes amazing and looks festive for cozy fall get-togethers.
Everything about this cocktail makes you think "Kentucky in a glass."
Ingredients:
1 1/2 shots bourbon
5 fl. oz alcoholic ginger beer
Juice of 1 lime
Ice
Garnishes optional - apple slices, thyme and/or cinnamon sticks are personal favorites
Spooky Transylvania University Trivia
Transylvania University doesn't, to our knowledge, claim vampires among its notable alumni. However, it does have some spooky trivia!
Every year, around this time, my alma mater, Transylvania University suddenly becomes a whole lot more popular.
Is it because TU is the oldest university in Kentucky and, indeed, the first college west of the Allegheny Mountains? Well, that's true, but it's usually not the first thing you hear...
Is it because the school has an extremely impressive medical and law school acceptance rate dating all the way back to the days when Transy established the second law school in the nation? Try again..
Is it because Transy's Greek system is known for promoting excellence among its member chapters, with the Delta Sig chapter becoming a bit of an internet meme earlier this year? Not this time.
Maybe it's because the school's name sounds awfully spooky this time of year. In honor of the spookiest college in Kentucky, and their amazing annual Pumpkin Mania display, here's a little bit of Transylvania trivia, Halloween-style!
Transylvania isn't named for vampires. The school was named for the short-lived Transylvania Colony. Keep in mind, Transylvania was established before Kentucky became a state. Both the Transylvania Colony and the Transylvania region of Romania are named for their geographic locations -- the word Transylvania means "Land beyond the forest."
Transylvania is, they say, cursed. 19th Century Botanist Constantine Rafinesque was a professor at Transylvania for a brief time. When he was terminated -- some say for lazy work habits while others say he was having an affair with the wife of University President Horace Holley -- he placed a curse on the school. The curse is often cited in the two occasions in which Old Morrison, the college's administration building, burned. No word on whether the 1833 cholera epidemic which delayed construction on the building is also linked to Professor Rafinesque.
A professor is buried on campus. Rafinesque again. He died in Philadelphia in 1840 and was buried in an unmarked grave. In 1924, his grave was located and remains thought to be his were reinterred at Transylvania, in a tomb in Old Morrison. Every Halloween, a raffle is held for a group of Freshman students to spend the night in Raf's Tomb.
Transylvania is a lot like Hogwarts. The Harry Potter-reading youngster in your life will surely be delighted to know that Transy offers a quidditch team.
Transylvania celebrates its spooky heritage with a gorgeous jack o'lantern display every Halloween. If you're in Lexington this week, you should definitely stop by!
The HerKentucky Guide to Speakeasy Louisville: The Seelbach
Louisville's Seelbach Hotel was a famous gathering place for mobsters and flappers alike.
Welcome to the latest installment of the HerKentucky Guide to Speakeasy Louisville! On Thursdays throughout the fall, we'll travel back to the Jazz Age in the Derby City, when the nation's Prohibition laws didn't quench the collective thirst for Kentucky Bourbon. We'll channel our inner Daisy Buchanans and dance the Charleston at Louisville's finest establishments. And, of course, we'll take a sip or two of the native drink that kept the city's spirits high. Today, we'll visit the famous hotel that served as a playground for some of the nation's most notorious mobsters and inspired one of the seminal novels of the generation.
The Seelbach Hotel -- "the only fireproof hotel in the city" -- was built by Bavarian brothers Otto and Louis Seelbach in 1905 at the corner of Fourth and Walnut Streets in Downtown Louisville. The hotel design was of the Beaux Arts Baroque style and reflected turn-of-the-century opulence, but the Seelbach's lasting legacy would be its ties to the Jazz Age.
Underworld figures like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone frequented the hotel in the 1910s and '20s, drawn by clandestine high-stakes poker games and Kentucky bourbon whiskey. Cincinnati mobster George Remus found that there was a lucrative business in bootlegging the city's native spirit. The hotel's secret passageways famously helped these guests elude police and move liquor. Remus's exploits stood out to a young serviceman named Scott Fitzgerald who'd recently dropped out of Princeton, enlisted, and been stationed at nearby Camp Taylor.
Second Lt. Fitzgerald had his share of fun at the Seelbach -- he was even thrown out of the hotel after a night of merrymaking -- and drew upon his experiences in the late 1910s when writing The Great Gatsby. The title character's shadowy past is based at least in part on George Remus's bootlegging exploits, and his paramour, Daisy Buchanan, was a Louisville debutante. Of Daisy, Fitzgerald wrote:
“She had a debut after the Armistice, and in February she was presumably engaged to a man from New Orleans. In June she married Tom Buchanan of Chicago, with more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew before. He came down with a hundred people in four private cars, and hired a whole floor of the Seelbach Hotel, and the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Over the years, the Seelbach has changed hands and even briefly closed before it was restored to its original opulence. The hotel manages to retain the elegance of bygone days while providing modern amenities. And, as you walk the halls of the grand old hotel, it's easy to imagine that, just for a moment, you caught a glimpse of days gone by -- perhaps a Big City mobster, a flapper debutante, or a young soldier with a story to tell...
Wine-Down Wednesdays at Old 502 Winery
This week, we've been talking about "Me Time" here on HerKentucky -- little ways to stop, recharge your batteries, and get a better perspective on life. On Monday, Jennifer talked about finding peace at the yoga studio.
Every other Wednesday (including tonight!), Old 502 Winery in Louisville offers a yoga class that takes relaxation to the next level. For $15, you can enjoy a yoga class with your choice of either a full wine tasting or a glass of wine. How fun does that sound?
Classes start at 6 p.m. I hope to see y'all there sometime!
Give Yourself Permission to Be Here.
Sometimes, being in the moment is a gift we give ourselves.
At the beginning of every meeting, our President, Mary, would start us off with the six most powerful words I've ever heard:
“Give yourself permission to be here.”
Now, in part, Mary was telling us to mind our manners in the gentlest way possible. It was a reminder to put away our smartphones and our day planners and act like our mamas raised us a little better than all that. But, her words have always stuck with me.
"Permission to be Here" is a great phrase. You're truly allowing yourself to be in the moment -- to devote all of your attention to the matter at hand. You're fully listening to the person who is speaking; you're fully engaged in the dialogue. And you don't have to feel guilty about doing so.
So often, we find ourselves over-committed. We take on too many responsibilities with the greatest of intentions. We join clubs, we start new projects, we do things for others, and we want to do it all.
I'm pretty sure that when scientists finally unlock the chemical and physiological differences between men and women's brains, they'll learn that it comes down to this: Men Compartmentalize; Women Multi-Task. Think of your father, beau, or brother's ability to Actually Be Watching TV rather than having the TV on while he does three other things. It's a trait I'm trying to emulate a little bit. Sometimes, I take Saturdays to let the laundry go and JUST watch football. I try not to jot down notes about other tasks during meetings. I try to be where I am, and not a million miles away. I give myself permission to be here.
I've since moved to another town and Mary has, sadly, passed. I think so often of the legacy that Mrs. Mary Rigby left with her Junior League of Nashville members -- not just the legacy of voluntarism, fundraising, and community service, but giving ourselves a little more peace and self-awareness in everything we do. It truly is the greatest piece of advice I've ever been given.