The Baboon Congress

Derby Day!

43 Comments

Today’s post comes from Verily Sherrilee

One of the bylaws at my workplace is that it be a fun place to work. Every summer we have a splendid program called “Summer of Love” with some afternoons off, food trucks out on the lawn, bands and a relaxed dress code.  We even have a party room in Building 2!   The rest of the year is sprinkled with other fun events and this week we celebrated the Kentucky Derby.

DerbyDay1To get ready for the event, my department decided that we wanted to make Derby Day hats for the celebration. Instead of our regular department meeting, we gathered in one of the rooms here with our hats, silk flowers, ribbons, toile and glue guns.  An hour later, we were transformed from everyday worker bees to queens (and kings) of the hive.

The party room was set up with a photo both, bean bag toss, beer pong and ping pong. We had mint juleps (a little strong – I could hardly get through just one), finger sandwiches and little pecan pie tartlets.  There was also a fun set-up for “betting” on the Derby horses.  The top ten forerunners each had a sheet with their picture, their stats, their jockey, etc.  Then they each had a big glass vase; there was one glass vase for all the long shots together as well.

DebryDay3 As we entered the party room, we each received two tickets to bet on our choice.  I bet one of my tickets on the long shots and my second on Destin, a three-year old gray born in Kentucky.  His jockey is Javier Castellano.  I chose him because I follow a science-blog done by a guy named Destin. If there had been a woman jockey I would have chosen her or if there had been a really interesting jockey name, I could have dumped a ticket in that vase.  So even though I was adorned like I was ready for a day at the races, I still placed my bet based on the name of a science jock.

How do you pick `em?

43 thoughts on “Derby Day!”

  2. Boy, I want to work where you work, Sherrilee! What a different atmosphere than most places!

    I have no experience with actual betting that I can think of – maybe just have to think longer… But I take chances on a lot of things – a move to WInona comes to mind – I guess the criteria is “if it feels right”.

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  6. Unlike those who have spoken up, I use science to predict winners. This requires a dart board decorated with the different horse names. Science comes in by researching the horses’ records in previous races. Winning horses get larger areas on the target. Horses destined to become glue and dog food have smaller areas. And then you fling the dart.

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  8. I don’t pick because I don’t want to put a curse on any of them, especially a potential winner. Going to a KD party soon…and with a hat but one ready-made and covered with pheasant feathers. Very small and modest. I wouldn’t want to block the view of anyone behind me.

    (probably shouldn’t say “break a leg” either….)

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      1. I decided not to wear the pheasant hat in favor of a burgundy with fresh geranium flowers tucked in the what cha call it ribbon above the brim that matched the flower dress and shoes (non-birkies for a change). Saving the pheasant hat for another occasion.

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  9. I’ve been out in the yard all day and thought that I would know the winner of the Derby when I came in but apparently the race is not until 6:30 ET. Guess since I don’t have any money on Destin it won’t hurt me to wait!

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  13. Good race even if the favorite won and it wasn’t a gray. Made no bets, had just one mint Julip but finished an entire piece of Kentucky pecan pie….good party.

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  14. OT. Working at the flower shop as usual for Mother’s Day. Yesterday I took an order for flowers to go to the 15-year old who was hit by a bus Thursday in St. Paul. His friends are trying to get a simple vase of gerber daisies to him, card message says something like “We are thinking of you every day, and looking forward to getting back to playing D&D soon!” (Dungeons & Dragons.) He had initially been taken to hospital X, they told us he was moved to childrens’ hospital Y, Y told us they didn’t have a room number for him, could not give us any information. Tried again this morning. Hospital X told us he was in surgery this morning, then in recovery. Then they told us he was moved to childrens’ hospital Y again. Y again says they don’t have a room listed for this patient. Will try again tomorrow. A vague sense of anxiety hung over me today – usually the hospital will say if a patient is in ICU and they don’t want flowers sent. For some reason this time we can’t even get confirmation that he is there.

    I feel for his parents. I know the hospital where he had surgery – it’s the same hospital where my mother had surgery just before she died – and I can see the waiting room in my mind’s eye, and the cafeteria, and the station where you can get coffee late at night, or very early in the morning, when the cafeteria’s not open.

    Better things tomrrow, I hope, I hope.

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    1. ill include him in my thoughts and try to send some good vibes

      i pick with all the data anaylsis i can muster in most things. analytics are a good basis to use for funds. gut for the soul, anaylitics for the pocket

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  15. This is me, PJ. WordPress is being totally uncooperative today, so I’m preemting the ABD. Ha!

    Our Derby party was a great success. A lot of people in cowboy boots trying to look “country” I guess, and “ladies” in fancy hats.

    Fish and chicken tacos and lots of wonderful salads, and more desserts, including a cake in the shape of a horse’s head, than you could shake a stick at. I stayed clear of those, and indulged in a fresh fruit salad instead. I did have a couple of mint juleps (the sister with the mint allergy wasn’t there). Pretty mild and very smooth.

    We had three wonderful trophies: A white horse with a mane and tail that had a lot of purple streaks atop a platform separated from the base by two electrical conduit “columns” decorated with purple glitter. The horse had a hearing aid battery in its womb that activated a blazing star in the horse’s forehead; quite the sight to behold. The second place trophy was nice, too, but without flashing of any kind. Just a brown plastic horse atop a similar platform, but with a nice horseshoe mounted in front. The maker of the trophies, John, won the first prize. I smell a rat. The second place trophy went to Jane Prince, the newly elected council woman from the East Side of St. Paul. I smell cronyism. The trophy for the most dismal picks, a ridiculously tiny cup, was presented to a young woman who had never attended this party before. Will she be back next year, I wonder.

    Alas, my method of picking the winner once again proved faulty. Having failed to do even the most rudimentary research beforehand, I had no clue what to expect from any of the horses, so I went strictly for names that appealed to me. The winner wasn’t one of my picks. I did pick the number two and three horses, but on different bets, so no prize.

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    1. Ha! I thought you were joking but Wikipedia says it’s “WORLD” Garden Naked Day. I think I’ll pass – shorts and t-shirt at least keeps some of my body clean!

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        1. I have to admit there isn’t a single neighbor I would enjoy seeing gardening in the nude, and I’m certain they feel that way about me as well.

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        2. WordPress is getting on my last nerve. Won’t let me “like” things, keeps reverting me to the ABD. Aaargh!

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        4. I have a vivid enough imagination to know that some things I just don’t want to see, ever.

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  17. Of course, it is Mother’s Day. That didn’t mean as much to me when I was young as it does now. It is one of the most challenging roles anyone can perform. Mothers . . . I love and respect you! Enjoy your special day.

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  18. Let the Derby get by me and I don’t bet on horses but I do like to pick ’em.

    Mostly go by names, then silk colors that look good with the horsie’s coat

    I’ve mentioned I don’t actually bet, right?

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