PAULIE PICKS

It's over. This dizzying week of Derby activities ended last night around 11 p.m. when we finally pulled into the driveway, looked at each other and gave a collective sigh of relief.

Saturday's activities were a Derby Party. The first year at this location, a group of people from Derby's past and I decided to move the location to a son of one of the regular's house. Two car garage. Nice. Plenty of room and tents. Bonus.

52" HD TV for viewing the races. Excellent!

The crowd was decidedly younger (and much bigger) than we'd been accustom to in the last couple of years. A lot of fun, the "kids" loved making Derby and other races of the day picks and sharing them with me. I charged a sliding scale fee to listen to them.

The evidence has already been destroyed, Mr. Attorney General. As far as I know, each contestant was over 21 and in good-standing with the Kentucky Racing Commission.

It was relaxing in a way...no mass miles of walking...but tiring mentally. It was good, though...to be tucked in the corner of the garage...warm, dry and out of the wind. With my table in front of me and flanked by "the old guard" of Derby party veterans...we did work.

And partied.

Complaint #1:  Why does WAVE TV / NBC pull away from last race of the day coverage without showing the prices? It sucks. Fortunately, a young guy there with every conceivable "app" on his phone was able to get me the results, order of finish and prices within a few minutes.

Complaint #2:  The rain. It killed a lot of outdoor activities such as bean bag toss, volleyball and kept the grilling out at a low level.

Other than that, it was a blast.

This is the sixth place (with this current core group of organizers) that we've had the Derby Party over the last 25 years. It looks like we may have found a long term home. And it's an easy drive home for Sonja and I. Even in the pouring rain we had to deal with on the evening ending journey.

Today is a day of rest. A brief afternoon couples shower event. Then, it's kick back and relax and recover. Three straight days at the track and one at a party can take its toll on you.

But, what a ride! A good financial 96 hours also. Old friends reunited with, new ones made. The adventures and funny moments. Hanging with the St. Louis boys and writing for the Jersey guys. The success and disappointments. The whole aura...

I love this time of year!

-Paulie

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