Mark's sister, Misty, is in her last clinical rotation at an eye center in Louisville and has less than one month until she becomes Dr. Purfeerst and will be working as an eye doctor in Faribault. Mark and I have been planning to visit her ever since she left for Memphis four years ago...and we figured time was running short. Easter weekend was our only free weekend, plus Jim and Deb were planning to drive down anyways so we decided to join them. Before we got in a vehicle, a 12-hour drive to spend a day and a half in Louisville seemed like an exciting adventure but by the time we got out of the car on Sunday evening we all had changed our minds. I think after all that togetherness I must have passed some test that allows me to stick around for awhile! :)
We hit the road at 2 am Friday morning and returned home around midnight Sunday evening. In 72 hours we traveled over 1460 miles--not counting our adventures within Lousiville. It was fun!?! Here are some things I learned while visiting the Blue Grass State.
1. Blue Grass does not mean the grass is blue. Or even that there will be fields of waving grass. It just the grass in the yards of the beautiful traditional brick houses that we saw alot of. I will admit I was slightly disappointed. However, the beautiful traditional brick houses were perfect for Jim and Deb who are hoping to build one for their very own soon! We gave them ALOT of opinions on our scenic drive to Loretta, KY.
2. No matter how many times you have been there, Louisville just always gets better. I have been to Lousville four times now and will most likely be there a 5th time this fall for livestock judging. I actually spent a whole week there for the NAILE this past fall as a media intern--yet I still haven't really seen the city. My 36 hour adventure this weekend was full of new things!
3. I think I one day need to go to a Kentucky Derby. Those hats seem to be made for my head and there are no other legitimate excuses to wear one except at Churchill Downs. I would look like a food if I wore that hat to Canterbury. Misty could get tickets for this year from her company...but instead she has to go to Memphis to finish her boards. Maybe next year? I love this women's hat from last year!
4. The Purfeerst family's traveling style is WAAAY different than the May family's. My mom packs coolers and tons of food. I learned quickly on Friday morning that this trip was going to be much different. The Purfeerst family really loves gas station food. I have never ever considered buying $27 worth of gas station food but we did that every stop! Eww...thinking about it makes me want to puke. I don't really like gas station food and in the last two months I have gotten my fill of it. I was starting to miss our cooler full of Mountain Dews and beef sticks--and I realized I am already like my mother because on judging trips I make cookies and pack a whole bag full of snack foods. I never have to worry about breakfast because I always have poptarts-my teammates are always jealous!
5. I missed Jolene--my mom is crazy...but sometimes she is crazy fun and our endless singing was absent on this long trip. I always just wanted to bust out in song and even though I am sure they would have let me, I don't know if anyone would have joined.
6. I can get road sick. I had previously thought it was impossible...but road construction that only allowed us to move 5 miles in one hour proved otherwise. I was going nuts and my stomach was not liking me.
7. Hole in the wall restaurants and bars are my favorite. We all were going to famish on our way home from Maker's Mark (I promise another post about this cool stop when I get more pictures) and decided to stop at the first place we see--lucky for us it was Bootleg Bar-B-Q. I can promise you if we had not been feeling adventurous we would have not stopped at Bootleg--but man would have we missed out. This place DEFINED hole-in-the-wall. In fact...it was more like a shack with the only bathroom "out back" but it was good, cheap and fun!
Plus, right across the road there was an even better hole-in-the-wall bar that had pool tables for only $.50, so even a crappy player like me could play! :) It was one of the highlights of my trip and if I am ever again near Loretta, KY I will be stopping at Bootleg Bar-B-Q. If you ever make it try the bread pudding...you won't regret it!
8. Ben Williams has trained me well. Ben is my judging coach and we will not be in a moving vehicle for any more than an hour and he will require us to get out the cards...for the safety of us his state fleet license (which if removed would leave us with only Ohio to drive :s) I will not discuss our cards any further. I begged and pleaded Jim and Deb to play on the way down to Louisville and they just wouldn't do it! I was getting mad. I even stooped as low to buy Iowa cards and they never got used! Finally on the way home, I convinced them to play some spades and I am going to blame my two losses on Deb; she was a newbie right?
All in all the trip to Louisville was great. I don't think I will be doing it anytime soon and I will be surprised if either of Misty's brothers makes the drive to Memphis in three weeks to witness her graduation but I know we were all happy we went! For my first major holiday away from home, I am glad I was able to spend it with Jim, Deb, Misty, Mark and Matt and I am sure there will be lots of Purfeerst adventures in my future :)
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