Run for the Rose' ....Redneck Style

I love being from Louisville. No matter where I may roam this great world and plant my roots, this will always be the Motherland. One of the joys of Louisville is Derby Week. This festive week before the most notable two minutes in sports, The Kentucky Derby, is filled with all sorts of activities understood only by those who reside here. We have Balloon Races, Steamboat Races, Mini and Full Marathons, Parades, and all sorts of other oddities. The oddities range from Bed Races, where teams push a bed around an arena, to the Run for the Rose', an obstacle course where people race with trays of wine-filled glasses, attempting not to spill a drop. Any excuse for an event, we do it.

Yesterday afternoon while we were working away in the office, we noticed an interesting sight out our window. We overlook a park in front of one of the many Humana buildings downtown. Affectionately called "Smoker's Park," we observe some pretty interesting happenings in our voyeuristic moments. The vision we experienced yesterday was an employee parody of the Run for the Rose'....what I like to call "Redneck Style." So here's how it all shook out...from our assumptions on high. Teams were paired into twos. Trays of little ramekins were filled with some red liquid....kool-aid?...we can only hope. And two office chairs were sitting at the starting line. (I guess to do it in teams, you need props) The race begins with the one seated holding the tray, while the other ran and pushed them down the sidewalk. At the end of the sidewalk, the team members switched places. All while keeping the tray and "rose'" intact. We saw two very predictable, but not quite killer wipeouts. People, you are pushing an office chair down a sidewalk....injuries will ensue.

This provided some great afternoon entertainment. We're not really sure who won or what the prize was....maybe just the joy of bragging rights that you can run and push an office chair without killing someone. I can't wait to see what other parodies will occur out our window the rest of the week. As a matter of fact, right now those Humana employees are conducting a Derby Hat Fashion Show down the middle of the park. Isn't it comforting to know how your insurance premiums are working for you?