Sunday, April 23, 2006

Back in Louisville

Returned to Louisville and came face to face with the start of Derby madness yesterday. It was Thunder over Louisville day complete with shows by the Blue Angels, Helicopter maneuvers over the Ohio River. A true show of military force complete with tanks on the Kennedy Bridge. The Kennedy spans the Ohio River and connects Kentucky to Indiana for interstate 65. If one did not know better one would think we were under siege by FRIENDLIES. And then there are the fireworks. Billed as one of the world largest fireworks show. Thousands come to downtown Louisville to be part of the festivities. NOT ME. NOT BY CHOICE.

I was lucky enough to get to Louisville before they closed the interstate to traffic.

After the long drive I had a hankering for something substantial for dinner. I had breakfast in Columbia. Had nursed one cup of coffee from Starbucks for nearly 300 miles. Had eaten no lunch on the way.

So my friend Kathy A picked me up in her care and she and I went to Toni Roma's for dinner. Both the company and the ribs were great. She dropped me back home after seeing me into the downstairs door.
She thinking I was safely side my house, she drove off, going to see her daughter who lives near me and who is recovering from knee surgery done on Friday.

What follows is a comedy and the reason for friends who will come to your rescue.
It went like this.

Using my cell phone."Kathy, do you still have a key to my house?" I asked when she answered the phone at her daughter's.
After a short thoughtful pause, "I think so." she said, "Why?"
"I'm locked out. Justin's gone, he has the Jeep and I wasn't thinking and I gave him my car keys with the house key on the ring by mistake."
"Oh, I really don't know"
Could you come back over here and see if you do. Don't rush. If you need to do something more for Steffie, I can wait."
Where are you now?" she asked"
"In the building sitting on the steps."
"Drink your coffee, I'll be there as soon as I can."
when I discovered that I was locked out I thanked God that I had stopped for a cup of coffee from you know where on the way home from Toni Roma's.

Kathy A was not too long in coming, but when she did we found out she did not have a key to my place on her ring. Now me, I had keys to her place plus a key to my other friend Kathie K's house who happened to be in Philly for the weekend.
So Kathy A and I got back in her car and went 3/8's of a mile to Kathie K's house to look for my key there only to learn when we called her on her cell in Philly to find out were in her house she had it, we learned my key was not in her house but was with her on her key chain in Philly. A heck of a lot of good that was going to do, RIGHT.

There was not need to go to Kathy A's she did not have a clue were my key in her house could be since it was not on her key chain. The likelihood that a search in her new house would produce my key was fruitless, since she has not completely unpacked or organized her place.

A call to my daughter Rene who lives 10 miles away resulted me locating a key. Only problem, she lives off of Interstate 64 just as I do and 64 is the shortest and quickest route to her house on a normal day. But remember I told you several hundred words back that this was Thunder day. Nothing is normal on this day and nothing is normal in Louisville will be normal for two weeks. Normal again for us will not happen again. Not until the Derby is in the history books.

So three mile from my house on Interstate 64 we came to sudden stop as traffic was being diverted from interstate 64 onto the Watterson Expressway. The WE is the inner loop around the city. We inched along at about 2 miles an hour for three more miles before the detour. The only saving grace to the trip and massive traffic jam was we got to see a spectacular display of fire works above the city. Amazing, 15 miles from the city and we could see them. Best yet, no thundering sound or the smell of gun powder.

We finally got to Rene's, got the key and got back onto 64. With Kathy driving her normal speedy way I was finally able to get into the shower and bed.







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