Just here for the food
Written by hootenannie on May 12th, 2008You are dying to know what I did this weekend. Trust me: you are.
Well, between meeting up with a fellow Annie who is moving to Nashville in the summer (and who is AWESOME and HYSTERICAL and TOTALLY friend-material), dumpster diving for Vanderbilt dorm left-overs, and crying my way through church (it happens), I attended the Iroquois Steeplechase.
Late on Friday afternoon, co-worker offered me two free passes to Steeplechase – and not just any passes: wristbands that would get me into the CORPORATE VILLAGE, full of free food and booze.
Dude. I am so in.
However, sadly, since it was such late notice, I didn’t know anyone who could attend with me. Did that stop me? Oh, I think not. On Saturday morning, I thought to myself, “I could stay home by myself, or I could go to a free event by myself.” And honestly, why else did I have a plaid, belted sundress just hanging in my closet?
Exactly.
So I curled my hair, and put on my makeup and my cute dress, and drove down to Percy Warner Park for a classy, high-society event of a Steeplechase.
If you’re anything like me, you would be freaking out about what people might wear to a horse race. I had no idea. Luckily, I had watched the Kentucky Derby enough times on TV to know that I at least needed to wear a dress.
And now, let me take it upon myself to be the solver of your future quagmires. If you ever find yourself in the position that I found myself in – free tickets, and no idea of what might be wardrobe-appropriate for an equestrian event – then take it from me. Because, as I discovered, an event like this is not really about the horses – it’s all about the attire.
If you’re a woman, you wear this.
And if you’re a man, you wear this.
Seriously, if I was to give an award for the best hat of the day, it would be to this woman. A fabulous hat, without being gaudy. Congratulations, Winner of Annie’s Hat Contest! You set a classy example for us all.
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Oh yeeah. I love this so much. Yay Annie! Yay carpe diem! Yay for eye-popping hats!
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Oh my gosh! I wish I would have known you were going. I went, for the first time ever, but I wasn’t in the corporate village. I was in the midfield with the huddled masses. It was definitely an experience I won’t forget. And we need to hang out. (please don’t hold it against me that I paid to go, and actually really wanted to go ;))
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AHHHHH Annie!!!! Please imagine how much I love this (the clothes, the hats, the sunshine, the GLORY of it all).
And then times it by 10.
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we have a lot of horse races in oregon, but no fance horse derbys. and gosh dangit, i never get the chance to socialize wearing eccentric hats. :( please invite me one day!
<3k.
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I am so excited that you were able to meet the other Annie! She’s my first cousin and I found your blog from a comment you left on her blog. I read some of your stuff and hoped that you and my Annie would get together. You both have such great personalities and such sweet spirits. I hope you are able to build a friendship when she moves up there.
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Just here for the food? Sure you were.
This weekend was awesome- glad we got to hang.
I think my favorite part is that a) you either had a stranger take a picture of you or b) you did the self-timer. Both are glorious and shame free.
I love that my cousin just commented. That is hilarious. That’s how we roll, Annie. She’s one of my peeps. :)
You and me? Born to be friends? Probably.
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Haha… those derbies are quite interesting.
BTW, I thought you should know that:
1.) you are HIGHlarious!
2.) I totally think we need to start some sort of Annie conference/get together… I’m pretty sure we’re all awesomely quirky in our own little ways.
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I love the South!!! Seriously, where else would people wear hats like that and not feel one ounce of shame?
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We M-U-S-T wear brilliant hats and go to a Steeplechase together someday in the nearer than further future.
MUST.
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Thank you for going to this event. I hate to think I might have missed this lovely event and the fab hats that accompanied!
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You totally should have known about the hats from Mary Poppins,
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I have never seen such things. Marvelous.