The other derby

Normally my evenings and weekends are filled with roller derby, but last Saturday afternoon B and I watched the other derby- The Kentucky Derby.

Now, I am NOT a fan of horse racing (or the Kentucky Derby's sponsor YUM Foods), but I couldn't resist the opportunity to dress up for a party, wear a funny hat, and drink mint juleps.



I even won a prize for best dressed female!

Maybe next year peta2 and Rose City Rollers should join forces and host an alternative event- the Kentucky Roller Derby??? I'm picturing derby girls dressed like ponies racing around the track and legions of derby fans and animal rights activists in flowery hats. We could sell mint juleps and sweet tea instead of PBR. Sounds like fun, right?

Let's hear it for my boys...

...yeah, let's give the boys a hand...

All is well in the world.
I found the Iron City.

And the pierogies. This is the vegan brand.

Yum.

B challenged me to invent a new savory waffle topping last weekend when we were breakfasting on traditional waffles with Earth Balance and maple syrup so I came up with a Primanti Brothers Waffle in honor of the Steelers. It's a savory waffle with peppered tofurkey slices, fakin' bacon, soy cheeze, spinach, tomato, and an avocado sauce on top of a steamy, hot waffle. With fries on top. Obviously.

We hung out at Punchkin's, ate a lot, drank, and I knit anxiously, swinging the Terrible Towel around at crucial moments when the Steelers needed my support.

The Steelers won. The cats rejoiced.

The Bus was very proud and likes his new Superbowl Ring.


To recap, I heart Blitzburgh.

Funny, I don't feel any older

But I am. I'm officially 30. I don't know what the big deal is, so far it seems okay to me.

My mom sent me a hat I used to wear in 9th grade and a box of prunes for my birthday.

B looks prettier in the hat than me. Maybe he should dress up like Blossom for Halloween.

My mom sent more presents, but I'm not opening those until later tonight after I go out for Ethiopian food with Marci, Pain, Cuft, Corrie, and Vixen.
Analog didn't want to wait. She wanted to open my presents last night.

Then she decided hanging out in a box lid full of newspaper with The Bus would be more fun.

I'm looking forward to spending the post-dinner part of my evening with the kitties and Dr. Gregory House until B gets home from work.

On a semi-related birthday note, earlier this week, EZ sent around this poem by Maya Angelou:

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a youth she’s content to leave behind….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…
It made me think that now that I'm 30, I probably need a black lace bra. And I've decided to get a moisturizer that contains SPF. I've got the cordless drill, amazing friends, my own furniture, B, and dishware, so once I get some undergarments and lotion, I'll be all set. I'm pretty lucky.

As promised...

Here are some photos from the party Friday night.

I modeled my apple hat for B before the guests arrived...


And he helped me spike the cider.


Our secret ingredients were Pyrat Rum and Triple Sec.


There's only one piece of this pie left today. I made vegan cinnamon ice cream to go with it, the recipe is posted below.


Aiden was my partner when we started off the night. There were too many people to play individually, we split into 2-3 person teams.


We were off to a pretty good start, we won neglected and filthy, but once his favorite card of all time, "girlfriends" didn't win, he deserted me for fairer company.

I wish the photo wasn't so dark. My camera died down before the party did.

Here's that recipe:
Vegan Cinnamon Ice Cream
3 cups soy creamer (I used Trader Joe's brand)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Whisk ingredients together, chill. Pour into ice cream maker. Turn it off after 20 minutes.

So easy and yummy! I like to mix strawberries into cinnamon ice cream, it sounds like a weird combination, but I think it is ice cream Cindy Lauper would like to eat.

Do you think my hat could pose as a strawberry hat in the summer? Or is decidedly an apple?