Happy Anniversary

To celebrate our recent 12th anniversary, Charles and I visited Louisville. (And let me shout out to Grandma and Grandpa for babysitting the boy overnight.) We explored Churchill Downs, which was very cool, and visited the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. The Slugger factory is quite interesting. I especially enjoyed learning how they dispose of their tons of sawdust every week: a turkey farmer from Indiana drives in and picks it up to use on his farm. That's a pretty ingenious way to get rid of your factory waste. We wondered when we got there why everyone walking on the streets had small baseball bats, but we discovered that they give one away to everyone who takes the factory tour. Free souvenirs are always welcome, although we think that the unofficial motto of the museum should be "Louisville Slugger: Arming the Citizens of Louisville Since 1996."

We then spent the evening on 4th Street, which is Louisville's miniature version of Beale or Bourbon Streets. We parked ourselves at Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar, which is apparently bachelorette party central, as we witnessed no fewer than eight bride-to-bes making utter fools of themselves on stage. Several of their parties had matching T-shirts; my favorites were the ones that proclaimed "Natalie's Bachelorette Party - Let's Get Ready to Stumble." Very classy. But everyone, including us, had a great time. Any night I get a chance to sing along to "Sweet Caroline" (Sweeeet Caroline - BUH BUH BUHHHH!) is a good night in my book. And between the band, the World's Most Dangerous Wait Staff, the brides, the group at the next table doing shots with a turkey baster, and the convention of wild postmasters, we were highly entertained.

And, just because I can, here are some more then-and-now pictures:

Our wedding, August 1996:


At the bat factory, August 2008:


Sadly, there are no pictures from our evening at Howl at the Moon. I bet there are eight wickedly hungover brides in Louisville who wish they could say the same thing.