2007 Palm Beach Derby's Daily Dish

Astrid's Journal - March 4, 2007: Honky Tonk Highlight

I woke up early Saturday morning for some computer work and my A.M. assignment: to photograph the CDI Grand Prix in ring 1. It was a very sunny morning and my sunburnt skin still felt tender, as if a thousand needles pricked into my skin as soon as one ray of sunshine hit it.

With a full staff working at the Derby this year, Mary shooting at ring 2, Lyndee Kemmet interviewing riders for the articles, Kristine Lundblad organizing photos in the camper and Tracey Scharf handling photo orders instantly, there wasn't that much work pressure (I'm used to stressful times covering a gigantic show such as Devon). I had much room for some creativity in my photography and was very satisfied with the pictures that I took that morning.

In the afternoon I shot the Young Riders I hadn't photographed the day before and there was plenty of free time for me to wander around and check out the trade fair (usually there is no time for that). Dr. Marvin Hausman and Jeff Jensen were working hard promoting their Mushroom Matrix feed supplement and people crowded round there little table (set up next to Mary's booth) all day long.

In the early evening I uploaded the CDI scores and the lovely articles that Lyndee wrote during the day. Mary and JJ were invited to attend the exclusive party that Janne and Stanley Rumbough generously hosted at the Everglades club for the Derby officials and several riders and trainers. Marvin was in charge of taking us girls out so Lyndee, Tracey and I joined him and Jeff for dinner at Nicole's in Wellington.

It took a while for Marvin to find the place and Tracey had to call Nicole's for directions. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was packed. We had to wait 15 minutes before we got our table and then got served by a friendly but overstressed girl who couldn't uncork one of the bottles Marvin brought from his own vineyard in Oregon (2005 Quailhurst Pinot Noir - Verona reserve). The girl broke off the cork and I saw Marvin shudder over the desecration of his baby. When we ordered burgundy glasses to serve the red wine in, they came up with filthy, tiny glasses one might use for the pop soda Fanta. A better faith for them would be to smash them in a big bar brawl, but we are decent people, so we kept our manners. When it was obvious that it was impossible to get decent red wine glasses, Marvin asked to speak the manager and we got proper glasses straight away. The power of complaint!

We had a decent dinner, I ate delicious tuna sashimi and so-so mahi mahi (it was overcooked). I had one cosmopolitan and had to conclude that the cosmos I make myself are much tastier (and stronger). Oh well, we did have fantastic conversations and cracked jokes all the time.

Tracey is not used to staying up late, but Marvin and Jeff didn't feel like going to bed either, so on our way home, Marv drove us to Boonies where a band named "Burnt Biscuit" was performing. On the parking lot, weird cars and trucks were part with Confederate flags sticking out. I stepped out of the car and shouted, "Vote for Hillary Clinton," keeping the tv-show Top Gear in mind (the Top Gear crew got smashed up by some Hillbillies for saying that). I had been to Boonies before for dinner with Mary and JJ, but it looked completely different that night. Cowboys, hillbillies, men wearing old fashioned 19th century hats, that I recognize from watching North and South on tv. Women tattooed all over their bodies, greasy hair in a ponytail. I couldn't believe my eyes! There was line dancing and square dancing going on, two-step, and much more. Men wearing jeans and leather chaps and rhythmically moving their bodies to absolutely great honky tonk music. It was an absolute culture shock that I experienced there but it was great. And I drank a wonderful Long Island ice tea to round off the evening.

P.S: A photo from Boonies is coming later. I took it with my cell phone but don't have the cable with me to download it to my computer.