In which I make my society-page debut (with another woman)

Press passes are sexy.

Marriage tip: If your society-page debut is with another woman, inform your wife of the situation ahead of time.

At Churchill Downs for the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Position Draw Luncheon, Louisville.com turf writer Jessie Oswald and I got photographed for The Voice-Tribune. Don’t just admire the photo here though; select the link to encourage the Louisville weekly to run photos of me more often:

The Voice-Tribune—Breeders’ Cup Position Draw Luncheon

That this photo leads off the Voice-Tribune’s gallery is evidence that the pics are ranked in order of subject attractiveness.

Photo: Voice-Tribune/Bill Wine

Louisville.com is again a Breeders’ Cup media partner

In 2011, Louisville.com (me = editor-in-chief) is again a media partner of the Breeders’ Cup, horse racing’s world championship.

We’ll be at Churchill Downs all week, covering everything from the draw to the post-Breeders’ Cup Classic press conferences.

Photo: Courtesy Breeders’ Cup

107.7 SFR’s Classic Rock Showdown finale: I be the judge

REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin (left) is not one of the "music industry professionals" judging 107.7 SFR's Classic Rock Showdown finale this Saturday. But I am.

As part of my ongoing quest to attain local celebrity status, I’ll be judging 107.7 SFR’s Classic Rock Showdown finale this Saturday. Music starts at 8 p.m. at Third Base Tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind. (134 Spring St.).

Come out and be the Paula to my Simon. I’ll be the guy drinking like it’s free, because, for me, it is.

Four bands will play 35-minute sets each. I’m judging based on

• performance (technical)
• stage presence
• station fit
• crowd response
• girth

2011 is my second time judging the finale; last year was a blast, despite some concerns about how the second-place band’s groupies would respond to a second-place finish. You don’t want to irk a rock cover band’s groupies.

Louisville.com places second in 2011 LEO Weekly Readers’ Choice awards

Hot on the heels of winning Louisville Magazine‘s Best of Louisville award for local website, Louisville.com (me = editor-in-chief) placed second in the 2011 LEO Weekly Readers’ Choice awards for best local website.

Congrats to LouisvilleKy.com on doing a better job stuffing the ballot box than we did (I really thought hiring those Vietnamese Elancers to vote for us each day would’ve paid off better).

Photo: Courtesy LEO Weekly

I’m on vacation

My daughter and I are looking forward to making faces at my parents in person, and not just on the webcam.

While I’ve been fortunate enough to travel all over the damn place of late, it’s been three long years since my wife and I took an honest-to-God vacation longer than a three-day weekend. That changes now when we head to my hometown of Reading, Mass. (just north of Boston) for a couple days to stay in my parents’ cozy accommodations (reviewed here), have dinner with a new friend I met in Beijing, and drink with a few old friends I met as far back as nursery school.

After that, it’s three days in Vermont (near where the recent floods hit) for my wife’s law school reunion. Then we’re off to Nantucket for five days with my folks. Growing up my family occasionally vacationed on the island. I hated Nantucket trips: beaches + restaurants + cutesy shops = boring. At 8 years old, I favored fast-paced visits to big cities, a preference I’ve maintained ever since. Until this year. I couldn’t be happier about our destination (and not just because my parents will be providing free childcare while my wife and I celebrate our anniversary at one of our favorite restaurants, The Boarding House).

Don’t follow along in real time at Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr—I won’t be Tweeting, updating, or checking in (other than for reading, restaurant recommendations, and directions, Uncle iPhone’s getting a rest too). Our capable intern is covering for me at Louisville.com and I’m limiting myself to a quick 15-minute check of my other email and voice mail each morning. As much as I love my job, I’m looking forward to dining at a restaurant and not jotting down my thoughts on the meal.