Kentucky Chamber Day

January 5th was an evening I would love to have stayed home where it was warm and comfy. But nooooo...Claude had agreed we would take two seats at a table purchased by Kentucky League of Cities for Kentucky Chamber Days banquet. This is a biggy. We watched weather and heard how bad the roads were. We would need to get from Sadieville into downtown Lexington at Heritage Hall in the Lexington Convention Center. Claude really felt like we needed to attend this, so, we dressed up in nice duds and hoped in the bright yellow Jeep and left early enough we would not have to hurry in the least to get there. 

At the same time, the Kentucky had begun its legislative session with a BANG several days before! This time the Republicans hold the majority in the House and the Senate and the Governor of Kentucky is also Republican. This hasn't happened since 1921. They were determined they were going to waste no time in getting some things accomplished. Two major bills were under discussion and being prepared for passing and signing by Governor Matt Bevin. The speakers after this dinner were to be leaders in the Kentucky Chamber and the Kentucky Legislature. As it turned out, the House was still in session and the Speaker of the House, Jeff Hoover, wouldn't get there. He called in and talked to us over the phone for his speech. 

The first speaker was Bill Lear. He started his speech with "If someone told me a year ago the Republicans would have control of the house and the senate, I would have told them 'When hell freezes over'". Then he paused and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you hell!" (alluding to that awful snow and icy mess outside. We all laughed.

Another quotable he stated was, "If we keep doing what we are doing we'll get what we got." I'm not sure if he was using his own words or quoting someone at that point. But it is very clever whoever said it.

Morgan McGarvy, spoke for the Senate Minority Leader who could not make it. He was definitely the comedian of the evening. He was also a Democrat and was feeling the strain of being a Democrat with the Republicans wielding so much power these days. He said, "I feel like I am at my first AA meeting. I should be saying, 'Hi, I'm Morgan McGarvy and I am a Democrat!'"  Then he said that Mariah Carey, who had a bad experience trying to sing the National Anthem that week, called the Democrats to say she heard they were having a bad week in Kentucky. Roars of laughter from the audience.

Someone later in the evening quoted Will Rogers as saying, "Even if you are on the right path, you will get run over if you just sit there." 

It was a nice evening. Claude got us into the Lexington and back to Sadieville with no accidents. A major accomplishment on the roads that evening. The meal was delicious this time with Filet Mignon and Crab Cakes. The speakers were interesting and some were down right entertaining. And I made it through another event. Yeah me!