Nomad Life - Day 48

I slept so well that I was surprised (because it was still dark) to check my clock and find it was 0600!  Camille and Michael had showed me an office across the hall from my bedroom and I immediately started teleworking there.  For the next 90 minutes, I kept at my normal tasks and then decided to check downstairs to see if anyone else was awake.  I found Camille getting ready for her own telework day and she pointed me towards some breakfast items - I ended up having cereal and a bagel and then resumed my telework.  As my Wednesdays typically go, I had meetings scheduled all morning, with a break after lunch and then more meetings.  With the little window (roughly two hours) I had, it seemed like a good idea to try to squeeze in another Distillery tour.  I was able to make one at the Woodford Reserve property and, after getting some more work (and laundry) done, I left Shelbyville (1140) and drove (via I-64) the towards Frankfort suburbs (I exited the Interstate at US-60, south of the Capital).  Unfortunately, this wasn't enough time for me to make it on time to Versailles and the Distillery - I arrived about five minutes late for my 1215 tour and no one at the check-in desk was able to escort me to join my scheduled group.  Since I was in the wrong for arriving late, I figured I'd just be sucking up the cost of the missed tour.  Instead, though, the staff apologized to me and gave me a voucher for tasting in the gift shop.  I later learned that this credit was a good bargain because the tasting alone (full price) cost $30 and I hadn't even spent half of that for the tour.  Also, I only had to walk a short distance to reach the tasting area and was treated to a flight of the Woodford Reserve family of brands: Bourbon, Rye, Malt, Wheat and Double Oaked.  I'd had a few of them before but it was interesting to try them all in a series.  The gift shop building had lots of walls with glass cases for the many Woodford Reserve varieties and it reminded me of my friend's (Danny's) collection in Virginia Beach... While I was tasting (1230), I struck up a conversation with an older couple who I later learned were from Wales.  They were recovering from the extreme heat and weren't in the mood to try the different whiskeys.  Still, they were very interested in what I thought and then introduced me to their extended family: daughter (from Wales), son-in-law (from Galway, Ireland), daughter (from the US) and her boyfriend (US Army Veteran from the US).  The entire group was very friendly and offered a lot of suggestions for places I should go in the area and activities I shouldn't miss.  For my part, I was very intrigued to learn that they were "horse racing people" who had just taken a tour of the stables where "American Pharaoh" (triple crown winner) was kept.  With the horse "family" life they lived - and a bar with off-track betting facilities they owned - they definitely had the connections to get such a tour.  In addition, they told me I should attend a local horse auction that was connected with Churchill Downs - it sounded very swanky.  By the time we all departed (1300), I had a feeling that I really hadn't "missed" the tour but, instead, had a better time tasting on my own.  From the Distillery, I returned (via the same route I'd used earlier) to Shelbyville and had a nice phone call with my friend, Ramesh B.  At 1345, I arrived at Camille and Michael's home again and, after she made me a ham & cheese sandwich (accompanied by veggie chips and cantaloupe), I resumed my telework day.  At 1530, I took another break and drove Camille to a nearby auto repair shop (she needed to pick up her car there).  The weather was still pleasant but it was very warm (high 80s).  After a quick car swap back at Camille and Michael's home in Shelbyville, I rode with Camille into downtown Louisville (US-60, KY-1848, I-64 and I-264) so we could visit the Zoo.  There was plenty of westbound traffic for some reason...  We arrived at about 1645 and (thanks to Camille's annual membership) spent the next 75 minutes walking around (about two miles total) and admiring the many interesting exhibits.  The shade in the zoo was very conducive to being outdoors (not so hot without the direct sunlight).  Everyone in the area has been so friendly and respectful.  Before we were done with our visit, we saw some amazing animals and I had only one regret: I was sad that I didn't get to see the Snow Leopard.  Unfortunately, the Zoo closed at 1800 and we had to return to our car.  Using I-264, I-64, KY-1848 and US-60, we returned to Shelbyville.  We made a stop so that Camille could shop at the Walmart (I waited in the car) but, by 1845, we were home again.  Once inside, I immediately returned to teleworking and kept at while Camille cooked dinner.  By 1930, I was able to join her and Michael for another delicious meal (organic burgers and baked potatoes) - even after we were finished eating, we continued talking until well after 2030.  After that, though, Michael excused himself and headed to bed.  Camille and I still had conversation left to share and weren't finished until almost 2130.  After she went to bed, I took a short (1 mile) walk (to get the rest of my 10K steps) in the neighborhood.  By then, the weather was much nicer (temp-wise) and I was glad I'd thought of going outside again.  Once I was finished (2200), I got ready for bed and then read until about 2300.  Along the way today, I figured out that I might not have done any activities or exploring in the Louisville city limits since mid 1991 (!) - it was good to be back!