How The Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical

This past Saturday my parents and I went to Nashville for the day to see "How The Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical." The Grinch (the original cartoon one that is) is probably my favorite of the Christmas classics. My mom gets me a Lennox Grinch figurine every year for Christmas and I just generally love the story. So, when I saw that the musical was coming to Nashville I decided to go and asked my parents if they'd like to come along as well. Mother said yes, my dad said no and so I bought two tickets for me and my mother. Then my dad felt left out and so I bought him a ticket too. Long story short, the play was this past Saturday and the three of us went. 

We left Huntsville around 10:00 a.m. and headed north. We anticipated the traffic to be slightly insane around the Grand Ole Opry and it was; but, we found a restaurant close by and were able to enjoy a nice lunch before making our way over tot he Opry House. After lunch we had about an hour to spare before the show started and it took almost that long to get the two or three miles from the restaurant to the venue. We were having no luck finding a parking spot; so, my dad dropped me and mother off at the curb so we could get the tickets from Will Call and he went off to find a spot to park. Mother and I got the tickets and left my dad's at Will Call for him since we didn't know how long it would take him to find a place to park. As luck would have it, he found a spot pretty soon after dropping us off and actually beat us to the seats. We were in the balcony and the Opry House has a wheelchair lift that took some time to get to and use. 

The show started on time and overall was good. It wasn't as wonderful as I had pictured it in my head. Since I am a lover of the original, I don't like much deviation and this show had a lot of musical numbers that were not in the cartoon. Overall the story was the same, but I think I was anticipating it to be an acted out version of the cartoon as someone narrated and it wasn't like that at all. Also, I was either very tired or it was very slow in some spots because there were times when I thought I might fall asleep. I'm glad we went though because we did all enjoy the outing and it was nice to do something Christmasy that we haven't done before. 

When the show was over, we headed back to the wheelchair lift and had to wait on some other folks before mother had her turn. We finally made it outside and were soon on our way home. Ya'll when we got on the interstate to head home, you would not believe the amount of traffic trying to exit at Opry Mills for shopping. I bet the traffic was backed up for five miles or more. It was nuts. This is why I shop online, my friends. 

We made it back to Huntsville around 6:30 p.m. or so and called it a night. We had originally planned on going to a concert at the library but by the time we got back, we were all tired and ready to go home. It was a fun day and I'm glad we were able to enjoy some family time together doing something Christmasy. 

A Night Out in Nashville

Well, I never found the post I lost. That is seriously one of life's great mysteries. So, I'll try to recreate it as best I can. 

So, earlier this year when I wrote this post, I mentioned it was the last concert of 2015, but apparently I was a liar because as luck would have it, the concert gods had one more show in store for me. the Sunday after the Foo Fighters show, I was having dinner with my cousins and some friends of ours (Russell and Cindy) were over as well. Lauren and I were telling Russell about our Foo Fighter's experience and somehow it triggered him to tell us all about Tab Benoit and what a great show he puts on. Tab is from Louisiana and sings a Cajun/Zydeco type of music and Russell was pretty fired up when he was talking about the show he had been to. The next thing I knew, Russell was looking up the dates for upcoming shows and then we were all buying tickets. 

The show was last Tuesday and there ended up being 13 of us who went up to see it. The show was held at City Winery in downtown Nashville which is a very nice venue. I had never heard of it before buying my ticket to the show and was very impressed with the place. I rode up with my cousins Jan, Benny, Anna and Randy and because of rush hour and a couple of accidents, we arrived a little after 6:30. The seats are such that you are actually seated at a table and you can dine before the show, which is why we arrived early. I think everyone was happy with the meals they ordered. I had the steak which came with a cauliflower and mushroom puree and asparagus, all of which was delicious.  

The opening act, who's name I cannot remember to save my life, came on stage about 7:30 and played for 45 minutes or so. He was actually quite good and I enjoyed listening to him. Tab took the stage around 9:00 p.m. and seriously, the folks in the crowd went a little nuts. It was rather humorous. Tab can play the guitar like nobody's business and doesn't have a bad voice to boot. That particular night was hi birthday and I'm here to tell you the man was three sheets to the wind (or drunk for those of you who are not familiar with the expression). He ended up doing a whole lot more talking than singing and playing which basically amounted to us getting a stand-up show in conjunction with the concert. I couldn't tell you the last time I laughed that hard. I don't know if he always talks that much, but he sure talked that night and it was hilarious. 

The stand-up show/concert ended around 11:00 p.m. at which point we discovered that one of the couples who came with us paid for everyone's meals, which was an incredibly nice gesture and took everyone by surprise. We collected the truck from valet parking and then headed back south. Most of us stayed awake for about 45 minutes of the drive before nodding off to sleep. Big thanks to my cousin Benny for driving all us sleepyheads home through the night. It was a very fun night and a great way to end the 2015 concert season! 

The Last Concert of 2015

I saw the Foo Fighters on Monday night and y'all, it was so good. My brother has always said I'm the biggest Foo Fighters fan he knows, which I personally consider a huge compliment. So, when they announced a tour and tickets went on sale back in February, you'd better believe I took advantage of that pre-sale and ended up in the nose bleed section. I was in the building, people and that's all that matters. 

My cousin Lauren accompanied me for the show which was in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. We made plans over the weekend to leave town at 3:30 p.m. so we could get to Nashville in time for dinner before the show. That morning, I was scrolling through Twitter when I notice that my friend Grayson said he was pumped about the show and so I contacted him and his wife Margaret Anne (who is one of my closest friends) to see if they wanted to ride with me and Lauren. They had gotten tickets at the last minute which is a long story in an of itself. MA and Grayson got to my house a little after 3:00 p.m. and we soon headed over to pick up Lauren and made our way north. 

We got to Nashville a little after 5:00 p.m. and met MA's sister and her boyfriend at Five Points Pizza for dinner. MA's sister had the tickets that MA and Grayson were going to use that evening. Is this story getting confusing yet because I feel a little confused and I was there. Anyway, we ordered pizzas and sodas and enjoyed a yummy dinner together before parting ways. We found a spot to park downtown and walked to the arena. Grayson and I bought t-shirts because we each were in desperate need of a new t-shirt (she types sarcastically); but, it was the Foo Fighters and truth be told I've had a Foos shirt on my Christmas list the last couple of years so it's justified. 

As luck would have it, MA and Grayson's seats were in the section right next to mine and Lauren's seats which worked out perfectly because we were able to find each other very easily after the show. Gary Clark, Jr. was the opening act and he wasn't too bad. I'd never heard of him before so I was pleasantly surprised. Gary wrapped up his set a little after 8:00 p.m. and the Foo Fighters were scheduled to come on at 8:30 p.m. 

The Foos came out right on time and put on a fantastic show. They played for about two and a half hours and played songs old and new. There were a few songs I had my fingers crossed for that didn't get played, but that's the way it goes. I suppose they can't play every song or else we'd be there all night. Really, that would have been okay with me. Dave Grohl was hilarious as always and seriously big props to that guy for playing this tour with a broken foot. He had a "throne" designed so he could still play and sing while keeping off his foot. I had a great time at the show and cannot wait until they go on tour again, hopefully some time soon. 

We made it back to the car around 11:15-ish and were back in Huntsville around 1:30 a.m. We were all exhausted but everyone did a great job of keeping the conversation going so that no one would fall asleep. I think this is the last concert for me for 2015 which is kind of sad. You never know though, in a weird twist of fate I may end up at another show of some kind; but if the Foo Fighters is who I end the 2015 concert season with than it was a good note to end on.Can't wait to see what the 2016 concert season holds!

Leah's Dirty Thirty

OK, first, let me say that this whole "Dirty Thirty" thing must have come about in recent years because when I turned 30 all those years ago, "Dirty Thirty" wasn't a thing or else I would have had a big time with that phrase. Moving on... 

My friend Leah turned 30 earlier this month, September 5 to be exact. For her birthday bash, she decided to take a train excursion leaving from Nashville and the one she picked took place on September 26. So, this past Saturday was the big day. The train was scheduled to pull out from Nashville at 3:30 p.m. and you could start checking in at 3:00 p.m. I rode up with friends Christy and Amber. Our friend Holly was also supposed to ride with us, but she wasn't feeling well and had to back out at the last minute, So, our group of 11 became a group of 10. 

We found out seats on the train and soon were on our way. The train ride went from Nashville to Watertown, about a two hour trip one way. Christy and I were at a table with Jonathon and Caley and Caley looked like she was not feeling well at all. As it turns out, their daughter, Jonathon, and Jonathon's mother had all recently had the stomach virus and Caley felt like she was about to lose her lunch. She spent about half of the ride in the bathroom. When we got to Watertown, Jonathon and Caley stayed aboard the train while the rest of us disembarked. As it turns out, Caley felt so bad that they ended up calling a cab to drive them back to Nashville. One day, this will make for a funny story. So, our group was now eight. 

The eight of us walked down Main Street to Nona Lisa Pizzeria. Paul (Leah's husband) had the brilliant mindset to call ahead and order our pizza so by the time we got there, everything was ready. Also about the time we got there the bottom fell out of the sky and there was a steady rain for the next hour or so and we had two hours in the town. We managed to find outdoor seating under an awning and ate our delicious pizza and most of us managed not to get drenched. The pizza was seriously very good and Paul was super smart to call ahead because most everyone had to wait a while to get their food. 

There was a store across the street from the pizzeria that was open and I walked over there to see if there were any umbrellas. I was wearing a cream colored shirt and forgot to bring a rain jacket so I wanted to try and stay as dry as possible. They had one umbrella left and it was $4 and perhaps the cheapest umbrella of all time. I went ahead and bought it and of course it stopped raining soon after. Hey, if it took me spending $4 for the rain to stop, I'm okay with that. 

We spent the rest of the time in Watertown walking around the town. There was a candy shop, Walker Creek, that sold the most delicious caramels I have ever put into my mouth. You can order online in case you are into that sort of thing. Seriously, so good! There was also a "shootout" in the town for our entertainment but I missed all of that. The people who performed in the "shootout" were also the ones who "robbed" the train on the way to Watertown. I guess I forgot to mention that part. On the way up, we stopped about 30 minutes before arriving in Watertown to allow the robbers to come aboard and rob the train. They collected actual money which goes into a scholarship fund for the local high school. They've apparently provided over $10K in scholarships over the years, pretty impressive.  

After our time in Watertown, we boarded the train and headed back to Nashville. We arrived back around 9:30 p.m and were quickly in our cars and back on the interstate headed home. I think I got in bed about midnight Saturday and was thoroughly exhausted after a day full of activities. Happy 30th Leah! Glad I was able to celebrate with you and glad to have you as my friend!  

Road Trip to Atlanta

The last few days have been crazy busy - fun, but busy. Last Thursday, my dad and I drove over to Atlanta for a quick trip to see the sights. Our first stop was the World of Coca-Cola. I had been once before when I was a kid, but it has obviously been a while so we decided to make it one of our stops. I got us free tickets through the My Coke Rewards program which was nice. 

We took two hours or so to tour the facility. They had a lot of interesting and neat memorabilia and a lot of interesting facts about Coca-Cola, most of which I didn't know. At the end of the tour (and the only thing I remember from the last time I was there) you can taste different sodas from all over the world. I've got to say, Diet Coke is still number one in my heart even after tasting all those other flavors. 

At the end of the tour you get a free bottled Coke and then you are deposited into the gift store (of course). I bought a Diet Coke magnet and pen and my dad bought a lapel or hat pin, which he collects. When we checked out, you could buy a surprise bag for $1.99, $4.99 or $7.99. So, we both went for the $4.99 bag and both got the same thing which was a Coca-Cola notebook and pen. 

After our trip to the World of Coca-Cola, we walked back to the car and went over to Turner Field for the Braves vs. Mets game. There was no traffic on the way (probably because it was early and because the Braves are terrible) and we arrived at the park about two hours before game time. We got a free Bobblehead doll of Julio Tehran upon our arrival. There were so few people at the game they probably had enough dolls to give everyone two. We ate a hamburger at the restaurant in the stadium. It wasn't the greatest food ever, but it also wasn't the worst. 

When we finished our burgers, we walked around and watched the Braves drumline which was a lot of fun. They should play during the game too, I think it would make the game way more enjoyable. We then went to the gift store because all the merchandise was 50% off - it's the end of the season, y'all. Even though I'm not what one would consider a Braves fan, I still bought a t-shirt. They were my Papa's favorite so I'll wear it in his honor. 

We made our way to our seats which were on the first base line under the upper deck which was a good thing because not long after we sat down, there was a torrential downpour. We actually had to get up from our covered seats and move back because the wind was blowing water under the upper deck. There was thunder and lightening and quite a show by mother nature. The rain delay ended up being two and a half hours long. While we waited, they showed some documentaries on the jumbotron of John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux who were great Braves players back in the 1990s. My Papa loved watching those guys play. So, at least we were entertained while we waited for the rain to pass. 

Finally, at 9:30 p.m. we had the first pitch. The Braves are terrible and were losing 4-2 when we left at the bottom of the seventh. We only stayed that long because I bought a 50/50 raffle ticket and I was just sure I was going to win. Sadly, I did not. We then drove west down 1-20 for about 15 miles to our hotel for the night. FYI, the Braves lost 7-2.

The next morning we got up and ate breakfast pretty much right before it was shut down for the morning. Our plan was to go to the College Football Hall of Fame (CFBHF) and it didn't open until 10:00 a.m. so we weren't in a rush. After breakfast, we made our way back downtown and parked in the same lot we had parked in the day before and then walked over to the CFBHF. We got our tickets and made our way inside. 

When you go in, you sync your badge (ticket) to the computer and pick your team (Alabama, of course). Then, when you go through all the exhibits and you scan your badge, the tour is catered to your team. The second floor is all interactive exhibits. You can film yourself picking a winner on College Gameday, you can record a play-by-play of a famous game, you learn about teams and coaches and uniforms and the history of rivalries and how to run certain plays - it's all so much fun! 

There is also a movie at the beginning of the tour on the second floor about college football and it was very entertaining as well. There's lot of memorabilia to look at including trophies and old uniforms and items that belonged to famous coaches. 

On the third floor are the list of members in the CFBHF as well as some more trophies and a few more interactive items. There wasn't as much to look at on this floor. Then, on the bottom floor is the Chick-Fil-A fan experience where you can toss footballs into a net (I got two out of three!) and you can run through and obstacle and dive as someone throws you a ball (I caught it!) . You can also try ti kick a field goal which I didn't get to of because I wore sandals and I didn't think kicking a ball with my bare feet would feel too good. My dad gave this one a try and had the distance, but not the height. It's harder than it looks I guess. 

When we were done playing on the field, we perused the gift shop. I bought a Christmas ornament which I've been doing the past few years as I visit places and my dad got a hat pin. In all we spent about four hours at the CFBHF and probably could have spent even more time there. 

We wrapped up the afternoon by eating a meal at Legal Sea Foods. I happened to spot it as we were walking back to the car. My dad had the seafood casserole and I had a lobster roll and we were both happy with our decisions. We got back to Huntsville around 5:30 p.m. It was a very quick trip, but lots of fun. I'm glad we were able to get away to enjoy some time together. 

Rated Five Out Of Five Stars

Normally, I wouldn't devote a whole blog post to a Friday night singing because generally speaking, there's not much to tell. I go, I sing, I come home; but, today is different because there is a lot to tell about the singing I went to this past Friday night. 

Last month at the singing at Lincoln, I made plans with Erika's mom (and Erika) to go to the singing at Mt. Carmel which is between Athens and Rogersville. We finalized our plans this past week and come Friday afternoon, I met Kay at Erika's house and we drove out to Erika's office and soon the three of us were on our way. One of Erika's co-workers gave her excellent directions for back roads through Limestone County so that we were able to avoid the Friday afternoon traffic on Highway 72. The directions were a huge blessing because we got there very easily with no trouble or traffic, arriving about 30 minutes before the singing started. 

When we pulled into the parking lot, there were maybe five cars there and I've gotta admit, I wasn't too hopeful for the night ahead. We made our way inside and found a pew close to the front and spread out a little so we wouldn't be too crowded. We saw a few familiar faces here and there, but mostly the room was full of people we didn't know. About 15 minutes before the singing was to get started, I made my way to the back for a restroom break and noticed that the building was filling up fast and there were people lined up out the door to get in. Soon, men started bringing in folding chairs because we were at standing room only capacity. I'm not sure how many people that small auditorium holds, but by the time the count was done, there were 352 people packed in. 

The singing itself was fantastic. Usually at these events, we make it through all the leaders and then about halfway through again. At Mt. Carmel, there were so many leaders that we only made it through the list once. Now, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. Good because some leaders you don't necessarily want to lead again and bad because there are some leaders who I'd like to lead all night long. There was a pretty good mix of songs - slow and fast. There were some songs that really needed the pace picked up. There were familiar songs and songs that were so old even I had not heard them before. Overall, the actual singing portion of the night was fantastic. The building was swelled with song and it was so beautiful and moving. One of the black men who lead a song warned us that he might not lead like most of us were used to because to him the notes on the page were just a suggestion and that got the crowd rolling! 

When the singing was over, snacks were served. I told Erika and Kay that the folks at Mount Carmel might have to go out during the singing and make some more sandwiches because I didn't know if there would be enough food for everyone. As it turns out, in addition to the snack food the ladies at the church provided, the church also had catered fried fish, barbecue, coleslaw, hush puppies and potato salad from The Hickory Barn which is apparently somewhere close by. Y'all that fish was delightful as was the tarter sauce that accompanied it, which is a big plus! All I ate was fish and hush puppies and then went back for more. It was so good! Erika and Kay sampled not only the fish, but also the barbecue and some of the homemade treats from the ladies of the congregation. We ate until we could eat no more and there was still food left over. It was like the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. 

Since first writing this, I have learned from Erika that the folks at Mt. Carmel did in fact go out and order the catering while we were singing. They realized that they did not have enough food to feed all of those who came and placed the order with The Hickory Barn. So, that explains why there was an abundance of food and also why there was a combination of catered food and homemade food. Erika discovered this because her co-worker who had provided us the good directions was actually eating at The Hickory Barn when the catering order came in. It's a small world, y'all. It was so nice of the folks at Mt. Carmel to provide all that food for everyone. 

When we were done eating, we got in the car and made out way back to Huntsville, talking about what a great night it was at Mt. Carmel. We have it two thumbs up, five out of five stars, the best Friday night singing we've ever attended and we have already made plans to be there again next year. 

New Kids on the Block in Concert

Y'all, I saw New Kids on the Block in concert this week and it was fabulous. I'm not even sure I have the words to describe how great it was, but I will certainly give it my best shot. 

A few months ago I received an email that NKOTB was coming to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. My friends Candy and Kendra had seen them a couple of years ago when they were in Nashville and at that time I had no idea they were even touring. C and K kept talking about how great the show was; so. when I saw they were coming to Nashville, I asked them if they wanted to go. Long story short, we bought tickets. There were five of us who got tickets... me, Candy, Kendra, out friend Amy and Kendra's roommate Courtney. 

We have been so excited about this show ever since we got tickets and finally this Wednesday the day arrived! Candy came to my house a little before 3:00 p.m. and we hit the road pretty soon after she arrived. We made one stop at the Elkton exit to pick up Amy who lives around the corner from that exit and then we made our way to Nashville. There was a lot of traffic (of course) as people were getting off work and lanes were merging because of construction, but we managed to get parked around 5:30 p.m. I paid for the parking spot and did not get a receipt so then I had to call a customer service number which no one answered and then emailed a lady whose information I found online and another long story short, she confirmed we would not be towed for the night which was a great comfort to me. 

We ate dinner at one of my favorite Nashville spots, Demos' (they seriously have the best 1000 Island dressing of all time) and were done with plenty of time to walk the three tenths of a mile to the arena. We met Kendra and Courtney at the concert. They were supposed to have met us for dinner but were stuck in traffic and couldn't make it. So, while we were eating, Kendra managed to exchange our tickets for handicapped seats. Kendra, Candy and Courtney are all little people and so the handicapped seats make it much easier for them to see the show since no one is directly in front of the handicapped row. The seats were really great and I think we were all pleased with our location. 

The concert got off to a late start (not surprising) and Nelly opened the show for about 30 minutes or so. Y'all, I had no idea there were so many Nelly fans in the world. I feel like everyone but me was singing along and waving arms in the air like they just didn't care. I actually went and got a coffee during his performance because it wasn't doing much for me. I'm not a fan by any stretch of the imagination. The second act was TLC and they did a good job. I only knew about three of their songs, two of which were Scrubs and Waterfalls because who doesn't know those songs? 

Finally a little after 9:00 p.m. NKOTB came on the stage and the place went even wilder than it had for Nelly and TLC. I've been to a lot of concerts in my time on this earth, but I think this one contained the most screaming of any other concert I've ever intended. I thought my eardrums might explode before the night was over. NKOTB sang for around two hours and had two or three outfit changes. The stage, which was the length of the arena,  moved up and down in various sections and there were lots of pyrotechnics, streamers, confetti, etc. Their choreography was even more fantastic than it was the last time I saw them 26 years ago. They had so much energy and got the crowd involved. They went into the crowd and danced with people, brought people up on stage, etc. The atmosphere was electric and really just so, so much fun! Carrie Underwood was also there as a member of the audience! She had requested them to sing a song and they sang it for her and they showed her and her friends on the screens in the arena. It was such a fun night. I was surprised at how great the show was. I thought it would be okay but had no idea I would leave there blown away by how much fun the night was. I would go see them again in a heartbeat. I'm ranking this one in my top 10 concerts - it was that good. I know, I can hardly believe it either!  

When the show was over, we walked back to the car and as promised, there was no ticket or boot on the car so we were good to go. We hit the open road, dropped Amy off in Elkton, and made it back to Huntsville by 1:15 a.m. on Thursday. Another successful trip to a Nashville concert and so worth the trip. Can't wait for the next NKOTB show. Feeling like a 12 year old is fun! 

My First Night at The Ryman

This past Monday, I had the privilege of enjoying my first ever show at The Ryman in Nashville and y'all, it was absolutely magical. Earlier this year when The Ryman announced that Ryan Adams was coming, I decided that nothing was going to stop me from getting tickets to the show. He played two nights, Monday and Tuesday, and I was lucky enough to get two tickets to the Monday night show. I invited my friends Margaret Anne to come with me and we had such a fun night! 

I left work about 2:30 p.m. Monday afternoon and made a stop by the chiropractor before going home. MA, who is a high school teacher, made it to my house just a few minutes after me and we were soon on the road. While we drove to Nashville, I took the American history finals MA had written for her 11th grade students. Y'all, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I made a 55! Worst test score I've ever made I think. There is clearly a lot about the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis that I know nothing about. I've asked her to give me my terrible test paper so I can study up on what I don't know. 

We met MA's sister for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (sorry Mother!). We were going somewhere else close by, but that place was closed and so the Cheesecake Factory was the second choice. We enjoyed the dinner and got coffee and cheesecake to go. The coffee to help keep us awake and the cheesecake to eat at a later time. 

After dinner we made our way to The Ryman. Natalie Press opened the show at 8:00 p.m. We had never heard of her, but she wasn't terrible. Apparently folks in Nashville are familiar with her because I heard a lot of people say they loved her. Rayn Adams came on stage at 9:00 p.m. and absolutely rocked the house. As it got closer to 10 p.m. he was playing more mellow music and I thought MA and I might fall asleep right there on the pew of The Ryman; but, then, one of my other favorites, Jason Isbell, made a surprise appearance and it woke me up quickly. I even got tears in my eyes I was so excited! Jason played a song with Ryan and then headed backstage only to appear later with his wife while the three of them played and sang and it was so, so wonderful. The night ended just a little before 11:00 p.m. It was a fantastic evening and made my heart so very happy. 

We hit the road back home and made it back to Huntsville around 1:30 a.m. in Tuesday. Thankfully I had made the very wise decision to go in late and so I slept until 7:00 a.m. and went in at 9:00. I was tired, but not as tired as I would have been had I gone in at my normal hour. 

I'm so glad I finally made it to a show at The Ryman and I'm glad MA got to experience it with me! I'm headed back in October as I got tickets last week to see Jason Isbell there - oh, the irony! I can't wait! 

Biltmore Girls Trip - Part Two

On Saturday morning I rose bright and early before any of the other sleeping beauties who were on the trip. Once everyone was up, we got ready and hit the road around 9:00 a.m. (we had an hour plus drive from Lake Lure). We had planned to go to the Farmer's Market in Asheville before we went to the Biltmore. Someone had read online that the Farmer's Market had a deli and that it was super large. We had big expectations for this outing.

When we got to the Farmer's Market, there were hardly any booths open and the deli was closed. However, we didn't leave empty handed. Amber bought some jams and jellies and Leah came away with a basket.

We then headed on in to Asheville and grabbed some lunch at Jimmy John's before making our way to the Biltmore. We all had made our reservations online for 11:45 a.m. which was more or less the time we arrived at the will call to pick up our tickets since the traffic was bumper to bumper going into the estate.

After we got our tickets, we parked and took the tram to the estate and immediately went in for our tour. Most of us got an audio tour which was a good decision since there were no signs about the rooms in the house. The audio tour provided a history of the rooms and the Vanderbilt family and was very interesting.

The Downton Abbey costumes were scattered throughout the tour and placed in various rooms. They were the actual outfits worn in the show and the plaques about the outfits told who wore them and in what season and described what materials, etc. they were made from. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures inside the house, so we were't able to photograph the costumes either. There were a couple of costumes at will call and the gift shop, but none of us thought to take a photo at those places.

The house was absolutely gorgeous! I had never been before and was amazed at the grandeur and architecture. It took five years to build the house and still looks incredible to this day. I am constantly amazed at how grand buildings like the Biltmore were built so many years ago without the modern day amenities that we have today.

After the tour of the estate, we perused the gift shop, walked around the grounds and then headed over to the Antler Hill portion of the estate where they have a winery and a farm. We hadn't previously scheduled any tours and some of this part was under construction; so, we didn't stay long, but just walked around for a little while before leaving for the day. We ended the adventure with dinner at a local Asheville restaurant and a trip to Trader Joe's before heading back to Lake Lure for the night.

Sunday morning we got up and got ready and hit the road towards home. We stopped for lunch in Knoxville where we parted ways with Katie who drove back to her home in Murphreesboro while we headed south to Huntsville.

It was such a fun weekend with my friends! The Biltmore was so great and I would love to visit again when I have more time, maybe at Christmas where I hear it is so beautiful with all the Christmas trees and decorations. If you've never been, I would definitely recommend a trip. It's a great weekend getaway.

Biltmore Girls Trip - Part One

I had the privilege of a weekend getaway this past weekend. Some of my favorite girlfriends and I hit the road early Friday morning and headed east to North Carolina for a trip to the Biltmore. I had never been to the Biltmore before, but quite a few friends had told me I needed to go. So, when we found out that the Biltmore was hosting a Downton Abbey costume exhibit, we made plans to attend as soon as we could.

We had originally thought about staying in Gatlinburg for the weekend and driving over to Asheville for the day on Saturday. The parents of one of the girls who went (Amber) had a time share and one of the locations they could choose from was Lake Lure, NC which is about an hour away from the Biltmore and they let us have it for the weekend which was super nice of them.

Four of us left from Huntsville on Friday morning around 8:00 and we met up with our friend Katie in Knoxville for lunch at Chipotle before continuing on to Lake Lure. Amber had directions from the resort and also from Google Maps and she took us in the Google Maps way. In the words of Leah, I perfected the three-point turn that day because we had to turn around and reroute ourselves on more than one occasion. The roads Google Maps took us down were a little frightening at times. Some were not paved, others were not plowed and were basically a solid sheet of ice and snow and all of them were curvy I think it goes without saying that I was thrilled when we reached our destination.

The name of the resort where we stayed was Rumbling Bald - I cannot make this stuff up, y'all. We had a two story condo with plenty of room for the five us us and more. There were two bathrooms, plenty of beds and pull out couches and a kitchen and a kitchenette. It was right on a golf course where I saw no one shooting for par.

Friday after arriving, we got settled in and then looked on Trip Adviser for a place to eat dinner, We left the condo and first found a grocery store where we rented a movie at the Red Box and bought a few things to eat for breakfast the next morning. We then decided to eat dinner at Larkin's on the Lake which was more or less the only restaurant open for miles. The off season is not conducive for a lot of dinner choices.

The dinner was good and hit the spot after a long journey. We then went back to the condo and watched the movie we had chosen earlier and I actually went to bed before it was over as I had seen it before and was tired and could hardly keep my eyes open. It was an enjoyable first day to our weekend getaway.

Another State Championship and Expired Diet Coke

Last Thursday morning about 6:30 a.m., my dad and I jumped in the car for what was my final road trip of 2014. We headed south to Auburn for yet another Madison Academy state championship game in football.On a side note, my first and last road trips of 2014 would be to football games. Go figure.

As luck would have it, we didn't time things too well for rush hour traffic and hit it in Birmingham on the way down. Once we were through Birmingham, we stopped and grabbed some breakfast at a Jack's which I must say have a much lighter and flakier biscuit than Hardee's.

We made it to Auburn some time after 10:00 a.m. and found the parking lot where the Super 7 folks were supposed to park and quickly made our way to the shuttle. We were dropped off at the stadium and I had already purchased our tickets so we went straight in and found a seat. The sun was beaming down on us and it was hot as blazes. My dad wanted to move to the opponent's side because they were in the shade, but I looked up and noticed some smart people were sitting under the overhang, which put them out of the direct sunlight and so we moved up there. We were also blessed by a breeze and so things were looking up.

The game started at 11:00 a.m. and the Mustangs were quickly up 14-0. I can't even remember what the score was at the half, but MA was still up by two touchdowns and we were not really concerned about the outcome. We visited the concession stand at the half and please let this blog post serve as a reminder to me to never ever again buy a Diet Coke from an Auburn concession stand. On the way down (yes, this is how my Diet Coke loving brain works), I remembered that I had a bad experience with purchasing soda the last time we were in Auburn for the state championship. The experience was so bad that I thought they sold Pepsi products. However, after this year's half time experience, it all came rushing back to me. I ordered a Diet Coke and a popcorn. The Diet Coke tasted horrible and they poured me another and it still tasted bad so I asked for my money back (which they gave me along with some attitude). Then I remembered that this same thing happened the last time - I had a bad tasting Diet Coke and ended up with water. At first I thought it was because I was drinking out of a Barner cup, but now I believe that the fountain soda had expired. So, I bought a bottled one, and had a feeling ti was expired too because it had a "Share a Diet Coke with" label on it and Coke hasn't made those labels since the summer. I tried to find the date but couldn't see it clearly because it was faded. Long story kind of short, I made it back to my seat, took one sip and knew it was expired. I finally found the date hidden beneath that fist sip and it had expired on October 27. So, I marched back down the stars, and traded it for a water. Let this be a lesson learned. Y'all, I'm serious about my Diet Coke!

The second half was a runaway and the Mustangs ended up winning by a score of 70-34. When it was 67-34 my dad said he was ready when I was, which I thought was crazy, After driving all the way there, I wasn't about to leave until the trophy was handed out. So, we stayed.

When the game was over and the trophies passed out, we made our way to the shuttle line which was ginormous. We waited about 10-15 minutes and not one shuttle had come and there were three lines of people and tons of people in front of us in each line. I didn't think the parking lot was too far away and thanks to my good sense of direction remembered how to go. So, we decided to walk. It took us about 20-25 minutes to get to the car and I think both of us had screaming knees when all was said and done.However, it was a much better plan than waiting for an hour or so. No pain, no gain I guess.

We headed north to Birmingham and stopped off at  my favorite, The Fish Market on the way home, although this time we stopped at the one on 280 rather than the one downtown. After dinner, we began the rest of the journey home, once again hitting the rush hour traffic on 280, which makes me even more thankful for my commute. We finally made it home a little after 7:00 p.m. both tired from the journey but with another state championship! Congrats to the Mustangs!

The First Christmas Gift of 2014

I'm starting with a post about the second half of my weekend rather than the first half because that's the thing that's easiest to write about and I need easy today because my brain isn't functioning on full steam today.You'll find out why in this post.

A couple of months ago, I got an email about advanced ticket sales for James Taylor in Nashville and immediately thought that it would be a good show to attend with my mother. I felt like at some point I had heard her mention that she would like to see him in concert. So, I sent her an email asking her if she would like to go and if so, then I would take her as the main part of her Christmas present. She said she would and so I bought two tickets for the show, which was this past Sunday, November 9.

I picked mother up for our adventure a little before 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. When I got there, she, my dad and my brother were all in the driveway - it looked like some folks were happy to get rid of mother for a few hours, I joked. We headed north and the first stop on our agenda was The Cheesecake Factory. Mother wanted to eat there and so I had looked up earlier in the week where it was. I knew there was one at Green Hills Mall, but wasn't sure if that was the only one. According to their web site there is one in Franklin but I'm here to tell you it was no where to be found and when I put it in my GPS it didn't come up. The only one it showed was the one at Green Hills, so we got back on the interstate and headed to Green Hills Mall.

By the time we got there, everyone else had to. It looked like we might never get in there were so many people standing about. We got out name on the list and in the meantime, we picked out and bought slices of cheesecake to take home with us. I had noticed a Carrabba's within walking distance and so I looked it up on my phone, called and found they had no line. So, we made another change of plans and went there to eat so we wouldn't have to wait. It worked out really well because we had a great meal and still got a piece of cheesecake.

After dinner we headed to Bridgestone Arena and found a good parking spot that really couldn't have worked out any better in my opinion. Our only concern was that mother's wheelchair battery might not last the night. Some cobble surfaces cause the battery to drain faster than normal and she was losing juice; but, we managed to make it inside and find our seats with no problem.

The seats were great. We were close to the stage and elevated above the row in front of us. I don't think we could have asked for a better location. We got settled in and people watched until time for the show to start. Start time was slated for 8:00 p.m. and it got started a few minuted after that. The majority of the crowd was around my parents' age I would say and so thankfully, they were the type that preferred to sit throughout the show rather than stand the whole time.

James Taylor was really quite humorous and we often laughed at his commentary throughout the night. For someone like me who mostly attends rock-and-roll shows, it was definitely more subdued than I'm used to and that caused me to chuckle to myself a time or two. Mr. Taylor and his band played for three hours and it was really a great show. He played a lot of his hits and also some new songs (which sound like the old songs, he said and it's true). It was just an overall great show. Mother really enjoyed it too which is great.

We got back to the van at 11:13 p.m. after some concern about the battery dying on the way, we thankfully made it with enough juice to get mother into the car and buckled in. We got on the interstate and made one stop for gas in Franklin before finishing the journey home. I think I pulled into my parents' driveway about 1:30 a.m. and was home and in bed 20 minutes after that.I was up at 5:00 a.m. for work and did my best to function on about three hours of sleep. Needless to say, I was glad to see 4:00 p.m. roll around so I could go on home and sleep.

I'm glad mother and I got to spend this time together and have this memory. It was a great way to kick of Christmas giving for 2014!

Memphis Road Trip

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, I am here to assure you that I am, in fact, alive. I apologize for the long break in posts. Last week was extremely busy and I had little to no time to do any sort of blogging. The good news is that my time away from the blog was so busy that it has afforded me many topics to write about so I hope to do some posting every day this week - provided I find the time. Fingers crossed that I will. 

Today, I'm turning back the clock to last Tuesday when my cousins Anna and Lauren and I went to Memphis for a Peal Jam concert. This was my fourth and their first Pearl Jam show. I'm sure I've mentioned it, but last year, I made myself a promise that I would see Pearl Jam every year they tour the United States and so far I'm keeping up the bargain with myself. 

The three of us left Huntsville around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday and made a stop for snacks and a bathroom break along the way. I'm not sure what time we arrived in Memphis, but I'm guessing around 4:30 p.m. We easily found our hotel and let the valet park the car. After checking in, we went up to our room to change clothes and get ready for the show. We stayed at the SpringHill Suites Downtown so everything was within walking distance which was nice. The hotel was clean and nice and had a great view of a courtyard. I think we were all pleased with the selection. I had booked on Priceline so I wasn't too sure of how the hotel would actually be. 

After freshening up, we walked towards the FedEx Forum and found a local restaurant to stop in for dinner. The placed was really busy with what we assumed were concert goers. We had an appetizer of spinach and cheese dip and then for dinner, Lauren and I had a burger and Anna had chicken and waffles. The burgers were okay, nothing to brag about, but I think Anna really enjoyed her dish. 

Once dinner was over, we walked to the FedEx Forum and every bar we passed along the way had Pearl Jam blasting from the speakers. We arrived at the arena and I got in line at  the merchandise table that had the fewest amount of people. I was able to get a poster for this show and a bag (which subsequently shrunk in the wash) and a sticker for everyone. Pearl Jam does show specific stickers and posters and so I try to always get one of these. 

We found our seats which were just as wonderful as I had hoped. We were to the side of the stage in the middle section with a great view of everything that took place during the show. I loved these seats. It was totally worth calling Ticketmaster and finagling my way to better seats all those months ago. The show time on the ticket was 7:30 p.m. but it was around 8:15 p.m. or maybe later before Pearl Jam came on stage. There was no opening act. 

The band played for three hours, as per usual, but performed a lot of lesser known songs which was kind of disappointing because the crowd didn't get into it as much. Also, Eddie Vedder was a little under the weather and his voice was strained and I didn't feel as much energy off of him as I have in past shows; but, it was still a good show nonetheless. Anna and Lauren enjoyed it as best they could. After the first set, Lauren asked if it was over and I said that the first set was done. Her reply, "There's a second set?" After the second set she asked if there was a third set. I said, "No, just an encore." I neglected, however, to tell her the encore would be 20-30 minutes. 

When the show was over, we walked back to the hotel and called it a night. We had free hot breakfast at the hotel the next morning which was really very good. After we got ready to hit the road, we left the hotel and went to the Nike Clearance Store before leaving town. On the way, we passed Graceland where people were lined up to take a tour. We shopped at Nike for a while and then headed home, making a stop in Corinth for some lunch along the way. It was a quick but fun trip and I'm glad I was able to spend it with these fun-loving cousins of mine. 

Here is the list of songs from the show:

Set 1

Pendulum

Wash

Low Light

Why Go

All Night

Mind Your Manners

Even Flow

Lightning Bolt

Sirens

1/2 Full

Garden

Alone

Wishlist

Given to Fly

Let the Records Play

Spin the Black Circle

Black

Rearviewmirror

Set 2

Nothing As It Seems

Come Back

Elderly Woman Behind A Counter In A Small Town​

Do The Evolution

Breathe

Porch

Encore

Once 

Crazy Mary

​Better Man

Alive

Rockin' In The Free World

Yellow Ledbetter

​