It's March, Almost April!

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. I guess I've only posted twice this whole year. I've really enjoyed the break and haven't missed blogging at all. Between work, school, and the insanity of life lately, all I want to do is sleep in the evenings and so blogging and writing haven't been at the forefront of my brain. However, this week I was thinking that I probably should do some writing because I've got a lot going on and I'd hate to look back on 2016 and wonder what I did that year and then not have a record of any of it. So, I'll try to do better about posting because I've actually got some exciting things going on right now. 

I'll start with what I've been up to for the first few months of this year. I won't go into a play by play detail because we would be here all day, but I can probably sum it up so you'll get the gist of what's been going on around these parts. 

In February I celebrated my 39th birthday which I wrote a little about. In addition to the things I wrote about in my birthday post, I also went out to dinner with various groups of friends and family and to a local songwriter's showcase with another set of friends. It was a great month and the celebrations lasted about three weeks which is as it should be. At the end of February I went to the Alabama-Auburn basketball game with friends and we enjoyed a super fun day in Tuscaloosa. The month of February ended with a trip to the Donald Trump political rally with my cousins Lauren and Jon Mark. I went because I thought it would be an interesting day of people watching and you never know what is going to come out of Trump's mouth. We had a good time and left before it was over so we could beat the traffic and we got bored. 

The first day of March was voting day in Alabama and I fulfilled my duty as inspector of my precinct. It was a long, long day and I was exhausted after spending 14 hours at the polls and working my fingers to the bone (as they say). I had a whole new crew working with me that day but they all did great. I had to chase off one news reporter and one campaigner and dealt with so many different bizarre scenarios I couldn't even begin to tell you all about them. As always, it was a rewarding day and I look forward to doing it two more times this year when we have the municipal elections and the general election. 

The first weekend of March I chaperoned a high school spring retreat for church and it was just as I suspected with terrible food and think bunk bed mattresses; but, overall it was a good weekend. I developed a cough the Saturday I was on the retreat and by the time Monday rolled around I had a fever and felt like I had been hit by a freight train. I went to the doctor and had an ear infection and they sent me home with an antibiotic, but I felt like it was something more. On Wednesday when I was still running a fever and not feeling any better, I ventured back to the doctor and had a flu test which came back positive. It was too late for any medications so I had to ride it out. I spent the whole week in bed and missed work every day. It was miserable. That same week my mom was in the hospital with fluid on her lungs and two broken ankles from falling out of her wheelchair. Sometimes we just can't catch a break. 

The Saturday after I had the flu I moved out of my house which is probably news to some of you and not to the rest. After a whirlwind idea during Christmas break that I drew out on a piece of paper which turned into a set of blueprints, I am adding on to my little house and doing some renovations to the inside. I will be adding on about 600 square feet of living space and another 200 of a covered patio with an outdoor fireplace. The living space includes a dining room and an expansion of the back bedroom with built in bookcases and a walk-in closet which will also hold the washer and dryer. On the inside I am tearing down a wall between the kitchen and the room on the back of the house and making that one large kitchen complete with new cabinets and granite counter tops and a second oven which makes my heart so happy. The floor and sub floor in the back bedroom and the den will be torn out because the floors are rotting in both of those rooms. Every room will get a new coat of paint and the entire house will have new hardwood flooring. I'll also have some landscaping done which will include sod in the front yard and crepe myrtles along the back fence. The project is supposed to take three months (I'm counting on four because I know how these things go) and I'm very excited about the outcome. I think it is going to be gorgeous and I can't wait to see the end result of my Christmas break brainstorm. 

As a result of having all the work done, Pippa and I had to vacate the premises. Originally the builder said there would be no electricity for two months, but now that might not be the case. Still, it's probably better that we are not there. So, on Saturday, March 12, some friends and cousins and I moved everything out of the house and into a POD which is being stored in South Huntsville. I moved in with my cousins Benny and Jan which has been great. It is a little weird to come home to real people when you haven't lived with anyone for 10 years, but so far things are going great. Pippa was living with a friend of my brother's for a little while, but it wasn't working out. Thankfully, I found her a great place to stay over the weekend. I found a dog sitter who lives on the Flint River out in north east Huntsville and Pippa moved in there this week. The lady and her husband are so nice and worked with me on a price I could afford. They send pictures and updates in the mornings and are even letting The Pip sleep with them. I will probably pick her up on Saturdays and let her hang out with me while I go work at the house because I don't want her to forget who I am. I think she is going to do really well at this temporary home and I just feel so great about finding these wonderful people. 

So, that's what's been going on this year. It's been insanely busy and crazy, but, really, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Favorite Things Brunch 2015

As mentioned in my last post, the 2015 Favorite Things Brunch was held this past Saturday. Erika, Kendra and Candy all made an appearance again this year and we welcomed back Amy who hasn't been able to join us the last couple of years. We kicked off the festivities around 10:00 a.m. and had a delicious array of food. Erika brought the most delicious cinnamon rolls I've ever put in my mouth. Kendra brought Grape Salad from Chicken Salad Chick. Amy made a French Toast Casserole and Candy brought a hashbrown casserole. I made some breakfast "muffins" which had hashbrowns, eggs and turkey sausage. All the food was super yummy. 

First on the agenda was eating - of course - and then we spent the next couple of hours talking. I had to run out at noon to pick up my produce basket from Plentiful Produce, but the girls stayed at the house and kept the conversation going while I was gone. Pip spent the morning outside and barked for quite a while until she knocked the glass out of the back storm door. Thankfully I was able to pop it back in and shut the main door and she didn't "say" much after that. 

When I got back from my produce run, we began the favorite things gift exchange. I gave each of the girls a set of measuring cups and a measuring pitcher from The Pioneer Woman's new product line available at Wal-Mart. I bought a set for myself as well and here is a quick review. At a first glance the set is cute, but if you look closer, it does appear to be cheaply made, which is why it is for sale at Wal-Mart and not Anthropologie. My gut tells me these are designed after the ones offered at Anthropolgie because the Pioneer Women herself has featured on her blog and raved about the sets available there, but they are not up to snuff when doing a side by side comparison. Moving on...

Erika gave each of us a bag of goodies. If you know Erika, then you know she is a lover of QVC and so our goodie bag had a lock and lock container and a candle from QVC as well as a hand soap from Bath and Body works - all of which will be put to good use. Kendra's gift to us was a plug in wax warmer. I have a larger counter top one that I use quite often, but this one is a smaller version and plugs directly into the wall. She also gave us a cranberry scented wax melt to use with it. Candy gave each of us a cream eye-shadow from Mary Kay. It is her favorite eye shadow and she picked out a color she thought we would each like. My color is neutral and I've worn it almost every day this week which is really something considering I never wear eye shadow. Last, but not least, Amy gave us each a pack of post-it notes and highlighters because let's be honest, who doesn't love some new school/office supplies?

After the gift exchange, we enjoyed a little more conversation and wrapped things up around 1:30 p.m. or so. It was so fun to get together with these girls who I've known for years and years and years. I love each of them dearly and am thankful we are always able to find time to spend with each other during this very busy time of year - that's my favorite thing of all. 

Monday Night at BJ's

On Monday night, I met up with friends Erika and Candy for dinner and a couple of hours worth of catching up in conversation. It was a great night. I always love spending time with these two ladies. 

We met up at BJ's Brewhouse which is a newer restaurant at Bridge Street. It opened back in the summer and we had planned on going for our friend Kendra's birthday. but the wait was incredibly long and we settled on Cantina Laredo that night. BJ's has a pretty extensive menu and before arriving I had settled on having a burger. Burgers are one of my favorite foods and it sounded so good to me and that is exactly what I ended up ordering. It was delicious! One of the best burgers I've had in a while. In fact, it was so good I got another one the next night since I was headed out that way for an Agape meeting. On Monday I got fries with the burger. The fries were shoestring fries and were really good. On Tuesday I got a Caesar salad as my side item and ended up eating only a few bites. I am a weirdo in that I can taste the preservatives or whatever is used on bagged lettuce and to me it makes the lettuce taste terrible. There is a definite difference in the taste of a fresh head of lettuce than bagged lettuce and the lettuce on the Caesar salad tasted like it was bagged lettuce and I just did not care for it. 

Erika, who had actually been to BJ's a few times already ordered the salted caramel mini pizzookie for an appetizer and a Caesar salad and an individual deep dish pizza. A pizzookie, in case you are wondering is a hot cookie that comes out in a deep dish pizza pan covered in ice cream. The mini size is an individual serving. They also come in regular size for those who like to share. Her pizza looked and smelled wonderful and it was half price because we ordered during happy hour. Candy ordered the fish tacos. They looked delicious and she ate every bite; so, I have no doubt they were every bit as good as they looked.

After Candy and I finished our dinner, we also ordered a pizzookie. Candy got the salted caramel and I got pumpkin. Don't judge me, pumpkin haters. I've loved pumpkin flavored things since I was a kid, long before the pumpkin spice fad became a thing. We both really enjoyed our pizzookies. Just warm enough and the ice cream on top was perfection. I would definitely recommend this dessert. 

We had a great night spending time with each other and catching up on our lives. I'm so thankful for these friends! As for BJ's, I think we would all give it two thumbs up. Give it a try the next time you are out that way!

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!  

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. 

Last Weekend

I'm finally taking a little time to write about the adventures of last weekend. It was busy and entertaining and there's was also downtime, all of which are a thumbs up in my book. On Friday night, I went to the area wide singing that was held at Lincoln Church of Christ. There was a good crowd of people there, including  Mamma Kay, the mother of my friend Erika, and I sat with her. After the singing, snacks were served, all of which were yummy. 

On Saturday morning, I watched some of the Tour de France and then recorded the rest so I could head out to run some errands. I stopped by the UPS Store to send of a package and then to Target to buy some school supplies and then to the movies where I saw Ant-Man. I had not been to the movies in what seemed like forever and I was glad I took the time to go. The movie was good and hilarious. I laughed many times and really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. The showing was in one of the larger theaters which apparently has two air conditioning units and one of them had gone out so the one remaining was struggling to keep the place cool. I either got used to the temperature or it did eventually cool off because I was never really uncomfortably hot and I really had a nice time at the theater. 

After the movie, I got my car washed and then headed home to finish watching the stage of the Tour. I tried to take a little nap, but Pippa was restless which meant I didn't get much sleep. Soon it was time to get ready for the evening adventures and I showered and got ready and soon left to pick up Erika. We were meeting up with our friends Candy and Kendra to celebrate Kendra's 32nd birthday. We had planned to go to a new spot, BJ's, and Erika and I got there about 30 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. The wait, however, was an hour and 20 minutes and so we ended up eating at Cantina Laredo instead. This worked out great for me because I love Mexican food and I had never eaten there before. The food was good, but the fellowship was better. It's always so much fun to catch up with my oldest and dearest friends. Erika and I made a stop by Ulta before hitting the road back home. It was such a fun evening and I look forward to doing it again next month for Candy's birthday. 

I promise Erika likes us. 

Twas The Fourth of July

Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! Mine was interesting, a little different than normal, but still a lot of fun. I, along with most every other American, was thrilled to have Friday off from work; although, admittedly, it was confusing at times because Friday night I kept thinking that church was the next day. Friday morning I had an appointment to get the oil changed in the car and the tires rotated and just about the time I got ready to leave, the bottom fell out of the sky. I had planned on walking to the YMCA to get a workout in while my car was being worked on, but the buckets of rain kept me tucked safely and dryly inside the Goodyear. 

When the car was finished, I drove over to my parents' house and made a quick trip to Wal-Mart with my dad and then he cooked pancakes and then we began the arduous task of cleaning out the attic. We decided it would be best if we went to Lowe's to buy plywood to nail down to give the attic more room and so we could maybe move a few things around and actually get some work done. We got two strips of plywood down and moved some of Justin's things to that corner, threw some things away and set some things aside for the yard sale this fall and then my dad said we were done for the day. He said we got a lot more accomplished than he thought we would, whereas I was disappointed in how little we accomplished. The telling of two minds I suppose. The rest of Friday was spent being lazy and doing not much other than a few loads of laundry. 

Saturday morning I was up bright and early as the Tour de France got underway. I made my traditional French toast and enjoyed watching the time trial and just generally speaking enjoyed a relaxed morning. I made a cake and coleslaw for the cookout later that day and cooked some meat for my dad who was having a cookout as well. Justin stopped by that afternoon to pick up the meat that I had cooked and in the process dropped almost the whole pan of meat drippings all over my front porch. So, it probably goes without saying that I spent the next 30 minutes or so cleaning up greasy meat juice off my front porch. It wasn't exactly how I planned on spending some of the holiday, but those are the breaks. 

Once the meat juice was all cleaned up, I showered and headed over to the cookout which was being held at the brother of my cousin Jan's. Jan and I are cousins by marriage so her brother is not my cousin if that makes sense. All of the cousins that are my age were there and had set up games of slip and slide, volleyball, wiffle ball, corn hole, etc. I, however, was not provided the memo that there would be intense physical activity and didn't really come prepared to play. rest assured, I will be prepared for next year as I've already ordered a t-shirt for the occasion and will come ready to play. 

We had lots of food and there were lots of people there, most of whom we didn't even know. We all laughed because there was a "Family" side and a "We Don't Know Those People" side. As luck would have it, the skies opened up once again about the time it got dark and so the fireworks show was put into a predicament of sorts. We waited for the rain to pass, but it wouldn't let up and so the guys went out in the rain to shoot the fireworks. The problem was that the trees were clocking the view. Had it not been rained, we would have been able to stand where we could see, but as we were all crammed under the carport, we had to look at the fireworks between tree branches. There were also long breaks between each shot and I eventually got tired of sitting around waiting for the next one and decided to pack things up and head on home. 

Overall, it was a fun afternoon and evening and I look forward to next year's festivities where I will come prepared to play! 

The only picture I took - of G and his light saber fire sword!

Cruising on the Tennessee River

I'm quite sure I've mentioned at one time or another that I participate in a Bible study with a great group of girlfriends from my Bible school class. We typically get together every other Monday night and have a time of study, fellowship and prayer. We decided to take the summer off from our in-depth studies in an effort to have more time together to get to know one another better in a more casual setting which works out great since a lot of people travel or have other things going on during the summer months. 

The family of one of the girls in our class (Julie) has a yacht, or a large boat, or a large vessel (however you want to term it) and early last month, we were supposed to get together for a sunset cruise on the Tennessee River. However, the weather didn't really participate with us and the cruise was cancelled at the last minute. We were all really bummed about the cancellation, especially my dad who was coming along with us to keep Julie's dad company. 

This past Monday night, the weather held up and we finally were able to go out on the yacht. I took a group of five (including myself) over to the Marina and a few others met us there. Julie and her family and some family friends also joined us, in all we had about 15 people and one dog (not Pippa). We left the boat slip about 7:00 p.m. and cruised along the river on what was basically a perfect evening. The weather wasn't too hot, there was no humidity in the air and the breeze from riding on a boat was fantastic. We enjoyed some snack foods that everyone brought and had a short devotional and prayer and just had a really great evening enjoying each other's company and relaxing on the river together. As far as Monday nights go, this one was top notch! Everyone had a great time and I think we all wished we could spend every Monday night on the yacht! 

In other news, it's July 1 and we are officially halfway through 2015! Seriously, where does the time go? 

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! 

Food Trucks, Meetings, a Cookout and a Housewarming

I've had a busy week this week and haven't had a lot of time for blogging. So, I'll try to finish up the week with at least one, and maybe two posts before heading into the holiday weekend. 

The weekend kicked off with a visit to my grandmother's house. She is having a garage sale in the coming weeks and wanted all of the family to go through the sale items in case there was anything we wanted. I took two very old plates and an old candy dish that had been my great grandmothers as well as some crocheted pieces and two crocheted blankets. There were also two chairs that belonged to my cousin's other grandmother that I loved and have since committed to buy because I can't get them out of my head. They will probably go in my shed for a while because I have no where to put them, but I didn't want to regret letting them go so I've claimed them as my own. 

Last Friday was the second food truck rally of the food truck "season" and I ventured out with my friend Christy. She had never been before and so she wasn't sure exactly what the night would hold. As expected, there were thousands of people out and about. After I got a tea from Piper and Leaf, we decided to stand in line at the Food Fighters bus for some brisket nachos. Getting to the window to place our order didn't take too terribly long (maybe 20 minutes), but actually getting our food was a different story. I feel like we waited for an hour to get our order, but in all honesty, I didn't time it so I have no idea how long it actually took. Thankfully the company was great and the wait gave Christy and I time to catch up as we haven't seen each other in a few weeks. 

The food was worth the wait as the nachos were very yummy and satisfying. We found a spot on the steps leading up to the YMCA and sat there to eat. While we were eating and talking a very drunk or high guy came over and interrupted our conversation. We were polite and obliged him in conversation for a bit and were grateful when he finally decided to move on to something (or someone) else. When I got home, I watched the season finale of Grimm and y'all, it was so good. If you are not watching this show, then please catch up over the summer. I think it's available on Amazon Prime (not sure about Netflix) and it is definitely worth watching. I watched season one right before season two started and have been a huge fan ever since. 

Saturday morning I met a friend for breakfast and then went to the ALANA meeting for the spring quarter. ALANA is the Ladies Association of Agape of North Alabama and I serve as the liaison between the group and the Agape Board. The meeting this month was held at Chase Park which is where I formerly went to church. They have built a new auditorium and it was the first time I have gotten to see it and it is absolutely gorgeous. I should have taken a picture of it. I was seriously so impressed and actually very surprised that it was so nice. I also snooped around opening all the doors in the new annex to see what was behind each one and in the process set off the building alarm. In my defense, one of the doors that should have been locked was not. 

On Sunday after church, my class had a cookout and devotional time on Monte Sano mountain. It was the first time I had been there in a long while even though it's all of six miles from my house. We had a great afternoon together eating and fellowshipping and planning activities for this year. That evening, there was a housewarming party for my friend (and one of our children's ministers) Matt. He just bought his first house and is in need of everything and so a party was in order. Matt received a lot of bath towels and a few kitchen items and gift cards. The house is in South Huntsville and is very cute. 

As I was leaving, my friends Margaret Anne and Grayson invited me over to watch Game of Thrones and just as we were leaving a torrential downpour came and we got drenched. It did not, however, put a damper on our viewing party. I left when the show was over and immediately went to bed when I got home. It was an eventful and fun weekend! 

Agape Night At My Spirited Art

This past Monday night My Spirited Art hosted a benefit night for Agape of North Alabama. For those of you who may not be familiar with My Spirited Art, it's a studio here in Huntsville where you can go and paint a picture in about two hours for around $35. It's a great idea for a girls night out and they also do kids birthday parties and summer camps and all kinds of fun things. I have had this on my to-do list forever but have never taken the time to actually go and do it. So, when I found out that Agape was having a benefit paint night, I knew I would finally buckle down and go. 

The girls at the Agape office were having a hard time deciding what painting to chose for our class and they let me pick a few that I liked and then they chose from those (board member perk, I guess we'll call it). As luck would have it, they chose the one I liked the most out of the three I picked. It was called, "Redbuds in Bloom". I signed up the first day we possibly could and let others know about the night. We were hoping to sell out the night because the more people we had to participate, the more money Agape would get. 

The class started at 6:30 p.m. and was relatively full. I never got a final count, but I know there were 25 people signed up early in the day on Monday and we had some walk-ins as well (including my dad) and so I'd venture to say there were about 30 people there. Agape ended up earning 30% of the profits from the night and came away with about $315 which was such a fun way for our organization to receive a donation. 

We spent the next two hours or so painting. After the first hour, we got a short break so our canvases could dry a little before we put more paint on them. During the break some folks got an ice cream or a snack from the local vendors in the shopping center. We reconvened at 7:45 p.m. and finished up our paintings. It was so interesting to see how each painting turned out. We all received the same instruction, but each painting was so unique to the individual painting it. My dad, for example, wanted red leaves instead of pink and purple; other people made a large walkway between their trees; some trees were skinny and others were thick - such variety from our little group. 

This was such a fun night! A lot of the girls from my Bible study were there as well as a lot of people I didn't know and one person who came just because she liked the painting we picked! I had a blast and I think everyone else did too. I look forward to going again soon!

My dad and my friend Lauren

My painting about midway through 

Our instructor, Brandi 

My finished painting

My dad working hard

My dad's finished painting

My dad and Lauren with their finished works of art. 

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! 

More About Our DC Vacation

Well, our DC vacation has continued to keep us busy the last couple of days. On Wednesday we got out early and went to the Supreme Court. The judges see cases on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays through April and so we were hoping to catch them in action, but apparently, like Congress, they must have  had a break for Easter because no cases were being heard. We did get to tour the building, see the courtroom and watch a video about the judges and the system. It was all very interesting and I'm glad we made this one of our stops.

After leaving the Supreme Court, we stopped by the Library of Congress and did a quick self-guided tour. There really wasn't a whole lot you could see, but the building is quite lovely as is the one reading room we were able to view.

Our next stop was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum which was the best of the three Smithsonian museums that we toured. I've got to be honest, the Smithsonian's are way different than I remember them being as a child. I remember being in awe as a child and this time around I could take it or leave it. All of the exhibits now seemed geared towards children (which could be why I remember loving it so much) and there are thousands of people wandering about and there's no order to anything and it really will drive a Type A like me a little nuts.

When we finished up at the museum, we headed back to the condo for a few hours and took a nap. I realize that sounds lame, but we have walked and walked and walked and were tired and had a long night ahead of us. We left the condo about 5:40 p.m. to meet my college friend Casey at the Verizon Center by 6:45 p.m. for the Washington Capitols vs. Boston Bruins hockey game. Once we were at the game, we had some trouble getting in because of a ticket system crash, but eventually made it in and enjoyed a win by the Caps.

Thursday we went to the National Zoo which was quite enjoyable. Not all of the animals were out and about, but the ones that were meandering about were pretty active. It was probably one of the more enjoyable trips we've made here in the nation's capitol. We spent quite a few hours there seeing everything before heading to Ford's Theater where we were disappointed to discover that all the tickets for the day were gone. Y'all, there are so many people here this week. Loads of school children and chaperones and others just taking a family vacation. It's been nuts. So, I was disappointed, but not surprised that we were not able to get in.

We then headed back to the Tidal Basin to check out the cherry blossoms. They haven't been blooming all week and we wanted to check on the status. They have finally started opening up and should be at peak by the parade on Saturday. We then headed back to Alexandria, ate dinner and called it an early night so we can rest our feet before heading to Mount Vernon on Friday.