this whole covers thing got a little out of hand. please don't be offended if i didn't use yours. i had to stop myself.
nonetheless, i think this is a pretty killer playlist. hope you enjoy.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
sunday, snowy sunday
with church cancelled today due to weather, i've had the entire day to do nothing, and now i'm tired of doing nothing, so i will tell you how last night went.
last night was the stake enrichment meeting i had been asked to teach at. the topic assigned to me was stress management, and given that nothing creates more stress in my life than teaching, the irony was thick.
i don't think i let on previously how much this particular assignment had panicked me, teaching gospel doctrine to my peers is bad enough, but in this case, i was to be teaching women who have known me since i was 3 years old. many of them have served as my young women's leaders over the years, and many have been women i aspire to be like. it is a terrifying experience to teach someone who taught you when you were 14.
there were to be three classes taking place simultaneously, and three different 'sessions'. thankfully, my slot was in the first session. expected attendance for each class was between 20 and 40. and yet, as the ladies of the stake entered the relief society room, they just kept coming. and coming. and coming. by the time i started the class, there were over 100 women and it was standing room only.
i knew some of them were there because of their prior relationships with me. i also knew some of them were there because they knew my parents, and were 'curious.' my dad has a widespread, and well deserved reputation of being an excellent speaker. more than one person made it clear that they were attending the class to see how far the 'apple had fallen from the tree.' in addition, two of the three members of the stake relief society presidency had chosen to sit in on my class, as had a variety of other stake leadership.
no pressure, right?
and yet, it was one of the most positive teaching experiences i have had. in all humility, the best way for me to put it is that i nailed it. i mean totally nailed it. from the first minute, i had them. they wanted to be there. they wanted to participate. when i asked a question, there were no pauses waiting for a raised hand. the answers were poignant and insightful. and most gratifying of all--something that has never happened before--the majority of them were scribbling notes fast and furiously.
they felt that i had something to teach them. most of the women in the room were married, and most have children. yet, they really thought that the single girl had something to teach them. they weren't humoring me, or looking at me with pity or wonder thinking i must be too picky (as so often happens), they were simply soaking up the information i was providing them.
one of the reasons i accepted this assignment, despite my great aversion to public speaking, is that so often, when single members of the church are asked to speak at a large gathering, the topic almost always involves being single. fitting in in a family oriented culture, living a fulfilling life as a single, etc., etc. the truth is, i was honored to be asked to speak about something that had absolutely no relation to my marital status. part of me felt that if i turned down the assignment, i might blow that for the other singles. i know it's a ridiculous thing to have taken sole responsibility for, but we can't always explain our thought processes.
i have been doing some digging and trying to figure out how i got on the radar for this, with no luck. all of the possible culprits have denied any involvement, and they are the types to have taken proud credit for it, if they had in fact played a part. i keep a low profile in the stake--or thought i did. i go to church, i fulfill my calling. do i know stake leadership? sure. but i don't interact with them on a regular basis. i am clueless how my name came up.
when i originally blogged about this assignment, someone commented that the best way to avoid a repeat assignment was to do a poor job. i responded that it was not in my nature to do so purposefully, which did not mean that that wouldn't happen naturally. i'm afraid though, that i may have shone a spotlight on myself and said 'look at me, look at me,' without intending to do so.
at the conclusion of the class, i was literally mobbed. some people wanted my notes, some wanted to thank me, and some wanted to compliment and praise. the poor teacher teaching after me ended up getting a late start because i could not get out of the room.
there was one woman in particular who has been a pseudo-hero of mine, she is the best speaker/teacher i have ever heard. when she walked in the class, i told her to get out. she laughed and said that i was the only reason she was coming and there was no way she was leaving.
if there is one woman who has a particular power to intimidate me, it would be her. not because she isn't warm and wonderful, but because she is so excellent. i worried i would be distracted by feeling that i could not measure up. so when she approached me after the class, it was her feedback and praise that was the most meaningful.
i think it's clear that i felt good about the experience, and i think i've also made it clear in the past how rare that is. now i just have to try and fall off the radar again.
last night was the stake enrichment meeting i had been asked to teach at. the topic assigned to me was stress management, and given that nothing creates more stress in my life than teaching, the irony was thick.
i don't think i let on previously how much this particular assignment had panicked me, teaching gospel doctrine to my peers is bad enough, but in this case, i was to be teaching women who have known me since i was 3 years old. many of them have served as my young women's leaders over the years, and many have been women i aspire to be like. it is a terrifying experience to teach someone who taught you when you were 14.
there were to be three classes taking place simultaneously, and three different 'sessions'. thankfully, my slot was in the first session. expected attendance for each class was between 20 and 40. and yet, as the ladies of the stake entered the relief society room, they just kept coming. and coming. and coming. by the time i started the class, there were over 100 women and it was standing room only.
i knew some of them were there because of their prior relationships with me. i also knew some of them were there because they knew my parents, and were 'curious.' my dad has a widespread, and well deserved reputation of being an excellent speaker. more than one person made it clear that they were attending the class to see how far the 'apple had fallen from the tree.' in addition, two of the three members of the stake relief society presidency had chosen to sit in on my class, as had a variety of other stake leadership.
no pressure, right?
and yet, it was one of the most positive teaching experiences i have had. in all humility, the best way for me to put it is that i nailed it. i mean totally nailed it. from the first minute, i had them. they wanted to be there. they wanted to participate. when i asked a question, there were no pauses waiting for a raised hand. the answers were poignant and insightful. and most gratifying of all--something that has never happened before--the majority of them were scribbling notes fast and furiously.
they felt that i had something to teach them. most of the women in the room were married, and most have children. yet, they really thought that the single girl had something to teach them. they weren't humoring me, or looking at me with pity or wonder thinking i must be too picky (as so often happens), they were simply soaking up the information i was providing them.
one of the reasons i accepted this assignment, despite my great aversion to public speaking, is that so often, when single members of the church are asked to speak at a large gathering, the topic almost always involves being single. fitting in in a family oriented culture, living a fulfilling life as a single, etc., etc. the truth is, i was honored to be asked to speak about something that had absolutely no relation to my marital status. part of me felt that if i turned down the assignment, i might blow that for the other singles. i know it's a ridiculous thing to have taken sole responsibility for, but we can't always explain our thought processes.
i have been doing some digging and trying to figure out how i got on the radar for this, with no luck. all of the possible culprits have denied any involvement, and they are the types to have taken proud credit for it, if they had in fact played a part. i keep a low profile in the stake--or thought i did. i go to church, i fulfill my calling. do i know stake leadership? sure. but i don't interact with them on a regular basis. i am clueless how my name came up.
when i originally blogged about this assignment, someone commented that the best way to avoid a repeat assignment was to do a poor job. i responded that it was not in my nature to do so purposefully, which did not mean that that wouldn't happen naturally. i'm afraid though, that i may have shone a spotlight on myself and said 'look at me, look at me,' without intending to do so.
at the conclusion of the class, i was literally mobbed. some people wanted my notes, some wanted to thank me, and some wanted to compliment and praise. the poor teacher teaching after me ended up getting a late start because i could not get out of the room.
there was one woman in particular who has been a pseudo-hero of mine, she is the best speaker/teacher i have ever heard. when she walked in the class, i told her to get out. she laughed and said that i was the only reason she was coming and there was no way she was leaving.
if there is one woman who has a particular power to intimidate me, it would be her. not because she isn't warm and wonderful, but because she is so excellent. i worried i would be distracted by feeling that i could not measure up. so when she approached me after the class, it was her feedback and praise that was the most meaningful.
i think it's clear that i felt good about the experience, and i think i've also made it clear in the past how rare that is. now i just have to try and fall off the radar again.
Friday, February 23, 2007
a call for covers
i'm working on a playlist of covers only. if you have a favorite, or a few, leave them in the comments section. if i can't find them, i will hunt you down.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
just when you think nothing exciting is going to happen in your day...
i just got a major piece of information regarding my company, which i'm not at liberty to disclose at this point. it should be made public in the next couple of days, but suffice it to say, it is going to mean that there will be a lot of changes for me at work. good or bad remains to be seen. at this point, i'm just reeling from the shock.
Monday, February 19, 2007
new look
it was time that the blog got a facelift. i'm only posting this for those of you using bl that won't otherwise know:)
Saturday, February 17, 2007
just your average saturday morning
this morning i woke up to the sun streaking through my window, and the first thing i saw, were the tulips sitting on my nightstand. all was right with the world.
but rather than lazily spend the morning in bed, it was time to get up and get to my lesson planning.
in my research this week, i came upon the text of a video that i wanted to incoporate into my lesson. lara had been able to provide me with the dvd, but i wasn't sure if the church tv had a dvd player. i headed to my bishop's home to pick up the keys to the building and the library.
i carefully traversed the steep steps still covered with ice and snow, and shortly after i arrived at the top, i heard my bishop calling my name from the townhome next door. i had gotten the wrong house, and now i had to get back down the steps that had nearly killed me on the way up. upon his advice, i went down backwards, and it took a fair amount of time to do so safely.
then i mounted his completely cleared steps to receive the keys.
we chatted for a few minutes and i returned to my car. as i did so, i heard and saw a woman yelling a name. i couldn't understand the name and surmised that a dog had gotten away, or some such thing, so i got in my car.
i made it about 100 yards, thinking to myself, that the area that she was coming from looked especially treacherous. i was thinking about how this morning when i went to let the dog out, i nearly killed myself in the backyard--which was basically an ice rink. and i thought about the lake there, and the ice. and awful thoughts about children and animals falling through ice creeped into my mind. it was then that i consciously noted that that there was real fear and real panic in the screams of that woman.
i turned around, parked my car, and cautiously made my way down the icy slope.
i found the screaming woman on the phone with 911, and checking the pulse of an older lady who was unconcious and on the ground.
the unconscious woman had been walking her dog, as had the woman on the phone, which is how she found her. as there was nothing i could do for the injured at the moment, i was able to relieve the woman trying to hang on to the dogs, while on the phone and checking on the fallen woman, by wrangling the two dogs and taking them to their appropriate homes. by the time i returned, the woman had regained consciousness. my bishop, his wife, and another neighbor were on the scene, and emergency personnel were not far behind.
the firemen and emt's had an equally difficult time maneuvering on the ice, but were able to make their way to the woman, stabilize her, and transport her out.
but rather than lazily spend the morning in bed, it was time to get up and get to my lesson planning.
in my research this week, i came upon the text of a video that i wanted to incoporate into my lesson. lara had been able to provide me with the dvd, but i wasn't sure if the church tv had a dvd player. i headed to my bishop's home to pick up the keys to the building and the library.
i carefully traversed the steep steps still covered with ice and snow, and shortly after i arrived at the top, i heard my bishop calling my name from the townhome next door. i had gotten the wrong house, and now i had to get back down the steps that had nearly killed me on the way up. upon his advice, i went down backwards, and it took a fair amount of time to do so safely.
then i mounted his completely cleared steps to receive the keys.
we chatted for a few minutes and i returned to my car. as i did so, i heard and saw a woman yelling a name. i couldn't understand the name and surmised that a dog had gotten away, or some such thing, so i got in my car.
i made it about 100 yards, thinking to myself, that the area that she was coming from looked especially treacherous. i was thinking about how this morning when i went to let the dog out, i nearly killed myself in the backyard--which was basically an ice rink. and i thought about the lake there, and the ice. and awful thoughts about children and animals falling through ice creeped into my mind. it was then that i consciously noted that that there was real fear and real panic in the screams of that woman.
i turned around, parked my car, and cautiously made my way down the icy slope.
i found the screaming woman on the phone with 911, and checking the pulse of an older lady who was unconcious and on the ground.
the unconscious woman had been walking her dog, as had the woman on the phone, which is how she found her. as there was nothing i could do for the injured at the moment, i was able to relieve the woman trying to hang on to the dogs, while on the phone and checking on the fallen woman, by wrangling the two dogs and taking them to their appropriate homes. by the time i returned, the woman had regained consciousness. my bishop, his wife, and another neighbor were on the scene, and emergency personnel were not far behind.
the firemen and emt's had an equally difficult time maneuvering on the ice, but were able to make their way to the woman, stabilize her, and transport her out.
so, like i said, just your average saturday morning. or not.
Friday, February 16, 2007
holy (insert expletive here)!
just a few moments ago, i received a message from our mail guy telling me to come pick up my flowers. i told him to stop playing cruel jokes (as he likes to do this), but he finally convinced me that he wasn't.
i still expected a joke of some sort, so when i arrived to pick up said 'flowers' i was genuinely shocked to actually see a box of, well, flowers.
i hurried to my office to open them, and discovered the most beautiful bunch of tulips. with them came a note, which was left unsigned.
now, dear sender, i know you are reading this, because having read a semi-recent blog post is the only way you would know that tulips are my favorite flower. and as a sidenote, i applaud your ability to google search (i'm guessing here) in order to locate my office address.
please, please, please reveal yourself to me!
if you choose keep your identity a secret, which i hope is not the case, this will go down in the 'annals of tara' as one of the greatest anonymous gestures ever received. but that also means that you leave me with no good way to express my gratitude.
if you leave me no choice however, let me say simply...thank you. thank you for not only 'listening', but also for acting. what an incredibly wonderful surprise--you have no idea the size of the smile you put on my face.
i will post a pic when i get home and get them in the vase!
here are pics and two additional notes...
1. the flowers were scheduled to arrive on valentine's day per the shipping label. they obviously arrived late, that doesn't mean that they are any less appreciated! (not to mention that i was snowed in on v-day anyway)
2. yes, i actually called the florist to see if i could wrangle a name out of them. i couldn't. i hope that comes off as amusing and endearing rather than like a girl looking a gift horse in the mouth
i still expected a joke of some sort, so when i arrived to pick up said 'flowers' i was genuinely shocked to actually see a box of, well, flowers.
i hurried to my office to open them, and discovered the most beautiful bunch of tulips. with them came a note, which was left unsigned.
now, dear sender, i know you are reading this, because having read a semi-recent blog post is the only way you would know that tulips are my favorite flower. and as a sidenote, i applaud your ability to google search (i'm guessing here) in order to locate my office address.
please, please, please reveal yourself to me!
if you choose keep your identity a secret, which i hope is not the case, this will go down in the 'annals of tara' as one of the greatest anonymous gestures ever received. but that also means that you leave me with no good way to express my gratitude.
if you leave me no choice however, let me say simply...thank you. thank you for not only 'listening', but also for acting. what an incredibly wonderful surprise--you have no idea the size of the smile you put on my face.
i will post a pic when i get home and get them in the vase!
***update***
here are pics and two additional notes...
1. the flowers were scheduled to arrive on valentine's day per the shipping label. they obviously arrived late, that doesn't mean that they are any less appreciated! (not to mention that i was snowed in on v-day anyway)
2. yes, i actually called the florist to see if i could wrangle a name out of them. i couldn't. i hope that comes off as amusing and endearing rather than like a girl looking a gift horse in the mouth
feelin' good. lovin' life.
life is good. in fact, life is great.
it's not that any one single thing has happened to make me feel this way, but there are a lot of changes lately, and i thrive on change.
some of these changes are ones i am making, some are just happening. of the former, i, for no discernible reason have been motivated to focus more on my health. i have cut back to one soda per day and stopped eating dinner after 7pm--both of which are monumental challenges for me. beyond that, i am back in the gym on a daily basis, and it feels great. for whatever reason, this time around, gym time is not so much of a chore as it is release and relaxation. and the added benefit to feeling better and losing weight, is that my insomnia has been abated.
in regards to the latter, i find that i am actually getting excited about my teaching responsibilities. don't get me wrong, the actual teaching part is still alarming, but when i consider that between gospel doctrine and stake enrichment, i will be teaching every week for the next month, i find myself eager to learn and to grow. i am looking forward to the preparation-which is a BIG change.
in addition, i am enjoying my job again. i realized that i would enjoy it more consistently if i was doing a larger number of events. i have had two in the past week, and there is nothing like an event day to give me an adrenaline rush. while the bulk of event planning work is done in the preparation, it is on event days that i truly shine. i love the people interaction, i love watching my work come together in a tangible measurable way, and i love the acknowledgement of a job well done.
last week's event was an annual meeting for the top 250 or so in the company. after the event, i was having a conversation with one of our senior vp's (admittedly one of my favorites). we were talking about my job, and he turned to me and got very serious and said, 'you know, all this is a really big deal to renny [the ceo]--the dinners, the meetings, the events. he used to stress about them constantly, but ever since you have been in charge, he couldn't be happier.'
that is why i love event days.
last night's event was much smaller--a dinner for 30--but the gratitude was still abundant nonetheless. with as much money as i spend, it is a powerful thing to overhear the cfo tell someone that 'tara does an amazing job for us.'
in addition to some good work days, i found that passing valentine's day shoveling snow, wasn't such a bad way to celebrate the holiday.
with dad out of town, it was left to my mom and i to do the duties. we spent probably 5 hours or so clearing the driveway while i prayed for a plow to come down our court. the only fear i have (at least, to my current knowledge) is that of being trapped. that fear comes from being snowed in, not being able to get out of a crowded club, or any other number of situations. it doesn't happen often, and it's not related to the size of a space, or the number of people in it..it just boils down to feeling fear when i feel as though i can't 'get out' of where i am. so spending the majority of wednesday shoveling was a very good distraction.
at 5pm that day the plow finally came, and i was gone. but i'll tell you, i didn't once think about how single i was or how crappy valentine's day is!
so far february has been unexpectedly happy, and next month promises to be even better. i am particularly excited about corey and jill's upcoming wedding, and as icing on the cake, the chance to visit my extended family. this utah trip, i will be staying with my cute cousin mel in her recently purchased house, and i am sure it is going to be a blast!
i have no more events until then, so i plan to continue focusing on my other personal improvement goals.
so life is good. i made it through a rough holiday, i like my job, i like (for the most part) my calling. i have a vacation coming. i feel better physically, and i am not stressing (like i usually do) about being alone. all things in good time, and for now, life is good:)
here is a fun video treat from kendyl on our snow day:
it's not that any one single thing has happened to make me feel this way, but there are a lot of changes lately, and i thrive on change.
some of these changes are ones i am making, some are just happening. of the former, i, for no discernible reason have been motivated to focus more on my health. i have cut back to one soda per day and stopped eating dinner after 7pm--both of which are monumental challenges for me. beyond that, i am back in the gym on a daily basis, and it feels great. for whatever reason, this time around, gym time is not so much of a chore as it is release and relaxation. and the added benefit to feeling better and losing weight, is that my insomnia has been abated.
in regards to the latter, i find that i am actually getting excited about my teaching responsibilities. don't get me wrong, the actual teaching part is still alarming, but when i consider that between gospel doctrine and stake enrichment, i will be teaching every week for the next month, i find myself eager to learn and to grow. i am looking forward to the preparation-which is a BIG change.
in addition, i am enjoying my job again. i realized that i would enjoy it more consistently if i was doing a larger number of events. i have had two in the past week, and there is nothing like an event day to give me an adrenaline rush. while the bulk of event planning work is done in the preparation, it is on event days that i truly shine. i love the people interaction, i love watching my work come together in a tangible measurable way, and i love the acknowledgement of a job well done.
last week's event was an annual meeting for the top 250 or so in the company. after the event, i was having a conversation with one of our senior vp's (admittedly one of my favorites). we were talking about my job, and he turned to me and got very serious and said, 'you know, all this is a really big deal to renny [the ceo]--the dinners, the meetings, the events. he used to stress about them constantly, but ever since you have been in charge, he couldn't be happier.'that is why i love event days.
last night's event was much smaller--a dinner for 30--but the gratitude was still abundant nonetheless. with as much money as i spend, it is a powerful thing to overhear the cfo tell someone that 'tara does an amazing job for us.'
in addition to some good work days, i found that passing valentine's day shoveling snow, wasn't such a bad way to celebrate the holiday.
with dad out of town, it was left to my mom and i to do the duties. we spent probably 5 hours or so clearing the driveway while i prayed for a plow to come down our court. the only fear i have (at least, to my current knowledge) is that of being trapped. that fear comes from being snowed in, not being able to get out of a crowded club, or any other number of situations. it doesn't happen often, and it's not related to the size of a space, or the number of people in it..it just boils down to feeling fear when i feel as though i can't 'get out' of where i am. so spending the majority of wednesday shoveling was a very good distraction. at 5pm that day the plow finally came, and i was gone. but i'll tell you, i didn't once think about how single i was or how crappy valentine's day is!
so far february has been unexpectedly happy, and next month promises to be even better. i am particularly excited about corey and jill's upcoming wedding, and as icing on the cake, the chance to visit my extended family. this utah trip, i will be staying with my cute cousin mel in her recently purchased house, and i am sure it is going to be a blast!
i have no more events until then, so i plan to continue focusing on my other personal improvement goals.
so life is good. i made it through a rough holiday, i like my job, i like (for the most part) my calling. i have a vacation coming. i feel better physically, and i am not stressing (like i usually do) about being alone. all things in good time, and for now, life is good:)
here is a fun video treat from kendyl on our snow day:
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
happy valentine's day
by referencing one of my favorite poets (pablo neruda) amber had me thinking about poetry. and when i think about poetry and valentine's day, my mind immediately turns to the brownings.the romance between them is legendary. after reading her poems for the first time, robert wrote to her: "i love your verses with all my heart, dear miss barrett--i do, as i say, love these verses with all my heart."
with that first meeting of hearts and minds, a love affair would blossom between the two. elizabeth told a friend that she was "getting deeper and deeper into correspondence with robert browning, poet and mystic; and we are growing to be the truest of friends." During the 20 months of their courtship, the couple exchanged nearly 600 letters.
here is the first letter robert wrote to elizabeth, who would eventually become his wife.
January 10th, 1845
New Cross, Hatcham, Surrey
I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett,--and this is no off-hand complimentary letter that I shall write,--whatever else, no prompt matter-of-course recognition of your genius and there a graceful and natural end of the thing: since the day last week when I first read your poems, I quite laugh to remember how I have been turning again in my mind what I should be able to tell you of their effect upon me--for in the first flush of delight I though I would this once get out of my habit of purely passive enjoyment, when I do really enjoy, and thoroughly justify my admiration--perhaps even, as a loyal fellow-craftsman should, try and find fault and do you some little good to be proud of herafter!--but nothing comes of it all--so into me has it gone, and part of me has it become, this great living poetry of yours, not a flower of which but took root and grew...
oh, how different that is from lying to be dried and pressed flat and prized highly and put in a book with a proper account at bottom, and shut up and put away... and the book called a 'Flora', besides! After all, I need not give up the thought of doing that, too, in time; because even now, talking with whoever is worthy, I can give reason for my faith in one and another excellence, the fresh strange music, the affluent language, the exquisite pathos and true new brave thought--but in this addressing myself to you, your own self, and for the first time, my feeling rises altogher. I do, as I say, love these Books with all my heart-- and I love you too: do you know I was once seeing you? Mr. Kenyon said to me one morning "would you like to see Miss Barrett?"--then he went to announce me,--then he returned... you were too unwell -- and now it is years ago--and I feel as at some untorward passage in my travels--as if I had been close, so close, to some world's-wonder in chapel on crypt,... only a screen to push and I might have entered -- but there was some slight... so it now seems... slight and just-sufficient bar to admission, and the half-opened door shut, and I went home my thousands of miles, and the sight was never to be!
Well, these Poems were to be--and this true thankful joy and pride with which I feel myself.
Yours ever faithfully
Robert Browning
...happy valentine's day to all my dearest loves...
Monday, February 12, 2007
a tale of ten garbage men...and other nashville musings
it is only right that the update on nashville begins the day before we arrived, since, for me the effects of that day had an impact on the entire trip. oh, and i’ve taken down the ‘placeholder blog’ and replaced it with this one.
thursday was our annual senior principals’ and officers’ event. there are about 250 who are invited to attend, and about 200 who actually do so. the last major event i had was in october, and the last event of any kind was in november, so i’ve been slowly ramping myself up for this one.
on wednesday night, i checked into the host hotel, the mandarin oriental (recently rated the #1 luxury property in dc). typically, when i have a local event, i don’t stay overnight, but this meeting had an early start time, and given the dc location, i didn’t want to have to be up at 4 the next morning in order to get the setup time i needed.
once checked in, i finished a few things and called it a night, but was up early thursday morning to get started. the meeting went smoothly--in fact there were virtually no glitches. the buses did not get lost, my ‘help’ arrived on time, the food was excellent, the audio visual worked, the guest speaker was a hit. all in all, it was one of the more perfect events.
the day’s meetings concluded with a cocktail reception, after which, i headed back to my room to get my stuff and headed home.
once there, i unpacked my work things and started packing for nashville. at about 12:30am, i was finally able to call it a night.
come 2:30, the alarm clock was ringing and it was time to get up. no. that is not a typo.
i showered and ran a couple of errands (bank, 24 hour harris teeter, gas) and headed over to pick angela up, and we were on our way to baltimore.
we arrived at danielle’s shortly before 6, where we met up with her and lara, consolidated our luggage into lara’s suv, and headed out for bwi. it was early, and we were all tired. i was impressed with angela’s packing ability, as her ‘suitcase’ was smaller than an average rolling carry-on. she later showed us how she did it, but i still don’t quite understand. i will say that i now see the benefit of mini-hair dryers, and travel sized sundries!
we made it to the airport with just the right amount of time to spare, and boarded our flight. it was nearly empty, so lara and danielle took the window and aisle in one row, and angela and i in the row behind. most of us were able to catch a few z’s during the two hour flight.
when we arrived in nashville, we caught a cab and checked-in at the hotel. we were early enough to make breakfast, so we dropped off our bags and enjoyed a bite before getting started on the day.
i have to confess that i don’t remember the last time i was so exhausted. having been to nashville before (albeit briefly), i knew there were a couple of things that the group would likely want to do, which i would prefer sleep to.
so, a plan evolved. the first order of business was a nap. for everyone.
we headed back into the room and turned on the tv. angela struggled to get comfortable and finally admitted that she has told her husband on many occasions ‘no street clothes in bed’. since she and i were sharing a bed, i felt badly, but my exhaustion overruled my guilt and i eventually had to slip under the covers--street clothes and all. she followed quickly, apparently also deciding that a change was not going to happen. and with that, the four of us were pretty much out.
fun group, right?
after napping for a couple of hours (and by now it’s about noon), we all started coming to. danielle was interested in going to the ryman auditorium, the original home of the grand ole opry. i had already seen it, and angela wasn’t interested, so she and lara left us behind to sleep even more. i should say that while i was in desperate need of sleep from the night before, i was also preparing for the night ahead. lara had mentioned on several occasions that she often stayed out until 3 or 4am when in nashville, and i knew that was her highest priority on the trip, so i was trying to get much needed rest in order to do that. that’s even late for me--the perpetual night owl.
a couple hours later, the two girls returned, and we decided to head down to broadway to do a little shopping.
while there, we happened upon a western store that had a ‘buy one, get two free’ boot sale going on. i was thrilled, as i have been looking for a pair of brown boots for some time. i don’t typically spend a lot of money on shoes, and a good pair will start around $200. i was hopeful that i could find a pair and get a deal at the same time.
well, i found a pair, and i fell in love with them. perhaps it was because i usually wear a size 11, and in this case had to go down to a 9 1/2 for a good fit, or perhaps it was the boot itself. actually, i know it was.
i’ll be honest, i don’t ‘love’ the stem of the boot, but the toe is a beautiful brown suede, and slightly more pointed than a typical boot. i really was in love, but they were $300 and it didn’t look like enough of the girls in our group were going to be purchasing a pair for me to get the ‘deal’.
thanks to a great sales person though, angela (also buying a pair) and i hooked up with two other girls in the store (who, ironically, were buying the exact same pair i was), and we were all able to get our boots for $100. for me that was 1/3 of retail, so you can only imagine how excited i was!
we did a little more shopping, and danielle found a pair of boots in another store, while lara, angela, and i fell in love with belt buckles there. lara and angela purchased them, but i couldn’t decide, so i left it behind. incidentally, i changed my mind, and did end up buying the buckle the following day (as did danielle), and we all ended up with the same belt buckle (though 2 square, 2 round). as angela (in particular) and danielle (who at least had already owned a pair of boots) are not real country girls, it was fun to watch them become countrified. lara continued to jest that angela’s husband would never let us travel with him again, given this result!
after shopping, it was time for food, and we popped into rippy’s for some babachew (as lara puts it), or bbq for the rest of us. we enjoyed some live music while we ate our dinner, and headed back to the hotel.
it’s possible that some or all of us napped again at this point, but i really can’t remember, nor would i confess it at this point!
eventually, it was time to start getting ready. for some (ahem lara and angela) that process is more time consuming than others, but eventually, we were all ready, and it was late enough to hit the town.
our first stop was the wild horse saloon. the wild horse is fairly large with a good size dance floor and three levels. there was a little dancing, and a lot of people watching.
we were approached by a pair of guys who were in town for a waste management conference (oh yeah. so hawt!) and it wasn’t long after that we were swarmed by another 8 guys (i kid you not) not related to the first two, but in town for the same conference.
i have to say, it was a strange scenario. most of them were married. a couple of them were drunk enough that i’m not sure how they were still standing on two feet, and a couple who just gave up the effort. is it sick and wrong that i think it’s so hilarious being sober in a primarily drunk environment? the entertainment value far exceeds reality tv, and for me, that’s saying something!
eventually the hive of 10 became altogether too overwhelming. the advances were becoming uncomfortable and the drinks were still being drunk, so we did the only thing we could, and we left.
we headed over to a honky tonk called ‘the second fiddle’ which would become our home away from the hotel while in nashville. it was a small bar, but with enough space that you didn’t feel claustrophobic. the crowd was diverse, and mostly respectful. there was a little dancing, and a little less unnecessary groping and grabbing.
it was there that we met our new best friend. she approached me like this:
her: ‘are you havin' a good time?’
me: ‘yes, we are’
her: ‘where are you from?’
me: ‘virgina’
her: ‘well, there are two things you have to do when you’re in nashville. you’ve got to sing. and you’ve got to shake your ass!’
i hope you read that while infusing a super-heavy souther drawl on this blond bundle of energy!
it turns out that she was originally from ohio, and had come to nashville three years prior on a girls trip. she loved it so much, she decided to move. i think that was her goal for us too, as she quickly determined that for the rest of the evening, she would be our cruise director. it became her personal mission to make sure that we were experiencing what nashville had to offer, and she worked hard! she was an absolute riot! she was there with her boyfriend, and another friend, who i swear, was a midget, so you can just picture this ragtag crew, can’t you?
it was something else. we found her often turning to strangers and saying ‘it is my personal goal to get as many people in here to shake their ass. and guess what? it's your turn!’ perhaps the funniest moment of the evening came when she had just said that to danielle, and a random guy (not privy to the conversation) literally grabbed d and ‘whisked’ her onto the dance floor.
after unsuccessfully trying to get the band at second fiddle to play ‘dixieland delight’, a nashville anthem, as i’ve come to learn, jae (our new friend) decided it was time to move on to greener pastures, and led us a few doors down to a place called ‘the stage.’ the stage was much bigger and far more crowded than second fiddle.
we knew walking in we weren’t going to like it as much, but we gave it an honest shot. after about 15 minutes, however, lara was sick of the guys behind us talking about my butt (i was blissfully unaware) and ‘grazing’ hers, so it was time to go. we headed back to the second fiddle and settled in for the night.
at about 1, danielle was ready to call it quits, so i walked her back to the hotel (about a block and a half away), then returned to join up with lara and angela again. we spend the next 2+ hours dancing, singing our hearts out, and just generally having a good time. we were amused by the ‘stories’ we would hear and the people we met.
the talent for the night was dustin bogue, who put on a good show. it is incredible to me that these artists/bands will go on sometime between 10 and 11 and just play until the place shuts down. if they need a bathroom break or a beer, they go get it, and another band member sings, or someone hops on stage from the audience. it is a truly unique experience. i also appreciate how hard they work. the honky tonks do not charge covers, so the band makes it money entirely off tips. it means there is a lot of crowd interaction and a lot of request taking.
near the end of the show, a girl introduced herself to me, and as were chatting, revealed herself to be the singer’s girlfriend. she then proceeded to invite us to be his entourage, as apparently labels are more likely to sign an artist who already has a following. i’ve never been invited to be in someone’s entourage before, but i don’t think i’d like it;) at any rate, she was a really sweet girl, and we chatted until the band finished and it was time to call it a night.
we made it back a little after 3am and crashed hard.
saturday morning found us entirely too early. at one point, i vaguely remember lara asking if anyone wanted breakfast, but i was still in dreamland. it wasn’t until later (5 minutes? 30?) that i realized what was going on and decided to drag myself out of bed to eat. i knew if i didn’t have breakfast i would be thrown off for the day.
angela stayed in bed, and when the three of us returned, we all climbed back in.
at noon or so, we woke up, showered and got ready. we had decided to head to the grand ole opry, so we caught a cab, and made the 20 minute trek. i had been to the opry before too, but it was next to the ginormous mall, and more shopping was scheduled.
the opry itself was closed for the season, as performances are being held at ryman through march, but we took some photos, perused the gift shop, and headed across to the mall. we meandered and bought. angela bought a fabulous belt, adorned with silver mudflap girls, and she is the only person i know that could get away with wearing it!
i think we all ended up with a little something, and after a couple of hours, decided to head back.
it’s possible there was more napping.
then it was dinner time!
we headed back to broadway where lara picked up a shirt she had seen the day before, and danielle and i bought our belt buckles. then it was on to the big river grill, where i enjoyed the most incredible gorgonzola pear salad with hazelnut crusted chicken. i have been trying to find a recipe ever since!!
dinner was low-key and took quite awhile as the restaurant was busy and the service slow. eventually we made our way out and chilled at the hotel for awhile before getting ready to go out. i let angela play with my face, and she had a good time. i don’t think i even ended up looking like a clown...at least in the dark;)
the singer at the second fiddle was one lara had heard before and liked, and who was scheduled to go on at 10. we arrived shortly thereafter, but they didn’t end up getting started until 11ish.
the singer/band on friday night had been decent, but i too thought adam wayde was pretty darn good. and he had a fiddle player. the minute lara and i saw that, we knew there was potential for some really fun songs (i.e. devil went down to georgia).
we stayed and listened for a good amount of time, but danielle had previously expressed an interest in moving around. wanting to accommodate her, we headed out on broadway to stop in some other places.
the first stop was tootsie’s. from the moment we walked in, it was difficult to breathe. the room was packed (in a truly frightening way), and i will say that i have never felt like such a piece of meat before. hoping that the backroom would be better, we made our way through the length of the bar ( a feat in and of itself) and up the stairs to the back room. it was less crowded there, but the band was much more hard rock than country, and i continued to feel uncomfortable with the type and size of the crowd. i lasted for all of 7.3 minutes, and i was done. to be honest, it didn’t matter to me if the other three came with me or not, i simply could not be there anymore. there were entirely too many people and a pervasive feeling of lechery. i don’t know how else to describe it.
fortunately, i was not alone in my assessment, and as danielle was the only one who wanted to stay, majority ruled and we made our way (with great difficulty) out of the back room and down the stairs. when we reached the main level, the line to get out virtually stopped. there were simply too many people who were too drunk to take a step back and let someone squeeze through. we were going nowhere fast.
the thing i dislike most in life, is feeling trapped. if it snows three feet, i must drive, because i have to know i CAN get out. and here i was, trapped. and i wasn’t having it. so the inner bouncer in me manifested, and i started pushing people out of my way. at that point i did not care how i got out, just that i got out. in my head, i think i was convinced there was going to be a fire and we were all going to die, like in that club that one time. so i was getting out. i would have walked on people’s shoulders or crowd surfed out the door if necessary, but in the end, my pushing and elbowing worked. i was pretty fired up to begin with and every guy that grabbed my butt fired me up even more. frankly, i hope i left some bruises. and all this coming from a completely non-violent person. i’ve never hit someone in my life, and i was closer than i’ve ever been.
unbeknownst to me, i was carving a path behind me for others feeling similarly trapped. and as i finally reached the door, out poured 10 or so people behind me who had all been struggling to get out and were thanking me for ‘freeing’ them.
so is it a violent tendency when you are really just doing a good deed?
at any rate, it is safe to say that that part of the evening was completely unfun.
we decided to try another place, and went into a honky tonk called crossroads. it was far less crowded, and felt more like second fiddle, with the exception of the crowd, who may have been the drunkest group of people i have ever seen gathered in one place. we knew danielle was looking for some variety, but after about 10 minutes, lara, and angela, and i all agreed that we weren’t, and we headed back to our favorite little bar to catch the rest of adam wayde’s set.
we ended up being soooo glad we had returned. shortly after our arrival, they did in fact play ‘devil went down to georgia’ and it was incredible (even though the sound on the video is a bit rough.) danielle headed out a little after 1, and lara, ang, and i closed out the bar yet again. it was a really enjoyable show, and we were exhausted as a result!
once more, we found ourselves back at the hotel, preparing to sleep (sensing a theme for this weekend?).
sunday morning, we woke and packed. showered and checked out.
we headed to lunch, and while walking down broadway, were approached by a guy who asked us to come see him play that night. he is a drummer for hire, and was probably getting ready for his first show of the day. another unique thing about nashville is that there is music all the time. a musician can play three shows per day in some cases.
we told him we were leaving, but spent some time talking to him. he was a really sweet guy, who turns out was a former fastest feet award winner, hitting 768 drum beats in 60 seconds. he offered us signed (well-used) drumsticks, and we said our farewells.
for lunch it was bailey’s, where i had a black and bleu burger (i have a major thing for bleu cheese, gorgonzola, and feta!) and then back to the hotel to pick our bags and find a cab.
we arrived at the airport in plenty of time. our flight was full, but i managed to score an aisle seat in an emergency exit row, while the other girls resigned themselves to middle seats in the rows behind me. the flight was short however, and when we arrived at bwi, angela left to meet her husband, while lara, danielle and i drove back to d’s (where my car was). i loaded my pics onto d’s computer and lara and i went on our separate ways while talking to each other on the phone for most of the drive.
all in all, it was a really fun weekend. it’s hard to say if it might have been a bit different had i not had an event and very little sleep just before. i am certain that it would have been different if it had been just lara, angela, and i however.
i will make only a passing commentary on that... lara, angela, and i have known each other for many years (lara and angela even passing boyfriends back and forth for a time), and lara has known danielle for even longer, but danielle was a relative stranger to angela and i. if there is one travel note i read time and time again, it is that you see an interesting side of people when you travel with them. danielle was a little difficult to travel with, so we all did some negotiating and some accommodating that would have been otherwise unnecessary. however, it was not enough of a distraction to prevent us from having a great time. and oddly enough, as evidenced by her question about when we could go on another trip it seems that she also had a good time, even though we would not have guessed it!
even though i accomplished virtually nothing during the day, i was reminded how much i like live music, and how much i love my girls. girlfriends are the bomb, especially ones that put up with you when you are being completely irrational, and ones who buy matching belt buckles!
the rest of the pics are here
thursday was our annual senior principals’ and officers’ event. there are about 250 who are invited to attend, and about 200 who actually do so. the last major event i had was in october, and the last event of any kind was in november, so i’ve been slowly ramping myself up for this one.
on wednesday night, i checked into the host hotel, the mandarin oriental (recently rated the #1 luxury property in dc). typically, when i have a local event, i don’t stay overnight, but this meeting had an early start time, and given the dc location, i didn’t want to have to be up at 4 the next morning in order to get the setup time i needed.once checked in, i finished a few things and called it a night, but was up early thursday morning to get started. the meeting went smoothly--in fact there were virtually no glitches. the buses did not get lost, my ‘help’ arrived on time, the food was excellent, the audio visual worked, the guest speaker was a hit. all in all, it was one of the more perfect events.
the day’s meetings concluded with a cocktail reception, after which, i headed back to my room to get my stuff and headed home.
once there, i unpacked my work things and started packing for nashville. at about 12:30am, i was finally able to call it a night.
come 2:30, the alarm clock was ringing and it was time to get up. no. that is not a typo.
i showered and ran a couple of errands (bank, 24 hour harris teeter, gas) and headed over to pick angela up, and we were on our way to baltimore.
we arrived at danielle’s shortly before 6, where we met up with her and lara, consolidated our luggage into lara’s suv, and headed out for bwi. it was early, and we were all tired. i was impressed with angela’s packing ability, as her ‘suitcase’ was smaller than an average rolling carry-on. she later showed us how she did it, but i still don’t quite understand. i will say that i now see the benefit of mini-hair dryers, and travel sized sundries!
we made it to the airport with just the right amount of time to spare, and boarded our flight. it was nearly empty, so lara and danielle took the window and aisle in one row, and angela and i in the row behind. most of us were able to catch a few z’s during the two hour flight.when we arrived in nashville, we caught a cab and checked-in at the hotel. we were early enough to make breakfast, so we dropped off our bags and enjoyed a bite before getting started on the day.
i have to confess that i don’t remember the last time i was so exhausted. having been to nashville before (albeit briefly), i knew there were a couple of things that the group would likely want to do, which i would prefer sleep to.
so, a plan evolved. the first order of business was a nap. for everyone.
we headed back into the room and turned on the tv. angela struggled to get comfortable and finally admitted that she has told her husband on many occasions ‘no street clothes in bed’. since she and i were sharing a bed, i felt badly, but my exhaustion overruled my guilt and i eventually had to slip under the covers--street clothes and all. she followed quickly, apparently also deciding that a change was not going to happen. and with that, the four of us were pretty much out.
fun group, right?
after napping for a couple of hours (and by now it’s about noon), we all started coming to. danielle was interested in going to the ryman auditorium, the original home of the grand ole opry. i had already seen it, and angela wasn’t interested, so she and lara left us behind to sleep even more. i should say that while i was in desperate need of sleep from the night before, i was also preparing for the night ahead. lara had mentioned on several occasions that she often stayed out until 3 or 4am when in nashville, and i knew that was her highest priority on the trip, so i was trying to get much needed rest in order to do that. that’s even late for me--the perpetual night owl.
a couple hours later, the two girls returned, and we decided to head down to broadway to do a little shopping.
while there, we happened upon a western store that had a ‘buy one, get two free’ boot sale going on. i was thrilled, as i have been looking for a pair of brown boots for some time. i don’t typically spend a lot of money on shoes, and a good pair will start around $200. i was hopeful that i could find a pair and get a deal at the same time.well, i found a pair, and i fell in love with them. perhaps it was because i usually wear a size 11, and in this case had to go down to a 9 1/2 for a good fit, or perhaps it was the boot itself. actually, i know it was.
i’ll be honest, i don’t ‘love’ the stem of the boot, but the toe is a beautiful brown suede, and slightly more pointed than a typical boot. i really was in love, but they were $300 and it didn’t look like enough of the girls in our group were going to be purchasing a pair for me to get the ‘deal’.
thanks to a great sales person though, angela (also buying a pair) and i hooked up with two other girls in the store (who, ironically, were buying the exact same pair i was), and we were all able to get our boots for $100. for me that was 1/3 of retail, so you can only imagine how excited i was!
we did a little more shopping, and danielle found a pair of boots in another store, while lara, angela, and i fell in love with belt buckles there. lara and angela purchased them, but i couldn’t decide, so i left it behind. incidentally, i changed my mind, and did end up buying the buckle the following day (as did danielle), and we all ended up with the same belt buckle (though 2 square, 2 round). as angela (in particular) and danielle (who at least had already owned a pair of boots) are not real country girls, it was fun to watch them become countrified. lara continued to jest that angela’s husband would never let us travel with him again, given this result!
after shopping, it was time for food, and we popped into rippy’s for some babachew (as lara puts it), or bbq for the rest of us. we enjoyed some live music while we ate our dinner, and headed back to the hotel.
it’s possible that some or all of us napped again at this point, but i really can’t remember, nor would i confess it at this point!
eventually, it was time to start getting ready. for some (ahem lara and angela) that process is more time consuming than others, but eventually, we were all ready, and it was late enough to hit the town.our first stop was the wild horse saloon. the wild horse is fairly large with a good size dance floor and three levels. there was a little dancing, and a lot of people watching.
we were approached by a pair of guys who were in town for a waste management conference (oh yeah. so hawt!) and it wasn’t long after that we were swarmed by another 8 guys (i kid you not) not related to the first two, but in town for the same conference.
i have to say, it was a strange scenario. most of them were married. a couple of them were drunk enough that i’m not sure how they were still standing on two feet, and a couple who just gave up the effort. is it sick and wrong that i think it’s so hilarious being sober in a primarily drunk environment? the entertainment value far exceeds reality tv, and for me, that’s saying something!eventually the hive of 10 became altogether too overwhelming. the advances were becoming uncomfortable and the drinks were still being drunk, so we did the only thing we could, and we left.
we headed over to a honky tonk called ‘the second fiddle’ which would become our home away from the hotel while in nashville. it was a small bar, but with enough space that you didn’t feel claustrophobic. the crowd was diverse, and mostly respectful. there was a little dancing, and a little less unnecessary groping and grabbing.
it was there that we met our new best friend. she approached me like this:
her: ‘are you havin' a good time?’
me: ‘yes, we are’
her: ‘where are you from?’
me: ‘virgina’
her: ‘well, there are two things you have to do when you’re in nashville. you’ve got to sing. and you’ve got to shake your ass!’
i hope you read that while infusing a super-heavy souther drawl on this blond bundle of energy!
it turns out that she was originally from ohio, and had come to nashville three years prior on a girls trip. she loved it so much, she decided to move. i think that was her goal for us too, as she quickly determined that for the rest of the evening, she would be our cruise director. it became her personal mission to make sure that we were experiencing what nashville had to offer, and she worked hard! she was an absolute riot! she was there with her boyfriend, and another friend, who i swear, was a midget, so you can just picture this ragtag crew, can’t you?it was something else. we found her often turning to strangers and saying ‘it is my personal goal to get as many people in here to shake their ass. and guess what? it's your turn!’ perhaps the funniest moment of the evening came when she had just said that to danielle, and a random guy (not privy to the conversation) literally grabbed d and ‘whisked’ her onto the dance floor.
after unsuccessfully trying to get the band at second fiddle to play ‘dixieland delight’, a nashville anthem, as i’ve come to learn, jae (our new friend) decided it was time to move on to greener pastures, and led us a few doors down to a place called ‘the stage.’ the stage was much bigger and far more crowded than second fiddle.
we knew walking in we weren’t going to like it as much, but we gave it an honest shot. after about 15 minutes, however, lara was sick of the guys behind us talking about my butt (i was blissfully unaware) and ‘grazing’ hers, so it was time to go. we headed back to the second fiddle and settled in for the night.
at about 1, danielle was ready to call it quits, so i walked her back to the hotel (about a block and a half away), then returned to join up with lara and angela again. we spend the next 2+ hours dancing, singing our hearts out, and just generally having a good time. we were amused by the ‘stories’ we would hear and the people we met.
the talent for the night was dustin bogue, who put on a good show. it is incredible to me that these artists/bands will go on sometime between 10 and 11 and just play until the place shuts down. if they need a bathroom break or a beer, they go get it, and another band member sings, or someone hops on stage from the audience. it is a truly unique experience. i also appreciate how hard they work. the honky tonks do not charge covers, so the band makes it money entirely off tips. it means there is a lot of crowd interaction and a lot of request taking.near the end of the show, a girl introduced herself to me, and as were chatting, revealed herself to be the singer’s girlfriend. she then proceeded to invite us to be his entourage, as apparently labels are more likely to sign an artist who already has a following. i’ve never been invited to be in someone’s entourage before, but i don’t think i’d like it;) at any rate, she was a really sweet girl, and we chatted until the band finished and it was time to call it a night.
we made it back a little after 3am and crashed hard.
saturday morning found us entirely too early. at one point, i vaguely remember lara asking if anyone wanted breakfast, but i was still in dreamland. it wasn’t until later (5 minutes? 30?) that i realized what was going on and decided to drag myself out of bed to eat. i knew if i didn’t have breakfast i would be thrown off for the day.angela stayed in bed, and when the three of us returned, we all climbed back in.
at noon or so, we woke up, showered and got ready. we had decided to head to the grand ole opry, so we caught a cab, and made the 20 minute trek. i had been to the opry before too, but it was next to the ginormous mall, and more shopping was scheduled.
the opry itself was closed for the season, as performances are being held at ryman through march, but we took some photos, perused the gift shop, and headed across to the mall. we meandered and bought. angela bought a fabulous belt, adorned with silver mudflap girls, and she is the only person i know that could get away with wearing it!
i think we all ended up with a little something, and after a couple of hours, decided to head back.it’s possible there was more napping.
then it was dinner time!
we headed back to broadway where lara picked up a shirt she had seen the day before, and danielle and i bought our belt buckles. then it was on to the big river grill, where i enjoyed the most incredible gorgonzola pear salad with hazelnut crusted chicken. i have been trying to find a recipe ever since!!
dinner was low-key and took quite awhile as the restaurant was busy and the service slow. eventually we made our way out and chilled at the hotel for awhile before getting ready to go out. i let angela play with my face, and she had a good time. i don’t think i even ended up looking like a clown...at least in the dark;)the singer at the second fiddle was one lara had heard before and liked, and who was scheduled to go on at 10. we arrived shortly thereafter, but they didn’t end up getting started until 11ish.
the singer/band on friday night had been decent, but i too thought adam wayde was pretty darn good. and he had a fiddle player. the minute lara and i saw that, we knew there was potential for some really fun songs (i.e. devil went down to georgia).
we stayed and listened for a good amount of time, but danielle had previously expressed an interest in moving around. wanting to accommodate her, we headed out on broadway to stop in some other places.
the first stop was tootsie’s. from the moment we walked in, it was difficult to breathe. the room was packed (in a truly frightening way), and i will say that i have never felt like such a piece of meat before. hoping that the backroom would be better, we made our way through the length of the bar ( a feat in and of itself) and up the stairs to the back room. it was less crowded there, but the band was much more hard rock than country, and i continued to feel uncomfortable with the type and size of the crowd. i lasted for all of 7.3 minutes, and i was done. to be honest, it didn’t matter to me if the other three came with me or not, i simply could not be there anymore. there were entirely too many people and a pervasive feeling of lechery. i don’t know how else to describe it.fortunately, i was not alone in my assessment, and as danielle was the only one who wanted to stay, majority ruled and we made our way (with great difficulty) out of the back room and down the stairs. when we reached the main level, the line to get out virtually stopped. there were simply too many people who were too drunk to take a step back and let someone squeeze through. we were going nowhere fast.
the thing i dislike most in life, is feeling trapped. if it snows three feet, i must drive, because i have to know i CAN get out. and here i was, trapped. and i wasn’t having it. so the inner bouncer in me manifested, and i started pushing people out of my way. at that point i did not care how i got out, just that i got out. in my head, i think i was convinced there was going to be a fire and we were all going to die, like in that club that one time. so i was getting out. i would have walked on people’s shoulders or crowd surfed out the door if necessary, but in the end, my pushing and elbowing worked. i was pretty fired up to begin with and every guy that grabbed my butt fired me up even more. frankly, i hope i left some bruises. and all this coming from a completely non-violent person. i’ve never hit someone in my life, and i was closer than i’ve ever been.
unbeknownst to me, i was carving a path behind me for others feeling similarly trapped. and as i finally reached the door, out poured 10 or so people behind me who had all been struggling to get out and were thanking me for ‘freeing’ them.
so is it a violent tendency when you are really just doing a good deed?
at any rate, it is safe to say that that part of the evening was completely unfun.
we decided to try another place, and went into a honky tonk called crossroads. it was far less crowded, and felt more like second fiddle, with the exception of the crowd, who may have been the drunkest group of people i have ever seen gathered in one place. we knew danielle was looking for some variety, but after about 10 minutes, lara, and angela, and i all agreed that we weren’t, and we headed back to our favorite little bar to catch the rest of adam wayde’s set.we ended up being soooo glad we had returned. shortly after our arrival, they did in fact play ‘devil went down to georgia’ and it was incredible (even though the sound on the video is a bit rough.) danielle headed out a little after 1, and lara, ang, and i closed out the bar yet again. it was a really enjoyable show, and we were exhausted as a result!
once more, we found ourselves back at the hotel, preparing to sleep (sensing a theme for this weekend?).
sunday morning, we woke and packed. showered and checked out.
we headed to lunch, and while walking down broadway, were approached by a guy who asked us to come see him play that night. he is a drummer for hire, and was probably getting ready for his first show of the day. another unique thing about nashville is that there is music all the time. a musician can play three shows per day in some cases.we told him we were leaving, but spent some time talking to him. he was a really sweet guy, who turns out was a former fastest feet award winner, hitting 768 drum beats in 60 seconds. he offered us signed (well-used) drumsticks, and we said our farewells.
for lunch it was bailey’s, where i had a black and bleu burger (i have a major thing for bleu cheese, gorgonzola, and feta!) and then back to the hotel to pick our bags and find a cab.
we arrived at the airport in plenty of time. our flight was full, but i managed to score an aisle seat in an emergency exit row, while the other girls resigned themselves to middle seats in the rows behind me. the flight was short however, and when we arrived at bwi, angela left to meet her husband, while lara, danielle and i drove back to d’s (where my car was). i loaded my pics onto d’s computer and lara and i went on our separate ways while talking to each other on the phone for most of the drive.all in all, it was a really fun weekend. it’s hard to say if it might have been a bit different had i not had an event and very little sleep just before. i am certain that it would have been different if it had been just lara, angela, and i however.
i will make only a passing commentary on that... lara, angela, and i have known each other for many years (lara and angela even passing boyfriends back and forth for a time), and lara has known danielle for even longer, but danielle was a relative stranger to angela and i. if there is one travel note i read time and time again, it is that you see an interesting side of people when you travel with them. danielle was a little difficult to travel with, so we all did some negotiating and some accommodating that would have been otherwise unnecessary. however, it was not enough of a distraction to prevent us from having a great time. and oddly enough, as evidenced by her question about when we could go on another trip it seems that she also had a good time, even though we would not have guessed it!
even though i accomplished virtually nothing during the day, i was reminded how much i like live music, and how much i love my girls. girlfriends are the bomb, especially ones that put up with you when you are being completely irrational, and ones who buy matching belt buckles!
the rest of the pics are here
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
why am i blogging?
it's the day before an event, and any sane event planner would not be blogging. but see, here's the thing: give me a hundred things to do and a month to do them, and maybe 75 will get done. give me a hundred things to do and a week to do them, and 150 will get done. consider this #121.
i won't be blogging over the course of the next few days as i will be incommunicado tomorrow, and then it's on to nashville with the girls early friday morning, and i simply could not wait to post these pics.
kendyl went with nana and papa to ny for new year's, and aunt diane (my aunt, not kendyl's, 'cause that woud be me) took some fabulous photos of her. incidentally, diane is also helping me out with a little 'project' which many of you will soon be beneficiaries of. that's all i'm sayin'.
okay, so here are the pics. (p.s. nova-ers, isn't this one of the most beautiful snows we've ever had!)
i won't be blogging over the course of the next few days as i will be incommunicado tomorrow, and then it's on to nashville with the girls early friday morning, and i simply could not wait to post these pics.
kendyl went with nana and papa to ny for new year's, and aunt diane (my aunt, not kendyl's, 'cause that woud be me) took some fabulous photos of her. incidentally, diane is also helping me out with a little 'project' which many of you will soon be beneficiaries of. that's all i'm sayin'.
okay, so here are the pics. (p.s. nova-ers, isn't this one of the most beautiful snows we've ever had!)
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
a practical handbook for the boyfriend
not too long ago, i was watching e's red carpet coverage of the sag awards, and seacrest was interviewing felicity huffman (desperate housewives, transamerica...). he asked her about her new book, and my attention focused in with laser-like precision.
it's no secret that from time to time, i enjoy a 'relationship' book. i've read 'he's just not that into you,' and i've read 'the list: 7 ways to tell if he's going to marry you--in 30 days or less!' i haven't read 'the rules' because i am morally opposed to a book with the word 'rules' in it..but i digress.
so today, i bought two copies of 'a practical handbook for the boyfriend: for every guy who wants to be one/for every girl who wants to build one.' i'll keep one of them, and give the other away at some point.
so far i am amused by the chapter titles and intro.
my favorite chapter titles:
all women are crazy
boymeetsgirl.com
when do you become a boyfriend, and who decides?
do i look fat?
your call is important to us
i need space
but i thought it was going so well
and from the intro:
...this book will give you tasty tips on the following:
how to apologize without really apologizing
how to look like you're listening while you're thinking about other things
how to tell if her 'no' means 'yes,' or her 'yes' means 'no'
how to avoid long phone conversations
how to avoid talking about your 'feelings'
how to pretend you have 'feelings'
this promises to be an entertaining read, at the very least!
it's no secret that from time to time, i enjoy a 'relationship' book. i've read 'he's just not that into you,' and i've read 'the list: 7 ways to tell if he's going to marry you--in 30 days or less!' i haven't read 'the rules' because i am morally opposed to a book with the word 'rules' in it..but i digress.
so today, i bought two copies of 'a practical handbook for the boyfriend: for every guy who wants to be one/for every girl who wants to build one.' i'll keep one of them, and give the other away at some point.
so far i am amused by the chapter titles and intro.
my favorite chapter titles:and from the intro:
...this book will give you tasty tips on the following:
this promises to be an entertaining read, at the very least!
Monday, February 05, 2007
by way of video..
it doesn't get funnier than a 2 1/2 year old learning to shake her booty:
there are more kendyl videos here, but if you are more of a stickler for 'professional' work, here is a good link to superbowl commercials
there are more kendyl videos here, but if you are more of a stickler for 'professional' work, here is a good link to superbowl commercials
Sunday, February 04, 2007
el laberinto del fauno
i first read about 'pan's labyrinth' on rotten tomatoes, and it's high score peaked my interest. couple that with my sometimes love of foreign films, particularly those in spanish, italian, or french, and when it was released i was highly anticipatory.
after a few setbacks, i.e. lack of time, and lack of interest from other friends, i finally went to see the movie yesterday.
what i knew about it walking into a theater was that it was in spanish, with english subtitles. everything else i knew came from the fandango synopsis: In 1944 Spain, young Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying to quell a guerrilla uprising. While exploring an ancient maze, Ofelia encounters the faun Pan, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess and must complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality.
perhaps it was jim henson's movie, released in 1986, starring jennifer connelly and david bowie that spawned my initial affinity with labyrinths. and since the tender age of 10, i have maintained a mild fascination with these mythical mazes. in fact, when my grandmother built a labyrinth on her property in new york, i was extremely excited. until i realized that is, that it was a meditation labyrinth, with no walls, and no hoggle. (if you don't remember hoggle, you haven't seen the movie recently enough.)
i didn't quite know what to expect when i arrived at the theater. i had heard that the movie was dark, and i suppose it is a fair descriptor--one that does not quite do it justice however. the movie, as stephanie put it, is both disturbing and beautiful.
the antagonist, as noted in the synopsis, is a sadistic army general, and it is through him that most disturbing scenes are manifested. his love of cruelty and pain juxtaposed with his otherwise mild demeanor are often difficult to watch. he delights in torture and senseless killing, and i found myself on several occasions doing something i rarely do--shutting my eyes.
but as disturbing as those moments were, it was a joy to watch 12 year old ivana baquero bring 'ofelia' to life. she perfectly captured the terror of her new living environment and step father, as well as the wonder at having stumbled upon a magical creature, pan, or el fauno, and learning of her alternative destiny.
the cinematography is stunning, and the story-telling superb. i particularly appreciated the subtleties. i loved that a word or a gesture carried so much meaning, as i find that all too often in american cinema, there is very little not spelled out for us. i suspect that it is a result of our inability or disinterest in thinking for ourselves.
i also found it interesting that another common american practice was turned on it's head. typically, we find that the evil doers are ugly or overly creepy looking, and the protagonist is always attractive and uncreepy. not so in this case. in fact, the 'bad guy' was quite handsome, while the 'good guy', the faun, was pretty scary looking and completely lacking in personality. it was a powerful reminder that appearances can be deceiving.
additional, and far more eloquent, reviews can be found here, and here.
a movie critique is obvously subjective, but all told, i would give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it highly.
after a few setbacks, i.e. lack of time, and lack of interest from other friends, i finally went to see the movie yesterday.
what i knew about it walking into a theater was that it was in spanish, with english subtitles. everything else i knew came from the fandango synopsis: In 1944 Spain, young Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying to quell a guerrilla uprising. While exploring an ancient maze, Ofelia encounters the faun Pan, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess and must complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality.
perhaps it was jim henson's movie, released in 1986, starring jennifer connelly and david bowie that spawned my initial affinity with labyrinths. and since the tender age of 10, i have maintained a mild fascination with these mythical mazes. in fact, when my grandmother built a labyrinth on her property in new york, i was extremely excited. until i realized that is, that it was a meditation labyrinth, with no walls, and no hoggle. (if you don't remember hoggle, you haven't seen the movie recently enough.)
i didn't quite know what to expect when i arrived at the theater. i had heard that the movie was dark, and i suppose it is a fair descriptor--one that does not quite do it justice however. the movie, as stephanie put it, is both disturbing and beautiful.
the antagonist, as noted in the synopsis, is a sadistic army general, and it is through him that most disturbing scenes are manifested. his love of cruelty and pain juxtaposed with his otherwise mild demeanor are often difficult to watch. he delights in torture and senseless killing, and i found myself on several occasions doing something i rarely do--shutting my eyes.
but as disturbing as those moments were, it was a joy to watch 12 year old ivana baquero bring 'ofelia' to life. she perfectly captured the terror of her new living environment and step father, as well as the wonder at having stumbled upon a magical creature, pan, or el fauno, and learning of her alternative destiny.
the cinematography is stunning, and the story-telling superb. i particularly appreciated the subtleties. i loved that a word or a gesture carried so much meaning, as i find that all too often in american cinema, there is very little not spelled out for us. i suspect that it is a result of our inability or disinterest in thinking for ourselves.
i also found it interesting that another common american practice was turned on it's head. typically, we find that the evil doers are ugly or overly creepy looking, and the protagonist is always attractive and uncreepy. not so in this case. in fact, the 'bad guy' was quite handsome, while the 'good guy', the faun, was pretty scary looking and completely lacking in personality. it was a powerful reminder that appearances can be deceiving.
additional, and far more eloquent, reviews can be found here, and here.
a movie critique is obvously subjective, but all told, i would give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it highly.
Friday, February 02, 2007
the mac is back, the mac is back!!
about two months ago, i noticed a crack in the plastic next to the isight camera on my mac. i don't know how or when it got there, but it's no secret i'm tough on my tech.
when i called apple a couple weeks later, they immediately sent me an empty box, complete with necessary packing material (including strips of tape!) and a pre-paid dhl label.
it took me nearly six weeks to psych myself up for the seperation anxiety. it's been my experience that there are no guarantees. even though it was a simple fix, i knew there were no guarantees.
finally though, i decided it was time, and on tuesday, i dropped off the beloved beaut, and prayed.
i got it back today, all perfect again. and just in case you haven't realized, today is FRIDAY. tuesday - friday.
is it any wonder i am now an apple groupie?
and in further 'i'm a geek' news...on one of the geeky sites i subscribe to, i saw this post. i am so applying.
when i called apple a couple weeks later, they immediately sent me an empty box, complete with necessary packing material (including strips of tape!) and a pre-paid dhl label.
it took me nearly six weeks to psych myself up for the seperation anxiety. it's been my experience that there are no guarantees. even though it was a simple fix, i knew there were no guarantees.
finally though, i decided it was time, and on tuesday, i dropped off the beloved beaut, and prayed.
i got it back today, all perfect again. and just in case you haven't realized, today is FRIDAY. tuesday - friday.
is it any wonder i am now an apple groupie?
and in further 'i'm a geek' news...on one of the geeky sites i subscribe to, i saw this post. i am so applying.
tickets officially purchased
so, it's official, i finally got my tickets to utah for corey and jill's wedding!
tickets were quite a bit more expensive then i was expecting them to be, and last night i had this strange brainstorm to check on combining this trip with another trip i've been hoping to take, and now i feel like i got a steal.
so on st. patty's day, i head to california for a few days with jesse, then i'm on to salt lake from there, where i will get to spend time with family (i'm especially excited by staying at my cute cousin's recently purchased house), then the wedding, and then home.
i am exciiited!
tickets were quite a bit more expensive then i was expecting them to be, and last night i had this strange brainstorm to check on combining this trip with another trip i've been hoping to take, and now i feel like i got a steal.
so on st. patty's day, i head to california for a few days with jesse, then i'm on to salt lake from there, where i will get to spend time with family (i'm especially excited by staying at my cute cousin's recently purchased house), then the wedding, and then home.
i am exciiited!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
perhaps the funniest thing i've ever seen on tv
i officially love boston legal now. and it has nothing to do with the fact that the hot brunette is named tara...
countdown to...
we've almost made it to friday, and that's saying something. it's been a slow blog week--mostly because the mac is in the shop and i find that doing anything i don't absolutely have to do on the pc, is a bit of a stretch. this also explains the absence of a new playlist, so i hope you guys like these songs;)
so...february promises to be a busy month...
as for work; i have three events in the next couple of weeks, and plans are underway for our monster blowout in april (which, btw, is going to be a hella party).
as for church; in addition to my normal gosepl doctrine teaching duties, i'll also be teaching at the stake enrichment near month's end.
as for holidays; first, there is v-day. i am determined to have an excellent one this year, and have decided it is all in the attitude. valentine's day is typically pretty miserable in my world, so i have decided rather than focusing on who loves (or doesn't love) me, i will focus on those i love. sounds like a good plan, right?
then there is president's day. i'm still trying to decide what i want to do for president's day weekend. long weekend = tara must play. i'm thinking about visiting julie and colby in raleigh, but for now, i'm playing it by ear.
as for travel; in just over a week, lara, angela, danielle and i are off to nashville to fill up on wranglers and stetsons. with this crew, the adventure is bound to be filled with all sorts of trouble. normally, i'd expect angela (the only married one) to keep the rest of us in line, but if you know angela, you'll know what a joke that is!
anyway, like i said, busy month.
so...february promises to be a busy month...
as for work; i have three events in the next couple of weeks, and plans are underway for our monster blowout in april (which, btw, is going to be a hella party).
as for church; in addition to my normal gosepl doctrine teaching duties, i'll also be teaching at the stake enrichment near month's end.
as for holidays; first, there is v-day. i am determined to have an excellent one this year, and have decided it is all in the attitude. valentine's day is typically pretty miserable in my world, so i have decided rather than focusing on who loves (or doesn't love) me, i will focus on those i love. sounds like a good plan, right?
then there is president's day. i'm still trying to decide what i want to do for president's day weekend. long weekend = tara must play. i'm thinking about visiting julie and colby in raleigh, but for now, i'm playing it by ear.
as for travel; in just over a week, lara, angela, danielle and i are off to nashville to fill up on wranglers and stetsons. with this crew, the adventure is bound to be filled with all sorts of trouble. normally, i'd expect angela (the only married one) to keep the rest of us in line, but if you know angela, you'll know what a joke that is!
anyway, like i said, busy month.
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