music city: bonus day

melissa and i had an almost full day to do some exploring.  during my national parks research and in looking for daytrips from the city, i happened across a state park called fall creek falls.  it's about two hours outside of nashville and boasts a number of good-sized waterfalls.

the handful of national park sites that would have been doable, were either ones i had already visited, or ones i had no interest in visiting. so, when i posed the idea of this state park to mel, i was happy that she thought it looked as cool as i did.

because i had been busy with work and honky-tonking for most of the trip, i hadn't gotten to spend much time with my bulgarian friend, who was also in town for the conference. we had squeezed in a couple of lunches and some boot shopping (i was so excited to find women's boots in my size that i bought three pair!), but our usual 'last night dinner' had been pre-empted by my grand ole opry visit.  instead, we had a very very early breakfast since melissa and i were getting an early start on the drive.  i was flattered actually, that since his flight wasn't until 2pm, he was willing and wanted to meet up...even though it was 6:30am.  

after stuffing my face, taking a selfie, and saying our goodbyes, i left to pick up melissa at her hotel and we were on our way.  

the two hour drive was uneventful, in the best kind of way.  it was a beautiful day in the mid-60s. the music was good, the conversation was good, and almost exactly two hours later, we arrived at our destination.

we spent the next several hours hiking the park, taking photos, enjoying the quiet (we had the place mostly to ourselves) and the multitude of picturesque waterfalls.  it was truly gorgeous.  and, even though i'm no better a hiker now than i have ever been, the scenery was well worth a little huffing and puffing.

eventually, it was time to return to civilization (aka, the airport), and the return drive was equally as lovely and uneventful.  we made it back to the airport in plenty of time to drop off the rental car, check-in for flights, and make our way through security.  once through, we said our farewells and headed off to our gates.

what was so amazing about this particular trip is that it felt like a vacation.  even despite the fact that we were all working pretty full days, we were able to take full advantage of the sights and each other's company. there was quite literally, never a dull moment! 

music city: antique archaeology and the grand ole opry

 between the country music hall of fame and the bluebird cafe, melissa and i had checked two things off 'the list'.  she visited the ryman without me, which, since i had been before, actually worked out really well.

the last day of the conference was a short one.  earlier in the day, i had taken a cab out to the airport to pick up a rental car for mine and melissa's 'bonus day'.  we had both scheduled late flights home the following day so that we could do some exploring.

so after the exhibit hall closed, melissa, julie, tiffany and i headed out to antique archaeology.  if you are a frequent watcher of the history channel, you won't need an explanation. if not, however, the significance will likely be lost on you.  there is a show called 'american pickers' that follows two guys who travel the country rummaging through barns and sheds, the older and messier the better, in search of unique antiques that they then resell.

a couple of years ago they purchased a second warehouse location (the first is in iowa) in nashville, and i wanted to take a gander.  a lot of the items they 'pick' are ones that i would be interested in, and i was genuinely hoping that i would find something that would fit with my decor.

when we arrived, there was a live band playing, and the place was packed.  it was much smaller (at least the show room) then any of us could have anticipated, and unfortunately, i didn't find anything that would be a good fit.  ultimately, i was glad to have checked it off, but a little disappointed in the experience.

with time still on our hands, we decided to explore the rest of the giant warehouse.  there were a couple of cute boutiques, but when we discovered the distillery/micro-brewery, the girls decided that it looked like a good opportunity to sit down and have a drink.  they tried a couple of different drinks, unique to the venue, and by all accounts, enjoyed the experience.  i, enjoyed the ambiance, and the diet coke i brought with me. :D

we made our way back to the hotel, where we dropped julie so she cold catch a cab and her flight home, and after changing, melissa, tiffany, and myself headed out to the grand ole opry.  melissa and i had purchased tickets before the trip, and tiffany had decided at the last minute that she would like to join us.  there were still tickets available, so she bought a single seat and the three of us made the 20 minute drive.

we hadn't been familiar with any of the bands, but it didn't really matter. we just wanted to experience it.  i didn't know (or had forgotten) that the seats are church-pew style, so from the beginning, it felt different.  i also hadn't realized that every show IS a a radio program, so there is a really unusual format. there is a host for each segment who also performs, then a band who sings two songs.  then the next segment has a new host and a new band.

during the first segment, the band was a male/female duo, who announced that they had just signed with their first label.  in order to celebrate, they said, they had invited a friend to join them in performing one of the songs.  to my great pleasure, their 'friend' turned out to be sam palladio, who plays gunnar on the nashville tv show.  the three of them sang a song that aired on a recent episode, which, it turned out, had been written by the duo.  i was happy to know that the show does actually use local talent, and it was fun to see real nashville and fictional nashville cross paths.

at the end of the evening, the three of us were starving, so we made a stop at cracker barrel for dinner before calling it a night.

music city: the bluebird cafe

adding to the goodness that was march, my one work trip (although it included back to back cities) would have me spending a few days in one of my all-time favorite cities - nashville.  i can't even express how much i love this town.  so much so, that i keep waiting for it to let me down.  that sounds terrible actually.  really i just mean that every time i visit, my expectations are so high, that i've become convinced that actually being there won't be able to meet them.

and i had really high expectations this time.

my friend melissa who hadn't spent a lot of time in the city had asked for a list of must see sights/activities. i do love to build an itinerary, so i began putting it together for her.  the list looked like this:

-antique archaeology
-bluebird cafe
-grand ole opry
-country music hall of fame
-ryman auditorium

of these, i had only ever been to the ryman.  well, technically, i had been to the opry but i'd never seen, and wanted to see, a performance there.  i've checked off a number of other nashvillian activities, but some of these had managed to escape me on previous visits.

in fact, the bluebird cafe has been on my list for years.  in music city, it has long been known as a place for songwriters to come test out their work.  a LOT of really really well known songs (and singers) debuted here, long before the hit the country music charts.  but, fortunately or unfortunately, since the tv show 'nashville' begain airing, prominently featuring the bluebird, it has become difficult to get in. tickets are sold a week in advance for both the 6pm and 9pm shows, and even though i was online at the right time, i wasn't able to get tickets for our desired show.  i was bummed.  so was melissa.

so, come booth set up day, i had a smooth setup and melissa and i were able to visit the country music hall of fame. interesting, but not mind-blowing.

while there, she mentioned having read that the bluebird had seats that they didn't sell in advance for the early show, she asked if i wanted to try it.  i'll admit that i was on the fence.  i was pretty tired from the time zone transition and i didn't want to pay a fortune for a cab, stand in line for hours, and then not be let in.  ultimately though, i decided it was worth a shot.

$25 later, at about 4:30 the cab dropped us off at the strip mall cafe, and there was already a line.  it didn't look too out of control though, so we took the risk.  the early show would start at 6, and at about 5 staff members came out to tell us that there were 20 guaranteed seats, and any others that became available would only be so as a result of no-shows.  we had probably about 50 people in front of us and a handful behind.  it was interesting in that last hour to watch the line change configuration. the people who decided to wait it out, and the people who didn't.  at this point, my stubbornness kicked in and i was pretty determined.  so much so, that if we didn't get in, i was already planning on just sitting down and being the first in line for no-show seats at the 9pm show.

fortunately, it didn't come to that.  after the guaranteed 20 were let in, we probably still had 15-20 people in front of us.  slowly staff members would come outside and escort small groups in.  eventually, melissa and i were at the front of the line.  i couldn't stomach the idea of being the first people to NOT get in so i was relived when we were invited in and sent to a table at the front of the action. ironically, all of the folks both in front and behind us who had decided not to wait it out, would have made it in.  their loss!

rather than a traditional stage set up, the performers were positioned in chairs on the floor in the center of the room - the three of them facing each other.  though the description of the evening said 'in the round', i wasn't sure what that had meant, and i learned that each singer/songwriter would play one of their songs, and then the next person would play one of theirs.  sometimes they would back each other up or pause to tell stories about the origin of the song or about each other.

it was a really unique experience. first of all, it's extremely intimate.  in fact melissa and i could have wasily given one of the singers a shoulder massage, as he was basically sitting at our table (albeit, with his back to us).  secondly, the bluebird is what they call a 'listening room', and it's meant for just that.  though they appreciate a response to their songs,  talking amongst yourselves is discouraged.  the idea is that you go to listen.

we listened. and we really liked what we heard.

it was also unique because the suit-wearing "i'm walking in like i own the place" guy that had breezed by us while we were still in line outside, turned out to be the actual owner of the place, accompanied by a georgia congressman.

at the end of the performance, we waited our turn for the restroom, bought our tee shirts, and took photos with the singers.  my only trepidation had been not being sure how we were going to get back to the hotel.  the cafe is in kind of a strange location, and i was concerned that even if we called a cab and it came that it would take forever to get there.  my fears were put to rest when we walked outside and there was a taxi waiting, hoping to pick up a fare.

it was a perfect excursion, and, after we returned, we headed out to broadway (or honky tonk row) for more live music.  we met up with the other girls from my company and settled in for awhile at the stage. i was in a goofy mood - still on a bit of a high from the bluebird and just sooooo happy to be in nashville, so i had a blast listening to the band, laughing with the new girls, and making a new friend for the evening.

i never get over just how amazing it is that on a wednesday night (on any night) in nashville, every honky tonk will be packed, there will be two or three live bands, and they will be good.  i had an epiphany that night, realizing that nashville, to me, is like vegas is to a lot of people.  i can stay out all night, work all day, and do it over and over again.  i <3 nashville="" p="">

adios october

all good things must come to an end i suppose, and october 2013 is no exception.  before saying a final farewell however, there was time to...

get my two-step on with grant and amy,

enjoy watching cordy and thor spooning for the first time,

have dinner with katherine, in town from colorado for some training,

and catch up with my road trip friend matt, giving me an excuse to try out a new dessert recipe.

oreo pudding cake

the haunted circus

i was excited to be heading back to texas.  i love texas. i'm a lot more country than i think i've previously realized.  but i was also excited because i'd finally be in the right texas town at the right time, to meet up with my friend old virginia friend, stephanie.  to clarify, she's not old, i'm not old, but our friendship is old. old like a fine wine that just gets better with time.

so, i had a lot to look forward to, and when i got a text from a relatively new co-worker asking if i'd be up for a haunted house while we were in texas, the ante got upped!

the decision was made to visit the strangling brothers haunted circus.  i'd like to tell you that i selected it because it appeared on 'top haunt' lists, or that i am particularly terrified of clowns, but really, i selected it because it was the ONLY option on a monday night.  which makes it a happy accident that it is hands down the scariest haunt i've experienced!

since i'm not especially bothered by clowns, i expected it to be 'okay', but it was beyond memorable.  being there on a monday night meant very short lines.  which should have moved faster.  but when i realized why it was slow going, i forgave the delay.  it turns out that they were staggering each group so that you were only going through with the people you came with. that alone made it stand apart.  i hate being lumped in with a larger group and depending on where you are in that larger group, you may actually see everything coming before it comes.  this was not the case at the circus.

also setting it apart was that rather than being set in some kind of building, in line with it's circus theme, it was actually roughly 30 big-rig size trailers linked together in some case and with some outdoor scenes happening between every 3 or 4 trailers.  this was also most excellent for me as i tend to get very hot in haunted houses and the outdoor vignettes gave my body a chance to regulate it's temperature.

but even beyond these seemingly subtle differences, the quality of the scares was far above average.  while not every 'scene' made me react, there was literally something for everyone. in fact, it was this experience that made me realize that my quirky 'cabin fever' --the one that would make me go driving around the neighborhood in three feet of snow, just to know that i could,  is actually a fear on some level.

there was one area in particular that tapped into the fear.  dense with white fog and populated with people wearing white masks and white clothing so that you could not see them until they were inches from your face, it was also impossible to find a way out.  we were in that trailer for probably 6 or 7 minutes, at least two of which, i spent curled up in a standing ball in a corner. our exit was finally made possible by one of the whiteys with a finger point, and i'm not sure we would have found it without the help.  we couldn't even figure out where we had come from!  it was soooo good!

i recently read a review on yelp where the reviewer, referring to some haunt or another, said he considered a haunt a good value if you got at least a minute for every dollar you spent.  we spent 25 dollars and it took a little over 45 minutes for us to go through the entire experience, never running into or being bumped into by any other participants.  they were truly excellent minutes.

and the texas fun was not over.  the following evening gave me a chance to spend a few hours with stephanie.  she had picked fred's texas cafe, a ddd joint that, it turned out, i hadn't been to. we grubbed and gabbed, and i was reminded just how much i love seeing old friends. i love that they come with a shared built in history.  i love that you share certain understandings and don't have to cover old ground, but can go on the same nostalgia trip should you so choose. and i love that you can just pick up where you left off.

needless to say it was a most excellent tuesday night in texas.

western days

with recent trips to nashville and texas, my 'little bit country' side has had a number of opportunities to flourish.  so, i jumped at the chance to keep the theme alive when my friend vicki texted on thursday to ask if i was in town, because she had a rodeo ticket for me.

and come saturday afternoon, i was on my way to san dimas -- about an hour from home -- to meet up with vicki and her crew.  

her boyfriend/baby daddy was serving on the rodeo committee, so, they had secured an extra vip parking pass and a ticket. and i do enjoy vip-ing it.  not only did it mean that i had free, close proximity, parking, but we also had access to the vip tent with plenty of food, drinks, and perhaps most importantly on the 96 degree day, giant fans. 

we spent the afternoon going back and forth between the tent and the sectioned off vip bleachers, and enjoyed some roping, bucking broncs, and of course, bull riding.  i was re-introduced and newly introduced to vicki's post-company (we used to work together) circle of friends,  got a chance to see more of baby jade's personality.

all in all, it was a fantastic afternoon. one of my favorite activities with one of my favorite people.  and i even got out of ther without having to wait in the unending exiting line of cars that seem inevitable at any event. so, basically, perfect!

the neon lights are bright

i'm aware that the song refers to a different broadway, but for my purposes, it still applies.  broadway, after all, is where you will find 'honky tonk row' in nashville, a two-three block stretch of fantastic, free, live music. mostly country, but you'll definitely find smattering a of rock if you're looking.  and you can be sure whatever the genre, it's going to be good.

there is so much musical talent in nashville, that unless you've earned your stripes elsewhere, you won't be allowed on a broadway honky tonk stage. and it's why this is always one of my favorite cities to visit.  but before we get to that...

the exhibit hall opened at 7am.  which meant that the wake up call was for 5 am. which meant that my body thought it was 3am.  and that was rough.  the exhibit hall was also painfully slow, which did not help.

there was a mild flurry of excitement mid-way through the day when kix brooks, formerly of brooks & dunn, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, spent some time in the hall signing cd's and taking photos.  and i, of course, couldn't pass that up.  he was a normal sized nice man, partly responsible for a number of great country hits over the years, and i was pleased to have met him.

but the energy levels dropped significantly after that, and it was all we could do to stay awake at the booth. my co-worker, kevin, had never been to a honky tonk before and knew i wanted to go, so he suggested that we retire to our respective hotels for a pre-dinner nap.... he's a smart one, that kevin.

we reconvened a couple of hours later with our other co-worker, sonya, and headed to dinner where we were joined by bobby, a 'local' I met last year through my various trade show interactions. he works with a company that we work with and, something about that southern-ness made me instantly like him. (by the way, he's married and mid-sixties, so not THAT kind of like).

he told us lots of nashville stories, had us laughing 'til our stomachs hurt, and insisted on treating us all to dinner. I tried to explain that we were all on the company dime, but you just try talking a southern gentleman out of showing hospitality in his hometown, and see how successful you are!

needless to say, i lost that 'disagreement'.

after our meal had concluded, he drove us, in his fast, sporty, muscly type car, back to broadway, where I headed straight to the second fiddle -- my favorite joint on the strip.  the crowd is always diverse, the staff always friendly, and the music always good. we spent the next three hours there, and i was delighted to discover that sonya (originally from tennessee) is also a big country fan. kevin, not so much, but he enjoyed the ambiance and the live music element.

we called it a night just after midnight with the promise of another ugly early morning to follow.

and when that ugly early morning arrived, i just couldn't bring myself to head back to the exhibit hall. I had originally planned on staying only until noon before catching my flight home, but i had some urgent emails to respond to and a suitcase problem to figure out.  

both of these things having been successfully accomplished, when kevin called to see if i wanted to join he and sonya for their lunch break, i suggested we try 'arnold's', a cafeteria style southern eatery recommended by bobby the night before, highly rated on yelp, and also on the diners, drive-ins, and dives list. They came and picked me up and we made our way to the restaurant.

it was the best possible way for me to conclude the short trip to the city. I had the chicken and dumplings (made me feel like I should be sitting in y grandma's kitchen on a cold winter day), some excellent slaw, and chocolate pie. we sampled each other's selections, and kevin's hot pepper chocolate pie was a treat.  likely made with chili powder, the slow creep up of the 'kick' as the brownie batter like pie and homemade crust made their way down my gullet, was amazing.  i've always liked mexican hot chocolate - made with chili powder - so i was a big fan.

one thing i noticed this time around is just how successfully nashville cooks manage their spices. our dinner the might before included hot wings, different from any i'd had before. rather than being sauced, they were dry-rubbed. and again, the spiciness crept up on you, building slowly, and stopping at what i felt like was exactly the perfect level of heat. i'm going to have to remember that when I'm back in march!

after our tasty meal, they dropped me back off at my hotel where i picked up my bags and the rental car and headed to the airport, where the costa rican hertz agent told me that for sure i could get a boyfriend in costa rica, and the american agent upgraded me to first class on my direct flight home. a nice way to end a nice trip.

hot country nights

woo hoo! the annual birthday trip -- i mean, work trip -- to kansas city was hot for a number of reasons, and the mid 90's temps and high humidity were just the start.

arriving early always gives me a little extra potential time to spend with my friend melissa, and this year she mentioned that craig morgan would be playing a free concert at the power & light district.  since booth setup was going smoothly, i was able to join her and her husband.

after a quick bite at chipotle, a recap of my east coast trip, and a little girl talk about my relatively new work crush (i thought she'd be shocked at my confession. she wasn't.) who i expected to see during the trip, we headed over to p&l.

since we were early, we decided to hang back a bit where we could sit for the next couple of hours--which turned out to be a great choice.  not only did we manage to remain mostly sweat and foot-pain free, but when craig finally took the stage, we stood on some platform benches and had a perfect view.

and it got better when a few songs in, i noticed a flurry of activity about 10 feet in front of me. took me a second to realize that craig had come out to perform a song in the audience.  and he had just happened to wind up where we were hanging out.

when i relayed the story to my boss after the fact, his response was 'of course he did.'  i guess i've developed a reputation for having good (mostly random) things happen to me, and the truth in that makes me continually grateful.

after he finished singing from his audience stool, melissa, nick, and i decided it wouldn't get better than that and made our exit.

since melissa isn't traveling as much these days, i have to take advantage of every opportunity to spend time with her, so we said our farewells for the evening, and confirmed plans to see each other again in the next couple of days.

the following morning booth setup continued, mostly, smoothly. there was one new piece (a rotating hanging sign) that wasn't working (not rotating) and while it was a great disappointment, it wasn't the end of the world. (meaning, it WILL be fixed for the next show).  what was most surprising though, is that unlike previous years wheen we had been finishing up at midnight or 1am, we were actually done by 2pm.

i almost didn't know what to do with myself, but since i was on day 3 of a rotten summer cold, i headed back to the hotel room for a nap and a shower before meeting the rest of the gang for team-building bowling.

the most interesting new team member was my friend shannon's 3 month old baby, marcus.  i confirmed that he had not yet had a self-portrait, so i got to be the first once again!

while the rest of the team bowled, i opted to play it low(er) key and enjoyed some dinner and conversation with the non-bowlers. and, after a couple of games the group dispersed.

Julie, chris, mike and i decided to head to one of our favorite joints-- howl-at-the-moon, the dueling piano bar chain--where we sang along and judged the crowd.

at midnight i turned into a pumpkin and headed back to the hotel to be ready for the exhibit hall opening the following day.and  little did i know, things were just starting to heat up.