Travel tales
Work is predictably a bit nuts since I was gone for a few days, but nothing major blew up or anything, so it seems under control more or less. That said, it might come back to bite me, but I'm going to take a few minutes to try to flesh out a bit more on the Nashville trip.
Wednesday evening, got to BWI with no problem despite a bit of traffic on 95. Parked in long-term parking, shuttled to the terminal, great. Security, no problem. Gate, bingo. Alas, BWI doesn't have free wifi, and I really didn't need to pay $5 just to kill 30 minutes before takeoff, so I wrote a bit and read a bit. The plane boarded and took off exactly on time. Apparently this was Bizarroworld!
The flight was smooth and easy, and we touched down early. Early! However, the previous plane was still at our gate so all our earliness didn't wind up counting for much. As soon as I turned my phone back on I had two text messages! I felt so important! One was from Mandy telling me Breezy would meet me outside the airport, at the pick-up-passenger spaces outside the baggage claim area. My flight arrived at 7:10 central time and it was right in the middle of the time when Luke gets put down for the night, so Breezy and Riley came to get me at the airport while she stayed home to take care of the baby. Last year when I visited, I arrived too late at night and Riley didn't know I was there, so when I woke up the next morning and went into the TV room (right near the guest bedroom anyway), he freaked out a bit. I knew he wouldn't remember me from a year and a half ago, but he smiled and started chatting right away. We had a nice ride back and I stretched out and got my stuff into the guest bedroom when we got there, and Breezy started the getting-Riley-ready-for-bed process as Mandy finished up with Luke and we started catching up. We chatted, I ate a little something since peanuts weren't going to cut it for dinner, and then it was bedtime.
The next day, Riley had preschool from 9-3, so we decided we would go to the Y to work out. Up, dressed in workout clothes, and decided to wait on breakfast, which was actually not a great idea. Doh! We got Riley to preschool and then got me signed in as a guest at the Y, then got Luke checked into the nursery, where he slept the entire time. We put our stuff in lockers and Mandy got on an elliptical while I did weight machines. There are a huge number of weight machines there so I got to work muscles I had no idea I possessed. Some of the scarier/less explicable machines, I skipped. I could have asked a helpful Y person, but honestly, there were so many there that there was absolutely no way I'd be able to try them all anyway. We walked some laps when we were both done as a cool-down, then we got Luke from the nursery. We went home and got showered and ready to go back out. Luke ate, and then got back to sleep, in time for us to get to O'Charley's, a favorite of Mandy's. The food and service were excellent, and again, Luke slept the whole time. I swear, he is the least-fussy baby I have ever seen. I shouldn't say anything, though, I don't want to jinx it! Afterward we just had time for a brief Kroger stop and then we picked up Riley and went downtown to Dragon Park (which the internet has told me is technically called "Fannie Mae Dees Park," but everyone calls it Dragon Park). Mandy set up shop under a shady tree to nurse Luke while Riley and I played. I successfully went down a slide, always a tricky proposition for someone of adult stature. (Also I didn't fall off the end and get a concussion, which happened the last time I went off a slide. That was many, many years ago, it's really not something I've made a habit of.) I took pictures, that I linked to yesterday but in case you really want instant gratification right here is where they are! Eventually it was time to pack up and go home.
I think that Thursday evening was the only time we all ate together at dinner, due to the kids' schedules and Breezy's work schedule and all. And that night, I don't even recall what we did particularly. I think that is when the new Spyro game for the Wii arrived, which means Breezy and I spent a lot of time playing that so Riley could watch. He loves that little purple dragon. Eventually the kids all went to bed and Mandy and I took a moment to leap off to the Target. Yes, even when out of town I can't stay away from Target. I realized when I packed that my old swimsuit is several sizes too big. I tried it on, and while it wasn't falling off or anything, it was decidedly saggy in the posterior region. Plus once I thought about getting a new suit I loved the idea. Mandy needed a few things also so off we went. I found a cute suit and she found the stuff she was looking for, and we were all ready to swim the next day.
Friday dawned a bit gray and cloudy, and while it never rained, we nixed the idea of going to the community outdoor pool, and instead suited up (after breakfast) for a trip to the Y pool. Which is a very cool pool for kids, with fountains and slides and things. Riley had a blast; Luke slept in the nursery the whole time again. After a while the lap pool cleared out enough for me to do some actual swimming, too. I love my new suit, which is a tankini with a skirt bottom, and is awesome. We had to get Luke by 1 p.m. so we cleared out of the pool at 12:30, showered off briefly, collected him and went home. There we had an exciting afternoon of playing, wherein Riley discovered that I am easily hoodwinked into physical comedy, AKA wrestling games. He has stuffed bear blanket things (it's a stuffed bear head on a blanket; he calls them "bear-bear," and they have long been a favorite toy - which is why they have three, for when one needs to be washed or whatever), which he brought in at one point and tossed at me. So I collapsed to the floor in a heap, because I was covered in bears. Thus a monster was created, because Riley wanted to play "bear-bear attack!" a lot. Which was gratifying, but eventually a little tough on the knees. Fortunately it kept him extremely occupied and entertained and tired out, though, because that was the night I was babysitting. Mandy and Breezy went off to see Eddie Izzard. Luke was already down by the time they left and he didn't make a peep while they were gone. Riley dawdled a lot on his way to bed but I eventually got him there (admittedly without brushing his teeth or saying his prayers; I am a bad ersatz aunt) and read him stories and turned out the light. Then I noodled online for a while and eventually watched Doctor Who. They were kind enough to set the DVR to record it for me, since I'd forgotten to set mine at home before I left. Oops! It was a pretty decent one, actually. Then M. & B. got home and there was a bit of chatting and then bed.
Saturday, a full day ahead of us! What would we do? Fortunately I'd seen the ad for the Moon Pie Festival in a copy of Tennessee Parent magazine lying around, and eventually the decision was made to go for it. And it? Was actually pretty awesome. It was about an hour away, Bell Buckle being between Murfreesboro and Manchester. And it's a little, little town. There were lots of people and lots of Moon Pies and RC Cola and carriage rides and crafts-vendors and SO many food vendors. SO many things were available deep-fried for your eating entertainment. I didn't get a deep fried Moon Pie because I enjoy remaining alive. I did eat a corn dog, though, and eventually got a regular Moon Pie (see photographic evidence in my last post!). I got a t-shirt for my Mom because I'm a horrible enabler. (The only size that was sold out was XXL, perhaps a testament to how popular the deep-fried foodstuffs were.) Eventually we had seen what there was to see and we went down Main Street to visit a big park Mandy had seen on the community website. Riley got to play and run around for a while and the adults got to kick back a bit, which was nice. Eventually we saddled up for home and made good time despite driving through a huge thunderstorm. Once back, it was time to start getting the kids ready. Mandy put Luke down for the night while I played Spyro for Riley. Breezy went out to the movies with a friend that night while we watched the kids. Once Luke was down Mandy put Riley to bed and then we chatted until Breezy came home, then we all stayed up a little longer.
Then, Sunday! It was Breezy's day to sleep in so Mandy and the kids and I got up and tried to go to the Loveless Cafe, which is just down the road and has become a bit of a tradition for us. But we usually go on a weekday before I fly home, and the Sunday crowds were nuts. It was going to be an hour wait, and with a 4-year-old and a 7-week-old that wasn't going to fly. Instead, we went to Sonic! And it turns out they have delicious breakfast, which you can still get with tater tots, thank God. So we sat and ate and Riley played with the toy from his kids' meal and Luke slept and we all listened to "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" and it was generally awesome. We went home and eventually after another round of feeding for Luke and some banana-bread baking and gardening time for Mandy while Riley played with Breezy and Luke napped, we suited up and went to the community pool. It was a glorious afternoon and we all had a fine time swimming and sunning and playing. Then we walked home, showered, and Mandy and I went out for the evening while Breezy watched the kids. We went out to a Turkish restaurant which was delicious (doner kebab!), then on to Lonnie's for an authentic Nashville karaoke experience. It turns out that Nashville really IS Music City, and is full of very very talented singers who sing a lot of karaoke. Since it was Sunday night, it was only regulars in there, and my goodness. It was intimidating. So we had our two drink minimum and ducked out to recover from the smokiness (we thought it was illegal! Guess not!) and hit a late-night Starbucks. We got home around midnight.
Then up on Monday morning at 7, shower, pack the last-minute stuff and off to the airport! I had another perfectly on-time flight, smooth ride, and we got to BWI like 20 minutes early. Awesome! I got my stuff and got home and did laundry and unpacked and grocery-shopped and generally got organized. And here I am. Whew!
There was one exciting bit of news while I was down there that I will leave outside the cut. I got an email from the Jeopardy! people. I noted back in January when I took the online test that it was pretty unsatisfying, not knowing if you passed or failed. But apparently I passed, because I have an audition in D.C. on August 1. Huzzah! I really hadn't felt very confident when I took the online test so that was nice to hear. And thank goodness I took my laptop to Nashville with me, because if you don't RSVP within 48 hours they offer your slot to someone else! (People are selected at random from the pool of folks who passed the online test.) So, apparently, here we go again, Trebek.
Wednesday evening, got to BWI with no problem despite a bit of traffic on 95. Parked in long-term parking, shuttled to the terminal, great. Security, no problem. Gate, bingo. Alas, BWI doesn't have free wifi, and I really didn't need to pay $5 just to kill 30 minutes before takeoff, so I wrote a bit and read a bit. The plane boarded and took off exactly on time. Apparently this was Bizarroworld!
The flight was smooth and easy, and we touched down early. Early! However, the previous plane was still at our gate so all our earliness didn't wind up counting for much. As soon as I turned my phone back on I had two text messages! I felt so important! One was from Mandy telling me Breezy would meet me outside the airport, at the pick-up-passenger spaces outside the baggage claim area. My flight arrived at 7:10 central time and it was right in the middle of the time when Luke gets put down for the night, so Breezy and Riley came to get me at the airport while she stayed home to take care of the baby. Last year when I visited, I arrived too late at night and Riley didn't know I was there, so when I woke up the next morning and went into the TV room (right near the guest bedroom anyway), he freaked out a bit. I knew he wouldn't remember me from a year and a half ago, but he smiled and started chatting right away. We had a nice ride back and I stretched out and got my stuff into the guest bedroom when we got there, and Breezy started the getting-Riley-ready-for-bed process as Mandy finished up with Luke and we started catching up. We chatted, I ate a little something since peanuts weren't going to cut it for dinner, and then it was bedtime.
The next day, Riley had preschool from 9-3, so we decided we would go to the Y to work out. Up, dressed in workout clothes, and decided to wait on breakfast, which was actually not a great idea. Doh! We got Riley to preschool and then got me signed in as a guest at the Y, then got Luke checked into the nursery, where he slept the entire time. We put our stuff in lockers and Mandy got on an elliptical while I did weight machines. There are a huge number of weight machines there so I got to work muscles I had no idea I possessed. Some of the scarier/less explicable machines, I skipped. I could have asked a helpful Y person, but honestly, there were so many there that there was absolutely no way I'd be able to try them all anyway. We walked some laps when we were both done as a cool-down, then we got Luke from the nursery. We went home and got showered and ready to go back out. Luke ate, and then got back to sleep, in time for us to get to O'Charley's, a favorite of Mandy's. The food and service were excellent, and again, Luke slept the whole time. I swear, he is the least-fussy baby I have ever seen. I shouldn't say anything, though, I don't want to jinx it! Afterward we just had time for a brief Kroger stop and then we picked up Riley and went downtown to Dragon Park (which the internet has told me is technically called "Fannie Mae Dees Park," but everyone calls it Dragon Park). Mandy set up shop under a shady tree to nurse Luke while Riley and I played. I successfully went down a slide, always a tricky proposition for someone of adult stature. (Also I didn't fall off the end and get a concussion, which happened the last time I went off a slide. That was many, many years ago, it's really not something I've made a habit of.) I took pictures, that I linked to yesterday but in case you really want instant gratification right here is where they are! Eventually it was time to pack up and go home.
I think that Thursday evening was the only time we all ate together at dinner, due to the kids' schedules and Breezy's work schedule and all. And that night, I don't even recall what we did particularly. I think that is when the new Spyro game for the Wii arrived, which means Breezy and I spent a lot of time playing that so Riley could watch. He loves that little purple dragon. Eventually the kids all went to bed and Mandy and I took a moment to leap off to the Target. Yes, even when out of town I can't stay away from Target. I realized when I packed that my old swimsuit is several sizes too big. I tried it on, and while it wasn't falling off or anything, it was decidedly saggy in the posterior region. Plus once I thought about getting a new suit I loved the idea. Mandy needed a few things also so off we went. I found a cute suit and she found the stuff she was looking for, and we were all ready to swim the next day.
Friday dawned a bit gray and cloudy, and while it never rained, we nixed the idea of going to the community outdoor pool, and instead suited up (after breakfast) for a trip to the Y pool. Which is a very cool pool for kids, with fountains and slides and things. Riley had a blast; Luke slept in the nursery the whole time again. After a while the lap pool cleared out enough for me to do some actual swimming, too. I love my new suit, which is a tankini with a skirt bottom, and is awesome. We had to get Luke by 1 p.m. so we cleared out of the pool at 12:30, showered off briefly, collected him and went home. There we had an exciting afternoon of playing, wherein Riley discovered that I am easily hoodwinked into physical comedy, AKA wrestling games. He has stuffed bear blanket things (it's a stuffed bear head on a blanket; he calls them "bear-bear," and they have long been a favorite toy - which is why they have three, for when one needs to be washed or whatever), which he brought in at one point and tossed at me. So I collapsed to the floor in a heap, because I was covered in bears. Thus a monster was created, because Riley wanted to play "bear-bear attack!" a lot. Which was gratifying, but eventually a little tough on the knees. Fortunately it kept him extremely occupied and entertained and tired out, though, because that was the night I was babysitting. Mandy and Breezy went off to see Eddie Izzard. Luke was already down by the time they left and he didn't make a peep while they were gone. Riley dawdled a lot on his way to bed but I eventually got him there (admittedly without brushing his teeth or saying his prayers; I am a bad ersatz aunt) and read him stories and turned out the light. Then I noodled online for a while and eventually watched Doctor Who. They were kind enough to set the DVR to record it for me, since I'd forgotten to set mine at home before I left. Oops! It was a pretty decent one, actually. Then M. & B. got home and there was a bit of chatting and then bed.
Saturday, a full day ahead of us! What would we do? Fortunately I'd seen the ad for the Moon Pie Festival in a copy of Tennessee Parent magazine lying around, and eventually the decision was made to go for it. And it? Was actually pretty awesome. It was about an hour away, Bell Buckle being between Murfreesboro and Manchester. And it's a little, little town. There were lots of people and lots of Moon Pies and RC Cola and carriage rides and crafts-vendors and SO many food vendors. SO many things were available deep-fried for your eating entertainment. I didn't get a deep fried Moon Pie because I enjoy remaining alive. I did eat a corn dog, though, and eventually got a regular Moon Pie (see photographic evidence in my last post!). I got a t-shirt for my Mom because I'm a horrible enabler. (The only size that was sold out was XXL, perhaps a testament to how popular the deep-fried foodstuffs were.) Eventually we had seen what there was to see and we went down Main Street to visit a big park Mandy had seen on the community website. Riley got to play and run around for a while and the adults got to kick back a bit, which was nice. Eventually we saddled up for home and made good time despite driving through a huge thunderstorm. Once back, it was time to start getting the kids ready. Mandy put Luke down for the night while I played Spyro for Riley. Breezy went out to the movies with a friend that night while we watched the kids. Once Luke was down Mandy put Riley to bed and then we chatted until Breezy came home, then we all stayed up a little longer.
Then, Sunday! It was Breezy's day to sleep in so Mandy and the kids and I got up and tried to go to the Loveless Cafe, which is just down the road and has become a bit of a tradition for us. But we usually go on a weekday before I fly home, and the Sunday crowds were nuts. It was going to be an hour wait, and with a 4-year-old and a 7-week-old that wasn't going to fly. Instead, we went to Sonic! And it turns out they have delicious breakfast, which you can still get with tater tots, thank God. So we sat and ate and Riley played with the toy from his kids' meal and Luke slept and we all listened to "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" and it was generally awesome. We went home and eventually after another round of feeding for Luke and some banana-bread baking and gardening time for Mandy while Riley played with Breezy and Luke napped, we suited up and went to the community pool. It was a glorious afternoon and we all had a fine time swimming and sunning and playing. Then we walked home, showered, and Mandy and I went out for the evening while Breezy watched the kids. We went out to a Turkish restaurant which was delicious (doner kebab!), then on to Lonnie's for an authentic Nashville karaoke experience. It turns out that Nashville really IS Music City, and is full of very very talented singers who sing a lot of karaoke. Since it was Sunday night, it was only regulars in there, and my goodness. It was intimidating. So we had our two drink minimum and ducked out to recover from the smokiness (we thought it was illegal! Guess not!) and hit a late-night Starbucks. We got home around midnight.
Then up on Monday morning at 7, shower, pack the last-minute stuff and off to the airport! I had another perfectly on-time flight, smooth ride, and we got to BWI like 20 minutes early. Awesome! I got my stuff and got home and did laundry and unpacked and grocery-shopped and generally got organized. And here I am. Whew!
There was one exciting bit of news while I was down there that I will leave outside the cut. I got an email from the Jeopardy! people. I noted back in January when I took the online test that it was pretty unsatisfying, not knowing if you passed or failed. But apparently I passed, because I have an audition in D.C. on August 1. Huzzah! I really hadn't felt very confident when I took the online test so that was nice to hear. And thank goodness I took my laptop to Nashville with me, because if you don't RSVP within 48 hours they offer your slot to someone else! (People are selected at random from the pool of folks who passed the online test.) So, apparently, here we go again, Trebek.