Tootsie Yr2: Knoxville Part 1
I woke up this morning in a hotel in Knoxville. Missing Jameson. But also excited to be here!
I had a nice slow morning, and eventually got an Uber to the company hotel downtown.
My room was ready, so it was time for my routine: drop everything and go find groceries!
Well, sort of. First I wanted to get lunch.
Good Golly Tamale was one of few restaurants open, and they were on my way to the grocery too!
It's a small but spacious place with plants and cute quilts hanging on the walls.
The menu. I wished I could have tried them all!
I was helped right away, and because tamales are pre-made I had my food like 30 seconds after ordering!
This is the Vegan Soul: blue corn masa, black-eyed peas, mashed sweet potatoes, and collards.
It was so good! The beans were cooked perfectly, the collards were very flavorful and had been cooked just how you'd have them as a Southern side. The sweet potato contrasted the semi-spicy collards nicely. The blue corn masa was perfect. And they were pretty dang big, so one was plenty for me. The tamale was served with a side of salsa, but it didn't need it at all, everything was so flavorful already.
I really, really enjoyed this first meal in Knoxville, and felt energized to continue on to Three Rivers Market, a local co-op grocery.
On the way there I walked through some neighborhoods that reminded me of Winston-Salem, where I lived for two years.
Quiet streets, slightly run down houses, but well-kept and with that patina that speaks of plain age, not neglect if that makes any sense.
I think once you have been to a lot of places, everywhere looks like everywhere else to some extent.
At the moment Knoxville is part-Kansas City, part-Memphis, with smatterings of Louisville and Winston-Salem thrown in.
The "Kansas City" part is all the dang hills.
No way am I walking back UP this hill carrying all my groceries, no ma'am!
Here is Three Rivers Market today:
It was a nice little grocery, lots of produce and a great bulk foods section.
I was impressed by their selection of local meats, and got some chicken breast for the Itaki.
I also found local sourdough from Flour Head Bakery, a peach ginger molasses kombucha, and a 10-grain hot cereal to try.
Continuing on another mile to Kroger, I got my usual groceries and a packet of "simmering sauce" to cook the chicken in.
I Ubered back for convenience and to avoid that big hill, and because I've been pretty sedentary over the layoff.
Three miles today is enough; there's no reason to overdo things, especially with a full week of shows ahead.
Back at the hotel I put the groceries away and got the chicken cooking in the Ikaki with half the simmer sauce.
My first Itaki meal of 2023!
When it was done I tossed it in the rest of the sauce.
It turned out pretty nicely. I wish the sauce were thicker, but oh well!
I sliced up the local sourdough too.
It's crusty and chewy, with a moist crumb. Very tasty but kinda difficult to cut because VERY chewy! I did my best.
As I started to unpack my suitcases, travel updates were coming in from the cast and the band.
A looooot of people were delayed. My coworker Brandon had been booked on the same original flight as me, and through him I saw how my travel day COULD have gone: he was delayed three times, rerouted twice, somehow made it to Atlanta airport, but then his final flight to Knoxville was canceled late at night. I think he has to rent a car now, and it's unclear when he'll get here. Yeek!
The joys of post-holiday travel.
I couldn't help but feel simultaneously pleased and guilty, sitting in the figurative "catbird seat". Pleased, obviously, because I'd avoided a hectic travel day for myself by ditching the company-booked flight and booking my own flight a day earlier. Guilty, also obviously, because while I'm over here relaxing my friends and coworkers are sleeping at airports or driving through the night, to then face a hurried check in followed by a week of rehearsals and shows. But there is nothing I can do about it now.
The rest of my night was very chill. Crappy Kroger sushi for dinner, Rick & Morty on tv, what more can one ask for on tour.
-----------------------------------------------------
Tuesday morning, and opening night for Tootsie!
I made the 10-grain cereal in the Itaki (it's pretty good! Like a more fibrous Cream of Wheat) with raspberries and vanilla protein milk and Greek yogurt. I finally got to do some data entry work, but I certainly owe them a lot more haha.
Soon enough it was time for sound check.
I grabbed the big bag of caramels and brought them to the pit, putting a bag in each spot.
Josh was there warming up, and soon more of us started filtering in. Yay! The gang's all here!
Except poor Brandon (bass). He was STILL DRIVING. Omg.
We got caught up on our holiday doings, and some people tried the caramels and raved over them (yay!).
I filled my water bottle and set up my spot, and soon we played our first notes.
Brandon arrived just as we were finishing sound check! He looked exhausted but happy to finally be here.
I hope he's able to recover a bit before tonight's show.
Rehearsal was just for cast and the MD, so the rest of us were cut loose to go find lunch.
I had my Itaki chicken, veggies, nuts, and sourdough bread.
Wanted to go for a walk but there was a thunderstorm rolling in, so made it a lazy day instead.
When it was time for sound check, I found a stairwell that leads me directly from the hotel to the stage door! Wild!
Shortest commute ever! I'll post a video at the end of the week (can't post it now because we're not to share where we're staying WHILE we're staying there, for safety reasons).
Our first show went surprisingly well! Not to be a pessimist, just many people had rough travel days, we only had one run-through rehearsal, and some people were returning after months away with injuries (welcome back Jared omg!!). Any errors during the show were very small and unnoticeable by the audience. We did a really great job!
-------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, I woke up later than usual, but that's ok :)
Walked to Walgreens, which was over a mile away, for some sparkling water for our drummer and a few necessities for me.
On the way back the skies opened up and I got pretty soaked. Booooo.
After dropping the goods off and drying off I walked to Olibea, a local brunch restaurant. Luckily it had stopped raining.
It's a cute, very small building, and it was packed. They are only open until 1pm!
I knew exactly what I wanted and placed my order. While waiting I also got a hot toddy since I still felt a bit chilled from walking in the rain. Bourbon, brown sugar, lemon, and tea...really hit the spot!
Then my food came out. Oh. My Gawd.
Olibea's Chicken Biscuit: pickle-brined fried chicken on a fluffy biscuit, topped with chow chow, on a bed of whipped sorghum and gravy.
It was very amazing. The chicken was super crunchy and salty, with tart and spicy flavors from the chowchow, and creamy sweetness from the gravy and sorghum. I had thought the white stuff was the whipped sorghum...like, sorghum flour, whipped up like Cream of Wheat? But actually that's a vegetable gravy, and the syrup is the sorghum. The syrup doesn't look "whipped" to me, but it was delicious so it sure didn't matter. Definitely my least healthy meal in a while, but worth it!
I put half of it in a box for later and had a nice walk back down Gay St.
There is a Mast's General Store here...they're a chain, but there aren't many of them.
Known for "country goods" like flannel shirts and bowie knives and winter wear, they also have knick-knacks, housewares, children's toys, souvenirs...and most famously, big barrels of old-fashioned and modern candies that you can buy in bulk.
I picked up some Schrute Farms mints for Jameson, and a sampler of Christmas Spice coffee for me.
I exercised great self control in the candy section, just getting some Sunkist fruit chews because they are one of my favorite candies :)
I want this. Don't ask what I'd do with it, I have no idea. But I want it.
Anyway. Back at the hotel I chilled out for several hours before the show.
At a low-fat dinner to make up for lunch: Greek yogurt, raw veggies, canned pumpkin, seitan jerky, fiber crackers.
The show went really well again, and we had a great crowd.
---------------------------------------------------
It's Thursday morning. The weather will be a bit colder today, but sunny and rain-free.
Plan is to do some data entry, eat lunch, go for a walk, and do the show.
That's pretty much it.
The local art museum is free(!) so I HAVE to pop in there. And there's a historic cemetery.
Should be a nice day!
I had a nice slow morning, and eventually got an Uber to the company hotel downtown.
My room was ready, so it was time for my routine: drop everything and go find groceries!
Well, sort of. First I wanted to get lunch.
Good Golly Tamale was one of few restaurants open, and they were on my way to the grocery too!
It's a small but spacious place with plants and cute quilts hanging on the walls.
The menu. I wished I could have tried them all!
I was helped right away, and because tamales are pre-made I had my food like 30 seconds after ordering!
This is the Vegan Soul: blue corn masa, black-eyed peas, mashed sweet potatoes, and collards.
It was so good! The beans were cooked perfectly, the collards were very flavorful and had been cooked just how you'd have them as a Southern side. The sweet potato contrasted the semi-spicy collards nicely. The blue corn masa was perfect. And they were pretty dang big, so one was plenty for me. The tamale was served with a side of salsa, but it didn't need it at all, everything was so flavorful already.
I really, really enjoyed this first meal in Knoxville, and felt energized to continue on to Three Rivers Market, a local co-op grocery.
On the way there I walked through some neighborhoods that reminded me of Winston-Salem, where I lived for two years.
Quiet streets, slightly run down houses, but well-kept and with that patina that speaks of plain age, not neglect if that makes any sense.
I think once you have been to a lot of places, everywhere looks like everywhere else to some extent.
At the moment Knoxville is part-Kansas City, part-Memphis, with smatterings of Louisville and Winston-Salem thrown in.
The "Kansas City" part is all the dang hills.
No way am I walking back UP this hill carrying all my groceries, no ma'am!
Here is Three Rivers Market today:
It was a nice little grocery, lots of produce and a great bulk foods section.
I was impressed by their selection of local meats, and got some chicken breast for the Itaki.
I also found local sourdough from Flour Head Bakery, a peach ginger molasses kombucha, and a 10-grain hot cereal to try.
Continuing on another mile to Kroger, I got my usual groceries and a packet of "simmering sauce" to cook the chicken in.
I Ubered back for convenience and to avoid that big hill, and because I've been pretty sedentary over the layoff.
Three miles today is enough; there's no reason to overdo things, especially with a full week of shows ahead.
Back at the hotel I put the groceries away and got the chicken cooking in the Ikaki with half the simmer sauce.
My first Itaki meal of 2023!
When it was done I tossed it in the rest of the sauce.
It turned out pretty nicely. I wish the sauce were thicker, but oh well!
I sliced up the local sourdough too.
It's crusty and chewy, with a moist crumb. Very tasty but kinda difficult to cut because VERY chewy! I did my best.
As I started to unpack my suitcases, travel updates were coming in from the cast and the band.
A looooot of people were delayed. My coworker Brandon had been booked on the same original flight as me, and through him I saw how my travel day COULD have gone: he was delayed three times, rerouted twice, somehow made it to Atlanta airport, but then his final flight to Knoxville was canceled late at night. I think he has to rent a car now, and it's unclear when he'll get here. Yeek!
The joys of post-holiday travel.
I couldn't help but feel simultaneously pleased and guilty, sitting in the figurative "catbird seat". Pleased, obviously, because I'd avoided a hectic travel day for myself by ditching the company-booked flight and booking my own flight a day earlier. Guilty, also obviously, because while I'm over here relaxing my friends and coworkers are sleeping at airports or driving through the night, to then face a hurried check in followed by a week of rehearsals and shows. But there is nothing I can do about it now.
The rest of my night was very chill. Crappy Kroger sushi for dinner, Rick & Morty on tv, what more can one ask for on tour.
-----------------------------------------------------
Tuesday morning, and opening night for Tootsie!
I made the 10-grain cereal in the Itaki (it's pretty good! Like a more fibrous Cream of Wheat) with raspberries and vanilla protein milk and Greek yogurt. I finally got to do some data entry work, but I certainly owe them a lot more haha.
Soon enough it was time for sound check.
I grabbed the big bag of caramels and brought them to the pit, putting a bag in each spot.
Josh was there warming up, and soon more of us started filtering in. Yay! The gang's all here!
Except poor Brandon (bass). He was STILL DRIVING. Omg.
We got caught up on our holiday doings, and some people tried the caramels and raved over them (yay!).
I filled my water bottle and set up my spot, and soon we played our first notes.
Brandon arrived just as we were finishing sound check! He looked exhausted but happy to finally be here.
I hope he's able to recover a bit before tonight's show.
Rehearsal was just for cast and the MD, so the rest of us were cut loose to go find lunch.
I had my Itaki chicken, veggies, nuts, and sourdough bread.
Wanted to go for a walk but there was a thunderstorm rolling in, so made it a lazy day instead.
When it was time for sound check, I found a stairwell that leads me directly from the hotel to the stage door! Wild!
Shortest commute ever! I'll post a video at the end of the week (can't post it now because we're not to share where we're staying WHILE we're staying there, for safety reasons).
Our first show went surprisingly well! Not to be a pessimist, just many people had rough travel days, we only had one run-through rehearsal, and some people were returning after months away with injuries (welcome back Jared omg!!). Any errors during the show were very small and unnoticeable by the audience. We did a really great job!
-------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, I woke up later than usual, but that's ok :)
Walked to Walgreens, which was over a mile away, for some sparkling water for our drummer and a few necessities for me.
On the way back the skies opened up and I got pretty soaked. Booooo.
After dropping the goods off and drying off I walked to Olibea, a local brunch restaurant. Luckily it had stopped raining.
It's a cute, very small building, and it was packed. They are only open until 1pm!
I knew exactly what I wanted and placed my order. While waiting I also got a hot toddy since I still felt a bit chilled from walking in the rain. Bourbon, brown sugar, lemon, and tea...really hit the spot!
Then my food came out. Oh. My Gawd.
Olibea's Chicken Biscuit: pickle-brined fried chicken on a fluffy biscuit, topped with chow chow, on a bed of whipped sorghum and gravy.
It was very amazing. The chicken was super crunchy and salty, with tart and spicy flavors from the chowchow, and creamy sweetness from the gravy and sorghum. I had thought the white stuff was the whipped sorghum...like, sorghum flour, whipped up like Cream of Wheat? But actually that's a vegetable gravy, and the syrup is the sorghum. The syrup doesn't look "whipped" to me, but it was delicious so it sure didn't matter. Definitely my least healthy meal in a while, but worth it!
I put half of it in a box for later and had a nice walk back down Gay St.
There is a Mast's General Store here...they're a chain, but there aren't many of them.
Known for "country goods" like flannel shirts and bowie knives and winter wear, they also have knick-knacks, housewares, children's toys, souvenirs...and most famously, big barrels of old-fashioned and modern candies that you can buy in bulk.
I picked up some Schrute Farms mints for Jameson, and a sampler of Christmas Spice coffee for me.
I exercised great self control in the candy section, just getting some Sunkist fruit chews because they are one of my favorite candies :)
I want this. Don't ask what I'd do with it, I have no idea. But I want it.
Anyway. Back at the hotel I chilled out for several hours before the show.
At a low-fat dinner to make up for lunch: Greek yogurt, raw veggies, canned pumpkin, seitan jerky, fiber crackers.
The show went really well again, and we had a great crowd.
---------------------------------------------------
It's Thursday morning. The weather will be a bit colder today, but sunny and rain-free.
Plan is to do some data entry, eat lunch, go for a walk, and do the show.
That's pretty much it.
The local art museum is free(!) so I HAVE to pop in there. And there's a historic cemetery.
Should be a nice day!