Nashville & Nuptials

Nashville. Oh how I love you. I have decided that I could live here if I need another change. It's exactly like Charlotte, just take the NASCAR out and add A LOT of music. Not just Country, but all music. The area between all the colleges (Vandi, Belmont, and Trivecca) is eclectic and fun. Stores that smell of history. A book store that has shelves packed with used copies of the classics. I found a very nice copy of the Great Gatsby for under $7 and a new copy is over $15 at Barnes and Noble. A SoHo style shop with art and jewelry just my style. As I'm typing this it escapes me the name of the store. I hope the have a web site.



Music Row was a quick little tour, but just driving by the studios that sat between the buildings where the greats have recorded was by far worth it.



Instead of "riding up and down Broadway on my ol' Stud LeRoy", we walked up and down Broadway stopping at every bar to listen to the bands playing in hopes of being "discovered". The orchid exterior of Tootsies Orchid Lounge, the Southern-Rock influence at Legends, and then breaking off Broadway to look through The Wild Horse Saloon, and Historic Printers Alley.



The musical history in this town is overwhelming. Walking through the Ryman Auditorium is enough to bring a person who dreamed of being an artist to tears. So you can guess that as I stood on the stage looking out over the rows of pews and up into the balcony, I was in awe. Walking through the dressing rooms that have been dedicated to the greats like Johnny Cash, Minnie Pearl, Hank Sr., and the Women of the Opry, makes you appreciate them so much more.



On to the wedding, Ashley has this incredible creativity that I wish I had. I appreciate it greatly, and always think, "why didn't I think of that?" Her boho, out-door, eco-chic wedding was amazing. The olive and coral colors that I couldn't picture when it was explained came together perfectly. And seeing my step-cousin Brandon trying to pull it together as she stood with her mom behind the glass doors, made me dream of finding my true-love. They are the epitome of what true-love looks like.

The wedding was so simple, but it was the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to. Brandon's younger brother Zach sang during communion. He's truly a talented individual. Ashley's mom is an arts and crafts phenom! She made four wall hangings, wreaths, and I'm not sure what else. The reception was dubbed "let them eat cake". A nice three-tier cake, along with 6 specialty cakes from Publix, which rivaled cakes from any up-scale bakery. They had "photo booths" of pieces of 7x10 cloth in different patterns that friends of the bride and groom snapped shots from these funky cool cameras. The best was the send off. Most couples only give a small amount of bird seed about the size of a gumball. Ashley made little pouches from left over material and gave three handfuls of seed in each pouch. When you have 30 people throwing that much seed, it can get messy. Then it turned into throw it at each other. We had seed all in our hair, down our dresses, just everywhere.

After the wedding I had some of the best pasta I have ever had. Mafiaoza's is amazing. The pizza isn't as good as my beloved Lola's in South Hills of Charleston, but the dish aptly named "the Mark" was so tasty! Go there. Try it. Love it!

On Sunday, while trying to spot some country singers my brother called my mom with some sad news. A girl my brother graduated with, the sister of a girl I graduated with, was boating with their younger sister on the Kanawha River when they struck a barge. Both were injured, and Jill, who was driving the boat, later passed. Their 16-yr-old sister is still in the hospital. Jill was only 23. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Divita family. Jennifer and I were some-what friends in high school, and I can't imagine what she is going through. So add them into your prayers for a little help through this trying time.

West Virginia down to Tennessee!

So I'm sitting in Charleston. Just played Wii Sports. Found out I'm 54 years old...that's a 13 year gain from the last time I took the Fitness Test. I just read my cousin's fiancee's blog and she was praising Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I think I may invest and start that DVD.

Tomorrow I get to hangout with my 9-year-old cousin Darien while others go to a graduation to which I have refused to be in attendance. My refusal comes after the graduate and her father came to my home city of Charlotte for a Bowl Game and the way they were just plain rude to me on Easter. Yeah, I hold grudges. But anyway, I get to hang with my DoodleBug for about two hours. Not sure what we will do, movie, mall, ice cream...the possibilities are endless.

This weekend is the above mentioned fiancee and cousin's wedding in Nashville, TN. Ah, Music City. Very excited. Hope to run into a Country Music star whilst out to dinner. Fingers crossed.

In preparation for said weekend, my mother is trying to get all of her class work done. Yes, my 50-yr old mom is a college student. She just came into the living room asking for my help. She's taking a non-verbal communications class and comes to her college-drop-out of a daughter for help. Yet, I am a smart person, college just wasn't for me. Sure I would love to have my degree, but being a cosmetologist and playing with hair all day long sounds more fun. I'm creative, but not creative enough to land a job at a top-notch Marketing and Ad firm. I wouldn't settle for working at some Ad firm that only has local clients, I need national clients. And national clients only seem to go to Seattle or San Francisco for advertising work. It just rains WAY too much for me in the Pacific Northwest. And Chicago and New York are the other advertising hubs and Chicago is too cold and NYC is too expensive. Thankfully, I start school in under 60 days. YES!!

I paid some bills today, I really hate bill paying day. It's like I get paid and the money goes RIGHT out of the bank account. I need some spending money for my trip to Nashville.

What is it about the Wayons Bros that just make them insanely attractive? I am a pale, whiteboy lovin' girl, but the Wayons have to make some GORGEOUS babies.

Well, I'm out. Waking up early to do Yoga and help the mother with her homework before taking my baby to the kennel. I hate when I have to board her. She flips out. Pray for us. HAHA.

Time for Mundane Monday...

• Did Christian School Officials in Ohio not see Footloose?  No dancing? No rock n' roll? Suspended for going to a dance?  Really?  They need to sit down and watch the end of Footloose.
• Alpine Swiss ban nude hiking.  Aren't the Alps a little cold for hiking in the buff?
• Alaskan 8th Graders scare a moose to death!  A MOOSE!
• Colorado woman's license plate declaring her love of tofu is ruled offensive and X-rated by state officials.
• A Nebraska inmate wants to change his name to Sinner, but officials say no.  Although, the inmate could be considered insane for his reasoning...
  
• A new product in Japan is like a disco ball for your shower!  Disco Showerhead.  On another note, I want a disco showerhead....
• And lastly, NASCAR's Daily Scene writer Jeff Gluck has written and posted an open letter to the Wonder boy Kyle Busch.  While many of Kyle's fans take up for his sore loser actions, there are those of us - 85% of NASCAR viewers - left thinking the prick is an immature baby and can't take a loss a WEEK after he SWEPT the Richmond races.
  

Now I planned on stopping there, but my opinion on Kyle Busch is one I feel must be addressed.

I think the kid is an AMAZING talent.  You can't deny the kid could drive the wheels off of anything.  He's won in every series he's dabbled in, so why does he throw a temper tantrum like a 5 year old that didn't get his way every time he has a bad race.  Which, his bad races have been FAR and FEW between this year.  If he could calm the temper and act like an adult, then he could have the 2nd largest fan base in the sport.  Yet, every time something goes wrong, he stomps off like a baby, ignoring the press on his way back to his motorcoach.  Or he hides in his car transporter.  I could understand if there was an on track incident where he was likely to punch the other driver if he didn't high tail it out of there, but this week it wasn't.  And it's not like he didn't just win every race in Richmond.  If the same thing happened every week this year, then again, be pissed.  

NASCAR is one of the only sports were the athlete is accessible as they are.  He's one of 43 guys that get to race every week.  I can go on YouTube and search for Dale Jr. and find a clip where he's talking about being one of the few that get to make MILLIONS in the sport.  75% of the fans probably don't have a household income of over $150,000 and that is pushing it in this economy.  Many fans are jobless right now.  So when a guy who makes millions acts like a baby because he didn't add $200,000+ to his already $50 million a year fortune, it pisses a lot of struggling people off.  

Grow up Kyle Busch before you kill yourself, or someone else on the track.  It's time to put your big boy britches on and DEAL WITH IT LIKE AN ADULT!  All the other guys can do it, why is it so hard for you?

So I woke up planning on blogging my distaste for the Left when it comes to anyone of the Right being truthful and honest when answering question publicly.  Yes, the media whore Perez Hilton against Miss California Carrie Prejean.  I'm over it really.  Attacking one person who at the point represents a large group who do no believe as he does.  Hey, Perez!  It's America!  We were founded on the belief that not everyone agrees on everything!  Read the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.  Both protect her and YOU!  Drop it!  Go attack something or someone worth while.  You have made this girl a Saint in the eyes of the Right Wing Extremists!   Why is it that we can't just say, "I don't agree with you, but I respect you for being honest."?  Grow up America and be MATURE!  Show integrity.  Don't know the meaning of the word like Perez?  Look it up at Dictionary.com!

And just to clear it up, I'm an Independent, not a Dem or Republican.  I'm pro-gay marriage, pro-stem cell research, and pro-life for the most part.  The end.

On to my new reason for blogging after not being able to do so for a week - stupid computer viruses, I need a MacBook Pro!

Kings of Leon.  My good friend Kelli has already blogged her love of the concert, but I thought I would reinforce her statements.

Well I thought I would enjoy the opening acts, The Walkmen, more than I did.  However, I only enjoyed their last song "The Rat".  Solely, because it was the only one I knew by heart and it was the last song they would play.  

After 45 minutes between the sets, the boys came on stage to open with "Crawl".  Wow!  I must say I loved KOL before the show, but I fell even deeper while there.  Caleb Followill is such a great entertainer.  He may be the lead-singer, but he is so funny to watch.  His brother, Nathan was blowing bubbles with his gum too, so he was fun to watch also.