Nashville Part Two

Crystal has been talking a about visiting her family in Nashville for two years now. Between week long trips to the beach every summer and my desire not to spend large portions of time with small children in cars, we had not made it out yet. This summer Crystal and her cousin made a plan and last week we set out to do it.

Friday morning we woke up and got out to the Adventure Science Center after breakfast. A science museum jam packed on every floor with kids activities. A giant representation of the digestive system, moon walks, mazes and at it's center, a tower that you can climb while learning new things on every floor. I think I had as much fun as the kids. Before dinner that evening we went out to Centennial Park and walked around the lake in the shadow of the Parthenon. Before we left for Nashville I got two recommendations. Visit the Grand Ole Opry and see the Parthenon. We missed out on the former sadly, but the latter was a pretty cool sight.

Saturday morning took both of our families out to Radnor Lake State Park for a hike. On the way into the parking lot we got to see a ranger with a hawk on his arm. Pretty cool way to start the nature walk. On the trail we saw 5-6 deer and listened in as the forest canopy played a tune for us when it started to rain. When the rain finally broke though we decided babies are not at their happiest when soaked. So we headed for lunch at Hattie B's Hot Chicken. Apparently hot chicken is a Nashville jam that has blown up in recent years. As far as I could tell it was just fried chicken with loads of heat, but that heat came with tons of flavor and juicy chicken. Where do I sign Richmond up for that?

Saturday evening we kissed the babes good night, said farewell and good luck to the baby sitter and took off to a concert. Modern Pop Six generation country is not my thing, but I can at behind some folk and/or bluegrass once in a while. Old Crow Medicine Show scratched that itch perfectly. We took two vans with drivers to a show in the woods with 8 other couples. Kid-less and without fear of a DUI we pregamed the hell out of the van and grassy parking lot. By the time we got into the show we were all floating on a sea of alcohol infused Caucasian dancing that I am pretty sure made the event 10 times cooler. We only had two bad cases of throwin' up in the van and in our household two nasty hangovers the next day.

Sunday morning sadly found me with one of  hangovers and I was all teed up to drive 10 hours home. We bid our host fond farewells, promised to visit soon and went for breakfast. Crystal surprised me with the best gift a girl could ask for. Letting me sleep for the first leg to Knoxville. When I woke up refreshed and more human I kicked into drive mode and hauled butt back to Richmond.

Beer Notes
I've been tracking ever beer I drink in 2013 for my end of the year Annual Report. On the trip I tried 13 new craft beers and did so while consuming 23 pints. We made almost daily trips to a shop called Craft Brewed that I wish we had here in Richmond and highly recommend for a sample of Tennessee's finest brews.

Nashville Part One

Crystal has been talking a about visiting her family in Nashville for two years now. Between week long trips to the beach every summer and my desire not to spend large portions of time with small children in cars, we had not made it out yet. This summer Crystal and her cousin made a plan and last week we set out to do it.

Tuesday morning we were all ready to haul the kids 9-ish hours West in one hell or high water road trip. Then we found out one of the young ones we were going to visit had a fever. We called an audible and decided to break the trip up into two days. The first leg of Tuesday we spent at Virginia Safari Park, a zoo off of 81 that was surprisingly awesome. We walked around and fed the animals, grabbed a bite to eat and then drove our car through a path that brought us face to face with all kinds of beast. At one point we were pinned in on three sides by zebras, a lama spit on my window and we found out Crystal is legit afraid of ostriches. It was a fantastic time.

We picked up from the park and legged it down to Grandfather Mountain in Linville, NC. At the top we stepped out to a chilly 61° F afternoon. It was great for a short hike across a one mile high hanging bridge and over the top to an amazing view. After the mountain we found a hotel, beer and grabbed a bite to eat by the pool.

Wednesday morning we got up to find out the fever had broken.We had complementary breakfast at the hotel and got out on the road toward Knoxville. At noon we pulled into the city center and had lunch in the Knoxville Market Square. A great spot to relax, get a bite and take a quick stroll through a sculpture garden. Back at the car we only had three hours left to Nashville. When we pulled into the music city we got warm greetings from our family and spent time catching up.

After putting the young ones to bed, the adults went out for a night on the town. We started by celebrating our host birthday at Lockeland Table in East Nashville. It was great and very similar to the Blue Goat in Richmond. Post dinner we went to Broadway and jumped around to a few honky-tonks. I provide the wiki link because I honest had no idea what they were before we saw them. It was a blast.

Thursday we woke up and helped Crystal's cousin and her husband get out the door to work before taking Kaden and his cousin out to Riverfront Landing. A park right next to where the Titans play. It over looks the river and has a water play area and climbing walls for the kids. The boys played for hours while Crystal and I lounged in the shade with Ward. Later that evening we had an early dinner in and later on tried to teach our host how to play Pandemic after too many beers and wine.

Weekend Review: Dec 1st & 2nd

Every weekend there are new sights, sounds, and taste to consume. There are other sensory inputs that tickle my brain too, but saying there is stuff to feel sounds creepy. This is a weekly journal of my weekend endeavors. Enjoy!

Grand Illumination
Friday night we had the grandparents come over to watch the two month old and we took our elder heir downtown. We skipped the ceremony, but the James Center was still crowded by the time we got there. The model train exhibit is the best part, but the lights are worth getting out of the car for too. Afterwards we stopped off at Crispy Cream and had a post illumination snowman doughnut. It is no Country Style, but nothing else is. Next year we will skip the opening night and just head down on a week night when it is way less crowded.

iPhone 5
I have had mine for months, but Saturday afternoon I went and picked up a white 16GB for my wife. Subsidized hardware on contracts is economic argument enough, but it is a great phone too. It is markedly faster than the iPhone 4 that it replaced. Siri was a hot piece of garbage on my iPad and I assumed it would be more of the same on the 5. Not so, it has turned out to be a fantastic tool for texting and making phone calls while driving. Nearly hands free, I can let my wife know when I am running late and ask about additional items we might need from the grocery store. The camera upgrade is well timed with the arrival of our new child, taking higher quality photos and making low light, non-flash shots possible.

Christmas Parade
Saturday morning was our second trip to the parade in downtown Richmond. It proved to be just as fun as the first. We met another couple down by VCU and set up their kids and ours (similar ages) on the median to watch the show. Lots of marching bands, small scale balloons and bedazzled floats on hand. The kids had a blast, well the three year olds and one year old did. Ward slept. Halfway through the kids were getting antsy though. We walked 50 feet to the Five Guys and sat at the high top so they could eat and still see the parade go by. Fun times.

Weekend Review: Oct 13th & 14th

Every weekend there are new sights, sounds, and taste to consume. There are other sensory inputs that tickle my brain too, but saying there is stuff to feel sounds creepy. This is a weekly journal of my weekend endeavors. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Picking
We went and picked pumpkins Sunday with one of Kaden's friends from school and his parents. We have gone to Chesterfield Berry Farm for the last three years, after my childhood spent at Ashland's corresponding farm for berries. The boys had a great time. There is a lot more to do there for kids. Farm animals, hay rides, corn cannons (yup those are a thing), haunted houses, cook your own hot dogs  moon bounces and on it goes. We were there from 10a to 2p and if it were up to the kids we would have stayed another hour or two.

Dishonored
Stealthy games are occasionally my jam. Since the late 90's I've been playing what feels every note worthy title in the genre. I mentioned Mark of the Ninja a few weeks ago and I'm here again to toot the horn of another great game. Dishonored is first person stealth. Something you can royally screw up if not done with care. The short hand for describing this game goes as follows. They have built a world as fully realized as BioShock's Rapture or HL2's City 17. It owes much to Thief and the mechanics it established. Deus Ex and Hitman would be apt comparisons for the number of approaches to complete missions, but that only scratches the surface. Their are lethal and non-lethal options and usually 5-6 paths to pick from to sneak into a location  Or you could just go full combat, because that is damn fun too.

UFC 153
Mixed feelings on this one. Parts of it were an exhibition match. Pairing Bonnar and Silva together was like watching a bull fighter break out the blades. Until middle school I thought bull fighting was all red capes and olés. When I went to Spain in 7th grade I watched a real fight and saw how gruesome it really was. Seeing Silva pick apart Bonnar was more spectacle than competition, dude is other worldly. Nog's fight felt like the last breathes of a great career. Or put more negatively, tossing him a bone in his native country. Thankfully Fitch and Erick Silva put on a real show. Young talent versus the grind. Oh and Demian Maia choked a dude till his nose poured blood. So that was cool.

Family Bike Ride

On the same week that we bought Kaden his first bike I took him across the river to pick up a bike trailer from a friend. It is not the greatest picture in the world, but you can see him in tow above. Post first bike ride he was not immediately sold on riding in the trail. When we showed him were he could put snacks and a drink though he was all in.

When he got up from is nap that same day we pulled our bikes out to the street and hooked up the trail. It was awkward at first. Backing up my bike was a pain. Getting started on a hill was too. Both of which I tried to do from the start. For the first four miles I was super nervous. Feeling out how wide the trail was. Trying to avoid pot holes for two of us and keeping my cadence smooth.

Eventually I got it, but not without a few lingering complaints. My heel sticks back far enough to rub the connector where the trailer attaches to my frame. If I don't want to scuff it on every pass (hint: I don't), then I have to turn my left heel out slightly to avoid it. Which lead to a little bit of knee joint pain post ride. If I can get over the shoe rubbing I will still have to deal with the biggest flaw of the trailer though.

It is like pulling a giant Lego block. Scratch that a square parachute. It is an aerodynamic mess. What feels like the effort of a 16 mph pace ride, but we are really going 12 mph. I have to work my butt off to keep it going. Hills are the worst, clicking down to my middle ring for stuff I could power up at 18-20 normally. I don't think we will ever take it on a 30-40 mile trip, but it was still really fun.

We spun our way over to my parents house first. He got out and visited with them for a while and we were back on the road. Our next stop was Moe's for a light dinner. Kaden was tickled pink that we rode our bikes there and got to sit next to them outside while we ate. Following dinner we stopped a playground and let him get out and burn some energy. Our first ride ended up being a 13 mile out a back test run, that really was a ton of fun. I could use the exercise.

Fourth Cookout

Most every year we do something small for the fourth. Get together at a friends house. Go see fireworks downtown or just hang out at home. We even went to a movie one year, it was like a ghost town. This year at the last minute (read: 6 days before the 4th) we decided to invite 35 friends and family over. We knew that the turnout would not be that big, but we counted 21 come Monday afternoon.

We cooked up a grill full of barbecue chicken and hot dogs for our guest and had our family and friends bring their favorite dishes. The spread ended up being pretty comprehensive. From coleslaw to pecan bars we had it all. For entertainment Gabriel brought over the Cornhole set he and I built (a post for another day). In total I think there were five games played before the rain came. One of which was a high stakes three car wash bet between my dad and brother. My dad, who had never played before, ended up crushing him.

We skipped fireworks because of the rain and how late they start, but we had already seen them on Friday anyway. Next year we will see about doing our own fireworks for another cookout at our house. We are really enjoying creating traditions and events at our home. Hosting parties is a ton of work, but always worth the effort. Expect more from us in the future.

Thanksgiving Rundown

The four days we get off for Thanksgiving every year are always busy, sleepless and full of stress. They are also a ton of fun. This year was no different...


Wednesday

Not a day off, but Crystal had a half day and took Kaden out to Rockville to see his great grandparents. Kaden played and eventually took a nap. Crystal helped prepare food for the following days festivities.

Thursday
We were up at 7:30 am something I regretted all day. It was with good reason though. We wanted Kaden to get as much time with his cousins as possible. So arriving Rockville at 9 am did just that. The boys played for three hours before lunch, napped and played for two more hours after. The spread was very traditional, turkey and and the fixings. Ladies and kids in the dining room and men and football in the den.

At 5pm we left Rockville and made our way to my parent's place for meal number two. Another traditional spread. Between the two meals I could put together an all star Thanksgiving meal to rival any in the nation I'm sure. Post turkey coma numero deux we played with Kaden till it was time for bed. He stayed over with my parents so Crystal and I could go Black Friday shopping.

Friday
Crystal went to bed Thursday night, but Friday started for me at midnight. I never go to sleep in anticipation of standing in line with strangers at 4am to save 10% off goods I could get online for almost as cheap Black Friday. At this point it is a tradition that has been going on for 6-7 years. My brother and I head to Best Buy together, regardless of the hot hot deals they have. Find something we each want and stand in line from 4am till they open to get it. It is a fun way to hang out and we get to grab breakfast afterward.

In years past I went home to sleep the rest of the day and Crystal has shopped for up to ten hours. This year she cut the shopping short at four hours and took Kaden to play with his cousins one more time. It was great that all three boys got along so well. It makes us wish everyone lived closer together.

Saturday
Up early again to head to Crewe, VA to see even more family Saturday. Everyone napped on the way out and back. I napped a grand total of four times before lunch. Old age and not sleeping are catching up with me it seems. Lunch was at Country Cookin, not my favorite place, but a good excuse to eat Chicken Fried Chicken. I love saying and typing that, eating isn't so bad either.

Sunday
The only slow day among the three. We put up the Christmas tree and watched football while we played in the house all day. We had our normal diner at my parent's place and got ready to go back to work. The rest is in the pictures...