Nashville, TN

As I reported last week, today marked the return of Rick and Bubba to the Nashville air waves.

I have to admit, I was pretty stoked for their return and listened to all three hours of the show this morning on WLAC. It was as funny and entertaining as ever and I enjoyed every last minute of it. Definitely made the commute to work this morning seem a little less stressful.

Hats off to WLAC for picking up the show and I hope it will be here as permanent fixture on Nashville radio.

And to kick things off, Rick and Bubba will be in town next Wednesday evening to celebrate their return. The show will broadcast live from the WLAC studios next Wednesday morning and the duo will be signing copies of their new book, The Rick and Bubba Code next Wednesday evening. The book signing will take place at the Barnes and Nobel in Cool Springs from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Once again, thank you to WLAC for returning Rick and Bubba to the airwaves. And if you’re not doing anything next Wednesday night, why not come out, meet the guys and pick up a signed copy of the book?

This week I’m going to post a series of pictures from well-known Nashville landmarks. Each day I will post a close-up of something and you have to guess what/where it is! The next day I will post another picture of the same spot, only enlarged so you can see what it is. So…here goes!
Where in Nashville is this??

Last night, I went out to “the old ballgame” at Greer Stadium for the first “Faith Night” of the season.

Faith Nights are sponsored by Purity Dairy and church groups can get a special ticket that includes admission to the game, a hot dog and a soda of your choice. I’ve been to Faith Nights in previous years out at Greer and enjoyed them–though the first time I went, I was a bit irritated that the pre-game musical act changed right at the last minute.

Last night, I arrived at Greer early to hear concerts by Adam Cunningham (who I’d heard before since he leads worship each week at a local singles group I attend) and Nate Sallie. Both acts were great, though I’ll admit I enjoyed Adam’s portion of the show a bit more. Part of it may be that I’m more familiar with his music since I hear it and sing along with each week as part of worship.

After the concerts and a nice testimony by former UT pitcher, RA Dickey (interestingly enough, he and I were in Dr. Reese’s Shakespeare class my freshman year at UT), it was time for the game to begin.

I headed up into the stands and took what was a great seat for watching the game, but not a great seat because it was near the end of a row with a lot of people coming in and out. There’s just something about going out to a baseball game in person that, honestly, the TV experience just can’t capture. I think a lot of this is the dizzy bat race, which is always fun to watch. The Sounds put on a good show–not just the game, but everything surrounding it.

Which is a reason it’s kind of bittersweet that the deal for the new stadium couldn’t be worked out. This was especially evident last night when I looked at the scoreboard out in center field. Not even Scotty could bring this poor thing back to life. It was so sad, flickering out there, lights burned out, half of it not working. From what I understand, the scoreboard is having some issues this homestand. I hope they’ll get it fixed but I do have to wonder if it’s like throwing a bunch of money into a really old car that’s on its last legs–you only band-aid the problem for a while, but another one is going to crop up eventually.

Like I said, I wish a deal for a new stadium could have been worked out. I enjoy minor league baseball a good deal and it’d be a shame if our city lost the team. I am not out there every night supporting the team, but I do follow what they’re doing and I would like to see them stay here.

And for those of you wondering–yes, there are more Faith Nights coming up. The next one is June 1st and the musical act is Jars of Clay. Then, on June 3rd, there is another Faith Night and they hinted the musical guest is “big name” who might have to peform out in the parking lot and not inside the gates (correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Jars of Clay kind of a “bigger name”?). I thought they said Michael W. Smith would be performing this summer at a Faith Night, but I have not seen his name on any of the promotioanl materials for Faith Nights..so putting two and two together, it might be very easy to come up with five there…

Yee…HAW! Thursday night I took my 2nd annual trip down to the Franklin Rodeo. Can’t you tell?
I really do love the rodeo. I didn’t grow up in the south, or on a farm, and I never went to a rodeo as a kid, but being introduced to it as an adult has really opened my eyes to whole new culture. It kinda makes me wish I had grown up a cowgirl. I don’t know what it is about the rodeo that I love so much. It’s obviously not the smell, or the style (though I do look pretty cute in a cowboy hat if I do say so myself! On the surface, some of the events seem cruel and unusual to poor, innocent little calves, in particular, the calf roping event. And if I told you how they get those bulls to buck the way they do, you might think twice next time you play tether ball…
I think for the most part, the rodeo represents to me, a form of Americana, a vision of life the way our settlers lived it. The rodeo events are all things every good cowboy and cowgirl must master. But they date back to earlier centuries and have carved a place in history that is alive and active today. Rodeo participants are proud of their heritage, along with the hard work and skill that it takes to preserve that heritage.

You can enjoy the Franklin rodeo tonight and tomorrow night beginning at 7pm at the Williamson County Agricultural Center. It’s $15 for adults and $8 for children.

Free-agent wide-receiver Keyshawn Johnson will visit Music City today to discuss the possibility of becoming a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Johnson, who has cut recently by the Carolina Panthers, has stated that Tennessee is one of two teams leading for his services at wide-receiver this year. The other team is the Oakland Raiders, who recently lost Randy Moss to the hated New England Patriots. Johnson is also contemplating a future as a TV analyst.

Due to cuts made in the off-season, the Titans have enough money under the salary cap to afford Johnson’s services, should he be signed. The Titans have been widely criticized by local fans for not pursuing enough big name free agents in the off-season with the room under the salary cap.

Johnson would provide an upgrade at wide-receiver for the Titans–a position at which they lack a clear number one guy. Johnson would be a good target for second-year QB Vince Young and could bring leadership to a group of young wide-receivers.

If you’ve been driving around Nashville the past few weeks, you may have seen the billboards about the Luis Pulau City Fest, set to take place this Saturday and Sunday at Riverfront Park. Admission is free.

The event is a celebration for people of all ages. There will be food, free games and activitiese for the kids and a series of free concerts taking place each day, starting around 4 p.m. Some of those performing include Craig Morgan, LeAnn Rimes, TobyMac, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jeremy Camp, BarlowGirl, and El Trio de Hoy.

As you can see, most of the artists fall in the contemporary Christian category and Luis Pulau is an evanglist, who will speak each evening after the artists are done performing. The event is scheduled to be over by 10 or 10:30.

The weather this weekend should be great to be outside–comfortable temperatures and no rain predicted. So, if you’re looking for something fun and free to do this weekend, you might want to give this one a try.

I don’t watch American Idol. Let’s just get that straight up front.

But I know when we’ve got a local vying for a title on a nationally syndicated television show. Shoot, I even know someone who knows a certain now-local-celebrity vying for a certain title on said certain TV show. So I keep up with how she’s doing via friends who regularly watch the show.

Last night, America sent our Melinda Doolittle back home to Nashville. I can’t attest to whether that was just decision. I don’t know the competition. But I do know that Melinda was well-received on the show for a good long run. I know that she is talented. And I know that she will be welcomed home with open arms.

“Melinda is undoubtedly the best singer this year. She’s brilliant. But, remember last year with Chris Daughtry. The best singer doesn’t always win the competition”

Welcome home Melinda! You’ve got big things ahead of you. You’re from MUSIC CITY for cryin’ out loud!

Driving around Middle Tennessee, I’ve seen the “Single?” signs cropping up again. If you’ve not seen them, the word “Single?” is on top and underneath is a URL to visit–usually something like www.nashvillesingle.com or www.murfreesborosingle.com, depending on what area of the city you’re in.

It seems as though these signs crop up every few months. Or maybe it’s just where I’m driving and I just happen to see them. Or they’re all following me. One of the three, though I am thinking the last one is just my own paranoia talking.

Anyway, the last time the signs were out hot and heavy in the early fall, I jumped onto the web site becuase a)I’m single and b)I was curious. See, I read this book a while ago that said if you’re single and looking to find someone, you have to check your ego and make sure people know this. One word of advice was to “get over yourself and join a dating service.”

So, I figured “why not”? What did I have to lose? I mean, besides a little dignity.

I surfed over and found that what the site wanted was contact info–name, rank, serial number. Then they’d contact you. I filled out the information and sent it off–my big question was “Well, how much will this service cost me?”

I figured I’d hear back in a few days….and when no call came, I promptly forgot about it.

Until around the first of February my phone rang with a number I didn’t recognize. I believe it was even an out-of-area number but I can’t recall for sure. Anyway, I picked up and it was the web site, falling all over themselves and apologizing for now getting back to me sooner. Problem was they were calling in the middle of the afternoon and I was in the middle of work, so I asked if I could speak to them later.

Of course, they assured me and then asked when to call. I said why not that evening or later that afternoon. They said, sure and we hung up. And I never got a call back that evening. I did get a call a few days later, this time in the middle of the morning. Again, I’m working and so I let it go to voice-mail. And then they called in the afternoon–again working and it went to voice mail.

Finally after a few days of this phone tag and the messages, I finally picked up when they called. I was a bit irritated at the constant calling when they hadn’t bothered to follow-up on me for at least six months and the fact that they wouldn’t call when I asked them to. I can understand if they were only open normal business hours, but this was never made clear to me. If it was an issue, when I asked they should have said–oh, well, we are only open x to y.

So, I spoke to the woman and told her I was no longer interested in the service.

“Why not?” she asked. “What changed?”

“Well,” I said. “You called around Valentine’s Day and I was feeling kind of lonely. Also, you called during my workday when I couldn’t talk freely.”

With that, I hung up up the phone, still no closer to the answer of what kind of service they provide and how much it costs. I’m sure it’s on the up and up….I mean, they don’t let just anyone put signs out for these kinds of things, right? But you know, I was kind of annoyed by the lack of contact for months and then the too frequent calls once they finally did get around to calling. Maybe I burned a bridge and the love of my life is out there, on their roster of potential single women…I guess I will never know.

But I do kind of smile when I see the signs cropping up….

Tin Roof 2 in Cool Springs on Carothers

Looking for a great place to hang after work where you can hear some of the city’s best live music AND get a great meal? Try Tin Roof 2. It’s the second version of downtown’s infamous Tin Roof, only a little further south to cater to the 5 o’clock white collars of Franklin. Roomy and comfortable, you can grab your own table anywhere from the upstairs loft that overlooks the bar and stage to the outdoor patio on any given beautiful Nashville night, or just sit down at the bar and place your order. Their menu is a far cry from the usual ‘bar fare’. They’ve got a wide selection of jumbo sandwiches on thick Texas toast, quesadillas that will warm your belly, and chips and queso to die for. I can’t attest to everything on the menu, but I did have the fried shrimp quesadilla, and I’ve got three words for you: BEST. QUESADILLA. EVER.

Do you need any more convincing??

Sorry, there’s no website. You’re just gonna have to take a leap of faith and get out there. I promise though, you will NOT be disappointed!

Two years ago, I was pretty annoyed when Cumulus Media bought out the Nashville station airing the Rick and Bubba show and replaced it with…well, I’m not sure exactly. I think that show has been replaced about seven times since then and I stopped even tuning into the station in protest over missing my morning helping of “the two sexiest fat men” alive.

For two years, I’ve held out hope that Rick and Bubba’s syndicated morning show would return to local airwaves. Sure, I can listen on-line, but it’s hard to stream audio when you’re fighting traffic up I-24 in the morning.

I was staring to lose hope of ever hearing Rick, Bubba, Speedy, Don Juan and the wacky group of interns over the Nashville air waves…that is, until last week.

Surfing the Nashville Business Journal Friday morning, I saw the headline that Rick and Bubba would be returning on Monday, May 21st. The syndicated show kicks off at 5 a.m. and runs until 8 a.m. on AM 1510 WLAC. WLAC is now, officially, my new favorite radio station.

The news was cofirmed by the official Rick and Bubba site and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been listening via streaming audio since Friday when I can to get caught up on the wackiness and prepare myself for the hilarity this Rick and Bubba to return.

Welcome back, guys…you’ve been missed.

This past Saturday I spent an hour in the latter morning at my niece’s final soccer game of the season. Saturday was hot and muggy. And then it was hot some more. Needless to say, I got some sexy red shoulders out of the deal. That night, at my friend’s wedding, I had no less than three people ask me, no tell me, that I must have been at Steeplechase that day due to the scathing sunburn radiating heat from my body outwards of about ten feet. What? I don’t recall being at a horse race today…do I smell like I have? It’s rather unnerving to be told how you spent your afternoon by people who don’t really know you that well. I mean Steeplechase? Was that seriously the ONLY thing going on that day? No! It wasn’t! But politely correcting people by saying you were actually supporting your adorable and all-important niece in her social and athletic development sounds less than exciting. Endearing, maybe. But not exciting. Especially when, apparently, I COULD have been at Steeplechase.
So if you’re not from around here, you are wondering what I am talking about. (That’s me telling you, not ASKING you if you’re wondering, in case you were wondering…)
What is this Steeplechase you speak of? Well, since I wasn’t there, I will tell you what I have read, and also give you the website from which I read, so that you too can read and know all about this historical Nashville institution.
Iroquois Steeplechase is only the primo horseracing event in the, ahem, greener parts of Nashville. It was started in 1941 and continues today under the National Steeplechase Association. Wikipedia tells me that “steeplechasing” is an actual horse race event which includes many types of obstacle jumping, and derives its name from the “church steeple” formation of early-day courses. People come from all over to enjoy this event. They tailgate, gather for music and food at City Hall in the gulch (places I will probably explain in better detail in posts to come. But for now, just know that City Hall is a live music venue and not a court room, and the gulch is a trendy hotspot and not a narrow ravine) and stomp the divets in true hoity-toity fashion.
I guess one of these days I should make it out to good ol’ Steeplechase. If and when I do, remind me to wear sunscreen and a big hat.

This weekend a good friend of mine got married. As one of the cake servers at the reception, I also helped prepare the food, and clean up afterwards. We had tons of food! Enough for 500 maybe. And I think only about half that showed up. So suffice it to say, we had a few leftovers. We had leftovers of things I didn’t even know we had served. And by the looks of all these leftovers, you’d think we hadn’t served them at all! I’m talking mostly about meatballs. But there was a few bags of vegetables (because honestly, nobody really eats the vegetable trays, do they?) There was also about 4 large zip lock bags full of mini quiches, a couple of sandwich trays, and cake FOR DAYS. Oh, and we also had some leftover cake. Did I already say that? That’s because we had so much I am compelled to say it twice.
The groom’s cake was a two-tier round chocolate cake with chocolate fudge icing and chocolate-dipped strawberries rounding the edges. There was also two full sheet cakes (both chocolate) waiting in the wings in anticipation of being seconds…and thirds…and I guess fourths. And this is JUST the groom’s cake I’m talking about. I haven’t GOTTEN to the white wedding cake, which, now that I’ve mentioned it, was seven tiers in the round. Of the groom’s cake, we served the two tiers with strawberries and never even touched the reserves. Of the wedding cake, we served five tiers and had the entire bottom tier leftover untouched (the top tier of course was preserved for the bride and groom - in case you were counting). Friends, there was a lot of cake served at this reception, but I think we had more leftover.
I relay all this leftover-speak to you for one reason: what do you do with this much leftover food?
Well, you could throw it away. That is certainly the easiest thing to do by far. OR, you can pack it all up, put it in your car, and haul it out to the mission. When you’ve just cleaned up an enormous wedding reception, held in your church building, thrown for friends you worship with and serve with, it seems the most obvious and effectual thing to do, is feed the hungry.
It always amazes me how much I have, and how many material blessings surround me and everyone I love. I far too easily forget that just a few streets down are people that haven’t eaten in days, haven’t showered in weeks, and haven’t worked in months. Without indulging the pros and cons of social welfare and the politics thereof, I will instead use this opportunity to say that there ARE people out there who need help. They need to be fed, and taught, and clothed, and cleaned, and given another chance. That’s what our Nashville Rescue Mission does.
Regardless of my charity, or my political stance, or my personal awareness or discomfort with homelessness, our city’s rescue mission is putting a dent in this problem. And they just happen to accept help where ever they can find it.
So I was happy to haul all that food out to the mission yesterday. We had a wonderful time celebrating the love of these two dear friends, and it seems fitting that some of that celebration could be shared with those who, at the moment, have less to celebrate.

The Nashville Rescue Mission is located in downtown Nashville at 639 Lafayette. Their donation drop-off is open every day from 7am to 7pm.
You can’t miss it. They are the large building with the big red heart and cross glowing in the night.

I started blogging on my personal site almost a year ago (next month). In that time I’ve gained a lot of readers, and have become an addicted reader of a lot of other local blogs.

One of the main ways I became introduced to so many local blogs was through a site called Nashville is Talking. NiT is a round-up of every known blog in Nashville and the surrounding area by WKRN News Channel 2’s resident blogger, Brittney Gilbert. It is what I like to describe as a ‘metablog’ - a blog about blogs. Yes, you have now entered the Blog Matrix. Only there’s no Keanu Reeves here. He’s not from Nashville.

Throughout each day, Brittney moniters a blog feed that enables her to read what everyone in Nashville is writing about. She then features the ones that, for whatever reason, spark her interest. It’s always fun to visit NiT and see your latest post featured at the top of the blog. It’s even fun when it’s not about you. Not only is it fun, but it’s so dang convenient! I check NiT multiple times throughout the day, just for a quick read on what’s going on around the city. The best thing about NiT is the sense of community it creates and the ease by which it brings people together. We read each other’s posts, discuss local happenings through the comments section, and have even banded together on occasion to fight the powers-that-be attempting to silence one of our own. We’re a family spun together by the silk of the world wide web. And we all live in the same city!

In the area and looking for Nashville’s best hot spots and upcoming events? Pick up a copy of The Nashville Scene. We just call it “the ‘Scene” ’round these here parts, but that won’t help you when you’re skimming the newsstand.

While you’re there pick up All the Rage too. You know, just in case.

Last Tuesday night I had the fortunate experience of seeing Patty Griffin at the historical Ryman Auditorium. If you want to know about the amazing encounter that is Patty Griffin, you can go here. If you want to know about the famed “house of history” that is the Ryman, stay right where you are.

Located just off Broadway on 5th in the heart of downtown Nashville sits a prestigous, yet quaint red church building inlaid with beautiful stained glass and white trim. Built in the late 1800’s by Captain Thomas G. Ryman, this now-country music icon is fondly referred to by locals as The Mother Church.

The Ryman is historic Nashville at it’s finest. If you’re in the area for just a short trip, make the most of your time here and visit this treasured church building. If you have time, take the tour. Or better yet - catch a concert - it doesn’t matter who’s playing either. Nashvillians have a saying here: everyone sounds better at the Ryman. Meaning, there’s no such thing as a bad show here. Even if you’re not a big fan of the band or artist, it is guaranteed to be a special event. The Ryman just does that to people. And it’s a big reason why we love her so.