Saturday, March 22, 2014

My Fabulous Week of Thankfuls

Thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful.

That's 10 thankfuls.

Done.

Aw, just kidding! I'm having such a great week, I don't know if I can stop at 10 Things of Thankful. Get a load of all of this:

1. It's Spring Break. It may not FEEL like Spring Break, weather-wise, as we had snow last Sunday and a slight possibility of it again this coming Sunday, but it's STILL. SPRING. Winter truly cannot last forever. (Can it, she asked hopefully?)

2. My daughter and I took a little road trip to Nashville to stay with my Person and her kids. (This one alone is worthy of ten thankfuls, but I don't need to invoke any secret rules this week.) I miss living in Nashville so very much, and it energizes me to get to visit it, as infrequent as those visits are.

3. If you read my TToT list last week, then you know that we had a tire that was nearly flat while we were in Kansas City for a volleyball tournament. It seemed fine after being aired up, but my husband said to make sure I keep an eye on it on our trip. My daughter and I stopped for a lunch break about 3 hours into our trip, and I thought the tire looked a little low, so we stopped at the Walmart tire center that was across the street. The attendant said it was a little low and aired it up, then said, "The belts look like they are slipping on this tire. There's no tread on one side of it. You're going to need to replace that tire pretty soon." Well, that would explain the shimmy in the steering wheel. I told him we were on our way to Nashville and would then be returning to Joplin and by "soon," did he mean we could wait until after we got home from our trip? He said, "I wouldn't." Gulp! We forged onward, hoping for no tire disasters until we got to Nashville and were successful. The next morning, I paid a little visit to the tire center at Sam's Club, and we are now the proud owners of two brand spankin' new tires on the back of the car.

It's pretty quiet inside Sam's Club during the early
morning hours set aside for business members.
Sometimes, you have to make your own fun.

4. I took my daughter and her two friends we are visiting to the zoo on Thursday, because it was the ONE thing she wanted to do on the trip. It was such a good idea to visit the zoo on such a pretty, spring day that several thousand others decided to join us. The girls had a great time, and I enjoyed trailing after them, watching them be teenage girls. 




5. Being a spring day, the zoo was not as, shall we say, fragrant as zoos sometimes are, particularly in warm weather. Some of the highlights of our visit there were:


The meerkats, who do NOT come when
you call, "here, kitty, kitty."

This awesome and most likely deadly frog.

Tandem alligators. Or crocodiles. Whatev.

Self-explanatory.

Isn't he CUUUUUUTE?

The rare and elusive Coke machine
in its natural habitat.


6. On Friday morning, I met my friend Janice for breakfast. Janice and I met through work many, many years ago during my previous life in the music business. I am always thankful that she wanted to be friends, since the first time we met in person, she wasn't so sure about me. She and I did a lot of business stuff over the phone before we decided to meet one day for lunch at a restaurant we both liked, South Street Original Crab Shack and Dive Bar. (If you ever visit Nashville, eat there. Have I ever steered you wrong about food? No, I have not. Eat. There.) I ordered the Blue Plate Special (you can never go wrong with the Blue Plate Special), which happened to be something Mexicany, but I don't remember what. All I remember is that the plate was exceedingly hot, and as I was talking, I held a forkful of rice over my plate, ready to take a bite, when my pinky finger touched the edge of the plate, burning the crap out of my pinky, and causing me to jerk my hand, rice scattering all over the table. I felt pretty stupid, so I just kept talking and pretended like it didn't happen and Janice didn't say a word. Then years later, we were talking about the day we met at lunch and I mentioned burning my finger and throwing my rice all over the table, and she said, "THAT'S what happened? I thought you had some kind of spasm or something, so I didn't want to say anything." And see? Still friends, 25 years later.

7. When we met for breakfast (Cracker Barrel, for the curious-minded), she told me she invited a surprise guest, and in walked our friend Lynn. I hadn't seen her since my wedding shower nearly 21 years ago (although we are Facebook friends - yay, Facebook!). She looked fantastic, and the three of us spent two hours together, laughing and talking. Here's my thankful- Lynn-wanted-to-be-friends-with-me story: Lynn, Janice, and I (plus another girl, Misha, whom I have completely lost contact with, but I digress) were at lunch at, you guessed it, South Street Original Crab Shack and Dive Bar, sitting at a table by the windows, which can roll up like a garage door in nice weather, opening the dining room up to the sidewalk. We were all talking away, and as I made some gesture with my hand, my fork flew out the window and landed in the bushes outside. True story. I should really stick to finger foods when I go there.


With Janice and Lynn. No food or forks were thrown.
8. Right after we said our goodbyes, I went on to my next appointment:

 I GOT TO MEET A BLOGGY FRIENDDDDDD!!! 

I was so, so, SO excited to get a chance to meet Synnove from Don't Chew On The Dinner Table. She writes a hilarious blog about her life with her three kids (2, 4 and 4 months) and who have the SWEETEST CHEEKS EVER. We spent two hours together, talking non-stop and watching her two oldest play on the playground (me) and chasing them back onto the playground and out of the mulch and putting shoes back on and chasing them back onto the playground and giving them snacks and pushing them on the swing and chasing them back onto the playground (Synnove). We (okay, I) hope we can do this again next time I'm in Nashville, because I enjoyed being with her just as much as I enjoy reading her blog (which is TONS). She's bona fide.*


Yes, we were acting like we were about 15.
*("O Brother, Where Art Thou?" reference)

9. How do you top a morning like that? You don't.

But you CAN come pretty close to matching it by taking three 15 year old girls to the Parthenon, because they wanted to go. 


Taking selfies in front of the Parthenon.

Athena. She's kind of big.


And kind of creepy.

10. After dropping the kids off at a movie, Terri (my Person - watch Grey's Anatomy if you don't know what that means) and I had a leisurely supper. Mexican food. And I didn't burn myself and throw rice at her. Or throw a utensil out the window. We just talked, about everything and nothing. That's the best kind of friend to have, one where you don't have to work at anything.

And the trip isn't over yet! We still have a whole day and a little bit to enjoy Nashville (which, I believe, makes 11 things of thankful).

Are you having a fabulous week. Are you? ARE YOU? Blog it and link it, below.




Ten Things of Thankful


 Your hosts

35 comments:

  1. First? Perhaps, but who ever KNOWS here *kicks comment moderation, just a little bit*

    Have a GORGEOUS rest of your time there in Nashville.

    A truly wonderful list, and YAY! to you meeting Synnove - I know you've dug her blog for EVERRRRR

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of my last day here!

      Meeting Synnove was BEYOND FAB!

      You're stuck with comment moderation. I'm getting about 10 spam comments a day, including one a big 6 minutes after you posted this comment!

      Delete
    2. *crosses eyes* Do they really post, though? Mine come through on email, but I've yet to see one on the blog.

      YAY! for you and Synnove.

      Delete
    3. I don't know if they post or not; I haven't given them a chance to try. They irritate the HELL outta me!

      Synnove is da bomb!

      Delete
  2. Love Nashville--one of my kids went to school there! Awesome place! Love your daughter and her friends at the zoo,
    Keeling over with admiration for that Coke machine in its natural habitat!!!! Best photo of a coke machine ever! What a happy week! xox jean !!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it a great city? I lived here for 10 years.

      I had to be very, very quiet to get that picture of the Coke machine before it ran off....

      Delete
  3. I have always wanted to go to Nashville and maybe someday. But sounded like the perfect trip so far and hoping you enjoy the last few days there. I truly had no idea at first that this week was spring break, because it isn't here for us in NY and won't be until the third week of April (the week before Easter). So, I am totally living through your experience and others now. But again enjoy the rest of your trip and have a great rest of this weekend now, too :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Lots of things to do with your kids in Nashville! I mostly eat at old faves when I'm here.

      It's hard to call it "spring break" when the week didn't start out very springy!

      Delete
  4. Oh, where to start? Elusive Coke machines, scattered rice, a flying fork, a "O Brother Where Art Thou" reference. . . I was smiling the whole time I read this. Sounds like you had a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Kristi! It's been such a fun week! Brings back so many memories to be here in Nashville.

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  5. Had to laugh at the Coke machine plopped down in the middle of nowhere. The ubiquitous Coke... LOL! Athena IS a bit freaky, isn't she? Glad you had a great week and connected with great friends. Isn't that worth tens of tens of thankful?

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    1. It was an oddly placed Coke machine. And yes, Athena is very freaky. You should see her FEET.

      Delete
  6. I had to laugh at the "I thought you had some kind of spasm or something"...too funny. And that is a true friend.

    It does sound like a simply lovely week. That is definitely MORE than 10 things I am certain! :) Have a great rest of your trip!

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  7. WHats with the Parthenon? How cool was that even with the freak-gal Athena! I love the shots of you and your friends its not unlike the shot of your daughter and her friends...

    BUt really how did you manage to track down that coke machine and get it to stand still long enough to get that shot?!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The Parthenon is a full-sized replica of the original and was built as part of the 1897 Tennessee Centennnial. Athena made me uneasy. And only about 40 years separates us from those girls!
      Don't tell the zookeeper, but we had to feed the Coke machine to get the picture....

      Delete
  8. Sounds like you're having a fab time on spring break! The girls are in shorts which means it must be decent weather...another thankful, at least it would be for me!

    Love the stories of spasms, scattered rice and silverware :)! I could just picture it happening!

    Hope the last part of your trip is as enjoyable as it started out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was warm but not overly so. Maybe 70. They were pushing it a little with the shorts.
      It's a miracle I was ever allowed back to South Street, but I ate there frequently when I lived in Nashville 20 years ago.

      Delete
  9. Glad you didn't burn your finger and threw rice or utensils around. How funny that all those years, your friend had no idea what had actually happens. Late a-ha moments. I hope weather gets better again. Last year, we had snow for Easter. This year, I hope to be able to do an egg hunt outside. Have a great weekend, Dyanne!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Every time I eat Mexican food and have a hot plate in front of me, I remember that incident! Hoping winter is FINALLY behind us!

      Delete
  10. What a glorious trip - you really can't top that with much! The girls are adorable. Yay for meeting up with a bloggy friend. The zoo? OK, love the zoo (it's time to go here, too, I think) and especially the flamingos and the Coke machine. Those are two rare birds if ever I've seen any! :D
    The strange spasm-like motions and flying silverware and food - that kind of stuff makes for great memories and great stories. God Bless the friends who stick around even through all of those moments!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The girls have had a really good time together. I wish we lived closer, so they could spend time together more often (it's a 9 hour drive).
      Meeting Synnove in real life was SO AWESOMELY AWESOME! You need to check her blog out; I know you'd love it!

      Delete
  11. Ha! That story about the rice cracked me up! And then you threw your fork out the window this time!

    Oh, I got your O Brother reference. I KNOW that movie. Not Grey's Anatomy, though. I'm lost, there.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I threw my fork out the window over 20 years ago. I wasn't banned from the restaurant, so maybe they didn't know I did it.
      "She's my person. If I murdered someone, she's the person I'd call to help me drag the corpse across the living room floor. She's my person." Grey's Anatomy quote.

      Delete
  12. totally excellent photos! (whole damn Posts) in each of them!
    loved the Alice in Wonderland flamingos!
    (like zoe's observation about the fun your daughter shows in the photo of her looking so similar to yours)….

    …oh! I thought that was the Temple of Wonder Woman

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    1. Thanks, Clark! Those flamingos were just gorgeous. Wish I could have gotten a picture of one of them fluffing out his wings, but I am no photographer, I just play one for my blog.

      Wonder Woman's Temple is somewhere in the Amazon....

      Delete
  13. That is a wonderful post! so many friend meet ups is great. And thank you for your warm welcome on my list. I appreciate your kind words.

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    1. Thanks! I had such good visits with old friends! It's nice that they were there for my younger and stupider days and still like me!

      Delete
  14. Good cal on the tires, Dyanne. Glad it was a great week and have a wonderful weekend now!

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    1. Yeah, probably should have bought the tires when the guy told me they were bad instead of driving another 350 miles, but all's well that ends well!

      Delete
  15. Ooh ooh! You found the rare Coke machine in it's natural habitat. Coool! Ok, almost as cool as that froggie. I love meeting other bloggers in person. Pretty cool stuff. So glad spring has spring!

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    1. The Coke machine didn't even have a fence around it! And it was fantabulous to meet Synnove! She was just what I expected from reading her blog.

      Delete
  16. Jealous you got to spend time with your Person! I get to see mine in a couple of weeks when she comes to town for a baby shower.

    Speaking of Grey's, it is getting good again!

    And Nashville is tops on my list of places I want to visit- awesome!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Through a series of unfortunate events, I have not been able to see my Person since last summer, so it was especially good to spend time with her.
      I need to go back to watching Grey's. My daughter is watching it on Netflix and is horrified at how many characters they have killed off.
      Go to Nashville. You'd love it!

      Delete
  17. That sounds great!! What a bunch of fun. And the photos are wonderful. That Coke machine photo should be sent into National Geographic. ;)

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