A Trip to the Country - a Show in the City

There are many sides of Nashville - many more than I ever imagined. Yesterday was a great example of that.

First, we headed out to east Nashville to drop off one of the BF's amps to get fixed....lugging it up a flight of creaky stairs to a tiny apartment in the attic of someone's house. The repairman, who of course will remain unnamed, seemed a solitary genius packed in a couple of tiny rooms and surrounded by electronics and/or possible bomb making equipment - I couldn't tell for sure.

Next stop - my favorite store so far: Happy Japan!
We picked up some Christmas gifts and candy. I love the fun Bento Box supplies and the sushi erasers.

After some shopping, we went to Lebanon - my first trip there.

We had to make a quick run to the liquor store to pick up some bourbon for the people we were visiting there and happened upon Bettie's Books and Things while we were stopped.  At first I thought it was a used book store just for romance novels. UGH. However, in the back, there are all kinds of used books.

Finally, we got to our destination out in the country. It was so nice to see horses again! (I miss my Chico who is staying in Alabama until I find a place for him here.)  It was so cold that our host gave me a blanket to put over my legs as we rode their John Deere Gators around the property. And I got to play with their pit bulls - Boots and Pete!!

Later that night I got to see my first show at The Rutledge.



I had fun with my friends and watched a singer who had exceptional enthusiasm and proprioception.  Like most evenings in Nashville, I ended up totally exhausted.

A Great Weekend in Nashville

I had my first job interview with the Metropolitan Action Commission on Friday. Before the interview I was able to spend some time at the Nashville Farmer's Market.  I was able to find some ingredients for my medieval recipe that I was cooking later that night and some pie and tarts that were handmade and yummy. (I even got some awesome incense called Patti LaBelle!)

Yes, after getting the rest of my ingredients from Turnip Truck and Froogal MacDoogal, I cooked an original Medieval meal for the BF. (I've been practicing my Middle English that, I'm sure, is quite irritating to him.)

The menu was:

Fyllettes in Gallyntyne
Wild Mushrooms in Beef Sause
Steamed Apples
Thick Bread

I served the meal with Ale (because the BF doesn't care for Mead.)


That evening an indie movie company was filming a movie outside Big Red. We recognized one of the actors working that night: Bruce McGill. (No, I did not remember his name; I had to look him up as a guy who was in Animal House.)  I think the movie is based on a true story, but will have to look that up.


On Saturday, we ate at Ted's Montana Grill (I had the meatloaf with mashed potatoes - yum) with friends Alan and Emily and then later listened to some Iggy Pop with wine back at their place.

Alan writes a great blog that everyone should check out. It's called The Smokin' Chicken Shack. Please check it out.

Overall, it was such a nice weekend. I can't wait to finally move in!

Notes from Big Red - 3

Back at Big Red for the weekend. Of course, I plan to get some writing done! I have two pieces I want to finish this weekend  - a 6-8 page research paper on an obscure Brazilian metal Hamlet tribute album (really), and a short essay about the giant pile of human shit I found next to my car the last time I was here.

Today the Boyfriend and I went to the Habitat for Humanity store (there's a giant tile mirror there that I want), the Lao grocery, and an indoor gardening center...all just steps from Big Red on 8th Ave. I love downtown Nashville. Tomorrow we will go to The Turnip Truck - an all natural grocery.

Notes from Big Red - 3

  Today, the boyfriend took me shopping around Nashville.

First, we went to Off Broadway Shoes where, he explained, many Nashville girls have recovered from a bad day with a little cheap shoe therapy. I'm all for that! I got a couple pair of boots and have decided that as soon as I move to Nashville, this will be a regular stop for me - bad day or not.

Next we stopped by Pre to Post Modern where I found the cutest little aqua suitcase! ($7)

The rest of the day was spent at Hillsboro Village walking through various overpriced versions of Urban Outfitters (Posh, etc.) and a cool old book store, Bookman/Bookwoman, where I picked up a 1957 printing of A History of Philosophy. I'm glad we took the time to stop by Provence Breads and Cafe for some light lunch before we left. (I love their tomato basil soup!!)

Our last stop: Katy K's - a nice store that I will check out again.  I think by the time we got to Katy K's, I was a little tired and the boyfriend was pretty shopped out.

My first day shopping in Nashville went pretty well. Traffic wasn't too nasty for a Saturday and we didn't have any trouble parking - definite plusses!

Notes from Big Red - 1

10/8/10

This is my first morning waking up as a quasi-resident of Nashville. The plan is to move here – to Big Red - in December. 

Big Red is a downtown building of 16 loft apartments – all with exposed beams, mismatched brick and stone walls, and wood/ concrete floors.  I love this place.  My boyfriend has lived here for years and I am coming to cohabitate with him until we find a place in the country to live out the “big change.”  (But more on that later.)

Since I first came here, Big Red has felt like a good place to be; and now, it feels like home.  The plan is to re-paint and find room for my stuff. I don’t have much furniture to bring up from Alabama. The only real concern is finding a place for my shoes. Sure, I could move them down to the boyfriend’s storage unit downstairs, but a girl likes to keep her shoes close.

Today the boyfriend will take me to explore some places in Nashville.  I hope to find places that I will like to shop. (I’m such a girl sometimes.)  But also, I hope to come back here  - to Big Red – and get some writing done. I’m pretty inspired here – and Big Red is the perfect place to materialize the stuff I’m working on. (More on that later.)