Well we've been in NC for several days now. However, my parents do not have internet access. So the only time I can check up on things is to head to Barnes & Noble and sit in their cafe. It's been nice to visit, and I'm happy that I've been able to help my parents. I helped them move some furniture around, and put some record shelves together with my Dad. We also had the chance to take my son Jackson to the Richard Petty Museum. I gave my daughter the chance to accompany us, but she didn't seemed to be interested. I think she'll look back and regret that decision. I don't think the museum is as nice as it used to be. I visited the old location about 20 years ago or more and it was very open, no gates around the cars or anything. Now everything is sectioned off, and not as open as it used to be. However, my son loved it, and that is what is most important. They have a kids room there, and if a child colors a picture in the activity room, you leave the picture there. Richard Petty signs the picture for the kid and sends it to them in the mail. I can't imagine another sport where that happens. I can't wait to see my son's face when he gets his picture in the mail. I also left my tire there to get signed as well. Yep, that's right, he'll sign it for free. When it's ready, the museum will call my Dad to come and pick it up. I can't wait for my face to see that either! Leaving tomorrow...can't wait to get back home!
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We spent the day today walking around downtown Knoxville, TN. It's a beautiful town. We took a break and saw the movie Brave with the kids. They had been waiting to see it, and were really patient. I asked if they could wait until I got back from my travels, so I could take them to see it. After the movie, we walked around some more and found a really cool store. The Mast General Store was a very interesting place. The basement was full of outdoor and hiking gear; shoes, ties, ropes, sports stuff, etc. The first floor was all clothing and stuff for the kids. However, the back of the store was nothing but barrels of candy. It was sold by the pound for $6.99 and the candy was stuff that I used to get when I was a kid. There were Lemonheads, Mary Janes, Squirrels, all kinds of sweet stuff. I'd have to say there were over 25 barrels of candy. And unfortunately I have a sweet tooth, call it a weakness. Let's just say I got a bag. On to NC tomorrow.
We had an awesome day today in Pigeon Forge, TN. Well, we actually drove through Pigeon Forge on the way to The Great Smoky Mountains. My brother-in-law is a youth pastor at Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN. He was taking his youth group to the mountains and we were able to tag along for the day. It was great! The kids were able to play in the river, which is something that they've never done before. The water was a little rough in places, fortunately we had the kids in their life jackets. But it was really enjoyable to see them climbing the rocks and trudging through the water. My daughter was getting a little cold, and it wasn't long after that storms starting moving overhead. Then it seemed like the skies opened up and the rain starting coming down really hard, feeling like marbles hitting your skin. So that abruptly ended the day, but it was probably for the best since Jessica was getting really cold. We made the long drive out of the park and through Pigeon Forge on the way back to Knoxville. The storms that interrupted our day followed us all the way back. At times it was like surfing along the interstate. Although it was scary here and there, I have to admit it was a bit fun driving through all of that water. We ended the day with dinner at an awesome sub place, Firehouse Subs. I had never heard of them before, and didn't even realize they were a chain. The kids' meals were really affordable, and you got a lot for your money.
We've uncovered a bit of a problem though. Back in KY it seemed as though the AC in my car wasn't working as well as it should. Things seemed to be improving until I checked the floor in front of the passenger seat. The floor under the mat was very wet, to the point when you pushed down, the water seeped up a bit. The last time this happened was in my previous Pontiac. Apparently there is a line, gasket, or something that is directly under the floor in front of the passenger seat. This can clog from time to time and condensate overflows into this area. I think this may be what is happening. Luckily for me, the complex where my brother-in-law lives has a car washing area for the occupants. It has a vacuum and I was able to vacuum out all of the water. I called my Dad and asked him to make an appointment for me when I arrive in NC. He has found a mechanic that came very highly recommended. My Dad has been taking his vehicles to him and has been very pleased. We'll see how it goes... Arrived in Knoxville, TN today. My other brother-in-law lives here and we're visiting before moving along to my folks in NC on Friday. It's nice to get to spend some individual time with each of my wife's brothers.
I have to say I was very offended on the way here. I think it was on I-40S or I-65S, but there was a huge rebel flag waving on the side of the road. I don't know who it belongs to, or the property for that matter. I know I'm in the south, but really? It's 2012 people, really? I know I live in the land of free speech and what not, but come on. Now this flag was large, and I'm not kidding or exaggerating, but it was near the size of the U.S. flag at Ft. McHenry. Could you see if someone tried to fly a flag of that size emblazoned with a swastika? There would be articles, newscasts, etc. This is just disgusting to me. I nearly threw up in my mouth a little driving by. I could go on and on about this, but am really just to heated about this. Shaking my head... We've been in Dickson, TN since this past Friday. We've been visiting and staying with my brother-in-law James. We haven't done much because believe it or not, there's been two days straight of rain. However, today we headed into Nashville to walk around and to check out the Frist Center. We decided to go there because some of the other attractions were a tad too expensive for a family of four (plus my brother-in-law is married with a baby too). I have to say I was a bit apprehensive, but it turned out to be very nice. The admission wasn't bad, and children under 18 were free. They had a great show on the quilts of Gee's Bend. I always wanted to see some of quilts in person, and finally had the chance. They were beautiful. The only disappointing part was that you couldn't take pictures. There's a children's book or two that I saw that I want to pick up for the classroom. But I chose to wait to save a little money; museum gift shops can be so darn expensive. I did pick up a cool Chuck Close poster (on clearance) for the classroom back home. They had a few other things on display, in addition to the quilts of Gee's Bend. There was an exhibition of the folk art of Bill Traylor and some drawings and small paintings of John Constable.
Afterward, we walked down Broadway through Nashville. Broadway is like the main strip through the city. It's where a lot of the bars, music places, etc. are located; the heart of their tourism. The Frist Center is located there, as well as the Bridgestone Center where the NHL Predators play. We walked up and down the strip, all the way to where it ended and you can see the Titans Stadium across the river. As we walked back we had a delicious dinner at a place called Demo's. Although it was hot, it was a really great day. It's a little different not being on a schedule right now. I don't know if I completely like it or not. Over the last couple of weeks I've been used to getting up early in the morning and having to report at 8am in Santa Fe. Then in LA, had to be up at a certain time and ready to roll for the days events. Now, there really isn't anything going on that is important. Nothing to have to report for at a certain time or anything. It takes a while to get used to that. And not quite sure if I like it or not. We'll leave on Friday to head through Tennessee to visit my brothers-in-law. We'll spend a couple of days at each of their houses, and then drive the rest of the way to NC to see my folks. After a few days there, we'll finally be back home. I can't wait to be back home in order to sleep in my own bed and be back in my own home.
Heading back today. Not home, but to meet up with my family in KY. I'm flying into Nashville because that's the closest airport to my father-in-law's house. He lives in Bowling Green, KY and it's about an hour from the Nashville airport. I get in about 7:30pm. I've had a blast the past couple of weeks, but I can't wait to see everyone.
My final full day in LA. Kind of bittersweet, but I do miss my wife and kids. I spent the morning going through emails and such for some of the summer work I've been doing. Then after Brandy came home from her half day at work, we headed to the Getty Museum. I've always wanted to see the Getty. I can remember wanting to visit the Getty since I began teaching some time ago. It is a beautiful campus, but I don't even think that truly describes it well enough. I don't think I've seen anything like it in my life before; between the architecture, buildings, etc. Just finally being able to see this, has made this trip worth it.
After the Getty, we headed back to Brandy's place. We changed and got ready for our night on the town. It started with a bunch of LA food trucks in one location. You had the choice of what to eat from six different food trucks. These types of trucks are a staple in LA, and there have been plenty of shows about them on the Food Network and Travel Channel. It was so hard to decide what to eat. I finally honed in on the Philly Cheesesteak truck, and had a glorious Buffalo Cheesesteak sub and some Whiz fries as well. Everything was delicious. Following dinner, we had a night on the town along the Sunset Strip. We walked from place to place enjoying each others' company, swapping stories, and listening to the patrons and workers discuss the history of each place we visited. Happy Independence Day everybody! It was a pretty eventful day today. Started off doing some shopping for the party we were heading to later. However, but to find everything we wanted, it took three different grocery stores. Yes, I said three. Afterward we took a drive up to the Griffith Observatory. It's a place I've always wanted to see. Not only is it an exquisite example of architecture, it's just pretty neat to see because of all of the movies where it's been featured. We walked around for a while, and nibbled on a little lunch.
After the observatory, we headed out on our drive to Palmdale. That is where Bran's friend lives and where the 4th of July party was held. We cooked out, swam, talked for hours. It was a very nice evening. From our perch, you could see LA off in the distance and the approximately 4-5 different fireworks displays going on at the same time. Not a very busy day today. I had some work I had to finish up early in the day. Had to put some finishing touches on my NEH project, and fill out some evaluation paperwork as well. Afterward we hit In -N-Out Burger for lunch. The burger was yummy, the fries not so much. Then I was given a personal tour of the NBC lot. My friend Brandy works on the Last Call with Carson Daly, so she was able to get me in and give me the grand tour of the lot/buildings. It was pretty cool to see a lot of the stuff, especially all of the sets, props and stuff and how they pack them away when not in use.
The day continued with a Dodger game. I always enjoy taking in a new stadium, regardless of team or league. So it was really neat to see Dodger Stadium. Afterward we head to downtown Pasadena, and walked around for awhile. The night was capped off with some awesome frozen yogurt at 21 Choices. |
B.D.SchmittHusband, Father, Archives
November 2015
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