Z is for

is for

ZZZZZZ's

It's finally here!   'Z'.  I made it!  The finale of the A-Z Challenge.
 !ZOUNDS!

I started the A-Z Challenge with Zest.  I Zipped from A to B with Zeal.   Traveling to a Zillion Zappy blogs reading Zazzy posts.

Zounds again bloggie friends the time has come to take a break and indulge in a Zakuska of Zabaglione or some such!

Yes this Challenge has been Zappy but to tell you truth I am Zonked.  

Spring Break Nashville....over and out!

Can I sleep now!

Y is for

is for

Yay!

I made it to 'Y' But what now????

Yep! Mista Yella!

What will I Yap about today! I could subject you to Yarling about the way my three wheeled week old bag Yawed as I Yomped it from the terminal to the not so ‘short-term’ car park! I could tell you how I Yikkered when Minneapolis's  frigid air hit me on exiting the warmth of the terminal. The shock causing me to Yex and Yex and Yex some more. 

Or I could say, I hope you enjoyed the reminiscing’s of my Spring Break in Nashville.

And now it is time for me to Yede to bed.
Yawn! Until 'Z' time.

X is for

is for

X-tra, X-tra

read all about it!

Spring Break in Nashville (con't)

The night before I left Nashville, I attended the Opening Night of University School of Nashville's (USN) stellar production of Neil Simon's, Brighton Beach Memoirs. 

Miss H is the eldest of LS's (Little Sister) three daughters.   She is an active member of USN's High School Student Theatre Guild and holds the position of Guild Secretary.  The USN Student Theatre Guild is solely student run, from Freshmen to Seniors all dedicated to promoting theatre with student produced plays throughout the school year. 

Brighton Beach Memoirs is a two act play that takes place in one set designed and constructed by Miss H's fellow Guild members.  The play consisted of seven cast members.  Set in Brighton Beach, NY in 1937 an extended family play out rising tensions induced by grief, cramped living space and loss of income.

Miss H did a wonderful job portraying Nora Morton, the teenage daughter of a widowed mother, living in her aunt and uncle's home.   Nora grabbles with feelings of displacement, an interloper with no privacy in the cramped living space.  She expresses all the angst of a young woman frustrated by her mother's lack of ingenuity and strength of character to forge a life and find a place to call their own.

Miss H is a graduating Senior and the week I spent in Nashville was a week froth with nervous tension for her.  This performance in Brighton Beach Memoirs was her last in USN and she was anxiously waiting for replies to her University applications.  She received many acceptance letters, but it wasn't until the day after I left she received the ONE.   Acceptance into the University of her dreams. 

The World is your Oyster Miss H.  Go out there and grab it!

W is for

is for

Wheels

Spring Break in Nashville(con't)

This is another bag story. 

I don't think I told you way back in ‘B’, the night before my departure to Nashville, I discovered the zip to my suitcase was broken. I had to make an emergency trip to the shop for a new one. I found and purchased a suitcase and matching laptop bag.  Since I was a small child I dreamt of owning a full set of matching luggage. Alas….I have yet to realize that dream. But I digress back to ‘W’

Infamous Bag

This tale of Woe unfolds enroute from Warm and sunny Nashville to the Winter Wilds of Wisconsin. There were no unmerciful queues to deal with, my bag was checked in a timely fashion and I actually got on the flight I had booked. Whew!


Th flight arrived in Minneapolis on time.   Met Husband waiting in the baggage claim area. We made our way to the carousel were we Waited and Waited some more because as usual my bag is one of the last to appear. Husband sighs…..his short term parking fee has just increased by three dollars.

Husband pulls Week old bag off the carousel and it keels over! I grab the handle to straighten it and it keels over again. On closer examination I notice a Wheel is missing. When my bag and I parted ways in Nashville it had four Wheels.  On arrival in Minneapolis it had three.  I insisted on reporting the missing Wheel. Husband looked at the time and sighed with resignation. Parking fee was about to take another hike. 


I queued to lodge my complaint at the baggage desk.  Who do you think I come face to face with.  The Airline Desk Lady who checked me in on 'A'.   As I relayed my tale of Woe I wondered if she remembered me.  She came out from behind her desk and examined my three Wheeled Week old bag. 
 "I'm sorry we don't cover damaged luggage.  The best I can do is give you a $50 voucher," she said. 

What a nice Airline Desk Lady!

V is for



is for

Venue

The Tennessee Performing Arts Centre is known as the TPAC. The TPAC is located in the James K. Polk Cultural Center at 505 Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville. A large building spanning over two floors which includes three theatres and the Tennessee State Museum.

LS (Little Sister) and I saw the Broadway musical, “In the Heights” at the TPAC. While queuing for a glass of wine after collecting our tickets, I studied the posters of upcoming Broadway shows with growing envy. ‘Les Miserables,’ ‘Rain the Tribute to the Beatles,’ ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Colour Purple’ to name but a few. Performances by the resident Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, and Tennessee Repertory Theatre were also being touted. It was too much for this theatre enthusiast to bear!!! A rather large gulp of wine was required!

U is for

is for

Utinam

(earnest wish or desire)

It is my Utinam you have enjoyed my A-Z Urbanology of Nashville.  Whew!  I was Unsure I could pull off the 'U'!

The end of this Challenge is in sight.  Only five more nights of being chased by letters in my dreams.  It has been fun, it has been hard and it has been a Challenge.  My Usual blogging schedule prior to the Challenge was weekly and at times I found that Challenging. 

I am very grateful to LS (Little Sister) and family for making my time in Nashville so enjoyable and Unforgettable.  Blowing kisses and sending hugs!!!

Thank you to all my followers, Old and New!  Your comments have been most appreciated. To the people I follow, who did not participate in the A-Z Challenge, my apologies if I have been remiss of late.  Please don't judge me Ungrateful.  The scale of this Challenge was Unexpected.

A big Thank You to my friend Theresa of Substitute Teacher’s Saga  who when I was at my wits end on 'N' came through for me, suggesting Nashville. Why didn't I think of that!  Thank you Theresa. 

I hope you have found my Nashville musings Utile. 

Onward and Upward.....Tomorrow is 'V' Day and I do have something to say!

 

T is for

is for

Miss T

Spring Break in Nashville (con't)

Miss T is LS’s (Little Sister) second daughter, the middle child. Miss T is a girl of few words. She goes about her business with a quiet efficiency.  She has a calm self-assured way about her.  

Miss T is a well-rounded young lady with varied interests. She plays saxophone in her high school band. She is involved in all aspects of school theatre and is also a member of the school dance team. Both performing and competing.

In March Miss T was one of thirteen girls chosen from the Nashville chapter of Act Like a GRRRL to perform at the inaugural gala of Día Internacional de las Mujeres in San Jose, Costa Rica.   The Act Like a GRRRL program's focus is to empower women and girls worldwide through writing and performing.

Miss T is also an avid horsewoman. She participates in Nashville’s  National and County 4-H Horse shows. She has a bounty of multi-coloured ribbons heralding her skill and talent.

Yesterday, April Twenty-first, Miss T the Twentieth letter in my A-Z Challenge turned Fifteen.

Happy Birthday Sunshine!

S is for

is for

Social Graces

Spring Break in Nashville (con't)

Social Graces is one of the many speciality shops I perused while in Nashville.  It is located in Hillsboro Village just a few doors down from Fido’s. (See post for letter F) The name of the shop alone made it a must stop shop. 

I ambled from one display to the next, oohing and awing at the selection of stationary, note cards, invitations, soaps and candles.  But it was the assortment of seals and sealing wax that caught my eye and my interest.  I have a weakness for seals and sealing wax that is only second to my weakness for books.  

My Social Graces Purchase

 There was a basket full of seal rings to choose from. I combed through the letters of the alphabet and images on the interchangeable seal plates, giddy as a child given free range in a sweet shop. I thought my heart would burst with excitement when I came across a seal plate with the image of a parchment scroll and quill pen. I couldn't buy all the plates I singled out and eventually narrowed my choices down to two. Now I had to choose one, but which one?  The letter 'A' or yes you guessed it, the parchment scroll and quill.

I hovered over that basket debating which one to choose for so long the staff began casting suspicious glances in my direction.  My solution, stop deliberating and purchase Both!!!


I just love this type of shop!

Social Graces is located on 
1704 21st Ave S,
Nashville, TN 37212

R is for

is for

Radnor Lake

Spring Break in Nashville (con't)

Radnor Lake State Park is a 1200+ acre Natural Reserve in the heart of Nashville.  LS (Little Sister) and I stopped at Radnor twice during my stay, walking two of the four trails.  One all around the 85 acre lake and the other a paved road that runs along the lake.  The paved road closed to cars is a pedestrian walkway only.  All four of the trails are now open having been  repaired from the havoc wrecked by the Floods of last spring .

This is a beautiful park teeming with wildlife.  On our first walk we spotted a wild turkey strutting in the woods and turtles sunning on rocks at the lakes edge.  There were beaver dams sprinkled about the lake, but I didn't spot any.    The trees gnarled branches still bare, but birdsong filled the air announcing the arrival of Spring.



Walking Trail around the Lake.Wikipedia photo



A Visitor's Centre houses historical photographs, displays and an informative video on the history of the Park's construction by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company in 1914.

There was a trail LS threatened promised to take me on, Ganier Ridge Trail, but alas we ran out of time.  Whew!  LS's glee describing the "Ridge" made me wonder if  the desire to bring me on this trail was peppered with a touch of LS Revenge!



Radnor Lake, Wikipedia photo



Radnor Lake is a favorite spot of LS and family and it is easy to see why.  An all year round beautiful spot abundant with wildlife right in the centre of the city.   

Q is for

is for

Queue

Spring Break in Nashville (con't)

My trip to Nashville was littered with Queues. Most of the Queues were good, exciting even. Some were stressful, others boring but none were of the pull my hair out what am I doing in this Queue variety. So now I will regale you with my Q of Queues.

It all started in the airport. Queue one was to check in. Queue two was to remove my shoes, belts etc. and have a body scan. I Queued for a cup of coffee and to board the plane. Once on the plane and in the air there was the Queue for the Loo...I decided that Queue was not for me. Aircraft Loos, YUCK! I did join the Queue to exit the aircraft though. As a side note, why do people jump up from their seats the second the plane comes to halt? After all they are going nowhere for at least another five minutes.

The fun and exciting Queues started at Fido's for Sunday Brunch. When I saw the length of Fido's Queue, I thought I would fade away from hunger before it was my turn to give my order. LS assured me this Queue moved along very smartly. I was pleasantly surprised at the efficient and quick moving Queue. There was no time for fading!

There was the Queue outside Vanderbilt waiting for the doors to open for the Picoult book signing. LS and I Queued to purchase books and then  Queued for the book signing.

The next Queue, outside the Station House waiting for the doors to open to see the Doyle and Debbie show. After that we joined a small Queue waiting to be escorted to our table in The Patterson House.

I Queued in a Nashville Borders, where LS and I perused and purchased multiple books. She has the same weakness for books I do. Must be genetics!

I joined the Ticket-Pick-Up Queue at the TPAC for In the Heights and from that Queue I headed straight to the liquid refreshment Queue for what turned out to be an extremely large glass of wine. Really....it was nearly half a bottle! At the intermission after all that wine, there was the inevitable Queue in the ladies. 

There were the usual shop Queues and then it was back to the pesky airport Queues.

Whew! That was some Q-ing. Hope I didn't lose you along the way.


More Nashville tomorrow in 'R'.