Twila's First Hike

Every fall there comes an inevitable feeling... Being able to witness the fall colors changing and being so close to the Smokey Mountains (Although, as Steph told me the other day, 2/3 of the US can get to the Smokies in a day!) I feel an actual need (like put it on the to-do list need) to go and see it in person. I do really enjoy hiking now so it's not an unhappy need but it does feel like a time crunch. The scene could be perfect one day and then rain that night with a little wind and the next day could be too late... time crunch. I suppose that there's also a little thought that this is the last time for awhile that I will be able to see foliage. Actually, I love hiking in the fall and I like it very much in the winter. I like getting bundled up and cozy and there aren't any bugs swarming. Also, vistas open up in the winter without shade or foliage to disguise them. The other thing I love while hiking is fog and one can get more of that during the winter. I guess it feels really refreshing to freeze your ass off and then get home and have that tingly warm feeling like when you go from a cold pool into a hot tub. So, I am not really sad winter comes as it tends to do and am instead readying myself for the change. But I will miss Fall. The seasons have seemed to last longer this and last year which is nice though.

So, anyways, Steph and I both wanted to catch some of that fall color and witness nature changing while also taking Twila to the mountains for the first time. I really didn't know what to expect. I guess I did have some apprehension to bring everything she'd need to be happy but in the end brought very little. (Thanks again to Steph who carried our stuff for us!) I suppose I thought about how things could either be great or we'd be deep in the woods with a very unhappy crying infant which would have not been so pleasant. But, one very valuable lesson Twila has been teaching me since even before she was born is not to worry about the unknown...to not dwell on what may come to pass and instead roll with what passes as it passes. Things usually tend to be better than anticipated and there's less time wasted on not feeling good. Anyways, we picked the Little River Trail since it has a wide path without many trunks and things to climb over or under. The trail is easy and can be however long you want it to be. Perfect for our first walk really. Plus, it's a good one for fall colors! We ended up walking 8.5 miles which seemed to fly by. Twila loved looking up into the trees, watching the leaves fall, and marveling at the rapids in the river. It's a beautiful hike with a river following the entire path and with the previous night's rain there were surprise waterfalls on both sides of the path. There weren't any wildflowers anymore but the colors were beautiful. The weather was perfect too... not too cold but cold enough to use the front kangaroo pouch for Twila. She was better than we could have hoped for-content, talkative, sleeping, happy. We stopped and ate some lunch on a bench by the river which was nice. There were also some decrepit houses which we examined prior to leaving. All in all, a great day- good company, and beautiful fall sites-it's what you do in Tennessee and I can't wait to do it again soon.

The Outsider

Why haven't I ever read any H.P. Lovecraft?!? I like the genre. I loove stories which question sanity and what is real. Last night I decided that in the name of Halloween I would venture into the world of Lovecraft. I was given a nice collection of short stories so I started from the beginning with The Outsider. It was very short but lovely. I like the way horror and mysteries were written at the end of the 19th century. Words were put together in such a flowery fashion. Words were chosen it seems to be read more poetically, more emotionally. My grandmother on my dad's side wrote poetry. I guess it took almost her full 90+ years for anyone to know this but she did. It was in Spanish and it was good, really good. When my grandmother spoke to me it always seemed so pretty... antique. In fact, I couldn't understand a lot of the words she would weave together. But even when I couldn't understand her letters they felt like gifts, like an artifact that had to be handled carefully, maybe with white cloth gloves. The words seemed to sing on the page. So like a song that I didn't know the words to I could still hum along. That's how I felt reading parts of Lovecraft.

So through endless twilights I dreamed and waited, though I knew not what I waited for...And at last I resolved to scale that tower, fall though I might; since it were better to glimpse the sky and perish, than to live without ever beholding day.

Pretty.

He's been talking about this place FOREVER!

For the last 3 or 4 years Doug's talked about Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville. Never been there. So when we went to Nashville a few weeks back I wasn't going to leave there without visiting the place. He had read about the shack on a few blogs and every review was stellar. I don't eat the wings and don't really enjoy too hot food so I was just along for the ride. Nice ride...an entertaining one. I guess one would go to Princes for the food. Period. When we arrived there was one man waiting in front of us. We still waited an hour and a half for one piece of BBQ chicken with fries and coleslaw. It was such a long wait that Twila required a diaper change...yes, that's how I measure time now. The place filled up though-packed! Lots of characters young and old started to look over each others shoulders for any sign of oncoming food. And, having worked in a kitchen, I gotta give them props. Even full down in the weeds these guys were so relaxed...I have never seen chefs/cooks/anyone in a kitchen care less about getting things in the window. It was awesome. One guy kept coming out to relax while sucking on a lollipop. Another lady would occasionally bring some food out and then bring it right back into the kitchen. Maybe everyone thinks the food is so great because they are starving by the time the food gets out. Actually, Doug raved about it and said it was probably the best BBQ he'd ever eaten and it was very hot indeed. I did take some photos of the place though. It had a lot of character. There were some crooked frames holding a variety of "artwork". Some clowns, some drawn needlepoint (fake needlepoint stitching- Huh! Who woulda thought...) and some drawn animals. It was all for sale. I walked down the strip mall while we were waiting and to get some water. The liquor store was strange. There was a man listening to political rantings or propaganda in another language on the radio. The water was hard to find pushed back behind and below some redbull and other colored liquids I had never heard of. I looked for snacks but decided against the idea. Other stores in the strip mall included a nightclub, a hair salon, an "urban" clothier, and another BBQ joint with tinted windows. This place looked intriguing but I didn't go in since there was this one guy who was blocking the entrance. He kept cracking the door open to look outside, would then whisper something on his phone, laugh, and then shut the door. It was suspicious. So back to Princes to replenish us with water. It was even more crowded. 2 hours after entering we decided the place was awesome and a great future take-out, order ahead restaurant.

Sunday

Sunday was nice. We had some breakfast with Nae Nae and then took Twila to her first Record Swap. It was bigger than I thought it would be and the selection was actually quite good. Although, everything I really wanted was 40-100 dollars. We did pick up a few little gems and well, frankly I was just thrilled that Knoxville had a show. Plus, I think I liked it more on the small side. I love the record convention that WFMU throws but it's a bit overwhelming and you'd need a few days to soak it all up.
Another bonus: It was the first super cold day here and so we got to put Twila into an outfit we've been waiting for! Steph and the lady at the Co-op both think that the reindeer outfit should be a family dress alike outfit-that Doug and I or really that Stephanie and Twila could walk around in their cozy reindeer outfits together. I would like to see that. And I guess I wouldn't mind a cozy, soft outfit even if it did have antlers. I've worn worse.

Babies and Cats

I have never had children around me but I have had cats for awhile. And since Twila, I have noticed that babies and cats have a lot in common. Who knew?! My mom made fun of me for the first few weeks after Twila was born because I kept calling the baby "kitty". I couldn't help it! The words just came out! Sometimes I catch myself trying to get her attention (this works by the way) by making the same noise I use to get the cat's attention. Is that pitiful? But, now that the (ahem) cat's out of the bag (sorry), let me describe some of the similarities.

Both Twila and the cats are more amused by a box, a piece of paper, a jar with something inside it, or a piece of garbage than the actual toys I buy for them. They both like to grab and get into things that could a) cause them harm b) cause damage to the item they are trying to get at or c) both a and b (By the way, these items are also desired for chewing). They both want to eat whatever I am eating. They both like to sleep. Neither of them speak back to me yet I talk to them all day long. Both are easily and highly distracted. And they both are very interested in what the other is all about. I find these traits endearing and quite funny...again, who knew??