Finally

Let me begin to tell you about our mini vacation three weeks ago. I have been postponing writing about it because...well, for several reasons, but mostly because I want to give it the significance that it had. But, I probably can't put that into words, so lemme just tell you about it the best way that I can.

We woke up early (for us) and packed bags. One for me, one for Paul and one for Smeagol - I felt like a mom ;) We stopped at the grocery store and got snacks for the road and new batteries for my digital camera.

The drive to Tennessee was stunningly beautiful. I am not normally one of those people who finds astounding beauty in nature, but down here in the South, it is really hard not to. There were parts of the road where there were millions of wildflowers in between the northbound and southbound lanes. Every color that you can imagine, like a patchwork quilt dividing the highway. I had to ask Paul if they had been planted to look that way! But, of course, they weren't, they were just a little gift from Mother Nature.

After a couple of hours we were in Tennessee. We pulled off the interstate and stopped at a gas station for potty breaks. We developed a system where Paul would go while I walked Smeag, and then I would go while he continued to walk her. She is very well behaved and would never poop or peep in the car, so usually by the time we stopped, she was desperate. We would also always pull out her water dish and try to convince her to drink, but she seems to hate to eat or drink when she is not at home, so she got quite dehydrated and was a bit of a brat for the next few days.

As I walked back from the bathroom in the gas station, I happened to glance to my right because I saw something that caught my eye. It was...COFFEE CRISP BARS!!! As I linked to earlier, they are available in the US now, but not very many places and this was the first place that we had seen them. I ran back out to the car with my arms in the air, screaming 'GIMME YOUR WALLET!' Paul laughed and went in to get some, as he walked there, I yelled out 'BUY TWO!' He actually came back with six. Lucky me.

Back on the road and within a short time later we began to see mountains. Okay, they're not the Rockies, but damn are they pretty. As we got closer to our destination it was like being home, a very hilly version of home. Beautiful green fields with white picket fences and cows and horses grazing. Red barns, tall silos. I was gasping and moaning and finally I said 'Okay, so when are we gonna be moving here again?' Paul grinned and I said 'I'm not kidding, you know.' He sighed and told me that he knew. I like Atlanta a lot, but after seeing the Pigeon Forge/Sevierville area of Tennessee...I can't even express. I felt more at home there in 10 minutes than I do here after almost a year.

Soon we were in Sevierville, where Paul lived for several years. We drove through the University of Tennessee campus (that he attended). It's like a freakin city! It is a city really. Unbelievably huge. I told Paul how the University I attended was one building (plus the gym and one small building for offices), a big building! But just one. He couldn't believe it.

Then, we were in Pigeon Forge - a major tourist attraction. Dollywood is there, dozens of country shows and magic shows and little kitschy shops and restaurants and everything country you can imagine. We saw a brochure for Dollywood and that week was 'bluegrass and barbecue' week. It may has well have been called 'heaven for Jenn' week. We checked into our cute log cabin style motel and settled Smeagol in. The hotel wasn't great, primarily because the curtains didn't reach the bottom of the window so it was quite bright. And also, it was right on a major highway, so quite loud. But it was cozy and clean and fine for animals, so we were happy. We put down Smeag's food and water dishes and gave her a peanut butter dog lollipop and scattered some of her toys around. Then we got dressed and headed out to dinner.

Before we left, Paul pulled back the covers on the bed and, using the pillows, made a little cave for Smeagol. She was confused and semi devastated when we left, but those are fairly standard emotions for her so we weren't too concerned. Paul drove around for a while, he knows the area very well, and showed me the places that he used to live and other highlights. We were driving past a nice house and Paul mentioned that his aunt and uncle lived there and that he hadn't seen them in years. I told him we could stop if he wanted to, so we did the pop-in thing. They were so totally nice to us! We sat down for probably close to an hour and chatted and updated them on our lives and vice versa. I am really blessed with in-laws, I like em all. His auntie even gave me a hug when we left!

Then we got slightly lost cause of the incredible swiftness with which the area is being developed, but that was neat too, cause we drove right by Dollywood. We headed out to one of Paul's restaurant locations. It was really cute and we had a great dinner. Then, Paul had decided that we would go see a country show. I wasn't really clear on what that was, but Paul was sure that I would like it. We drove on over to "Country Tonite" and got tickets for that evening's show. The lady who gave us our tickets leaned over the counter and said to me 'don't you look sexy tonight'. This is the way everyone is there - you could start up a conversation with anyone and everyone and they would probably be thrilled to talk to you for as long as you could spare. The entire atmosphere is of slowness and leisure and a calm and hospitable attitude.

We hit the gift shop while we waited for the show. I bought a magnet (I buy one most interesting places that we go, generally with the name of the town or attraction on it. It's the cheapest, easiest memento that you can find) and Paul bought an official Country Tonite Backscratcher. Now, I have to fend off his advances every night - 'tickle me with the scratcher!!' As we entered the show they took our picture in front of a special backdrop and at the intermission they were all layed out in a cardboard frame with two magnets of us and stuff. Of course, we bought them :p I actually looked pretty nice. We sat down and I expressed my concern that I wouldn't like this and that I still didn't even really know what this place was. Paul told me that he was absolutely sure that I would like it and boy oh baby was he right.

The show started. There were probably 25 performers; a band, several featured singers, a half dozen dancers and a 'comedian'. The singers were tremendous. So often when I watch tv or listen to the radio I get annoyed because I think "I can sing better than that" or with all my years of music training I think that they are ignoring the 'rules' of good vocalization. But these singers, whoa, they were all fantastic. I canNOT sing that well! There was one guy who they introduced as having the 'high, clear tenor of the likes of Vince Gill' and I nearly died. And he did too. I cried over and over again. At one point he sang 'Broken Road' which is one of Paul's and my 'songs' and I bawled so hard that I was just shaking against Paul's arm.

There were some wonderful spiritual songs too; The Old Rugged Cross, The Unclouded Day, The Church in the Wildwood...my goodness. Of course they sang Tennessee Waltz and Rocky Top and some other songs with Tennessee in the lyrics (I had no idea there were so many!). I had already cried pretty much throughout the entire show and then at the end they did a tribute to the American soldiers. I had tears streaming down my face and then they asked all the veterans to stand up and it was probably a sixth of the very large audience. Young women with babies, old men with canes, and old couple in front of us who held hands very tightly as they stood up. I'm crying now just remembering. I don't think I ever understood before.

The whole production was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. After that we headed back to our hotel and were charmed to see that Smeagol had to dig herself out of the little cave that Paul had built for her before we left. She was so grateful to see us. We got into our pajamas and played with her a bit, then Paul decided that we had to go to Denny's. So, we changed again and went down the street. I had pecan pie.

Back at our hotel, Paul who never, ever wants to go for a walk with me when I ask him, asked me - voluntarily - if I wanted to go for a walk with him by the river. We had a lovely little walk by the totally dark little river. Then we got some cokes from the machine and settled in for the night officially this time.

We slept kind of yucky, it was a bit too light and a bit too loud and Smeagol walked around us over and over again, shifting the mattress and trying to convince us to wake up. I finally slept a bit but then woke up to go to the bathroom and promptly stepped on some cold poo. But, oh well. The next morning we gathered up our stuff and went to go do the errands that we were there for. Then we headed back home. We stopped to get chicken fingers and ate them in the car with Smee. We stopped at gas stations to walk her. And all of it was grand :)

I can't explain why this trip was so wonderful. But it truly was, I felt like a teenager in love. Paul held my hand a lot and kept his arm around me at the Country Tonite show. It was a dream 24 hours. On your next mini break, I wish you that kind of happiness.