I left my heart in Asheville

As I noted in a previous post, one of my all time favorite trips was Asheville, NC.

After flying into Charlotte and driving two hours to Asheville, my mom and I spent a day driving along parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Returning from Grandfather Mountain we wanted to be sure to see Cold Mountain so we drove on a road that we thought would be a shortcut, that would come out right on the parkway just a mile or so from where we needed to be. The map we had was not to scale but how far off could that little wavy line be?

We found ourselves going up, up, up a winding, zig-zagging road with no guardrail. There was trees on one side a straight drop on the other. My mom, on the passenger side, would occasionally look out the window and moan. My knuckles were white and I literally couldn’t take my eyes off the road for even a brief second for fear of plunging to our deaths.

This road went up the mountainside for at least 20 minutes. In that time we never passed another car and there were no other roads branching off. There was absolutely nowhere to turn around. We were stuck on this road to hell. I was pretty sure we’d come upon a hillbilly baracade where they would club us over our heads, drag us up the mountain to a lonely shack and steal our teeth. Somehow we survived without incident, saw Cold Mountain and returned to the hotel before the hillbillys got us.

Another thing we did was visited Blowing Rock (waste of time) and Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Falls were used in scenes in the movie “The Last of the Mohicans”. I was so proud of my mom for climbing those wooden stairs. She has an intense fear of heights and I nearly shat myself climbing the stairs. The view from the top was spectacular.

One of the things I didn’t want to do but my mom talked me into (and paid for) and I was later really glad we went was touring the HGTV Dream Home that year. It just happened to be near Asheville (Lake Lear, NC) and tours were offered before the winner was announced. This place was truly amazing. It was elaborate yet cozy. The decorating was comforting and welcoming. The view. Oh, the view! Enough said. I decided after that, that someday, if I ever build my own house in the mountains, I must, must, must have a sleeping porch.

The very best part of the trip was visiting the Biltmore Estate. This is something that everyone must see, must experience. We spent four hours touring the house and some of the grounds. Had everything actually been in bloom I know we’d easily have spent another couple hours. This house was incredible as was the tour. The following day we spent browsing and shopping in all the little, unique shops in the Biltmore Village.


I want to go back someday and next time I'll include a trip through the Smoky Mountains.

I'm a tight-wad

I will admit it, I don't like to spend money on frivoulous things. I'm a saver. I always have been. So when the guys at work wanted to know if I'd chip in for the $108 million lottery tonight I got a little hesitant. I'm not a gambler. Maybe because I've never really won at anything so it's basically taking any amount of money and putting it in a Dumpster.

My $2 better win us some big money.

Walk the walk and talk the talk.

My mom and I try to take a trip together every year. We have so much fun sightseeing. However, I tend to get a bit obnoxious and my mom more or less ignores me or pretends that everything is perfectly normal. A trick she uses to get me to stop perhaps?

Wherever we go I tend to talk (to my mom only) in whatever accent is native to the area. It makes the vacation more.... festive... if only in my own little world.

When we went to Asheville, NC (best trip ever by the way) I talked with a bit of a drawl and said "ya'll" a lot.

When we went to New Orleans I said everything in a French accent and was disappointed that the locals didn't. (Metarie, Cafe du Monde, etc.).

When we went to Boston I didn't say my R's. Harvard became "Hahvahd" and car became "cah". I also switched over to an English accent because, after all, "The British are coming!"

When we went to Mt. Rushmore, I wanted to (but restrained myself) to recite to all, while holding my invisible lapel, Lincoln's Gettysburg address. "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation..." Since this is all I remember of the speech it would end there. Of course, Lincoln isn't one of the four presidents on the hillside but it's just that patriotic there.

I think our next trip will be D.C. Do they have an accent I can torment my mom with?

Holy moly, guacamole!

I made the best - THE BEST - guacamole last week. Like I said before, I'm not a cook but this doesn't require any stove or oven type behavior. I learned to make this guacamole from hovering over my brother's shoulder pointing and asking, "what's that"? And "How much of that did you put in". Basically, it's just whatever and however much and it can change at anytime.

This is the first time I made it solo and oh lawdy! it was so good I could have cried. (I think that way about chocolate cake too).

Radio star

I did some tracking and found my best friend from sixth grade! We went to different schools by 7th grade and she moved about 30? miles away in high school. We stayed in touch and I had visited her a few times at her house that was "out of town". She was so much fun and we had so much fun together. The last time I spoke to her was probably 15 years ago.

We used to tape record ourselves singing songs or just record our conversations. I wish I would have saved those tapes!!

I've thought about her so many times over the years. Anyway, I tracked her down. She works for radio station in Omaha, NE. She's a DJ in the afternoon during the week and I can listen online.

Just now I got a shout out! How cool is that? If I would have known I would have tape recorded it.

It kinda made my day.

Happy birthday, Sam I Am!

The baby is eight today.

Call the Tooth Fairy

I was going to write about something completely mundane until just moments ago.

I just helped my boss pull the cleaning guy's tooth.

The cleaning guy (we call him Speedy because he's the complete opposite) came in today with one of his back molars sitting sideways in his mouth but still connected. He was miserable and I really couldn't care less but when I heard my boss was going to pull it, I had to be a part of it.

I work with mechanics, not dentists.

We sat Speedy in an office chair in the parts room. Boss Man went to get "a clean rag" and a needle nose pliers much like this but with grease and grime on it. A pliers not too unlike these:

Boss man wraps the pliers in a "clean rag", I grab the top of Speedy's head in a headlock. The whole time I'm chanting, "ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod". Bossman gives a little yank and Speedy doesn't even flinch. The tooth pops out and I commence gagging to the point tears are running down my cheeks.

Today I decided I love where I work.