Nashvegas

What do you know. It's been 2 months to the day since the last time I posted here. I guess it's time for a little update.

I went to Chicago the first week in October and had a great time. Hanging out with the other interns was lots of fun. I have had classes with Whit, Somer, and Lacy, but never have spent any time with them outside of class. We all go along really well. Somer and I were preoccupied most of the time teasing Superman and Boy Wonder! And I left with a new nickname G-Racy (or Racy Gracie)...don't ask. The 5 days we worked at the trade show were probably the hardest I've ever worked in my life, the most draining to say the least. It was fun to get to interact with customers and all of the Heidelberg employees. We didn't get to explore much of the city at all which was really disappointing. Chicago seems like a really fun city and I would like to visit again with more free time. There were lots of interesting museums, parks and restaurants that I would like to be able to visit. I think the week in Chicago did me in though. After I got back I was completely drained. Later I found out that I had mono. So that's where I've been all this time! As far as I know I'm over it now, but I have to go back to the doctor next week to be tested again. I feel so dirty...

Moving on to more recent news. I went to Nashville with my sister this weekend to look for an apartment. We spent all day Friday and Saturday driving around and looking at apartments. I finally decided on a complex called 'The Grove' in the Bellevue area (southwest) of Nashville–about 14 miles from the city, 8 miles from work, and bordering the Edwin and Percy Warner Parks. I am renting a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment so there will be plenty of room for anyone who wants to visit! My address will be 2828 Old Hickory Blvd. #1412 Nashville, TN 37221. I'm going to be moving in on the 17th of December, so anyone that wants to help with that is more than welcome. My official start date at work is January 10th.

Nashville is an interesting city to say the least. This was my first "real" visit outside of my interview. The good thing is the city appears to be fairly eclectic. There are all different areas of town. The Vanderbilt area seems most like what I'm used to, but there doesn't seem to be a lack of entertainment in any area of the city. It looks like the whole country atmosphere can be easily avoided, but it also looks to be a very good place for people-watching. The city looks pretty old, because it is pretty old, but it also looks like they are doing a major revamping now, instead of having gradually updated the city over time. I have never seen a city with so much construction–road and building–in my life! Every road we were on was under some sort of construction. Evidently road construction in Tennessee isn't like North & South Carolina. Lanes/roads aren't closed for months at a time, but sections of roads are closed for hours/days at a time without warning. So one day the road will be 4 lanes, and the next day it will be one lane. I'm just glad I don't have to commute into the city every day. Oh, and did I mention Tennessee drivers are horrible!

The highlight of my trip was VICTOR WOOTEN (the bass player for Béla Fleck & the Flecktones…one of the best bassists ever) sat behind me on my flight from Nashville to Charlotte!! So if you fly to see me in Nashville, there’s a chance you’ll share a flight with someone “famous.” There was also a band (I didn’t bother to ask who they were) sitting beside Gina and I that was whining about how sitting in coach was so demeaning. I guess I’m just out of the know, because I didn’t know who they were but they sure thought they were something special.

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll get a chance to post more often now that I'm not sleeping 18 hrs a day.