Break in Review

  I returned to work this week from my glorious Spring Break. After looking over my To-Do List that I made previous to the break, I realized that some things got done and some didn't. What else is new? But I'm good with that. It was a wonderful week and I would haven't have done it any differently if given the chance. Okay, that's a lie. If the weather was warmer, I definitely would have spent more time by a body of water--preferably Lake Martin.

  Friday Evening: Elton John Concert
   Mom, Kelly, and I loaded up and went to see Sir EJ in concert at the colliseum in Montgomery. Let me tell you, this was a crazy trip. First of all, it took us two hours to get into the colliseum when we were less than a mile away. Yeah, you heard me right. Two hours. They estimated 10,000 people were coming, and there was one entrance with cars coming from five different directions. Once we got into the thing, it was very dark with no lights on the steps. If you've ever been to the Garrett Colliseum (or been to any colliseum, really) then you know it's HUGE. People were crawling over one another like cockroaches. I got pushed and shoved and cut in front of more times than I cared for. Once we realized there was no possible way to find our seats on our own, requested the assistance of a worker, and got to our seats, the concert had been going on for an hour and a half. To say we were a bit annoyed would be an understatement. Buuuutttt, Elton certainly knows how to put on a good show. The lights were mesmerizing, the instrumentals were incredible, and EJ's voice was fantastic! Unfortunately, I had taken 120 thirteen year olds on a field trip that day and was dog-tired which led to me dozing a bit during the concert. Plenty of speed bumps for this evening? Sure. Absolutely worth it to experience Elton John in concert and spend some QT with Mom and Kelly? You betcha' ya!

This picture doesn't have great clarity, but there were slim pickings on my camera.

Saturday-Monday

     I woke up at what seemed like the crack of dawn on Saturday morning to go visit my grandparents. Saturday was Grandma's birthday, and I missed it last year due to being out of town. I didn't want to miss it two years in a row so I headed over and visited with them before making my escape to Tennessee.

    Believe it or not, Jenna and I actually left Tallassee around 7:30 am. That may not sound unbelievable, but Jenna and I are notorious for running late--especially on trips. Sorry, had to make sure I documented this because I'm fairly certain it won't happen again.

     Despite our many trips to Nashville, Jenna and I had never been to a Predators hockey game and it was definitely on the to-do list. Fortunately, Stevie (one of our handsome hosts) bought tix in advance and we got to experience the excitement of the arena. If you haven't been to a hockey game then you're missing out. It's so suspenseful and exciting. As expected, two of the players started fighting and there was blood on the ice. Yeah, that was pretty intense. To make our first game even more exciting, Jenna and I made it onto the jumbo-tron. Of course, we missed it because I had just launched into a story. We came on right after the Kiss Cam. Even though the kissing was over, people were shouting, "Do it!" After the game, we headed over to Red Door for some cocktails and grabbed a late dinner at South Street. 

     We woke up Sunday and met up with more Nashvillians for brunch at Boscos. Because I recently blogged about Nashville brunch spots, I won't go into detail. Just know that it was delicious and made us go home and laze around the rest of the day. We finished off the day with heading back to East Nasty for dinner at Batter'd and Fried.

     Monday, our last day of vacay, we started our day with an artful latte at Crema. Then, Jenna and I met up with one of my dear former co-workers for another brunch. Because we weren't completely stuffed, we went to Jeni's. Before Monday I had never heard of Jeni's, and now that I have experienced it, I realize just how sad that is. Best ice cream I've ever had. Hands down.

Tuesday-Wednesday

     I don't have much material for these two days. I did manage to go to Pure Barre on Tuesday and realized just how much a couple days' break can affect your body. 

Thursday

     Aubrey and Michael were in town for a few days and we met up for karaoke at Acapulco's, the local hang out. It was so good to catch up with these two! 

     I also managed to knock two things off of my to-do list: trimming the shrubbery and starting a fun read.

Friday

     While it took up the greater part of my day, I completed my fun read. It was a novel by Heather Graham about vampires. Again, I said fun read--not intellectual read. 

     I was asked to participate in the Good Friday service at the church I attend. If my memory is correct it was my first Good Friday service. It was wonderful! It truly reiterated just what Good Friday is about.

Saturday

     Kelly and I laid out in her back yard during the early afternoon. I am in serious need of a tan so I decided not to use sunscreen for the first hour or so. Big mistake. I am still sporting red skin after four days. While I wanted to burn just a bit so I could get a base tan, I didn't quite want to take it to the painful level. Oh well, guess I missed the mark on that one.

     We met up with friends for dinner and drinks in downtown Montgomery that evening. It was so much fun. I'm crediting this to the fact that dinner was with people I don't get the privilege of seeing very often.

Sunday

     Sunday was Easter. Our church had a lovely cantata service that morning. After church, I met up with the family at my parents house. Mom cooked a wonderful and sizable Easter meal complete with ham and all the trimmings. Afterwards, I stopped by Jenna's house to visit with her and Christopher.

So, while this was a fairly uneventful Spring Break, I enjoyed it very much! I got to spend a lot of time with lots of friends and family while also getting some well-deserved downtime by myself. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!