AI Me

Every day I am reminded that I am product of the Twentieth Century, and the Millennials will soon run the world. Maybe after the Millennials, the computers will run us.  <Insert heavy, exasperated sigh here.>

Samantha is using new Artificial Intelligence to write stories, render artwork, and make likenesses of her.  So I gave her about ten pictures of me and within a few minutes the AI spit out a half dozen pictures of "me". The results are, well, disturbingly amazing. As I was sharing the pics with a friend, he shared that he went to a wedding where the Best Man wrote a toast using AI and the results were heartfelt, well, disturbingly amazing. 

I can now feed a computer a few key words and get an essay, speech, piece of art, or selfie and have it be remarkably genuine to my personality and traits.  It really blurs the line of what is mine and what is generated by a series of algorithms based on my preferences.  Over the past decade the data giants like Google, facebook, Instagram, etc. have culled our posts and searches and have a digital profile of each of us who have ever searched content online.  Corporations can have their profiles of us, but what does it mean when we outsource our creativity and artistic ability to a computer that can reflect a semi-accurate, if not a little hazy image of us?    

This technology is so seductive.  I never had the talent to be an artist or good writer – until now. I can key word thunderstorm plus Grand Canyon plus abandoned cabin and render artwork that looks like something you would be willing to pay for.  I can enter key words cattle drive plus frontier plus family plus tragedy and have AI write a story about a family who established a home near the Grand Canyon to drive cattle to Flagstaff, Arizona that fell upon some disaster and disappeared from the face of the earth.  The artwork can be on the front cover of the book.

Where does all of this go?  Can we outsource “thinking” and “intellect”? How does a university professor know where the thoughts of a student ends and the AI begins?  Is an artist an artist if the computer renders the image?  Should/would people pay for that art when they can make similar images using the same program? What if the AI one day decides it doesn’t want its work shared?  Science Fiction, right?! Is it?

As long as it makes me look good and sound smart, I suppose.

This last thought is a tangent, but one that must be considered. The technology that (helps) run our lives might be a huge crutch that we do not know how to walk without.  I once commented to a fellow Army officer that our force was the most technologically advanced in the world.  He shot back that we were the most technologically reliable in the world.  The days of "stubby pencil" planning and solving "things" has been supplanted. When system goes down, and it will go down one day, we will lack the skills to help ourselves.

I am an Analog Kid in a computer-generated world.  

It might be a best seller - just saying...

We're Not Elfin' Around

 

I love that we can go out and have fun at our own expense.  Not many people would willingly put on these Christmas clothes and go to a party. We will. We did. We won.   

It is a testament to our love for one another and not taking life too seriously. Yes, I wore this hideous suit to work for our Christmas party at work on Friday and won. I mean how could I lose with a poorly made, velour type material, suit that I bought off the clearance rack at Khol's for $5 back in July?  

But then you double down and break out the elf pajama suit - complete with ears - to go to a party down the street on the next evening.  It is very funny to be standing in your pajamas with a bunch of strangers - each one eyeing your outfit. You can see them process their humor or mild/odd discomfort in seeing adults act this way. "Oh, they're those people."  

Yes, we are.

Our trophy will proudly be displayed for many Christmases to come.

Code Red Lockdown

It is that incident we see all too often these days in the news, an Active Shooter in a school, but it is at your kid's school. And it's real. And you have to parent in real time. And it sends shivers through you. And it happened to us at Grant's school. While this ended without anyone being hurt, it is horrible. I can only imagine what is like for those parents in a situation with casualties. 

The neighborhood Facebook page probably sent the first alert. Lisa called me and told that there was a lock down at Grant's school and that there was a gun involved.  From there it became a minute-by-minute update of bits and pieces of information trying to make a complete picture. The kid is in custody. No one is hurt. The kid fired the gun. Has anyone heard from Grant? 

Even though you know he's okay, the time it takes to hear back from him seems like an eternity.  

Grant seems to have taken this in stride, the gun went off in another classroom. His friends, however, were in that classroom. Among other 12-year old's they will be minor celebrities for a while. To us, they are victims, even without injuries.

I applaud our town, the school, the district, the mayor's office, and the police for their transparency and willingness to send numerous updates to ease our fears - even after the peaceful resolution of the incident. 

Code Red Lockdown

First, all students are safe.  Fuquay-Varina Middle is under Code Red lockdown due to a weapon found in a classroom. We have identified the student and confiscated the weapon. The student discharged the weapon at a window. No one was injured.

 

From the Wake County Sheriff's Office

The following information was released by the Wake County Sheriff's Office:  At 8:03 AM Fuquay-Varina Police Department received a call for service reference to an  incident at Fuquay-Varina Middle School. A Wake County SRO Deputy was already on scene and responded along with Fuquay-Varina Police Department to discover a juvenile had brought a firearm to school and discharged it. Preliminary investigation reveals that the threat was not directed at any students or staff and there were no injuries. The school was placed on lockdown for a short period of time until students could be safely released to arriving parents. This appears to be an isolated incident and no further threats are present as it relates to this incident.  Wake County Sheriff’s Office is currently still on scene conducting further investigation into this incident in conjunction with Wake County Public School System.  The Wake County Sheriff’s Office will release an additional update as further details become available. Yours, Kris Clark, Principal

I have my Concealed Carry Permit. Last week I announced to the family that I was going to start carrying my gun more often.  My family knows that the reason I will carry a gun is because I will always move to the sound of the gunfire. 

Is this what it has come to? Where do we go from here?

December 22, 2022 update from CBS17:

A Willow Spring man was charged with giving a gun to a minor.

Thursday the Wake County Sheriff’s Department charged Seth Lanterman-Schneider with selling or giving a weapon to a minor following the shooting. 

Passive Aggressive Revenge: My New Hobby

This is a first. For the first time I am staying at the home of one of my children.  This is unchartered territory, being a guest in home that belongs to your kid.  It is both oddly satisfying and a little weird at the same time.  

I am out here to help Sam while she recovers from surgery and is immobile. Although there is a purpose to my trip, I am happy to spend time with her.

You truly get a sense of your kid's style and sensibilities.  You silently - okay, maybe not so silently - judge them.  Why is the toilet seat loose? Why are there cleaning supplies in the coat closet? When and why did the Japanese themed artwork appear? 

Almost immediately I noticed something in Samantha that gives me satisfaction and a new hobby.  Turns out, that after over two decades of following her - her brothers are also guilty of this - around the house and turning off lights and picking up loose socks, empty bowls, and discarded food wrappers, that doing the same in her house drives her up the wall.  I am satisfied that she is not a slob. 

But, within one hour of being in her house she was reminding me to turn lights off. One. Hour. This is a moment I have been waiting for - subtle revenge.  Currently, the garbage is full, I left a light on in the kitchen, and the thermostat is two degrees higher than what she recommends.  And, yes, I will take out the garbage, turn off the light, and reset the thermostat, I am quietly snickering to myself.  

I suppose this is both the best and worst of me reflected in my child. Samantha cleans up after herself and keeps a tidy home. Yet, she might be as capricious about it as I am. Woe be unto my future grandchildren.  

 

Thanksgiving 2022

Happy Thanksgiving.  

We started the day with the Willow Spring High School Turkey Trot 5k.  Over 200 runners and walkers  participated in this event that Lisa and some of the other "Track Moms" put together.  Their efforts were amazing as they established a real 5k race within two months' time; complete with shirts, medals, and sponsors. They raised over $5,000 for the Cross Country and Winter Track Teams and set the bar high for future events.  

Grant was the only one of us who was able to run because Lisa, TJ, and I were all working the event at water points and the Start/Finish line.  He placed first in this age group!

The meal was okay. The turkey was a little under cooked. Lisa's stuffing was awesome.  The Brussell sprouts with bacon were a hit with the boys. They didn't eat the turkey legs. At the table we remembered the holiday from eight years ago when we all went into the Magic Kingdom for the day and then Grant bopped Grandma on the head at dinner - and then laughed maniacally.  

Of course, we set the table with one less this year.  

We are using Betty's wine decanter as a way to remember her at the table.  The holiday is not the same without Betty coming with a shrimp circle, a bottle of wine, and more family history and stories to share.  As the holidays approach we are missing having her with us. It will be tough as Christmas approaches and we try to include Betty in our celebrations. 

As we prepare for the fourth annual Friendsgiving, we miss those who cannot be with us and celebrate with those who can.      

  

Getting Back Into Shape

Getting older is a scary venture.  Every day you wake up with a new discomfort, twinge of pain, or malady that makes you miss your twenties and thirties.  Getting older also means that you grunt at simple acts like sitting down – or standing up. Bending over is always good for a long guttural moan.  You being to wonder if these things will stay or, stay and get worse. Much to my dismay, I developed real lower back pain late this summer that would not go away, and I was afraid I had a real problem much sooner than I expected in this stage of life.

Normally I visit a chiropractor, who for a $25 co-pay will adjust me and I am good for a month or so.  I will also visit Dr. Amanda, this fireplug of energy and positivity, who is an amazing Physical Therapist who does dry needling.  She can stick me with needles for ten minutes and I walk out of her office a new man.  However, this pain was persistent and affected my daily routine.  Dr. Amanda and I narrowed down the pain to be between my L4 and L5 vertebra.  We did this by dry needling the area until I could/could not feel them. It was not the most fun way to discover your ailment except that she made the experience less sucky. I took Ibuprofen and did my stretches. I was able to run without too much discomfort.  

A trip to my doctor led to an X-ray and then an Orthopedic doctor who ordered an MRI.  By the time the MRI was done and I returned for his consult, the pain was gone. G-o-n-e. “What changed?” the doctor wanted to know. 

The only thing I really changed was that stopped wearing flat, no-support Sperry shoes and switched to my fall shoes – Merrill’s.  Just like that I felt better again.  Yes, I do have an issue with L4 and L5 and I may need to address it someday, but that day seems to be far down the road. 

Lisa on the other hand never seems to have any problems being over 50. She gets a bad cold from time to time and has aches after a good run, but for the most part she is in great shape. 

Speaking of far down the road, last weekend Lisa and I joined up with our friends on Team Zoe and completed another Tuna Run Relay race from Raleigh to Atlantic Beach. Everyone on the team ran three times over the course of the 206 miles. My portion was 19.5 miles and Lisa ran 17.5 miles.  The rain set in unexpectedly around 7:00pm on Friday and soaked us until the next morning. It especially soaked us around 1:30am when the wind shifted under our shelter and drenched Lisa’s sleeping bag.  By the time the team reached the finish line 33 hours after we started the sun was finally out.  In the end my back felt great, but my thighs were on fire!  A good eleven hours of sleep that night helped.

While I might be losing my hair and grunt when I get up from the couch, I am thankful that I am still in decent enough shape to represent the AARP generation. 

 

 

Universally Liked

The Brown boys departed the house at 4am on a Wednesday and arrived in Orlando, FL by 1;30pm.  After a quick power nap for the driver, we went into Universal Studios for the second time this year and left nothing on the table. Over the course of two and half days we accomplished: 

The Incredible Hulk - five times

Hollywood Rip Rocket Rollercoaster - four times

Velocicoaster - three times

The Train from Hogsmeade to London - three times

Hagrid's Motorbikes - one time

Forbidden Journey, Escape from Gringott's Bank, The Simpson's Ride, Kong, Skull Island, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Dudley DoRights Ripsaw Falls, Men in Black, Poseidon's Fury - all one time.  

Plus, the Bourne Stuntacular Show and the Hollywood Horror Makeup Show.   

While there is an ongoing debate among the three of us as to which ride is better, Hulk or Velocicoaster, there is no doubt we had a blast.  

 

When Its Time

Sometimes weeks go by in what seems like days. Other times, days seems to feel like months.  It is hard to believe that Grandma Betty passed so quickly and yet it seemed like it lasted forever. 

Betty was one of the best people I have known.  Being so close to her these past ten years I looked at her as a wonderful obligation of family.  Whenever she asked for something, I made sure that it was done – quickly.  Whenever I helped her, I thought of my mom and dad and thought this is what is expected of me, if I couldn’t do it for them I would do it for her, and that they were proud of me.  Betty always seems like she was putting me out to change a light bulb, or cut the grass, or take her to a doctor. I always replied that, “this is what family does.” As a family we came together to help her go to the next place.

Betty started to slow down these past few years. Her naps became more frequent, and her energy level was seeming to wane.  She drove a lot less and always in the daylight.  There would be times when she didn’t answer the phone that I would rush over, only to find her outside, puttering in her garden. I know she wanted to live longer. Another five years to be sure.  She had so much left to do. Get her research done for her book. Dig more on obscure family members. And, above all get more organized! She was able to go to her nieces wedding in March and see her sister and the rest of the family.

In May she hurt her back. In June she was getting physical therapy but wasn’t getting much relief.  She was so uncomfortable that she decided not to travel to Nashville, TN, for Samantha’s wedding. Her discomfort led to being unable to walk without pain so Lisa cut her trip to Tennessee short and returned to take her mom to the hospital. Time began to slow down.

We all maintained a positive outlook during that first visit. Betty was certain she would recover from her back and this new infection in her blood.  We began to look at rehabilitation facilities where she could get her mobility back. Lisa focused on her mom and her care.  Only one doctor called it. He told us we should start looking for hospice because Betty lacked the strength to beat this infection.  We persevered and went to rehab but it only lasted a few days before we were back in the hospital.  Every time we took one step forward we seemed to take two steps backward. That makes time pass even slower.

During that second visit the doctor told Betty directly that the hospital had done all it can for her and that she was dying. She took the news bravely and with her usual stoicism. We began to look for inpatient hospice since she was unable to move on her own.  Lisa managed this with an incredible spirit and bravery. She rose to the occasion and never once let her mother down.  Betty arrived at hospice on Sunday.  Time seemed to almost stop.

I spent the last hours of my parent’s lives at their sides. I sat with Dad and we laughed and talked for a short while before he passed. We held mom’s hand and placed it on Lisa’s six-month pregnant belly and comforted and reassured her that it was okay to let go.  We were determined to be with Betty as she made this transition because it is the last obligation we have as children to our parents.

We took a vigil by her bedside, sometimes spending the night. Linda returned from Missouri. In those last few days Betty’s true spirit shown through. She was happy to see everyone who came to visit. She prayed for the people taking take of her. She prayed for the people who came in to pray for her. She expressed her gratitude to me for being a good son-in-law, especially for taking care of Bobby for ten plus years. She said goodbye to TJ, Grant, Sam, and Genevieve.  There didn’t seem to be any remorse, woe, or worry.  Betty slipped from full consciousness to this place in between. She knew we were with her but couldn’t respond except for maybe a groan or a low moan. Then time stopped.

On a Monday afternoon Linda called from hospice. Betty was gone.  Lisa came home from work and we returned to the facility with to say goodbye to the body, for the spirit had move on. We said a prayer and gathered her belongings and thanked the nurses.  Earlier that day Lisa called in pain because she was frustrated seeing her mom in her state. After we left, time started to move again. 

Over the weekend we had a lovely service at our church. We broadcast pictures of Betty with her children and grandchildren and remarked on life well lived. 

We will miss her. We will miss sharing the boys' accomplishments with her. We will miss her making a Sunday dinner of roast pork or beef, rice, vegetables, and of course, rolls.  We will miss her stories about the Blockus and Grimley families. Some of the stories are embedded in our consciousness - although we might not have all of the details correct. 

She was one of kind. 

A Woman for All Seasons and All Reasons

You will be missed. Among the many things that will be missed is your ability to "come along for the ride" and be involved in family things. From holiday parties to birthday extravaganzas and everything in between you let us bring you along for the fun.  We are so thankful that you got to spend quality time with the boys who only knew one grandparent.  

I Run Louisville

I compare my summer working at Fort Knox like working 99 Mondays and 1 Friday.  Here in this training environment, every day looks almost the same as the one before it until the last day.  There is a monotony that cannot be ignored.  However, life here wasn't without engaging in some extracurricular activities.

While I was here I looked up and signed up for three local races.

The Parklands 5k Run! was just outside of Louisville in a beautiful park.  The weather was great, clear blue skies, low humidity, and temperatures in the 60s. The course - an out and back - was on roads and pathways, over a small river, and had wildflowers everywhere.  Best part of my day was finishing second place for my age group!

The NENA Run For 9-1-1, was a 5k in Louisville, along the Ohio River. An odd race, it started at 6:30pm, following a day of the National 9-1-1 Association convention. I was one of a handful of non convention goers to sign up. I got there so early that I helped the organizers set up the course. I also got to hear first, and then see a piece of history as one of the last flight worthy B-17 WWII bombers passed over head. Witnessing that and taking first place for my age group was the best part of the day.

 

The Summer Sizzler- Louisville was a 10k that was supposed to be in Parklands, the location of the first race, but was relocated to the park along the Ohio River, where I ran the NENA 9-1-1 race. This course was an out and back along the river, over the awesome, Big Four pedestrian/bike bridge and the Ohio River, and back to the start line - TWICE.  (The organization of this race was the worst I have ever seen, period.)  The best part of the day was running the bridge and finishing seventh overall and first in my age group!

Not once while I was running did it feel like a Monday.  

Happily Annoyed - A Parenting Win

"Get off the bed!  But let me get a picture first."

I love that they are all together for a few days. These moments are going to be rare in the future.  Sam has a life outside of the five of us. TJ will be coming into his own soon with school, work, and a driver's license.  Grant is a few years from any of that but he looks up to both of them.  

They find comfort in one another's company and that's a good thing.  

They used to be so small. Not too long ago.  In fact all five of us could fit on the bed.  

Camp Seagull Can't Beat Down Team Brown

Being a part of a family requires teamwork.  I often refer to all of us as Team Brown. Everyone has a part to play on Team Brown and sometimes the parts are interchangeable. Someone is the coach, someone is the task master, someone is the medic, someone is first one done, someone is the last one done; and no role is specific to one person.  I love that about this family.  I have seen Sam be a coach to her brothers. I have seen Lisa lead the charge. I have seen TJ be good to the dog.  

This past weekend, Team Brown was very busy.  I flew home from Fort Knox, KY, to get the boys from Camp Seagull while Lisa took care of her mom; which is another long post for another time.  Needless to say, it was important for me to be home and help.

The drive to Camp is two and half hours, one way.  The boys spent four weeks there, sailing, swimming, shooting bow and arrows, and just being boys within a very safe and structured environment.  I love that Camp rewards them with really enriching, life long memories and skills.  Samantha can sail a keel boat, Grant has his US Power Boating license, and TJ became certified as a Life Guard this summer.  Truly, Camp is one of the last good places for children.

However, at the end of Camp - and at the end of one, two and half hour trip - there are two boys with all of their crap ready to come home.  Some of the clothing is still dirty or wet; or both.  Shower caddies are askew. Last year we didn't even realize we lost Grant's sheets until we got home.  The kids themselves are tired, slightly sunburned, and ready to go home.  This year however was a first. This year it was pouring down rain during pick up. This was not a gentle rain. Lightning and thunder punctuated they desire to get out of Arapahoe, NC!

TJ, God bless him, was ready.  Everything was packed, neat-ish, and ready to go.  Grant, on the hand, was a hot mess who we couldn't find for ten minutes, and then slipped and fell in the mud as he ran back to his cabin. His stuff was all over the place and went into the van piecemeal.  Patience is not my strongest virtue some times but since I hadn't seen Grant in a month, I kept it together. But seriously, can we insert an eyeroll here?!  With the promise of Chipotle when we got home we headed out Fuquay Varina. 

Within minutes Grant was asleep and TJ was catching up on his phone. Grant's camp cough turned out to be the flu, which wiped him out for days (along with a good case of pink eye), and TJ's camp cough might be a residual side effect of his Covid diagnosis. Either way, they are on the mend now. 

Within an hour, the rain passed and the sun came out for a nice ride home and the team was reunited when someone - who likes to do laundry - hugged us and made us dump the entire contents of the van onto the garage floor to be cleaned. 

Go Team Brown!

SDFWTK

Another trip without the kids! Another chance to connect and adult without having to parent.  This time we took advantage of my assignment at Fort Knox, KY and Sam's wedding to have Lisa stay a week with me and visit parts of Kentucky - and a little of Indiana!

On Monday we drove up to Louisville and parked down by the Big Four Bridge, an old railroad bridge that crosses the Ohio River into Indiana. The massive steel structure is now a pedestrian thoroughfare with joggers, sightseers, bicyclists, and walkers.  With no clear direction except north over the Ohio and into Indiana, we went into Jeffersonville, IN, in search of dinner.  The whole area was filled with eclectic restaurants and pubs.  It seems like we walked until we were beyond hungry and ended up in a neat little pizza place with open air seating and a dude strumming a guitar.  We asked the "local" waitress what there was do to in the area and she admitted that she was from Kentucky and drove over to work every day.  The waitress who was from Jeffersonville wasn't any help either.  So much for advocating for your town.  We walked back across as the sun was setting. Sunsets in Kentucky in the summer are particularly illuminating because we sit at the very western edge of the Eastern Time Zone.  It was still light at 9:30pm.

On Tuesday, we went to trivia night down at the Flywheel Brewing Company in Elizabethtown, KY.  Hardin County only recently repealed its status as a dry county within the last ten years.  The is only one brewery and one real bar.  Since we are familiar with breweries and are pretty good at trivia we ended up at the Flywheel sitting with a bunch of strangers answering questions, making acquaintances, and drinking beer. 

On Wednesday we went to Bardstown, a quaint, turn of the 20th century, small Kentucky town known as the gateway to the bourbon trail.  Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Four Roses, Bardstown Distilleries and several other are all located within ten miles of downtown. Bardstown is a nostalgic reflection of America 80 years ago.  We started off with a cocktail and walked around in the late afternoon heat.  We ended up for a short stay in this unusual store with home furnishings, clothes, art work, and glassware. They were getting ready for a book signing by a woman who was a connoisseur of  whiskey and bourbon and her husband who was the master  distiller of  Reservoir Distillery in Richmond, VA.  He brought along three bottles of his work and we had half a shot of each.  Lisa might not be a bourbon drinker but she did try (and finish) all three.  Half intoxicated we found a place to eat that made exceptional burgers and fries. Unfortunately, most of the town was shut down with the exception of a man in a cowboy hat driving a horse drawn carriage offering rides for $100.  

Thursday we were back in downtown E-town after short and pathetic tour of a local distillery.  We walked around the town square and found a running store, another pizza place, and stopped in the Bourbon Barrell Tavern.  Mallory - our amazing bartender - made Lisa a bourbon drink. Mallory quickly realized that Lisa didn't like it, took it from her, and made her something completely different that she did enjoy.  The BBT is a double store front, Main Street, USA, venue. One hundred years ago, one side might have been a general store and soda shop while the other side sold clothing and fine apparel.  Today, one side is a huge bar of glass and wood with high ceilings and exposed brick walls while the other side has a small stage, lighting, and tables. The bar side has a saloon feel to it and the stage side feels a little like Nashville. 

Friday, Lisa got the nickel tour of Fort Knox. She got to see Cadets complete First Aid, come out of the "gas chamber", and visit the nerve center of Cadet Summer Training, the TOC!  She may or may not have been completely underwhelmed.

Friday night we had dinner with one of my former students who was now a Battalion Commander headquartered on Fort Knox.  Chris was a solid Cadet who I pushed to be a leader beyond him just wanting to be an Army Physical Therapist.  Whatever guidance I gave him way back in 2004 took root.  Chris gave Lisa glimpse of who Captain Brown used to be with hysterical anecdotes about me chasing my students up and down the staircase of Barton Hall. I had a hard time explaining to Lisa who that person was - just prior to her entering my life - and how I managed to yell and be so mean when I am not like that in real life.  Being an Army ROTC Instructor was the best job I ever had and seeing the positive results of my efforts in the accomplishments of others was/is a great reward unto itself.  Oddly enough, we ended up at the Bourbon Barrel Tavern again.  

Saturday we made a trip to downtown Louisville. We stood outside of the Louisville Slugger Museum and took in the preserved architecture of West Main Street. The highlight was the Muhammad Ali Center, overlooking the Ohio River. Ali, is and was, The Greatest. He was an American in every sense of word; loud, proud, conflicted, violent, pious, generous, a warrior and a peacemaker - at times in conflict with

his nation and himself.  I have always admired him for refusing to be drafted into the Vietnam War because he knew it would cost him his boxing career and yet he did it anyway. He fought the system and won and then reentered the ring to win the title two more times. His boxing career only allowed him the ability to be an international messenger of peace and brotherhood. He is a rarity among humanity. One half of the Center is dedicated to his boxing career and the other half is dedicated everything that followed.  You get a little misty seeing the torch that he lit the Olympic Cauldron with.   

Kentucky is exceptionally hot this time of year and the big lunch, the heat and the walking took its toll on the two of us. We got back to the hotel and quickly fell asleep for a good hour or so.  

And just like that the trip had to end. Life got in the way.  In the morning we drove down to Nashville so Lisa could catch the 8:30am flight out to Raleigh.  It went by too fast but it was great.

Here is the rest of the good pictures:

Big Bat!

Bardstown

Me and Squinty Magee

The Heart Stopper

Skyline at Sunset