Gotta Know Knoxville!

Good morning, my friends!  Here is a look at my diary entry from yesterday, a most delightful day in our lives:

September 19, 2012   Wednesday

Up at 5ish. 

No walking or gym for us---gotta get ready to go to the "Gotta Know Knoxville" tour Sponsored by the Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation.  Yippee!

We arrived at the Crowne Center parking garage at 11:30.  That is where we were supposed to park.  But---the garage was full.  SH*T!.  Had to call the Tourism office for directions.  They directed us to the Market Square Garage near Market Square.  We found it easily---off of Wall Street. 

The Knoxville Visitor Center Downtown

The weather was clear and an incredible 63 degrees at noon.  The most beautiful day imaginable.



WDVX Radio Presents Free Live Performances Daily at the Knoxville Visitor Center


Got to the Tourism office on Gay Street at 11:45 and was stunned that this was the place that radio station WDVX broadcasts its live "Blue Plate Special" music every day at noon.  Heck, I listen to the "Blue Plate Special" almost every day and love it.  Staff folks at the Tourism center were very nice and professional. 

Our Group.  That's Me on Far Left.  Cindy is Third From Left.

We were escorted up to the 2nd floor to a conference room.  Very nice.  There was an oval shaped table that seated our group, which was exclusively from Church St UMC.  There were 18 in our group.  Maybe five men and the rest women.  Generally an older crowd.  We were fed sandwiches from Jason's Deli with the usual pickles and chips with tea.  It was totally great.

Laney Shorter, Director of Visitor Services.  What a Fireball!

Then we got very professional and enthusiastic presentations from the staff about the Tourism and Sports operations; and then Ms Laney Shorter, Director of Visitor Services, took over.  She is a ball of fire and personality and perfect for the job.  She described Knoxville's attributes and then led our group on a two hour walking tour of Gay Street and Market Square.  Since I'm a relative newcomer to the area, I learned more than anyone.  I really got a lot out of it.  We went to the Mast General Store, a most unique establishment.  Then to the Art market, a classy co-op gallery,  then to the Tennessee Theater (the state theater of Tennessee) and the Riviera Theatre; then to the Market Square area---a huge plaza featuring trendy restaurants and shops. 

Gay Street, Downtown Knoxville

Market Square, Downtown Knoxville

We then boarded a bus and went to World's Fair Park, home of the 1982 World's Fair.  We ascended into the Sunsphere and had a glorious panoramic view of Knoxville, the Tennessee River and the Great Smoky Mountains.  It was a perfect, cloudless day.

The Sunsphere at World's Fair Park Looms over Knoxville and Serves as an Icon for the City

Back on the bus, we toured the bustling campus of the University of Tennessee and returned along Neyland Drive, which skirts the river and affords views of Neyland Stadium, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, various upscale restaurants on the river and more of the huge UT campus. 

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville.  There are 96,000 Dimples on the Ball!

Laney asked the bus driver to stop long enough for her and her assistant, Rachel, to go inside the Panera Bakery and get the group some fantastic cookies.  Oh. My. God.-----I had the "Death By Chocolate" cookie and it was indescribably decadent and outrageous.  I gotta get back there!

My Panera Chocolate Cookie Was Big, Chocolaty, Gooey and Memorable.  Thanks, Laney!

 Laney is a sensation at her job.  She runs a first class operation.  We will be talking about her tour and how much we love Knoxville for years to come.  We also plan on spending a lot more time downtown, now that we know where everything is and how to navigate the area.

On the way home, we stopped at Papa Murphy's Pizza for the large, thin-crust Mediterranean pizza and headed for home, our minds abuzz at the wonderful things we had seen and learned, and visions of Gay Street, Market Square, the mighty Tennessee River, the Sunsphere, the Smoky Mountains and a super-enthusiastic Laney Shorter dancing through our subconsciousness…with a taste of Panera chocolate cookie, of course.  Ummm.

Church Street United Methodist Church, Knoxville, TN

Church Street United Methodist Church, Knoxville, TN

After a good bit of exploration and discussion, Cindy and I have decided on a church---historic Church Street United Methodist Church in downtown Knoxville.

It's funny how we settled on this church.  Cindy, who grew up in this area, had always wanted to visit this church because of its beauty and prominence in Knoxville.  She had mentioned to me that, before we chose a church to attend regularly, she would like to visit just to get the flavor of the place.  We had given no real thought to actually joining because it is located downtown, which seemed so far away---especially with other nice churches located all around our home.

Beautiful Stained Glass Windows

So---six weeks ago we drove to Church Street Church for the early Sunday morning service.  I was surprised when I discovered that it only takes 11 minutes to get to the church from our home.  That, plus the fact that everyone was friendly while we were there, made us agree that this would be the right place for us.  We plan on officially joining in a few weeks.

Procession at the Beginning of Sunday Worship

For the past few Sundays we have been trying to find just the right Sunday School class.  My friends, if you have not gone through this drill recently, you probably have forgotten how utterly taxing and befuddling the process can be.  Consider these factors:

---There are 18 adult classes
---We selected three to visit.  We tried to choose those that concentrate on scripture-based instruction
---The first class we attended had everything we want.  Everyone was friendly and we came away with the warm fuzzies.  Only consideration:  Cindy and I are 10-15 years younger than most of the class members.  We are concerned about a generation gap.
---The second class we visited was basically our age range, but cliquish.  When we entered, only 3 or 4 people introduced themselves to us.  Only two people actually talked to me before class.  Everyone else stood around in groups of four to six people and conversed with each other.  Few people wore name tags, which is very helpful to newcomers.  We were asked to give our contact information---phone number and E-Mail addresses---but we have not been contacted regarding membership or given an invitation to ask questions about the class.
---The third class we visited (yesterday) was our age range.  People were friendly.  But no one asked for contact information. 

Each class has its pros and cons.  The class with the older membership was actually the best-run class.  The members were the friendliest and most outgoing.  But---there is that age difference, and Cindy and I don't know how big a factor that could be in relating to everyone.  We are praying about it.

The second class reminded me of the class we were members of in Texas.  It is fairly large.  I was somewhat turned off by the constant referrals to members of the class and how important everyone seems to be.  "See that man over there?  He is a federal judge.  And that lady over there is a doctor.  And The fellow over by the window is CEO of XYZ Company."  I started getting the feeling that maybe I wasn't important enough to belong in that class.  Ha.

The third class had an attendance of about 20.  But if they didn't care enough to take down our names and E-Mail addresses, do they really want new members?

To anyone experiencing a new church and going into Sunday school classes where everyone and everything is unknown, there is a certain amount of stress.  I understand that choosing a class and trying to fit in is a process, but the process could sure be helped by a recognition on the part of class members that visitors need to be welcomed by all and made to feel at home by everyone.

And it wouldn't hurt to call the visitors the following week and let them know they are wanted.  If they are, of course.

The Way of the Serpent.......

It is still; the very darkest time of the night.  There is an overcast, blotting out all heavenly light. 

It is quiet; and yet, if one were to listen intently, one would discern the slightest sounds of nature.....the movement of a tree limb in the wind, a far away moaning whistle of a phantom train, the barely audible mourning cry of a dove.

The human world is asleep in the dark. 

The serpent glides effortlessly and purposefully and silently through the grass, pausing every now and then to take stock of its surroundings, its forked tongue flicking the air. 

The serpent is a wondrous and fearful work of creation.  It is silent, graceful, stealthy, deceitful, intoxicating and deadly. 

Slowly it snakes to the dwelling.  Souls are inside, asleep.  In their sleep they dream of hopes and fears and fulfillment.  Theirs is an unconscious world, unguarded and naive.

Slowly the cunning reptile funds the smallest of openings and slithers inside.  For it is through the tiniest of cracks that he is invited in.......

Chattanooga!

Cindy Tries A Sampling of  Excellent Espresso Stout Ale at The Downtown Chattanooga Big River Grille and Brewing Works

The Cinderoo and I decided Thursday evening that we needed to get away for a day...where should we go?  This past year has seen us take short trips to Kentucky, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, eastern east Tennessee, Nashville, Atlanta and more.......but we had not visited the friendly burg of Chattanooga, a mere 1 hour 40 minute drive from our home in Knoxville.

So...Chattanooga, AKA "Choo Choo Town" it was!  We left Friday at 9:00, and under very clear and friendly skies we leisurely motored westward on I-75.  We meandered through downtown Chattanooga, found convenient parking near the trendy Market /Broad Street area, and embarked on our adventure.

Me, Peering Into The Allbooks Storefront Window, Disappointed in the Demise of This Once Unique Bookstore

First Stop...the Allbooks Store on Broad Street.  The last time we were there was about ten years ago and we loved it!  It is a big book warehouse, housing hundreds of thousands of volumes of every kind of publication.  We recall spending hours just browsing.

But on this occasion a decade later, we discovered that our wonderful memories have been tarnished by the reality of time and decay.  The place has become a hoarder's den of the first magnitude.  Books, magazines, newspapers, boxes, and trash now block passage in the aisles.  We were saddened to see the terrible decline of such a unique book store. 

After five minutes, we left the store and headed back up Broad Street, where we sought to slake our hunger and thirst at another old favorite place---the Big River Grille and Brewing Works.

Partial Interior Shot, Big River Grille and Brewing Works

Great!  The place was just as we remembered it!  Three large dining areas between two large bars.  Dark, wooded paneling and decor.  Ahhh....let's eat!

Grant, Our Server.  Good Guy. 

Grant, our server, appeared.  Really nice and professional guy.  He was full of helpful information.  We ordered wine as we contemplated the menu.  My Merlot was excellent.  When Grant suggested we try one of their unique brews to complement our lunch, I stated that we are not beer drinkers.



Hey Grant!  This Sampling Of Ale is so Good, You Can Bring Me a Big Mug of It!

Well, that bit of information only served to motivate him to bring us a sample of one of their creations, a dark, frothy Espresso Stout Ale.  I tried it.  I liked it.  I ordered it.  I drank it and was glad I did.  Many thanks to the Grantster for enlightening moi.

Cindy Had the Club Sandwich, Clam Chowder and Vegetables

I Had the Southwest Chicken Sandwich with Fries.  And A Glass of Merlot.  And a Mug O' Brew.  Oh Yeah, Babe...

Cindy and I played a little game as we munched lunch.  She asked me what particular interests or hobbies I thought Grant might have.  I said I thought he was into music.  She opined that he was into some sort of thespian pursuit.  When he came by our table again, we asked him.  DA-DA!!!  I win!  He sings and plays guitar.  OK, OK, so it was a lucky guess.  But I'll take it because Cindy now is impressed with my supposed powers of intuition.  Ha.

The Hunter Museum of Art on the Tennessee River

Now fortified with a glass of wine and a mug o' ale and a large southwest chicken sandwich with fries, I stumbled/waddled out of the eatery and we began the long and upward trek to the Arts District on High Street.  They call it High Street because you have to climb a damn mountain to get to it.  So there we were, nursin' a light buzz and packin' full bellies, tryin' to walk a half mile upward in the 90 degree heat so that we could see the Arts District of Chattanoogie.  Pant pant.  Complain.  Swear. 

Frontal Shot of The Hunter Art Museum

We finally made it.  We went through a couple of old art galleries.  We wandered around outside and admired the views that the High Street location afforded...my gosh---there was storied Lookout Mountain above us and the mighty Tennessee River below.  And there was the fabled Hunter Museum of Art and the Chattanooga Aquarium and the beautiful panorama of the city around us.

The Tennessee Aquarium on the Tennessee River

Our View of The Tennessee River From the Walking Bridge

We walked back down to the river and crossed it on the walking bridge.  We took pictures.  We talked with other sightseers.  We learned that an annual Beerfest is being held downtown this weekend, and for $25 you can refill your glass as many times as you like.  Kinda' reminded me of New Orleans.  Probably a good place to avoid if you are driving this weekend.  I'm sure the cops'll be busy.

That's Me...Walking, Walking, Walking...

We have added Chattanooga to the list of nearby places that we love.  We'll be back.

NOTE:  Click on Cindy's Blog to view her description of our visit

4:00 AM At The Workout Center.......

Sometimes I awaken early.  Like 3:00 or 3:30ish.  If I am sure I can't go back to sleep, I make myself arise, brush my teeth, put on my gym shorts and head to the workout facility.

It doesn't happen often---maybe once or twice a month---but I really like getting to the gym very early before hardly anyone else.  I can just take my time as I go from station to station, methodically completing my lifts.

This morning I was at the gym at 4:20.  There were only two others already there working out.   They were female.  And they are the ones who are always there on those occasions I arrive very early. 

One of the ladies is in her late twenties, I am guessing.  She is severely thin---maybe 70 pounds or so.  My guess is that she will not live much longer because of malnutrition.  Yet, she is present at the gym for hours every early morning, laboring on one of the treadmills.  I cringe when I see her.  And I feel so very sorry for her. 

The other lady appears to be around sixty years old.  She also is briskly walking on a treadmill.  She is stooped in the back, as if she suffers from scoliosis or some such affliction.  I feel sorry for her, too, but I also admire her for her determination to be in the best physical condition possible.  After she walks on the treadmill, she visits several weight stations and lifts for a while before leaving.

For maybe thirty minutes or so, I am the only man in the place.  I've got it to myself and I like it because I can just take my time. 

Four sets each on the rowing pulleys, chest press, butterfly, shoulder press, shoulder raise, triceps, biceps, abs and leg press.  It takes me 90 minutes.  Total amount lifted:  75,680 pounds.

Along around  5:15, the place starts to fill up.  Most of the newcomers head for the treadmills.  Some of the men arrivals go to the free weights or machines. 

The last thing I always do before I depart for home is wash my hands.  On my way out the door, the anorexic lady continues her march on the treadmill.

Dear Diary.......A Sampling From August 6

I mentioned yesterday that I have been keeping a daily diary, in which I outline events of the day and voice my personal feelings/opinions on same.

Thought maybe you'd enjoy reading a sample entry---this from August 6.  It's pretty typical.  But I must say I could not allow anyone to read my diary until after I've departed this life because I really don't pull any punches when writing my thoughts about people in my life---family, neighbors, friends, acquaintances...did I mention family?

August 6   Monday

Cindy walked early in the 'hood, then worked out at the gym in the early afternoon.  I could never get my body talked into lifting.  Sometimes that happens and I just go with the flow.  Gotta try to do four days of lifting every week, however.  Hopefully tomorrow.

Cindy and I went to Lowe's and got two new toilet seats and a new shower head with a 5' hose for the master bath.  Got it all installed.  Praise the Lord!  The toilets were really filthy down where the old nuts and bolts were located.  They had obviously never been deep cleaned.

Tru-Green showed up and I asked about a new growth of weeds that is sprouting up.  He said the treatment will kill them but that the weeds are coming up because of the additional rain we've been getting.  Got some more rain today.  I ain't complainin'.

Cindy went to Food City after her gym workout.  I stayed home and did the dishes and made the bed.  When she got home from Food City, I was entertained with tales that can only happen to Cindy....

First, as she walked toward the Food City building, a rumbling pickup truck slowly approached her from behind.  She glanced at a grungy looking runt of a redneck (we got lots of 'em here in east Tennessee) who was driving.  He yelled at her as he came alongside..."I wouldn't ha' known ya, sweetheart!"

She said she thought he must be someone she had met previously, but as she looked at the creep, she knew she had never seen him before.  She high-tailed it into the building and did not see Mr Wrong again.

Then, when the little lady came out of the supermarket with her food purchase, she wheeled the cart with her bags of purchases to the car to unload it, when a wildly grinning teenage employee of Food City came running at her while pushing an empty cart.  The idiot ran right into her cart to hook the two carts together so he could take them back inside the store.  There were at least two problems with this....

First, my wife still had four bags of groceries in her cart.  And second, this lunatic just missed hitting her and injuring her.  If I had been there this guy would now be on life support.

Anyway, I knew nothing of this until well after she had returned home, because when she arrived home I was nekkid in the shower giving it a deep cleaning.  While I was scrubbing the shower floor with baking soda and a stiff brush, she was in the other room calling Food City management complaining about the incident.  She said she was put on hold for a long time, and when she did talk with the "manager", she told him what had happened and said that they should investigate how this kid is endangering folks.  She said the manager seemed quite unconcerned at hearing her story.  No apology.  No expression of thanks for reporting the incident.  Cindy finally said in exasperation, "I think he may be mentally ill!".

The manager's response?..... "He is". 

Hey, no kiddin'---I can't make this stuff up.

I have long maintained that Food City is the worst managed supermarket I have ever visited.  Something negative happens every time I go there, which, thank God, is not very often any more, especially since there is a nice, well managed Ingles and Wal-Mart and Kroger right down the road.

Chick-Fil-A sandwich with homemade fries for din-din.

Catchin' Up.......

It's been a proverbial long, hot summer.  I guess in my old age I'm starting to enjoy the dog days less and less.  My favorite season, however---fall---is almost upon us; and then winter and spring, both of which I enjoy much more than summer.  So I have all of that to look forward to.....and that's a good thing.

Some months back I re-started my daily diary.  Each day I write down all of any significance that occurred that day, along with my personal feelings about the events.  I suppose this endeavor has crowded out my blogging, and I miss doing my posts.  In a way, a daily diary and a daily blog posting are related, at least in as much as they parallel my thoughts and interests on a daily basis.

But a blog and a diary are not the same.  And something is missing if I do without one or the other.  So I will try to do my best to resume my postings as often as I can work them in.  Plus, let's face it:  it's also hard to not see the posts of my friends regularly.

There has been a lot that has happened the last few months.  Of course, there is not enough space to relate all of it here, but of interest are these:

---a few weeks back, an ambulance pulled up to the house across the street from us.  Funny, you know, how ambulance personnel move so slowly.  You ever notice that?  I mean, they come screaming up to their assigned target location, siren blaring, and then when the vehicle is stopped, they move like zombies.

Of course, we heard the commotion and looked outside to see this drama unfolding.  The zombies slowly and laboriously exited the front of the ambulance...slowly moved to the rear of the vehicle, slowly opened the rear doors, slowly removed the special transport....all this happening while the lady of the house, who was in a panic, tried to implore them to "HURRY---she's not moving!!!"

Of course, her urging them onward did not speed them up one iota.  By and by, the tortoises disguised as paramedics made their way into the home, where they stayed for about 40 minutes.  When they came out, the patient---a daughter of the lady of the house---was on the transport and was being given CPR as they wheeled her to the ambulance.  When the patient had been loaded into the vehicle, the ambulance remained there for a good 20 minutes before it departed, sirens ablaze.

The next day we heard that the patient---a 49 year old lady---had died.  Cause:  asthma.

Of course, this devastated the mom and dad.  They have been trying to deal with the sudden death of a beloved daughter.  We don't know these folks well at all, but we have done what we could for them. 

Life is short and today could be our last.

---I developed a sore spot on my lower lip.  Once or twice a year I get a fever blister around my mouth, and these clear up in a few days.  But this thing was not like a fever blister---it just got red and itched a little.  And it didn't go away.  It stayed for weeks.  It wasn't really very noticeable, but it began to bother me that it was not healing.  So, I did some on-line research, and determined that I had oral cancer.

I called the doc and got an appointment for that very afternoon.  When he entered the treatment room, I told him why I was there and he looked very closely at the affected area.  He said, "Well, it might be cancer.  We'll have to do a biopsy."

I asked him what his opinion was.  "Well, I don't think it's life-threatening." 

Gee, I thought---he sure is treating this pretty lightly. 

Then, he started talking about a song he had written.  He handed me a small, hand-held recorder and turned it on so I could hear his recording of him singing a song accompained by his guitar.  Can you believe this?

It was all I could do to keep from yelling "HEY YOU STUPID ASS!!!---I'M A STEP AWAY FROM DYING AND YOU WANT ME TO LISTEN TO THIS S***?!!?

I gently returned to the topic at hand---namely, that I might have cancer of the lip.  He pretty much brushed me off, saying, "Well, they'll do a biopsy and then if it is cancer they'll do whatever they do."

I swear you can't make this stuff up.

Anyway, then he said he didn't know whether to send me to the oral surgeon or the dermatologist for the biopsy because he said the lesion was right on the outside edge of my lower lip.  He finally decided on the dermatologist.  Fine.

The next day, the derm's office called and told me the nearest opening they had was September 5.  Sheeez.  I told Cindy I was gonna die before I could see a doc.

So.....after having this thing on my lip for weeks, and with an appointment for a biopsy weeks away, I awoke the next morning and looked in the mirror and could see that it had shrunk a little bit.  And the same thing happened the next day and the next day and the day after that.....until now----it has disappeared. 

Don't tell me the good Lord ain't got a sense of humor.  I guess whatever it was wasn't cancer, but it wasn't a fever blister, either.  I don't know what it was, but I am ecstatic it is gone.  I think I'll wait a couple weeks before I cancel my appointment.

---I'm losing my mind.  I was talking with my mom about visiting her, and we were discussing the best date for the visit.  I started looking for my cell phone, because it has a calendar function that I use.   I looked everywhere.  It was not to be found.  I asked Cindy to help me find it, as mom was waiting for me to tell her what days would be best. 

Cindy calmly said "You're TALKING on your cell phone."  Besides a dermatologist, maybe I also need a psychiatrist.