I had to look back to see when I wrote last week's post. No need to rehash old news from the previous time we visited. I'll pick up the events beginning Wednesday last week. Gin and I made it out of the house mid morning for a trip to Sam's Club for what was needed at home for the remainder of the week. The roads were mostly clear with the exception for SC-292 and parts of US-29 at I-26. The parking lot at Sam's was pretty slushy and still very slick. I dropped Gin off at the door and picked her up there when the cart was filled. No need for silly falls on hard cold ground for her. Easpecially before my trip back out to Chattanooga.
I left home a little after 1:00 heading to Chattanooga via Atlanta. NOT my favorite route to take. The forecast for Asheville and the western NC mountains left me little choice. Atlanta was a nightmare. different parts of the interstate were clear and then suddenly a sheet of ice would appear without warning. I'm not talking a bout black ice. I'm talking about hard packed snow that converted to ice. There was a lot of stopped traffic at different areas and even more bobbing and weaving to avoid the obstacles. Even with all the frustration of the Atlanta hub, I made it to Chattanooga at a respectable time.
The work week was short since I only had to cover for Thursday through Saturday. The job is still progressing nicely and our subcontractor is back on site to complete their obligations.
I finally got out to run Friday evening after work. I was worried about black ice on the Riverpark trail and encountered a few spots. Overall I had a nice 3 mile run to get back into the swing of things. I'll pick back up on a more regular schedule of running this week. I'm still considering the Greenville News 5k this coming Saturday. I'll have to see how the rest of the week plays out before I commit.
Saturday I left Chattanooga for an overnight visit back home and a concert in Greenville. Gin had wanted to see Jonathan Byrd at the Coffee Underground but really didn't want to go alone. I decided to go ahead and join her since our contractor opted to take Saturday off. While driving through Knoxville I received a call from Jonathan. He along with his wife, Mary, and son, Rowan, were looking for a room for the night. We've always offered an open invitation for him to stay when visiting the area. The plans were set and we were in for a night of family, friends and music.
I dropped by the grocery store before arriving home. Gin had the house prepared for our guests. Once I arrived, Gin and I prepared peppers, onions, mushrooms and chicken for some Chicken Philly sandwiches. Jonathan and family arrived around 5:30 and were escorted to their room. Mary and Rowan settled in the play room for some well deserved activities necessary for a toddler. Jonathan didn't have time to eat due to stage and sound set up for his show with Alexa Woodward. Gin visited with Mary and Rowan while I prepared dinner.
Not to be rushing things, Gin and I ate our dinner and gave Mary all the essential survival instructions for staying in our humble home alone. It is something she and Jonathan are used to in their life of musical meandering through the country. She had all she needed and was content on the amenities and the abundance of toys for Rowan to be entertained with.
We were parked and in the Coffee Underground shortly before 8:00 and were able to visit with Jonathan a little before his set. Jonathan opened up the show for Alexa. He played a little bit from each albumn and shared some pretty interesting and comical stories to lay the ground work for the tunes. He does this when the audience is new to his music. It makes good marketing sense to give the variety so that something might encourage a CD purchase.
Alexa Woodward's set was hard for me to get into at first. As she moved through her play list I began to get a better understanding about her style of music and the life it brings to the performance. To put her music in a certain genre is nearly impossible. I guess it could be New Age Folk if anything. Overall I enjoyed her performance. After the show we spoke to Jonathan a little more, then bugged out for the ancestral manse. Jonathan was a little later getting there and was settled in a little after midnight.
I fixed a veggie omelet breakfast using some of the peppers, onions, mushrooms and spinach from the previous meal left overs. With scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese added, we had a feast fit for the ordinary common folk like us. I added turkey bacon to the meal and picked up hot coffee from the local C-store since we have no other means to make coffee in our establishment.
Though the time was brief in our visit with Jonathan, Mary and Rowan, we enjoyed hosting a hard working family. A friend in need is a friend indeed. It is good to be able to reach out a be friends with such a talented musician and genuinely good human being. One of the many reasons why we support the independent artists rather than mainstream media giants who have no reason or desire to relate to everyday people.
Have a great week and be a friend to someone who needs it.
P@
No comments:
Post a Comment