Part 3
MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012 – NYC > NASHVILLE TN

Marti and I arrived in Nashville to find her 90-year-old dad well and happy in his new digs, The Heritage senior living community in Brentwood, just south of the city.

We settled into our guest apartment, caught up with John’s news, then Marti’s cousin Traci and her husband Bruce arrived to join us for supper in the main dining room. We hadn’t seen Traci in years. She and Bruce made a special trip from their home in southern Virginia to spend these few days with us.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012 – NASHVILLE

The next day, after lunch with Marti’s father, Traci, Bruce, Marti and I drove into Nashville to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. Here I am with a prop from The Flying Burrito Brothers’ first album cover: Gram Parsons' Marijuana Leaf Nudie Suit.

Side trip to RCA’s legendary Studio B. Marti at Elvis Presley' s beloved 1942 Steinway. (Actually, he never owned the piano. Chet Atkins, Studio B manager, told Elvis he didn't have enough money to buy it.)

Bruce straps on his guitar. Headin’ for Lower Broadway.

At Bootleggers Inn we caught Rob Skaggs kicking down a late afternoon set.

When Rob sang a Johnny Cash tune, my little gal and I hit the dance floor.

We even got Bruce onstage for his Nashville debut.

That evening Marti’s brother John arrived from Virginia, where he’d been volunteering for the Obama campaign. The five of us went to dinner at an Italian chain restaurant in Brentwood. Marti’s dad begged off because he didn’t want to miss watching his beloved Mitt Romney in that night’s second Presidential Debate.

After dinner we joined Marti’s father at his apartment to watch the televised debate. We all know how this turned out. The old white people in the Old White People’s Home – Mitt’s core supporters -- were not happy campers that evening.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012 – NASHVILLE

Following lunch with John (Marti’s dad) and John (Marti’s brother) in the main dining room, we hit a special cookiefest out on the lawn. The Heritage was commemorating the groundbreaking for a new building. They do this by feeding the seniors more sugar.

Cookies > Milk > Nap ?

No naps for Marti or me. We hooked up with Traci and Bruce on Lower Broadway and attended the Fifth Annual Capitol Records Street Party – a huge free concert. Marti’s brother passed on this one. He stayed with his dad, probably discussing interlocking fields of fire or some other arcane military tactics. Battle buffs, they do this a lot – my head explodes.

The headliner was Luke Bryan. I liked his song “Rain Is A Good Thing.” Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey / Whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky.

The size of this crowd did not bode well for my claustrophobia.

Traci, on the other hand, was making new friends and partying hard.

Marti and I extricated ourselves from the throng and searched for a taxi.

We ended up at a live music dive bar called The Basement, where Mark Selby, a longtime favorite singer-songwriter, was holding forth. When it came time to call his backup singers to the stage, Mark shouted “Where are the women? We need women up here. Binders full of women!” Just 24 hours after the debate Romney’s gaffe had gone viral.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 – NASHVILLE

The main event on Thursday was Marti’s sister-in-law Nanci’s birthday dinner at Boxwood Bistro outside Nashville. Clockwise ‘round the table: Bruce, Traci, John, Nanci, Marti, me, John.

Nanci got bartender Spazz (you can't make this shit up) to make a diabetic coma-inducing drink called a Birthday Cake Martini. She even brought her own sprinkles.

The birthday gal with LaTyra, World's Greatest Waitperson.

Cake! Blow already.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012 – NASHVILLE > NYC

Our fun visit to Music City and Marti’s dad came to an end and we were bound once again for NYC – the final leg of the 2012 Eurotrash Tour.


Go to Part 4