Odd...that's all, just odd

I might have to revisit my theory on vegetarians. I've always said that they were cowards and that veggies had no chance for escape while animals could run. With this article, I just have one question:

Do you think the mushrooms set up an ambush for the camouflaged hunters??



Aug 29 (Reuters) - At least 18 mushroom-lovers have been killed in accidents while hunting for their favourite fungi in the mountains and forests of northern Italy.

Mountain rescuers say eager mushroom seekers are abandoning safety procedures as they don camouflage and hunt in darkness to protect coveted troves, la Repubblica newspaper reported on Sunday.

"There is too much carelessness. Too many people don't give a darn about the right rules and unfortunately this is the result," Gino Comelli, head of the Alpine rescue service in northwest Italy's Valle di Fassa, told the newspaper.

Seventeen people have died in nine days -- six in 48 hours alone -- mostly from sliding off steep, damp slopes in the northern mountains, la Repubblica said in a story headlined "the massacre of the mushroom hunters".

Another person has been missing for more than a week, it said.

Ansa news agency said a man who had been hunting mushrooms was found dead on Sunday in the Alpine region of Valtellina.

A combination of August thunderstorms and hot weather has led to a bumper mushroom crop that has drawn the first hunters of what is expected to be a boom season.

It's the most wonderful season of all!

"It's FOOTBALL time in Tennessee!!" - these words alone elicit chills and thoughts of Fall afternoons, roaring fans and the wonderful sound of Rocky Top playing endlessly. It is, without question, my favorite time of year.

Football season in the South... I'm sure there are similar seasons elsewhere, but it's a special time. Friendships grow, rivalries are renewed and fans hold their collective breath and pray to their higher beings for that one awesome play that puts their team on top.

School fight songs quickly replace the everyday ring tone on cell phones and kids - just like at Christmas time - have dreams filling their heads (this time of Quarterbacking or Cheering, rather than Sugar plums and toys).

Whether you hunker down with the UGA Dawgs, purposely misspell "Go" for LSU (GEAUX TIGERS!) or wear on everyone's nerves with obnoxious colors, coaches and players (most commonly Florida teams)- right now, we're all unbeaten!

It's GREAT to be a Tennessee Vol! Let's play ball!

The best way to fly... off the handle

There are very few things (in fact, I can't think of another) I would label as magnificent. That's just not a word I use often mostly because, used more often, it would lose its significance. That said, I found one this week: Steven Slater's exit.

"JetBlue flight attendant Slater made his great escape via a plane's emergency slide on Monday afternoon after a scuffle with a passenger. The passenger reportedly cursed at him and dropped a bag on Slater's head. Slater took to the airwaves, saying a few choice words over the plane's intercom and announcing, "It's been great." He then grabbed some beer, his luggage and slid off home. Those plane slides always did look like they'd be a much more fun way to leave the plane than walking down to the tarmac." ~ Washington Post

And, now, for a little musical humor, Jimmy Fallon:
Get Two Beers and Jump!

Eulogizing Alex

The year was 1986 and we were starting high school. There were so many new faces and a few stood out. Alex was one of those guys...as soon as you met, you felt you had known him for years.

When we first met, Alex was an imp. He was the kid with the biggest, goofiest smile. He had the quickest wit I'd ever known.


Alex kept your attention because you never knew what was coming next, but you knew it would be good. But he was more than just the funny guy. Alex had depth. He worked as an editor and cartoonist for our school paper (later, he'd play similar roles at Belmont University), he played several instruments and led the marching band.

Several years after we left high school, Alex laughed as he told me - in his earnest desire to understand the size of Nashville, he asked a professor at Belmont about population. She snidely remarked, "well, it's no Atlanta." He never did get her answer... (this type of remark is one we had both become accustomed to receiving - if you joke around, people think you are always joking).

But Alex, like everyone, had a serious side. He loved playing the violin... and, as with everything else he did, he was amazing.



His memorial service was bittersweet. His family originally planned for 50 people, so there were three rows for guests. By the time the service began, the number of rows had more than doubled and the chairs lining the walls were all full. Alex's college Violin professor came and played his favorite Bach concertos. His childhood pastor spoke lovingly of him as the "sprite" we all imagined the 7-year old Alex would have been...and, his adult pastor, while stating Alex had a very strong faith (though he had been disappointed by the church and had investigated other beliefs), said with a laugh in her voice - he could even be irreverent.



That's the Alex I will remember - the one that could get you to relax and just experience the joy of life.

All for one...one for all

We've travelled together before - and we do it well. We share an interest in getting to know the area from a local's perspective and we share the belief that good people attract good people.



This weekend, we went to Savannah - for a very quick girls weekend. Past trips have led to memorable stories(some repeatable, others not). This trip was no different! Suffice it to say, in a single night we were able to meet a world-renowned artist at Club One (escort her out of the club, sit on the hood of her car and talk for a while), toast to those who've gone before at Kevin Barry's Pub and become legends at Saya Lounge.

Love my girls!



As Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."