First off, we found Exit Zero.
Second off, we're off!
We're in Nashville, Tennessee, now, having successfully braved hordes of family members at the bi-annual extravaganza that is the Burke-Kerr-Newton-O'Brien family reunion. The most important of all unanswered questions - just who the hell are the Kerrs, anyway? - was finally answered, albeit a day after the actual reunion itself. Over the long holiday weekend, fish was fried, fun was had, baseball games were seen, corn holes were filled, volleyballs were volleyed, hay rides were survived, poker was played (and Emily has developed quite the reputation as a riverboat gambler...), distant relatives were avoided, bugs bit, bats were bought, Bardstown Road was trendy, Alanna blew in from the East Coast, we drove in from the West Coast, and the whole thing was a blast.
Friday, we started with lunch at the Jeffersonville staple, the Wall Street Cafe. ("Best Ham Sandwich in Clark County," although, to be fair, we didn't sample them all...) And if you go to the Wall Street Cafe in Jeffersonville, Indiana, bring your appetite, and bring your VISA card. Oh, wait... the VISA card actually won't do you any good. Cash only. Which meant Emily had to wait behind while Colin ran out to the nearby ATM. (At least in Tiffany's Diner in St. Louis, they have an ATM for the forgetful right in the building.) We did manage to escape dish duty, and Colin bought Emily's freedom after making a cash withdrawal nearby.
Colin and Emily then toured the Louisville Slugger museum, where Colin ended up suffering what could qualify as the most bizarre injury on this trip so far: bruised hands. You see, after the tour of the factory floor, where you see all the major league bats being made, you're invited to step in to a batting cage, and swing a Slugger against a pitching machine labeled "40 miles an hour." A museum employee said to Colin, "It's really more like 60. We put 40 so people aren't afraid..." Great. Colin selected a carefully crafted 34-ounce piece of ash, and stepped in to take his swings. 30 carefully considered machine pitches later, Colin's hands were buzzing. (Any wood bat swingers out in the blogosphere? Dang, those "stings" hurt.) He did get good wood on a couple of pitches that definitely would have been hit deep, deep to, well, at least shortstop. Four days later, the hands are still a little stung. Next time - aluminum!
First cousin once removed Susan then hosted an evening at her house, and there's good news for fans of Susan's cooking - she's up to using five whole ingredients! (Thanks, Food Network!) Truth be told, Susan whipped up a delicious calzone (and followed it up with incredibly delicious and chewy brownies), and was a wonderful host, along with her husband Michael and their effervescent seven (and three quarter) year-old daughter Sydney. (By comparison, Susan is seven and 160 quarter years old...) Emily was the big winner at table tennis, giving both Syndey and Alanna a thumping. But it should be pointed out, in the interest of full disclosure, that she managed only a split in her two full games with Colin. (Emily comes from a long line of Indiana tennis champions, so her success on this home court should have been predicted.)
Saturday was a good day for reunion prep - Aunt Margie took Colin and Emily shopping to "Wally World" ... a.k.a. Wal-Mart, where America shops for value, and ridiculously cheap groceries. Yes, we felt shame, but it was a good kind of shame. A money-saving kind of shame... and isn't that the best kind?
Colin and Emily then hit Bardstown Road for a second, more thorough visit to Ear X-tacy for more record shopping, and a quick visit to Skyline Chili (Mmmm... five way chili!). That night, Margie and boyfriend Neill whipped up some of Grandma Pat's famous recipe barbecued pork, and we grilled up a few brats to go with, then sat around and played cards for most of the night. All in all, another great day.
Sunday. Reunion day. Only one way to start it: With one of Uncle Fred's famous deep fried eggs, bacon, and grits spectaculars. As always, Fred's breakfast skills did not disappoint. Then it was over to Aunt Margie's, to prep two dozen deviled eggs for the reunion. Once that was done (turns out, a little Tobasco sauce really fires up the eggs quite nicely), we swung by KFC to pick up a bucket of chicken and goodness to contribute to the potluck, and it was off to the Burke farm.
Kevin Burke and his wife Jeanne are great hosts, and they graciously allow the family to go crazy out at the farm every other year. There's a pool, there's a volleyball court, there's barbecue grill space available, along with a variety of eight-hour smoked meats (and you've never seen a time out in Volleyball met with so much enthusiasm as when Kevin stops the game to bring out some smoke venison or pork shoulder), and a table filled with every casserole known to man. Emily: "There's lots of mayonaisse. It's true!" There certainly was. Emily also sampled the local sweet tea, which she pronounced tasted "like syrup." And that's a bad thing? Note: FCOR (First cousin once removed) Dale tasted it, and said, "I thought this was supposed to be sweet..." That, among many reasons, is why we love FCOR Dale. Another would be, when he first met Emily, he asked, "So, do you have any hobbies? You know, like skeet shooting?" (Colin made plans right there to get a T-shirt made for Emily by next reunion, reading "Free the Skeets.")
There's much more to tell, of course, but Emily and Colin are anxious to get back on the road, headed for Memphis. So there's likely to be more blogging later tonight, but for now, we're signing off from Music City.
Current Mood: Getting back! (Back on the road, back to blogging, back to California)
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