2019 End of the Decade Honky Tonk Tour - Day 3

Thomas gave me some photo editing lessons this morning. I just tried out his basic tricks. Rule one - hit the magic wand; Rule two crop the photo; Rule three - the rule of thirds. I wish I could explain all this in detail but I can't. The magic wand is the auto enhance button - top right next to done. The crop button puts a graph over the photo in thirds. I am trying to put the people on the vertical lines. How did I do here:

We left the house after a light breakfast for me and a heavy breakfast for Thomas. Off to Cyclebar for a spin class. I loved it. Thomas not so much except that he had a crush on our instructor. The place was fresh and clean; good locker and shower facilities; great bikes and a beautiful studio. I had a good strong performance. First in the class. I am going back tomorrow.

From Cyclebar decided to go to Noshville. We had no idea if it was good. We just loved the name. We stopped for a quick tour of the Vanderbilt Campus where my brother Joe went for nursing school.

On the way to Noshville, we saw a surplus store and decided to stop in. It seemed like a good store until I happened upon the gun section. I averted my eyes and made my way to the fishing section which calmed me down. Thomas wanted me to take pictures of the guns but I just wanted to get the hell out of there. He got a few photos.

We made it to Noshville. I had low expectations for a Jewish deli in Nashville. It was close to a bookstore we wanted to visit. What the hell. The ambience was good. The food was good enough.

We then stopped at Parnassus Bookstore, owned and run by the author, Ann Patchett. Very well designed and organized. Spacious. Welcoming. A very good locally owned bookstore. You wanted to spend time there and buy books. 

We passed an Aldi store. Thomas said this is a German big box store that owns Trader Joes. I had never been in one. I wanted to take a look. Unimpressive. Not somewhere I would shop. Good prices. Off brand schlock. Be afraid. This company has 10,000 stores in 20 countries. Coming to you soon. They are underpricing the competition. In a few years we might all be shopping at Aldi and Dollar stores.

Back to the casa for a siesta. No sleep to be had. We listened to country music. I finished the crossword puzzle. Thomas edited all our photos.

We had a fifteen minute panic when Thomas could not find his iPad. It was in the car. He is leaving it home in the future.

At Thomas' request, I need to make a comment for the record. He is in between hairstyles and insecure about how his hair looks. [I think it looks fine]. He thinks he is losing his boyish curl [jeez Thomas you're sixty!]. 

8:30 p.m. time to go out for dinner and some music. Thomas wants to go to Nashville Palace for some traditional country music. Seems Okay. Off we go. Pretty crowded. Lots of people dancing. Lots of cowboy boots. Great band playing: Natasha Neeley. Ode to Billy Joe. D-I-V-O-R-C-E. We get ourselves a table. Beer for Thomas. I had a music city mule. Fried pickles. Burger for me. Thomas ordered

a fried bologna sandwich. I think it sounded pretty cool til it arrived at the table. He pulled it open and looked at me sadly. 

Before I describe the next thing that happened, A month ago, Thomas said he was 100% for Mayor Pete and 200% behind the Democratic nominee. Another friend said, “there's one thing which would keep him from winning a national election: the image of the inaugural ball.” Would President Pete dancing with his husband sell in middle America?

So, here we are at a pretty honky tonkin bar in Nashville. And Thomas was really curious: “Has-or could-a gay couple dance on this dance floor?”  The singer Natasha Neeley comes around with a tip jar for the band. We tipped them generously. She asks Thomas, "Where y'all from?" Thomas says, (knowing the effect the image below will have on Natasha), "We're from San Francisco." He then asks her, "Has a gay couple ever danced at the Nashville Palace?"

She says she is not sure, but "Y'all should get out there and dance!" I was aghast. What in the hell was he thinking!  I think it was a question better not asked in that circumstance/environment. 

He would not quit. My embarrassment continued when Thomas asked our waitress whether any gay couple had ever danced there. She said it happened several times. 

It turned out Natasha's mom was at the next table and photobombed some of our photos.

We finished out Natasha's set at 10:30. 

Then, Thomas wanted a few photos at Waffle House for his old high school friend Greg Sisco. They must have eaten many 2AM meals there. 

Back home to blog and edit photos. Spin class tomorrow.