Black Friday

This morning (11/23) I did something I never thought I would do. I woke up at 5 AM and went Black Friday shopping! Now, I have gone before but it was because my crazy (in a very loving way of course) sister ALWAYS goes shopping on Black Friday. She can normally wrangle my mom into going fairly easily but I on the other hand am a bit more of a challenge.

I enjoy shopping but am in and out of a store in about however long it takes to make one quick round. I don't dilly dally and I take just enough time to see what is around me. My mom and sister however can spend hours in a store though. So, the one year I went with them I knew it was going to be a LONG day. I believe the last time I went with them on Black Friday was probably 4 or 5 years ago.

It was quite an experience to say the least. People's elbows, arms and carts ramming into you from all sides. People yelling Instructions to their friends and family who are half way across the store to grab whatever sale item is in that part of the store. It is madness. I am also quite easily agitated by bad drivers, impolite people and most pushy people. So, I encountered all of those types of people on my Black Friday adventure. I believe we headed out around 5:30 AM and got home around 10:00 PM. Yes, like I said, they are a little crazy.

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Blake’s family and so I knew I wasn’t going to be approached by my sister and mom about shopping on Black Friday. I was in the clear. Then, I started browsing the WWW for all the sales and saw how much savings could be had. I started to get excited. Then, it dawned on me that I had to open at work at 7:15 AM so any plans for shopping flew out the door.

But then... another light bulb came on; stores open at 5:00 or 6:00 AM! I could get up, get ready, head into San Antonio and then be back in Boerne for work well by 7:15. Remember, I don’t dilly dally. I chose the stores I wanted to visit and made a list of names and gift ideas and went to bed around 10:00 PM so I could wake up at 5:00 AM. But, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep. So, I got a tiny bit of sleep and then the alarm went off. I laid in bed thinking what in the world was I doing but then I thought, well I am already up. If I go back to sleep I will only have another hour and a half, probably an hour because it takes me a while to get back to sleep, so why not just get up and go through with the shopping plan. So, I did.

I made it to San Antonio exactly at 6 AM. This was so exciting, but crazy at the same time. My sister and mom would be so proud! I went into a couple of stores, bought my gifts and a few gifts for myself, more savings though right, and then headed back into Boerne to go to work. Everything was perfect! I had enough time to shop for about an hour. Bought about 6 gifts, 8 or 9 including the one’s for me, and saved almost $85 with all the door busters, coupons and special savings for Black Friday. So, this is why my sister and mom get so excited!! It is an exhilarating feeling knowing that by just waking up a few hours earlier than you normally would you can accomplish so much and save so much money!! What’s a few hours of sleep anyway?

On the way home I called my sister and she and mom were out and about too. They were telling me about the great deals that they already snatched up and I was telling them my shopping adventure stories, it was almost like we were together! But, this is where the story gets a little crazier…on my way home from work at 4:30 I get a call from my sister. She is still out shopping…almost 12 hours of shopping!! Then, I had a question for my mom and called around 7 PM…they were still out shopping!! Now, that’s what you call shop-o-holics! I am sure they had fun and saved a ton of money but my intsy-wintsy hour of shopping was perfect for me! Maybe next year I will make it 2 or get really crazy and try for 3…we will see and I guess it depends on if I go with my mom and sister.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am so excited! Every morning I watch the Today Show while I am getting ready for work and this morning they were talking up Thanksgiving...traveling, gas prices, air port security during the holiday rush, and of course food. They reported that the average Thanksgiving meal for an individual serves up not only yummy holiday fare but 5,000 calories. WOW! Talk about some good eatin'. It's the one holiday where carbs, fat and calories are left in the closet and people enjoy food, really fattening good food, and the company of family and friends.

UPDATE: 11/30/2007

We had a wonderful first-as-a-married-couple Thanksgiving. We spent the day with Blake's mom and Wiley and also his Aunt Mandy, Nana and Moose and one of Kathy's friends. It was a very fun day. I contributed to the meal by making mom's sweet potato casserole (A huge hit) and my sweet cream corn casserole. I also made pumpkin pie truffels...yummy! I mostly cooked and prepared all Wednesday night so Thanksgiving morning we got to relax and hang out before we headed over to the in-laws around 1PM.

So, that was our first Thanksgiving...fun times!

Time Flyer

Wow! They say time has a tendancy to fly away when you are having fun and if that's the case then we must be having a blast because time disappeared on us quickly! In two days we will be having our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. This is crazy because first of all it is already the end of November and Christmas will be here before we know it and secondly, hello, it's already the end of November and Christmas will be here before we know it! Where did the year go?

On the way home from our roadtrip my sister called asking us what our Thanksgiving plans were, if we were going to her house for the big day, and I thought, she's apart of my family so why in the world is she asking us our plans so far in advance: our family is NOT an advanced planning type of people. Then, it dawned on me...when we get home we will go back to work for three days and then it's Thanksgiving! Craziness!

Then, what has been the best day in November until this year, my birthday is on the 25th. It's always been really exciting for me to celebrate well, me and my birth, but this year our wedding day of course moves into the number one position, but still the 25th will always be great. Because I'm great. (Super saturation of sarcasm of course...) Also, my friend Amy is getting married on Saturday which is very exciting as well! This is going to be a great weekend...

So, tomorrow I have a pot luck at work, it's Blake's late night at school and then the next day will be Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on tv, turkey's roasting in the oven and a plethora of food on the table. Along with family and friends to spend time with and ejoy each other's company.

There is a lot to be thankful for! We hope you and your family have a super Thanksgiving too! :)

Day 7 - Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jog

We left Nashville exactly at 9 AM and pulled into the drive way at 11:54 PM. We logged an exact total of 2,635.9 miles onto the good ole Honda Accord. We changed my oil before we left and I have to go back to the station tomorrow because it's already ready for another!

Our trip was so much fun and we were sad to leave but happy to head home at the same time. I hope I am able to keep this blog up but I hope you enjoy reading and seeing our honeymoon adventures. It was really good that I did this because it made the 14 hour trip home go by really fast!

Much love,

The Kallemyns

Day 6 - Lynchburg and Nashville

We left the cabin around 8:45 AM, very early for us since we were so sore and tired and needed rest. We had to drive to Lynchburg which was about 4 hours away. We had reservations at 1 PM for lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's...I'll tell you all about it later in the blog.

The drive from Gatlinburg to Lynchburg was the prettiest scenery yet. We went through Chatanooga but didn't have time to stop and ride the choo-choo train. We actually left Tennessee for about 30 minutes and drove through Georgia, see the photo of "Welcome to Tennesse." It should've said, "Welcome BACK to Tennessee." :)

The pictures below are taken once we arrived in Lynchburg....

This tree is now my favorite tree of all time. I have never seen anything like it.

One side was green, which turned out black in the picture, while the other side was colorful with fall colors.
The Lynchburg Welcome Center...an old gas station. We got to Lynchburg an hour before our lunch reservation so we got to stop and shop. Blake was thrilled. :)

This group of men played in one of the shops on the sqaure.

They let me get a picture with them...

Photo with the BBQ Flyer...

Photo with Gentleman Jack

What move do I make next??

I'm gonna win...

The white picket fence and yellow leaves in front of Miss Mary Bobo's

Welcome...

Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House has been around since 1908. It is a beautiful old home that sits just down the street from the tiny town square. I was told about this by my mechanic when I took my car in for service about 2 months before our trip. His brother lives in Nashville and he was full of usefull information for our trip. I called after I left the service station to make reservations, he told me I should, that they fill up fast, and he was right. I called at the end of August and the receptionist said that they were booked until the middle of October. I am glad I didn't wait.

There are about 8 dining rooms at Miss Mary's. Some are the actual rooms that boarder's stayed in that they put a dining table in. All the rooms are named after a person who was influential in the town of Lynchburg. We dined in the Parks Room. There is a table to sit 12 people. You are taken to your room and the food starts coming out. Traditional Tennesse/southern food graces the table.

For lunch we had pork tenderloin, fried catfish, cheese hominy casserole, fried okra (THE BEST I've ever had), turnip greens, cornbread, Jack Daniels baked apples, tea, black eyed peas and coconut cake. Everything is passed to the left, so you pick up whatever is in front of you and pass it along. It was so good, especially the apples. I bought a cook book in the gift room and invite anyone over for a good southern meal!!

The room that we ate in is the one that the guy is coming out of...

This is a picture of the orginal check written WAY back when, I forget the date, for room and board for one week. It was $5.37

A beautiful house on the hill overlooking Lynchburg square

A beautiful tree in someone's front yard

Me and Blake...

Jack Daniel's Distillery...One interesting and very ironic fact about Lynchburg is that it is a dry county. After prohibition it became a dry county and there is not enough people in the city to have a vote to make it a wet county. However, everyone that works at the distillary are given, you can give alcohol just not sell it, a bottle of Jack Daniels the first Friday of every month. They call it: Good Friday.

We went to the distillery to take the tour but it takes 1.5 hours and we didn't have time. Neither of us really drink the stuff anyway so we weren't too upset. We got to walk around and see the saloon and the outside of the distillery which was good enough for us.

NASHVILLE.....

Blake ready to head out to Broadway Street and the Grand Ole Opry...

Outside the Ryman Auditorium

In the months of November through January the Opry returns to the Ryman, the original Grand Ole Opry location. When I made reservations back in August I thought it would be at Opry Land and I was still very excited. When I found out it was at the Ryman, I cried. So many legends of country have played and sang on that stage. It is a piece of living history. I enjoyed the whole night and Blake enjoyed it too.

We both liked how there were so many different acts. Each act had different styles of music and each would only play 2 songs so it wasn't one person singing for two hours. There was bluegrass, traditional country, new (not) country, old country and some cajun.


We were on the second row which was very exciting. However, I now know why preachers got so many people out of thier seats back in the day of revivals...the people were probably a little convicted to step forward or stand but honestly it was because the people's butts were killing them!! Just kidding...

But, the old beautiful wooden church benches weren't very comfortable for two hours.

We sat next to an old couple who had been married for 63 years, or 64. They were married on June the 14, or the 18th. Here's the story behind the confusion of the years and dates....

The little old lady was precious. She asked us where we were from and we told her we were from Texas and that we were on our honeymoon. She gave us her best wishes and said that she hopes we will be as happy as her and her husband, who was a doll as well, after 63 years. She told me that June 14th was the best day for her...

After the 5 minute intermission she reached over, grabbed my arm and told me congratulations again and that she wished the best for us and that after 64 years we would be as happy as her and her husband were. She told me that June the 18th was the best day for her...

It was absolutley adorable and I think after that amount of time it doesn't matter, they were still in love and holding hands and as sweet as can be...

Technically we were on the fourth row because they set up two rows of about 12 folding chairs but they had to look straight up the whole time....
Jim Ed Brown

Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top Express....

Keith Anderson "Pickin' Wild Flowers" dude...He also wrote the song about marrying/wedding that Big and Rich sing. I personally don't consider this type of music Country, but whatever. He was alright. However, there was a group of high school girls who made a trip with thier 4-H team and I over heard them say, "Now this is real music..." I almost turned around and gave them a piece of my mind, but they are children...what did I know at 15?? Ha-ha! What do I know now?!


Daryle Singletary made a surprise appearance. He was on the program for Saturday's Opry but Bill Anderson couldn't make it so he replaced him. I love Daryl Singletary..."I let her Lie" "I'd Love to Lay You Down" and more...


Chris Young. He's a new artist on RCA and I've never heard any of his music but he was good.

Ashley Monroe. She is 21 and has an amazing voice. I think she sounds a lot like Dolly Parton.

Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys


Keith Bilbrey

Jimmy C Newman...great cajun music!!!

I forget this guys name but the girl in the middle and the guitar player on the right are his grandchildren...

RESTLESS HEART..."The Bluest Eyes In Texas" "I'll Still Be Loving You" "Why Does It Have to Be Wrong or Right" etc... I was really excited about them!! :) I used to listen to them when I was in elementary school and loved singing with them! :) My parents had an old 80's brown radio they had in their bathroom. I would shut the door and blare the radio and sing in front of the mirror. My parents thought I was in the bath but I would sing away for about an hour and then rush to get rinsed off so I could make it to bed on time.

Dinner time...After the opry we went to the famous Merchants Restaurant. It was yummy...

I got the fried green tomatoe BLT and Blake got the Tennessee Hot Brown...man was it good!!

Photos of Broadway....

Ernest Tubbs Record Shop....

A pyramid in Memphis (This was on our way out of Tennessee....) I am not sure what it's for but I thought it was cool.



Tennessee in my rear view mirror...

The bridge in Memphis over the Mississippi River