Day 143 – Jan 10
Listening to: These Eyes
Thought for the day: “The eyes are the mirror of the soul.”

The Snowmen and Snowomen of Middle Tennessee

I saw A LOT of snowmen and snowomen today coming home from work and on Facebook. You guys were B-U-S-Y little snow bunnies. I had to feature a snowmmary (summary) of everyone’s creations. I have giggled out loud (GOL) over the choices of materials used to form the face. The material used to make eyes has been the most inventive. From drink cups (college kids - go figure) to rocks to baseballs, I saw it all.

The largest photo is my neighbor’s snowman. I thought the strawberry pastries were a creative way to make eyes. If the eyes are the mirror of the soul, then the snowman with the strawberry pastry eyes is my snowmate.

Many of the snowmen that I saw were smoking cigars/cigarettes. Since when did snowmen start smoking?!?!?!

Day 144 – Jan 8
Listening to: To Be Real
Thought for the day: Thanks Easter Bunny (brock brock)!

Easter has arrived at Kroger!

Photo 1 – left: The Easter bunny has been busy!!! He’s gone corporate. He’s working his chocolate choc-o-chickens overtime! My guess is that he has been sucked into the commercialization successes of pre-Halloween Christmases past. Despite it all, this earl appearance of Easter made me smile inside. I love Reese’s eggs, but I REALLY love Cadbury eggs. American choc-o-chickens make the Reese’s eggs, while British chic-o-chickens make the Cadbury eggs. Just thought you’d like to know!

Photo 2 – middle: I breezed past the display in photo 1 with monster-esque discipline. None of those eggs were jumping in my cart! NO SIREEEE!!!! So guess what? After I emptied my cart, I noticed this lone egg sitting on the checkout counter all by itself. Someone had abandoned it. I couldn’t leave it alone.

Photo 3 – right: I decided I would reassert some of that discipline from earlier in the day and only eat half of the egg tonight. I was worried when I went to cut the egg. I remembered the Cadbury eggs being really runny back in the day. Lo and behold, they aren’t runny! At this point, my discipline ditched me. I ate the whole egg. I didn’t even wait five minutes. It was good.

Day 145 Jan 7
Listening to: Can’t Buy Me Love
Thought for the day: It just takes a little poo to make a big shoe stink.

This picture is proof that even extreme beauty exists on the ugliest of days. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to get a picture of the sky without power lines? I could apply this thought to my life, but that’s for another day.

Day 149 Jan 3
Listening to: I Will Survive (Cake style)
Thought for the day: WARNING! If the topic of farting offends you…..STOP NOW!

I love a good cause and a display of support. I have to admit, however, that I giggled a little when I saw the back of this truck (photo on the bottom). These people have supportitis! When I took the picture, my intent was to try to find out what all of these awareness ribbons represent. I mean………..I need to be aware. I found more than I bargained for in my search (top photo). A Trolinger (my family name) must have invented the farting awareness ribbon. The topic of farting, the action of farting, and anything related to farting has caused great laughter for my branch of the Trolinger family. Great laughter equals great healing.

So here’s what I found.

Pink (breast cancer)
Black (Amish, accidents, anti-terrorism, and in this case POW-MIA)
Red (Aids, and in this case Support our Troops)
Turquoise (Addiction Recovery)
Purple (Animal Abuse, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anti Violence)
Gold (Childhood Cancer)
Camouflage (this one in particular USMC)
Peace (Peace)

That’s about all I could find. There are hundreds of cause awareness ribbons available.

Day 148 Jan 4
Listening to: Hold the Line
Thought for the day: I think more people probably say, “God let me win the lottery” than “Our Father who art in Heaven….”

Now that the trees have shed their clothes, I have really been noticing their naked beauty. I will be sharing a few trees that I have noticed in my 365 over the next week or so.

This particular tree (it is one tree) stood out to me because of its opposing sides. One side of its branches reaches towards the sky. The other side frowns down toward the ground. It’s a yin/yang tree, a happy/sad tree, a comedy/drama tree, a democrat/republican tree. It’s a life tree in actuality. Life is duality. All humans have dualities going on in some way or another. Despite the opposing sides, the tree thrives through the seasonal cycle.

I bought a lottery ticket today and the minute I walked out the store door with the ticket I started the questioning. No, I didn’t ask myself what I’d do if I won. I asked myself, “Do you really want to win?” $300+ million is a ridiculous amount of money. Talk about your dualities! I think I buy into the fantasy more than the reality when I participate in the lottery. Whether I win or I don’t win, for richer or for poorer, I will continue to live through my own seasonal cycle.

Day 151 Jan. 1
Listening to: Blue Tango
Thought for the day: MMXI makes 2011 look important.

This New Year’s Eve will be one I won’t forget. The friendship was invaluable, food was good, music was beautiful, laughter was plentiful, and downtown Nashville was in TOTAL PARTY CHAOS.

First up after a wonderful dinner, we ventured into the heart of downtown Nashville to attend a concert by Nashville Symphony to commemorate the reopening of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center since the May floods. The energy was so positive in the building. I wish I could have bottled it and brought it home with me.

After the concert, we brought in the New Year inside the symphony hall. The environment was reserved and very respectful. That was not the case outside.

Fortunately for us, we had earned the loyalty of a cab driver earlier in the night. He was at our beck and call (shout out to Music City Cab). When our cab driver came to pick us up at the symphony hall, we had to pass through an almost riotous crowd of people looking for cabs and/or a ride. At one point, a crowd of cabless peeps mobbed our cab begging for a ride. It was like something out of a horror film. NASHVILLE IS CAB DELINQUENT!!!! On top of it all, the number of people trying to get a ride with the Sheriff’s Department Sober Ride program was unbelievable. Thankfully people try to do what is right by not drinking and driving, but boy oh boy, I have some sympathy for the volunteers who worked the program last night. Despite it all, we made it back to the hotel with a tale to tell.

Day 152 Dec. 31
Listening to: Auld Lang Syne
Thought for the day: Celebrations and friends are the perfect marriage.

Oooooooooops. I missed an entry last night so I have to play catch up and post two pictures today. Both pictures have to do with New Year’s Eve! I have a horrible cold, have been immobile today, and know posting a picture of a coughed-up lung isn’t a good idea.

My friends and I began our New Year’s Eve night at a restaurant called Tayst. LOOK AT ALL OF THESE COOKBOOKS!!!!! If you don’t read my 365, basically, I theorize that a restaurant that displays cookbooks slings out some good food. Tayst once again proved my theory true. The food was the double E: excellent and exotic.

I lost my foi gras virginity at Tayst! One of my friends ordered Foi Gras and he let me try it. I tried Foi Gras for the first time (I didn’t order it…………. FOI GAROOOSSS IS MORE LIKE IT…………or FOI SPAM. I guess I am still a food redneck. Rick gave me some Julia Childs schmack for Christmas, so I guess I need to woman up!

The best thing about Tayst that probably goes unrecognized by many of its patrons is that it was the first and is the only certified green restaurant in Nashville. Accomplishing this certification is no easy feat and is worthy of great praise. Check it out ! http://www.taystrestaurant.com/green.htm