Compliment, DH, NFL, Opry Mills, & Las Vegas Shooting
Good-morning, I hope you enjoy my music arrangement of Rue du Soleil. The first track on my playlist I stumbled on I’m not sure how but I REALLY liked it and knew I had to share it with my kittens & dawgs!
First thing I need to say I’m sorry to a young gal somewhere in Knoxville. Yesterday, she popped her head out of the car window exclaiming, “YOU LOOK NICE!” I really appreciated the compliment a lot! I mean what girl doesn’t right? I smiled politely saying “Thank you” but way too low-keyed and I know that didn’t tell this young gal how much it meant to me. So… if you’re out there reading this (probably not)… I’m sorry and you’re sweet to let me know!
Speaking of looking nice, DH came home last night with three new blouses for me. Man! Oh, man, am I ever a lucky girl! I feel so undeserving of his special treatment and makes me feel like real princess. He’s such a sweetheart. I think I’ll keep him! 😉
For a couple of years we wanted to go to Nashville to knock around and finally made it last Friday, we took in the shops on Opry Mills Drive. This is a very touristy area with the Grand Ole Opry and Gaylord Opryland on the premise of the very large…I mean HUGE outlet mall. Anyway we had loads of fun browsing around when who should we see but….
TAYLOR SWIFT!
There she stood bigger than life posing in front of a shop. I, immediately pulled out my brand new iPhone8 to capture the moment. I mean, it’s not every day you see a celebrity camera ready like this but then…
I didn’t, either!
The Opry Mills shopping center is the nicest outlet mall I’ve visited and it’s amazing that it has a Madame Tussauds. The waxed figures are unbelievably life-like. I examined Taylor’s hand closely and the details was incredible. That’s George Strait on the right and I believe behind him is Rihanna. We did not enter the musuem due to short on time and a whole of calaustrophobia, you’re invading my personal space to battle that I did not want to even think about going inside just yet. Maybe another day I’ll be willing to go. Why there’s even an aquarium inside the mall!
I’ve been waiting to take a picture of neon fish forever and finally got to snap a few pictures. Aren’t the colors gorgeous?
On our way back to the car, we stopped at Johnny Rockets for a to-go order. Isn’t this place cool? I love the retro feel of this place!
I’m not going to lie to you this place is expensive or at least we think it is. We shelled out almost nineteen bucks for one burger, an order of fries, and a chocolate milkshake. The quantity was normal, not super-sized or anything. Don’t get me wrong, it was enough food for the two of us. We always share a meal because generally a single meal is too much for me. For the price the food quality wasn’t superior. We think Five Guys or Shake & Steak is at least as good if not better and almost half the price. But…it was fun nonetheless and we’re happy that we tried them.
We have plans to return to Nashville. I can’t say when we’ll make another trip or even if it’ll be this year but when we do again we’ll want to come back to this mall.
Let me just say, I’m fed up with the NFL. I mean, who isn’t? These multi-million dollar players who refuse to show respect for those who bled and died for this country to protect the freedoms that they enjoy today are pompous so-and-so. If I was a woman of strong language then I might choose to call them other things but “pompous so-and-so” will suffice. All I have to do is say, shame on you for taking a knee when the national anthem plays! You’re entitled to your opinion but your job isn’t to toss your political views my way. If I were the team owner(s) then I’d have a serious talk with the coaches stating in no uncertain terms to get the players under control least they face a hefty penalty – loss wages, fine, whatever it takes to stop this punch in the face of every veteran or fallen soldier and every patriotic American. After all money has a way of changing a person attitude if nothing else temporarily. I’d love to see these athletes have a change of heart but get this while the guys are making a show of themselves on national TV, I want to commend an organization who supports the national anthem. Let’s hear it for The Lingerie Football League!
In the space above there was a video but it appears YouTube took the video down. I suspect it’s just more of their bias censorship of those proud to show their allegiance to the American flag and respect to those who protect and died to keep this nation free.
Let me go on record, I am not a fan of most women’s sports but I TOTALLY respect these gals taking a strong stand and showing the the NFL how it’s done. Hey boys…the girls are doin’ it better than you! You’re getting your back-end whipped good on this one!! What do you think of that?
Let’s make the most of our opinion, if you have a beef with the NFL doin’ this and you know the names of teams and players who disrespect our flag and national anthem then leave it in comments for others to see. I noticed yesterday in comments on XmasDolly’s site that team members of the @Ravens did this over the weekend and recently DH shared that the @Steelers refuse to come out of the locker room for the national anthem, except Alejandro Villanueva a former Army Ranger Captain broke pack to be on the field. That takes a lot of backbone. Way to go Alexjandro! Whenever I watch football these days, I root for the team who is the least offender. I hate that sponsors are pulling their support but am glad at the same time. Obviously the sponsors are listening to the feedback. I do not want to see the NFL destroyed but it’s the players, the coaches, and other supporters who’ll be the undoing of an iconic sport IF this continues.
Don’t forget to change the HASHTAG for the football team or player you want to shame.
Before I go, I want to let all the families affected in Las Vegas shooting Sunday evening that we’re praying for you. This is a senseless act perpetrated by a very bad person taking 59 lives and inflicting harm on countless others. It’s heartbreaking that there’s so much evil in the world and it keeps getting closer to home. People can’t find inner peace anymore because they have their have turned their hearts away from God, placing their hopes in just about everything else, except the Lord. Jesus is the way, folks! May God heal the injured and comfort the shattered lives!
This is what the hop hostess says… I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you’re okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with “Hey, It’s Okay”. It’s rude.
It’s okay….to have an opinion but choosing when and where to give it requires discretion. NFL players taking the knee is a fine example of a need to hold off on moment. They are paid to do a job just like anyone and their job is to entertain and to provide a brief distraction for the fans from the world. Will your employer let you mouth off or embarass the company just because things aren’t purrfect politically, socially, emotionally, or financially? I didn’t think so! What do you think your boss or company would do to you, if you disgraced or misrepresented their views? I think you might get a little pink slip or heck, maybe a big ole…”YOU’RE FIRED!”
It’s okay…to take an extended blogging hiatus. Many of my blogger friends have stepped away temporarily, hopefully, because they’ve lost that blogging feeling and this definitely, “Hey’ It’s Okay” moment because once blogging resembles a chore then the fun is gone, gone, gone.
It’s okay…to respond to and do return visits at your pace. Rushing either turns blogging into a chore. I think this is what happens to us all. We get under the gun, no doubt of our own doing at least this is in the way it is with me, to push ourselves beyond our limit which results in blog burn out. I’m like hey, it’s okay take it easy. I’m not going anywhere, just get to me when you can.
That’s a wrap for this morning. I’m taking a coffee break with Les from Ink Interrupted for Tuesday Coffee Chat and linking with Stacy for Random Tuesday Thoughts . You’re welcome to come with and if not, I hope you’ll come by tomorrow for not-so Wordless Wednesday.
17 Comments
Arlee Bird
I’ve been tempted to compliment women I don’t know out of the blue, but I refrain from doing so because my intentions might be misunderstood and make for an embarrassing situation.
We have a Johnny Rockets at an outlet mall a few miles from our house. It’s been many years since I’ve eaten there so I don’t really remember what the food or prices were like. Must have been normal prices for here and I guess the found didn’t blow me away. Now you’ve got me curious to go back.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Cathy Kennedy
Lee,
I certainly understand your concerns about complimenting the opposite sex. You just never know how it’s going to be taken by the recipient. On the occasion I get a compliment from a man, I am very appreciative of his kindness and thank him but I do sometimes wonder, “Is he flirting with me?” I always make a point in situations like that to let the gentleman know that I’m giddily married, hopefully squashing these intentions if any other than sweetness. I am not offended when a man says something nice or whistles at me. I’m flattered. I think men today just do not know what to do because the modern woman sees a compliment as a threat, so you’re automatically as “sexist”. How dare you say I’m pretty! Okay, when you rather hear, WOW, you look horrible? In truth many women now days try to look as horrible as possible, making them a sight for sore eyes…just saying is all. I’m tempted to offer make-up and how to pick out clothing tips but I’m sure it would offend them. This is just a no-win situation.
It’s good to give restaurants a retry. We do this often. We’ll let some time pass, usually a few years, and make another visit. Usually, we find our opinion hasn’t changed with the second trip, too. Let me know, if you try Johnny Rockets and what you think!
15andmeowing
Glad you had a nice trip. I love Johnny Rockets, we have one you can eat in ( about an hour away) and the waitresses break into song when certain songs are played.
Cathy Kennedy
Ellen,
I’m willing to give Johnny Rockets another shot, especially if one opened in town. Most franchise restaurants vary slightly with the quality of cooking for some reason. I haven’t figured this one out but it’s true. For instance, Knoxville Krispy Kreme’s are better than the ones in western North Carolina that we’ve tried. While we were waiting for our food, the staff sang happy birthday to someone in the restaurant which is a lot of fun but…they were wearing headsets to amplify their voices and nearly blew me out of the restaurant. They so did NOT need the amplification! I kid you not, I had to plug my ears up because it hurt THAT much!
John Holton
Ditto re Mimi’s comment. Not that I give a rat’s backside about football (even college football… horrors!), but they’re getting as bad as Hollywood with this latest stunt.
Speaking of Hollywood, almost as horrifying as the shooting at the Mandalay Bay is the reaction of Tinseltown and some politicians and media personalities, who see it as an opportunity to push their agenda against legally-owned firearms. Nearly all of them are protected by men with guns, and some live in gated communities with armed police guarding them. I guess it’s all right for them but not for the rest of us.
I have a strange feeling that there’s a whole lot more to the story than we’re hearing and that the guy they think did it actually didn’t. But wiser people than I would dismiss it as a wacky conspiracy theory, and maybe they’re right. Or maybe I am…
I went to Johnny Rocket’s once and was underwhelmed by the experience. Never been to Five Guys, but I can agree heartily with Steak ‘n’ Shake being a better burger. And their chili ain’t bad…
Cathy Kennedy
John,
I love football, more importantly I love it because of DH and it allows us to enjoy time together during the football season. You’re right, professional football players especially are nearly as bad as Hollywood celebs. Anytime stuff like this happens you can expect the politicians in both camps to push the ban of firearms. That’s not going to fix the problem of bad people shooting up the world. It’s still going to happen and we can’t defend ourselves in the process. Mind you, folks at a concert don’t usually carry guns with them probably because they know they have to go through security to gain entrance and that’s why this dude took the vantage point that he did to inflict the most damage. That’s the workings of not only a mentally unstable individual but an evil person. You’re definitely right there is more to the picture of this lone shooter that meets the eye. If he did act alone, then as I said, he’s was deeply disturbed. It’s hard to imagine one person committing such a crime of this magnitude and it’s perplexing how he could’ve gotten that kind of firepower to his hotel room by himself. The puzzle pieces don’t fit right somehow. Thanks for the endorsement of Steak n’ Shake’s chili. If you like SnS, then you’ll more than likely like Five Guys. Johnny Rockets’ fries were the best part of the meal. We don’t have a JR in Knoxville, so I am glad that we got to try it. The first place to see one of these is at Myrtle Beach many years ago and we wanted to try it then but it was too crowded.
Comedy Plus
messymimi nailed it as usual. I agree with her comment.
Have a fabulous day, Cathy. ☺
Cathy Kennedy
Sandee,
So glad you came by for a visit. 😉
greyzoned/angelsbark
Your trip to Nashville sounded fun! But geez, 19 bucks for a hamburger! Ay-yi-yi…
I love those wax museums. There’s a big Madame Tussauds in Niagara Falls Ontario that I visited. Sometimes it’s a bit eerie though…
Your hubby did good bringing you home some new blouses, just because! What a guy!
He’s a keeper for sure…
Have a good week. As hard as that is with what’s going on in our world…
Michele at Angels Bark
Cathy Kennedy
Michele,
I remember when I was a teenager, my folks visited my aunt who lived outside of Williamsburg, Virginia and we went to a wax museum. It is kind of creepy looking at these soulless, life-life figures. The artistry is amazing, though. We did have a fantastic time in Nashville but anytime I’m with DH, even if it’s sitting on the sofa, then I’m having a good time. 🙂
Birgit
It is such a sad week with the horrific shooting and Tom Petty’s death. I wonder what they will find out about this shooter and if anything could have been prevented but hindsight is always 20/20. No matter what one thinks about the kneeling, one of the amendments is the right to free speech. It can anger people but if they wish to express this, in this manner, then we have the right to show our anger, dismay or righteousness to this. It can be hard at times like this.
Cathy Kennedy
Birgit,
It doesn’t take much thinking to determine this individual (the shooter) was mentally off balance because no one in their right mind would do such horrors. The disrespect shown by NFL players is like slapping the hand that feeds you. There’s no appreciation for the good they are given even if they have to put up with stuff they do not like. People in America are so stinking blessed that they have grown too comfortable in their lives to see how awful some people in other parts of the world have it.
Birgit
You are right and the same can be same here in Canada. People bitch about everything and don’t bother to look at other countries who struggle to find water that we throw away.
McGuffy's Reader
I agree with Mimi.She is wise and well-spoken. Hugs.
Cathy Kennedy
Annie,
You’re right, Mimi is wise and well-spoken. Thanks for visiting. 🙂
mimi
They are willing to take advantage of all the good this country offers them, including to live in the top 1% of wage earners in the world, and yet disrespect the country that makes it possible for them to have that lifestyle. That is shameful.
No country is perfect, yet they should take the stance that i will support my country when it is right and change what is wrong, with respect.
Real life does trump virtual life, so i agree that it is okay to write when you want and visit when you can. We all do our best.
Cathy Kennedy
You’re totally on spot! There’s no gratitude shown to those who paved the way and keep it cleat for all to enjoy. Shame ob them!
Your words of wisdom are like pearls – beautiful! Thanks for chiming in today, my friend!