Just saw the movie “Dead Poets Society” last night. Robin Williams. You’ve probably all seen it already but I never did. What a really well done movie I thought. Robin Williams was great.

I Googled it later and learned something I didn’t know. The movie was written by a Nashvillian named Tom Schulman who graduated from Vanderbilt! And supposedly he wrote it about a Vandy professor named John Lachs.

So I Googled some more and found out that that’s a myth and that he apparently based it on his experiences at the Montgomery Bell Academy, a prep school in Nashville. The real teacher is named Sam Pickering who now teaches in the University of Connecticut.

Just in case you see the movie again…

Dane

Me too! We loved it. I’m not a huge sports fan and I’ve never really watched the Olympics before but this year we just got caught up in it. Loved the gymnastics! How could you not? Those girls are incredible.

Dane you should’ve told us where you were! Because my vote for best place to watch was Buffalo Billiards on 2nd. Ever been there? It’s too late to see any of the Olympics there of course but there’s a bunch of other stuff to do. They’ve got like a million pool tables and darts and even what’s that one game – foosball!

Anyway, it was great watching it out with other people. Thank you Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson! And everyone else. It was great. Now I guess we’ve got to go back to regular life.

See ya!
Sabrina

Well it’s over. I can’t believe it’s already over but it is. If you didn’t watch the Olympics the last couple of weeks, well, I don’t know, you really missed something if you ask me. There were really so many great things to remember. And if you thought all the stuff about Michael Phelps was hype you didn’t see him swim.

Most nights we watched at home. And we didn’t even care (OK we cared some) that it messed up my sleeping pattern staying up so late every night. Hey, we’re old. But a few times, like last weekend, we went over to the Corner Pub. It was fun to watch with other people

So now that it’s over Dora and I don’t know what to do with ourselves. We considered started training for the next Olympics, but we couldn’t decide on an event.

Dane

People are asking me all time, “Where should I go to see good live music?” It’s really hard because there’s so much in Nashville. I usually start by asking what kind of music and go from there.

But coming up is a show that I think anyone who loves live music shouldn’t miss. I’ve seen him half a dozen times probably and no one can touch him when he’s on stage. Plus, I guarantee you’re going to get your money’s worth.

If you’ve seen the boss Bruce Springsteen you know what I’m talking about. The guy is a performer. It’s like watching Vince Young out there. He commands the stage and his band is something you have to see.

Anyway, you get the picture. So if you’re looking for some good live music on Aug. 21 I’ve got to point you to Bruce and the band over at the Sommet Center.

Dane

Looking for an unusual and far-out evening activity that even your kids will get a kick out of? Take them over to the Dyer Observatory for their Open House Telescope Night.

Seriously. It goes on once a month from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. (this month on Aug. 8th) and they let you use their telescopes to see the sun, moon, planets, and stars up close. Plus it’s free, which you can’t say about a lot of things your kids might be interested in.

Dyer Observatory is part of Vanderbilt University and is located on one of the tallest peaks near Nashville. If it’s cloudy they do tours instead and have one of their astronomers available to answer questions.

You can also bring your own telescope if you want and they’ll help you learn how to see the most with it. Though I’m going to bet their equipment is a little better.

Dane

A state reptile? The people that put that list together had a lot of time on their hands. But I guess if you’re going to have one the Eastern Box Turtle will work as fine as any.

I’m going to add a new category to that list: State burger – Fat Mo’s. Coming to Nashville and not going over to Fat Mo’s is like, I don’t know, skipping the Grand Ole Opry or something. It’s Nashville between two buns.

I can’t go all the time the way I used to, but when we do go, I’m a deluxe burger guy. They say they have the biggest burgers in town, and that seems a good bet. If you’re really hungry, you can try the super deluxe, which is a full 27 oz!

But save room for the spicy fries. And a milk shake. Maybe you need to take two trips.

Dane

The post I was going to do before was about Rumours, where we went after getting our dos done. And then I forgot! Another gift certificate! Aren’t I a lucky friend?

I’d been to the Rumours East before but this was I think the original one on 12 South. They have a really good wine tasting every other Wednesday so we had a chance to try a bunch of different kinds of wine.

I usually drink white but there were some delicious reds that we tried too. I ended up buying a cabernet sauvignon (from Oregon I think…) – Dad, if you’re reading this, stop reading here — for my Dad for his birthday.

And go on a nice night. The patio is a great place to hang on a nice summer night. Especially with a new do!

Talk to you later!

Jennifer

There is this little place here in Nashville called the Wild Horse Saloon. Ever heard of it? If you’re from Nashville, or if you’ve visited, you have. It’s probably one of the most famous spots in town for music and a night out.

I just checked their web site and I would’ve guessed they’d been around a lot longer than since 1994. But they get pretty big name bands like right now I see that Little Texas, Gina Blossoms, Ringo Starr and Pat Benatar are all coming in the next month.

But you don’t have to go for the music. The place is huge and has all kinds of other stuff to do. It’s also got a restaurant, a bar, darts, pool and dancing. They even have free line dancing lessons. Line dancing skills are a good souvenir — they don’t take up any space in your luggage!

TTFN!
Jennifer

i love the hats at the steeplechase! we used to go out there too when i was kid. my uncle always had a tailgating spot. it was the only time my parents let us drink soda! so i loved it.

speaking of things i love, have ya’ll been to the sunset grill? go! i’m embarrassed to say I just went there for the first time! it was my friend amy’s birthday and she picked the sunset, and even though it’s pretty famous, i just figured, how good could it be?

well, it’s that good! just the pork chops make it totally worth it! also try the calamari appetizers which are fried crispy, a little spicy and crazy delicious. people said the lobster ravioli was really good too. though I don’t know because i don’t eat it things with shells .

shea♥

Tell the truth, you watch American Idol. Come on. I won’t tell anyone. It’s like driving by a car wreck, or for Dora, a garage sale ― you can’t not look. Though this year is a bit weak I think. I miss Carrie Underwood.

I only mention it because Hotel Preston is doing a new overnight special called “Preston Idol”. It’s Music City, right? So why not get a taste of what it’s like to be a music idol yourself at a real Nashville hotel?

The deal is you get to actually perform on stage at our bar, the Pink Slip, with a full backing band. You also get a keepsake Hotel Preston guitar, a disposable camera for your paparazzi, a bottle of bubbly and an iTunes gift card. Oh, and a late checkout.

I don’t know, that says rock star to me. We just ask that you don’t trash the room.

Later,
Dane