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

We haven’t been to the state fair in awhile either. That actually sounds pretty fun. Even before you mentioned the alligator wrestling. I don’t remember that from when we used to go. And diving pirates? What in the world? I’ll have to check the website.

Hey, speaking of diving, we had a great time this past weekend at Dora’s company picnic over at Percy Priest Lake. One of the guys brought his boat and took people out to ski.

But the best part was we just stayed afterwards and camped, which was Dora’s great idea. It was our first camping of the whole summer, which is actually amazing. We usually go a lot.

It’s a great spot if you want to get out of the city. We just played cards, went fishing, cooled off in the water. Can’t beat it.

Dane

Where can you see racing pigs, diving pirates and flying motorcycles, and go on rides and eat great food and do it with the whole family? The Tennessee State Fair of course! I haven’t been able to go the last couple of years but we’re going next week because my cousins have their cows there this year. And I’m really looking forward to it!

It is one of the main big events of the summer and it’s just so much fun! I love the smell of the hay and the animals and the hotdogs and the snowcones. Everything! And I absolutely love the rides!

If you want to go, it runs from Sept. 5-14 at the fairgrounds, which are close to downtown. Apparently this year there’s even a guy that wrestles crocodiles! That’s a ride I think I can probably skip.

Have fun!
Sabrina

Hey everyone! I don’t know if you’ve been to the Hotel Preston site in awhile but you should check out all our new special package offers. Just in case you haven’t here’s my favorite.

It’s called the Seven Deadly Sins and it’s got something extra for each of the seven different naughty items. Here’s what you get:
Lust — Sexy adult amenities
Gluttony — Chilled bottle of Seven Deadly Zins Wine
Greed — A whole Hotel Preston signature cake
Sloth — Late check-out and do not disturb (1 pm check-out)
Wrath — Early check in
Envy — Two keepsake bath robes
Pride — Luxury bath kit and vanity mirror
Just an idea…

See ya!
Sabrina

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

OK, I’ll keep this brief. If you like bull riding (watching at least) then you’ll be looking forward to the end of the month when the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) rides into town.

It takes place over at the Sommet on Aug. 29 and 30 and includes cowboys from all over, including the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and Australia.

I love my Titans, but I’ve got to tell you these guys aren’t messing around. These are some very unhappy bulls. It can get ugly. I’ll just leave it at that.

So if you’ve already seen “Dark Knight,” think about dusting off your cowboy hat.

Dane

I can’t prove it but I think I’ve discovered the perfect medicine when you’re sick. I was feeling a little under the weather and was actually about to bag out on a friend’s graduation party. At the last minute I decided I better go. (I was bringing the salad, after all!)

It was weird because I never get sick. But I got myself up and thought I’d make an appearance, deliver my dish and then go home and watch HGTV J. But then they brought out the cake!

It’s called a Velvet Elvis Cake. From Sweet 16^th. Imagine two layers of southern red velvet cake — but with a layer of chocolate and peanut butter! And cream cheese frosting! I’m not kidding, it fixed me right up. Though I guess it could’ve been the hot toddy.

See ya later!

Sabrina

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

They were twins?! I thought it was one guy! That is too funny. I never met the Valeries, but that is hilarious. It is a great place to meet interesting people. That is definitely one of the reasons I decided not to go through with the actuarial stuff and came back. I missed it too much.

Something else I missed is seeing our new restaurant opened! That’s big news. It’s called Café Isabella and serves what they call “Italian comfort food with southern roots.” I’m all about the comfort food. And I’ve got southern roots. So it’s perfect for me!

I’ve only had a chance to sample a few things they brought over for me, but I’m so excited about the new place.I think it’s going to be a great addition to the hotel and the full service southern hospitality we offer.

I’m told the baked ziti is to die for…

See ya!

Sabrina

One of the things I really love about my job is the people I get a chance to meet every day. We get the most interesting people coming through Hotel Preston. I just watched the movie High Fidelity the other night (great movie) and so I’ll give you a list of my top three guests I met last week.

1.  A woman from Atlanta who is apparently a pretty famous tattoo artist. She was in town to do a class. She had a tattoo on her arm of Route 66 that was incredible.

2.  Twins from Toronto who were both dentists and both married to women named Valerie. How confusing was that?

3.  A cop from Daytona Beach who had the best handlebar mustache I’ve ever seen and let me park his Harley.

And that’s just one week. Beat that.

Dane