10 things you should know before visiting Nashville

I've lived in Middle Tennessee 23 years, since 1990.  Next year (2014), my Tennessee total will constitute half of my life, since I'll be 48 then.  So while I'm not a native, I've been around here long enough to be dangerous. Over the…

That first step is a doozy

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Well, you can't say it hasn't been an interesting week. Tuesday morning, March 26, I was awakened not by my alarm clock, but by three mini-ninjas creeping into our quite-dark bedroom and pile-driving me to the strains of "Happy Birthday."…

Snow at Dave Greer Cabin

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I just returned from my annual writing "sabbatical" at the 180-year-old Dave Greer Cabin — owned by my good friends, Jim and Sheryl Buck — in Pall Mall, Tenn.  (You can rent this cabin.  Click here or go to www.buckslodging.com.)  I'll…

Larger than life

(Author's note:  This story appeared in the Feb. 2012 issue of the Tennessee Cooperator.) What Thomas “Bigfoot” Spencer lacked in historical staying power, he made up for in legendary adventure It was probably the winter of…

“No color copiers” revisited

Several weeks ago, I wrote a post called "No color copiers" about a trip I made to Putnam County, Tenn., to conduct an interview with craftsman Joe Stout.  As promised, here is the resulting story, published this month in the Tennessee…

The Top 10 Lame-Ass Reasons Not to Exercise

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Here are the Top 10 Lame-Ass Reasons not to exercise, as I see them.  It's not an official list compiled by the We're Better Than You Exercisers of America or anything.  These are reasons I've heard most often from friends, family, and…

Coffee karma

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In my Dec. 18 blog, "What to do about it," I offered several simple ways for us to get our minds off the Sandy Hook tragedy, like purchasing coffee for the person behind you in a Starbuck's drive-thru.  Holly and I did this several times…

The Smart Phone-omenon

The "Smart Phone-omenon," as I call it, is more about behavior and less about technology.  There are plenty of good things about smart phones. They keep us in touch with our loved ones. They provide a added level of safety during…

The Top 11 things a Crossfit virgin should know

So you've got a buddy at work who began doing some crazy fitness fad called "Crossfit" last year, and now, it's all he can talk about. He keeps encouraging you to give it a try and swears you'll enjoy it. "You'll be hooked after a week,"…

I wanna be Dick Proenneke when I grow up

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"Alone in the Wilderness," the documentary about Alaskan naturalist Richard "Dick" Proenneke (pronounced prin-uh-key) is one of the most remarkable films ever made, in my estimation. Yes, I know that's an ambitious statement, but I stand…