Reptiles: A Date with Duke

The things I do for love... like attending a reptile show with Duke.  Eek!  Enjoy.  Though in his defense, he did appease me with a delicious meal at a local creperie.  And we were not in the market for any of these, though Duke would love to have a tortoise someday.

I learned that snakes are expensive.

I learned the snakes like spooning.

I decided that these should not be pets.

I know  Ron Weasley would not be happy here.

I also learned there are spiders that eat birds.  My hand is there for scale.  Eek!

Thompson's Station Dog & Pony Show (and 5K)

Despite not running since like February, I decided that since my friend BD wanted to check out the Thompson's Station Dog & Pony Show with me, we might as well run the 5K beforehand.  Right?

Before the race... did not look this cute after!

OMG.  No one told me it would be on super-steep Tennessee hiking trails.  As in, so steep that everyone had to walk up them.  So steep it was worse than a stairmaster.  So steep I finished 10 minutes slower than usually, but still ranked 3rd in my age group.  Yeah, that rough.  Ugh.  I limped around for days.

But after the run, we got to enjoy TONS of great booths!  There were crafts, snacks, pet vendors, and tons of adoptable animals.  Sweet!  I bought some strawberry & peach jam that was delish (and only $5, I mean come on WINNING) and some felted wool catnip toys for Bear.  (Sidenote: he loved them so much!  Like crazy cat destroying them love.)

Main Stage

There were tons of freebies, fun events like a dog costume contest, and so much to see and do.  They even had a pumpkin slingshot you could use.  Ha!  I was surprised how close I live to Thompson's Station; it was a  quick drive from Franklin.  There was also free parking and tons of volunteers to help out.  Great job, Thompson's Station!

With the 1st Place Costume Winner

BD's friend E who joined us isn't from the Franklin area, so we took a walk around Main Street after the festival.  We ended up at 55 South for brunch.  What was interesting is that we were actually seated in the adjoining Cork & Cow restaurant, a steakhouse that only serves dinner.  I guess during busy daytime hours, it also accomodates the 55 South overflow.

We indulged in some well-earned mimosas, and I ordered an indulgent Chicken & Waffles.  While it was yummy, I wish I'd ordered something eggy instead; I've had the same dish at Puckett's and it kind of set my bar pretty high for fried chicken on waffles.  This was a good dish, but a bit overpriced for what you got.  I'd recommend the ones at Puckett's over these, but everything else on the table looked amazing.

Presentation lacking, but it tasted good.

I liked the vibe as we dined, a real mix of the post-church crowd and day trip tourists, plus locals.  All in all, not a bad way to toast a hellish 5K race!  I promptly went home, took a bubble bath, and passed out for an epic nap.



Oh, and then we all cleaned up (including Duke) and met on Tuesday for BD's birthday at JJ's Wine Bar... just had to stick that fun photo in here!  It is so nice having her close by, after we worked together at Army.  LOL

JJ's Wine Bar

I absolutely love JJ's.  Great wine and cocktails, plus small plates.  Their dips are the best, and their hummus is something I order every time I visit.

Direct Luggage Review

I travel for work and fun, and having a good set of luggage is definitely something I feel strongly about!  While I'm rocking my Burton luggage and loving it, when I was asked by Direct Luggage to review their site offering, I definitely got excited to be "window shopping" online!  (For my UK readers, there's free shipping on all orders... I know there are a few of you!)

Lulu Guinness

Immediately, I was sucked in by the Lulu Guinness suitcase sets, especially since I purchased a great wristlet from the line they did at JCPenney.  I really loved the adorable moulded lips design looks awesome in bright pink.  The inside is just as adorable... awesome stripes!  It also has a split design like my Burton, which makes packing so much easier in terms of staying organized.  No digging!

Awesome stripes!

It's also important to look at lightweight suitcase sets, because the lighter your luggage the easier the trip.  If a suitcase is heavy while empty, it drive me absolutely nuts.  Why waste extra energy hauling that around?  I also wish my Burtons were spinner cases like the other ones I am seeing more of these days.

Samsonite Motio

I also noticed that they had some great deals on Samsonite... a well-known brand with a great reputation.  I haven't owned Samsonite before, but I know that "cheap Samsonite luggage" is usually an oxymoron; you can get a great deal on a set with Direct Luggage.

I was compensated for this featured post, but the opinions shared are solely my own and at my discretion.