Category Archives: United States

A Beer Lover’s Guide to Bonnaroo
Consume and Quaff / Thirsty Thursday / Travel / United States

A Beer Lover’s Guide to Bonnaroo

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Bonnaroo.

For me, the name conjured up the image of giant fields filled with whirling dervishes of body-painted hippies, stages full of bands I’d never heard of and glow sticks. Lots of glow sticks. When my cousin suggested going (she knew that I have a hard time saying no to any adventure), I thought it would be a good chance to challenge my preconceived notions.

After experiencing a weekend on The Farm, as the site in Manchester, TN is known, I decided that my pre-event imagination wasn’t far off. There were a lot of hippies. And body paint. And, for all of Security’s efforts, glow sticks. Lots of glow sticks. Continue reading →

Get Over the Polar Vortex and Get Beach Ready
Travel / United States

Get Over the Polar Vortex and Get Beach Ready

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A friend who lives in Connecticut called me last week. Apparently the polar vortex and all of the crazy weather that has been affecting the country got to be a bit too much for her.

“I need a beach–somewhere warm, not too far from an airport. I need to get out of here,” she said.

She’s not the only one who has been feeling this way. From tweets to Facebook posts to conversations that I’ve had with friends living from Colorado to Atlanta to New Hampshire, everyone’s a bit over the cold and ready for the beach. Continue reading →

Anatomy of a Southern Funeral
Random / Travel / United States

Anatomy of a Southern Funeral

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I don’t like funerals. I don’t look at open caskets. I’m not one for platitudes or pats on the shoulder or being told that God just needed another angel to heaven. It’s a nice thought, but I’m not quite sure that God was putting together a foursome and thought of Papa. Who knows—maybe that’s exactly what happened.

But I do love the civilities of being Southern and the rituals of a Southern funeral. This is not to say that a Northern funeral is not as nice. I’m sure it is. But I remember attending the funeral in high school when my Northern grandmother died. It wasn’t the same. Continue reading →