An Hour Off
by Rob

This morning we're waking up in the Central Time Zone. It's a first for the kids, and I'm guessing that it's been over 20 years since the last time I did so. Our trip to Nashville, yesterday, was like the rest of our travel so far, smooth and uneventful.

We're not really sure what we'll do today. I made an attempt to research things before we started this trip, but time didn't allow for much. The kids didn't get interested in figuring things out in advance. So it may become one of those days when we will spend more time trying to decide what we will do than actually doing anything. It's not my favorite way to spend the day, but hey, we're together and there's always the pool.

Last evening, we decided to get dinner at the Opryland Hotel. I knew that it was larger now than when I was there as a kid, but I didn't figure on quite as much expansion. If I had to guess, I'd say that the indoor gardens are about 5 or 6 times larger than before. There are so many rooms that I can hardly figure out how they can fill them. Since I researched staying there before we started the trip (and it was WAY too expensive), the fact that there are so many people staying there is an even greater mystery to me. Still, Kim and the kids were amazed by it. Despite the fact that our pub-style dinner was also very expensive, we had a enjoyable evening there and walked through most of the gardens. I don't remember if Dad had to pay to park our car when he took us there years ago, but they get visitors that way now. $16.00 for the day. "Welcome to Nashville. Will that be cash or credit?"

Our departure from the Koenig's was bitter-sweet. It was wonderful to see them and spend time talking with them. Their house is a fun place to be, because they're fun people. But as we were leaving, things got teary. It seems to me that so many moves in so many years has gotten more difficult, not easier. I know that they are making inroads where they are, but they are missing a great deal of what they had in New York, and Australia, and Washington, and... (the list goes on). I hope that this won't be our last visit with them, but it's sure hard to say.

Well, the kids are getting up and the hotel breakfast area closes in 28 minutes, so I'm off to attack the day.