I wanted to post my experiences with the Symphony Chorus and at Dollywood with my family that both occurred several weeks ago. (And UT just caught up a bit with another field goal, so we're 7-6. Could be 7-14 if those field goals had been touchdowns....)
A Day at Dollywood Splash Country!
Whenever I have to go to the east coast for business, I try to drop down to Tennessee to see the fam. We usually try to find somewhere else besides Woodbury to rendezvous. Last April, we met up near the Opryland hotel and enjoyed their spa and some shopping. We all got pedicures then, and I still have the pix of our pampered feet.
This time, they picked me up at the Knoxville airport on Friday evening, and we headed to a cabin near Pigeon Forge in order to spend the next day at Dollywood’s Splash Country, the waterpark also owned by Dolly Parton. It’s only open in the summer, and its last weekend was the 13th/14th of September.
For its last weekend, season pass holders could bring a friend for free. Since Lu Ann and Savannah are season pass holders, Mama and I became their friends for the day.
Since two of us got in free, we indulged in renting a “Riverside Retreat”. These are a little hard to describe – think of a small cabin with just one wall… It also had a roof, and in one corner, a nice-sized TV (we watched part of the football game on it) with cable channels. It also had a phone so you could order lunch, and a table for six.
Underneath the TV was a corner cabinet with a lock so you could lock up purses and wallets when you all wanted to go enjoy the park. Just outside on a concrete slab were four full-length chaise lounge chairs, so all together, there was seating for 10. There were also privacy curtains if you didn’t want everyone staring into your space as they walked by. We also had a chalkboard on the front with our last name (Curlee for this adventure), and a small whiteboard inside to leave notes.
That shelter made the day much more pleasant, especially for Mama. Though it was great to have her join us on the Lazy River ride, I was glad she had a place out of the sun. She brought a book and did some reading while the rest of us did other things. Lu Ann took a little nap on one of the chaise lounges, and Savannah and I ran around much of the afternoon.
Savannah is great at making new friends, which she did, a little girl named Kinsley (Mackenzie? Something like that….). I also made new friends with her dad, Mike, and his girlfriend Anita. Anita was very excited about the fact that I lived in Hawaii and was gracious enough to ask several questions. We rode one of the category 4 rides (the scariest) several times, and Savannah rode another “4” ride by herself. It looked too scary to me! So what if I’ve skied the Swiss Alps at 12,000 feet.
The only thing I didn’t get to do that I kinda wanted to try was the wave pool. But considering I’ve gotten to enjoy real waves for most of the last two months, I probably didn’t miss much…
The weather was perfect for a water park, about 88 degrees, so it was very pleasant to stand around wet most of the day. We closed down the park, leaving about 6:20 (it officially closed at 6pm). The employees were very good about it; guess they’re used to people like us.
That evening we tried out the hot tub in our cabin (“Gone Fishin’”), and had Stouffer’s lasagna for dinner. The next day, we sat around and watched football until I had to go back to the airport.
We also managed to play several games of air hockey at the cabin, and I refused to let Savannah cheat or change the rules. She told me I need a kid so I can understand her better. Oh, I think I understand her just fine. Tee hee. I’ve been eight…
I really enjoyed the cabin, too. I still love being in the mountains. At times it got too cold for me inside with my newly thinned tropical blood, so I sat outside on the porch in the rocking chair (of course…), and just enjoyed the fresh air.
I probably won’t get to see them again until March, when I next have to go back to Ft. Meade. I was able to upgrade on United for three of the four flight segments I was on, but was surprised to find that domestic first class is still not as ritzy as international business. Where was my little amenity kit with eye shade and toothbrush? My footrest? Well, at least I got fed and had free wine. The food was pretty good.
I couldn’t upgrade on one segment and OH MY GOODNESS. How awful that was. At least I had an aisle seat, but the man next to me was too big for the middle seat, and I had to sit pressed up against a stranger for 5.5 hours. That was just miserable. The man in front of me was a bit large as well, and he reclined into my lap. I was trapped! And I was in the last row of the plane, so I couldn’t recline at all.
So that’s why I say – JUST STAY HOME. Don’t fly anywhere. It’s too painful. But if you have the urge to go somewhere, for most of you, the Smokies and Pigeon Forge are a driveable getaway.
First Symphony Concert
On Sept 7th and 8th, the Symphony Chorus had its first performance with the Honolulu Symphony. We didn’t do too much. We sang the anthems for the country and the state, and then sang a chorus in Latin to go along with a Brahms overture. Chris came along to see it on Sunday, though we had trouble hooking up in the audience. He said he couldn’t see me, but can always pick out my voice. Ah, the wonderful lies husbands tell…
He commented that we were all wearing the same dress. Yes, I said, we need to project one voice. He asked how we all found the same dress, and I said they’d been ordered from a factory and I got to buy one from a previous member. “Buy one??” he said. Yep. I didn’t tell him how much I pay in dues…
But it was fun to get my feet wet and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season! Between the upcoming business trip and the very recent move into the house, it was hard to enjoy the moment, so I’m looking forward to the next real concert in December. One woman next to me scolded me for moving during the music. Well, the way my back was hurting, it was either move a bit in rhythm or randomly twitch. Standing still was just too painful. I didn’t point out how much she talked backstage when they told us to strictly be silent.
Upcoming Entries
Stay tuned for :
- Report on the International Women's Leadership Conference, an initiative Governor Lingle sponsors every year. Many inspiring speakers and a great day!
- More on the neighborhood and daily life - I think we're the only house that doesn't have at least three cars...
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