Author Archives: Pat

Reese’s Birthday Trip – Day 5

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Today’s Reese’s 10th birthday. Where did the time go?

We got up early because we needed to be at the museum by 9:00 so that we could be sure to have a spot on the Y12 bus tour. Once we were awake I gave Reese his birthday present, a [amazon_link id=”B0050SVMYA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nintendo 3DS[/amazon_link]. He’s been wanting one for a while and has really done a good job with his reading and school work, so there was no reason not to. He was pretty excited, which was good because we had a long drive to get out to Oak Ridge.

Once we got out there, we bought our admission tickets to the American Museum of Science and Energy and got signed up for the Oak Ridge/Y12 bus tour. We were the third and fourth people on the list, so our cunning plan worked out. Since we had some time to burn, we grabbed some breakfast then went back to the museum to do some exploring. About the time we finished up, the bus tour was ready to leave, so we hopped on and headed over to the labs. The tour was great, with lots of stops at historically significant sites. We even got to go in to the original Graphite Reactor that was used during the Manhattan Project (that was definitely the highlight of the tour for both of us).

The Graphite Reactor

Reese and I at the Graphite Reactor in Oak Ridge

Once we finished the tour, we headed back to the lake, stopping at Calhoun’s again for dinner where Reese polished off a 1/2 pound burger in no time flat. Something tells me he’s getting ready for a growth spurt. We then did a round of putt-putt, where I got soundly trounced. Then headed back to the lake and set off some of the fireworks, including a few mortar shells.

Reese’s Birthday Trip – Day 4

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Today was a getting settled in day. We went in to town to run some errands and get some lunch with Aunt Sandy. After lunch we took Reese on a tour of some of the twisty roads that East Tennessee is famous for and then spent some time at Aunt Sandy’s house meeting her cats and dogs as well as checking out the countryside. Aunt Sandy gave him some arrowheads and books about them for his birthday. On the way back we stopped at one of the fireworks stands and picked up a trunk load of big kid fireworks including some mortar shells. We’ll set some of them off tomorrow, because tonight is going to be an early night. Tomorrow is Reese’s birthday an we’ve got to be on the road early to get out to Oak Ridge for the science museum and lab tours.

Reese’s Birthday Trip – Day 3

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We got up, got showered, got dressed, then went over to the restaurant to have some breakfast. After that we packed up the car, got our cameras ready (Joi gave Reese a [amazon_link id=”B0075SUII4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]PowerShot A1300[/amazon_link] for his birthday), and queued up for our tour. We decided on the Historic Tour, a two hour long, two mile hike through some of the more historic parts of the cave. This was Reese’s first trip underground, and he really loved it. We got some good shots throughout the route we hiked. I think he wants to come back to do the Trog tour, a ranger led, no parents tour that gets them down and dirty in the cave. I’m really hoping that taking him to these parks will instill a love of the outdoors (and yes, I rewrote that line a few times and it still sounds cheesy). Time will tell, but he’s still getting dragged to as many National Parks as possible.

Reese and I at Mammoth Cave

Reese and I at Mammoth Cave

After we got done with the cave tour we hopped in the car and started for Tennessee. Thanks to construction just over the border, we didn’t get in until late. But when we did get in we met up with Heather’s Aunt Sandy for dinner at Calhoun’s over in Pigeon Forge. Good burgers, great beer, and wonderful company makes for a nice end to a day of driving. From there we headed up to Douglas Lake and got settled in to our home away from home for the next week.

Reese’s Birthday Trip – Day 2

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We hit the road pretty early this morning and headed east towards the Indiana border. We stopped for lunch in Indianapolis where Reese got to have his first Waffle House hash browns. After refueling our bellies and the car, we turned south and started making our way to Kentucky. We got caught in a backup at the bridge in to Louisville, but after that it was smooth sailing all the way down to Mammoth Cave National Park. I reserved a hotel room on the park and one of the tours a few months ago just to be sure we didn’t miss out on anything. The room was nice, with a fridge in it and plenty of electrical outlets for gadget charging. Cel service on the other hand was very spotty, but we did manage to get calls out. We did a little shopping in the gift shop, snagged some dinner, then settled in for a good night’s sleep.

Reese’s Birthday Trip – Day 1

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I got dropped off at DFW, checked in, got my boarding pass, checked the luggage, and flew up to Peoria. Once on the ground I got the rental car and met up with Reese for dinner. We’re having an early night because we’ve got a bit of a drive tomorrow. Heading for Mammoth Cave over in Kentucky.

Tricked

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[amazon_link id=”0345533623″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tricked[/amazon_link] is the fourth book in Kevin Hearne‘s Iron Druid Chronicles series. It picks up pretty much just after the events of Hammered, with Atticus and Granuaile going in to hiding to hopefully stay off the radar of a pretty angry Norse pantheon and assorted other thunder gods. And since they’ve asked Coyote to help them hide, you can imaging that things are going to get a bit rough. And oh, does it. Navajo skinwalkers, vampires, Hel, and more keep everyone on their toes. It’s been a little bit of a wait for this one to come out, but it was well worth it. This is a great series, and I really can’t wait for the next one to come out.

Book Signing with Kevin Hearne

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Heather and I went out to A Real Bookstore tonight for an appearance and book signing by Kevin Hearne, author of the Iron Druid Chronicles. I commented on the first three books in the series, [amazon_link id=”0345522478″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Hounded[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”0345522494″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Hexed[/amazon_link], and [amazon_link id=”0345522486″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Hammered[/amazon_link], earlier and still recommend them to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy. Appearing with Kevin was Jaye Wells, a local author who also writes urban fantasy. The two of them were great together, really playing off each other well. Listening to them talk about writing and the publishing industry was extremely informative. It’s a tough business to get ahead in, and I wonder how it’s going to change with the growth of e-books and distribution networks like the one supporting Amazon’s [amazon_link id=”B0051QVESA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Kindle readers[/amazon_link]. Heather picke up one of Jaye’s books and I picked up [amazon_link id=”0345533623″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tricked[/amazon_link], the fourth book in Kevin’s series. We got them all signed and even enjoyed some free drinks courtesy of the authors.

Rammstein Concert

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I picked up a ticket back in November because I wasn’t going to miss this one. One of the benefits of buying single seats is you tend to get your seat in a good location. This was no exception as I was about 8 rows back, at a 45 degree angle, from stage right. The show was amazing. The pyrotechnics were intense, waves of heat washing over us as fireballs exploded across the stage. It looks like the U.S. tour is winding down, and there’s some doubt about what the band’s plans for the future are, but if you get a chance, and the music is to your liking, you really should go see them.

Ghost Rider

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[amazon_link id=”1550225480″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ghost Rider[/amazon_link] was the first book I started after school finished. Neal Peart, the drummer for Rush, lost his wife and daughter within the same year. He left on a long motorcycle ride to clear his head and try to heal from those devastating losses. While riding he kept a journal and wrote letters to friends and family, which became the source material for this book. It is a tough read at times, especially if you’ve experienced similar losses, but it was a good book. Ignore the negative reviews which put the book down because he slaghed people for various reasons. Yes, he does, but you’ve got to take it in context instead of as an isolated event.

Graduation Trip – Day 4

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Since we had a little time before we had to catch our flight home, Heather and I went to the Gateway Arch. I’ve been there before but never had a chance to go to the top of it and this was Heather’s first visit. We toured the museum for a little while and then got in the pod to go up. If you’re in the least bit claustrophobic, do not try to go up. Really, don’t. The view from up there was pretty impressive, though we picked a bad time because it was full of kids on school trips. After getting some pictures we headed back down and picked up our souvenir photos before heading to the airport for the flight home.