Road Trip!

I have been a lax blogger lately. I know. I admit it.

It's been a busy fall, ya'll.

BUT. I took a fancy road trip the other day, and that my friends can only mean one thing:

BLOG. GOLD. Let's get to it.

Sometimes it's super fun to be an adult. You can eat a sundae for dinner if you want to, and maybe eat cookie dough straight out of the tube. Ain't no one gonna tell me no! And when I heard that one of my favorite writers (second favorite, Dipsey), Jenny Lawson, was on book tour, there was only one thing to do.

I was going to take time off of work, go get in my car and MEET HER. I didn't know at the time, but friend Johnna also loved this writer, so I had a co-conspirator on my ROAD TRIP!!!!

beep-beep mother f*ckers

We take off for Nashville, TN. Johnna re: her mother's perception of a road trip to go see a writer speak:

J: So, my mother says to me "I hope you girls are staying near where the concert is. I don't want you two drinking and driving back to the hotel." So I tell her, "Mom, it's not a concert. It's an author reading." And she gets a three tiered look on her face. At first, it was relief that we're not going to some raucous concert. Then, it's confusion, because a four hour round trip to see a WRITER? Last - oh my god what a nerd my daughter is.

I'll take it! Nerd alert on high!

We arrived at our hotel and immediately felt at home.

patron saint dolly

this chair was super comfy and cool all at the same time

Next, time to find the public library and get Furiously Happy.

me and johnna with rory the giant stuffed raccoon

On one of her blog posts, Jenny writes about coming alone to book signings and how that's OK, because you'll be surrounded by people just like you.

meeting other fruitcakes just as odd as we are. kevin with her own beyonce the giant metal chicken.

And then - hooray!

the bloggess comes out and reads from her new book

And after waiting line post-reading, we finally got to meet:

the bloggess, jenny lawson! a pleasure to meet you!

And upon leaving, Johnna and I were giddily gloating our success when:

a bird pooped right on my head. birdie birdie in the sky, why'd you do that in my eye?

No matter! Johnna wet wiped it out of my hair and off we went to Printer's Alley. Honky tonkin' forthwith!!!

johnna proving to her parents that we are NOT milk and cookie girls

Dinner first, with a side of live country music:

fried green tomato blt

A quick tour around town:

it's practically history, ya'll

And Robert's Western World for more boot-scootin'.

ok, i think boog and dieder got the idea, johnna.

Robert's Western World had some... interesting wall art.

possibly the worst rendering of june and johnny cash ever

old hank's got some eye issues

Not to mention their Wall of Shame:

hello bandit

and scott baio

We were very racy and stayed up until midnight! The next morning, the Sheraton was kind enough to supply our room with my very favorite kind of tea.

you see into my soul, sheraton

And then, back to reality, work and Knoxville.

Fun times with Johnna! Thank you for coming along with me!!

summary of our trip in one photo