May 2023

It seems like I’ve heard about Lynchburg, Tennessee forever. I can thank the Jack Daniels advertising department for that.

To the casual observer, there’s not much to Lynchburg; basically a single block of shops and restaurants. But what is there is attractive and the surroundings are classic southern

Fairytales. Like kinky sex, sweet cocktails, and Jerry Lewis movies, they seem fun at first but can turn on you in an instant.

No one plumbed the dark depths of these happy tales better than Stephen Sondheim in his musical Into the Woods. Well, almost no one. Let’s not

“Joe-Jah” is how a friend of my parents, Hettie Bates, pronounced Georgia. She was a force of nature, loud and funny. I was told she was issued one of the first IBM Selectric typewriters because she could type so fast that she would jam the keys on a conventional electric

Susan assured me that we would not want to miss the National Towing Museum during our visit to Chattanooga. She was right. Who wouldn’t like to see the very first tow truck or a collection of beautifully-restored examples?

Not to mention the Towing Hall of Fame, honoring members of

Pardon me, boy

Is that the Chattanooga choo choo?

Track twenty-nine

Boy, you can gimme a shine

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra from Sun Valley Serenade

I bet you’ve seen lots of old cars. I’m not talking about a ten-year-old Corolla, I mean ones made before 1940. Did

Nashville cats, play clean as country water

Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew

Nashville cats, been playin’ since they’s babies

Nashville cats, get work before they’re two

–The Lovin’ Spoonfull

The lower end of Broadway Street in Nashville is a lot like Spring Break in Florida. Except

Cor blimey! Lord love a duck! I’m gobsmacked, chuffed. I’m streets ahead and sitting up like Jackie!

Sorry for the British-isms. Once I started with “bloomin’” I couldn’t stop!

Unless you live year-round in the Southwest, it can be hard to see flowering cacti. In Scottsdale,