I might admit to doctoring this. Unless somebody yells at me. In which case I didn't doctor anything. Happy Sunday!

Kevin Playing Vidal Sassoon With Grammaw While She's Too Tired To Hit Me

My 96-year-old grandmother, Evelyn, has bounced back from a terrible bout of whatever it is 96-year-olds have earned.   I visited her today in the hospital and--against her wishes--decided that her nose needed to be rosy-ed up a tad so as to be a bit Rudolph-Like.  Love you Grammaw Ev.  Glad you are feeling better!  

Thanksgiving, WHAS and The Village Anchor

Great morning with Rachel Platt and Terry Meiners!   Geoff and I showcased The Village Anchor's Thanksgiving Takeout Deal, and our FREE Dinner for Veterans and Active Duty Military this coming Sunday.    Let the holidays begin!
http://www.whas11.com/great-day-live/video/Village-Anchor--178099301.html 

Last harvest of the year. Chili!

Chili today made with red peppers and veggies from this year's garden.  The last harvest.  I will not do eggplant (though I love it), zucchini or as many green peppers next year. :)

Grammaw Ev at 96

My beautiful 96-year old grandmother in the hospital this morning.   I tied the balloon to her toe so she could see it better.   She tolerated it, just as she has tolerated me for more than four decades.  We love Evelyn!

Farm Bellewood

Bellewood is officially a farm with my new yard mates. I have named them Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Kabob.  Any of my concerned Anchorage neighbors have Stuart and Michele Ray to thank for their rooster-sharing generosity.   

Day 1.  
5:15 a.m.   They are talkative little critters, aren't they.

8:30 a.m.  I don't necessarily believe that seven roosters is better than one.

10:45 a.m.    Stuart Ray has changed his cell phone number.  

Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School Meets Opporteen!

Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School Dean Jim Bradford

Spent today in Nashville working the streets with Opporteen!  Working to define how the program best plays out at The University Level in Nashville.  Thank you Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School Dean Jim Bradford, and Owen Professor Dawn Iacobucci, for taking the time to meet me, hearing my Opporteen story, and for your thoughts about the program!  I appreciate and value input from everyone at the university level, especially those from one as prestigious as The Owen Graduate School at Vanderbilt.   Opporteen's success is dependent on acceptance by and involvement of university leadership and faculty.   I'm grateful for your insight and look forward to sharing more.

Village Anchor Celebrates It's Third Best Restaurant In Louisville Award in Three Years!

I'm not a late night kinda guy, but last night was the exception!  'Til early this morning, The Village Anchor and Sea Hag teams celebrated its third Best Restaurant in Louisville award!  This one by the readers of Leo Magazine with their 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards--taking first, second or third place in Nine of the 50  categories, Including Best Restaurant In The City! 

With 30,000 votes cast, The Village Anchor won more than any other restaurant in the history of the Awards!  Thanks to Everyone for Making The Village Anchor The Best Dining Experience In The City! Here’s how it played out:

Best Restaurant in Louisville, First Place!
Best Restaurant for Outdoor Dining in Louisville: First Place!
Best Chef In Louisville: Second Place (Geoffrey Heyde)
Best Wine List in Louisville: Second Place
Best Place for a Romantic Dinner in Louisville: Second Place, (The Anchor Lanai)
Best French Fries in Louisville: Second Place (Sweet Potato Fries with Marshmallow Dipping Cream)
Best Hot Brown in Louisville: Third Place  (The Pulled Chicken Hotter Brown)
Best Breakfast/Brunch in Louisville: Third Place (The Sunday Village Brunch and Red Velvet Pancakes With Cream Cheese Filling)
Best Dessert in Louisville: Third Place (Myra's Banana Pudding)

THANKS TO OUR GREAT TEAM, OUR GREAT CUSTOMERS AND ESPECIALLY LEO WEEKLY FOR CONDUCTING THE SURVEY!

In 2013 I Will Learn To Ride and Use My Stable

Much fun this weekend at Dan Ison and Debbie Holloway 's Simpsonville Ranch.  I've decided that I am committed to learning how to ride in 2013, and I'm dedicated to putting two horses in my own twin-spire 100-year-old stable next year!  I need help with fencing.....any takers?

Phoenix, Opporteen and 100,000 Students

Nearly 50 percent of the junior and seniors in Phoenix are
Latino, African American or American Indian

Check out the view from my room in Scottsdale, Ariz. this morning.  I'm there this week to meet with folks in The Phoenix/Maricopa School System to get feedback on Opporteen and how it can affect minority markets. There are approximately 100,000 high school junior and seniors in Phoenix, and nearly 50% of them are either Latino, American Indian or African American. An element of Opporteen is being built specifically to address these important segments. Please like us and friend us! And follow my blog at http://kevingrangierusa.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday, Dad! 72!

Happy birthday, Dad, who celebrated 72 years with family and friends last night at The Village Anchor!  Thanks, also, to the kitchen for a fabulous meal and an amazing chocolate gananche raspberry cake!

Opporteen's High School Teen Leadership Panel Says Communicating With The Counselor Is One Thing; "Time To Assist" Is Another

More than 1 million students drop out of high school
each year.  Opporteen is designed to directly impact these
students at no cost to schools, students or the system

I came across this Huffington Post piece that shares the importance of asking what students think to enjoy more satisfying outcomes.  http://ow.ly/ejf5S   It points out the age-old and common-sense approach to understanding the customer -- know where their heads are and what it is that influences their actions at the most fundamental levels -- information that those of us as marketers have known--and relied upon--for decades. 

As I've only been in the restaurant business for short of three years, I can tell you that customer feedback is the foundation of its success, having been named the best restaurant in the City by many groups three years running.  I can also say that the food business is no different than any other--you have a product, a customer, employees, interaction at some level, issues, a changing environment, and a thousand things competing for headspace.  While I can't think of any other industry that has as many touch points, I would suggest that education with its student/parent customer base runs a close second.

Interestingly, Opporteen's leadership panel (Opporteam) which consists of 103 junior and senior high school students across Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, was polled about the subject just a few weeks back.  93% of the team says that students' thinking about their futures are not directly asked and, more importantly, the majority of those believe that what is said falls upon deaf ears or isn't acted upon.

So it begs the question of which is more important?  Reaching a student who doesn't believe the process or what it is you have to say, or transitioning the student's thinking to trusting what it is you are saying and making respectful how it is you are trying to say it.

We know that students today enjoy a freedom to think and do as never before, and a level of independence that is, while bothersome in this writer's opinion, prevalent to the point of no return.  

Among its many objectives, Opporteen is designed to leverage students' independence to think and do, and to connect with those beyond the walls of their schools who can make a difference in their lives.  Non-profit Opporteen is an independent resource that motivates students to connect with people who can enlighten them to opportunity and, in some form, hope for their futures -- something that by nature will always be difficult for schools to accomplish--simply given their massive responsibility and the resources available to them to get there.

Please like and follow us on Facebook at Opporteen, or my blog at kevingrangierusa.blogspot.com, and learn how Opporteen helps students to communicate with counselors and schools, and how the outside world (you and I) can influence the futures of our next generation.  

Thanks to EVERYONE who is helping to make Opporteen a reality that will effect so many.

Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson, Close The Deal, and Opporteen

I started out this morning with Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson at Bullitt Central High School where he defined his Close The Deal program to nearly 300 seniors.  Close The Deal is similar to Opporteen (facebook @opporteen) in that it connects high school students to professionals, financial aid opportunities and colleges.   The students rotated through tables to associate themselves with the various college professionals and financial advisors who attended.   Lt. Gov. Abramson wants to see Close The Deal evolve throughout Kentucky and is working to make that happen.  Close The Deal is looking for very similar outcomes as Opporteen, and it's great to have our state's leadership putting energy into it.

Thank you, Jerry, for including me this morning; it was great to see you and Kentucky at work to truly change the lives of young people.

Great Peeps Those nFocus Guys!

nFocus Launch Party at The Village Anchor!


Awesome launch of nFocus Magazine's October issue last evening at The Village Anchor. Thanks to the nearly 200 who showed--and thanks to the great Village Anchor Team; as always amazing food and near-perfect execution (because who wants the weight of perfection on his shoulder, right?). Nice issue, too--congrats to all who put it together!

Village Anchor featured in this month's nFocus

Check out this piece on The Village Anchor that is in this week's nFocus Magazine.  Thanks to Cheoffrey and his team for the great work, and food.  http://nfocusmagazine.com/food-wine-the-village-anchor-pub-roost!

Nestled in the historic City of Anchorage, Kentucky, The Village Anchor | Pub & Roost is inspired by Kevin Grangier’s travel abroad, and his desire to create a “destination” dining venue in the East End. Sitting on the patio, with the early fall breeze caressing my back, owner Kevin Grangier across the table, and Executive Chef Geoffrey Heyde filling our mugs with aromatic French Press coffee, I was able to pick the brains of the men who created the restaurant known for amazing food, service, and scenery.

Kevin and Geoff explained that they have been working together for years. Following his graduation from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Geoff worked at The Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton, and both Vinino and McFadden’s in Kansas City before being lured back to Louisville to work with Kevin. “One day Geoff and I were driving around and saw the lease sign outside the building,” explained Kevin between sips of coffee. “We immediately thought, ‘There is nothing around here. Why can’t we do this and open a restaurant?’” Our conversation moved from inception to fruition, and the present offerings that help to make the Village Anchor a place where people from all over come to enjoy a great meal.

Q: How did you come up with the concept of the restaurant and the menu?

Kevin: We wanted to create a “destination,” because you don’t just drive out to Anchorage for no reason. We wanted it to have a cool eclectic style, and believed the Anchorage community would be very supportive.

Geoff: We considered a lot of different things when thinking about the menu. Kevin would say, “I want a burger,” and leave it up to me to figure out how to make it “the best” burger in Louisville. [They currently server a meatloaf burger.] We started hosting focus groups at people’s homes throughout the city, making a few items we were considering for the menu, and taking their feedback and critique to make it better.

Q: What has been vital to the success of the restaurant?

Kevin: I’d say that the recipe for a successful restaurant = 25% good food, 25% alcohol, 25% service, 25% overall experience. Each one is critical. If you don’t get out of your car, look up the hill, and immediately sense something about the experience you want to feel, we are doing something wrong.

Geoff: I spend about 25% of my time on the floor with the patrons. That is a lot for a chef. I hear if there is a complaint, but am also able to build pretty good relationships with diners.

Q: You mentioned that the kitchen at the Village Anchor is really small. Does that impact the service patrons receive?

Geoff: People always ask me why I come to work at 7am when we don’t open till 11am for lunch. It’s because we have a lot of prep to do. We send out approximately 1800 plates a day, and have done up to 2400 plates on really busy days. With 270 seats to serve, and items on the menu that Kevin calls “freakishly complicated” to make, it takes mastering how to prepare the dishes quickly. I have a great team in the kitchen that makes sure our patrons have an enjoyable experience.

During our conversation, waiters appeared at the table beside us with the Hot Brown for the gentleman, and the Red Velvet pancakes for his wife. After taking a few bites, the man leaned over, tapped Geoff on the shoulder, and said, “May I interrupt you? This may be the best Hot Brown I’ve ever eaten!”

Kevin and Geoff shared that The Village Anchor has done a “Celebrity Host Night” each Monday for the past 1.5 years, donating 10% of their total revenue to a nonprofit or local cause, totaling over $40,000 to date.  They have also added $1 mimosas on Sunday for brunch at the Sea Hag (the downstairs bar at The Village Anchor). With so many great offerings, it’s no wonder that The Village Anchor has become a destination for travelers and locals alike.

—Josh Miller

Choose To Chance The Rapids; Dare To Dance The Tide

I met a guy in Key West this past week who was celebrating his 50th birthday and was upset because he thought he had not accomplished much thus far in his life.   We shared challenges, risks that we'd taken, and what one gives up to experience certain things in one's life and see dreams come to fruition.  I honestly don't think there are right or wrong paths in life...these paths are the threads of our colorful fabrics, and they are different for everybody.   Ironically, one of my favorite songs was playing while we were talking.  It reminded me of my own fabric and how it has been uniquely weaved by the paths that I have chosen.  Our conversation also reminded me of how easy it's been for me to take risks and accept challenges and, conversely, how difficult it is for some people to do the same.  The fourth paragraph especially speaks to me, and is what I always seem to do.

A dream is like a river, changing as it flows; and a dreamer's just a vessel, that follow's where it goes.

Learning from what's behind you and never knowing what's in store, makes each day a constant battle to stay between the shores.

Too many times we stand aside and let the waters slip away; we put off 'til tomorrow, which soon becomes today.

So don't just sit upon the shore and say you're satisfied--Choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tide.

Sail your vessel 'til the river runs dry; like a bird upon the wind, let the water be your sky.

You'll never reach your destination if you never try.  Sail your vessel until the river runs dry.

Thanks to counselors, teachers and parents for all of your feedback re: the Opporteen mobile app!

The Perfect Key West Morning

Opporteen is Coming Along in Ky, Tenn, Ind & Ill

Really great meetings with school system superintendents from Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Illinois already this week (very busy week)! Trying to complete the Opporteen mobile app by including incentive programs for teachers, counselors and high 

school principals. Thanks so much to all of the administrators who are giving of their time as we work to bring this project to fruition -- including Lou Cavallo (Illinois) and Buddy Berry (Kentucky)! You guys do awesome work and so thankful that you are willing to share your experiences and expertise!

Opporteen. Help Teen's See Beyond!

You are probably aware that teachers in Kentucky and Tennessee both start out making just over 30k a year. They average about 42K throughout their careers. These are the college-educated professionals expected to dedicate their lives to t

eaching and growing young people, and inspiring and offering direction to teens.

Opporteen is working with for-profit companies to augment these teacher's salaries in Kentucky and Tennessee to start, individually, and in a way that can truly be felt. Please like and friend us on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/Opporteen 
to stay up to date with this very important initiative! I'm very excited about the progress of Opporteen in such a short period of time. Thanks to everyone!

From Kevin's Garden

My Sunday's Harvest!  I'm planning the most amazing cantaloupe, hot pepper and cucumber soufflé  you've ever tasted!

From me to me this morning

Nephews, Fraternity and Papa John

Kevin Grangier, ATOs Bobby and Jerry Grangier, and Papa John

Went to St. Louis yesterday with Papa John (I'm whipping out some speaking points for him) to get inducted into ATO Fraternity. John finished college in three years and only got thru part of the ATO Pledge Initiation. Here we are at the

national conference with my two ATO nephews, Jerry and Bobby (Bobby works for the National organization in Indy) following the initiation ceremony. I wasn't privy to the honorary induction as I am a Delt--but they were kind enough to invite me to dinner. :) Congrats to John on his new family of brothers, and to my nephew Bobby for making it happen. (I Love these pics. The top one looks like we're on the campaign trail. :)

Cat-dog by Noel Aker

Who Knew I Wasn't Supposed To Amount To Much?

I had lunch recently at The Village Anchor with friend and Kentucky’s Second Lady (I guess that’s how one references the Lt. Gov’s wife) Madeline Abramson.  It was a pleasure to spend time with someone who's been a face of our community since 1989 when she and the now Lt. Gov. married.  We discussed, among other things, how children in rural communities might better be exposed to social, educational and (in general) growth opportunities outside of their current environments.

Madeline Abramson with Kevin Grangier at
TheVillage Anchor Restaurant

Madeline shared with me a number of successful state and local programs that drive exposure of teens to the arts, and various career-oriented programs like one which showcases opportunities in the hospitality industry.  Many of these programs team with  school systems to determine which students are best suited for said opportunities.  As one might guess, the students who are tagged as achievers (based on any number of legitimate criteria) are the ones who typically become candidates for these types of activities.

My question is, how do we expose those who are not necessarily at the top of the achiever list to opportunities that will foster growth and perhaps lay a seed of curiosity?   Take me, for example.  When I was a junior in high school, in a confusing conversation with my advisor, she said to me that I would be best suited for a vocational school; college probably wasn't in my cards (this given my not-so-stellar grades and my significant ADHD).  While I have nothing against vocational schools--they are perfectly right for many people--that path just  didn't seem right for me.  In an act of defiance, I applied to the University of Oxford (UK) because it was the most unlikely school I could think of (I wrote essays, took tests and lied about how it was that I would pay for it), and I got accepted.  My life-book has grown ever since, with that experience defining its first chapter.   

Point is, I wasn't one of the kids who would naturally be chosen to participate in extracurricular growth opportunities, or who was even on the top-25 list of those most likely to succeed.  I was one of those kids, however, who sought exposure and new experiences, and knew in my heart I would be successful at whatever it is I did...if I were just given the chance to do it.   Or even knew that there was a chance to do it.

Fast forward 30 years and I wonder how it is I (we) can help teens--not necessarily just the obvious picks--in communities that do not have the resources or in some cases even the inclination to enlighten kids to environments different than the ones to which they're accustomed.  I can't help but wonder how my life would have turned out if I had taken seriously the words of my counselor, or if I were one of the kids who was never told that I could do whatever I wanted, wherever I wanted (I am blessed that my own parents shared this message frequently).  

For many years now I've toyed with the vision of a program that develops teens by doing nothing more than exposing them to new environments and, therefore, opportunities.  If a spark of curiosity can drive just one student to study underwater biology in Florida; one girl to write music with a composer in New York; or one boy to want to do something other than that which might be expected of him in his rural hometown, then what a powerful--affective--program could happen.  And what a chilling motivator for an overlooked teen who is just on the brink of being "picked," but knows he isn't going to make the cut.   

If anybody else is curious, or sees the same opportunity, let's grab a beer and make it happen!    

Surprise At Dinner With My Long-Time Friends

You may recall that a few weeks ago I visited with my long-time and dear friends Wade and Betty Mountz and combed through Betty's hundreds of family recipes.  I worked for Wade just out of college (back in the day he was president of the American Hospital Association and, believe it or not, part of my colorful education and background is in healthcare administration).  Anyway, in his AHA role Wade spent a lot of time on Capital Hill and became fond of the Senate Bean Soup (that dates back to 1901) from the Senate Restaurant in the U.S. Capitol.  So last night I pulled a quick one on Wade and Betty (with my friends Sonny and Charlotte Tharp) and hosted dinner for the four at The Village Anchor.  To surprise the Mountz', Chef Patrick prepared both the Senate Bean Soup and another of Wade and Betty's favorites-- his grandmother Claudia Mountz' Dutch Lettuce Salad that goes back to 1935.   Here's the recipe for the Senate Bean Soup, if you're interested--it was simple, but absolutely amazing!  Thanks to Chef Patrick who prepared the foods that made our dinner special, and to Wade and Betty for sharing their evening, and their fond memories of two of their favorite dishes!

United State Senate Restaurant at The U.S. Capital

The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup, 1901

Take two pounds of small Michigan Navy Beans, wash, and run through hot water until Beans are white again.  Put on the fire with four quarts of hot water.  Take one and one-half pounds of Smoked Ham Hocks, boil slowly for approximately three hours in a covered pot.  Braise one onion, chopped, in a little butter and, when light brown, put in Bean Soup.  Season with salt and pepper; then serve. Do not add salt until ready to serve.  (Eight persons.)

Okay. This is funny....

KRA Recognizes The Village Anchor's Cheoffrey

Just finishing The Village Anchor's second year of operation, it's great to continually be recognized among the best restaurants in the region.  There's so much work that goes into developing and operating a restaurant, and so many more touch points than any business in which I've been involved in the past.  This month's KRA industry publication highlights Village Anchor Chef Geoff Heyde as a "Chef that Sizzles."  He is deserving, for sure.  Not sure where to find the link, but here's a copy of the brief article which came out this week.   kg

Johnny Depp, Gonzo And An Old Black T

Kentucky-born Hunter S. Thompson was a chromatic character.  Until this week, though, my familiarity with him was limited to my Godson Chris' homage of the guy's work; an old paperback of "The Curse of Lono" on my nightstand; and scant knowledge of his unconventional friendship with his fellow Kentuckian Johnny Depp (their relationship began with Depp blowing up propane tanks in Thompson's yard, and ended with the actor bankrolling the writer's request to have his ashes shot out of a cannon).  I became a little more familiar with Thompson this past week when my friends Vijay Dias and Chapman Montgomery hung out with me at Bellewood on Tuesday evening.  Seems Chapman is a long-time Gonzo fan (Gonzo is the name given to Thompson's style of journalism), and Vijay actually has a tie to the guy--a friend of his was Thompson's best friend and the last person the writer called before he took his life.  That tie, of course, accentuated the stories on Tuesday evening, on my front lawn sipping bourbon, about a guy who lived life pretty much as it was presented to him, allowing few into his world, and labeling even fewer "friend."   Anyway... in white adirondack chairs beneath a dogwood-filtered moon under which we puffed Vijay's Indian bidis, we friends did what friends do, and pontificated Depp and Thompson, Bollywood, international soccer, x-relationships and, in part, each's colorful journey from boy to man.

Out of the millions we happen upon in our lifetime, I wonder what sparks the connection to just a few?  What makes a friendship elastic enough to bend to our complex lives, and enduring enough to withstand cracks and avoid breaks?  Depp and Thompson found synergy in their Kentucky roots, their friendship energized by the coming together of two eccentrics from the same part of the world--even with no particular fondness for said part of the world.  My friends Vijay and Chapman have a durable bond, for years resistant to geography, girlfriends and simple routine.  And Chris and I have a bond that remains solid, unyielding to three decades of class projects, puberty, rock bands and his recent marriage.

I can't help but query what attracts my friends to me?  My pal Adam once described me as  "an amazing mess of misunderstood."  I'm pretty selfish when it comes to my day.  And I rarely carve out quality time with my friends and, when I do, I'm generally preoccupied and focused on everything other than them--easily irritated and patience thin.  It's odd, really, that so many accept me for who I am, swallowing the quirks, mis-wiring and erratic behavior that comes with me -- my "gifts with purchase," if you will.  :) 

To better understand my quirky self and my own friendships under the scrutiny of philosophers, I recently read  "Emerson and Thoreau:  Figures of Friendship".  The book defines how the two friends not only wrote about friendship, but the lengths to which they went to affirm it, always recognizing it's potential as a source for deep pain.  In an environment that recklessly affirms friends with the click of a button (guilty), the book solidified for me the importance of driving friendships past surface, distinguishing heavily between the "ideal" friend and the "actual" person.  My take (and I enjoyed the read):  I can't even be what "I" want to be, much less what my friends want me to be.  :)

The next evening following our night of pontification, just before dinner at Chapman's, Vijay stepped out of the room for a few minutes and returned with a t-shirt.  "I have something for your Godson," he said, handing over a worn black t with writing on its backside.  "This was a gift directly from Hunter to my friend," he said, "I think Chris would like it."  I agreed, and arranged for a surprise gift-give the next day.

The following day at The Village Anchor when the two met for the first time, Vijay presented the t-shirt to Chris.  I watched an unsuspecting bond begin to materialize as Vijay shared his own experience with Hunter S. Thompson; Chris clinging to the words.   At the heart of this was a moment that probably happens a hundred times a day for each of us, that I know I fail to acknowledge.  Like this morning at coffee when a young woman asked the meaning of my tattoo; yesterday afternoon at the restaurant when a customer invited me to sit by her pool; or just a few minutes ago when I asked the guy next to me what he was reading.   I wonder what it is that would have inspired one of these chance meetings to advance to even the slightest of friendship?  And I wonder what it is that kept me from doing so?  

I wonder, too, if Vijay and Chris have friended each other on Facebook.

Nashville, White Castle and Dolly

Facebook post July 9, 2012.     Okay. So I've maybe seen better days. I've spent the afternoon in Nashville making things happen. I started out with a cup of java that I spilled on me person. Fortunately I had a semi-wadded up shirt in the back seat that had a tolerable amount of dog hair on it. I used a pad of sticky Post-It-Notes to get what I could off. It didn't really do the trick, however, and I had to wear a sport coat all afternoon -- it's not exactly sport coat weather. I then spent some time with the Fabulous (capital F) publisher/editor of Nashville Lifestyles Stacie Standifer. We updated about moving and shaking in the Music City. (I don't think she suspected the coffee spill or the slightly dog-hair-infested shirt or she never would have entertained my mover/shaker update). After some serious project review with Stacie, I next talked myself out of a ticket going down a one-way ally somewhere in downtown Nashville near a White Castle (sad, I know, that WC is my marker -- but I'm a chill-billy, remember) -- the Kentucky tags helped me out of the ticket; the California driver's license I suspect helped more (I know, I gotta fix that). Actually, I guess the day was turning out pretty good considering the coffee incident and the almost-ticket. But the really great part of the day was seeing some entourage of busses with what I'm sure was a collage of fancy music people (it sorta rekindled memories of LA, like when I saw Madonna yelling at a parking attendant because he couldn't get the garage gate arm to lift). Point is, I went into what I call corner-gawk-mode--you know where you look out of the corner of the eye, trying desperately not to move your head so nobody knows you are pathetically and unnaturally looking to catch a glimpse of the goings on--often times based around a celebrity, or somebody who has toilet paper trailing from their pants. Actually, most people go into corner-gawk-mode when they're driving past a highway accident, or when a friend gets pulled over. It's a horrible thing, but what normal person can't confess to that? Anyway, the brief gawking gave me no clues. I have opted to believe that Nashville Queen Dolly Parton was in one of the busses giving voice lessons to an up-and-comer starlet. The other bus probably included her clothes, wigs, nail polish, etc. (Dolly's, not the starlet's.) The third bus I imagine was full of fans who each won a ticket by singing a verse of a Dolly song on a radio station morning show (don't laugh; I've planned those promotions). Dolly or not, it was the perfect finale to what ended up being not so bad of a day in Nashville! You should visit this fabulous city…it's colorful and high-spirited, and the cops are pretty darn nice to Kentuckians! I'm headed home now! :) kg

My Harvest

Facebook post July 9 2012.  Here's my first and likely only "Kentucky Harvest." It's going on the cover of my book: "One Dry Summer For A Measly Pot of Soup."

My Journey With I-40

Facebook post July 7, 2012.   So I can't tell if my life has been sheltered, privileged, or both. Earlier this week I attended a party in The Highlands at which I made a terrible faux pas (it was my mouth….again). The celebration was built in part around a young woman's birthday. Upon the make-a-wish segment of the traditional blowing-out-the-candles ritual, I said "Make sure you wish for something realistic….not like to lose a hundred pounds or anything like that," (or some equally numbing fascimile). Of course, in hind-site, I realize this was thoughtless and stupid but, also of course, I meant nothing by it except to inject a bit of humor in what otherwise had the makings of somewhat of a stale tradition. I don't know the young woman very well, and didn't and don't see her as anything other than an attractive young woman. I didn't notice her weight or any issue with it, and, certainly if I had, or if there were, I would not have made such a comment, thoughtless and stupid or otherwise. Net net, I created a stir. Confirmation came moments later when the offended's husband cornered me in the kitchen to berate me, loudly and candidly, citing something about bashing my f'in face in. It was at that moment I realized the seriousness of my action. I quickly made the necessary apologies to the affected parties…and fled. First, and this is the foundation of my opening question of being sheltered….I've never been yelled at before. I mean in-your-face, I'm-going-to-kill-you yelled at. It took me back a bit, and the best response I could muster was immediate retreat. (My quick decision to abandon ship was built around traditional PR principles with which I had grown up: quickly accept blame, keep your words disciplined, allow them to talk about you, give it time, and it will likely fade, if not go away). 
I didn't drive to the party and, as such, I wasn't driving home. So I began the 16.2 mile trek to Anchorage from the Highlands, at a snails pace, with no identification, accoutrements or liquids, at 9:30 p.m. Five hours later, I landed at 1116 Bellewood Rd. (this is the part where I question privilege), having encountered vagabonds, police, underpass communities and citizens of a world to which I have never been privy. I now know where sidewalks begin and end, where darkness hides pathways riddled with cavities, and how teenage passers by can cut the soul of a 40-something year-old man with the blade of a simple few words.
With little time to contemplate my next move (certainly a manse on 10 manicured acres in the center of Anchorage was not the place to do it), I decided to head to the mountains on a journey to understand people, me and…in general, life (remember this comes only weeks after a questionable version of finality to a relationship in which I was deeply hurt). I packed a bag, left a tub of food for the cat, made my departure known to just a few, and began my six-hour journey to North Carolina. 
As the sun paid tribute to the glorious Blue Ridge Mountains that define Asheville (my car taken on a shaggy puppy that had found its way onto I-40) and with a water-downed Diet Mountain Dew that I acquired hours earlier just outside of Tennessee, I began my spiritual exercise. I thought about why people yell at people, I thought about relationships and the pain that accompany them. I thought about why it's so difficult for me to trust and wonder why I hurt the ones I love the most. I thought about the pregnant kitten I took in days before and wondered how she was faring in the 100-degree heat. And I thought about what I was going to do with the astray whelp that I had fostered for the day and that I had insipidly named I-40. 
After only hours of reflection, contemplation and some degree of spiritual pondering where I worked to understand people, life, relationships, decisions and things, I shook the dirt from my pants, rounded up I-40, and began the second half of my journey--this part to home. 

From the perspective of a lost soul atop a ridge, intimated by the massiveness of nature in the most humid place I've ever suffered contemplation, my accomplishments are benign. Besides salvaging a puppy that I relinquished to an altruistic Day's Inn agent on the skirt of town, I'm pretty sure I don't understand people and their actions any more than I did when I started. I'm no less frustrated by the constants of life, and I will continue to hurt the ones I love the most, and likely vise versa. I do, however, have a greater appreciation for the correct word at the correct time; I understand that relationships may never be understood; and I can't nor should I change that which makes me, me; and I shouldn't expect others to change that which makes them, them. I also know that pregnant kittens are helpless, dogs on highways are scared, and that my calves still hurt from my 16-mile trek. :)