Fun Time With Family

Family time is hard to come by. In most cases you just have to make it happen even when you don't have the time, don't have the money or simply don't have the energy. Any one of these three can be the kill-joy. Fortunately, I made the time, had saved the money and lack of energy is just a cop out I'm not ready to start using. Especially since we don't have Alyzabeth An running all over the place tiring us out just yet...

So it took a bit of schedule juggling and a mad dash through the Charlotte, NC airport but I had a wonderfully busy but fun time last weekend.

It all started this past Friday when I met up with my two brothers in snowy but beautiful Nashville, TN. We all stayed at my niece (brother Bill's daughter) and her husband's home in the Ravenwood area. Nikki and Chris were absolute grand host, especially putting up with not just Bill, but Ben and I as well. They have two great boys, Morgan and Regan, each with a personality to go with their sunny smiles and warm hearts. They really are great kids. Nikki and Chris: You should be rightfully proud.

Friday night we had a fun and delicious Italian dinner at Maggiono's followed by a Saturday basketball game between the Florida Gators and Vanderbilt Commodores. Thank you again Chris for the tickets. The Vanderbilt crowd was pumped for the game and so too were the Vanderbilt players as they handed the then #1 ranked Florida Gators a resounding loss. To say the Vandy Crowd was excited would be a huge understatement.

It would have been fun to stay and (reluctantly) celebrate their victory over our Gators but I had to head to the airport following the game and get back home in time for The Race. The Daytona 500!

Our son Justin and Kelly got Aly and I tickets to this years Daytona 500 for Christmas. So after a quick goodbye to family in Tennessee it was a harried late flight back to Jacksonville via Charlotte. Thank goodness they held the plane in Charlotte or else I would have been watching this race sitting in front of the tv screen at home. Not good.

As you may know, I come to NASCAR by way of Alyson. Aly and her Dad were the race fans and spent many enjoyable hours debating the best race teams, the best drivers and just who caused who to wreck. It was always fun to watch and listen to them both. It was their way of sharing a bond. If you saw the race you know that we saw a great one with a crash filled, side by side racing finish. It really was fun but where in the world did the COLD weather come from? It was COLD. Not cool. COLD. And just as you would expect, the next day the temperature was back up to the high 60's, low 70's. Go figure... Thank you Justin and Kelly. This was a great Christmas gift!