Hey, I'm back from Music City. I went to visit Mr. and Mix and try and extend summer a bit. So, to keep up with what had been happening weather-wise in the South, it continued to rain through Saturday. Lots of rain this month. Probably about 2.5 inches in the last storm that blew by. Finally got sunny and Sunday and Monday were very nice. Cooler, but nice. Of course, I arrive back in town yesterday and it's winter.

I got to meet their new dog and here he is...Brutus!

















A black lab and pit bull mix that is just the right kinda dog you want. Nice temper, hustles around (hell, he's young!), and is a great companion. Even when I had to sit with him for a time, he was cool.

I went to a few places I had not been before for chow. Ted's Montana Grill was one. This is the chain owned by Ted Turner. Remember when he went crazy and bought bison in Montana. Well, this is the end result. I actually buy bison now and then and was eager to try Ted's place. It actually is pretty good. All of the burgers can be beef or bison. I opted for the bison, of course. Unlike our local buffalo purveyor, you can actually get a pot roast or meatloaf done bison-style. And I think I had 17 gallons of sweet tea. Nice touch with salt and pepper onion rings, too.

We also had some barbecue over at Calhoun's. If you recall the glory days of the National Rib Burnoff locally, you may recall Calhoun's being an entrant for a few years. Pre-scandal winner as well, I think. I wish I was a bit hungrier here, but the pulled pork was very good. And they had Shiner Bock, too.

Since we had a chance to see some preseason hockey on Saturday, we went to Rippy's, which is right across from the Sommet Center. Who cares if it was more barbecue? We got here in plenty of time, as it was packed. Tennessee had a 6:00 game on TV and the hockey game started at 7:00. Unfortunately, the kitchen lost our order. A discovery made only about 45 minutes after we ordered. Uh-oh. But one of my favorite words appeared via the manager. "F-R-E-E, that spells free." Great pulled chicken sammie. Which I think I inhaled. Good stuff.

After the hockey game, it was time for a snack. Wild Bill's (it seems he may have a shady past, but his food is good) Beignets and Bikes. This was right across from the Sommet Center and it's a little shop that combines, oddly enough, beignets and motorcycles. I had the banana with caramel sauce and, lemme say, it was outstanding. It is hard to describe, but this concept may actually work. Can't speak for the bikes, or any alleged shady past, but the food was a real thrill.

















As I mentioned, we took in a Nashville-Carolina preseason hockey game at the Sommet Center. We got last row seats for not a bad price. And they had a pretty good view. It was good to see hockey again. I cannot stand the Monsters games because the speed of the game is way too slow for me. But it had been a while since I saw a live NHL game. Cheerleaders, louder music, Kiss Cam (with Kiss band members over your face), etc. It's just a different experience these days. And I loved it.

Meal of Links

We had to get out of the rain, so Mr. Mix and I bolted quickly to catch a matinee of "Surrogates". You know you are in the big city when you have to shell out $10 for a matinee. The local Regal only allows the first show cheaper. This is the movie where Bruce Willis plays an FBI agent who wants to start living his life again instead of using a surrogate. Did I mention surrogates are the rage in the not-so-distant future? You lie on your ass at home while it does the work for you. The movie was OK. I decided that I like the fact Bruce Willis is left-handed. I don't know, when he beats a guy with a bunch of lefts, it looks pretty cool to me. I saw Bruce on Letterman that night, and I gotta tell ya, I'm not sure Bruce is really into the final product here. Not necessarily going through the motions on the publicity tour, but not giving it the hard sell either. After seeing it though, one could hardly blame him.

At first, this was a big WTF when I heard it over the weekend. But this is why Roman Polanski was arrested. i still think it's a big WTF.

The Senate Finance Committee took two votes today on the public option for the healthcare bill and denied it twice. Check out Sen. Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia during these deabtes. He may be the smartest guy in the room.

"A Serious Man" congers up memories of "Barton Fink". "You're a sick fuck, Fink."

Dear God. She's back.

"The Brady Bunch" has turned 40.

The Austin City Limits Music festival takes place this weekend. It's live here.

Exercise Yard

While in Nashville, we witnessed the debacle that was the Browns game against the Ravens. The Browns are just not bad, they are historically bad. One offensive TD in 9 games. That is now more than half a season over two years. I don't think the Browns are at Chris Palmer, expansion-level yet. But it's getting perilously close.

And after only three games, is it really this bad?

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22 Across: Japanese sleuth Mr. ____ (4 letters) Answer: Moto