Veni, Vidi, Weenie

This weekend, my brother came to town to see all that Nashvegas has to offer. A great weekend for him, since Labor Day meant he'd have an extra day here. Sadly, classes still go on, so I will indeed be teaching tomorrow and cursing my bad luck.

BUT

We did get some fabulous weather this weekend (hello, 70s and 80s!). So Saturday, we made a pilgrimage to my favorite Weenerie, "I Dream of Weenie". Technically a stand, not a restaurant, they offer seating through a clever loophole: their neighbour, a gallery/boutique has a picnic table on their front grass, and there are a multitude of table cloths and blankets diners can set down on the grass and munch on.



Both of us enjoyed the specialty hot dog of the day--roasted peppers on a hot dog with creole mustard. Sadly, they were out of gouda! Sitting there while I explained why all the hipsters had babies, and what East Nashville is like, my brother realized that it would indeed be a fun place to live.

Then, on to Ugly Mugs, where we worked and enjoyed the weather, thanks to the garage-door type window that opens the whole cafe to the world beyond. Amusing was the guy at the next table, who went up to the girl sitting there, told her he'd let her work, and then chatted for an hour. When he switched seats to be closer to her, he was then right in line with James' elbow. I told my brother on gchat that he should hit the guy, and low and behold, not a minute later, he did. Except for the fact that he claims he didn't see the provoking gchat. Uh huh.

The night was rounded out with a house concert, where the esteemable John Francis played. The night was a little chilly, perfect for a concert on the grass with blankets and chairs, surrounded by candles and a strumming guitar. The voice? Aching. Of course, it didn't hurt that the music also had a conscience--Francis sings about America's lost values, who Jesus really is, and how we the church need to serve the poor (this is a crap summary of some pretty good lyrics; go give him a listen. My favorites on his Myspace are "Johnny Cash on the Radio" and "Prayer in a Time of Drought") Crickets sang in the background, and the old tree with its low, wide-spanning branches was hung with candles in glasses. Sorry I couldn't take a picture, but it wouldn't have done the scene justice.

Sunday was another repeat of the working in a cafe setup; Bongo Java's excellent porch made the two hour work session enjoyable. Then on to Demo's for dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. Who knew it would take me five years to get around to eating at that Nashville institution? All of this finished up with a walk through downtown, past the honky tonks, and to the Banging Pianos, where we had a beer and looked down on the tourists below.

A news caster was trying to record a clip, dressed in typical Nashville style (really heavy makeup, horrid roots, shorts, and 5-inch heels). A group of three teenagers on skate boards enjoyed slipping by, waving at the camera, and making odd motions. It was hilarious to watch the news caster get frustrated--her black-rimmed eyes exaggerated every eye roll to the extreme.

Happy Labor Day, y'all. I'll celebrate by teaching and laboring on my gestating dissertation.