Christmas Day 4 - Hanging out in Nashville

On Sunday, we hung out in Nashville. That morning, Rachel, Heather (Rachel's sister), Mrs. Hargis and I went out and fed Mrs. Hargis's horse, Secret. She is a three year old Tennessee Walking Horse that lives in the pasture behind their house. Their neighbors board and train several horses.


Sunday afternoon, we went to the Stadium formerly known as Adelphia (now LP Field) for the Titans game against the NY Jets. The Cleveland Browns lost earlier in the day opening a spot in the playoffs for the Titans should they win their last 2 games. The whole family went. Rachel and I sat with her dad (the gentleman in the picture who looks Russian), while her mom sat with friends (she has a regular gang that she goes to games with). Sister Heather was also there with friends.

Following the game, we stopped by and saw Kelly Birdwell Austin and her husband, Eric. It was the first opportunity that we had to meet their daugher Sienna, who looks like an 8 month old Kelly (I am sure DNA testing would support that Eric is the father).

Reflections - Reliance on the Blackberry

I am now one of millions of Americans that has become totally reliant on technology, specifically my cell phone. When traveling for work recently, my phone fell out of my pocket as I was leaving Phoenix. Unfortunately, I was not immediately returning home, as I had to visit some clients in California. Rachel called on my phone while I was on the way to the airport. I missed it once I got into the security line at the Phoenix airport. Therefore, I knew it was either in the shuttle or at the U.S. Airways check-in counter.

I cannot describe the feeling that fell upon me. I felt helpless. It was like I had lost all connectivity with the world. As I sat in the terminal, I could check no email, I could not pass the time surfing the net for football scores. Most importantly, I could not call my wife. Even worse... I did not know if I could call my wife once I landed, as I was unsure of her phone number; it was programmed in the lost Blackberry.

I had to pick up the Account Manager who was flying in from Atlanta Monday morning. She had no way to contact me when she landed. Luckily, I had her flight information and was circling the Ontario, CA airport. As she climbed into the car, she stated, "Hey, I just talked to John with the shuttle company in Phoenix. He has your phone and is going to mail it to your wife." After I finished laughing, I enjoyed the sense of relief of knowing that my phone was safe and coming back to me.