5 reasons drivers can’t just chhiiiilllllllllllll

If you live in a big city (think Atlanta, NYC, Los Angeles, etc), you probably already know exactly how this blog is gonna go. Traffic is the worst, right? Afternoon rush hour has turned into afternoon rush afternoon here in Nashville. Especially if you throw rain into the mix, or, ya know, just the threat of gentle spring shower. FREAK OUT!
Excited Freak Out GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY
And don’t try to pick up bread and milk at a grocery story, because the shelves will already be empty! But there’s more to the traffic problem and no peanut butter and jelly sandwiches than just precipitation. Here in Nashville, we have the problems a lot of growing cities have: construction (some say the state bird is the crane), school zones, plus area population growing by more than 100 people per day.

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Cranes, cranes, and more cranes! (credit: Nathan Morgan – Nashville Business Journal)

My top 5 reasons traffic is the way it is…

Bumper to Bumper the avenue was packed.
-Vanilla Ice

1. Construction. If you visit downtown Nashville anytime between 8am and forever, you’re going to get stuck behind 30 cars, a dump truck, and a lane that’s closed off.

2. Population growth. As mentioned, the population is growing by over 100 a day. Most are folks moving here, so I guess some are babies being born. They don’t account for the bad traffic, but give it 16 years and watch out.

3. Weather. Lots of this makes lots of traffic.

4. Hello road rage. People are angry. When bottlenecks, slowdowns, and stupidity happen on the road, people get mad. Mad people make quick decisions. This often leads to mistakes. I give you, Exhibit A. Watch the dark sports car in the far left lane. This accident was caused by a dump truck abruptly slowing down for no apparent reason.
People making decisions out of sheer rage can often lead to even more traffic problems. This also leads directly into the next cause…

5. People think rules don’t apply to them.

These drivers might not directly cause bad traffic, but when their driving leads to wrecks, police involvement, or when they cut ahead of people, traffic is affected.

So here are the takeaways:
1. Everyone just needs to chhillllllllllll. It’s all gonna be OK.

2. Stop moving to Nashville. It’s not that great and the traffic is horrible. 😉

3. If you live in a city or town where traffic gets bad, leave earlier than you originally planned.

-Out of the Wilderness

Who was your first crush? Mine was…

In reality, this post will most likely be about music. But I’m just going to keep on typing and see where it goes. So you had a crush, did ya? Well, who was it? Mine was an icon of the 80s and she’s still around, though she’s probably in her 80s now.

Before the big reveal, it was a song called “Iko, Iko” that’s sort of led to this post. The song (originally from the 60s) has been performed by a billion and a half people since then, including this fun and charming take from Sia:

Sia’s version of the song was used for a dance routine by my 11-year-old niece which reminded me to look up the song on Spotify. Well, I couldn’t find the Sia version… dadgum it! On the bright side, the billion and a half other versions are on Spotify, even one by my first crush… Cyndi Lauper. She made me want to swing from the chandelier.

Then it dawned on me why I like Sia. She reminds me of Cyndi. Their voices on “Iko, Iko” sound very much alike and something could also be said about their style choices, too. Time after time, their look is spunky, they like creative and colorful costuming. All things I gravitate towards. What can I say? I like girls who just want to have fun. They’re the greatest.

Sooo I’ve shown my true colors so why don’t you do the same? Who was your first crush and why?

-Out of the Wilderness

Adventure to Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee

If you’re looking for a great place to hike with a long, beautiful payoff, consider Fall Creek Falls. Between all the hiking trails (and the bike trail, if it accidentally happens) you can get a good amount of hiking in, and maybe even a free ride back once you’ve gone too far in one direction on aforementioned bike trail! Take a look at the pics below and then go see it for yourself, you won’t be disappointed…

The earth has its music for those who will listen

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Jarry Lee / Buzzfeed / Thinkstock

On the mornings I can do this, I love taking my camping chair, setting it up where the rising sun can pass along to me its warmth, open up a book to read, and enjoy birds conducting the soundtrack of chirps, whistles, calls; piping their signals to each other that a new day has dawned and it’s time to sing.

After recording the video below, I’ve come to recognized the song of the cardinal; a couple of the different calls, at least.


A visit from a neighborhood squirrel is a bit more rare, mostly because of my canine companions that seem to have a taste for the furry critters. Yesterday I kept the dogs inside for a bit to record this squirrel taking advantage of a late afternoon snack.


All this to say, if you have a chance to escape into the wild, even for a few minutes, and even if it’s just your back yard, get out there and listen to the music. It’ll do your body good!

-Out of the Wilderness

The woman in Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know”

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Brett Young seems to be making waves in country music this year. He’s got a couple of music videos out and the one for “In Case You Didn’t Know” is simple, and yet matches the mood and feel of the song really well. Sometimes less is more, right? Anywho, Brett is singing to a girl who doesn’t exist, although when they shot the video, there clearly was a girl on set. She played the part of the “imaginary girlfriend” but who is she in real life?

*Who’s the woman in Brett Young’s “Mercy” video? Find out here*

Well, with the help of (and big thanks to) folks finding this post and commenting, the girl has been identified. Her name is Sara Morgan. Somewhat confirmed in a tweet I sent to @SaraMorgan97…

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Check the comments below for more info. Then enjoy her performance in Brett’s video for “In Case You Didn’t Know.”


-Out of the Wilderness