My grandfather’s clock

It chimes and I’m a young boy sleeping on the floor of my grandparents Monticello home. The green shag carpet covered with sleeping bags, sheets, whatever stuffed animal I brought along for vacation, and 2 brothers quarantined to the room farthest from their 2 sisters, as everyone in the house tried for a restful night.

The home is quiet, save for the consistent ringing of the grandfather clock in the family room near the hallway leading through rows of family pictures on the wall.

Every summer we visited that old home built when my dad was just a small child. My grandfather and his father built the house, and he built the clock, too, which now chimes in my Nashville home decades after those summer vacations.

It still has that consistent chime, a charming sound that takes me back to my childhood every time.

Peanut Butter Toast Crunch is back!

I searched and searched but couldn’t find it anywhere. It became a treasure hunt. A pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. A needle in a haystack. A million to one. Extinct.

I knew it was too good to be true. All confirmed when I got a reply email from General Mills that said Peanut Butter Toast Crunch is no longer available… anywhere. Shortness of breath. Beads of sweat. What is happening?
tumblr_ltmyhbnTxi1r4ghkoo1_400I wouldn’t say it sent me into a spiraling tailspin of devastation, disappointment, denial, and flat-out rejection. It was more like a SPIRALING TAILSPIN OF DEVASTATION, DISAPPOINTMENT, DENAIL AND FLAT-OUT REJECTION!!!

There was no cereal that encompassed all the rich goodness peanut butter has to offer like Peanut Butter Toast Crunch. My world was rocked. Breakfast, as I once knew it, was over. Why? Why, I asked. But one person can’t change the mind of a corporation (although I was thankful they replied to my email inquiry).

Years went by. I went off to war with my buddy. He didn’t make it. I returned home and hugged my dad. I restored a big old house. Grew a beard. Wondered where my horse went. OK, that might be the story from The Notebook, and possibly War Horse, but you get the picture. A lot of time passed.
tumblr_lybxu9BCiJ1r2aobgo1_500A few days ago, though, I went to pick up some groceries and there she was. All shiny and new. My Allie! She galloped back into my life and balance was restored. I totally did a double take in the store, and…took a picture. tumblr_mjfkjrR3Km1rtg76ko1_500IMAG1440 -Out of the Wilderness

Call the cook, it’s hot!

Lately it’s been so hot here I wouldn’t be surprised to see chefs cooking outside. Eggs on a hood of a car, or something like that. With a heat index of over 100, what did I decide to do? Go running. Of course I did. Maybe I actually do pride myself on depriving myself. Today it was about depriving myself of the comfort of running in the cooler part of the day. I do think I’m slightly off my rocker, a french fry short of a happy meal, a lincoln log short of a mountain cabin, a tenor short of a barber shop quartet, but that can be our little secret…mmmmmk?

Stay cool,
Out of the Wilderness

Vacationing in the Bahamas…WITHOUT a GoPro

For anyone who knows me, it’ll probably be a surprise that on my recent trip to Atlantis in the Bahamas, I made a specific decision not use my GoPro. It’s part of an overarching theme I’ve been clinging to lately, to be in the moment without trying to preserve it in any other way than old-fashioned memories.

You know, the brain. The original data bank.

I could have put together a quick highlight video similar to a few I’ve done in the past, like a trip to Orlando to see my brother’s family, Disney vacations, or a recent beach workout video.

But I’m currently of the mindset that if you’re not here with us, then you wouldn’t get it anyway. So the camera stayed in my bag untouched for entirety of the trip. And honestly, it’s been so nice not to be carrying it around looking for the best angle, trying to record the unforgettable moments, repeating actions that were missed, hoping certain fish do things that are more entertaining than just snorkeling and watching them swim around their little homes. It’s being in the moment. It’s knowing that anything I see can be special because it happened once, I got to see it, and no one else ever will. It’s a part of history that will be talked about, exaggerated on, acted out, or thought of fondly, but like the barracuda I swam near today or the sand castles my nieces and I built today, there aren’t any pictures. No video.

Just great memories.

Do you want to see sharks? Do you want to see the colorful fish at Cove Beach? How about someone you know kissing a dolphin? Then go do it! Make some memories that you’ll be sad to forget when you’re old!

-Out of the Wilderness

Atlantis: Go with the flow

Holla if you hear me flow.
It’s another day here at the fabulous Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, and even when it rains, it’s great. You always hear that it would be a major let down if it rained while you’re on a tropical vacation. I can tell you here at Atlantis, it’s not true. The rain hasn’t slowed us down a bit. Unless you were simply hoping for a dark tan, you’re out riding water rides, floating down the river rapids, or swimming in the ocean or pools. There are plenty of indoor activities, too. Ok, I know this is sounding like a paid advertisement for Atlantis so I’ll move on. Today’s theme was “Go with the flow.”

We conquered 3 water rides that we hadn’t tried yet. We built sand castles. We performed our best running-into-the-water-and-doing-a-flip routines. We went down the rapid river ride. It rained and we were cold, but it was fun. We bought groceries at the nearby Atlantis market (a lot closer than the first market I went to). Our evening included watching American Pharoah win the Belmont Stakes and solidifying his place in history by winning the Triple Crown. Today there were a ton of people watching horse racing that watch horse racing exactly one time a year. I am one of those. All of us here on this trip are one of those.

Go horses!
-Out of the Wilderness