bad drivers.

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.

There is almost nothing as annoying as bad drivers.  I don't like bad drivers and it seems like they are everywhere.  In Nashville, I feel like people are notorious for being terrible drivers because most cannot drive when it is sunny nevertheless when it is raining or ((gasp)) snowing.  Many are freakin' terrible.  It seems like anyone can walk in and get their license...TN needs to step up their testing procedures. 

Driving a car is not that difficult.  If you know you are a bad driver, then you should be smart enough to know that multitasking in your situation is not even an option.  But then again, you might not be smart enough to figure that out either.  

Besides not checking blind-spots or keeping consistent speeds, drivers who don't use blinkers are awful.  Is it really that hard people to move your hand around the steering wheel to hit the blinker?!  It is conveniently placed there for a reason.  

There are even some friends that I would rather walk to wherever we are going then get in a car with them.  Or I will drive my car even though it is less convenient just to stay safe.  Though it always seems like the worst drivers are also the luckiest when it comes to accidents or police encounters.  

For example: the one time a good driver doesn't make a complete stop at a stop sign, a police officer will pull him/her over, but if a terrible driver blows thorough a stop sign almost causing an accident, cops are no-where to be found.  

I could go on and on and on about terrible drivers, but I am already starting to get angry so it might be best to cut it short.  Below I have included a list of common characteristics of a bad driver:

1. lack of alertness: many people are bad to begin with, but factor in distractions like a phone, radio, and friends...well these drivers might as well just hop in the backseat with them because they aren't paying attention to the road whatsoever.  

2. brain function: maybe bad drivers lost all their brain cells in their latest accident?  Seriously people - 90% of driving is common sense.

3. bumps and dings: many terrible drivers have scratches, bumps, dings, etc on their car.  These are caused by carelessness like backing into poles or other cars.  Sometimes I just wanna smack some people in the hope that some sense will suddenly come to them.  

4. no understanding of what blinkers or mirrors are for on a car:  there is no typical vehicle that bad drivers are drawn to, so basic distinctions are people who don't use blinkers in any situation and people who just drive anywhere on the road whenever they want to.  Lanes were painted on the road for a reason.  

I may add to my list later, but my blood has begun to boil so peace out for tonight.  

no clocks in casinos.

The trip was a treat for bo’s graduation and my 21^st birthday.  It was awesome, though I will say that a week in Vegas is a long time.  However it was nice because we were able to explore the entire strip.  With multiple occasions coming up in the next couple years in which we will return to Vegas, we were able to decided where we would like to stay and what we wanted to do then.

Our room was suite with an awesome view.

Basically we went out and gambled every night like anyone would in Vegas, but in addition:

On Friday night we saw Cirque de Soleil’s O at the Bellagio.  It was incredible.  The way the performers’ move is amazing and adding water…well that just took it over the top.  I would definitely recommend it.  I want to see it again already. 

On Saturday night we saw Cirque de Soleil’s LOVE at the Mirage.  It was extraordinary.  I am a huge Beatles fan so I was singing and dancing to every song.  The show is performed in a 360-degree room so everyone has a good seat.  There are even speakers in the headrests of the seats so you actually feel the music. 

I can’t decide which show was better because they were so different.  The one thing I do know is that the stage and set design are remarkable.  Pieces would disappear and reappear instantly.  For example, in O, there would be a pool then the next minute performers would be on a stage where the water was. 

Another show we saw was Peepshow at Planet Hollywood starring Holly Madison.  Some parts were kind of cheesy and weird, but overall it was a decent show.  Actually some parts were really funny on purpose, though some Holly can’t really act. 

Lastly, I will leave a bit of insight.  When you arrive, purchase a bottle of favorite or most versatile alcohol.  Many of the drinks I got from the hotel whether I was at the bar, at the casino, or at the pool, tasted like they didn’t even have alcohol in them.  With your own bottle, you can add as much as you would like.  Delicious!

potato patties/white wine sauce.

bo and I have made this recipe a couple times and have enjoyed it every time.  Now that we have tweaked it, I feel I can share it. 

Also, we usually cook for two so this recipe is tailored to that.

Potato Patties

2 large Russet potatoes, grated

2-3 tbsp of flour

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2/3 c of onion, chopped

1/3 c of red bell pepper, chopped

¼ c of parsley, chopped

1. Sautee the onion and pepper then add parsley. 
2. Peel and grate the potatoes.  Squeeze a handful of the grated potatoes to remove as much water as possible.  Place them in a new bowl and mix with the sautéed vegetables and flour.  Salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Heat on low a non-stick pan*, add some oil, then add a large spoonful of the potato mix in the pan and flatten with a spatula to whatever size is desired.  The thinner the patty, the quicker they will cook.  If the patties are too thick, they won’t cook all the way through. 
4. Continue cooking the patties until the bottom side turns golden brown.  Flip until the patty is cooked through.  Then remove from heat and plate. 

*The non-stick pan is key.  We tried with a normal pan once and it was a huge flop. 

For the chicken, we use organic chicken breasts from the grocery store.  We lightly salt and pepper them before cooking them on the stove with some chicken broth to keep them juicy.

White Wine Sauce

1/3 c onion, chopped

½ c chicken broth*

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp chives, chopped

1/4ish c dry white wine

           

1.     Heat a pan over medium-high heat.  Add oil and sautee onions. 

2.     When the onions become soft, stir in chicken broth, white wine, and white wine vinegar.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently so as not to burn the sauce. 

3.     Continue to cook until the sauce reduces to ¼ c (about 3-5 minutes). 

4.     Add in the already cooked chicken to heat them up a bit more and add the butter and chives.

5.     Remove from heat and plate. 

*We usually buy fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth.  Wolfgang Puck makes a great tasting one. 

roo.

Well Bonnaroo has come and gone. And just like last year, I am already planning for next year. 

In case you all are unaware of what The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is, it is a 4-day music festival held on a huge farm in Manchester, TN.  To simplify: Bonnaroo = Awesomeness!

People were being let in earlier on Wednesday night than previous years to help reduce traffic flow on the interstate during prime hours, but since were close to the site we left the same time we did the previous year on Thursday morning.  Last year we waiting 10 hours in traffic and this year we only waited 2 hours.  Well we actually didn’t really wait 2 hours since we only had about 20 minutes of stopping time.  It was a breeze, though the wait is usually really fun.

Despite the weather being 100+ degrees everyday without factoring in the high humidity, the company and performances were worth the struggle against the heat. 

It is hard for me to decide on a favorite performance, but my tops would be between Eminem, The Strokes, and Florence + The Machine.  I also enjoyed Widespread Panic, My Morning Jacket, Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, Girl Talk, Ray Lamontagne, Pretty Lights, Amos Lee, and Matt & Kim, amongst others.

I really could go on and on...the beauty of Bonnaroo cannot be expressed through a blog entry.  I encourage everyone to experience a summer music festival ASAP and as often as possible.  Seriously, I already can’t wait to find out who will be performing next year and so begins my non-stop travels…

summer.

Once again I apologize for the lack of blog posts, but I’ve been traveling for 3 and a half weeks and have rarely had Internet nevertheless time to write anything.  Stay tuned for multiple posts coming soon.

For now, enjoy some beautiful photographs of the night sky.