Folks, my neck is on the line for y'all. <P>I have signed the contract for the hotel rooms. I have seen the hot tub and it's big and in it's own room. I have seen the king rooms and the double rooms and the hospitality room. It looks fine. It's a nice Holiday Inn. It's not the Super 8 and it's not the Williamsburg Inn. We'll be fine. Near the interstate for getting around town. It will be great. Each room has two phone lines and internet access. <P>We are staying at the Holiday Inn Select - Brentwood. They do not have their own toll free number. However their local number is 615-373-2600. They can be web accessed at: <A HREF="http://www.nashvillenow.com/holidayinn" TARGET=_blank>www.nashvillenow.com/holidayinn</A> <P>The name of the group for the event is :<BR>Marriage Builders. <P>While I suppose anyone could help you, the person with whom I have dealt is Bobby Smith, the sr. sales manager. <P>While Gina and I need to know you're coming (PLEASE e-mail us), it would be a good idea for you to call and make reservation with hotel. We do not have as many rooms as people so we will be doubling, tripling, or quadrupling up as you request in order to hold down costs. However, if you want your own room, that's fine. The hotel will stay in touch with me about how we're doing on reservations. <P>Don't forget that I really don't want to have to pay for rooms we won't need. Bread out of my babies' mouths, so to speak. That's why we want, make that NEED, to know who is coming. My budget and you're back. You don't want to get stiff from sleeping on the floor do you?<P>There is a Thrifty Rents vehicle rental place there. A 15 passenger van would run us about $140 per day. We need a vote on that. Most people don't want to drive in, I gather. And it would be hard to form a motorcade so a van would make transportation easier. I'm not used to driving anything that large so we need a volunteer with insurance to drive. I'll navigate. And we may, , need a designated driver. Any volunteers?<P>I vote for going to the Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson, U.S. president. Said to have been as tough as Old Hickory wood, he was the general in charge of U.S. forces as the Battle of New Orleans. His home, here in Nashville, is the most often visited presidential home other than Monticello and Mt. Vernon. It's about $10. We can go to a Predators NHL game one night. We can go to the District downtown. Restaurants(Jack's Barbeque, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock, Nascar Cafe, a microbrewery), bars, etc., Lasar tag . One night we could go to a nice locally owned place for dinner. We do have a wet bar, fridge, and microwave in our hospitality room but we are not supposed to bring food in. I guess we could hide it in our luggage . <P>!!!!!!!SPEAK TO ME, OH EXCITED ONES!!!!!!!! <P>Who was it who sang: I'm so excited. I just can't hide it. I'm about to loose control and I think I like it. <P>Am I doing ok?

Cinderella,<P>Except for an emergency, I WILL BE THERE!! I already have my babysitter lined up for the weekend. (Good ole mom and dad! ) NOW, I have to save, save, save!! <P>OMG!!! This is really happening!! Is it January yet??!! <P>It's the Pointer Sisters!!!!! YIPPEE!!!<P>Mitz

cinderella,<P>Thanks for extending the invite (just read Omaha's thread)! I have been watching the threads about Nashville. Waiting on settlement $'s any day now, trying to buy a home etc. I will wait and continue to watch and see how the $'s look closer to the big weekend in January. Sounds like buckets of fun for everyone! <P>Out here in the sticks we have to drive 100 to 150 miles to get to a airport that lands bigger planes than 4 to 19 seaters, so that darned ol' weather will play a role too!<P>Thanks Again! Have a good one!<P>Ragamuffin

Cinderella,<P>I for one will be there come Hell or high water.<P>Now about the van thing, I have a feeling we will be breaking up into different groups after the first day.<P>Just some folks will bond with one another and you can't make everyone happy with one single event.<P>Can't wait!<P>Zippy

Hi Cinderella,<P>I get on so rarely these days, its just a quick peek at one or two threads. I'm still planning on going, still planning on a single. will call up a little later to get a room when I can make firm arrangements for kids and stuff.<P>I tend to agree with Medic on the van, and we could all share alot of cab rides for 140 a day...bet the men would like having to squeeze in the backseat with a bunch of women. Besides, then we won't need any designated drivers...<P>

I look forward to touring "ole" Hickory's home and eating and laughing and squeezing into a cab ...LOL<P><BR>Bill

Hi Cinderella,<BR>I'm debating about going. I only live a few hours away, so would probably drive my own car. I'm not sure I'd be up for the whole weekend tour, but a day trip would be nice. A chance to say HI and meet everyone in person.<P>Do you guys have a breakfast/lunch/dinner planned one day? One part of the day that you will all be in one place at the same time?

Student,<P>From what I understand, we were going to try to eat at least breakfast and dinner together. Lunch would be great too. <P>You know we'd all love for you to be there!<P>Mitzi

Hey TS,<P>It would be cool if you did decide to come down and meet with us. Aren't you the least bit interested in seeing what a Pinhead looks like? <P>Come on down!<P>Zippy

Breakfast and Dinner together sounds good, maybe instead of one van, two smaller van types? <P>it may also be that we just need to get there and mett, and decide as a group what to do, although I do think that breaking into <BR>different groups to see different stuff is<BR>a good idea.<P>yeah, and I want to see what a pinhead looks like. my stbx is also an EMT pinhead, but she is not a zippy one!<P>thl<BR>thl

Hey Zippy,<BR>A Pinhead, huh? Well, I'm sure you ain't no ordnary pinhead, cuz therz lots 'o them 'round. Nope. yooz, ZIPPY the pinhead, and that's somethin' special. <P>WIFTT,<BR>The hard part will be deciding where to eat. There are a few restaurants in the Opryland Hotel, and it is convenient to the freeway. It has a pretty cool rotating bar. Geeks that we are, we sat there long enough to figure out the RPM (rotation per minute) of the darn thing. It was a really small number (cause it goes pretty slow).<P> Besides, you guys HAVE to see this place. It would fun to run around and play hide-and-go-seek and laser tag in there!! Or just be "adults" and ride around in the boats. It's all indoors too.

Hey TS,<P>That would be so cool if you did go! <P>I could go for the lazer tag!What a blast!<P>Just my 2 cents tho!<P>Gina

Lazer tag would be a blast...i haven't played that in a while.....i just loved kicking the **** outta those smart-[censored] kids LOL<P>How many RPMs did it turn...<P><BR>Bill

hey ever one...yes I'm back now dont go runnin and hide I want to go but we will have to see with the job school and the kids, sitters are easy for me since I have both sets of grandparents here, but the $$ will be my biggest thing..child support is still a thing SOMEONE keeps forgettin, and right now I'm only makin 5.70 an hour and still have to go to school 3 days a week and pay for raymond playin football..ya know lol I dont think I'm doin enough, anyone got any ideas on how to use up my spare time LOL... but I will let you know..and since I am only 6 hours away I may drive if I come.<P><BR>Lesa<P>------------------<BR>"It took me quite a while to realize that <B>the real deal</B> is to be able to be enough of a person on your own to know when somebody loves you and cares about you"<BR>----Stevie Ray Vaughan<P>"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and<BR> lean not unto thine own understanding." -Proverbs 3:5<BR>Take care and God Bless.<P> lms20ish@fidnet.com <p>[This message has been edited by LMS (edited September 24, 2000).]

Hey Gang,<P>I guess it would be considered cheating if I brought my .45 with cop killer bullets and a few extra clips for the laser tag game.<P>Let me know.<P>The Zipman<P>PS. Stu you better damn well show up!<BR>

I'm game for lazer tag, or any tag for that matter.<P>As far as geekdom goes, I'm there, let the calculations begin!<P>TS,<BR>you should go so that you don't remain faceless to us with whom you sometimes cross swords. The people here should become more real to each other.<P>see you all there, I am thinking about now staying through monday, <P>thl<BR>

WIFTT,<BR>When I read your post, I thought "ruh-roh" (as Scooby says). I'll put down my "sword" and swap it out for a laser thingy. <P>Everyone else...<BR>You can get a laser pointer in most office supply places. I originally got one for my dogs...Chase the dot. My border collie mix goes absolutely berserk!<P>Bill,<BR>I forget the exact number. I believe it went around 1 time in an hour and a half, so take 1 divide by 90 = .011 RPM. Correction: RPM stands for revolution per minute. I previously said rotation per minute. I've gotta get those geek terms right!!

Zippy,<P>I really don't think it would be fair for you to bring your.45...A bloodbath at the opryland Hotel isn't my kinda fun...Email me bout gettin our room lined up.<P>TS,<P>I hope you do decide to join us. It is really cool meeting your friends from the boards. So far I've met RMA, Zippy, Dylan and Deut, it was like chatting with an old friend. And besides don't you want to see Zippy in the lazer tag get up.LOL<BR>I found a pretty cool gardening website, I didn't get a chance to really get into it but what I saw had a good bit of info.http://www.gardenersnet.com/<P>Off to work....<P>Bill

Adventurous ones:<P>I have been reading your past threads regarding this party in Nashville and from the looks of things, you guys are going to have a blast. Now just stop and think for a minute….. if all of your ex’s knew that you all were going to be having this much fun without them, wouldn’t it piss them off <P>This sounds like a party that I would like to see, especially that hot tub, but I am blowing my vacation this year in Colorado over Thanksgiving week. There’s a condo in Winter Park with a few friends that has my name written all over it <P>I hope your party goes well and I expect to read some good gossip when it’s over <BR>

Who gives a flying fig what the x thinks? (Yeah, I know it sounds like I could spend a while doing some anger work. But just think how much more angry I might be if I still had to live with him.) I think he's a jerk and I don't care if he knows because I know what he thinks of me and I think he's wrong. Is that confusing enough?<P>Now that I have vented, here's my idea of what to do on this big adventure - but this is better than Pee Wee's Big Adventure ('cause we'll probably stay out of the peek shows).<P>If we wanted to spend one evening/night downtown, there's Jack's Barbeque (I've never eaten there but it has been recommended), there's The District where there are places to eat, drink, dance, maybe hear/see live music, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge (famous but I've never been there - country music dive across the alley from the Ryman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry used to be staged), a Predators NHL game Sat. night, a Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, Lasar tag but not with automatic, semi-automatic, or other real weapons (sign me up for that activity).<P>A trip to the Hermitage might be interesting. This was the home of U. S. president Andrew Jackson. Has undergone extensive restoration and has many of his personal belongings. He was also a great military leader, so they say. They are still doing archeological digs at the slave quarters. It's the most visited presidential home other than Monticello and Mt. Vernon. <P>I have a friend who runs two nice locally owned, non-franchised restaurants that are rumored to be good. We have a number of microbreweries/restaurants in town. A trip to the Opryland Hotel could be interesting. In one of the atriums they really do have boats that run on a "River" through an area called The Delta. Great Mall next door if you wanted to shop. (However, a mall is a mall if you ask me - I am not the queen shopper. Never have been.)<P>Then, our hotel does have that indoor hot tub. <P>I can get a couple of Nashville maps from AAA so we can chart routes if we'll have enough cars. I'm just not going to drive everyone around in some big vehicle. Not going to. I'll gladly navigate. But if we were going caravan style, it can be easy to get lost and I'm probably the only one who knows their way around Bananaville. (Nashville is called that in the airline industry because our official designation is BNA and the city name ends with -ville, therefore BNAville = Bananaville.)<P>I figure all that would fill one evening and the bulk of Saturday morning and afternoon. <P>There's lots to do here. Art galleries, anyone? Tell me what your interests are and I'll scout it out. <P>