"Walking in Memphis"

The last days of 2010 for me have been spent walking in Memphis and they have been great, minus the hiccup of a football game gone sour.  Pulling in town with the whole family in tow, we dropped our stuff at a quaint little spot known as the Courtyard Marriott.  Wasting no time, we head out with the kids to smoke out a good lunch spot on Beale Street, much against advisors' suggestions which was to "get OFF Beale St".
After lunch and a three hour parade for the Liberty Bowl, (which, by the way, consisted of 18 mediocre high school marching bands, three 18 wheelers from Auto Zone, 15 Shriners in little cars, and finally a marching band so big they had to make us move back:)) we head back to the CM (Courtyard Marriott for those of you on the "slower" side.)
We pick up LOML's cousin and two of his three sons and head back downtown for dinner.  After contemplating our choices, we decide on the Flying Fish.  Another quaint and cozy spot I would highly recommend.  Ok, cozy may be a stretch.  If you like those rubber fish nailed to plaques that sing and good fried seafood, this is your place!
After dinner, it was only appropriate that we walk across the street to show our kids the Peabody ducks that live in finer digs than they do!  They have their own "condo", if you will, from which they get escorted from and to every day.  I am not sure what the upkeep on those ducks is costing the hotel, but if money gets tight at The Peadbody and duck suddenly becomes a new featured item on the Flying Fish menu I would avoid trying it until I got a head count in the pond they got over there in the lobby.
Then today, as we awoke to somewhat cloudy skies with just a hint of sun trying to work it's way through, I just knew we were all meant to venture out to Elvis Presley Boulevard to see, (drum roll please........)
GRACELAND!!!!!!
Oh, what a lucky, lucky girl I am!
There are just not enough words in the English or Japanese dictionary to explain that place. Let's just say I will be downloading every available book about Graceland, Elvis, Lisa Marie, Vernon, Priscilla, etc. onto my Kindle ASAP as I am now terribly fascinated with this icon of music.  But who I would really like to learn more about is the decorator of that fine home, but feel certain they overdosed on hallucinogens years ago and for security reasons was probably living under and alias.  Who knew you could put carpet on SO MANY SURFACES!!!  Wow!  A true talent for showing us the real meaning of "waste not, want not".
After leaving the mansion, viewing the King's clothes and numerous gold records and awards we had a stroll through the Meditation Garden that Elvis had built so he could have somewhere to think away from the 20 plus people who were probably living there with him.  Either that or he needed a place away to go do some drugs...whatever, now it's four graves, including his.  Moment of silence please...............................................................................................ok, moment over.
I did leave a good bit more impressed with the man than I left the hotel this morning.  He took care of his family and that's aces in my book.  
(I do need to stop here and tell you a little about some of the other Graceland Goer's today.....the lady next to us in line was comparing Graceland to Liborachi's and Dean Martin's homes....ok, that's really all you need to know....)
Sooooo, after the tour of the house, we got to see the AIRPLANES!!!!  Now, for those of you who know me, I am not a fan of flight, BUT could totally fly on a plane with blue suede walls!  Damn he knew how to fly in style!  The littler plane was not as impressive as the Lisa Marie, but I do give them credit for their color scheme of yellow and green of the 60s seat covers.
The footlball game we came up here to see is not even worth mentioning right now since we lost and I want to end my year on a hight note...
So, here I sit in the CM.  The two youngest of our kids are sound asleep.  LOML, Baby Girl 1 and my in-laws are over at their cousin/nephew's temporary home up here having a cookout.  On the way, they got to stop off and see B, our cousin who is up here because St. Jude's can help him.  He has leukemia and about 90 days ago had his 3rd bone marrow transplant.  I think it is very appropriate that we are here as 2010 ends and 2011 begins.  We have spent a lot of time over the past two years hoping and praying for this young warrior and his family, and for two years B and his family have continued to inspire and lift us up in our darkest times, which compared to theirs are pretty damn bright.  They have taken to "pressing on" through all of it, the very worst of it and I have been fortunate, as so many have been to be one of the passengers on their journey.  B's mom has a word of the year and encourages others to do so as a means of inspiration of how you are going to live the next year.  So, as the hours wind down in 2010, I have been trying to think of my word for this year- I think it will be "grace"...well, for more that one reason:), but for all the right ones.
Happy New Year's Everyone!
From Memphis with Love.