Nashville, TN 2025 part 2: Hot Chicken
Nov. 6th, 2025 11:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taz_39**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.
This post covers Wednesday and Thursday.
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Additional note: I'm going to be making some changes to past entries to remove some content for safety purposes. This is because of an issue that was noticed over on LJ, but since this blog parallels all of those posts I will make the edits here as well just to fully ensure that this particular issue won't come up again. Thanks!
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WEDNESDAY
Because we got back so late from Tuesday's 8pm show, and because it was a blog-posting night, I didn't get to sleep until around 1am. But I was still awake at 7:30am, to my annoyance.
Breakfast, making overnight oats for tomorrow, grinding up a bag of lovely coffee I'd gotten in Kansas City (the coffee grinder lives in my trunk and it was my first time using it!) There were spoilers for the next two episodes of Hazbin Hotel all over the socials as soon as I woke up, and this made me ACHE to watch them right away to avoid spoilers online...but I also know that my favorite character is going to get brought low by a rival in these episodes, and part of me was dreading watching that play out. Ugh, I hope the writers don't kill him off....
Anyway, I resisted temptation to watch and finished the Austin Foodie Finds instead, then had a phone consultation with a local business that does tailored suits and suit pieces. Having an entire suit/tux jacket made just for me is QUITE out of my price range, and this consultation was to get advice. Either where they'd suggest I buy a ready-made jacket that I could then bring to them for tailoring, or to see whether they might have something already-made hanging out in their own stock that they'd be willing to tailor for me.
As expected, this shop doesn't have anything ready-made, they make everything from scratch. But she very kindly suggested an upscale shopping mall nearby, which in addition to Macy's and Nordstrom has many high-end stores that you don't often see, and who might actually have some pieces in stock that could be tailored. I did my research and believe that this will be my best shot to find a tux jacket before December, so I am planning to Uber out there on Monday, our "golden day"/day off.
(Watch me go through all of this trouble and then not get a single call for Candlelight this year. LOL)
That settled, I got dressed and walked downtown. It was a GORGEOUS weather day.
Like Orlando, Nashville is a hospitality city, and it shows.
For a random Wednesday I was surprised at how packed the streets were. Huge tour groups, student groups, couples sightseeing together, etc. Tour buses and carriages cruising up and down the streets, loud live or canned music pumping out of every single storefront creating a wash of noise over all the bustle. The last time I was here it was not so busy (pre-pandemic, even.) I strongly dislike loud crowded places, but still felt cheered to see the city apparently doing economically well.
I was here for one thing only: Hattie B's hot chicken!
I got there right at noon and was dismayed (though not surprised) to see a line out the door and wrapping around the building.
I queued up and scrolled my phone while we inched forward. 30 minutes later I got to place my order.
And 15 minutes after that my food showed up :) Medium-heat classic chicken sandwich with slaw.
Ooooh it was as good as I remember. Super-crunchy, hurts-so-good spicy batter around a juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breast. Cold crunchy creamy slaw. And a toasty bun. I tried to take my time but was REALLY hungry and that sandwich was gone in a flash! It's worth the wait, I tell you.
I'd hoped the sandwich would give me energy to stroll around a bit more, but having blown an hour in the queue surrounded by loud tourists and blaring music had drained my Stimulating Environment Battery. I'd walked over two miles to get to the restaurant, and felt it was OK to call a cheap Lyft to get back. There was still the walk to/from the theater tonight to get back some calories.
Mostly I was dying to watch Hazbin Hotel.
It was GREAT. I love a plot where you truly do not know what will happen next no matter how many scenarios you run in your mind. I guess that's what's hooked me with this series. Similar to what was appealing about Game of Thrones: no one is safe, not even main characters, and the plot is so twisty and so satisfying on all those twists and turns!
Anyway, dinner and time for the evening show. I felt distracted in my playing, which happens sometimes. Last week I had to be lazer-focused and pay attention to my dynamics pretty much at all times. This week I can go back to playing normally, but can't let my brain drift all around just because of that.
We once again had to do a show hold at the Transformation. I feel bad for everyone struggling with this part of the show! Hopefully the issue gets resolved soon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY
I intentionally planned nothing today. Morning was spent with breakfast, diving into Dallas Foodie Finds work, and planning how to enjoy Nashville for the remainder of our time here.
Current plan, no guarantees I'll actually do any of this:
Anyway, nothing of note today except that during intermission at our evening show there was a 9-year-old girl by the pit with her family. She pelted me with lots of questions about what I was playing, what did it sound like (I played her some goofy trombone stuff :p )
She also had compliments!
Her: "You're pretty!"
Me: "Well thank you!" :D
Her: "How long have you played that thing?"
Me: "About 27 years."
Her: *thinking* ".......are you 27?"
Me: ".........yyyyyyyyyes. YES."
LOL!
Seriously adorable! Love it when people are interested in what we do down here, love answering questions about the instruments and the lifestyle and the show!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday: I've got to make some edits to this blog, which will be done by the time you see this post. Lunch at Radish Kitchen (healthy bowls) and maybe some sightseeing. One evening show.
Saturday and Sunday: Two shows, no plans.
This post covers Wednesday and Thursday.
------------------------------------------
Additional note: I'm going to be making some changes to past entries to remove some content for safety purposes. This is because of an issue that was noticed over on LJ, but since this blog parallels all of those posts I will make the edits here as well just to fully ensure that this particular issue won't come up again. Thanks!
------------------------------------------
WEDNESDAY
Because we got back so late from Tuesday's 8pm show, and because it was a blog-posting night, I didn't get to sleep until around 1am. But I was still awake at 7:30am, to my annoyance.
Breakfast, making overnight oats for tomorrow, grinding up a bag of lovely coffee I'd gotten in Kansas City (the coffee grinder lives in my trunk and it was my first time using it!) There were spoilers for the next two episodes of Hazbin Hotel all over the socials as soon as I woke up, and this made me ACHE to watch them right away to avoid spoilers online...but I also know that my favorite character is going to get brought low by a rival in these episodes, and part of me was dreading watching that play out. Ugh, I hope the writers don't kill him off....
Anyway, I resisted temptation to watch and finished the Austin Foodie Finds instead, then had a phone consultation with a local business that does tailored suits and suit pieces. Having an entire suit/tux jacket made just for me is QUITE out of my price range, and this consultation was to get advice. Either where they'd suggest I buy a ready-made jacket that I could then bring to them for tailoring, or to see whether they might have something already-made hanging out in their own stock that they'd be willing to tailor for me.
As expected, this shop doesn't have anything ready-made, they make everything from scratch. But she very kindly suggested an upscale shopping mall nearby, which in addition to Macy's and Nordstrom has many high-end stores that you don't often see, and who might actually have some pieces in stock that could be tailored. I did my research and believe that this will be my best shot to find a tux jacket before December, so I am planning to Uber out there on Monday, our "golden day"/day off.
(Watch me go through all of this trouble and then not get a single call for Candlelight this year. LOL)
That settled, I got dressed and walked downtown. It was a GORGEOUS weather day.
Like Orlando, Nashville is a hospitality city, and it shows.
For a random Wednesday I was surprised at how packed the streets were. Huge tour groups, student groups, couples sightseeing together, etc. Tour buses and carriages cruising up and down the streets, loud live or canned music pumping out of every single storefront creating a wash of noise over all the bustle. The last time I was here it was not so busy (pre-pandemic, even.) I strongly dislike loud crowded places, but still felt cheered to see the city apparently doing economically well.
I was here for one thing only: Hattie B's hot chicken!
I got there right at noon and was dismayed (though not surprised) to see a line out the door and wrapping around the building.
I queued up and scrolled my phone while we inched forward. 30 minutes later I got to place my order.
And 15 minutes after that my food showed up :) Medium-heat classic chicken sandwich with slaw.
Ooooh it was as good as I remember. Super-crunchy, hurts-so-good spicy batter around a juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breast. Cold crunchy creamy slaw. And a toasty bun. I tried to take my time but was REALLY hungry and that sandwich was gone in a flash! It's worth the wait, I tell you.
I'd hoped the sandwich would give me energy to stroll around a bit more, but having blown an hour in the queue surrounded by loud tourists and blaring music had drained my Stimulating Environment Battery. I'd walked over two miles to get to the restaurant, and felt it was OK to call a cheap Lyft to get back. There was still the walk to/from the theater tonight to get back some calories.
Mostly I was dying to watch Hazbin Hotel.
It was GREAT. I love a plot where you truly do not know what will happen next no matter how many scenarios you run in your mind. I guess that's what's hooked me with this series. Similar to what was appealing about Game of Thrones: no one is safe, not even main characters, and the plot is so twisty and so satisfying on all those twists and turns!
Anyway, dinner and time for the evening show. I felt distracted in my playing, which happens sometimes. Last week I had to be lazer-focused and pay attention to my dynamics pretty much at all times. This week I can go back to playing normally, but can't let my brain drift all around just because of that.
We once again had to do a show hold at the Transformation. I feel bad for everyone struggling with this part of the show! Hopefully the issue gets resolved soon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY
I intentionally planned nothing today. Morning was spent with breakfast, diving into Dallas Foodie Finds work, and planning how to enjoy Nashville for the remainder of our time here.
Current plan, no guarantees I'll actually do any of this:
- Monday: Trip to a snooty swanky mall in a last-ditch effort at finding a tux jacket. Bea's dinner celebration..she's one of our Chip kids and will be leaving the tour.
- Tuesday: Lunch at Verna Cafe, seeing the mini-Parthenon, thrifting on Music Row. Haircut courtesy Haley (Head of Hair) at the theater.
- Wednesday: ???
- Thursday: Probably lunch at Verna again because there are multiple things I wanna try on their menu. Seeing anything I missed in the Music Row area.
- Friday: Jameson's birthday!!! No plans as yet but possibly more sightseeing downtown. One pastry from D'Andrews.
Anyway, nothing of note today except that during intermission at our evening show there was a 9-year-old girl by the pit with her family. She pelted me with lots of questions about what I was playing, what did it sound like (I played her some goofy trombone stuff :p )
She also had compliments!
Her: "You're pretty!"
Me: "Well thank you!" :D
Her: "How long have you played that thing?"
Me: "About 27 years."
Her: *thinking* ".......are you 27?"
Me: ".........yyyyyyyyyes. YES."
LOL!
Seriously adorable! Love it when people are interested in what we do down here, love answering questions about the instruments and the lifestyle and the show!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday: I've got to make some edits to this blog, which will be done by the time you see this post. Lunch at Radish Kitchen (healthy bowls) and maybe some sightseeing. One evening show.
Saturday and Sunday: Two shows, no plans.
