THE RETURN OF THE “FAT HAIRY BASTARD”!

For the fourth consecutive year, Jeff (a.k.a. Fathairybastard) has come to Harriman to visit me for three or four days during his summer school break. We met through our blogs back in 2006, became interested in each other’s stories, and developed a common ground for friendship. He is like a brother to me. His first visit from his home in Texas was back in ‘07.

Jeff and Denise rolled into town late last Monday afternoon, and, according to tradition, we drove to Oak Ridge to eat at Big Ed’s Pizza. The pizza was amazingly good, and, since they have added Fat Tire to their draft selection, we were in “hog heaven”!

Unfortunately, due to the heat and humidity, we broke tradition and stayed off the screened-porch this trip. It’s just been too blasted hot to sit outside. Oh, we sucked down a few brews, but we didn’t smoke one stogy together! Now that’s a shame!

However, we did have a good time just sitting around in the cool, talking, and listening and sharing to a few tunes we had stored on our PCs. As a matter of fact, one night I decided to show Jeff how I listened to my tunes back in the late 80’s. I took the fronts off my giant 100-watt speakers, complete with white woofers, and prepared to blow him away. I flipped the power button and the Kenwood fired up. It fired up so well that smoke rose from the amp!

Damn! I suppose it has been at least 10 years since I had the thing on! I’m sure dust shorted some circuit, it fried, and the smoke bellowed! The last time I had it on I blew the white rubber around one of the woofers! It’s just like me...falling apart! It’s always something!

Anyway, if anyone has a spare Kenwood KM-205 amp, I’ll buy it if the price is right! Frankly, I’m not sure I want to put anymore money into the component set. I’ll probably try to sell the individual pieces on eBay...or something.

I took Jeff and Denise to the Atomic Museum in Oak Ridge Tuesday, and, being a history prof and buff, he seemed to get a big kick out of all the “Secret City” stuff. We picked up Judy later, who had two doctor’s appointments that day, and went to Abuelo’s to eat. (See included photo of some of the great eats we had while Jeff was here! Click to enlarge the shots!)

On Wednesday, we headed off to Sevierville, TN to let Denise shop the Tanger Outlets. Man if was hot and they walked my butt off! ‘Course I needed it!

I even bought an Izod shirt there for 70% off! It really is a sharp shirt and I will look good in it!

One the way back from Sevierville it rained like it was pouring out of a boot! Jeff captured all the fun and posted a video on Flickr. What a butt hole!

Back in Harriman we picked up Judy and went to the local Gondolier for supper. The food and Fat Tire was good there too! (See included photo of some of the great eats we had while Jeff was here! Click to enlarge the shots!)

On Thursday Jeff wanted to ride up to Buzzard’s Bluff. If you remember that’s the place I cracked four ribs a year ago! It sits high above the Harriman valley and gives goers a wide panoramic view to this part of East Tennessee. The road is not maintained, so Jeff and Denise can truthfully say they went 4-wheeling in Tennessee! It began to rain on the decent and my truck was like a cocoon of protection from the elements and overgrowth along broken asphalt and water filled potholes and muddy ponds.

Jeff ventured out on the edge several times and Denise fussed at him for scaring her. I have to admit, I held my breath a little...after all, I know what it's like to fall up there!

We then made our way across Roane County to Terri and Steve’s place. The plan was to shoot a little, drink a few beers and smoke a cigar or two, then eat some chili, however, it rained and the forest surrounding Steve’s house was hanging wet with water and humidity. We voted on whither to move straight to “Miller time” or take a nap! I lost out on the nap, which I had been missing, so it was beer-thirty!

Jeff and Denise seemed to enjoy seeing the Dragons again, but we cut our visit short and headed to my place. Jeff and I played some tunes and then joined the ladies in the living room. We called it an early night.

Friday morning I met them at the Cracker Barrel and we sadly said our goodbyes. Their plan was to head to Denise’s family in Kentucky.

I suppose the time will pass slowly, but I am already looking forward to next year’s visit. I just hope the weather is nicer next time...maybe they can come back one spring or fall and really see the beautiful of East Tennessee without all the tropical heat! The older I get, the more I hate summer!

We always seem to enjoy each others company, even if it's just sitting quietly and listening to our bluesy music! And, of course, we always act up in public!

For more on this visit, go to http://fathairybastard.blogspot.com, and http://www.flickr.com/photos/94141189@N00/. I’m sure he has a completely different tale to tell, and I’m sure to be the butt of his jokes!

JUST LIKE OLD TIMES!

Ron and I were out again today for lunch and adventure.

The adventure part began at the new Frontier Arms store on Gallaher Road, between Kingston and Oak Ridge. It’s a huge place, and not yet jumping because the firing range isn’t quite ready. However, I expect the place to a hang out for many local residents once the firing begins!

Oh yeah, we also visited my 8-pointer that I donated to Brant Williams to help decorate the store. He looks pretty good hanging up there!

We then stopped off near K-25 and I again took photos of the beautiful green swamp that has emerged there between the Clinch River and the back roads of the old diffusion plant. All it really needs is a couple of gators and we’d be in the tourist business with swamp boats!We decided to go to Oak Ridge instead of Knoxville for lunch and check out the newly opened Lincoln’s Sports Grille. The Lincoln's Sports Grille is owned by three local businessmen and a professional baseball player -- Mike Lincoln -- for whom the establishment is named. The group also includes Marcus Caldwell, Scott Green (whom we met today), V.J. Murray, and Len Hart.

It was Hart's relationship with Lincoln in Minor League baseball that brought the current Cincinnati Reds' hurler into the group.

Lincoln also pitched for the University of Tennessee before going pro.

As I stepped from my truck, my eyes were drawn to an AC Cobra parked in front of Lincoln’s. It’s always been my desire to own one of those, even if it was a “kit car” like this one. However, it looked pretty hot to me.

Just then someone hollered at me, “Paul, is that you!?”

It was about eight folks from K-25 on their lunch break. My last boss, Don Scheve, along with Brad White, Leslie Palmer, Debra Freeney, and Jim Edwards, to mention a few. It was terrific to see them again, and even Ron (my brother-in-law) seemed to enjoy the group. He had met several of them at concerts we’ve attended at the Tennessee Theatre in years past.

Lincoln’s Sports Grille turned out to be a great place. It’s much larger inside that it appears, complete with private party rooms, a large pool room, a stage that is occupied with live music Thursday – Saturday evenings, a huge bar with multiple pulls (they had Fat Tire – that’s all I needed), a two levels of tables and booths to chose from! If you smoke, Lincoln’s is smoke free, so take it outside to their large patio area with tables and umbrellas! It’s huge folks!

Now, lets talk food! I tried the K-25 (medium heat) chicken wings...and they were tender and juicy! Jim elected to try the “Cesar chicken wrap”, and I think I’ll try that next time.

Don and a couple of other tried the “tuna melt”, but Leslie liked her food presentation best (use your imagination)!

Then there was my old buddy (he’s really like a son) Brad and his “home wrecker” hot dog! Man, that thing is huge and, yes, he ate it all!

CLICK TO ENLARGE

I even got to see old David Rose...it has been almost 5 years since he and I shared an office. He hasn’t changed, though he’s had some health issues like me.

Ron and left the bar and headed over to the old Alexander Inn. The Alexander Inn, called the “Guest House” in the early “secret city” war days, is closed and starting to deteriorate. It was built in 1943 to serve the top-secret Manhattan Project (WWII), and serve as a place for visitor’s like J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, and Secretary of War Henry Stimson to stay while visiting “the project”!

Way back in the 50’s my Grandfather Williams, who worked at the ORNL (X-10) site as a carpenter. He had a little room and I remember visiting one time and he showed me a secret he kept hidden from the Inn’s management – a hotplate he had attached to a table, and somehow the device folded down out of sight – hidden inside the table. The guest were not supposed to cook in their rooms, but he was not one to follow rules! So, the place has special importance to me because he lived there.

The good news is some money is coming in and the Alexander Inn may once again shine and welcome visitors. Many of us used to go to the bar there after work, so maybe that will happen again.

Anyway, the organizers are also making some income by recently allowing investigators with the Office of Paranormal Studies put all the ghost stories to the test.

"We're ghost hunters. We go around to places where paranormal activity is claimed. We'll check it out for ourselves and see what we can find," said Office of Paranormal Studies Co-Founder Clint Ferguson.

"There's a lot of rumors that it's haunted. We'd like to find out if it's haunted or it's not. If there's activity here, we'll find it," Investigator Pete Fransen said.

Requests to track paranormal activity at the old hotel aren't rare.

"I get a call probably every week to either take a tour to see the ghosts or somebody wants to come look for ghosts," Oak Ridge Revitalization Effort Executive Director Kate Groover said.

Heck, maybe they’ll start some ghost tours and make even more money for restoration. They may even find my granddad’s old hidden hotplate – if nothing else!

It was a great day, I even stopped on the way home and visited my buddy Gary Baker for a few minutes. He’s getting excited about restoration work on the Princess Complex that will begin soon, and the television station in downtown Harriman is coming right a long. I can hardly wait!

I stuffed a lot into one day and it felt good...just like old times!

HAVING DINNER WITH JOHNNY!

The family went out to eat at Carino's Italian Restaurant, in Knoxville, last weekend and had a great time. We all still call it "Johnny Carino's" 'cause that's what it used to be called. Then suddenly it closed and we missed it. Now, it's back, under an assumed name, but the food tastes just like it used too - GREAT!

There's lots to enjoy on their menu too, but whatever you decide on, you've got to get the "Italian Wedge" (a hearty wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce topped with ranch dressing, applewood smoked bacon, candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese, fresh apple slices and roma tomatoes)! It was every bit as good, if not a tiny bit better, as Chesapeake's!

I could only reach my dish (which was the same as Steve's) and Gary's with the camera, so here are our choices.

I had the mouth watering Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia, which is a fillet of tilapia pan-sautéed with fresh spinach, roma tomatoes, jalapeños and garlic in a lemon butter cream sauce over a bed of angel hair pasta. I couldn't believe the portions we were served and I brought half home for lunch the next day. As a matter of fact, Judy and I halved that and had plenty!

Gary decided on the Chicken Parmigiana, which is a Carino's signature "classic Italian" recipe, with special seasonings and layered with tomato sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese, served with spaghetti and tomato sauce.

Everything would have been perfect had Neena and Ron been there. Neena was a little "under the weather" so they took a rain check. It was a little funny, her not being able to make it, seeing how she was the one that called and got everyone to agree to go some 2 or 3 days earlier.

God willing, there will be many more opportunities to gather, as a family, and enjoy breaking some great bread together.

Next time you're out eating and you're disturbed by a camera flash, it's probably just me!

NUMBER 68 COMES HOME!

Some time around 1949 or 1950 my family moved to a "flat top" house on West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I can remember the area and much of what happened in those days, even at 4 or 5, but seeing an original "flat top" at the AMSE Museum Saturday did not bring back any memories of the interior of the house.

I wanted to remember details of the house, but the exterior is all that I can remember. However, the tour of the original 68 West Outer Drive unit did nothing else for me, except make me proud that I lived during this era.

This unit is on permanent display at the museum now and you should make it a point to visit it...just for the sake of history.

My family moved from Oak Ridge around '51 or '52, but I will always feel a little part of Oak Ridge and of all that history.

Number 68 was auctioned off in 1950 and taken to Tazewell an used as a weekend home by the Fitzpatrick family. They recently donated it to the museum and I think it's a great addition and wonderful way of preserving history.

At a cost of around $3400 each, 1622 of these Type B-1 Houses, with 576 square feet of living space, were built in Oak Ridge between 1943 and 1945 to house some of the 75,000 people working at the plants.

The Type B-1 House had 2 bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen with extended pantry, and a living room.

Obviously, the houses got their name from the flat roofs. Some of these still stand today. This "flat top" house was originally located at #68 West Outer Drive.

It was sold in 1950 and used as a summer home in a nearby town. The family recently donated it to the AMSE Museum in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Take a tour: www.amse.org/content_wide.aspx?Article=1173&menu=66

More photos HERE!

OUT ON THE TOWN

Judy and I celebrated our 30th anniversary at Knoxville's Chesapeake's last evening. It was our first time there, and as usual, you can't go wrong at one of the Copper Cellar's Family of Restaurants!

Chesapeake's is located off Henley Street in the Central Business district of Knoxville, Tennessee in a beautifully restored historic building. The décor is dark wood and what you would expect to find in a classic seafood restaurant along any coast in America. Our booth was bathed in the light of a live aquarium, which added to the romantic atmosphere we experienced.

All their seafood is flown in fresh daily and prepared to perfection by the restaurant's chefs. Judy chose the Grouper and I, naturally, requested the fried sampler platter of scallops, oysters, fish, and shrimp. Judy tried the "wedge salad" and it was wonderful, even to me! I ordered a cup of gumbo, and now wish I had just ordered a bowl of gumbo and the wedge salad! The gumbo was full of okra and shrimp and had a spicy taste that went well with the fresh bread and butter!

Our waitress documented the occasion with this photo and figured out it was a special evening for us. She brought a slice of double chocolate cheesecake, at no charge, for us to enjoy. While the cheesecake was delicious, I'm finding that I will not be able to keep fried and sweet things on my list of regular foods. Since my stomach "wrap", I have to be very cautious about what I eat. So cautious, in fact, that I've now lost nearly 30 pounds!

Now, for you folks with regular stomachs, you can't go wrong choosing Chesapeake's for a great evening of fresh seafood!

Judy and I talked about how the time has flown by - where have the past 30 years gone?! However, we both agreed that if given the opportunity and choice we would do it all over again. It has been a very enjoyable 30 years - full of good times, friends, and family. There's little we would do over.

Thanks for sharing our anniversary with us.

THIRTY YEARS - SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY

June 12th is our anniversary!

Seems like yesterday that we got together again at our 15th year class reunion, where David Arp told me he'd whip my butt if I didn't ask Judy to dance (click to re-read the story). Well, little did he know that I needed no prompting, but I have to admit it was hard to pass up a good fight with David. We had such a history in fighting after school (click to re-read our fight-club history)!

Anyway, I did ask her to dance and, seventeen years after falling for her Betty Davis eyes out behind the Carol Ann drive-in, I was sitting in her living room watching the sun come up. I was with the love of my life. She had been special to me for a long time, and we were finally together the way I'd always dreamed.

Thirty years is a long time, but our life has been so blessed that the time has zipped by like months instead of years. I think we may have had one or two heated discussions, but I can't say we've ever really fought. We knew we were blessed with finding another chance at love and we were determined not to mess it up. We also decided long ago that if we ever reached a point we couldn't stay married, we would still live in our home together! Strange, but we ain't leaving!

I can't image ever wanting to call it quits, and never can Judy. We are so thankful for these thirty years and we ask God to give us at least thirty more!

I love you Judy and always will.

Thanks for the memories and happiness!

Pictures from the past 30 years:

This is our wedding photo - 1980!