Bad Tattoos And The Idiots Who Thought They Were A Good Idea

Having recently decided that I want to get my first tattoo I have spoken to a lot of friends about it and done a bit of research online. There are some absolutely amazing tattoo artists out there that have produced some phenomenal pieces of artwork on bodies. I have actually become so impressed that I really can't wait to get mine done.

But, with all good things there has to be the opposite end of the spectrum. There has to be the God awful tattoos that people think are a great idea at the time. Either they are drunk, they have a momentary loss of judgement.....or maybe they really are that retarded.

First on my list of stupid tattoos is not too bad.....well.....you can look. I don't think its the tattoo that bothers me in this pic. I think that is is more the fact that she thinks she looks good showing it off! Hunny, if you want to show off a God awful tattoo, at least have a decent body. The rolls hanging over the jeans just draw attention away from the tattoos and to how nasty of a hick you are. It honestly looks like you are hiding muffins under that muffin top! Just gotta love NASCAR fans.
With this next one, all I have to say is WTF!!! What would ever give you the thought that getting a picture of an ear of corn having sex with a broccoli permanently placed on your body was a good idea!? I mean, I can see the passion between the two vegetables, with the beads of sweat pouring out, but come on. Why!!!??? Then there are the retarded people that believe that the more awful tattoos you get, the better you look. I know that all of us don't have high end jobs that you can't have tattoos showing, but come on! Really!? Why!? I don't even know what "Mr. Cool ICE" is supposed to mean, but dude!? You look like an idiot. And, what's with the goggles on the back of your head!? I just don't understand people sometimes.

I have also realized that people have a fascination with using their belly button to help the visualization of the tattoo in a way that is just a bit over board.

Not only does this guy have a really stupid tat of a cow, but man, you have a HUGE belly button. You can seriously hide stuff in there! Keep an afternoon snack in there in case you get hungry!
This next was is actually pretty funny! For as much as he will regret this someday when his kids ask him why there is a monkey anus on his stomach, it is hilarious.
I don't even want to know what this guys fascination with cat ass is all about. I think this guy has to go see a shrink and talk about his beasteality problems. If anyone sees this stomach go into a pet store, please call the authorities and hide all the felines.
Then, there is the ultimate retarded tattoo for the ultimate retarded woman. This lady sold her forehead on eBay in order to get money to get her son into a private school. She was able to get $10,000 to place a BIG bold advertisement for a casino on her dome! She claimed that since her son had fallen behind in public school that going to private school would help him with his studies. I can tell you right now, if he got his brains from you then no matter where he goes to school he is going to be the last in his class and be known as the kid with the retarded mother who has the tattoo on her forehead!

Weds Night/I Am A Dork Night

For the past several months, every Weds night I have been heading down to one of the local watering holes to help one of my friends, Chuck, entertain the likes of our Dexter's crowd. Entertain how, you ask? Well, we gather all the tone death, and I think even some mentally challenged, all into one room and we give them a mic, play some music and watch what happens.

Chuck has been working with his brother, John, at Evil John Entertainment helping folks enjoy the use of karaoke, Guitar Hero, Rock Band and even sometimes game nights at bars all throughout NJ. I have only recently joined the group to help Chuck out on Weds nights. He basically handles the DJing, while I help people with the Rock Band equipment. But, we both drink and act like fools, so it all works out in the end.

We have been gathering quite a following on for both the karaoke and the Rock Band. A couple weeks ago we decided to experiment and try to split the two up in order to please more people. Unfortunately, like most experiments, it didn't go too well. Since we are only allowed to set up in the front room at Dexter's, Chuck and I were only about 50 ft from each other and basically drowning each other out with our the two different speakers doing battle. It pretty much turned into a cluster fuck of noise and frustration. Even though it was a great idea, because both of us had a full night signed up of people to sing/play, we had to bring the two back together again.

It is actually a really fun night if you are ever in the Riverdale area. We usually have everything set up by 9ish. I start out playing drums on a Rock Band song while Chuck makes fun of me for playing on Easy or Medium, then we head into some karaoke with the occasional RB set. The night usually goes until around 1/1:30 or until Chuck drinks too much and I have to take over the mic. Then everyone just walks out, haha.

Definitely come sing a couple songs with us on Weds nights at Dexter's or you can meet up with Chuck or John at one of their other locations. But, definitely check us out online at http://www.eviljohninc.com/ . Every karaoke song is recorded and posted onto the website so that it can be checked out later.....when you are sober and remember what you did last night!

Training My Ass Into Shape Other Than Chubby

Over the past several weeks I have been getting my lazy, out of shape ass out there running and losing some of the flab that has attached itself to me since I have stopped being active. Being an athlete all of my life.....starting with soccer, baseball, basketball, football, track & field.....I have always been working out, running, and keeping in pretty good shape. Then, I went to college and it went all down hill. Every once in a while I would pretend that I was still an athlete by playing intramural basketball or the occasional run, but I knew better. All the beer and late night Sheetz had been my down fall. For as good as that all is I started packing on the poundage and I remember tipping the scales at around 220!!!

Well, I graduated several years ago and I still have not been doing anything to get back into shape. So, with a little encouragement from friends who have been doing the best they can to get themselves back into their pre-college bodies, I have picked up a new work out program. Not having a Y or any type of gym to close to my home....and the unfortunate fact that I don't have a job right now to pay for a membership.....I have been running several miles everyday, along with sit-ups, push-ups, and a ghetto version of the P 90 X routine for my abs.

I am happy to say that I am certainly seeing an improvement....slowly, but surely. For the first time, since High School, I have weighed in less then 200 lbs. I actually weighed myself earlier and I came in at 195.00.

I still have some work to do....another 15-20 lbs to lose and a bit more distance to add on to my running. All of this is leading up to a half marathon run that I am planning on running in Sept with my rockstar friend. Everyday that I go running I curse her name, but I certainly dont mean it. I just need someway to vent, because God knows he did not give me a body built for distance. In all of the sports I have played I have only done sprints. The most I use to run was for football, and that was only doing 2 laps around the football field. So, as you can tell, the fact that I am able to run 5 miles right now is a huge accomplishment. But, I have to keep losing the weight and keep the distance going if I am going to be able to finish this race!

...And once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return...

Tattoo Thoughts

Since my 25th birthday I have been on what most people would probably call a "mid-life" crisis. I like to call it being "reborn" and starting over again. A day before my birthday I lost my job, which just showed me that I have to start doing something that I really love. Then I jumped out of an airplane from 10,000 ft and survived, which has shown me that I can survive almost anything. Hence, me planning on skydiving A LOT more times and becoming a certified instructor. Now, I am also planning on getting my first (of what I believe will be many more) tattoos.

I have put much thought into what and into where I will get this milestone. Since it will be my first tat, and my family would murder me if they knew I had one, I have decided on getting it in a very unnoticable spot....my forehead...haha, joking. I believe that my right thigh is going to be the most oppurtune place for it. I know some people have said that that is not a good spot, because no one will be able to see it. This I really don't care about, because this tattoo is for myself. It will only mean something to me, and I could really care if anyone sees it or even approves of it.

Then came the thoughts of what I was going to get. I wanted something that would be close to my heart and something that I would never regret. I have been working on a Celtic Knot design that is going to be going all the way around my right thigh.

The Celtic Knot will entail 2 different designs. The first being a knot that stands for my last name, Byrnes. Byrnes is Gaelic and comes from the name O'Byrne or Byrne (the O means "son of"). Byrne can even be traced back even further to Bran, which stands for "raven". With my last name standing for "raven", I have decided to go with a knot consisting of ravens.

The 2nd design that I am going with is a Celtic band that will be going all the way around my thigh. My mother's maiden name is Murphy, a very very Irish name. It is also Gaelic and comes from the name Murchadh, which gets broken down to muir (sea) and cath (battle). Together, the two stand for "Sea Warrior", which just shows you why Murphy is such a dominant and important name.

So, I have taken an old Gaelic Warrior band, and Sea design and have produced a thick band that will extend out of the Raven Knot and go all the way around my thigh, while leaving a small break on the inside of my leg. As everyone knows, you cannot have any tattoo go all the way around any part of your body, because then when you pass away your soul will be unable to leave your body. I believe that this is an old Indian belief.

I am so excited to receive my first tattoo, and I can't wait to see how it ends up. Now, I just have to find a tattoo artist that I can trust will do a great job and that I can see myself coming back to in the future. Because, like skydiving, I believe I will become addicted to tattoos.

Once I receive my first tat, I will def post a picture.

Recap of The Dark Knight

Oh my God! I believe that The Dark Knight might have become my new favorite movie. From the first scene, with the Capped Crusader, my attention was captured. The performances by each actor was absolutely phenomenal.

Even with the fact that the movie is 2 1/2 hrs long, it certainly did not feel like it. There was so much going on throughout the entire story, and action packed scenes one right after the other insured that my A.D.D. could not take over.

With all the talk of Heath Ledger receiving an Oscar nomination, and even possibly winning with this performance, I thought that it was rather far fetched. Especially since movies like this one (Ironman, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic 4, X-Men, etc.) are never put into the same level as Forrest Gump or Silence of the Lambs, which both had received awards for Best Actor. But, the performance that I watched this evening completely blew me away. I had never thought, from the first moment I heard Ledger was going to play The Joker, that he would be able to pull it off. I kept picturing him in his roles in The Patriot and A Knight's Tale (I never saw Brokeback Mountain) and just couldn't see how he would be able to fill the role of the psychologically demented serial killer of The Joker.

Ledger definitely proved me wrong, along with many other critics, I am sure. He fit the role, dare I say, better than Jack Nicholson in the 1989 rendition of Batman, even though I could see certain instances throughout The Dark Knight that would remind me of Jacks performance. The way Ledger carried himself was a sure reminder, but he put his own touch into this deep role. Which, I believe, is the reason he passed away from a drug overdose. In order for an actor to play a role, they must walk in the footsteps of the character, and I think that the shoes of The Joker were a bit much for him. He did leave us with a performance that will never be forgotten and will, no doubt, cement his name into The Batman legend.

There were also some twists that you never see coming and additions to the story that you would think would be saved for another film. But, they fit perfectly into the film. I will not go into any depth, because I don't want to ruin anything.

Overall, I was very impressed with the film and I recommend, to everyone, to go see it as soon as you can....even go back a second time, because I am planning on it. Just make sure that you get there early. Seats are filling up quick and showings are selling out in a blink of an eye.

It Finally Arrived!!!

My skydiving video finally arrived today!!! I am sooo damn excited for it. Check it out and let me know what you think!

The Dark Knight

What might end up being one of the greatest releases for any movie, The Dark Knight is hitting theatres tonight at 12:01. At this very moment, movie theaters across the country are getting ready for the multiple showings that they are going to have tonight.

From everything that I have heard, throughout the amount of hype that this picture has received, I believe that this movie will not disappoint. With Christopher Nolan returning as director from Batman Begins, and Christian Bale returning as the infamous Bat, this is looking to make an even larger box office hit then the last.

Also joining the cast, includes Maggie Gyllenhaal as Bruce Wayne's love interest, the late Heath Ledger playing the Joker, and Aaron Eckhart playing Harvey Dent (can we say sequel).

For as unfortunate as it is with the passing of Heath Ledger, I believe that it has also given the movie even more hype and mystery. To play the role of the Joker, Heath had to step into the shoes of a psychopath and seriously disturbed individual. Unfortunately it seems as if the role that would have been his monumental break through was actually the one that killed him.

Even with his passing, there has been constant talk about Heath receiving an Oscar nomination, and that he will receive the award with no competition. He would be only the 2nd individual to receive this nomination after passing away.

I am still up in the air about Heath receiving the Oscar, because I have not seen the film yet. But, from everything that I hear and the fact that Batman Begins is one of my favorite movies ever, I can't see how this movie can disappoint.

Once I see The Dark Knight (believe me, it should be in the next 48 hrs) I will certainly let all of you know what I thought. Plus, check it out for yourself.

What on my MP3

The first time that I heard Alkaline Trio was at my first Warped Tour. There were the regular headliners, like New Found Glory, but one of my friends kept telling me good things about this band from Chicago, so I just had to check them out. There music can sometimes have dark lyrics, but always have a very catchy chorus.

They have recently released a new album, titled Agony & Irony, in which their single "Help Me" has been released. For as good as it is, I believe there is another song on the CD that deserves more recognition.

"Calling All Skeletons"

Have You Ever Touched A Cloud?

This past Saturday I experienced the greatest thrill of my life. I jumped from 10,000 ft out of a perfectly good airplane! When I tell you that this was absolutely amazing, I really mean it and I recommend to everyone that you do it too!

After arriving down in D.C. Friday night around 11:00, Mira, Nessa and I decide to meet up with some friends and hit the town for a little bit. But, not too late since we had our jump plans the next day. Not too late turned into closing the bars down and staying up until 3:30/4 o'clock! Even though it was a blast going out, it was a mistake since we had to get up around 7 the next morning to drive out to our Drop Zone (using skydiving terms).

From D.C. the trip was roughly a 2 hr drive into Maryland to Rigley Airfield. It was basically the middle of no where on a dirt road! Mira, Nessa and I arrive shortly before 10 and start looking around the airfield and getting really excited. Mira and I have had this planned for a couple months now and we couldn't believe the time had finally arrived and that Nessa was there to support us in our crazy task.

After some confusion on where to go we finally found the office where we had to check in. We meet Melissa, who helps put us through the process. Mira and I fill out the forms that say we cannot take and legal action if something happens to us....such as bodily harm, or if we are killed. My favorite was the last sheet, which was printed on a red paper with big black WARNINGS all over it, telling us we could die!

Melissa goes on to explain to us that one of the jump instructors had actually called out for the day, so our 11 o'clock jump might get pushed back since there is only the one instructor. We say it is fine and head outside to watch the other skydivers come down. Melissa, who has several tattoos and is an absolutely chill chick, decides to join us. She fills us in on a couple different stories about what goes on at the airfield, both during hours and also after hours.

With what really didn't seem to long hours pass by and it is finally coming up to be our jump time. Mira, Melissa and I ask Nessa again if she wants to jump. Surprising to all of us she says "Yeah, I am going to do it"!!! With amazement on our face we are so happy.

The three of us go through the quick training class on what is going to happen when we are jumping and our responsibilities. They explain to us that we have to make our bodies like a banana and arch our back, legs and neck as far back as possible. With a couple practice rounds and a couple real goofy pictures we are all set for the jump.

After an intense game of Rock, Paper, Scissors it is decided that Mira will jump first, I will be second and Nessa will hold up the rear. Mira is quickly strapped into the harness and we meet our jump instructor, Bob. Bob might be one of the greatest individuals I have ever met. He is a 5' tall man, who weighs probably around 200lbs and has a gray beard. All you have to picture is a garden gnome and that is what Bob looks like. The one thing that topped off Bob was the fact that he also wears Superman pajama pants any time he jumps! He was the shit!

Mira takes off in the plane with Bob, the pilot and the guy who is going to shoot her video. After about 25 minutes or so, and continuance straining of the eyes to see where the plane is, we finally see Mira's parachute open up! This is when I start to get really freaking excited, because I know that I am going to be up there next.

She finally touches down and we head over to see how it was. With her hair all over the place and the look of amazement on her face, she just tells me I have to go do it! Mira was in complete amazement and I just got sooo much more excited.

I am then strapped into the harness and Bob reviews the responsibilities with me. On the way to the plane I make some small talk with Bob asking him how long he has been doing this. The jester that he is tells me its his 3rd week and that he is hoping to jump on his own soon. Funny Bob! He then tells me that he has been doing this since the '60s, well before I was born.

I climb into the plane, which is the smallest thing I have ever been in. There is one seat for the pilot, and I am instructed to sit right behind it, while Bob sits in front of me and the guy who is going to shoot my video is sitting next to me. With the four of us in there the plane is very snug. The entire frame of the plane can be seen from the inside and it looked as if duck tape was holding it together. But, this actually added to more excitement for me.

Bob puts an altimeter on my wrist, so that I know what height we are at, and we start to get ready for the jump. he hands me goggles and has be position myself behind the pilot so that Bob can strap our harnesses together. After my knees and lower legs start to fall asleep, from the position I am in, Bob lets me sit down and wait for our right altitude.

Once the altimeter reads 10,000 ft we swing the plane door open and begin to shimmy ourselves towards the edge. With the one diver holding onto the wing and shooting the video, Bob and I are sitting on the edge of the plane and looking down at the ground. The pilot cuts the engines and slowly tilts the plane as Bob counts down from 3. On 1 Bob and I jump out of the plane and start to fly towards the ground. I cannot even explain the feeling that I had at this moment. It did not feel like falling, it felt more like I was flying, or even levitating in the same spot. For 15 seconds the free fall goes on. Bob then pulls the chute and everything stands still for a moment and we begin to glide down to the ground. He hands me the controls of the chute and tells me to avoid the hang gliders. After about 15 minutes and several corkscrews we finally come in for the landing. Since Bob is so short, compared to me, we have to land by sliding in on our buts.

With a flawless landing, I turn to Bob and tell him I need to buy him a drink. He then tells me that back in the day skydiving use to get him laid all the time. Bob is definitely the man!

I was completely amazed with the whole experience and I honestly cant wait to go again. If anyone wants to go let me know and I will be there in a second!

(Once I receive the video it will be posted)

Caring 4 Kristen

One of my good friends, Kristen Koenig, has recently been diagnosed with stage IV metastatic angiosarcoma of the small intestine. This is a very severe type of cancer, for anyone who doesn't know. There are less than 50 people in the entire country with this type of cancer.

She has been receiving chemo-therapy and receiving blood transfusions a minimum of 2 times a week. With that amount of new blood coming into her body she is developing antibodies that are fighting the foreign blood. So, each week it is becoming harder and harder to receive the transfusions.

Kristen's health insurance is starting to decline payment for the testing and procedures that she needs to stay alive. Because of this, myself along with many of her friends and family are holding a "Caring For Kristen" benefit tricky tray and concert. There will actually be 2 different nights and locations for this event. The first will be held on July 17th at Senuna's Bar & Grill in Wilkes-Barre, PA. As a graduate of King's College, and having many people who are close to Kristen, we thought that it would be a great idea to have a benefit there. The second will be held at Dexter's Nightclub in Riverdale, NJ.

There will be a lot of prizes and bands playing at both events and all proceeds received on both nights will be going straight to Kristen and her family to help pay her medical bills.

If you have any questions or need any details about the events please contact myself.

Why can't we all just get along......and dance!

I saw an interview this morning with this guy Matt Harding. He is a former video game developer who just got sick of sitting behind a desk all day and staring at a computer monitor. He quit his job and decided to travel the world with one of his friends. What started as an innocent, badly attempted, dance at each location he reached on his trip has become a national craze. Matt was contacted by Stride Gum to travel the world for a 2nd time and make a new video.

He has danced in over 80 countries, including the US, Japan, India, Bhutan, Mexico, Madagascar and so many more! He has even reached Antarctica. When you watch his videos you can't help but smile and think that the world is a much better place than people let on. People love to dance, even if they can't do it well. We should just stop fighting and follow Matt's example to enjoy life and just take it one dance step after another.

Who would have thought that some cheesy little jig would launch a former video game developer into stardom.

What is on my MP3 player right now!

I have recently been turned onto this band by my cousin, Tim. Rodrigo y Gabriela are one of those sounds that cannot really be defined. They are originally from Mexico, but have much influence from metal bands such as Metallica and Led Zeppelin. But, it doesn't stop there. In 1999 they moved to Dublin, Ireland with $1,000 in their pockets and survived by doing what they love, playing acoustic guitar.

I Have The Best Family Ever!!!

After several weeks of contacting back and forth with my cousin Tim, he decides to come up and visit me in Jersey. When I say "up" I mean it. He has recently moved to Nashville, TN, but being from the South for all of his life he has a slight Southern twang.

The festivities all started on Thursday when I picked him up from Newark airport. Surprisingly, the airport was not too bad and we were quickly out of there once his flight had arrived. Tim has also become friends with one of my good friends, Jacque, so we decided to go meet up with her, so that they could meet after talking online for months now. We head to her place and quickly decide to grab some food, since there is mutual stomach growling going around. After realizing the sushi place is closed for the day, we hit up the next best thing....the pizza place. Ricky, Jacque's brother, meets up with us and helps us finish a pie of white pizza with grilled chicken.....this is just the start of the breaking the diet and work out regime that I have been so strict about. After finishing the pizza I also decide to relive my childhood and I buy a chipwich which I begin to explain that it tastes as if God hand-crafted it himself.

We head over to a cousin of Jacque's place where they are having a BBQ. Tim and I being to drink the Gentlemen Jack and Jameson Whiskey (not together, for Christ sake) that we had purchased earlier in the day. After several good drinks, that continued to get stronger and stronger, we headed down to the local park where there was a fireworks show. With the disappointment that was the fireworks over and behind us we head back to Jacque's and swim in the pool long enough to sober up and make it back to the my house. After a long day we finally crash and try to rest up for the next day.

The next day Tim and I basically lounged around the house all day, taking frequent cat naps and watching "The Flight of the Concords", which my cousin has recently gotten me into. Tim, who is very easy going, was up for anything, so I decide to head out to Long Island where we meet up with with one of my friends and her two sorority sisters....yeah, sorority girls.

With quick introductions we start to drink and catch up with the girls who have been drinking all day to celebrate the 4th of July. In order to help us catch up we start to play some card/drinking games. We also decide to play the "Blow Games". NO PERVERT! not that! The girl whose house it is, her father is a retired probation officer, so she has a legit breathalyzer test. So, we all decide it would be hilarious and fun to see what out blood alcohol levels are. After a little confusion on how to use the damn device we see what everyone is at I realize that I am definitely doing a good job at catching up to the girls, having blown over 0.115 very easily.

After several more beers I start to think it would be a good idea to start to antagonize the parakeet that has been giving Tim and I the evil eye all night. I begin by attempting to poke the bird, but in the intoxicated state I am in the bird is a little too quick for me. I then think it is a smarter idea to try and move my finger real slow towards him and then poke him at the last second. Just as I am about to poke the evil bird, he jumps on my finger and perches there looking at me. Without knowing what to do I stand still as the bird (whom I have no idea what the hell the birds name is) starts to climb up my arm to my shoulder. Being scared to look at it, for it might peck my eyes out, I sit there motionless. Now, the bird (who I think is going to try and kill me because I have been tormenting it) begins to peck at my ear lobe....but it doesn't hurt.....not at all....the bird is a big baby! Tim and I start to pass the bird back and forth taking pictures with it and mentioning how we want to become pirates! We wrap up the night after many pics with the bird, many more breathalyzer tests and a lot more booze!

The next day, Saturday, my Grandfather and Uncle Brian come up to the home to visit and see Tim. (On a side note, my Grandfather is one of the most amazing people I know....that I think I will ever know. He has lived an amazing life and is going to turn 100 yrs old this year. But, he is a whole other story.) Tim and I sit there and talk to my Poppop about everything that has been going on....how Tim likes living in Nashville, how I am searching for a new job, etc. We then start exchanging stories from the last family reunion....who got really drunk (me), who made a fool of himself (me), and just the amazing time we had and how we have to have another reunion real soon.

That night, Tim and I, made plans to get into the city and see one of our other cousins, who just recently moved there, Shannon. She has currently started working at a restaurant, Gabriel's, as a pastry chef. We made arrangements to meet up with her at the restaurant and we would sit at the bar, have a couple drinks, and wait until she got off of work.

While we were waiting she made us some of the best deserts I think have ever touched my lips! There were several sorbet's, a peach cobbler, and this (to die for) chocolate truffle that was flavored with Grand Marnier and covered in raspberry sauce! Shannon goes on to tell us that the recipe for this thing consists of 4 lbs or chocolate and 4 lbs of butter. So, basically it is a heart attack in a small chocolate disguise.

After several drinks and a lot of discussion about "Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Arrested Development", Shannon finally gets out of work...it was a little slow so she got out early. We then proceed to a nice Irish Pub about a block away from Gabriel's. We order a round of Guinness and just start to shoot the shit. I believe the quote of the night was from Tim saying (after he returned from the bathroom), "In case you were wondering, yep, I am still damn sexy!". Haha, what can I say, he is definitely my cousin.

There was also a lot of discussions about Oct, when Poppop turns 100, about another family reunion, and that at the next reunion how we are all going to get matching family tattoos. Then there was also talk of the possibility of me moving to NYC to live with my cousin. I said that I would seriously consider it if I could find a good job.

Once the several rounds of Guinness were finished and the bar lights started going up we figured it was time to leave. We drove Shannon up to her studio apt in Harlem and headed back to Jersey.

Sunday made for a nice relaxing day for Tim and I. A couple exchanges of stories from weekend and watching some TV. I finally dropped him off at Newark to catch his plane around 4:30.

Overall it was a fantastic weekend with my cousin and I definitely can't wait to see him again. Possibly flying down there, to Nashville, in August for a concert.