We have finally lived the Nashvegas experience!

This week, our church service was held in the Presidential Room at Opryland Hotel! Before you think our priest has turned in his bible for some Elvis sunglasses…there was a conference in town and we had over 2,000 people in attendance.

It was amazing, although long. There were so many important Greek priests, I joked that instead of doing everything 3 times, they did it 9 times!

We came in just at 10 am, but we arrived to an already packed house. We got Pappou a chair and stood in the back. George Papayannis was in town for the YAL conference, so Jay and I got to see him Friday night, but could not find him in the sea of Greeks on Sunday. We left after Communion, and then saw a little of the hotel. I don’t think I have seen Opryland in the summer. Pappou kept saying how wonderful the place was and that he did not understand why we did not have the wedding there. (Gee, I wonder!)

We headed to Opry Mills for lunch and a little shopping (gotta love 2 shirts and a pairs of pant for $15!) and then hope. A very busy weekend for everyone. Plus, they got to see some new sights during their trip.

So sometimes I get a kick out of pumping the gas, even when Jay is there. I get out and we do this whole, “how much gas you want, handsome?” routine. Well, I skipped the routine yesterday but I was in the mood to pump some gas (Guess that is still residual from living in NYC and not having a car, too). Well, Gia and Pappou were in the car and Pappou freaked out! He had to pump the gas…because no woman was going to do it when he was around…no sir, I mean ma’am. It was highly adorable and I am sure Jay looked like an oaf for not pumping it himself, but holy cow! In all my years as his granddaughter, did I leave the impression that I am the hopeless female that needs a big strong man to pump gas so my dress doesn’t get dirty???

And I did not even get to pump the gas!

Pappou’s dream is to run away in a Corvette and take nothing but one of the dogs and a bandana. Jake is now the dog of choice. So yesterday…we all ran away to Bowling Green, Kentucky to visit the Corvette Museum.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed. Pappou was like a kid in a candy store.

On display were almost hundred different Corvettes, from the very first ones to Pace Cars to some pimped out models. There was even a pink one for me!

Pappou was definitely in his element, showing us the ‘53 model he first fell in love with…to which GiaGia asked, why didn’t we just buy that back then? Yeah, I can just see with a 1 year old Gia willing to buy a 2 seat speedster!

At one point, Giagia disappeared. I went around the exhibit and found her at the pinball machine playing a game. Give me a million choices of where she would be and that would have been my very last pick!

As we were walking out, Pappou saw a familiar face in a photo, General Curtis LaMay, his commanding officer when he served in the Air Force during World War II.

The day was not wholly committed to Pappou though (although Gia definitely had fun at the museum, too!). On the way back, we stopped at Old Time Pottery in Madison, which was Gia’s version of the Corvette museum! At one point, we just had to say, ok, enough, we need to leave now!!!