In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/16/2009, Part 3

News & Notes from Saturday, March 14th, 2009

-I spent Saturday with my family. I ate breakfast with my parents at Shoney’s. I convinced my mother DLNV to go without makeup. She worried about her appearance throughout the meal. Yes, I reminded her that she was at Shoney’s. I also showed great restraint by not taking a picture for the blog.


-My parents and I went to the 2 PM performance of the Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble (TCDE) at the Clarence Brown Theatre. On the way, my mother needed to stop by both Food City and Kroger for a shower she was throwing the following day. I no longer ask questions like “Why exactly do we need to stop at two grocery stores?” That shows growth.

-This is the eight straight year we have gone to the TCDE watching the careers of my cousins ACN and HLN. As HLN graduates this year, it will be our last year. My cousin HANW is pregnant with a girl and we all suspect that we will be going to see Mikayala dance one day. (This is HLN pictured with the company’s two other seniors, Caroline Bibb and
Hannah Myers.)

-The venue was very different this year. Due to the Clarence Brown Theatre being smaller than in the past, the girls presented six shows in two days. They performed three times for local schools as well as three for the general public. I cannot imagine how exhausted they must have been. The group was clearly cutting costs as my dad and I were told that we could only get one program between us because we constituted a “group”. Really?

-Attendance was down due to it being the first weekend of Spring Break and the Tennessee basketball game tipping shortly after the show started. The big show was later in the night. As such, this was the first time we had seen the show without HLN’s family. We watched with ECD and MCVD, my aunt and uncle. Yes, I missed the first half of the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. If there was any doubt, I love my cousin.

-The show was good as usual. I thought the costumes were especially good this year and not just because my aunt is one of the primary seamstresses. I was disappointed that “The Limelight” was not on the bill. When I can name their routines, I have probably seen them one too many times...

-I did manage to get home in time to watch the second half of the Tennessee basketball game. The Vols beat Auburn 94-85 to advance to the finals of the conference tournament for the first time since 1991. I was especially pleased with Wayne Chism and not for his career-high 27 points and nine rebounds. I was happier that when asked his motivation for the game, he said that Auburn “ bogarted us the last time we played them.” Well played, sir.