Nashville: Day One - Cylon Spotting

After a long day of travel from the snowy Alberta prairies (yes, we had our first snowfall already) to the happening hills of Nashville I've realized two things already:

1. I'm not a fan of United Airlines.
2. Cylons are human.

I had the pleasure of experiencing two United airplanes on my journey yesterday. Their service was adequate, their pilots competent but do their planes ever suck. Squished, hot and terribly boring, there's nothing to do for hours on end. I don't fly a lot so perhaps my expectations are too high but one of the major airlines in Canada tells jokes, doesn't take themselves too seriously (a very Canadian trait) and has a cheap little TV on the back of every seat. Imagine that - simple entertainment through the magic of LCD screens and satellites. But I digress.

I'm staying in the heart of downtown Nashville and there was lots of neon to greet me when I rolled in around 10:00 PM. Live music blending together creating a mew genre of art, lots of beer, men of questionable morals almost engaging in some fisticuffs, scantily clad moms showing their just 21 (I hope) daughters how to bar hop, these were all things I observed over the short course of a meal and a five-block stroll back to the hotel. These observations may seem like I'm bashing Nashville or singling out the negative aspects. I'm not. I'm pointing out my first impressions that show this city has character. I've also spotted beautiful churches, eaten great meals and exchanged pleasant hellos with friendly folks. I'm excited to be here and look forward to spending the better part of a week getting to know some of it better when I'm not in my sessions.

While eating dinner at a pub and glancing at the Angels/Sox game I did a little TV star spotting. I was a big fan of Battlestar Galactica (both versions, but I'm thinking of the recent update here) so I recognized who I'm convinced was the mechanic Cylon who didn't know he was a Cylon until late in the series. At least that's who I thought of him as last night as I'm bad with names. If I'm in fact making the proper connection it was Aaron Douglas. I'm not a fan of pestering people, especially when they're with a group of semi-rowdies drinking beer on a Friday night. So in my mind I encountered a Cylon but I really could have just seen some guy out for drinks on a Friday night with some semi-rowdy friends in downtown Nashville, which really wouldn't be notable. And if that were the case I wouldn't be able to make the card connection (yes, I know my blog isn't about travelling). So here's Aaron Douglas and his autograph card from Rittenhouse Archives' BSG: Premier Edition:

Over the course of the series, Rittenhouse Archives went all-out for their BSG sets. The highlight for me is the tremendous autograph checklists they got. Some might complain there were a lot of repeat signers, but it worked for me because I got into the show late and I wouldn't spend close to $100 on a Starbuck autograph from the first set simply because it's "rare." Give me the more plentiful - or at least easier to find - fourth or fifth autograph for $30 and you've got a happy camper.

I think I'm going to head to the Predators/Sabres tilt to night to engage in a little Hockey Night in Canada, Nashville Edition so I might actually post twice in two days for the first time in too long.