Gindi Vincent

The Dish on Career, Fashion, Faith, and Family

Debriefing Dollywood

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Howdy folks!  Little bit and I just returned from our mommy and me trip and the centerpiece of our four day outing was DOLLYWOOD! 

That’s right, we headed up to her Tennessee Mountain Home, and let me tell you Jolene, everyone was asking Whyd’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That after 9 to 5 in an amusement park, but they’ll be saying Here You Come Again because it was so much fun and we’ll be back!

Before this trip, I really knew nothing about Dollywood.  When folks heard I was going, I’d hear through the grapevine that those who went loved it.  Little bit picked it because she wanted to ride some rollercoasters, baby.  And rollercoasters we rode!  But otherwise, I didn’t know much. 

Maybe you don’t know much about this hidden gem either.  So like my Disney debriefs, I’ll offer this Dollywood Debrief for my friends looking to try a new (and much less crowded) amusement park. 

Our itinerary wasn’t perfect, here’s a few tips to avoid my errors:  We flew United from IAH to Knoxville and landed at 9:30.  This is too late.  By the time I got the rental car, we left the airport at 10 pm and didn’t arrive at Dollywood Dream More Resort (where we stayed) until 11.  That is a hard drive to make in the dark of night.  Take an earlier flight.  Plus, after a long day at work and a flight and a dark-in-the-woods car drive, you’re going to want a glass of wine.  But you’re not going to get it at Dream More because room service and all restaurants close by or before 11 pm.  Which means you just hop in the shower, eat a few gummies from your carry on, and get in bed.  Then we left for Asheville early Saturday morning and returned to Knoxville on Sunday afternoon to catch our flight out at 6:30 pm.  (This is also too late – you’re tired by the last day of your trip.  Fly out earlier.)

Next up, I’m not going to download the Asheville portion of our trip.  We loved Saturday at the Biltmore but didn’t love the rest of Asheville we saw (which was a small part, and centered downtown).  As my dear friend put it, “Asheville may not be your jam.  It is Appalachia hippie…”  Um yes, Appalachia hippie is not my jam.  I’m okay with that.  Square peg, peace sign hole, not a perfect fit.

Now for what’s to love about Dollywood. 

First, stay at the Dream More resort.  It is just lovely.  Little bit and I had a king suite room with a private patio looking out on the pool.  It was far enough from the pool that the noise didn’t bother us.  We had a lovely little table and chairs where we could watch fireworks from at night and she had a separate room area with a bunk bed and t.v.  She split her time between my room and hers.  Breakfast is included and is super yummy.  I’m not a huge biscuits and gravy gal, but mercy did they make some delicious biscuits and gravy. 

Best of all, the Fast Pass is included.  (Fast Pass details below.)  I found the package reasonable – for three nights, breakfast included, two days of park tickets for both of us, and the Fast Pass, the cost was around $1400 (including all taxes/fees).  Parking was free on property, which was nice since I had a rental car to get around, but if you’re just doing Dollywood you don’t need a car for the trip.  Dream More offers a shuttle that runs every 15 minutes between the resort and the splash park (which we skipped) and Dollywood.  We never had to wait.  It’s only about a 10 minute shuttle too which is lovely if you’re used to longer distances and waits at Disney World.

Second, the RIDES!  If you are a roller coaster enthusiast, Dollywood does not disappoint.  On Dollywood’s app (which you should download if you go), they list 16 rides as “thrill” rides.  I would disagree.  However, of those 16, 9 can legit be called thrill.  (There are two water rides – the log ride called Daredevil Falls which we rode once and an inner tube one – we skipped getting soaked at the park.)

Of the roller coaster/thrill rides, they have: Barnstormer, Dragonflier (new entry at the Wildwood Grove expansion), Drop Line, Firechaser Express, Lightning Rod, Mystery Mine, Tennessee Tornado, Thunderhead, and Wild Eagle. 

Wild Eagle was our favorite.  You ride it, legs suspended, get started off with a huge drop, and you do three upside down loops.  It’s a super smooth ride with lots of thrills.  We rode it at least a dozen times in two days.  (How you Disney fans ask? Read on about Fast Pass.)

Lightning Rod is super intense – an incredibly fast ride.  I love coasters and this one did a number on my stomach first time.  Your butt leaves the seat at least twice.  Speed tops 70 mph and it boasts being the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world.  It is fast.  We rode it three times and probably would have gone a couple more if it hadn’t been Fast Pass limited.  Warning – in talking with folks as we traveled, they said this ride is down a lot.  It never was while we were there though.

Firechase Express isn’t scary but it is super fun.  It’s fast but not crazy fast and it’s smooth, and it has a fun backwards element at the end.  This was another dozen rides for us. 

I liked Tennessee Tornado and L liked Mystery Mine but not vice versa.  She thought TT was too jerky, it’s not wooden but does ride rougher, while I thought MM was a nightmare.  Not because it’s scary, it isn’t scary at all until the end, but it is SUPER jerky and my head kept getting slammed between the headrests. 

Neither of us rode Barnstormer or Drop Line because it just felt like a bit much for either of us so we can’t report.  Also, neither of us liked Thunderhead because it is a super rough wooden rollercoaster.  We rode it three times but then gave up because we always left with a headache.  We also loved Dragonflier, it’s fun but not scary (another legs suspended one), but only got to ride it twice.  It’s FastPass limited, and the lines were long, and Wildwood Grove is set far back from the rest of the park. 

So go for the rides.  It’s worth it.  We rode a few others but we focused on those.  Also, we did one live music show which was good, featuring Dolly’s niece, but I didn’t get to do most of the shows because of little bit’s focus on rides.  I did drag her to Dolly’s museum which was fabulous.  Those clothes!

I can’t even – all original from the 9 to 5 movie

Next up, FAST PASS!  I laughed when I first saw it.  It’s a paper badge you wear around your neck that the ride operators hole punch when you’re in the Fast Pass line.  Well, I’m not laughing anymore.  After the brutality of Fast Pass scheduling at Disney, this was a breath of fresh air.  Each day, you have a card that allows you to use your Fast Pass for 10 rides on the most popular rides at the park.  You may only use the pass once for Dragonflier, Lightning Rod, and Firechaser Express.  Because of that limitation, and because those first two have long lines, we didn’t get to ride those very often. 

However, no one at Firechaser Express ever checked our Fast Pass badge.  So we got to use that Fast Pass line as often as we wanted.  It wasn’t the only time we hopped into a Fast Pass line that didn’t check.  The long lines always checked though – so expect to get clicked at most.  Still, we didn’t use all 10 hole punches on either of our two days.  It will be impossible to return to Disney after these super short wait times.  Little bit was utterly spoiled.  When we walked up to the TSA Pre-check line at Knoxville, surpassing the longer line on the other side, she inquired, Is this the Fast Pass line?  TSA, I have an idea for some rebranding.

Last, the food.  Now, the food isn’t healthy, it’s nearly impossible to find a salad (I wasn’t looking very hard) but it is good and reasonable.  Both days we ate late lunches at a buffet (scoff if you will, but the food was fresh and hot).  Miss Lillian’s Smokehouse cost us $28 for cold salads (potato, coleslaw, corn, etc.), hot sides (mashed potatoes, macaroni, green beans, corn, bread, etc.), fresh meats (roasted and fried), along with a dessert buffet and bottomless drink.  That’s insane considering I couldn’t get one person a meal with a drink and dessert for $28 at Disney.  Plus the fried chicken was delicious.  The second day we tried Aunt Granny’s Restaurant which had an even broader array of foods, and a very lean salad bar, along with servers who refilled your drinks and cleared your dishes.  That cost $32.  I’ve just never experienced hot food with multiple options at an amusement park before.  I’m not a buffet restaurant person but it really worked well for the park.  Between the big breakfast at the hotel, and late lunch, we never ate much but a snack for dinner. 

There are some drawbacks.  Going in the summer meant afternoon storms, so we lost three hours each afternoon.  The second day we used it to catch the shuttle back to the hotel and let little bit swim in the indoor pool.  It is crowded in the summer so the bumping and smells that go with an amusement park in warm weather is there.  (And it appears I’ve picked up some viral skin bug, so that’s super fun…)

The crowd at the resort and park is not diverse.  It was noticeable enough for little bit to comment on it.  Her next mommy and me trip may be abroad (since each kid only gets to go every third year, she’ll be 12 for the next one when I’m lifting the US restriction, budget permitting) and we’ll be intentional about seeing new places and cultures. 

The objective of this trip though was one on one time together and roller coasters, so mission accomplished! 

If you enjoy amusement parks, this is one you should try.  It’s easy, and set just outside the picturesque Smoky Mountains, so a trip to Dollywood would also give you quick access to gorgeous camping or hiking if you’re so inclined. 

The eldest’s mommy and me trip is already planned.  Get ready for a wild and wooly recap next January when he and I take on the National College Football Championship in New Orleans.  Heaven help us!

The Holy Ordinary

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This weekend, we celebrated Bray’s birthday.  The past four years, he and I drop the kids at the farm and then drive 15 more minutes to a fishing camp in Louisiana.  We stay overnight and wake up at 5 am to head out on a boat in the darkness to see what we’ll hook. 

While exhausted, I love this trip.  I watch the sun rise.  The wind whips our faces as we speed even further south on the water to wherever the guide determines the fish will bite.  We’re on that boat for six hours.  Some riding time, some fishing time. 

Then, after bringing in our haul, some years better than others (this year a passel of trout), we drive back to the farm.  A weekend with his parents and our kids.  The kids fish and play with whatever their catch is (this year garfish and a large turtle they’ve named Shelly), Bray takes the little boat out, and farm work is completed.  I cook.  And bake.  Almost every time I’m there for a quiet weekend, I spend a chunk of it in the kitchen.  Cooking and baking are therapeutic for me. 

In addition to cake and brownies and ceviche and big breakfasts, Saturday evening’s kitchen time was my favorite.  The sun started to set.  Little bit stayed behind from the sunset boat ride.  We fixed up the birthday dinner table with “real” plates (instead of paper ones we usually use) and crystal glassware for water.  We laid out an appetizer platter and fixed drinks for the returning adults.  The light from the sunset colored the dining room table and the house was quiet. 

I explained where to set things on a formal table and she laid out the order of the evening if she had been the wait staff at a five star eatery.  She envisioned a grand party and the kitchen partitioned off by a curtain and her in a black dress with white cloth over her arm as she sat imaginary guests.  We planned dinner parties in the future where the kids would cook and serve their parents and she had grand plans for the event.

Everyone arrived smiling and laughing from a “wonderful” boat ride with Captain Bray, and then they ooh-ed and aah-ed over the set up for the birthday dinner.  We took our appetizer plates to the back patio to watch the last of the sunset.  My father in law fired up the grill and the eldest begged to grill the salmon and steak for the dinner feast.  The puppy ran around and played until we ran him off so we could eat our appetizers without him trying to devour every morsel.  Everyone ate their fill and then found a little more space for chocolate cake and Blue Bell ice cream.  My fifteenth year celebrating this man’s birthday.  Our first celebration was a set of clues on a scavenger hunt I planned for his big day, in the early, goose-bumps, stage of dating.  Little did we know then what surprises would really be in store. 

It was late when we got to bed.  After 11.   It’s heresy to eat before dark at the farm and that means late dinners in the summer.  It used to stress me out because of little kids and schedules, but now that they’re 9 I just take it as a part of the rhythm of our summer schedule. 

We arrived home by 5 Sunday so we could attend a fish fry at our dear friends house.  They’d gone fishing this weekend as well and we combined our collective loot to feed 20 family and friends.  I stood in the kitchen breading trout and listening to the hum of conversation.  A deep sense of gratitude and peace filled me.  The kids played and talked parents into last minute sleep overs.  The grown ups had conversations about summer and travel and how fast it all goes.  All the while eating fish til we nearly popped.  The clusters of adults would move and change as groups would reform around different friends to catch up.  And the kids would try to find new things to shoot in the front yard with their Nerf guns. 

I didn’t take a single picture yesterday, I was so caught up in the holy ordinary.  Webster’s defines holy as sacred.  That’s what this weekend felt like.  Nothing monetarily extravagant but utterly extravagant in the holy.  The sacred.  Time with family and friends.  Good food and joy in preparing it.  Peace in sunsets and friendship and provision. 

It’s important for me to bear witness to these days.  These small moments which get overlooked when gazing back at the year’s memories.  And yet they are the most precious.  The holy ordinary where God shows up. 

Fashion Friday: The Do’s and Don’ts of Headshots

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This week at work some colleagues and I were planning a panel discussion for a women’s event.  The focus was on enhancing your social media profiles (LinkedIn, etc.) to obtain career results.  Maybe you want to develop more expertise in an area or you’re looking for speaking engagements or you need to build your external network.  There are ways improve your opportunities with social media. 

Over the course of the conversation, one subtopic that really sparked discussion was how to get the right headshot.  Oftentimes, when you’re not actually seeking a job, you forget about your career profile, and then suddenly you’re asked to speak or write and are scurrying to get a professional picture taken.

For today’s Fashion Friday, let’s discuss the do’s and don’ts of headshots. 

Just this week, I received a newsletter from a large women’s organization of which I’m a member.  It advertised a couple of upcoming events and the featured speakers.  There were three different women’s headshots featured for the events and I was surprised by the wide disparity between them.  One woman took what appeared to be a selfie on her sofa.  Another one used a grainy image standing against a beige wall in rumpled clothing.  The final shot was of a women smiling confidently at the camera in a dark blazer with simple jewelry in high resolution. 

People make first impressions off of, well, their FIRST impression.  It’s human nature.  They make assumptions based on what they first see. 

When we are speaking or joining a board or looking for a job, it is utterly within our control to make a strong first impression.

This is not about vanity.  It is not about a beauty pageant.  It’s about executive presence.  Polish.  Confidence. 

So I went through hundreds of headshots of my connections on LinkedIn and jotted down a few takeaways. 

Here Are Some Do’s:

  1.  Smile.  Smiles welcome people and exude warmth. I loved staring down at a little picture which smiled back at me. I hate my teeth, always have, but a smiling picture of me is still far better than one where I look apathetic or glum.
  2. Stick with the classics.  Donning a blazer polishes a photo.  For some jobs it would look utterly out of place, but even those career women with winning headshots had simple bold blouses that looked polished.  Simple jewelry.  Gold or silver or pearls – earrings and (or) necklaces. 
  3. Use your head.  This may not be true if you have a website where you can take up more photo real estate, but in spots like LinkedIn and conference publications where you’re speaking, there is very little space for your photo. Make it an actual “head” shot. 
  4. High resolution.  In an era when everything is shared and copied and snapshotted and emailed, use a high resolution image.  A good picture looks less professional if it’s grainy or off-color as a result of an old or low res base photo. 

I ran across a truckload of beautiful head shots, but these were some of my favorites (just screenshots from LinkedIn).  You can see some went with traditional backdrops and others used outdoors. As long as the background isn’t overbright or distracting, you have flexibility with the venue (and formality) you’re most comfortable in.  

(And I will tell you, these woman also look incredibly polished every time I see them in person too.  So they carry their executive presence with them well beyond a headshot.)

Here are the Don’ts:

  1.  Selfies.  Do not take a selfie.  I don’t know what else to say. 
  2. Look like someone else.  This is not the time to get a glamour shot that makes you unrecognizable. Yes, fix your hair and make up but not in a way that doesn’t look like you on a day-to-day basis.
  3. Use it to attract a romantic relationship.  There is nothing that will undercut people taking you seriously more quickly than thinking your career headshot can double as your Tinder photo.  Don’t wear tight or low cut clothing, heavy make up, or pose suggestively.  Women are judged particularly harshly on this but women can be the primary offenders.
  4. Have others in your picture.  This is not the time to show off your spouse or children.  And it doesn’t help if you half cut them out so that it’s primarily you but you see someone’s arm in the photo. 
  5. Go bright or dark.  Some of the photos I saw, while otherwise professional, were either on very bright white backdrops or in bright sunlight such that it blinded the photo, or they were black and white or very darkly lit so it was difficult to see the person clearly.  Remember lighting when you decide what headshot to use. 

Go look at your LinkedIn profile or Twitter account or website – whatever you use for your business.  Ask a friend or colleague (or two or three) to give you honest feedback on your headshot. 

Does it need to be updated? 

Does it need to be more professional? 

Consider investing in a photographer to really give you a couple of great images you can use for all career purposes.  It will pay dividends.

It’s Not All Magic In That Lamp

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Last night, we went to see Aladdin, the Broadway musical, which was touring in Houston.  I don’t do these kinds of evenings out very often because it’s pricey to do dinner and a show with five people.  But the kids loved both movie versions of Aladdin, so I splurged on this one family night out. 

We waited in the obligatory show backdrop line to have a snapshot taken of our family, moderately cleaned up for the event, and then I posted it on Facebook. 

Afterwards, I couldn’t stop thinking about a conversation with two my dearest friends this week. 

We were talking about pride and how our pride trips us up.  Well, two of us were discussing how that’s one of our big challenges.  The other one, who from all I’ve seen doesn’t have a lick of pridefulness in her, wondered if her Facebook postings seemed prideful to those seeing them.  She uses Facebook primarily as her memory book, so she just posts when she does fun stuff with her kids so she’ll have those precious memories documented for years to come.  The past couple of years she has had a brutal series of trials, but she doesn’t share those on social media.  Only those closest to her have seen the trials.  I guess if folks were looking in from Facebook, they’d think ‘look at my awesome life’, she remarked ruefully. 

Because of my blog, most folks are aware my life is a roller-coaster of events, good and bad.  But I kept thinking about that comment as our smiling faces peered back at me from the screen. 

So let me tell you friends, it’s not all magic in that lamp. 

To begin with, no one in my family likes to get dressed up but me.  Well, little bit will tolerate it, but absolutely not the boys.  So just getting ready was a headache.  Little bit and I fight about what she wears out because she’s slim and tall, which is of course a lovely life problem, but I CANNOT (for the millionth time) find anything long enough to cover her legs.  Her dress was far too short but I got overruled by dad and she wore it out.  Yes it’s not really a problem at 9, but if we don’t set hemline guidelines now, I’m never going to win the argument at 15 when it is a problem. 

Then the boys, well one in particular, hemmed and hawed about putting on a shirt with a collar.  Just forget button downs, I’m trying to get a polo on them. The eldest paired his polo with a long sleeved t-shirt, jeans, and very muddy ranch boots.  The baby did better but still he was in shorts and tennis shoes. 

We had to get the puppy put in his crate.  He is an utter disaster right now y’all.  I can’t even start.  He ate a hole in our laundry room wall yesterday.  And pooped in Bray’s office. Ugh.

Driving downtown in rush hour is no piece of cake, and I drove because otherwise I have so many opinions about short cuts to take through traffic it does a number on our marriage. 

I’d planned a nice dinner at the Aquarium so we could park and walk the three blocks to the Hobby Center.  Dinner was nice, we had a good view of the giant aquarium and my kids love fish, but I’m a schedule monitor.  I should either do dinner or a show but not dinner and a show because I’m constantly watching the clock.  I put the kibosh on dessert because I wanted to have plenty of time to find our seats.  Of course, in addition to the groans I got, then we arrived before the doors even opened.  Seriously. 

Then we end up in this giant debate about their 10th birthday party.  We’ve started planning it because it’s only a couple months away (good grief, time flies) and it’s the big 10!  But the kids would like to have it at the minor league baseball game here in town which is cost prohibitive if you invite the entire grade and their families.  (We attend a small school and their grade is about 28 kids, half girls and half boys.)  So we talked about inviting a handful of friends with their parents but little bit said she would not have a party without including everyone.  (This I love, because I’ve harped on this for years now, but I also live in a world with a budget.)

After that raging debate, little bit got a blister in her shoe from walking and the eldest kept commenting how self-conscious he felt in his wardrobe choice now that he was at the theater.  And he didn’t feel great because he’s been in the hot sun at baseball camp and is a little worse for wear in this 100 degree heat. 

When we sat down in our seats, I looked at Bray and said, this always seems like a good idea when I plan it, but…  He raised his eyebrows and retorted, you always say this. 

So why do I do it? 

Well, the kids LOVED the show.  It started slow but by the end of the first act with the big crescendo of the genie in the cave of wonders, we were all laughing and clapping and captivated.  We waited in the long bathroom lines at intermission and paid way too much for gummie bears but the kids were talking over each other at each of their favorite parts.  How the genie was just the best genie ever, even funnier than the movie one. 

And we worked on manners at dinner.  Truth be told, we rarely eat out.  Even then, it’s usually Mexican food.  So it’s important to teach how to lay your napkin in your lap and use the different forks and wait until appetizer plates come before sticking your grubby hands in the plate of calamari.  We had charming dinner conversation, aside from the party, about the fish in the tank and talked about all going offshore fishing later this summer. 

Even walking past the homeless prompted conversations which needed to be had and demanded we focus more on helping those in our community who have needs beyond any my kids could ever comprehend. 

So I will keep doing it.  And it will be messy.  And loud, lord is it loud.  But they’re about to be 10.  As they grow up, I hope they’ll remember the fun shows more than their mother fussing at them to change their shirt or get in the car. 

And Stanley, the puppy.  Well he had no interest in going to sleep when we got home at 10:30 since he’d been alone for over 5 hours.  Yawn, I’m tired.  Grateful and tired.

Summer and Growing Community

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It’s been a really happy place around here lately.

Lots of laughter and fun. 

Baseball and swim team are over – can we all say hallelujah?!?!

The kids and I are checking some things off of our “things to do this summer” bucket list!  This past weekend we played laser tag, went bowling, and saw a minor league baseball game.

Also, we got a puppy. 

Yep, you read that right, a puppy. 

A little over a week ago. 

His name is Stanley.  He’s a mutt.  A cattle dog/shepherd mutt.  The kids adore him and he adores them.  He’s got a little cough which has worried me, because I need another little one to worry over, but his whole body wags when he sees you come in and he’ll smother you with kisses.

Then there has been precious community building on all sides.

I felt keenly aware of how deep our community is in this season. 

I sat watching the throngs of families at our swim meet finals and soaked it in.  Our neighborhood is pretty divided between the assorted private schools on the west side of Houston so the kids don’t get to go to school with our sweet neighborhood friends.  But during swim team, we’re all together. 

The kids have been swimming together since they were five and run in a pack in between their races, playing games and taking their dollar bills to the concession stand.  We’re surrounded by the other neighborhoods doing the same thing. 

Grown-ups vacillate between volunteer work and catching up with their neighbors. 

It’s this wonderful shared experience of parents sharing sunscreen and coolers and pop up tents. 

{I can just hear Mr. Rogers singing, won’t you be my neighbor?}

Then a group of families from our school gathered for the local pool swim up movie showing last Friday.  The kids are finally at an age where constant supervision is not required, hoorah, so they scurry off to perform diving board tricks while the parents all cram in our summer stories over snacks and drinks in the patio chairs near the mayhem. 

At a church leadership meeting this week, we pressed into the topic of community and how it’s these connections which restore us from this frenzied pace. 

I was just rereading some of my old neighbors’ table posts and remembered how isolated we used to be: We have to clear out some of the clutter and make time for community.  I find myself utterly grateful for this rich community network that has sprung up.

We head to the farm tomorrow to fish and read and slow down and pop fireworks, all part of summer master plan.  Slow down. Peace out.

I’ve also had downtime to plan fun things ahead too, because I AM a planner. 

Little bit and I take our mommy-and-me trip at the end of the month.  We got all the details outlined over our lovely souffles at Rise this week while the boys were out.

Then I have the big DECADE birthday party to plan for the trio in the fall – I’m might slightly be in overboard mode, but I was just telling you how big our community has become.  And after the eldest’s mommy-and-me trip in January (to see the national college football championship game), we hope to have spring break vacation in Arizona and Utah to look forward to!

I love travel and it gives me great joy to know we have travel planned in the months ahead. 

Until then, it’s hanging with our friends and family and taking on the pace and peace summer offers.