Well no time for writing this week, as the wife and I took a vacation to Gatlinburg TN. Or what I sometimes call the Redneck Riviera.

We are both avid shoppers and made a stop at Knoxville TN where we checked out the Whole Foods Market. I'm sure that is laughable to some people, but for us small town rural people this was pretty exciting. Then we went by REI where I looked at tons of overpriced crap I couldn't afford. Next stop was a Goodwill store. We both love Goodwill stores. I was checking the place out and nearly bumped into a young woman that I'm almost sure was Transgender. She was wearing tights, a thin pink hoody that showed a black bra but had no noticeable breasts. Her hair was pulled up into a single pony tail off the side of her head that I thought was very cute. She was shopping with an older woman for shoes.

The only reason I mention this is that it got me thinking of the last time I saw a person in public who was presenting as the opposite sex a few years ago. This was in a Barnes and Noble. An older man walked into the store and stood near the front for a few minutes. They were wearing a sleeveless pink My Little Pony shirt and super short jean shorts but other then their little girl clothes they had done nothing else to attempt to appear like a girl. It was one of those weird and what I believe to be inappropriate situations where someone decides to incorporate a bunch of bystanders in their sexual fantasies. After standing there for a few minutes collecting awkward looks the person left with a goofy grin.

After we left I asked my wife if she noticed the girl in the pink hoody, and she was like, yeah. I mentioned that I thought it might have been a boy and she said she hadn't noticed so I could be completely wrong. Not that it really matters either way as this person wasn't trying to create a scene or be a werido.

So anyway the Smoky mountains are always nice, we've been going there for years and love to hike and take in the breathtaking scenery. Though I would rather avoid it my wife loves to browse around Gatlinburg and it's oddities. Its interesting how the area has changed in the last 20 years. It's always been super cheesy, over the top and full of spectacle, but it was also family friendly. It still is I guess, but as the times have changed so has Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg has always had goofy attractions and souvenir shops, but when we first starting going I remember the big joke was sword shops, there was a sword shop on almost every corner. A few years later it was airsoft guns, they were everywhere. Now the big thing is Moonshine. In the past Gatlinburg was pretty much alcohol free, now there are several bars, pubs, and of course the moonshine distilleries. I also noticed two sex shops open to the street. Is this a bad thing? I don't know? I kind of like the goofy family fun atmosphere of the place from the past, and really distilleries, bars, and sex shops don't fit in with that, but maybe they won't really change it that much either.

One the way home we stopped off at the big Flea Market in Seiverville, which is like the most redneck place you can imagine. Everywhere you look there are rebel flags, and T-shirts proclaiming the awesomeness of motorcycles, American military, the south, God, and kicking ass. There was so much junk and I can't really imagine someone buying this stuff.