Music City or Bust

It's about that time of year again.

Time to pack up the van and road trip with the guys to Nashville for the CMA Awards. It's always a good time, despite the fact that we're working. We've gone for years, and always return with a memory or two, or one we'd like to forget.

Here are the highlights from the past decade:

Severe bronchitis left me sounding like Lauren Bacall and sitting in an ER for four hours. I found the guys patiently waiting for me and asleep in the hospital parking lot.

Breaking my wine glass in an apparent case of not knowing my own strength as I sat it down on the table.

Kevin and Gator locking themselves out of their room, and telling the front desk, 'We won tonight. We're winners.' Winners who couldn't find their room keys.

Gator pranking Jim by calling his room as a 'housekeeper,' instructing Jim to use the 'facial soap on your face, and the body soap on your body.' And Jim bought it.

Gator later calling me, posing as security, instructing me to keep the windows of my room closed and bolted because 'the hotel is located in a high crime area.' I panicked and called Gator, asking if we could change hotels, only to be greeted with hysterical laughter.

Jim having an urgent need to visit the men's room en route to Nashville while dining at Ruby Tuesday, only to find it closed for cleaning. He eventually gave up and walked, er ran, next door to the men's room at a local motel. The rest of us? We laughed till our stomachs hurt.

Taking a bus with other radio dj's to a party at Phil Vassar's house, in the middle of a thunderstorm. Once there, we were given a tour, where I hopped fully-dressed in Phil's shower to see what kind of shampoo he uses. We've since told Phil, who enjoyed the laugh.

More memories await. The CMA's are next Wednesday, and we'll be talking with all the stars, including Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and one of the night's performers, Gwyneth Paltrow.

Stay tuned.