Elizabeth and I wrapped up our road trip when we got back to The Villages last night. I expected “epic,” and that’s exactly what it was. The thing about “epic” is it’s not always perfect. There were definitely a few moments I could have done without. If you look it up, epic can mean both impressive and challenging. Our trip was a mix of both. The impressive parts were amazing, and the challenging parts were, well, challenging.
I’ve got plenty of stories to tell, but I’ll have to choose carefully. Our main mission will stay under wraps until we’re both ready to share, but trust me, it’ll be epic too.
Elizabeth and I spent more one-on-one time than I can remember. She’s always been her own person, true to herself and her values, so that part wasn’t new. The only completely new experience for me was hearing her sing karaoke. She made her debut in Nashville, Tennessee, and her opening night was “epic”.
We went to a self-proclaimed dive bar call Santas Pub. We didn’t know it when we arrived, in fact we were a bit intimidated, but I learned later that Santa’s Pub is one of Nashville’s most beloved bars. It’s a cash‑only, double‑wide trailer covered floor‑to‑ceiling in Christmas decorations and famous for cheap beer, rowdy karaoke, and zero pretension. It’s the kind of place where the vibe matters more than the polish.
The atmosphere was shaped by the late owner, Elmer Denzel “Santa” Irwin, who passed away in September of 2025 at age 75. He was known for his signature white beard. He built a place where strangers connected across generations.
Our chosen venue had a few rules, and we learned the first one before even stepping inside: No Douchebags! Confident we didn’t qualify, we went in. That’s when we learned about the Karaoke rules.
1. No drinks on stage. 2. Don’t say F… or GD in the mic at the end of a song. 3. Don’t hit the mic. 4. Tip the DJ and the Karaoke host. It turned out the DJ and the host were the same person.
Once we settled in the “beer only” bar we realized there were three people: a bartender, the karaoke MC, and a wannabe singer. With us, that made five. BZ and I each ordered a beer, sat down, and once we were settled, more folks wandered in. A group of three women, then two or three couples, a party of nine, and a single man.
At one point, the single man asked Elizabeth to sing a duet. The MC dubbed him Bob Two since there were two Bobs singing. I was Bob One because I sang first. Bob Two wanted to sing “Shallow,” made famous by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, but Elizabeth declined. Perhaps he was more eager to share the stage than the song. Instead, her would-be duet partner sang “Til You Can’t.” If you don’t recall the lyrics, take a listen.
Cody Johnson – ‘Til You Can’t (Official Music Video)
Bob Two wasn’t the best of songsters, but he was the most willing singer I’ve ever met. He sang at least a half dozen songs while Elizabeth and I each sang two, but of all the songs sung that night, “Til You Can’t”, touched me.
It’s a reminder that life doesn’t hand out unlimited chances. The people you love, the dreams you carry, the small moments you keep postponing — they all have an expiration date. The song is saying: do the important things now, while you still can, because one day the door closes and you don’t get that moment back.
That’s one of the reasons BZ and I took the trip.
TBC
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