The rest of our vacation included dinner at Smokey Mountain Brewery, dinner at The Roaming Gnome Pub, great days and eats at Dollywood, and some quality time with my family at The Island.

Our actual anniversary dinner, on July 4th, was at Margaritaville Pigeon Forge. With the intense heat wave that hit TN, it really felt like we were in Florida. The food was great (especially the grouper) and the company was the best.

Being married for one year makes me look forward to all the anniversaries to come and all the adventures along the way!

Being Supernatural fans, we were instantly familiar with the premise and the identities of several of the angels featured in Dominion. We’re both really impressed with Michael and I can’t get over the fact that the actor is in his forties. I just can’t. While I can never get enough Giles, ASH’s Texan(?) accent throws me for a loop, but I can get past it. Probably.

The story is pretty standard good verses evil at this point and even has the “Chosen One” thing happening with the reluctant hero. Blah blah. Even with this potential drawback, we’re looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. It airs Thursdays on Syfy and since there is nothing else to do, watch it!

As it turns out, Arrow quickly became one of my favorite shows. While the show seems to include elements of the comic (as I’ve seen online and heard from Ben), it’s also original enough for the writers to jump in and create even more excitement. Stephen Amell is fantastic in the starring role of Oliver Queen. He’s believable without being overdramatic or campy. He clearly looks the part of superhero and the scenes of his workouts are inspiring to men and women alike. Katie Cassidy, a favorite as the real Ruby on Supernatural and the doomed bride on Harper’s Island, is underused, which may be a clever writing choice. Although there is a love triangle of sorts between her Laurel, Oliver and his best friend Tommy, it’s not addressed in a heavy-handed way and it never distracts us from the storyline.

The guest stars for Arrow are all topnotch. Colin Salmon is perfect as Walter, the man in Oliver’s mother’s life, and successor to Oliver’s tragically lost father. John Barrowman is menacing with very little trace of Captain Jack Harkness in his performance. I know many fans had wondered if he had it in him to not camp it up. Wonder no more, fans. He’s the real deal. Tahmoh Penikett has already guested, and we still have Seth Gable, James Callas, and Ben Browder to look forward to seeing. WOW!

Arrow is earning its geek cred, and I know of two fans who never miss an episode on Wednesday night.