<Does Anybody Read These?>

Monday's song of the day...

I am not a huge Rascal Flatts fan, but occasionally they put out a song that blows me away and moves me. "I Melt" was like that, and this one is another one. That's why "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts is song of the day. I was talking to a friend today about relationships, and I just asked her why it's not easy. And, of course, if she knew she'd be the most famous person in America. And then I said, "It's like that Rascal Flatts song." So that's how we got today's song of the day. Recently a friend got married, and they played this song at her wedding, so I hope it doesn't get overused. But how many of us will look back at that path for ourself, and think "This is the perfect song"? I'm not even going to try to speculate on my future, but I like the song, and I'm positive after all this time that relationships are never easy.

In other music news, Shannon Brown's "Cornfed" video is on CMT.com. Now I love this song, so it'd be good if it didn't have Mr. Nick Hoffman on fiddle, but it does and I could watch it all day long. Go check it out!

I Don't Have to Be Me 'Til Monday...

Does anyone remember that Steve Azar song? I always liked it, and I kind of felt like it was me. My weekend started at 3:40 last Friday when I hopped in the car to go on my road trip to Indiana and all weekend I just hung out and didn't do a lot of anything. Even last night, I got home exhausted from 4 hours in the car. So, I caught up on my TV shows and checked my email and called it an early night. But this morning the alarm clock went off, and the reality set in. It was back to work, and I was working my butt off all day long. I've still got a pile of work on my desk and it's not going to slow down for weeks, if not months. I guess it's better to be busy than bored, so I won't complain too much.

Of course, in 10 days I am heading off on a long weekend trip, and I can't wait. I got my ticket in the mail today. It's a paper ticket. I haven't had a paper ticket since I went to Oklahoma in 1995. That's just crazy. Here's hoping I don't lose it. I'm so used to just popping my World Perks card in the little kiosk and going on my way. I didn't even know you could get paper tickets anymore. I need to start thinking about what I want to do while I'm out there. So far I've got get some Ethel M chocolate during Vegas layover, see the ocean and the spot where River Phoenix died, and that's it. That's all I've got. How boring am I? Pictures of the Hollywood sign? A tour of a movie studio? This might sound totally dorky but this guy I used to work with was the son of some famous Hollywood actor from the 50s and he is buried in that big movie star cemetery. Maybe I want to check that out? I don't know. All I know is that I want to do LOTS and only have three days to do it.

Oh, I am not sure what to say about the new Supreme Court nominee. I already miss the highly unqualified Harriet Miers. This guy's nickname is "Scalito" because he's a kinder, milder version of Antonin Scalia, apparently. What I've heard so far about him has been frightening. And unfortunately, I think he is going to get confirmed. I'm really going to miss my civil liberties once they're gone. I am sure I'll have more to say during this whole thing, but right now I am sitting here fascinated at the sheer ignorance of the uber-conservative Christian right. I absolutely, positively hate how they run this country. Of course, not like it matters, but I didn't vote for any of them. Ever.

My elbow is still killing me after my spill down the steps. I think it's just a bad bruise, but if it still hurts to touch it by mid-week, I'm going to have to go to the doctor and get it checked out.

Everywhere We Go, Kenny Chesney

It's a little odd to do a review for a CD that's 6 years old. It's no surprise to any of my regular readers that I'm a big fan of Mr. Chesney and have been for many years. I've always liked his music, but I think Everywhere We Go will always have a special place in my heart because it was the CD where I got hooked on the balding 37-year-old in the tight t-shirt from East Tennessee. This CD also reminds me of one of the best summers of my life. It was the soundtrack for some awesome roadtrips the summer after I graduated from college. Kenny went all over Tennessee with us (and rightly so). Kenny serenaded us as we drove all the way across Michigan to see Copper Country, the Tunnel of Trees, Legs Inn in Cross Village and countless other places. I'll never forget laughing at "How Loretta Feels." I'll never forget any of the trips from that summer. You never knew what adventures we'd end up embarking on or where we'd end up before the night was over.

So, Everywhere We Go (how appropriately named!) is a little stroll down memory lane every time I listen. But it's more than that. I still think it's Kenny's best CD. There's not a song I don't like. I love them all. Just when you think he couldn't do better than the track you're listening to, the next one comes on and it's better. I wish there were more than 11 tracks on this CD, because I just can't believe Kenny could've gone wrong, and it seems too short. Whenever I put this CD in my stereo I fall in love with every song all over again.

I am very pleased with Kenny's success over the last few years and proud of him for all of his hard work, but at the same time I feel like the newer fans are missing out. I still love Kenny and the more I hear from his new CD, the more excited I get, but it's just not the same. This CD is a lot more Kenny from East Tennessee and a lot less of the Caribbean Cowboy thing he's had going on the last few CDs. Don't get me wrong, I understand that's who he is now and I think it's great that his music reflects that. I can see how someone would be inspired by the beauty of the Virgin Islands to write the songs that he has there. I just miss the innocence and enthusiasm that Kenny had when he was still trying to work his way to the top. Now that he's at the top, he's different, unreachable, bigger than life. It's not his fault, but when I'm craving nostalgia and want to go back to the summer of 1999 and all the awesome things going on in my life back then, I pop this CD in, roll my car windows down and hit the highway.

Yikes!!!

I think I've developed Blackberry Thumb. And the funny thing is I don't have a Blackberry. (Although they do make a nice cobbler. ha ha.) But I do send way too many text messages, so I'm suspecting that's the culprit. Yikes. Who knew?

Concannon's Bakery -- Muncie, Ind.

When a chocaholic finds a new guilty pleasure, they always feel the urge to tell anyone who'll listen. Luckily, this one is 200 miles from home, so I can't indulge too often.

There's a line on Saturday morning at Concannon's Bakery in Muncie. According to this article, they start lining up around 5:30 a.m. Is it worth it? Oh, you bet it is. If for nothing else, but the BEST BROWNIE I'VE EVER EATEN!!!!!

This brownie costs $1 and it's a pretty good size brownie. It has chocolate frosting, and it's fudgy but it's not sort of hard and crunchy like on some bakery brownies (I think that happens when you cook the frosting too long), it's very creamy and smooth. And then, in the middle of the brownie, right on top of the rich chocolate frosting is a big dollop of buttercream frosting. Oh...my...goodness. Just when you thought the brownie couldn't get any better...wow, that's a brownie. I've decided that buttercream frosting makes EVERYTHING better.

I'm still laughing at the girl who rang up my order who told me it might be a little "too chocolatey." Amy and I laughed at her, because she didn't realize that there's no such thing as too chocolatey in my world. And it wasn't. It was rich, but the perfect indulgent treat. An excellent comfort food.

So, if you're ever in Muncie, Ind., and looking for a sweet treat, stop by Concannon's. If you can find a parking spot, it's worth the wait in line. I hear that all their baked goods are pretty good, but I can only vouch for the brownie. And I have a feeling I'll be talking about it for a while!

Highlights from the Hoosier State Road Trip...

First of all, I am in mourning. I thought it might be the Vols' year, but it's looking like I was wrong. I am just very glad I didn't have a TV at my disposal this weekend, because I didn't have to watch this one as it was happening. Not that it's less painful to read about it.

The party was great. Cassie and Cammeron had a great time, and I got to meet all of their aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. I couldn't believe how many people showed up for party and how many presents they got. And as far as I know, only one gift got broken before the party was over! It was hard to leave everyone today, but I had to come home. Busy day again at work tomorrow. Basically, I will be in freak-out mode until Thanksgiving.

The ride home wasn't bad, although I am really hating switching back to Standard Time. First of all, I didn't actually get that extra hour of sleep because parts of Indiana don't use daylight savings time, including the Indianapolis area. So, no need to fall back. I actually got a headstart on Friday when I hit the Indiana state line. I just don't know if I can handle it getting dark at 5 p.m. every night until April. I've been ready to go to bed for about 2 hours now.

I got gas for $2.22 a gallon. It took just over $25 to fill my tank, and I felt like I won the lottery. If it stays here, I promise I'll never bitch about gas prices again. Of course, driving home from Indiana reminded me exactly how much I hate Ohio drivers. I will never for the life of me understand how three lanes of traffic can all go under the speed limit so that those of who would like to go to the speed limit just have to ride it out at 50 mph until one of them decides to exit from the highway. I know I shouldn't be in a rush, but I was more worried about the Winnebago that really wanted to be in my trunk while I was behind Mr. Slowpoke.

Last note on the drive home. I am loving the new 33 bypass around Lancaster. It shaves about 20 minutes off my trip. I made it from Columbus home in 1 1/2 hours. On Friday afternoon I had about a 15-minute headstart to go to Indiana and it took me 1 hour, 15 minutes to make it to Downtown Columbus. Once the Nelsonville bypass comes in, we'll just zip to Columbus.

I am still digging all the new CDs I've bought lately, but I popped in an old favorite today while I was driving home. So, today's song of the day is an oldie but goodie. "You Had Me From Hello" by Kenny Chesney is such an awesome song. Kenny's always said the song wasn't really about "Jerry Maguire," which is one of my favorite movies. Regardless of whether it is or not, it's a good song. If you think about it, we all do this. We fall in love, and it ends badly. And we say we're never going to do it again. And we do. We meet that person that the minute they smile, it breaks down that big, giant wall we've built up. And we start all over again. Sometimes it's the last time, but more often than not it's just one more cycle in our relationships. Maybe I've just been thinking of this song because of something that happened this weekend. Regardless, it's a great song. Probably one of the defining moments of Kenny's career.

If Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off...

...then rum makes her laugh her ass off like a crazy person!!!! I've been drinking heavily boys and girls, so nothing too insightful this evening. Not much to report anyway. I arrived safely in Indiana, ate some good pizza, drank some (by some I mean a half of a fifth) vanilla rum and diet root beer and had a mystery guest, who while she was quite funny interrupted my grand plans to watch DVDs with that cute little blond guy all night long. And hell no, I don't mean Keith "I need a haircut" Urban. I'm sure he's a good person, I just wouldn't do him.

But really I'm not a crazy person. Contrary to the word on the street. I'm just fun and lots of people love me. Even if I can't spell when I'm not using a laptop and can barely see the screen. Yay, rum!

I think that's it for now. I've got lots on the agenda for my weekend of birthday fun, so if I slack off for a while don't call the search party. I've got a few emails that came in this afternoon while I was working my ass off at work (I do that sometimes) and I might not get to them until Sunday. Don't panic; I still love you. I'll be back as soon as I can. Honest.

Oh, here's a thought for the day. Sometimes Key Lime Pie really is just key lime pie. And it's still yummy.

Song of the day is Heaven by Uncle Kracker. I can't print all the lyrics here, because I'm sure I signed something with blogger.com saying I wouldn't drop the f-bomb in every sentence on my blog...The refrain is "If heaven ain't a lot like Detroit/I don't wanna go/If heaven ain't a lot like Detroit/I'd just as soon stay home/If they ain't got no Eight Mile/Like they do up in the D/Just send me to hell or Salt Lake City/It'd be about the same to me. Then Kid Rock raps. Thus the onslaught of f-bombs. Love those guys. Makes me homesick.

I had a quote of the day, but I'm just not sure I'm drunk enough to actually subject all my "faithful readers" to it. Carry on, folks. Big Hugs.

Bye Bye, Scooter!!!

What kind of grown man goes by Scooter, anyhow?

Let the indictments and resignations begin!

Let's see if I can call this one. Up next: Karl Rove.

Is it Friday yet?!?!

We had a Halloween party at our staff meeting at work today. I had planned to go as Harriet Miers by wearing a black gown, too much eyeliner, helmet hair and carrying a "Constitutional Law for Dummies" book. For some reason I changed my mind at the last minute. I am kind of glad, because Harriet called it quits, totally making my costume obsolete. I'm not sure how to feel about Harriet's withdrawal. She definitely wasn't qualified, but I shudder to think of what Bush will come up with next.

Tonight we had trick-or-treaters at work. That was fun. I loved seeing all the cute little kids in costumes. We could've been less stingy with the candy. We thought it was two hours long, but it was only one and we still had lots of candy. Hard to believe Halloween is almost over, but the stores were filled with Christmas decorations yesterday.

So, back to this long week. Work has been exhausting. Luckily this time tomorrow I will be off on an adventure sitting with a cold drink in my hand with a good friend. I am really excited. I'm also excited that I get to go to Church in Spanish on Sunday. That's exciting. I haven't done that in a dozen years, probably.

An update on my brother in Miami for those who asked. He is doing fine. His cable is still out but he has power and phone. They have a curfew at 8 p.m. because I guess not everyone has power yet. They are OK, just a little inconvenienced. Not that bad if you think about it.

I am feeling OK today, but my back is sore and my elbow cannot be touched without massive amounts of pain. My lower back's been a mess for a while, so I'm sure hitting it on several wooden steps won't help it. And one of my toes is completely purple and my knee's a little stiff. But all things considered, I am fortunate I didn't really hurt myself. I will have to take lots of Aleve for a long car ride.

One of my friends recommended today's song of the day. "She Let Herself Go" by George Strait. I generally like anything Dean Dillon writes and this song is not an exception. It's a good song about how someone can take life's lemons and make lemonade. It's all about empowering yourself.

Mid-week musings...

This was a long day. Work was exhausting and there was so much to do. I kind of like busy days because they fly by, but I also sometimes wish there were time to breathe.

After work I went into town and I decided to check out the new store one of my coworkers just opened. It is really neat. It is a gift shop with all of the items coming from Indonesia and Bali. The profits help the workers there. Businesses with a conscience are so refreshing. I have the cutest ring on hold there, and I think I am going to buy it as long as they don't mind if I pick it up next week.

I also went to the store and bought all kinds of stuff for the Halloween party at work tomorrow. I am making chili and caramel apples. I also bought all kinds of candy for the trick-or-treaters in town. I am very excited. I love Halloween. It's funny because I never dress up, but I love it. I think it's because it's during fall and I love fall.

So, I guess my plans to go to Detroit Veterans Day weekend have changed. I am heading West, and I am very excited. I get to see one of my very best friends and have some Ethel M chocolates. It's going to be a great time. I also get to see an ocean I've never seen before. I can't wait. I'll have to say that a sunny paradise is much better than Detroit in November.

Today I didn't see one of the steps as I was going downstairs and I fell. I don't hurt too bad now, but I get the feeling tomorrow may be a different story. Somedays I really worry about my vision. Especially when I see how my dad is. It breaks my heart to watch him struggle to be able to see the things. It scares me that not only will he not be able to see to walk me down the aisle someday (a far ways off...) or see his grandchildren, but that it will be the same way for me. So, I guess I just go along seeing as much as I can everyday that I can. And lucky for me, I've gotten to see 29 years so far. And I really hope that one day when I can't, I will close my eyes and still be able to see that road I took today with brightly colored fall foliage hanging from the trees over my path. I hope I can close my eyes and see the view from the second deck of the Eiffel Tower on a spring day.

Song of the Day: Ever since Chris Cagle's new CD Anywhere but Here arrived in my mailbox, I can't stop listening. I love every song on the CD but there is one that I really love, and after talking to a lot of folks, it is their favorite too. It's "I'd Find You." What a great song. I think I could listen to it all day long. Maybe one day I will try, just for fun...

How cool is this?!?

Is it called a road trip if you don't drive?!? My road trip buddy calls me tonight and invites me on a little mini vacay for Veterans Day weekend. I'm pretty excited. I could use a change of scenery, and I am very excited about heading off to exotic locales. More info on this trip as it comes along. I can't wait to see her. It's been way too long. And we could both use a hug...

Today's Inspiration

Someone e-mailed this to me today. It's very long, but it was so moving that I thought I'd share it with the folks who read my blog. I think it's something that can be helpful to everyone. And besides, I'm a fan of the Rev. T.D. Jakes' writings.

Let it go for 2005

by T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this!

When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you.

I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk.

Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, They came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us,no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to...LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you...LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge ..LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him...LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship....LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves..LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ....LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to...LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2005!!!

LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left...think about it, and then LET IT GO!!!

"The Battle is the Lord's!"

The Half-marathon

I have been promising a list of training resources for the half-marathon, and I haven't posted them yet. I am getting back into the swing of things tomorrow, since it's the first day I've been able to breathe in over a week. I am feeling much better now. And besides, I accidentally saw what my butt looks like in jeans in the mirror in the church bathroom, and I have got to work out.

Last year I walked with Team In Training for the Detroit Free Press Half-marathon. The TNT program is pretty rigorous and you usually have to raise a lot of money (most of it does go to charity) to participate. However, their coaches and training materials are great. Luckily I still have my book from last year. However I found an online training guide for a different race, and I figured I'd share it.

This is a good web site. Pretty detailed 12-week training plan.

This is a great PDF file of a training schedule.

I hadn't ever seen this site before, but you can sign up for a daily training e-mail.

Hal Higdon is pretty much an expert when it comes to competitive walking and running. Here's the link to Hal's training guides.

Last, but not least, is a site I couldn't have made it without last year. This is probably the most comprehensive walking guide on the Internet, and they email you weekly training emails that are great.

There are also TONS of great books that I haven't read because there are so many free resources on the 'Net. But if you do a Yahoo search for "half-marathon walking training" you will find all kinds of other great stuff.

Halloween Party

I love Halloween. It's my favorite holiday. So tonight after work I went over to the Halloween party at church. It was fun. A lot of my kids from Sunday School class came. One of my friends said it'd be nice to see them when I didn't have to work. Well, I didn't have to teach Sunday School, but as I assembled 100 hot dogs to feed the masses, I figured that I'd somehow got roped into doing work. It was fun and the kids liked it. And I'm ready for Halloween. Just have to remember to buy candy for the trick-or-treaters who are coming Thursday. They're coming to my work, not out here to No Man's Land.

Even though I have an unmanageable amount of children in my Sunday School class, I wouldn't trade it in the world. They are great kids, and the fact that there are so many of them makes me very hopeful for the future of the Church. A couple of weeks ago I was in town walking around the track and little Jack from my class was there riding his tricycle with his mom. He was so excited to see me and we had a good chit-chat, considering that he's not yet 4 years old. Today when I got to church for the party, little Rita from my class was all dressed up walking to church. When she saw me, she screamed my name, ran over to me and walked into the parish hall with me, holding my hand. Even though I don't have little ones of my own, it's nice to make an impact on children. Maybe someday I'll have my own kids to dote on, but until then I'm content with borrowing others' for a few hours.

I love the fall, but I don't enjoy the shortened days. I've always suspected that I have seasonal affective disorder, and I'm pretty much useless in the evenings after the time changes. The minute the sun goes down, I am ready for bed.

One final thought for today. I've been following this whole Kate Moss thing a little bit, and I was just wondering if anyone was really, honestly, truly shocked that she was on the nose candy. Seriously?

I've been neglecting the song of the day, mostly because I've been neglecting the blog a little bit. Anyhooo...not much to say about it. It's pretty self-explanatory. It's funny. You know this girl. Hell, you might even be this girl. Everyone has someone that "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" by Joe Nichols reminds them of. Now pass me a margarita...

Oh no, not Becks!!!

Please God, don't let this be true. (Do you pray to God when the prayer's about ScienTOMogy -- oops, I mean Scientology? I don't know; we'll go with it.)

Anyhow, I have gotten past Tom's religious craziness and ended my crush. I haven't been a Travolta fan since the early '80s, so I'm not devastated. But please, pretty please do not let pretty, metrosexual soccer phenom David Beckham and his pretty wife Posh Spice -- oops, Victoria -- become Scientologists. Let's hope Tom and Katie leave London before it's too late.

Sad, sad day...

...for Detroit and the rest of America (the world maybe?) . At age 92, Civil Rights Pioneer Rosa Parks has died. Ms. Parks was someone who could make us all proud. Simply by saying No, I'm tired and I'm not getting up, she opened the doors for so many people. She paved the way and improved the quality of life for everyone, regardless of the color of your skin. She stood up for what she believed in by sitting down on that bus. She went to jail for what's right. How many of us would do that?

Ms. Parks was an excellent citizen of the city of Detroit. More people need her principles, integrity and compassion. She will be missed by everyone whose path ever crossed with hers, and countless others who were inspired by her passion to do what's right.

God Bless You. Rest in Peace.

I'm editing this to add a very touching tribute that was just emailed to me.

My brother the crazy person...

My brother just moved to Miami. He's lived in Florida for a couple of years now, but this is the furthest south he's been. Not that it really mattered with Hurricane Wilma. Last I checked it looked like it'd hit everyone in Florida. He called me this morning during a brief minute of cell phone service. He and a friend were hunkered down in the walk-in closet of his 8th story apartment. He said the building was shaking, they could hear glass shattering outside and the power had gone out in the middle of the night. I'd asked him a few days ago if he was going to evacuate, and he told me no. He said he'd never make it out of Florida anyhow, and he was probably right. I don't think people realize how big that state is. Anyhow, I think he'd finally given evacuation some thought when his friend, who has a terminal illness, called him and said "before I die I want to ride out a hurricane, so I'm coming to your house." And he did. And apparently once they realized that they could get out of the apartment complexes magnetic doors, they went out with a video camera to see what they could see. Luckily all our friends down there are safe and sound, although one friend did look out her window to see some kid's trampoline had demolished her car. Now I know why I'm not interested in moving to Florida. I think the closest will be when I get down there this winter for a little r&r...

Irish people are fun...

...especially when we get our drink on. I guess I shouldn't lie. I'm not completely Irish. I'm 1/2 Irish, I think and it could be a little Scottish in there too. I always just tell people I'm mostly British. LOL. Anyhow, the Irish are fond of getting drunk and being clever. And you get things like this (and some really great limericks!):

My aunt, who loves all things Irish, got a little plaque that said this and I loved it. Sometimes there isn't anything else to say.

Some music stuff

First a new artist, then some new stuff from an old artist. (Not old, just established. lol)

A gal I know from the Kenny Chesney Fan Club is heading to Nashville to start her music career. She is in the process of redesigning her Web site, and I told her I'd link to it. Enjoy!

Now new stuff from the old guy, also known as song of the day. I've really wanted to begin the blatant promotion of Kenny's new CD, however, I just couldn't make his current single my song of the day. The next single off the CD "Livin' in Fast Forward" is awesome. The lyrics are great; it's got a great beat. I just love it. And it reminds me of the Kenny I fell in love with many moons ago. You can go watch him perform it live on AOL Sessions (don't need AOL to log on). And on Nov. 8, you can rush out and buy his new CD, The Road and The Radio. And that's all I've got in the blatant self-promotion dept. Oh, I lied. One more thing. He looks hot on the cover of the CD.

Take Me Home Country Roads...

I think the neatest thing ever is a camera phone. This is a picture I took on my way home last night, hoping to catch the fall color. I thought it was too pretty to not share...

Halloween in Athens...

It's just about that time of year. If Athens is the Harvard on the Hocking (River), then Halloween is the Mardi Gras of the Midwest. Every year on the Saturday closest to Halloween, tens of thousands of partiers from all over converge on Athens to attend the festivities. What exactly are the festivities? Well, the main thoroughfare through campus, Court Street is closed down. There are some bands playing. Everyone who lives off-campus throws some sort of par-tay. And the booze? Well, the booze flows like water ALL FREAKING DAY.

I've only been to one Halloween celebration. I was on campus for three others, but I was an RA which meant I had no more excitement than eating chili and caramel apples in the office while filling out LOADS of paperwork. The one year that I lived off-campus and didn't work for Res Life, my roommates and I threw a huge shindig. We had friends come from other colleges. Made lots of food. Ate jello shots shaped like pumpkins and ghosts. Told ghost stories (also popular in very haunted Athens). And drank. Heavily. I remember going to every bar that had no line or cover charge and then going to an after-hours party in my friend's basement. Fun, fun times.

This year, I thought about going, but I got a better offer. My friend Amy, along with her two kids and my little buddies -- Cassie and Cammeron -- are all having birthdays. So I'm off to Indiana, where my bedroom is all made up and waiting for me. Any ideas on gifts for a 7 year old and a 9 year old? I really know nothing about kids these days. (Why do I always sound 800 years old when I say that?!?)

The best $10 I've ever spent...

OK, I might be exaggerating a little on that, but I have to say that if Jason Aldean comes to your town (even if the ticket is more than $10), go. Don't think about it, just go. This was the best show that I have been to in a long time. Jason is a very talented songwriter, singer and guitar player. He's also not bad on the eyes. The band seemed very nice and friendly. And of course here it was worth the $10 to only see Eric even if Jason hadn't been good. But he was. Very good. He said he was in a good mood because he'd found out that morning that his CD had sold 500,000 copies, but I have a feeling his shows are always great. I had only heard a few of his songs, but he didn't just sing his stuff. Great mix of covers and originals, although I'd like to have heard a couple more of his songs.
It was sad when the night was over. We had a lot of fun, and frankly, I deserved to have a little fun. It had been a loooonnnnnggg week. I also like that Columbus has no smoking in bars. Probably because I'm not a smoker. But it's good for me because otherwise I could't have gone as sick as I was.

Here's a picture from the show. I took tons of great ones. As soon as I get them posted in my photobucket I'll let everyone know.

Question of the Day

I've been doing research this weekend and I have a question:

Why does beer in the can taste significantly worse than beer in the bottle. In my research, I used Miller Lite.

Does anyone in cyberspace have an answer? Anyone? Bueller?

Urrggghhhh...

Urrgghh. Damn tide. Bastards. Beat my Vols. It's been a long time since the Vols didn't score a single touchdown. That sucks. I will cry now.

If you'd like to relive the nastiness, here's an article.

Where's Marc Antony when you need him?

I'll bet you thought this entry was about J. Lo's husband. I meant Cleopatra's main squeeze. You'll see what I'm alluding to. Just hold your horses. LOL.

I have this friend that we always teased about being Cleopatra. You know, the queen of denial? And she'd always get in her moods and say "I'm over here sitting on my river bank in Egypt, does anyone want to join me?" And we'd laugh at her.

Well, lately I've felt a lot like her. I'm sitting here right now staring at an email that's pretty damning and pretty conclusive. And rather than just shrug my shoulders and accept it as fact, I am turning it upside-down, inside-out, over and under to see if there's any way that the person who sent it could be wrong. I know she's not. She's a good person and she has no reason to lie, especially not about this. She has nothing to gain from it. I just keep thinking that someone has to be mistaken, there has to be a misunderstanding, someone has to be confused, when it's all sitting right there under my nose.

It's nice to have closure, but it sucks when it's at someone else's expense.

From the "random thoughts" file...

Everyday when I leave my room, I see a necklace made from a shrinky-dink and a piece of yarn hanging on the corner of my mirror. It was given to me by a precious little girl that I just adore. She's precocious and inquisitive and an absolute doll. And every time I look at it, I'm reminded of the realities of friendships as we get older. When you're my age, a lot of your friends have little ones, and as much as you get attached to your friends, you get attached to their kids. In fact, I'm headed off next weekend to attend a huge birthday shin-dig for two of my little buddies. But the reality is that as precious as these children are and as much as you love them and would do anything for them, if their parents stop loving you, you don't get to see them anymore. And in many ways, giving up those friendships can be just as hard -- if not more difficult -- than saying goodbye to their parents.

This was clever!

I am finding all kinds of new blogs because so many fun people are posting over at Harriet Miers's site. I saw this and it was absolutely too funny not to post.

Apparently the marketing geniuses at Anheuser-Busch tried to market one of my favorite games, beer pong, to a large-scale audience (read: under-age drinkers) by calling it Bud Pong and providing all the necessary equipment (cups, tables, ping-pong balls -- branded I'm sure) to beer distributors across America. I guess this has been going on since July, but I've never seen it at my local watering hole. We're still playing in the garage here. Well, time's up for Bud Pong because -- this is a shocker -- people are playing it with beer (including, aparently, under-age drinkers). Apparently Anheuser-Busch wanted us to play with WATER. Who knew? How exactly do you play a drinking game (and a damn good one at that!) with WATER? Doesn't that defeat the purpose? Apparently the tavern-goers thought so. So Anheuser-Busch thought maybe it wasn't their best idea to give folks the ammo they needed for binge drinking and discontinued the program. I'm trying to decide if their marketing folks were stupid enough to think people'd really play beer pong with water or if they thought we were all stupid enough to think they didn't know it was really beer pong.

Personally I'm a little sad that I didn't hear about it until it was over. I love beer pong. I'll bet places had tourneys. And Bud Light would be much better than the Milwaukee's Beast my partner picked out last time I played.

Score one for Team Tom!

Exactly what team is Tom on anyhow? OK, I promise no more gay jokes about Mr. Cruise. But I'm beginning to wonder. Of course, I'm pretty damn sure that Scientology is against gay people. See if he were evangelical, I'm sure there's a drug he could take to fix that.

Anyhow, I wanted to give you an update from yesterday and give you a new link, since the one I posted is about to be shut down. Yesterday's web site, ScienTOMogy, is going to be shut down because of the trademark law suit with Scientology. I think that's ridiculous, but Scientology has lots of lawyers and the man in New Zealand who runs the site decided to shut down the site but NOT relinquish the domain name.
Here's a little article from Yahoo on the whole thing.

But fear not kiddos, plenty of Tom's craziness can be found at the new site, The Passion of Cruise. At least until Scientology figures out how to shut that down too...

Did you miss me?

Well, I'm not 100%, but I am feeling well enough to get back on blog patrol. And I finally ate today for the first time in two days. (Well, I ate once yesterday, but I got violently ill after three bites and decided it should not count.) Tomorrow I'm going to try to get back on my workout routine. I don't want to gain back the weight I lost while I was sick.

I found all kinds of things to talk about here and there today, so I don't have much left to say. Usually when I say that I go on to blog for SEVERAL paragraphs, but today I'm serious.

There were things I wanted to blog about while I was on sick leave, but I'll be damned if I remember them now. I did link to a new blog, Princess Sparkle Pony's blog. She makes fun of Condoleezza Rice, or maybe she likes her? It's so snarky -- I think -- that I can't tell! I am thinking about getting a site meter so I can see exactly how many people don't read this blog. It's all good though, I just started it to simplify my friends' lives. Oh, and because I was out of chocolate and it's therapeutic. Maybe I'll cut back with Halloween being close; the chocolate shortage is off right now.

Speaking of Halloween, Thirteen Nights of Halloween started tonight on ABC Family Channel. On Saturday and Sunday there is a Scariest Places on Earth Marathon. I will probably tune in because my alma mater will be on there. It's one of the scariest places on earth. I might go ghost-hunting this week to get ready for Halloween, even though last time I did I almost peed in my pants. Too bad my college roommate has mono right now or I'd drag her along.

Lastly, the song of the day. Lately my priest has been encouraging all of us to "Dream Big," so I thought that'd be an appropriate choice for today. That song is by Ryan Shupe and The Rubberband, for those keeping track at home.

Peyton Manning Saves the Day...One Wristband at a Time

Actually, it's 5 wristbands at at a time. But I love Peyton, and he loves his hometown of New Orleans. So for $10 you can get 5 wristbands in Colts blue that say #18. The money raised will be used for hurricane relief in his beloved hometown.

To donate send checks only for $2/wristband ordered in increments of 5 to:

PeyBack Foundation Wristband Relief
6325 N. Guilford Suite 201
Indianapolis, IN 46220

New Orleans is so fortunate to have this awesome man as a native son. For more info, visit Peyton's Web site.

My second-favorite game...

One of my friends used to like to play this game called "What's he looking at?"

Sometimes, it's lots of fun.

Tom Cruise is a whack job

I remember a few months ago I thought Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were so cute. Why not? They are cute people. Loved Tom in Jerry Maguire and Top Gun. Loved Katie in Dawson's Creek and the new Batman movie. They seemed happy. Boy how things have changed...

Maybe they are happy. No one but Tom and Katie know. They are getting married. There's a baby on the way. I don't know what brought Katie to the party, but Tom's nuts.

I've always been fascinated by the concept of Scientology. I pretty much think it's a bunch of hooey and that L. Ron Hubbard was just looking for a way to bilk celebrities out of their money. I'm not sure why Tom Cruise is now chief recruiter and who exactly he's supposed to recruit, but it's gone from being cute to being downright frightening. And I hope Tom isn't unemployed soon, but if I were a movie producer and I hired Tom to be in my film and instead of promoting it he fought with Matt Lauer, his ass would never get another job with my company. Now, I'm not a big Keith Urban fan, but I can see why Nicole Kidman prefers him over Tom. You can have a good haircut, but if you're bonkers it doesn't really matter.

Anyhoo, I have no clue what Scientology believes. Oh wait, apparently it believes nothing. "In Scientology no one is asked to accept anything as belief or faith." Just what I'm looking for in a religion! They also apparently believe humans are immortal. (How's that work?) Well, maybe that's why they're not too worried about people offing themselves from mental illness.

Recently, I somehow stumbled upon two very interesting web sites chronicling the downfall of Tom Cruise and his crazy new role as Scientology poster boy. I guess I could've included them in my post on funny things on the Internet, but I'm not sure I think Tom's funny anymore. In fact, he scares me a little. What I think is absolutely the most disturbing thing is that the Church of Scientology is trying to shut these sites down. I guess it's just a scare tactic they employ because most people are frightened by their big lawyers, but it makes me like them even less.

I don't know if I believe in stopping Scientology, like the owner of Scientomogy.com, but perhaps they shouldn't be considered a religion for tax purposes after poking around there. The other web site I found was Scientomogy.info. It has a lot of interesting things on Tom's behavior lately, including the infamous Oprah and Today show appearances.

I believe that with any religious cult, information is the key to avoiding it. A few years ago I was recruited by a fringe sect of Christianity that most experts consider to be a cult. (I didn't join; I realized they were lunatics and told them to leave me alone.) I had always planned to compile info about this group on a web site so no one else went down that road, but I've never gotten around to it. Well, if the Scientomogy (that cracks me up!) guys can, maybe I can too. Or at least blog about it one day. I'll mull it over. I had pretty much blocked out all the skeery memories, but maybe I can do some scrounging to see what I can come up with.

The Internet is SOOOOO funny...

First it was Harriet Miers. Then today I was on a Kenny Chesney fan board and someone posted a link to this blog. Now she didn't post this link, but I found it and as soon as I stopped laughing, I knew it was time to blog! There are ALL kinds of celebrity snark there. Go check it out, but make sure you pee first and aren't drinking anything! I'm not responsible for accidents!

I'm sick :(

I just wanted to add a quick note to those who might read this to let you know that if I am quiet it's because on top of being very busy at work, I am sick. I am at work right now, but I don't know how long I'll be here. Some of the girls here think I have the flu. I hope not. There is NO time for that.

Anyhow, I'm going to go try to do some work between coughing fits. As soon as I'm well enough to post a better update I will.

Take your vitamin C now so maybe you won't catch this.

Interview Question

A while back, a friend of mine told me about a fan site that has a list of interview questions for the next potential spouse of this celebrity. That's kind of funny in theory, although I wonder if an interview might be the solution for this particular celebrity. Anyhow, that's not really my topic, but it did make me think of a question that I'd ask a potential spouse. Well, that and dinner with my parents tonight. I think I'm going to have to ask any potential spouse if he can be in charge of buttering his own bread at dinnertime. I just watched in awe as my father asked my mom to butter his bread tonight at dinner. Of course, it's no different than any other dinner in the past 30 years, but for some reason it ended up being the topic of conversation. I just thought it was funny. I think it's best to nip it in the bud before it's 30 years later and I've buttered thousands of slices of bread. I might do it once in a while; you'll do that for someone you love, but I get shivers up my spine at the thought of hearing "Woman, get me a piece of bread."

Sunday, the day of rest...

So, I'm finally sitting down for the first time today. I've been unbelievably busy today. I was up at 7:45 for church. After mass I had Sunday School and then mom and I went grocery shopping. By the time I unloaded all the groceries, had some lunch and gave Sparky his medicine and some dog food, it was almost time to leave for RCIA. After that it was off to Wally World to pick up Dad's birthday present. I had planned to work out and dye my hair, but I think both things will have to wait. I'm ready for a nap -- a nine-hour nap. What a long day...

I got a very special treat today while I was at Wal-mart. I've already mentioned my chocolate obsession. I decided to pick up a package of these new Russell Stover premium chocolates -- two little pieces of candy for around a dollar. I figured I wanted a treat, so I might as well make it worth it. Anyhoo, I tried the first piece which was a caramel. Very good. I think it said it had honey. It was very sweet. And then the other piece of candy. I can't remember anything else about the description except that it had hazelnut. But one bite, and I was in heaven. It was almost exactly like these chocolates I used to get when I had this client from Belgium and they always brought them to us. It's pretty dangerous to think I can get these stateside.

There's an issue that's been nagging at me and I am SOOOO tempted to blog about it, but it's just not time yet. Rest assured that if I need to talk about it I will. It's just an awkward situation, and I'm thinking since it doesn't (as far as I know) directly affect me, it might just be better to let it be. We'll see. Only time will tell...

I'm thinking this is it for today. Oh, I promised half marathon resources, so maybe I'll go and do that. I'll leave you with the song of the day. It's "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" by Lee Ann Womack. Haven't we all had that person in our life we somehow keep ending up with? We all know it's bad, yet we do it. It's about time it ended up being a country song...and the video? I love the video for this one too.

Song of the Day

I just added this one to my mp3 player. It reminds me of here, and I love it. I'm also going to see him next week, and I'm pretty excited.

Hicktown by Jason Aldean. Here are the lyrics. They're fun.

This is hilarious!!

This is the funniest thing that I've seen in ages. Go look. The name says it all: Harriet Miers's Blog!!! Just to add a disclaimer: I'm thinking it's not really Harriet Miers's blog, but it's so freaking funny that I don't care if it is. I'm thinking she'll withdraw her nomination at some point anyhow, so it's not even like we need to worry about America. Just go laugh.

I've been reading lots of funny blogs lately. I wish I were funnier. Sorry boys and girls, but I do my best.

Destination: NashVegas (is this part three?)

I ended up only doing 2 miles instead of 3. One reason is because Sparky went with me and I was very concerned about the neighbor's dogs on this extended trip. If I do two miles, the only neighbor I encounter is my grandma and her cat has given up on trying to kill Sparky, or at least I think so... The second reason was because I was dragging ass today. I am not sure if it's because I was exhausted last night (I went to bed early last night and slept in today.) or if I am pushing myself too hard getting back into walking. I need to watch that. I think part of the reason I started doing half-marathons in the first place is because I'm notorious for pushing myself until I can't take it anymore. So even though I'm supposed to log more miles on Saturday because I have the time to do it, I decided to err on the side of caution and not push myself too hard. The last thing I need as I'm starting to get back into my workout routine is to cause an injury.

I am hitting the showers then I'm off to that picnic for work. I'm sure it'll be a nice time. At least I hope so. I should probably stop and buy something, shouldn't I? Oh, the point of this tangent was that I am all out of time for right now. Sooooooo...tomorrow (or maybe later tonight, depending on how my cleaning goes this evening) I will put up links to some training resources for the half-marathon for my friends I've conned -- ooops, I mean encouraged -- to join me in Nashville next year. It'll be fun!

Miles logged: 2.0

What a long week!

This has been a long week, and next week will be pretty busy too. I'm trying to figure out how to get about 4 more hours into my day. If anyone knows how, drop me a line. I will probably go the forgo sleep route. And if you don't see me for a few days, that's why. May drop off the face of the earth a little.

Went out to lunch with a co-worker today and had Indian food. It was good, and I was a little surprised by that. I'm not sure what I expected, but I enjoyed it. A little spicy, but it didn't kill me. I might check it out again.

I have a picnic tomorrow and I'm going to have to be very disciplined about my eating. I'll get up early and plan to do a 3-miler tomorrow, but I still don't want to blow it all with one meal. I really hate being at others' mercy on my food choices. When I was really serious about my diet I'd do things like take turkey franks and veggie burgers to cookouts. I will just make the best choices I can tomorrow, but at some point I need to get back into making all my food choices myself. I need to be selfish about losing this weight for a while.

Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! I almost logged off without the song of the day. It's called Good Ride Cowboy, and it's a tribute to Chris LeDoux sung by Garth Brooks. Yes, I said Garth. I think he's back, and I'm very excited. I am not the only apparently, because his song had the highest entry onto the charts ever. We've missed him. We're glad he's back. I've got my fingers crossed that he'll stick around for a while before he goes back into retirement. I hear a rumor that once you get that bug to hit the road in a bus and entertain the masses that you never really get it out of your system. I am sure that Garth is one of those folks. If you haven't heard this song, click on the title and it will send you to the web site of one of the songwriters and it'll start playing if you have Media Player. Let me know what you think!

Destination NashVegas

I feel like I am finally getting back into the swing of things with the walking. I am actually looking forward to it tomorrow. Having a goal and working towards it seems to help immensely.

I added some new songs to the mp3 player today. Don't ask what they were, because I don't remember, but I do remember that they are good. One is Garth's new one. Yay, Garth. More on that later...

Still have a walking companion. I love the Sparkster, but he's a big pain in my ass. Today he wanted to have a throwdown with the dog at the end of the road. I had to stop walking to yell at him, and I need to keep moving and stay motivated. Well, at least the baby copperhead we encountered on our journey left us alone. I wasn't as worried about me as I was Sparky; he's just little. Now don't get me wrong, I'm still scared as hell by snakes and this one was no exception even though it was no bigger around than my thumb.

Miles logged: 2.4

Just not in the mood...

I know I'm neglecting my blog a little. I have this big long list of things to talk about, but I just haven't felt the urge to sit down and put it all down here. I think it's partly because the trackpad on the laptop is driving me nuts. Maybe tomorrow I'll plug in the mouse and shut the damn trackpad off before I hurl my computer out the window. It seems like everytime I come up with something to say somewhere it deletes it. That's not very nice at all. So once I get the technical issues figured out, along with have more than 20 seconds to articulate my thoughts, I'll throw some stuff out there for you.

I do have a song of the day. It's on the mp3 player's play list, so I heard it out on my walk today. It's a classic, and a little food for thought in a humorous way. I'll post it here, because I'm not sure if a lot of people have heard it...

Men Don't Change
Performed by Amy Dalley
Written by Amy Dalley and Lee Miller

He was a bad boy and I was a good girl
He needed me to smooth out the edges
He'd get his drink on and flirt with the ladies
After two years of his crap I quit begging
I'm a magnet for the fixer upper man
If I know it's fire, why do I let it burn my hand

Cupid works for the devil
Be suspicious if he cries
You know sex is usually good
Yeah, but it ain't always right
Chocolate is a band-aid and no matter what they say
Shoes don't stretch and men don't change

My friend Lisa, she loves a liar
She found about his other girlfriends
He makes excuses so she forgives him
She swears she's gonna leave if he screws up again
But he's good looking, that's why she don't see
He's got her exactly where he wants her to be

(Repeat Chorus)

I just met a brand new guy
So far so good
I hope he don't change at all

(Repeat Chorus)

One thing I love about the country...

I absolutely love how people here wave at folks they pass or drive by their porch or whatever. It's so friendly. Of course I look like a total anti-social jerk because I'm not used to everyone being so friendly. Really it doesn't take much to do it, but it's definitely not a habit with me. I should work on that. Everyone does it, and I don't want them to think I'm not friendly. I've just been in the big city where everyone's focused on themselves. I guess that's one cool thing about living in the country. If only they had Greek food here...

Destination: NashVegas

Last year I trained and completed my first half-marathon, the Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon. It was an awesome experience, although grueling. As difficult as the race was, I caught the bug. I'd hoped to do a race this year, but every one I had planned fell through. Sooooo...I'm going to start training for next year's race, and I'm pretty excited.

I've decided that regardless of where I am living next year, I'm putting the Country Music Marathon on my schedule. It sounds like it's going to be a good time. It's April 29, 2006.

So, I've started my training. And it was about time. I've been lazy. Of course, my body knows that. So from here in it's at least 2 miles a day. And, of course, I'll increase my miles on the weekend so that I'm ready for 13.1 on race day. It really wouldn't have been that bad in Detroit if I could've kept my 18-minute/mile pace, which is what I need to complete Nashville on time. Because they close the border between the U.S. and Canada for Detroit (it's the ONLY marathon to cross international borders), the first 8 miles have to be on a 15-minute pace, which makes the last 5.1 miles pure hell. I'd like to be a bit faster than 18-minutes by April, ideally doing a 3:1 walking-to-jogging ratio. We'll see...

In this space, you can expect a daily training log. I think I'll stick with the "Destination: NashVegas" header for these. I can tell you from last year that sometimes this'll be a long entry, sometimes it'll be nothing more than a report on my miles logged and time for the day.

Oh, and if you log on and don't see miles for a day, ask me where they are. I have a feeling I'm going to need folks to ride my lazy ass until I am sure I'll stick with it. AND last year I walked for a charity. While I won't participate in Team In Training again because it was SO hard to raise all that money, I may try to raise some pledges for a particular charity if I find one that really makes me want to keep going. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to drop me a line...

So, after all that I'm just gonna shush for now. Here are my first two days of miles logged.

Wednesday 10/12: 1.5 miles
Thursday 10/13: 2 miles

In Other Detroit News...

I had heard from several folks back in Detroit that they'd seen Jack White and new wife Karen Elson and they'd seemed very happy. I guess they are spending quite a bit of time there when Jack's not off touring the world. That's very cool. It's always nifty to figure out where Detroit's celebrities might show up next. You look over at a stoplight in Southfield and there's Eminem's ex-wife Kim Mathers. A late-Friday-night drive might turn up Tim Allen pulled over on the side of the road for a DUI. Maybe you see a very orange self-tanned Bill Bonds having a croissant in front of a cafe in Birmingham. My favorite was seeing Aretha Franklin in the Kroger at Maple and Telegraph. You just never know who you'll run into.

Apparently if you were at the Masonic Temple last weekend you could've seen Jack White. And while he was there, he gathered family and friends to tell them that he and his new bride are expecting a bundle of joy. While it's definitely an interesting twist in the saga of recent months, it sounds like Jack has finally found happiness and is settling down. I'm sure Renee Zellweger is sitting at home even more pissed off than usual. I wonder if she's the only one?

Well, yipper skipper!

Most people who know me know I LOVE Motown music. I'm sure part of it is a byproduct of living in Detroit, but it's mostly because it's absolutely amazing music. I think it's a lot like country music in a way that it totally captured what was going on in a region in a certain period of time. So you can compare early Motown and what was happening in Detroit to what was happening in Appalachia when the pickers started making music that reflected the culture. Very cool.

Anyhow, my favorite Motown artist is Stevie Wonder. Hands down. Some of the stories I heard about this man while I was in Detroit are amazing. What a talented and kind man.

So why the yipper skipper? For the first time in 10 years, Stevie's back in the studio recording a new CD. I can't wait. It's been a long time.

Song of the Day

Today's song of the day gets its own special post. The song of the day is "When I Think About Cheatin'" by Gretchen Wilson, off her Here for the Party CD. I can't stand this song. I do not like the video; and I like the song less. I actually skip over it when I hear it or change the channel on the radio.

So, you may be asking yourself why that is the song of the day if I can't stand it. Well, it's to prove a point. You see, it was recently brought to my attention that some people think that you can't hate a song off a CD and still love the CD. And everyone knows that Here for the Party was my absolute favorite CD until All Jacked Up came out. It just trumps the first one. So, this is proof that you can love a CD more than any other CD without liking every song on it. God knows that I Will Stand is one of my favorite CDs, but that doesn't mean I've listened to "Steamy Windows" more than the three times it took to decide that I hated that song.

I heard from someone who might know that Kenny's new CD will be his best yet, better than I Will Stand. So maybe "Who You'd Be Today" is the "Steamy Windows" of this CD. That's what I'm hoping. I have been a fan of Kenny's for quite a while and I've bought every CD since No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems on the day it came out. This CD will not be an exception. It may take a while for me to warm up to it like When The Sun Goes Down, but I'm sure that it'll be a good CD. All of Kenny's CDs since Buddy Cannon started producing him have been great. And besides, everyone knows you get the best deal if you buy a CD the day it comes out because all the stores are having price wars!

The wisdom of a fortune cookie...

Tying in with yesterday's entry, I had to post my fortune from dinner tonight.

"Deep faith eliminates fear."

Apparently the solution is just to build my faith up even more. I don't think that's a problem. I've been praying a lot more lately. I've been reading my bible more. My faith seems to be growing daily. A friend of mine the other day reminded me that God doesn't give us any more than we can handle. Somedays I think God highly overestimates me, but really that's not true. Things that have seemed insurmountable have just ended up being speedbumps in the path of life. It'll all work out; it always does.

Thank God for Federal Holidays!

I am absolutely beat, so I'm almost off to bed. Luckily tomorrow I don't have to work, because I've run non-stop this weekend. I'd probably have been fine today and gotten everything accomplished if I could've slept last night. But I couldn't so by the time I got home from Church and teaching Sunday School, I was ready for a nap. I tried to stay up, but I woke up two hours later sitting on the couch. Ooops.

For the past month, I've been attending faith formation classes at church so that I can be a Confirmation sponsor for a girl who is joining our Church. As someone who's just always been Catholic, it's an interesting exercise. I'm learning a lot that I was never taught, and I'm able to rethink the things that I have been taught. I am enjoying it. Of course, dissecting the whole concept of faith and putting all the pieces together seems to have come at just the right time. So, I decided to do a little digging about the word faith, both as it relates to a specific belief structure and as a broader concept.

The first thing I found was that there was a Saint Faith. I never knew that. Ironically her feast day was a few days ago, Oct. 6. St. Faith was a martyr, killed in the 5th century in France for being a Christian. She is a patron saint of pilgrims, prisoners and soldiers.

There is a very long definition of faith in the Catholic Encyclopedia. To sum it all up, faith is trust in God. It can also be used to define a belief system (such as the Catholic faith) although apparently you don't need to believe in anything to trust God, except God, I'd think. The dictionary.com definition is significantly less wordy. In a secular sense, faith is believing in the trustworthiness of a person, idea or thing or belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. To some extent I am very good with faith. I have absolutely no problem with trusting people and believing in them. I have no problem with having faith in God and religious belief with nothing to back it up evidentially. But sometimes I really have trouble trusting that God will take care of everything. I do believe it. I believe everything happens for a reason and it's all according to God's plan. I just worry too much that something's going to go wrong. But I'm working on it. The reason humans make plans and they end up getting botched up is because God has something even better for us. I know this. I just wish I didn't have to convince myself of it so much. How do I get faith to extend to that?

In about a new week, I'm going to have a new favorite CD. I am on a classic country kick, and Martina McBride's Timeless CD, which comes out Oct. 18, is exactly what I've waited for. On this CD, Martina covers all the classic hits of country from "You Ain't Woman Enough" to "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden." It'll be a great addition to any country fan's collection. If you don't believe me, you can go over to CMT.com and listen to the whole CD online.

Congrats to the newest inductees to the Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y. The inductees included former First Lady and current U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Maya Lin, the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Ms. Lin is from Athens and is the designer of Ohio University's Bicentennial Park, which opened last year.

Last but not least before I spend a little quality time with my favorite boy wizard (Harry Potter, of course!) and then call it a night, it's the song of the day: "Corn Fed" by Shannon Brown. I heard this song for the first time at Farm Aid, and I really liked it. The more I learn about Shannon Brown, the more I realize that she's going to be very successful in country music. I read her "official" bio, which said that she is rooted in traditional country with an edge. That describes this song perfectly. It definitely embodies the spirit of what country music should be, but has a unique sound. And it reminded me of a recent piece by Chet Flippo at CMT entitled: "Just What the Hell is Country Music, Anyway?" I don't know that I'd call myself a country music purist. I don't think I could be considering my rampant love for Kenny Chesney, who I've concluded is only a country singer because he couldn't pull anything else off with that East Tennessee accent of his. I love a lot of the traditional stuff. Some of it I don't care for. I like some of the newer stuff (although I'll admit that I mostly like Kenny because I'm coasting on the memories of his music from the late-90s.) I don't understand the rapping that Cowboy Troy does. I don't like the cookie-cutter approach of some of the new acts. But all in all, it's an exciting time to be in the Nashville music scene, and I'm always anxious to see what they'll toss at us next.

Early-October observations

First of all, today was the first day in a long time that I couldn't wear sandals and I didn't like it even though I do love my clogs. I love the fall, but wearing shoes is sometimes highly overrated. So, I'm braced for 6 months of shoes. I guess we got a few more weeks here than I would've in Michigan, and I do love fall. So...bring it on!

I try very hard not to poke fun at the contents of emails I receive. Trust me, there are LOTS of things I have bitten my tongue on. However, today I have to go there. I got an email from a friend today, who forwarded me an email from a conservative Christian group she belongs to. I read it, shook my head and then decided I HAD to say something. The email was about protesting Target Stores. Now I don't have a Target here, so nothing to protest anyway. The first part of the email talked about how Target won't allow the Salvation Army kettles anymore because of pressure from homosexual groups. Now that is absolute hooey. It goes on to say that Target doesn't offer financial support to the Salvation Army, which it does. They just don't have kettles anymore. It was an across-the-board change to their solicitation policy. Nothing else. I don't think it's in the spirit of the holiday season to ban the Salvation Army, but let's not make it into anything else. If you want to boycott Target do it because you don't like their solicitation policy, which is the issue. Don't blame it on gay people. That's insane.

The email goes on to say that Target is anti-family because of a new product line being offered by Trojan. After reading the official press release, I must say that is completely blown out of proportion. Have I mentioned yet today how much I love right-wing propaganda? Good grief.

So, I went to Sam's Club today. I am a little bummed because they do not have the low-fat chicken sausages I used to get there. So I come home and bop online and find out my company got bought by another company. And that company has the shittiest store locator I have ever seen. But I am guessing that I can't get my sausages around here anywhere. I can however buy a case of them for $54.99 online. It's not a bad deal, but what the hell would I do with a case of sausage?!? I did get some Swiss Miss fat-free fudge bars from my friend Jen's recommendation. Wow, they taste too good to be good for you!

I also bought the new book everyone's been raving about, It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken: The Smart Girl's Breakup Buddy. It's by the He's Just Not That Into You guy. I read that book a while ago, although it was recently recommended to me. LOL. Anyhow, that's next on my reading list. I don't have anyone to break up with these days, but I'm sure that it's practical advice and can probably be applied to all kinds of situations.

Recently a friend gave me Miranda Lambert's CD Kerosene. I cannot stop listening to it. What a talented young lady. Not only is her voice fantastic, but she wrote all but one song on this CD. The lyrics are amazing. A lot of insight in her 22 years. I am not a huge fan of "Nashville Star," so I am a newer fan of Miranda's. From what I've seen, I'm going to say she's the most talented person to have gotten a record deal from that show. It's not as big as "American Idol" but folks are having great success with it. Lots of new faces in Nashville. Of course, I'm very optimistic about the new season that's coming up. Can't wait to see all the bright young faces with dreams who turn out to take their chance at stardom.

Oooh, speaking of Nashville, I promised country gossip commentary. I don't have much. My heart breaks for Chris Cagle, who found out that his highly anticipated baby boy is not his baby afterall. Even if you have your suspicions, I doubt you are ever really braced for something like that. He is a tough guy and it might take a while, but he'll be OK.

Speaking of being OK, Mr. Chesney talked to Country Weekly in this week's issue. I thought it was a very nice article. I think he'll be OK too. He did keep his private things private (is that kinda like keeping "precious things precious"?) but he let us get a little peek into his life now that it's taken another dramatic turn. Of course, I think I was a bit frustrated not by what he said, but by what he didn't say.

When Mindy McCready hit Nashville, she was one of my favorite singers. I absolutely loved her first CD. But I'll confess I didn't buy the others. I don't even remember them coming out. That's really sad. I read an article today on CNN's web site, and I guess she had problems all along, but in typical Nashville fashion, I guess we didn't hear about them. Well, apparently it's been a long road for Mindy to get where she is now, which is apparently pregnant, with an abusive fiance, hooked on drugs, and homeless since her house was recently sold at an auction. I guess all that's left for those of us who were (are?) fans to do is to pray that Mindy somehow finds healing and peace. She's my age, and that is a little sobering, for lack of a better word. She went to Nashville a young kid, got caught up in her own hype and is now an E! True Hollywood Story. God bless her.

I went to Tractor Supply today to pick up some medicine and a huge jumbo bag of dog biscuits for the Sparkster. As I pulled in I was singing "Skoal Ring" at the top of my lungs. I'm sure it was a very popular song among the boys in the Tractor Supply parking lot.

Song of the Day: Standing Out in A Crowd by Trisha Yearwood. I love this CD, but this song has a special place in my heart because I completely and totally relate to it. If I could write songs or could even articulate the way I felt when I was growing up, it'd look mostly like this. I suspect it was probably pretty autobiographical for Trisha too. She is definitely my favorite singer, and it was great to see her live a few years ago. Unfortunately it doesn't look like she's getting over this way this tour. I hope she does. I'd love to see her again. I just can't believe there are folks out there who don't like her. She's very talented and her voice sounds like an angel's.

Not in the mood...

Ever just have one of those days? Well, I'm having one today. I'm not in the mood to think, let alone be the witty and snarky me that folks have come to love. So, I'm calling it a night. I will write more tomorrow. It's just been one of those listen-to-Merle-and-Jones-while-you-drink nights. On the plus side, after listening to such great music, I'm sure I'll have some great things to talk about. I know I have some celebrity gossip I want to snark about. We'll see...

Our fearless leader...

Earlier today I saw this story. I said to the girls at work that when I read stuff like that I feel like Bush is pushing a religious issue. That he's made this whole war in Iraq an issue about who's Christian and who's not. There are plenty of folks in this country who believe Muslims are bad people simply because they are not Christian, and I wonder if George Bush might be one of them.

So, after that rant earlier today, I wasn't shocked to see a story that Bush thinks God told him to invade these other countries. That's frightening. All the holy wars in the world were a bit scary without the U.S. being involved. I hope that it'll all work out OK, but I still haven't seen an exit strategy on this whole thing in Iraq. I really admire the men and women in our military and I hate to see them in harm's way unnecessarily.

Keeping with the theme of today's commentary, song of the day: "Bumper of my SUV" by Chely Wright. I love that song because I can relate to it. I am very much pro-peace, especially these days. But I support our military 100%. I think that's a lot of why I am so against the war right now. I spent time with veterans and active military over the past few years. We are all so indebted to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. I appreciate what they do for us because it takes a very special person. I want them to be safe. They are moms and dads. They are sons and daughters. They are wives and husbands. And how many more flag-draped caskets do we have to bring home for absolutely no reason? It breaks my heart.

Mmmmmm...chocolate

If you know me, you know I love chocolate. But because I'm always watching what I eat, I am very picky about my chocolate. Occasionally I'll have a craving for a Twix Bar or my MalloCups, but mostly when I eat chocolate it's the good stuff. I love European chocolate, and I'm a bit of a chocolate snob. I'll eat good American chocolate too. The hand-made kind, not the crap that comes off an assembly line in Hershey, Pa. So, I was very excited when my mother went to Las Vegas this week because I knew what that meant. She brought home Ethel M chocolates. Heaven in a cardboard box. And the caramel apples? Oh goodness. When I was in Vegas last year, I was told to go to Ethel M and to the Chocolate Swan in Mandalay Bay. So one day I hauled 4.5 miles down the strip from the Stratosphere. I figured if I walked that far I deserved a treat. Well, the Chocolate Swan was OK, but very expensive and not nearly as good as Ethel M. So, next time you're in Vegas and jonesin' for some chocolate, go to Ethel M.

Aim High?

I just read this article about this lawsuit filed against the Air Force saying that they are violating Academy cadets' First-Amendment rights by pushing evangelical Christianity.

I'm a pretty religious person. But I also believe that religion has its place, and the U.S. government is not one of those places. And this is not the first thing I've heard about the military. And that's wrong. It's not God's army; it's Uncle Sam's. Our government entities have no right to push any one particular doctrine on anyone. That's what the Founding Fathers expected. They traveled here to avoid a state where they were forced to conform to a certain religious belief. That being said, I think some people take it too far. Yes, little Bobby should be able to say grace -- privately -- before he eats lunch in the public school cafeteria. That's very different than forcing Muslim and Jewish military personnel to attend chapel services.

Even being Christian, but not being evangelical, I wonder how I'd be treated in a similar situation. It's definitely food for thought.

Detroit what?

OK, I wanted to do that to Uncle Kracker all year and never found an accomplice... And I KNOW it's for basketball. But my Red Wings are back, baby! And even better yet, Ozzie is back in the net. Or he will be. He has a pulled groin and is out the first three weeks. Which makes me sad. Ozzie moves back to Detroit and gets a pulled groin muscle and I move away. Joey Harrington was also afflicted with this injury. Seriously, I could help if I were there. Honestly, purely as a good samaritan. Detroit wins. 5-1.

It's been a very long time since I missed Mike. But the return of hockey and especially the return of Chris Osgood as the Red Wings' goalie makes me want to pick up the phone. If I close my eyes I can see me and him sitting in the big living room of that big fancy house on Lake Loudon drinking LaBatt's and watching the 1998 Stanley Cup finals.

And because I'm very pro-Motor City today, the song of the day comes from Eminem. I was looking for someting in particular, but I can't find it. So "Never Enough" is a good runner-up.

Horoscopes, Hockey and Hump Day...

Taking a quick break from work. (I think people call it lunch when they actually have time to eat, we'll call it a sanity break today.) Just wanted to post a few thoughts running through my head before I lose them.

First off, there are 20 million things running through my mind but most of them are just going to stay there because this is today's horoscope:

You are as busy as a bee today, but are having so much fun that you might not even care that there is so much to do. You surely have people to see and places to go, and it probably isn't just for work. Remember not to say too much; you could ruin a perfectly good opportunity by revealing your secrets.

So, I think today there's plenty I'm not sharing with anyone. Actually it's not a bad day. Things are groovy.

Hockey starts tonight. I have no idea if it'll ever be on TV again, but I'm sure someone somewhere will let me know how my Red Wings are doing.

Clarifying...

I could edit my last post, but this was funnier.

By "old friends" I meant people who I've been friends with for significant amounts of time. Not friends who were elderly. No offense the three ladies mentioned. Hee hee.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention my good friends from high school that I'm still close with, namely Gwen. I'll never forget the day we met in 9th grade Spanish. I thought she was the biggest bitch. But she's not and 11 years later, we're still trucking along.

I'll have to remember to tell her about the wedding that's coming up and listen to "Ten Thousand Angels" by Mindy McCready.

Oh, Mindy, someday I need to talk about her in my blog. Poor thing.

Old friends and good times...

In a frame in my room, I have a picture of me and my college roommates at Bethany's bachelorette party. Maybe at some point I'll scan it in and post it. I had the most fun ever when I lived with those girls. And it is interesting how you go into a situation not realizing what great friends you will be with someone and then you hit it off and the rest is history. Bethany and I both lived in the dorms. (We were sorority sisters.) Separately we decided to move off-campus. We ran into each other at the rental office of one of the apartment complexes. Instead of getting singles, we decided to be roomies. Only problem: they were all out of doubles. So one of the girls who lived down the hall from Bethany had mentioned moving off-campus too. So Bethany, Janelle and I had lunch and we hit it off and decided to be roomies. Stephanie (another of our sorority sisters) moved in while Bethany was in Mexico and never left when Bethie came back. The four of us had an absolute blast. Janelle and I barely knew each other when we moved in and we hit it off right away. We went grocery shopping together the first night and had so many great times. We may not see each other everyday anymore, but when we do it's like we never miss a beat.

We never thought that Bethany would be the first to get married or have a baby. But she was and we were all there for it. I don't think I'll ever forget her bachelorette party as long as I live. I don't know how she managed to live with us for a year and not build any type of tolerance for alcohol. That's still amazing. She was in Mexico the quarter that we took bartending class (and had LOTS of homework). Of course, had I been in Mexico I'd have majored in margaritas and minored in Coronas.

I have lots of great memories with Janelle. I just love her. Some of my favorites:

OU homecoming when we pretended we used to live in Wilson so the girlies would let us in to see the "devil door."
The night she broke her cell phone when she slammed it into a brick wall.
The year we went to Jamboree In The Hills and all weekend we fought (very loudly) who was hotter, Brad Paisley or Kenny Chesney. I STILL think Kenny won. (Amazing I remember that really...)

Steph and I had tons of great times too. I'll always be indebted for her letting me use her kitchen when I lived in the dorms. And when I was doing the long-distance thing and her apartment was half-way. Had many sleepovers on the way to Ohio Northern. For more sleepovers, lol.

So, today I'm waxing nostalgic about some of my longtime friends. It's amazing how one year of your life can change so much, isn't it?

Bits and Pieces today...

I'm not feeling the urge to sit down and have one big rant. Probably because I already got a lot of it out of my system. So, anyhoo...I'm just going to post little bits and pieces as they come to me.

Sooo...song of the day. I cannot stop listening to Gretchen Wilson's new CD. My friend Rosalie said she wondered exactly how many times she'd have to listen before she wore it out. I second that. So, I'm gonna go with "All Jacked Up" today. I never knew I could like a song more and more each time I hear it. I loved it the very first time I heard it, and it's one of the few songs right now that I stop what I'm doing to listen. (Except when I'm driving. Thank goodness.) And honestly, I'm beginning to think that sober is very highly overrated.

For the record...

When I started this little experiment, I called it "Does anybody read these?" because I didn't figure that anyone did. Well, not only did I find out people DO read my blog, I've read a few other folks, too. You can click on next blog at the top of the page and check out all kinds of stuff. Some is interesting. Some is in languages I've not yet conquered. And some are downright skeeerrry.

So, now that I know people actually care what's here, I wanted to go on the record with something. I haven't said anything here that I wouldn't say to someone's face. So, if I'm talking to you and it hasn't come from my own lips, it's not about you.

Harriet, who?

Song of the day: "Ready to Fall" by Shelly Fairchild. I heard this song today and I thought it was appropriate. I can think of someone I'd like to listen to it. I've got to run out and buy this CD. And Chris Cagle's. I am going broke on CDs lately...still more coming up too. Martina McBride's Timeless is next week. And just a month until Kenny's CD. I know that's hard to believe since there's been NO publicity on it. He's busy getting unhitched, you know.

Devastating news about this fall foliage boat ride that capsized in New York. I lived in Trenton for a while, and it was sad to hear about that. I just keep hoping and praying I won't recognize any names on the casualty list.

I'd say something about the new Supreme Court nominee, but I know nothing about her. My guess is no one does. I know she was listed as one of the nation's most powerful lawyers for many years now. That doesn't sound like a very judicial recognition. I also know that she said -- wait until you hear this -- that she believes that she's never encountered bias because of her gender. That everyone gets a fair shake if they work hard. Bring on the affirmative action cases! I just don't know if the President's personal attorney is qualified to serve on our nation's highest court. Word of the day: Filibuster.

I had a migraine for most of the day. Painful enough that I cried at one point. I'm calling it an early night. It was exhausting.

Thought of the Day

What exactly do you call something that's supposedly make-believe, but for which you have photographic proof? Oh yeah, that's called reality.

Will that ever not crack me up? I doubt it...

My thoughts on the summer of Chesney...

About 6 months ago, I got on an airplane and flew to Fargo, North Dakota, to begin the summer of Chesney. When I decided to do that I had no idea exactly how many shows I'd end up seeing or exactly how many twists and turns this whole crazy journey would take. I figured I'd see Kenny a few times, meet a few new people and drink a whole lot of rum. After 10 years of being a Chesney fan, it seemed like a good way to go out in style. It's kind of funny. In many ways that very first weekend was the best weekend of the tour. In others, I wish it'd never happened. So, with that, here are my thoughts on the summer of Chesney...

I don't remember much about Fargo. I remember drinking way too much Crown Royal. I remember being in the 2nd row behind the tallest girl ever, who topped it off with a cowboy hat. I remember spilling my beer on my neighbors. I remember the faces of some of the crew guys when they realized some of Kenny's more notorious fans were there. I remember announcing loudly in the lobby of the Fargodome that my pee smelled like beer. And lastly, I will never forget that there are no fish tacos in Fargo and you shouldn't even ask.

St. Paul was significantly better. Gretchen (not Wilson, lol) and I roadtripped it over to St. Paul the next day for Kenny's birthday show. We had a blast in the car. We had a blast when we got to the hotel. We had a blast when we got to the show, which I still think was the best show ever. He was in a great mood. Everyone was. We got to meet a lot of his crew members that night, and Kenny is very lucky to have some great people working for him. I'm also lucky to have Ms. Gretchen, who's smart enough to realize when it's time to push a friend right into the path of her crush. I might live to be 100 and I don't think that I'll ever forget that big, giant grin. For better or for worse.

Of course, that's also the night that the drama started. And that caused a lot of twists and turns in my life, along with a lot of hurt feelings and stress over several months. And I hate drama. And honestly, if I could go back and rewind I probably would. I am very ashamed I got caught up in that whole mess. Luckily somewhere in July I realized that Kenny Chesney's personal life is none of my damn business. Honestly. Being curious about a celebrity's private life is just pointless. Let's face it: he could screw baby goats and that doesn't matter as long as the music's good, right? That's probably the best revelation to ever come into this brain of mine. Life's been so much simpler since I got there. Does that mean that I don't care about the lives of my friends I've met along the way who are associated with him? Not at all. In fact, quite the opposite. It just can't be about Kenny anymore. As I always say, Kenny may have brought us together, but he can hardly be the glue that keeps us together.

So, in the middle there was drama. And somewhere along the way it wasn't about the music, and that sucks. It wasn't even about the awesome boy who kept starting at ME, and that makes me sad now. Luckily toward the end of the summer, I decided to start worrying about that. The last two shows that I went to (Cincinnati and Louisville) were very awesome for me, because I was with friends who wanted me to be happy, too. I will never forget squealing like a girl in the parking garage in Newport, Kentucky. I won't ever forget Amy telling me that big smile on my face made it worth it. That's very cool.

I'm not sure what's next in KennyLand. I'm not digging his new song, and I am wondering if I'll find some new star to steal my heart. I don't know if the staring will ever be anything more. I don't know if there will be shows next year. My thought is yes, but not nearly as many as this year. I doubt I'd ever do that again. Unless the yellow-haired boy sucks me in again. LOL. We'll see. What I've seen this year is my circle of friends change, but the core group is there now. We've all been talking about doing one show together next year. Maybe that'll be THE show.

So, the Summer of Chesney is over. (Although Houston is still pending some time in the next few months.) There were great moments. There were moments that absolutely sucked ass. I have so many great friends as a result of this crazy journey. Folks I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. I've had lots of laughs and smiles, but there have been some tears, too. I guess it's the tears that bother me. Kenny's always been the guy who tells you to grab a drink and spend 2 hours with him not worrying. Obviously, that scenario shouldn't involve tears. So maybe I'll grab a drink and kick back with KC next year. But I'll be leaving the Kleenex at home this time.

Normally I don't complain about being a woman...

...but today I'm going to. In fact, about three days a month, I'd rather be anything else, I think. I'm grumpy; I'll cry at the drop of a hat; have no energy; ache all over; want to eat everthing in my path, including a whole bag of chocolates that weren't very good. I don't think being a man is the solution. Surprisingly, I don't even think killing all the men is the solution. I just want to curl up in bed with a cup of tea and watch a DVD.

Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury. I'm still working on that proposal for work that I've been mulling over the last few days. It is so hard to jump into the middle of a project with absolutely no knowledge of what is being done and pull together a report on it. Here's hoping I can wing it. I've postponed the agony as long as I can, and I want to get a draft to my boss this evening so I can finish it up tomorrow. I'd planned to spend yesterday working on it, but lots to be done here because my mom left today to go to Vegas for four days.

I may write some more later (assuming I get my homework done, lol). I've always got things to say, so I may feel compelled to ramble on about something this evening. I am sure I'll be wound up after going to my class at church where I always end up sitting next to the poster boy for fringe catholicism. I might just go off on that topic at some point too. You just never know with me.

I hope that my mom remembers to send me postcards. Recently I've gone on this postcard kick and I've been asking everyone to send me postcards. I think I'll scan them in so that folks can see them. There have been some really neat ones. I especially like postcards from places I've never been before. So, next time you're on vacation, send me a postcard. They're fun!

Song of the Day...

I was listening to the radio today, and I got an idea for the song of the day. I heard "Shameless" by Garth Brooks, and I remembered that I love that song. But Garth's version is a cover of Billy Joel's song. So I decided rather than choose between them that I would let everyone else pick. So, click on the comments and let me know which version you like better. Regardless of who sings it, the lyrics are awesome. Everyone deserves that kind of love at least once.

Does anybody read these?

About Me

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What I read

Monday, October 31, 2005

Monday's song of the day...

I Don't Have to Be Me 'Til Monday...

Everywhere We Go, Kenny Chesney

Yikes!!!

Concannon's Bakery -- Muncie, Ind.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Highlights from the Hoosier State Road Trip...

Friday, October 28, 2005

If Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off...

Bye Bye, Scooter!!!

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Is it Friday yet?!?!

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Mid-week musings...

How cool is this?!?

Today's Inspiration

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

The Half-marathon

Halloween Party

Oh no, not Becks!!!

Sad, sad day...

Monday, October 24, 2005

My brother the crazy person...

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Irish people are fun...

Some music stuff

Take Me Home Country Roads...

Halloween in Athens...

The best $10 I've ever spent...

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Question of the Day

Urrggghhhh...

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Where's Marc Antony when you need him?

From the "random thoughts" file...

This was clever!

Score one for Team Tom!

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Did you miss me?

Peyton Manning Saves the Day...One Wristband at a Time

My second-favorite game...

Tom Cruise is a whack job

The Internet is SOOOOO funny...

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

I'm sick :(

Monday, October 17, 2005

Interview Question

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Sunday, the day of rest...

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Song of the Day

This is hilarious!!

Destination: NashVegas (is this part three?)

Friday, October 14, 2005

What a long week!

Destination NashVegas

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Just not in the mood...

One thing I love about the country...

Destination: NashVegas

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

In Other Detroit News...

Well, yipper skipper!

Song of the Day

Monday, October 10, 2005

The wisdom of a fortune cookie...

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Thank God for Federal Holidays!

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Early-October observations

Friday, October 07, 2005

Not in the mood...

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Our fearless leader...