Fryin' Pan has WIRELESS!

John and I are sitting here in a Fryin' Pan in Yankton, SD with our good friend Ronnie. I don't want to type long... cause it has been so long since we've seen him... we've got some catching up to do. But... I'm also excited to find out that the Fryin' Pan really does have wireless internet (Cassy told me they did... but it just seemed too good to be true.)

Right now, we're stoppin' in Yankton on our way to Sioux Falls. Got some more catching up to do with Denice and the peeps up in the Dakotas, too.

We've been in Nebraska since Saturday visiting the Petersen clan. Good times. Good times. Sure wish there wasn't 1000 miles between us.

OK... must go. Thanks for all the cool Christmas wishes on my phone, e-mail and my space. Can't wait to tell you more about our travels when we return to Music City.

XO.

A Shuffle and John Heffron

Clocky and I exchanged Christmas presents last night... and he confirmed once again that he's the coolest husband EVER.

Knowing that I have big plans to work out and take better care of myself in 2007, he gave me a cute little iPod Shuffle. It's soooo adorable and I've already loaded, charged and listened to it. Yummy.

AND... he also surprised me with tickets to see Jon Heffron in at Zanies in February. YAY! He's soooo hilarious. Can't wait.

Now... we're on our way to visit family and friends in Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa. Cassy has been here all week and is riding back to Nebraska with us... It's been so fun. I wish she could stay here every day.

So if you don't hear from me for a little while... it's because we're having fun celebrating the holidays with our family. I'll miss ya... but will tell you all about it when we get back.

Happy Holidays!

Cassy Elf and My Holiday Sweater

First there was BB Elf.
Then there was Johnny Elf.
Now.... here's Cassy Elf.
Heh heh.

And, you know what else I discovered?

There are tons of other sites to visit from this page. Roll over the Office Max logo in the bottom right corner and you'll see them.

Check out my awesome sweater. I made it myself with My Holiday Sweater.

Or try these, too.
Shake the Globe
Reindeer Armwresting
Save the Snowman
Don't Shoot Your Eye Out

What a GREAT viral idea.

6 weird things about me

Way back on 11/30 I was tagged by Linda... unfortunately life has been getting in the way of my blog posting and reading time latesly. So, I finally saw the post last week... and I know it's late... but I'll give it a shot anyway.

6 weird things about me

1. This farm girl used to get confused by eating times... for example, to me "lunch" meant "dinner" and "dinner" meant "supper". (Lunch is a snack you have at 4 or 5 in the afternoon, usually out in the field.) Of course, now that I'm officially a "town girl" after living away from home for almost 20 years, I've settled into the city terminology. Now, when I go home to visit I get confused. Heh... go figure.
   
   
2. My favorite Christmas movie ever is "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas".
   


3. I used to chase hot air balloons. Seriously. My friend Kay and her husband Mark are professional hot air balloon pilots. I crewed and flew with for her for several years... and even trained to be a pilot. It's amazing. I highly recommend it.
   


4. I graduated from college without having to borrow money to pay for it. Had a little dough from my Grandparents and I sold my 4-H animals to help save for college tuition. Since that wasn't quite enough to complete my college experience, I always had at least two, sometimes three jobs. I was a pizza delivery driver, an X-ray transporter, a waitress, a cook, a marketing assistant and a resident assistant... all the while carrying 18 - 20 credit hours a semester. Needless to say, between studying, class and work, I slept about 2 - 3 hours a night. (My friend Denice recently confessed to me that she thought I was certifiable at the time.)
   
   
5. I don't like to sleep. I always feel like I'm missing out on something. It may have something to do with #4.
   
   
6. I'm a little OC about cupboard and fridge organization. At home, everything has its place and, thankfully, John only occassionally uses my obsession to mess with me. I even find myself reorganizing the cupboards and fridge at work. All the snacks in one place, all the soda on the same shelf in rows, etc. Oh yeah... and there can only be one of something open at a time... one peanut butter, one butter, one milk, etc. It's a sickness.
   

Tagging: Denice, Tessa, Eric, Sarah, Chez Bez and DPop. Show me the weirdness!

TONIGHT: Benefit concert performance by LeAnn Rimes & friends

I'm thinkin' about going to this tonight in Leiper's Fork. It's a benefit to help a 6-year-old boy who burned 1/3 of his body in a bonfire accident over Thanksgiving.

From the Tennessean story in today's paper: The lineup includes not only Rimes and Jay DeMarcus (of Rascal Flatts) but also Jeffrey Steele, Chris Janson, Holly Williams, Sarah Buxton, Tom Bukovac, Jeffrey Flowers, Chris McHugh, Darrell Brown, Pam Rose, Mary Ann Kennedy, Jill Colucci and several “unannounced, surprise guests.”

A silent auction from 6 to 9 p.m. is also planned. Musical entertainment starts at 6:30 p.m.

And, if you're like me, I wasn't sure where to find the Hillsboro - Leiper's Fork Community center... so, here's a link to it at Google Maps.

Maybe I'll see you there!

7 TONIGHT at Lyrix Cafe

Hey friends... did it again. Forgive me for the short notice, but just wanted to let you know that Karleen, Lala and I are kickin' off a fun night at Lyrix Cafe TONIGHT at 7 p.m.

Come at 7 and plan to stay.
It's going to be a grat night of great songwriters and performers hosted by Mark Stephen Jones.

7 - ??? p.m.
Lyrix Cafe
94 Peabody (1st & Peabody - just east of downtown)

We'd love to see your smiling face!
And, if you don't have a smile... one will be provided for you.
**wink**

Hope to see you there!
**mwah**

Elf Yourself

Thanks to Chris for finding this holiday fun.

Go ahead... make an elf of yourself!
**wink**

I did.

And... HEEEEeeeerrreeee's Johnny Elf, too. (He's funky dancing.)

Pay it Forward

Got home from my round tonight (it was a blast BTW... thanks to everyone who came out!), to find Pay It Forward on TBS.

I really, really, really like this movie. It says something. As someone who owns zero movies... this is probably one I would own. Everytime I see it, it motivates me to try to be a better person.

And, I guess it does the same for other people, too. I had no idea there was a Pay It Forward Foundation.

Nice.

9 TONIGHT @ 12th & Porter

Wow... today snuck up on me.
So, forgive me for the short notice, but just wanted to let you know that Lala, Karleen and I are singin' in-the-round tonight, 9 p.m., at 12th & Porter in Nashville.

Come on out!
Thankulicious.

Phishers Use Coke and McDonald's as Brand Bait

Don't take the bait friends... they're thieves!

From the AdAge e-newsletter...
Bogus Web Sweepstakes Use Identities of Nonfinancial Companies - NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A November e-mail signed by a Hong Kong-based Coca-Cola sales and marketing manager promised a Mercedes-Benz ML Jeep convertible and a chance at $800,000 cash for entries submitted to a link in the e-mail. The offer didn't signify an aggressive interactive-marketing effort. It was a "phishing" expedition. And the first clue might have been that there is no such car as a Mercedes-Benz ML Jeep convertible.
>> FULL ARTICLE

If you receive suspicious e-mail, report it to: PhishTank.com

How many have YOUR name?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 183 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

991 marathons, triathalons and races

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father and son team that have run more than 991 marathons, triathalons and races together. Oh yeah... and they've also climbed mountains and stuff, too.

Amazing by itself, right?

Well... how about this?

Rick was born a spastic quadriplegic, cerebral palsy, non-speaking person. He can't walk or talk. Which means Dick, his father, has pushed or pulled his son across all those finish lines.

That is super human on so many levels.

Find out more at TeamHoyt.com.

Thanks to Chase and Lemmie for telling me about this inspiring story.

Gratitude.

My friend David at Teambonding e-mailed me about a cool experience he had at the airport yesterday.

"At the airport, we had to change planes so in between, I went to get lunch for the flight, a sandwich. I was standing behind two men. The one in the front of the line was a soldier on his way back to Iraq. The guy in front of me thanked the soldier for his service and they had a conversation about how the American public looked and thought about the effort. The guy in front of me was a Vietnam Vet and I listened to the conversation, entranced in the moment of the soldier really appreciating the kind words. When they got to the cashier, the guy in front of me paid for the soldiers lunch. It was a heartwarming moment only topped by the cashier saying that it was the third time it happened that day. No matter what your politics, it was nice to see and it made me proud that there were people out there doing that."

The story inspired me... so I thought I'd pass it along to you.

We need more of this in the world.

The Wayback Machine

I had forgotten all about this handy little tool until I ran across it in an online marketing article. So, I thought I'd share it with you.

Basically, you use the "wayback machine" to see the evolution of a website... in fact for more than 83 million sites over the past nine years.

Go ahead... try it.
It's pretty cool.

I thought it was morning.

Been feelin' sick this week. Basically, I have the crud that's been going around I think. Went to the doctor today. As I expected, they basically told me I have to wait it out. Drink lots of fluids, take cold medicine, get plenty of vitamin C (you know the drill).

So, I worked from home a little this morning before my appointment at 11 and then had big plans to work from home after my appointment.

Yeah, right.

I had a little soup for lunch at around 1:30 when I returned, worked a little and then at about 3:30 I decided to laydown for a little bit. Just couldn't keep my eyes open and was pretty much not coherent (remind me to check the work I did get done... heh.)

Well... at around 7:30 p.m. I woke up from "laying down" for a little bit. AND, when I woke up, I thought it was morning. It was one of those times I wish someone besides the cats would have been here to witness it. I was very confused and I'm sure it was a funny, funny sight. Heh. But, I guess I slept pretty hard if I thought I slept all night.

In fact... I think I'm going to go back to bed right now so I can actually work tomorrow.

Night, night.

Franklin Cinema closing 1/15/07

John and I have been talking about taking in a movie in Franklin forever... and we still haven't done it.

Guess we'd better hop to it, huh?!

And, if the theatre can't be sustained, I hope they find a way to preserve it for other uses... like concerts or a dinner theatre or something. It would be a shame to let rent money determine the fate of such a historical building.

Do Not Resuscitate

An 80-year-old woman from Dyersville, Iowa had "Do Not Resuscitate" tattooed on her chest.

I guess that's one way to make sure her wishes are carried out.

Wow.

New axles... arrrggggghhhh.

Well... after seeing two mechanics... the verdict is in:

Both of the axles need to be replaced on my Subaru Forrester.

Apparently the U-joints went out and even though I've asked about the shimmy when I turn twice in the last six months and even had work done on the wheel in August when my clutch took a dive, no one thought to look at my axles / U-joints until now.

So... looks like I'll be putting another $600 - 700+ dollars into my "paid for" car. At more than 167,000 miles there are bound to be things crapping out... I'm just not sure I have the patience for it... I think it is time to go through the budget and see how much we've spent fixing it this year to see if it is actually worth it.

Train cake pan

Got a link to this in a Williams Sonoma e-mail.

It's a must have for all you Train lovers out there (John, Tommy, Chase, Chris, Colin... and oh I know there are more!). So, Santa, if you're reading this... you may want to add this to the wish list of a few people.

**wink**

What the heck is dark dining?

Chris (head of cabedge) hipped us to a concept called "dark dining" last night.

Basically, there are restaurants, like Opaque in LA, where you dine in complete darkness and all of the servers are legally blind.

Watch a report about dark dining at CBS.com.

Intriging.

What American accent to you have?

Thanks to Jer and Tessa for posting about this quiz.
(Still not sure why Ohio is considered the "Midland"... it's not in the middle.
Oh well.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast
North Central
Boston
The West
The South
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

TWO Gigs Saturday!

Got a couple gigs on Saturday night (tomorrow).

Come on out if you can swing it... come to both if you want to!

Saturday, 12/2
6 - 8 p.m.
Douglas Corner
Connie Carter, Me, Scott Lindsey & Steve Cranford

THEN... one hour later....

Saturday, 12/2
9 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Jonathan's (Bellevue location)
Danny Torroll Band featuring Danny Torroll on guitar, Me on vocals, Tommy Mac on bass and
Rick Schell on drums and vocals.

The Tree that keeps on giving...

It was a Christmas Tree for the Beckwith's in 1976. After the holidays that year, they planted the tree their yard.

The 7' Norway spruce grew to 35'. Its circumference reached 70' and consumed their yard.

So, the Beckwith's did the next logical thing.

They gave the tree to the city of Nashville.

It began as a little Christmas Tree.
It will end as a BIG Christmas Tree.

How cool is that?

He was only 44.

Woke up at 3:29 a.m.
Couldn't sleep.
Worrying about so many things lately.
So, I decided to check my RSS aggregator... catch up and distract myself from all these things I think are important enough to stay awake thinking about.

As I checked in on ChezBez, I scrolled down his post about Steve and clicked through to Susan's place.

I've been reading Susan's blog for a while now. Her photos inspire me and her stories make me think. She's posted about Steve and the street for a while now.

This morning, as I read about his death at age 44, I'm overwhelmed with sadness. He spent his final moments on this Earth under the Fesslers Lane overpass.

Steve Grady.

He was a person. He had a name. He was a good man who found himself in a place he couldn't escape. And Susan... she took the time to see that. Seeing Steve's life through Susan's eyes gives me perspective.

What is my problem?! I can't sleep. I sit in the dark, worrying about my "troubles"... suddenly they don't seem like troubles at all. Instead, my troubles seem like blessings.

Thank you, God... for waking me up to show me my blessings.

Thank you, Steve. May you find peace in Heaven.

Thank you, Susan. May you know how much you helped Steve and so many others by telling his story.

Thank you, Chez. Someday I hope we get to meet in person.

Volunteer.
Give.
Don't walk by.

Be careful what you call it...

Everyone knows that if you are going to operate a business in today's world you need a DOMAIN NAME. It is advisable to look at the domain name selected as others see it and not just as you think it looks. Failure to do this may result in situations such as the following (legitimate) companies who deal in everyday humdrum products and services but clearly didn't give their domain names enough consideration:

1. A site called 'Who Represents' where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name is... www.whorepresents.com
   
   
2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at www.expertsexchange.com
   
   
3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at www.penisland.net
   
   
4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at www.therapistfinder.com
   
   
5. Then of course, there's the Italian Power Generator company... www.powergenitalia.com
   
   
6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales: www.molestationnursery.com
   
   
7. If you're looking for computer software, there's always www.ipanywhere.com
   
   
8. Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church . Their website is www.cummingfirst.com
   
   
9. Then, of course, there's these brainless art designers, and their whacky website: www.speedofart.com
   
   
10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe ? Try their brochure website at www.gotahoe.com

Props to my friend Mike is Texas who sent these to me.
Hilarious.

Which wich?

Just went to "Which wich?" in Cool Springs for lunch (it's in the shopping strip behind PF Chang's).

Cool concept.
Yummy sandwiches.
The bread was perfect.

Check it out.

Help make HISTORY... literally

Wow.

Did you know that a scientist in Switzerland has actually started a movement to re-define the seven wonders of the world?

They've narrowed it down to the top 21 and more than 20,000,000 people have already voted for their top seven.

You can vote here.

I kinda think the seven wonders of the world should be things that mystify our minds like the Pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China, Easter Island, the Roman Colosseum, Machu Picchu and the Pyramid at Chichén Itzá... etc. They've been around for thousands of years... and we actually "wonder" how ancient civilizations pulled them off.

What do you think?

Which of the 21 new wonders are going to get your vote?

Gigs next week... YAY!

Hey friends!

On our way to Iowa tomorrow to see John's family... but wanted to make sure you knew that I've got a couple rounds next week... It would be so great to see you there if you can swing it.

Tuesday, 11/28
7 - 9 p.m.
12th & Porter
Rachel Williams, Karleen Watt, Lala Deaton, Me & friends

Saturday, 12/2
6 - 8 p.m.
Douglas Corner
Connie Carter, Me, Scott Lindsey & Steve Cranford

Have a SPECTACULAR holiday weekend.
Hope to see you next week!
**mwah**

Have you seen these guys?!

OMGoodness... if you haven't been to Flight of the Concords... check it out RIGHT NOW. (Thanks for hippin' me to it Russ / Drew).

My favs so far:

Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros [9.75MB]

Issues (aka Think about it) [15MB]

Jenny [16MB]

Friggin' fantasticly funny.

Thank you, Rupert Murdoch

OJ's book deal and TV appearances are officially cancelled. Books that were delivered to the stores are being sent back to the publisher, and then they will be destroyed.

Thank you, Rupert Murdoch.

Finally, the doing the "right thing" wins out over making a spectacle out of someone else's tragedy. Of course, the "right thing" would be to not have even entertained such a book deal in the first place... but I'll take baby steps over no steps at all.

Upside-down Christmas Trees

Strangely enough... I think I want one of these.

Apparently, retailers started doing this as a way to increse their floor space and it is catching on.

At $600 a pop, I probably won't be getting one anytime soon... but I can dream can't I?!

Make your own South Park character

Cool site.

(props to DP.)

That's me over there... aren't I cute?!
Made me myself.
**heh**

(Whoa... did I just type that?)

UPDATE:

And... Heeeeeerrrreeee's Clocky.

Heh.

An idea for your next vacation

Ok N.D. fans and friends (DP & iheartmyjetta), I just ran across this and knew it was critical that I post about it.

Next time you take a few days to unwind and find yourself... you may just want to take a trip to Idaho... Tour all of Napoleon's haunts.

**in Napoleon voice**
SWEET.

I hate waiting in line

One of this morning's repeated live shots was all about dozens of people all over Nashville who've been camping out in line at stores the past two days to buy the new PS3.

It got me thinking... what would I camp in line for three days for?

I couldn't come-up with anything.

Seriously. I hate waiting in line. Period. 30 minutes to an hour or so I can deal with... but anything longer than that? I think that kind of wait would override any desire I had to buy something.

What about you?
Would you do it?
And, if so, what would you camp in line for three days for?
The PS3? Tickets to a concert? American Idol auditions? What?

20 questions

Seriously.

Try it.

It's addictive.

Snow coming?

OK... those of you who know me, know that I prefer cooler / cold weather. Crazy, but true.

Today in the Tennessean there was a big story about potential snow in the area this week.

While the thought of snow warms my heart... the thought of driving in TN where people aren't used to driving in it does not.

Living the majority of my life in northeast Nebraska and eastern South Dakota, driving in snow / ice is an everyday occurance 7 - 8 months out of every year. Six inches of snow and ice is just a reason to put chains on the tires up there. It takes a lot of the white stuff to close the schools. Blah blah blah... you understand. It's a different world.

Since I've moved to Nashville (which I love BTW) a little more than six years ago, it has actually snowed, really snowed, once in 2003. It was then I realized that I couldn't count on the other driver to know what to do when the ice and white stuff was on the road.

So, when Clocky pointed out that there might be snow this week as he was perusing the paper this morning, he also noticed that there were winter driving tips.

Thought I'd post them here to remind everyone of what to do when the "snowballs start hitting us in the butt".

**wink**

====================================================
From the Tennessean:

Snow-polished roads can be treacherous, as can black ice, an invisible, very slippery ice that typically leaves a thin coat on the road surface. Here are some tips for safe winter driving.

• If your vehicle skids, don't hit the brakes. Ease off the accelerator and steer into the direction of the skid.
• Leave early and slow down. Expect any trip to take double the normal amount of time.
• Allow a large gap between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you. It takes from three to 10 seconds longer to stop on winter-slick pavement than on a dry road.
• Eliminate distractions; turn off cell phones.
• Turn on your lights so others will see you coming.
• To avoid a collision, never slam on brakes in ice or snow. Stop gradually.
• Winterize your vehicle and stay apprised of road conditions.

SOURCE: Tennessean archives

Schedule an eclipse...

Heh heh... that's funny.


Once again, Jimmy Dean has come-up with some great spots to continue their "sun" campaign. They've now incorporated the "moon" and this morning when I saw the eclipse spot during the news... it really cracked me up.

Obviously, the campaign is working. I mean... I remembered the product AND I just posted about it.

Thumbs up JD.

Back to Cuba

Well... Clocky is probably gonna be wishin' he could have gone to lunch with me today. Had a little meet-up with some friends (Linda, Laura, Allison, Tony and Jakob... whoohooooo) today at one of our favorite places, the "Back to Cuba Cafe". Besides getting to spend time will some cool peeps...

Food was AWESOME. John and I go there a couple times a month. It is just mouthwatering good.

From their fresh squeezed pina (pinapple juice) to the incredible bread to the entrees that scream "EAT ME".

GO CHECK IT OUT!
You're mouth will thank you.

Back to Cuba Cafe
4683 Trousdale Lane
(near Mama Mia's just off I-65 & Harding)
837-6711
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Holiday inspiration for you...

We launched one of the first projects I worked on with the team here at cabedge today. Thought I'd share it with you.

http://www.KirklandsInspiration.com

Every day there is something cool to find / do / play / share. Be sure to click November 1 and 3 once you get there. On the 1st, you can decorate a fireplace and on the 3rd you complete a madlib of "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." While all of the content is cool, these are two of my favorite days... and it's just the beginning!

NOTE: Be sure to come back tomorrow cause there will be a cool matching game (translation - "insidious timewaster") for you to play!

But it was the size of two tea bags...

Seriously.
It was that small.

What am I talking about, you ask?

A bat.

OK... I can't believe I'm posting again, but there's no stopping me now. Connie and I were just conspiring to wash our co-worker's coffee cup while he's out on Jury Duty this week. It's black and gross... and it needs some elbow grease.

Anyway... in that conversation, Connie recounted a story she'd heard on the radio about a woman finding a bat at the bottom of her tea cup at the end of the day.

A BAT... not a baseball bat.
A flying, animal BAT.

So... she and I decided to check Snopes, thinking it had to be fake.

It wasn't listed at Snopes.

"Hmmmm... must be too new of a myth," we thought outloud.

So, we turned to Google... where we found tons of search results confirming that the story is TRUE.

WOW.

Apparently, a 60-year-old woman in Cedar Rapids, IA drinks tea while she works. All day long she adds hot water to the tea bags and sips away. When she dumped out her cup at the end of the day she found more than just her tea bags... she found a drowned bat!

YIKES.

Well... I bet she doesn't drink tea anymore.

AND... Connie is DEFINITELY taking Matt's cup home for a good cleaning, now. We don't want to attract any bats to the cabedge patch.

Mac ad campaign

I know... everyone has probably seen and blogged about these by now... but I am just taking a minute to view the new Mac ads online and they are really crackin' me up. My favs are the "Self-pity" and "Trust Mac".

Funny stuff.

If you need a little smile today, take a look.

Music City strikes again.

Last week was musically awesome.

On Wednesday, John and I went to a the "50 Years of Steve Cropper" show at the Ryman to benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation. It was nothing short of amazing. And, as the Tennessean reported, Lee Roy Parnell and Robben Ford were the highlights of the evening... well of course besides getting to see / hear Steve Cropper play on every single song and a few of his own. The backing band was so incredible as well... David Santos (bass), Mark Jordan (keys / b-3), Mark Bennett (drums), Bob Britt (guitar) and Steve Cropper (guitar)... plus, four horns and three background singers... including a friend, Wendy Moten. It was definitely a musical experience to say the least. Definitely one of the highlights of 2006 for us.

Following the show, John and I went to an after party downtown at BB Kings with Lee Roy and Donna. It was so fun and quite an experience. People swarmed LRP. I don't know how he does it... but he's gracious to every last person that wants to meet him and/or say "hello". It was also just a trip to get to meet and hang out with other people who really love good music. It really charges me up to be around it all.

On Thursday, I went to a late Bluebird show with my buddy Jennifer to see Gary Burr ("In a Week or Two" and "I Try to Think About Elvis"), Jim Photoglo (Dirt Bands "Fishin in the Dark" and Faith Hills "You Give Me Love"), Richard Marx (More than 30 million records sold, 2004 Grammy) and Matt Scannel (lead singer of Vertical Horizon).

My seat for the show was literally right next to Richard Marx. **ROCK** I was so close to the round that at times I forgot I wasn't actually IN the round. The entire round was great, but getting to see Richard Marx and Matt Scannel was special. Scannel repeatedly brought the house down. He seems to be a really cool and soulful person. Marx was musically amazing and he was funnier than... well... you know. (heh.) By the time the night was over, I wished I could go have a cp of coffee with him or something... to just sit and talk.

AND, after the show was over, I was able to reconnect with a Jonathan Kingham (a Seattle songwriter that I met on my Utah trip in October.) Love, love, love his stuff and his spirit. Looking forward to having our paths cross again.

OK... now it is time for me to get ready for work. Lookin' forward to another great week in Nashville, TN!

Quick hits

• My neck is feeling better. YAY!
• Our friend Jer from Sioux Falls was in town from Tuesday to Sunday. It was so nice having him here... come back, again, Jer!
  
• Had a session on Saturday that went great.
• Had a gig on Saturday that felt good. (Have I mentioned that I love music?)
• Everything I'm working on at work right now is due... NOW. But, hopefully that means I'll have some cool things to tell you about in a week or so. **dancing**
• Finally downloaded my pics from Utah and the Zoo last week. One of these days, I'll post a little story about the songwriter expo. It was so awesome!
• Went to a little get together of my former work peeps last week. It was so cool to see everyone. Miss them. Good vibes are going their way everyday.
  

My apologies to everyone that I haven't been able to keep up with lately... I'm only taking a five minute break to write this because I realized I haven't posted since last week. Then, it's back to the grind. Once some of my projects are complete in the next week or so, I'll be social again! For now, know that I'm havin' a blast and kickin' butt and can't wait to tell you all about it.

**mwah**

Witches fingers

hee hee hee...
I made treats for Halloween last night.

Sugar cookies shaped like witch fingers.

Creepy but yummy.

**bwwwaaahahahahahaaaaaaa.**

Here's the recipe if you want to try it yourself.

It was a blast.

I've been takin my neck for granted...

Yesterday I woke up with a little kink in my neck.

Then, I triped at work and wrenched it even farther.

Now, I'm realizing that my head is a very heavy object.

You might even say it is big.

Help.

Any tips for fixing a big ol' kink in the neck?

Fog = foglights

But, if is isn't foggy... please don't use your fog lights at night.

Last night on my way home, I was blinded by someone on I-65 driving with their fog lights on. I needed to merge over to my exit, but all I could see in my rearview mirror was bright light... It was like having two cars with their bright lights shining in my eyes.

Now, I know, that no one would purposefully drive around hoping to blind someone with their bright fog lights... so I thought I'd post a little post to remind everyone.

Please... don't drive around with your foglights on unless it is foggy.

Thanks.

We have gigage.

UPDATE 10/21: The gigs went GREAT last night and Thursday. It was inspiring to be amongst so many incredible songwriters. Loved getting to sing ITR with my girls Lala and Karleen last night. Being on stage with them really feels magical. Can't wait to do it again! Jon Nite, Brock Goodwin, Chuck Jones, Chuck Cannon, Mark Stephen Jones and Trent Jeffcoat blew my mind as usual. Awesome. I love this town. Thanks to everyone who came out. **mwah**

THURSDAY, 10/19
7 p.m.
The French Quarter
Jon Nite, Brock Goodwin & ME in-the-round

FRIDAY, 10/20
7 - 9 p.m.
Lyrix Cafe
Mark Stephen Jones, Trent Jeffcoat, Chuck Cannon, Karleen Watt, Lala Deaton & ME
It's a dinner set... so come hungry and bring a date!

AND... NEXT WEEK (in case you're wondering)
SATURDAY, 10/28
9ish or so
Jonathan's Grille (Bellvue location)
Danny Torroll Band featuring ME
It's a funk, blues and rockin' cover gig... no serious music biz stuff... just some soulful musicians havin' some good groovin' entertaining fun.

Thank you, Dove.

Here's a glimpse of a new Dove campaign.

Thank you, Dove.

Now... parents everywhere... please show this to your kids.
They need to know that THIS is reality... not the end product they see.
It's time for a reality check.

Mandatory bowling

So... a couple weeks ago, Chris (the head of cabedge) put a 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. meeting on everyone's calendar for a "cabedge company meeting [mandatory] strategic planning"

Of course, we all accepted and wondered what exactly that meant.

Today, as the meeting began, Chris explained Chase had mentioned to him a couple weeks ago that we were all really slammed, working hard and on the verge of burn-out. So... Chris decided to surprise all of us carrots here on the cabedgepatch team with a litte field trip to the Franklin Lanes.

Yep... that's what I said: We went bowling!

As soon as he announced it... we walked out the door, piled into our cars and drove to the bowling alley. We had a blast. Of course, I sucked... but it was fun nonetheless. Let's just say I've learned to celebrate gutter balls.

Kim (Chris' better half) came along and took tons of pics... one of my prizes was a "good luck" black and green fuzzy halloween spider headband that we affectionately named "strikey". (Because I got the only strike I had while wearing it... heh.) So, several of us took turns at trying out the luck of the spider. (see trail of photos at the bottom of this post.)

THANKS, CHRIS.
Have I told you lately... that I LOVE CABEDGE?!

I loved her first...

A couple weeks ago, my Dad made my day. He called me at work to tell me that he'd heard a song on the radio that made him think of me. While I hadn't heard the song yet, it was soooo cool to have him call.

Then, that same day, as I got in my car to go home, I turned on the radio to hear the very song he'd called me about, "I Loved Her First" which was recorded by Lofton Creek's Heartland.

Um... yeah... then I cried. If you haven't heard it yet, go check it out.

OK... this isn't the end of the story.

As those of you who read BB's blog know, I went to the Durango Songwriter Expo last weekend (BTW, it was AWESOME. yeah... I'm still planning to post about all the cool stuff... watch for the whole scoop this coming weekend. **fingers crossed**)

And, Walt Aldridge was also at the conference. He just happens to be the guy who wrote "I Loved Her First".

So, I got to meet Walt and tell him the story about my Dad's call. And, when I was done telling him the story, I thanked him for writing the song and sharing it. I'm sure there are many father's, just like mine, who don't always have the words to say what's in their heart. What a gift "I Loved Her First" is to them and their daughters.

It's things like this that help me realize why God put music and songs in me... and why I have to keep showing up and "connecting the dots." (That's what my friend Warren says... and now I understand what he's saying even more.)

Utah bound

Wow... I'm on my way to Park City, UT later this week for my third Durango Songwriter Expo.

Went in May and last October. It's an incredible event. I've learned tons, met tons of talented friends / writers and gotten some great feedback on songs I've written and co-written. Plus, there are hit songwriters, publishers, labels and PROs represented all the way around. It's a great way to make connections that carry on past the Expo.

So... I'm going again Thursday (10/4) through Sunday (10/8).

And, this time there's an added BONUS to attending: I'm going to be a featured writer in one of the Expo's showcases.

I'm so STOKED.

It's a great opportunity to share a song with other writers and industry people. Planning to perform "World Famous". And, it will be a extra special because Karleen Watt will be at the Expo, too. She and I wrote the song together... so we're going to perform it together. (Win. Win.)

Hopefully I won't be too swamped to write about the fun we have once I get back!

burnt trails and purple fire

Had the whole night to myself last night. A rarity. Didn't feel like talking to anyone or going anywhere or writing a song or working or cleaning (which is probably what I should have done) so I busted out the paints again.

I'm calling the first one "burnt trails". Painted something much warmer and brighter at first... didn't like it. Painted over it. Didn't like that. So then I just brushed everything together to make a dark blank canvas... or so I thought. It looked cool... but wasn't cool enought to be done. So I took the stem of my brush and made the trails of what seemed like light down into the layers of paint underneath. It's cool for now... but I'll probably end up painting over it again.

You can't really see it in the pix, but the background of this one is a deep black purple. As you've probably figured out, I like warm colors, so I squished out some reds, some oranges and some yellows onto the background. Then I took an old butter knife and made the "flames". So, for now, this one is called "purple fire".

Out of the two, it's probably my favorite.

I'm finding out that I kinda like this new found creative release. They're nothing to hang in a gallery, but there is something really freeing about just seeing what will happen. I have my friend Bekka to thank for helping me listen to the urge. Twice in the past year, we've hung out til the wee hours of the morning at her house, painting, talking and just being.

Nice. It's nice to be with me.
At 37, I'm just discovering that.
Wild.

blah blah blah... anyway... hope you like them.
And, if you don't, that's okay, too.

Jon Coleman, Lee Roy Parnell & Friends TONIGHT

Hey friends!

I know this is short notice, but wanted to make sure you knew about an incredible night of music at 12th & Porter tonight.

8 p.m. Ken Johnson
9 p.m. Jon Coleman, Lee Roy Parnell & friends (that's me, Clocky, Erik & Charles)

It's gonna be a rockin' night.

Hope you can swing it!

UPDATE: The show was a hit. Jon and the guys really had a great time and Lee Roy sat in on two of Jon's songs, "Amy" and "Dog's Life". Then LRP closed out the set with two of his own songs, "Back to the Well" and "Saving Grace". It was awesome. There were tons of great people there, too... Thanks to everyone for coming out.

Note to self: No running..

at Radnor Lake.

A friend of mine found out the hard way today, that the trails over there are "hiking" trails only.

As she was running along the path she was stopped by a park ranger who gave her a citation, a $200 fine, for running on the path.

Of course, she had no idea that she wasn't supposed to do this... yeah... there are signs but she just didn't stop to read them... it didn't occur to her that running wasn't permitted and she's run there quite a bit over the last two years. She was focused on getting a work out while enjoying the beautiful day.

OOooops.

So, for those of you out there, like her and me, who didn't know this and / or hadn't taken time to read the signs posted...

Note to self: No running at Radnor.

Vote for World Famous!

Hey friends!

Rachel Williams cut "World Famous" a couple weeks ago (a song Karleen Watt and I wrote) and it kicks ass.

We'd love to get some radio play, so please take a minute to vote for it at this link: http://983thebull.com/cc-common/mainheadlines2.html?feed=116907&article=363773

**fingers crossed**
THANK YOU!

PS: Hope you like it!

Well said Fixin' Supper

The issue of immigration has been debated hotly over the past few weeks, especially here in Nashville where the city council is debating making English the "official" language of the city.

I've been on the fence about where I stand. Both sides make passionate points that keep me there.

Until today.

I just read this post at Fixin' Supper.

It's well written, thoughtful and it really made me think.

Take a read and see what you think.

Help name the baby giraffe!

A new baby giraffe was born at the Great Plains Zoo on 9/16 in Sioux Falls...

YAY!

And, now, they need help naming it.

Give it your best shot.
You've got til 10/15 to come up with the best name!

12:47 a.m. Sightings

Long story short, the tour bus JTC and the band was riding back to TN in blew a tire yesterday. So, traveling back from gigs in Texas took a little longer than expected and they ended up not getting in until around 1 a.m.

So, at 12:47 a.m., as I traveled to pick Clocky and his gear up at the designated meeting point... I had two interesting sightings.

The first was just as I exited our little culdesac... It was a woman walking very briskly along Edmonson Pike pushing a baby stroller. Curious. What was she doing going for a walk with their baby in the middle of the night? Is it just me, or does that seem a little out of place?

The second interesting sighting was on Highway 100... where there are few street lights and sparsly populated homes. There, I saw a man riding his bike... at first I thought it looked like a small motercycle as he did have a headlight afixed to his ride. But then, as I passed him and realized it was a biker, I started wondering if I was really awake. By this time it was after 1 a.m. Why in the world would someone be riding their bike along a dark highway at that time of night?!

WILD.

OK Go treadmill video

Wow. Last night... or rather... early this morning I was channel surfing and this video of the song "Here it goes again" by OK Go was on VH1. It's completely choreographed on treadmills. Looks like it had to be shot without any edits... one camera... no stops. Not easy to do... especially when dancing on treadmills! It's amazing and wild. If it hadn't been for the video being so intriguing, I'm not sure I would have listened to the song. Smart.



And... even more smart... the band challenged people to make their own videos of their songs and submit them for a contest. There's even a "rescue the band" game, podcasts, and a blog. Wow. Talk about a great idea... and a way to build loyalty and return visits.

So... because of these great ideas, I now know about the band OK Go.

Hmmmmmmm.
And I just posted about it to tell others about how cool it is, too.

Hmmmm... hmmm.
Innovation.
Creativity.
Not like anything else.

What a novel idea!
It gives me hope.

Music 4 MusiCares Benefit TONIGHT

Last minute gig addition... and it's REALLY COOL. Shawn Byrne called yesterday to ask me to sing a tune with The Sin City Social Club tonight for the Music 4 MusiCares.

AND... I'm SOOOOO STOKED.

The Sin City Social Club band features some incredible musical cats: Robert Reynolds (The Mavericks), Paul Deakin (The Mavericks), Al Perkins (The Eagles, Emmylou Harris, The Rolling Stones) and Ed Toth (Doobie Brothers, Vertical Horizon)

Several talented established and up-and-coming artists are fronting the songs: Elizabeth Cook, Lauren Lucas, Mondo Sans, Amelia White, Shawn Byrne... and more.

We'll be singing 12 to 15 slammin' rock and soul songs. I'm singin' The Faces "Stay With Me" and I'll probably go on around 9 or 9:30.

The event goes from 5 - 10 tonight. Other rockin' feature artists who will perform earlier in the night include: Shawn Byrne, Todd Bradley, Robin Ball, Lynn Manderson and The Carter Administration.

Here's where it's all goin' down:
Acts Music Hall
3315 Charlotte Avenue
615.292.9192
Suggested donation at the door: $15

Here's the exerpt from the Scene about the event (scroll down the page to read it):
Get Your Acts Together

PS: Don't forget... I'm also playin' Lyrix Cafe with five other great writers tonight from 7 - 9 (yes I'll be haulin' bootay to get over to the other gig after... but it is sooooo worth it!)

UPDATE 09.17.06: I had a BLAST singing last night... at Lyrix and at the MusiCares benefit. "Stay with me" was soooo fun to perform. Thanks to Shawn for inviting me and the band for being so rockin'. Thanks to everyone who came out to support live music!

The check engine light

...came on in the Element on the way home from my session tonight. So, in my usual fashion (since the dealer was closed) I did a little Googling to find out what could be causing that little orange light to stay on.

On a couple sites, I found out that the check engine light will come on if you don't get the gas cap tight enough on Honda SUVs and the like. (This is Broken's post was my favorite.)

**fingers crossed**

Going out to tighten the gas cap right now... and let's hope that's all that is wrong!

I'll keep you posted.

UPDATE 1:10 AM - It worked!
On my way home from seeing Pat Mclaughlin play at Douglas Corner (the show was smokin' by the way... I highly recommend takin' one in if you get the chance) the light went out.

Yay!

**happy dancing**

Dinner Set Saturday

Hey friends!

Lookin' for a yummy place to eat on Saturday?
Or, were you thinking it would be fun to take in some music?

Well... you can have your cake and eat it, too (or banana pudding... definitely recommend the banana puddin'). A few friends and I are getting together to perform a dinner set... and... YOU'RE INVITED!

Lyrix Cafe (@ 1st & Peabody)
Saturday, 9/16
7 p.m. Jennifer Marciano, Jeanne Richardson (a.k.a. BB Logan), Rachel Williams
8 p.m. Melissa Sigler, Dawn Leaumont, Jon Nite

Bring a date, bring your mother... your brother and your sistahs, too.

Hope to see you there.
**mwah**

Sam... The Cooking Guy

If you love to cook, but don't have time for recipes that require 12 hours of preparation and 231 ingredients that you can't find at the grocery store... or even if you're a little intimidated by the whole cooking thing... then you have to check out Sam...The Cooking Guy.

He's got recipes, video recipes, a store, classes and he's even syndicated on TV in a few markets, but unfortunately not in Nashvegas...yet.

Oh well... maybe someday.

Anyway... happy cooking.
Let me know if you find any recipes you like!

My cubicle video

From Yahoo! Video... a parody video of James Blount's song "You're Beautiful".

Instead: My Cubicle.



Hilarious.
Enjoy

The Red Bandanna

This morning, as I listened to the accounts of the many remembered victim's of 911, one stood out to me. It is this story of Welles' and his red bandanna that affected me deeply.

So, I decided to pass it on to you.

Welles Crowther was an equity trader in the South Tower on September 11. When the attacks on the World Trade Center began, Welles was no longer an equities trader. He became a firefighter.

Months after the attacks, as pieces of his story came together, the events Welles' heroic acts came to light.

Welles Crowther used the last 76 minutes of his life to save the lives of others using a red bandanna (that he always carried) to cover his nose and mouth as protection against smoke and debris.

I can't help but think that Welles Crowther was sent from God. That his life-long desire to help others, to be a public servant was all part of a bigger plan.

Something in me tells me that Welles' was put here on Earth to save those people. He was exactly where God knew and planned for him to be when evil flew into those towers.

According to the news this morning, he'd been wearing that bandanna since he was a kid. Everyone he loved knew it. I didn't know him, but from what I understand, he carried it everywhere. It was his thing.

Maybe now we know why.

If it weren't for that red bandana, the thing that made him stand out from everyone else, the thing that stood out to all those people he rescued, we might never have known of his sacrifice and heroism. We might never have been inspired by his courage and passion to help others. We might not have had more evidence of good on that fateful day.

Welles story reinforced my faith today. It made me think about the big picture and how important it is to pay attention to the gifts and passions God has placed inside me... inside you... inside everyone.

What if Welles had surpressed his instincts and left the building? What if he had done what "he was told"? What if he hadn't been prepared to act?

Where would those 18 people he saved be today? Would Welles be alive while they perished?

I'm just in awe right now, of his story and the story of so many who stepped up for the good of the whole. Talk about lives with purpose and meaning.

While Welles body isn't with us any longer, his soul is very present. His story... reinforces HIS story. We are here to serve each other... to lift each other up for a greater good. I can only pray that I listen, prepare and am ready for my purpose here on Earth.

His family has set up the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust to honor his life and memory.

May this story and the many stories of courage give us strength, hope and faith on this somber day. My prayers are with the Crowther family and all the families of the victims of 911, the heros of 911 and all those affected by the tragedy.

I pray for the people who had so much evil in their heart, too.
They need it most of all.

Vocation Vacations

I'm reading a book called "No Opportunity Wasted" (It's a really good book BTW.) It basically talks about being who you are and living the life you want. Very inspirational.

Anyway... In it, I just read about this site: VocationVacations.com

At this site, they'll hook you up to test drive your dream job during your vacation from your real job.

What a cool idea!

Duh Erika

Boogie is playing you.

I had a session last night, so I didn't get to see Janelle's demise, but I must say... I am disappointed in Erika. She's clueless. Maybe I'll find out later that she knew and just thought she had a better chance of winning with Boobie... um... I mean Boogie... by her side.

Seriously... It could happen.

But, I doubt it.

I'm still hoping Erika wins... eventhough at this point, Boobie has probably played a better game.

PS: I'm glad Storm's out. Go TOBY!

crazy painting...

OK... so on Sunday when I was still a little under the weather but tired of sleeping (heh... that's funny)... I decided to paint.

I never paint.

But, am kinda happy with how the pics turned out, so I thought I'd share.

Remember: I'm not a painter.

This is the fourth time I've ever painted... and, I took these pics with my cell phone... so...

Be kind.

Thanks for lettin' me share.