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!