Showing posts with label rascal flatts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rascal flatts. Show all posts

Friday, May 22, 2020

Two Months


In some ways it's felt like forever. Then again, it's but a blink of an eye. My home office has existed for two-plus months. March 17 was my first day as a telecommuter, and here's the deal: I like it. I would have to be dragged back into the office, and even then I would seek out every opportunity to bolt for the door. Why didn't I know this before? Who is the fool who enjoys toiling inside a cubicle? Granted, my job doesn't normally lend itself to telework, but "in these troubled times" all rules have been abandoned. I'm just as productive at home as I was in the office ~ I have good days and not-so-good days. It all evens out.

As I approach my last three weeks of employment, I've tried to remember everything I need to tell my boss about my job that she doesn't know (which, honestly, is about one hundred per cent. I've done this for seventeen years; I am long past the need for supervision.) No one has been promoted to my position yet, so I am unable to share my wisdom with them ~ they're gonna have to learn the way I did, by making it up as they go. I am not opposed to that. In 1991 when I was promoted to a supervisory position at a former employer, the assistant told me on my first day, "I'll tell you how we do things." I replied, "Okay, and I'll tell you how I do things." Everyone must put her own stamp on a job, and God, fresh blood can only be a plus. It's true that I'm somewhat territorial, but that will subside, once I no longer care.

As I pass the two-month mark, I've thought about things I no longer do:


  • I have not set my alarm in two months.
  • I've only blown-dried my hair once.
  • Since March 18 I've not once strapped on a bra.
  • I've poured myself convenience store coffee only twice.
  • Not once have I pulled on a pair of jeans (thankfully ~ chances are they would no longer fit).
  • I haven't eaten a salad.
  • I have not washed clothes on a Saturday.
  • I applied makeup once ~ to look more presentable for a video meeting. Then I stopped caring.



Things I now do:


  • Listen to a local talk radio show that I never before gave a chance.
  • Mourn the loss of Josie at least once a day.
  • Walk every day at 9:00 a.m.
  • Retrieve the mail daily ~ to get out of the house.
  • Smoke too much.
  • Stitch my fingers sore once my shift is over.

As I hit the milestone of age sixty-five this week, my husband bought me art supplies. I'm an artist, but not a dexterous one. I'm not ruling it out, however. I never rule out anything. I'm a late bloomer ~ constantly surprised by the things I am able to do.

 So here's to art and feeding one's soul.


This song catches my breath, but it's about moving on, so it fits. 








Thursday, July 3, 2014

My Country Music Novel

Write what you know, right?

I took that advice to heart, and therefore I am writing a country music novel.

As with all inspired ideas, it started out with a song - a George Strait song, by the by - and it turned into something a bit - okay, a lot - more involved.

My protagonist is an overnight disc jockey. She's landed in a dead-end town and she spins records in the wee hours. Meanwhile, she's being stalked by someone. At least everyone has convinced her that she is.

I am halfway through my story, and, oh yes, I do have a playlist. All inspired novelists have playlists - don't they?

Sometime, in the future, I'm going to link videos to my playlist - just because the visual medium helps me stay focused - but for now, here's what I've got:

1.   Heartland - George Strait
2.   There Goes My Heart - The Mavericks
3.   Fast As You - Dwight Yoakam
4.   Up! - Shania Twain
5.   Does He Love You - Reba McEntire and Linda Davis
6.   I Breathe In, I Breathe Out - Chris Cagle
7.   I Cross My Heart - George Strait
8.   Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
9.   Mama Tried - Merle Haggard
10. A Better Man - Clint Black
11. Indian Outlaw - Tim McGraw
12. T-R-O-U-B-L-E - Travis Tritt
13. Crazy - Patsy Cline
14. Mama He's Crazy - The Judds
15. I'm Movin' On - Rascal Flatts
16. I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
17. Wagon Wheel - Darius Rucker
18. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams

These don't necessarily represent my "favorite" songs. But they're songs that fit within the story. I guess you'd just have to read it.

And here's the deal - if I don't manage to land an agent - and that's pretty hit or miss, to be honest - I'm going to self-publish. So, if you're a country music fan, you can still read this thing. One caveat - it could take me another six months or so before I finish it, and another 30 days before I figure out how in the hell to turn it into an e-book. But I'll get there.

Just a hint - number 15 is the one to watch for. That's the one that pretty much seals the deal.






Saturday, October 1, 2011

The Sad Ones


Since I'm in a pretty decent mood tonight, I thought, why not make good on my earlier promise, and feature some sad songs?

See, one doesn't want to listen to sad songs when they're actually sad, because that might just push one over the edge, you know? I'm not saying I haven't had those moments in my life, when I cried in my beer, listening to the saddest songs I could find in my playlist. Because I have. Hasn't everyone?

And, just for the record, I don't think crying is a bad thing. Of course, I'm a female, and females understand that. Crying is actually cathartic. Men need to learn that.

Anyway, the weird thing to me about so-called "sad" songs is, they don't make me feel sad. They make me feel, which is completely different.

Trying to post sad songs is like trying to find three songs to download for free from your local library (And thanks, by the way. Nice feature). The choices are daunting.

Every songwriter or would-be songwriter (like me!) writes sad songs. They're easy! Who's happy all the time? Only the insane.

And sad is relative, I'll say.

Some of the songs I post here may be considered more "inspirational" than sad. I don't know. You be the judge. They seem sad, or at least wistful, to me.

So, relying on my tiny memory cells and what I can find on YouTube, let's all get sad.

Naturally, the first song that comes to mind for me, when I think of sad songs, doesn't actually have a real video associated with it. But I'm still starting with this one, by Earl Thomas Conley:



Brooks & Dunn:





By way of disclosure, I don't like Rascal Flatts, generally. HOWEVER, I like this one, and this one is sad.



I don't really like the video for this song. That's just my personal preference. Personally, I think they should have left it up to each listener's imagination. Nevertheless, what is sadder than Alison Krauss singing, well, anything?



Nobody features Gary Allen enough. I'm glad I have the opportunity to do it here:



No video for this song, of course, but it's one of my favorite George Strait recordings:



And speaking of George, I didn't really want to double up on singers here, but I think this is a mightily sad song:



Everybody tends to cite the same ones, when they're talking about the saddest country songs. I'm not really aiming for the saddest songs "ever", but more, the songs that make me cry. Yup, everybody has "Whiskey Lullaby" and "When I Call Your Name", but let's face it, they're sad. So, there's no getting around it. I'm not going with "He Stopped Loving Her Today", because everyone lists that as the number one saddest country song. I don't know. Not to me, I guess. But music is a personal thing.

In conclusion, I don't know if this song is supposed to be sad or inspirational, but let me just say that this song makes me cry. Every time. So, I'm including it. And it gets the cherished "top spot" in my list of sad songs, because it's just that good.



If I made you cry with at least one of the videos here, then my job is done.

I'm betting it's the last one. But that's entirely up to you. But you'd be crazy if it wasn't that last one.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Finally Had A Chance To Listen To Some Current Country Music

I was bored today, and there was nothing good on TV. I'd already checked out the On Demand movies, and the choices were slim. I watched American Graffiti last weekend, and I made the mistake of watching Bewitched last weekend also. That was the most boring movie I've ever seen. I fell asleep during part of it. Don't ever watch it or rent it, or God forbid, buy it. So today, all I was left with was Night Of The Living Dead, and I really wasn't in the mood.

So, I went back to my computer, but I turned on GAC in the background. The first song I heard was something that Rascal Flatts was YELLING. Something about wanting a girl to take him somewhere, but geez, with all that yelling, I would have just pushed him out of the car.

Then there was some nondescript noise that I didn't really pay attention to.

And then there was a guy singing to his wife, I guess, about (basically) it's okay to stop taking care of everyone else and take care of herself once in awhile....or some sappy sentiment like that. I was thinking, gee, that sounds like Clay Walker. I used to like Clay Walker. He was big in the '90's, but kind of dropped out of sight for a few years. So, I turned around and looked at the screen, and sure enough, it was Clay Walker. He should be ashamed of himself. He used to sing some good songs. But I guess, if he's trying to rebuild his career, he has to do the kind of songs that are popular nowadays......sad and lame as they are.

Then they interjected an older song by Faith Hill, "Mississippi Girl". You know, the one where she was trying to convince everyone that, even though she went to Hollywood and made a movie, and even though she sings songs that even Celine Dion wouldn't stoop to, that, c'mon, she's still country.

As if fans who listen to country radio even care. Those people are used to country-pap (I mean "pop") songs, so they don't care.

Then they played something by, I think, Blake Shelton, that wasn't half bad. It was a clever, funny song. The hook is, "the more I drink, the more I drink". Hold on....gotta look up who wrote that song.....well, can't find any info. The sites I found intimate that Blake himself wrote the song, but I can't be sure.

But anyway, after that, there was a Kenny Chesney song about "shift work", although that's not what it sounded like he said, but maybe that was intentional. I wasn't paying real close attention, but it seemed to me that he was showing empathy for people who do "shi(f)t" work, but then they showed him on the beach, drinking those concoctions that have little umbrellas, so I don't know if he was empathizing or making fun of people who have to work for a living.

Then I FINALLY heard the most COUNTRY song of my little experiment. Ironic, really.

Here it is. Judge for yourself:





And just for fun, here's that Blake Shelton song: