You know Dasher and Dancer

Dear Megan,

Ella's class sang "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" at their Christmas show today. I have posted it here for your enjoyment.

They also recited a poem afterward, but a bunch of jackasses in the audience thought we'd rather hear them speak than our children, so that video is a no-go. Jackasses are the worst.

It was a great show, though.

And with that, I bid you adieu for the day.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Merry Christmas from the Family," Robert Earl Keen (rapidly becoming my new favorite secular Christmas song. [I am still partial to the Eagles {I know, right?} version of "Please Come Home for Christmas."])

We need some celery and a can of fake snow

Hey, Megs,

As promised, a picture of the Christmas tree:

Please note the Charlie Brown Christmas tree on the right, there.

And the kids, too. This cracks me up. Luke's facial expression was exactly the same in most his baby pictures when Ella was holding him. It's mostly confusion mixed with a little fear, the personification of "What the hell is going on here?"

Please also note the potted tree on the right there. This is our olive tree. It was a gift from my office after I birthed Luke, my second child. Such a thoughtful gift, no? I mean, you really have to think hard to make a good idea out of sending a living thing to a woman who (1) just had a baby, (2) has another child still in diapers, (3) has a husband who works nights. I said it then, and I'll say it again, "WTF?"

To make matters worse, I spoke to my boss soon after we received the tree delivery. "Hey, did you get a plant from the office?" she asked. "Yes, yes I did," came my reply. She proceeded to tell me what she and one of the deans had discussed getting me: food service for a week, someone to clean my house, etc. You know, things that would be useful to and much appreciated by the mother of a toddler and a newborn baby. Instead, I got a frakking tree.

We kept the tree going for a good while. But I fear that a recent cold snap damaged it beyond repair. So now it waits in the living room for Kevin to put it out of its misery.

The pot's nice, though. And our Christmas tree looks even more kick-ass in comparison.

I hope I'll be able to post between now and then, but if not . . .

Merry Christmas!

Love, molly

previous post title source: "Dear Doctor," The Rolling Stones

Oh help me, please doctor, I'm damaged

Hey, Megs,

I just saw this on Deadspin and I had to share it here:




I could barely stifle my laughter here at work. That's just funny stuff.

But not quite as funny as this.

I got a call from Evan this morning. After we exchanged "Hello"s, he told me to write the following: Lea-h.

"How would you pronounce that?" he asked. "Leah," I responded (as you do).

"Le-dash-uh," he said, "because the dash ain't quiet."

I guffawed (as you do), but this is an actual person. He met Lea-h yesterday at the Arts Center. She came into the shop to purchase a gift and when she wrote her name he asked, "Is that Leah? I've never seen it spelled that way." That's when she corrected the pronunciation, using the exact words as he did to correct mine. "The dash ain't quiet."

You just can't make that up.

I hope all's well!

love, molly

previous post title source: "Walk Like a Panther," The Pretenders

Try if you can to walk like a man

Hey, Megs,

I had to write to let you know that I found someone who is an actual, real-life fan of the Carolina Panthers! And you said such a thing does not exist . . .

Her name is Katy, and she is a friend of mine from graduate school. She is also a native of Charlotte, so that may explain her odd allegiance to such a nondescript team.

But even wackier than her love for all things blue and black? SHE LIKES RAY LEWIS!!! Yes, THE Ray Lewis. Murder charges aside, how can anyone really like this guy?

photo via the internets. sorry, i forgot the website, but it is available on Google image search.

Really? That guy?

My favorite part of the revelation was when she said that she really likes him when he's mic'd up. So does he.

So, I guess that's two birds with one stone. You didn't think that there were any Panthers fans and I didn't think that it was possible for someone to like Ray Lewis. Prove us wrong, Katy O'Brien! Prove us wrong!

I hope all is well in Colorado. Not much is afoot in Nashville. We got the Christmas tree up and decorated on Sunday. I'll send a picture once Kevin can figure out how to set the camera timer.

I love you!

--Molly

previous post title source: "The Humpty Dance," Digital Underground

I'll eat up all your crackers and your licorice

Megs!

I feel so very, very old today. This morning, I overheard one of my coworkers speaking to our student worker (Christina, who I swear has your exact smile) about a wedding that she will be attending this weekend. Christina said that she would be getting plenty of exercise on the dance floor, to which Hillery responded that she hoped they'd play "Play That Funky Music White Boy." She continued, "That's the best song to dance to at weddings."

"Nay!" said I. The best song to dance to at weddings, of course, is none other than "The Humpty Dance."

Christina's response? "What's that?"

ACK!!!!

I swear, it's seven hours later and I am still at a loss.

How can this be? She's 21! How is it that there are college kids who have not heard "The Humpty Dance?" That was a Brad, Rob, and Alex house staple!

I sent her a link to the YouTube video (note: there is no sound at the beginning of the video):



If only we had a video of Todd and/or Brett's versions.

This one's pretty funny, though:



And with that, I am off to get crazy whack funky.

Have a great weekend!

love, molly

previous post title source: "Thank You," Led Zeppelin

And so today, my world it smiles

Hey, Megs,

Just wanted to send a little Happy Thanksgiving love your way. (And remember, that's pronounced "Thánks-giving," emphasis on the "Thanks.")

I'm fretting about having to cook the meal for tomorrow. I know I can do the various potato dishes and the green bean casserole (my fave), but the turkey has me all tied up in knots. All I know is I'm starting the day off with Pillsbury orange rolls and I'll take it from there.

I'm thankful for lots of things (I have to remind myself of this often when I'm sitting at my desk at work, for I hate this place with the heat of a thousand suns). Happy and healthy children are tops on that list. I can't even put to words what it is like to watch these kids grow up. They are wonderful little maddening creatures, I must say!

This picture was taken at the last Vandy tailgate party, about twenty minutes before the sitter took the kids away and I started making a total ass of myself. Too much champagne!
Anyway, check out Ella's boots. They're badass, right? Kids' Dr. Marten's!

Right now, I am thankful to NPR for releasing this: an exclusive first listen to a live Neil Young recording from 1968. It's incredible. I'm not sure how long it will be available online, but the album will be released December 2. I know Todd won't be able to wait! Anyway, Neil was only 22 when this was recorded, and he's pretty adorable. My favorite quote so far: "I used to play lead guitar . . . I used to be a blues band." It reminds me of Will Quin, when he would speak in his little English accent (I think he was quoting some movie about the fifth Beatle): "It's not a skiffle band, it's a rock and roll band. It's not my band, it's a group." He would roll his "r" so adorably on that last word. That Will Quin . . .

Here's hoping that your turkey is [m-word meaning "not dry"] and your green bean casserole is pimiento-free!

I love you!

Molly

previous post title source: "Bob Dylan's Dream," Bob Dylan (natch)

Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat

Dear Megan,

Melissa, an old friend from high school, posted a link to this little game on Facebook. It just so happened to be the perfect way for me to waste an hour or so at work. Also, I think that this game was made for me, as I love to look for secret meanings in pretty much anything.

For example, do you remember the time when I decided that "Still I Long For Your Kiss" was my liberation song after the end of the Philip situation? What the hell was that all about? I'll tell you what it was about. I was feeling sorry for myself, so I took a drive. "Still I Long For Your Kiss" came on the radio and I started singing along. (My voice sounded amazing.) Well, I just so happened to be driving downtown as Lucinda and I sang the following lyrics: "I go downtown!" I thought it must be fate. Nevermind that the rest of the lyrics included such liberating gems as "I see your face/Nobody around can take your place/But you put me down/But you turned me away/Still I long for your kiss." That's liberation, baby!

Anywhos, it's a fun game. I know you don't do the whole music on the computer thing; really I just posted this for Heather since I know she's the only person who reads this blog. (Love ya, HDK!)

Okay, the rules are as follows:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc., on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the >> button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put the artist after a dash following the song name.
5. Put any comments in brackets.
6. Tag some lucky people to spread the disease.

My answers:

a. How would you describe yourself?

"Like a Hurricane [live]"--Neil Young. [A simile! "I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream." Didn't he write this about a time when he was totally fucked up? It's a pretty song, nonetheless. Lots of noodling going on in the live version. I just like how simple of an answer it is to that question.]

b. How do you feel today?

"I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) [live]"--Bob Dylan. [Neil and Dylan one after the other? Excellent. And another live track, too. Weird times on the iPod. Geez, sad lyrics when you can make 'em out. "It's like I ain't here" is pretty much how I feel at work most days. As the great Kramer said, "In my head, I'm already gone."

c. What is your life's purpose?

"She'll Remember"--Dwight Yoakam. [Ha, ha. This is a funny one since I am the person that you always call when you have hazy memories about things that we may or may not have done in college. Yes, we did see The Band {sans Robbie Robertson}, and yes, The Crickets did join them for the encore. This is a pretty good life's purpose--to remember. The good times, I mean. Although I can hold a mean grudge, too. So it fits. My iPod is a genius.]

d. What is your motto?

"Living on a Thin Line"--The Kinks. [Boo! Bad iPod. . . . Well, maybe it's okay. Not as a motto, but whatever. I think it's a reminder that we have to do what's right now because otherwise there won't be anything left for our kids. "Yes, it really, really matters."]

e. What do you think about very often?

"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1"--The Flaming Lips. [That's pretty funny. This reminds me of when we were in college and I would always plead with our computer engineering friends not to program the robots to overthrow us, like in The Terminator. I sure hope they listened. Can't say I still think about it that often anymore, though.]

f. What is your life story?

"Why Can't You Be Nicer To Me?"--The White Stripes. ["Everything's so funny/I don't have any money, oh oh." That sounds about right.]

g. What do you want to be when you grow up?

"Memphis Pearl"--Lucinda Williams. [Alrighty then. Except for the whole wife-beating part of the song . . . wow. I guess I'd like to be Memphis Pearl before her eyes got the "vacant stare," back in Memphis when she was a pearl. Not a great stretch of answers here.]

h. What will you dance to at your wedding?

"I'll Back You Up"--Dave Matthews Band. [Aww, this would be a sweet song to dance to. But . . . WRONG! I danced to "Sentimental Reasons." If we had been able to get the CD from Old Crow Medicine Show before our wedding, rather than after, I would have danced to "Wagon Wheel." Unfortunately, it had only been self-released at that point, and Tower did not have a copy before Kevin and I left for Mississippi. {Man, do I miss Tower!} Critter gave us a signed copy when we saw them at the Station Inn after we got married. It was a sweet gift. And this is a sweet song.]

i. What will they play at your funeral?

"Has Anyone Seen My Man?"--Memphis Minnie. [Best answer ever! That is awesome. Although I was hoping that it would be "You Can't Always Get What You Want." I imagine you sitting at the organ playing the intro, like on The Big Chill.]

j. What is your hobby/interest?

"Bright Lights, Big City"--Them (feat. Van Morrison). [I do like the big cities. Wouldn't call it a hobby, but I am certainly interested in being able to visit them more often. Is that a stretch?]

k. If you could do anything right now, what would it be?

"Do You Realize?"--The Flaming Lips. [Another Flaming Lips song. WTF? Geez, this is a depressing answer to that question. Although I guess it's kind of nice. I don't know. This song will forever be colored for me by an essay I read on McSweeney's. This father wrote about what this song meant to him and it was all about one the last times he was with his son. They went to a Flaming Lips concert and listened to this song on the way. His son died soon afterward. "It's hard to make the good things last." Now it makes me boo-hoo.]

j. What do you want most of all?

"Jigsaw Puzzle"--The Rolling Stones. [I think this song just reminds me of what I want most of all. It's not that I actually got to, got to have a jigsaw puzzle.]

k. What is your greatest fear?

"Is This Home On Ice?"--Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. [Hmm. I guess that's kind of right. Ice is fragile, breakable. I guess my biggest fear is a broken home.]

l. What is your darkest secret?

"Call Me On Your Way Back Home"--Ryan Adams. [Doesn't really fit except for maybe two lines. I will not elaborate. Pretty song, though.]

m. What is your favorite thing in the world?

"All I Want Is You"--U2. [This is correct. My favorite thing in the world is my friends, so the "you" in the title would be you. We may be getting back on track here.]

n. If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?

"Bob Dylan's Dream"--Bob Dylan. [This is true: "I wish, I wish, I wish in vain, that we could sit simply in that room again. Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat, I'd give it all gladly if our lives could be like that." And, while it's probably not the one thing I would wish for, it would be nice to dream Dylan's dreams, wouldn't it?]

o. What is your theme song?

"Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)"--Cracker. [Hilarious. "I don’t know what the world may want, but a good stiff drink it surely don’t. So I think I’ll go and fix myself a tall one." Excellent motto, if I do say so myself.]

p. The next time you hear this song (aside from now, that is), you must dance.

"Margie"--Ray Charles. [You know I dance every time I hear Brother Ray sing!]

q. What will you post this as?

"Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat."

Have fun (Heather)! Let me know what you come up with.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Since You're Gone," The Cars

The moonlight ain't so great

Hey, Megs,

Sorry for the dearth of posts lately. I've been in a bit of a funk and I'm not quite out of it yet. To fill you in on the things that have happened since my last post: the Kindschys came to visit, Florida kicked Vandy's butt in a hardcore manner, Brad and Kevin's team pretty much pwned Heather's team in flip cup (probably the best drinking game ever, after "Thunderstruck"), I got a copy of Pet Sounds signed by Brian Wilson, the Titans won game #9, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Vandy beat Kentucky (bowl-eligible, baby!), the Titans won game #10, and Monday and Tuesday again.

Flipcup pwnage.

All in all, some pretty fun stuff happening there, but I was in a funked up mood for everything in bold and then again for this afternoon. WTF?

I got really sad after Heather and Brad left. It was a gray day here in Nashville, and the weather had turned chilly. Pretty standard fare for November, I guess. After a nice buffet lunch at Tabouli's, we parted ways and I took Luke to Grimey's for the Brian Wilson signing. May I just opine about how amazing it is that Brian Wilson signed crap for an hour at Grimey's? How cool is that?

We got there about fifteen minutes after the shindig started, and the line stretched around the block. Lucky for me, Luke was in a decent mood. I know that most days he would not have put up with the wait, but he was quite the trouper. We were supposed to meet Evan there, but he was running late from Murfreesboro. Luke and I finally made it in around 1 p.m. They stopped the line ten people behind me because Brian Wilson was getting tired. You could definitely see it. He looked awful. His handler was behind him rubbing his shoulders and I almost felt bad going over there. But they shuffled me to the little stand and then quickly shuffled me away. He signed a newly-purchased copy of Pet Sounds (now I can be a hipster, too!) for me. His signature looks like B W with long flourishes after each letter. I left wondering what the signatures looked like earlier in the day.

I took a picture, but the combination of not knowing how to take good pictures with my iPhone, having only one hand free with which to take a picture, trying to hold Luke in the other hand, and trying to be discrete so as not to trigger any flashbacks definitely made for poor photography. Picture will be posted below when I can upload it from my work computer. Then you'll see what I mean.

This picture? Not so good.

Evan finally showed up about ten minutes later. He had another CD to pick up (the latest from The Features), so we mosied back into the store and got caught invited to join in on the champagne toast with the staff. It was such a nice little treat! I wish my workplace had champagne toasts . . .

Evan and I went out to Nolensville Road so he could eat at one of the yummy Mexican restaurants out there. I forget the name. "La" something or other. Anyway, it was there that the funk settled in. I was already sad about Heather leaving, and then Evan started talking about how he's thinking about going to business school. He mentioned that he might go back to UNC. Then he excused himself and left me alone at the table with Luke sleeping soundly in my lap (he hadn't done that for two years, I'd bet) and I just lost it. Seriously. My chin started trembling and I could not hold it back. I just kept thinking, "Keep it together, keep it together!" I wanted to put my hand on my chin just to make it stop trembling, but I couldn't move for fear of waking Luke! It was terrible. I only cried for a minute or so and I thought I had calmed myself by the time that Evan got back to the table. He started talking again, and then he stopped. And then he looked at me and said, "You're awfully quiet today."

Ugh. He saw right through me! I have very conflicting feelings about such occurences. On the one hand, I sort of hate to be so easy to read. On the other, it feels nice to have someone know you that well, doesn't it? Not that I didn't already know it . . . it's just good to be reminded every once in a while.

Anyway, my response was, "I just feel sort of sad today and I don't know why." And that's when the waterworks started. Terrible. I have to say, there is little to make you feel more helpless than crying in a Mexican restaurant, trying not to wake the sleeping baby in your lap. Evan offered what he could: a few napkins and a pat on the hand. And then a slice of tres leches cake.

All in all it was a pretty pathetic showing on my part. And the funk just kept on coming. I could not shake it. It's not an easy thing to do when you hate your job as much as I do, of course, but still. It was a whole frigging week. And it still lingers a bit. (Do I have to, do I have to, do I have to let it linger?)

I think that my current issue is not having something big to look forward to. I am so lonesome here in Nashville. I got so used to having friends around in this town, so now that they're all gone it's just . . . hard. It's easier, though, when I have something big to get ready for: seeing everybody at Heather's wedding, Heather and Brad's visit, etc. Things got a little easier when the 'Dores beat Kentucky last week, because now we get to look forward to a bowl game (!). I'm afraid, though, that I'm relying too heavily on the success of Vanderbilt sports to make me happy. Could it possibly be that sports for me has become, as Dan Black opined several years ago, "the new opiate of the masses?" When he said that (I recall that it was during the Titans' last Super Bowl run), I replied, "No! They just make you feel . . . good." Nice. It's a tricky proposition.

Ah, me.

Well, now that I have my soul-searching out of the way, I can move on to better and brighter things. Vanderbilt is bowl bound, baby! I never thought I'd see the day. The rumor mill has it that our best bowl possibilities are Chick-Fil-A (formerly known as the Peach Bowl) in Atlanta, Liberty in Memphis (I am going to go to town on some ribs at the Rendezvous, and I look forward to having my drunk friends crawl on the floor to see the ducks at the Peabody, rather than Uncle Butch's), Music City (short commute!), and . . . the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. That last one gets a big "Blerg."

***Momentary interruption*** So, I was looking for a link to the ESPN Bowl predictions, so that I could hyperlink the "rumor mill" phrase up there. This is what I found under the tab for Rivalry on the College Football page:

Tennessee has controlled its rivalry with Vandy for years, but under the signal calling of Jay Cutler, the Dores are finally favored.

WTF, Chris Low? Memo: Jay Cutler does not play for Vandy anymore. ***Back to the matters at hand***

Anywhos, I know the Liberty Bowl is pretty lame in the grand scheme of things, but I want some ribs, dammit!

And now it seems that I have wasted a good hour-plus on this post. I suppose that I should get back to work.

I miss you, Megs, and I hope you're doing well.

love, molly

previous post title source: "T for Texas," Jimmie Rodgers

T for Tennessee

Hey, Megs,

Not much to report the past two days. I just read this and thought you would appreciate it. The Sports Guy's latest Power Poll included a potent top 2:

THE FAVORITES

2. New York Giants
Our friend Mike Lombardi did a tremendous job of describing Tom Coughlin's coaching style over at the National Football Post last week: "He is using a very simple leadership strategy called the 'Law of Threes.' On each team there are three types of players. The first are the ones who will do anything that is asked, willing to help the program. The second group are the undecided players, the players who are not sure what to do. And the third are the malcontents. These are the players who want to buck the system all the time and try to break down the team. As a leader, there is a tendency to try to win over the players in group three by trying to make them happy. But all that does is move the players from group two into group three, and cause you to start to lose the players in group one. What Coughlin has done is focus on group one. He pays no attention to group three and what has resulted is that Plaxico is on an island and no one wants to join him. The team is bigger than Plaxico."

Love it. Now THAT makes perfect sense to me. The Law of Threes. I really respect how the Giants have defended their title this season. We don't see it enough in sports anymore. The road to Super Bowl XLIII goes through them.

1. Tennessee Titans
And yet, the league's only undefeated team gets pole position heading into Week 10. You know what I like about the Titans? They get it done. First and goal ... they punch it in. Huge third-and-8 from midfield ... they make the play. Big defensive play on third-and-short ... they get the stop. Sometimes football is that simple.

The article didn't end with that. It ended with this:

I had the Titans as the favorite three weeks ago and nothing has changed. You know, except the fate of the country.

How sweet is that? A 6000+ word article and those last eight made me catch my breath.

Have a great weekend. The Funbar should be here in about 5 hours. Make sure to watch for us on ESPN tomorrow night.

Go Dores!

love, molly

previous post title source: "Beautiful Day," U2

See the world in green and blue

Megs!

photo via chicagotribune.com

Woo-Hoo!!

The day dawned a little brighter, didn't it? Incredible.

love, molly

previous post title source: "A Change Is Gonna Come," Sam Cooke. (Loved that part of the victory speech, by the way: "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.")

It's been a long time coming

Megs,

photo via deadspin.com

Feeling much better today. I couldn't open the link to the WRVU ram file, so I missed out on the first 20 minutes of Best of Bread this morning. When I finally got it on, the host announced The Cult's "Love Remover Machine," but said that today it was "Bush Remover Machine" or "Obama Installation Machine." This song rocks. "Baby baby baby baby baby I fell from the sky." No, no, no, don't stop the rocking!

Plus, The Cult always reminds me of the bet that Jacqui and I made with Dan and Chris (?) early freshman year. I'm pretty sure it was "Love Remover Machine" that came on the radio and Dan shouted out, "Yes, Danzig!" Jacqui and I laughed and laughed at his dumbness. Finally, we made a bet about who was singing. Dan lost, and he had to wear a dress. Then Brett came over, and he put on a dress just for shits and giggles. He even teared up a bit because, and I quote, "It's so soft!" Good freshman times.

Anyway, I think it's going to be a big day. As the incomparable Chris Crofton just said when playing Pat Benatar's version of "Helter Skelter," "LET'S DO THIS!"

I can't wait. Now get out there and vote!



love, molly

previous post title source: "Reason to Believe," Rod Stewart

Still I look to find a reason to believe

Dear Megan,

I am all antsy about tomorrow. I have been trolling the internet all freaking day looking for something to ease my worried mind. (Yes, I am at work. Why do you ask?) To make matters worse, Andrew Sullivan hasn't updated his blog for nearly two and a half hours! Sure, he left a very moving essay about why he supports Barack Obama (the end is the best), but that's just not enough for me today.

I early-voted two weeks ago tomorrow. There were a few people in line ahead of me, and I was surprised to find out that I was the 168th person to vote at that booth (one of about eight, I'd guess) at that precinct on that day. It is the first time in my years of voting that I have actually felt good about my vote. In other elections, I chose the lesser of two evils. I regret that I didn't vote for Gore now (not that my vote would have mattered in Mississippi), but at the time I didn't feel like he would be able to be a good president. He didn't get out from the shadow of Clinton until he grew a beard and started the hardcore environmentalism campaign. I thought then (and still think to an extent) that there was no way he would be able to lead under the weight of what had happened in the years leading up to 2000. The Republicans wouldn't have let him.

I voted for Kerry in 2004, but I felt dirty doing it. I didn't think that he would be an effective president, either, but there was no way that I could reward Bush for the actions that he took during his first four years. To call Kerry the lesser of two evils insinuates that he could actually hold a candle to Bush/Cheney in the evil department. It still wouldn't have made him a good president.

There is but one thing that I remember pretty vividly about the 2004 campaign. (A lot of folks recently have been mentioning a Bin Laden tape that was released on October 31 of that year. I have no recollection of that.) I remember watching Barack Obama speak at the DNC convention. I don't know why I would have had any reason to watch that. Ella was barely one year old at the time, so I had a little bit on my hands. But I remember that all of the announcers were talking about how great a keynote address it would be. And so I watched. I got goosebumps. It cannot be denied that the man gives a good speech. "Out of this long political darkness, a brighter day will come."

I am unabashed in my enthusiasm for Obama. I believe that he will be a great leader for this country. I just hope . . . HOPE . . . that he will be given the opportunity.

Tomorrow.

MAKE SURE TO VOTE!!!

love, molly

previous post title source: "Dumb Girl," Run DMC

And when it comes to sense you don't have none

Hey, Megs,

Just wanted to point out that there is an addition to the "other awesomeness on the internets" list over there. One Andrew Sullivan writes for The Atlantic Monthly and he has a blog on the mag's website. Sullivan is a conservative, but he has been pretty anti-Bush for about five years now.

I discovered Mr. Sullivan's blog one day while reading Deadspin. (Deadspin is also on the list over there, but I may have to rethink it. Since the site lost its original editor [Will Leitch] to New York Magazine, it has turned in to mostly dick jokes, posts about Philadelphia, and jokes about poop [their word] and/or masturbation. It has lost much of its original appeal.) Mr. Leitch does write the occasional (hilarious) post for the site, including a weekly wrap-up of the previous weekend's NFL slate, the "Weekly Buzzsaw Countdown." (He calls the Arizona Cardinals "The Buzzsaw That Is The Arizona Cardinals," for reasons that people who have been reading the site for longer than a year probably know, but that I do not.) Anyway, one day, I was reading this post, when I came upon the following:

Honestly, the [Carolina] Panthers' schedule is ridiculous. I am outraged about this — outraged! — but not nearly as outraged as the brilliant and psychologically fascinating Andrew Sullivan is about Sarah Palin. Still. Andrew Sullivan is one of the best political minds working right now, and Gov. Palin has reduced him to a sputtering fountain of empty, wonderfully entertaining fury. He actually responded to news that the VP debate would not have a "loose format" because the McCain campaign worried it would "leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive" by saying, simply, "Are you fucking kidding me?" If President Palin ends up starting World War III in a couple of years because she saw an image of Christ in a yoga mat during a Pilates class, Andrew Sullivan is going to be one satisfied piece of nuclear vaporized particles.


I thought to myself, "If this guy Sullivan hates Palin enough that it gets mentioned randomly in a sports blog, then this is someone I need to be reading!" And thus, the (one-sided) love affair began. I highly recommend the site, especially if you are feeling maddened by the non-vetted one (could it be . . . Palin?!?). Like I am today, for example, by her criticism of the press for violating her First Amendment rights. (If you click on the link, there, make sure to read through at least Update I.) This is Sullivan's response: Yes, she is that dumb.

So, read and enjoy. And make sure to vote.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Parents Just Don't Understand," DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips

Hey, Megs,

So, I'm having a bit of a crisis today. Kevin called me twice around lunchtime. The first call was to state that a) our heater seems to be broken, and right in the midst of a cold-snap, and b) his father called and he and Kevin's mom were on their way to our house, where they will be spending the night on their way to visit Kevin's (mean) sister in Texas. The second call was to ask if it would be okay for him to take down the Obama sign in the yard.

Sigh.

I eventually said it was fine, after minor protestations. Now, I feel like a jackass. I can't even take a stand against Kevin's parents? It would be one thing if I thought that this were another election that was just a sad choice for the lesser of two evils. But I don't feel that way. I believe that Obama is the much, much, a million times much better choice. I think that McCain is a poor candidate who totally fucked up his VP pick and deserves to go down big for foisting Palin upon us. I think that he has no clue about how to deal with the financial crisis. I think his foreign policy is dangerous and I believe that, should McCain win the presidency, we would be at war with Iran within two years. And really, just don't even get me started on Palin. I loathe that woman with the heat of a thousand suns.

Are these not things that I could discuss rationally with Kevin's parents? (I mean, besides the Palin issue. I admit that I am totally irrational when it comes to that woman.) It looks like the answer is no.

On top of this existential crisis, I have to deal with the thought that my anonymous McCain- supporting neighbor will think he's won me over.

I guess I just feel like a big wuss. It's the whole, "If you won't stand for something, you'll fall for anything" meme come to life.

Blerg.

Do you think this would change the Thompsons' mind?:



Hope.

UPDATE: How cool is this:

photo via burntorangereport.com

A woman in Austin got tired of her yard signs being stolen. Awesome.

Over and out,
Molly

previous post title source: "Carolina," M. Ward

Now I feel like Carolina

Hey, Megs,

photo via hbo.com

Just spotted this on HuffPo. Apparently, several members of the cast of "The Wire" campaigned/will be campaigning for Obama (I can't figure out the timing):

Tomorrow, members of the cast of the Peabody Award-winning drama series The Wire will attend a Backyard Brunch for Barack in Raleigh. Seven of the show's cast members will visit the Tarheel State in support of the change Barack Obama will bring across the country and in North Carolina.

Chad Coleman (who plays Dennis "Cutty" Wise) [Cutty!], Deidre Lovejoy (who plays Rhonda Pearlman) [she got to sleep with McNulty AND Daniels!], Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield) ["My name is my name!"], Clarke Peters (Detective Lester Freamon) [Lester!!], Sonja Sohn (Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs) [Kima!], Seth Gilliam (Sergeant Ellis Carver) [Carver!], and Gbenga Akinnagbe (Chris Partlow) [you frighten me!] will all appear at the backyard brunch on Sunday.

Why can't I live in a swing state?

Since we're on the topic of politics, I got yet another missive from the mysterious McCain fan in my neighborhood. He just does not like my Obama sign. This one was about Obama's audacity at running for president at such a tender age and with so little experience. The mysterious one didn't even take the time to put this one in an envelope. Amateur!

I am definitely going to get more signs now. Yes We Can get more yard signs!

It was great to see you this weekend and great to see the Funbar get married. I'll have to post pictures soon, but for some reason we never got one of us all together. We are dumb. The wedding post will also include pictures from the bachelorette party in Nashville, so you can see Joey Ramone in all of his glory.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Yes We Can," various artists, feat. Barack Obama

We are not as divided as our politics suggests

Hey, Megs,

photo via yeswecarve.com

Big happenings on the home front. Yesterday, I got my first anonymous letter from a neighbor who is displeased by my Obama sign! First and foremost, let it be known that said neighbor broke the law by placing an unstamped letter in my mailbox. The envelope said "Please Read. Stay Informed," so I knew exactly what was coming. It was a printout of this "article," with the Obama parts highlighted.

The best part was that the anonymous letter-writer (I am assuming that said writer was a man, for the purposes of this post) noted that the article was from the San Francisco Chronicle. (He claimed that since even the liberal media was printing it, it had to be true.) It's not. It's an opinion piece from ChronWatch, whose site description reads as such:

ChronWatch.com is a counter force to the liberal advocacy so dominant in today's media. ChronWatch provides articles from a group of in-house writers, in addition to carefully selected material from the Internet. As a result, ChronWatch is your one-stop site for the conservative point of view.

LOL. At least he didn't do anything to my sign. I'm thinking about getting a second sign, just to piss off this anonymous "concerned citizen."

Just in time, though, I got my VOTE OBAMA shirt in the mail today. Maybe I'll hang it on the mailbox.

photo via barackobama.com

Hope all's well with you.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Surrender," Cheap Trick

Your mother's right, she's really up on things

Hey, Megs,

Yesterday was Ella's 5th birthday. That means that I've been a mom for five years now. (It was also Tyson's 31st birthday.)

Kevin and I asked Ella where she wanted to eat for her special birthday dinner, and she chose sushi! She had a California roll for dinner. She never ceases to amaze me. To end the dinner, we got a free green tea ice cream sundae. Yum-E! (I am going to start using that term to describe delicious things in the hopes I can get Oprah to give me a magazine, a la Rachel Ray. My term for extra virgin olive oil will be XV-double O.)

When I put Ella to bed last night, I told her the story of when she was born. My mom always did that on our birthdays. I told her about how we went into the hospital at about 10 a.m. on the 12th, but that she wasn't born until just after midnight on the 13th. At this point in my little tale, Luke walked in to listen. Ella asked, "Did Luke wait a long time to be born?" "Yes, he did," I said, "even longer than you. Because," I explained, "Luke was a stubborn baby and he was upside down and backwards."

Ella thought that was hilarious.

I remember several things about Ella's birth more clearly than the rest. First, the CD player in my delivery room was broken. So, instead of listening to Ray Charles during the delivery as I had planned, I had to listen to Alan Jackson. His was the only music available to me, via video on CMT. Then, when the nurse showed Ella to me, I couldn't help but to exclaim, "Oh, she looks just like her father!"

But probably my clearest memory (most likely because it is not shrouded in a haze of the epidural) was the night of the 14th. Kevin was sitting with me in the room, and we had Ella with us. My mom had treated us to dinner from Ruth's Chris and had just left. We were watching the Cubs play in the NLCS. They were five outs away from the World Series, as we all know, when Steve Bartman reached out to try to catch a foul ball.

I couldn't believe it when I saw it.

I think about motherhood a lot when I look back on that moment. It's a tough spot to bring a child into. I mean, if even something so inconsequential as sports can be decided by such a cruel hand of fate, what chance have the rest of us?

But Ella doesn't care about that. I don't even know why I cared about the Cubs that year. (Actually, I do. It's because, before I met Kevin, I briefly dated a guy that liked them. Sue me.) So, I guess my issue is not so much with the cruel hand of fate, but with my own lingering doubts about my ability to raise my children without coloring their worldviews with my own superstitions and neuroses.

I gotta tell you, it's tough!

I hope all is well with you.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Tell It To Me," Old Crow Medicine Show

Drink the corn liquor, let the cocaine be

Words to live by, those.

Hey, Megs,

Just had to write to tell you that I got to see Walker yet again! It just doesn't get any better than that! (Lord help me on the day he randomly stumbles upon this blog. I sound like a total freak. It's just that he reminds me of the good ol' college days. Which, as he and I discussed last night, were a terrifying ten years ago. [Cue Jeremy Piven in Grosse Point Blank: "Ten years. Ten years, man, ten years. TEN YEARS!"] Plus, I mean, I'm sorry, but anytime I run into someone that you dubbed "The Crown Jewel of Sexual Achievement," [note to other reader{s}: jewel never obtained] that is a moment that begs to be blogged.)

Kevin and I went to see the Old Crow Medicine Show last night. It was a decent show. We've definitely seen better from them, and they pretty much got pwned by the opening act, the Carolina Chocolate Drops (so awesome). It was just an odd show. The band seemed . . . off, somehow. Plus, the new guy is no Critter. (Critter [Fuqua] is/was the banjo player, and he used to [in]frequent the Villager. I don't know what the deal is, but he was not playing with them last night.)

NOTE: The hippies all loved it. They were noodling away up in the balcony.

It just made me think about other times that I've seen them and seen them much better than that. The first time I saw them was at the Ryman, too. They opened up for the Del McCoury Band. They played "Wagon Wheel" (this was back in 2000, I believe, so well before they released the O.C.M.S. album on which the song was featured), and it gave me chills and made me cry. Kevin and I saw them play at the Station Inn on our first date, and I still remember stopping our lovely conversation so that he could be wowed by the song, too. I guess the band had a lot to live up to last night. There was no magic there.

An odd moment happened before the concert. Kevin saw a couple that we know, so he ran up and started talking to them. Cindy (the woman half of said couple) started introducing their friends to Kevin, and when she got to their single friend she said to Kevin, "You can kiss this one on the neck." What?!? I just stood there flabbergasted for a few moments. Then, I guess she realized that I was there and was overly enthusiastic in her "hey, there!" Umm, no.

So, Walker is apparently the band's stage manager or something. He says he's their jack-of-all-trades, their Guy Friday, their . . . well, he's like their stage manager or something. We went to Robert's after the show and visited with him for a while. I told him that you asked after him last time you were in town. I also told him your Safeway tale of woe: about how he used to tell all these great stories that usually ended at Safeway. And when you were planning to move to Colorado, you were so excited to go to a Safeway. And then when you got there, it turned out just to be a regular grocery store. He thought that was great. He says "hello!"

I'm overall feeling like crap today. We stayed out too late. But it was great fun. Sadly, there are no more shows in my immediate future. It's been a great ride these past few weeks, though. I'd have to rank the shows like so: Old Crow Medicine Show < The Raconteurs = ZZ Top < Swell Season.

For now, I'll have to entertain myself with college football. VU is at Mississippi State this weekend (does that bring back memories?). It's not televised, unfortunately, but we are considering getting the game on pay-per-view. Can you believe that?

I hope all is well with you. I miss you!

love, molly

previous post title source: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," Stevie Wonder

You got my future in your hands

Dear Megan,

I got the kids involved in politics yesterday. It was great fun. First, Ella and I went down to the Obama headquarters to get a yard sign:


(Ella also picked out a rainbow-themed Obama button. She's for gay rights, too!)

Then, Luke helped us put the sign up:


Kevin . . . not so involved.

When we were at the Obama HQ, one of the ladies behind the desk was regaling us with her plans for after the election. She said she would cry, regardless of the outcome. Then, she would throw a party. It would either be a victory party, or a bon voyage party, because she's moving to Canada.

But my favorite "What if McCain actually wins?" discussion came courtesy of my favorite weekly radio show, "Best of Bread." The two Crofton brothers do enjoy talking about politics. On Tuesday, the possibility of McCain winning came up (I think because of the whole Obama-is-a-terrorist bent that the McCain campaign is taking these days). Chris (the main guy, I guess) said that if it happens, he's moving to Guatemala to become a coffe farmer. "Then," he said, "I'm going to send a gift basket to McCain that says, 'Step off.'" Eric (I think), the other brother, interjected, "I'd rather be in America. Thanks a lot." So Chris continues, "Yeah, yeah! I'm going to move to Guatemala and send a package that says, "Eff you. I hate Guatemala. I'd rather be in America and it's all your fault."

That about sums up my feelings on the matter. Although I think I'll just move to Honduras, since you speak so highly of it. Maybe the market has crashed for Caribbean islands of the Honduran coast, too?

love, molly

previous post title source: "T.N.T," AC/DC

Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi

Hey, Megs!

Big times here in Nashville! As it turns out, my giddiness was totally justified. What a weekend!

ZZ Top was awesome. Kevin and I were shocked about how good they were. It was a much different crowd than at the Swell Season or The Raconteurs, for sure. The redneck-to-hipster ration was at about 210:1. They played all the greats, and even busted out the fuzzy guitars for "Legs!"

Friday night bonus: I ran into Walker as we were leaving the Villager. I took a picture for you, but I was trying not to be too obvious, so it's pretty bad.

That's Walker in the back there, with the brown shirt. You can't say I didn't tell you it's a bad picture.

So, Friday was good times. But, not as good as Saturday. I mean, really. Can you believe it? Vanderbilt? 5-0?!? I can say without equivocation that I never thought I would see the day.

(Before I get to the recap, may I just say that one of the reasons I love you is that when I mentioned that College GameDay was in Nashville, you got excited and said, "No way! College GameDay is in Nashville?!?" Because that is definitely the appropriate response.)


What a game! First, you would not have recognized the area around the stadium. It was packed. There were people all over the place. I mean, my God, we left the tailgate half an hour early and barely made it the block and a half to the stadium before kick-off. I mean, double my God, we were at a game for kick-off!

I think I told you that our seats are smack dab in the student section for sold-out games. I asked the ticket agent to get our season tickets as close to the student section as possible. He delivered. I am so glad, too, because now I get to stand up and yell to my heart's content. The only problem is that sometimes we have to deal with asshole students. I had an Auburn fan standing next to me (he came with his VU buddy), and he was really getting it from the students two rows back. That's all fine and dandy, except that there was an old lady sitting in the row between them. Well, I can handle a lot of crap, but I will not sit for kids cussing in front of an old lady. I had to turn around and tell them to can it. The drill sergeant was at full volume, and it shut 'em up good.

(I swear, it brought about flashbacks to my second-to-worst date ever, when whatever that dude from SC's name I dated [UPDATE: his name was Cole] got us kicked out of the Clemson game for cussing up a blue storm about how much better the SEC is than the ACC, insulting old women, and smoking in the stadium. God, I dated some real winners. [But he sure was pretty.])

(By the way, the people who usually sit behind us are AWESOME, but they got in late. Again, because it was freaking insane at the stadium! Once they got in their seats, everything was fine.)

Auburn's first possession gave us reason to hope. Fourth and goal from the 1 yard-line, and we stopped them. I thought the defense would have the momentum from that point on. I was wrong. I blame our friend, Bono (his last name, it's pronounced "Bo-no," not "Bah-no"), who came to visit after the goal-line stand and then proceeded to watch with us as the wheels came off. The 'Dores went down, but quick. We finally told Bono to go back to his own damn seat, but it didn't help much: Auburn TD, Vandy INT, Auburn TD. Our only hope was the missed PAT. Auburn's lead, 13-0.

And then it happened. It was like we were watching some other football team. We got a new QB and he started throwing decent passes and then, right before halftime, he threw a shot into the endzone and the receiver caught it! An amazing, did-he-just-do-that catch! Even the Auburn guy next to me had to give props. And there were high fives all around. (BTW, Kevin LOVES the high five. It cracks our neighbors up, but they definitely get into the spirit. They also call Kevin "Grizzly," because of the beard.)


After the touchdown, you could feel it. You could sense that people thought we could win. That sort of waned during halftime. The only thing I remember about the beginning of the third was when one of the guys behind us shared his sweet iced tea/vodka/sprite concoction with us. That was one tasty beverage.

The second missed field goal had us all slumped a bit. But the defense kept it up, and then we got the second touchdown and it was sheer insanity in that place.

For the rest of the third quarter and the entirety of the fourth, I spent my time gnawing on my fingernails. It was so stressful! And then, when the QB fumbled the ball, on our 4o-yard line, with two and a half minutes to go? Well, we've all been to that game. Cue recovery by Auburn and six points the other way.

But it didn't happen! The QB recovered it. Sure, we didn't get the first down, but we didn't lose the ball, either. And then, the punter--I mean, of all people, the PUNTER--comes through with a beauty of a punt down to the 3-yard line! Madness. I'm telling you, it was total madness in the stadium. That was followed quickly by an interception and then we didn't even screw up the kneel-downs.

What a game! Incredible. Totally, utterly unbelievable. Hell, even Evan mentioned it today.

Okay, now for the breakdown of the best GameDay signs that I saw. First, of course, was "The Geeks Shall Inherit the Turf" (later amended in a text message to one of our stadium neighbors to "The Geeks Shall Inherit the SEC East"). I haven't found any t-shirts* for that one yet, but I'm looking.

photo via talesfromtheroad.southernliving.com

*As for t-shirts, the best one I saw had this on the back:

WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME

NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE!

Other great signs included "Lee Corso Scores More Than Auburn," "This Game Is the Only Way an Auburn Fan Could Get Into Vanderbilt," and this one that made it to the tailgating area:

(Of course, see Friday's post for the best sign ever. In fact, what the hell? It's so good, I'm posting it again.)


And that concludes our journey through the weekend's festivities. In addition to Vanderbilt, the Titans are also 5-0. Heady times here in Nashville.

I hope all's well with you. I miss you and I love you.


--Molly

previous post title source: "Sharp-Dressed Man," ZZ Top

Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man

Hey Megs!

I just have to say that I am most excited for this weekend to start! I can't remember being this giddy about a weekend in a while. Tonight, ZZ Top:

photo via about.com

(Note: I have to admit that I was really not as excited about this show up until a few days ago. Then, when e-mailing back and forth with Jenna about her visit this weekend, I mentioned that Kevin and I would be downtown for this concert and we could meet up after she and Mark got into town from Auburn. She told me to give her a call because she didn't want to call in the middle of "Sharp-Dressed Man" or "Legs," and then I was all about it.)

Good news: Ella's soccer game tomorrow is at 11 a.m. instead of 9:45 a.m.!

Then, Kirk Herbstreit:

(He's the one on the right.)

Finally, the 'Dores storm the field at 5 p.m. (central), for a momentous game against Auburn.

This greeted us as we came to work today. The funsuckers had it removed by 10:30 a.m. Bastards.

I have a good feeling about this game, for the first time in a while. I think they can pull it out. Prediction: 'Dores 17, Tigers/War Eagle 14. VU's defense will have at least one touchdown. Look for me on ESPN!

And the best part of the whole weekend? Kevin's parents will be in town. Free babysitting!!

Alright, I gotta head. I'm going to try to check out the GameDay set on my walk today.

UPDATE: Walked past the GameDay set.

Good sign:

Educated
Students
Pummeling
Numbskulls

Best sign . . . ever?:

(It's funny because it's true.)

Did not see Kirk Herbstreit. :-(

Go 'Dores!

love, molly

previous post title source: "Rock N Roll High School," The Ramones. (BTW, I have a hilarious picture of Heather and Carrie with a Joey Ramone look-alike [his actual name: Pink] at Robert's from Heather's bachelorette party. I'll get it up here one of these days.)

Well I don't care about history

Hey, Megs,

So, I went for my usual lunchtime walk today. I went on a path that I hadn't been on in a while--mostly because it's been freaking hot and I needed a path that would keep me in the shade for the summer. Today, however, was a gorgeous day. I spent my walk in the sunshine and, but for the death march that I had to make through the hospital smoking corps (they've outlawed smoking at the medical center, so all the smokers hang out on 21st Avenue), it was quite a delight. And then, right toward the end, I was walking through campus when I looked up and saw a guy who I would have sworn in that instant was Eric Byassee, my mad high school crush. Of course, it wasn't Eric Byassee, why would it be? The guy was probably a sophomore and Eric doesn't look like that anymore (at least according to his facebook picture). But I still had the same reaction that I had every time I saw Eric in high school: a total punch to the gut.

Why is that?

Hope all is well. I miss you, mostly because when I told you stories like this in person I didn't feel as silly as I do typing them . . .

Oh, by the way, I have decided I will not be watching the VP debate tonight. The only thing it could do is make me more angry at Palin. Instead, I will be drinking a beer and watching baseball. God Bless America!

love, molly

previous post title source: "Level," The Raconteurs

But I can't see the road if I'm looking at the signs

Hey, Megs,

Everyone is getting excited for this weekend's games. All of campus is abuzz about the arrival of the GameDay crew. (Most references do oddly seem to be about Lee Corso, though. Have these people never seen Kirk Herbstreit??)

photo via ohiostate.scout.com

I've been trying to come up with clever signage--I'm thinking about taking Ella down to the set after her game on Saturday. Right now I'm thinking, "Is it War Eagle or Tigers? Make up your minds, Auburn!" It has a ring to it, no? I told Jenna about the GameDay festivities (she and her husband are coming up to support the Tigers [they both work at Auburn]) and she came up with "Tigers slam the Dores!" or "War Eagle soars over Commodores!" I think I would probably pay her $20 to go down there with those signs. Hilarious. For your (continued) reading pleasure, here is a funny story about GameDay signs.

Evan and I went to the Ryman to see the Raconteurs last night. It was a good show, what we saw of it. We started off the evening eating sushi at Ru-Sans (I don't recommend it) and rolled in to the show about 15 minutes late. Oh well. When we got to our seats, some yay-hoo was sitting there. I held it together and just told him to scoot it (not much I could do since the band was fully rocking out). And then it happened. The band started in on "Consoler of the Lonely" and dude went in to total spazz mode. He was banging his head, doing that weird jerk-your-body dance, and . . . playing air guitar.

photo via militarytimes.com

It was awful. And Evan just laughed and laughed.

Then, to add insult to injury, he started recording their next song (maybe "Five on the Five?" I really have to start doing the set list thing again. The internet has been totally useless on this front lately.) on his little text messaging phone. And just to make sure he got it, he replayed the recording while they were still playing the song. So, in my left ear I got to hear the band playing the song and in my right ear I got to hear a bunch of fuzz. Because, guess what. Little text messaging phones do not record live music well! He finally left when he needed another beer. (Believe me, he did not need another beer.)

After that, everything was gravy. It was a pretty short show (they played for about an hour and a half, I guess), which left time for us to enjoy a Bud and a Maker's Mark at Robert's and for me to get home in time to pay the sitter for only 5 1/2 hours! Good times.

Looking forward to some ZZ Top on Friday! I just have to make it through watching the Biden-Palin debate with Kevin and his parents on Thursday. . . .

Hope all's well out your way.

love, molly

OMG!!!

Megs,

Just got this in an email from VU Athletics:

Dear Commodores Fan,
ESPN's College GameDay coming to Vanderbilt NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Count ESPN's College GameDay crew - yes, Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard - among the audience for Vanderbilt's nationally televised meeting with Southeastern Conference Western Division power Auburn this Saturday on campus. ESPN officials confirmed Sunday morning that its popular "College GameDay Built by the Home Depot" show will broadcast from the Vanderbilt campus on Saturday, October 4. It will mark College GameDay's first appearance in Nashville.


Kirk Herbstreit!! Squee!!

Full story here.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Oxford Town," Bob Dylan

Everybody's got their heads bowed down

I must say that I never thought I'd read this during the election (from the National Review, no less [and no, I do not read the National Review. It was linked to from another site]):

One side effect of McCain's debate gambit is, I'm told, that everyone at Ole Miss now hates him. It will make for a very hostile audience tonight among those students and faculty attending. He might have to apologize for creating the uncertainty or make some explanation up front, which is never ideal. (emphasis mine)

What a joke.

Oh, I got this in an email from Dan (my brother) yesterday (after Palin's interview with Katie Couric):



It made me laugh. Because really, what else can you do at this point?

love, molly

previous post title source: "Astral Weeks," Van Morrison

If I ventured in the slipstream

Hey, Megs.

I should start with some sort of excuse for not posting since April. I got nothing.

Kevin and I went to see a most amazing show last night--The Swell Season at the Ryman. The band is the Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, of the film Once. (Lovely movie, by the way. I'm pretty sure I already recommended it, but if not, here goes: You should watch it. Probably sometime when Todd is out hunting.)

What a show. It was perfectly suited to the Ryman. I love seeing shows there where the artists are completely in awe of what has occured in that room before them (ahem, I am NOT looking your way, Mr. Bob Dylan). He's Irish, she's Czech, and they were loving being in the mother church of country music. It was contagious.

The whole show was just . . . the tingly kind. You know, when certain parts give you shivers and you leave with that tingly feeling. You can hear sort of what it was like on NPR Music. They have Swell Season concert, as well as a concert by The Frames, which is Glen Hansard's band (much beloved in Ireland). They just happened to be, awesomely, the "backing band" last night. What a surprise! What a treat!

As great as the band was, though, I have to say that my favorite part of the evening was a solo song by Hansard. I don't want to make you too terribly jealous, but he played Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks." "Would you kiss-a my eyes?" That one had me leaning closer.

Aha! Look what I found. I know a Luddite like you may not appreciate it, but due to the magic of YouTube, you can hear what it was like (but not really). This is him performing at Bonnaroo:



Note: I would have tried to make my own video of this song, because you know I thought about you as soon as I figured out what it was. But seriously, I was not taking any chances with those senior citizens working security at the Ryman. They've got eagle eyes, and they are vicious.

I think I told you that I have been thinking about moving the family to Chapel Hill. I have Kevin at least considering it. But it's shows like this one that make me think twice about it. Until, that is, I remember that The Swell Season also played in Raleigh, NC, on this tour. And, in Raleigh, I would bet that my seat neighbor would not be trying to out-sing the band and/or audition for a back-up singer spot from the Ryman balcony. Honestly, I cringed every time they requested audience participation because Ms. American Idol over there was trying her hardest to make sure we knew what a lovely songbird she was.

The rest of the audience was awesome, though, and gamely sang along when requested, making for some lovely sounds. (I was a bit displeased when a chorus of "Boo!"s rang out amongst the "Yay!"s when Hansard gave a rousing Irish endorsement of Obama. But if I start going down that road, this post may never recover.) Another of my favorite moments was when Hansard--who had been playing an acoustic guitar for much of the night--started fiddling with the tuners on an electric guitar. It was taking a while for him to get things straight, and things were really very quiet when this guy yelled out from across the room, "Now you know what Dylan felt like!" Hilarious. Hansard laughed and joked along, and then another guy yelled out, "Judas!" It was perfect. Gotta love an audience that is up on its music history and not afraid to show it.



Note: That Youtube video of Dylan (even including the scrolling credits part) is much more awesome than my most recent Dylan experience. Would that I had known that prior to spending $100 on the ticket. :-(

Alright, that's all I have to report from last night's festivities. Upcoming shows include The Raconteurs, Old Crow Medicine Show, and . . . wait for it . . . ZZ Top at the Ryman. More dispatches to come . . .

I hope all is well with you. I miss you much.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Hope For Us All," Nick Lowe