word!

Hard to believe it’s already a week since we (Linda, Lynnea and myself) were in Nashville, TN. What was the special occasion? Nothing really. Lynnea had planned to go to Nashville to view Vanderbilt for it’s grad program, but after getting offered something better from Duke, we decided this would just be a vacation with no other obligations.

It was neat to see/hear all the country bands along Nashville’s Broadway St. Every bar had what seemed a new act every night, save the weekend, but all country. And this was for a good two city blocks which made it fun to stroll. Also the recording studios didn’t seem to stick out much in Nashville. Most were in converted houses, and every so often you see the big ones, like Curb Records and Blue Note Music. Somewhat odd.

We did the touristy things and seen the Parthenon (Nashville’s exact replica), The Hermitage, Jack Daniels’ Distillery, Broadway and the Recording Studio Row, The Grand Ole Opry and Opry Mills.

So we seen quite a bit of the city and it’s attractions,a few pix are below.

Mr. Jack Daniels Office and only original distillery building.

The Parthenon in Nashville’s Centennial Park

The Hermitage. Home of President Andrew Jackson

All in all, Nashville was a good place to visit for a bit, but there wasn’t much there to make you want to move there, unless you are a country musician.

Just heard a new ditty by Eminem on the ol’ radio, something of a nursery rhyme called Mockingbird. Some song about him growing up poor and having it so rough with things before becoming the most successful white rapper in history. (eat it Vanilla Ice)

see lyrics

And at the time every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broke into and robbed
Or shot up on the block and your mom was saving money for you in a jar
Tryna start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college
Almost had a thousand dollars till someone broke in and stole it
And I know it hurt so bad it broke your momma’s heart

I am amused by this. He’s got the brains to be so successful now, but he couldn’t make sense enough to put all that money someplace safe, say a bank? Silliness.

It also fits his poor image that I read about a few years ago, that when he was down and out in Detroit. His house was getting broken into and the guys stole his new playstation or something. Poor management of priorities as well. Guy says he was starving and penniless, but yet again someone can break in and steal things worth quite a bit of cash. Hard to believe.

Maybe him and all his buddies that always seem to go from rags to riches should fess up and tell it how things really are. Everyone’s got a sob story, just ask them. Except most people I know don’t go on to make millions off of such pains. Maybe they just suck it up and put their money in banks and don’t going buying things that are convienent to steal.

Even though the stores have been pushing for the season and many houses are already healthily donating loads of cash to the local power utility, the airwaves actually have a nice ‘ring’ to them. I am actually enjoying the Christmas related tunes that are in heavy rotation for the next month. I have even searched for the station that is dedicating themselves to holiday songs this year. Crazy.

Maybe it’s the deluge of the same ol’ songs over and over again on every format that currently exists. Sure, they’ll hammer the limited amount of decent holiday music into the ground as well, but it’s only for a month and it gets you in the groove for the festivities associated with the tunes.

As for favorites, I’m not real picky, but the more traditional and better known ones appeal to me more. But Garth Brooks’ ~ ‘Daddy looked alot like Santa ‘ is a fun one as well.