King George

After an entertaining (though not chart-topping) season premiere of Wipeout, complete with a disappointing finish in which Francisco "Suave" Garcia was outmatched by "Cheap Date" (whose name I can't remember), I was in good spirits as I sat down to work on my manuscript and surrepticiously follow the Nuggets game online. I made it through about a paragraph when I realized that I would need some background noise. Knowing my computer's tendency to freeze if it works too hard, I flipped the TV back on. Imagine my delight to find the perfect background noise, the second half of a country music extravaganza George Strait tribute. While the first hour must have had some of my faves performing, most notably Sugarland (darn!), I still got to see/hear wonderful performances from Martina, LeAnn, LeAnn, and Dierks. On a side note, I decided I do like Dierks Bentley. I was waffling because something about some of his photos look a little off (don't get me wrong, I love his music), but after tonight, I'm a fan.

I have this to say about George Strait. He really is King George. I didn't know I was a George Strait fan until tonight. I mean, his two latest hits (I Saw God Today and Troubadour) have polarized me. The former makes me alternately smile and cry and the latter makes me change the station. And so I always heard about George's 50 (yes, 50) #1 hits which actually probably number at 52 or 53 now, and thought that they must have come before my time or been part of a long-gone era of country music. People talk about him being a first-rate story teller, an icon, a legend. And I couldn't jump on the bandwagon. However, this was before I realized that he sang:

Love Without End, Amen
Check Yes or No
Easy Come, Easy Go
Ocean Front Property (love it!)
She'll Leave You With a Smile
Write This Down
Carrying Your Love With Me
You Look So Good In Love
Blue Clear Sky (also love it!)

They are country classics that I always sang along to but never connected with a single artist. Some are fun, some are ballads, some are a little twangy, but I like them all. And I just remembered as I'm writing this that George also sings Give It Away which I think is a haunting melody on the same level as Will Hoge's Dirty Little War as a chronicle of the heartbreak of divorce.

And of course, encompassing all of my feelings about the show tonight is an overwhelming reminder of why I love country music. It's the stories, the cowboy hats, the boot tapping, the being in love, falling in love, dreaming of love, that isn't quite the same in other genres. Yes ma'am, ladies love country boys.


And on a far more random sidenote, I am appalled that the last two days, I've only averaged about 5,000 steps with my new pedometer. Curse the sedentary lifestyle of the outpatient clinic!

Rocky Mountain High Time I Went Home (Before and After is my favorite Wheel of Fortune category)

I wish I had something witty to write. Wet wit, damp if you will, not dry wit. But I don't. Because my mind is pretty much on one thing. Can't wait to go home, can't wait to go home. Seriously, maybe I'm a little bit extra sentimental and emotional after watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night (for the first time in probably two years), or maybe it's just that I haven't been home in over four months which has to be a record for me. But I'm dying for that Colorado sunshine, the mountains, the lack of bugs, the Nutmeg, the mom hugs, the dad spoiling me, the Kelly begging me to do something, anything, 'cause she's bored. And Laura of course, who I haven't seen since Christmas. The red recliner. The deck sunsets. The basketball bouncing off the roof because I haven't played in way too long. Seeing old friends at Mass. Waking up in the morning and knowing that the only thing waiting for me is relaxation and a newspaper. Sharing Firefly with my family. Eating good food that I didn't have to cook. No noisy upstairs neighbors with cement shoes. Or at least knowing my noisy upstairs neighbors and feeling completely confident that their sleep schedules mirror my own. Except for that pesky Mary who is a little bit of a wildcard. Just realized I forgot to mention her above. I'm not used to being home at the same time I guess.

Now if only the next three days would fly.