Things I Loved Before I Even Knew I Loved Them

For this week's edition of "Things I Loved Before I Even Knew I Loved Them", may I present to you: Satellite Radio.
For many a year now, the most valuable thing in my car has been my cd player. Commercial radio is horrible. Off of the top of my head I can think of two decent radio stations in this entire country. Fortunately, one of them is right here in Nashville, the very wonderful 100.1 WRLT. Good for driving around town, not so good when leaving town. The second equally good station is 107.1 KGSR Radio Austin. However, since I rarely get to Austin anymore it does me no good here.
I've had satellite radio for about a year now. I was originally supposed to subscribe to Sirius, but due to a miscommunication I got XM instead. In hindsight that seems to have a been a good thing. The music on XM seems to be better. Additionally, I'm glad I don't send money to Sirius because they just gave a gazillion dollars to Howard Stern. Now Stern, free of the FCC, can say the f-word as often as he likes. Much has been made of this, but I just don't see a reason to care.
XM has something like 180 channels, maybe 2/3 of them music. I regularly listen to about five of them. All of the music channels are commercial-free. Additionally they have a public radio channel and a BBC channel for when I want to feel more cultured than I really am. There is also a Weather Channel channel, perfect since I am a huge Weather Channel geek (watch it on television late at night; that's when those meteorologists get a little randy).
One of the best things about the satellite so far is the new music I've discovered. Bettye LaVette, Chris Trapper (never heard of him either), and some girl named Meg Berman, or Bernman, or Begman. Something with a B. Or maybe it was Martha. I've googled her and haven't come up with anything. But that song was wonderful. It is a very 21st century way to enjoy music: Discover an artist off of the satellite, search him out on iTunes and purchase the songs off of the internet. Yeah for technology.

A Public Service Announcement

Question: What do the following four objects have in common?

a. A cap to a can of Lysol
b. A candlestick holder
c. A paper towel holder
d. A light bulb



Answer: They all do not belong up here:

I know that for the vast, vast majority of you this is a no-brainer. However, over the course of time, I've come across an increasing number of people who feel the urge to put objects in places where such objects do not belong.
I know I have a glamorous job, but, contrary to what you might think, I do not really enjoy getting called out of bed in the middle of the night to come to the hospital to help forcibly extract one of these objects from your butthole. So please, if you are planning some expedition involving one of these items or a myriad other small household appliances and/or objects that you feel might actually fit up there, let me say a couple of things to at least dissuade you, or at the very least make your hospital stay a little less awkward.
1. Everyone uses the excuse "I just fell on it in the shower." Seriously, everybody. And no. No you didn't. Nobody believes you. Most of the time it looks like you haven't showered in a long, long, long time. At the very least don't insult our intelligence. At least try to be creative with your excuse making. It might give us all a good laugh, which leads me to my next point:
2. We will make fun of you once you are asleep. If you think about it, it is pretty much inevitable. Jokes will be made at your expense. Lots of them. We will laugh and laugh. You will have a sore butt. Not a good trade-off, is it?

I thought about making a video, starring some second rate television actor like Matt LeBlanc or Shelley Long. They would give their speech, then a shooting star would flash across the screen with some uplifting music and the words: "The more you know..." However, I didn't have the budget. So bottom line people, find something better to do with you time. That hole was not made for incoming deliveries. It is outgoing only. Thanks for your time.

2005

If you had told me a year ago that 2005 was going to be one of my finest years I probably would have belittled you. 2005 did not start out well, and it wasn't until a much-needed attitude adjustment a couple of months in that things started to pick up, and for some reason just got better and better. When I say 2005 was a fine year, I'm speaking only for my little world. I realize that on the national and global scale many sucky and horrible events occurred. But, within my own little bubble, things were quite fine. Here a short list of reasons why:

1. Katie Kate infiltrated our little circle of friends several months ago, and we got to be good friends over the summer. However, it wasn't until September 11, at a Lyle Lovett concert, that we actually got to spend time alone together. Since I move at the speed of evolution when it comes to dating, our official first date wasn't until October 1 (I really don't want to celebrate anything on 9/11), and things have been fantastic since. You could break out some pancakes and I could get really syrupy here with a long list of things I love about her, but I'll just say that when I'm with her life is better than it is when she isn't around.

2. Family and friends Though the fam's 3 to 4 hours away I always look forward to my trips up there, especially to see the kids, who grow impossibly cuter with each visit. I am also amazed with the circle of friends that I have, one that reaches literally from coast to coast. Having self-diagnosed borderline anti-social disorder (I enjoy solo roadtrips to Colorado and other far-off places), the fact that I have many wonderful close friends is a constant source of astonishment and delight.

3. Travelmania The few loyal readers of this blog would know that one of the things I enjoy most is to travel. I've always been a bit extreme on this front but last year saw trips to Guatemala, Italy, Colorado, Texas, New York City, New England, and California. Much closer to home I discovered beautiful places like Savage Gulf, Foster Falls, and the Virgin Gulf Wilderness. A vacation day at home is a vacation day wasted.

4. Home ownership After many many years of throwing money away to somebody else I now throw it away to a bank. However, technically the place is mine. I've been in the new condo for nearly five months now and haven't regretted a day yet. If only we could do something about the crack houses in the next block, but there is something to be said for convenience.

5. Best concert year ever This one is pretty indisputable. I haven't had the opportunity to see so many good live shows in a single year: Patty Griffin, Coldplay, Guster, Lyle Lovett, Dave Matthews Band, Keane, and U2, plus a couple of Bluebirds and Mercy Lounges. Actually, to cheat a bit, 2006 is getting off to a good start too with Patty Griffin and Emmylou Harris at the Ryman, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones with the Nashville Symphony (thanks, Kate).

6. Star Wars and King Kong Stay with me on this one. The Star Wars series (the three original good ones) were one of the pop culture cornerstones of my childhood, and any chance to revisit a joy of childhood shouldn't be missed. The fact that Revenge of the Sith tied everything into the original series, and that it didn't blow nearly as much as The Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones made it even better.
Watching King Kong was a little like seeing the original Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time as a kid. It is rare for a new movie to evoke an almost childlike since of wonder, but this one did, with scenes that were exhilarating (the brontosaurus stampede), hugely creepy (death by meat-slug), and even heartbreaking (the long, silent shot of Kong's fall off the Empire State Building).

So hooray for 2005. May God bless everyone in 2006.