The other night, “All Out of Love” came on my iPod in the car. Joey and I were on the way to Kroger. When the song came on, I started laughing. Joey wanted to know what was so funny to me about the song. I explained it wasn’t the song, but what memory it brought back to my mind.

If you don’t know it by now, Nashville, TN is my hometown. It’s where my grandparents lived. It’s where my parents grew up. It’s where I was born. While I only lived in Nashville as a baby, I have plenty of memories of that place from all the times I visited the city. Grandmother lived in South Nashville. Grandma and Grandpa lived in East Nashville. And how my parents met at school in Gallatin, I don’t know. But they did. Well, being that my family lived in 2 different parts of town, we did a lot of traveling between the two parts of towns. Usually, my family stayed at Grandmother’s and drove to Grandma and Grandpa’s. The route we took usually had us get on I-24 at Murfreesboro Rd. and take it “west” to Shelby Ave. During the trip, I-40 and I-65 meet up with I-24.

As a young child in the early 1980s, I recall after I-65 and I-24 meet up, there was this billboard for Twitty City. The thing was for up for years. On it was this big picture of Conway Twitty and this knockoff of Tweety Bird. It was a benchmark to denote we were close to our exit on the Interstate. At the same time, Air Supply was big on the radio. I recall hearing their music as a child. I had also seen them a few times on TV. In my child mind, at times, I thought Russell Hitchcock was Conway Twitty. In due time, I realized they were 2 different people. But when you’re 3-4-years-old, they are the same guy by virtue of having the same hairstyle! I cant listen to Air Supply, even to this day, without ever seeing the Twitty City billboard of my childhood. When I explained this story to Joey, he laughed. He could see how, as a child, I could confuse the two.

I know the billboard is long gone. Conway Twitty’s been dead for years. However, I’d like to see that billboard once again. I’d like to remember the times when I was a young, innocent girl that had a interesting mind. Those memories of the early 1980s are sweet and dear to me.

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And even at age 31, I STILL see Conway Twitty when I hear Air Supply.

Listening to: “If Every Time” – Evan and Jaron with Jason Schiff

So, I decided to catalog all the concerts I have been to ever since my first one.  My first concert was to see Richard Marx here in Atlanta at Chastain Park.  I’ve seen many acts, since. Links are to the photos I have on my Flickr account. I still have some more photos I could find and scan.

1. Richard Marx – Chastain Park, Atlanta, GA – July 26, 1997
2. *NSYNC – Florida Mall YM Show, Orlando, FL – May 30, 1998
3. Richard Marx – Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga, TN, – June 14, 1998
4. Richard Marx – Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, NY – July 16, 1999
5. Richard Marx – Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard, CT – July 17, 1999
6. *NSYNC – First American Music Center, Nashville, TN – August 4, 1999
7. Backstreet Boys – Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA – February 19, 2000
8. LFO – Johnny Mercer Theater, Savannah, GA – May 25, 2000
9. “Weird Al” Yankovic – Johnny Mercer Theater, Savannah, GA – August 22, 2000
10. Aaron Carter – Wal-Mart Tour, Pooler, GA – September 30, 2000
11. Richard Marx – Webcast Filming, Nashville, TN – October 11, 2000
12. BBMAK- Pleasure Island, Orlando, FL – December 16, 2000
13. Backstreet Boys – Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA – January 27, 2001
14. BBMAK/*NSYNC – Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL – May 23, 2001
15. BBMAK/Youngstown/Nobody’s Angel – MGM Studios, Orlando, FL – June 23, 2001
16. Richard Marx – Grand Opera House, Macon, GA – January 19, 2002
17. Angie Aparo – The Pond House, Statesboro, GA – March 5, 2004
18. Maroon 5 – Armstrong Atlantic State University Fine Arts Auditorium, Savannah, GA – May 6, 2004
19. Train – Donovan Field, Ft. Stewart, GA – June 17, 2004
20. Kimberely Locke – J. F. Gregory City Park, Richmond Hill, GA – October 16, 2004
21. 3 Doors Down – MLK Jr. Arena, Savannah, GA – October 31, 2005
22. Hootie and the Blowfish – Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC – August 17, 2006
23. Johnny Diaz / Steven Curtis Chapman – Turner Field,  Atlanta, GA – August 2, 2008
24. Amy Grant – Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, Peachtree City, GA – September 11, 2009
25. Jessie James – Turner Field, Atlanta, GA – October 2, 2009

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Cheezy? Yes! Awesome? Yes! It just has that je ne sais quoi quality about it.

Anyways, when I was about  to graduate college, I was severally depressed.  I latched onto this song and had it on repeat.  Joey got on me about being depressed.  He learned quickly when I was depressed and when I wasn’t.

There are certain things he never understood about me.  I knew I was depressed.  And sometimes, when I get depressed, I will play a song over and over again.  There is usually something in that song that resonates with me.  That bit of the song is something I listen to to remind myself things will be better or that I am not alone in how I feel.

And at that time, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” just happen to have lyrics that got through to me:

“Someday love will find you / Break those chains that bind you [...] True love won’t desert you”

Depression and my emotions are chains that bind me and get me so angry, sad, and worrisome.  And when I am like that, sometimes, it’s hard to get me to return.  And for some reason, the song was reminding me that I would get out of my depression.  I didn’t know when, but I knew it would happen in time.

Another song he got on me for having on repeat was “I’m With You” by Avril Lavigne.  He told me to turn off that fairytale.  I ignored him.  The music soothed me, along with the lyric “It’s a damn cold night / Tryin’ to figure out this life.”  I was having a bad night and I was trying to understand my path in life.  I felt the song perfectly fit my mood that night.

Music gets to me a lot, for some reason.  Sometimes, it pulls out emotions I didn’t even know I was feeling.  Yesterday, on my way home from work, I heard a version of “Moon River” on my satellite radio.  Even after I parked my car, I stayed until the song ended.  Once it was over, I came in the apartment, called my father, and just broke down crying.  My father figured it out once I told him about “Moon River” being written by Johnny Mercer.  He figured out I must have been missing my mother.

So if I get lost in a song, let me be lost.  I’m usually not lost; just trying to find myself again.

Listening to: Depeche Mode -”Enjoy the Silence”

Seems this was the big game promotion last night for the Savannah Sand Gnats.

My father said it was such a Savannahian thing.

So, what happened to them?

To be blunt, they were killed by their “father” because they brought shame to his family. Maybe you remember the case?

I hope they find the bastard and roast him.

If their “father” did not like the culture they grew up in, which is the American culture, then he never should have come to the United States in the first place.  He should have stayed in Egypt, which is where he probably is now.

It is one thing to want to retain your culture.  It’s another thing to kill your family because their culture isn’t your culture.

These girls had their own personalities.  They grew up in Texas and were just simple, average Texan teenagers.  However, because they were dating Hispanic boys and not Muslim boys, their “father” decided they needed to die.  And that’s what they did at his hands.

And sadly, they haven’t found their “father.”  He’s still on the run. From what I heard about him, he was a filthy idiot that felt entitled to everything and didn’t have to work for it.

They didn’t need to die.  The belief that led to their deaths is archaic.  They aren’t property, and the only persons that had an issue with their choice of lives were their father and brother.  And in the real scheme of it all, it was the men and not the women, that had the real problem.  Most people in the USA would have just disowned the girls, not killed them. Not their “father.”  He disposed of them as if they were a carbuncle on his backside.

There are friends and family that mourn the loss of these girls everyday.  Who knew what they could have done?

Sadly, there are more monsters like their “father” in the world.  There’s no telling how many “honor killings” are performed in the world today.  It’s nice to know some people still treat women as property and not as human beings   I hope these idiots that perform these honor killers are roasting in hell and that the Devil is a woman.  Now that would be sweet justice.

It’s one I enjoy watching. Got any ads you enjoy?

On my way home from work today, I heard Nelson on my radio. Goodness, was it really 20 years ago I was a pre-teen in love with New Kids on the Block?

And here’s me from 20 years ago:

It’s been 20 years since my father was deployed to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield/Storm.

It’s been 20 years since the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie was release.

It’s been 20 years since Germany reunited.

It’s been 20 years since Hubble launched.

It’s been 20 years since Jim Henson and Sammy Davis, Jr., died.

It’s been 20 years since my 5^th grade teacher, Mrs. Hyatt, had her first child.

Dang, I feel old!

The few times I ever did sing karaoke when at the bar with Joey, I did this song.  I scared the DJ towards the end when I got into the song.  He always saw me as a meek thing.  He remarked after I finished that he didn’t think I had that type of power in me.

I remember my mother remarking about having Beth’s butt in western wear singing this song at a pageant since her tap dancing never got her anywhere. This song seemed to be the winner every time. Beth won several times singing this song. Sad thing is, it does take more talent to tap dance than it does to sing this song.

It has been a while since I went on a true vacation. Everything else has been holiday related, or short trips to and fro.

This year, I went to Missouri. While there, I visited friends, family, and saw some attractions.

The first half of the trip was spent in Kansas City. While there, I saw a Royals game, the Kansas City Zoo, and other stuff. We stayed with my friend, Liz, at her home. Also while out there, we visited my aunt and uncle. They gave us a few items, including a Canon AE-1. I think the camera belonged to my late uncle. I wish we had more time out in Kansas City.

The rest of the week was spent in St. Louis. Nicki and I stayed at a hotel, and met our friend, Stasha. We also toured the St. Louis Zoo, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour, Grant’s Farm, and a Cardinals game.

We also stopped a many other places and took photos.

For baseball, we had a 1-1 record. The Royals lost; Cardinals won.

And now, I am back in Georgia.  I return to work tomorrow.  I would have gone back today, had I not had a bad case of swollen ankles when I went to bed last night.

However, on his website, he’s got 2 new songs for download.

It also gave me the perfect opportunity to update the unofficial Richard Marx Discography I maintain. It is an extensive cataloging of his releases worldwide.

And soon, I will finally meet a friend I met through Richard Marx fandom in person.  I hope the world is ready for me to meet Liz!