Brr-freakin'-rrr

Let me just start off by saying this one thing.

IT.IS.COLD.

I know, I shouldn't complain about my weather when friends up in the northern frozen tundra are experiencing temps with a little line behind them ( " - " ), but for a NC, THIS BE COLD! 27 right now... which is warm and toasty compared to the 7 that it was when I headed off to work before dawn. I'm currently sitting at my computer dressed like an eskimo (as you can see in the picture) because, though I'm blessed to get to live in such a beautiful and large house right now, heating it is a dickens, so I pretty much move a space heater into every room I'm in. It was currently re-positioned to my feet after I lost the feeling in my toes. 

I don't mind the cold weather... as a matter of fact, I really love the change of seasons. Probably because of the years I spent living in South FL, where the most change of season you get is the temperature going from Hot to Warm or Mildly Cool. When I was there for Thanksgiving and it got down to 65 at night, you'd have thought a snowstorm was blowing through the way people dressed in their hats, coats, and scarves. Then there was little me, in my sundress and sunglasses, blissful on the beach. Don't get me wrong, being at the beach the day after Thanksgiving was amazing, and wearing shorts and t-shirts on December 1st, fantastic. But there's something homey about the change of season... from summer to fall, fall to winter. It's cozy. Plus, I get to haul out my favorite clothes.... hats, scarves, coats, boots, vests, ect. A friend and I were talking a couple months ago, on the first really cold Carolina night, and we decided that the only thing we really like about cold weather (especially the cold weather without the snow, which is completely pointless if you ask me) was the wardrobe. Really, it's the best part. 

Okay, enough pointless weather rambles. I didn't intend to go on and on about temperatures and clothing, I really was going to talk about something of substance, something going on in my life... but now I'm not really in the mood. Considering nothing in my life is going the way I thought it would be going at this particular time, I've taken that as an opportunity to really let go of any ideas I had about what I thought I should be/would be/could be doing right now in my life. Totally let it go. Because holding onto it the way I was wasn't really getting me much of anywhere, if anything it was just allowing more insanely unbelievable things to occur to make whatever I wanted to happen not happen which led me to feeling disappointment. A vicious circle.  

So, my life is a clear and open road... anything can happen and I'm good with it. Honestly good with whatever my next step is supposed to be, even if it isn't in the direction I want it to be in right now (Nashville), I know that my steps will ultimately lead there and apparently I need to experience whatever journey is ahead for me. 

"On the road again....."

 

Erin McCarley

  

It's not every night that you can turn on Letterman and see someone you know... it's really not every night that you can turn on Letterman and see 2 people you know. Last night, however, was one of those nights, and it was pretty awesome. 

Erin McCarley. 

Remember that name... and remember where you heard it first. I'm calling it now... this girl is a star in every sense of the word. You know that "It" that everyone says you need to "make it"? Well, she's got it. No..scratch that..she is IT. 

I was fortunate enough to meet Erin this past summer on the Ten out of Tenn Tour (TOT!) and she blew me away. Since then I've been keeping my eyes and ears open , eagerly awaiting the release of her first album, which was finally came out yesterday. I'm not gonna lie...it was pretty awesome to walk into Best Buy and see her album sitting there on the day it came out. It was even more awesome to finally get to listen to it in it's entirety, knowing all that went into making it over the past 2 years for her. Top it off with a Letterman performance, where she was joined by another friend of mine (and another name you need to remember, whose praises I could sing all day long, and probably will in another blog in the near future) k.s. Rhoads, on the keys, I'd say it was a pretty good day for Ms. McCarley.

I could go on and on about the album, entitled "Love, Save the Empty", which hit #5 on iTunes top albums last week, because it is impressive from start to finish... but I won't, because you need to listen to it for yourself, then proceed to tell everyone you know. So go to Best Buy, Target, iTunes...wherever the heck you want, and pick it up. Today. Like now. 

Can anyone smell a 'Best New Artist' Grammy Nom?? 'Cause I can.....

Just sayin'. 

Like I said....

I haven't been known for being good a keeping up with blogs, like I said before. Obivously, I'm fully living up to my reputation.  I can't say it's because I've been too busy this week, because actually I've had one of the least stressful weeks that I've had in a really long time, mainly being because I couldn't work! That's right, I physically could not go into work because my lovely place of work was shut down this entire past week thanks to a very exciting and much needed expansion. I did, however, get to volunteer my time during the week doing all sorts of fun and physical things like painting rooms with extremely large walls and high ceilings, cleaning 55 spin bikes, moving furniture, scrubbing floors... all sorts of good stuff. 

New Years Eve brought fun times with some of my favorite people, and intense, competitive games of Boggle and Scattergories (or ScatterFamilies as it is also affectionally known in certain circles aka the Johnbarrettson Family). I'm happy to say I still rule at Boggle, and plan on de-throning my friend Matt (aka the supposed Boggle King) at his earliest convenience. That's right, game on mister. You're going DOWN. 

As a matter of fact, the 15 person Scattergories game was so intense and time consuming, we almost missed the dawning of the New Year. Luckily for us someone looked at the clock at 11:57 and we turned ABC on just in time to see Lionel Ritchie hugging Taylor Swift who was looking very uncomfortable around the Jonas Brothers and our own hometown girl Ms. Pickler screaming her little lungs out in Times Square. Good times indeed. 

New Years Day brought with it a trip to my favorite sushi bar in the city, with one of my most sushi addicted friends Deanna, the always amazing Ru San's, where I filled up on insane amounts of sushi and seaweed salad. For those of you lucky enough to live in either Atlanta, Charlotte, or (as I'm most excited about) Nashville, Ru San's is a MUST. The sheer amount of sushi on their $1 menu is amazing, and it is absolutely the best in town, hands down. I will tell all you Nashvillian friends that once I'm (finally) there, I plan on taking up residency at the Ru San's in the Gulch.

That happens to bring me to today, where I may be again going to Ru San's and possibly finally seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Now, contrary to popular belief, I am not just going to see it because Brad Pitt gets better and better looking as the movie progresses... NO.. I find it a highly intriguing (if not slightly creepy) concept, and I've even heard the word "epic" thrown around about it. 

I did have the choice of seeing that or Marley and Me on Christmas Day, but Marley and Me won out with the people I was with. All I'm saying about that movie is you'd better bring your Kleenex and check your ego at the door 'cause you're going to bawl like a baby. I have never been in a theater where you could hear and visibly see SO many people crying. Surprising considering Owen Wilson is one of the stars, and Jennifer Aniston isn't exactly known for her tear jerkers. I even looked past the fact that she was dating the man that at one point in time I was supposed to marry. But whatever. 

Okay, that pretty much sums up the past week. I promise each entry will not be this long, I can pretty much guarantee it barring some amazing occurrence, which is always a possibilty. Not insanely interesting to start, but I have a feeling in the coming that might be changing.... 'cause change is definitely in the air....

::sarah::