Musician’s Widow

This is the last week before April 15th, and I’m pretty out of it come the end of the day. Between tax season and Muster planning, my plate is overflowing. I need to get some sleep (its only 3:30 am!) but I just couldn’t let another day pass without a post!

Last Friday, I drove down to San Antonio to see my husband for awhile. I loaded the address of the venue they were playing into my phone’s GPS and away I went.

I knew there was one section of the route that the GPS wanted me to take that I did NOT want to follow. For whatever reason, Google Maps likes taking me as the crow flies, which in Texas usually means ending up on little Farm-to-Market roads in the middle of nowhere. That can be fun and all, but when you’re hitting those areas after 3 pm, you’re subject to school buses on top of the already lower speed limit. It is NOT the fastest route, no matter what Google seems to think.

Unfortunately, the location of my “don’t-go-the-way-the-GPS-says” was in a town I’ve gotten lost in more times in my life than I care to admit. Its seriously my Bermuda triangle. It’s sad, really. And just as I feared, I got all turned around and nothing looked right to me. I ultimately ended up following my GPS down lots of little FM roads, with lots of local Sheriffs looking to help their county pocketbooks, instead of hitting the tollroad with a speed limit of 85 mph. (C’mon Google maps. You can NOT tell me that going 55 down little two-lane roads as the crow flies is faster than hitting a 3 lane toll road going 85.)

Once I finally hit the tollroad, I was good to go. Or so I thought. My GPS kept telling me I’d be exiting onto “183″ or something like that, so I kept an eye open for that. I was coming up on a split, and I moved over to stay on the tollroad I was on… it wasn’t until I was committed to that stretch of road that my GPS told me to “stay right at the split” forcing me to miss yet another turn and dropping me onto a totally different state highway in 5 o’clock traffic and sitting through stoplights three or four times.

My 2.5 hour drive turned into almost 3.5, and my nerves were SHOT. (I am not even going to go into the idiots I dealt with… like the guy who blew through the yield sign and that I almost made pee himself when I laid on my horn as I avoided t-boning him… thank God I had slowed down from the 85 mph I’d been doing in anticipation for his stupidity.)

Luckily my Saturday went much better. Travel was a breeze and I got to spend the evening with my (to be a cliche teenager) BFFs.

I LOVE THESE WOMEN.

I am blessed with two amazing women that I call both best friend. One I’ve known since Kindergarten with a history that’s impossible to ignore, the other that amazing college friend that you know you’ll have rest of your life. Both like sisters to me, I cherish every time we can make it work to get together.

Our venue this weekend was downtown Bryan, TX. It’s definitely a place made for people our age, and it was just such a refreshing change of pace for me. I love my bars in Nashville, don’t get me wrong! But the class of the place and area was just… refreshing. I always say I can hang in a dive bar and be happy just as fast as I can dress up and hang in a fancy restaurant and be happy.

But the best part of our venue choice was that we were able to sit around a table, drinking wine, talking for hours on end without interruption. Another friend joined us for awhile — one I haven’t seen in 5 years — and it was such a treat to catch up with her as well!  The night was so very good for the soul, and I really hated to see it end. I already look forward to next time!

Sunday night brought the ACM awards. I’m not going to comment too much on it. I just know it left me very sad… sad of the state of the industry that I love so much.

I seriously feel like the class and respect it demanded all through the years has diminished to catering to… to… what I don’t even know. I work in a bar. I can take dirty jokes. But I was put out with the number of them thrown through the night. I remember when it was more about honoring the greats of country, not doing whatever it takes strictly to get ratings.  I remember looking forward to awards night, glued to the TV. Now, I force myself to watch, and I end it wondering why I bothered.

My biggest complaint since last year is making the “Entertainer of the Year” award fan-voted. There are fan-voted award shows already. Keep this one strictly Academy voted. To me, making the top award fan-voted dilutes it down and makes it just another popularity contest. I happen to be one of the few people who might not be a Taylor Swift fan, but for several years championed her getting the Entertainer award… because she IS an Entertainer. And it doesn’t matter my personal opinion of Blake Shelton, he’s become the current face of country. He’s the one people associate with the genre now. He deserved it, too. These are the angles that the Academy would vote from… or at least SHOULD vote from… in my personal opinion. (And yes, these are MY opinions, not anyone else’s.)

Finally, I got to watch my niece play ball tonight. She’s a fierce softball player, and I think it is going to carry her far. Her team (Born to Win aka BTW) was taking on a team the next town over.

My niece at bat… a swing and a HIT!

What a game! I have to say, its getting more and more fun to go to games as she gets older. They ended up playing an extra inning due to it being tied, but had to call it when it got too dark to play safely. It was like being left with a major cliffhanger… they were ONE out away from winning the game… or one batter away from losing it. I like to go with the first one, though.

I hope someone lets me know how it ends when the finally get to finish playing!

I was afraid this would be the only game I’d get to see, since the season started so late this year. But it looks like I’ll get to catch one more on Monday before I head back home to Nashville. Here’s hoping for a win!

 You can rock it you can roll it
Do the stomp and even stroll it
At the hop...

Saturday night, the bar where I work had a Sock Hop in honor of the couple that has pretty much adopted all of us transplants to Nashville who call that bar our second home. They both were turning 55 within days of each other, and, as such, we celebrated with a Sock Hop!

I’ll be honest, when the idea first came up months ago, I went, “Uh… huh. Right. A sock hop.” Too bad I wasn’t still in elementary school, when I regularly rocked a poodle skirt and saddle shoes. (No really, I did! I just don’t have a picture here to share of that… darn it.) But alas, I no longer had that outfit, and I was baffled what I would do to dress ’50s style. So, I have to admit, I kind of ignored that it was going to happen at all.

I briefly planned to get my mom to help me make a poodle skirt while I was home for Christmas, but really… really? Who has time to add MORE to the Christmas festivities!? That didn’t happen.

Before I knew it, I had only a few days to get my outfit together. A friend mentioned that there were vintage stores around town, so I decided to Google “vintage stores Nashville.” That search eventually led me to Hip Zipper, a vintage store in East Nashville. I seriously fell in love with this store. GREAT vintage items at excellent prices (in my opinion)… and everything is of quality.  I will DEFINITELY be back.

I scored a grey skirt and a cuuuute pink sweater/shrug to wear. I paired that with a pink and a white tank top, a necklace that was my grandmother’s, a headband I bought years ago from Victoria’s Secret (but had never worn!), bright red lipstick and my hair in a mess of curls. A friend in the middle of the evening loaned me a pair of cat-eye glasses. I think I looked awesome:

I have to admit, this just sparked a deep down love for everything 50s for me. It’s made me want to go in that direction a bit more style-wise. I feel a little bad for my Pinterest followers the last few days being inundated with cute 50s dresses that I love and want now.

Anyway, I ended up having an absolute blast! I worked hard (my legs let me know all night long that I wore unsupportive shoes!), but also had the opportunity to play a little bit here and there, too. The night was filled primarily with regulars and “family” who came to wish the couple a Happy Birthday.

We did get a quick photo of all the ladies that usually work behind the bar… I so love this photo.

I don’t just see a group of bartenders and friends here… I see smart, strong, successful women. All amazing in their own rights and in their own ways. They each inspire me, and to get this shot on such a fun night… just makes me SO happy.

In fact, that being said… I went into the evening a bit leery. I really did. But in the end, I found myself smiling from ear to ear to see all these people — all these successful adults — let their hair down, travel back in time to when life was simpler, and just have FUN.

I remember in high school, you’d find yourself compelled to “act like an adult” and I remember even Halloween being snubbed as “childish” and “silly.” Its funny how its taken growing up to realize that sometimes, acting like an adult means knowing exactly when NOT to take yourself so seriously. It’s knowing when and how to enjoy yourself and the people around you. Especially at the hop.

I look forward to this night and every year. It’s the Fiddle & Steel tree decorating party soon.

It’s a little gathering all the Fiddle family. We all bring in little bottles of booze — the kind you get on an airplane — and we make our own decorations. Well, you drink your ornament. By the end of the night we’re all a bit decorated ourselves, and the bar looks beautiful.

It has very little to do with the drinking; it’s about the camaraderie. It’s the laughter and memories. Its watching badass guys pull out a glue gun to decorate a little bottle of Crown or Jack. It’s the ladies helping hang stockings on the edge of the stage. It’s knowing that for the rest of the year there will be a gentle pretty glow to come see every night together with our friends who are more like family.

I love this night! I better get back to decorating…

Every now and then, a couple comes along that you look at and go, “Of course! They’re perfect together!” A total match  made in heaven.

Today, I got to watch such a match exchange their vows and become husband and wife. I could NOT be happier for them both, and I am so thankful I got to be there and witness the beautiful event.

Kim and Vaston, we wish you the best… on this day and every day there is to come. Life will have its hard moments. Life will have its magical moments. The rough ones will be easier together, and the magic will be brighter shared with your spouse. You will get advice from every side today, and if I can interject my piece of advice it would be simply to love one another without hesitation and to remind each other of that love every single day.

Congratulations!!

Living 800+ miles away from family, I rely on my friends here in Nashville heavily for a support system. Many have become like family to me… all of us to each other.

Last night, we all went on a little field trip to the Wilson County Fair. This has become a yearly tradition (Monday night of the fair), but this year was extra special because my husband’s artist was headlining the show that night. After the show, as many of us as was left after the show (some had to leave early) gathered to take a picture together. I love this shot… makes my heart so happy.

Many, many thanks to one of my husband’s band mates for offering to take the shot for us so I could be in it, too.

Sometimes, when I look at Facebook, I find myself remembering in-depth conversations with friends from way back when.

Take today. I was just perusing my “hometown-based” friends filter (seriously, if you’re a casual Facebooker and get frustrated keeping up with friends, try filters; they’re awesome) and with every face, so familiar yet aged 15 years+, I found myself remembering conversations. Some in the dark of a “yella-dog” (school bus) on the way home from a football game. Some in the school parking lot. Others through the tears of broken hearts.

We’ve all grown so much since then… since when we thought these dramas would end our worlds.

Some are married with kids. Others happily single. All with those conversations long-forgotten.

Sometimes, like today, I long to have another in-depth conversation with these old friends. How are they? Tell me about your life. Tell me all about what’s happened with you since those long-ago conversations.

Facebook only shows us what we all want others to see. It doesn’t share a person’s heart. It doesn’t share their thoughts and hopes. It doesn’t truly share the things only a long one-on-one conversation can share.

Just because these friends have long-ago left my life, they’ve never left my heart. Maybe they’ve changed a lot. Maybe today we WOULDN’T be friends. But I still remember them. I still remember who they were. And they all touched my life, and I still hope the best for them.

So here is to all the old friends… the ones you still love every day, even if you may never see them again in your life.