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December 19 We've Moved!!! Come Check it Out!!! http://seventhrowmusic.blogspot.com/ www.seventhrowmusic.blogspot.com -b December 06 Secret Santa and Sobbing I wish I was rich and had this kind of expendable income. There's a guy in St. Louis who is carrying on the tradition of giving out $100 bills to people he deems in need. I just read the article, got weepy, decided to post it, but can't find where I just was--how sad of me. Anyway, can you just imagine? There are so many people I would give money to. So, so many. But, I would ruin the 'Secret Santa' thing as I would just stand there and sob with them. It would be more like, "Gift Giver Awkwardly Sobs with Recipients, Ambulance Called." http://secretsantaworld.net -b December 05 blogspot I'm thinking about either a) moving my blog to another host site or b) shutting it down entirely. Spaces Live is becoming more and more difficult to navigate for both you and me. And, people ask to be my "friends" on here, and then they post gross pictures of themselves or they show up in my address book, etc. I'm too old to deal with this. The selfish side of me enjoys blogging, though, if for no other reason than to simply have a record for myself. We may be moving to blogspot, gang. We just may be moving... -b December 02 Who is More Reliable? I have both my old red couch in the living room and the new couch in the living room. There is hardly any room to walk. The Salvation Army was supposed to come get the red one on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. They didn't. I got back and rescheduled them for today. When I called to see what time they would be here, they told me they had accidentally left me off the schedule. So, now, I have two couches until Saturday--Saturday if I'm lucky. If only we could walk through the living room, it would seem now would be the right time to invite lots of people over...plenty of seating. At least the inmates came and picked up my armchair and ottoman from the curb. I requested a recycle pick-up from the city for my chair and ottoman last Monday. The lady told me to have them out on the curb before 6 a.m. the next morning and then they would be by to pick them up within one to three days. I'm sure my neighbors were thrilled when no one showed up on Tuesday. But, on Wednesday morning before I left for WV, I looked out the window and two men in orange t-shirts sporting the words "Inmate Worker" were throwing my chair and ottoman into the back of a Sheriff truck. That part made me happy for my neighbors, too. If only the Salvation Army thing was working out this time as well... -b November 30 Again????I was heading back to Nashville yesterday from WV. I'd decided to come back a day early because rain was predicted today and the traffic is typically unimaginably awful on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. One year it took me ten hours to make a 6 1/2 hour drive. Miserable. Some years I take a back road once I get to Kentucky, but that adds about an hour to the trip. It's a pretty drive and all, but not when it rains. Hence, I started out yesterday. I'd driven 54 miles when I heard it. I'd just gotten off the two lane road and was cutting across the recently opened 4 lane to get on I-64, but something wasn't right. I pulled off to check, and sure enough, my back tire had blown.
I know. You're thinking, "Didn't this just happen to her?" Ummm, yes. A few weeks back I was in Nashville when my back tire blew. That was the second time that tire had blown (I got it repaired rather than replaced the first time) and I just bought two new tires. I had the new ones put on the front while the two old front ones were moved to the back. NOW, one of those had blown. Enough. I will NEVER have a Kelly Navigator tire on a car I own again.
One hundred seventy-seven dollars later, I had two more new tires, and five hours after I'd started back to Nashville, I was right back at my parents' kitchen table. Ridiculous. But, I was feeling quite like butt (have a strange cold happening) and it was nice that my Dad insisted on coming to meet me at the tire place. He drove my car back home and I rode with Mom--and then I went to bed at 9:00--yeah, that would be 8:00 Nashville time.
I guess all things work out like they should.
...I still maintain, however, that being a grown up is expensive.
-b November 17 Credit Where Credit is Due I've mentioned to you guys before that one of the things I do in my abundance of spare time is work with the Country Music Hall of Fame and their Words and Music program. Basically, kids write lyrics, the Hall of Fame mails them to me, I put the lyrics to music and then perform them for the kids on their field trip to the Hall of Fame. That's it in a simplified version, at least. So, I'm working on two classes tonight, kind of under the wire. One stack of lyrics is from 5th graders and another stack is from high school students who clearly listen to gangsta' rap (perfect match for me, wouldn't you say?) I was looking over one lyric and I noticed the credit. I'm thinking I might start turning all my songs in like this. It reads: Written and thought of by ___________. Helped by ______. ...how does that sound? Written and thought of by Belinda Smith, helped by Marty Funderburk. Written and thought of by Belinda Smith, helped by Joel Lindsey. Written and thought of by Belinda Smith, helped by Tony Wood. Written and thought of by Sue Smith, helped by Belinda Smith--wait, that last one...not liking the sound of it so much... ;-) High school minds, gang. High school minds. -b November 15 Christmas Music Suggstions I'm going Christmas shopping today. ...don't be too impressed--I know exactly what I'm going for in each place. Nonetheless, people will be getting free stuff as a result of my day if all goes as planned. Anyway, there are a couple of billboards around town advertising how two of our Christian music stations will begin playing "All Christmas Music, All Day Long." I'll be honest--that doesn't appeal to me. I put that in the overkill category. BUT, I do like some Christmas CD's here and there and I was wondering if anyone was impressed enough with a collection to offer it up to the class? I used to really enjoy The Talleys' "A Family Christmas"--the original Talleys, I think the cassette is dated 1988--and the Gaither Vocal Band's "Greatest Story Ever Told," but considering I only have them both on cassette, you'll understand why I can't hear them anymore. Wayne gave me Josh Groban's last year and that one has been nice to listen to, and probably my favorite has been Ella Fitzgerald's. I'm looking forward to Mary Chapin Carpenter's collection this year as well. So, what about it? Anybody? -b November 13 Only in Your Dreams, Fat HeadFrom Yahoo-- LONDON – Kanye West is to music what Michael Jordan was to basketball — at least that's what West thinks, in his humble estimation. "I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice," he said in an interview on Wednesday. "It's me settling into that position of just really accepting that it's one thing to say you want to do it and it's another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan." Hey, Kanye! Here's a cup of 'shut the heck up' and and little extra 'get a clue' just for flavor. Moron. Absolute moron. -b
November 09 Was I HERE? I'm a piler. I have piles of papers hidden around my house. I get the piling thing from my Dad. He once had a pile of magazines beside 'his chair' that scaled at least 4 feet. He would deny it, but that's because he would be in denial. The rest of us have seen it. Anyway, I present here tonight some sort of vindication, some sort of affirmation to the pack rats and pilers everywhere. I have a filing system. It's a very simple, easy to use one. However, I don't use it--well, I do use it, only I save up all the filing for a day when I'm just forced to do it. I know, it would be so much simpler just to file things as they come in. I KNOW. I just don't do it. And, gang, I'm old enough to tell you that I'm not going to start. I've mourned the dream and moved past it. Well, for whatever reason, today was the day. I took on seventeen months worth of filing and shredding this afternoon. I had placed several piles in a trash bag back in the spring...I think Mom and Dad were coming to visit or something. I was trying to pretend my place was way more clutter free than it is. This afternoon, I stared at the trash bag and thought, "What would really happen if I threw that away? How bad could it really be?" But, alas, the better angels of my nature appealed to me and I didn't. I sat down in the middle of floor with my shredder next to me and began to pull out all the royalty statements, bank statements and credit card offers from the envelopes. Here's the interesting part. Apparently, along about last August (ummm...that would be August 2007), I had a brain aneurism or a multiple personality vacation or was abducted by aliens--something. Why? Because I am now staring at EIGHT uncashed royalty checks. EIGHT. I have no idea how this could happen. It's not like I'm rolling in cash while jetting off to my private islands, here, but somehow, against all logic and reason, I overlooked EIGHT royalty checks. And, they're not like five dollar checks, either--well, one of them is--but the other seven? Okay, Merry Christmas. So, as I prepare to call a few people and then trek to the bank and deal with these uncashed checks, I present myself as a good example of why sometimes, SOME people need to keep things. Even if they are in four foot piles.  -b November 08 Tramps I'm not even going to lie about it. Today I went to the Y after the Saturday Zumba class was over. It had been over for maybe 1/2 hour when I got there. The Zumba instructor, however, was on the elliptical machine in front of me when I began my cardio extravaganza.. So, she had been working out since her 8:30 Pilates class began. She taught Pilates at 8:30 and zumba at 9:30 am. ...and THEN got on the elliptical machine. No wonder she weighs 80 pounds. Tramp. -b November 07 FridayDo you ever have times when blogging is just exhausting? I'm just not feeling all that chatty lately. Maybe I should go take pictures of random stuff and post them. That might be a weekend project.
I haven't played out in months. I've got some shows coming up. Bill D. invited me to sit in on his Bluebird round in a few weeks, so that will be fun. I promised that I would do my best not to stink, so I guess I should practice. ...well, not for a few more weeks. Why rush it?
Brian Copeland will be glad to know (not as glad as I am, though) that I'm finally--FINALLY--taking down that embarrassing 80's wallpaper in my kitchen. I didn't put it up so that should count for something. And the new wall--faux stone with a neat-o imprint--will be fantastic, so that should count for something, too. My new sofa should be here in three weeks. I had it custom made (sniff, sniff). There's just a point when that's what you have to do. And, of course, as soon as I would have one custom made, the splurge that I wanted went on sale! Such is life...
So there's your update.
-b November 04 Time I've sat at this computer all day long working, doing the actual business of music rather than the creating of it. (I voted early so I didn't have to go today.) It's now 5:11 and I'm done for today, but I have more to do tomorrow. What happened to the hours? Where do they go? -b October 28 GhostsI went to my college homecoming a few weekends back. I've really been enjoying the reconnecting. The more distance I have from those college days, the more I'm able to see how lucky I was to have so many quality people in my life, people who are still lovely and interesting and smart and informed. I was just really, really fortunate to spend four years with these people. As I was walking around campus and hanging out in the tiny little town where my school is, I commented to my brother how many memories were lurking around. He called them ghosts, and I thought that captured it perfectly. I was remembering things I hadn't thought of in years, things I guess I didn't know I even remembered. I was most taken that the ghosts weren't even necessarily those of dramatic proportions, but lots of them were just of having fun…oh, we did 'this' here or 'that' there. On the flip side of that, I had some friends who didn't have many ghosts at all. Some have never stopped remembering and reliving the 'good ol' days' so there was really nothing to look back on and be surprised about. I remember sitting in Kristin's dorm room in Agnus Howard Hall our junior year. She was sitting on her bed and she looked at me and said, "I really hope these aren't the best days of my life. Not that they're not good, even great, but I hope it doesn't end here." I never forgot that. Going back and finding so many ghosts, good ones, mostly, I was thinking about Kristin having said that. And, I decided that the fact that I have ghosts at all is a really good thing, because that means there have a been lots of good times and good things filling up the past 15 years since I've been gone from Sunny Buc. I have never lived with the intention that the 'good days' were behind me. I've never been someone to look back, and for that I'm grateful. Like my friend Tony said to me a few weeks ago, I believe the best days are still ahead. And I do. I guess I always have. The past 15 years have held some of the hardest times I've ever had, but they've also held some of the best. I have so many things to be thankful for and I am--so thankful. So, on this, my birthday, I say to the ghosts, "I'm glad you're there." And I’m glad I have lots of them, all over the place. It means I'm still among the living and still going forward, and leaving things behind to make room for the new. Here's to the ghosts and here's to the best days still ahead. -b
October 27 SimsJim introduced me to the Sim's video game. I've been trying to figure out why it's addictive. I mean, these characters really do nothing all that spectacular. I have to make them eat, go to the bathroom, shower, clean, pay bills, sleep, go to work, etc. So, what is the draw? Why do people 'play' this game?
It dawned on me this morning: Sim's is like playing with Barbies, only on the computer! I was a Barbie FREAK when I was little, complete with the Dream House, the convertible and the hot tub. So essentially Jim has given me permission to play with Barbies again.
...or he just wants me to have a project so I'll stay out of his way.
-b October 26 mental energy It's been a week. That's for sure. Suffice it to say that a cancer scare, albeit small and miniscule, pretty much takes all your mental energy. I'm fine, though. And, I'd also like to give a 'hat's off' to my friends who have actually gotten the bad news and who have fought the disease. Much love and respect to you. Maybe one day later I'll tell you about how on the second day I was called back (out of three) they left me sitting in the gown (we use that term very loosely) in a little non-private waiting room and all went to lunch. They literally and admittedly forgot I was still sitting there--this after sitting there for hours as the other women in the room were disappearing one by one after telling me their breast cancer diagnosis'. Maybe I'll tell you about the random lady talking out of her head who came into the little waiting room and began digging in the dirt in the corner plant. I thought she was going to try to get in, but, alas, she was just digging up little pieces of it to put in her purse so she could take them home and plant them...I guess...I hope. Or maybe I'll tell you about how on the third day, the woman who registered me was wearing a lacy bra with full on cleavage underneath a jacket as part of her outfit. Of all places, I was stunned that someone would be so unaware that they would think it appropriate...women who go there are facing potential surgeries, scars, mastectomies, and yet Trish thought THAT outfit was just right for Thursday. Anyway, it's over for a few months and I don't want to think about it anymore right now. Heading out. Make your Sunday a great one. -b -b October 19 Buying a Couch...or Not: The Fight for the Right to BrowseI haven't bought a couch/sofa for years now. (I'm going to call it a couch for our purposes--I was recently told that sofa's are more expensive, and who are we trying to fool here? I'm a songwriter, right?) I bought one when I lived in WV. It was easy enough. I went in, saw the couch and chair set that I liked, paid for it and it was delivered a few weeks later. I didn't spend weeks going into every furniture store in all the neighboring towns. I saw it, I liked it, done.
The next couch I bought was here in Nashville. Before I even went to the store, I knew what I wanted: a red couch. This was before everyone had red couches--you couldn't even find one on display in a store. So, I went into a store where you picked your style and then picked your fabric and color and they made it for you. About 6 weeks later, it was delivered. Done. That store is now closed. Sigh.
Well, that should tell you how long I've had this couch. And, while I knew it needed to be donated, I also knew that I was redoing the place and I didn't want to pick a new one till the walls were painted and finished and the floor was in...and until the puppy was a little older (once I got the puppy.)
It is now time. And, once again, I know exactly what I want. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of going in to the most expensive furniture store in Nashville to find it, and I've been wrestling with justifying it ever since. I've pretty much decided that I shouldn't splurge on it, considering the puppy and all, and so I decided to go to the more affordable furniture stores in town to see if I could find something else I could live with.
I knew what I was getting into. I'd tried to buy an entertainment center once from these people. I remembered being so miserable that I almost cried in one store. I couldn't get a moment of peace. It was like they were afraid I was going to put a table in my purse and try to walk out with it. I was expecting to have to fight for the right to browse. After this experience, gang, I couldn't harbor more hatred for the furniture salespeople in this town if sat down and consciously tried. I didn't know I could hate a group of people so much. I seriously didn't know it was possible.
I'd actually walked through Rooms to Go several weeks ago. It was on a weekday and I took Jim with me and I suppose the stars were aligned differently because it wasn't so bad. I mean, I was accosted at the front door, but Bob generally left us alone. There was one couch that I was a little interested in so at the end, I took Bob's card and told him I'd get back with him if I was interested.
I had thought I'd go back to Rooms to Go, but first I wanted to look in some other stores. I wanted to see what else was out there. I decided to go about this by walking in fast and with purpose--try to avoid the salivating, slimy salespeople ganged up at the front door. "Just walk right by them like you're looking for someone," I thought. Then maybe you can browse peacefully.
First stop, American Signature Furniture. I'd never been in there before and didn't know much about it, but I was sure I'd be drooled all over, so I hurried through the front door. I walked as fast I could weaving through couches and tables till I made it safely to the back corner. I looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized it had worked. And so I snooped around. My Mom had warned to me to look for seat cushions that are unfinished. I guess they don't want you to flip your cushions anymore because many couches I found had only one useable side. They'll put the fabric on the top, the front, and then take it a few inches underneath, but if you'll flip it up, you'll see that most of the underside is that black fabric. Frankly, that infuriates me. FINISH THE SEAT CUSHIONS, FOR HEAVENS SAKE. As a consumer, I should be able to flip my cushions so I can get longer wear. Anyway, most of the cushions I flipped in American Signature were unfinished. However, they had the Rooms to Go couch for $400 less. Hmmm... Maybe the one at Rooms to Go is more expensive because the cushions are finished.
Next stop, Ashley Home Furniture. Again, I just wanted to look around UNSTALKED for a minute. Just ONE minute. I ducked my head and walked in as fast as I could. I noticed the group of wolves lingering around one set and so I veered to the left. Hurry, Belinda, hurry. You can make it. Then I heard one coming after me. "Ma'am!" Crap. Keep walking, keep walking. "Ma'am," she shouted--yes, shouted. I turned just a little to see a woman with a clipboard literally jogging after me. She was seriously JOGGING to catch up, her necklace bouncing up and down. I was so irritated. "Ma'am, is there something I can help you with?" "No," I said blankly. "But, I can help you if you have questions." "I'm wondering if my mother is in this store," I said with growing frustration. "Oh, I'm not sure." "I didn't think so." Yes!!! It worked. I was able to do a quick run through alone. They had nothing I liked. And, to be fair, I assumed my Mom was at home in WV, but just in case she wasn't...
Furniture Factory Outlet. I couldn't even find the strength to go in. I got to the door and there were a group of desperate salespeople sitting on the couches facing the door. I had my hand on the front door when I spotted them. The one man was looking at me. I dropped my hand, turned around and got back in the car.
Rooms to Go was just insulting. I just wanted to look at the couch again to see if the seat cushions were finished on the bottom which would have sold me. I knew the couch was in the front row, third on the left from the front door. I tried the hurry thing again. Only this time, all the salespeople were blocking the aisle, all very large and tall men, very 'cheap used car dealership' looking. Like any one of them could give me home decorating tips. Right. I tried to walk through them. I just wanted to flip the cushion, but this one large and tall man blocked me. He jumped out in front of me and I ran smack into him. "May I help you?" he said forcefully. I looked up and said, "Can I just walk through?" with matching force. "I'm just trying to do my job," he smarted. "What? Are you a bouncer?" About that time, I guess it was the manager who walked around the corner. He stepped in and asked what was going on and I informed him that I just wanted "to check something on that couch, but apparently the public isn't welcome in the store." He told me it was fine to go ahead (can you belive this?) and so I flipped the cushion. You guessed it: unfinished.
I went to two other stores and found the same unfinished cushion problem, but I will say that the woman at Badcock didn't tackle me at the door, and I did appreciate that. The woman at Haverty's stalked me from afar throughout the store, but at least she wasn't offering 'helpful' hints everytime I glanced at something.
So, I guess this is what buying a couch has come to. A miserable game in which one must be physically able to move quick and for which one must own a helmet to plow through the bouncers. At this point, the splurge is looking more and more probable if for nothing else than my sanity.
...or I'm going to buy one online and take my chances. It's just not worth the fight.
-b |
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