“Monica, that’s stupid.”

Little K and I had a date night last night. (That's what happens when you get Purple at school instead of yellow.) We were outside, walking back to my car, when K very dramatically said she was freezing.

I pointed out that it was snowing, and then I had a thought.

“Hey K,” I said. “Do you think Anna and Elsa are freezing, too?”

She looked at me. “What?”

“Anna and Elsa. Do you think they’re frozen right now, just like we are?”

K, who is 5, almost 6, looked at me.

“Monica, that’s stupid.”

That's what I'm here for, child. 

Some of it

In other news, sometimes you don't get what you want (re: yesterday's post).

Eric Church was robbed last night

And some of it comes from heart break

Most of it comes with age

And none of it ever comes easy...

One bourbon, one scotch, one beer

A tweet I sent out last night:

The CMAs are tomorrow and I’m a nervous wreck about the Entertainer of the Year award. I hope and pray that the performer of the best damn concerts I’ve ever been to is recognized for his talent. #EricChurch

There's also this: Making the Case for Eric Church, our Entertainer of the Year

The only thing that I wanted to do this year was to attend as many Eric Church concerts as I could.

When 2018 ended, I already had two tickets to his Kansas City shows. I added the Omaha shows in January on a whim, because I had just endured Christmas with my then-boyfriend, who wanted and tried to spend the holidays with his other girlfriend.

2018 sucked. I decided 2019 needed to be happier, and Eric Church was the key to that happiness.

This year started off in Omaha. I got the flu at a concert and missed the encore because...well, because 2018 sucked so much that it took the first month of 2019 with it.

The Kansas City shows were the best shows I've seen yet. I had a thought in my head as I was in the Sprint Center.

You know what? I'm going to the Nashville show. I've always wanted to go to Nashville.

I'm going, I decided then.

And go, I did. It was my favorite trip I've ever taken. The record-breaking Eric Church concert, in an NFL stadium with more than 56,000 people in attendance, wasn't even my favorite part of that trip.

My favorite part of the trip was not putting up with an asshole in the car with me. (Classy way of putting it, I know.)

I had no idea in 2018 that 2019 would lead me to Nashville, Music Row, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena, or the Jack Daniel's Distillery.

I decided in Nashville that I would stop trying to plan my life. At almost 35 years old, I have no idea what's going to happen in the next year of my life. And I'm perfectly okay with that.

There's beauty in not knowing, I think.

The only thing that I know for sure about 2020 is that EFC is playing Red Rocks, and I'm going to knock another item off of my bucket list.

How I will remember 2019 is summed up best by the very southern man that sat by me at the Nashville concert. EFC sang "Some of It" on our side of the stage, which means I had a front row seat to one of my favorite songs.

The southern guy beside me tapped me on the shoulder.

"Ma'am," he said. "It just don't get no better n'that."

I know, southern man. I know.

---

Since you turned the tables on me
I've been steady and learnin' lonely
Keepin' this turntable spinnin'
Everything from Jones to Jennings
Slowly plannin' my survival
In a three foot stack of vinyl
Since you had to walk on outta here
I've been havin' a record year

I bet you thought before you left
I'd just sit in silence by myself
Turn this house into a jail
Dyin' slow in a livin' hell
But love's got a funny way of keepin' score
And your leavin' lit up my scoreboard
I usually make it through side a sober
All bets are off when I flip her over
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer
I'm havin' a record year

Quarter notes and Hank's half time
Are poundin' on this heart of mine
Song to song, I pass my time
With these speakers on ten
Your good and gone keeps me up all night
Along with Songs In The Key Of Life
I'm either gonna get over you
Or I'm gonna blow out my ears
Yeah, you're out there now
Doin' God knows how, and I'm stuck here
Havin' a record year

Your leavin' left me goin' crazy
I'm countin' on a needle to save me
I drop it in the groove
And we go 'round and 'round
And down in a spiral
I guess I really oughta call and thank you
I rediscovered Red Headed Stranger
Got down with old James Brown
And found New Grass Revival
If you find your way back, I owe you a beer
For my record year

Quarter notes and Hank's half time
Are poundin' on this heart of mine
Song to song, I pass my time
With these speakers on ten
Your good and gone keeps me up all night
Along with Songs In The Key Of Life
I'm either gonna get over you
Or I'm gonna blow out my ears
Yeah, you're out there now
Doin' God knows how, and I'm stuck here
Havin' a record year
Yeah, I'm havin' a record year

Greatest

“Monta, this is the greatest playground ever. I remember it in my head.”

-C, 3.

She's brilliant and beautiful, like her aunt.

Backwards

Me: Do you know how much I love you?

L: I love you 100.

Me: Yes, well I love you 110.

L: I love you 120!

Me: Well I love you 167!

L: Well, I love you 16!

Me: Dude, you went backwards there.

Frustrated, Incorporated

All of the wallpaper is officially out of my house. 

Huzzah!

While we were working on Saturday night to finish that task up, my Dad played me a love song on my Bose. 

I decided this would be my wedding song. Also, I didn't even know the original version of this song, only the Weird Al cover. Haha.

Misery - Soul Asylum

They say misery loves company
We could start a company and make misery

Frustrated, Incorporated
Well I know just what you need
I might just have the thing
I know what you'd pay to see

Put me out of my misery
I'd do it for you, would you do it for me
We will always be busy making misery

We could build a factory and make misery
We'll create the cure; we made the disease

Frustrated, Incorporated
Frustrated, Incorporated
Well I know just what you need
I might just have the thing
I know what you'd pay to feel

Put me out of my misery
All you suicide kings and you drama queens
Forever after happily, making misery

Did you satisfy your greed, get what you need
Was it only envy, so empty

Frustrated, Incorporated
Frustrated, Incorporated

Frustrated, Incorporated (put me out of my misery)
Frustrated, Incorporated (I'd do it for you, would you do it for me)
Frustrated, Incorporated (forever after happily)
Frustrated, Incorporated (making misery)

At least there's a little bit of sweet in the bitter

I'm always up for some new Eric Church music.

:)

We Were

We were just a couple years short of the age
By my name on a fake ID
And still 'bout a hundred away from the day
Your daddy said you could run with me
We were a couple of line steppers
Who just couldn't wait to step over the line
Never thinkin' we wouldn't last
I was your first and you were mine

And we were leather jackets hangin' onto a Harley
Two heartbeats in the moonlight
(We were) both feet hangin' out over the edge
Of a water tower skyline
At least there's a little bit of sweet in the bitter
Though a part of me is always gonna miss her
I am who I am, I just miss who I was when we were
Mm-mm

We were gonna make it, weren't we, baby?
Had it all laid out in our mind
By the time we knew time was runnin' out
We done run out of time
And we were downtown Saturday night
Last-call cover band
'Til the last song played, never thought we'd fade
Like the stamp on the back of her hand

We were her on my shoulders, lighter in the air
"Pour Some Sugar On Me"
We were top down at Johnson's field
When she whispered that she wants me
At least there's a little bit of sweet in the bitter
Though a part of me is always gonna miss her
I am who I am, I just miss who I was when we were
Mm-mm

And we were leather jackets hangin' onto a Harley
Two heartbeats in the moonlight
(We were) both feet hangin' out over the edge
Of a water tower skyline
At least there's a little bit of sweet in the bitter
Though a part of me is always gonna miss her
I am who I am, I just miss who I was when we were
Mm, yes I do

Friends say, "Oh well, let that ship sail"
"You gotta let go of her"
"Just wasn't meant to be"
But somewhere down deep I still believe
That we were