Nashville Confidential

listmaker

There's something to be said for leaving a place before you're bored with it. I did a lot of things in Music City -- I even made a "Been there, done that" list-- but I never got bored.

I'm not a person prone to regret, but there were a number of things I never got around to doing. I guess I'll have to use some 2006 visits to keep marking items off this "Things Yet to Do List."

cineaste

It’s always fun to go to the movies, especially when some of my favorites are on screen. It’s been a pretty good week with appearances by Adrien Brody, Chris Cooper, Jamie Bell, Jack Black and His Eyebrows, William Hurt ... if only we could have worked Andy Garcia into the mix.

“Syriana” is the best film I’ve seen this year. The film was deeply interesting and presented plenty to think about. (I see a hybrid car in my future.) I didn’t know what was going on every single minute, which was wonderful.

pride (in the name of love)

I am very proud of my friends. I have truly amazing friends. This week I’ve had an opportunity to catch up with some who are near and far.

The freshman year lab partner (as he is fond of signing his e-mails) was back in town from his latest coastal residence. I could list MLH’s curriculum vitae, which is most impressive (he is, in fact, a rocket scientist) but most of all I am impressed with his never-ending quest to learn and to give back to the community.

The last time I saw him was in Boston nearly six years ago – nearly six years ago! – and in addition to his regular job (it was and is far beyond my English major’s comprehension), he was studying violin and French and volunteering and traveling extensively and talking about what his next job change might be.

Since then he’s crossed the country, changed jobs, done a full immersion course in French, flirted with the idea of marrying, traveled even more extensively, started thinking about what his next job change might be.

He is my hero.

I could write pages about MLH and I hope to someday – as in, a book. His biography is amazing and even though we see each other very infrequently we have a lot of shared adventures. When I think of the future famous people from my hometown, you can bet he will be on that list.

not a packrat -- really

I am having a fabulous week. I’m sleeping in shamefully late and then tackling various projects. They are the same projects as at the end of every year: cleaning out cabinets and closets. And I really mean it this time. I’m not just shuffling piles between rooms, I have a concerted campaign to get stuff out of my little empire and either into the trash or to people who might like or benefit from it.

Just when I thought I had a grip on all the clutter, I started these projects. And I just have mountains of stuff. [Please refer to George Carlin’s routine on stuff -- that says it all.]

Things I discovered I have in strangely multiple quantities:

-- Colored pencils
-- Pencil sharpeners
-- Post-It Notes
-- Index cards
-- Manila folders
-- Hanging folders [sensing an office supply theme?]
-- Rulers – wooden, plastic, clear, you name it, I got 'em
-- Boxes upon boxes of cassette tapes, mostly homemade
-- Mini-flashlights
-- Rubbermaid boxes
-- Magazines – I could open a lending library
-- More cords than are humanly possible; I don’t even know what they’re for
-- Random books of matches, many from the Flying Saucer and Loews Vanderbilt Hotel
-- Dozens of articles about home organization

Let’s all savor that last one for a moment. Then it’s back to the sorting and scrapping.

happy birthday jesus

Merry Christmas to all!

We had ours last night -- a big change from tradition, due to new marital obligations. Now that both my brother and sister are married, they need to divide their time among two families, so we moved our usual Christmas morning event to Christmas Eve. Today they are off with the other sides of the families -- and participating in those particular traditions.

In the Mapgirl ancestral home, we consume a great deal of food. Then we always begin by reading the Christmas story from "the only true version" of the Bible, according to my dad: The King James Version. There were requests this year for the story from "The Message," apparently some new-fangled translation, but my dad overrode them. And so he gave an annotated reading from the KJV, explaining certain facts and words [i.e., "sore afraid" = "very afraid"].

We read the story from Luke, prayed, and wished Jesus a happy birthday. My nephews, ages 6, 3, and 6 weeks, were sore patient. I was very proud of them.

But that's why we have Christmas. My dad said he hopes there is never a Christmas in which we don't read the Christmas story (presumably from the KJV), pray and wish the Christ child a happy birthday.

about

I love TypePad. You can have many weblogs with separate addresses -- but there's just one "About" page. Since I'll need that for the new weblog in 2006, here is a last look at the "About" page that has been on Nashville Confidential lo these many years.

rockin' christmas

I am loving, loving, loving a new benefit album that features my all-time favorite band, Jason and the Scorchers, singing my all-time favorite Christmas song, "Oh Holy Night." For this album, they have rechristened it "Oh! Holy Night."

Their version ROCKS, needless to say. Imaging a wall of guitar sound under the timeless lyric, "Truly he taught us to love one another, his law is love and his gospel is peace."

The benefit album is called "For Kate's Sake" and features great Americana luminaries including Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, Raul Malo and Jim Lauderdale and it's produced by the inestimable Garry W. Tallent. Buy one today.

12 days of nashville confidential

Wow, the year is almost over. And didn't someone, somewhere, say something about the end of this weblog?

Well, I am motivated by deadlines. So when the year is over ... so is Nashville Confidential. I have next week off and here's how each day is shaping up: walking 3 miles (or more -- I'm in training), seeing a movie, writing on the weblog.

Oh yes -- and attending yet another Webb Wilder concert. Can't end the year without that.

just like those pakistani students in your college dorm

I'm trying to be more festive and more hospitable by entertaining during the holidays. Lest you forget, I am not a domestic goddess. I took yesterday off in order to prep the house and make one whopping pot of chili for my family. I actually made two -- one vegetarian for those with a high tofu acceptance index (the recipe actually referred to a TAI!).

Everything went well but I awoke this morning to the lingering smell of chili. My place reeks. The hallway reeks. My coat even reeks. Suddenly I feel embarrassed to see any of my neighbors. I think the condo board may be circulating a petition to ban me from using my stove any more this year.

One highlight from last night's party: we were listening to XM when "Feliz Navidad" came on. The next thing I know, everyone formed a conga line. Imagine what would have happened if I'd served alcohol.

room with a view

More than I would like to admit, I am a creature of habit. If I’m not staying with friends when I visit Music City, I have a particular hotel room that I like to call home. I specially requested this room in my online reservation, and when I arrived at the hotel late tonight, the desk clerk apologized that My Room was not available.

“The person in that room has been there for two weeks,” he explained. “So we didn’t feel we could move them out. But, [My Room number + 1] is available, so you’ll be as close to it as possible.”

“Um … is that on the opposite side of the hall?”

"Yes."

“So, I wouldn’t have a view of downtown?” I asked.

“Well, no … is that important?”