Thursday, March 10, 2016

BoTB Results, Car Crash Update, and Music & Words Award

This is going to be another "combination post." In this post, there will be results for Battle of the Bands, an update on my car accident, and my answers for the Music & Words Award. So, buckle in, peeps, because it's about to get hot in here. First, let's go over how it all shook out for Battle of the Bands. The song was I Could Not Ask For More. The contenders were Edwin McCain and Sara Evans. By golly, that turned out to be a neck and neck battle all the way up to the end. (A mighty fine battle, if you ask me, which you didn't, but I'm still saying it.) So, how did you guys vote?

Edwin McCain: 11
Sara Evans: 12

This is one of those rare occasions when my vote actually COUNTS. If I vote Edwin, I get a tie. If I vote Sara, she gets the win. So, what's the verdict? Let me tell you, this is tough for me. I like them both. However, since I HAVE to vote, I'm choosing Sara Evans. I like her sound (always have). Congrats Sara!

UPDATE ON THE CAR ACCIDENT

If you missed my post about the car accident, click HERE.  

A few days after the accident, which was on a Wednesday, I noticed that my right leg hurt. My right ankle, in particular, hurt like the devil. When I peeled off my sock Friday night, there were deep indentations from my sock. With a bit of inspection, I could see that my ankle was swollen and beginning to turn green. My lower back was also giving me trouble, so I called my doctor Monday morning for an appointment. She sent me to physical therapy. Nothing "major," but she said I'd heal faster going this route.

I've had two appointments thus far. I can already see a big difference in my ankle and right leg. I can also see that my lower back is going to be the thing that takes longer to heal. BUT, it will heal.

Alas, my car will not. The frame was bent in the accident. State Farm decided to total it out. They paid all of my car note, but $1400. Fortunately, I had gap coverage. They will pay the rest of the note. That is a relief. The stress comes in the form of needing another car with no trade-in. I've been running like a chicken with her head cut off since Monday (when this was decided) lining up pre-approval on a car loan and looking at cars.

If you haven't bought a car recently... when did they get so darn expensive???

I loved my Verano, but my mom had difficulty getting in and out (as I feared she would when I bought it). Back then, she kept saying, "Just get what you want." I think she was still under the delusion that she would be moving out soon. So, this time around, her tune has changed. She really wants a small SUV. I'm okay with that (it feels sturdier, and I'm now a bit gun-shy about driving). The problem is that my budget isn't working so well with a small SUV with low mileage and the features we want.

My stress level has been through the roof over this entire mess. I'm constantly reminding myself that worrying is a useless occupation.

If you're the praying type, I could use some. Stress and migraines... not a good combo. You can also factor in therapy and car buying. I think that covers it all!

Let's move on to something fun...



Here are the rules: 

Once accepted, the award process has five steps:

  1. Link back to the person who nominated you
  2. Answer the questions with words AND music
  3. Pass the award on to 5 bloggers who inspire you with their posts about music
  4. Tag your post with #MWA, for Music&Words Award so that we can all find you down the line
  5. Quote these 5 steps and the award icon in your post. You can display the icon on your sidebar as well. 


The person who nominated me for this award is Stephen T. McCarthy  at STMcC Presents Battle of the Bands. If you haven't visited his site for Battle of the Bands, I encourage you to do so. He always chooses excellent contenders. He also keeps an up-to-date list of everyone who's participating in BoTB on the 1st and 15th. Thank you for the award, Stephen!

Q and A

Q1: What does music mean to you?
There is an excellent song by Alison Krauss called I Don't Know Why. There is a lyric in that song that goes, "If there were no music, I would not get through. I don't know why I know these things, but I do." Music is the thing that makes me happy. Music is the thing that raises my spirits when life feels too hard. Music is the thing that cuts through all of the garbage and reminds me that there is good stuff in the world. There has to be. There is music.



Q2: What is your first music-related memory?
I had a turntable (record player) as a kid. My mom loved to garage sale. Thanks to her garage sale prowess, I had quite a few albums. She also bought a yellow and black record holder full of 45s. I had a couple of Sonny and Cher albums, as well as this one by Cher:
I listened to this album on repeat AND spent many moments hoping I'd turn into a full-grown woman with brown skin and long black hair. No, that never happened. The woman part? Yes. The rest? No. I used to walk around the house with an orange towel wrapped around my hair (it was the 70s!) pretending I was Cher had long hair, like Cher.
 
Q3: What was the first album you’ve purchased yourself? 
I think the answer to this question is an album that I purchased from a TV commercial. I've looked on Google images to see if I can find it (nope, I cannot!). I'd swear it was called "Can't Stop Dancing," and was purple with a huge high heeled shoe on it. My mother saved the letter I wrote to accompany my payment for this montage of disco fantastic-ness. I can't recall how much it was, but it was something like $6.99. In my awesome letter, I told them how much I wanted the record, thanked them for sending it (in advance), and included my $7.00. I also gave them my return address so they could send back the penny. I think I was eight years old. Did I really want the penny or was I trying to impress them with my math skills? Probably both. I could still buy a gumball with a penny back then...
  
Q4: What was the latest music you purchased? (No online streaming or free downloads, I’m talking about cash here!)
This question makes me realize I haven't bought a CD in a very long time. It's not that I don't like them, though I don't play them nearly as often as I used to... Even so, there are several that I would like to have that aren't in my collection. I think my lack of CD buying goes back to my shortage of funds since I quit working and live on disability. There simply isn't the room for the extras there once was. That said, I'm pretty sure my last CD purchase was back in 2007 (that blows my mind!). 


I still love this CD in its entirety. Makes me remember why I like buying CDs... There are so many gems that never make the radio. Those songs often end up becoming my favorites. I was going to include the big hit, Watching Airplanes, which is an excellent song, but I think I'm gonna go a different way (and play a B side). Enjoy!




Q5: Which song did you listen to last? (No cheating, come out with the dirty pleasures!)
That would be East to West by Casting Crowns.
 
The hardest part of this award is nominating 5 people. Hmmm.

Holli over at Holli's Hoots and Hollers
Elizabeth Seckman at Elizabeth Seckman, Author
Julie at Empty Nest Insider
Kim at ReInVintaged
Mike at Mike's Ramblings

34 comments:

  1. Good to know you are hanging in there, stay positive and keep smiling always. Warm greeting and best wishes!

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  2. Cars are expensive, and I hope the dealer you find is more honest than the one I recently bought from. Make sure the purchase amount on the finance agreement is the same as you agreed on-we agreed on a price, then they quoted a monthly payment, and I missed that the monthly payment included $1,000 of them ripping me off (Midway Cheverolet in Phoenix for any readers in the area). MY bad for not doing the math until after I got home.

    I like this award, and almost did a take on Stephen's blog. However, I like your entry better (fewer questions) so here goes.

    Q1: What does music mean to you?

    I like your take on this so I will follow suit-Peter Frampton (going to see him tonight) has a line in I Wanna Go To The Sun that goes, "music is my food in life, don't take it away."

    Q2: What is your first music-related memory?
    I shared a room with my oldest brother, and an early memory is him playing his drum set and singing Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations.

    Q3: What was the first album you’ve purchased yourself?
    Already well-documented on my defunct blog, the first album I purchased was Diana Ross Presents The Jackson Five


    Q4: What was the latest music you purchased? (No online streaming or free downloads, I’m talking about cash here!

    This is a tricky one...do you mean the most recent purchase (which is a pre-order), or the most recent acquisition (in my hands and playing)?

    Assuming the latter, I did a Kickstarter donation for Charlie Faye's newest album, and received that the other day. Although Ms. Faye is still in her twenties, her new record is modeled after the girl group sound of the 60's (think Ronnie Spector), and the production is top notch-they nailed that vibe. The lyrics address modern relationships, so some of them might make Darlene Love blush ("you've got the green light, baby-I'm saying 'yes' not 'maybe'), but it's a lot of fun and worth checking out.

    Hope your physical after-effects clear up. I did not realize you'd gotten hurt.

    Larry

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    Replies
    1. I'm so rattled I didn't realize I left off the last question when I did the copy/paste thing from Stephen's blog. Seriously, I'm a mess.

      So, I went back and added the last one. Sorry LC for burdening you with one more question!

      I like that line in the Peter Frampton song. I think music either strikes people profoundly or not at all. At least, that's been my experience.

      Delete
    2. Song I listened to last...this is embarrassing...would you believe Weird Al Yankovic "The Saga Begins"?

      Someone told me about it today and I just watched the video on You Tube.

      Funny guy, that Al....

      Delete
    3. I'm sitting in a dealership after buying a car. Waiting for them to detail it and gas it up. Listening to the playlist on my phone. Right now the song Deadwood Mountain is playing. Always makes me think of my dad. Give it a spin; I think you'll like it.

      Delete
  3. Thanks, Karen. I'm really trying.

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  4. I am so sorry that you have endured pain from the accident but I am glad the physio is helping. As for the car, we bought ours off of Kijiji. It cost $3,000 and it is still going strong but it is a Honda Civic and so difficult to get In And out of. I know you need a car soon but the key is not to feel panicked to get one otherwise you could get one that you can't afford. It is always neat to see how much music shapes our lives. My first memory of music is the Elizabethan Serenade which I still love. My first album was ABBA and I still have it. The last CD I bought was one from Andre Rieu at the movies. The last album I listened to was Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We just bought another car. What a relief! The stress was really getting to me. One of my friends had an ABBA album. I loved the song The Winner Takes It All. I've never bought music at the movies. My parents did buy me the record of The Country Bear Jamboree after my first trip to Disney. I loved that record. It even had color pages with pictures from the show. Rumours is probably my favorite FM album. :)

      Delete
  5. It took real courage to tell the Cher story, lol! Seriously, though, you- like all of my blog friends- are always in my prayers. I remember when I was a kid and an expensive car on the Price Is Right barely topped 3 grand. I don't know why to throw that in, other than proof of how old I am. And how old Bob Barker is, which is more than me.

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    Replies
    1. When we moved back to Ohio in 1980 we paid less for our house than we just spent on a car. It's insane!

      Delete
  6. I hope you heal quickly. I'm sorry about your car. They are expensive. My car was totaled a few years ago. My son had it towed to the dealership where he was a mechanic. He met with the man from the insurance company and begged him not to total it out--to give me what he could, and my son would fix everything else. That's what happened, and I still drive the same car.

    Love,
    Janie

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    Replies
    1. What a wonderful story. I love happy endings....

      Delete
  7. Cars are a huge nuisance in my world and now I have added fear of any of my sons driving, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

    Love this post, by the way.

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    Replies
    1. This is my first accident. Simply driving anywhere is tough. I talk to the other drivers constantly. Don't hit me. Stay in your lane. Etc. Not sure when this will settle down.

      Delete
  8. So sorry about your car accident! I do hope you find a good SUV. I've been supremely happy with my Mitsubishi Montero Sport. It's a 2000, I have 150,000 miles on it and it's still going strong! Knock on wood...
    Good luck with your SUV shopping. I'm sure the car-gods are smiling down on you and you'll find something that fits your budget and your style.
    Loved reading your Music and Words answers. I giggled at your Cher story. Didn't we all want to be Cher?! Don't we still???? :)

    XOXO
    Michele at Angels Bark

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    Replies
    1. I think we got a good one that will last a good long time.

      There are so many things to love about Cher. I just wish she'd stay off Twitter and social media. She often sounds like a nut. Of course, she's not the only one.

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    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  9. This blog bit was "subpar", but... I'll comment anyway.

    I like that you have eclectic taste in music without trying to "prove" that you're open-minded.

    Nevertheless, DISCO SUX. It always did and it always will.

    This isn't fair, I know, but I think my opinion of ALISON KRAUSS was wrongly tainted by the fact that I used to like eating breakfast at THE CRACKER BARREL restaurant.

    (This was before they decided to pull all their 'Duck Dynasty' merchandise when the main Duck made some anti-fag comment. 24 hours later, 'Cracker Barrel', having been bent over their barrel and raped by decent Americans, retracted their decision and brought back the made-in-China 'Duck Dynasty' shit. But I have never forgiven them and never will. As far as I'm concerned, their duck is cooked, and they themselves did the cooking - pathetic losers, typical corporate American hypocrites: http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/cracker-barrel-cannot-duck-controversy-now/)

    At any rate, I used to see these Alison Krauss CDs on sale in Cracker Barrel and I thought: How good could she be if you can buy exclusive releases of her music in Cracker Barrel - CDs created to be sold ONLY in Cracker Barrel restaurants? It was like... "Come in for biscuits and gravy and leave with Alison Krauss!" Not exactly a great sales pitch, IMO.

    I enjoyed your blog bit though. Thanks for playing along.

    Now... do you want whipped cream on your pecan pie?

    ~ D-FensDogG
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. I read both of your comments, but will respond to this one first.

      Alison Krauss. Yes, you definitely have the wrong impression thanks to Cracker Barrel. I remember seeing those CDs there. Being a fan, I picked one up (expecting new songs, since this was only sold at CB). Turns out, there wasn't a song I didn't already know from another CD. The only thing "new" about it was that they pulled songs from multiple CDs and put them on this one. Bah. They didn't do this just with Alison Krauss, but all of their "only at CB" CDs were the same.

      On many of her CDs, she alternates songs with her band, Union Station, and they do what I think of as down and dirty bluegrass. Sometimes instrumental only and sometimes with bluegrass. AK probably plays with them since she plays violin, but if there are vocals on that one it's from one of the guys in her band. I would get tired of those fairly quickly. Back in the days of the cassette, I became a pro at fast forwarding from one song to the next. The advent of the CD was a relief. One button and done. I like all of her albums (seriously, I can't think of one I don't like). My favorite probably is Lonely Runs Both Ways. So, anticipating your question about Spotify, I'm just putting that out there. (That said, I haven't bought anything "recent" in a really long time, so there might be something newer that could change my mind on this evaluation.)

      You must remember that disco had pretty well died by the time I was 11 years old. So, you must keep in mind the age I was at the time AND the fact that even then I was listening to things other than disco. My "favoritest" album as a kid was Shawn Cassidy. Da Doo Ron Ron made my little heart run run. It didn't hurt that he was also on The Hardy Boys at the time. My other favorite show was Daniel Boone (so even then my tastes ran rather far afield).

      Only because it's pecan pie, yes I'll take the whipped cream on the pie. Not a big pie fan and as a kid used to beg mom to just let me have a dollop of whipped cream and no pie. She said I had to eat the pie to get the cream. Go figure.

      Delete
    2. This is one from Lonely Runs Both Ways:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abmuxiu02D8

      Delete
    3. GIRL WONDER ~
      I just realized that by opening my comment with the following...

      >>... This blog bit was "subpar", but... I'll comment anyway.

      ...nobody other than you was going to know that was an inside joke. What a jerk I sounded like!

      This blog bit wasn't really "subpar", of course. But since you axed, what could I say?

      I haven't had a chance to listen to 'LONELY RUNS BOTH WAYS' yet, but I certainly will.

      And I'll take pecan pie any ol' way - with or without whipped cream. Pie beats cake, and the only thing that beats pie is ice cream.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  10. This was a fun exercise. I can't remember the first album I bought, probably Stevie Wonder, but I remember the first 45 I received as a gift: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkle. Can't remember what I last listened to, but it was at dinner, last night, our Supper Time I-tunes play list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I adore S&G. I don't think they recorded a song I DIDN'T like. What a great 45!

      Delete
  11. Sorry about your automobile accident hassles. Prayers have been sent your way. I guess I'll be going soon to help my wife buy a new car. She doesn't have to have one but she just wants one. And she's already got a buyer for her old one so I guess that all works out well.

    I like Alison Krauss--have several of her albums. I'm like you with buying CD's now. If I was overflowing in money I'd probably keep buying them but then again I've got so many that I don't really listen to that I don't know why I'd need them.

    Loved the TV Disco album story. I think I remember an album like that. And I don't care what anyone thinks or says, I still kind of like some disco music. In fact I own a number of disco albums on CD. Yeah, I can be eclectic to the extreme and that's just who I am. Not ashamed of who I am and none of us should be.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    Replies
    1. I'm ashamed of who I am, and I think I SHOULD be.
      But that's just me, and I'm not ashamed of it.

      Uhm... Hmmm... I think I got confused somehow.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. Being confused is why you should be ashamed. I've always been confused and not ashamed of that, but I'm probably so confused that I don't know any better.

      Lee

      Delete
    3. Wait! What did you say about confusion?
      Could you run that by me one more time?
      [:o)
      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    4. I don't know about the two of you, but I'm THOROUGHLY confused. ha!

      Delete
    5. Life is easier when you stay in an eternal state of confusion.

      Come to think of it I once wrote a song with a line expressing essentially the same sentiment.

      Arlee Bird
      A to Z Challenge Co-host
      Tossing It Out

      Delete
  12. I didn't know about your accident - how awful! Glad to know the physical therapy is helping. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Hope you find a good deal on a new SUV.

    It was fun to learn more about you through this post. I love Cher and still have that vinyl album. ☺ Disco, on the other hand...let's just say it's not my favourite genre, but there were some good songs in there. Thanks for joining in with "My Life According To...", as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never anticipated vinyl records coming back. Now I wish I still had mine, too!

      Delete
  13. Car prices are outrageous! I'll be praying for your healing.

    I love Allison Krauss, and disco was fine by me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Car prices are... no words. I'm shocked by how expensive they are!

      Alison Krauss is one of my all-time favorites.

      Delete

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