Country Music: Explained

I don't like country music. Or I say I don't...because most the time I can only listen to one, maybe two songs, before I have to change the station.

But once in an inexplicable moment, and despite the strange looks I get from the majority of the guys in the office or even to my own chagrin, I will turn on the country. I didn't ever really think I could explain why I got in these moods, but after yesterdays emotional breakdown, I think I've figured it out.

I play country music when I have a lot of unexplained emotions. I'm usually on the verge of tears or seconds away from pushing a guy against a wall or waiting for an excuse to run down some poor pedestrian. It doesn't matter whether I'm happy, sad or lonely. I could be excited or...whatever emotion, if it is more intense than normal (my emotions tend to run on the intense side always) then I turn on the country music and sing my lungs out.

Usually it's a particular playlist.

Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Your Man - Josh Turner
No Rush - Josh Turner
Real Good Man - Tim McGraw
I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes - Dierks Bentley
I'll Take That as a Yes - Phil Vassar
Nothing on But the Radio - Gary Allen
Like We Never Loved at All - Faith Hill (& Tim McGraw)
Rodeo - Garth Brooks
Who's Your Daddy - Toby Keith
You Wouldn't Be Gone - Blake Shelton
Let Me Touch You - Alison Krauss
When You Say Nothing at All - Alison Krauss
Whiskey Lullaby - Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley

Yes, Garth. He's on the list. Even though when I was 16, I tried desperately to like him and I've only found maybe 3-5 songs that I like of his despite his many, many albums. Normally I just say that I can't stand him. Normally I say that I can't stand country. But at least my play list is a good country list.

Ah, well...

Mother's Day

I don't think this year's tribute to Mom will by as eloquent as this was last year. All that I listed then is still true. I will simply give the latest reason of why my mom is the best.

On my return flight from Florida, I had a layover in Cincinnati. Cincinnati airport happens to be about an hour and a half away from home, and when we flew over the Ohio river it made me utterly homesick, and I had this heartbreaking pain from missing my family. I was trapped at an airport, and only an hour and a half away from them! And there was no way I was going to be able to see them before my next flight took me to freaking Utah.

When I'm flying, I hate being in a rush. So I typically go straight to my gate and entertain myself there. That way, if any changes are made in the gates, I have plenty of time to find out and relocate. So I found my gate, made sure it was close and then called my mom to tell her how much I missed her. How much it was killing me that we were so close.

I walked over to the departure screen and noticed that there was another flight that left at 6:50 p.m. instead of the scheduled 4:20 p.m.

"If I pay to change my flight to the later one, will you come?" I ask. Knowing it's a long shot. Knowing that even if she leaves right that second, she won't make it until 5 p.m. and we'd only have an hour. Knowing that it's probably not worth the gas. And there isn't much we can do around the airport or in the airport or for that short amount of time.

"Sure," she responds.

That "sure" was enough. Within minutes, I had switched flights (for absolute FREE) and Mom had gathered all the girls so that they could head to Cincinnati. They hit traffic. We couldn't find anywhere nearby to eat (no one coming/going to the Cincinnati airport likes to eat apparently) and by the time they got there we literally had 60 minutes to spend time with each other.

If this isn't an example of pure love and devotion to her children, I'm not sure what is. I know that I felt incontestably loved.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thank you for being you. Thank you for loving us so well. You're truly the best!!!

The Book of Mormon

I LOVE Elder Holland.



He always tells it exactly like it is.

[video in embedded in this post]

Being in Cincinnati trapped in the airpopt but so close to Ohio is absolutely KILLING me! :(

I feel SALTY! A great day on our own private beach and learning to steer a boat... I'm toasted. But it was worth it! (Thanks Uncle Fred!)