Little Red Corvette

It was fittingly freezing for our U of M tour

Oh man, how I love Prince. And as I drove my firstborn up to the Twin Cities (my own place of birth), to tour the University of Minnesota, I was feeling a whole lotta things when this song came on the radio.

Most significantly: It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that it is here already -- the year I say goodbye to my firstborn, when he moves to a new city, when the time in our lives where we spend the bulk of it together is coming to an end.

I'm happy for him. He's looking forward to the next chapter. Ready to figure out what he wants to do with his life, to begin again in a new city.

I know that I will adjust. I always do. It's just going to be a monumental loss. Each life contains some of these, and I'm ok with that: it means I'm fully engaged in my life and my son is fully engaged in his. Wouldn't want it any other way.

So glad that I still have three more years with my daughter at home. So glad my man came back.

And always and forever, so, so glad, whenever Prince (RIP) fills the airwaves:

I guess I should've known by the way you parked your car sideways
That it wouldn't last
See, you're the kinda person that believes in makin' out once
Love 'em and leave 'em fast
I guess I must be dumb 'cuz you had a pocket full of horses
Trojan and some of them used

But it was Saturday night, I guess that makes it all right
And you say - "What have I got to lose?"

And honey, I say Little Red Corvette
Baby, you're much too fast (Oh)
Little Red Corvette
You need a love that's gonna last

I guess I should've closed my eyes when you drove me to the place

A little state park time on the way home!

Where your horses run free
Cuz I felt a little ill when I saw all the pictures
Of the jockeys that were there before me
Believe it or not, I started too worry
I wondered if I had enough class

But it was Saturday night, I guess that makes it all right
And you say - "Baby, have you got enough gas?"
Oh yeah!

Little Red Corvette
Baby, you're much too fast (Yes you are)
Little Red Corvette
You need to find a love that's gonna last (Oh, oh)

A body like yours oughta be in jail
Cuz it's on the verge of bein' obscene
Move over, baby, gimme the keys
I'm gonna try to tame your little red love machine

Little Red Corvette
Baby, you're much too fast
Little Red Corvette
Need to find a love that's gonna last, hey hey

Little Red Corvette
Honey, you got to slow down (Got to slow down)
Little Red Corvette
Cuz if you don't, you're gonna run your little red corvette right in the ground
(Little Red Corvette)
Right down to the ground (Honey, you got to slow down)
You, you, you got to slow down
(Little Red Corvette)
You're movin' much too fast, too fast
Need to find a love that's gonna last

Girl, you got an ass like I never seen, ow!
And the ride
I say the ride is so smooth, you must be a limousine
Ow!

Baby, you're much too fast
Little Red Corvette
You need a love, you need a love that's, uh, that's gonna last
(Little Red Corvette)

Babe, you got too slow down (you got too slow down)
Little Red Corvette
Cuz if you don't, cuz if you don't
You're gonna run your body right into the ground (Right into the ground)
Right into the ground (Right into the ground)
Right into the ground (Right into the ground)

Little red corvette!

Jesus Loves You

Rockin' the stage at The Majestic Theatre

The Old 97s were also fun to hear live -- and I think this was my favorite number:

Jesus loves you more than I do
Just because He doesn't know you
Not like I do

Jesus says you'll get salvation
If you just keep on waitin'
And readin' the same book
Over and over again

Well, you can talk to Him all night

My man and one of his four big sisters

But I'm right here
He makes wine from water
But I just bought you a beer

You say Jesus loves you
And I say what about me?
Maybe Jesus loves you
But where the hell is he?

He's got the power and the glory
He's got a pretty kick-ass story
And what do I got?
I got the hots for you

He's got the whole world in His hands
I've got a Lone Star in cans
And I'm bringin' one over to you
And I'm sittin' down next to you

I'm not discountin' the Sermon on the Mount
And oh, when I was little you know
They dunked me in the fountain
They told me I was born again
But since then I've been torn
And when I think about making love with you
I know it would be more than sin

I'm a real person
A real live person
You could do a whole lot worse than
Ending up with me then
Even though I'm a heathen
Not everybody out there is
Connecting like we've been

I'll take you to the river
Let me take you to the river
I will deliver you

Pray to Him all night
But I'm your man
He can walk on water
But I'll kiss you on the sand

You say Jesus loves you
And I say what about me?
Maybe Jesus loves you
But where the hell is he?

Jesus loves you more than I do
Just because He doesn't know you
Not like I do

Clever lyrics, right?

Everything I Had

One of my man's sisters came to visit today, and she's a big fan of live music and The Old 97s. She asked if we wanted to go to their concert on Sunday night.

Sunday night!? I thought, picturing my usual Sunday night in my yoga clothes/Pjs. I couldn't really even wrap my brain around going to a concert on a Sunday.

But I agreed, to be a good sport, and I am so glad I did.

As soon as this rockin' chick, Lilly Hiatt, came out on stage for the opening act and started to sing, I had no regrets:

Word on the street
You got yourself a new girl
I would’ve given anything
To light up your world

“You women go crazy”
That’s what you fuckers say
For loving someone the right way

Let me tell ya something
I’ve had it up to here with that

Cuz I gave you everything, everything that I had
I gave you everything, everything that I had

I’m the one getting angry
So the night’s on my back
But you’re saying nothing at all
So cut me some slack

I spent all those nights feeling so guilty
For letting you near the ugliest parts of me
I think it’s time I stop feeling stupid for that

Cuz I gave you everything, everything that I had
I gave you everything, everything that I had

I thought you called cuz you wanted to see me
You were just calling because I was easy
You know that I love you, how dare you do something like that

Cuz I gave you everything, everything that I had
I gave you everything, everything that I had

I was also super grateful to be standing side by side with the man I gave everything that I had, and then thought I lost.

So, so grateful...

Bargain

Best I've ever had, ever could have, ever will have. #bestever

This weekend we made the long trek up to our favorite Midwestern spot: Copper Harbor, in the U.P.

It wasn't a perfect weekend for it, by any means: I've been processing traumatic memories (most likely thanks to my mother's birthday on Friday) which means not much sleep and lots of tears, I have a cold, we couldn't get Friday or Monday off work, the forecast was chilly one day and rainy the next...

But it was our last opportunity to get up there this Fall, so we took it. And though it wasn't easy in a lot of ways, it was, as it always is, glorious: the mountain biking, Lake Superior, Brickside Brewery, ahhhh...

And don't forget lots of car time with my man, whether it be driving or sleeping (as we did the second night when it wasn't just cold but pouring rain). That's always a treat.

Especially with a sound track like this:

I'd gladly lose me to find you
I'd gladly give up all I had
To find you I'd suffer anything and be glad

I'd pay any price just to get you
I'd work all my life and I will
To win you I'd stand naked, stoned and stabbed

I'd call that a bargain
The best I ever had
The best I ever had

I'd gladly lose me to find you
I'd gladly give up all I got
To catch you I'm gonna run and never stop

I'd pay any price just to win you
Surrender my good life for bad
To find you I'm gonna drown an unsung man

I'd call that a bargain
The best I ever had
The best I ever had

I sit looking 'round
I look at my face in the mirror
I know I'm worth nothing without you
In life one and one don't make two
One and one make one
And I'm looking for that free ride to me
I'm looking for you

I'd gladly lose me to find you
I'd gladly give up all I got
To catch you I'm gonna run and never stop

I'd pay any price just to win you
Surrender my good life for bad
To find you I'm gonna drown an unsung man

I'd call that a bargain
The best I ever had
The best I ever had

Yes he is!

The Getaway

Ahhhh, California. How I've missed you!

Across the aisle from me en route to California on Wednesday was a VERY chatty dude and his very attractive girlfriend. Among other topics they tried to include me in chatting about was The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I had to admit I hadn't kept up with their newer stuff, but back in the day, they were a fave, and hearing Under the Bridge always feels like getting to hang out with an old friend.

That's what inspired my song choice to mark my days in Cali:

That’s right you’re right
We will do our thing tonight alright
Take me through the future
It’s time you’re fine
Just another color coded crime
Incision and a suture
You told my friend
We would get it on no matter when
A supercavitation
Let’s go you show
Me something no one will ever know
A love hallucination
Another lonely superstar
To get away inside your car
Take it much too far
Surrender to the brave inside
A lover that another tried
Take it, too my ride
You don’t have to keep it if it’s mine
(Another lonely superstar to getaway inside your car)
Another place maybe another time
(Surrender to the brave inside a lover that another tried)
Complete repeat
Sitting in your car and on your street
Lost in California
Let’s steal this wheel
Take a spin to find out how we feel
Just around the corner
Slow down for sound
Turn it up and no we can’t be found
The body that we transcend
Asleep, you weep
Find out that the trick is never cheap
A melancholy girlfriend
Another lonely superstar
To get away inside your car
Take it much too far
Surrender to the brave inside
A lover that another tried
Take it, too my ride
You don’t have to keep it if it’s mine
(Another lonely superstar to getaway inside your car)
Another place maybe another time
(Surrender to the brave inside a lover that another tried)
That’s right you’re right
We will do our thing tonight, alright
Drive the constellation
It’s time you’re fine
Just another color coded crime
The song is fascination
Another lonely superstar
To get away inside your car
Take it much too far
Surrender to the brave inside
The lover that another tried
Take it, too my ride
A May December might not be so smart
(Another lonely superstar to getaway inside your car)
Arrivals that we wish would not depart
(Surrender to the brave inside a lover that another tried)
Don’t be late cause you’re my savior
Make it great whatever stays
Golden gate my rearranger
Hold my name inside your rays

That's a whole lotta words, especially since it's the last line that most resonated for me. Yes please, California, as I prepare to head back to the impending Winter in Wisconsin, please hold my name inside your rays...

Speaking of, until the tide washed it away, the beach in Santa Monica held my lover's initials:

Feeling Good

16th St Baptist Church in Birmingham with a running buddy

This song is on repeat for me at the moment:

Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Gotta love a great sign with a great sky behind it!

Fish in the sea
You know how I feel
River running free
You know how I feel
Blossom on a tree
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

For me

Stars when you shine
You know how I feel
Scent of the pine

Railway Park, Birmingham

You know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life

Something shifted in me when I went on that quick business trip to Birmingham, Alabama.

It could've been the amazing practice I had with Akasha at Birmingham Yoga.

It could've been the run with running buddies I met at last year's conference that took us to lots of cool Birmingham sites.

Or it could've just been getting out of town, getting some good sleep, shifting my perspective:

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
It's a new life
For me

And I'm feeling good

Oh, and don't forget coming home to my man. I loved that part of the trip too!

I'm feeling good
I feel so good
I feel so good

So good!