jessica's top 10 reasons to love the national in nashville.

1.  the gravely voice of lead singer matt berninger is perfection.

2.  the guitarist who flank each side of him are identical twin brothers.

3.  lead singer, matt berninger, said the previous night they had shared a venue with an arena that was doing the live mary poppins show.  he went on to say that there were a lot of inappropriate mary poppins jokes made last night and he would refrain from them tonight.  then he said, "so i dedicate this song to mary poppins and her family......is mary poppins even real???"

4.  after the show, the violinist/keyboarder for the night walked me.  my partner in crime said, "you should ask him to sign your poster...nudge, nudge."  i said, "i don't have a pen.  (sorry charlie)"  he said, "but i do."  i got his autograph and we exchanged words and smiles.

5.  because matt can scream and it sounds awesome, and if any one else did it, it would sound rediculous.  

6.  when he does go into his screaming lyrics, it looks very much like he is having an all out temper tantrum, but he is just feeling the music.  and it is lovely.  as you watch, you can tell it is what he was born to do.

7.  on stage he talked about when he was a young man.  and then he went on to say, "i can be responsible for what i did when i was young...when i was in my thirties..."

okay, that's just funny.

8.  the camaraderie of the band on stage, they talked to each other as if they were genuine friends.  and even though it was me and thousands of their closest friends gathered to hear them sing, i felt just like perhaps they would still sing if it would have just been me.  even though, i am aware this is highly unlikely...no need to point that out.  thank you very much.

9.  the last song of the encore, they performed sans microphones and au natural.  just the national and the ryman.

perfection.

10.  you are officially cool in my book, if you can crowd surf while singing wearing a suit.  

i mean, come on...could you do that?  and make it work?

yeah, me either.

i dropped my drugs.

the other night i had a headache and in an attempt to make the headache go away, i searched high and low for some tylenol and found it nestled all snug in my purse.  after plowing through en endless array of things i deem as necessities that i must carry around with me whenever, wherever...i finally got to the bottle o' drugs, just to drop the ever loving pills into my handbag which forced me to clean it out.

bummer.  because i liked having 1,256,496 receipts in there.  after throwing away the said receipts, here's what was left.

underwear.  because who doesn't have blue striped boxer briefs in their purse?

drugs.  don't leave home without them.  although, don't drop them after you have them in your hand or you will be forced to clean out your purse.  and then write a confessional blog.  and then be embarrassed of the contents of your purse.

oh ziploc how i love thee.  i mean, let's talk about this.  what can't they do?  this here ziploc is holding the wipes that you never know when will be needed.  notice the supply is low---they are needed.  let's review.  what was the first thing i had in my purse again?  riiiiiiiiiiight, extra underwear.  case and point.

note to self:  refill wipe supply.

possibly one of the best gifts i have been given beside my D90.  this allows me to go sans purse when i am cool and at a show with www.braddstudios.blogspot.com which is rather often.  just hook her on your wrist and the rest is history.

just keepin it real folks.  i am a girl.  these are needed.

that's love.  i was having a bad day a while back and bessie sent me flowers.  and i have hung onto this card because it make me happy.  although it was buried underneath all the other crap and i didn't really even know i had it.  but it sounded better to say the previous, and it DOES make me happy.  i am going now to put it in a safe place.  thank you very much.

the national.  if you do not have this CD, never heard of them or are interested in the cover art...  listen to them, now.  they are awesome.  and awesome.  and awesome.  listen, download and buy.  you will not be sorry.  you can thank me later.

because why not?  a mcdonalds matchbox car.  unopened.  bribery at it's finest.

a notepad.  a cute one.  from anthropology.  i have four for all four seasons.  this one is my winter notepad.  i have three more, summer, spring and fall.  i have carried this winter one for two years. don't judge.  i am saving the others.  i have issues with saving things.  (more on this later)

because one time i read that hilary duff loves these and keeps them with her at all times.  so i thought, "hump, i think i will love those too and want to keep them with me at all times"  and so i do.  never know when you are gonna need some clean teeth.  they are a must in a ladies handbag.  go buy some.

gum, just incase i run out of wisps.

diaper.  oh hush, you have one too.  this is awesome when i am out with www.braddstudios.com or the girls and when i go to look for something it never fails to be the first thing i pull out of my purse.  because i am cool like that.

where to eat locally?  i got the book.  i keep it right between the diaper and underwear.

i can never find these because...who can ever find a pen when needed?  right?  i am putting them in a safe place now.  right now.  in the side pocket, and i bet they stay there.  for about 4.5 seconds.

just kidding...she wasn't in my purse.  you were worried, huh?

p.s.  after all of that...i found the tylenol that i had dropped.  shew.

ticketmaster alert.

lately, i feel like my head is a collection of mush.  brain has been replaced by mush.  i am hoping soon, we (the brain and i) get back together and decide to become reacquainted because i am starting to miss feeling halfway intelligent.

i also think when you spend most of your days with children less than five, this becomes a reality.  saying your ABC's and singing ridiculously silly songs "to make the baby smile" make you loose brain cells.

math, fuuuugetaboutit.

science, huh?

but twinkle, twinkle...i got that.  hand motions and all.

tonight, i got a ticketmaster alert that one of my favorites were coming to town.

"oh, could it be?  perhaps it is she and him, the national, OH RAY (ray lamontagne) i already knew about you, MICHAEL BOLTON?"  

after all, i AM nashville.  i AM in the know.

and 


I DO

get twitter updates and emails from US weekly.  let's be honest, the brain may be mush, but it's not for lack of trying.

back to the original story.

was there an original story?

an original point?

am i original?

i wanna be original.

unique maybe.

i go the email update from ticketmaster, saying 'check it out one of your favorites is coming to nashville.'  

it was 

THE WIGGLES.

the wiggles?  yes, the australian all male singing groups that wear the colorful shirts.
please don't make me name them, because i can.  don't try me.

i am a never married, without children, grown adult living in the fabulous city of nashville - with some awesomeness going on in the musical genre every night

and

i get an update that i need to hurry and get my tickets, BEFORE THEY ARE GONE, to the wiggles.

i digress.

one of the little fellas is even scared of them.

can't say i blame the guy.

my brain is mush and for that i am sorry,

jessica

i'm so lonesome i could cry.

isn't that a song?  i think my mom used to sing it to me...kinda like a lullaby.  what was she trying to say?  was i that boring of a child?  i think i might have just given myself a complex.

thanks mom.

this weekend, nashville packed up and moved to manchester, tennessee and everyone that is not from nashville and/or lives here is selling out our hotels and enjoying all the goods that country music has to offer.  they are putting money back into our economy that was wrecked by the flood by buying out every pink cowboy hat in this town and boots to match.

if you live here, just look around.  i am right.

i am a non-participater in both.

he (www.baddstudios.blogspot.com) is in manchester, tennessee enjoying the likes of the national, weezer, lcd soundsystems, the flaming lips, jay-z, stevie wonder and so much more.  at the last minute i bailed for another trip that we have planned.

and i knew i would miss him.

but.

i miss him.  (barf bag, go ahead and get it, i know i know.)

what usually is a weekend of just whatever happens to be going on, but together, is me without him.  and i miss him.  and i have been busy.  i have had a full day of work yesterday.  today was the pool all day and then all evening with friends at arrington winery.  i have had stuff to do, i have been busy.  but i feel lonesome, i feel like a piece of me is missing.

it is so weird.

i kinda like it.
having someone to miss.

while i am missing him, he is living his favorite four days of the year and missing me might just be last on his list.  for he is in heaven.  and i am okay with that.

i am not so lonesome i could cry.  i am just lonesome.

but i will be glad when he comes back to nashville.

at least i can dry his tears because he is so sad that bonnaroo is over.

because i am that nice.

and i miss his face.

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UPDATE:  for all of those that have asked, my dad is doing better.  he has had three good days and it looks like that we are going to be able to get him into a doctor at vanderbilt that my brother thinks might have some answers.  he is still in short term care, but after a week will re-evaluate and he may be able to return home.  please continue to keep him in your prayers and thoughts.