Golden Ring

I'm not feeling up to Whiff today and I have about 3, 432 loads of laundry to do. Instead of my own story, y'all need to read this one.

I do love a heartwarming story. I don't know what I was looking for, but, I happened upon this website for the Donelson High School Class of 1966, who had their 40th reunion a couple months back. It's not brain surgery nor will it bring and end to the war, but, it's pretty wild.

In a nutshell, a class ring was found by a nice guy named Stan, who has a metal detector, in New Jersey. The closest thing to a name on the ring were the initials "EHB". The person who found the ring did an internet search on Donelson High School and hooked up with George, who was putting together the upcoming reunion.

It was determined that the ring belonged to Drummer Extrordinaire Eddie Bayers. Apparently, the time he was separated from the ring, he was a starving artist, living under the boardwalk in Jersey. My guess is that he pawned it.

Anyway, it's a neat story and Eddie got his ring back. Go read it.

Blogging Germs

I am fearful that I'm coming down with something. I got really, really sleepy this afternoon and took a long nap (which I never do) and my throat is all scratchy and stuff. Maybe it's just my allergies and sinus issues, that never seem to leave me alone.

If I get sick, it's all CeeElCee's and Sara Clark's fault. All this talk about summer colds and such. I haven't seen Sara in over a month and it's been about a week since I last saw Uncle Cee. Still. I'm holding them both entirely responsible for any convalescing that may take place in the next couple days.

Yeah, We Tease Him A Lot Cause We've Hot Him On The Spot

There's a new assistant principal at the middle school this year.

Guess what his name is?

Mr. Cotter. Mista Cah-teer. Mr. Cot-tear. Heh.

All the parents will be cracking up about that and the kids will have no clue why we think it's funny.

Back To Skoo

The bus has departed with the middle schooler and now high schooler to deposit them at their respective schools. Wonder what #1 would do if I drove to the school and as he walks in, is met by me, camera in hand, to document his first day of high school?? Reckon how long it'd be before he spoke to me again?

He used to pose dutifully every First Day of School for the annual Clean and Shiny with Backpack picture. The last time he did that was the picture here, the day he started Middle School. He doesn't even bring his school pictures home for inspection anymore. I usually have to wait til the yearbook comes out to see what his picture looked like. Boys are so funny that way.

I have to tell this story....when #1 started 2nd grade, we had a brand new elementary school to go to. We go to the new school, not really knowing anybody there, to meet the teacher and fill out all the first day papers.

There were a lot of people in the room and we had to wait our turn to meet the teacher. I'm sitting at a little desk filling papers out, and #1 is across the room sitting.

I happened to look up and #1 is sitting in this chair, all lounging and comfortable with his hand in his pants...Al Bundy style. I got his attention and I said "STOP THAT!" No problem.

A couple minutes later, I look up again, just in time and as if somebody cued him "NOW" to hear #1 let out a hellatious fart. Right there in the classroom, people all around. Of course, he thought it was hysterical. I was mortified.

I'm quite grateful that #1 has since learned a few manners and am hopeful that he doesn't make quite the explosive entry into his high school as he did his new elementary school back in '99.

Shopping For Kids

We had to go to the dreaded mall this evening when I got off work. I hate malls. They make me sleepy.

I'm not an official predictor on The Staggering Prophets, but, I think Rivergate may be experiencing the beginning of the end. LOTS of stores are gone from there. Stores that have been there since the beginning of time...Pass Pets, Royal Doulton and others. I think it's a matter of time before it goes the way of Bellevue Mall.

The Daughter weasled her Grandmother Smiff to buy her some stuff at that horrific place....Abercrombie. That place should be outlawed. They play music (warning: old person alert) at a decibel level that surely must cause a hearing loss and they have tshirts that are made out of flimsy material that they charge $20 for. Then there's the $45 and up jeans with holes in them. I hate it.

We ran into The Daughter's best friend (the one who has been so sick with the strep in the kidney thing. She's doing better) and I was telling her mother, no, I was screaming over the loud music, saying how I hate going into that store. This grandfatherly looking man, accompanied by a boy of about 12, said "Amen!" and gave me a high five. Pretty funny.

The really bad part about it is #2 was along for this un-pleasure trip and even though he's 8, he's all about some clothes. He spotted a number of things he wanted and he ended up going home with a spray of the Abercrombie Guy cologne on and a polo shirt. Ugh.

#2 has several images he's working on at the moment, the latest include these black cowboy boots that were handed down to him through Grascal Jimmy's son. He wears them EVERYWHERE and with every kind of ensemble you can imagine.....shorts, khaki pants, jeans....you name it, the cowboy boots go with #2 everywhere he goes. The Daughter is highly embarrassed by the boots.."Does he HAVE to wear the boots?" she is often heard inquiring of late. I tell her "He's 8. If he were 15 and doing this, I'd be concerned."

Another "look" #2 goes for is the Steve and Joe look...the Steve and Joe of "Blues Clues." He's been perfecting these looks for a long time now. He doesn't want anybody his age knowing he still thinks this is the show of shows. He has a green and blue striped rugby shirt he wears with khaki pants, just like Steve and he found a blue, long sleeve shirt to wear to look like Joe. Even when it's 100 degrees out, like it has been, it's not unusual to find him in that long sleeve Steve shirt a lot of days. The only difference is I don't recall Steve or Joe ever wearing cowboy boots with their outfits.

#1 could care less about fashion. He likes the screen print tshirts with retro rock stars on them. He's the easiest kid to shop for, although I did go to White Bridge Rd. Target today trying to find him an ACDC Back in Black tshirt. The Hendersonville Target was out of them (of course, I've seen hundreds of them there and they are nowhere to be find when I need one) and all White Bridge Rd, had was tshirts that said "For Those About To Rock-1982 Tour" on it. He was happy. AND it only cost $12.99. I was happy about that.

Money For Nothing

I decided this morning that my eyebrows needed a little work. What started as a search for my tweezers ended up in me cleaning out my purse.

I didn't find the tweezers, however, I found something better. All that change on the bottom of my purse...I counted it and it added up to $16.78. That's not counting the quarters and stuff in my wallet. I've been walking around with nearly $20 in my purse that I was unaware of. I thought that my purse had gotten heavy.

Scoff if you will at my laziness and my lackadaisical habit of mine of throwing change in the bottom of the purse. That little unexpected goldmine will be lunch money next week for the Smiff Kids as they return to their places of learning.

Sometimes it pays to be totally disoraganized.

Phone The Neighbors, Wake The Kids

If you've been reading me awhile and heard me speak of Mr. Smiff and you are just dying to know what makes this Man of the Bass tick, well, today, will be your lucky shot to hear The Man speaketh. Today at 3 pm eastern, 2 pm central on XM Radio's Bluegrass Junction, you can hear Mr. Smiff, along with fellow Grascal, Terry Eldredge (aka "Uncle Bobo by the Smiff Kids) have a chat with the indomitable Kyle Cantrell about their upcoming cd Long List of Heartaches.

I can assure you, these two will not be discussing their opinions on the War, the recent primary elections or anything serious. My disclaimer here is I take no responsibility for the potential retardo-ness that may spew forth from their mouths.

Now, I know some of you are saying "Sista Smiff, I don't have XM Radio. I feel left out of this potential fun and frivolity. This is not fair." Ah...never fear, my dear blogging brothers and sisters....you most certainly can take part in this most auspicious occasion.

You can go to XM's website and sign up for a free, three day trial. That way, you can not only experience hearing the voice of my Babys' Daddy, but, you can also check out the rest XM has to offer, which is much. (Besides great the country stations, I'm quite partial to the 70's and 80's channel and "Frank's Place" which plays nothing but Frank Sinatra and his contemporaries)

I can't promise Producer J won't show up at your house making a sales call though. Just be on your guard.

If you don't catch it today, the rest of the airing schedule of this historic interview is as follows:


Wednesday 8/9: 3pm ET
Sunday 8/13: Noon ET
Tuesday 8/15: 9 pm ET
Saturday 8/19: 8 am ET
Monday 8/21: Noon ET
Thursday 8/24 Midnight ET
Sunday 8/27 5 am ET
Tuesday 8/29 10 am ET

This Meme Is Brought To You By The Letter "N"

I have been tagged by Flagpolesitta. I have been charged with coming up with 5 songs that begin with the letter "N".

Here goes:

1. Never Ending Song of Love-Delaney & Bonnie OR Patty Loveless and Dwight Yoakam.

2. Never Been To Spain- Creedence Clearwater Revival (Elvis did a bang up job on this one, too)

3. New York Mining Disaster, 1941 - Bee Gees

4. North To Alaska- Johnny Horton

5. Nowhere Man-The Beatles

He said 5, but, I thought of a couple more:

6. Nashville Cats-The Lovin' Spoonful OR Del McCoury Band

7. Norwegian Wood-The Beatles

8. Nightlife-Willie, Ray Price and a bunch of other people.

So, I guess this means I have to tag someone else...who will it be?

Image Is Everything

We survived High School Orientation last night with a few minor bumps regarding coolness and boundaries. Nobody got hurt and now #1 is pumped about starting school.

It dawned on me this morning....#1 has a thing about us (especially me) being seen in public with him. He's at that age where parents are most uncool and apparently, he's really wanting to give off the image that he's an independent guy. You know, like he has his own apartment and sees his parents on holidays, your average, typical 14 year old swinging, single dude. When they want you to drop them off, and ask you to drop them off a block away, do they want their friends to think that they drove themselves???? I'm beginning to think this is the way it is.

One thing sorta surprised me at Orientation last night. They gave the kids their schedules and let them find all their classes so they wouldn't be so overwhelmed Thursday morning. I was shocked at the number of mom's who were holding the schedule, looking for the class and telling their kid "That's where you go." Mothers...this is not a healthy thing.

#1 ditched me about the time he found his third period class because he wanted to run around with some of his friends. Fine. He claims he found all his classes, but, come Thursday morning, if he did not and he gets lost, it sure isn't going to be my fault. I'm sure he'll try to hang it on me, but, my purpose at the event was to provide, comic, snarkish relief. It is my spiritual gift after all, and what better place than to be snarky than a high school full of Popular Girls and their Popular, Muffia Moms?!?!?

Simply Shocking

I was flabbergasted to read this story about that guy who was arrested for a number of killings in Phoenix. How surprising it is that he was abusive to his first wife?

The first wife, Tracie Hazelett, says that Dale Hausner was "mentally abusive" and would talk about how he could kill her and get away with it.

"She said Hausner never hit her, but constantly belittled her. "I was really miserable," she said. "He'd tell me, 'You can't cook, you can't clean. You're ugly. No one wants you.'"
In a jailhouse news conference Monday, Dale Hausner challenged Karen Hausner's claims.
"That's just ex-wife stuff," he said. "That's just character assassination. She is just looking to get her ugly face in the paper."

Looking to get her "ugly" face in the paper? Yeah...I'm sure ol Dale was a peach of a husband.

Country Radio

If you like you some old time, traditional country music and are frustrated cause you can't hear it much on the radio (WSM, while great plays the same songs over and over, too) take you a listen to KKUS Radio in Tyler, Texas.

Mini Cee brought up the late T. Tommy Cutrer yesterday and there were a number of country DJ's from that era, like, Hugh Cherry, Dad, Joe Allison, Squeakin' Deacon and others, who were very important in their markets. Unfortunately, they're all gone, BUT, there is one who is still at it and has a regular show every weekday morning on KKUS and that is the fabulous Tom Perryman.

Tom has been around since dirt and was very instrumental in careers of people like Jim Reeves, Jim Ed Brown, Elvis...if you like that sort of thing, go listen to him live.

I don't know that XM or Sirius' traditional, old time stations ever play Patsy Montana's "I Wanna Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart", but, Tom does. How fun is that?

Shindig At The Hall

A few pictures from the Hall of Fame soiree last Thursday night. I didn't take enough photos. I put a few more on my Flickr.






I don't guess there's a way to tally up the miles these two have traveled between them the last 50 something years. Two living, breathing, legends....Ray Price and Earl Scruggs.







Quite a quartet with Hazel, nephew Smiff, Buddy Killen and Bob McLean







Ray Price meets Sista Smiff...."Is your mother Shirley?" (He didn't say that, but, I bet you he was thinking it)

Driving Lesson Gone Bad

Stuff like this makes me a bit afraid to start teaching my teens to drive. #1 will be 15 on his next birthday so I'd better get at it.

Seems that most people I talk to learned to drive as kids, including myself. I can remember being as young as about 7 or 8 and sitting in Dad's lap and we'd ride around the neighborhood. He'd have his feet on the pedals but I would steer. As I got older, I did the pedals and became the excellent driver I am today. (So far, I've never gotten a speeding ticket).

I think the teach them early method is better. Maybe we've just gotten so busy in our current society or too wimpy and helmet crazed. The public schools don't even offer Driver's Ed anymore. At least ours doesn't.

If any of my kids kill me while I'm teaching them to drive, I will be, as that great philosopher and Friend of Smiff, Raymond E. Huffmaster would say....pissed right ON off. I will refuse to speak to them in Heaven.

Linkage

Out of the three Smiff kids, #1 Son gets the least amount of Whiffing. I don't know why that is, for he is certainly Whiffable. It could be that he's gotten to that age where he neither requires nor desires my presence as much as he used to. He is certainly, and has always been, how do I say it without sounding like a horrible mother, less demanding than either of his siblings.


Even when he was just a little bitty feller, a year old w when I was pregnant with his sister, he'd be content to stay in his playpen and watch CMT, nonstop, so I could rest. He's just always been easy to deal with. Even in the nursery at what was then Westside Hospital, now Centennial, a nurse informed me I had a laid back child. "He is low key", she said.


This is a big week for #1. He begins High School Thursday and will be headed over to Freshman Orientation tonight to get his schedule and have an idea where to go when he gets there later in the week.





Yes, yes.....I know what you're thinking... Sista Smiff is entirely too young to have a child in high school. I do agree. The years are a'flyin' by and it definitely leaves such a young mother, like myself, with some odd, mixed emotions about the whole deal.

I'm quite proud #1. I know he'll do well in high school. I know one thing...he shore as hell better hit those books and make some good grades so he can get some scholarship money in a few years. He certainly has the potential and the smarts. Get him going sometime on the history of World Wars I & II. He could be on one of those documentaries they show on the History Channel.

The timing is good for #1 to get a nice mention in his Grandmother's column on CMT this week. She tells the same story I told here last weekend. He'll get a nice kick out of it. 

Concerning My Coif

This morning at church, a lady I've known for more than ten years, who is a hairdresser, and I were chatting. She reaches up and starts messing with my hair. Messing, as in trying to fix it. "I hope you don't mind me doing this. This one little piece just looked a little freaked out."

What I wanted to say was "Don't. Touch. My. Hair." I didn't remember it being "freaked out" before I left my mirror an hour or so before. Even if it was sticking straight up like the Cowlick From Hell, still. I thought it was a little rude of her.

This lady is a good hairdresser. I used to go to her about ten years ago. She knows her way around some scissors and can fix you right on up. She owns her own hair place in Hendersonville and has a large clientele. The reason I stopped going to her was because she was slightly condescending. For example...I had gotten a perm at Castner's (remember when Castner's was a good place to get your hair done?) a couple months or so before I started going to her. It was not a bad perm. I didn't look like I had stuck my finger in a socket, nor were the ends breaking off in pieces. It was a perm. It did its job.

She began to refer to that particular perm I had as a "Home Perm." She didn't do that once. She ALWAYS referred to my "Home Perm" every single time I was in her chair and it pissed me off. I'd correct her and say "It wasn't a home perm", but, she never failed to insult my chemically induced coif. I'm of the mind that it's a little on the non-professional side to badmouth whoever did your hair before they did. Right?

She has complemented me recently on my hairdo and claimed "Whoever is doing your hair does a good job." Yeah. At least I've stopped getting those HOME PERMS! Gah.

Bless This House

I just ran up to Kroger's a minute ago for a couple things and just as I was telling #2 that no, he could not get that Sponge Bob coloring book, I see this figure whizz by me. I look up and it was none other than Jarrod Hawkins, who just returned yesterday from Disney World to his brand new dream home, built courtesy of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He was buying paper towels and he had something of a deer in the headlights look on his face. I imagine he was was moving so fast because he didn't want some well-meaning person to stop him for a chat. Either that, or those chilluns have done spilt something on what is sure to be a pretty new floor and he had to skedaddle for the Bounty.

I got to thinking that that poor guy's life has totally turned topsy turvy the last 4 months. I bet he never dreamed this time last year that his family would go through all they've been through. Besides the obvious...his wife becoming disabled, losing their home and everything in it, now they're having to deal with becoming instant celebrities, which I'm sure is attention they probably didn't want.

Last night, I noticed that Hendersonville's Finest still had the road their house is on blocked, I'm sure to keep curiosity seekers away so the family could enjoy their first night in their new home. My daughter noticed tonight that the police cars were gone and asked if we could ride by and see the house. I said no because I'm sure that little road has plenty of traffic and we don't need to add to it.

Can you imagine what it would be like to one day to be living your life all normal, doing your thing, then something awful happening, like what happened to them, getting tons of local media coverage and now the Extreme Home Makeover happening, and being thrust into the public eye? As if coping with the physical and emotional trauma of what they've been through isn't enough. No wonder Mr. Hawkins looked a little wigged out. It's been quite a week.

I'm sure the buzz will die down, but, until it does, going to eat at Jaybirds or Texas Roadhouse or even going to the grocery store will be a major ordeal, with the nice people of Hendersonville stopping them to say howdy and telling them they prayed for them and all that.

At any rate, I'm happy for them and wish them well as they move on with their lives. I bet they're enjoying that amazing swimming pool.

Breakfast In Bed.....sorta

#2 did a sweet thing this morning. He made me breakfast. He sure did.

Lots of Fridays when Mr. Smiff is on the road, #2 will hang out at Grandma's and one of their usual outings is to the Kroger. There's always a bag of groceries that #2 has chosen. Most contain large amounts of fructose and other things ending in "ose." Yesterday, he bought stuff to make S'mores, along with his favorite, chocolate Cookie Crisp cereal and Pop Tarts.

So, this morning, #2 tells me he's making me breakfast. He said these Double Berry Pop Tarts were the bomb..."You will LOVE them" he said, very confidently, as if he had discovered a culinary secret. Now, I like Pop Tarts ok, but, I prefer the less, shall we say, painfully sweet kind,not the ones that cause instant tooth decay. I dared not tell this to my youngest boy because he was quite proud to "fix" breakfast for me.

"Do you like it??!?!?!" he said in his best "He-likes-it-hey-Mikey" voice. I told him that this was indeed, by far, the best breakfast I've ever had. "I KNEW you'd love it!" He was quite proud of himself.

The generosity did not stop there. He and I went to the Y to do a little swimming and sunnin' and along about noontime, he said he was hungry and I gave him some money to go over to the little food trailer they have (Skyview Diner, they call it). A few minutes later, I'm laying there and he comes back, I thought he was done and I told him I needed to reapply his sunscreen. "Oh, I'm not done. I just wanted to bring you this" and he presented me with an ice cold can of my favorite beverage, Diet Dr. Pepper.

I thought that was sweet.

Do You Remember Paul Eels?

I don't know how I missed the news this week that former Channel 4 sportscaster Paul Eels was killed in a car accident in Arkansas. Those of us who have been in the Nashville area for awhile will remember his tag line of "Holy Smokes!" from his years at the sports helm of WSM TV from 1967-1978. Paul was the first sportsguy I recollect ever in my life.

Paul went from Nashville to Little Rock where he became the Voice of the Razorbacks. Arkansans loved Paul Eels so much, Governor Mike Huckabee ordered flags to be flown at half staff.

You can see pictures and video about Paul here. Terry Bolger did a wonderful piece on Paul that you can see from that link.

I just told CeeElCee not long ago that he made me think of Paul Eels. I'm not saying he could pass for his twin, but, his demeanor and the fact he makes you think of a smiley face is what made me think of him.

Birthday Salutations

I must pause to give Whiff to Nephew Smiff, who today is celebrating his 20th birthday. True, he is my nephew by virtue of marriage to his "Unc", but, I claim him just the same. I've had the pleasure of watching this young man grow from a 2 year old in training pants through his school years to now, a young adult.

We took the party down to Fuji at Rivergate. The food there is quite good and not as expensive as you will find it at it's more fancy schmancy counterparts. Because it's a little less expensive, the clientele is rather...well, let's just say Jeff Foxworthy talks about them often in his act. (Don't want to come off as the snooty princess everyone assumes me to be..heh)

For example, the people sitting at the table next to us....a couple with a little girl about 2. The mother, a very bleached blonde with a low cut top on. Listening to her talk was something akin to a cross between Anna Nicole Smith and Brittney Spears. As I was pondering her redneckness, she confirmed this when she took a nice, long sip of her margarita (or whatever it was...it was green in a martini glass). The little girl motioned and asked for the cherry. Brittney Nicole reached in the glass, got the cherry out and I'm thinking "She's going to wipe it off before she gives the cherry doused in alkeehol to the youngster) and put it right in that baby's mouth!!! Yes, she did!

Now, maybe it wasn't enough alcohol on it to cause any intoxication, but, am I crazy or ignorant to think that one doesn't give their two year old kid a cherry from a alkeeholic beverage?!?!?

Blue Ain't The Word For The Way That I Feel

The shindig at the Country Music Hall of Fame last night, celebrating the new Ray Price exhibit was fantastic. Even more fantastic was the fact that Sista Smiff met and chatted with The Cherokee Cowboy himself. (I will have a photo to prove it here in a couple days)

Ray is one of those legends that when you are face to face with, you are kinda speechless and in awe, at least I was. He lit up, as much as Ray can light up (very low key, that Ray) when he found out whose daughter I was and reminisced a bit about how far they went back.

The exhibit itself is really nice, although I must admit, I didn't experience the whole thing because it was hotter than hades in there, but, I saw some great clips of him singing, some outfits and all the regular stuff they have in those sorts of things.

I saw old friends like Jay Orr, Alan Stoker, John Rumble, Leigh Anne Wise, Charlie Douglas, Jo Walker-Meador, Earl Scruggs, Bob McLean, Kyle & Becky Cantrell; sat at the table with Hal Ketchum and his wife; chatted with Kirt Webster, Chet Flippo, Robert K. Oermann and his wife, Mary Bufwack; my blog/email pal Producer J from XM Radio; John Carter Cash and his wife Laura; steel guitar great Don Helms; I could've sworn that Irving Waugh was no longer amongst the living, but, apparently, he is, because he was there. Same with songwriter Danny (Long Black Veil) Dill. Coulda sworn he'd done gone to Glory, but, no. Charlie Dick, widower of Patsy Cline was also there in all his glory. Heh. Charlie Dick. How'd you like your last name to be "Dick?"

'Twas a fun evening. I was thrilled to get to chauffeur my mother in law to the gathering. I was thrilled to be able to leave #1 Son in charge of #2 so I could get out for a bit.

Even happier I got to stand next to greatness like Ray Price. Do enjoy this classic clip from the mid 50's of Ray, along with the most awesomeist twin fiddling by Tommy Jackson and Dale Potter.