I've Been Nooked!

So ... it finally arrived on Wednesday.  But there were massive tornados (www.alabamawx.com for info) going on so I'm just now getting around to a detailed post about it.

The box came early Wednesday .....

So I opened it ....

Got it charging, and turned it on ....

It fits perfectly in the case I ordered ....

And now I'm on my second book already!

I love it!!

If you're an avid reader, I highly recommend an e-reader (you'll have to decide on your own what brand to get based on your specific needs/wants). 

B&N has tons of free books, so I'm looking forward to discovering authors I never would've found otherwise.  In fact, the one I'm reading now is great and I found it just because it was free!  

Currently reading:  "The Mating" by Nicky Charles.  

It is very different, but very good.  It took about three chapters to really get into it, but now I cant put it down.  I'm already halfway through it and it is 900 pages!  

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The good - got the Nook today, it works, I love it!

The bad - tornados.  EVERYWHERE, ALL DAY LONG.  Cities of Tuscaloosa, Cullman, Hackleburg, all just devastated.  There were entire shopping centers, neighborhoods, and schools totally wiped out.  Gone.  Nothing left but a bare spot.

One tornado stayed on the ground through the whole state.  Came from MS and went to GA.  Tore Alabama up.  Debris from Tuscaloosa was deposited in Birmingham and beyond.  Everytime it dropped down it left some debris and picked up other.

The ugly - we wont know the full effect of how ugly it is (and it will be ugly) until tomorrow in the daylight.  So far the confirmed death toll in Alabama is 53.  This will likely go well beyond 100 I think.  There is one community - Hackleburg - that is so devastated it cant even begin to look for the missing effectively until daylight.  They have dozens (or more) unaccounted for because the damage is so bad they cant even get into some areas to look.

Please pray for everyone affected by these storms.  And almost everyone in the state of Alabama will be affected by this, if not directly, they will have friends who are affected.

There are no words to describe it.

I cannot begin to comprehend how blessed I and my family are, that in our area all we got were a few sprinkles of rain.

The tornado from Tuscaloosa:

4-27-11 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.

What was left after that tornado hit downtown Tuscaloosa:

One More Day ...

The Nook has made it to the local Post Office.  Unfortunately it came to late to get in my box before the end of the business day.  Hopefully I can get it when I come home for lunch tomorrow so I can put it on charge so it will be ready to go when I get home.

Now, I'm going over to the B&N site and see which free ebooks I want to download first!!

Easter!

First off, we went to church.  Then over to Ma and Pa's for lunch.  Ma put on a feast today.  And I (as always) ate way too much of it!

The Easter Bunny was running a little behind schedule, so he saved some time by dropping BoyChild's and A's baskets off when he dropped BabyGurl's off.  

Funny thing, both BoyChild and BabyGurl went straight for the little wax drink bottles first thing!

No pic of BabyGurl with her basket b/c she headed off for church early, but I got this one of the other two 'kids' when I took theirs to lunch. 

But then, the other kid wanted in the picture too.  Luckily I had given him his very own Easter basket as well.  

Then the Gabster came over.  I didnt get a lot of pics of her, but I did get this one of her curly-locks.  

I hope everyone has had as blessed a day as I have!

Tuff!

Who needs a tractor when you've got a BabyGurl?  She pulled up five of these metal fence posts today with her bare hands.  These posts have been in the ground for more than 30 years.  She's TUFF!

She and I are gonna have this place looking good by the end of this summer!

I Recommend ...

Just finished reading this one.  I've read several books by this author (most recently her 'FBI Series').  This one was different from what I've read recently, and therefore 'fresh'.

Looks like I'll have to go to the library tomorrow and get another one since my Nook is not going to arrive this weekend.  (It has however finally left Dallas at 6:55 this evening.  Destination unknown.)

One thing I am looking forward to with the Nook is the free books and therefore the perfect opportunity to discover new authors.

Stuck In Dallas ....

Tracking info started showing up last night for 'most' of the orders.

Apr 21, 2011 10:17 PM

Arrived at FedEx location

FEDEX SMARTPOST DALLAS, TX

Apr 15, 2011 10:06 PM

Shipment information sent to FedEx

Mine appears to be now sitting on a shelf/truck in Dallas while others have been scanned 'out' of Dallas.  However, 273 of the over 5,000 still have no tracking info at all.  So I guess it could be worse.

I so wanted it for the weekend so I could take time to properly set it up and get a few (free) books.  If it arrives on a weeknight I will stay up all night getting it set up.

Sigh .....

If there’s a plane or a bus leaving Dallas
I hope you’re on it
If there’s a train moving fast down the tracks
I hope you caught it

Cause I swear out there ain’t where you ought to be
So catch a ride, catch a cab
Don’t you know I miss you bad
But don’t you walk to me

Baby run, cut a path across the blue skies
Straight in a straight line
You can’t get here fast enough

Find a truck and fire it up
Lean on the gas and off the clutch
Leave dallas in the dust
I need you in a rush
So baby run


(c) Anthony Smith / Tony Lane
Recorded by George Strait

Craig Campbell ...

I just bought this album.  If you like real country music ..... go give it a listen.

Craig Campbell - Amazon $7.99

(It's also available at iTunes for $12.99 with a bonus track and video)

Here's a live version of 'Family Man'.

Getting Antsy ....

Woot is blaming FedEx.  Maybe it's true, maybe it's not.  The real problem is that Woot has no clue.  

They say in response to multiple complaints on their blog:

OK, eek, lots of shipping issues. 

We've been aware that several of you have not seen any movement in your tracking- we researched this issue and have basically come to the conclusion that one whole truck of these things has gone off the FedEx grid. As far as we are aware, they have all of these orders and they're just not scanning them. We're currently trying to figure out what the heck's happening, so please keep being patient with us. Best case, and most probable! They're in transit and someone just didn't do the originating scans. I'll post with more info as it becomes available, but keep an eye out for scans today and tomorrow, they should all be showing movement shortly.

A customer asks:

I'm guessing it's not one truck going rogue; There are those in Texas who don't have shipping info and haven't received it yet, and I'm in Michigan and I'm in the same boat. It seems strange that the same truck would be delivering to both places.

And they reply:

Sorry, let me re-explain. It's the truck we filled full of Nooks that has mysteriously gone off the radar. So, the great majority of orders have the same non-tracking issue that we can trace back to this one truck that left our facilities- of this we're sure. Where that truck is and what's happened to the cargo is a mystery right now, but in the past when this has happened, it's just been an issue with the driver not scanning in the packages at the hub before they get distributed to the trucks that will set them on their magical journeys across the US.

Another customer asks: 

So if it is a bigger issue what steps could be taken? Would it be replacement Nooks? Even if we get refunded the price we paid, we won't be able to get a replacement NOOK as cheap and many of us bought cases and/or warranties (square trade) already. If I have to get a refurbished nook straight from B&N that's more money I didn't plan on spending.

And they reply:

That's an excellent question, but a bridge we'd have to cross when we get to it. Obviously, if FedEx has managed to lose all these, our first wish would be to reship them. It would then be a matter of trying to figure out if we have enough and/or how many could we get? It would royally suck to only be able to replace so many of them. 

The second possibility is that they could have been mislabeled or otherwise mis-somethinged so FedEx would have to come back here and dump them off. In that scenario, we would reship and probably offer a lil somethin somethin for the trouble. 

Whatever's happening, we'll make it right, we just have to figure out if it's a greater issue. My own personal, totally unbiased opinion: just a mis-scanning. (fingerscrossed)

So, like I said ...... WOOT HAS NO CLUE WHERE OUR NOOKS ARE!!

I WANT MY NOOK!!  NOW!!  

Still Waiting ...

Well, I ordered my Nook on the 13th.  It supposedly shipped on the 15th.  Still no Nook.  I'm trying to be patient because Woot is notorious for taking their sweet time to get things out to you.  But for the prices they offer and $5 shipping (per order, no matter what), I guess it's to be expected that there might be a few little "inconveniences" such as slow shipping.

I did get the neoprene 'sleeve' I ordered from eBay for it though.  It's not much protection if it's dropped, but it's good enough for right now.  Mostly I just want something to keep the dust out and keep little nicks and scratches away.  If I actually take it anywhere (vacation) it will probably be in my laptop case or something more secure anyway.

Maybe tomorrow it will come.  I will keep you posted!

Here's the sleeve:

Who Let The Dogs Out?

Sisters Natty and Agnes, playing with cousin Nita.

Books, Books, Books ...

If you're looking for book ideas, surf over to Kelly's Korner where she is having her Show Us Your Life series on Friday's.  This week her topic is "what books are you reading?".

I used to read a lot.  A LOT.  (As a teen I even read the encyclopedias when I couldn't get to the library for more books!)

Then, a few years ago, I got out of reading books and stayed online (a lot).  I read online ... news headlines, articles, emails from friends, and then of course, there was 'social networking'.  Recently, (about two months ago) I started reading books again.  Went to my local library (very convenient as it is next door to where I work) and checked out three books.  I checked out three books by authors I had previously (years ago) loved, and found that my tastes had not changed and I still love those authors.  I've been reading at least two books a week recently.

I read JA Jance's books 'The JoAnna Brady Series' about a lady sheriff.  I also read Catherine Coulter's "FBI Series" with Agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich.  In the past I've read John Grisham, Stuart Woods, Danielle Steele, Sandra Brown, and right now I cant think of all the authors I've read.  If you've read any of these authors, you'll recognize that I like mysteries mostly.

Yesterday I was reading a blog written by William over at 'Poop and Boogies', and he talked about a favorite author of his Mom's .... Lisa Scottoline ... so after work I went to the library I checked out one of her books.  I've read five or six chapters, and so far it's right in line with what I like to read.

I also checked out a Catherine Coulter book that is not in the FBI Series, and a Patricia Cornwell book "The Front".  Cornwell has a series as well, about a forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, but this book is not in that series.

And I still have to read the ones I bought at the Goodwill store a couple of weeks ago while I was on vacation.  JoAnn Ross is a new author I haven't read yet.  And they were only 99 cents each!

I also (just yesterday) ordered a Nook ebook reader, so I'll let you know soon how I like that.  I ordered it from Woot so it is a refurb but it comes with the same warranty as a new one.  I like shopping at Woot and at KidsWoot and at 1SaleADay.  All three of these sites have a great deal every day, but you only have 24 hours to decide.  Each day it's a new deal and you cant go back to yesterday's deal.  Actually, 1SaleADay has five items each day.

I have also asked my kids for a LARGE PRINT Bible for Mother's Day, because the older my current Bible gets, the smaller the print gets.  What's up with that??

So .... what are you reading?  I'm always looking for suggestions!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday ...

I picked the Gabster up from day care 

yesterday and kept her for a couple of hours.  

I also gave her all the goodies I had bought her in Nashville.

Wynn Varble

I should've posted this sooner so you could all get in on the fun from the very beginning.  But better late than never.

Wynn Varble is one of mine and my kids' all-time favorite songwriters.

He is on a new CMT 'reality' show (I'm not a fan of reality shows) called CMT's Next Superstar.  The show is starting off like any other reality show (unfortunately) with the whole "everybody has to live in the same house" kind of thing.  Ugh!  So much trivial crap that is not needed for this competition.

The show is actually (supposed to be) a competition to be .... well, CMT's Next Superstar.  Wynn Varble deserves to win this hands down.  He is a seasoned veteran in the songwriter world with hit songs "Waitin' On A Woman" (Brad Paisley), "I'm A Little More Country Than That" (Easton Corbin), "Have You Forgotten" (Daryl Worley), just to name a few.  But aside from that, he is truly the best they've got on this show.  Anyone else will allow themselves to be molded into the "same old same old" crap we already have too much of.  Wynn is a true original, and country music (any music) needs that kind of Superstar.

So tune in to CMT on Friday nights at 8pm Central time and meet Wynn Varble.

Wynn on Facebook.

Music! Music! Music!

We didnt do any of the regular Tin Pan shows this year.  We looked for stuff off the beaten path .... wanting to avoid the typical frenzy that surrounds the Tin Pan events.

Wednesday night we went to 3rd & Lindsley.  They have good food (yeah, I said food! LOL), and we checked out the music lineup online and decided to give it a go.

I've already posted about Wednesday evening, so I wont rehash it here.

On to Thursday.  We just hung out with friends that night at Dan McGuinness' Pub.  Many of our friends performed several songs each, and the rest of us just enjoyed the music, and visited.  We only see each other once a year ... sometimes even less often ... so it's just a casual laid back affair with everyone eating drinking and singing/playing.  I didn't make any pictures or recordings that night.  If anybody is interested in singer/songwriter type stuff, let me know and I'll point you to where you can hear some of it.

Friday night .... The General Jackson Showboat!   The show that night was called "Country Music USA" and it took us on a musical journey from the 40's right up til the current music.  Hank, Patsy, Lorretta, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Dolly, Tanya ... to Garth, Martina, Strait, Jackson ... right on to Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift .... (though I'm not a big fan of RF, S, or TS, the show was really great!)

Here are several random pics from Friday night.  Some from the iPhone and some from the camera.

I took this one for BabyBrother ... he's a fireman.

The band on deck before dinner.  

It was very windy and quite chilly. 

Inside the dining hall.

 

Some of our new friends and tablemates. 

Random pictures from the show.

I shot so much video, I had to break it up into three sets in order to upload it.

Now ..... let's move on to Saturday night!! 

We went to Puckett's in Leipers Fork (remember the shrimp?) to hear our friend Thom Shepherd.  Thom is a great guy, and a phenomenal songwriter, having written hits like "Riding With Private Malone", "Redneck Yacht Club", "Beer Season" and more.  He is one of BoyChild's favorite songwriters (Wynn Varble being the other favorite).  

Thom is often part of a writer's round (a Nashville term for when three or four songwriters take turns "going around and around" the circle - or sometimes a straight line) for two to three hours singing their original songs.  This night Thom had the whole two hours to himself.  He brought along his "banjer" player Robin Ruddy (who recently was on a two year tour with Rod Stewart) and a young'un (just barely 16) Forest Miller on fiddle.  

Here are a few shots from the show.

And a video montage:



So ....... that was our trip to Nashville.

Yikes!!  My blog posts are almost as long as our trip was!