They Just Don't Make Em Like They Used To.

What did you do this weekend?

I went on a date with my dad. It was awesome. We saw this:

If you can't tell, that's Carole King and James Taylor. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

My generation's music just doesn't hold a candle to this stuff.

More on this later, when I figure out how to upload videos (suggestions/tips welcome). M will be here any minute! Love middle of the week visits.

I was a Hermit Crab in a Former Life

Yesterday I spent the whole entire day inside. Not in a depressed-vampire-weirdo sort of way, but in a I-need-to-recharge-and-no-contact-with-the-outside-world-sounds-good sort of way. I planted myself on the couch and relaxed all day long. I watched lots of bad (and by bad I mean excellent) TV and ate popcorn. It was fabulous. Sundays are supposed to be for rest, right? Recharge days like yesterday remind me that despite being fairly outgoing (see sidebar) I definitely have some introverted tendencies. Gotta work with what you got.

If there are still doubts about how a day without leaving the house could be perfect, I submit my top five reasons why it's a good idea. (Every once in a while, don't get carried away & end up with a vitamin d deficiency or anything...)

1. Lifetime Movie Marathons. I watched "Speak" with Kristen Stewart, a movie about the pregnant teenagers in Massachusettes, before that, the Texas Cheerleaders story, before that the movie with Candace Cameron and Fred Savage about an abusive dating situation, and before that something weird that I only watched half of because I fell asleep. Which leads well into point #2.

2. Naps. If you spend the whole day inside, it doesn't matter if you sleep in late or wake up early. You're right there, on your couch, you can stretch out and sleep whenever you want!

3. Snacks. I'm pretty much always thinking about snacking. When I'm at home, I can nibble a little here, nibble a little there, without having to drag a cooler with me everywhere I go. I'm going to state the obvious here: the fridge is the ultimate cooler.

4. No need to fill up. When I don't leave the house, I don't drive anywhere. I don't use ANY gas. Gas is flippin' expensive! Not driving is also good for the environment. I believe that's called a win-win.

5. Pajamas. And glasses. And no bra. No one seeing me? Music to my ears. I'm pretty sure I own more pairs of PJ pants than real pants. They're way more comfortable. (p.s. showers are also not necessary on hermit days).

Say it with me now..."ahh." Monday's not so bad after an inside-Sunday.

A House Floating Down the Interstate is Just Not Normal

I feel like I owe the entire Middle Tennessee region a giant apology for my post on rain.

In case you haven't been watching the news much of my city looks like this:

(photo credit: tennessean.com)

It's really f'ing scary.

Yesterday I went downtown with my friend to party with the Parrotheads before the Jimmy Buffett concert. Then the tornado sirens went off. Let me tell you, for someone who did not grow up around tornadoes...woah. Sirens warning that tornadoes are in the area + new stations saying tornadoes will be cloaked in rain so you won't see them + text messages from freaked out friends about flooding = one stressed out Mel.

And then it got worse. Because it rained for 36 straight hours. It rained over 13 inches. That's more than DOUBLE the highest two day total in recorded history. Creeks jumped their banks. Neighborhoods flooded. The river swelled. The river is still swelling.

At about 3 pm I heard the chop chop chop of helicopter blades. I guessed it was a news helicopter. I figured it was a good sign because that meant the skies were clear enough for air traffic. Then I watched as they circled. I watched as the door opened. Right over the once-creek-now-raging-river just behind my apartment complex. I watched them come down to hover about 50 feet above the water. My heart stood still. I took a few pictures.

I saw more people come out of apartments that I have EVER seen in my complex. I didn't see them pull anyone out of the water. I'm not sure if they were in communication with a crew on the ground, or looking for someone who might have been swept down stream. I turned around, sat down in my comfortable, dry, chair next to my window and cried. I'm sad for all of the people who are cold and wet, I'm worried for them and their rescuers.

It's going to be a long night in Nashville. It's probably going to be a long few days, maybe even a few weeks.

I think we all kind of feel like this blackbird I saw climbing all over the apartment across from me:

Waterlogged and miserable. Just wanting a little wind to dry out our feathers.

Cars, trucks, and houses floating down the interstate is not normal. But I do like my city's new nicknames, particularly, Nashvenice. I kind of love that one.