I'm swearing because I can't punch pillows, dear.

Uh, couch? Love seat? Throw pillows?

Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)

I love that song.

I never would have guessed that. That's just... extremely surprising.

Susan, fwiw, the thing your shoulder probably most needs is rest. Plus anti-inflammatories. And some of that heat/cold combo thing I hear all the old kids are doing.

I'm resting it already, if not quite the best I can, a good bit. I lie around a lot. PBS babysits Annabel. I take 600 mg ibuprofen every 6 hours in the day, plus a flexeril and a tylenol 3 at night (don't want to do those in the day because I'd doze off on Annabel). I've been icing it, but not using heat, because my PT was all "ice, yay! heat, boo!" with my lower back thing.

That's the frustrating part. It's not like I'm cruising through normal life expecting it to get better on its own. I'm doing the right things and they're not helping.

Shall I cue the Hank Ketchum for you?

Okay. Yep. Guess I was out. And it's Hal. Not Hank.

I'm tempted to pop in the Dwight, but I don't think Paul would approve.

I never would have guessed that. That's just... extremely surprising.

I used to ride, and there was a lot of it around the barn. After a while, you get used to it. Then you start to kind of like it. Then you spend money on it.

I don't have a lot on CD--just some Garth, Hal, Dwight, and Patsy Cline--but I used to have a fair amount of it on tape.

Oh my way to do the dishes, but I was just checking on DVD recorder prices... wow. If you're willing to accept format limitations (e.g. only being able to burn to -R and not +R) you can get one for less than $100. If you want all five formats, $250.

Huh. Maybe the ladies will find a big box under the tree this Christmas.

I'm doing the right things and they're not helping.

They are helping. They just aren't helping on your particular schedule.

And it's Hal. Not Hank.

Oops. Well, I haven't actually heard him, but I remember you citing him, and then I looked him up. Handsome devil, too. But yeah, your contempory country love has emerged previously.

Okay. Yep. Guess I was out. And it's Hal. Not Hank.

Hal: Country music
Hank: Dennis The Menace (US version)

I used to ride, and there was a lot of it around the barn. After a while, you get used to it. Then you start to kind of like it. Then you spend money on it.

Whereas I grew up around it and despised it for the same reason other city kids did -- it was lower-class music. Having it be Eddie Rabbit and Alabama in 24/7 rotation didn't help, either.

Garth was my first country CD purchase, but it was de rigeur to own his stuff as an Okie. It took Lyle Lovett (and later Uncle Tupelo) to prove to me that it wasn't all hicks in hats. Now, I have lots of alt-country floating around -- Kasey Chambers, Laura Cantrell, Neko Case, Waco Brothers....

Hank: Dennis The Menace (US version)

Yep, there ain't hardly any Great Country Singers named Hank...

Okay, admittedly, not amongst the Ketchams.

Yep, there ain't hardly any Great Country Singers named Hank...

That's kind of like saying that there aren't a lot of great statues made out of copper, isn't it?

That's kind of like saying that there aren't a lot of great statues made out of copper, isn't it?

"A writer named 'William'? Surely you are in jest, sir!"

Speaking of names like Hank in country music, did I ever mention that our piano tuner when I was a kid was Leon McAuliffe?