Still Counting Down (976 - 942)

What a great NCIS last night! I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in these next two episodes. So, the answer to my trivia question from last night (Only 3 characters have been in every episode. Who are they?) is… Abby, Gibbs and Tony. Don’t worry if you got it wrong… The Wife only got 1 out of the 3 right (Abby).

If you are looking for some gift ideas for Mother’s Day, check out some ideas my friend Jenn has.

And in case you missed it because you were busy reading my blog, check out this great post from her.

I’ve been hearing some people compare the film of American’s celebrating in the streets after Bin Laden was killed to the film of people in the middle-east celebrating in the streets after the attacks on 9/11. Really? Can you really not see a difference? One group was celebrating the death of 3,000+ people who died for no reason, while the other group was celebrating the death of an evil man. Now, was I out in the streets jumping up and down and yelling? No… I’m saving that for something big (like when Winthrop wins a National Championship in basketball or baseball). But if others wanted to jump up and down and shout “USA! USA! USA!”, then I’m ok with that. These past 10 years haven’t been the best for some people. I can’t complain, but others haven’t been as blessed as I have. So if this is the pick-me-up they’ve been looking for, then good for them.

Initial reports said that Bin Laden resisted and that’s why he was shot. It made me think about the movie Cobra where Sly Stallone’s character said the famous (to me and Sonny) words, “You have the right to remain silent” right before he drops a lit match on a bad guy who had been doused in gasoline. I’m not saying I don’t believe he resisted… I’m just saying that’s the thing that came to mind when I saw that.

Alright, let’s get back to our countdown of the I’m just sayin… Top 1,081 Songs of All Time.

976 - “Whiskey on Ice” by Hank Williams, Jr.

“Woke up this mornin’, tastin’ Jim Beam/ Holdin’ the answer, to some ol’ boys dream/ I gotta bad reputation, guess I made life wild/ Like my whiskey on ice and my women on fire”

Like my whiskey on ice and my women on fire… Can I get an “Amen”?

975 - “The Best Thing That I Had Goin'” by Brad Paisley

“Well I squandered my time trying to buy everything/ Gave her all that I thought she deserved/ Now I know all the things that she wanted were free/ And I should have been home holdin' her”

A good ol’ “I did her wrong” Country song (which differs from the more popular “She done me wrong” Country song).

974 - “Run to You” by Bryan Adams

“I'm gonna run to you/ I'm gonna run to you/ Cause when the feelin's right I'm gonna run all night/ I'm gonna run to you”

This song comes from the Bryan Adams phase of my life. I wouldn’t say it’s the greatest song in the world… but it’s on the long list.

973 - “Big Green Tractor” by Jason Aldean

“Climb up in my lap and drive if you want to/ Girl, you know you got me to hold on to/ We can go to town, but baby if you'd rather/ I'll take you for a ride on my big green tractor”

In what other genre can you sing about tractors? Better yet, in what other genre would a tractor be seen as a good thing?

972 - “Long Live” by Taylor Swift

“Long live the walls we crashed through/ How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you/ I was screaming long live all the magic we made/ And bring on all the pretenders/ One day we will be remembered”

If you haven’t guessed, I’m a fan. She’s got a gift and I hope she gets the most out of it.

971 - “You've Got a Friend In Me” by Randy Newman

“You've got a friend in me/ You've got a friend in me/ When the road looks rough ahead/ And you're miles and miles/ From your nice warm bed/ Just remember what your old pal said/ Boy, you've got a friend in me”

Jeremy sang these words to me the day I decided to pledge Kappa Sigma. Haha, not really. If he had, we probably wouldn’t be friends now. This song does put a smile on my face, though.

970 - “To Be With You” by Mr. Big

“Wake up who cares about/ Little boys that talk too much/ I’ve seen it all go down/ Your game of love was all rained out/ So come on baby, come on over/ Let me be the one to hold you”

A nice, simple song that’s easy to sing along to… if you’re the type of person who sings along to songs.

969 - “What Might Have Been” by Little Texas

“I try not to think about what might have been/ 'Cause that was then/ And we have taken different roads/ We can't go back again/ There's no use giving in/ And there's no way to know/ What might have been”

I’m sure everyone thinks about what might have been from time to time. I don’t, but I’d be willing to bet The Wife does at least 3 or 4 times a day.

968 - “That's the Way Love Goes” by Janet Jackson

“Come with me/ Don't you worry/ I'm gonna make you crazy/ I'll give you the time of your life”

Back before her wardrobe malfunctioned, she really had talent.

967 - “She Don't Know Me” by Bon Jovi

“What more can I do, there's nothing I haven't tried/ Still it's so hard for her to notice/ I've tried hard to be straight/ There's nothing left I can say/ If only she would look my way”

This is a song from way back in the early days of the band. Not really the first song that comes to mind when thinking about the group, but I do like the chorus.

966 - “Your Mama Don't Dance” by Poison

“Your Mama don't dance and your Daddy don't rock and roll/ Your Mama don't dance and your Daddy don't rock and roll/ But when evening comes around and it's time to hit the town/ Where do you go--You gotta rock it”

Here’s a fun song that Poison covered (I think Loggins and Messina originally did the song).

965 - “Rest Stop” by Matchbox Twenty

“She said - while you were sleeping/ I was listening to the radio/ And wondering what you're dreaming when/ It came to mind that I didn't care”

I love the above verse in this song. It’s not the only reason the song made the list, but it’s a big reason.

964 - “Carolina Boys” by Lee Brice

“Cause Carolina boys get rowdy loud/ Don't look at me/ I’ll turn your whole world upside down”

A nice little Country song.

963 - “Back Where I Come From” by Kenny Chesney

“Back where I come from/ Where I'll be when its said and done/ I'm proud as anyone/ That's where I come from”

This is a nice, slow song to help you think about where you came from.

962 - “Miracle” by Jon Bon Jovi

“A penny for your thoughts now baby/ Looks like the weight of the world's on your shoulders now/ I know you think you're going crazy/ Just when it seems everything's gonna work itself out/ They drive you right back down”

I like how this song starts kind of fast and choppy (lyrically) and then slows down for the chorus.

961 - “Texas Bound and Flyin'” by Jerry Reed

“So, if I can keep it on the ground/ When I put that hammer down/ Then I’ll be Texas bound and flyin’”

Not as popular as the song from the first Smokey and the Bandit movie, but this is still a fast, fun song (not too different than the previously mentioned song).

960 - “Miss You Much” by Janet Jackson

“I'll tell your mama/ I'll tell your friends/ I'll tell anyone whose heart can comprehend/ Send it in a letter baby/ Tell you on the phone/ I'm not the kinda girl/ Who likes to be alone”

If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself singing along with this song.

959 - “Alive” by Edwin McCain

“And he knows what I know/ It's not all that hard to survive/ You take the good and the bad and the time in between/ It lets us know we're alive”

Edwin McCain has a few songs that are just great lyrically without overdoing it on the music side. This is one of those songs.

958 - “Cuts Like a Knife” by Bryan Adams

“I took it all for granted/ But how was I to know/ That you'd be letting go”

I have to wonder if KC was singing this song the night he cut off the end of his finger…

957 - “It Did” by Brad Paisley

“And I said to myself/ It doesn’t get better than this/ No it doesn’t get better than this/ But it did, it did, oh it did/ Yes, it did”

A great song that makes me think about how my life keeps getting better and better.

956 - “Peace of Mind” by Boston

“I understand about indecision/ But I don't care if I get behind./ People living in competition;/ All I want is to have my peace of mind.”

The chorus is what I like about this song.

955 - “Live Before You Die” by Bon Jovi

“When you're young you always think/ The sun is going to shine/ There will come a day/ When you have to say hello to goodbye/ Sit down son take my hand/ Look me in the eye/ Take these words, promise me/ You'll live before you die”

One of the more recent songs… maybe not that recent… I’m not sure. Still, I like the message in this song.

954 - “I Could Not Ask For More” by Edwin McCain

“Lying here with you/ Listening to the rain/ Smiling just to see the smile upon your face/ These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive/ These are the moments I'll remember all my life/ I found all I've waited for/ And I could not ask for more”

While The Wife is busy thinking about what might have been, I’m usually thinking that I could not ask for more (except year round new episodes of NCIS and Psych, but who wouldn’t want that?).

953 - “Hard to Say I'm Sorry” by Chicago

“After all that we've been through/ I will make it up to you. I promise to./ And after all that's been said and done/ You're just the part of me I can't let go.”

It looks like Chicago subscribes to Elton John’s theory that sorry is a difficult word to say.

952 - “Hitch a Ride” by Boston

“Day is night in New York City./ Smoke, like water, runs inside/ Steel idle trees to pity/ Every living thing that's died.”

I like how this song starts kind of soft and then has the drums come in.

951 - “Humpin' Around” by Bobby Brown

“Get up off my back/ Save your heart attack/ Ain’t nobody humpin’ around”

Is “ain’t nobody” a double negative? That might make this song a little more truthful.

950 - “Good Directions” by Billy Currington

“Told her way up yonder past the caution light/ There's a little country store with an old Coke sign/ You gotta stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea/ Then a left will take you to the interstate/ But a right will bring you right back here to me”

Here’s another song where the chorus is what I like the most.

949 - “All I Wanna Do Is You” by Bon Jovi

“Working hard eight days a week/ Most days we got no time to speak/ I feel like I'm chasing after my own life/ Girl can't you see you're my only vice/ Take the phone off the hook/ Turn the lights down low/ We'll play some old Sam Cooke/ Baby, let yourself go”

A fun little song from Bon Jovi. I love the Sam Cooke reference.

948 - “Where I Grew Up” by Kenny Chesney

“See I gained a little on Father Time/ That night I crossed that center line/ I bet I rolled a dozen times”

I like this song because it’s not what you think it’s going to be. It’s not about place(s) he grew up but about different times he grew up.

947 - “Meet Me Halfway” by Kenny Loggins

“Meet me halfway/ Across the sky/ Out where the world belongs/ To only you and I”

Another great Kenny Loggins “movie” song.

946 - “Mayberry” by Rascal Flatts

“Sunday was the day of rest/ Now its one more day for progress/ And we can't slow down/ Cause more is best/ It's all an endless process”

I think we all, from time to time, remember the good old days as a simpler time.

945 - “Downtown Train” by Rod Stewart

“Will I see you tonight on a downtown train/ Every night, every night its just the same/ On a downtown train”

A cover song (originally done by Tom Waits)… I like Rod Stewart belting out these lyrics.

944 - “Back in the U.S.S.R.” by The Beatles

“Been away so long I hardly knew the place/ Gee, it's good to be back home/ Leave it ‘till tomorrow to unpack my case/ Honey, disconnect the phone”

Not my favorite Beatles song, but a good enough song to make the list.

943 - “Love Walks In” by Van Halen

“Contact is all it takes/ To change your life to lose your place in time/ Contact! Asleep or awake/ Coming around you may wake up to find/ Questions deep within your eyes/ Things you've never realized”

Another Van Halen song from the Sammy Hagar era on the list. I could see this song being higher than this (maybe in the 500-600 range) but this is the spot that the votes put it in.

942 - “Six-Pack Summer” by Phil Vassar

“We've got the sun block, a blanket and the best of Jimmy Buffet/ T-bones for the grill, hey ain't it great to rough it/ The party's on from dawn to dawn/ 24-7 'til they pull the plug/ No more waitin' come on and kiss me baby”

A great song to listen to during the summer (or during the winter while thinking about the summer).

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Sergeant Edgar A. Bras (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 8, 1865 at Spanish Fort, Alabama. His citation reads:

Capture of flag.

Corporal Frank Bratling (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions from July 8-11, 1873 near Fort Selden, New Mexico. His citation reads:

Services against hostile Indians.

Quartermaster John Brazell (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864 while on board the USS Richmond. His citation reads:

Served on board the U.S.S. Richmond in the action at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, where he was recommended for coolness and good conduct as a gun captain during that engagement which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the destruction of Fort Morgan. Brazell served gallantly throughout the actions with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Chalmettes, batteries below Vicksburg, and was present at the surrender of New Orleans while on board the U.S.S. Brooklyn.