Mud on the Tires

After all my thoughts yesterday, I finally had some redemption last night when I arranged for a good friend to get a call from the man of her dreams. You can read about her experience here (get ready for some major belly laughs) and it made me feel at least like a good friend!

I also love that this blog introduces me to new people, and strangely makes connections in the most personal way. Thanks, Shelly, for commenting! You gave me a lot of encouragement.
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I spent last night downloading some new songs on iTunes for my trip tomorrow. One of my favorite feel-good artists is Brad Paisley. He always has funny and heartwarming songs. One of my favorites is called "Mud on the Tires".

It reminds me of time with my dad when I was little. At one point in my life, he and my mom went in with some friends to lease a little piece of land and a pond (lake?) for someplace to escape to. We called it "the lease" (real original, I know). Because I was pretty young, details on it are fuzzy, but the memories aren't.

My dad has always been a pretty big outdoor buff. We did A LOT of camping with my Girl Scout troops, and my dad has always been an amateur meteorologist and amateur astronomer. Many a stormy Oklahoma day we spent on the roof looking for tornadoes, and many a clear night we spent in the front yard with a telescope.

Dad also used to take me fishing quite a bit. I remember I had a kid's fishing pole that was orange and white with Snoopy on the reel, and I remember collecting fishing lewers in my own tackle box. I always went for the pink and purple sparkly ones, and never wanted to actually use them!

When they got The Lease, it was the perfect excuse for fishing time. He'd load me up in the '79 yellow pickup (that later would serve as the bain of my existence when I drove it in high school) and we'd head out for some fishing time.

I don't remember if I lasted very long. I was probably more of a hassle than a good fishing partner. But I couldn't have been too bad because he kept taking me. And I don't remember him taking my sister as much so that tells me I was at least quieter than she was! I remember being "shushed" so the fish would bite, and I remember we ALWAYS threw them back in the water so they could go home to their families. I can still remember what the shore at The Lease looked like from the middle of the pond.

We'd often have cookouts with friends and got a chance to run around and explore the high grass and trees and get covered in mosquito bites. I'm sure my dad is very disappointed with me now, since I do everything I can to avoid the outdoors! But when I hear "Mud on the Tires" it makes me wish I still had that place to go and just get away from technology and stress and adulthood for a while. I think Brad Paisley wrote it with a girlfriend in mind....but for me it always reminds me of trips with my dad.


Mud on the Tires

Well I've got some big news, the bank finally came through
And I'm holding the keys to the brand new Chevrolet
Have you been outside? Sure it a nice night
How 'bout a little test drive, down by the lake

There's a place I know about, where the dirt road runs out
We can try out the four-wheel drive
Come on now what you say? I can hardly wait
To get a little mud on the tires.

'Cause it's a good night to be out there soakin' up the moonlight
Stake out a little piece of shoreline and I've for the perfect place in mind
It's in the middle of nowhere, only one way to get there
You gotta get a little mud on the tires

Moonlight on a duck blind, catfish on a trot line
Sun sets about nine, this time of year
Oh we can throw a blanket down, crickets singing in the background
And more stars than you can count on a night this clear

I tell ya what we need to do is grab a sleepin' bag or two
And build us a little campfire
And then with a little luck, we might just get stuck
Let's get a little mud on the tires

'Cause it's a good night to be out there soakin' up the moonlight
Stake out a little piece of shoreline and I've for the perfect place in mind
It's in the middle of nowhere, only one way to get there
You gotta get a little mud on the tires