today.

i admit it. i've been away. lots has been happening, and there's been so much to write about and so little time. i haven't even signed on to my reader because i know too much time has passed and i don't have enough time to catch up.  but all of that will happen tomorrow.  i will be writing tomorrow.  mark my words.*   (* i've learned to say "lord willing." so, don't mark them in sharpie.  pencil will do just fine.)

but today, i have to write about that right now.  because today will forever go down as the day i met Mat Kearney.

i know i am totally going to come off as "that girl," so be it.  since i've moved to Nashville and discovered Mat's music, i've been a major fan.  then, there was that one time in early 2008 at PM, when we were sitting across the room and he totally made eyes at me.  he was wearing a hat, i had on a black sweater.  it was chilly outside.  then, a girlfriend of mine would text me anytime he was spotted at fido or bongo java, a few local fave coffee shops.  perhaps the most personal encounter was at agave tequila lounge, circa... late '08? perhaps, '09?  the lights began to flicker, and i look across the room to spot none-other than mat kearney playing with the dimmer switches.  as he looks up and realizes he was caught, he puts his finger to his mouth and whispers "shhh!"  don't worry, Mat.  your secret's safe with me.

needless to say, he is sort of my nashville celeb crush.  and it has everything to do with his amazingly smooth vocals and rhythmically brilliant storytelling though song.  i've listened to his albums on road trips, on runs, in green fields on sunny days and curled up in the long winter.  it is good, consistently good, e-v-e-r-y time.

so when a friend of mine suggested we change our plans of a red-box night-in to a free Mat Kearney show at my alma mater....

umm. duh?

late would not even describe when i got there.  in fact, we only heard three songs.  but, it didn't matter.  it cemented his top 3 position in my who-would-you-love-to-see-in-concert-together? (answer: hanson, mat kearney, and jon foreman (who recently replaced brett dennen for the coveted top prize).  other runners up include: matt nathanson and goo goo dolls).

when a good friend of ours that works for Mat asked if we wanted to join him in the green room, you betta believe i jumped on that chance.  i was so "that girl," but it didn't matter.  it completed my dream.  and it was perfect.  (i might like him even more as i saw guac as a staple item in his post-show munchies; if he weren't married, and i were actually interested beyond his music, we'd be a match made in mexican dip heaven).

so there you have it.  today is the day that my nashville dreams came true.  all that stalking coincidentally seeing him around town finally paid off.