My Sweet Home Alabama

Bama ROCKS! Totally and completely sweeeeeeeps every other state who claims they are musical. We have 2 of the 5 AI Winners who call us home. We have 3 of the 10 top 2. And frankly, there just ain't no other place like my sweet home anywhere.

As I said during a mild argument over dinner Friday night with a boy from New Jersey:

"So you've lived in DC for how many years now?"
"5"
"And when people ask you where home is, what do you say?"
"I say DC."
"Well, see now, that's the difference between people from Bama. I haven't lived in Bama for 8 years. I go home about twice a year. I don't ever intend to move back there. But, for as long and wherever I live, when people ask me where my home is, I will forever say Alabama."

So yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Taylor won! I guess some friends of mine were in Gulf Shores at their beach house on Tuesday. They went to a restaurant/ bar called Lulu's which is owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister (who incidentally was a patient of my father's once). The bar was packed full and the TVs all over were blasting American Idol. My friends ended up at a table with Taylor's family... who sat in tears while the bar screamed and shouted on behalf of their native contestant.

Just think about it. One year ago, Taylor was a local Birmingham celebrity playing some worn out bar with smoke covering the air and beer penetrating the clientele. He was wishing to make it in music and yet he probably knew he'd never get a random agent coming into the bar to sign him. And here he is- with a record contract- teaching little boys in Bama that they do have a shot at making their dreams come true.

So yeah, I cried when he won.