best of 2009 part one.

shame, shame, I know my mother freakin' name. forgive me friends, for it has been a month or so since my last blog. (was that a little blasphemous? will the church be lighting torches in my front yard by morning? because I was told that playing communion when I was little was also blasphemous. I sometimes forget my boundaries. my bad.) *CONFIRMED- I am still easily sidetracked. so back to the business that is Jimmie Taylor and the world he lives in. 2010 is obviously coming to an end, and it will soon be time for me to finalize my Best of '10 music playlist collection. since I've yet to document anywhere other than my journal and my ipod years 2004-2009, I figured I'd get a jump on my New Year New Attitude. (I refuse to use the word 'resolution'.) I will start and move in rewind, because my favorite button on the DVR remote (other than record) is rewind. 2009 ended up being a 4 playlist set, because frankly, good music was up in my face constantly. I tried to whittle it down to three, to no avail. so here is round one of the songs that represent me and someplace in my life for the year that was 2009. (again, I know- 2010 is ending, but I still have to edit that list!)

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2009 Volume One
1. 90210 Season Two Theme Song ~ The Zip Code that returned to my life in '08 returned to season 2 in '09 with a new (less like the original, boo!) theme song. For the record, this new show is nowhere near to my heart what the original was and still is. But I am blessed to have it in any form back in my life.
2. ONE IN EVERY CROWD by Montgomery Gentry ~ Once in awhile there comes a song that sums me up in less than 4 minutes. This would be one of those songs. (Minus the Harley-drivin', woman lovin' part.)
3. MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU by Kelly Clarkson ~ The Original Idol of America (and my best friend in my alternate life I have written in my head) returned after an album I wouldn't label as a favorite. This is pure pop candy I can't get enough of, and my ears might have cavities from listening to this song so much.
4. ALREADY GONE by Deborah Gibson ~ I know she's back to 'Debbie' now, but that didn't happen until this year, so please don't try and correct me. I am fluent in the life and times of La Gibson. This is a song most likely not even heard of outside of Deb's Circle of Fans. This wasn't an album cut, rather an online treat to the fans who have been waiting SO LONG for new music. Deb Gib remains an all-time favorite and constant inspiration.
5. BAYLEIGH'S SONG by Alan Jackson ~ When I make my playlists, I also make my own rules. This is, of course, originally titled SISSY'S SONG. The name is never mentioned in the song, so it was easy for me to change it. (But please don't tell Alan.) When I was a paraeducator from 2000-2002, I had a student in my class named Bayleigh. Bayleigh was a sophomore in high school and passed away after a freak auto accident in 2009. Not more than 20 minutes after finding out, I heard this song on the radio for the first time ever. I get chills thinking about it, and it will forever be Bayleigh's Song to me.
6. MY HALLELUJAH SONG by Julianne Hough ~ File this one under Songs that Make my Heart Smile. After I'm discovered and become an instant celebrity, I would love to have Ms. Hough as my partner on the 54th season of Dancing with the Stars. (Actually, I'd prefer her brother, Derek, but that's another blog.)
7. COME BACK TO ME by David Cook ~ Idol Addiction. Help.
8. DON'T STOP BELIEVING by The Cast of gLee ~ File this one under The Show that Would Forever Change the Landscape of My Best of Year-End Lists. (where are these alleged files, anyway?) This show snuck up on me as a sneak-peek after the Idol finale. My goal in life? To turn the WORLD into gLeeks.
9. THE CLIMB by Miley Cyrus ~ This is the point where I reallyreallyreally want to alter the course of history and do I little deleting, or a little retooling, if you will. As much as I can't stand Miley in 2010, back in the day ('09 to be exact) this song was a staple. I adore The Hannah Montana Movie as well as the soundtrack.
10. I COULD BREAK YOUR HEART ANY DAY OF THE WEEK by Mandy Moore ~
Sometimes I forget Mandy Moore is even a singer. And then she comes around and reminds me. Love her.
11. I RUN TO YOU by Lady Antebellum ~ "I run from hate, I run from prejudice, I run from pessimists, But I run too late, I run my life, Or is it running me, Run from my past, I run too fast, Or too slow it seems, When lies become the truth, That's when I run to you"
12. FIVE BROTHERS & A MILLION SISTERS by Joey McIntyre ~ New Kids on the Block reunion!! My 4th NKOTB concert in my life, and my first in nearly 2o years. This number by Joey was probably the highlight of the concert for me.
13. LET IT ROCK by Kevin Rudolf ~ True Confession: I had to look up just now who sings this song. I fell in love with it when it was performed on Dancing with the Stars. And I've already forgotten who sings it, one sentence later.
14. WHERE I'M FROM by Jason Michael Carroll ~ Sweet country song that reminds me of El Dorado, Kansas... and that's where I'm from.
15. STRAIGHT THROUGH MY HEART (SOLDIER DOWN) by Backstreet Boys ~
Vintage BSB. As long as Nick Carter remains a Boy on the Backstreet, so will I.
16. MR. MCCLENNEN by SheDaisy ~ I got this sneak-peek from the girls' upcoming album... (that has YET to be released!! Damn label politics!!) This song is one of my fave SheDaisy songs and I am craving the entire album!!!
17. OUTSIDE MY WINDOW by Sarah Buxton ~ Let's hear it for another country artist from Kansas!! Ms. Buxton hasn't had anywhere near the success of our Martina McBride, but this song brings a smile to my face. I tend to root for the Kansas peeps.
18. OOH, OOH BABY by Britney Spears ~ This song was on Brit's BLACKOUT (such a scary title for such a scary time in her life!) in 2007, but was a standout number from The Circus Starring Britney Spears concert I attended in '09. From the 5th row, I witnessed my dear Brit appear as if by magic out of nowhere at the start of this number. I loved the concert so much, it was hard not to include the entire setlist from that show in my Best of '09 collection.
19. SHINE LIKE THE SUN by the Cast of 9 to 5, Broadway Musical ~ One day I will see this show on Broadway! (wait- is it even still on Broadway? bad gay!) I saw this number performed on an episode of The View (stop judging me) and kind of fell in love with it. And I think anything Dolly Parton touches turns to gold.
20. I WANNA MAKE YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES by Dierks Bentley ~ No big reason for this song other than the fact that I lovelovelove Dierks.
21. DEAD FLOWERS by Miranda Lambert ~ I love how haunting this song is. The first time I heard it was the first time I saw the video and I was mesmerized. Haunting.
22. WHAT I CAN NOT CHANGE by LeAnn Rimes ~ This song was on LeAnn's 2007 FAMILY album (one of my all-time faves) but didn't make the cut for that year. I found LeAnn's book of the same title in the airport in NYC coming home from my friend's wedding. (Not being an avid reader, I can easily justify paying airport book prices. Plus, it's LeAnn.) The book came with a cd single of a slightly-different version of the song. It's chilling, and it's LeAnn at her finest. "I will learn to let go what I cannot change. I will learn to forgive what I cannot change. I will learn to love what I cannot change. But I will change, I will change Whatever I, whenever I can."

And with that, there's the end of Volume One, 2009 style. 3 more to go!!

thankful ever after.

I chose not to blog about what I am thankful for on Thanksgiving Day on purpose. I want to be clear that I am thankful on all the days prior, and all the days after, as well. (Also... I was in a vehicle traveling with MiMi on my lap from Branson back to El Dorado for a good part of the day.) I am more thankful now than I was on Thursday, and not as thankful as I will be tomorrow. I grow more appreciative of everything in my life with each passing day, and I can only hope any person reading this feels the same way. This is my Thanksgiving...

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I am thankful for my mama. Jill Cherryholmes taught me that LOVE comes first, that LOVE always wins and that there is no room for hate in this world. Because of my mama, I choose to face the world with love. I am thankful I am 35 and my mother is alive and well and in my life. I am thankful that my mother battles MS on a daily basis... and wins. My mother might have MS, but MS does not have my mother. For that I am thankful. I am thankful I am in a relationship with someone who not only understands me, but accepts me at my worst. (I'm a hot mess to handle, let me tell you now.) Josh has been with me for more than 6 years and for that I am thankful. I was not looking for a relationship when we met, and I didn't want one. Sometimes the universe has different plans for us than we have for ourselves. I am thankful for our two babies, MiMi and Murphy. A loud-mouthed chihuahua misfit and a sassy Siamese kitty, they melt my heart and bring my love for animals to new levels. I am thankful that I am nearly 5 years meat-free. I had a goal LONG ago to become a vegetarian, and although I was later to the party than I would have liked, at least I arrived. I am thankful that my boyfriend understands that my soul mate is a girl. I believe that I was in the right place at the right time at the age of 20, and I met an 18 year old girl from Dallas while auditioning for a college showchoir who would become one of the most important people in my life. I am thankful that 15 years later she still gets me. I am thankful for missed opportunities: The American Musical & Dramatic Academy in NYC and CLUB MED in Florida. How different my life would be had I said yes to either? I am thankful that my Gram, who helped raise me, was with me on this earth until I was 27. I know that's a lot longer than a lot of people get with their grandparents, and I feel like at the age of 93 my Gram left me because she knew I needed to move on. I am thankful that I left my life in Kansas on a whim and moved to Los Angeles to join AmeriCorps. Although I will always feel guilty for thinking I took more from that program than I gave, I know that my inner self was forever changed from that experience. I am thankful for my sister Norma, who doubles as a best friend. I am thankful that she shares her children with me & Josh in a way that makes me feel like more than just a proud uncle. I am thankful for my brother Eric and his kids, who will always be in my blood. I am thankful for my nephew who is a freshman in high school and makes me wish I had half his wisdom when I was his age. I am thankful for my brother, Jeffery, who has Down Syndrome. I am thankful he taught me that the misuse of the word 'retarded' in random conversation is inappropriate. I am thankful I have multiple chins. (Honestly- I wish I didn't have them, but they are a sign that I am not hurting for food, and that is a simple thanks that's often overlooked.) I am thankful that when I met Josh, I also met his family. I am thankful for his mom and dad who have done more for me than I could have ever asked. I am thankful for his sisters and their husbands, and also for their children. I am thankful for our house. I am thankful that I am 35 and STILL in college. I know other people might make fun of me, but I am thankful I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am thankful that I am that much closer to graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. I am thankful that I can look at others who make fun of other people and know that it's wrong. I am thankful I can recognize that at times, I am one of those people. I am thankful I have room to better myself (I hope). I am thankful that I have a handful of best friends that I know I don't deserve, yet I know how lucky I am to have them. I am thankful that they inspire me daily to not only be a better person, but to be a better person to this world. I am thankful for my musical and literary heroes, from Debbie Gibson and LeAnn Rimes to Tori Spelling and Pippi Longsticking. I embrace the loves of my life with all my heart, and my music and TV shows embody that. (Beverly Hills, 90210- I'm talking to you.) I am thankful for my love of Hollywood. I am thankful that I can routinely check out of El Dorado, Kansas for any moment of given time, yet return to my reality at the click of a mouse. I am thankful that I am only self-proclaimed famous in a small town. I am thankful for my childhood that I was allowed to live because of my mom, and I am thankful that I am given the chance to relive that childhood because of eBay. I am thankful that my world has not been shattered due to some unforeseen force that always looms in the future, and I am thankful that if it does, I have the love of friends and family to help pull me through. I am thankful I am alive at 35. I am thankful I have the privilege of sitting down to type up my thanks on a lap top and publish them to a blog... LIFE ISN'T ABOUT GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, IT'S ABOUT WANTING WHAT YOU HAVE. I am thankful that I have been given another day to be thankful for.

empty words.

Sometimes I secretly wish that some random rich person would sponsor my blog and pay me to write on a regular basis. In my mind, the rich alleged rich person would want me to do so because he/she thinks the world needs another pointless blog about basically nothing... and that I could do. And then maybe (just maybe) I would do this more than once every third blue moon. So until this secretive rich person comes along, I'll do my best to find motivation on my own.

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Thanksgiving is 2 days away, and I feel like I would like to write about what I am thankful for. (Genius idea, right?) I can't write about it right now, though. Not because I'm not thankful, but because I would use up all my brain juice now, and if I wait, that gives me a reason to return soon and blog again. Don't ask, it's how I roll... (and I told you in the title this blog is just empty words.)

15 albums...

I was tagged in a note on Facebook by my own personal Lady Gaga (shout-out, Heather!) where she listed 15 albums that would always stick with her. The instructions were simple: think of 15 albums off the top of your head that, for some reason or another, have always stayed with you. I’m just now getting around to typing this, but I immediately wrote down my 15 right then. I ended up with 18 on my list, so I feel like that’s cheating a little. I might whittle it down to the proper 15, so the Facebook gods don’t frown upon me. Then again, this is my blog and not Facebook, so maybe I just rewrote the rules. These albums have not only stayed with me, but have also helped shaped me in some way. (Deep thoughts from a shallow mind?) Play on…

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1. 1. OUT OF THE BLUE ~ Debbie Gibson. This is the album that formed me into the teenybopper I would forever become. I grew up on country music, and this is about the time I discovered pop. (KKRD, say what!?) I saddled up on the Deb Gib bandwagon, and never looked back.

2. 2. STEP BY STEP ~ New Kids on the Block. Hold the phones, kids, let me stop ya right there. I became a die-hard Blockhead immediately, and this slot almost went to HANGIN’ TOUGH. As an album, SBS takes me back to so many memories of the Kids. Many of my fave NKOTB songs are on this album, and I remember New Kids mania like it was yesterday. The MAGIC SUMER and NO MORE GAMES tours are concert standouts for me.

3. 3. FOREVER YOUR GIRL ~ Paula Abdul. My feelings on Ms. Abdul NOW can’t take away my feelings I had then, or my forever feelings for this album. I was crazy about Paula, and this tape got worn out more than once. I also loved SPELLBOUND, and was able to see her UNDER MY SPELL tour.

4. 4. DEBORAH ~ Deborah Gibson. I think it’s too bad that too many people focused on the shift from the name Debbie to Deborah instead of focusing on this brilliant album. This is easily my favorite album by any artist of all time. While I remember being sad she didn’t have the same chart success as her early albums, I remember always feeling like I had a secret and that only some of us knew about it. What a brilliant secret. Debbie Gibson is the eternal Electric Youth, much like myself.

5. 5. BLUE ~ LeAnn Rimes. I feel about LeAnn very much how I feel about Deborah. They are my 2 favorite artists, in leagues all their own, light years above and beyond the rest of the music industry. (I’m not even being dramatic on that, it’s seriously how I feel.) I have to admit when I first heard the song BLUE I was annoyed. I wasn’t *CRAZY* for the Patsy Cline sound (if you will). I was at Fan Fair in Nashville the summer of 96 and LeAnn made her first appearance. She was still only 13 years old, but when she took the stage, she had me at BLUE. LeAnn sang only three songs, but I walked away from her performance a fan for life. (and BLUE became a favorite.)

6. 6. …BABY ONE MORE TIME ~ Britney Spears. I know that Britney is far (and I do mean far) from the vocalist Deborah and LeAnn are, but something about her drew me in with the release of her first single and album. Much like OUT OF THE BLUE, this album laid the ground work for the fan I was to become. Britney will forever be one of my all-time favorite entertainers, and I have been known to slap haters in the face before. (that was a mild warning to all the haters.)

7. 7. COME ON OVER ~ Shania Twain. I was one of the maybe 12 people who bought Shania’s self-titled debut album. (I loved WHAT MADE YA SAY THAT? and DANCE WITH THE ONE THAT BROUGHT YA.) I also loved her album THE WOMAN IN ME. By the time Shania released this, her third, she was already a huge crossover artist and she was changing the landscape of music. I was able to see her live show, which gave me even more respect and admiration for her.

8. 8. NO STRINGS ATTACHED ~ *NSYNC. I was a dedicated Boy of the Backstreet thanks to my best friend Ang, and she and I snubbed our noses at these BSW’s. (Backstreet Wanna Be’s) Ang and I fell for the DRIVE MYSELF CRAZY video from *NSYNC’s first album, but we kind of kept that to ourselves. (we careful not to let our secret out.) By the time BYE BYE BYE was sweeping the world, Ang and I could no longer hide our love for the guys. We bought this album in California on a Spring Break trip and listened to it for 26 hours straight coming home. When Ang says *N, I say SYNC.

9. 9. TWISTED ANGEL ~ LeAnn Rimes. This album came out when I lived in Los Angeles, and is almost like a soundtrack to that year of my life. LeAnn had been going through a lot of personal issues in her own life, which was all played out in the media… I was happy to see her emerge with not only an album of all new material, but an album of all new excellent material. LeAnn took heat for stepping out of the country boundaries with this, but like Tim McGraw has said- “some say it’s too country, some say it’s too rock and roll, but it’s just good music if you can feel it in your soul.” Word.

10 10. BREAKAWAY ~ Kelly Clarkson. Because I watched American Idol from the very first episode of the very first season, I feel like I discovered Kelly Clarkson and she’s my best friend. (I don’t have to explain Jimmie Logic, do I?) I loved her debut album, but this is kind of like Shania and COME ON OVER… this album took Kelly to an entire new level in my world. Fan for life.

11. 11. NEVER GONE ~ Backstreet Boys. I was a BSB fan from early on, but they were eclipsed in my world by *NSYNC. When this album was released, *NSYNC had disbanded and boy bands were all but extinct. I wasn’t expecting much from the album, and I got the exact opposite. Start to finish, this is one of my all time favorite albums. (meaning that if I ordered these by favorite and not by date, it would be well above #11) I was able to see the Never Gone Tour, just before Kevin Richardson jumped ship. One of the best shows… period. And Nick Carter will always hold a special place in my heart.

12 12. FAMILY ~ LeAnn Rimes. As of now, this is probably my 2^nd favorite album of all time, just behind DEBORAH. I can’t explain why I love this album so much, so I’m not going to try. LeAnn is a true talent who never fails to impress me. I feel like this list will need to be altered in the years to come as she releases more material. I feel like I should already save a spot here for LADY & GENTLEMEN, and it hasn’t even been released yet.

13 13. BLACKOUT ~ Britney Spears. Like I said before, I am a forever-fan of Britney. For the 2 years that her life was in a downward spiral, I was still here in Kansas loving her, still slapping the faces of haters. (I think I got a few extra slaps in during that dark time frame.) This album was released in all the baldness, and musically, Britney still had it. I’m not sure if she knew she still had it, and the fact the album is called BLACKOUT still scares me a little, but with this album I held out hope that my Britney would come back one day, full throttle.

14 14. LEGALLY BLONDE: THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING ~ Laura Bell Bundy and Company. I recorded Legally Blonde the Musical when it aired on MTV on my DVR. (And I feel I need to take this moment to thank whoever thought of that brilliant idea??) I wasn’t sure how a movie I loved so much could translate into a musical on the Broadway stage, but it didn’t take long for the musical to replace the movie in my heart. OMIGOD YOU GUYS!! I became best friends immediately (again, Jimmie World) w/ Laura Bell Bundy. I feel like this soundtrack (aka spot #14 on this list) needs to share space with ACHIN’ & SHAKIN’, Laura Bell’s debut country album released just this year. Ms. Bundy came to my tiny town to perform for a festival and I was able to spend the afternoon with her, and she sealed her fate as one of my favorite artists.

15 15. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR ~ Soundtrack. If you know anything about me, then you probably know this isn’t a joke. This would be the movie that bumped THE WIZARD OF OZ as my favorite movie of all time. Sometimes I blame Zac Efron, sometimes I blame the fact that this movie just completes the HSM trilogy (if it’s legal to even call it that) and warms my heart.

I decided to play fair and stop my list at fifteen,

but I have a few extras to throw out here.

HONORABLE MENTIONED: ELECTRIC YOUTH by Debbie Gibson, SITTIN ON TOP OF THE WORLD and WHATEVER WE WANNA by LeAnn Rimes, CELEBRITY by *NSYNC, CABBAGE PATCH DREAMS by The Cabbage Patch Kids, 9 TO 5 by Dolly Parton. And a special shout-out to MY WORLD 2.0 by Justin Bieber, for making sure that I remain a teenybopper at heart forever.

And Jimmie Taylor’s greatest GREATEST HITS albums? THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION by Madonna, MY PREROGATIVE by Britney Spears, LeAnn Rimes, Spice Girls, THE HITS CHAPTER ONE by Backstreet Boys, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Shania Twain… I need to just stop now.

25 Random Thoughts... pull up a chair.

the secret is out:

I love Facebook 'notes' and I love filling them out... and I am too often at a loss for words on my alleged blog. These notes give me something to sing (off-key) about. Instead of posting on Facebook, I've started dropping them on this lonely little blog...
The following is my '25 things' I posted on Facebook on January 7, 2009. I've always wanted to have a sequel, and I think I just paved the way. Stay tuned. (I know, for anyone who gets it, my 15 albums will post tomorrow!!)

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I guess it's my turn... I've been putting this note business off, because frankly I didn't think I could come up with 25 things... I'm still not so certain, but after reading other notes, I kinda feel inspired...

It's electric...

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Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. My name is James Taylor... yes, I am named after the singer, but also (and way more importantly) after my grandfather. Since the already famous James Taylor is getting older, I like to consider myself the James Taylor for the Hannah Montana generation... aka Jim-Bob.

2. Jim-Bob was a ridiculous nickname that was given to me in high school, and I honestly have no idea where it came from. When I began working at the First Baptist Day Care in 1994 (!!!) I worked with Gina Zieman... she called me Jim-Bob at work and the kids picked up on it. It's now 2009 and I couldn't get rid of that name if I tried to. (And after a couple of failed attempts, I have come to accept that Jim-Bob is here to stay... and I like it.)

3. My mother is small in stature, but by far the strongest woman I have ever known. Her name is Jill Cherryholmes and I wish there were enough of her to go around. I am a self-proclaimed Mama's Boy and I love every second of it. She helped make me who I am, and I am often embarrassed and ashamed at the way I talked to her growing up. I was a snot-nosed brat who should've had my hand (and mouth!) slapped more than once, but I never did. I try to make up for it every chance I get now. I love her more than I can say.

4. My grandma is and was the only other person who could love me like my mama. I miss her.

5. I'm a big fat cry baby. (Seriously, why do you think I couldn't type any more about my gram??) TV shows, movies, commercials... anything that moves my heart makes me cry. When I need a good cry, I watch Hope Floats... because I cry so hard it hurts, and when it's all over I feel like I can breathe again. Savannah Smiles does the same thing for me...

6. I feel a special connection to the kids I went to grade school with at Skelly Elementary.

7. Yellow has ALWAYS been my favorite color, but pink and orange fight for the second favorite spot.

8. I *lovelovelove* Deborah Gibson- turns out it wasn't 'just a teen phase'.

9. I moved to Los Angeles in 2002 without any friends, without a set place to live and my life crammed into 3 suitcases. I had applied and been accepted into an AmeriCorps program (the National Readiness & Response Corps, mind you)... My mom gave me the best advice I had ever been given~ *Chicken if ya don't!* The year I spent in AmeriCorps was a defining year in my life. I can't even begin to sum it up here. I feel like I cheated the program, because I feel like I gained so much more from it than any client we assisted locally or on national disaster. For an entire year of my life I was a full-time volunteer for the American Red Cross... and I am proud of that.

10. My boyfriend Josh is one of my favorite people in the world. He puts up with me, and I am a handful. He's hard for me to talk about in words, because he's that special. I don't think he knows how much I love him... I hope one day he does. Plus, he's way forgiving about all my alleged affairs in Hollywood.

11. I have more than one best friend. I have best friends from each part of my life, and they will always remain my best friends. I hope they feel the same way about me.

12. The friends I made in LA needed their own number, because I wouldn't have made it through the year without them. Number 12 is a shout out to them.

13. My soul mate is a girl. Ang is the other half of me... I believe we are cosmic soul twins. She is one of the most important people to ever fall into my life, and I cherish her friendship more than she knows. (She claims to know... she has no idea.) She introduced me to MySpace... I've yet to get her on Facebook. (She has a page- Angie Bashore of Dallas/Ft. Worth- message her and tell her to get her page up and running!!)

14. I have a chihuahua named Laramie. The first date Josh and I ever went on was to see the play The Laramie Project. She's our baby. She goes by the name of Mimi... because she is, of course, also named after Tori Spelling's (now deceased) dog... Mimi LaRue. (Do you follow? Laramie "Mimi" LaRue Taylor.) If gay marriage is ever legal for more than 5 days, I get her in the gay divorce since she took the name of Taylor...

15. My parent's divorce was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I eventually got 3 sisters and another brother when my dad remarried shortly after. I don't use the term 'half' sibling, because just like Eric- Anna, Norma, Jeffery and Billie are entirely my family.

16. 90210 is out of control and in my face all the time and I can't stop, won't stop. Blessed be the Zip Code that streams through my blood like a diet soda Kelly Taylor ordered at The Peach Pit... (wow- I have no idea where that came from!!)

17. The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins have always been my Number 1 and Number 2 favorite movies of all time. That all changed on October 25, 2008 when I saw High School Musical 3: Senior Year for the first time. HSM3 bumped them both, without even asking. I can't even explain it, because it's not even a joke. That movie makes my heart smile. Plus, Zac Efron...

18. Some of my craziest times I don't even remember... thanks to Lesly, Kiley and Cherry Vodka.

19. I have 6 tattoos, but only 2 of them represent LeAnn Rimes.

20. I sometimes want children, because I would have a ball naming them.

21. I sometimes don't want children, because this world is a scary place.

22. I watch Channel 10 news, but only for the love of Jeff Herndon. He is my local celebrity boyfriend. Because of him, I can look past the shine that is lipstick of Susan Peters.

23. I became a fan of Mariah Carey the day the world turned on her. I sometimes lie and say Glitter is my favorite movie, though I have never seen it and own it on DVD.

24. I know I'm gonna be pissed when this is said and done, because I'll realize I forgot to mention something I thought of during the day that I wanted to type...

and if you made it this far...

25. My bf Josh and I planned on moving to NY this past August with our Wichita roomie Amanda... I flew to NYC on Sept 11 and interviewed w/ Bright Horizons and was offered a job at Rockefeller Center. My friend Toni (from AmeriCorps!) and her fiance are building a 2-family home on the beach, part of a community called Arverne by the Sea. We were set to rent half the home... For whatever reason, the house still isn't ready. We came to terms with staying in Kansas. Josh and I were approved for a home loan, so we went to an auction in El Dorado and bought us a house!!! (wait- there's more.) The loan fell out from underneath us and our big gay dream just slapped us in the face again!! (Did I mention Josh, Amanda and I were forced from our apartment after a fire broke out last September??) So... my fabulous new home is just a house. And not mine. And I am tired of telling the story of NY and I'm sure I will tire of telling the story of that house. From this point on, I shall refer people to this note!!

crap. I just remembered I wanted to say something about Pippi Longstocking.

coming soon...

sometimes, I like to steal Facebook notes I see from other people and turn mine into a blog.
stay tuned for the 15 albums that will forever be soundtracks to my soul.

ps- I like to be dramatic.

AmeriCorps Afterthoughts.

Once upon a time, like 3 months or so ago, I decided to start sharing with the free world the playlists of my music collection that make my world go round. I didn't get too far, for reasons I can't discuss. (and that means I can't discuss them... yet. When I get word from Britney's people that I can share, I'll explain my brief hiatus.) I first shared my AmeriCorps Vol. 1 & AmeriCorps Vol. 2 playlists...
AmeriCorps?? What is that??? There really isn't much written word other than that of my playlists on this dot of a blog in the universe about my year in AmeriCorps... (at least, not until I decide to publish our AmeriCorps yearbook for all to see.) I don't expect people to understand why it was a year that shaped me, and I don't expect many people to even read beyond this sentence... I blog about this stuff for my own soul, and for anyone else who either experienced it with me, or chooses to dig a little into my mind. (it's all random, I know.) This playlist consists of songs that take me back to that year, for one reason or another. (and fear not, I detail the reasons right here.)
These might be afterthoughts, but more importantly, they are foreverthoughts...

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WHITE HOUSES by Vanessa Carlton ~ Toni discovered this song not too long after our AmeriCorps term ended, and the lyrics sum up all too well our year together. "Crashed on the floor when I moved in, This little bungalow with some strange new friends, Stay up too late, and I'm too thin, We promise each other it's 'til the end..." I have NO CLUE what possessed me at the age of 27 to up and leave the only life I'd ever known and haul balls to the West Coast on a whim to try and become a better person. I know 'the age of 27' probably sounds old to many, but being 35 as I write this, I still feel 18. (I told you my life is totally random.) Moving from El Dorado, KS to Los Angeles, CA in a day and knowing nobody- but eventually meeting people that would live forever in my heart?? WOW. and we still have "Beer through the nose on an inside joke"
CALIFORNIA by Phantom Planet ~ I moved back to Kansas in June, and in August THE OC premiered on FOX. I thought I was hot stuff, listening to the California lingo on a hot new show and totally understanding it. I later found out that Toni and Mary-Curtis had stumbled upon the filming of THE OC pilot in Malibu a few months prior. WHERE WAS I??? Oh yeah- in Sherman Oaks, where I lived, and where Mary-Kate & Ashley were raised. (That was me trying on my bragging pants, by the way.) THE OC theme song will ALWAYS take me back.
TRIP AROUND THE SUN by Jimmy Buffett w/ Martina McBride ~ I constantly refer to my year in AmeriCorps as my trip around the sun... I know it was something so huge in my life, but I secretly hope I have frequent flier miles and that maybe I have a few return engagements up my sleeve. I'm not beyond believing I might have a few more trips around the sun in my life. "I'm just hanging on while this old world keeps spinning, And it's good to know it's out of my control, If there's one thing that I've learned from all this living, Is that it wouldn't change a thing if I let go..."
CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY by Mariah Carey ~ On the serious side, the lyrics alone can tell the story of my life and why I choose to make Jimmie Taylor decisions.
"They can say, Anything they want to say, Try to bring me down, But I will not allow anyone to succeed hanging clouds over me, And they can try hard to make me feel that I, Don't matter at all, But I refuse to falter in what I believe or loose faith in my dreams 'Cause there's, There's a light in me, That shines brightly, They can try, But they can't take that away from me" Now for the funny side?? Poor Mary-Curtis... who, while on DR (aka Disaster Relief) with me in Oklahoma City, was held captive in our rental car while I made sure she heard and understood these exact lyrics. My bad.
I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING by The New Seekers ~ Cheese Ball Alert!! Make fun of this song if you must, but this simple song (to me) is the very idea of what AmeriCorps is all about. I joined a group of total strangers from all corners of the US, because in our own way, we each wanted to build the world a home. I think, nearly 8 years later, we still find our own ways to furnish that world with love.
LOVE IS AN ARMY by LeAnn Rimes ~ I discovered this song the day LeAnn's TWISTED ANGEL album was released, and I had a personal connection to it immediately. When LeAnn performed this song at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May of 2003, I was in Oklahoma City with MC on DR for the tornadoes. I watched LeAnn perform it on my little hotel TV and that deep connection suddenly ran deeper. MC and I were there helping people who had lost nearly everything... and we were there with our own little army. Love.
LA SONG by Beth Hart ~ The funniest part about returning to Kansas after a year out on the Left Coast was how much I found myself identifying with so much stuff on TV about Los Angeles, even in repeats. I discovered this song while watching a 90210 episode from the final season. (I would fill you in that it was Gina Kincaid's last episode, who was Donna's cousin/sister, but then I would have to go off for a few paragraphs about how much I disliked that entire avenue, and it's just not worth it.) Point being: when I first heard the song as a KS guy when it first aired, I paid no attention. When I heard it again after having lived in LA, I soaked it in. "Man I gotta get outta this town , Man I gotta get outta this pain , Man I gotta get outta this town , Outta this town & out of L.A." (rest in peace, Doc Martin!!)
SK8R BOI by Avril Lavigne ~ There is really no deep, hidden meaning why this song is an afterthought. Truth is, this song blew up in my first few months of living in LA, and I decided that I wanted to be Avril for Halloween. My plans didn't pan out, so instead, I dressed as a SK8R BOI (if you will) while I went to West Hollywood with my roomies Syp & Deej (and SUZY SUZUKI, RN) to see P!NK in concert... I still have my tiny skateboard, and somewhere in this world is a bitter bitch who took a butterfly wing to the face. It was Halloween in West Hollywood, what did she expect?
HERE'S TO THE NIGHT by Eve 6 ~ This is a song I had a connection to without having any real connection to, if that makes sense. Once I moved back to Kansas and I heard it, this song went to another level. "Here's to the nights we felt alive, Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry, Here's to goodbye tomorrow's gonna come too soon" Guess what? Tomorrow came too soon.
NIGHTS I CAN'T REMEMBER, FRIENDS I'LL NEVER FORGET by Toby Keith ~ Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I remember more than I don't. And on that note... I guarantee we were "Pushin' everythin' we did to the limit, Livin' right out on the edge of the world." On top of that, I can say: "We did it our way lookin' back on the good days, There's still not a lot I regret, Nights I Can't Remember, Friends I'll Never Forget." I PROMISE.
COME HOME by Debbie Gibson ~ I know my original plan when I moved to LA was to stay there, do my AmeriCorps term, move on to something bigger and be discovered. Within my second month of living there, I knew I would be returning home to Kansas. It took me separating myself from everything I had ever known to appreciate what was mine all along. Am I trying to sound smart and poignant?? Not at all. That's truly how it happened. "Growing up so strong, but you're not made of stone , Isn't it nice to come home?" Yes. It is.
HOLD AN OLD FRIEND'S HAND by Tiffany ~ Our reunions aren't as frequent as the years have passed, but whenever we do get back together, it's like holding an old friend's hand. "I don't believe it hurts to grow, even when the crop you sow is a failure." (Did anybody catch that I have a Deb Gib & a Tiffany song back-to-back? Classic Jims.)
WE CAN by LeAnn Rimes ~ Legally Blonde 2 was about to be released when I moved home, and Elle Woods was all over LA. I don't remember why I didn't have any friends in Kansas that would go see that movie with me, but I do remember sitting at the drive-in alone with my window down and being eaten alive by mosquitoes. (I won't go into detail about my trip to the ER because I thought I fell victim to the West Nile virus and I thought I was dying.) I was pumped that LeAnn recorded this song for the soundtrack, and I fell in love with the video. When the movie was released on DVD & included LeAnn's video, I took it with me when I returned to LA for a visit. I remember sitting in my former little living room with my former apartmates singing "with our one voice, one heart, two hands- we can." Kind of sounds like an AmeriCorps anthem.
BEAUTIFUL GOODBYE by Jennifer Hanson ~ Annoyed with reading lyrics yet? Sometimes the entire lyrics of a song sum up an entire experience for me. This would be one of those songs. This was released to country radio right at the end of our time together and it couldn't have been more perfect timing. I was sad to be leaving my new life, but anxious to return home. "It's like the most amazing sunset you've ever seen, There's never another quite the same, It just falls into some deep eternal sea, Like the end of a movie that makes you cry, You're sad when it's over but you're glad you had, That moment that moved you deep inside. Beautiful goodbye, baby goodbye, I enjoyed the ride, we really had us a time,It's a strange kind of high- A beautiful goodbye."
LOVE'S THE ONLY HOUSE by Martina McBride ~ To know me is to know that this song is my personal anthem. To know me is to also be annoyed at how often I play and/or sing this little number. This song, in a way, is part of the reason I started looking for something like AmeriCorps in my life. I know that I have been blessed with more than anyone deserves, and I think it's so important to give back... to whoever and whenever possible, in any possible way. "so come on down to my house."
ISN'T THAT EVERYTHING by Danielle Peck ~ This is just a random song that reminds me to be thankful for what I have. One of my favorite quotes ever goes a little something like this: "Life isn't about getting what you want. It's about wanting what you have." If I share with you that I heard that come from the mouth of someone on The Real World, would you think less of that quote? *I'll never tell* "I might not have a million dollars in the bank, But I’ve got food on my table and gas in my tank, I might not have designer sheets on a king size bed, But I lay down at night with a roof over my head."
I'VE GOT FRIENDS THAT DO by Tim McGraw ~ If there's a tiny chance someone is still reading this, I'm afraid I'm not done with posting lyrics. This song is basically word for word from my heart and how I feel. The truly great thing about being a part of AmeriCorps was being united with strangers from different parts of the US... coming together because we all had a common interest. I really do have friends that do. "This is for the nobody, The one in the crowd who's got a, Lost look on his face, This is for the down-trodden, The one that the worlds forgotten, Waitin' on a better day, Well I'm in no position to judge 'em, Heaven knows they're just like me, And I'm not alone, In knowing what it's like, To wonder where you're going in this crazy life, And I'm not alone, knowing how it feels, To pray to God and sometimes wonder if he's real, 'Cause I got friends that do."
LIFT ME UP by Backstreet Boys ~ If I could put into words the roller coaster of emotions we all went through during our year, I would. I can't. There is, without question, no way I would have lasted without the friends I made. They lifted me up then, and they continue to lift me up now. "When I'm down on my luck and I'm searching for my soul, When I'm feeling too much and I start to lose control , When I'm down so low that even enemies don't wanna know , You still care for me, say a prayer for me, and I know , Oooh, I like you hangin' around , 'Cause you lift me up when I am upside down , Oooh, you are my favorite sound..."

YOU'RE LIKE COMIN HOME by Emerson Drive ~ You may be familiar with this song by Lonestar, but I love me some Emerson Drive, so they're version is more my taste. (I must admit, though- both versions taste about the same.) I moved home, but I feel like I left another home behind. Whenever I reconnect with my LA friends, it's like comin home. "Ridin' restless under broken sky, Weary traveller, somethin' missin' inside, Always lookin' for a reason to turn around. Desperate for a little peace of mind., Just a little piece of what I left behind:, Well, I found it now: you're like coming home."
WEST COAST WIND by The City Drive ~ This isn't really a song with lyrics that speak to my heart, rather a song that just reminds me of the Santa Ana winds that would mess up my hair. (oh wait- I'm thinking of Kelly Taylor on 90210.) I miss a lot of things about the West Coast- and if someone were to ask me if the wind were one of them, I would say: probably.
EVERYTHING I DO by LeAnn Rimes & Kenny G ~ I don't feel like I need to throw out any lyrics here, because once upon a blue moon the entire universe was obsessed with Robin Hood (I wasn't one of them) and chances are this song needs no explanation. LeAnn seems to have been a big voice in my AmeriCorps year...
WITH ALL MY HEART by Deborah Gibson ~ I close out my Afterthoughts will my all-time favorite song. Unless you are a die-hard fan like me, or one of my friends I force music on, you probably haven't heard this. The song is timeless and will forever be an anthem for the way I want to live my life.

Sometimes I am in the wrong
I go where I do not belong
believe me I know my faults
I force my will
I walk on coals
I prey on unsuspecting souls
we all do somersaults

Then we land on solid ground
and turn it all around
the first chance we get to make a brand new start
but everything I do
I do with all my heart.

Sometimes I will not look down
I trip and fall and scrape the ground
cause I thought I knew all
But every twist and every turn
and every time I live and learn
it comes down to that fall.
cause the pain was mine all mine
and nothing human or divine
could make me put that horse before that cart
backwards upside down,
but with all my heart.

there is one you
there is one me
one go round
one short life
use it wisely
sink or fly but fall grasping for stars
cause the thing about our hearts
they're uniquely ours.

once upon a time
when i could stop the world
right on a dime
I never analyzed
I fell straight into passions crows
I struggled heaven only knows
but opened weren't my eyes
to all I could not see
I believed it all could be
so I went there not picking it apart
I saw it whole and with my soul
and yes with all my heart.

somethings in life won't matter
like if you climb the ladder or not
but sit back relax
if you've tried with all your heart.

hip to my heart.

"I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return"

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Once upon a time there was a boy named Jimmie. This boy liked to live his life out loud, for all the world to see. He had dreams of shining bright beyond the streets of Small Town, Kansas and he had a fierce passion for the Hollywood world he surrounded himself with. The pages of US Weekly would come alive each Friday night and the celebrities would whisper in his ears. Jimmie spent many hours and dollars, dragging friends with him, traveling the US for artists he loved. It was in those times when Jimmie felt the most alive and his soul would sparkle. Like glitter.

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Writing about myself in 3rd person and past tense just kind of creeped me out, so I had to stop. I felt like maybe I was a ghost-writer for myself, penning the Jimmie Taylor: Famous in a Small Town biography. Jinkies. There is a point to this blog, and I feel my weirdo intro was needed to set up my story. On Friday, July 16th, my boyfriend Josh and I (along with our friends Travis, Heather and Keri) went to the Adam Lambert/Allison Iraheta concert in Wichita, KS. The concert was general admission, which meant showing up hours early would pretty much guarantee a decent spot close to the stage. When we showed up at the venue, we joined the already-growing line. I pretty much pride myself in being a social butterfly and getting to know people, and the Adam Lambert fans were a fierce group for me to interact with. Right in front of us in line was a woman who had a purple glow about her. She was covered from head to toe in purple glitter w/ her purple outfit and self-created purple glitter shoes. (I was rocking my red wooden shoes, and I had a hunch we would get along.) I learned her name was Cathy and she was from Dallas. She had driven up just to see Adam Lambert. She had an extra ticket, because her son was unable to make the trip. I immediately got my picture with her, and we became Facebook friends. As the line was moving inside, the guys were pulled into a different line, and I didn't think we would see her inside. I was wrong. Not even ten minutes after we were in, Cathy appeared to us in what I swear was a glitter cloud. She was with us through the entire show, and when I wasn't watching the stage (or trying to fight off a Mean Girl, but that's another story) I loved watching Cathy watch Adam. Not in a creeper way, either. At midnight, Cathy would be turning 51 years old. I looked at her and I hoped I saw a little of me when I am her age. I wouldn't give a second thought right now, at the age of 35, to traveling solo to see the show of someone I love. I can only hope and pray I'm lucky enough to be doing that 16 years down the line. Cathy inspired me on a level I can't even explain. She was living her life out loud, and I feel blessed that for a night I was a part of it. I enjoyed Allison & Adam that night, but I came away from that concert with a feeling that I had a brief peek into my future. And I liked what I saw.

rumor 'bout a Revolution.

Picture it: Sicily, 1854. (that's a shout-out to Sophia Petrillo, of course.) As I was cruising the Kansas turnpike after dinner with Mama Cherryholmes, I decided I needed to send out a few words about the current Golden Girl of Country Music. It's not Taylor Swift or Carrie (she was my American Idol first, people!) Underwood, but Miranda Lambert. I don't normally buy entire cd's anymore, because frankly, I have been a little disappointed as of late. I usually end up enjoying 3-4 songs out of 12 and then I kick myself in the shin twice. (That's not true. I usually kick a chair. Or a foot stool.) I won't drop any names, but let's just say a certain sister duo was hurtin' for certain without Natalie Maines. After my burning LOVE for Dead Flowers, White Liar and The House That Built Me (hello, 1154 S. Arthur!) I decided it was time to drop the dollars for Miranda's REVOLUTION album. SIDE NOTE: I was crusing the Lambert section of Wal*Mart for Adam (the other Lambert)'s cd, as I prepare to attend his concert tomorrow in Wichita... as well as protest the Fred Phelps protestors. Not familiar with Phelps & Co? Click here, but it isn't pretty. It's ugly and filled with hate, and I plan to fight back with LOVE. It is, after all, an army. And the only house big enough for all the pain in the world. So... driving home through the Flint Hills I joined the Revolution de Miranda, full throttle. While I'll stop short of calling her a lyrical genius (because I'm not a critic, and that just sounds corny), I will scream from the mountain tops my love for this disc. (I've called it a cd, an album and a disc. Did you notice that? I like to keep things fresh 'round these parts.) And about those mountain tops. That was an overstatement, because I live in Kansas. But I did scream it from the Flint Hills. Then it just seemed unsafe, and I wasn't going to risk my life professing a love for my latest purchase. Bottom line? Buy the album. Tell Miranda I sent ya... that's the way that the world goes 'round.