Lesson 173: Gold Medalist, Tim McGraw Song #1

Eloise's Concert Countdown 

Number One Favorite Song

The Cowboy In Me

Today is a big day for me, Readers.  Brothers of the Sun Concert Tour begins in eight hours in a city two hours away from the Lamp Post.  I'll still be scrambling around at the last minute when my friend comes to pick me up in a little while.  No matter how many hours, days, weeks, and years I have to plan something, I still run around at the last minute, yelling orders to my offspring, attempting to finish the last details.  I don't know why I act the way I do.  Like I ain't got a single thing to lose.  Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy.  I guess that's just the cowboy in me.


There is a little cowboy(girl) in this Hometown Teacher, Mother of Three, Keeper of the Lamp Post.  I got a life that most would love to have....   That is why I chose Tim McGraw's Cowboy in me for my Number One, All Time Favorite, Gold Medalist, Eloise Concert Countdown Chart Topper.  Isn't there a little cowboy in all of us?

A little about the song itself:  The Cowboy in Me was the third release from McGraw's Set Down This Circus album in 2001. I love the song itself and the lyrics, but the numbers that link to it are really cool too, yet they had no bearing whatsoever on me choosing this song.

First, I could have told you that the song would be a hit since it was the third release from that album.  Eloise likes her number 3's.  The third is always the charm, Right?   Look at its stats on the top Country Music charts:

Chart (2001-2002)	Peak position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[2]	1
US Billboard Hot 100[3]	33

It only reached the thirty-third position on the US Billboard Hot 100, but that is a good number, too.  Horses and the number 33 reminds me of my Friday night drink:



Here is another fun little extra credit assignment for you.  Go to google, today's source to finding answers, and click on images.  Type in the box "33 Rolling Rock bottle".  Scroll down a little bit and my photo pops up!  I put it on my blog last year (without tags), and it still can be found.  Crazy!



The time period when The Cowboy in Me was climbing the charts was the winter of 2002.  I remember that snowy winter well when my girls were little and I was neck deep in my stint as a Stay At Home Mommy.  I listened to the radio a lot because we were down to one income an we couldn't afford to do much but stay home and play with each other.  Music helped pass the time.

Tim McGraw was celebrating much success during that time period.  He was surely blessed because two of his songs were back to back Number Ones.  Look when The Cowboy in Me reached its Number One status--on March 16th---3:16.



Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks
number-one single
March 16, 2002

Its Number One predecessor  a week prior to that was one McGraw sang back up vocals for.  He and  Jo Dee Messina blended voices in Bring on the Rain, which reached the top of the chart on my birthday which is March 3rd, 3-3---some more threes for you. 

Preceded by "Good Morning Beautiful" by Steve Holy

Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number-one single March 9, 2002

You can see that Bring on the Rain was preceded by Good Morning Beautiful by Steve Holy.  How nice would it be for someone to greet you with Good Morning Beautiful every day of your life?  Especially if your last name was Holy.  Oh his lucky wife!   Eloise is not too pretty to look at in the morning, so the absence of sunrise flattery is understandable.  I'll just play the song and never expect to hear the words spoken.  The face that's in the mirror when I don't like what I see,  I guess that's just the cowboy in me.



And the weeks prior to that, this one by Alan Jackson--Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning:



Those country artists fulfilled a need for their listeners.  We as a nation were still reeling from the September 11th attacks.  We needed some songs to recognize our pain, but give us the strength and desire to move through it even though lots of us didn't know where we were headed.  ...But sometimes I still wake up fighting mad, At where this road I'm heading down might lead, I guess that's just the cowboy in me.

The American cowboy is kind of a romantic dream for Eloise.  I picture a tall handsome man (sporting a goatee and black hat, of course), in boots and jeans full of holes, saddled up on a horse waiting to pull me up behind him.  Kind of like this:

















The cowboy smells of hard work, an outdoorsy kind of smell mixed with sweat and some soap beneath it.  I hold on tight around his waist and ultra firm abs and ride west into the sunset.  I'd surely be headed out to Nevada--Area 51 in search of that alien I know they are keeping out there.

RRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPP!  (Record scratch, fantasy interrupted).

That can never be.  Eloise is afraid of horses.  Another fear to add to airports, roller coasters, and the Amish.

Horses are so pretty to look at.  I prefer the ones that are able to run wild, without the saddles like these:

and these beauties:

I don't care for the ones that are all dolled up and decorated and made to prance around before judges:

And I CAN'T STAND the thought of a race horse.  I feel so bad for them being stung with those whips by little guys who have something to prove.  What if a horse was like Eloise in nature, slow and kind of plodding, getting whipped like that in a effort to run faster and harder so someone else can gain a prize?  Horrid.  I just want to punch that twerp in the purple below.

Eloise actually prefers this animal:

The donkey is much more my speed.  I'd love one for a pet.  The Lamp Post certainly has the space for one, but there is that nagging issue of my parents living next door......... Daddy!  Look what I found!  Can I keep him?  Can I keep him, pleeeeeease?  The donkey delivered Mary to Bethlehem to bear our Savior, after all.  I don't think you could ask for a better pet.

So as far as cowgirls go, I am a total poser.  I am afraid of horses---really any large mammal with an eyeball the size of my palm I try to stay away from.  Eloise is also highly allergic to horse hair.  I LOVE the smell of a barn, but after a few minutes inside of one I puff up like a blow fish--the face that's in the mirror when I don't like what I see.....  

I could never ride a horse because #1--I don't like things that go fast, like roller coasters and airplanes, and #2--I don't like things that are beyond my control.  Once you're strapped into The Ravine Flyer--it's all over with.  You have no choice but to hang tight and scream.  I tried to conquer my fear and ride a horse once, but the thing wouldn't even let me put one foot in the stirrup.  It started snorting and stomping its foot.  I swear it could sense my fear.  On my third attempt to board the beast it farted and pooped and I considered that a sign. No horsey ride for Eloise.  

I was wearing flip flops that day because it was summer.  Perhaps if I had been wearing these, the horse wouldn't have immediately seen me as a Poser:

Eloise loves boots.  I live in a sleety, sloshy part of the country many months of the year.  Dreaded is the day I get a cold, wet sock in the winter time.  If I wear my boots, my feet stay nice and toasty dry.  A happy Mrs. Eloise makes for happy students for the entire day.  I've got my eye on these as my next pair which kind of matches what I'll be teaching about next year:

...or maybe these:

....this blue would go nicely with my jeans:

But for today, I'm strapping on my red pair and heading out here soon.  An odd turn of events is forcing Eloise to leave a little earlier than I had planned.  We are taking my friend's daughter to the Cleveland airport.  Yes, Eloise is going to visit Her Number One Dreaded Place on the way to see Her Number One Handsome Cowboy.  The urge to run, the restlessness..........

My lifelong friend since elementary school knows how absent minded I can be, especially under a time of excitement or stress.  Since today brings about both, she keeps reminding me that I have the concert tickets.  As per her recent text reminder, I went to search them out in my Super Secret Hiding Place.  I think today is going to be a good one.  The numbers told me so.

I looked up our nosebleed seat numbers in the Cleveland Browns Stadium, and we are seated in Section 513Q, row 17, seats 1 and 2.  Those are all good numbers.  I bought the tickets late, knowing we'd be given only what was left available.  My only request to the ticket agent was that I was attending the concert with a handicapped person and needed end row seating.  I was referring to myself.  I have a handicapped bladder. Eloise makes frequent trips to the potty.

After ten blog posts in a row, and a much anticipated concert late night, don't expect to hear from me tomorrow.  The Lamp Post light will still be burning, even though Eloise will be plugging herself into the wall outlet to recharge a little.  I'll catch you most likely into the middle of next week.

Please watch my favorite Tim McGraw video of all time.  It is Handsome performing The Cowboy in Me at a concert.  It is mixed with clips of him in lighter moments, playing basketball and prepping before one of his shows.  I like the backstage Tim as much as I do his stage persona.  Watch the video all the way through, just for me.  When he points to the camera at the very end--he's pointing to me, up in the nosebleed seats of Cleveland Browns stadium.  We ride and never worry about the fall, I guess that's just the cowboy in us all.

Pray for me, Readers.  It is Sunday.
Eloise