Nitty Gritty and Roundup

Well, mine is anyway.  I've been searching for a part-time job to make ends meet for the longest time, and now I've finally found one.  You come see me at the Family Dollar in Cloverville and I'll ring you up, Baby!

The manager there said that back when she had no jobs, she had tons of applicants, but that since then, people have just quit applying.  If you're one of those who've given up looking, now might be your chance before the extended unemployment benefits finally run out.  After that....fugettaboutit ;-)  

Even though Lady Antebellum is opening for Tim McGraw on tour, that doesn't mean they get to sit front row and center to enjoy his show. In Wednesday's webisode, Hillary explains that when they try to go out and watch the show, pandemonium ensues as fans clamor for autographs and photos of them. So her solution? Watch the show incognito. She assembles a stunning fashion ensemble from Sears to make her look like a member of Tim's crew and names herself "Sheila."

I guess Hillary has seen enough of the show since she's now blown her cover! 

Blake Shelton's immediate reaction to his A-C-M nomination in the Vocal Event category for Hillbilly Bone was "thrilled and shocked." After he had a moment to digest it, he said, "This is the best day of my life -- I got to read the nominations with the Queen of Country Music, Reba. And then I find out 'Hillbilly Bone' is nominated! I'm glad that my first nomination in years is with one of my great friends, Trace Adkins. The only thing that could make this day better is if Betty White was there to give me the award should I win!"

If you've long admired Carrie Underwood's long, thick eyelashes, you'll be able to have them soon! According to In Style magazine, Carrie fell in love with the lush lashes after trying a sample for the Grammy Awards and now celebrity lash designer Stephen Moleski is designing a pair for the big day. And Stephen says that after the I Dos are done, the faux fringe will be available to the public.

I'd be terribly worried about anyone who actually wanted Carrie Underwood's used eyelashes.  Am I crazy?

Big Kenny recently visited Haiti to search for his friend Walt Ratterman and to help the survivors of the January earthquake. Tomorrow night he hosts Compassion International's Hope for Haiti Live concert. He tells us, "There's going be an event at the Ryman this weekend that I believe will be an event of the heart for many people. Not only great music, but a great, overwhelming experience of the heart."

Rascal Flatts have released a video for their hit single "Unstoppable" that includes teaser footage from their upcoming appearance on C-B-S's C-S-I. The boys have an integral part in the show's plot -- with a shocking twist. The Rascal Flatts episode of C-S-I airs March 4th.

This isn't the Flatts' first time in front of a T-V camera. In 2006 they appeared on the C-B-S sitcom Yes, Dear. -- Tammy Ragusa

Kellie Pickler is not thrilled about the busloads of tourists that drive by her house and take pictures. She vented on Twitter, "You are putting the kids in this neighborhood, my nine-year-old brother and myself in danger!...and quit taking pictures of my house, especially when kids are playing in my yard!! It freaks them out. Stay Away!" Fans replied offering suggestions on how to keep the offending busses from her block, including using skunk spray and hiring senior citizens to moon them as they drive by.

Jimmy Wayne's suitcase was stolen from the R-V that has been accompanying him as he walks to Phoenix to raise awareness of teen homelessness. He wrote on Twitter that his suitcase with all of his clothes, including a leather jacket, was taken from the vehicle, which was parked in Hot Springs, Arkansas while he was away performing a show. His sponsor, as well as a generous family he met along his walking route, have replaced some of his clothing. Jimmy tweets, "May the missing suitcase be a blessing and lesson to us all! We can't allow anything to deter the mission of project M-M-H (Meet Me Halfway.) These kids need us."

Jake Owen gave himself a nasty gash on the head while deer hunting with his twin brother Jarrod the other day. Jake says, "Man, I pulled that trigger and that thing recoiled and popped me square between the eyes." Since there was no hospital nearby, Jake closed up the wound with Crazy Glue. The hunting trip was being filmed for an upcoming T-V show.

What's amazing is that in this particular photo he's a dead ringer for Dan Diggler.  Do you suppose Dan would like like someone else if he got a pop between the eyes?

Being a celebrity doesn't prevent Martina McBride from having weird and wacky dreams like anybody else! On Twitter she writes, "I dreamed I was trying to get to the C-M-A Awards and I couldn't get there. Betty White was driving. My phone wouldn't work. Nobody would listen to me. Somehow Betty drove us into one of the rides at Disney World, some kind of train thing, in the dark. We had to ride it to get out, but it got stuck. So we had to climb out. It was raining, I was in my gown, I was supposed to perform. Betty gave up. Oh yeah, Trisha Yearwood was there, too."

That's nothing compared to the dream I had a Michael Jackson last night, but good taste prevents me from sharing it.  I'll tell you this much though, I'm still feeling kinda creepy since I woke up this morning ;-)

Loretta Still Looking and Sounding GREAT at 78!

If you've been to the supermarket this week, you've probably seen that horrific photo of Loretta Lynn on the cover of The Globe with the headline "Loretta's Brave Last Days".  FYI, I have it from extremely reliable sources that Loretta's just fine.  I suspect some lucky photog happened to snap her in mid-blink and decided such a photo needed a shocking story to go along with it.

My brother-in-law is her band leader and travels all over the country with her, and while she may be getting older and often sits down at her shows, she's in as good a shape as she's been in a long time.

The rumours started because she's only doing two dates for Lillith Fair, but it's not because she cancelled any, it's just because those were all the shows she was ever going to do.

Here's some interesting lore about love through the ages...

The phrase "Wearing your heart on your sleeve" dates back to the Middle Ages. Young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be. They then wore these names on their sleeves for one week.

X's and O's ... Ever wonder how X's came to mean kisses? It's believed to have started in Medieval times, when people who could not write were allowed to sign documents with an X, which they then kissed to prove their sincerity. Over time, the Xs became associated with kisses.

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant that she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a rich man.

In the 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine's eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.

The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his wife, who died in childbirth. Work on the Taj began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years. It required the labor of 20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia.