The John Cougar Mellencamp Hurt So Good Blog Award of Excellence

(Oh man, do I ever crack myself up.)

(So do you get it? "Hurt So Good?" Like, Blogs So Good They Hurt? GEDDIT? ANYONE?)

Yeah, well. You shut up now.

(Special gooey thanks to Miss Zoot for designing these truly...um...mulletastic buttons, especially since her only instructions were that I wanted "brooding" and "corny, but you know, IRONIC CORNY.")

(Miss Zoot puts up with an AWFUL lot of this sort of nonsense from me, I'll have you know.)

Anyway, corny fake award names and buttons aside, I am having gobs of fun reading the many, many nominees for the JCMHSGBAoE, and am pleased to present the first honored recipient of the JCMHSGBAoE, who very much deserves the JCMHSGBAoE, and...

Greek Chorus of Readers: GET ON WITH IT!

Ahem. Yes. Bettie Bookish.

Moreena called Bettie the "best-kept-inspirational-mom-blog-secret" with the "lowest size-of-audience to quality-of-writing ratio," after spending some time (coughcough HOURS cough) in Bettie's archives, I have to agree. So let's do something about that.

Elizabeth (Bettie) is a former newspaper editor and columnist, an ovarian cancer survivor, a mother of a teenage son and a three-year-old daughter. She is waiting to be matched with her second daughter in China and keeps a second blog just for her. She is hysterically funny. She is grieving the loss of her own mother. She is an amazing writer.

Go check her out today.

(Even John Cougar Mellencamp wants you to read Bettie's blog. Just look into those eyes. He is pleading, broodily.)

Comments

[moreena]

Yay! Hooray! And did you know that I once ate dinner with JCM hisself? Yup. At a Grisanti's in Bloomington, Indiana. Well, he was actually there with maybe 8 of his umpteen kids and his eyeball-burningly beautiful wife, but we were the only other folks in the smoking section with him, so it was kind of like we were in on the party. We gave him one of our Camels when he ran out and was rather obviously rummaging about at the empty tables looking for a leftover in one of the crumpled packages. We figured we'd better offer before he pulled a half-smoked butt out of a dirty ashtray and thereby scare us silly with his bad-ass rock self. Heart Attack, Schmart Schmattack.

Anyway, um, this is about Betty! She is awesome.

[moreena]

Um, I meant, "Bettie." I guess I got overly excited at the opportunity to finally tell my Coug story after lo these 11 years.

[Amalah]

Well, of course you did! Because how many chances do you get nowadays to tell a Coug story and actually have it be relevant?

Also, the nickname for the JCMHSGBAoE is officially the Cougies now. HAAAAAA.

[Janet]

Wonderful Award. I happen to love JCM. Wonderful person receiveing the award. Bettie Rocks. You are wonderfully funny yourself. Thanks for the uplift. I love coming to visit your blog!

[Becki]

Thanks for finding me more good blogs to read, Amy. Looking forward to checking out Bettie's blogs.

[Raehan]

Thank you, Amy. Bettie's post about "Annie" was jaw droppingly gorgeous. I will have to go spend hours there too.

[Jellissc]

Very funny stuff! Thanks for pointing us in Betties direction!

[Isabel]

I love John Cougar.

That's all I have to say.

[Kelly]

Sorry, I'm really not feeling the John Cougar refernce. But hey, its your blog! ;)

[Bettie Bookish]

Wow, Amy, I hardly know what to say. Except, of course, that I fight authority; authority always wins.

But not today! Today I'm the winner. Things are going to change, starting NOW.

Take THAT, Authority.

Seriously, I'm blushing at all the praise. And if I had found time to wash my hair any time in the past three days, I would snap a photo of that blushing and send it to you.

Now, how might I get a copy of that lovely award button so I can rub it in the faces of all my enemies? Or display it proudly on my soon-to-be-OVER-appreciated blog?

[Frema]

LOVE the Cougies button. Maybe there could be additional buttons featuring other talented artists, like the I Don't Think You're Ready For This Blog's Jelly Award of Excellence.

(Clearly there is a reason I am not huge on the Internet. Yet. Mwa ha ha ha ha.)

[Elizabeth]

I'm so glad Bettie won this award, because I agree-she is a TREASURE on the Internet. I only had time to read her last few posts, but she is terrific and I added her to Bloglines so I can stay caught up.

Besides, if it means that much to the Coug, then who am I to disagree?

[stepblog]

This is self-serving and pathetic, but I have more Coug story to tell. I put a brief note on the more recent post but after seeing Moreena's story, I thought, finally a chance to tell my story.

Who am I kidding, I've told this story at least once a month for the past 11 years.

Mine too was in Bloomington. Mine too, 11 years ago. Moreena, do I know you?

Waited on the Coug and his eyeball burning beautiful wife at Chapman's. About six weeks after the heart attack. Witnessed the Coug treating beautiful wife poorly. Overhead beautiful wife say, "is that enough of a tip?" Overheard Coug say, "I'd be happy if someone gave me five bucks."

Really, rock star? Is that why you charged the students $50 bucks for the concert on campus about 20 minutes from your house?

He also literally walked into the door when leaving because he was staring at one of my fellow waitresses instead of looking at his beautiful wife or paying attention to where he was going.

None of this bad behavior prevented me from secreting the napkin he used into my purse and mailing it to a friend with an exultant, exclamation laden note attached.

Phew. I feel better. Thanks for listening.

[Lisa Titus]

Bettie-you go fun it all girl.And you can never lose with JCM right?Well,I have to get back to my little pink house so bye now.

[Lisa Titus]

I meant go - GO for it all girl.I guess the cougar has me sidetracked myself.All a goodnight.k?

[nicole]

Love JCM myself I'm a young mom with a young mom who raised me right listening to Cougar (as we call him). We met him once at Taco Bell we live in the town where his oldest daughter started college many, many moons ago He actually walked into my grandma's office and she had no idea who he was until he left and was informed by someone else who he was at which point she telephoned my mom who was all to excited to chance him down in the taco bell parking lot. I love the JCM references and reminds me of the great times i had growing up

[LisaM]

Oh My...this makes me realize just how old I am, and how ashamed I should be of myself....(but I'm Not)...the first concert I ever went to was John Couger, it was in '83' I believe and here's the shameful part. My best friend and I want to go see him so badly, buut of course didn't have the money for the tickets. The weekend before the concert I met a guy at a bar in Indy that was called Piccadilly's...and there was this guy there that for months had been trying to get me to go out with him, but I thoguht he was so (can I say it?) ugly...sorry....but he one time had told me that his sister works at a karma and could get him tickets for any concert he wanted...so I told him if he got me tickets for me and my friend to see Johnny Couger, I would go out with him......well..I got the tickets and he gave me $20 to get a t-shirt for him......long story short...went to the concert, never went out with him and kept the $20.00.....God thanks for letting me get that off my chest after all these years....

[Carolyn C.]

i loved the linked to bettie, i could so relate to her blog that i bloged about it my self. sometimes in answering or responding to a blog i almost write one myself. i have to stop doing that. it's not my blog. loved it.

[shamrockshine]

Loved the concert..but the merchandise??
My shirt was too small so the lady charged me $5.00 to exchange it. The reason....?? Because after you try it on(I did) the next person might be allergic to soap or perfume. I dont know how $5.00 is going to fix that? Im just wondering if that Lady was pocketing the money or if it was really a policy. Just think of all the money Wall-Mart could make!!??!! Anyways...loved the concert, and my shirt!!