Pay the Devil: I already have downloaded “Playhouse” - the advance track from the album, and I am ready to snatch the whole thing up the second it hits the shelves. As for giving up Van the Man for Lent…well, since his album is coming out right in the middle of Lent, um, no.

He is also going to be in Nashville at the Ryman in March, which makes me angry, because when I lived an hour or so from Nashville he never came anywhere near. Now he’s there and I’m not :( And to go see him would simply require too many irresponsible acts (it’s on a Tuesday night (I teach a 5 pm class on Tuesdays), it’s five hours away from me, and the cheapest ticket is (was—they’re so gone now) $85). One (maybe two) irresponsible acts I could maybe talk myself into. sigh Sometimes it truly sucks to be an adult (and to act like one).