Each summer, I spend my weekends with a wonderful group of ladies. Our time together is fleeting, but never dull. We float around the pool all day, we drink beer, we eat, and we laugh. Some days we sing, and others we say nothing at all. We consider it heaven, even if we feel like hell. Recovery time is precious, after all. What better way to relax and rest up for the workweek than drifting around a pool with great friends? When a raft pops and a comrade is sinking, we can save a life without spilling a drop. Our fronts have a deeper tan than our backs for the simple fact that it is harder to drink out of a can while you're laying on your stomach.
"Beer-thirty" can begin anytime between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., after that, all bets are off. Our two biggest complaints are the necessity to frequently have to get out of the pool to either use the bathroom, or go get another drink. We spend many hours discussing remedies to these issues. We have concluded that we will eventually have to fashion some sort of floating cooler that will hold the copious amounts of beverage we are capable of consuming in a single afternoon. Dina has already nixed the "we'll give you money to buy extra chlorine for the pool so we don't have to get out to pee" option, so it's back to the drawing board for that little problem.
Roxy is our mascot. She's a darling little dog that is terrified of fireworks and loves Cheez-its. She greets us all as we arrive and isn't above drinking right out of the pool for some refreshment in the sweltering heat. Occasionally we also have Maisy and Bella hanging around too, two puppies who have no fear of leaping right on the laps of someone floating by.
When we're floating, all is right with the world...and even if it isn't we would never notice.
The other day, I was in my trusty raft, lost in my own thoughts, and looking at the sky. It was beginning to turn gray, and soon I would see rain droplets on the lenses of my sunglasses. I love the water. I love the feeling of the water bouncing me about and the peaceful feeling of being carried away. My time in that pool is my escape. In those moments, I don't have a responsibility or care in the world. I think the other "Beach Angels" probably feel the same, or at least similarly. We are as die-hard as they come. We will stay when it begins to rain, and wait on the porch for the storms to pass. When the summer has ended, we say "Goodbye" and make plans to meet on the next warm day. Though, we soon find we can't stay apart and continue to keep in touch, even while the sun is away.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Don't Tell Me The Lights Are Shining, Anyplace But Here
My entire life, especially during my childhood, I have loved being around my parents and their friends. I hold wonderful memories of everybody gathered in our tiny house to cook out or order in, with all the kids playing outside or in the basement, while the grown-ups gathered at the dining room table to play Trivial Pursuit. The record player was always turning and the sound of cans and bottles clanging together in the trash can is still comforting to me. It was during these nights that I developed my love and respect for timeless music, great company, and trivia.
In our family, the kids learned many things at a young age. We quickly mastered the game of matching the brand of beer with it's adult drinker. We knew how to change the music so efficiently, whether it was on a record or CD player, it's a wonder none of us became deejays as adults. We could recite the rules to Trivial Pursuit, even if we didn't yet know the answers to very many questions. If I stayed really quiet, I could sit on mom's lap and roll the dice for her and put the little pie-pieces in when she got a question right. My mom was the queen of Trivial Pursuit, and just trivia in general. I remember more than one 2:00 a.m. phone call, from her friends or siblings at the local bar, asking her to settle disputes over trivia questions.
Now that I'm a grown-up myself, I get to be on the adult end of these gatherings. Sure, these days the kids play video games instead of walking around talking in robot voices, but there is still a game being played around the dining room table, and the laughter still hangs in the air. It continues to please me that simple things such as this tend to be far more memorable and fun than extravagant and intricately planned parties and outings that end up being so stressful they cease to be enjoyable.
I come from a big family, therefore my many cousins and aunts and uncles are also among my closest friends. My closest friends, in turn, are also friends with my family, and may as well be my blood relations, since we spend so much time together. I would imagine it's like this in many small towns. Everybody knows your name, and if they don't, they know someone you're related to. These are the people in front of whom you can let your hair down, the ones you don't need to impress because they already like you for who you are. They drive you home and tuck you into bed when you've had too much to drink, they bring you a hangover breakfast from McDonalds because they know you're going to need it. They don't care if you wear makeup, but they compliment you when you do. If you're being crazy, they sit and listen to you vent; but if you're still crazy the next day, they put you in your place.
It can be suffocating living in such a small place, where everybody knows everything about you, and what they don't know, they assume they do know. I won't deny that I have laid in bed many nights making delusional plans to run far far away. I also won't sit here and promise I will never leave, but I will promise that if I do move away, I'll eventually return, and no place but Hagerstown will ever be my true home. Summer cookouts and laughing around the dining room table could never hold a place for me anywhere but here because they wouldn't feel the same, or smell the same...or sound the same.
One of my favorite movies is "Meet Me In St. Louis", in it, Tootie says to Mr. Neely "Aren't I lucky to be born in my favorite city?" I feel this way about my hometown. I feel lucky to live in a place that may not be perfect, but is a place I love, a place I belong. Everybody has a different interpretation of "home", and this happens to be mine.
In our family, the kids learned many things at a young age. We quickly mastered the game of matching the brand of beer with it's adult drinker. We knew how to change the music so efficiently, whether it was on a record or CD player, it's a wonder none of us became deejays as adults. We could recite the rules to Trivial Pursuit, even if we didn't yet know the answers to very many questions. If I stayed really quiet, I could sit on mom's lap and roll the dice for her and put the little pie-pieces in when she got a question right. My mom was the queen of Trivial Pursuit, and just trivia in general. I remember more than one 2:00 a.m. phone call, from her friends or siblings at the local bar, asking her to settle disputes over trivia questions.
Now that I'm a grown-up myself, I get to be on the adult end of these gatherings. Sure, these days the kids play video games instead of walking around talking in robot voices, but there is still a game being played around the dining room table, and the laughter still hangs in the air. It continues to please me that simple things such as this tend to be far more memorable and fun than extravagant and intricately planned parties and outings that end up being so stressful they cease to be enjoyable.
I come from a big family, therefore my many cousins and aunts and uncles are also among my closest friends. My closest friends, in turn, are also friends with my family, and may as well be my blood relations, since we spend so much time together. I would imagine it's like this in many small towns. Everybody knows your name, and if they don't, they know someone you're related to. These are the people in front of whom you can let your hair down, the ones you don't need to impress because they already like you for who you are. They drive you home and tuck you into bed when you've had too much to drink, they bring you a hangover breakfast from McDonalds because they know you're going to need it. They don't care if you wear makeup, but they compliment you when you do. If you're being crazy, they sit and listen to you vent; but if you're still crazy the next day, they put you in your place.
It can be suffocating living in such a small place, where everybody knows everything about you, and what they don't know, they assume they do know. I won't deny that I have laid in bed many nights making delusional plans to run far far away. I also won't sit here and promise I will never leave, but I will promise that if I do move away, I'll eventually return, and no place but Hagerstown will ever be my true home. Summer cookouts and laughing around the dining room table could never hold a place for me anywhere but here because they wouldn't feel the same, or smell the same...or sound the same.
One of my favorite movies is "Meet Me In St. Louis", in it, Tootie says to Mr. Neely "Aren't I lucky to be born in my favorite city?" I feel this way about my hometown. I feel lucky to live in a place that may not be perfect, but is a place I love, a place I belong. Everybody has a different interpretation of "home", and this happens to be mine.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Yellow Ribbons and Suffocating Heat
On my way home from work today, Joanna called to tell me she had some extra yellow ribbon I could use to tie around a post on my porch. Our dear friend is headed to Afghanistan and we're showing our support, as many people do. When I arrived, I helped her make some bows around two big trees in her yard. The ribbon matches the siding on her home almost perfectly. I tried to enjoy this fleeting moment, standing on her beautiful property, laughing at our sad looking bows, and returning the silly hand gestures we were getting from her sons, who were perched at their post by the window in the spare bedroom. I love moments like this. Moments that may never be mentioned again, but are always remembered. I relish simplicity, and this was the very definition of that, save one thing: the fact that being outside right now feels like it does when you open an oven to take out a cake you've been baking. There are occasional breezes, but they feel like stinky, hot breath going over your skin.
I'm not usually a big fan of air conditioning. I like having my windows open and seeing my curtains billowing in the breeze. I love to hear the sounds of my sweet little town around me. Mowers buzzing and children squealing as they run through their backyards with the delight of freedom summer brings. It takes me back to the summers of my own childhood, in this same neighborhood. However, upon arriving home this evening, the stinging cold that greeted me at the door was more welcome than the smile of recognition on my nephew's face when I begin to talk to him. My dog, Twink, whining at me to let her outside after being cooped up in the house all day, her legs practically crossed because she so badly needed a bathroom break, had no idea what she was in for. She is part chow, and her coat is as thick as can be. I was relieved when I saw that she made it back up the deck stairs without suffering a heat stroke. Instead of going for the requisite treat she gets every time she goes potty, she went straight for her water bowl and loudly lapped up every last drop.
I had one last task to complete in the sauna before retiring to the blissfully cool interior of my home...I had to tie my own yellow ribbon. I stepped outside and set to work. Sweat rolling down my back and the awkward positioning required of my body due to the placement of the ribbon did not deter me from trying my best to make it look as perfect as possible. He deserves it.
So, now I'm inside and actually enjoying this air conditioning. I write this post sitting on my couch with the yellow ribbon blowing in my periphery. Kind of like my curtains do when my windows are open. I notice the sky getting darker and hope Joanna was right when she said it might storm. My neighbor texts me to remind me to shut the moon roof of my car, because it looks like rain. Then, I hear the thunder. Maybe I'll be going back outside after all...
I'm not usually a big fan of air conditioning. I like having my windows open and seeing my curtains billowing in the breeze. I love to hear the sounds of my sweet little town around me. Mowers buzzing and children squealing as they run through their backyards with the delight of freedom summer brings. It takes me back to the summers of my own childhood, in this same neighborhood. However, upon arriving home this evening, the stinging cold that greeted me at the door was more welcome than the smile of recognition on my nephew's face when I begin to talk to him. My dog, Twink, whining at me to let her outside after being cooped up in the house all day, her legs practically crossed because she so badly needed a bathroom break, had no idea what she was in for. She is part chow, and her coat is as thick as can be. I was relieved when I saw that she made it back up the deck stairs without suffering a heat stroke. Instead of going for the requisite treat she gets every time she goes potty, she went straight for her water bowl and loudly lapped up every last drop.
I had one last task to complete in the sauna before retiring to the blissfully cool interior of my home...I had to tie my own yellow ribbon. I stepped outside and set to work. Sweat rolling down my back and the awkward positioning required of my body due to the placement of the ribbon did not deter me from trying my best to make it look as perfect as possible. He deserves it.
So, now I'm inside and actually enjoying this air conditioning. I write this post sitting on my couch with the yellow ribbon blowing in my periphery. Kind of like my curtains do when my windows are open. I notice the sky getting darker and hope Joanna was right when she said it might storm. My neighbor texts me to remind me to shut the moon roof of my car, because it looks like rain. Then, I hear the thunder. Maybe I'll be going back outside after all...
Monday, July 18, 2011
Yeah, I Will Travel...
Someday I hope to be able to do a lot of traveling. To see all the places I want to see. We went on a lot of vacations when I was growing up that were so much fun, they just happened to all occur close to home. I don't feel like I missed out on anything because of this, but the older I get, and the more books I read, the more I want to see and experience firsthand. I want to drink beer in Ireland and Germany. I want to eat fresh pasta in Italy, and sushi in Japan.
I want to travel the United States, too. I haven't been very many places in my own country. I was 29 years old the first time I saw the ocean. I was in Virginia visiting my sister, and we were there long enough for me to put my feet in. It was wonderful, but I look forward to the day I can spend some real quality time with the sand and waves. Las Vegas is the furthest I have ever been from home, but I want to see more than Vegas. I want to listen to good folk and jazz music in dirty hole-in-the-wall bars all over, where they have nice dark beer brewed right on the premises, or just cheap Natty Light in a pitcher. I want to visit historical sites and sleep under the stars. I want to go to overpopulated tourist traps and places that offer total seclusion. If it's something I haven't seen before, I want to see it.
I have always played it safe, which is a good thing most of the time, but if you don't take a chance every now and then, you can miss out on something spectacular. It's easy to stay home and watch travel shows, or read books about different countries, but I'm never going to truly know what it's like to drink a Guinness in an Irish Pub, in Ireland...until I'm drinking a Guinness in an Irish pub...in Ireland. I've always been such a homebody. I love nothing more than cuddling up with my dog in my own house and reading a book. I have learned, however, that when I choose staying home alone all the time over going out and making memories, I get lonely. I look forward to spending time with my friends and family these days, and I find myself wanting to learn and experience more and more. Looking and not touching just isn't cutting it anymore. I want to breathe in fresh, cold, unpolluted mountain air. I want to sit in the sand as the waves crash at my feet and the sun warms my face, making my cheeks and nose just a little pink.
At the moment, I have only the desire to do these things, but not the means. One day, I will...but for now, I'll plan and save, and enjoy the things around me...because all that stuff is pretty great too.
I want to travel the United States, too. I haven't been very many places in my own country. I was 29 years old the first time I saw the ocean. I was in Virginia visiting my sister, and we were there long enough for me to put my feet in. It was wonderful, but I look forward to the day I can spend some real quality time with the sand and waves. Las Vegas is the furthest I have ever been from home, but I want to see more than Vegas. I want to listen to good folk and jazz music in dirty hole-in-the-wall bars all over, where they have nice dark beer brewed right on the premises, or just cheap Natty Light in a pitcher. I want to visit historical sites and sleep under the stars. I want to go to overpopulated tourist traps and places that offer total seclusion. If it's something I haven't seen before, I want to see it.
I have always played it safe, which is a good thing most of the time, but if you don't take a chance every now and then, you can miss out on something spectacular. It's easy to stay home and watch travel shows, or read books about different countries, but I'm never going to truly know what it's like to drink a Guinness in an Irish Pub, in Ireland...until I'm drinking a Guinness in an Irish pub...in Ireland. I've always been such a homebody. I love nothing more than cuddling up with my dog in my own house and reading a book. I have learned, however, that when I choose staying home alone all the time over going out and making memories, I get lonely. I look forward to spending time with my friends and family these days, and I find myself wanting to learn and experience more and more. Looking and not touching just isn't cutting it anymore. I want to breathe in fresh, cold, unpolluted mountain air. I want to sit in the sand as the waves crash at my feet and the sun warms my face, making my cheeks and nose just a little pink.
At the moment, I have only the desire to do these things, but not the means. One day, I will...but for now, I'll plan and save, and enjoy the things around me...because all that stuff is pretty great too.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Breaking-ish News!
It has certainly been a summer for the books, and we're barely halfway through...or are we more than halfway through? Time sure flies when you're having fun! Life lately, has been as dramatic as the weather. If it's not hotter and drier than hell, we're bombarded with wall-to-wall severe thunderstorms. One day it's almost 100 degrees, and the next day it barely breaks 80. From weddings, to deployments, to babies and broken arms, I feel that, lately, if it's not one thing, it's another. Yes, I have forgotten to pull weeds and water my flowers. Someday, when I have a nice quiet life with a man I don't have to bribe to mow the lawn, I'll do better, I promise. For now, however, I am having a blast, weedy yard and all.
First off, Cooper got his first tooth. Are you kidding me!? It seems like he was just born the other day, now he's sprouting teeth and sitting up by himself. I look forward to my phone call tomorrow...the one where I'm pretty sure it's some form of my name he is saying into the phone, but I'm not sure because his mouth is too close to the microphone and everything sounds like the adults from "Charlie Brown". I do love watching him grow, though. I can't wait to teach him how to swim, and say curse words, and sing Bob Dylan songs.
Also, I just found out a few weeks ago, the day before my cousin's wedding, that my dear friend is deploying overseas in a very short period of time (next week, actually). It is bittersweet, because I obviously fear for his safety, but at the same time, I am so extremely proud to call him my friend. He is a true American hero, this is what he wants, what he signed up for, and in that respect I am very excited for him. However, that doesn't change the fact that we will all miss him while he is away. He is a very big part of my life and I am grateful for his place in it, his absence will be felt, tremendously.
As previously mentioned, my cousin got married this summer. They had a very beautiful wedding, and I wish them all the happiness and luck in the world. Congratulations Jayson and Blake, here's to many happy and fulfilling years together. I was a bit distracted at the wedding because of the news I had just received regarding my friend's impending deployment, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the festivities, and I welcome Blake to our family, even though she has basically been a part of it for several years now.
In addition to everything else, last Thursday, Joanna went home from our study session, only to later text to inform me she was taking her son, Brennen, to the ER. He had fallen off a rock at the park and they soon discovered that his elbow was broken. He is now sporting a pretty awesome green cast that is already so full of signatures, I don't know how he'll find space for anyone else to sign it. He's such a brave boy, and I'm proud of him for taking it like a man. I actually received word from Joanna on Thursday, that his x-rays looked good, and he gets his cast off in three weeks!
Aside from all the excitement, I have managed to find time to relax. Any sunny Saturday or Sunday, you can find me with my Beach Angels out at PSH floating and drinking and laughing. It is such a great way to unwind after being on-the-go all day and all night during the week. I love chatting with my ladies, and I just love being in the water.
I continue to be humbled by all the wonderful blessings in my life. When I start to feel kind of down about something, all it really takes to perk me back up is a pep talk with myself. A reminder of all the good "Stuff". I couldn't ask for better people in my life, and if you're surrounded by great people, what can you possibly complain about?
Speaking of great people...
I did say "baby" somewhere up there, didn't I? It looks like I'm going to be gaining a new person in my life after the first of the year...I am going to be an aunt again! My sister, Dana and her wonderful and amazing love, Justin, are expecting a baby on February 20th! That's right, ANOTHER February baby in our family. I am over-the-moon, and maybe a little bummed that this little one will be so far away and I won't get as much access to her (or him) as I do my precious Cooper, but it doesn't make me any less ecstatic to be adding another niece or nephew to my life. I've already started my Virginia fund. I watched Cooper enter this world, and I intend to watch this one enter it as well.
First off, Cooper got his first tooth. Are you kidding me!? It seems like he was just born the other day, now he's sprouting teeth and sitting up by himself. I look forward to my phone call tomorrow...the one where I'm pretty sure it's some form of my name he is saying into the phone, but I'm not sure because his mouth is too close to the microphone and everything sounds like the adults from "Charlie Brown". I do love watching him grow, though. I can't wait to teach him how to swim, and say curse words, and sing Bob Dylan songs.
Also, I just found out a few weeks ago, the day before my cousin's wedding, that my dear friend is deploying overseas in a very short period of time (next week, actually). It is bittersweet, because I obviously fear for his safety, but at the same time, I am so extremely proud to call him my friend. He is a true American hero, this is what he wants, what he signed up for, and in that respect I am very excited for him. However, that doesn't change the fact that we will all miss him while he is away. He is a very big part of my life and I am grateful for his place in it, his absence will be felt, tremendously.
As previously mentioned, my cousin got married this summer. They had a very beautiful wedding, and I wish them all the happiness and luck in the world. Congratulations Jayson and Blake, here's to many happy and fulfilling years together. I was a bit distracted at the wedding because of the news I had just received regarding my friend's impending deployment, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the festivities, and I welcome Blake to our family, even though she has basically been a part of it for several years now.
In addition to everything else, last Thursday, Joanna went home from our study session, only to later text to inform me she was taking her son, Brennen, to the ER. He had fallen off a rock at the park and they soon discovered that his elbow was broken. He is now sporting a pretty awesome green cast that is already so full of signatures, I don't know how he'll find space for anyone else to sign it. He's such a brave boy, and I'm proud of him for taking it like a man. I actually received word from Joanna on Thursday, that his x-rays looked good, and he gets his cast off in three weeks!
Aside from all the excitement, I have managed to find time to relax. Any sunny Saturday or Sunday, you can find me with my Beach Angels out at PSH floating and drinking and laughing. It is such a great way to unwind after being on-the-go all day and all night during the week. I love chatting with my ladies, and I just love being in the water.
I continue to be humbled by all the wonderful blessings in my life. When I start to feel kind of down about something, all it really takes to perk me back up is a pep talk with myself. A reminder of all the good "Stuff". I couldn't ask for better people in my life, and if you're surrounded by great people, what can you possibly complain about?
Speaking of great people...
I did say "baby" somewhere up there, didn't I? It looks like I'm going to be gaining a new person in my life after the first of the year...I am going to be an aunt again! My sister, Dana and her wonderful and amazing love, Justin, are expecting a baby on February 20th! That's right, ANOTHER February baby in our family. I am over-the-moon, and maybe a little bummed that this little one will be so far away and I won't get as much access to her (or him) as I do my precious Cooper, but it doesn't make me any less ecstatic to be adding another niece or nephew to my life. I've already started my Virginia fund. I watched Cooper enter this world, and I intend to watch this one enter it as well.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Take Me Away...
A friend once asked me, "What is your happy place?" She proceeded to tell me about the place she asks Calgon to take her away to, when everything else becomes a little overwhelming. I pondered her question for awhile, and was unable to come up with anything. I had never thought about it before, and I discovered I didn't have a "Happy Place" in which to escape. I became fascinated with the concept and desperate to find my own.
Through the years, I have come to realize that most of my greatest memories have a song to go along with them. When I am with my family, we listen to music. When I am with my friends, we listen to music. My earliest memories are of John Mellencamp's "American Fool" album. The record player was always turning at our house. I remember the day my dad bought me my very first album, Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I loved it, even though Vincent Price's cackle at the end of the title song terrified me. When I turned 16, my main priority was making mixed tapes Joanna and I could listen to, while we drove around the back roads of Hagerstown for hours on end. "Life is just a lonely highway, I'm out here on the open road, I'm old enough to see behind me, but young enough to feel my soul..."
"Well I know that you're in the love with him, cause I saw you dancing in the gym..." I knew as a little girl, before I could even read, that my parent's reaction to "American Pie" playing on the radio meant something special. If it started playing in the car when we were close to home, we would ride around until it was over. They would both sing in the front seat, and it fascinated me. I didn't know what it meant, but I couldn't wait to find out. "You both kicked off your shoes, man I dig those rhythm and blues..."
"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standing here outside your door..." On a family vacation to Cedar Point, all five of us crammed into a Lincoln Town Car; Dana and I forcing Bailey to sit in the middle so we could use the cigarette lighters on our doors to plug our portable CD players into, it was the soundtracks to "The Full Monty" and "Born on the Fourth of July". I would say the theme song of the trip, however, was "Leaving on a Jet Plane"...to this day, I think of that trip anytime I hear this song. It makes me laugh, it makes me smile, it makes me long to relive that time."I hate to wake you up to say 'Goodbye'..."
"Show a little faith, there's magic in the night..." Sitting in George's office with Joanna, listening to Bruce Springsteen records was the best way to fall in love with the E Street Band. Hearing him through the ears of a true fan, learning things I would have never known had her dad not taught me, took my appreciation of Bruce to another level entirely. "Ain't a beauty, but hey, you're alright..."
"On a moon spattered road, in her parrot rebozo, Gypsy Scotty is driving his big long yellow car..." The advent of "DVD Nights" at my aunt Teresa and uncle Mark's house hold some of my favorite memories of all time. We would all gather at their house only to end up cramming into the living room to watch snippets from my uncle Mark's extensive collection of concert DVDs until the wee hours of the morning. It was during those nights I truly discovered the greatness of Ann Wilson's voice. I will never forget the night, during Mellencamp's "Key West Intermezzo", everybody jumped up and danced in the middle of the floor. Now, I'm not going to pretend we never drank during these nights, and I'm not going to pretend we never got up and danced before or after this instance, but this particular night...everybody danced. We still dance, even though we haven't had a DVD night in years. Anytime we are all together with music playing (and it always is), we dance, and pray nobody posts pictures of it on Facebook the next day. "She flies like a bird over his shoulder, she whispers in his ear 'Boy, you are my star'..."
"It don't really matter to me baby, You believe what you want to believe..." The best concert I have ever been to was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The Black Crowes opened for them and I went to the concert with my aunts, my sisters, and my cousin, Christine. The entire show was phenomenal, but it started storming halfway through Tom Petty's set. In the middle of the song "Refugee", the power goes out, and the crowd keeps singing. When the power came back on, Tom just joined in with the crowd to finish the song. We were evacuated after that and didn't even get to see the rest of the concert, but it is a night I will remember forever."You don't have to live like a refugee..."
Music has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember. There is something to be said for laying on the floor with a couple great friends and singing "Wasted Time" by the Eagles repeatedly. Or being handed the microphone during an "All Sing" on Karaoke night at our favorite bar and not giving it back until we have sung the very last "anyway the wind blows..." in "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. The song "Take it to the Limit" was playing in my sister, Bailey's delivery room at the very moment my nephew, Cooper was born. Joanna and I once sat in my garage with my dad and uncle, the summer after we graduated high school and just listened to music for hours. Each time we went to the truck stop after a football game, or just on any random night, the very first thing we played on the jukebox was "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin, and immediately following that would be "Me and Bobby McGee". The night at the Voo, when Joanna sat on my lap and sang "These Days" by Rascal Flatts...a song (and band) I despise, but was somehow easier to listen to with my friend singing it to me. I sing "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan to Cooper when I am trying to calm him down..."may you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true..."
I am grateful to have been raised with music, by music...great music. I may not have a right to feel this way, but I feel kind of sorry for people who don't have a song to turn to when they are happy, or sad, or in love, or brokenhearted...for people who don't have their own soundtrack. So, yeah, I do have a happy place, or should I say "places". It feels great to listen, it feels great to sing, to let the words and notes course through your body and make you feel the way you felt the first time you heard it. So...
Through the years, I have come to realize that most of my greatest memories have a song to go along with them. When I am with my family, we listen to music. When I am with my friends, we listen to music. My earliest memories are of John Mellencamp's "American Fool" album. The record player was always turning at our house. I remember the day my dad bought me my very first album, Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I loved it, even though Vincent Price's cackle at the end of the title song terrified me. When I turned 16, my main priority was making mixed tapes Joanna and I could listen to, while we drove around the back roads of Hagerstown for hours on end. "Life is just a lonely highway, I'm out here on the open road, I'm old enough to see behind me, but young enough to feel my soul..."
"Well I know that you're in the love with him, cause I saw you dancing in the gym..." I knew as a little girl, before I could even read, that my parent's reaction to "American Pie" playing on the radio meant something special. If it started playing in the car when we were close to home, we would ride around until it was over. They would both sing in the front seat, and it fascinated me. I didn't know what it meant, but I couldn't wait to find out. "You both kicked off your shoes, man I dig those rhythm and blues..."
"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standing here outside your door..." On a family vacation to Cedar Point, all five of us crammed into a Lincoln Town Car; Dana and I forcing Bailey to sit in the middle so we could use the cigarette lighters on our doors to plug our portable CD players into, it was the soundtracks to "The Full Monty" and "Born on the Fourth of July". I would say the theme song of the trip, however, was "Leaving on a Jet Plane"...to this day, I think of that trip anytime I hear this song. It makes me laugh, it makes me smile, it makes me long to relive that time."I hate to wake you up to say 'Goodbye'..."
"Show a little faith, there's magic in the night..." Sitting in George's office with Joanna, listening to Bruce Springsteen records was the best way to fall in love with the E Street Band. Hearing him through the ears of a true fan, learning things I would have never known had her dad not taught me, took my appreciation of Bruce to another level entirely. "Ain't a beauty, but hey, you're alright..."
"On a moon spattered road, in her parrot rebozo, Gypsy Scotty is driving his big long yellow car..." The advent of "DVD Nights" at my aunt Teresa and uncle Mark's house hold some of my favorite memories of all time. We would all gather at their house only to end up cramming into the living room to watch snippets from my uncle Mark's extensive collection of concert DVDs until the wee hours of the morning. It was during those nights I truly discovered the greatness of Ann Wilson's voice. I will never forget the night, during Mellencamp's "Key West Intermezzo", everybody jumped up and danced in the middle of the floor. Now, I'm not going to pretend we never drank during these nights, and I'm not going to pretend we never got up and danced before or after this instance, but this particular night...everybody danced. We still dance, even though we haven't had a DVD night in years. Anytime we are all together with music playing (and it always is), we dance, and pray nobody posts pictures of it on Facebook the next day. "She flies like a bird over his shoulder, she whispers in his ear 'Boy, you are my star'..."
"It don't really matter to me baby, You believe what you want to believe..." The best concert I have ever been to was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The Black Crowes opened for them and I went to the concert with my aunts, my sisters, and my cousin, Christine. The entire show was phenomenal, but it started storming halfway through Tom Petty's set. In the middle of the song "Refugee", the power goes out, and the crowd keeps singing. When the power came back on, Tom just joined in with the crowd to finish the song. We were evacuated after that and didn't even get to see the rest of the concert, but it is a night I will remember forever."You don't have to live like a refugee..."
Music has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember. There is something to be said for laying on the floor with a couple great friends and singing "Wasted Time" by the Eagles repeatedly. Or being handed the microphone during an "All Sing" on Karaoke night at our favorite bar and not giving it back until we have sung the very last "anyway the wind blows..." in "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. The song "Take it to the Limit" was playing in my sister, Bailey's delivery room at the very moment my nephew, Cooper was born. Joanna and I once sat in my garage with my dad and uncle, the summer after we graduated high school and just listened to music for hours. Each time we went to the truck stop after a football game, or just on any random night, the very first thing we played on the jukebox was "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin, and immediately following that would be "Me and Bobby McGee". The night at the Voo, when Joanna sat on my lap and sang "These Days" by Rascal Flatts...a song (and band) I despise, but was somehow easier to listen to with my friend singing it to me. I sing "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan to Cooper when I am trying to calm him down..."may you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true..."
I am grateful to have been raised with music, by music...great music. I may not have a right to feel this way, but I feel kind of sorry for people who don't have a song to turn to when they are happy, or sad, or in love, or brokenhearted...for people who don't have their own soundtrack. So, yeah, I do have a happy place, or should I say "places". It feels great to listen, it feels great to sing, to let the words and notes course through your body and make you feel the way you felt the first time you heard it. So...
"Won't you take me away.........."
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Oreo Argument
Everybody has a few quirks that set them apart from most other people. Kylene is afraid of cotton balls. Joanna thinks taffy and pound cake make her mouth humid; wet bread in the sink makes her gag; and things in shells make her head itch. I don't drink milk...I am completely grossed out by the sight, smell, and taste of it. Until my nephew was born and became the center of my world to the extent that I have begun to ease up on the lactose boycott, I harbored an extreme fear of it merely being spilled on me. I even dunk my Oreos in water.
Now, I have already heard a million times how disgusting everybody finds this. However, isn't the basic point of dunking an Oreo in milk to make it soggy? Isn't this soggy state effectively accomplished by dunking it in the water? Even though I don't drink milk and can't say for sure, I am willing to bet that the taste doesn't differ much and the desired texture is able to be reached. What is less disgusting than milk? Water. If your child throws a sippy cup full of water behind the couch, to be forever lost for days, or weeks, it does not turn into putrid-smelling cheese. Would you ever wash your dishes in a sink full of soapy milk? I don't think so. This is my argument, and I am standing behind it. I will continue dunking my oreos in water until I no longer wish to eat oreos.
Our quirks make us unique. Who on earth would want to be exactly like somebody else? Have you ever seen a movie about someone trying to become exactly like another person? Those people usually turn out to be insane and/or murderers at the end. I share many similarities with my friends, but I think our differences are the magic ingredients that make our relationship click into place. If you can accept someone for what you view as a flaw, if you can overlook it and maybe even grow to love it, isn't that a friendship worth investing your time?
I'm Lindsey, and I dunk my Oreos in water. To me, a salad just isn't a salad without a very large mound of hard-boiled egg on top. I have a somewhat irrational fear of milk. I once called my dad and begged him to come over to my house to kill a spider for me (it was really really big). I hate air conditioning and mowing my yard. I talk to my dog as if she understands what I am saying...because I think she really does...
Now, I have already heard a million times how disgusting everybody finds this. However, isn't the basic point of dunking an Oreo in milk to make it soggy? Isn't this soggy state effectively accomplished by dunking it in the water? Even though I don't drink milk and can't say for sure, I am willing to bet that the taste doesn't differ much and the desired texture is able to be reached. What is less disgusting than milk? Water. If your child throws a sippy cup full of water behind the couch, to be forever lost for days, or weeks, it does not turn into putrid-smelling cheese. Would you ever wash your dishes in a sink full of soapy milk? I don't think so. This is my argument, and I am standing behind it. I will continue dunking my oreos in water until I no longer wish to eat oreos.
Our quirks make us unique. Who on earth would want to be exactly like somebody else? Have you ever seen a movie about someone trying to become exactly like another person? Those people usually turn out to be insane and/or murderers at the end. I share many similarities with my friends, but I think our differences are the magic ingredients that make our relationship click into place. If you can accept someone for what you view as a flaw, if you can overlook it and maybe even grow to love it, isn't that a friendship worth investing your time?
I'm Lindsey, and I dunk my Oreos in water. To me, a salad just isn't a salad without a very large mound of hard-boiled egg on top. I have a somewhat irrational fear of milk. I once called my dad and begged him to come over to my house to kill a spider for me (it was really really big). I hate air conditioning and mowing my yard. I talk to my dog as if she understands what I am saying...because I think she really does...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)