Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Friday, June 27, 2008
These Are Some Good Times...
She was starin' out the window of their SUV
Complainin' sayin' I can't wait to turn 18
She said I'll make my own money
And I'll make my own rules
Momma put the car in park out there in front of the school
And she kissed her head, and said
'I was just like you'
You're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' want this back
You're gonna' wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna' miss this
Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In her one bedroom apartment
And her daddy stops by
He tells her it's a nice place
She says, 'It'll do for now'
Starts talkin' about babies, and buyin' a house
Daddy shakes his head
And says baby just slow down
Cuz' you're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' want this back
You're gonna' wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna' miss this
Five years later there's a plumber
Workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin' one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
But he says they don't bother me
I've got two babies of my own
One's thirty-six, one's twenty-three
Huh, it's hard to believe
But you're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' want this back
You're gonna' wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' miss this
Yeaahhhh... you're gonna' miss this...
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Lemonade
It's very rare that I get to enjoy a grocery shopping trip by myself, but I got to do just that a couple of months ago. Since there was no one there begging for sugary cereal, no one asking for the 15th time how much longer the trip would last, nobody screaming, "He pinnnnnnnched meeeee!".... I was actually able to hear a neat song on the store Muzak. I liked it so much I wrote some of the lyrics on my shopping list so I could come home and try to find the song (thanks, Google!)
The song is called "Lemonade" and it's sung by Chris Rice, one of my favorite Contemporary Christian artists. I thought it was him singing, but I'd never before heard the song. It's one of my new favorites, just recently added to my iPod. (Isn't the iPod the greatest invention? I love mine! It's probably the only thing I'd run to save if the house was on fire... after the kids and hubby were safe, natch...)
So, here are the lyrics (you can listen here if you want to hear it):
I definitely got lemonade. No lemons here. I do need lots of extra straws, though. Life is GOOD.
The song is called "Lemonade" and it's sung by Chris Rice, one of my favorite Contemporary Christian artists. I thought it was him singing, but I'd never before heard the song. It's one of my new favorites, just recently added to my iPod. (Isn't the iPod the greatest invention? I love mine! It's probably the only thing I'd run to save if the house was on fire... after the kids and hubby were safe, natch...)
So, here are the lyrics (you can listen here if you want to hear it):
So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming
So why not take a chance on loving
Come on, pour the glass and tempt me
Either half-full or half-empty
‘Cause if it all comes down to flavor
The glass is tipping in my favor
Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!
Now take your time to answer me
For the beauty of romancing
Is to calm your trembling hand with mine
While begging love to fill your eyes
I can hardly breathe while waiting
To find out what your heart is saying
And as we’re swirling in this flavor
The world is tilting in our favor
Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!
I’ve got it made
Rest in the shade
And hold my love
While God above
Stirs wiith a spoon
We share the moon
Smile at the bees
More sugar please
He really loves us after all
We’re gonna need another straw!
We’re gonna need another straw!
Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!
I definitely got lemonade. No lemons here. I do need lots of extra straws, though. Life is GOOD.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
I Got the Music in Me
Sittin' here listening to my iPod. Karen Carpenter is singing "Masquerade". Anything by the Carpenters takes me back to road trips in the '78 (I think?) Caprice Classic station wagon we owned when I was a kid. Yes, it had an 8-track player in it, and we owned just a handful of 8-tracks to play in it. One was "Now and Then" by the Carpenters. We logged many a mile listening to that album. I didn't know much about Richard and Karen Carpenter back in those days; I just knew I liked their music. I remember being really sad when I heard that she died. Funny all the stuff that gets stirred up when you hear a song. That one tune brought forth all of that from my memory bank.
Now it's "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins. That takes me back to playing 45s at Lauren Porter's sleepover birthday party in the 4th grade. We stayed awake until dawn and got really silly in the wee hours. Remember that "Stop! Drop! Roll!" commercial that Dick Van Dyke did as part of a fire safety campaign? That came on TV in the early hours of Saturday at Lauren's, and we just lost it. That phrase and that song takes me instantly back to those memories. Makes me smile. I wonder where Lauren is now? Last I heard she went to Florida State majoring in marine biology. I haven't seen her since my high school graduation, May 30, 1991. Maybe she'll Google herself one day and find this entry.
"Cold Hearted Snake" by Paula "I can't say anything bad about you 'cause it will hurt your feelings" Abdul makes me think of Josh T., another high school friend. He had a mad crush on the petite AI judge, and he loved the video for this song. I admit, I played the song one too many times in high school. I love the part where she talks; I had every word memorized. I wish Saturday Night Live would do a Paula parody using that song to describe Simon. I love Amy Poehler's Paula. Cracks me up.
"Jesse's Girl". Now there's a song. Standing in the basement with a hairbrush as a microphone, singing this song as the 33 spun on the turntable. That's back when Rick Springfield was on "General Hospital" and I watched with my grandmother (her "stories", she called them...) Ah, sweet 80s crushes. Dr. Noah Drake made a short reappearance on GH not too long ago. He was still cute in an older guy kind of way. (Yes, I still watch GH. It's the one soap I held onto all these years, and mostly because I did used to watch it with MaMa Dos. She'd cringe if she could see it today!)
Funny how I finish up a paragraph as each song ends.
Ah, Connie Francis. "Where the Boys Are" is one of those songs that sticks with you. I remember seeing the movie on TV when I was in high school. I decided that day that I wanted to have a daughter named Merritt. I loved that name so much. My husband didn't like it as much as I did, so alas, we have no children bearing that name.
Oh, man. Now it's Prince's "Diamonds And Pearls". How many times did I hear that in my headphones when my sister and I flew from Alabama to Madrid in 1992? Only about 10,000 times. Every time I hear that song I remember that flight. We got bumped up to first class because our names were left off the flight roster or something like that. If I ever find myself needing to be on a plane that long again, I will definitely splurge on larger seats. 'Twas niiiiiiiice. Caviar, lots of snacks, hot towels in the morning, sleep masks, free headsets, reclining seats.... too much luxury for one 19 year-old to deserve, really. The reality of coach hit us on the flight home. That sucked. ::Shiver::
Alright. I need to get back to Saturday chores. It was fun walking down musical memory lane, though.
Oh, wait. One more.
My friend Michelle P. introduced me to this song. "South's Gonna Do It Again" by Charlie Daniels Band. She had a black Honda Prelude with a sunroof when we were in high school (her parents owned a few gas stations, and Michelle was the youngest of three daughters by several years.... so she got pretty much anything she asked for... I loved the Prelude the most!) I remember coming back from the movies with her one night, blasting this song (from the CASSETTE TAPE...ha!) and loving it instantly. I went out and bought the tape not long after that. I replaced the tape with the CD when I was in college, and now the whole thing is on my iPod. Michelle also introduced me to the Steve Miller band. She has good musical taste.
Okay, now I'm done. Laundry calls.
Now it's "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins. That takes me back to playing 45s at Lauren Porter's sleepover birthday party in the 4th grade. We stayed awake until dawn and got really silly in the wee hours. Remember that "Stop! Drop! Roll!" commercial that Dick Van Dyke did as part of a fire safety campaign? That came on TV in the early hours of Saturday at Lauren's, and we just lost it. That phrase and that song takes me instantly back to those memories. Makes me smile. I wonder where Lauren is now? Last I heard she went to Florida State majoring in marine biology. I haven't seen her since my high school graduation, May 30, 1991. Maybe she'll Google herself one day and find this entry.
"Cold Hearted Snake" by Paula "I can't say anything bad about you 'cause it will hurt your feelings" Abdul makes me think of Josh T., another high school friend. He had a mad crush on the petite AI judge, and he loved the video for this song. I admit, I played the song one too many times in high school. I love the part where she talks; I had every word memorized. I wish Saturday Night Live would do a Paula parody using that song to describe Simon. I love Amy Poehler's Paula. Cracks me up.
"Jesse's Girl". Now there's a song. Standing in the basement with a hairbrush as a microphone, singing this song as the 33 spun on the turntable. That's back when Rick Springfield was on "General Hospital" and I watched with my grandmother (her "stories", she called them...) Ah, sweet 80s crushes. Dr. Noah Drake made a short reappearance on GH not too long ago. He was still cute in an older guy kind of way. (Yes, I still watch GH. It's the one soap I held onto all these years, and mostly because I did used to watch it with MaMa Dos. She'd cringe if she could see it today!)
Funny how I finish up a paragraph as each song ends.
Ah, Connie Francis. "Where the Boys Are" is one of those songs that sticks with you. I remember seeing the movie on TV when I was in high school. I decided that day that I wanted to have a daughter named Merritt. I loved that name so much. My husband didn't like it as much as I did, so alas, we have no children bearing that name.
Oh, man. Now it's Prince's "Diamonds And Pearls". How many times did I hear that in my headphones when my sister and I flew from Alabama to Madrid in 1992? Only about 10,000 times. Every time I hear that song I remember that flight. We got bumped up to first class because our names were left off the flight roster or something like that. If I ever find myself needing to be on a plane that long again, I will definitely splurge on larger seats. 'Twas niiiiiiiice. Caviar, lots of snacks, hot towels in the morning, sleep masks, free headsets, reclining seats.... too much luxury for one 19 year-old to deserve, really. The reality of coach hit us on the flight home. That sucked. ::Shiver::
Alright. I need to get back to Saturday chores. It was fun walking down musical memory lane, though.
Oh, wait. One more.
My friend Michelle P. introduced me to this song. "South's Gonna Do It Again" by Charlie Daniels Band. She had a black Honda Prelude with a sunroof when we were in high school (her parents owned a few gas stations, and Michelle was the youngest of three daughters by several years.... so she got pretty much anything she asked for... I loved the Prelude the most!) I remember coming back from the movies with her one night, blasting this song (from the CASSETTE TAPE...ha!) and loving it instantly. I went out and bought the tape not long after that. I replaced the tape with the CD when I was in college, and now the whole thing is on my iPod. Michelle also introduced me to the Steve Miller band. She has good musical taste.
Okay, now I'm done. Laundry calls.
Friday, July 20, 2007
My lip gloss be cool. My lip gloss be poppin'.
I have a confession.
I have "Lip Gloss" by Lil Mama on my iPod.
Thanks, Brooke.
Stupid song, but I can't get it outta my head. So yeah, I downloaded it from iTunes. (Whatchoo know 'bout me? Whatchoo whatchoo know 'bout me?)
It could possibly be one of the dumbest songs ever recorded, but it's there. On the iPod. My guilty pleasure.
Everyone sing along!
I have "Lip Gloss" by Lil Mama on my iPod.
Thanks, Brooke.
Stupid song, but I can't get it outta my head. So yeah, I downloaded it from iTunes. (Whatchoo know 'bout me? Whatchoo whatchoo know 'bout me?)
It could possibly be one of the dumbest songs ever recorded, but it's there. On the iPod. My guilty pleasure.
Everyone sing along!
Monday, June 25, 2007
iPod, uPod, we all Pod!
Browsing my iTunes stuff today, tweaking, removing extra songs, etc. making sure everything transferred from the dead computer to the iPod... I had several laughs while doing this, so guess what? I'm blogging about it.
On my iPod there are 3 songs titled "Gloria". The girl gets around.
I own 7 versions of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
There are 9 songs that begin with the phrase "I Will"
12 songs start with "If..."
Seventeen songs begin with "In"
...and yes, I have a copy of "Macarena" on my iPod, just in case I come across a wedding with no DeeJay (hmmmm... maybe I should find "The Chicken Dance", too?)
Oddly enough, Harry Connick Jr. has a version of "Oompa Loompa" (yes, the one from "Willy Wonka". Is there another song with that title?)
There are songs on my iPod encouraging me to "Take Five", "Take It on the Run", "Take It Easy", "Take It to the Limit", "Take Me Down", "Take Me Home", "Take Me or Leave Me", "Take Me to Your Leader" and "Take My Breath Away". Lots of taking going on there, not unlike a D-List celebrity invited to a Swag Suite.
There are odes to "My Life", "My Humps", "My Joy", "My Mammy", "My Prerogative" (Bobby B!) and, yes, even "My Bologna".
Let's not forget about Mr. Popeil, Mr. Roboto, Mr. Wendal and Mrs. Morgan. They each have their own songs.
Huey Lewis wants a new drug and Weird Al wants a new Duck. Al also sings about his pancreas. There should be more body part songs. How about a melody about the phalanges? Wouldn't that be a chart topper!!
At least they're all still there. Mission accomplished. Life will go on!
On my iPod there are 3 songs titled "Gloria". The girl gets around.
I own 7 versions of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
There are 9 songs that begin with the phrase "I Will"
12 songs start with "If..."
Seventeen songs begin with "In"
...and yes, I have a copy of "Macarena" on my iPod, just in case I come across a wedding with no DeeJay (hmmmm... maybe I should find "The Chicken Dance", too?)
Oddly enough, Harry Connick Jr. has a version of "Oompa Loompa" (yes, the one from "Willy Wonka". Is there another song with that title?)
There are songs on my iPod encouraging me to "Take Five", "Take It on the Run", "Take It Easy", "Take It to the Limit", "Take Me Down", "Take Me Home", "Take Me or Leave Me", "Take Me to Your Leader" and "Take My Breath Away". Lots of taking going on there, not unlike a D-List celebrity invited to a Swag Suite.
There are odes to "My Life", "My Humps", "My Joy", "My Mammy", "My Prerogative" (Bobby B!) and, yes, even "My Bologna".
Let's not forget about Mr. Popeil, Mr. Roboto, Mr. Wendal and Mrs. Morgan. They each have their own songs.
Huey Lewis wants a new drug and Weird Al wants a new Duck. Al also sings about his pancreas. There should be more body part songs. How about a melody about the phalanges? Wouldn't that be a chart topper!!
At least they're all still there. Mission accomplished. Life will go on!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
He's a keeper!
A few days ago I discovered that my iPod, which previously contained over 2000 songs, was down to a mere 235 tunes.
Ruh-roh.
About this same time, the computer on which I had my iTunes program (noticed I used the past tense of "have") bit the proverbial dust.
Ruh-roh.
Today my wonderful hubby got the computer to turn its monitor and cough. It's now synching with my iPod to bring back all 2000+ songs.
That hubby o' mine. He's a keeper.
(Can you say "major back-up" my friends?)
Ruh-roh.
About this same time, the computer on which I had my iTunes program (noticed I used the past tense of "have") bit the proverbial dust.
Ruh-roh.
Today my wonderful hubby got the computer to turn its monitor and cough. It's now synching with my iPod to bring back all 2000+ songs.
That hubby o' mine. He's a keeper.
(Can you say "major back-up" my friends?)
Oh, My Harry
Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmmm.
Harry Connick, Jr.
My surprise evening was dinner at Larkin's on the River (I had the Sea Bass, which was superb, and we got to see a wedding in the courtyard while we were there...) After dinner we strolled over to the Peace Center and took our seats (dead center in the first balcony...great seats!) The curtain went up right at 8 pm and it was nuttin' but fun from that moment on.
Harry gives a superb concert. I only wish I could get up and dance while he's playing. I had popped a piece of Orbit Bubble Mint gum in my mouth right before the curtain rose, and by the end of the concert my jaws hurt. I think I was absentmindedly chewing along with the beat!
Here's a review from the Salt Lake City show (I couldn't find one online for last night yet). It's very similar to what we experienced last night; Harry ended our show with "It Had to Be You" from When Harry Met Sally instead of "Iko Iko". Harry just rocked the house, man. Rocked the house. He's one of those celebrities that you feel like you could be friends with in real life. What I would pay to just hang out with him for the day...
Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmmm.
Harry Connick, Jr.
My surprise evening was dinner at Larkin's on the River (I had the Sea Bass, which was superb, and we got to see a wedding in the courtyard while we were there...) After dinner we strolled over to the Peace Center and took our seats (dead center in the first balcony...great seats!) The curtain went up right at 8 pm and it was nuttin' but fun from that moment on.
Harry gives a superb concert. I only wish I could get up and dance while he's playing. I had popped a piece of Orbit Bubble Mint gum in my mouth right before the curtain rose, and by the end of the concert my jaws hurt. I think I was absentmindedly chewing along with the beat!
Here's a review from the Salt Lake City show (I couldn't find one online for last night yet). It's very similar to what we experienced last night; Harry ended our show with "It Had to Be You" from When Harry Met Sally instead of "Iko Iko". Harry just rocked the house, man. Rocked the house. He's one of those celebrities that you feel like you could be friends with in real life. What I would pay to just hang out with him for the day...
Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmmm.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Heading for the Light
I did it! I downloaded Tom, Roy, George and the gang from iTunes and they're playing on my 'puter as I type.
Ah.
Just as good as I remembered!
Man, I love the Traveling Wilburys. They just ROCK.
Today is a GREAT day.
Ah.
Just as good as I remembered!
I've wandered around with nothing more than time on my hands
I was lost in the night with no sight of you
And at times it was so blue and lonely
Heading for the light
Man, I love the Traveling Wilburys. They just ROCK.
Today is a GREAT day.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooooh!
Guess what?
(Tapping my foot in exasperation while you guess stupid stuff like, "You're pregnant!" or "You found $5 in your jacket!" or "You won the complete DVD collection of 90210!")
You're wrong! You're ALL WRONG! You'll never guess what has me so excited! NEVAH!
I got an e-mail.
It wasn't just any old e-mail.
This particular e-mail was from my friends at iTunes. My friends that, each and every Tuesday, love to inform me of new downloads. Aren't they the BEST?
GUESS WHAT IS NEW ON iTUNES TODAY?
GUESS! GO AHEAD! YOU CAN'T! (Well, I *guess* if you get the Tuesday e-mail from iTunes, you might already know... but you keep yer trap shut, 'k?)
OH, I can't even believe it. I can't! I'm slobbering all over the laptop!
iTunes now has the Traveling Wilburys available for download! Every song they ever made! Woo hoo!
If I had an extra $20 laying around, it would be MINE.RIGHT.NOW.
Alas, I must wait until I can make a deposit into my bank account before I can load Roy and the boys onto my iPod. But that day will soon come. Soon, they will be mine.
EAT THAT all you scumsucking eBay pigs charging a king's ransom for old Wilburys CDs! Ha!
(Tapping my foot in exasperation while you guess stupid stuff like, "You're pregnant!" or "You found $5 in your jacket!" or "You won the complete DVD collection of 90210!")
You're wrong! You're ALL WRONG! You'll never guess what has me so excited! NEVAH!
I got an e-mail.
It wasn't just any old e-mail.
This particular e-mail was from my friends at iTunes. My friends that, each and every Tuesday, love to inform me of new downloads. Aren't they the BEST?
GUESS WHAT IS NEW ON iTUNES TODAY?
GUESS! GO AHEAD! YOU CAN'T! (Well, I *guess* if you get the Tuesday e-mail from iTunes, you might already know... but you keep yer trap shut, 'k?)
OH, I can't even believe it. I can't! I'm slobbering all over the laptop!
iTunes now has the Traveling Wilburys available for download! Every song they ever made! Woo hoo!
If I had an extra $20 laying around, it would be MINE.RIGHT.NOW.
Alas, I must wait until I can make a deposit into my bank account before I can load Roy and the boys onto my iPod. But that day will soon come. Soon, they will be mine.
EAT THAT all you scumsucking eBay pigs charging a king's ransom for old Wilburys CDs! Ha!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Thissss.....is.... the way I live....
I have a tune wedgie. It's "The Way I Live" by Baby Boy Da Prince. If you haven't heard the song, you can click on that link and go hear it on his MySpace site. Be careful, though. It might become your tune wedgie!
Every time my life takes a detour down the road I didn't intend to travel, that song pops into my head.
Like two days ago.
I picked up my 3 youngest children from school. My 4 year-old was playing on the playground, which is right next to the entrance. As soon as I saw him, I knew something was up (or, rather, OUT). He was standing off to one side of the playground by himself, grasping his behind with one hand.
"Oh, great. PLEASE, God, don't let that be what I think it is."
I went inside, picked up my 6 and 2 year-olds, and met the 4 year-old in the lobby as he was coming off of the playground with his class.
As soon as I saw my son's teacher, I said, "I think Quinn had an accident." Her reply? "Yeah. I know."
Huh? IF YOU KNEW, why is he still outside with dirty drawers on?
(There are other teachers out there to watch her class. I don't see why she could not have brought my sweet boy in and helped him clean himself up. He even has extra clothes in his classroom cubby for such a time as this! My son is potty trained, but he is painfully shy and will not tell a teacher he needs to come back inside to go potty. The teacher KNOWS THIS.)
My son was crying, and had been for awhile. Bless his heart.
I took him to the car and cleaned him up. He continued to sob and apologize for soiling himself. I was furious with the teacher. The poop was dried and stuck to my son's sensitive skin. I had to scrub hard to get it off. I was almost in tears by the time I was done, because I knew I was hurting him.
(On a funny side note: The only clothes I had in the car were my 2 year-old daughter's bike shorts. I put them on my son, which made him look like he was wearing a Speedo. I wish I had my camera!)
So anyway.... I got my son cleaned up. I just threw the dirty pants into the trash can I keep in the car. I wasn't going to bother cleaning them. No way.
I got back into the car and I couldn't find my car key. I keep it separate from my key ring because it's one of those big keys that has the remote unlocker doohickey on the key. I had set it down in the melee and couldn't find it.
The kids were roasting. It was so hot in the car (which has black upholstery... not my first choice, but we bought it used...)
I found it! And we were off to get my daughter.
On the way to her school, I stopped off at the gas station (did I mention my gas gauge is broken just like the one on the van we traded for this "new" car? Yeah. I hate cars.)
I took the stinky trash can out of the car and dumped it into the one at the gas station.
And that's when my 4 year-old started wailing.
"My Power Ranger underwear! MOMMMMMEEEE! My dirty underwear was in there!" And on and on and on and on... He gets so very attached to things, and when he starts crying about something, he becomes fixated on it and repeats the same phrase over and over... So, on the way to the school I had to listen to him mourning his lost Power Ranger underpants. After all, they had the red ranger on them. How could I not know that?
And that's when the song popped into my head.
"Thiiiissssss..... isssss..... thuh..... way I live....."
It's always something.
Just a few minutes ago it was something else.
I had promised my kids ALL.WEEK.LONG that we would give "Sparkle" (our car) a bath on Saturday.
We had breakfast, the kids changed into their swimsuits, and we went outside.
I wanted to get the interior clean first, so I loaded all of the kids inside the car and got them to pick up the trash and toys. Not five minutes into the process I hear...
"MOMMY! Lillian's peeing in her car seat!"
Camryn (who is 9) had been nice enough to get Lillian dressed for me, but she had forgotten the crucial step: the diaper. So, I told Camryn to take her sister back inside and put a diaper on her.
I continued to vacuum.
The boys got rowdier and rowdier. I had to separate them.
Then I heard Camryn yelling for me.
"MOMMY! Lillian fell off of her changing table and landed ON HER HEAD!"
Just shoot me. Shoot me now. WHO KNEW washing a stupid car would be this much trouble?
Lillian was fine. She was just scared. She didn't actually land on her head. My older daughter just has a flair for the dramatic.
So we all went back outside and finished cleaning up the car. By the time we were done, there was a stench coming from the vacuum. I don't know what it was, but it smelled dead. I don't think I want to know what it is.
I sent everyone back inside and I moved the car from the garage to the driveway. We prepared the bucket of suds and brought it outside. Everyone was excited. They couldn't wait to turn on the water and spray each other (er... I mean.... clean the car....)
We went around to the side of the house to unwind the hose, and we found a dead mouse. Evidently I squished him in the process of moving the car.
Now I'm a mouse killer. My 4 year-old: "Mommy? Do you not like mouses? Won't his mommy miss him?" My 6 year-old: "He sure is cute. Or, he WAS. Now he's squished."
We turned on the water to power up the hose
AND
there was no water. It's been turned off all winter long. The valve is in the attic, and I have no idea how to turn the water on. That's my husband's job, and he's at work.
So guess what he gets to do when he gets home?
Clean dead mouse guts off of the driveway and supervise the car wash.
"Thiiiissssss..... isssss..... thuh..... way I live....."
Every time my life takes a detour down the road I didn't intend to travel, that song pops into my head.
Like two days ago.
I picked up my 3 youngest children from school. My 4 year-old was playing on the playground, which is right next to the entrance. As soon as I saw him, I knew something was up (or, rather, OUT). He was standing off to one side of the playground by himself, grasping his behind with one hand.
"Oh, great. PLEASE, God, don't let that be what I think it is."
I went inside, picked up my 6 and 2 year-olds, and met the 4 year-old in the lobby as he was coming off of the playground with his class.
As soon as I saw my son's teacher, I said, "I think Quinn had an accident." Her reply? "Yeah. I know."
Huh? IF YOU KNEW, why is he still outside with dirty drawers on?
(There are other teachers out there to watch her class. I don't see why she could not have brought my sweet boy in and helped him clean himself up. He even has extra clothes in his classroom cubby for such a time as this! My son is potty trained, but he is painfully shy and will not tell a teacher he needs to come back inside to go potty. The teacher KNOWS THIS.)
My son was crying, and had been for awhile. Bless his heart.
I took him to the car and cleaned him up. He continued to sob and apologize for soiling himself. I was furious with the teacher. The poop was dried and stuck to my son's sensitive skin. I had to scrub hard to get it off. I was almost in tears by the time I was done, because I knew I was hurting him.
(On a funny side note: The only clothes I had in the car were my 2 year-old daughter's bike shorts. I put them on my son, which made him look like he was wearing a Speedo. I wish I had my camera!)
So anyway.... I got my son cleaned up. I just threw the dirty pants into the trash can I keep in the car. I wasn't going to bother cleaning them. No way.
I got back into the car and I couldn't find my car key. I keep it separate from my key ring because it's one of those big keys that has the remote unlocker doohickey on the key. I had set it down in the melee and couldn't find it.
The kids were roasting. It was so hot in the car (which has black upholstery... not my first choice, but we bought it used...)
I found it! And we were off to get my daughter.
On the way to her school, I stopped off at the gas station (did I mention my gas gauge is broken just like the one on the van we traded for this "new" car? Yeah. I hate cars.)
I took the stinky trash can out of the car and dumped it into the one at the gas station.
And that's when my 4 year-old started wailing.
"My Power Ranger underwear! MOMMMMMEEEE! My dirty underwear was in there!" And on and on and on and on... He gets so very attached to things, and when he starts crying about something, he becomes fixated on it and repeats the same phrase over and over... So, on the way to the school I had to listen to him mourning his lost Power Ranger underpants. After all, they had the red ranger on them. How could I not know that?
And that's when the song popped into my head.
"Thiiiissssss..... isssss..... thuh..... way I live....."
It's always something.
Just a few minutes ago it was something else.
I had promised my kids ALL.WEEK.LONG that we would give "Sparkle" (our car) a bath on Saturday.
We had breakfast, the kids changed into their swimsuits, and we went outside.
I wanted to get the interior clean first, so I loaded all of the kids inside the car and got them to pick up the trash and toys. Not five minutes into the process I hear...
"MOMMY! Lillian's peeing in her car seat!"
Camryn (who is 9) had been nice enough to get Lillian dressed for me, but she had forgotten the crucial step: the diaper. So, I told Camryn to take her sister back inside and put a diaper on her.
I continued to vacuum.
The boys got rowdier and rowdier. I had to separate them.
Then I heard Camryn yelling for me.
"MOMMY! Lillian fell off of her changing table and landed ON HER HEAD!"
Just shoot me. Shoot me now. WHO KNEW washing a stupid car would be this much trouble?
Lillian was fine. She was just scared. She didn't actually land on her head. My older daughter just has a flair for the dramatic.
So we all went back outside and finished cleaning up the car. By the time we were done, there was a stench coming from the vacuum. I don't know what it was, but it smelled dead. I don't think I want to know what it is.
I sent everyone back inside and I moved the car from the garage to the driveway. We prepared the bucket of suds and brought it outside. Everyone was excited. They couldn't wait to turn on the water and spray each other (er... I mean.... clean the car....)
We went around to the side of the house to unwind the hose, and we found a dead mouse. Evidently I squished him in the process of moving the car.
Now I'm a mouse killer. My 4 year-old: "Mommy? Do you not like mouses? Won't his mommy miss him?" My 6 year-old: "He sure is cute. Or, he WAS. Now he's squished."
We turned on the water to power up the hose
AND
there was no water. It's been turned off all winter long. The valve is in the attic, and I have no idea how to turn the water on. That's my husband's job, and he's at work.
So guess what he gets to do when he gets home?
Clean dead mouse guts off of the driveway and supervise the car wash.
"Thiiiissssss..... isssss..... thuh..... way I live....."
Monday, January 15, 2007
Blog Challenge: Life Songs
There are some songs that take you back to specific events, places and times. Choose one song (or a few!) that do that for you, and tell us about it.
This is gonna be tough, because I live my life to music. I love music. The beats, the words, the melodies, the bass, the drums... I love all kinds of music. I dare say that there isn't a song out there that doesn't evoke some sort of feeling or memory in me.
I have thought on this topic, and I really had a hard time even coming up with ONE song. There are so many songs that I love, that it's hard to choose which ones affect me the most. I decided just to sit down and start writing, so this is just brain flow from here on out.
(It's really hard to think about music with kids' cartoons on the television in the background... maybe I should go get my iPod...)
Okay. The first song that comes to mind is "Jack and Diane" by John Cougar Mellencamp. This song is my all time favorite 80s ballad. The kids know that when those first few lines hit the airwaves, I will reach for the volume button and crank it up as loud as they can stand it. Usually I hit the bass button, too, for that little interlude that comes near the last third of the song....
I adore this song. I've blogged about it before ("Hold on to 16/as long as you can/changes come around real soon/make us women and men"). I remember sitting in Biology II in high school, hearing the gang of jocks sing this song to one of the girls that they considered.....well.... loose? They particularly loved the line that goes "dribble off those Bobbie Brooks slacks and let me do what I please...." Those guys tortured that girl unmercifully with that song, but she loved the attention. It doesn't change how I feel about the song, but I always see those guys in my head when that song plays.
I own all of the "Scholastic Rock" CDs because they remind me of watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. Laying (lying?) on the couch in my PJs, watching TV until noon, eating cereal that was full of sugar... It all reminds me of innocence. I loved being a kid.
Let's see.... "Wasted Rock Ranger" by Great White... not the best song in history, but it makes me think of flying down Highway 31 with my windows down after dropping off a friend after school. I felt so rebellious yelling the curse words at the top of my lungs. I was a weiner, though. I always turned down the music if I had to stop at a light, because I didn't want any of my parents' friends tattling about my loud, offensive music. Small towns suck.
Then there's Elvis' "Moody Blue" and Liza's "Liza with a Z" and Barry Manilow's "Even Now" and the soundtrack to the movie "Annie". Those are the only albums we had on 8-track, so that's what we played in the Chevrolet Caprice Classic van on long trips. Gosh, those are good memories. Melted crayons and comfy pallets made of handmade quilts in the back of the station wagon. I had a great childhood.
(Re-reading that I realized that it sounds as if we lived in our car.... Trust me. We had a house. We just traveled a lot, and the back of the wagon was my favorite spot. I would've HATED car seats!)
Cyndi Lauper's "She's So Unusual" was the first album I ever owned. It was actually on cassette, but I played the heck out of it. I wonder if I could download that to my iPod...
My wedding songs are great for memories, too. Steven Curtis Chapman's "I Will Be Here" was one of those songs. I chose that one because of what it says, but also because I first heard it sung a capella by my friend Charlotte during a "Breakaway" weekend as a high school senior. The power went out, and we were all gathered in the den of the house that belonged to the weekend's host family. The weekend's leader was playing his guitar and taking requests. Charlotte, who has an amazing soprano voice, piped up and said she'd like to sing a song she was practicing for a wedding. So, in the candlelight, she started singing, "Tomorrow morning if you wake up and the sun does not appear....I will be here..." I loved it. I knew I'd use it at my wedding one day, and I did, though Charlotte didn't sing it. She sang "Bonded Together" by Twila Paris, and one of my bridesmaids sang "I Will Be Here". Yet another person sang "Somewhere in the World" by Wayne Watson. I loved my wedding song choices.
Man, there are just so many more songs that having meaning for me. I couldn't list them all. Music is such a HUGE part of my life. What would I do without it?
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