Songs and Memories

There are some songs that bring back certain memories every time you hear them, regardless of how long it has been or where you currently are. As my iPod seems to be playing some nasty little games with me lately, I found it odd that some of my memory songs were all together on shuffle.

It started with “Back in Black” by AC/DC. Every time I hear this song I think of a pep rally in high school. One may wonder just how a Catholic school let this song be played all the time, but I’m ignoring that. Our colors were black and gold so I guess they just went along with it. I hear the song and I’m back in the Aquinas gym and clapping.

“No Diggity” by Blackstreet had a dance to accompany the great lyrics, but I have since forgotten most of them. In my attempt to be in a sorority at MSU (I was in one in MD but transferred) I was part of the active intro that we did prior to the pledge class serenading the fraternities. I remembering being in the ZTA kitchen and figuring out moves to the song and then wearing Adidas track pants, a white shirt and hat for the actual dance portion. Sometimes little snippets come back to me and I think I have it, but I don’t.

I’m pretty sure that singing “What it Takes” by Aerosmith at a wedding isn’t commonplace but that is exactly what happened back in 2001. Ok, perhaps singing isn’t quite the right word as those of us who stormed the DJ and hijacked the mic weren’t exactly singing so much as screeching, but it was a good time. And to have two girls as the leads (me and Kelly of course) was pretty priceless. I don’t think Steven Tyler has anything to worry about, but the pictures are a nice souvenir. Sidebar: I also contended that I didn’t do a shot that night as I don’t do shots, but then saw a picture to prove me wrong).

“Yellow Ledbetter” is a classic at least in my mind and those who ever rode in the Little Red Ford Probe (see previous post about how much I loved that car). As you may remember, there were people who lived in that car and stole things like change and cigarettes from my friends. I should probably also be honest and say this kind of reminds me of a guy I liked senior year as well but given the longevity of the car and the friendships the song is forever bonded to my senior year of high school. It especially makes me think of my friend C that I was going to open a slurpee stand with.


There was a summer that will live in infamy and not for a lot of good reasons, but there is a song to go along with all the driving excursions, pain and drunken times that makes it a bit better. “Without Me” by Eminem is classic and the intro of “two trailer park girls go round the outside” is hard to not laugh along with. At least a great friendship grew out of that summer;)

And that is just what happened yesterday with my iPod. Who knows what today has in store;)

Songs That Mirror My Mood/Thoughts Today

I’m in an odd mood today. It isn’t completely happy, but not remotely sad, not overly hopeful yet not really confused either. I’m not sure there is a word to describe it but it’s kind of how I’ve been feeling a lot lately. Since there are some large situations that aren’t going to change overnight and I don’t have complete control over, I’m choosing (!) to focus on one particular thing (kinda like “One Particular Harbour” by Jimmy Buffet but without the Polynesian words). Instead, I’ll pour my thoughts today in to something that I hope I do have some control over and makes me smile. One could say I have a secret but everyone knows I’m not good at keeping secrets about myself.

Why Can’t I by Liz Phair (“gonna take a while for this egg to hatch”)

Kiss by Prince (“ain’t no particular sign I’m more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your kiss”)

“If’ by Janet Jackson (well, all of it basically. And FYI, I used to be able to do the dance from the video.)

“All Over Me” by Default (see above minus knowing any dance)





Yeah, you figure it out:)

A Couch, a Computer and a Carefree Work Day

I’m working from home today. For me that means putting on workout pants that are perhaps a smidge too tight to wear in public, a long sleeve t-shirt so thoughtfully provided by my Krav partner V and putting my hair in a messy bun while I try to demolish the writer’s block that has been plaguing me at work all week. Yes friends, I am a writer by trade although at times I reserve the right to ignore that fact based on the wonderful words I post here.

There are two projects that have just been kicking my ass and I cannot seem to find the words to make them work. One is a policy/procedure so by my nature I hate having to do those but nonetheless it has to be done by next Thursday so I have no choice. The other is an article that sounds easy in theory but I just can’t get the mind/hand connection going with getting the words out to my fingers and on to a page. Oh, and since it is a Friday and we’d normally have a team huddle at work, I think I’m getting a call to still be a part of that. Let’s hope I remember to answer the phone;)

Can You See Them?

I had to turn in my old lease and get a new car this week and it was quite a traumatic experience. Ok, I might be slightly exaggerating but I was downsizing from a cute crossover to a sedan. A friggin sedan. What’s next, the soccer mom haircut without the soccer kids? Anyway, I was trying to make the best of the situation and find all the silver linings to a new vehicle when I started to think about cars of my past and how awesome they were. How could this new one ever live up?

My first car that was mine and by mine I mean I was the primary driver was a 1992 red Ford Probe that we called “Little Red Ford Probe” since it rhymed so well with a great Prince song and it was 1994. Her name was Baby and I have to tell you that this car rocked. I may have been ruined for life as no other car could ever match the fun times, complete hysterics and non-monetary features that the LRFP had.

For example, there were people that lived in my car. Yes, people we called Them. Why you ask? Simple, think of the Pearl Jam song “Yellow LedBetter” and the line that says “can you see them, out on the porch but they don’t wave.” To be fair, we were 17/18, Eddie Vedder was hot and so was a guy in class that was obsessed with him so we may have had a few too many giggles over coming up with this. My good friend C (the co-queen of Slurpees) helped come up with the name and to this day we still laugh about it.

For the most part, the people were pretty cool. They’d be helpful and turn the radio station or make sure my lights were on, things like that. But they could also be vindictive little buggers. They apparently wanted C to stop smoking as they’d steal her cigarettes. Other odd items like tapes(!) would go missing. A scraper here or there and at least a few items of clothing that I’m not completely sure how they were left but they were and went missing too. And change? Don’t even think there’d be anything left. It sometimes made crossing the border to go to Canada for a few refreshments an interesting experience. Again, this was the age where hanging out at Denny’s was the perfect end to an evening.

Oh, and the people migrated to the next vehicle, my little Billy Girl Truck. She was a good sport (and had a few minor run ins with poles in carports) but there weren’t the great stories like the LRFP. And it was a truck. Minus the sandbags I had to buy in the winter to even out weight it was a great little vehicle. Too bad I ran it in to the ground.

Next were the two Mariners (both white, both looking the same and they were Ghost One and Ghost 2). I got my groove back with them and the last few years were great feeling like I was in a cool car (legitimate moonroof, not fake one you make by taking the sunroof out) and I had room for people, lawn chairs, moving 17 times. It was all good again. And with the advent of a six-disc CD changer, who could ask for anything more?

As for my new car, it doesn’t have a name and as of yet doesn’t have a personality that it’s shown (at least not yet). Perhaps she (he?) just needs to warm up to me a bit. I mean, that should be easy with remote start and all but I’m trying to remain positive. Who knows, maybe if I just get a Slurpee and play some Pearl Jam things will work out…