Most of the preteen memories I recall are accompanied with a heavy eye roll. I did a bajillion embarrassing things in such a short time span. There were the things I couldn't help, like braces, acne and glasses (all at the same time, too. Puberty has a mean sense of humor). And there were the things I willingly brought upon myself, like the PowerPuff Girl t-shirts, backward cap wearing phase, the never wearing any color phase, terrible haircuts and inability to style my own hair, drawing in washable marker all over my jeans, money spent on Beanie Babies and accessories at Claire's, finding everything on Nickelodeon to be hilarious, and getting all of my favorite artists from Disney Channel concerts.
One such "favorite" was B*Witched, and I loved their song "C'est La Vie."
I tried to listen through it for old time's sake and to give myself material for the rest of this post, but I couldn't. It's obnoxious. Their voices are grating. The lyrics don't even make sense.
This is how I know my parents really do love me because, if my kid walked around the house blaring that stuff, the CD would be broken and thrown out the window. So, thanks, Mom and Dad, for allowing me to make terrible, non-life-threatening choices. You've given me something to look back on and shake my head at, thinking, "Look how relatively normal I've become."
I'd like to say that it took me a long time to find a song that accurately captured my complexities and multifaceted personality ... I'd like to say that, but I won't. My defining characteristics — the ones I'm described by when someone is trying to jog another's memory mid-story — are two-fold: my height and my hair. "Oh, you know, the short girl with the long dark hair." "Oh yeah! Her!"
Seeing as there's not a song with that same title, I went for another one:
Short People by Randy Newman
Back in grade school, I really didn't like being short. I was always the one getting picked up or picked on. Whenever we'd play "cheerleaders" on the playground, they pushed me on top of the pyramid against my will. I couldn't reach the chin-up bar or the monkey bars. The list goes on.
As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate it more. Thanks to my size, I'll be forever "cute," pants are easily hemmed, and I've become quite adapt at climbing onto countertops to get down whatever I need in the cabinets (or leaving whatever needs to be put up in said cabinet on the countertop because I "can't reach"). Plus, I'm five foot even, which feeds my need for all numbers to be multiples of five.
I end with my short family, which leads me to another song, "One of These Things Is Not Like the Other."
Five years ago, Scott and I shared our first Valentine's Day together. Luckily, we'd already swapped the "L-word" a couple of weeks before, so we dodged that awkward card buying process where you've got to find one that's more than "Hey buddy, you're awesome!" and less than "I love you with every breath in my lungs." There's only one like that, and it's pretty much only appropriate for middle schoolers — "I like you like you." So, thanks for saying you loved me, Scott, for more than just making card buying easier.
Anyway, Day 14 is really "a song that no one would expect you to love." That's just not very Valentine's Day appropriate, so I swapped it with day 23, "a song you want played at your wedding," since it's more romantically inclined. It's also one of the easiest because I've already made that decision. So, cuddle up with the one you love and enjoy this little walk down memory lane.
I didn't know what song I wanted to walk down the aisle to. What I did know is that I didn't want it to be "Here Comes the Bride" because I'd spent the majority of my childhood finishing it with "all fat and wide," and no one wants that sneaking into her subconsciousness on her big day. So, the hunt was on, and the second Scott played the love theme from "Cinema Paradiso," I knew it was the perfect choice.
Sitting there, listening to this song for the first time, I could see it all happen. I could see the doors open, and Scott standing at the end of the aisle; I could see my dad walking with me as we passed everyone who had gathered to be with us that day. This was it.
To this day, I can't listen to it without getting a little choked up because it brings that moment back to me so clearly.
Walking back down the aisle, this time as husband and wife, we exited to "The Best Is Yet to Come" sung by Michael Buble (no good YouTube video for this, so just hum it to yourself) because we thought it was the perfect way to begin the next chapter. And it did because it's only gotten better since. I'm a lucky lady to get to have Scott not only as my husband, but as my easy-to-buy-a-card-for Valentine.
I love Glee. While the plot is a little wobbly most of the time (OK, all of the time), the music keeps me hooked. And while I know "Glee" is just Spring Sing with better costumes and less glitter, I still would love to be a part of one. Well, really just this one. I think anything else would just disappoint.
So here are a few of my favorites, for your listening pleasure.
Day 12 was really "a song from I band you hate," but I thought that just sounded mean. If preschool taught me nothing, it was that "hate" was a very strong word, and you never hate anyone. Dislike, sure. But we don't say hate.
So, I decided to give day 12 and upbeat, positive spin — because isn't that what Saturdays are for — and declare today to be "favorite theme song from TV or film."
Under this new proclamation, today's song is...
"It's a Jungle Out There" by Randy Newman, theme song to "Monk"
I strongly believe that they broke the mold after they made this song. Scott will tell you that I often complain that every other TV shows' songs are "no 'Monk,'" and try to fix them accordingly. However, I'm no Randy Newman, so they usually fail miserably, turning into a half spoken/half sung plot synopsis with lots of title repeating. Like I said, I'm no Randy Newman.
I came home from girls night last night to this lovely surprise. As you may remember, Scott and I won a free photo shoot with our friend Cassie last summer, and we'd still yet to frame and hang those pictures. We're pretty bad when it comes to that. Is there anything more Valentine's appropriate than a whole wall dedicated to your relationship? I think not.
Scott did step back this morning and say, "So, do you think it's a little self-absorbed?"
I think it looks less "US! ON THE WALL!" from a distance. Ignore the yarn on the couch.
Next, we tackle the office. We've got a lot of bookshelves to fill.
It just so happens that days 10 and 11 work well together. I totally planned this; it's not because I've fallen behind yet again.
So, one song, two purposes.
A song that makes me fall asleep and a song from my favorite band:
Abbey Road Medley by the Beatles
"Golden Slumbers" within the medley always lures me into a nice little nap, only to be jolted back into consciousness by "Carry That Weight." It's a little rude of them, but I'll let it go. I've always loved the Abbey Road Medley. It's a big reason why that record is slowly edging its way in front of Revolver, a day I thought would never come. I love how each song is so different yet flows together so well. It's almost like they said, if this is it, then let's do everything we haven't done yet.
