I have known Ryan C. for just about his entire life. His mom's sister is married to my mom's brother. so we share an aunt and uncle, but I actually didn't realize that for a long time because he was never at our family events and vice versa. I guess that makes us kind of related. By marriage. Removed or something. At some point I started calling him my cousin Ryan.
He is only 2 years younger than I am so we always got along really well. There are countless memories and stories with Ryan because our families used to vacation together. Once Ryan went away to college, I didn't see him for a couple years, but I was really excited when he returned to the Bay Area afterwards. He was still working out what he wanted to do and which path he wanted to take and during this time, I got to see him a lot! He was often in the city and since I was living in Daly City with my sister, he often stayed with us. We spent many evenings hanging out playing board games in our apartment or driving into the city and dancing until the wee hours at some club. Ryan introduced us to some of his new friends and we would hang out with them as well. I really enjoyed spending this time with him and getting to know him as an adult. It was a lot different hanging out as adults because we could stay out as late as we wanted. On family vacations, I remember it being a really big deal when we would stay up late talking and playing cards into the wee hours. It upset my dad each time, unreasonably so, in my opinion. One thing hadn't changed hanging out with cousin Ryan was fun!
I don't remember where we were we had been, but I remember we were in the car, heading back to the apartment in Daly City. Ryan and I were in the backseat and Catherine was driving. She was really into the Bloodhound Gang. It was a band she started listening to in Kansas. It took a while to grow on me, partly because most of the lyrics are disgusting, and also because it was a lot different than the kind of music I generally liked. But grow on me it did and even though the lyrics are mostly gross, they are also pretty clever. Well it turned out Ryan knew the lyrics to the Bad Touch and I remember him singing along with a big smile. Catherine and I joined in and there we were, cruising along, singing that song, headed back to Daly City for another fun sleepover. You and me baby!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Wild Wild West by Kool Moe Dee
Lucky for my dad, our Turlock next door neighbors had a teenage girl, aka, a babysitter! Traci N.was a lot of fun and we always behaved very well for her. Honestly, we behaved pretty well for all of our babysitters. We were nice kids. Traci chaperoned my first slumber party, as well as babysat on the weekends as needed. Since she had a younger brother my age and they were right next door, I was over at their place from time to time. One of those times, she was listening to music in her room and it was an ominous, scary sounding song. There were a couple of them that year - Wild Wild West by Kool Moe Dee and Nightmare on My Street by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. The context of DJ Jazzy Jeff's song was pretty scary, all about Freddy Kruger coming to life, but Will Smith's voice was too cheerful and upbeat to really scare me. Wild Wild West on the other hand... starting with the dark bass line and ghostly sound effects....it gave me the chills.
It was the perfect song to set the scene for when my crush of the week, Sean H. came over to hang out. I had a Ouija Board in 6th grade (who bought me that I wonder?) and it was a hot game of the time. No one else had one, but everyone loved playing. We would ask it all kinds of questions and I will burst everyone's bubble today by confessing the most of the time, I was moving the pointer. Sorry! I truly tried to concentrate and let the spirits do their thing, but just like "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board", Hypnotism, and Magic Eye Posters, the Ouija Board did not work for me. The song really set the mood though and I got to sit really close to my crush, knees touching, board on our laps. There was the spooky aspect, we were in my room alone, it was downright romantic.
Seconds after Sean's mom came and picked him up, I heard a knock at the door. I 100% thought (hoped) he had returned because he forgot something... he forgot to kiss me. That is what happens in the movies and on TV, and there was all the romance! The mood setting! The knees touching! Sadly, my life was not like the movies. He had forgotten his hat or something. The most embarrassing part was that he ASKED me if I thought he had come back to kiss me! Was he teasing me or had the thought crossed his mind? Alas he never did kiss me and I eventually moved on to a new crush.
It was the perfect song to set the scene for when my crush of the week, Sean H. came over to hang out. I had a Ouija Board in 6th grade (who bought me that I wonder?) and it was a hot game of the time. No one else had one, but everyone loved playing. We would ask it all kinds of questions and I will burst everyone's bubble today by confessing the most of the time, I was moving the pointer. Sorry! I truly tried to concentrate and let the spirits do their thing, but just like "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board", Hypnotism, and Magic Eye Posters, the Ouija Board did not work for me. The song really set the mood though and I got to sit really close to my crush, knees touching, board on our laps. There was the spooky aspect, we were in my room alone, it was downright romantic.
Seconds after Sean's mom came and picked him up, I heard a knock at the door. I 100% thought (hoped) he had returned because he forgot something... he forgot to kiss me. That is what happens in the movies and on TV, and there was all the romance! The mood setting! The knees touching! Sadly, my life was not like the movies. He had forgotten his hat or something. The most embarrassing part was that he ASKED me if I thought he had come back to kiss me! Was he teasing me or had the thought crossed his mind? Alas he never did kiss me and I eventually moved on to a new crush.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Ka Huila Wai by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
The scene: beautiful Monterey, CA. The situation: involving roommates. It was not a good one.
I never had any luck with roommates who were unrelated to me. I spent my first year at MIIS living in a fun apartment near downtown with another grad student. The problem was that he was a student at NPS (Naval Postgraduate School) and there seemed to be a culture clash. Things started off really well - he was very friendly, extremely clean and tidy, and he liked hanging out with me and Nick. He accompanied us to a party or two and he eagerly co-hosted a party of our own. He was quirky, but then, aren't we all. I guess it comes down to whether he is the kind of weird you like. It turns out he wasn't. The guy was honestly pretty lonely. He had an out-of-state girlfriend, he wasn't very close to his family, and he didn't seem to have made very many friends in Monterey. Truth be told, perhaps I am not the best roommate either. I never really figured out the boundaries, as in, do you share every meal? Do you share food? How much time do you need to spend together? Etc. During the weekends I was either out and about with Nick in Monterey or out of town altogether. During the holidays, I spent an entire month out of town. It is possible I came across as someone who didn't want to spend very much time with her roommate.
Whatever the cause, as spring semester wore on, things felt more and more strained. He told me that his girlfriend was moving out to Monterey in the summer and he hoped that I would be ok with that. I said that would be fine. I then noticed that certain items from the front room were no longer there, such as his fancy globe, his projector.... these were pricey items which I know because he told me numerous times. I then noticed he had begun locking his bedroom door. All very weird as Monterey is hardly a hotbed of crime and this guy was a trained expert who kept a sword in his room for goodness sake. One weekend Nick and I decided to garden and generally spruce up the yard. Apparently this was the last straw for the guy. On Monday, he told me that he no longer wanted me to live there and I had until the end of the semester. I gardened without permission and his name was on the lease. Furthermore, he considered me a safety risk. Apparently, he would listen when Nick would leave at the crack of dawn and then get out of bed to lock the door behind him. I also then began to notice the guy locking the patio door while grilling. Unlock door. Put steak on grill. Come inside and lock door. Unlock door. Go flip the steak. Come inside and lock door. More than a little weird and definitely not the kind I liked. Also, couldn't he have just told me his girlfriend didn't want another woman in the house when she moved there?
I already had a Luau party in the works for that weekend which he said of course would not be cancelled. I spent a lot of time in my car that week, just driving around, not interested in being home. I would leave for class and just stay out all day. I ate dinner out or in my car. It was pretty being out and about and it really wasn't so bad as it gave me time to process and figure out what to do about the following year. In preparation for the Luau, I was test driving my Luau mix. One of the songs was Ka Huila Wai by Brudda Iz and I listened to it over and over. I have no idea what he is saying, but I loved the melodies, his crooning voice, the Hawaii feeling just washing over me. The Luau was a huge hit, by the way, and I found a new apartment all to myself. Win-win.
I never had any luck with roommates who were unrelated to me. I spent my first year at MIIS living in a fun apartment near downtown with another grad student. The problem was that he was a student at NPS (Naval Postgraduate School) and there seemed to be a culture clash. Things started off really well - he was very friendly, extremely clean and tidy, and he liked hanging out with me and Nick. He accompanied us to a party or two and he eagerly co-hosted a party of our own. He was quirky, but then, aren't we all. I guess it comes down to whether he is the kind of weird you like. It turns out he wasn't. The guy was honestly pretty lonely. He had an out-of-state girlfriend, he wasn't very close to his family, and he didn't seem to have made very many friends in Monterey. Truth be told, perhaps I am not the best roommate either. I never really figured out the boundaries, as in, do you share every meal? Do you share food? How much time do you need to spend together? Etc. During the weekends I was either out and about with Nick in Monterey or out of town altogether. During the holidays, I spent an entire month out of town. It is possible I came across as someone who didn't want to spend very much time with her roommate.
Whatever the cause, as spring semester wore on, things felt more and more strained. He told me that his girlfriend was moving out to Monterey in the summer and he hoped that I would be ok with that. I said that would be fine. I then noticed that certain items from the front room were no longer there, such as his fancy globe, his projector.... these were pricey items which I know because he told me numerous times. I then noticed he had begun locking his bedroom door. All very weird as Monterey is hardly a hotbed of crime and this guy was a trained expert who kept a sword in his room for goodness sake. One weekend Nick and I decided to garden and generally spruce up the yard. Apparently this was the last straw for the guy. On Monday, he told me that he no longer wanted me to live there and I had until the end of the semester. I gardened without permission and his name was on the lease. Furthermore, he considered me a safety risk. Apparently, he would listen when Nick would leave at the crack of dawn and then get out of bed to lock the door behind him. I also then began to notice the guy locking the patio door while grilling. Unlock door. Put steak on grill. Come inside and lock door. Unlock door. Go flip the steak. Come inside and lock door. More than a little weird and definitely not the kind I liked. Also, couldn't he have just told me his girlfriend didn't want another woman in the house when she moved there?
I already had a Luau party in the works for that weekend which he said of course would not be cancelled. I spent a lot of time in my car that week, just driving around, not interested in being home. I would leave for class and just stay out all day. I ate dinner out or in my car. It was pretty being out and about and it really wasn't so bad as it gave me time to process and figure out what to do about the following year. In preparation for the Luau, I was test driving my Luau mix. One of the songs was Ka Huila Wai by Brudda Iz and I listened to it over and over. I have no idea what he is saying, but I loved the melodies, his crooning voice, the Hawaii feeling just washing over me. The Luau was a huge hit, by the way, and I found a new apartment all to myself. Win-win.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Step by Step by New Kids on the Block
Throughout my childhood and into adulthood, I rarely missed a summer camping trip to Silver Lake. We would typically spend an entire week camping in tents with no showers and pit toilets. I should also point out that it was typically all girls...and Matt M. It should come as no surprise that most of the time, the girls were all hanging out together at the campsite or the lake or the potholes, whereas Matt had disappeared before the sun came up and there was nary a sight of him until dinner. There were also days where we assumed he was off hiking and exploring, but he was actually asleep in his tent.
It wasn't always all girls. There was the (hard)core group of the two families, but each year usually included various guests such as friends, family members, boyfriends, or girlfriends. No matter the company, it was always a lot of fun. Today were are going back to the early 90's and I seem to remember it being a very quiet group. Or perhaps it was just the beginning of a trip and we were waiting on other campers to arrive. For whatever reason, I remember it being just me, my Mom, Phyllis M. and her son Matt. I definitely remember playing New Kids on the Block cassettes all the way to the lake. My mom was very understanding and patient, gotta love her. I was obsessed with the New Kids, to put it mildly. No really. Obsessed is the mildest way to say it. I would play the tapes straight through and I never fast forwarded a song because I felt like it would be disloyal. I was absolutely required to listen to and appreciate every last song. I also never left a tape unplayed or stopped in the middle of it if I could help it - I always played them all the way through. Ridiculous!
I had this ginormous button of Joe and I wore it on my jean jacket. Matt made fun of me because, of course. He also made fun of the New Kids and that was clearly more offensive. He redeemed himself though because the first night as we were all going to sleep, I called out: Good night Matthew-a-poo-poo (a nickname invented by my sister). And Matt responded: Don't You Know I Hate You (a revision on a line from Step by Step). So of course I responded: Don't You Know You're Stupid! This went on for some time, but the point is that Matt obviously knew the song, he knew the tune of the song. He had obviously heard or even listened to it at some point. The Kids were ubiquitous at the time, BUT STILL. I remember thinking that this was the nicest thing Matt had ever said to me. I was younger than Matt and I usually annoyed him and he teased me or generally avoided me, but this time, he was "talking to me" and it was about THE NEW KIDS!!! By the next summer, I was onto something new and there were no more New Kids Nighttime Serenades.
It wasn't always all girls. There was the (hard)core group of the two families, but each year usually included various guests such as friends, family members, boyfriends, or girlfriends. No matter the company, it was always a lot of fun. Today were are going back to the early 90's and I seem to remember it being a very quiet group. Or perhaps it was just the beginning of a trip and we were waiting on other campers to arrive. For whatever reason, I remember it being just me, my Mom, Phyllis M. and her son Matt. I definitely remember playing New Kids on the Block cassettes all the way to the lake. My mom was very understanding and patient, gotta love her. I was obsessed with the New Kids, to put it mildly. No really. Obsessed is the mildest way to say it. I would play the tapes straight through and I never fast forwarded a song because I felt like it would be disloyal. I was absolutely required to listen to and appreciate every last song. I also never left a tape unplayed or stopped in the middle of it if I could help it - I always played them all the way through. Ridiculous!
I had this ginormous button of Joe and I wore it on my jean jacket. Matt made fun of me because, of course. He also made fun of the New Kids and that was clearly more offensive. He redeemed himself though because the first night as we were all going to sleep, I called out: Good night Matthew-a-poo-poo (a nickname invented by my sister). And Matt responded: Don't You Know I Hate You (a revision on a line from Step by Step). So of course I responded: Don't You Know You're Stupid! This went on for some time, but the point is that Matt obviously knew the song, he knew the tune of the song. He had obviously heard or even listened to it at some point. The Kids were ubiquitous at the time, BUT STILL. I remember thinking that this was the nicest thing Matt had ever said to me. I was younger than Matt and I usually annoyed him and he teased me or generally avoided me, but this time, he was "talking to me" and it was about THE NEW KIDS!!! By the next summer, I was onto something new and there were no more New Kids Nighttime Serenades.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Losing My Religion by REM
Losing My Religion will forever be linked to Brenda and Dylan's breakup. If you were a teenager in the early 90's, you will know exactly what I am talking about. I was in 8th grade when I watched my first episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. It was the episode "Isn't It Romantic" when Brenda and Dylan went on their first date. The date ended in disaster, with Dylan smashing a planter on the ground and crying. Smashing a planter was the ultimate in bad boy behavior! I actually felt like I just might be getting away with something by watching it, like it was borderline too grown-up for me. And of course, I did think it was totally romantic. My friend Erica T. had watched it too and we both decided that it was going to be our very favorite show. Season 2 started at the beginning of summer and we were both so excited about this. The first episode of the season dealt with more Very. Important. Issues. Pregnancy tests! OB GYN visits! And of course, the impossibly sad breakup of Brenda and Dylan. The song playing during the breakup was Losing My Religion and the song even factored into a future episode when Brenda was so sad that she wanted to throw away any reminder of Dylan, including the CD with the song playing while they were breaking up. Sniff!
Beverly Hills, 90210 was the first TV show I was ever addicted to. I wasn't much of a TV watcher as a kid, but this show really hooked me. It wasn't just me - pretty much everyone my age was hooked on the show and it gave us all something to talk about and dissect, week-in and week-out. It eventually became a bonding thing with my mom. I don't think she loved the show or found it particularly riveting or addicting. It was more about her knowing what we were watching so she could make sure it was appropriate. It also was the launching point for a lot of conversations about the various topics covered on the show. It covered everything....teen pregnancy, suicide, addiction, drinking, gun control, first love, the first time, friendship, divorce....you name it. I will never forget watching the episode when Scott Scanlon accidentally shot himself. I was BLOWN AWAY (!) by the entire episode, sitting on the edge of the couch, wondering who was going to die, how it would happen. And David's speech in the DJ booth. Powerful stuff for a very naive high school freshman!!
I lost interest in the show once Brenda left which coincided with me going away to college. I didn't have a TV and with the exception of a couple TV nights at Jenn K's house, I didn't have the opportunity to watch it much. I also didn't think it was nearly as good as it used to be. I watched the final episode, of course and in 2008 when the show relaunched with the new class of Beverly Hills, my sister and I were all over that! It became the focus of our sister nights and we watched it together, just like before.
Beverly Hills, 90210 was the first TV show I was ever addicted to. I wasn't much of a TV watcher as a kid, but this show really hooked me. It wasn't just me - pretty much everyone my age was hooked on the show and it gave us all something to talk about and dissect, week-in and week-out. It eventually became a bonding thing with my mom. I don't think she loved the show or found it particularly riveting or addicting. It was more about her knowing what we were watching so she could make sure it was appropriate. It also was the launching point for a lot of conversations about the various topics covered on the show. It covered everything....teen pregnancy, suicide, addiction, drinking, gun control, first love, the first time, friendship, divorce....you name it. I will never forget watching the episode when Scott Scanlon accidentally shot himself. I was BLOWN AWAY (!) by the entire episode, sitting on the edge of the couch, wondering who was going to die, how it would happen. And David's speech in the DJ booth. Powerful stuff for a very naive high school freshman!!
I lost interest in the show once Brenda left which coincided with me going away to college. I didn't have a TV and with the exception of a couple TV nights at Jenn K's house, I didn't have the opportunity to watch it much. I also didn't think it was nearly as good as it used to be. I watched the final episode, of course and in 2008 when the show relaunched with the new class of Beverly Hills, my sister and I were all over that! It became the focus of our sister nights and we watched it together, just like before.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Kiss of Life by Sade
They say that Christmas is the turning point when you are doing a year-long study abroad program. After 4 months (around Christmas), you have finally started to get the hang of speaking in another language. You might be dreaming in it at that point. You know your way around, you have a nice routine, and you have developed some nice friendships. A lot of people get homesick at this time and it is tempting to go home for the holidays, but you need to resist the temptation! Get through it and when Christmas is over, you are on the path to truly settling in and enjoying the rest of your year. Unfortunately for me, one of my roommates left early in the New Year and was replaced by a new one. The new one was a nice person, but I just didn't click with her. On top of that, my landlady was a crazy person. I had to deliver my rent check in person and it was a super lengthy, super annoying and patronizing experience.
At this point I had started making those friends I mentioned above. I was a dedicated gym-goer and I was starting to make a little group of friends there. One of them was Esther and when she heard about my apartment woes, she invited me to come live with her. She happened to have a recently vacated room and it was only a 5 minute walk from my current apartment! Since I was in Spain with literally the clothes on my back, moving was a cinch. Esther's apartment was pristine. She and I cleaned together on a regular basis - from top to bottom, walls included. It was decorated in a fun, modern style (she is an artist). We really got along well and she was the best part of the rest of my exchange year. We had our daily routine. After school, we'd head to the gym. We'd spend about 2 hours working out and then shower and head home. At that point it was about 9pm. We'd eat dinner (iceberg lettuce salad with corn and an oil and vinegar dressing. 2 slices of toast with cheese or ham or a hotdog.) and more often than not, get dressed, swapping clothes, to head out for a drink. So fun and as an added bonus, it was the skinniest I have ever been!!
Sometimes I would come home from school or wherever and Esther would have the stereo blaring as she read, painted, relaxed, took a bath. She was usually blaring Sade, specifically Kiss of Life. It made me feel sophisticated. I was living in this modern, European city, sitting in my light-filled apartment, just minutes away from the Mediterranean. The music made me feel contemplative and I would sit and write in my journal for hours, thinking about who I was....who i wanted to be...what was next on my life journey. It was a transitional year and that music was my backdrop for making choices and learning how to live a grown-up kind of life.
At this point I had started making those friends I mentioned above. I was a dedicated gym-goer and I was starting to make a little group of friends there. One of them was Esther and when she heard about my apartment woes, she invited me to come live with her. She happened to have a recently vacated room and it was only a 5 minute walk from my current apartment! Since I was in Spain with literally the clothes on my back, moving was a cinch. Esther's apartment was pristine. She and I cleaned together on a regular basis - from top to bottom, walls included. It was decorated in a fun, modern style (she is an artist). We really got along well and she was the best part of the rest of my exchange year. We had our daily routine. After school, we'd head to the gym. We'd spend about 2 hours working out and then shower and head home. At that point it was about 9pm. We'd eat dinner (iceberg lettuce salad with corn and an oil and vinegar dressing. 2 slices of toast with cheese or ham or a hotdog.) and more often than not, get dressed, swapping clothes, to head out for a drink. So fun and as an added bonus, it was the skinniest I have ever been!!
Sometimes I would come home from school or wherever and Esther would have the stereo blaring as she read, painted, relaxed, took a bath. She was usually blaring Sade, specifically Kiss of Life. It made me feel sophisticated. I was living in this modern, European city, sitting in my light-filled apartment, just minutes away from the Mediterranean. The music made me feel contemplative and I would sit and write in my journal for hours, thinking about who I was....who i wanted to be...what was next on my life journey. It was a transitional year and that music was my backdrop for making choices and learning how to live a grown-up kind of life.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Cowboy by Kid Rock
2001 started out as a rough year. I was coming out a relationship with extreme difficulty. I was miserable in my job. It was the pits. Once I started to come out of the doldrums, I started making some positive changes and really thinking about what would make me happy. I decided that I would really enjoy starting a custom tour business. When visitors came to San Francisco, I loved putting together tours that were out of the ordinary. I'd pick out hidden spots around the city, unique restaurants, and interesting routes. I figured I could do the same for 2 other places I knew and loved and as an added bonus, the tour business would pay my way there! Jen's Journeys was born. I purchased domain names and Jacob L. put together an amazing website for me. I decided I'd start with "The Beers of Germany" and "The Festivals of Spain".
To launch the plan, I threw a fabulous birthday party for myself. I talked to the owner of my favorite college hangout - The Bison Brewery. I reserved the entire top floor and planned the food and drink menu with great care. I created customized beer coaster party favors. I also had a music playlist - the Jen's Journey mix. The first song on it was Cowboy and I jumped onto a table to do a little dance for everyone, although I immediately felt silly and regretted that moment of spontaneity. Coyote Ugly Bar, it was not. I talked all about my business idea and even garnered some interest! It was a fantastic party with a huge turnout of friends both new and old, as well as telecom clients, and family.
So whatever happened to Jen's Journeys? I can tell you that 9/11 happened just over a month later and that put a damper on things. That is partially true. I also got scared because I had a great idea, but I didn't have a business plan. I didn't know about start-up costs, operating costs, marketing, business licenses, etc, etc, etc. I am pretty risk averse and the more I thought about running my own business, the more it terrified me. So instead I worked myself out of sales and into something more suited to me and eventually went to business school to learn about all of those things I mentioned. I still have no desire to run my own business or be my own boss, but at least now I know how!
To launch the plan, I threw a fabulous birthday party for myself. I talked to the owner of my favorite college hangout - The Bison Brewery. I reserved the entire top floor and planned the food and drink menu with great care. I created customized beer coaster party favors. I also had a music playlist - the Jen's Journey mix. The first song on it was Cowboy and I jumped onto a table to do a little dance for everyone, although I immediately felt silly and regretted that moment of spontaneity. Coyote Ugly Bar, it was not. I talked all about my business idea and even garnered some interest! It was a fantastic party with a huge turnout of friends both new and old, as well as telecom clients, and family.
So whatever happened to Jen's Journeys? I can tell you that 9/11 happened just over a month later and that put a damper on things. That is partially true. I also got scared because I had a great idea, but I didn't have a business plan. I didn't know about start-up costs, operating costs, marketing, business licenses, etc, etc, etc. I am pretty risk averse and the more I thought about running my own business, the more it terrified me. So instead I worked myself out of sales and into something more suited to me and eventually went to business school to learn about all of those things I mentioned. I still have no desire to run my own business or be my own boss, but at least now I know how!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard
I was sitting in Ms. Olsson's science class in 6th grade, talking to some of my classmates about this and that and the subject of music came up. I mentioned that I loved the song Pour Some Sugar on Me and this popular girl excitedly said that she loved that song, too. She even busted out the chorus, getting totally into it. It was definitely one of those moments I mentioned in my very first blogpost. I felt so excited to be connected to this popular girl because we both LOVED THAT SONG. It was pretty much the highlight of my day.
You know who else loved that song? My Uncle Bill. My Uncle Bill was the coolest, except for when he took all the good Legos. Or when you dared to play a board game with him because he not only beat you, he destroyed you. Laughing. He is only 11 years older than I am, so when I was in 6th grade, he would have been 22 and just finishing up college. When we visited Babci's house, I mostly hung out with my Auntie Ann who was even closer to me in age. Uncle Bill worked and studied a lot, but once in a while, I would see him. I was so excited to tell him how much I liked this song by Def Leppard and Uncle Bill HAD THE CASSETTE! He told me all about how some other song was actually a lot better than Pour Some Sugar on Me. But the best part was that he let me listen to the cassette and I think I probably even copied the songs I liked onto my very own cassette.
You know who else loved that song? My Uncle Bill. My Uncle Bill was the coolest, except for when he took all the good Legos. Or when you dared to play a board game with him because he not only beat you, he destroyed you. Laughing. He is only 11 years older than I am, so when I was in 6th grade, he would have been 22 and just finishing up college. When we visited Babci's house, I mostly hung out with my Auntie Ann who was even closer to me in age. Uncle Bill worked and studied a lot, but once in a while, I would see him. I was so excited to tell him how much I liked this song by Def Leppard and Uncle Bill HAD THE CASSETTE! He told me all about how some other song was actually a lot better than Pour Some Sugar on Me. But the best part was that he let me listen to the cassette and I think I probably even copied the songs I liked onto my very own cassette.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers
We'll start off back in the summer of 1992. We were visiting some old family friends in Martinez for the 4th of July weekend. The oldest daughter and I were just 1 year apart and we got along really well. She had just finished up 8th grade at a Catholic K-8 school and I am sorry to say that everything you hear about Catholic schoolgirls was true at this school. She told me all kinds of stories about what the kids were up to and I was properly scandalized. After finishing my Freshman year in high school, I was still incredibly naive and inexperienced. I had never even been kissed! My grown-up self is still scandalized by some of the things she told me. In any case, she has this brilliant plan that we would go hang out with her friend James. Apparently he was super fine. We headed off on foot, through downtown Martinez, and up Alhambra Rd, finally ending up at James' house. I just mapped it and we walked over 4 miles! Need I mention this was without permission or telling our parents where we were going? No wonder my Dad was so mad and wouldn't let me go to the fireworks! The worst part is that the hanging out with boys part wasn't very fun either. I had no idea what to talk about, or how to flirt and besides, I didn't think he was very cute.
That didn't stop me from agonizing about it for weeks afterwards. Should I write him a letter and send my school picture? (Maureen said yes). What did it mean when he said xxx? What did it mean when he sat down next to me? I turned this completely stupid, innocent, uneventful day into this BIG DEAL. When we went to my Grandpa's in Martinez a couple weeks later, I decided to call this boy for some reason. My dad said I couldn't, but I hid in the spare room and called anyway. GETTING TO THE POINT....I called and his friend answered and then I heard him telling the boy who I was and he clearly had no recollection of who I was. I also think they were drinking. They put the phone down and totally forgot about me. The song playing in the background was Under the Bridge. I don't ever wanna feel....like I did that day. That part of the song. Which I later listened to obsessively. I was humilated! Over nothing!
To make up for that (non) event....Under the Bridge was the very last song in the very last show I ever played in the Cal Band. It was bittersweet. I still really loved the song, regardless of past connotations and it was the perfect way to end my time as a Bandsman. The best part was when we started playing it on the football field, I suddenly realized I could hear the stadium singing along with us! I caught Kathy's eye and we both smiled in amazement at the realization. I may have even shed a tear. It was amazing.
That didn't stop me from agonizing about it for weeks afterwards. Should I write him a letter and send my school picture? (Maureen said yes). What did it mean when he said xxx? What did it mean when he sat down next to me? I turned this completely stupid, innocent, uneventful day into this BIG DEAL. When we went to my Grandpa's in Martinez a couple weeks later, I decided to call this boy for some reason. My dad said I couldn't, but I hid in the spare room and called anyway. GETTING TO THE POINT....I called and his friend answered and then I heard him telling the boy who I was and he clearly had no recollection of who I was. I also think they were drinking. They put the phone down and totally forgot about me. The song playing in the background was Under the Bridge. I don't ever wanna feel....like I did that day. That part of the song. Which I later listened to obsessively. I was humilated! Over nothing!
To make up for that (non) event....Under the Bridge was the very last song in the very last show I ever played in the Cal Band. It was bittersweet. I still really loved the song, regardless of past connotations and it was the perfect way to end my time as a Bandsman. The best part was when we started playing it on the football field, I suddenly realized I could hear the stadium singing along with us! I caught Kathy's eye and we both smiled in amazement at the realization. I may have even shed a tear. It was amazing.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Faith by Limp Bizkit and George Michael
Nick and I were driving, sun roof open, blaring Faith by Limp Bizkit. It was one of many epic weekends that summer. We were in a brand new relationship where everything was fun and exciting. Every single weekend was packed full of stuff. For example, that weekend Nick picked me up in Daly City, bright and early on a Saturday morning. I had packed a picnic lunch and spent the night before making fried chicken and shopping at TJ's. We drove down to Monterey, taking Highway 1 all the way there. We viewed a couple apartments for my upcoming move there, picnicked, walked along the Wharf, and enjoyed some margaritas while watching the sea lions. Then we headed back up Highway 1 and decided to stop in Santa Cruz. We rode a couple roller coasters and relaxed on the beach. When we got back to Daly City, I packed my overnight bag and we continued over the bridge, calling in some takeout on the way so we could enjoy the evening. Today a day like that would overwhelm us and we would never attempt such a thing. Back to the music - we were playing Nick's mix CD and Faith was one of the songs. Honestly, I am not convinced this was remix that needed to be made, as the original was great. Limp Bizkit is one of those angry-sounding bands that screams everything, rather than singing, and I will tell you that Nick and I really enjoyed banging our heads and screaming along with them as we drove down the highway. This was obviously very early in the relationship as I had not put together a road trip mix tape for him yet. I was still getting to know him after all!
About the original Faith by George Michael. My sister and I used to go to the Rec Center after school every day. It was a roller rink, mini golf course, super slide, and after school program. Pretty fun idea and kudos to my dad for being original! Initially, he had mapped out a bike route for me and my sister. Turlock was a lot smaller back in 1988 and a lot of roads did not go through. For example, Hawkeye did not exist between Berkeley and Colorado or between North and Geer. He created this very roundabout route, avoiding big streets, and at the time it seemed ENDLESS. I just mapped it and it was about 2.5 miles. But I was only 10 and Catherine was 7! Little legs! Eventually we talked him into letting us take Dial-a-Ride and we rode with my friend Justine P and picked up some kids from Crowell School along the way. Justine had a Walkman and one day we listened to Faith on the way to the Rec Center. I remember we were positively scandalized by the lyric: :Wouldn't it be nice? If I could touch your body!" We didn't exactly know what that meant, but we knew it was something scandalous. She got me really hooked on the song and we sang it all the way there for a couple days at least. ....cause you gotta have Faith!
About the original Faith by George Michael. My sister and I used to go to the Rec Center after school every day. It was a roller rink, mini golf course, super slide, and after school program. Pretty fun idea and kudos to my dad for being original! Initially, he had mapped out a bike route for me and my sister. Turlock was a lot smaller back in 1988 and a lot of roads did not go through. For example, Hawkeye did not exist between Berkeley and Colorado or between North and Geer. He created this very roundabout route, avoiding big streets, and at the time it seemed ENDLESS. I just mapped it and it was about 2.5 miles. But I was only 10 and Catherine was 7! Little legs! Eventually we talked him into letting us take Dial-a-Ride and we rode with my friend Justine P and picked up some kids from Crowell School along the way. Justine had a Walkman and one day we listened to Faith on the way to the Rec Center. I remember we were positively scandalized by the lyric: :Wouldn't it be nice? If I could touch your body!" We didn't exactly know what that meant, but we knew it was something scandalous. She got me really hooked on the song and we sang it all the way there for a couple days at least. ....cause you gotta have Faith!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction
Hayley is going to be horrified that this post is about her. She really does have a very cool, discerning taste in music. Her wedding guestbook was a book of rock music history and people were encouraged to sign on a page with an artist or group they liked and to share a story. I was super impressed and a little jealous that I hadn't thought of something so cool! Regardless, this over-hyped, over-played, teenybopper song reminds me of her.
Hayley A. was my first friend in Livermore. She was in my mom's group and her little girl is 2 months older than Dexter. We had both left our full-time jobs and moved out of the city (San Francisco for her, Oakland for me). We were both very determined not to become those mommies that only talk about poop and naps and nursing and blah blah blah baby stuff. We both had large, rambunctious dogs so we often met up at the dog park near my house so the dogs could run around and the babies could hopefully fall asleep in their strollers. We also joined the Club and spent many a morning there working out and relaxing in the sauna. I had never really had a ton of girlfriends that I would call at the drop of a hat or text into the wee hours as we were nursing our babies to sleep. She would see me driving around town (can't miss my car!) and call me and invite me over for a quick visit. Hayley really made being a stay-at-home mom a lot of fun.
When we found out we had to move after only one year in our rental house, Hayley was on-hand to sit with me while we were waiting for realtors to show the house. She helped entertain Dexter while I unloaded boxes. One of these times, we were sitting on the floor in our new, empty house. Zoey had dug Hayley's phone out of her purse and was asking to play some music. Hayley was working on a skit or a dance or something for her volleyball class. The music? What Makes You Beautiful. Zoey just loved it and she started bouncing and dancing. It is pretty catchy, upbeat, and fun. I secretly kind of enjoy listening to it and every time I do, I think of that adorable little girl, dancing and smiling.
Hayley A. was my first friend in Livermore. She was in my mom's group and her little girl is 2 months older than Dexter. We had both left our full-time jobs and moved out of the city (San Francisco for her, Oakland for me). We were both very determined not to become those mommies that only talk about poop and naps and nursing and blah blah blah baby stuff. We both had large, rambunctious dogs so we often met up at the dog park near my house so the dogs could run around and the babies could hopefully fall asleep in their strollers. We also joined the Club and spent many a morning there working out and relaxing in the sauna. I had never really had a ton of girlfriends that I would call at the drop of a hat or text into the wee hours as we were nursing our babies to sleep. She would see me driving around town (can't miss my car!) and call me and invite me over for a quick visit. Hayley really made being a stay-at-home mom a lot of fun.
When we found out we had to move after only one year in our rental house, Hayley was on-hand to sit with me while we were waiting for realtors to show the house. She helped entertain Dexter while I unloaded boxes. One of these times, we were sitting on the floor in our new, empty house. Zoey had dug Hayley's phone out of her purse and was asking to play some music. Hayley was working on a skit or a dance or something for her volleyball class. The music? What Makes You Beautiful. Zoey just loved it and she started bouncing and dancing. It is pretty catchy, upbeat, and fun. I secretly kind of enjoy listening to it and every time I do, I think of that adorable little girl, dancing and smiling.
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