You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling by the Righteous Brothers

It was a Saturday evening and my bestie Nikki was over at my place.  We were drinking wine and listening to music and hanging out.  It was my favorite kind of night. I love having the kind of place where friends want to be.  I always have food in the house, a drink to pour, and music and laughter a plenty.  We had been at a birthday party earlier in the day and on the way home, the boy I liked so very, very much texted me to see what I was up to that evening. I invited him to stop by as long as he was ok with sharing me with a friend and the kiddos.  He was. 

We all piled into the kitchen, kids, Nikki, the boy and I.  It was right around Valentine’s Day and I had a few decorations up.  One of them is a spinner with romantic options like Kiss Your Partner Anywhere, Tickle Your Partner or Whisper Something Naughty in your Partner’s Ear.  He spun the wheel while looking at me and says out of the corner of his mouth: "This is somewhat inappropriate...."  Luckily he landed on Sing a Love Song.  He ponders what the Top Gun song was and then starts to sing:  "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips...."  If you remember, it’s the scene in the bar with the jukebox and everyone joins in.  Just like in the movie, Nikki and I immediately join in, Nikki complete with a wooden spoon (for she was stirring something up on the stove) for a microphone.  We sang the entire song together and it was amazing.  So much smiling and laughing. 

The boy eventually had to leave for his next stop of the evening. Nikki and I spent a couple minutes after he left all kinds of happy and chattering because my bestie had finally met the boy I liked.  Girls will be girls and some things never change.  We finished up making dinner and enjoyed the rest of our evening.  I'm thinking about her today because my bestie is coming back soon (for she has moved away....) and I miss her!

Little Black Submarines by the Black Keys

Sometime in 2018, were hanging out with our besties since Kindergarten, who conveniently lived just around the corner.  As per always, I had a playlist going and a Black Keys song comes on.  Jessica commented that the Black Keys are a band she'd definitely see live with me, if they ever come back in town.  She said her favorite song is Little Black Submarines.  I hadn't heard it, but immediately listened to it when I got home and loved it.  It reminds me a lot of Stairway, how it starts out with a slow, pared down guitar riff and amps into something huge and loud and awesome.  I couldn't believe I hadn't heard it before and thus decided it must be a lesser known track, one of those hidden gems (it's not!), and thanks to Jessica's excellent taste in music (which is true!), I now had this very cool song to add to my repertoire.  

Not long after this, I meet Olivia (a friend of Lila's from preschool) and by extension, I meet Olivia's parents.  I immediately liked both of them.  They are this amazing blend of smart, chill, creative, kind, and downright cool.  It's rare to find a complete couple that can be your friend individually.  I feel just as comfortable talking to Robert as I do to Lauren.  I wanted so very much to be their friend!  At some point, dying to impress her I think, we were talking about music and the Black Keys came up (or maybe they were playing?) and I asked Lauren if I knew Little Black Submarines.  Remember how I had decided the knowledge of this song means I must have excellent taste in music?  She had heard the song and agreed it's a good one.  Come to find out Lauren actually prefers the earlier stuff and knew more about the band's music than I do! 

What really ties Jessica and Lauren together are a couple things.  Not only have I become their friends, but my little family has been completely embraced by their families.  We are invited to family events and I also very much enjoy visiting with their parents.  They are my kind of people!  However the best end cap to this story is that last week I went to see the Black Keys with Jessica, Lauren, and Robert and we all had a fantastic time.  And yes.... we sang along to Little Black Submarines.  

Cool for the Summer by Demi Lovato

It was o'dark thirty in January 2016 on a very rainy morning.  I had grossly miscalculated the time it would take to get to the Oakland airport on a weekday.  I had booked myself on a 1-day trip to Anaheim.  I was just three weeks into working full time again and decided a 1-day, like literally a commute, to Anaheim was a great idea!  I am also someone who cannot stand being early to things so I strive for on time, which means i am almost always late.  Point in case.

I had left my crying 18 month old daughter on my dad's chest.  I was driving in the pouring rain at a frustratingly slow rate down Highway 24 towards Oakland.  It was probably around 5am, but the weather made things difficult.  I am notoriously bad at driving...in the rain...in the dark.... in the snow.... in general... so I was not only stressed out but also very uneasy.  As you know, I tend to get stressed out about anything outside of actual driving, so I ended up listening to Cool for the Summer several times.  I had recently "discovered" the song by subscribing to Apple Music and then searching for best of 2015 so I could be up on all the latest and greatest.  Mind you, I was playing this song over and over in the dead of winter, in the RAIN, but it is somewhat ominous and something in the riff suggests a .... as in you don't know what will happen.

Well, what happened is that I was completely panicked and absolutely certain I was going to miss my flight.  It wasn't a huge deal, i would miss the first bit of a training I wasn't even conducting, but all the same.  I flat out ran from my car to the terminal, bypassing the shuttle.  I arrived at the gate only to find out.... the flight had been delayed.  I made it.  One would think I learned my lesson, but sadly I have only gotten more complacent, which is a story for another song!

My Body by Young the Giant

A little over a year ago I was at Nancy Boyd Park with the kiddos.  We needed an escape from the house and it's a nice park.  It's also an unintentionally hilarious park. The first time my sister took my aunt and uncle there, my uncle asked how we could say it with a straight face because he heard "Nancy Boy" Park.  Of course I can't hear anything else now.  So where were we? Right, Nancy Boy Park.  This particular day I was picked up by a mom.  It's not what you think, it's more of an inside joke.  This mom jokes that she picks up moms at the park.  If your kids aren't in school yet, it's not always easy to make new mom friends, but she has made an art of it!  We really hit it off and the kids did too.  A couple months later, I meet her identical twin sister who I also liked a great deal.  In fact, the sister has become one of my bestest bestie friends!

Nikki is my concert buddy.... my confidant... she keeps me real and honest with myself..... she checks in on me.  She's the definition of a caring, genuine, true friend.  I don't know what I am going to do when she inevitably leaves me.  Keep in touch, probably, but it won't be the same. 

One lazy Saturday, the kids and I were hanging out with Nikki and My Body started playing from her playlist.  We had recently seen Young the Giant at Not So Silent Night and it's also a really fun song.  She turned it up and we started singing and dancing around the kitchen.  Even Lila joined in.  It was everything I love about music.  We were caught up in the same moment, signing our hearts out, feeling all of the feels.  It's a very happy Nikki and Jen memory, just one of many.  I can't wait to hang out with her tonight!

No Roots by Alice Merton

I was sitting at the hairdresser getting highlights and a trim. No Roots had been playing in my head all day.  It's a great song that has absolutely nothing to do with hair.  I knew it had nothing to do with hair, but I also knew I would leave the hairdresser that afternoon with no roots so it just worked for me.  I was particularly excited because I was going out on a date with my pretty pretty hair.  I had recently started things back up with someone who I liked a great deal.  I had a gorgeous dress to go along with the date.  I had discovered a place in Benicia that is an actual speakeasy, password required.  What makes this speakeasy even more fun is that proper attire the key to getting in.  People rarely dress up nowadays and this place wanted to go back to that - no jeans, sneakers, etc.  You didn't have to dress in Prohibition period wear, but you had to bring it.  My date had no idea where we were going or what we were doing.  I knew he would be in work clothes and would be properly attired.

It was a great night.  It turned out the speakeasy was occupied by a private event, but they graciously allowed us to sit in the corner.  That sounds bad, but it really wasn't.  It's a tiny room with a bar on one side and tables on the other.  We were in the corner near the bar, just how we like it.  No one was paying any attention to us and we could be as handsy as we liked and sit practically in one another's laps.  We enjoyed some cocktails, shared some snacks, and flirted the evening away.  We discovered it was a birthday party for someone (they were all our parents' ages) and he bought a drink for the birthday boy.  Afterwards we parked the car for a bit and enjoyed the nice view and he dropped me back home, just like a proper gentleman.  I wonder if he knows this is our song?  I wonder if he would agree?

Pretty Girls by Iggy Azalea feat. Britney Spears

I was on my third work trip in the first 3 months back to work.  I was getting the hang of things and starting to see the benefits of work travel.  It was a quick 1-day in and out of Dallas to train a new client.  I had an afternoon flight and a cute outfit for traveling.  I was staying in my favorite Aloft in Plano and I was excited for the getaway.  I get to the Fastbreak counter for my rental car.  They hand me my agreement and I am off to look for my car.  I look at the number.  I look at the car.  I look at the number.  I look at the car.  It's a red Mustang convertible.  I asked them if they were serious and they said yes and would I like for them to show me how to put the top down?  Would I ever!  When I rolled into the parking lot at work the next day, you can bet that I caused quite a stir.  We took some pictures because we simply had to.  As I drove back to return the car the very next day, I made sure to put the top down.  When I rolled into the return section, I had Pretty Girls blaring with the top down and my blonde hair blowing in the wind.  The agent burst out laughing and asked if I had enjoyed myself.  What kind of question is that.  We're just so pretty. 

Centerfield by John Fogerty

Today's song isn't related to a specific memory, which is possibly cheating.  The premise of these stories after all is to document the soundtrack of my life. Let's go with it though, see where it takes me.  We might come upon a memory after all.

For the longest time I thought this song was about take a trip.  Put me in coach, as in the coach section of the plane or train.  I realize this is embarrassing because it means I missed the approximately one million references to baseball. I may also have been somehow mixing it up with another song, The Letter.  My baby's got a ticket on an aeroplane.  Ain't got time to take a fast train.  This makes sense, considering my overactive imagination as well as my propensity to overthink absolutely everything.  This hasn't changed to this day.  

In 8th grade I became obsessed with baseball.  My dad and I planned a trip to see all of the California ballparks in one week.  I decided I would visit all of the major league ballparks and I even planned out several more trips with my Dad to accomplish this. My dad and I only went to one more new park together, but I am now very very close, almost 30 years later.  I started a baseball scrapbook, wrote essays and speeches about baseball, and even planned out a room to display my baseball love.  When I realized that Centerfield was all about baseball and even mentioned Joe DiMaggio (my obsession), I was simultaneously mortified at my enormous mishear and in love with such a fun song.  It is everything I love about baseball - the crack of the bat, the moment in the sun, the fresh mown grass and how every ballpark is unique.  I'm ready to ... watch a ball game. Put me in coach!

Fight for Your Right by the Beastie Boys

I told you I met (Rockin') Robin in 4th grade.  What I didn't tell you is that my dad moved us to Turlock for the last week of school.  Week.  5 days.  His hope was that I would meet some friends and have someone to play with during the summer.  I did meet Robin.  I also somehow managed to immediately get on the bad side of the most popular girl in the class because I commented to Robin that I thought Brandon was cute. Brandon was the popular girl's boyfriend.  And I never really managed to fit in for the next several years. Let it be said that the majority of the perceived animosity from the popular girl was most likely all in my head. 5th-9th grade was generally pretty difficult for me for a variety of reasons.  

Getting back to 4th grade, on the last day of school, the teacher handed out these sticker photos.  It was kind of weird then and kind of weird now, but they were these tiny class photos of each of the kids with this peel off piece covering the sticky part.  I get a photo of a boy I had literally never spoken to in the 5 days I was in the class.  I stuck it in this little autograph book I had and wrote his name next to it.  Ok people, brace yourselves.  I just located said book and..... this is priceless. First I know you're dying to hear the name of the boy.  Ramis B.  And he signed a page, too, in fancy script! There you go.  Diana's crack me up: "You're a great person.  Even if you're new at school you're great." But the kicker.... the autograph from the popular girl:  "I'm glad you came to our school."  Proof that I possibly read too many books because I was clearly living in my head!  

Going back to the pictures, Robin ended up trading all of her (something?  I can't remember if it was something else we got or something they had earned throughout the year) for the picture of the boy she liked.  Aw.  At some point in the end of year party, Jesse pulls out a boom box (I remember a boom box.  I may be making this up) and starts playing First for your Right.  Yes folks, you heard it.  Back in the day we were allowed to play the Beastie Boys, at school, in the 4th grade!  We all kind of formed this conga line.  It was the coolest thing I had ever done to date.  

Rockin' Robin by Bobby Day

Robin was my very first friend in Turlock and became my best friend, off and on for the next several years.  You know how girls can be - the best friend contender can change from one day to the next!  We met in 4th grade when I moved to Turlock and we were thankfully in the same 5th grade class.We continued to spend lunch and recess together into junior high and high school.

Robin and I always had a lot of fun together. I would go over to her house after school or on the weekends.  They had a great hot tub and pool and we would spend hours in the sun. We traded our Teen Beat posters and carefully discussed at length the placement of every Kirk Cameron and MacKenzie Astin on our bedroom doors. We giggled at her brother who liked to talk to his best friend on the phone... while going to the bathroom.... so his friend would hear the flush. Boys. OK, fine, boys were the theme of many (many) conversations over the years!

We were also in 4-H together for many years, including serving together on the Board and being part of the same groups.  There were memorable trips to Clovis Lakes to enjoy the waterslides and a fun trip to the State Capital for the annual 4-H Leadership Conference.  So many of my memories from Turlock include Robin. I still remember her nickname from the 6th grade:  Robin Lizzette Pizza Pears.  I know "Pears" is a plan on her last name, but I cannot recall why Pizza.  Maybe she loved it?  I also seem to remember singing Rockin Robin while we all danced around her.... in the girls bathroom at school.  I seem to remember us hanging out in the bathroom during recess quite a bit.  I hope that was a thing.  If it wasn't, I don't really care because I was hanging out in the bathroom during recess with my rockin' friend Robin!  Tweet tweet tweet!

In the Ayer by Flo Rida

Much like what happens in Vegas, much of the story of the party bus unfortunately stays on the party bus. It was that kind of night.  I can safely share some of it without consequence.  At least I hope I can.  We are going back a couple years in time now from the Karaoke annual summit.  I find it hard to believe that I now have 4 summits under my belt and with any luck, many many more!  The 2017 summit was a bit smaller, but no less fun. As always, there were new teammates to meet in person and dear friends to see.  I flew in on the heels of a storm.  Literally.  I had been in Tahoe for 4 days, which culminated in an 11 hour journey home, followed by a very early flight to Dallas the next morning. Let the fun begin!
We were staying in the decidedly less hip Hyatt House, which meant no cool hotel bar, which meant all the fun was basically deferred to the night of the .... dun dun dun.... party bus.  I had spent a few days cultivating my dear friend Karen's 40th birthday party playlists.  With a few minor tweaks, it was perfect for the party bus.  Or so i thought.... at some point in the evening folks were taking over my playlist.  The good news about that is that Leann asked me to play In the Ayer and then hopped up to the front of the bus to shake and shimmy and it was such a delight to see!  It is no wonder her daughter is a champion cheerleader - she gets it all from her mother.  Her gorgeous, sweet, fun, mother with some serious moves! 
Other fun memories from the evening included a couple hilarious snapchat videos with Mychael, hijacking Mychael's snapchat with LaShanta, LaShanta bowling everyone's turn because she thought we may as well get our money's worth, deep conversations with Igor, and minibar bottles with Anne while solving all of the problems, of course.  I know these were only snippets, and the allowable snippets at that, but na-na-na-na, my team is the bestest team. 

Billionaire by Travie McCoy

As Heather put it:  "my heart is full".  It's the perfect description for how I feel following the annual team summit.  It's weeks like these that make me long for the days when I worked in the office....but then I remember all the perks of working from home.  The annual summit is the opportunity, once a year, for all of us to come together for a week of learning and team building.  This year was the biggest summit yet and dare I say, the best?  It was so well organized, interesting and entertaining content, and the entertainment! Best of all though, I think we would all agree, was the bonding.

So many delightful conversations with so many wonderful people.  The laughter was contagious and plentiful.  It's unbelievable really that I truly like and respect everyone on my team and even more unbelievable that we all seem to feel this way about each other!  This year, instead of staying in the (oh so hip) Aloft, we stayed in the suites.  First of all, these places are gorgeous.  Second of all, we had suite mates and instead of having to meet in the hotel bar, we could invite people over to our suite.  Fun! My roomie and I have a common affliction, namely FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out.  We are always the last to leave a party, the last to admit defeat.  This meant we stayed up way too late talking each night.  It was wonderful.

This year's event was a showstopper.  I didn't think we could top the party bus....I loved the Escape Room, but Karaoke and a custom version of Friends in Low Places really takes the cake.  There were quite a few highlights, but there is one in particular that stands out in my mind and will forever transport me to the good feelings of the summit.  It was Heather's rendition of Billionaire.  She was standing up there singing in her sweet voice...she absolutely nailed the Travie McCoy verses....and the audience ate it up.  We were seeing a whole new side of Heather and we were loving it.  Best night.