Wordless Wednesday December 26, 2007
I got a cold for Xmas.
And since I accidentally deleted last week’s post(Sorry, Xan!), here’s Xander, Defender of the Universe again.
Thursday Thirteen December 7, 2007
I’m in a gloomy kind of mood right now. I think it’s the weather. I’m one of those people who get depressed when the weather gets all gray. Maybe it’s because I’m an L.A. kid and I’m used to the sunshine. Anyway, I figured I’d revisit my happy place to shake the blues.
Thirteen Things I Miss Most About Being A Kid
1. The 80’s
Specifically, the early 80’s. The summers of 81-84 were the best–my early teen years. I spent most of the time hanging out with my cousin Patty going to the car wash to buy an Orange Bang! and flirt with the neighborhood boys. These were also the early years of MTV. Remember when MTV actually showed music videos?
Thanks to MTV, I developed my first rock star crush:
Adam Ant. (Capt. Jack Sparrow totally stole his look.)
2. Orange Bang!
It sounds dirty, doesn’t it? It’s a drink that tastes like orange and creme ice cream. Almost every day Patty and I made the trek to the car wash to buy one.
3. Music
Sure, there is still music out there. There’s some really good stuff too, but the 80’s will always be my favorite. The soundtrack to my early teen years included:
-Adam and the Ants “Kings of the Wild Frontier”
I saved up my pennies and had Mom take me to Licorice Pizza to buy this album. It’s one of the first of many.
-The Smiths’ “Hatful of Hollow”
No one in my junior high was into The Smiths. They were one of the bands that cemented my “weirdo” status.
-Echo and the Bunnymen’s “Echo and the Bunnymen”
Even back then I thought Ian McCulloch’s voice was dreamy. 
Their song “The Killing Moon” (off the “Ocean Rain” album”) is my torch song.
The Clash’s “The Clash”
I got a hand-me-down copy of this album from one of my older cousins. “White Man in Hammersmith Palais” is my favorite track.
The list goes on and on.
4. My dog, Shemp*.
He was a Bichon Frise. My dad and I found him running through a very busy street and told him to jump in the car. He did–and slept all the way home. It was obvious he someone’s pet—he was well cared for and trained. The next day we put up posters, in case his humans were looking for him, but no one ever called. Who knows where the little guy was from or how long he’d been lost.
The vet told us he was about six months old…it was the summer of 1981. He passed away in 1999. I still miss him.
5. My cat, Suzy*.
Suzy was born May 4, 1969. My parents had her before I was born. She knew she was the favorite “kid” and never let me forget it. She was a quiet cat. People who had never seen her often mistook her for a stuffed toy.
She passed away May 16, 1989, just after her 20th birthday. She’ll always be my furry sister.
6. Going to my grandparents’ house.
My grandparents lived down the street from my parents home. They were both Texas transplants. My grandpa had a mouth like a sailor and my grandma made the best chili in the West. Grandpa was a ranch hand on my great grandfather’s cattle ranch when he met my grandma. She was wealthy; he had been working since he was 8 years old. When they got married, Grandma’s family disowned her. He taught her how to cook; she taught him how to read and write.
They were married for over 60 years.
7. Playing baseball in the street.
I was a tomboy. I’m pretty sure my only female friend was Pat. Maybe that’s why even now I get along better with guys than I do with other girls.
8. Saturday morning cartoons.
Kids nowadays have it so easy. They can just turn on Cartoon Network and watch cartoons anytime. We had to wait for Saturday morning. That’s when the “good’ cartoons were on.
Smurfs
Superfriends
Alvin and the Chipmunks
9. Schoolhouse Rock
I learned many a thing from watching Schoolhouse Rock, including the Preamble to the Constitution. It came in very handy in high school. The only drawback: I could only recite it by singing it.
10. Riding my bike in the street.
11. Melrose Ave.
Today’s Melrose Ave is nothing like the Melrose Ave. of the 80’s. It was the center for all things punk back then. There were fun places to shop like Vinyl Fetish and Retail Slut, both of which are gone. In the later 80’s, it was home of the Burger That Ate L.A.,which has now been replaced with a Starbuck’s.
12. Going to the YMCA
Pat and I took aerobics classes at the Y. This was before the “low
impact” stuff, back in the “no pain, no gain” era. I have a feeling
this may be the reason my knees make that awful crunching noise when I do squats.
13. Being a kid.
*Those aren’t actually a pictures of Shemp and Suzy. I’m at work and don’t have any pictures of my pets on this computer.
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Friday’s Feast December 7, 2007
Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?
Super Mario Galaxy and Tomb Raider :Anniversary. Hubby buys Tomb Raider every time he sees a new version. I think he’s got the hots for Lara Croft.
Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe.
When I was a kiddlet my mom used to tell me that tumbleweeds were little children who didn’t listen to their parents. Tumbleweeds. Seriously, Mom? I don’t think so.
I also don’t believe Diet Coke is going to rot my insides.
Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?
John Cusack. He’s smart and easy on the eyes. Plus he loves The Clash as much as I do.
Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
Like Don Henley said, sometimes love just ain’t enough.
Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.
It wouldn’t be a room, per se. It would be an open area with lots of plants and running water. There would be a nice place to sit and get lost in a good book.
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