Here's to 80's crushes, Lame Concerts, and NOT Being Especially Deep (GBE2 #54 Topic: Self)

Without music, life would be a mistake.
Friedrich Nietzsche

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
Bob Marley

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
Henry David Thoreau

There have a lot of awesomely deep posts for this week's GBE2 topic of "self".  The bad thing for me, this week anyway, is that I am not in a very deep thinking frame of mind.

 

I was watching videos on YouTube earlier and I noticed that there is a "music tag" going around.  I thought that doing this tag would be a lighthearted way to cover this topic and show you guys a little more of mySELF.  

 

1.  Who is your favorite band/singer?

Bands and singers fall into two different categories for me.  My all time favorite singer is Madonna.  My two favorite bands are Weezer and (The) Gossip.

 

2.  Is there a music artist that you admire makeup and/or fashion-wise?

I could say Madonna again but that would just get us off to a really boring start!  I could say Lady Gaga but that would just be like me saying Madonna again anyway.  So I'm going to say Nicki Minaj and Beth Ditto.  

 

3.  What was your first concert experience?

I wish I had a really cool or really rocking story for you here.  But sadly, my first concert experience was The Dirty Dancing Tour.  Followed by many other lame concerts that I thought were cool at the time.  I haven't been to a concert in almost twenty years.  The last one that I saw was Boyz II Men and Babyface when I was 19 (I think).

 

4.  What is your 'guilty pleasure' singer or band?

Britney Spears.  Sad...I know.  But I love danceable music and most of the time she satisfies that for me.

 

5.  Can you play any instruments?

Yes!  Well...I used to.  I played the flute from fourth grade until my junior year of high school.  I also could play small snippets of music on a keyboard.  I'm not very musically gifted, but hey...it's something!

 

6.  Have you ever sang/danced/performed in front of an audience?

I performed in a plethora of school concerts both in the band and the chorus (I swear they will let any kid in, because...trust me...no one wants to hear me sing!)  I competed in two prepared speech contests in high school as well--and won second place in the regional competition.  Okay, so it was second place out of the two whole people who showed up...but I still got a trophy!  Also, my high school boyfriend/first husband and I won first place in our school's lip sync contest.  But as an adult, I have not performed anything for anyone.

 

7. What is your favorite song or a song with significant meaning?

Seriously?  A whole blog could be written about that!  I have too many songs that have special meanings.  I have whole playlists devoted to different feelings and meanings.  My "official" favorite songs are:  'Into the Groove' by Madonna and 'Buddy Holly' by Weezer.  I consider them to be my favorites because they always bring a smile to my face and make me feel happy.

 

8.  Is there a genre of music that you don't like?

Yep.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I do not like country music.  There are precious few exceptions to this rule for me.  I could probably count the number of country songs I like on my hands and have fingers left over.

 

9.  Who was your first musician crush?

I can remember this like it was yesterday!  I had bought a New Kids on the Block cassette (cassette!!! Damn, I'm old!!) almost a year prior to this moment.  I didn't really like it and I gave the tape to my sister.  It was summer vacation.  I was 13.  I was in my bedroom watching MTV and the video for "Hangin' Tough' came on.  And there was Donnie Wahlberg looking so hot in his leather jacket and ripped jeans.  It was love at first sight and I just had to get that cassette back from my sister!  We, like so many tweens in the late 80's, became die hard fans.  Good thing she liked Joey or we'd have been fighting!  

 

Bonus:  My current musician crush (and has been for the last ten years...so it's doubtful I'm de-crushing anytime soon) is Justin Timberlake.

 

Which leads me to the last question...

 

10.  Put your music player on shuffle.  What's the first song that pops up?

'Lovestoned (I Think She Knows)' by Justin Timberlake       

 

            

 

 

Dancing Queen (GBE2 Topic: Dancing)

I decided about a month ago that I needed to get serious about losing some weight.

Not because I'm fat...I mean, of course I am quite a large woman...but I'm pretty darn fabulous all the same.

I am smart enough, however, to realize that all this excess poundage is hurting my health.  My blood pressure is elevated, I'm often tired, and it's quite evident that if one of my kids were to take off on me--well, it's doubtful that I'd catch up to them.

Throughout my life, I've tried about eleventy-seven bajillion different ways to lighten my load--with various degrees of success.  I really don't want to say that this time is different, but it feels different this time.  I feel more committed...more invested in the outcome this time.  After reading Beth's awesome review of the Fit Bit, I splurged and picked one up.  (Her review pretty much says it all...it's a fantastic little gadget and I love, love , love mine.)

Everything was falling into place.  I was tracking what I eat and my activity level.  I had a goal and new found sense of accountability for my actions.  I just needed some form of exercise.

But what?

I hate exercise.  I hate sports.  And anyone who reads my blog regularly already knows how I feel about nature.  I thought about joining a gym, but the idea of my fat behind exercising in public--grunting and sweating among the masses--caused me a great deal of anxiety.  I knew that I needed to do something.  I was not going to burn enough calories by just existing.  My days aren't really all that busy and hey, I sleep for a living. 

I decided to dance.

I've been playing Dance Central.  It is a video game for the Kinect, which is an attachment for the Xbox 360.  The player mirrors the dancer on the screen and tries to emulate the moves as best as they can.  There are varying degrees of difficulty and ways to progress within the game. 

I have no rhythm whatsoever.  I am so NOT a dancer.  Honestly, I have trouble moving my upper and lower extremities at the same time without falling over!  But I was determined.  At first, I was very frustrated.  But Jeff kept encouraging me--telling me that it didn't matter how well I performed at the game as long as I was moving and burning calories.  It's been about a month now and, after considerable practice, I can perform about an hour's worth of dance routines properly. 

More importantly, I'm being physically active and burning calories for an hour everyday.

I'm down about thirteen pounds so far.  My first goal is twenty-three pounds--to make my weight a nice round, even number....and to see if I can actually achieve it.  Then, I'll keep going and create a new goal.

I'm having a lot of fun with this.  Everyday, before the kids get home from school, I throw on my rattiest clothes and hit the dance floor (aka my living room).

I'm sure I look like a total fool.  But I really don't care.

Because for that hour, I'm a dancing queen.