A large part of who I am is the creation of my environment. I find myself in a constant state of observing, learning from my observations, and acting upon them. Also, the people who have come into my life have introduced me to some things that I have come to claim and love as mine. Here are the top five:
5. Phineas and Ferb: “There’s 104 days of summer vacation til school come along just to end it…..” I heard these words for the first time the summer that KPT turned 5. For those of you reading this who might not know, Phineas and Ferb is a clever cartoon that airs on the Disney Channel about two stepbrothers who use their summer days for way more than just playing video games and watching TV. There’s also a subplot about their pet platypus that doubles as a secret agent. This show is hilarious! The characters are smart and there’s a silly sweetness to every episode. There is homage to classic slapstick comedy, but also it’s more intelligent than say, another cartoon out there that involves a stupid yellow sponge man. Before my daughter came around, I didn’t watch the Disney Channel. Why would I? I’m not the intended demographic. Much of the programming on Disney “for kids” usually just makes me want to yack anyway. Once a kiddo grows out of the preschool programming, the only things left for them to watch are the sitcoms featuring obnoxious teenagers and stupid parents. When the preschool shows would stop airing for the day, I would make KPT change the channel. When she was five, those shows were not appropriate for her. BUT, then along comes Phineas and Ferb. “No Mommy, we have to watch this,” she begged. Since it was a cartoon, I was willing to give it a try. Like I said before, this show is clever. I read somewhere that the cartoon wasn’t even “created for kids, but just doesn’t exclude them as an audience” like some other animated programming (that mostly airs on FOX). The guys who write this show HAVE TO BE my age. So many of the references and running gags that pop up in the show are directed specifically at my generation. Many times, I’m cackling at something that happens on the screen and my 8-year-old daughter is clueless. I never would have found this show if it hadn’t been for KPT. It’s something we can enjoy together and now, you will catch me watching episodes without her.
4. New York City: Can someone love a city? Yes. Yes, they can. In my last blog, I talked about how I am a Texas Girl to the core. This stands true. I want to throw that out that before I write anything else. About two years ago, a very good friend of mine got engaged. He and I go back to high school. We lost touch, but were reconnected during my separation and divorce. I am thankful for this reconnect, one of many that were made during that time. He lives in New York City. When I found out he was getting married (and I was invited), I knew I just HAD to go! I had to go because he was my friend and I wanted to show my love and support for him. This was a huge step that he was taking, but he was also taking a huge stand. My friend is gay. How could I not be there to stand behind him? My boyfriend, William, was all in too! We landed in New York in July of 2010 with no real plans other than the wedding and to see the city. It surprised me how quickly I acclimated to my surroundings. I was convinced that I would be scared and get lost, that New York was this giant, scary monster that ate small town Southern girls like me for breakfast. It was quite the opposite. Once I got used to the never ending stream of honks, the city started to sound more like music to me. I had to resist the urge to spin around and start singing. All the things that I heard in music and stories about the rhythm of New York became real. We saw The Statue of Liberty, Grand Central, Times Square, Bryant Park, the Empire State Building, and the temporary 9/11 Museum just to name a few things. The time that we spent there was magical. William and I both fell in love with the city. If my friend had never gotten married, I never would have made it to New York. I want to go back. I want to go back and stay for a long time. Oh, and the wedding? It was beautiful! If you’d like to see a slide show of the pictures, click here. (I'm in one of them.)
3. Coldplay: Before 2008, I think I’d probably heard “Clocks” once. Since the 90’s, I haven’t’ really listened to popular radio very consistently. Through correspondence with my pen pal, he discovered that I didn’t really know about Coldplay, who they were, let alone their music. He is a fan and wouldn’t stand for that. He sent me a package of CD’s with music he thought I’d enjoy and of course, Coldplay was included. It didn’t take me long to fall for Chris Martin’s vocals. The song that spoke to me the most was “Fix You” because of the things that were happening in my life at the time. Not too long after that, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends was released. I downloaded the single and was given the album later that year as a gift. Between the new and the old stuff, I had plenty to listen to and I was hooked. They have a diverse sound because the style of each song on their CDs is different. You’re haunted by one song and tapping your toes to the next. Also, and most importantly, I listen to lyrics. So much of what Coldplay sings reads like poetry, which I love. I am no music critic, but I know what I like. In 2009, William and I saw them in concert. Even my heavy metal boyfriend enjoyed the show. On my own, I wouldn’t have listened to Coldplay, but because of my pen pal, they have become a group that I love and will always hold a special place in the musical part of my heart.
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (but mostly Spike): When William and I were still in the friendship stage of our relationship, it didn’t take long for him to reveal that he is a Buffy fan. I remembered Buffy. Vaguely. It started airing right after I turned 21. I was a junior in college and didn’t really give it much thought, even though in retrospect, I’m not sure why. When William and I started dating, he suggested that we start watching the show together. I’m willing to give most things a try, plus if I liked it, it would give us something in common, something to talk about. We started watching the first season and I stayed curious. Buffy got on my nerves with her whiny teenager angst, but I immediately fell in love with her best friends Willow and Xander. I liked the wit of the dialogue because it reminded me of Firefly, another show that I enjoy and my introduction to Joss Whedon. Also, the “whole team of misfits saves the day” idea has always been one of my favorites (take The Goonies, for example). It didn’t take me long to get attached to the characters and then into season two we went. Hello, Spike. Hello, Lover. Oh my goodness! James Marsters with his dreamy hair and dreamy gait and dreamy voice and dreamy accent and….well, you get it. Along with the introduction of Spike, I started getting into the plotlines and falling more and more in love with the characters. The more I watched, the more I saw into Whedon’s genius. I love this show! It took William and me less than a year to make it through the entire series. By the end of season seven, I felt like I was saying goodbye to old friends. Now, I’d say that Buffy is my favorite TV show and I never would have watched a single episode if it hadn’t been for William.
1. Elvis Presley: The King of Rock and Roll. The most beautiful man God ever made. My greatest obsession. I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love Elvis. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be just like my mama. She loved Elvis and I asked her if I could have some of her old Elvis 45’s (look it up youngins) to listen to in my room. The one that I loved the most and that I played the most had “Kentucky Rain” on one side and “An American Trilogy” on the flip side. I played that little record until it was worn with scratches, singing at the top of my lungs, “….with the rain in my shooooooooooessss, searchin for yooooooooooouuuu.” The velvet in his voice, even in his older age was enough to pull me in after the first listen. Also, Mama would let me watch Elvis movies with her when they came on tv. Blue Hawaii was my favorite then, even though it’s not my favorite now. My mama also had this book. It was called The Elvis Presley Scrapbook. When I was a kid, she kept this book on a shelf in our laundry/family room. I would climb on top of the washing machine to get this book and read it over and over and over and over. I read about the poor little boy from Tupelo, Mississippi and about his famous start at Sun Records. I read about the Colonel, the Jordanaires, how much he loved his mama, Priscilla, and Lisa Marie. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to hear everything. I wanted to see everything. I have taken my love for Elvis to the extreme. His pictures are everywhere in my classroom. His music fills my iPod. I put in his concerts and movies to watch when I’m feeling blue. I love Elvis and it’s because of my mama, and my love for her, that I do.
