Here's today's topic: booty shakin' music from back in the day. I don't care if you're day was 1993 or your day was 1933, there's got to be some music that makes you shake it a little as you dance around your kitchen, get on your treadmill, or write some fantastic part of your novel where your main characters are at a rave with glow sticks.
The subject matter of this blog came to me as I was downloading some music on iTunes to build into a running playlist. Mind you, I did this at work because; well, my focus is a bit off, but I digress. When I run, I need the music to keep tempo for me as it distracts me from the dire pain and exhaustion my body is currently enduring. Alas, I like to get into my workout music. This prompted me to think about the last 20 years or so and remember back to some of favorite all-time booty shakin' tunes.
- Bust-A-Move (Young Mc) Classic old school (for me) and it makes me giggle every time I hear it.
- Summertime (Will Smith) My favorite line is, "She turns around to see what you beepin' at." Classic.
- Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson) My daughter is especially fond of this tune and loves to have a dance party in our living room with it.
- Mama Said Knock You Out (LL Cool J) In my opinion, Mama and knock you out can't be in the same sentence enough.
- Billy Jean (Michael Jackson) because you just can't get enough of old school MJ.
Now, for those of you reading this, this does not directly reflect my taste in music, as I pretty much love most music and am not a major R&B, Hip Hop fan. Sometimes, you just need to get yourself in a fun kind of mood or groove to get your butt moving on a treadmill, in the dead of winter, in Wisconsin. I'm just saying. I've got some more modern stuff on there, and I'm going to put myself out there and admit that the following tunes also get me moving, and I'm not 16.
- We R Who we R (Ke$ha) because we're hitting on dudes....hard.
- Like a G6 (Far East Movement) because I'm not sure what exactly we're being compared to in this song.
- Airplanes (BOB) because I think airplanes in the night sky are NOT like shooting stars, or we'd have some flight safety issues.
Notice, this list is currently short but sweet because I rarely listen to the real radio anymore. I'm usually listening to Pandora on the Keane Radio station or listening to my iPod full of music from all genres.
So, this weeks blog is all about booty shakin'. I honestly never thought I'd actually write anything that really included the words booty shakin' but, I'm going with the flow on this one.
What songs new and old make you shake it a little as you're hanging about in your house, heading out for a run, or just driving alone in your car? I'd love to add some to my personal playlist for my training and enjoyment. Comments are appreciated.
***Please note, I'm aware that Summertime is by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, but I really didn't feel like screwing up my lovely number formatting up top with details. *** Plus he's Will Smith now ya'll and I have no idea what happened to Jazzy Jeff. He clearly isn't as rich as Will Smith nor are his children whipping their hair, in public at least.
I'm not quite sure just what it is about January that I dislike. It's the first month of the year, it's my birth month, it's all new beginnings and fresh start, blah, blah, blah. All of my life, it's always been that one month that puts me in a funk. Things always happen during this month that are not fun. For example, when in fifth grade, we had this thing called pink slips. If you did something bad, you had to fill out a pink slip and stay in for recess. You'd think during January in Wisconsin, this would be ideal. Not really, as the teacher who stayed in with you was fragrant, to put it nicely. I always ended up with like three pink slips during my birthday week. I've been in a few car accidents during my birthday week too, nothing serious, just minor fender issues, like taking the mirrors off of my sedan on the house. Yes, the house.
I could go on about the untimely deaths of both of my grandparents right around my birthday and really spin us all into a giant poor me, sad funk, but I won't.
So I revisit my initial statement, I'm not sure what it is about January. I always end up in a funk. I'm sure it has to do with the winter blahs, the dark, cold, and gray days. I guess I just am curious how I'd be if January was actually June. What if they switched places? Would I be a perkier, happier Jane? Or would the funk still haunt me? Is it weather related? Is it Birthday related? I'm not one of those crybabies about growing older. It happens, you can't stop it, so why bother?
Anyway, I need to treat myself well, so I'll stop this little diatribe on January. I'm kind of looking forward to February, although Valentine's Day is in that month. Don't even get me started on Valentine's Day....
I'm sitting here, blogging and craving M&Ms like a fiend. I don't know really what it is about M&Ms that has me loving them since Thanksgiving . The good thing is, I can eat a couple as I got my behind out of bed and ran this morning.
Therein lies today's blog, New Year's Resolutions. I don't make them, as I never keep them and then beat myself up about not keeping them. Being a mother, who works full time, plays soccer once a week, and tries to remain sane; it's quite difficult to even guess at a New Year's Resolution that I could keep. As I thought more and more about a resolution, I decided to shake things up and make a resolution this year, one I KNOW I can keep.
My resolution for 2011 is to be good to myself. It's generic, and the definition of that will change from week to week month to month. Overall, though, it'll be good things and I'll be a happy gal.
I think in the rat race we call life, we lose sight of ourselves. We lose sight of what makes us happy, what music we really like, what we like on our pizza, how great a cup of coffee and a good talk with a friend really feels. We stop noticing how much the smiles of our children make our hearts full, how handsome our husbands really are when they're playing with dolls on the floor with our kids, how our dogs really just love a good ear scratch and cuddle once in a while. I feel like these are the things that put a true, big, toothy grin on my face which is then followed by a giggle and maybe even a snort or two.
So for 2011, not only am I going to write for myself, I'm going to find myself again. I'm going to focus on what's real, and what's important and rise above the insanity of the everyday. I challenge all two of you who read this blog to do the same. What makes you smile and snort?
Vacation is over.
Tomorrow I go back to the place that pays our bills. I am not thrilled about this at all, but I've resigned myself to the fact that it's a necessary evil for my family and I. It's not so much the job that I dislike, it's more the people at the job that drive me nuts. The political games and backstabbing sickens me, only because not everyone can see through it all. Mind you, it's not only the company I work for, it's Corporate America in general. It's not the majority of people either, it's just a token few, but I feel like that I'm in an episode of the Office on a daily basis. The good thing about that is the daily fits of laughter that occur while in my cube hell. This is normally done at, I mean, with other people.
That said, back to the Rat Race I suppose. I'm going to turn over a new leaf in 2011 and conserve my energy for the things that really matter. Conserve my energy for myself, family, and friends. I always lived in an illusion that I wanted to run the show, and now I'm kind of in the place where I'm going to run a show, but not that one, if that makes an ounce of sense.
It is what it is...and off I go....
Despite my raging hangover, I've decided to blog. Not sure why, but when the mood strikes me I've got to run with it. So the title of my blog is (in)sane Jane, and the (in)sane is not lost on me. I think we're all a little nutty now and again. There's a natural duality to each and every human being, and in some more so than others. Daily stresses, other people, you name it brings out a coping mechanism in everyone doesn't it? Maybe just me, thus the title of the blog. I'm not crazy really, at least not certified; but life gets a little goofy sometimes and in that case sometimes you need to get your crazy on.
Just sayin'......So all that said, therin lies my idea for my second novel. Yes, the second, the first one I wrote in college and it promptly landed itself in the garbage can somewhere between here and Boston.
Currently, I'm in the throws of character sketching and getting my ducks in a row. I'm scared to jump off of that cliff, but also really excited. We'll see how this all turns out. The creative process is a beautiful, scary, and crazy one for me, but one I embrace with open arms.
