More of a Reason to Sing or Fake Sing
So I came up with this idea to do a "Summer Serenade" contest back in May or June. I posted a poll and asked readers whether or not they would participate. There were a bunch of people who clicked the little button that says, "I'm already working on my video" and then the only people who stood up and put up were Adam and Karl.
I heard all the excuses in the world. "I don't have enough time" and "I don't know what song to pick" and "My video camera is circa 1960" but still. I mean come on people!
So, I'm extending the deadline and sweetening the deal. The winner of the Summer Serenade contest will be able to pick a product of their choice from CSNStores, up to a $65 value. They have a ton of stores where you can buy anything from chaise lounges, to kid furniture to entertainment centers, etc.
And here's another incentive to get your video together. The next BBM lip sync video will be coming out in August. It's already in the planning stages and you won't want to miss it. I had to wait for the right song to come up and now it has. See. I don't expect you to make fools out of yourselves all by yourself. I'm joining you.
So here you go. The deadline is now extended to August 15th. All of you anxiously awaiting to see what Karl and Adam did will just have to wait a little bit longer, but the reward will be that much better.
So, who else is signing up!?! Come on people! Step up!
My Funny Valentine
Years ago, I met a black belt student and thought he looked familiar. I didn't see him all that often, but there was always something eerily familiar about him. One day, while I was watching Big I's class, he walked into the dojo wearing a school t-shirt and it all clicked.
"Did you go to school there?" I asked him.
"Yes," he said.
"When did you graduate?"
His answer was the same year I would have graduated from there, had my family not moved when I was in 5th grade.
Suddenly, it all clicked.
"We went to elementary school together!" I exclaimed.
I told him my maiden name and his response was, "Oh my God! I had the biggest crush on you!"
I was completely shocked to hear that, went home, found my old elementary school pictures and had some fun recalling memories of boys vs. girls on the playground and the fact that this guy loved his red striped shirt with a deep, deep passion.
Last night, I went to class and was told to look on the bulletin board. There, pinned to the announcement board was a Valentine that I gave to him in Kindergarten. Apparently, his Mom had been going through stuff and found it.
Back then, I had a very complicated last name and I got a laugh out of the fact that I obviously had to write over a letter or two to get my name spelled correctly.
Since the Valentine belongs to the black belt, I flipped it over to his name, wrote him a little message from the modern day me, and pinned it back up on the board. The message. . .
"Keep this. I'm going to be famous one day. . . "
We have such a fun group at the dojo right now. Of course, I won't be saying that if he starts breaking out pictures. . .
On a completely different note, I got an email today regarding a great group called the Fresh Air Organization. They are looking for host families for short periods of time over the summer to host a child from the city. If you are interested in finding out more, or in becoming a host family, please visit here.
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Beverages, Bathrobes, and Party Crashers
Eleven women. No kids. No husbands. Add a spa and you have a weekend to remember.
This past weekend was the annual trek to the Hershey Hotel and spa. A bunch of my girlfriends from Pitt planned it last year and I was unable to attend. This year, I committed to the weekend months in advance because I knew I couldn't miss it.
We arrived on Friday evening and spent the night sitting in the middle of our three hotel rooms and having beverages, lots and lots of "beverages." One of my friends brought the board game "I've Never." If you haven't ever played the game "I've Never" then just imagine being about 12, at a party, and it's your turn to go into the closet with some random boy for "7 minutes in Heaven," not that I've ever done that or anything (Ok, so I did it once, but we both sat there under the coats and talked about ice hockey. I kid you not). The uneasiness and discomfort of that junior high scenario. . .can you remember that. . . well "I've Never" is the adult version when it comes to uncomfortable situations.
Clearly I didn't have enough of those beverages on Friday; and clearly, women are way worse than men when it comes to talking about sex. Clearly.
Also, there was much discussion about important things like how to solve the economic crisis in our country. Don't worry. These girls are on the job.
Actually, I believe they're debating lime or no lime. Or not.
Saturday morning, I was up before eight, dressed and out the door. The Hotel Hershey had a really nice fitness center and I was going to get my money's worth. On Friday evening, one of my friends said she would come along with me, but that was a beverage-induced affirmative. Saturday morning found most of my fellow girls either still sleeping or having a desperate need to stay horizontal.
They got some amusement out of me showing up in my "Lazy Sucks-Just Do It" t-shirt before heading off to the gym. At 8:15 a.m. I started my workout. I spent some time walking and running on the treadmills that overlooked the Hershey gardens. I made my way around the fitness center trying to figure out their equipment (Note to future hotel guests-the slant board sucks). At 9:30 a.m., I returned to the room with an apple to find my room still completely dark. They were awake, but no one was moving very fast.
Many of the girls thought I was insane to go to the gym so early on a day when I could have slept in, but the truth of the matter is that being able to get up and go to the gym without having to get other little people dressed and to sitters or Kidzone was like a little slice of heaven.
Soon after I returned, it was time to hit the spa.
We were shown to a locker room where we changed into bath robes and slipper/sandal things. Then we were given a tour of the spa and told where to wait until we were called for our spa appointments. It was 11 a.m. and after a hard workout and only an apple I was starving, but as soon as I picked up a muffin my massage guy came to get me.
Yes, I said guy.
In the past, I've always had a woman whenever I've gone to get a massage. The guy was super nice and he did a good job, but I just couldn't relax the way I was able to when it was a woman. After the massage, I met up with my friends and we had lunch outside, in our bathrobes. To say that dining in such attire, or lack thereof, felt weird, would be the understatement of the century. At one point, I told my friend it kind of felt like we were in a mental institution, let out for some fresh air or something.
After lunch, I spent some time in the steam room, dry sauna, hot tub and pool. It was a relaxing afternoon and I was sorry to see it end. That's all of us, minus the one working the camera.
For dinner, we went to the Forbay restaurant at the Hershey Lodge. My dinner was spectacular, but the highlight of my weekend came after we arrived back at the hotel.
The lounge was featuring a jazz band as the live entertainment and upon entering, we brought the median age down to around 70. I ventured off to find a restroom with two of my friends when we happened to walk by a banquet room where there was an awesome band playing.
"We should totally crash that party," I said to my friends. We laughed about it between the bathroom stalls, but as we were about to walk by it again, we couldn't help but linger a bit longer. We started dancing out in the hallway and before you know it, and much to my surprise, my friend Kim strutted right into the banquet room and onto the dance floor. I was happy to follow her.
At first we thought it was a wedding we were crashing but a quick glance of the room revealed there was no bride. Another one of my friends ventured off to find out exactly what kind of party we had crashed and found out that we had crashed an "Auto Traders Association's" annual banquet.
It was obvious that the three of us were the best thing to happen to that party. One of the guys from the band came out on the floor, took our purses and put them up on stage (to keep us there), and practically begged us to stay. They kept playing songs "for the crashers," and we spent the night dancing to jazzed up Santana, Amy Winehouse, and Christina Aguilera tunes. At one point, the main band guy wanted to "slow it down" and when I protested he found me a dance partner.
I found out more about my friend Kim at that crashed banquet than ever before. First, she can dance like Tina Turner, better actually. In fact, I spent the rest of the weekend calling her "Tina." Second, she's up for anything once you get her out of her shell. Third, that girl can play a mean tambourine.
Needless to say, it was quite fun.
I came home yesterday afternoon to an empty house and was able to snag a decent nap before Mr. BBM got home with the girls. I woke up thinking that the spa weekend was really nice, but that party crashing might just be my new calling.
To be entered to win your very own Spa Break Basket, head on over to The BBM Review for all the details and leave a comment telling me why you deserve a spa break.
To be entered to win one of several great martial arts prizes, please leave a comment on any of the Admired Martial Artists posts.
Stockwater Tea, Julio Iglesias, and Downtown Drownings
Edited: New One Added Below
I watched American Idol with Mr. BBM last night. Either we're getting old, or the people are just really lousy. There were a few stand-outs, but most of the ones who stood out, were standing out for all the wrong reasons.
Did you know that spandex pants, worn with sneakers, a halter top and a cumberbund is the new thing? Think it was unique to just one audition? You would be wrong. I don't know where these girls got the idea that spandex and sneakers is hot, but it's really not.
"You know, it's a real shame I'm not younger and I don't have a good voice," I told Mr. BBM. "I have star quality. I can dance and perform better than most of these people." I have a video to prove it.
If you can't view this video, go here.
Mr. BBM almost blew his drink out of his nose, and not because I lack star quality either.
"Do you mean 'Stockwater Tea'?"
"What?"
"Don't you remember that?" he asked me.
"Oh," I said, recalling another one of my lyrical follies.
When we were in college, we went to see the Evita movie. The movie itself is for another post. It involves old ladies and wet popcorn and pure nastiness, but like I said, for another time.
I really enjoyed that movie, and Mr. BBM bought me the soundtrack. I know, shocking, considering my favorite song right now is "Blame it" by Jamie Foxx. Anyway, I used to sing along with the soundtrack regularly. There's a song called "Buenos Aires" but it should really be called "Stockwater Tea" since those are the words I sang along with that song.
Listen for it. . . "Just a little bit of stockwater tea. . . "
If you can't view the video, go here.
One day, Mr. BBM corrected me and I knew there was no point in arguing. "Stockwater tea" truly made no sense at all. It just sounded so right when the words came out of my mouth!
My other classic lyrical mishap is from the song "Take my Breath Away." There's a part of the song that says, "Through the looking glass I saw you," but to me it was always belted out to the tune of "Julio Iglesias saw you. . . " I don't know. It just made more sense. Looking glass vs. Julio. Julio clearly wins.
If you can't view this video, go here.
Listen for yourself. Doesn't it sound like she's singing about Julio? I swear I'm right about this one. I had a little singing duo when I was younger and I'm fairly certain I have audio proof of this lyrical mishap.
A more recent one? Kevyn Little's "Turn me On."
View the video here if you can't see it here.
"Let me hold you. . . "
What do you think it says after that?
I'll tell you what it says, "Downtown, that's my body." I totally thought they were dancing in a club downtown as in. . .
"Let me hold you downtown" and then "that's my body." You know, this doesn't really make sense now that I'm writing it out, but whenever I sing that song, it's not "girl caress my body," it's "downtown that's my body." Always has been, always will be. Also, the part that says, "let me charm you" that's right after that? For some reason, I used to sing still sing "let me drown you." I don't know why that would make sense. It certainly doesn't, but that's how I hear it people. Just is. Drown you in love maybe? I don't know.
These lyrical mishaps started quite young. My Dad was a big Tom Petty fan and we were often listening to his music. Remember "Refugee"?
Click here to view if you can't see it here.
My words when I was little: "It don't really matter to me baby. Everybody gotta fight to be free. Oh, yeah, a little appendectomy." I mean, yeah, totally fight for your right to a medical procedure. I think my Dad almost drove off the road laughing when he heard that one. This one makes total sense. It says right in the song, "someone must have kicked you around some." Can't being kicked around cause appendicitis? I'm just saying.
Finally (and I'm sure there are more that Mr. BBM will think of as soon as he reads this), is one I can't really take credit for but think it's fabulous anyway. My sister-in-law used to get frustrated trying to sing along with Rusted Root. Who wouldn't? Those lyrics are more confusing than the Doodlebops!
The song "Ecstasy" is especially troubling, and you look lame if you're at their concert or trying to dance to it and you don't sing along. So, she came up with this for the chorus. . .
"I want whole wheat, with a little bit of turkey meat and mayo."
Listen and sing along. Totally works and trust me, it makes more sense than whatever the heck they're saying. I can't embed this one, so you'll have to go here to listen.
So considering that most of those people on American Idol last night couldn't sing anyway, maybe they should just let me on. At least they'd get a few laughs from the lyrical mishaps.
What's one of your biggest lyrical mishaps? Feel free to share below so I don't feel so stupid and alone.
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