Pitch Perfect

How in the world did I wait so long to see Pitch Perfect?! I don't understand how it is possible.  It reminds of the a capella scene here at Dartmouth.  I had the pleasure of advising our groups for a few years.  They are so committed to making music and to their group.  This movie made me laugh and had great music.  I can't believe that I have not watched it sooner.  More importantly, I can't believe that my BFF and I have not watched this movie together.  I just sent him a message letting him know that we have been missing out. 

I mean, how can I not love a movie that does a "Riff-Off" and uses the song No Diggity.  No Diggity was a very popular song in 1997, my senior year of high school.  The senior girls did an entire choreography to song at a pep rally - hilarious memories.  

2012

Can you believe it is 2012?

I can't.  10 years ago I had just moved back to New York City.  In fact, I moved back on New Year's Eve.  For some reason I was obsessed with starting the new year in New York.  I moved in with DN and as the clock struck midnight, he and I were on a subway trying to get to Brooklyn for what was quite possibly one of the most boring parties I have ever been to.  Ah well...memories...

We are two weeks into the new year and it has already been a roller coaster ride.  Lots of emotions.

My two promises to myself this year:

1. Be Thankful - I want to count my blessings more than I dwell on pain, sadness or other negative emotions. 
2. Be Healthy - I don't really mean this in exercise and eat well state, although that is certainly part of it.  I mean financially, emotionally, mentally.  I believe that if I can do more things that make my soul, mind and pocketbook healthy - then it will be easier to do things that make my heart and body healthier.  

Raise a glass to what is bound to be an incredible 2012.

Old Friends

My second trip down memory lane of the day was brought to me by gchat.

A friend of mine from high school DW found me today on google.  He and I have been friends for about 20 years.  We were an unlikely pair in high school.  People often wondered why were we friends.  He had a reputation for being kind of cold, aloof and generally unpleasant, whereas, I was generally viewed as joyful, pleasant and kind.  People had both of us a little bit wrong.  Regardless of other people's opinions we were very close friends and remain close today, even though we don't talk often.

It was great to catch up with him today. We have both had a lot of changes in our lives lately.  This year for the first year ever, I missed his birthday.  I apologized but he did point out that when we were younger he forgot my birthday all the time and we saw each other everyday and lived less than 1/2 a mile away from each.  VERY TRUE.  So I feel less guilty about missing the birthday.

It was great to chat with him.  I didn't realize that I missed some of the connection to who I was when I was younger until today.   I don't want to be the girl I was at 16.  I don't want to repeat that time in my life.  Yet, there is something special about connecting to people who knew you back when.  People that remember ridiculous stories.  People that remember where you came from and how you got to where you are today.

I don't have a lot of people that I call FRIENDS from high school or college.  Those that fall in the category tend to be people that despite days, months, years of lack of conversation we can pick up where we left off without an issue.  They know my family and I know theirs.

Thanks gchat - for connecting me to people that know me and love me.

Medium French Vanilla Ice Coffee - Light & Sweet

From Dunkin Donuts.  Love them!

Today I had my first iced coffee of 2011.  It is funny how things like that can bring back all kinds of memories.   Whenever I drink a Dunkins iced coffee I think about high school and my dear friend LB (although, I guess she is LM now).  We would spend hours and hours in the Dunkin Donuts near my house.  It was open 24 hours and we would hang out there at night and play cards.  Don't judge...lol.  We weren't wild and crazy kids.  Drinking caffeine at 11pm was our big adventure.  LM would smoke a cigarette but freak out and put them out whenever she saw someone that we knew.  Man, we were young.  We used to have such a great time.

Today's trip down memory lane brought to you by Dunkin Donuts. :)

Senior Citizen's Prom

Tonight I got a phone call from my mother to tell me that on the Channel 5 public station in East Hartford they were playing a segment they call the Time Capsule and I was on TV. 

I immediately figured that it was some horrendous newscast that I used to do with my friend DW when we were in high school.  Yes, that's right.  Between the years of 1995 and 1997, I was one of the EHHS correspondents on Channel 5.  DW and I would do a weekly broadcast, that we would normally write in the car on the way there, about all the news and happenings at the high school.  It was hilarious.  We never really knew where to look.  We always looked like we were listening too earnestly or were trying not to laugh.  Both of which were usually true.  Although often, I was just off camera trying very hard to make DW laugh during his broadcast.  I am so glad Youtube didn't exist when I was a younger version of myself.

But NO, that is not what was showing.  Instead what was showing was a recorded version of the Senior Citizen's prom from 1997.  There in all of our splendor were me and my friends dancing with the senior citizenry of East Hartford.  Every year we put on this incredible prom from the folks and we would dress in gowns and tuxedos and serve them a full meal.  We would learn basic ballroom steps ans dance the night away.  We always threw in a good bunny hop, chicken dance and electric slide.  My mom was just sitting there watching my 14 years ago and all my friends.  She was rattling off names over the phone and laughing at us as we danced. 

I remember those events so fondly.  I mostly loved my high school experience because I was able to do some great things and do things that I felt mattered.  I always felt like I was making a difference in my school and for my community.  It is an incredible thing. 

I have no idea why they were playing that particular year's prom.  But I'm glad they were.  It brought back really wonderful memories.

Pensieve

Harry Potter: "What is it?"

Albus Dumbledore: "This? It is called a Pensieve. I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind."

— Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter discussing Dumbledore's Pensieve.

 

 The Harry Potter films have been on television a lot lately.  I love the books and tolerate the movies.  There a lot of magical things from Harry Potter that I would like in my own life.  I would like the time-turner Hermoine uses to add more time to her day.  I wish I had a hippogriff as a pet.  I would like the clock that Molly Weasley has on her wall that tells her where all her family is at any moment.  

All of those things I would like to have - but - the thing that I would like best is a pensieve.  I would like to pull out my thoughts and stick them in a bowl.  I would like to visit my best memories later in vivid color and revisit moments of challenge to reflect in a clearer way.  

ah well..tis not to be.  

And as I type this, I still cry as Dumbledore dies. 

 

JEM!

Oh my goodness.  There are days when I feel very old talking to students.  Today I mentioned Jem and the Holograms and no one knew what I was talking about.  One of my students was telling me about the fact that she wakes up in the morning and thinks, "today I'll be Biker Barbie."  Her statement made me think of Jem and a song she used to sing called "Mood I'm In".



I used to own Jem's music on tape and would listen to them all the time.  I adored Jem.  I liked her computer Synergy.  I liked that Jem's boyfriend Rio had purple hair.  I liked the rival band "The Misfits". 



Jem was such a good show.  When it comes to cartoons, I will admit that I have quite a nostalgia for the days of yore

ThunderCats



He-Man



The Snorks



OMG! I just thought of the Wuzzles. I adored the Wuzzles...It was an obscure and random show but I loved it and remember it fondly



holy crap! This just made me think of Zoobilee Zoo.



And of course, there was the classic Kids Incorporated...Martika, Fergie...that girl from that girl group "Wild orchids" or was it "Wild Horses" hmm...All from Kids Incorporated. Jennfer love Hewitt was on the show briefly..



Oh goodness..I could do this forever.  I clearly digressed from cartoons...Such good memories from my younger years.