Doing the thing I always thought I would hate- sitting in a cubicle behind a computer screen from 9 to 5, Monday thru Friday.
What kind of fool was I?
My time this week has been spent transcribing basic information from paper into a computer program- mindless, easy work- AND listening (and desk chair dancing to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. singing the coolest version of “Me and My Shadow”) to my IPod all day long.
I know the time is coming that I will be back to the more complicated stuff I was briefed on last week, but for now…bring on the forms and watch me dance!
It isn’t as creative as flower arranging, but it ain’t scrubbing buckets, cutting off the top of your thumb, and knowing that you are doing ALL the manual labor and earning the least amount of money.
And there you have it.
You didn’t think I was going to stay so Pollyanna this entire blog, did you?
Come on, it’s me.
I sat in the break room for a short lunch yesterday, reading my Kindle, while two others (both slightly younger than myself I am guessing, but not by much) chatted while watching a re-run of THE COSBY SHOW on the mounted tv. I, too, watched a small portion of it, given that it was the one guest starring Danny Kaye as the dentist trying to treat Rudy’s friend Peter- who refuses to open his mouth.
The episode was ending with Cliff and Claire talking.
The girl in the break room asked: “Is he dead?”
The guy: “Bill Cosby?”
Girl: “Yeah.
The guy turns and looks at me unbelieving. I tried not to register on my face what was in my head (and if you know me at all you can only imagine…)
Me: “No. Cosby’s alive. But Danny Kaye is dead.”
Them in unison:” Who’s Danny Kaye?”
I took a deep breath. “The dentist.” My drink, Kindle, and I left the room.
OH. MY. GOD. - WHITE CHRISTMAS HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON BLUE SKIES LADY IN THE DARK WALTER MITTY LAURENCE OLIVIER - Pick a reference, any reference…
I am very much aware thatI am eccentric, and therefore, so is my indignation.
But eccentrically indignant I am, dammit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzVCahrtaWI&feature=related
“Everything is tickety-boo, tickety-boo, tickety-boo...
Everything is tickety-boo on such a dreamy daydley-oodley.
Who could be persnickety-poo, snickety-poo, snickety-poo...
With the sky so blinkety-blue, it causes one to say:
Bless mankind, including my attackers.
I'm inclined... the feeling is oh... so jolly-well oh...
It's ever-so-lutely crackers!..."
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Beautiful Eyes
Having learned how to download YouTube clips into my Real player, I have quite an accumulation of favorite French and Saunders, Carol Burnett, Royle Family, the Muppets, Morcambe and Wise, etc. clips.
My nieces- Ellie (7) and Harper, aka Hoppy,(4) have a select few that they love to watch when I go over to their house to visit. The top choice is always the Muppets singing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” especially the bit where Animal sings the “mama, just killed a man…” secition, only he doesn’t sing the real words, he just repeats the question “Mama?” over and over. Hoppy, in particular, verges on peeing in her pants as we watch this part OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgbNymZ7vqY
Another favorite clip of the girls’ is from THE VICAR OF DIBLEY. It is the episode in which Jim and Owen present Geraldine with a chocolate fountain. If you have not seen this and have even the remotest sense of humor- GO NOW AND WATCH IT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-wwbO4LUMY
Soooo….Ellie has gone to spend the night at a friend’s house, my sister and brother-in-law are at a get-together, and it is just Hop and I hanging out on a Saturday evening.:
Hoppy: Can we watch that big fat girl with the chocolate on your computer?”
And thus began an Aunt Jenny life lesson:
I explained to Harper that when I see Dawn French- I don’t think of her as a “that big fat girl,” (In truth I think of her as a glorious idol that I adore because she is beyond brilliant) but that when I see her I think, “there is that lady with the beautiful eyes who is very funny and makes me feel good because she makes me laugh so hard.”
We went on to talk about that, very unfortunately, the first thing most people notice when they see someone is if they are fat, thin, what color they are, how much hair do they have, tall, short- all things that really have nothing to do with who they REALLY are and what is REALLY important- do they have a good heart and are kind to others.
I asked her what she thought about when she thought about me- Aunt Jenny.
She looked up at me with her beautiful eyes and said, “That you sing me songs and take me to McDonalds and play the Lady Bug game.”
I have been referred to as "that big fat girl" and expect it will happen many more times. But even the victim of this sort of treatment is guilty of making quick judgements.
The real question is: Will Aunt Jenny learn from her own lesson?
I have been trying to make a conscious effort. It is easy to chastise yourself after considering the judgment you just made, but to take the time to respect someone enough to look past the conventional judgment and find the beauty- physical or spiritual that is will be true success.
I need only follow Hoppy’s lead- I later overheard her talking to her big sister about “the lady with the beautiful eyes and the chocolate.”
I don’t know how much of my life lesson will stick with this sweet four year old, but she is, indeed, sweet and kind, with nice, loving parents. However, she also lives in this world that worships super models and has years ahead of her on playgrounds filled with kids who will never see anyone’s beautiful eyes because they won’t get past the fact that they weigh more than what is considered acceptable, have a birth mark in a noticeable place, or where a turban.
“You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You’ve got to be carefully taught
You’ve got to be carefully taught…”
My nieces- Ellie (7) and Harper, aka Hoppy,(4) have a select few that they love to watch when I go over to their house to visit. The top choice is always the Muppets singing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” especially the bit where Animal sings the “mama, just killed a man…” secition, only he doesn’t sing the real words, he just repeats the question “Mama?” over and over. Hoppy, in particular, verges on peeing in her pants as we watch this part OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgbNymZ7vqY
Another favorite clip of the girls’ is from THE VICAR OF DIBLEY. It is the episode in which Jim and Owen present Geraldine with a chocolate fountain. If you have not seen this and have even the remotest sense of humor- GO NOW AND WATCH IT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-wwbO4LUMY
Soooo….Ellie has gone to spend the night at a friend’s house, my sister and brother-in-law are at a get-together, and it is just Hop and I hanging out on a Saturday evening.:
Hoppy: Can we watch that big fat girl with the chocolate on your computer?”
And thus began an Aunt Jenny life lesson:
I explained to Harper that when I see Dawn French- I don’t think of her as a “that big fat girl,” (In truth I think of her as a glorious idol that I adore because she is beyond brilliant) but that when I see her I think, “there is that lady with the beautiful eyes who is very funny and makes me feel good because she makes me laugh so hard.”
We went on to talk about that, very unfortunately, the first thing most people notice when they see someone is if they are fat, thin, what color they are, how much hair do they have, tall, short- all things that really have nothing to do with who they REALLY are and what is REALLY important- do they have a good heart and are kind to others.
I asked her what she thought about when she thought about me- Aunt Jenny.
She looked up at me with her beautiful eyes and said, “That you sing me songs and take me to McDonalds and play the Lady Bug game.”
I have been referred to as "that big fat girl" and expect it will happen many more times. But even the victim of this sort of treatment is guilty of making quick judgements.
The real question is: Will Aunt Jenny learn from her own lesson?
I have been trying to make a conscious effort. It is easy to chastise yourself after considering the judgment you just made, but to take the time to respect someone enough to look past the conventional judgment and find the beauty- physical or spiritual that is will be true success.
I need only follow Hoppy’s lead- I later overheard her talking to her big sister about “the lady with the beautiful eyes and the chocolate.”
I don’t know how much of my life lesson will stick with this sweet four year old, but she is, indeed, sweet and kind, with nice, loving parents. However, she also lives in this world that worships super models and has years ahead of her on playgrounds filled with kids who will never see anyone’s beautiful eyes because they won’t get past the fact that they weigh more than what is considered acceptable, have a birth mark in a noticeable place, or where a turban.
“You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You’ve got to be carefully taught
You’ve got to be carefully taught…”
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Once in a blue moon
I am listening to iTunes as I set up this blog. Mabel Mercer is singing "Once In a Blue Moon."
"Once in a blue moon
You will find the right one
Once in a blue moon
Find your dear delight one
Then with a thrill
You'll know that love is true
Once in a lifetime
When the moon is blue..."
This is now being followed by Johnny Hartman singing "It Was Almost Like a Song"
"Once in every life
Someone comes along
And you came to me
It was almost like a song
You were in my arms
Just where you belonged
We were so in love
It was almost like a song...
January through December
It was such a perfect year
Then the flame became a dying ember
All at once you weren't here
Now my broken heart
Cries for you each night
It was almost like a song
But it's much too sad to write..."
Jeeze...what my state of mind must have been when I created this playlist. Ha! And now Tony Bennett is singing "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." At least it is a peppy broken-hearted song.
Who am I kidding? Torch songs are the soundtrack of my life. This is only aided by the fact that I adore wallowing and feeling lost and lonely- so slice your wrists already, Jenny- right?
I adore feeling this way when singing then songs- I should clarify. Singing a he-done-me-wrong-what'll-I-do-so-lonesome-I-could-song and having a single tear rolling down your cheek while singing the last phrase... Sublime.
My heart was broken (and, I fear, irreparably) many years ago. Somehow I can't let go of the circumstances surrounding the breaking of my heart. I could maybe get past it-(and heart somewhat repaired) if the circumstances hadn't been so appalling and inhuman...and CHANGING PLAYLISTS. Not where I intended to go with this blog.
Ah...Julie Walters singing Macaroons from Victoria Wood's ACORN ANTIQUES THE MUSICAL. Soooo worth your time to look this clip up of YouTube. Brilliant. Any song that contains the words "clitoris" but sounds like it could have been in the score of a 1930's musical is my idea of heaven.
Saw David Coffee as Edna in HAIRSPRAY at Casa Manana the other night. It would be impossible for me to adore a human being more than I adore this man. He is magical. If humans were paid in accordance to the amount of joy they give others, this man would be a millionaire from my joy alone.
"Once in a blue moon
You will find the right one
Once in a blue moon
Find your dear delight one
Then with a thrill
You'll know that love is true
Once in a lifetime
When the moon is blue..."
This is now being followed by Johnny Hartman singing "It Was Almost Like a Song"
"Once in every life
Someone comes along
And you came to me
It was almost like a song
You were in my arms
Just where you belonged
We were so in love
It was almost like a song...
January through December
It was such a perfect year
Then the flame became a dying ember
All at once you weren't here
Now my broken heart
Cries for you each night
It was almost like a song
But it's much too sad to write..."
Jeeze...what my state of mind must have been when I created this playlist. Ha! And now Tony Bennett is singing "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." At least it is a peppy broken-hearted song.
Who am I kidding? Torch songs are the soundtrack of my life. This is only aided by the fact that I adore wallowing and feeling lost and lonely- so slice your wrists already, Jenny- right?
I adore feeling this way when singing then songs- I should clarify. Singing a he-done-me-wrong-what'll-I-do-so-lonesome-I-could-song and having a single tear rolling down your cheek while singing the last phrase... Sublime.
My heart was broken (and, I fear, irreparably) many years ago. Somehow I can't let go of the circumstances surrounding the breaking of my heart. I could maybe get past it-(and heart somewhat repaired) if the circumstances hadn't been so appalling and inhuman...and CHANGING PLAYLISTS. Not where I intended to go with this blog.
Ah...Julie Walters singing Macaroons from Victoria Wood's ACORN ANTIQUES THE MUSICAL. Soooo worth your time to look this clip up of YouTube. Brilliant. Any song that contains the words "clitoris" but sounds like it could have been in the score of a 1930's musical is my idea of heaven.
Saw David Coffee as Edna in HAIRSPRAY at Casa Manana the other night. It would be impossible for me to adore a human being more than I adore this man. He is magical. If humans were paid in accordance to the amount of joy they give others, this man would be a millionaire from my joy alone.
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