This has been one of the craziest weeks on record. I have so much to say, I just can't say it...yet. I have a few things I need to do first, because I really want to make sure I handle this the right way. I've tried a dozen times to write, but there's just so much going on right now...
Anyway. This is the last week before school starts, which is truly unbelievable. 4th grade. That's just crazy. I remember 4th grade. It was the year that I had a Guns N' Roses t-shirt that said "Axl was here" spray painted on the back in hot pink. It was also the year that I started teasing my bangs, tight-rolling my jeans, slouchy socks with high tops and wearing 83 jelly bracelets per wrist. Clearly, 4th grade was really the beginning of my descent into badassery.
The kids' didn't make nearly as many bad fashion choices as I did at their age. Kat's doing this whole preppy/punk thing. One of her favorite outfits is a green plaid skirt, a pink collared shirt with a green plaid tie. Popped collar and low blue Converse. It's actually pretty cute. Davey went with his old standby, cargos and t-shirts. He's also hitting the rock t-shirts pretty hard (taking after his momma), for school he got The Ramones, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Alice Cooper. I told him that he was only allowed to wear a band shirt if he knew at least one song from the band. So he's been working on his rock education, which he just eats right up. I think he's either going to be a rocket scientist or a rock star. Either one is fine with me.
I know I'm kinda off and a little rambly today, and I apologize. I have my head in a million different places. Soon, very soon I can share...and I can't fucking wait!
Showing posts with label 80's goodness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 80's goodness. Show all posts
A trip down memory lane
I was reading my gossip sites because I, for some reason, can’t stop reading celebrity gossip, even though I think that the photographers and “reporters” who follow celebrities are deplorable at best. It makes me a total hypocrite I know, but I don’t really care. So I’m reading about the latest in the Michael Jackson saga and about how Madonna is in the new fall 2009 Louis Vuitton ad campaign, which by the have you seen? She’s gorgeous, totally airbrushed and flawless, but gorgeous. I told Chris that for our 10th anniversary, I wanted a trip to Paris and a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk. He said he could buy me a house and it would be cheaper, so I don’t really see that happening. But a girl can dream, right? I’d settle for a kick ass bag and a trip to Paris. Or even just the LV bag would be ok. But I want a big one, not one of the dinky little ones that hold a cell phone, lipstick and a tampon. I carry way more crap than that with me, and I’m dropping $500+ on a bag, it better be big enough to carry all my shit. And hell, if Madonna looks that good next to LV, then surely it would work for me. Yeah, I’m a sucker for the power and suggestion of good advertising.
Ok so, where was I? Right, Michael Jackson and Madonna. So I’m reading about Madonna when “Billie Jean” came on my iPod. It was kind of nostalgic and sad. It got me thinking about when I was a kid and I used to strut around with my 387 jelly bracelets and side ponytails listening to “Material Girl” and “Bad” thinking I was the coolest shit on the block. It made me sad that my kids won’t ever really get it, and the world is totally different than it was then. We were watching the news with the kids after Michael Jackson died, and they were like, did he sing other songs than “Thriller”? Yeah, yeah he did. MTV was showing Michael Jackson videos and the kids didn’t even know that MTV used to show ONLY videos. I was telling Davey about how I used to listen to the Thriller album in my walkman, and he was like, what’s a walkman? Sigh.
Me: A walkman is kind of like an iPod. But it played tapes.
Davey: What are tapes?
Oh dear God.
I tried to explain how different it was in the 80’s, how the world was different: before the internet, before cell phones, back when parents would let their kids walk to the corner store alone, and you could play outside until dark, but they really just didn’t get it. To them, the 80’s was like the stone age, filled with laughable hair styles and bad fashion. To them, Michael Jackson will always be that weird guy that wore the masks. To us, he’s the man who made the music that helped define a generation. Regardless of what he did or didn’t do, guilt and innocence aside, he will be remembered for forever changing the face of music as we know it. For that I’m grateful, as are my children, even if they don’t know it, or really understand it.
Ok so, where was I? Right, Michael Jackson and Madonna. So I’m reading about Madonna when “Billie Jean” came on my iPod. It was kind of nostalgic and sad. It got me thinking about when I was a kid and I used to strut around with my 387 jelly bracelets and side ponytails listening to “Material Girl” and “Bad” thinking I was the coolest shit on the block. It made me sad that my kids won’t ever really get it, and the world is totally different than it was then. We were watching the news with the kids after Michael Jackson died, and they were like, did he sing other songs than “Thriller”? Yeah, yeah he did. MTV was showing Michael Jackson videos and the kids didn’t even know that MTV used to show ONLY videos. I was telling Davey about how I used to listen to the Thriller album in my walkman, and he was like, what’s a walkman? Sigh.
Me: A walkman is kind of like an iPod. But it played tapes.
Davey: What are tapes?
Oh dear God.
I tried to explain how different it was in the 80’s, how the world was different: before the internet, before cell phones, back when parents would let their kids walk to the corner store alone, and you could play outside until dark, but they really just didn’t get it. To them, the 80’s was like the stone age, filled with laughable hair styles and bad fashion. To them, Michael Jackson will always be that weird guy that wore the masks. To us, he’s the man who made the music that helped define a generation. Regardless of what he did or didn’t do, guilt and innocence aside, he will be remembered for forever changing the face of music as we know it. For that I’m grateful, as are my children, even if they don’t know it, or really understand it.
Damn, I left my cat ears at home
On Saturday, we went to the mall. I love, love, love shopping and Chris doesn't often take me to the mall. Something about me and a mall full of retail store just sends Scrooge McDuck into a wild wallet-locking frenzy. So I suggested to Jason that perhaps HE'D like to go the mall, and of course Chris couldn't say no. We had a great time, I shopped the MAC counter at Macy's, which is like a little piece of heaven, and of course Kat had a ball in the Rainbow Brite On Acid store, otherwise known as Justice (formerly Limited Too). But seriously I felt about 112 by the time the day was over. It was ridiculous.
We were in Best Buy when this parade of club kid-looking teenagers came in, and I had everything I could do not to laugh and point/stare with a gaping mouth. They were apparently dressed up like Japanese anime characters (or so Chris and Jason said), but I think they were on something. I'm not trying to be judgemental or anything (ok, maybe I am a little), but they were full on freaks. For instance, this girl had on black fishnet tights, knee high lace up boots, a black and pink tutu, a corset and wings. Like wings like you'd imagine a little girl wearing on Halloween when she dressed up like Tinkerbell, only this chick's wings were black. She was like Tinkerbell from hell. Several of these people were wearing ears, like cat's ears. There were people in floor-length capes with white painted faces, vampire looking people and one guy dressed up like Aladdin, complete with a stuffed monkey on his shoulder. And it's not like we were at some comic book convention, or a video game store, we were in the fucking mall. They were just shopping around, pretending like they were just in jeans and a t-shirt, like they weren't totally freaking all the other people in the mall out. Like, oh yes, these are my cat ears, they're very normal and I always dress like this. It was crazy. Who dresses like that and says, I know we're all dressed up in our anime garb, but let's go to the mall! I could totally go for a pretzel!
So then we went to Hot Topic, which is this/punk/goth/I'm trying to be a rebel to piss my parents off store. Really, the only saving grace that store has was a Ramones t-shirt that we bought for Davey. They had this music, and I use the term loosely, playing so loud you had to yell to talk to anyone, and the "singer" was just screaming. I guess it was like thrash metal or something, but it was even more obnoxious than that. On top of that, there were these 2 kids, couldn't have been more than 15 or 16, and they were going on about "classic rock". One kid was like, oh totally, Shout at the Devil is a good one, but I prefer a real classic like Girls, Girls, Girls. Now, in case you didn't grow up with the best music ever made (80's hair bands) these young men were talking about Motley Crue, one of my favorite bands ever. Anyway, the other guy was like, yeah, I took my mom to a Crue concert, it's a little old for my taste, but it's pretty good for classic rock. Hello? Classic rock? Led Zeppelin? Lynyrd Skynyrd? The Who? Jimi Hendrix? Cream? THAT'S classic rock. The first tape I ever bought was Motley Crue, Dr. Feelgood. I assure you, if I bought that when I was like 10, there's NO way that's classic rock. Granted I bought it on tape because cd's were almost unheard of at that time, but that's hardly the point. That's not classic rock, because I can't possibly be that old. And yes, the faux thrash metal was very offensive to my ears, but that's not a sign I'm old either. Shut the hell up or I'll beat you with my cane.
So between the freaks on parade and my startling realization that 30 is hella old, I went back to the MAC counter and tried to get some anti-aging cream. The douche bag clerk recommended botox.
We were in Best Buy when this parade of club kid-looking teenagers came in, and I had everything I could do not to laugh and point/stare with a gaping mouth. They were apparently dressed up like Japanese anime characters (or so Chris and Jason said), but I think they were on something. I'm not trying to be judgemental or anything (ok, maybe I am a little), but they were full on freaks. For instance, this girl had on black fishnet tights, knee high lace up boots, a black and pink tutu, a corset and wings. Like wings like you'd imagine a little girl wearing on Halloween when she dressed up like Tinkerbell, only this chick's wings were black. She was like Tinkerbell from hell. Several of these people were wearing ears, like cat's ears. There were people in floor-length capes with white painted faces, vampire looking people and one guy dressed up like Aladdin, complete with a stuffed monkey on his shoulder. And it's not like we were at some comic book convention, or a video game store, we were in the fucking mall. They were just shopping around, pretending like they were just in jeans and a t-shirt, like they weren't totally freaking all the other people in the mall out. Like, oh yes, these are my cat ears, they're very normal and I always dress like this. It was crazy. Who dresses like that and says, I know we're all dressed up in our anime garb, but let's go to the mall! I could totally go for a pretzel!
So then we went to Hot Topic, which is this/punk/goth/I'm trying to be a rebel to piss my parents off store. Really, the only saving grace that store has was a Ramones t-shirt that we bought for Davey. They had this music, and I use the term loosely, playing so loud you had to yell to talk to anyone, and the "singer" was just screaming. I guess it was like thrash metal or something, but it was even more obnoxious than that. On top of that, there were these 2 kids, couldn't have been more than 15 or 16, and they were going on about "classic rock". One kid was like, oh totally, Shout at the Devil is a good one, but I prefer a real classic like Girls, Girls, Girls. Now, in case you didn't grow up with the best music ever made (80's hair bands) these young men were talking about Motley Crue, one of my favorite bands ever. Anyway, the other guy was like, yeah, I took my mom to a Crue concert, it's a little old for my taste, but it's pretty good for classic rock. Hello? Classic rock? Led Zeppelin? Lynyrd Skynyrd? The Who? Jimi Hendrix? Cream? THAT'S classic rock. The first tape I ever bought was Motley Crue, Dr. Feelgood. I assure you, if I bought that when I was like 10, there's NO way that's classic rock. Granted I bought it on tape because cd's were almost unheard of at that time, but that's hardly the point. That's not classic rock, because I can't possibly be that old. And yes, the faux thrash metal was very offensive to my ears, but that's not a sign I'm old either. Shut the hell up or I'll beat you with my cane.
So between the freaks on parade and my startling realization that 30 is hella old, I went back to the MAC counter and tried to get some anti-aging cream. The douche bag clerk recommended botox.
Truly, truly outrageous
The other day the kids were outside, enjoying one of the rare sunny days we've had lately. It's been raining so long, I've actually been keeping my eyes open for any old men building very large boats, or animals marching two-by-two down the street, but I digress. So the kids are outside, and it's a rare opportunity for Chris and I to watch t.v. Normally, we'd watch something that we don't watch around the kids, you know the good shows, with lots of sex, violence and explosions, pretty much anything on Fox. This day though, as much as I tried, I couldn't stop watching the Disney Channel, Hannah Montana to be specific. Now I've talked some trash when it comes to Hannah Montana taking over my ipod, or the uncanny likeness of her love interest and Johnny of the Cobra Kai, and I'd like to do the same here, but I can't. I sat there for not one episode, but two. I didn't move, I was absolutely riveted. It was a little obnoxious and annoying, and I did laugh out loud a couple of times, but no matter how much I tried to bring myself to change the channel, I couldn't do it. It was about 5 minutes into the second episode when I gasped in horror, this is JUST like Jem! Jem? Truly, truly outrageous? Kick ass 80's cartoon? Don't pretend you don't remember Jem.
Jem was a rockstar with pink hair, and was the lead singer of a band called the Holograms. She had an alter ego, the sweet, girl next door, Jerrica. She turned into Jem through magic/technological advancements/holographic awesomeness. But no one knew that Jerrica was Jem, and she had to keep her secret at all costs. Jerrica was always torn between being "herself" and being Jem. Sound like any other "secret pop star" you may have heard of? *cough* Miley Cyrus *cough* Hannah Montana. The only difference is Hannah Montana's power is in her blonde wig, and Jem's power was in the super kick ass earrings (show time Synergy!). Hannah Montana has to deal with rival popstars who want steal her fame. I can't remember the girl's name, but she had a ridiculously high pitched, nasaly voice that sounded like someone dragging their fingers down a chalkboard. Jem of course had The Misfits, who bordered on a little scary.
I know, I know. You think I'm a. insane, or b. have been hitting the margaritas a little too hard. Actually, either could be true...but that's besides the point. Jem is totally Hannah Montana. And what annoys me the most about it isn't that the clever people at Disney recycled the best 80's cartoon ever, or even that my kids look at me like I'm crazy when I hold onto my ear and yell, "show time Synergy!" when it's time to get ready. What really annoys me is that I didn't think of it first. I mean, this was my favorite, favorite t.v. show ever. I really should've thought of re-doing it. I mean, if they can redo Transformers and make a zillion dollars, I totally could've redone Jem.
The kids didn't believe me when I told them how awesome Jem was. Then I showed them this.
How can you argue with that?
Jem was a rockstar with pink hair, and was the lead singer of a band called the Holograms. She had an alter ego, the sweet, girl next door, Jerrica. She turned into Jem through magic/technological advancements/holographic awesomeness. But no one knew that Jerrica was Jem, and she had to keep her secret at all costs. Jerrica was always torn between being "herself" and being Jem. Sound like any other "secret pop star" you may have heard of? *cough* Miley Cyrus *cough* Hannah Montana. The only difference is Hannah Montana's power is in her blonde wig, and Jem's power was in the super kick ass earrings (show time Synergy!). Hannah Montana has to deal with rival popstars who want steal her fame. I can't remember the girl's name, but she had a ridiculously high pitched, nasaly voice that sounded like someone dragging their fingers down a chalkboard. Jem of course had The Misfits, who bordered on a little scary.
I know, I know. You think I'm a. insane, or b. have been hitting the margaritas a little too hard. Actually, either could be true...but that's besides the point. Jem is totally Hannah Montana. And what annoys me the most about it isn't that the clever people at Disney recycled the best 80's cartoon ever, or even that my kids look at me like I'm crazy when I hold onto my ear and yell, "show time Synergy!" when it's time to get ready. What really annoys me is that I didn't think of it first. I mean, this was my favorite, favorite t.v. show ever. I really should've thought of re-doing it. I mean, if they can redo Transformers and make a zillion dollars, I totally could've redone Jem.
The kids didn't believe me when I told them how awesome Jem was. Then I showed them this.
How can you argue with that?
