You can now find me at www.myspace.com/chameleon220
It was nice sharing my thoughts with you three, but I'm moving on to greener pastures...On MySpace, I'll get the chance to find all of my brother's friends and tell embarassing stories about him...he's all the way in London. What's he gonna do about it? :-)
Peace Out!
Don't you just love Mary Poppins? I hope I can raise the $$ soon to see it on Broadway. And if you haven't seen Beauty and the Beast, go!! It ends on July 29th! It was awesome!
Anyway, my personal spoonful of sugar is music...I carry it around with me at all times to keep me sane. So here my picks for this month. Here I'm offering just a smattering of songs from various genres and periods that will keep the summer sunny for me even when I'm in the over-AC-ed office:
NOVA LIMA's "Afro" -- Here's another album (and only one I'm recommending this month) my brother turned me on to, thank the Lord. He always helps me to remember that there's great music going on outside of the States. A dizzying mix of Afro-Peruvian music mixed with house perfected in London...if you love dance and house music, pick it up at amazon.com. You won't even care that you can't understand a word they're saying, unless you speak Spanish, of course. "Chinchivi," "Machete," and "Mayoral" are my favorites.
Onto singles...
Bobby Valentino's "Anonymous": If you love Timbaland's production, you'll love this...Bobby's quite underrated just because he doesn't dance like Chris Brown or those other pansies. What a shame...
Lloyd's "Get It Shawty": Okay, he dances, but he's not a pansy. Aren't you loving this whole 80s freestyle resurrection? What I like about him is that he can dance and sing live without running out of breath or depending on lip-synching. Look out Usher!
Beyonce's "Get Me Bodied": Hype song! And how does she do that back bend in the video? Pat your weave, ladies!
Fantasia's "When I See You": A great mid-tempo summer song. I might have to go and see "The Color Purple" again on Broadway just to hear her sing...
Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder": If you're a fan of Jamiroquai, once you get over the uncanny similiarities, enjoy the song!
Now here are some singles that are baffling me:
Amy Winehouse featuring Jay-Z's "Rehab (Remix)": Does Jay-Z really think he can just rap on any song? Be quiet, you!!! And if 30 is the new 20, stop sounding so old!
Prince's "Guitar": Remember, I love you Prince. But this sounds like a poor carbon copy of "Fury" from your last album. Hope the rest of the album will please me...call me!
:-)
My company recently asked that we submit a biography for our new Intranet to foster "comraderie" among employees. We are supposed to answer the questions in a light and funny tone, which is right up my alley. However, when it came the single question of what I wanted to be when I was growing up, I was a bit startled.
Ever since I can remember, I've always been good at the English thing. I was reading books by the age of 2, won numerous writing awards by the time I was in the 3rd grade, and before high school even came, my mom was telling her friends (without even asking me) that I was going to be a writer. So, naturally, that's what I aspired to be.
Although I took dance classes, played the clarinet and adored the karaoke machine I got for my 12th birthday, I knew that when I graduated, I was going to become a writer. Not because it was my favorite thing to do, but because I did it well. As a matter of fact, writing is one of my least favorite activities.
Right before I sit down to write an article for work, I get a sick feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach and I believe deep down that this article is either not going to get done or is going to be horrible. But by some sort of a miracle, I get through it and 9 times out of 10, I receive praise for it. I'm not sure how I actually get to finish the final product because I never form a plan prior to writing (despite the thousands of dollars I spent going through one of the best journalism grad programs in the country) -- maybe some subconscious part of my brain that lays dormant for most of the time takes over w/out my knowledge.
After I'm done and I've wiped the sweat from my brow, I look at what I've accomplished and I'm proud. The process of anguish-turned-into-pride then starts all over again. And this happens with more than just work, I do it with writing poems, letters to friends, even this blog. That's why I'm so sporadic in my writings to you. Why is it that I dread the very thing that I do most well in this world?
Okay, I got sidetracked. So while filling out this biography, I started to think about all of the professions that I thought were cool growing up and decided to share them with you. Don't laugh! Let me know if you think if I would have been better off choosing any of these kooky professions. Hey, maybe I still could. Shows like America's Got Talent, Hell's Kitchen and American Idol are still going strong :-)
Professional Cheerleader: One of my first Halloween costumes was made by my mom...The soft white sweater had a giant "C" adorned on the front and my swishy skirt was to die for! The outfit came complete with bright ribbons in my hair and matching pom-poms. I think I went to sleep that night in the costume. I never signed up for cheerleading in school and even later teased my college roommate who was a cheerleader. But at 5, you couldn't tell me I wasn't cute. I wanted to be a Laker Girl but that was until Whiteny Houston came along....
A Singer: Some of my fondest childhood memories were spent with my good old karaoke machine. My best friend and I would record for hours sounding like a bunch of dead cats. But you couldn't tell us that we were NOT going to be the next SWV or Changing Faces. We were going to make it to The Apollo one way or another. That was until my father just flat out told me I couldn't sing, which sort of put a damper on my dreams. That was until my brother traded in his beloved comic books for a mic. He would have me sing hooks on his makeshift rap records...all his friends said that I was the next Mary J. But that was until I tried to join the church choir....well, you see how that turned out.
Dancer/Choreographer: Paula Abdul (pre-overmedicated stupor) and Janet Jackson (pre-Nipplegate) were my HEROES! I used to tape their videos and live performances and learn every move and hair flick possible. I almost never missed a dance class, and even skipped a "grade"and started dancing with the advanced girls. But once that occurred, it wasn't fun anymore. There was too much competition, way too much stretching, and little too much asthma-attack-inducing booty shaking. I started feeling naseous before classes and I soon began skipping, until I quit to focus more on my clarinet. But being the dancaholic I am, I continued to frequent every dance club in the tri-state area all the way through college and even now that I'm older, I still got the moves....Paula can't touch this.
Professional Clarinetist: Okay, you can laugh at this one. I considered it for a slight second thinking that some symphony might want to recruit me. After all, I had played from 4th grade all the way through college. But then I changed my mind because I really don't like to practice. Unlike writing, you can't eat or talk while practicing. It's best to practice in solitude and for long periods of time and my attention span is just not that long. My natural skills could only take me so far, after all. Plus, after that dumb movie "American Pie," attending band camp for more than two summers was seriously going to cramp my style. Then I thought that maybe if I switched instruments, perhaps to soprano sax, I would get some cool points. But playing the same instrument as Kenny G only seems to be popular with people my parents' age and above. So I moved on with fond memories of reeds and valve grease...
A Professional Foodie: Forget the actual cooking part...If I could get paid to taste my way through this world a la Rachael Ray, I would do it in a heartbeat! And I almost did...out of sheer boredom, when I lived in Syracuse I frequented every restaurant and hole-in-the-wall diner to try everything from Mexican and Japanese to Jamaican and BBQ. I then moved back to Long Island 20lbs heavier with achy feet and high blood pressure. I think part of being a professional foodie requires some sort of self-control in order to survive, of which I have little.
A couple of weeks ago, I went down to the Tully Health Center to do my quarterly civic duty of donating blood. As you remember in my very first post, donating blood is a bit of a high for me. Right next to getting tattoos, which I'm actually due for. Haven't gotten one in about five years. But I digress...
Anywho, I proudly showed my American Red Cross card and signed most of the paperwork, which includes stating what countries you've visted in the past three years. As the nurse was reviewing it, she asked me what I did while I was in Cancun back in April. Always excited to share my exciting travel stories, I blabbed that I visited Xcaret, one of the most popular ecological parks. Obviously, I said too much. It seems as if there's a bit of a malaria risk when you visit certain areas in Cancun, so therefore, I can't give blood again until April 2008.
How could they? How could they turn down my charitable donation? How am I supposed to do my periodic good deed now? I can't run marathons, I can't play sports with underpriviledge kids (because they'd probably laugh at me), and I get sensitive when the elderly at the nursing home say that I'm too skinny...plus, blood donations are my thing! It's what I do! I'm good at lying down and telling the nurse what vein to collect the blood from. I'm even better at eating up all of the munchkins and coffee they offer afterwards....And I've never fainted. Not even once!
If anyone out there has any suggestions on what I can do until next April, feel free to offer them. Just as long as it doesn't involve waking up early, standing out in the sun for more than 30 minutes, or looking after any children that are not my own. LOL :-)
And may I remind, please go out into your communities and give of yourself. As Sir Topham Hatt from the "Thomas, the Tank Engine" TV show says, "Helping others is the right thing to do and it doesn't hurt a bit."
:-)
This past weekend, I attended my little cousin's graduation at Wesleyan University...it was truly strange knowing that the same little brat who used to stick his hand down his undies and chase me around to try and touch me with that hand has grown to be such a intelligent and responsible adult...I feel old! Congrats, Joel! I'm so proud of you!
My husband left me this weekend to visit some friends in VA and therefore, left me with Syd Vicious all to myself...as I tried not to run from my house screaming because she just broke my favorite cereal bowl, I remembered when I was close to that age. I was not any less spirited than her.
While celebrating Joel's graduation over sushi, my uncle reminded me of when my brother, who was a bit chubby in those days, used to track pool water in the house every 10 minutes in order to raid the fridge. And I also thought about when I hit my cousin over the head with a toy robot and sent him to the hospital to get stitches...what about that time when another cousin wacked my brother in the eye with plastic nun-chucks? I also recalled a time at the beach when I had my cousin in the water with me on my shoulders. I slipped back to chuck him in the water...his head hit another cousin's head and blood came pouring from her nose...oooh, and the time when we were practicing WWF wrestling moves and my fat brother stepped on my ankle and twisted it to unnatural limits...Oh, and I'm sure if you were an eighties baby, you typed curses and the names of bodily functions into your Speak N Spell...
My point is that as children, we all did things we weren't supposed to. And said things we weren't supposed to. And as adults we sometimes forget that kids are just kids...so after I finished fuming about my beloved cereal bowl, I had to giggle....after all, according to my mother, I broke about 50 glasses and bowls before I even turned 3. And Syd's only at broken bowl #2. She has a lot of catching up to do :-)
Okay, so tell me...my back is really hurting me right now. I have no idea what I've done to it and I've never suffered backaches like this in the past. I do have a minor nerve condition as a result of an old dance injury, but this is different. I think this might be old people's back pain! I'm 27, is that old enough? What do I do? Should I take an Advil? Should I use a heating pad? Do I even own a heating pad? Should I go and lie down? The next thing I know, my knee's gonna swell up the next time it rains...ho hum.
And why does my child keep getting out of bed? I think she wants to inflict more harm upon me. In the two hours that it took for me to bathe and put her to bed, she managed to kick me in my shin, slap me in my face and pull my hair on both sides at the same time...what did I do to deserve such abuse? And she did it with a smile on her face!
As Mother's Day approaches, can I get an AMEN on this comment? Being a parent is the hardest job in the world! And not because you're responsible for molding an educated, compassionate and ambitious human being who's going affect the future of the world....it's because it takes all of your might not leave them in Macy's, run away and never come back!
(Just kidding sensitive people....)
Lord, if I knew I was going to have such a spirited child, I would have prepared myself physically and mentally by going on some sort of retreat with a samurai like on Kill Bill Vol. 2. Who knew a little person like my beloved Syd Vicious could have such control over me? She somehow manages to eat nothing but chicken nuggets and waffles although I'm always careful to stock the house with healthy foods...She also manages to wear Pull-Ups (she just loves the cartoon characters on the front) without ever really using the potty! I'm beyond amazed...
So please...treat your mom right...get her a bottle of liquor, not a bottle of perfume.
But the large part of me is also reflecting on how almost 3 years ago, I gave birth to this beautiful, skinny, wrinkly little babydoll who was sucking away just looking food not even 20 seconds after she came out of my womb. I still can't believe she's mine...a sassy, smart little girl who infuriates me and makes me laugh all at the same time. A little girl who makes me play Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" while in the car over and over and over and over again...doesn't she have great taste? :-)
Okay, so I'm going to have a real Mom's Day this year. The last few years were spent catering to my mom and the other women in my family. But this year, I'm going to cater to me, especially since my own mom has to work. I'm going to eat enough junk for the both of us and watch some movies for the both of us, although my mom really doesn't watch anything but reality TV. I'm going to do this all alone...no child, no hubby, no worries...
Happy Mom's Day everyone!
So where did I get drunk? I found the best drinks on the Hotel Zone in an unexpected place. If you go down there, visit the NH Krystal Hotel, where we were dragged to a timeshare presentation. They load you up with lots of liquor (it was 9 am in the morning!) in hopes that you'll loosen up and say yes to their properties. But the numerous maragaritas and daquiris that I downed throughout the presentation only made saying "No" that much more fun...and I wasn't shy in asking them for more drinks afterwards :-)
Okay, so the last two days in paradise were just that...
On Thursday night, we embarked on a "Caribbean" cruise to the island of Isla Mujeres for dancing, food and games. Upon arriving on the boat, we were greeted by festively dressed dancers, rum punch and island music. As we set sail, we met our host who was dead ringer for George Lopez :-)
The crew didn't waste any time. The dancers had a in a conga line and doing all sorts of crazy dances. Soon it was a full-on party. Everyone was dancing with everyone else, and those who weren't dancing were at the bar taking advanrage.
20 minutes later, we got to the island which was adorned in stringed lights and straw huts. We were treated to a lovely buffet of regional and American food. It was a big mistake though for them to feed us before the show even started. By the time I we sat down in front of the stage, I could feel myself slipping away.
Before I knew it, a live brass band was blasting and the party started yet again. I asked Jamar to fetch some tequila shots for me and our friends to wake us up a bit. About 30 minutes later, Jamar was on the stage with the George Lopez look-a-like doing his best impressions of Michael Jackson and James Brown. And my loud, drunken self could be heard screaming in adoration for him over everyone. I was so proud of my husband!
He was in competition with a local who didn't know the words to the song "Tequila," and Texas native who didn't know the words to "YMCA" (for shame!) and a Japanese tourist who couldn't speak English. Hilarious! Suffice it to say that my hubby won the contest...and we got it all on tape! LOL :-)
On the ride back to Cancun, I got into a mini-battle with some drunk guy who thought he could vogue and do the robot better than me...be assured that I LET him win...
We also took bets on how long it would take for the guy's friend to pass out in his chair. We all lost because he managed to hold his own until we got off the boat...
The next day, we got up early and headed off to Xcaret, an ecological park near Riviera Maya. What a beautiful place. You can walk along and gaze at exotic animals, hang out on the beach, or swim through an undergroud river that's miles long. We did all three plus more.
We took pictures with parrots on our heads, wandered through an "ancient Mayan village" and watch dolphins do all sorts of cool tricks.
But the highlight of the evening was the show they had at the end of the day that featured traditional Mayan dancing, Mexican folklore, singing, etc. The costumes, the decorations. Just gorgeous! It's an expensive trip, but one you shouldn't miss if you head to Cancun.
It was truly the best day we had.
I'm back from Cancun and I must say that I had a better time than expected...
First things first...I cannot find the the cord that hooks up the digital camera up to my computer in order to download the 800 pics I took, so don't ask. But once I do, you'll be the first to know...
Second things second...you'll be suprised to know that I did not get overly drunk nor did I barf or get a hangover. This is a new "me" on vacation and I must say that I like it!
Okay, so here it goes...When we arrived in Cancun, the weather was surprisingly windy and partly cloudy. Too cool for swimming. This continued for another day and a half, which was fine with the hubby and I because we had a lot of catching up to do in the hotel room, if you know what I mean (wink, wink). :-)
We stayed at the Casa Maya Hotel, which has the look and decor of old Mayan ruins...the pool and beach areas are adorned with wood and straw huts...very Mexican chic...Our room was nice, but simple. The beds were like rocks...but that was okay because we weren't doing much sleeping, if you know what I mean (wink, wiink) :-)
THE FIRST TWO DAYS
We spent the first two days in Cancun sipping on cocktails (which to my shock weren't that good), hanging out at the beach and practicing our Spanglish. Friends of ours were staying at the Royal Sands, so we hopped over there for a day of volleyball in the pool. What was surprising to me was that every 3 out of 4 people we met while in Cancun were from CT! We just couldn't seem to get away! CT public schools had their spring break that week, so that explained it...
Anywho, before I continue with the iternary, let me paint a pic of Cancun. It's VERY touristy...if you wanted to eat at Burger King, McDs, Outback, or Bubba Gumps, it was all there. If you wanted to shop at Gucci, Esprit or Ferragamo it was all there. If we didn't venture out of the city and further into the Yucatan Peninsula during a couple of day trips, we would have thought we were in Florida. But more on that later...
Our first night out on the town was spent at Carlos and Charlies where I got to do the cha-cha with a couple of the bartenders and join a wicked conga line...The second night was spent at Margaritaville where I got a couple of shots crammed down my throat by some pushy waitress who then asked for $10 and a tip. How dare she! And I didn't even get tipsy!
We eventually did get tipsy enough to get henna tattoos done by some guy on the street (I got mine on my hand) which was supposed to last for three weeks. My tattoo came off before I even got on the plane to come home.
I had a load of laughs, but at that point, I wasn't too impressed.
Things went from so-so, to plain sucky. At Casa Maya, each room is NOT equipped with an iron or ironing board, so you have to call housekeeping. We were given a board that wasn't very sturdy, but we tried to make due because it took housekeeping about an hour to give it to us. I turned the iron on to get my cute outfit ready and ran into the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I came out, the iron was on the ground and it was burning a wicked hole into the carpet...
I thought to myself: Was this God's way of telling me that I should have stayed at home?
What was I going to do? What was the hotel going to say? Did I start a fire?
You'll have to find out in my next post...
So here's what loaded up on my Clix for this month...I always love a mixture of old and new because 1983 can never be topped by 2007. But let's start with the new:
Amy Winehouse -- "Back to Black": If you love Motown classics and all music from the old James Bond movies, you'll love this album. A great mix of classic R&B and blues with a dash of hip-hop and ska. Every single song is stellar.
What's most surprising about the album is that Amy doesn't always sing sweet love songs like her mod predecessors. She does tackle love gained and lost, but also she dashes in some very personal struggles like her depression and addiction to weed and alcohol. She has a very "I don't care" bad-ass attitude.
If you see pics her she's a skinny little thing (she has a known eating disorder history) with old sailor tattoos. skanky make-up and a ratty beehive. From listening to the album, you get sense that she might follow the path of greats before her like Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and Jim Morrison. But the torment makes the album infectious.
Favorite lines from the album:
"What kind of fuckery are you? Nowadays you don't mean dick to me...I might let you make it up to me...." - "Me and Mr. Jones"
"They tried to make me go to rehab, I said No, no, no. Yes, I've been black but when I come back, you'll know, know, know." - "Rehab"
"Tell your boyfriend next time he around, to buy his own weed and don't wear my shit down, I wouldn't care if he would give me some more, I'd rather him leave you than leave him my 'dro." -- "Addicted"
Amy's 2003 album "Frank" is not as good as "Back to Black" but still worth a listen. Her voice is more clear and sweet and the album has very jazzy hip hop feel, if that's your thing. Good luck finding it, though, because it was never released in the U.S.
J. Davey -- "J. Davey": J.Davey is a Los Angeles-based electro-funk-hip-hop-soul duo (if that makes any sense) that was unsigned until last month, but gained popularity by putting its demo on MySpace. Now I don't do MySpace, but luckily my brother does because I can't imagine not having this album playing in my ears every two seconds.
The lead singer Jack Davey (who's actually a girl) has a very nasal-y, but sexy voice, which goes great with the nasty, sex-pot lyrics. Take the lead song, "Division of Joy":
"Hey, don't you wanna lay here in the division of my joy/It could be so good for us, boy/Hey hey, come if you want to."
I almost fell out of my chair when I saw their first video for the single for "Mr. Mister," which can be found on YouTube. Jack is at the pool and at her office rubbing and kissing up on her man -- who happens to be a mannequin. Genius!!
Hip-hop soul doesn't get any better than J.Davey. Take it from my 2nd hubby Prince who invited them to open for him at a recent concert. I can't say much more about it, just go and listen!
Musiq Soulchild -- Luvandmusiq: I don't have much to say about this album except for the fact if you are a fan, you'll be in love with this new one. I was never a huge Musiq Soulchild fan, but this one allowed me to sniff around the straightforward R&B scene again. If you haven't heard "Buddy" you live in a hole. It's cute isn't it? But the ballads stand out on this album...
Now on some oldies but goodies:
Teena Marie -- "Square Biz": You can't help but smile and feel good with this funky track.
Mary Jane Girls -- "All Night Long": Mary J. Blige's version had nothing on the original.
Swing Out Sister -- "Breakout": Great jazzy tune...listen to the trumpets!
Andre 3000 -- "Spread": How could such a dirty song be so sweet?
Outkast -- "Spottieottiedopalicious": Damn, damn, damn JANE!!!
Lady Saw -- "I Got Your Man":The great riddim, plus Lady's sassy lyrics make a great combo.
Prince featuring Ani DiFranco -- "I Love You, But I Don't Trust You Anymore.": I wanna know who did my baby wrong? I'll scratch her eyes out!
D'Angelo: "Spanish Joint": Has a great Latin beat to get you ready for the summer...
Jill Scott -- "A Long Walk": She's one of my favorites....her lyrics are cool passion.
I picked up Timbaland's new album, but haven't sampled it yet. Will let you know what I think next time...
And is anyone a bit weirded out about the fact that Elephant Man has signed with Bad Boy?
Happy listening!
