My friend Jamie had this on her blog a few days ago, and I thought it was cute. So, here I am, on a cold, cloudy Sunday afternoon, passing it on to you...
AAAA: Age, 26 BBBB: Bed size, Queen CCCC: Chore I dislike most: Toss-up between taking out the trash and watering the plants DDDD: Dogs: Perhaps the only person in America who's never had one and doesn't particularly want one EEEE: Essential start to my day: Great tunes and The Morning Mash-Up FFFF: Favorite color: Green GGGG: Gold or silver: Preferably both, woven together a la David Yurman HHHH: Height: 5' 6.5" IIII: Instruments I play: Piano and violin, and I played a mean trumpet in the 7th grade band JJJJ: Job: Student KKKK: Kids: Here's hoping I SOON have a job where I can have about 250 every day... LLLL: Live: Columbus, MS MMMM: Mom's name: Libby NNNN: Nickname: Spring, Springsteen, Springmaid, Springback, Springtime... you get the idea OOOO: Overnight hospital stays: Thankfully, none PPPP: Pet peeves: People who, when asking for my signature, ask for my 'autograph'... give me a break. QQQQ: Quote from a movie: Although movie quotes probably make up a good 58% of what comes out of my mouth, I'll have to go with "We're gonna hold things down..." from Father of the Bride RRRR: Right/Left: Right SSSS: Siblings: Not a one TTTT: Time I wake up: Depends on how many times I hit snooze... but it should be 6:00 a.m. UUUU: Underwear: Present VVVV: Vegetables I dislike: Cabbage WWWW: What makes me run late: The aforementioned hitting of the snooze XXXX: X-rays I've had: Left wrist, Right knee, Chest YYYY: Yummy food I make: My specialties in the kitchen are broccoli salad and corn dip (surprisingly, neither requre previous culinary training... weird?), but I do make a pretty great take-out order... ZZZZ: Zoo animal: Although I don't really understand this question (am I supposed to say one I like? Or one I look like? Or one I'd like to be? Or just the first one that pops into my head?), I'll go with lion... long live Sir Fidel.
Just a few days ago, I finished reading Jodi Picoult's latest book, Sing You Home. I am a huge fan of Picoult's writing, and, while, for a number of different reasons you can read here, this wasn't my favorite of her books, it still got me to thinking. One of the central characters in the book is a music therapist, and, during one of her narratives, she writes, "The music we listen to may not define who we are. But it's a damn good start." She goes on to ask the reader, "What songs would be on a mix tape that describes you?" I know this might come as a surprise to some of you--NOT--but I couldn't just read that and blaze on to the next page. I immediately had to stop and jot down the first few meaningful songs that came into my head, and, by the time I finished the book a few days later, I had my playlist finished, too. It's, admittedly, a little lengthier than I originally intended, but every song, every piece of music included in this list means something special to me. It might recreate a memory; it might plant a special person beside me; it might reignite a feeling buried deep inside; it might make me grab my hairbrush and hideously attempt to belt out the high notes; it might drive me straight out of my seat and straight onto the dancefloor. It might do a lot of things; but one thing's definite: something will happen for sure. So, here lies the stuff I can play on repeat. Here lie the songs I know by heart. Here lies the music that brings me to life.
Billie Holiday: They Can't Take That Away from Me Alan Silvestri: Annie's Theme from Father of the Bride Pitbull: Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor) Queen Latifah: When You're Good to Mama from Chicago Cat Stevens: Peace Train Brandi Carlile: Dreams Matchbox Twenty: Bright Lights Sister Hazel: All for You Crash Test Dummies: Mmh Mmh Mmh Jerry Goldsmith: Tryouts from Rudy Vitamin String Quartet: Hallelujah Chris Rice: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Honestly Sincere from Bye, Bye Birdie Sarah Maclachlan: Song for a Winter's Night The Outfield: Your Love John Mayer: Edge of Desire The Beach Boys: Wouldn't It Be Nice Robert Preston: You Got Trouble from The Music Man The Hollies: Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) Black Eyed Peas: Rock That Body Pat Green: Wave on Wave Phillip Keveren: A Might Fortress is Our God/Trumpet Voluntary Judy Garland: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Lil Jon and LMFAO: Outta Your Mind What You Own from Rent Coldplay: Fix You KC & The Sunshine Band: Boogie Shoes R. Kelly: Ignition (Remix) Stevie Wonder: Uptight (Everything's Alright) Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenowith: Defying Gravity from Wicked Girl Talk: Down for the Count Otis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness Sara Bareilles: Gravity The Four Seasons: Let's Hang On Train: Get to Me The World Will Know from Newsies Run D.M.C.: It's Tricky Dave Barnes: Until You John Mayer: Not Myself Erin McCarley: Love, Save the Empty Reliant K: Be My Escape David Cook: I'm Alive Haley Westenra & Conventus Choir: May It Be Dario Marianelli: Briony from Atonement Tim Myers: Brand New Day Stevie Wonder: For Once in My Life Black Eyed Peas: Alive Mamas and the Papas: Creeque Alley Nat King Cole: Smile The Proclaimers: I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) Chris Rice: Great is Thy Faithfulness Brooke White: Every Breath You Take Billy Joel: Piano Man Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor & Gene Kelley: Good Morning from Singin' in the Rain Miranda Lambert: White Liar Glee Cast: Happy Days are Here Again/Get Happy MC Hammer: U Can't Touch This All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera All-American Rejects: Don't Leave Me Miles Davis: It Never Entered My Mind Kenny Chesney: The Good Stuff Elvis Presley: Suspicious Minds Consider Yourself from Oliver! Nick Perito: The Green Leaves of Summer from Inglourious Basterds Keith Urban: Somebody Like You Fleetwood Mac: Go Your Own Way Something There from Beauty and the Beast Reliant K: The Best Thing Train: When I Look to the Sky Sonny & Cher: I Got You Babe Fergie: Glamorous Jay-Z/Linkin Park: Jigga What/Faint Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody Lifehouse: Somewhere in Between Black Eyed Peas: My Humps Jim Sturgess: All My Lovin' Out Tonight from Rent Carly Smithson: Blackbird Tag Team: Whoomp! There It Is John Mayer: Heartbreak Warfare Ray LaMontagne: You are the Best Thing David Elder & Kate Levering: Young and Healthy from 42nd Street Itzhak Perlman: Tango (Por Una Cabeza) from Scent of a Woman Celine Dion: A New Day Has Come Tchaikovsky: Op. 20/10-Scene from Swan Lake Barbra Streisand: I'd Rather Be Blue Over You (Than Happy with Somebody Else) from Funny Girl
So, like I said, I know it's a bit lengthy, but... well, perhaps I got carried away and just couldn't stop. If you know me well, you probably realize this kind of activity is right up my alley, so my excess playlist shouldn't really come as a surprise. It was awfully fun, though. If you have a bit of extra time, try one for yourself. I'm not laying down a gauntlet or challenge or anything, so don't feel at all pressured to top my 80+ songs, either. Repeat: I. Got. Carried. Away.
I always think it's so weird how one minute you're in one place and, then, you turn around and, before you know what's happened, you're in a totally different place. (I guess that's sort of what has happened on this blog, huh? When last I wrote (2 unforgiveable months ago!) things in my life looked one way, and, now, things have shifted slightly. More about all that another night, though.) I always get that feeling really strongly when returning home from a trip. It's just tough for me to process that, say, in the morning I'm in Chicago, but, by nightfall, I'm getting gas in my car at the Shell station a mile from my house. How could such a transition come about so quickly? How it happen that I blinked, and the magical became the mundane?I felt that way Sunday when I arrived home from New Orleans, where I had been for Amanda's bachelorette party. It just didn't seem right when I pulled into my driveway that barely twelve hours before I had been dancing the night away on Bourbon Street.
Anyway, enough philosophizing, yes?
The weekend was great, and I had such a good time celebrating the upcoming wedding of one of my favorite friends. We spent Saturday walking around the French Quarter and soaking up the culture that belongs solely to The Crescent City. After a great lunch (shrimp po'boy, of course!) and some sightseeing, we laughed away several hours (and a few hurricanes) at Pat O's piano bar before catching the St. Paddy's Day parade coming through the Quarter. After a great afternoon, we headed back to the hotel to don our fabulous (read: ridiculous) 80s paraphernalia and get ready to take on The Big Easy. After a long dinner at Cafe Degas, we headed for--where else?--Bourbon Street. I had so much fun laughing and dancing and people-watching with these fun girls, and our Madonna bride was definitely a hit (which is saying something for a city where everyday could be like Halloween!)!
I was sad to see the weekend (and my Spring Break) come to an end when we headed home Sunday. How could you not have a great time in a city where the group, including a pregnant girl, mind you, decked out in only the most hideous trends of the 80s is not even anywhere near the craziest thing you'll see?
In an aside before I close, please allow me to highly recommend a new restaurant I went to in Jackson Friday night--Babalu. The place was sooooo good!! Great atmosphere, great design, great, great food! (I'm all for a restaurant that makes a huge batch of fresh guacamole right at my table.) If you're in the Jackson area and haven't tried this place out yet, I highly recommend it. Happy Tuesday!
