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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!
