Thursday Thirteen #34 -- Musical Flashback to the 1980s

Thirteen Songs
THE GAL HERSELF
Partied to in the 1980s

Ah, the 1980s! This was the decade when I broke out of the dull, white bread cocoon I grew up in and learned how to really party … including booze and coke and dumping Mr. Right so I could sleep with Mr. Wrong. And I did it all to a great soundtrack.

This Old Gal is no longer a Wild Child. I’ve grown up and calmed down, which is a good thing since I have additional responsibility, more common sense and less stamina these days. But here are 13 of the songs that are on my iPod because they evoke powerful memories of the days when I could actually carry off big shoulder pads, leggings and impossibly high heels.

1. You May Be Right – Billy Joel. “You may be right, I may be crazy. But it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for. Turn out the light. Don’t try to save me.”

2. Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield. “You know I feel so dirty when they start talking cute. I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is probably moot.”

3. Head Over Heels – Go-Go’s. “Head over heels, where should I go? Can’t stop myself, out of control.”

4. The End of the Innocence – Don Henley. “I know a place where we can go to wash away their sin. We’ll sit and watch the clouds roll by and the tall grass wave in the wind.”

5. Call Me – Blondie. “Cover me with kisses, baby, cover me with love. Roll me in designer sheets, I’ll never get enough.”

6. Miss Me Blind – Culture Club. “I say you’ll miss me, and you always do. I say you’ll miss me, now would I lie to you?”

7. Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran. “I’m on the hunt, I’m after you. Mouth is alive, juices like wine. And I’m hungry like the wolf.”

8. Missing You – John Waite. “There’s a storm that’s raging through my frozen heart tonight. But I ain’t missing you at all.”

9. One Thing Leads to Another – Fixx. “Do what they say, say what they mean. One thing leads to another. You told me something wrong, you know I listen too long.”

10. Rock this Town – Stray Cats. “We’re gonna rock this town, rock it inside out. Rock this town, make ’em scream and shout.”

11. Everybody (Wants to Rule the World) – Tears for Fears. “Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure. Nothing ever lasts forever. Everybody wants to rule the world.”

12. Somebody’s Baby – Jackson Browne. “She’s probably somebody’s only light, gonna shine tonight. Yeah, she’s probably somebody’s baby tonight.”

13. Little Red Corvette – Prince. “Move over, baby, give me the keys. I want to try to tame your little red love machine.”

LATE REVISION: I just kinda threw these up Wednesday afternoon and made more than one typo. Sheesh! My apologies to the composers.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Go with Nicholas on another excursion into the world of socks (if you dare!)

2. It's time to start the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to get things started at Country Dawn's Muppet TT

3. Nap Warden shares her favorite board games

4. Malcolm tells us which stars were game show contestants back in the day

5. You're gonna be jealous of Impworks' plans or his time off

6. Visit Jenny McB to find out the difference between this 'n' that, 13 x over

7. Sandee's quotes are sure to make you smile

8. No Nonsense Girl takes us through a patch of bad times, the kind we can all relate to

9. Lori has an uncompromising, brand-name TT

10. What Works for Us is an interactive TT, so go place your vote

11. Wylie's TT is hot

12. Nicole updates us on her literary agenda

13. Emmyrose tells us what our bosses REALLY mean in our performance reviews

14. Janet shares her photography

15. Bradley Egel celebrates Sammy's first birthday

16. Bucknaked Politics takes on censorship this week

17. Xakara is grateful for these 13 things

18. Cecily R shares some funny real-life quotes

19. If Siani ran the world, houseflies and 12 other things would be in trouble

20. Head Gaggler addresses the sleep deprived

21. Ann teaches us to speak Southern

22. LA Day shows us some gorgeous examples of the male form

23. Carrie Lofty has an exceptional pop music TT devoted to the Police

24. Joy T's TT is random but fun to read

25. Mama Pajama has 13 adorable children's books

26. Amy tells us all about a subject she's the undisputed expert on


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A Gift from Kwizgiver

Doesn't that sound friendlier than, "Stolen from Kwizgiver?"

MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Thousand Island or French

Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. Parky's Hot Dogs

Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. Brasserie Jo

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. 15% to 20%

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A. Eggs

Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. Double cheese, or sausage

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A: Strawberry jam is my most favoritest


TECHNOLOGY
Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A: CDs covers from music I purchased on iTunes

Q. How many televisions are in your house/apartment?
A: 2

BIOLOGY
Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right-handed. Pathetically, emphatically right-handed.

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. Yes. And that's as much as you want to know.

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. About 5 years

Q. What is the last heavy item you lifted?
A. 24-can pack of Coke

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. No

BULL[CRAP]OLOGY
Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. Absolutely not

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. I'd change my last name … to Clooney

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Green

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. Not as an adult. As a child I had a fondness for chewing on the erasers on the end of my pencils and more than once, one went down

Q. Have you ever saved someone's life
A. No

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. No

DAREOLOGY
Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. Sure. But tongues would cost you more

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000
A. No. (Didn't I see this on an ancient episode of the Twilight Zone with Steve McQueen?)

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. For $50,000, y'all would never see another musing again!

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A: Oh come now, who would ask me?

LASTOLOGY
Q: Friend you talked to on the phone?
A: Kathleen

Q: Last person who called you?
A. Kathleen (same conversation)

Q: Person you hugged?
A: Don't recall

FAVORITOLOGY
Q: Number(s)?
A: 7

Q: Season
A: Fall

CURRENTOLOGY
Q: Missing someone?
A: Yes

Q: Mood?
A: Bored, anxious

Q: Listening to?
A: Coco, by Colbie Caillat (my favorite new CD)

Q: Watching?
A. Nothing right now (I'm at work)

Q: Worrying about?
A: My lunatic sisters (see previous post)

RANDOMOLOGY
Q: First place you went this morning?
A: Bathroom

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: Watch the Cubs at 7:05

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A: Bourne Ultimatum

Q: Do you smile often?
A: Yes. Not always sincerely.e

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: Not really.

This isn't a tagging kinda meme, but if you participate, let me know so I can check your answers.

Who are these people?

That's how I often feel about my sisters. One older, one younger, different from one another, sure as shit different from me … and both incredibly annoying. I wonder how we all slid from the same womb.

My older sister is highly competitive. She has to be the best. "Good enough" is not good enough. She never understood that Sunday School story about not having to blow out someone else's candle to have yours burn brighter. She believes in stomping out other candles just to make sure hers is the brightest. Fortunately God made her the prettiest. That has sustained her through some of life's rough spots.

UNfortunately, her world is filled with mere mortals. People who not only don't reach her high standards, they don't appreciate her fabulousness. Right now the most unforgivably mortal person in her life is her 18-year-old daughter. The poor kid has never been good enough and, consequently, has never been trusted to make her own decisions about anything. Her teen years have been turbulent, filled with passive-aggressive rage. She became a cutter and attempted suicide twice. Last week, my sister came home to find her daughter's room completely empty. Clothes, meds, phone, ipod … all gone. My niece texted her mother more than once, letting everyone know that she's safe and that she's crashing with friends, including their names in one of her messages. I don't consider this running away. Maybe running for her life, but not running away.

I cannot express how angry all this has made my older sister. A less-than-perfect daughter was sooooo not in her plan! A daughter who rejects the life my sister wants for her is soooo not acceptable! So she has done the only thing a crazy drama junkie could do: she has hired a private detective to track down my niece and bring her home.

I predict this will be the easiest case her detective has ever had. They know who she is living with and they have the license plate of the car she's driving. Doesn't require Hercule Poirot, does it?

I resent how much this is worrying my mother, who loves her grandchildren very much.

My baby sister has quite the sense of entitlement. Her husband lost his job in July. Here it is, mid-September, and he hasn't found another job yet. There are those out there (like me) who feel that perhaps my sister should work. She is able-bodied and both of her children are in school.

Excuse me? What could she possibly do? She has no college degree. She can't be an advertising writer (like me) or a CPA (like our older sister). Does the world expect her to work at the mall or something? Well, yes.

Things are getting fiscally rather dire in their household. She has reacted to it the only way the baby of the family, used to having things done for her, could: they let their expensive COBRA elapse so that neither she, nor her husband, nor her children have any health insurance. Why do they need that, anyway? After all, they have me, my mother and our uncle to come through as reliably as ATMs.

I not only resent how much this worries my mother, who is terrified that the kids are going to get sick or that they will become another mortgage foreclosure statistic, I resent it on my own behalf. I helped out with back-to-school supplies and clothes for the kids, but until my baby sister gets a job, my wallet is staying shut this time. I have my own retirement and security to consider.

All this is weighing very heavily on me. While my sisters infuriate and annoy me, I worry about their children. Kids don't choose the breaks they get. And I hate the toll it's taking on my mom. It's not fair.

It's also confusing. I work very hard to not be a victim. To be responsible. To put others first when the situation calls for it. These are choices I've made. I'm just as selfish, just as lazy, as they next person. It takes effort to be the woman I want to be.

I look at my sisters and ask, "Who ARE these people?" I simply don't understand them. Nor, I suppose, they me.