My Life's Movie Soundtrack

When my friend Rich decides to do a meme, it's usually a good one. He didn't disappoint this time--enjoy...

My life's movie soundtrack!

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...

Opening Credits:
"Same," Snow Patrol. This is appropriate since I was born in a nastyass blizzard in northern Wisconsin. I'm not sure if this is the one that buried my mom and dad's house (poor Mom--this is what she moved to from Honduras), but allegedly it was a bad one. (Oh, and yes, there is a northern Wisconsin, and it is even more prone to nastyass blizzards than southern Wisconsin.) Anyway, the opening lyrics are, "Maybe somewhere else/ Will not be half as cold as me...."

And here's the second verse: "Hold me in your freezing arms before we have to go/ Bent a little but it's not because I know the truth/ The windsheild of your little car is frosted through the glass/ The clear heart of air appears as we shiver on the seats"

Poor baby Tracy....

Waking Up:
"Taking Over Me," Evanescence. I'm not sure what a song about obsessive love has to do with being a baby, but perhaps I was a clingy child....

First Day At School:
”Wellington's Victory, Op. 91, "Victory Finale," Beethoven (Baby Einstein version). I wonder whether Maggie's music on my iPod should count for this exercise. Oh, well, it says not to cheat, and Baby Einstein music is appropriate for childhood. Now if it turns up later, say when I get married....

Falling In Love:
"Voodoo Games," Daughter Darling. As long as this is not supposed to be with Jose, this is probably fine, because a) it's a dark, depressing, melodramatic song (Your voodoo games/ I cannot take/ Insanity, control and hate/ I want you to/ Just let me be), and b) I was a bit of a drama queen when I was young.

Fight Song:
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" The Lion King Musical Soundtrack. Why such a weenie fight song? Because I am a pacifist and don't like violence, that's why.

Breaking Up:
"Even Flow," Pearl Jam. What breaking up has to do with a homeless, illiterate, and slightly crazy man, I have no idea. Unless my iPod is trying to describe one of my exes in an attempt to tell me I am better off without him. (Not that this is an issue, iPod. But thanks for the reinforcement.)

Prom:
"Vittoria!" Verdi (triumphal march from "Aida") OperaBabes. Of COURSE the most embarrassing elements from my collection would come flying out. Anyway, why was prom triumphant? Because my nerdy band-and-drama-geek self actually had a date? Maybe that's it....

Life Is Good:
"Killer (Orbit Remix)," Seal. Despite the misleading title, "Killer" is actually quite the happy song, and the bouncy Orbit Remix makes it even happier. It's all about overcoming negative events and living our lives "they way we want to be." This is because Seal is an even bigger pacifist hippie than I am.

Mental Breakdown:
"Represent, Cuba," Orishas feat. Heather Headley. OK, this is all wrong. This one is just about dancing to Cuban music. Maybe my mental breakdowns are all centered around Jose (the world's only Cuban boy with zero rhythm).

Driving:
”Wow," Snow Patrol. Umpteen bajillion songs on my iPod, and it keeps coming back to Snow Patrol. It is about hitting the road ("Don't be scared of anything at all/ Everything we have is all we need"), so it works, sort of.

Flashback:
"Love's Divine (Deepsky Remix)," Seal. What? I broke up with a homeless, illiterate, slightly crazy man, and now you're telling me that in a flashback, Love's Divine?! Now you're just messing with me, iPod, and I don't like it. Not one bit. I'm half-tempted to trade you in for a flashy new 80 GB model with a video screen, that's how much I am NOT enjoying your sense of humor....

Getting Back Together:
"You Live On in My Heart," Ennio Morricone (from the soundtrack to Cinema Paradiso), OperaBabes. OK, so my life so far is in a Snow Patrol, Seal, and OperaBabes rut. Since Jose and I never broke up and got back together, I can only assume it's the homeless, illiterate, and slightly crazy man I dated who lives on in my heart.

Wedding:
"Benediction and Dream," Lila Downs (opening song from the soundtrack to Frida). This totally works! There, honey, even iPod says we're meant to be, despite the homeless man in my heart. I'm so glad we didn't get Nirvana's "Dumb" or something like that.

Paying The Dues:
"Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)," Sting. Well, I've never stolen a car, and I've never had an affair with a married man, but perhaps my iPod is being metaphorical. Although given Jose's tragic lack of rhythm, perhaps these lyrics are appropriate: "Please take me dancing tonight/ I've been all on my own/ You promised one day we could/ S'what you said on the phone." Because never going dancing is the price you pay for marrying the world's only Cuban boy without rhythm.

The Night Before The War:
"Tourniquet," by Evanescence. Seems appropriate, considering there's a war.

Final Battle:
"Mahna Mahna," Cake. Yes, it's THAT Mahna Mahna, the one you saw on the Muppet Show in days of yore. I'm not sure what this means, unless I'm destined to get into a scat war with a muppet, but it's pretty darn funny.

Moment of Triumph:
"Love's Divine" (again, but the real version, not the remix), Seal. Looks like I get the best of the muppet.

Death Scene:
"Weep No More, Sad Fountains," Sting with Edin Karamazov on the lute. You know, this is horribly appropriate for a death scene. Well played, iPod.

Funeral Song:
"Cry Me a River," Justin Timberlake. BWAH-HAHAHAHAHAHA! This is so TOTALLY going to be my funeral song! And I want the pallbearers to stop and vogue every time JT goes, "HIM!" in that awesome falsetto. I am so loving this! iPod, you are a genius. "OH! The damage is done, so I guess I be leaving...."

End Credits:
"The Taming of Smeagol," London Philharmonic. Despite the slightly offensive title (not sure what I have to do with a bug-eyed hairless man who eats raw fish, iPod), the song does have a nice elegiac quality to it. I left shuffle on, and iPod ended with the acoustic version of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," by Tears for Fears and then inexplicably stopped shuffling. So I'm thinking my end credits are long enough for two songs, and this song is a good one for al fin.

OK, your turn. Have fun!

The Psychology of Car Color

So I found this interesting article on AOL--which was quoted from the “Fun at Work” blog by Robin Thompson who quoted from an article in the June 20th 2005 edition of the Register-Herald in Beckley, West Virginia ... Oh, wait. I'm looking at the article again, and it said it got it's information from ColorMatters.com. PEOPLE! Stop it. Just stop.

Anyway, according to whomever, a UK study by an unidentified source (ARGH! ARGH!) noted that there are distinct characteristics common to people who choose certain colors for their cars. I'm always game for a cheap personality test, so I, of course, glommed right onto it.

I tend to stick to two colors when it comes to cars--red or, if red isn't available, black. I also love British racing green, but I've never been able to afford a car that looks awesome in that color. Or even comes in that color. My beloved Scion XB now comes in a shockingly acidic shade of lime, but no racing green.

So it was interesting to see that this study (which I could go dig up, but I'm feeling too lazy) showed that "the most dangerous drivers" tend to drive black cars. They allegedly have an aggressive personality or are someone who's a rebel.

I think I'm a pretty good driver. I can be a little aggressive, but only in that I shout at other drivers when I'm alone in the car, or when they nearly kill me and mine. Which, in my current home city, is more often than any place I've ever been. But when it comes to my driving, I like to keep things nice and safe. Rebel? Maybe a bit.... OK, maybe more than a bit, in some ways, but it's not like I've pierced my entire face and am running around with magenta hair or anything. But, according to this study, black car=aggressive, rebellious crazy person.

The second most dangerous drivers tend to drive silver cars. (My grandparents have always, and I mean, ALWAYS driven silver cars, generally with maroon interiors.) Silver car drivers are "calm, cool, and aloof. (Except in the case of my grandparents who are indeed calm, but not cool (in an icy way), and DEFINITELY not aloof.) So basically, silver car=serial killer.

Green cars represent eco-friendliness and life, though these drivers may choose their green car to manifest severe jealousy, inexperience, and hysterical tendencies. Green=needy whack job who recycles.

Yellow "is sunshine and denotes a happy person," but also is the color of cowardice and deceit. However, yellow cars can be idealistic and novelty loving. So, yellow=pathological liar disguised as happy idealist.

Apparently, the only good people in the world drive blue cars. Blue represents strength, steadfastness, and friendliness. People in blue cars are more introspective and cautious. Blue=friendly.

Oh, wait, good people drive gray cars as well. Gray car drivers are calm, sober, dedicated to their work, and seldom show strong emotion. Gray=boring.

My absolute favorite car color, red, "is Cupid and the devil." (I'm not kidding--that's what it says.) People in red cars are full of zest, energy, and drive. They think, move, and talk quickly. SO red car=fun, energetic person OR the devil. (Heh.)

Pink cars are driven by gentle, loving, and affectionate drives. Pink=sweet person or Mary Kay saleswoman.

White is my father's favorite car color. White represents cleanliness, purity, and innocence. (I can hear Dad snorting now.) White car drivers are the second safest on the road, and they are also status-seeking extroverts. (Dad's neither status-seeking nor the most extroverted person in the world. He and I are quite alike--we're introverts who can fake being extroverted until we're genuinely comfortable.) So white=extroverted snob.

The safest drivers allegedly choose cream-colored cars. These drivers are "contained and self-controlled." Cream=REALLY boring.

Basically, I think someone in the UK just drives a blue car and hates everyone else. But for your amusement, I thought I'd share....

And There Was Much Rejoicing...

My book's turned in,
My work is done,
It's been five months since I've had some fun.
My kids and I should hit the road,
If re-reading doesn't make my head explode.

And there you have solid evidence of two things:

1) I suck at poetry. Even purposefully bad poetry.

2) I should never blog when I've had six hours of sleep in three days. Punnnnnnchyyyyyyyyyyy.

In celebration of my turning in the biggest piece of dreck known to humankind (I'm told I always feel this way about my books when I first finish them. But this time, I'm not kidding. Seriously, Sharron.), here are five things I am going to with the rest of my week, in addition to wrapping up some stuff with my day job:

1) Call or email all friends I have alienated by ignoring due to nightmarish book deadline piled on top of nightmarish work deadlines piled on top of repeated attempts not to be the Worst. Mother. Evah;

2) Excavate my house from under giant pile of abandoned goldfish crackers, tacky catalogs, and plastic grocery store bags that have accumulated in the last two weeks;

3) Watch and return the NetFlix DVDs I've had since, oh, the beginning of time, I think;

4) Call all friends who are on deadline and cackle manically into the phone, then hang up;

5) Create health-food regimen to detox from week-long diet consisting solely of Diet Coke and Veggie Tales Fruit Gummies.

And now I'm off to bed. Blissful, deadline-free, lovely bed. Good night, Minneapolis! (Or wherever you are.)