life’s vexing questions: bert and ernie

THE PROBLEM

I recently sent out an email to several friends and family members, asking them three questions:

1. Do you like Bert or Ernie better?
2. Why?
3. How old are Ernie & Bert?

I thought that my blog would be an ideal medium for “publishing” the results of this little, informal survey.

But first, some background. For the last few months, I’ve been living with my sister while I figure out a more permanent place to live. About a week ago, she asked me whether I liked Bert or Ernie better. Her 4-year-old daughter had been watching Sesame Street and informed her mother (my sister) that “Ernie is always mean to Bert.” My sister was shocked by this response to the duo, and wanted to know what I thought about them; then, she wanted to know how old I thought they were. We disagreed on both points, and that sparked a friendly debate between us, in which her 14-year-old daughter soon joined. So I decided to take more decisive action.

By the way, my sister likes Ernie better, and I like Bert better. (It had never even occurred to her that some people might like Bert better, until her 4-year-old daughter brought it up.) She thinks that they are both around 6 or 7, and I think they are grown-ups, in their 20s or 30s.

THE RESULTS

So, here are the answers I got (including mine and my sister’s):

1. Do you like Bert or Ernie better?

Bert: 4

Ernie: 8

2. Why?

Bert: Bert is more responsible, level-headed, and sensible. Ernie is annoying; he moves in on Bert’s territory and doesn’t even seem to think about Bert’s feelings; he’s insensitive.

Ernie: Ernie is fun-loving and outgoing, likes to laugh and joke; he is creative and casual. Bert is too serious and stiff; he doesn’t see the fun side of life, he has boring hobbies (collecting bottle-caps, talking to pigeons), and he’s always bugging Ernie to grow up. Also, Bert is the “classic straight man” (which I completely agree with), which means you’re not supposed to like him as much (which I completely disagree with; does that mean that I’m not supposed to like Bud Abbott or George Burns? ‘Cuz I do!).

3. How old are Ernie & Bert?

4-12: 2

teens (13-19): 1

20s – 30s: 5

40s or older: 1

neither old nor young: 1

(P.S. Yes, I know that all the numbers don’t quite add up; that’s because some people had more than one opinion on one of the questions, and others didn’t answer one.)

THE CONCLUSION

Well, it appears that Ernie is generally more popular (although I found it very interesting to note that my closest friends preferred Bert, as do I).  Likewise, the general consensus is that they are in their 20s to 30s–but there is certainly room for doubt!

So, now I turn the question over to the rest of you out there. Whom do you prefer, and why? What age do you think Ernie & Bert are?

 

random thought

It never ceases to amaze me, just how much I can get done, or how little I can done in 24 hours. And “how much” or “how little” seems to depend solely on myself: my motivation and effort.

 

musical monday: motivation

(NB: I just discovered this post draft sitting around on my WordPress dashboard. I had no idea that I hadn’t published yet, so here it is now, for your enlightenment. I’ve already added two new songs to the list since I originally wrote the post, so I added those at the end of the list.)

I have recently started reading Og Mandino’s book The Greatest Salesman in the World three times a day. I find it a great motivator, to get me ready for the day and remind me to work my hardest. (See my new blog, The Year of Og, for more information about Og, the book, and my thoughts and experiences with it.)

Actually, I frequently listen to Og reading the scrolls from the book, which I have on both my computer and my iPod. I appreciate the extra flexibility that the audio recordings offer me: I can listen in the car, on the treadmill, or while getting ready in the morning. So a while ago, I created a whole playlist to listen to, with my current Og “reading” and several other songs that help me feel motivated and ready to take on the world. That way, when I’m finished listening to Og, I keep getting motivated, rather than switching over to the radio and who-knows-what.

So this week, I decided to share my “daily motivation” playlist with you, along with a few notes about each song.

• “Unwritten” (Natasha Bedingfield) “Feel the rain on your skin! No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in. No one else, no one else can speak the words on your mind.” Ah, so great! This one is currently my favorite, just because it syncs so well with my Og reading for the month, which you can read about on my Og blog.
• “Time of My Life” (David Cook) Last year’s American Idol winner is amazing, IMHO. I love the line in this song that says, “I’ll taste every moment and live it out loud.” It reminds me, in some ways, of the next song …
• “Little Wonders” (Rob Thomas) This song always makes me think of my newest favorite movie, Meet the Robinsons and the injunction to Keep Moving Forward. It also makes me think about the small moments in my life and how they are the foundation of my entire life. Which helps me remember to live each moment in the way that I want to live my overall life.
• “Good Vibrations” (The Beach Boys) Not exactly a motivational song, but it reminds me of a fabulous speech that Del Hargis gave last December, in which he talked about the fact that everything is energy and about the vibrations that that energy gives off. Helps me focus on creating good vibrations with my thoughts, which then  attract other good vibrations into my life.
• “Butterflies & Hurricanes” (Muse) You know I can’t create a playlist without Muse, right? This one reminds me, somehow, that it’s up to me to create the life I want.
• “I’m Still Standing” (Elton John) My old roommate and super-close friend once said I was a “closet Elton John fan.” I do like him, and this song also reminds me that I’m still going, even after some kind of crappy things that have happened — which, in turn, motivates me to keep going once more, even if I’m in the middle of something pretty crappy at the moment.
• “We Are the Champions” (Queen) Need I say more?
• “Typical” (Mute Math) Another one that reminds me of Del Hargis last December, since he played it for us then. I love that line, “Can I break the spell of the typical?” It helps me remember that if I want different results, I have to do something different.
• “Through Heaven’s Eyes” (Brian Stokes Mitchell) This song, from The Prince of Egypt, reminds me that even if my life seems insignificant, it is part of the great tapestry of the world, and that without me the pattern wouldn’t be complete. And, naturally, it also makes me think of how Heavenly Father views me and whether I’m progressing in the way that He and I both know I can.
• “When You Believe” (David Archuleta) Also from The Prince of Egypt, this song has long had the ability to make me cry when I’m in just the right mood. I love thinking about the Israelites crossing through the Red Sea, and all the miraculous that symbolizes in my own life. And I like Archie a lot, so I chose to use his version from season 7 of American Idol last year.
• “Eye of the Tiger” (Survivor) Another classic motivation song. Sometimes I actually throw a couple of fake punches, just to get in the mood! This one also reminds me of high school, when they would pump it through the PA system once a year when we were set to play our cross-town rivals, the Tigers.
• “America” (Neil Diamond) I got this from an iTunes Essentials playlist about change. I’m not particularly a Neil Diamond fan, but I have always liked this song. It makes me think of my ancestors, and so many others, who gave up their entire lives for the hope of a better one. And I think: If they could do it, so can I. I might not have to emigrate from my homeland, but there are plenty of other things I need to leave behind. I also like all the “Today!”s in the chorus, which remind me that I have to act now if I am going to accomplish anything.
• “The Impossible Dream” (Brian Stokes Mitchell) This is definitely my favorite version of this classic song. It might seem a little corny, but I really love the lyrics of this song. If I really think–I mean, really … think–about what it’s talking about, it can give me chills. I think that we are all meant to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks in this life, and this song reminds me that “the world will be better for this: that one man, scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last ounce of courage” to do one of those impossible things.
• “Give Me the Simple Life” (Jamie Cullum) Another great song from Meet the Robinsons. I’d never heard of Jamie Cullum until I saw that film, but I really love his voice. And I like this song’s up-beat, cheery rhythm, and the matching lyrics. “I dont believe in / frettin’ or grievin’ / Why mess around with strife?” Why, indeed? The longer I live and “the more I see of the world” (as Elizabeth Bennett would say), the more convinced I am that all I want is the simple life; I find great power in simplicity.

There you have it! I’d love to expand this playlist, so if any of you have suggestions about other songs that you find motivating, drop me a line!

 

ah, the joys of a new phone!

This post seems particularly ironic, given the subject of my last. But I got a new phone this week, and am so excited!

My old phone had all kinds of issues with texting, and it annoyed the heck out of me–especially since I do so much more texting now than I did two years ago, when I got that old phone.

My new phone is an LG Rumor, with full QWERTY keyboard, which makes texting much faster! And easier. And it doesn’t seem to freak out on me if I want to insert, say, a dash, hyphen, or apostrophe. That’s definitely a bonus.

Actually, my sister has had this same phone for a few years, and has always liked it. That was when I first decided I wanted a phone with full QWERTY keyboard. (And, since we’re already on it, may I just say: I love typing QWERTY. Try it. QWERTY. Pretty fun, huh?)

Sprint had a deal on until June 6th, where you could get this phone for about $30, after a $50 rebate. So, I had to pay about $80 up-front, but I’m looking forward to getting that check in the mail. And, based on delivery service of the phone, I am expecting that it may not take the full 10-14 weeks (that’s right–10-14!) that they say to expect before that check comes. They told me to expect 2-5 days before I got my phone–but it was here the next day! Wow. I was impressed.

If you want, you can take a look at the cheesy Rumor by LG website for more information. (I find it helpful to my sanity to turn off the music.) I got the black one (with a blue keyboard!), in case you’re curious.

 

voluntary simplicity … my newest interest

So, during the past year, I’ve been doing a lot of considering about my life and how I’m living it and what I would like to be different and how to change it. And I think I’ve found a name for all of this: voluntary simplicity.

Not that I coined that term myself. It’s a movement that’s taken hold in America (and, presumably, other countries) in recent years, and focuses on choosing to live a simpler lifestyle–largely by doing things yourself.

I found this during my most recent possessions purge–you know, that occasional time in life when you just feel the need to go through all the things you own and get rid of the junk that you either don’t need, don’t use anymore, or didn’t even want in the first place. It’s been quite freeing this time–and even marginally profitable, since I sold some things on Amazon–and it got me thinking more deeply about what exactly it is that I want in life.

I hopped on the internet (as I so frequently do in response to tough questions, including those of the soul-searching variety), started looking around at some information about minimalism, and then suddenly came across the term “voluntary simplicity.” Aha! I thought. That sounds like just what I’m looking for. And, indeed, so far it seems to be.

Since that day, I have come across two websites that I really enjoy, both dealing with different aspects of this lifestyle. I have found them both fascinating and enlightening, and would therefore like to share them with you:

• Choosing Voluntary Simplicity Shirley lives and works in New England, and has been living a voluntarily simple life for several years now. I enjoy her quotes of poetry, photos of flowers, and discussion of their simple, rural lifestyle–and I especially love her from-scratch recipes! They’re always tasty, simple, and usually quite fast.
• The Simple Dollar Trent lives in the Midwest (Iowa?) and writes about how to get your finances in order, both through frugal living and through personal financial planning.

I also just got thinking, since I keep the above sites bookmarked under “personal development,” that I ought to share my two other favorite personal development sites with you all:

• Og Mandino If you’re not familiar with Og already, you really should be. He writings can work wonders i n your life. And someday I’ll have to explain the theory behind why it works so well! But not now … that’s a post for another day.
• Steve Pavlina (Personal Development for Smart People) Steve has an incredible personal story, and I find his articles entertaining, profound, and eminently practical. I’ve used lots of his ideas to help me break old habits, create new habits, and generally keep myself motivated to continue working on it all.

So, after that short digression, I shall now move on to the real point of this particular post: my new “piggy” bank.

I have been thinking long and hard about my personal finance situation lately. And yesterday, while driving to church and then waiting for Sacrament Meeting to start, I got looking through the new Ensign, which included a few articles on the same subject. The more I have looked through the official counsel from Church leaders, the more I have been struck with the idea that I need to seriously start a savings fund.

I have found that goal rather daunting in the past, from the way that I’ve heard financial gurus talk about it. They say, for example, to save 10% of all your income, and to build a reserve of several months’-worth of expenses. Although I did save 10% of my income for a little while last year, I found myself spending it too easily–and, as a result, I had little to nothing saved at any given point. And after that, it seemed so overwhelming to try and save up an emergency fund of several thousand dollars (especially given my current salary).

But I have found hope in the LDS Church’s pamphlet “All is Safely Gathered In,” in which they counsel members to build their emergency preparation storage (both of food and of money) just a little at a time. Church leaders have recommended that we save just a little each week, even if it’s only a few coins.

As I have pondered that counsel, I’ve found that it’s a do-able goal. I often have spare change sitting around, or a few extra dollars left at the end of a week, and there’s nothing (reasonable) to prevent me from depositing that money in my savings account, to help build up a reasonable reserve to use in cases of emergency.

So tonight, I held my own, personal Family Home Evening, where I studied a little more about the necessity of building an emergency fund, along with advice from various financial counselors about how to build that reserve and what to use it for. (I am finding, personally, that it’s vital for me to define, specifically, which events qualify as an emergency and which don’t. Otherwise, I’m all too apt to decide that  it’s really essential for me to buy that new shirt that I love so much–even though I can easily do without it, and that’s not really what the Emergency Fund is for.) I particularly enjoyed this article: Saving for Greatness.

After that, I picked out an old, empty pint jar from my obliging sister’s storage room, and decorated it with some pretty paper, designating it as my collection jar for the E-fund. I decided to forego the slit in the lid, since I figured it was just as easy to unscrew the lide once or twice a week, and it wasn’t worth the effort of trying to safely punch that hole in.

I set the jar up on a shelf in my room, in a spot where I can see it easily and think of it often. And I have already donated a little over a dollar to the E-fund, which I plan to deposit in the bank at the end of the month.

 

Hawaii trip

It’s been well over a month since I returned from my recent (and first) trip to Hawaii, but I still wanted to share some of my notes about what we did. I wrote this out while we were in Hawaii, and it’s missing the last four or five days–but it still gives you some idea of what we did and how I liked it. NOTE: We left on March 18th, if memory serves. You can work out the rest of the dates from there.

Wednesday: Lots of flying. Saw a ship all lit up from the airplane when we got to Honolulu. It was dark, though, so we couldn’t see much else. L Rented a car from Budget, which I get to drive! J Almost asked for a convertible, but I didn’t think Mom would appreciate it as much as me, so I didn’t. Found our temporary home, in La’ie on the North Shore, just up the street from the Temple. It’s a cute little house, right on the beach, which is really nice.

Thursday: Travis tells me the bay we are “living” on is called Hukilau. For years, the locals in La’ie (who were almost all Mormon … La’ie has been a Mormon settlement for a long time) would gather once a week to fish in the bay using a large net that they would set out in a horse-shoe shape. They would then sell the fish to raise funds for the Church. They only stopped about 15 years ago, sometime in the 1990s, when the government started taxing them for it.

This was mostly a resting-up and settling-in day. Travis and Bernice went into Honolulu and did some shopping at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, and also wandered around Chinatown for a bit. The kids (especially Warner) were dying to swim in the water, but the lady we’re renting from, Sue, told us that they bay had been polluted by a recent storm and recommended that we wait a few days before swimming in it. So I took Porter, Byron, Mikaela, and Christian for a drive around the island. We went all the way up the North Shore and then down the western side to Hale’iwa, where we went inland, past the Dole pineapple plantation, down to Pearl City, and then back up the east coast and home to La’ie. It really is a beautiful drive, and we missed a lot of gorgeous views driving through the night.

Friday: Drove into Pearl Harbor to see the USS Arizona Memorial. The video they showed at the beginning was very touching. Jake Keck, my second cousin, is living here in La’ie for a while, so we took him with us. Afterward we went to lunch at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. They serve things with lots of rice and macaroni salad out here. After that, Mom and Jake and I drove to WalMart/Sam’s Club (they are in the same building) to pick up a few more things, and Travis’s family drove a little further, to Snorkel Bob’s in Waikiki, where they rented snorkel gear for the week. They were planning to snorkel in Waikiki, but once they got there, all the kids said they’d rather go home. So we did. Bernice and Travis took a few of the kids to Shark’s Cove to snorkel. They said it was pretty cool … until they got dashed against the sharp rocks! We watched Hawaii Five-O on TV.

Saturday: Mom and Bernice and I got up early and drove into Honolulu to shop at the swap meet that’s held at Aloha Stadium every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. I got a beautiful sarong, as well as a bracelet and a few necklaces. We also bought souvenirs for all the grandkids, and Mom bought some dried fruit and macadamia nuts to snack on. The swap meet took most of the morning, and then we went, again, to … Walmart/Sam’s Club! We ate lunch there, and Bernice picked up a few more groceries.

In the afternoon, I decided I wanted to swim in the ocean, so I donned my most hideous t-shirt and most water-friendly pair of pants (light-weight khakis) and went out there. Bernice came with me, in her swimsuit, and together we braved the waves. In the meantime, her family came walking back from their own adventure, and we stopped and talked with them about it for a while. They had waded out to Goat Island, a little island in the middle of Hukilau Bay. If you walk up the bay to the point, the water is fairly shallow, with coral at the bottom, and you can just walk across to the island. Travis had taken the kids out there and they spent most of the day there. About the same time they were coming back, Bernice had decided we should get out the snorkel gear and snorkel for a bit. Once she got it all together, she declared that she and I were going to snorkel to Goat Island! I hadn’t been expecting that, but I wanted to snorkel and I wanted to see Goat Island, so I agreed. We wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.

At the point where you can wade across the bay, the water is really too shallow to make snorkeling very pleasant. However, it was shallow enough for us to see the coral and other marine life at the bottom, which was really cool! I just about drowned when I first got brave enough to stick my head under there. I was so astounded at everything I could see that I tried to shout, “Holy cow!” and came up spluttering salt water out of my mouth. Since swimming wasn’t really practical in that water, we mostly “walked” our way across with out hands, grabbing hold of the coral with one hand at a time and then pulling ourselves forward; we also flippered some with our feet. J We made it across the bay and then around a really sharp point of the island—sharp in the sense that the island and that point in particular are formed out of lava rock—and then made a plan of action for how to get back. We decided we didn’t want to go back the same way we had come, so we shot for a longer route that would bring us more toward the middle of the bay. It worked all right. It still wasn’t very good for snorkeling, since it was too deep here to see anything—even though we could touch the bottom with our feet most of the time—but it was much smoother. Until we got close enough to the beach, that is, that floating, swimming, and snorkeling were all out of the question. See, the bottom here was still covered with that coral, which is not pleasant to step on. I know, because I tried. I took of my snorkeling flippers at one point, thinking I would just brave the rocks. That lasted about two steps. Then I had to try and put the flippers back on, which is not as easy as it sounds, when you’re sitting in the ocean, getting hit by wave after wave, with not enough water beneath you to ride the wave. Instead, you keep getting pushed down onto the ocean floor. It made for some rather entertaining floundering before I finally got those flippers back on. Of course, then the problem was how to walk with the flippers on my feet. I don’t know how those penguins do it, because it’s not easy to walk with flippers. But all this while, Bernice had been steadily working her way toward the shore by walking backwards. So that’s what I did, too. It worked, even though I felt a little silly. And even though it was very slow. But we did both make it back to the shore, back to our little house where we showered and doctored our battle wounds. It was definitely an experience to remember.

Sunday: We went to church at noon, next to the La’ie Temple. Actually, Mom and I got separated from Travis’s family, since there are two chapels next to the Temple, and we chose the one they weren’t going to. We didn’t realize what had happened until after Sacrament Meeting. We only stayed for the one meeting, and afterward went to the Visitor’s Center and then walked up to the Temple. We won’t be able to visit the Temple while we are here, since it’s under construction for some major renovation work. However, the rest of the family is planning to do baptisms for the dead at the Kona Temple on the Big Island this Friday. Or is it Saturday? I’m not sure yet whether we’ll be able to get me plane tickets to go out to the Big Island, so I may not get to the Kona Temple either.

After lunch on Sunday, we drove up the North Shore to Waimea, where we all got into Travis’s car (it’s an SUV) and drove up a steep mountain trail to the ruins of a Hawaiian heiau, or temple. It’s almost on a cliff, and you can walk out around it to see Waimea Bay below—and, if you’re lucky, to see whales off the coast. Bernice and Warner did see some, but the rest of us missed them. After that, we continued down the shore for a few more miles, to a place known locally as “Turtle Beach,” since lots of green sea turtles hang out here. We got to see three or four of them, just floating along in the water and occasionally coming up for air. It was pretty cool.

Monday: Tried to leave early again, so that we could get to Waikiki in time for our reservations on a sight-seeing submarine. Didn’t make it in time. They were very nice about getting us on the next tour, though. The sub was awesome—we got to see all kinds of fish down there, and even a sting-ray. And I learned (finally!) to pronounce the name of the Hawaii state fish: humuhumunukunukuapua’a. Sheesh, that’s a mouthful! However, I prefer another word, the longest Hawaiian name for a fish: lauwiliwilinukunukuoioi. Try saying that five times fast!

Again, we made our way to Walmart/Sam’s Club for some lunch and shopping. Then we drove up to Punchbowl, or the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. This military cemetery is built in a crater (so it’s shaped kind of like a punchbowl), and it is the final resting place of 28,000 veterans who lost their lives fighting in the Pacific arena during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In addition, there are 28,778 more names engraved on marble slabs, representing all those whose remains weren’t found. It’s an incredible sight.

Driving out of Punchbowl, we saw an incredible rainbow, right below us and arching over a valley right in the heart of Honolulu. We continued seeing rainbows all the way along the freeway out of town. Wow. No wonder they call it the Rainbow State.

We again watched Hawaii Five-O in the evening, and were excited to recognize Punchbowl in the opening credits! J

 

musical monday: mormon folk songs and hymns

I have been thinking a lot about the Mormon pioneers in the last week or so and–while this is by no means an exhaustive list–I wanted to share a few of the songs that always remind me of them. Only one of them, so far as I know, is strictly a Mormon folk song, but the others, as I said, remind me of the Mormon pioneers crossing the plains.

First are two songs that I know from the BYU Men’s Choir: “We’ll Shout and Give Him Glory,” and “Whoa, Haw, Buck and Jerry Boy.” You can listen to “We’ll Shout and Give Him Glory” on YouTube, though the video has nothing whatever to do with going to Zion, shouting and giving glory, or the BYU Men’s Choir. Oh, well. “Whoa, Haw, Buck and Jerry Boy,” on the other hand, is nowhere to be found online (at least not that I can tell), and I am sadly unable to upload it to my blog. This song was written by Mormons, for Mormons, about Mormons. I love so many things about the words, and I especially like the thought of my pioneer ancestors singing things like this to try and keep their spirits up while they walked or pulled handcarts to Salt Lake Valley.

Next is a song I first heard performed by the BYU Men’s Choir, but have since been unable to ever find a recording of it by them. I do, though, have a recording by the BYU-Idaho Men’s Choir, in which my brother was singing at the time.  “Whistle, Maggie, Whistle” is apparently beloved as a comic choral song, particularly in men-only choruses. There are a few versions available on YouTube, such as this one (although I think the BYU-I version is vastly superior). I’m not sure this song even existed when the pioneers were crossing the plains, but it still reminds me of them nonetheless.

Finally is a beautiful folk hymn that is widely known as a standard of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. “Bound for the Promised Land” (YouTube) is a classic American folk hymn, and I find the MoTab version particularly stirring–so much so that it often brings tears to my eyes. I can’t help but think of my pioneer ancestors and their feeling that they were, in literal truth, bound for the Promised Land–which then always makes me think of my own journey through life and my own quest for the Eternal Promised Land.

Below are the lyrics for all of these songs. Enjoy!

 

NATO phonetic alphabet

I’ve been helping out a friend of the family, doing some temp clerical work, for the past few weeks at an insurance agency. Whenever people call in and want a quote or something, I find it really hard to think of unique words that will clarify which letter we are talking about. It’s especially a problem when they give me VIN numbers for their cars.

So today I googled “alpha bravo charlie” and found a couple of useful and fun sites. First was  a simply laid-out chart of both the NATO (military) and Western Union phonetic alphabets. And at the bottom of that was a link to another nifty site, called Phoneticise.com, which will take any text you enter and phoneticise it for you!

Just thought I’d share.

 

dance music

OK, I know it’s been forever since I’ve posted anything on here. A part of me feels like I should apologize, but the rest of me doesn’t; I’ve been really busy getting some very important things settled in my life, and setting wheels in motion for other things. And that means that I’ve been pushing my blog to the back burner.

But tonight, I really wanted to share something about my new exercise discovery. See, I recently rented the movie Strictly Ballroom to watch with my sister. I’ve always loved the scene where Scott and Fran are dancing cha-cha to Doris Day’s “Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps” behind the curtain while the competition is going on in front of the curtain. Well, when the movie was over and I took it out and went downstairs to my own room, I found myself almost involuntarily dancing cha-cha while I walked. It made me remember just how much I enjoy dancing. I’ve never particularly been a performer, especially when it comes to physical things, and that’s mostly what has intimidated me about dance. But I love music and have a natural feel for the rhythms, and dancing is just one more way to appreciate both.

So, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could dance every day for my cardiovascular exercise?” And then I thought, “Surely someone must have made an exercise DVD like that.” So I looked it up online — and then I thought to myself, “Indeed they have! And don’t call me Shirley.” The only problem was, that I couldn’t afford to buy the DVD at the time; but the next I had an epiphany, and I found the DVDs I was interested in on Netflix! The first one came about a week ago, and I’ve used it for my daily exercise almost every day since then. And I love it!! It’s hosted by Lisa Rinna: Dance Body Beautiful, Disc 1 – Jive Jump Ballroom Bump. This particular DVD includes jive, cha-cha, salsa, and disco. I knew that I loved cha-cha already, but I was shocked by how much I love dancing disco! It’s a really simple dance, and I have so much fun rolling my hands and pointing my arm up in the air! It’s great.

Anyway, I wanted to ask for help. Today I took about a half-hour and pulled together a quick, short list of songs already on my computer that I can use to dance these dances. I had tons of appropriate jive music, and the cha-cha list is growing every time I listen to my music … but I still need some more songs for both cha-cha and disco. Any thoughts about songs I would be likely to own that would also be good for dancing cha-cha or disco?

I’m really wishing that I had “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Alas, alack.

 

musical monday: mute math

I’m a little late with this particular post, but at least I’m posting something, right? Today’s Musical Monday highlights the song “Typical” by Mute Math. I heard this last weekend during a training meeting in Boise, and I loved it.

Here you go:

Come on, can I dream for one day?
There’s nothing that can’t be done
But how long should it take somebody
Before they can be someone?

Cuz I know there’s got to be another level
Somewhere closer to the other side
And I’m feelin’ like it’s now or never
Can I break the spell of the typical?

Now I’ve lived through my share of misfortune
And I’ve worked in the blazing sun
But how long should it take somebody
Before they can be someone?

Cuz I know there’s got to be another level
Somewhere closer to the other side
And I’m feelin’ like it’s now or never
Can I break the spell of the typical?

I’m the typical
I’m the typical
Can I break the spell of the typical?

Because it’s draggin’ me down
Oh, I’d like to know about when
When does it all turn around?

Yeah I know there’s got to be another level
Somewhere closer to the other side
And I’m feelin’ like it’s now or never
Can I break the spell of the typical?

Break the spell (of the typical)
Break the spell (of the typical)
Can I break the spell of the typical?

I just love that line: “How long should it take somebody before they can be someone?”

As it turns out, Mute Math also have a song featured in the new movie Twilight … Didn’t especially love the movie, but I’ve found the soundtrack to be pretty darn amazing, so that tells me a little something about the band.

And, if you’d care for a little more info about the band, here’s the Wikipedia article on Mute Math.