Dancing Fiend

Here he is! My baby, the dancing fiend. He'd rather dance than eat. It's my mother's fault, she's the one that taught him to do it. I've had my baby for eight years now. I can't imagine my life without him. His favorite food is bannanas and peas. His favorite song is Battle Hymn of the Republic. (Also my mother's fault). His favorite pastimes include playing peekaboo and dancing. Keep watching the video, he will start dancing--I promise!

What a Way to Start the Day

Many of you already know that I’ve been in the throws of moving and selling my house. Everything I own had to be boxed, labeled and moved in mass, via Uhaul. The last couple months I’ve used the trunk of my car as a temporary storage for just about everything. Really early this morning, I went out to see if I could empty some of the junk out of my trunk and tried to pull out an old Halloween costume. It had a staff with skulls and batwings decorating it. It looked like something a death lord might weld. As I was pulling it out of the pile at the bottom of my trunk, the button on the front of it was accidentally pushed and the whole thing came to life, with whirring motors and flashing, spinning lights. It was still pretty dark out at the time so the whole show was kind of impressive. I tried to find the button to turn it off, but it was hidden in the decorative skulls and hard to find. I couldn't get the stupid thing to turn off!

I’m glad no one is around to see this, I thought, glancing over my shoulder.

That’s when I saw the jogger behind me. Slack-jawed, he stared at me and this flashing skull staff like he thought I might have just escaped from the underworld myself. Oops. What are the odds someone would happen by just at that particular moment? I swear I’m cursed.

I turned and forced myself to casually walk back into my house, still carrying the staff. The man continued his jogged up the block, both of us trying to pretend nothing had happened.

The Favorite Toy

A friend of mine recently celebrated her son’s sixth birthday. Her little boy wanted a certain present and nothing else in this world would do. Her story reminded me of a birthday I celebrated when I was back in elementary school. I knew what I wanted for my birthday. I’d seen it on TV and I was determined to have it, do or die. My parents took me to Toy R Us on my birthday and I ran over to the isle displaying the toy of my dreams. My parents were stunned when they saw what it was—especially my father. He tried to talk me out of getting it, in fact, but I would not budge. No one could have been happier than I was as we walked away with my newly purchased toy. I slept with it, took baths with it and took it with me everywhere I went. Over time, I literally loved it to pieces. Its head eventually fell off and that was the end of it. I was infinitely sad over its loss (even if my father wasn’t). So what was this favorite childhood gift? Click the link below to see the original commercial that lead me to covet this oh so wonderfully desirable toy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdS9ZJ_Wf4k

I look back in hindsight and can only ask one question: WHAT WAS I THINKING?

A Few of My Favorite Internet Videos

What did we do for mindless amusement before YouTube came along? If I’m not careful this addictive web site will suck me in. Hours later, when my spleen hurts too much from laughing to go on any longer, I’ll reluctantly pull myself away. If you have a few hours to spare sometime—try out some of my YouTube favorites. But only if your spleen is up for it.

Guitar and Marionette - www.metacafe.com/watch/189341/guitar_and_marionette/

Worlds Biggest Marionette Doll - http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-d604qgmBPlo/worlds_biggest_marionette_doll/ (A little creepy, but facinating all the same.)

Numa Numa - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60og9gwKh1o (This one never gets old no matter how many times I watch it.)

Mentos and Diet Coke - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM&feature=related (These people have way too much time on their hands.)

Free Hugs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4 (Suddenly I need a hug.)

Extremely Funny - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuMMfgWhm3g (Watch your spleen with this one.)

Treadmill Dance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeeR4Vnvs8U (Way too much free time here as well.)

Is this a Real Fairy? You decide. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGZJFK7-R0A&feature=related

Damon Scott with Monkey (Bubbles) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8wWncO0m00 (I will never see Michael Jackson in the same light again.)

Paul Potts Performace - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA (They were ready to mock this brave man’s dream—but he brought down the house.)

Battle at Krugar National Park - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM (Lions vs. Crocodile vs. Baby Buffalo's family. You have to watch the whole thing--you will not believe this!)

Baby Panda Sneezes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzRH3iTQPrk

If you know any extra good ones post them in comments. : )

Great Young Adult Books

For those more mature readers out there, here are a few of my favorite young adult books. (Caution to parents: Due to thematic elements some of these books might not be as appropriate for younger readers.)

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle
Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede
Life as We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer
Children of the River by Linda Crews
I, Coriander by Sally Gardiner
Mairlon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede
The Third Eye by Lois Duncan
Other Side of Dark by Lois Duncan
The Thief (series) by Megan Whalen Turner
Amulet of Samarkand (trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud
Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Girl Who Invented Romance by Caroline B. Cooney
Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey
Storyteller’s Daughter by Cameron Dokey
Golden by Cameron Dokey
Sunlight and Shadow by Cameron Dokey
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Wilson
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher
Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
Beauty by Robin McKinley
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
The Mennyms by Slyvia Waugh
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
East by Edith Pattou
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
Unrivaled Spangles by Karen Wallace
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Rivka’s Way by Teri Kanefield
Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley
Lord of the Nutcracker Men by Iain Lawrence
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
Little Sister by Kara Dalkey
Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Giver by Lois Lowry

WARNING: Reading this Article Could Cause a Song to Get Stuck in Your Head!

I had never heard the term earworm until just recently. It’s the term used to describe those pesky songs that get stuck in our heads and play over and over. While listening to the radio recently I got an earworm stuck in my head all day and into the night. I woke up singing it the next morning and knew I was going to go crazy if it didn’t stop soon. I decided to educate myself on why this phenomenon happens, hoping to perhaps find a way to stop this particular song from driving me up the wall. This is what I learned.

- The earworm phenomenon is more likely to happen to women than men.
- It is more likely to happen to people who work with music as part of their career. (Those poor, poor music store people.)
- It is more likely to happen when you are stressed. (Oh GREAT!)
- You don’t have to necessarily like the song to get it stuck in your head.
- It usually happens because the song is catchy and repetitive. Your brain naturally wants to finish the song, but the repetitive tune just starts over again causing it to be the song that never ends or ends or ends or . . .
- The longer the song is stuck in your head the harder it will be to get it out.
- Some earworms can become so ingrained they will continue to repeat even while you are asleep or dreaming and still be there in the morning.
- Sometimes you can get rid of an earworm by listening to the offending song all the way through in its entirety before it becomes ingrained.
- Another cure is to think of song more addictive than the one you currently have stuck. This comes with the risk of getting the new song stuck in your head so choose your replacement song wisely.

Earworm Songs that No One Can Resist:
Video Killed the Radio Star
Dancing Queen (Abba)
Gimmie a Break (Kit Kat Jingle)
Who Let the Dogs Out
YMCA
Whoop, There It Is
We Will Rock You
Lion Sleeps Tonight
It’s a Small World After All
Mission Impossible Theme
Pop Pop Fizz Fizz (Alka-seltzer Jingle)
My Mamma Loves Me (Jiffy Song)
I Wish I Were an Oscar Myer Wiener
Chili's "Baby Back Ribs" jingle (Never heard it, thank goodness)
Macarena (Voted one of the catchiest songs of all time.)
Holiday (Madonna)
La Bamba
Bunny Hop Song
Chicken Dance Song (I HATE this song)
I Dream of Jeannie Theme Song

Have you got a song stuck in your head yet? Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you have an especially bad earworm song, add the title to my list in the comments.

FIGHT THE EARWORM!

The Acursed Ones (That Means You!)

“I swear I’m cursed,” a friend said to me not long ago.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself uttering those exact words over the years. You know what I’m talking about, those strange but regularly reoccurring incidents of bad luck that happen to all of us at the worst moments. Things that happen so frequently and with such perfect regularity that you find yourself looking over your shoulder to see which disgruntled imp has cast a curse on you when you weren’t looking.

Here are some examples of curses that have been laid on me and my friends without our knowledge. (If it was YOU please remove your curse as soon as possible):

The Many Mishaps while Traveling Curse: I recently went on a business trip with several of my coworkers. The woman I was assigned to share a hotel room with explained to me that she is cursed when it comes to traveling. Before the trip was through, I believed her. Her airplane ticket was filed under the wrong name (which made things ticklish because they have to have an ID with the name listed) and our room reservation was lost so we ended up with this awful room we were sure was the maid’s room. She ended up sleeping (if you could call it that) on a hideaway fold out couch the whole week. She says stuff like this happens to her all the time when she travels, poor thing.

The Disappearing Pen in the Purse Curse: I don’t know who I ticked off to get this curse put on me, but no matter how many pens I put in my purse they will be gone by the end of the week. Because I know this is a problem I’m very careful to always put my pens back after each use double checking myself several times just to be sure. They still disappear with alarming regularity. I never have any memory of when the disappearance might have occurred either. Is this a case of a time distortion phenomenon? Has the Bermuda Triangle inexplicably expanded its borders to include my purse? Maybe I’m just cursed.

The Next Person You Date Curse: Lots of people I know have claimed to be under this curse. I am one of them. If I meet or go out with a guy I really and truly like, he will meet the girl of his dreams before he’s had enough time to get to know me well enough for any sort of relationship to blossom between us. It has happened so often I now just expect it. It never works on guys I don’t like. But that’s an entirely different kind of curse altogether.

Not long ago my mother and a friend wanted to set me up with a guy. Usually I dread blind dates, but after listening to them talk about this guy I was actually kind of excited about meeting him. But when my mother’s friend went to set up the date she discovered that he had—you guessed it—met the perfect girl and they were now dating. They’ll be happily married within a year’s time guaranteed. The “cursed one” has so spoken. I try to use my power only for good—but it can be a little disheartening at times.

The I Just had the Blasted Thing in my Hand Twenty Seconds Ago Curse: Do I even need to explain this one to anyone out there. This must be the most commonly laid curse on the face of the planet. Some important object is in your hand one minute, the next it has disappeared into thin air. Glasses, a pair of shoes, your purse, it can be anything at all. The vanished item will usually reappear in some strange place you would never think to look—like in the refrigerator.

The All My Library Holds Come in the Same Week Curse: When I see a book that looks interesting, I immediately put it on hold at the library. This is usually done slowly over months of time, one or two titles at a time. When books have lots of holds ahead of mine, it can take a long time before they become available. My hold list can become quite sizable in that period of time. So why is it that every book on my list has to come in the same week? Have you ever tried to read thirty chapter books in three weeks? Not an easy task I can tell you. What are the odds that thirty people will all return their books the same week that I just happen to be next in line for all of them? It can’t be an accident.

The Things Go Wrong Only When I Have an Audience Curse: Have you ever noticed how you can do something right a million times but the minute someone is watching you—like a boss, supervisor, or spouse—everything goes wrong and you look like a complete fool. Uh huh, I thought so.

The Deer Are Trying to Kill Me Curse: If there is a deer crossing sign on a road (and sometime even when there isn't) a deer WILL run in front of my car. No exceptions. I've had whole herds decide to dash across the road just as I get there. If you don't believe me, ask my sister who never had a deer run in front of her car until I was in the passanger seat. It happened so often she now slows down if I'm in the car with her.

If anyone knows the proper way to rid oneself of any of the curses listed above (preferably something that includes eating chocolate and dancing under a full moon while wearing glow in the dark nail polish) please let me know right away. If you have a curse not mentioned above feel free to add it to the comments.

Cursed ones unite!