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Aug. 28th, 2007 12:07 amSo the weekend was...hmm, intresting.
I hopped the train up to PA...grabbed Chinese food in Philly between trains. (Yum. Except for the fried rice. That was just ew.) Got to Lancaster, mom and Grandma Jane picked me up and then when Mike came home they got ready to go and do their Friday night Karaoke show at the AmVets. (I think most of you folks know by this point my mom and stepfather are not only total karaoke junkies, but also karaoke dj's with their own business. They are obsessed.)
So I went along. I'm sitting there at a table behind their setup, minding my own business. Doing such a good job of minding my own business that suddenly mom's in my face demanding that I stand up. Apparently they start their show at the AmVets with the national anthem. News to me. So it plays- actually about halfway through the disc went crazy and suddenly the national anthem was a much faster tune than I remembered. So then after that, Mumsie leans down again and demands to know if I was protesting the national anthem.
Okay, back up the truck, what? Apparently I had a look on my face like I wasn't going to stand up. Well, truthfully, I had no plans to stand up...then again, I also didn't know what was going on to know that standing was in order. I explained that I wasn't paying attention and she let it drop...though I'm not entirely sure that she believes me.
Okay...can anyone answer (to my satisfaction) why on earth not following certain actions like flag saluting becomes automatically assumed an act of disrespect? Now, I know where I was and I grok the whole "when in Rome" thing...but that aside, ah, nevermind. This is just going to lead to one of those "it's the thing to do" things that come up whenever I rant about the pledge of allegiance, and it all goes around in circles. Why? Because. But why? Well, because. Yeah.
So anyway...it all kinda went downhill from there. It was really crowded I sang one song, got a lecture from Mike every time he glanced in my direction and noticed that I wasn't applauding someone's performance (Apparently it's the height of rudeness to be present for a karaoke performance and not applaud for any reason? I forgot about that, I used to hear it all the time from Mike. One time Mom, Mike and I walked into someplace that we didn't realize had a karaoke night in progress and as we were walking in, someone was just finishing a song...the 'rents burst into enthusiastic applause. When I didn't, I got a lecture about how rude I was.
Uhhhhhh, right, so I just walked into some place for some pizza, didn't know that there was karaoke even taking place and I'm being rude for not clapping? Whose brilliant logic is that? So that element has always been a huge sticking point for me.) Anyway, I didn't stay long...I called Grandma Jane and she came and picked me up.
Was supposed to get together with Michelle and Samantha on Saturday. Chelle had Isabel at the house ( cut for unimportant back story. ) and Karen had sent some milk with her. Apparently the milk was bad and Isabel got really sick. If the milk was that bad, how did my sister not smell it before giving it to her? Erf, whatever. So I didn't see Chelle and Samantha.
I tried calling Kathy and Heather to see if they were around, didn't get ahold of either one. So I called my brother. ended up having to go through my grandmother to talk to him. Talking to her was a joy as always. Riiiiight. Ended up going and having lunch with Mike and his acquaintence/girlfriend/playtoy/something or other Brandy atthe Lancaster Brewing company (How ironic to be having lunch at the place where my five year reunion was held on the day of my ten year reunion) Well, the duck egg rolls were good. The Reisling was decent til it lost its chill(server looked at me like I was insane, ordering wine in a microbrewery....so I find myself explaining yet again that I'm allergic to beer.) conversation was...severely lacking. But it's my brother, the frat boy who never went to college.
The reunion....uhg.( Here's why. )
I went to karaoke again....It wasn't as bad this time)( Boring...nothing to see here, I promise ) So I was thinking about that...and thinking about singing brought to mind the time back in May when a coupe of us had a small ritual at the grove one evening in honor of the VA tech shooting victims...and I sang Patrick's Song by Shawn Mullins...tbis was a completely spontaneous thing so it's not like I brought music or anything, I wasn't even sure I could remember the words but I did, and I remember later thinking that I had sounded better than I had expected- not spectacular, but good enough that I wouldn't mind singing again as part of a ritual sometime. I dunno, can anyone tell me...does it do any good to just take a few voice lessons, or is it something that really needs to be done over a longer period of time? I'm not by any means looking to become a professional singer, but I'd like to be able to sing the occasional ditty in ritual without feeling like I could never show my face again.
And I must remember to take into consideration what clothing I'm wearing if I agree to jitterbug when some appropriate music comes on. Especially if dancing with someone who is extremely enthusiastic about spinning their partner around. So Saturday night, at ne point the 'rents took a break and put some swing music on...and one of their friends really wanted to jitterbug- I don't know the dance super-well, but I can follow...she gets dizzy if someone spins her, so she was perfectly happy to have me be the following one. what she was lacking in her ability to be spun, she made up for in her enthusiasm for spinning me. And damn, I knew that the skirt I was wearing was kinda twirly, but I've never spun around violently enough to realize that it actually does the flat-circle thing....so yeah, I got a bit of commentary on how erm, appropriate said skirt was. (I call "wardrobe malfunction")
Didn't get back to Grandma Jane's til well past two Saturday night, didn;t get to sleep til well past three. Set alarms on my phone for six, six fifteen and six thirty...never heard on of them. Grandma Jane woke me up at 739. My train left at 755. Oops.
I got up, swore heartily, threw my last few things back in my bag, gathered it all up and was out the door, Grandma Jane took me to the train station...and there was a train sitting on the tracks that I could see from half a block away. I told her that I was going to go in, and asked her to wait five minutes before leaving, if I missed it I would come right back out and figure out what to do, if I wasn't out in five minutes, then she could leave.
Then we got into the parking lot and I heard an announcement that my train was just arriving...this was a good thing to hear. I got inside, ran upstairs and to the door back downstairs to the tracks...an employee told me that the train hadn't pulled in yet...so the one that I was was a westbound train (I couldn't see the front end of the train from where I was to know) so the train pulled in just as I got down there. If Grandma Jane lived another two blocks away, or if we had caught one more red light on the way there, I'd have missed it. I was back in Baltimore and at the grove just after 11. Insanity I tell ya.
I hopped the train up to PA...grabbed Chinese food in Philly between trains. (Yum. Except for the fried rice. That was just ew.) Got to Lancaster, mom and Grandma Jane picked me up and then when Mike came home they got ready to go and do their Friday night Karaoke show at the AmVets. (I think most of you folks know by this point my mom and stepfather are not only total karaoke junkies, but also karaoke dj's with their own business. They are obsessed.)
So I went along. I'm sitting there at a table behind their setup, minding my own business. Doing such a good job of minding my own business that suddenly mom's in my face demanding that I stand up. Apparently they start their show at the AmVets with the national anthem. News to me. So it plays- actually about halfway through the disc went crazy and suddenly the national anthem was a much faster tune than I remembered. So then after that, Mumsie leans down again and demands to know if I was protesting the national anthem.
Okay, back up the truck, what? Apparently I had a look on my face like I wasn't going to stand up. Well, truthfully, I had no plans to stand up...then again, I also didn't know what was going on to know that standing was in order. I explained that I wasn't paying attention and she let it drop...though I'm not entirely sure that she believes me.
Okay...can anyone answer (to my satisfaction) why on earth not following certain actions like flag saluting becomes automatically assumed an act of disrespect? Now, I know where I was and I grok the whole "when in Rome" thing...but that aside, ah, nevermind. This is just going to lead to one of those "it's the thing to do" things that come up whenever I rant about the pledge of allegiance, and it all goes around in circles. Why? Because. But why? Well, because. Yeah.
So anyway...it all kinda went downhill from there. It was really crowded I sang one song, got a lecture from Mike every time he glanced in my direction and noticed that I wasn't applauding someone's performance (Apparently it's the height of rudeness to be present for a karaoke performance and not applaud for any reason? I forgot about that, I used to hear it all the time from Mike. One time Mom, Mike and I walked into someplace that we didn't realize had a karaoke night in progress and as we were walking in, someone was just finishing a song...the 'rents burst into enthusiastic applause. When I didn't, I got a lecture about how rude I was.
Uhhhhhh, right, so I just walked into some place for some pizza, didn't know that there was karaoke even taking place and I'm being rude for not clapping? Whose brilliant logic is that? So that element has always been a huge sticking point for me.) Anyway, I didn't stay long...I called Grandma Jane and she came and picked me up.
Was supposed to get together with Michelle and Samantha on Saturday. Chelle had Isabel at the house ( cut for unimportant back story. ) and Karen had sent some milk with her. Apparently the milk was bad and Isabel got really sick. If the milk was that bad, how did my sister not smell it before giving it to her? Erf, whatever. So I didn't see Chelle and Samantha.
I tried calling Kathy and Heather to see if they were around, didn't get ahold of either one. So I called my brother. ended up having to go through my grandmother to talk to him. Talking to her was a joy as always. Riiiiight. Ended up going and having lunch with Mike and his acquaintence/girlfriend/playtoy/something or other Brandy atthe Lancaster Brewing company (How ironic to be having lunch at the place where my five year reunion was held on the day of my ten year reunion) Well, the duck egg rolls were good. The Reisling was decent til it lost its chill(server looked at me like I was insane, ordering wine in a microbrewery....so I find myself explaining yet again that I'm allergic to beer.) conversation was...severely lacking. But it's my brother, the frat boy who never went to college.
The reunion....uhg.( Here's why. )
I went to karaoke again....It wasn't as bad this time)( Boring...nothing to see here, I promise ) So I was thinking about that...and thinking about singing brought to mind the time back in May when a coupe of us had a small ritual at the grove one evening in honor of the VA tech shooting victims...and I sang Patrick's Song by Shawn Mullins...tbis was a completely spontaneous thing so it's not like I brought music or anything, I wasn't even sure I could remember the words but I did, and I remember later thinking that I had sounded better than I had expected- not spectacular, but good enough that I wouldn't mind singing again as part of a ritual sometime. I dunno, can anyone tell me...does it do any good to just take a few voice lessons, or is it something that really needs to be done over a longer period of time? I'm not by any means looking to become a professional singer, but I'd like to be able to sing the occasional ditty in ritual without feeling like I could never show my face again.
And I must remember to take into consideration what clothing I'm wearing if I agree to jitterbug when some appropriate music comes on. Especially if dancing with someone who is extremely enthusiastic about spinning their partner around. So Saturday night, at ne point the 'rents took a break and put some swing music on...and one of their friends really wanted to jitterbug- I don't know the dance super-well, but I can follow...she gets dizzy if someone spins her, so she was perfectly happy to have me be the following one. what she was lacking in her ability to be spun, she made up for in her enthusiasm for spinning me. And damn, I knew that the skirt I was wearing was kinda twirly, but I've never spun around violently enough to realize that it actually does the flat-circle thing....so yeah, I got a bit of commentary on how erm, appropriate said skirt was. (I call "wardrobe malfunction")
Didn't get back to Grandma Jane's til well past two Saturday night, didn;t get to sleep til well past three. Set alarms on my phone for six, six fifteen and six thirty...never heard on of them. Grandma Jane woke me up at 739. My train left at 755. Oops.
I got up, swore heartily, threw my last few things back in my bag, gathered it all up and was out the door, Grandma Jane took me to the train station...and there was a train sitting on the tracks that I could see from half a block away. I told her that I was going to go in, and asked her to wait five minutes before leaving, if I missed it I would come right back out and figure out what to do, if I wasn't out in five minutes, then she could leave.
Then we got into the parking lot and I heard an announcement that my train was just arriving...this was a good thing to hear. I got inside, ran upstairs and to the door back downstairs to the tracks...an employee told me that the train hadn't pulled in yet...so the one that I was was a westbound train (I couldn't see the front end of the train from where I was to know) so the train pulled in just as I got down there. If Grandma Jane lived another two blocks away, or if we had caught one more red light on the way there, I'd have missed it. I was back in Baltimore and at the grove just after 11. Insanity I tell ya.
