Friday, February 8, 2013

Flashback Friday



In a conscious effort to blog regularly, I'm doing my own version of Flashback Friday.  I was inspired to do this by one of my favorite places to hangout with friends here in Austin, The Highball and their Friday night 80's Dance Party.  The Highball is a retro inspired place, with it's dark wood paneled walls, burgundy carpeting, booths in the ballroom covered with glitter gold vinyl, it's a retro loving girl's fantasy.  I like to think that the Rat Pack would hang out here if given the chance.  It's not a club, but it has a huge dance floor that has vintage style booths on one side and a large bandstand.  They have all kinds of themed dance parties and live bands that play regularly all throughout the week.  They also have a full service restaurant and bar in the middle, with great food.  The most awesome part is the other side and small upstairs area.  They have a vintage inspired bowling alley and karaoke rooms.  The karaoke rooms are my favorite.  Depending on the size of your group is the room you get and they are all themed.  Some examples are:   a 70s disco complete with disco ball to a country and western room with red gingham wall paper to a Tiki room, all to sing to your little hearts content in private.  But I digress.....the reason for this post.  I love 80s night, a regular Friday night occurrence, not only do they have awesome music, but they have a big screen where they show the videos at the same time.  As a child of the 80s, I'm in Heaven!  A huge group of people of all ages, dancing and singing along to awesome 80's music, dressing up 80's style is optional but definitely welcomed.  From Cindy Lauper to Duran Duran to Run DMC, it brings back so many memories.  Unfortunately, The Highball was recently torn down in a remodeling effort with the Alamo Drafthouse Lamar and will not be back for some months.  This is my way of dealing with the absence until it returns.   


What is up with Rick Springfield being everywhere today????   First he was on The View, then I heard Jessie's Girl on the radio several times today and finally I was watching silly videos on Cracked and they had one on Rick and Jessie's Girl.  I've always found it interesting to hear the word moot in this song, or any song for that matter.  Has it actually ever been used in any other song?  Not any others that I've heard.  I mean, who uses the word moot in a song?  Why would you use the word moot in a song?  What does it all mean in the context of the song?  While most would use another word, Rick is just awesome enough to say screw it, I like the word moot, so gosh darn it I'm going to use it and the rest of you can screw off! Or at least that's what I like to imagine he said.  Anyways, maybe it's a sign that he should be my first FF.  Not that I'm complaining.  I love that guy.  I remember first seeing that video when I was in elementary school and thinking he's cute. Those smoldering eyes, that perfectly feathered hair and the ability to sing and play guitar had my 9 year old self swooning.  (Yes my celebrity crushes started young.  Sad to say my first celebrity crush was at the age of 5.  My heart belonged to Chachi, oh how I loathed Joanie!  That however is for another post.)  I still get get excited when he occasionally pops back on General Hospital.  Dr Noah Drake, how the fans love you!  He was actually in town last year on a book tour, but I wasn't able to go :(  One day I will meet you Rick Springfield!  Hopefully it will be soon as I don't know how much longer you will still look good as you have gotten a bit too thin!  So without further ado, a favorite 80's video with a song to get stuck in your head.  



 



Random Trivia:  Did you know he dated Linda Blair back in the day?  Yes that Linda Blair, the head spinning possessed child in The Exorcist.  She was 15 or 16 and he was 23.  Her family approved and he even spent Christmas with them one year and stayed in their house.  (I really need to stop watching VH1's Behind the Music and E!'s True Hollywood Stories.)  Can you imagine an 20 something rocker dating an underage teenage star now?!?!  People would freak, rail and rally.  Can you imagine all of the bad press and paparazzi drama.  They'd be TMZ superstars.  I still find in a bit odd, even though they both are still good friends and were really in love back then.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Update

When I started this blog I promised myself that I would have at least one post a week.  Things became a bit hectic and here I am almost three months later finally posting.  Life has a funny way of interrupting things. 

Things were a little interesting in November.  My birthday was the day before Thanksgiving this year, and mellow.  Just how I liked it.  I received some nice gifts, though my favorite was a Pop! figure of Daryl Dixon from a good friend.  I'm a huge Norman Reedus fan and have been fortunate enough to meet him a couple of years ago.  Such a cool guy.  Thanksgiving was low key,  thank goodness.  Unfortunately we received some more bad news.  While my grandfather is doing quite well, my uncle not so much.  He got sick the Monday before Thanksgiving.  They took him to the ER and had to run tests on some tumors they found.  The following week we received the bad news.  He has pancreatic cancer and they gave him 4-6 months.  His health was fine until he was taken to the ER.  Fortunately my dad lives with him and my aunt.  My aunt T is my father's oldest sister and suffers from Alzheimer's.  My dad has been living with them and helping out since he and my stepmother divorced a couple of years ago.  It was decided that she shouldn't be told giving her memory, but she knows something isn't quite right.  My dad's other sister came from Chicago right after New Year's to help out as well.  I'm very fortunate to have a family that comes together when we need too.  We might not always like each other or get along, but we love each other and are always there for each other.  My uncle's illness has affect both sides of my family.  I'm originally from a very small town (population 1000-1200 max) and families tend to intermarry (not within the family because that is just eww! Example:  a brother from one family marries a girl from another.  Later her younger sister marries her husband's younger brother).  How it affects both is my dad's oldest sister married a man who one of my mom's cousins.  If we lived in a bigger town/city we'd probably wouldn't see much of each other as so happens with distant s relations.  Not so in a small town.  I have such a huge extended family.  I know a lot of my distant cousins, though as the older generations pass on and we move away, it's now more of an acquaintanceship.  Sorry for the long winded explanation, just wanted to clarify! :D


Christmas was really good.  Reconnected with my cousin Jessica.  I'm an only child and growing up she was like my little sister, we were so close.  After high school she made so many bad decisions and we drifted apart. She's finally gotten her life back together and I'm glad to have her back in my life again.  I made sure to spend time with my uncle as this will be our last Christmas with him.  I must say that he really inspires me.  We go to visit often as we are still looking for a home there, and his attitude is always so upbeat.  He has always been a very positive and upbeat person and that has not changed in the slightest.  The only change is he tires so easily.  Part of it is age, he's 78 , but most is the illness.  When I get down or frustrated, I quickly put myself in check because if he can be positive, so can I.

Not much else going on.  I plan to start posting pics of things I've been doing, buying etc. as I don't want this page to be a downer.  I started it to just post about things I like, I'm into, I make, cool places I visit here in Austin,  etc.   I want to thank you three followers that I have.  I thought after the first post, no one is going to read this, so I'm glad to see someone is!  I meant this to be a mini update and started to ramble....sorry about that.    They will be shorter and hopefully more interesting!