January 24 – Have a Nice Day

For those of you who do not live in the United States, a major snow storm hit the eastern seaboard and yesterday New York had over two feet of snow dumped on it. It was my excuse for doing absolutely nothing constructive, nothing at all except maybe ten minutes of cleaning. I ate almost everything in the apartment and Friday and Saturday evenings partook of the pint of Jameson’s I had picked up as part of my snow emergency supplies. I napped some during the day, cursed the fact that with all the channels I have, I could find nothing I wanted to watch on TV, and threw a snowball at Max from my windowsill. He poked at the snow melting on the couch. It was very cute.

I slept poorly last night, probably due to the whiskey and my discovery that even though I don’t have sweets in the home, pouring real maple syrup on bread is almost like having French toast. But this morning, I was determined to walk across to the Tribeca Kitchen to have my Sunday brunch and loads of coffee, and knew my chances of getting there were so much better than the ex’s ability to get to 7-11 on Long Island for chocolate, his post-snowstorm craving. The city roads and many sidewalks were in good shape, and when I got to my beloved diner, my regular waiter, who I knew would make it into work, pointed me to a booth next to the window. What can I say, they like me here. I do take up more space than one person ought, as I bring my laptop and one or two notebooks, and I stay longer than most (I am a slow eater as well), but I’m a pretty easy customer, and if you are good to me, as my lovely waiter is, I am very good to you. Plus today, I got entertained watching the man who was relegated to shovel out a large space around the fire hydrant, shoveling with one hand and talking on the phone that he held in the other.

And now, today’s post: You know those times when something really random and out of the blue pops into your head? I’ve got sock puppet going through mine and I’ve no clue why. Just the words, it’s not a visual. Is that weird? Sometimes it’s not as weird, but equally arbitrary, like last week when out of absolutely nowhere, “What a Man,” that collaboration between Salt n Pepa and EnVogue popped into my head. It’s not a song that would be played on The Peak, the radio station out of Westchester that I listen to at work, and I don’t believe it’s on a commercial. And, there is no one in my life that I can connect it to. It’s just a fun song with a fun video. So when a fellow member of the WNEW-FM Fan Club posted about guilty pleasures, it started me thinking. What do I have to feel guilty for? Neither EnVogue, nor Salt n Pepa were among the artists that were on my playlist 20 years ago, but I do like some of their stuff. Sometimes, I even like Madonna. Oh come now, who among us doesn’t have a favorite Madonna song? That one that you secretly sing along with whenever you hear it in the supermarket or wherever. “Gonna dress you up in my love, in my love, all over all over, all over your body.” That’s mine.

So coincidentally, or maybe not, during my last trip to the Housing Works thrift store in Tribeca, not really known for its CD collection, I found an EnVogue CD with “What a Man” and five other songs (It’s a “Specially Price CD”). I also found two Madonna CDs, more recent stuff, so I’m not familiar with them. At least I don’t think I am. One is from 2000 and the other 2012, and yes I consider both years recent. I confess while giving them a shot, I lacked patience. Each song, on both Madonna CDS, starts with these long disco type intros. I didn’t get passed one of them on any song. I’m not anti-intro, but these seemed like irrelevant fillers, and given this, my opinion of the Madonna CDs is that they suck. Big time.

However, as an alternative to my usual routine that starts with the first three songs of Linda Ronstadt’s Heart Like a Wheel, Santana’s “Smooth” twice, Sly and the Family Stone’s “Stand”, “Dance to the Music” and “Higher”, the latter also played twice, then Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black (I assumed you needed and wanted a reminder), I am now adding somewhat shorter workouts during the week that consist of the Ronstadt selections, the first song from the Missy Elliot CD that is now in my collection, because hip hop just makes you move differently, and the whole EnVogue CD, which is only half an hour. I’m sure I look silly, but I do feel younger while dancing around to it.

Since the ex and I have put on holiday weight, we agreed to take off two of those pounds by the end of January. Not gonna happen, but at least we’re maintaining, and getting back into those routines. Except for yesterday. But it was a snow day.

BTW – While I was at the Housing Works in Tribeca, and feeling quite amused at the fact that a song that had been playing in my head was now available to me for a dollar, this mug was watching me. I hate those stupid happy faces, but it made me smile, so it now sits on my kitchen counter.

And another BTW – Take a look at the EnVogue videos from their hit songs. They’re a lot of fun, particularly “Giving Him Something He Can Feel.” It’s adorable.