Saturday Playing

***For Shawn: The names for your playlists are so clever, you inspired me.


I just knew in advance my Saturday night this week would suck.
And it does-my house is trashed. I don't want to be the one who has to clean it.
Besides, last Saturday was fabulous and turn-about is fair play.
I knew I had to prepare in advance.
This afternoon I decided I would put together a playlist of the music that I listened to when I was 13 years old.
It is a little scary.
New Kids on the Block to Jethro Tull.
Vanilla Ice to Conway Twitty.
Rod Stewart to Metallica.

Metallica. Sigh. I have such fond memories of Metallica being my favorite band. They got to remain that way for over 13 years. I often feel guilty I discovered Matchbox Twenty three months a go.
A play list would not be complete without Metallica.
Well-okay. Not true. I have that really geeky all happy songs playlist.
I could not put Metallica there.
Somehow, I feel guilty about this, too.
Gee. I wonder if this is like a bad break-up? Me and Metallica.

Another thing weird I found while making the playlist this afternoon was the whole Jethro Tull thing.
I listened to that band quite a lot everyday for a week when I was 13.
I could not remember one song name when I went to download them. Nor did I recognize one song from the list.
I hope when I listen to the three I downloaded, something jogs my memory.
I have always thought I was cool I once listened to them.

I will be woman enough to admit I loved Vanilla Ice. For almost two whole months.
I even bought a book about him.

And New Kids on the Block. They occupied my teen mind endlessly. It was an obsession. I had all their music. I had posters. I even had a Donny doll. My friends and I used to write notes to each other in class, solely based on The New Kids. I am telling you-it is a good thing most teen girls do not own personal jets.
Or maybe it would be if they did.
There would not be many boy bands if all of them were squished by millions of stalker teen girls having throes of hormonal passion.
I realized when I was making this playlist, I am not fond of boy bands. At all.I still had to limit myself to five songs with NKOTB though.I thought people might think I was creepy if I downloaded anymore then that.
Hey. It's O.K. We all have our limits.

Now Rod Stewart. We have some real history. I was 11 when his Out of Order CD came out. I loved it. But not as much as Chicago. I went back in history with Chicago when I was 11.
Rod Stewart had to wait till I was 13.
13 is when I realize parents sometimes do get revenge.
I liked this boy named Paul. My eyes were probably permanent stars, or something.
All of us kids listened to the request hour on a local radio station a night.
We all requested songs.
And I liked Paul.
And my mother knew it.
And why did I trust her?
Because even then, I liked to make a stir.
She said request 'If you Think I'm Sexy' for that boy you like.
I thought, yeah. It's old. It will be cheesy. I have never heard it. But Mom says it is from way back when....Cheesy.
Well, I was actually mortified when I heard the lyrics.
I will never know quite how I managed to pull myself off as cool the next day at school, either.
I guess because I can make a good stir.
Rod Stewart and me. We have good history.
Even if I had to learn a lot about him quick, I like the fact I thwarted my Mother's revenge.


Conway Twitty. Hmmm. He represents growing up for a lot of reasons.
But that is a whole other story.
Besides, we should all be more concerned with the fact I am still too poor to own a personal jet. Those poor Matchbox Twenty boys.

A lot of thought goes into making these playlists.
Except my "I Like to Swear" playlist. That was relatively simple.
Still, I had an enjoyable time making my "On the Edge of Everything" playlist this afternoon.I am going to go now and listen to it for the first time.
There are ways to make you appreciate even house cleaning.