Proof of my whereabouts

I mentioned last week (crikey, has it already been a WEEK!?) that this is contest season. This year, I'm competing for the first time with my new quartet & we've been doing a "tour" of other choruses the last couple of weeks, just to get a feel for what an audience will feel like, see how our adrenalin will affect us, etc. It has proved a MOST helpful tool!!

For those of you who aren't bored by this yet, here's what I do in my "other" life.

Presenting . . .

I have an mp3 file that I want to load here to share a sound byte - but I don't know how to get it to work. If anyone can help me with that, I'd appreciate the help - and will post the recording shortly thereafter.

I'm off to attend a kick-off party for yet another contest . . . and can't guarantee that there will be a post next week, as I'll only be working three days. But I promise to keep you updated on how we do next week!

Parental guidance suggested

Pardon my lack of posting over the last few days. It's contest season, so I've been a tad preoccupied - and this is just a warning that it'll only get worse in the next couple of weeks. So if you're a loyal reader - I thank you & request your patience & understanding until my life gets back to some sense of normalcy. Whatever THAT is.

Now - with that out of the way. . . .

There's a trend out there in the world today (mostly among pre-teen & teen girls) that I just don't understand. Back in MY day (and I like to think my day wasn't that long ago) - and even now - if I owned a pair of pants that were rather snug on me, my mother would not THINK of letting me out of the house wearing said pants, much less an accompanying top that was equally too small - not to mention too short. Nor would my mother let me leave the house with my fat rolls prominently displayed through my too tight, too short, thin fabric, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination t-shirt (which I wouldn't have been allowed to own in the first place). Of course, her permission really would never have come into question, since I never would have allowed mySELF to go out there looking like that, for fear of public ridicule (yes - I have issues).

However, the trend I'm noticing among young girls today (roughly ages 12-17) is, I'm told, called the "muffin top". During my shopping excursion today - in a location brimming over with young girls & their mothers celebrating spring break with a shopping spree - I saw a disturbingly large number of girls displaying this latest look. "Rubinesque" figures, wearing low rise jeans two sizes too small, topped with a t-shirt made of some of the cheapest, thinnest fabric in existence, also two sizes too small. Underneath said t-shirt, these girls' spare tires are flopping about, some peeking out from under their t-shirts for all to see (which really wasn't necessary, since the shirt was so tight, you could make out every dimple & large navel in the immediate vicinity). It's no wonder I nearly lost my lunch.

Who told these girls that this was an attractive look? Do the mothers of tween/teen girls no longer teach the glories of holding in one's stomach? Do they not own a MIRROR or have a FRIEND, for God's sake?!?

To be honest - I'm a little torn about how to react to this questionable fashion statement. On the one hand, I applaud these girls for having the self-confidence & apparently high self esteem to dress this way in public. Had I been even half that brave at that age, perhaps I wouldn't have self-esteem/body confidence issues today. Bravo! Good for you! I'm happy to know you don't care about people like me who are judging every thread of clothing on your back & are, instead, making your own statement & being your own person. You go, girl! On the OTHER hand (where I have different fingers), however, there IS something to be said for just plain caring about how you look and putting your best foot forward. If these are the wardrobing skills you have NOW, what does this say for your future closet and the future of our office dress codes?? Does this mean that, in 10 years, "Casual Friday" will include Hooter's girls uniforms?? At the BANK?!?

Probably the most disturbing thing to me about this trend is the fact that the mothers of today's tween/teen girls are MY generation! This means the girls who once wore their bras outside their clothes, ponytails coming out one side of their heads, accompanied by the doo doo roll bangs hairsprayed into just the right angle that kept it from touching their foreheads, red leg warmers over purple leggings, t-shirts that had been "tailored" with the nearest pair of scissors, and makeup . . . that . . .would . . . .um . . . .

Wait . . . I think I get it now.

To the youth of today:

Ok – we admit it. We, your parents, are desperately clinging to our youth. In fact, many of us feel as though we’ve never left our youth behind, but have remained the same age & gained many years of wisdom since graduation.

It may seem to you we, the parents of today, are just square, boring, fun-sucking beings placed on this early solely to make your lives miserable. Trust me when I tell you – as much as we love you, there are many times the feeling is mutual (for which OUR parents are rejoicing). However, what you may not realize is that we are not SO far removed from our youth that we have forgotten what it was like to be your age. So here’s a few words of advice that would be beneficial for you to remember as you go forth into adulthood: The phrase “Don’t lie to me!” does not necessarily mean we want to know EVERYthing.

For example – when it comes to knowing the details of your homework habits, how you’re doing in school, what your report card grades are, etc. – don’t lie. Just own it & tell the truth. Trust us – the consequences will be far more lenient than if you lied. On the flip side – when we accidentally walk in on you in the bathroom & catch you having some “personal time” – and then ask you later what you were doing (for reasons we still don’t understand) – lie to us & give us the standard, “Nothing”. Trust us – this answer worked miracles for US when we were your age & complete disclosure of these details is not necessary. Much like hearing one’s parents having sex – we just don’t want to know that actually goes on.

Stay tuned for the next edition of “Stuff We’re Still Cool Enough to Tell You” when we delve into the topic, “That’s Why God Created Napkins”.

This edition brought to you by the letters R and T , the color blue and the number 1.

Monday, Monday . . .

Random thoughts to start your week:

• Watched the Oscars. Nothing terribly stellar, in my opinion - although, I've already accurately called one of the entries on today's GFY. Whoops! Nope - make that two!! Damn, I'm good!
  
• Witnessed the end today of the first blog I ever read. I won't give the link here - but I might give it here. I just gotta say - while I have since read much more interesting blogs, it's always kinda sad to me to see the end of something that got me started on another "path", so to speak. Plus, now I won't feel quite so . . . in the loop. As much.
  
• Breathing through two nostrils is NOT overrated. And I miss it. Not to mention the inability to do so is making me VERY tired. Neither of which I need during contest season.
  
• As Mondays go, this one hasn't been too bad - mostly because Chicken Little (a.k.a. my boss) isn't here today. Almost was - then decided not to come in. Awww . . . howEVER will we all SURVIVE if she's not HERE?? On top of THAT news, our taxes were completed over the weekend & we're getting a nice, decent sized refund. Yay us!! Couldn't come at a better time!
  
• My one & only son turns 15 in a couple of weeks. I really can't believe that A) he's already at that age and B) I'm old enough to HAVE a kid that age. After all, I'M still only 19, myself. With 21 years of experience.
  

That's about it for now. I will, however, go ahead & forewarn the few people who might stumble upon my blog & be kind enough to read that this month is going to be an extremely busy one for me. I can't guarantee any really good posts - or many posts at all, for that matter - but I do promise to do my best to check in as often as possible. Any and all prayers that anyone can offer up on my behalf that I basically just stay healthy & not catch the "creepin' crud" between now & the end of the month would be greatly appreciated - by both myself & the rest of my quartet. Our main goal this year is to get on stage, have fun & not embarrass ourselves or our chorus. If we can all stay healthy, I think we might actually be able to do it.

This concludes this broadcast of the Most Boring Blog Entry. Had this been an actual Blog Entry, you wouldn't be asleep right now.