She's So Unusual

I think I may have been a little bit cool once. There is no doubt that I am definitely not cool anymore. Not even the tiniest bit. I know this because of the amount of eye-rolling that is aimed in my direction, at my house. Notice that I didn't say in my "general direction". That's because it is very specifically aimed at me. I see so much of the whites in my children's eyes that I occasionally believe that I signed us all up for a zombie movie at some point and between Brownie meetings, Choir practice and our complicated playdate schedule, it skipped my mind. Here is an example of mornings at our place:

Me: What a beautiful morning!
*Eye rolling*
Me: What would you like for breakfast?
*Eye rolling*
Me: Don't forget that Nonnie and Papa are going to pick you up from school, take you to Disneyland and buy you each a pony.
*Eye rolling*

About three months before my husband and I started dating, I went with him and some of our friends to see The Cure play live. We were rocking out in the front row and I found myself sucked under, with a terrific view of goth-inspired leg and footwear. He pulled me up and probably saved my life. I am eternally grateful - not that it wouldn't have been pretty special being trampled to death to the tune of "Friday I'm in Love". I have seen more than my share of local musical talent and I saw Green Day play at the Cactus Club before they were a really huge band. I got the Best. Souvenir. Ever. when some idiot's Doc Marten collided with my eye socket as he dove from the stage. It lasted for about a week and I loved recounting how it happened. That makes me cool, right? Right?

Even as I was hanging out at the Works Gallery in Japantown, watching punk bands play nearly every week and sporting twelve - count them: TWELVE - piercings and my Bettie Page bangs, the CDs that got the most playtime in my car were all from the eighties. I have to say that I would have been pretty embarrassed if my cool friends had found my Huey Lewis and the News cassette floating around in my car. I still loved Wham, too. Nothin' says PUNK ROCK! like "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go"... Around the time that I was wrapping up my education at the university, I purchased three soundtracks: The Wedding Singer, Grosse Point Blank and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. Are you seeing a pattern here?

Apparently, my taste in music never matured past the fifth grade:

September, 1985

I like Cyndi Lauper, I like her because she is so "So Unusual". "So Unusual" is one of her newest tapes (or albums) I like Wam because I like their music, and I like them! I like Maddona, I like her because she is, so neat! she is also a good dancer, and singer. I also like prince. he is a very good singer, and I like him. I saw his movie "purple rain". I love music and dancing. I listen to the radio stations K.W.S.S. and K.F.R.C. I like Duran Duran, Tears for fears, and many other groups, and singers. I like music alot, I know people who play music, and sing.

Funny: I could have written that at any point in my life. Minus some of the commas.