It’s That Time Again … Trapper-Keeper-and-L.A.-Gear Flashback

Yeah…It’s that time of year again, when I take you for a ride in my Delorean and cruise back to a time when you chewed Hubba Bubba, dreamed of Jake Ryan, and watched Square Pegs.

Yup, another one of my friends ventured off into the 4-0 club. She has jumped in head first and ready to rock that decade. My comadre, who, I’ve known for 20 years, blew her candles out this weekend surrounded by family in a day filled with love, heart, and laughter.

And again I felt the need to profess my awesome undying loyalty and friendship to my comadre by creating a mixed tape from the days of our youth where we hid our love notes in our Trapper Keepers and laced up our L.A. Gear right before P.E. This is the mixed tape the awesome boyfriend we imagined we had would give to us in between passing periods — the one that would melt our hearts. And, just like my last friend, this comadre also has an amazing hubby who probably rolled out the red carpet for her that night.

So I thought I’d pull out all the stops myself and make an effort to take her back … way back, and blow her musical mind, and get nostalgic for the simple days of lockers, student stores, first loves, nutrition, lunch, and high school dances. I thought I’d travel through time with a mixed tape.

Hope you enjoy this musical journey too.

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Two of Hearts — Stacy Q

Lost in Emotion — Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

Eternal Flame — The Bangles

P.Y.T. — Michael Jackson

I’ll Be There For You — Jon Bon Jovi

Crazy For You — Madonna

Red, Red Wine — UB40

I Want To Know What Love Is — Foreigner

Por Amarte — Enrique Iglesias

Volver, Volver — Vicente Fernandez

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Way Back … Back To The Days of Leg Warmers, Neon Clothing and Aquanet Hairspray

A friend of mine recently celebrated her 40th birthday, but I imagine it didn’t play out the way she anticipated it.

At work with a double ear and throat infection.

I imagined she would have pictured something different for the big 4-0.

I don’t know. You hit 15, 16, 21, 30, 40, 50, 60 … Those are milestones you think about when you’re younger and you imagine certain things transpiring. Relaxing on a beach. A quiet dinner with family. A wild party with friends. A cake with candles. All sorts of things, but feeling crappy and knocking back some pretty intense antibiotics isn’t something high up on your list. I’m sure she’ll celebrate afterward, or maybe she partied during Valentine’s weekend, but either way I felt kind of bad.

Birthdays should come with a little silver lining, no matter how bad the storm. I felt bad about it and didn’t know how to improve her situation. I had sent her a card with all the loving bosom buddy words my Guat heart could muster and she did receive it before the big day, but considering the Debbie Downer that infections can create I thought I’d make her one of my famous mixed tapes … you know the kind you wish your boyfriend would have taken the time to create and put in your locker. Although her husband is a pretty awesome guy too, so I’m sure he found ways to make the birthday better.

But on behalf of the comadre code it was still my duty to spread a little sunshine. We’re all in it this year, every one us is hitting the big 4-0. So, I took her way back … back to the days of leg warmers, neon clothing, and Aquanet Hairspray, in hopes of making her smile.

Music from your childhood always makes you feel better, takes you to your teenage years, dances in the gym, Friday Night Lights moments, first Molly Ringwald experience, yearbook photos, and laugh out loud scenarios with your girlfriends.

So in an effort to brighten your weekday thought I’d share the mixed tape I made for my friend. Hope it takes you back to the days of Marty McFly.

 

This is Side A.

 

Crush on You — The Jets

 

Saving All My Love For You — Whitney Houston

 

Spring Love — Stevie B

 

Lady in Red — Chris DeBurgh

 

Total Eclipse of the Heart — Bonnie Tyler

 

You Are The First, My Last, My Everything — Barry White

 

In Your Eyes — Peter Gabriel

 

If You Were Here — Thompson Twins

 

Querida — Juan Gabriel

 

Quien Como Tu — Ana Gabriel

 

Feel Good Friday Continues

I was in the car when it happened.

In fact I bet you’ve been in the car when this has happened.

You’re sitting there waiting for the light to change and then it hits you.

You hear it, you lean your head back, and close your eyes for moment. You feel a smile coming on and then you reach for the volume … and crank it up.

It’s your jam … the one that takes you way back to Aquanet Hairspray, Levi Jeans, L.A. Gears, and Trapper Keepers.

 

 

You haven’t heard it in years and you begin to do your best Night at the Roxbury dances moves while driving down the street. You’re having all these 1980s feel good flashbacks and you’re feeling good because you’re having a moment.  You’re enjoying the present. You’re letting go. You’re having a let-your-freak-flag-fly moment. And it’s so good that you begin to sing. You’ve only done karaoke twice in your life, but you feel like you can take the stage at this point.

And then as you turn around you notice the driver next to you is not only watching, but staring.

So what do you do?

Do you pause in mid-song and shift to slow-motion until there’s no motion? Do you stop abruptly and hang your head in shame? Or do you turn around and pretend like you didn’t see him?

What do you think I did?

Yeah.

You’re right.

I did.

I looked straight at him, continued singing, and continued dancing. In fact I even got a smile.

Yeah the feel-good-Friday celebration continued.

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Prompt Challenge: Playlist of The Week

 

I felt pumped at the beginning of the week having succeeded in my most recent challenge … roller derby. I felt badass.

 

 

Life caught up with me on Tuesday.

 

 

And in the middle of the week when you’re usually feelin’ crappy, I did a little turn around and found some inspiration.

 

 

Picked up some pep and things got a little better.

 

 

Ended the week feeling pretty good … not quite badass, but definitely on my way back.

 

 

Daily Prompt Challenge courtesy of The Daily Post