Let Me Preface This...

The other day I was in the cheese aisle at the grocery story. Okay wait, I should say, I'm beginning to notice a terrible personal habit. I'm an extreme prefacer. I think many things come into play here.

1. My dad is one of those people who ends up talking for ten minutes about something that could be explained to two sentences. He fills you in with a million details that really have no effect on the story. He tries his hardest to help you remember that, in fact, you actually do know the person he ran into at Costco, while he was buying some shaving cream that was a really good deal, after he sampled some great hot chocolate, but before he remembered he needed more pens. The excessive details bit is just one of the many things he has passed onto me. 

2. A favorite TV show of mine called Felicity. In the pilot episode, our heroine, Felicity, is about to tell her high school crush that she completely changed her university plans and traveled across the country, because of him. This is how she starts- "I just want to preface this by saying that I don't want you to feel weird about anything I'm about to say, at all." Which really, if you hear someone say that to you? You're almost guaranteed to feel weird about everything they're about to say. It's such a classic Felicity awkward moment, I really do love it.

3. My mind is, at times, a wild jungle full of scary gibberish. There are often times my mind ends up in places and I really have no memory of what train got me there. So, because I'm so random, I want to make sure that I'm not bringing my listener into the middle of some random scene in my life. I want to appropriately set the stage. Sometimes, I stop in the middle of telling a story, and add in a preface. "Oh! Before I go on-let me preface this by saying..."

4. Sometimes I just want to tell someone a random fact about my day. So rather than just say one random thing, I disguise it as a preface, even though it has nothing to do with what I'm about to say. "So, just to preface this-I saw a guy with a huge clown wig on today. Okay, so let me tell you about the book I'm reading." To be fair, there's never really a natural place in conversation to mention a clown wig sighting.

5. I often speak before I think. When I start talking, I really do think the preface is necessary. Honest, I do. But then, about 4 sentences in I realize, it's completely unnecessary. I'm working towards thinking before I let words come out of my mouth.

So, I want to apologize if it's ever taken me 5 minutes to simply tell you that the cheese was on sale. Well, I guess I just did.

The cheese was on sale.

There, I did it.
See? I get there eventually!

Loyalty

'I remember when you went to one gas station, your gas station, no matter what. Now, people just go wherever they have cheaper gas.'

I remember feeling nostalgic when my Dad said this a few years ago. Now, this may make my Dad sound like he's one of those 'back in my day’ kind of old men, and maybe he is. But I also think it shows his sense of loyalty. When I was growing up, we always went to the Esso station to fill up. Not Shell or Petro Canada, always Esso. I had the sense that this was our gas station. It was almost like they were the team I cheered for. I remember not understanding when friends would tell me that their parents got gas at the Husky station. 'Why would you go to the Husky station, when you could go to Esso?' This, somewhat ridiculous, sense of pride in a gas station(I get how crazy that sounds) still has a lingering hold on me. There’s an Esso station a couple blocks from my house and that’s my usual station. I feel slightly out of place when I’m filling up at a Shell station. All that yellow assaults my senses. 

Both of my parents are very loyal people. However, my Dad is loyal to things like gas stations. I think that loyalty also spills over to his possessions. He has a hard time throwing out anything that at one time or another was useful or meaningful in any way. Even if it was 25 years ago. I would guess that, if not for my mom, who gets a great deal of pleasure from purging dusty closets and rarely visited drawers, my Dad would end up on Hoarders. I would say, I’m somewhere in between, but sometimes I see my Dad’s slightly irrational loyalty come out.

For example, I have been known, on occasion, to leave the TV on to lend my ratings to a show, even though I don’t actually watch it. I want to support the actor, producer, or creator of a show. I want them to succeed and feel encouraged in their latest endeavor, so I put the show on, hit mute and go wash my dishes. I know that's insane, even as I write this, I'm shaking my head at myself. I'm bonkers. I get it. But there's a part of me that feels like turning my back on a celebrity that doesn't even know I exist, makes me disloyal. I'm loyal to famous strangers. That is nowhere in the arena of rational thought. But I’ve embraced that personal quirk. I do my best to think logically about things but sometimes I slip up. I can't help it. 

On an unrelated note, JJ Abrams, if you’re reading this, I'm a huge fan. I’m sorry I don't watch Person of Interest. Please don’t take it personally.

90's Kid

A friend recently asked me what decade I most identify with- "Are you an '80's kid or a '90's kid?"

Now, as much as I love the influence the '80s had on my childhood, after hearing rumors of an S Club 7 reunion, I have to firmly place my allegiance in the 90's Kid Camp. I don't think an '80's kid would have tried to simultaneously jump and make an 'S' in the air as many times as I did. 

 These rumors have ushered in a smile on my face and a healthy dose of nostalgia! Because of my age, I get the most nostalgic when I listen to mid-late '90's pop music. I'm the first to admit that this era is ripe with the cheesiest tunes around, but there's always a special place in your heart reserved for songs you know all the words to but haven't hear in over a decade. :) I've included some gems for your enjoyment.

Spice Girls-Stop(1997)

Not only do I know the words, I know the actions.

S Club 7-You're My Number One(2000*)

This was my favorite S Club video. They're just so much fun!

*I know, not an official '90's group, but because they're the reason for this post, I'm including them.

All Saints-Never Ever(1998)

I made one of the teens in my youth group listen to this song a couple days ago and his question was, "This song was a hit?" My answer? Yes, yes it was.

Five-Everybody Get Up(1998)

Me and my friends would blast Five driving home from school.

Take That-Sure(1995)

A couple of my friends and I LOVED Take That. We watched as many music videos as her VHS tapes could hold. :) You also have to love the net shirts.

Semisonic-Closing Time(1999)

Now matter how overplayed this song was(and it really, really was), you're probably a '90's kid if you've ever, after hearing someone say 'closing time', started singing "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. I know who I want to take me home!!"

The Cardigans-Lovefool(1996)

This is the classic drives-me-crazy-because-once-I-hear-it-once-I-know-it'll-be-in-my-head-all-day-but-I-still-can't-help-but-sing-along song. :)

I could sit here for hours adding songs and memories but I'll leave it at that.

As far as music goes, I'm a '90's kid. What about you?

Lyrics Say Wha?!

I am a strong believer in confidently singing along to songs, even if you're not completely sure of the lyrics. Sometimes, when I eventually find out the lyrics, I still sing it the old way. As ridiculous as it is, I feel a bit rebellious and silly when I intentionally sing the wrong lyrics. And, honestly, sometimes I just forget the real lyrics. :) Here are just a few songs I always mix up:

Bon Iver- Blood Bank

Real Lyric: I'm in love with your honor.

I'm in love with your cheeks.

Jenn Lyric: I'm in love with Your Honor(as in Judge)

I'm in love with your cheese.

Foster The People-Hustling (Life On The Nickel)

Real Lyric: Yet again I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Jenn Lyric:  Get my Ross on, Ross on, Ross on.

Angels and Airwaves- The Adventure

Real Lyric: I can't live, I can't breathe, unless you do this with me.

Jenn Lyric: I can't live, I can't breathe, unless Judy's with me.

If I'm being completely honest with you, the vast majority of the time, I'm not even singing words. I'm singing the sounds that I hear. Complete. Gibberish. But it's gibberish with gusto!

Stupid

I don`t like the word stupid. It seems so..harsh. And rude. There has to be a better word you can use to say whatever it is you`re trying to say. However...it`s the only word that comes to my mind when I see things like this:

I really don`t understand why people think things like this are funny. I`m even more dumbfounded when I see people claiming `that`s totally me!! hahahahahaha!`

Really, people? Really?

Table For One

  Being a "single" in a world largely filled with "pairs", once was, and still can be at times, daunting. Intimidating. Honestly, depressing. But I've learned to look for the perks and embrace my alone-ness. I used to envy the built-in adventure buddy that so many of my friends had. Another person to suggest awesome outings or memory making moments. I was left to my own devices and ideas.

  I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I slowly came to realize that my "pair" friends were having the same boring Saturday nights I was. If I wanted to go do something, I was going to do it. Was I seriously going to wait until someone came into my life and told me, "Hey! Know what would be fun? Frisbee!!" Heck no!*  So I decided to start doing things by myself-going to movies, out for dinner, exploring the city. It became a mini mission to start making adventures of my own. There have been some awkward moments of my solo journey's, but there have been some great moments too. For example, when I decided to go see my first movie alone. There was a very small voice in the very back of my mind saying, "You know what's going to happen? You're going to walk into that theater and it's going to be filled with couples and groups who are all going to be thinking-What the?! Who goes to a movie alone?? Loser!" It was just a small voice, but it was there just the same. So, it was with a bit of apprehension when I turned to corner to find my seat in the theater(the movie was just starting) only to find it completely empty, save one person. Another person having a solo movie night. Awesome. I told that very small voice to shut it, found the best seat in the house and enjoyed the movie.

  I've become comfortable with being alone. I am by no means turning in my people-person badge, but as an overall extrovert, it's allowed me to indulge my introvert tendencies. It's given me a bit of a more balanced life.

  Some people get uncomfortable when single people talk about being single. There's a pained look of sympathy that sometimes crosses there face as if they're saying, "I'm just so sorry you have to live through this. Singleness. That is the. worst. Chin up, you'll make it through." There may be some of you reading this who are super uncomfortable with the fact that I'm drawing attention to the fact that you're uncomfortable. To you I say-I'm not living with a terminal illness. I'm not crying myself to sleep every night. I'm not constantly drowning my sorrows in Ben and Jerry's. I'm happy and always looking for the next adventure. I'm sorry if you're sad for me, but chin up, you'll make it through.

*Please don't think I try to play frisbee by myself, because that would be depressing. It was just an example.

Wasted

I know I'm not old, objectively speaking. However, as I look back over my first decade of adulthood, I often think-where have the years gone? I'll be turning 30 in a year and a half and I'm already starting to panic. Crazy, I know. But when I think of all the things I still want to accomplish and experience, the expression, 'Youth is wasted on the young', begins to resonate with me.

But then I think-if youth is wasted on the young, what is being wasted on me?

What do I have that I don't appreciate? What gifts, resources, opportunities am I squandering? What blessings in my life am I blind to?