Category: Nostalgia

I should be sleeping ‘stead of keeping these late hours I’ve been keeping

I miss the days when I was able to write about almost anything. Days when I actually had something to say.. even if it was a bunch of nothing. Ha.

I was going through more photos over the past few days or so, and I’m seriously missing “the olden days”. I wish the PBPs were still happening – I miss getting to see a vast majority of my friends, all at once, every year. Even if I did always spend too money much on those trips.

I finished school the day before Thanksgiving. I updated the last grades post with my results for the last module, but needless to say, I rocked it. I ended up graduating with a 99.7 overall average. Whee!

Finishing school, though, was the easy part. Now comes the tough part, of actually finding a job, and attempting to do so in a crappy job market. I’ve applied with a few temp agencies, but so far nada. I got a phone call the other day, but I was indisposed and unable to get to my phone, and the person calling did not leave a message. I googled the number, and found it belonged to one of the temp agencies. I called back .. but because the caller didn’t leave a message, the receptionist couldn’t help me. So… I’m screwed there, and have to hope they call back.

I really don’t like looking for work. I don’t know what I’m doing, to be honest. Everything is so different now, than it was the last time I was looking for work. I love the internet, and am online constantly.. but using the net to help me find a new job seems somehow … daunting. It’s weird not to just hit the classified ads in the newspaper, and having everything neatly laid out, instead of having to search jobs by keywords, and hope you’re entering the right thing, and getting endlessly frustrated when all the jobs that come up don’t fit what I’m looking for. (Not that I really know what I’m looking for, anyway!) And 9 times out of 10, the listings end up focusing on pure data entry — and I can’t DO straight data entry any more, thanks to my chronic tendonitis. I don’t know. I guess it just seems so much more complicated now, what with all the different sites and matching keywords and blah; even though I’m sure there’s access to more job listings this way. I’ll figure it all out. Eventually.

A week or two ago, AA offered a nice, cheap fare to Vancouver. Oh how I wanted to go! But, alas, it was completely booked by the time I glanced at the prices. (Plus, well, I’d feel weird going by myself & without Emily. And I can’t really afford to splurge on another BIG trip like that again until after I’ve found work.) But. I mentioned to my mom about the cheap fare — and her response was “It’s too bad it was booked. You could’ve gone up and tried to see if you could go on job interviews while you’re up there.” She also said she was surprised I hadn’t been looking for work up/looking to move up there. Oh how I would if I could, especially if Em would move out there with me, too. 😉 Aside from the worries about 1) being alone in a new city and 2) finding a job & supporting myself .. I don’t know how I’d go about getting a work visa and being able to work in Canada. I’m sure I could find someone to help me, but it’s still a bit mind-boggling. Plus, well, if I moved to Canada – I’d really prefer to be in Toronto, near Emily. And, my knees can’t handle cold or snow in the winter.

Hmm. I likely should head to bed. I didn’t intend to be up this late.

What a joy, what a life, what a chance

And I’ve often wondered, how did it all start?
Who found out that nothing can capture a heart
Like a melody can?
Well, whoever it was, I’m a fan

My mom & I went to see Mamma Mia! today. It was absolutely positively utterly cheesetastic, and I loved it. I haven’t seen the stage show, and I’m sure the movie version is slightly different, but no matter. It’s just .. perfect. Sure, there’s cringe-worthy moments. But they just make the overall movie better, in their own odd way. Ha. The fact that it’s over the top and doesn’t take itself seriously fits the music to a ‘t’.

I literally cannot remember any part of my life without ABBA’s music in it. We had a massive stereo system when I was a child, the record player/cassette deck/reel-to-reel tape deck was tucked away in the walk in closet off the den, and the speakers to it were in our living room. It was commonplace for my parents to play records on there while we did stuff around the house, especially when mom was cleaning. (In addition to ABBA, my mom liked to play Roger Whittaker and a few others I don’t remember.) When I got my first record player as a kid, Super Trooper was one of my first albums, and I snagged Arrival out of my parents’ collection. My next door neighbor, Becky, and I put on ‘concerts’ to those albums on a regular basis — using the microphones from my dad’s stereo system to sing along with the songs as we danced, putting on a full show.

I can also remember that on more than one occasion, my parents would set up a card table in the driveway, where they’d play bridge with our neighbors until late at night. I would drag my record player outside, plug it up in the garage, and put on one of my ABBA albums. Becky and I would dance around the yard to ABBA as our parents played cards. Whenever Tiger would come on, we’d (of course) start prancing around the yard, acting like cats. Haha.

As I got older, I never grew out of their music, even during all the times that the bulk of my music taste changed. I bought their music on CD to replace my record collection, even buying the Spanish albums. And of course they’re on my iTunes now, and I’ve been listening to them all afternoon since getting back from the movie. Ha. I’ve posted lyrics to several of their songs in my lyrics blog over the last couple of years. (They come in at #2 on artists I’ve posted the most lyrics from in that blog.) That’s Me is a song I’ve always identified with, often substituting my name/nicknames for “Carrie”. After all, I’m definitely not the kind of girl you’d marry. That’s me. 😉

Oh, and another amusing ABBA-related story. Several years back, mom and I were at home watching Jeopardy. The end of show rolled around, and they announced the Final Jeopardy category — Greek Mythology. They hadn’t revealed the clue yet, but I turned to my mom and said “The answer is — ‘Who is Cassandra?'” She just rolled her eyes at me but when they did reveal the clue – I started laughing. I was right, the answer was indeed Cassandra. She asked how I knew what it’d be before they even asked, and my response was “I was listening to ABBA earlier. The song Cassandra is still stuck in my head, so I decided it had to be the right answer.” Yeah. I know. I’m crazy. But I was right! 😉

Ah well. Enough reminiscing. Time for me to get back to cleaning and packing for my impending trip.

So I say thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty?
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me

I never felt the desire till the music set me on fire

Bwahaha. So. It all started out innocently. I was looking around on iTunes for new songs to purchase. And of course, I started searching through 80’s collections, because… yes. And somehow I made the leap from iTunes to YouTube.

I was just watching old Tommy Page videos, like “A Shoulder To Cry On“.

Now? Now I’m watching the video for “North, South, East, West” by Rick Wes. Anyone else remember him? Hmm. I wonder if I had his stuff on cd or cassette… or if I could find it, for that matter.

A-hem. Anyway. Yes. I think this is gonna be a night lost in “let’s remember”. Might have to rummage through the old cassettes and see what gems I can find.

Bwahahah. Oh god, 80’s, how I miss you. <33333

ETA: MORE!! Dino!!! “I Like It”

And I would be remiss if I didn’t link a couple videos from the band that all the previously mentioned artists opened for, in concerts I attended… New Kids! Hahah Oh nostalgia… Anyway. “Hangin Tough” and one of my faves, “Please Don’t Go Girl“. Hee!!