Last weekend Jon and I attended a party here in Moscow. It was a 20s-themed party called 31 Fisticuffs. It was organized by a guy, who is really good at parties and has a great imagination, for his birthday. He sold tickets, did some great marketing and rented a space. We attended in 1920s garb and  stood in the basement of a building, under a single bare bulb watching people with amazing moustaches fight one another. The losers had to have their moustaches shaved off. Almost everyone was dressed up- although many of them had a strange idea of what 1920s clothing looked like. I am pretty sure there was a slutty cowgirl there.

In any case, after the boxing and socializing, there were several bands there to perform. The music was punk rock and it was evident why some people were at the party—to dance. There were a few who were just itching for a mosh pit. Not long before we left this girl, who was dressed in the greatest linen dress and pearls, came down to where the band was playing. She stood there swaying back and forth for awhile and then, out of the blue, she began to dance—like Elaine from Seinfeld. If you don't know what I'm talking about see the Youtube video.

http://youtu.be/DY_DF2Af3LM

It wasn't the exact same dance, it was just bad and jerky and weird. The funny thing is, I wish I was her. I wish I had even an ounce of her abandon and complete disregard for what others thought of me. It was fun to watch her. I hope I run in to her again somewhere here in Moscow, and I really hope there's music.

"Let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters and teach them how to dance. Let's get rich and build our house on a mountain—making everyone look like ants." —Ingrid Michaelson

You should really check out this song, You and I, on the Be OK album. It is one of those songs that makes me smile from the moment I hear the first chords. I love the sentiment and I really love the lines above. Spoiler Alert: everyone on my Christmas list is getting sweaters and dance lessons this year.

I'm not a huge music buff. I love music and have very eclectic tastes, but I rarely remember the names of the artists, the song titles or even whether it was recorded in this century. I am the type of person who finds herself breaking out in song when someone says something that even vaguely resembles a song I know the words to. For example, we may be having a conversation about gardening and you start to give me pointers on how to keep the crows away from my plum tree. When you say crow I immediately conjure up an image of a black bird, which leads to me belting out the chorus of The Beatles's Blackbird. Or maybe my daughter is suspicious about the Tooth Fairy really coming to replace her last baby tooth with some change. That's when I start a stirring rendition of Don't Stop Believin' by Journey. The last one almost always gets me some eye rolling and a 'Please leave my room now, Mom.'

I know many people, my children included, who listen to music all day long. They sing along to it, use it to help them sleep or lessen their anxiety—but I usually only listen to music when I need to drown something else out, or I need to feel something different than what I am currently experiencing. It can often inspire me, make me get up and dance (with or without accompanying air guitar and vocals) make me cry, or make me envious of the great talent that is out in the world.

If you hear me humming or singing a particular song, don't expect me to be able to tell you who sings it and please don't think because I know a lot of lyrics to a lot of random songs that I will be any worth to you at the next pub trivia night. No one wants to see your team tank because the white girl who lived through the '80s can't tell whether the song snippet they just played was Tiffany or Debbie Gibson.

Tiffany was the redhead, right?

Jon and I have tickets for They Might Be Giants next month. We are so excited to see them in concert again. To get ready, I have been listening to some of my favorite Giant albums. I’ve discovered several lines in those songs I could apply to situations in everyday life.

At work:

“Telephone for Mr. Horrible”
“Someone keeps moving my chair.”
“I’d be fired if that were my job.”

The economy:

“If I was smart, I’d save up for a piece of string and a rock to wind the string around.”

Love life/Dating:

“What’s he like? It’s not important.”
“I could shake my tiny fist and I swear I wasn’t wrong, but what’s the sense in arguing when you’re all alone?”

History:

“Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople.”
“Even old New York was once New Amsterdam.”

Self-confidence:

“Be what you’re like. Be like yourself.”

If you haven’t listened to They Might Be Giants before, you should now. They are amazing, and they have produced a number of children’s albums as well. My favorite- No!

Follow this link to see their site: They Might Be Giants

I have been away from my blog for far too long. I started to get itchy fingers this morning and decided there was no time like the present to post.


It's December and the city is filled with snow. Signs of the holiday are everywhere — you can't escape them. From the Christmas music playing in the stores, on the radio and even in the street to the tinseled streetlights and houses dripping with icicle lights.

I have had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit the last few years. Last year, it wasn't until just before Christmas Eve I felt really happy for the holiday. I put up my little tree this weekend, and even though I usually delight in placing the ornaments evenly around the circumference, this year, I let Moira and Maggie do all the decorating. They did a fabulous job. I sat on the couch and watched two, yes two, Hallmark Christmas movies this weekend. They both made me cry (one because of the emotional ending and one because the acting was so terrible). Still, I am not quite ready for the holidays to begin.

Each year we try to do something for someone less fortunate than ourselves. It brings a little humility and always makes us thankful for what we have. Most years we pick a family and do the 12 days of Christmas — leaving them small gifts and home baked goodies. This year, Jon had a different idea. For two weeks out of the month we are not having regular dinners. Instead, we are choosing two countries — the first is Mexico — and eating what those in the poorer regions eat. This week we will be dining on rice and beans (small portions), tortillas and maybe one dinner that involves chicken. The money we would normally spend has been put toward purchasing the items for a few Christmas dinners and miscellaneous non-perishable foods. We will take this all to the food bank this week.

I am grateful my kids don't have to be cajoled into doing this. They know we are blessed and have no problems giving to others. Hopefully, this will put me in the true Christmas spirit and I can enjoy the holiday with my wonderful family knowing we did something for someone else.