Music, Memories, History

Way back in the dim, dead 90's, there existed a revival of swing. It was at this time that I was back in college, in the best physical shape of my life, and basically having the time of my life. My boys were loveable, gorgeous babies. I had a brand-new car. For some reason(and I'm not bragging, I promise), men adored me. I had it all.

I fell in love with the Cherry Poppin' Daddies and played "Zoot Suit Riot" until the cassette broke. One could still purchase cassettes at this time. To be honest, this song still, well, swings, so, as a lyrical walk down memory lane, today I pulled out a CD purchased from a Wal-Mart bargain bin and blasted it on the stereo.

The boys, of course, could not remember this song, having been toddlers when it was popular, but they were quite taken with it and begged for me to play it again. I did, and, much to their delight, I guided first one and then the other into a scaled-down version of the popular swing dancing. Good times.

Now, because my kids are smart, one of them asked, "Mom, what's this song about?" Now it was my turn to be delighted. I told them about the actual Zoot Suit Riots and how the song actually has meaning if you know about them. I'm not going to discuss the tale of the Riots here; I'm a big fan of "look it up for yourself" when it comes to adults.

The boys and I then looked at pics of modern-day zoots on the internet. I also found a few pics of Cab Calloway, probably the king of the zoot. Now my sons want zoots for themselves, one favoring the silvery sharkskin style, the other wanting one that is UK blue. Of course, they both want the hats with the sweeping feathers and the pocket watches with absurdly long chains. You know what? I'd say, before the year's over, they will have their zoots. I have never been one to squash creativity and imagination.

As for me, though, listening to the Cherry Poppin' Daddies brought back a memory so clear and clean I could taste it: Cruising along in my new car, dancing as I drove, the world wide open ahead with every possibility and no limitations. Good times, indeed.

Sea Monkeys. Yes, Sea Monkeys.

I'm sure you remember these playful denizens of the deep from the ancient comic book ads of yesteryear. Like many, my uncles and I gathered change and sent for a set long ago, looking forward to the promised playful pets. These are the same uncles with which I once threw a cat from a second-story window to see if they really do always land on their feet. Let me tell you, cats really do always land on their feet, but nasty things happen to them when they land on their feet from a second-story window. Perhaps it's good that our seamonkeys didn't do much of anything after we put them in the empty fruit jar.

Just for a hoot, I ordered the Executive Sea Monkey set from Ebay a couple weeks ago as a gift for my sons. In the Executive Sea Monkey set, one finds a snazzy black and gold Sea Monkey habitat, a Million Bubble thingy, a squeegie that lights up, a feeding spoon, and an Aqua Leash. Also included are three envelopes which contain water purifier, the Sea Monkeys themselves, and their food.

Per instructions, the boys and I filled the snazzy aquarium and dumped in the water purifier. Twenty-four anxious hours later, it was time to birth our new pets. The Sea Monkeys, when poured into the water, begin to hatch almost immediately. Perhaps the water purifier is what we lacked as a child. Regardless, this set actually works and actually ROCKS.

In the week since we created life, the little guys have grown from floating dots into, well, bizarre creatures. They dart to and fro in an almost haphazard manner that is absolutely enthralling for some reason. Once a day, we insert the Million Bubble thingy and blow lifegiving oxygen into their water with a few squeezes. Maybe that was another thing we were missing as a kid -- we didn't realize the damn things need to breathe.

SO, now I'm a Sea Monkey nut. I can't wait for the walls to grow some of that lovely algae that the Sea Monkeys are reputed to love to eat. Then I get to use the funky light-up squeegee!

Dee-Trivia

Since I'm in a rotten mood this morning and not good for much else, I'm going to list a few things about myself. Please note that I didn't say this would be fun and/or interesting. If you find it to be either, lucky you.

1. I don't like ham. In fact, there's not much in the way of meat that I do like. I'd be a vegetarian, except that I really really hate vegetarians. Indulging in the occasional Christmas turkey or chicken sandwich is not political or earth-moving. Anyway, back to the original statement. My dislike of ham wouldn't be a big issue, except that everyone else in the free world loves ham and always freaks out when I won't eat it. Is ham the official food of the United States or something?

2. I watch "King of the Hill" on a daily basis. My children and I dance wildly whenever the theme song comes on. No one is allowed to watch this ritual, as it would scare normal people.

3. I'm a rabid democrat, and I'll tell you why. My grandfather and I stayed up when I was small to watch the Carter vs. Reagan election. I asked him, "Why does it matter if that guy wins?"

"Sissy," he replied, "if that republican wins, you'll have to eat soup beans for four years, we'll be so poor."

I hate soup beans, so I vote democrat.

4. I am selachophobic, which makes no sense as I live in a totally inland state. You should see me when we're watching the Discovery Channel. I curl up in a ball and cry whenever they advertise Shark Week.

5. I don't wear socks.

6. Most women are boring. I am not an exception to this rule, but I don't hang out with women because of this.

7. I'm double-jointed.

Procreation Explosion

I guess you could say that I love animals. Currently, I have three dogs, five cats, and a very disillusioned duck. All of these animals live outside, as my kids are allergic, but none of them mind it, as it allows them to breed pretty much unheeded. As of this moment, I have 3 pregnant cats and a pregnant dog. *sigh*

This is the first litter for all but one of my animals. I can certainly afford the surplus puppies and kitties, although most will be given a good home somewhere else. I've never had any trouble giving away the offspring of my animals, mainly because they are all cared for and beautiful. I just . . . I miss them when they are gone. Even my duck is petted constantly. I'm a big ol' nut when it comes to any animal, including newts, cattle, and even pigs.

Keep your fingers crossed as I go to buy some Easter ducks next week, maybe even a few chicks.