Sunday, July 4, 2010

A fourth of July Eeeeeeep moment!!

Funny Hamster Singing Pictures, Images and Photos
Babeeee, yoooou,, got what I neeeed!
But you say you're just a friend,
But you say you're just a friend!!

singing pals Pictures, Images and Photos
Lean on meeeeee, when you're not stroooong,,
I'll be your friend!!
I'll help you carry on!!


funny, cat, singing, sing, Pictures, Images and Photos
You lost that loving feeeeling, whoa that lovin' feeling!


My father was a singing Evangelist. I swear he had a boombox surgically placed in his body because the voice that came out of this rail thin man could shake any walls down. Pure and strong, you could feel every emotion flowing through him.

I was outed as a singer while doing my best Annie impression of "Tomorrow" in my room one night. The door flew open and my dad stood in the doorway, staring at me with saucer sized eyes.

"Do it again"

"Do WHAT again, Dad"

"Sing!"

And that was that. I was pulled into the world of music that I love so much with the man I idolized. We went to many types of places and sang in front of a lot of people. Schools, Prisons, Churches, Malls, Hospitals, the streets, a roof, wherever we could plug in our meager equipment, we would perform.

Shy guy Pictures, Images and Photos
You can't see me now!

I was shy (can you believe that?). I would always feel physically ill before I performed. My dad had a way of calming me. Even still before every song I had to get a nervous little cough out, I didn't mean to, it just always happened, and he ALWAYS laughed at me. He would even choreograph his own little nervous cough in perfect unison with mine. Yep, that's my dad.

I remember one time there was this super hot church boy sitting in the front row, I love me some super hot church boys!! I felt myself flush when he looked at me. How was I supposed to sing NOW????? I went up and my voice cracked. And what did this genius rookie performer do? I turned around and faced the wall, my back to the audience. My dad was mortified, but humored. He asked me during the break what had happened and we had a conversation about how he had better not embarrass me this time!!!!

<span class=

"Do you really want this boy looking at your rear in THAT skirt???"

"Watsamatta with my skirt??!!"

"Oh, nothing,, it just looks so much cuter from the front."

I finished the set facing the audience with the cute side of my skirt.

Dad always wanted me to sing country. He said that was where my vocal talents lay. He taught me vibretti (as he called it), and a serious course in "brangin' the twang" to a song!!! The twangy-er I could sing a country song, the better, he would rave over my southern drawl. I would continuously bribe him with twang even though I did kinda enjoy singing like that (shhhhh).

"I'll sing THAT twang if you'll let me sing this POP song."

"How twangy?"

"You'll think I drank sweet tea instead of formula as a baby"

I got to sing my pop songs, but never as well as I sang his country ones. I always knew he was right, but we both found out later that the raspy bluesy-rock was where I really fit in. And he loved that even more.

One of our favorite places to sing was in nursing homes. We would frequent the same ones and I had adoptive Grandparents and pockets full of star mints every weekend (not sure why all older people do the peppermint thing, but I love that memory). It was a rough lesson as a kid though to run back a few weeks later to a "grandparents" room and find that they had passed away. But I would remember the stories and laughter and the pure joy I could see in their eyes with just these little visits, and I would adopt more. I met and lost some amazing people there.

<span class=

We had a spectacular show planned on the Fourth of July for our favorite nursing home. A showcase of southern twang and majestic patriotic display. We even brought a large "flag" sheet cake for the residents. My dad had bought a lot of sparklers as well. The plan was to turn the lights off, walk in singing patriotically and carrying this cake with sparklers dancing on top.

It was certainly received well. The residents that could stand, stood and placed their hands on their hearts smiling proudly and singing along. The ones who couldn't stand, still saluted and clapped for the grand spectacle.

We got the cake to the table set it down just as the sparklers burst out from a happy sparkly performance to a full grown fireball.

Fire Flower Pictures, Images and Photos
Image may be slightly exaggerated

The room filled with black smoke, the elderly STILL saluting and singing were now being ushered frantically to the hallway while punch was being poured on the cake and the sprinkler system popped from the ceiling.

There were many little screams and a lot of rolling laughter from the safe residents in the hall.

I don't think 20 cheap sparklers on a sheet cake is such a great idea any more.

Do you agree?

13 Seducing Deductions:

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

My bloggy sis, this is a most spectacularly heart warming July 4th post. If the cake is chocolate, I don't recommend 20 cheap sparklers. 19 semi-pricey ones maybe, but not 20. Keep twanging.
Love to you.
xoRobyn

P said...

Hahaha, this post is awesome! I loved the animal pictures and captions, the skirt anecdote and the exaggerated fire picture. Still giggling as I type this...

gayle said...

What a wonderful memory to have of the 4th and singing with your dad!!! Great post!!!

Anonymous said...

Wonderfull post!!!

IT (aka Ivan Toblog) said...

How'd that hamster get out of his cage?
Great story!

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

What a great story. What is it about sheet cakes and national holidays. I have a similar Canada day adventure in my past that involved the military police, a jail cell and media coverage.

Anonymous said...

Great story.
I love singing too - which is a matter that causes great difficulty with my neighbours....
Thanks for a great post.

All the best, Boonsong

Cheeseboy said...

Ha ha! Sometimes the elderly are so funny. This was a terrific post.

Ca88andra said...

What great memories! Hey, next time you sing let me know and I'll come and be in the audience!

Clyde said...

I'm still back at "Shy"
My mother spent some time in a nursing home and always raved about people who came to perform----I met some lonely old men while I was visiting mum---I still go and visit them and listen to their stories

Dutch Sugar Babe said...

HA! Heartwarming.

I just posted my quirk post. I didn't forget to mention you.

steveroni said...

You ARE surprising! And I almost didn't stop here on my ravaging through the blogs tonight. So you sing? Last Sept I joined a church choir, as a bass, and found I loved it--after spending my life as a violinist. But I DID used to fiddle around every, EVERY week in nursing homes here in Naples FL for many years.

Every Christmas Eve I walk into the Naples Hospital about 8 PM, and start on the top floor, ask the nurses for a list of rooms where I was allowed, and go play a couple Xmas tunes in each room. I work my way down to street level, it takes about 2 hours.

I walk out of there seeing Christmas in a completely different light--missed last Xmas, but will make it again.

Thanks for this blog to balance yourself between the giraffe and the elephant. Now I DIDN'T need to write that, you agree? Weird.

Powdered Toast Man said...

Noooooo, the cake!! I hope it was still edible.

You should do a vlog of you singing something twangy, I would love to here it. I wish I could sing.

Post a Comment

Every time you leave a comment, The Seductress gets a tickle!!

giggle, snort....and maybe she pees a little...but it's still cute....really...