perpetual it

I was always one of the slow kids, which made me a prime target for being "it" when we played tag. I was tagged because I was easily caught. And it always gagged me when the fast kids would pretend to be slow so you could catch them, but then as your outstretched hand came within millimeters from touching their jacket they'd throw into high gear and run away, laughing over their shoulder. Leaving you standing there, still it, realizing that you were always going to be it because you would never catch anybody.

Oh, yeah, I've got great memories of playing tag...

But blog-tag is different because it's not about escape. With that said, I have been tagged and nobody is saying "it's okay, you can catch me" or "nyah-nyah-nuh-na'nyah". Kelly over atNeffajawea has tagged me with a fabulous four-question game.

The instructions are simple. I answer her questions, then make up four of my own. Tag other people. Don't tease them if they're slow.

Okay, I made up that last part. But, really, it's not nice to tease the slow kid who is habitually itjust because she can't run.

I: Do you like musicals?

Oh, yes, I heart me some musicals. In fact, I wonder if my husband put you up to asking me that particular question. We will celebrate our 11th date-a-versary this October, and he has endured many many hours of me singing show tunes followed by asking him which musical it came from. But, you know, he's gotten REALLY GOOD at naming them after all this time!

When I was very young my parents would play The Music Man on record and my sister and I would dance around and sing with it. That was before I saw it on VHS. It (and, yes, I mean the original 1957 version) will always be one of my favorites. In fact, many times when I change Baby's stinky diapers I sing "Shipoopi".

Every morning when I get her out of her crib I sing, "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" (Oklahoma!). We also sing "Hair" when I fix hers in the morning (Hair). Many times we sing "I Feel Pretty" (West Side Story) while getting dressed. At least three times a week she hears "I'll Cover You" (Rent) between at least a thousand kisses on her face and tummy.

We do lots of "The Sound of Music", too. From "How do you solve a problem like Maria..." to "Doe, a deer, a female deer"... to "I am sixteen going on seventeen"... and "These are a few of my favorite things..." (but never "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music" because that one always sounds pretentious...)

A "Sound of Music" aside: when I was little we'd watch this one every time it came on tv. After the big wedding scene there was always a commercial break and Mom would turn off the tv and tell us it was over and time for bed. Imagine my surprise when I was watching it in college with my roommate when I turned off the tv and said, "ok, now what do you want to do?" only to find out that the movie wasn't even close to over yet! And, what's worse, there were bad Nazis!! Talk about being embarrassed. I have a friend now who thinks it's the funniest story that I didn't know there was a whole political subplot to the movie until I was twenty.

I have "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and was actually thinking about that one this week because it's almost time to get it out and make The Hater watch it again with me! I love the concept of a crossover cartoon musical. If someone would come up with a horror zombie movie musical I'd have to own it, even if it was terrible.

Mom took me to see "The King and I" in Nashville when I was little. My favorites from that one are "Getting to Know You" and "Shall we Dance?"

I consider "Mary Poppins" to be a musical - and one of my favorites, too. "Let's Go Fly a Kite", "Just a Spoonful of Sugar", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"...

My college roommate and I used to always watch "Little Shop of Horrors". She was a soprano and I sang alto - so we'd go through the whole musical and she'd sing the high parts and I'd sing the low parts. We even went to an open mic night on campus and sang "Suddenly Seymour" (She sang the Audrey part and I sang the Seymour part.).

"My Fair Lady" is one of my favorites, too. In high school I got made fun of for knowing the songs in this one. A lot of the guys called me Eliza because they were douche bags. At the time it really bothered me, but now I only wish someone would say, hey, you look a little like Audrey Hepburn. Or, even better, you sing like her!

I also love "Gee Officer Krupke" from "West Side Story". It cracks me up. The choreography is just fantastic for that song.

And it wouldn't be a good overview of musicals if I didn't at least give a hat tip to "MoulinRouge", which really had to grow on me because I didn't like at first, and the "Chicago" remake. Both are great, but don't really lend to singing to a toddler.

Oh! I almost forgot! I sang in "Godspell" in college! I sing her songs from that one at least two mornings a week on the drive to day care - usually "Save the People", "Day by Day", "Light of the World" or "We Beseech Thee". (In fact, my VHS of the performance was about to die so The Hater took it to be converted to DVD for me last year because he's the greatest husband in all the land.)

So, in short, yes, I like musicals. They're almost all my favorites.

II: Have you ever been thrown a surprise party?

No. At least not that I remember. If I was thrown one I apologize profusely, but have no memory of being surprised. :)

III: What is the WORST thing you've ever done?

This morning I turned right on red at a place where there was a sign that said I shouldn't do that! I'm such a rebel.

IV: What is your dream vacation?

I used to think I wanted to go to Greece. Don't get me wrong - I still think that'd be awesome. But it'd be even better if it were a stop along the way to going to all kinds of faraway places. I'd like to see it all - and not just the typical tourist stops - on the perfect vacation I'd see countries and cultures all over the world. I want to eat in their dives and worship in their churches. I want to play with their kids and hear their stories.

I want to go to a really old city and touch buildings that are older than our country. I want to feel the masonry and let it whisper to me its secrets. I know - nerd alert - but I would totally geek out if I could hold a book that was bound thousands of years ago. I'd follow all the rules and wear the gloves and not even breathe on it and treat it with the utmost respect and gentleness as if it were a sickly preemie. But I want to hold that book and at least turn one of its pages.

I don't want to run with the bulls or climb tall mountains or swim in specific bodies of water. I don't really want to see a specific event.

I'd just like to experience their cultures.

But that's the once-upon-a-time-in-a-land-far-far-away dream... my more realistic dream is to be able to take some time off and go to Glacier National Park with my husband and my daughter. I went there briefly for an afternoon in college when I was at a research conference in Montana. I can't begin to tell you how beautiful it was - Lake McDonald is the most beautiful body of water I have ever seen. I'd like to take some time and really enjoy the park.

My Four Questions

A. Tell me a story about a vivid memory you have when you were in the third grade.

B. If you could go back in time and visit the you who was a senior in high school the night of your graduation, what would you tell them? Would you give them any advice?

C. If you could go back in time and have a drink with any person in history, who would you visit and what would you drink? (If you choose a Biblical person that's fine, but you also have to answer with a nonBiblical person, too.)

D. What children's book would you say best describes your personality? Why?

Consider Yourself Tagged by the Slow Girl

1. Jane over at Greetings from Kentucky

2. Kelly over at Neffajawea (because you didn't say "no tag-backs")

3. Ely over at Ely Here and There

4. both Bills from Bills Stuff and My Journal

5. Whomever would like to be tagged because I don't want to leave anybody out.