a few of my favorite things: the musical

Listening to: Only the Young by Brandon Flowers
Lyric Obsession: "Redemption keep my covers clean/tonight..."


It is common knowledge among my friends and family that I have an alter-ego, White Chocolate, who likes to drop beats. Also, beatz. (Is it drop beats or bust beats?) (I must consult Biz on this.) I sometimes get inspired to break into spontaneous rap, is what I'm saying. My niece, Erin, also has this *makes air quotes* talent. She calls her rap-self, "Lil' Cocoa." White Chocolate and Lil' Cocoa! You see how clever we are?

One of my more infamous Christmas raps starts like this: "I'm gonna rap about Voldemort and Wal-de-Mart and things of the world that ain't right!/ Gonna rap about barbecued franks, Bill Gates, and Tom Hanks, pay-per-view and satellite!" (Note: bbq'd franks were hot dogs dipped in bbq sauce served in my elementary school cafeteria. No one named Frank was bbq'd during the making of this rap.)

If you've studied poetic form, you will probably deduce from the above example the following: the only real goal my rap-self seems to have is to rhyme words - words that have no real connection beyond the fact that they rhyme.

Lucky for you, I am not going to rap today. I need a special blend of caffeine and Twizzlers churning through my system for that kind of performance. But I do have a song to share.

I am, as you probably know, quite a fan of musicals. I like old movie musicals (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is my favorite - followed very closely by Disney's Family Band). I have a very long list of Disney songs on my iPod. (Fact: nothing gives you street-cred faster than rolling up beside somebody blasting Kanye from their speakers while you blast ... Sebastian the Crab.) (Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there!)

I have the soundtrack from Anastasia mostly memorized (why is that still not on Broadway?!). And I love theater. I truly, totally adore theater. During college, I was able to take a Shakespeare class in London. During my Shakespeare stint, I mostly ate Kit-Kats and drank water so I could spend the rest of my money on theater tickets. I liked the big, swingy productions. I liked the low-budget productions that happened in seedy warehouses. I loved the spontaneous Shakespeare plays in the park. I remember watching a play in an open air theater in Regent's Park during a rainstorm. I realize London is a near-constant rainstorm but that day was especially insane. I didn't take a jacket. I didn't take an umbrella. Thus, I felt like I was sitting in a car wash. But the actors never stopped acting. So I never stopped watching. It's one of my most favorite memories of the whole trip. One of my flatmates said, "Aren't you sick of seeing plays?!" Never. It must be a sickness or something. I was only sad that I couldn't squeeze a few more in.

My city has a swanky theater and a team of incredible actors. I try to take in a play here whenever I can. And I try to take in a few big swingy numbers that come within driving distance when I can (and when I can afford them ...). Because I take in lots of musicals, I sometimes delight/alienate my family by making my life into a musical. By which I mean: I sing exactly what I happen to be doing. (Example: I'm brushing my teeth now! It's very exciting! Good-bye tartar build-up! Hello, extra-whitening!) And I have discovered that I can apply my same non-sensical rhyme scheme to these more classical musical numbers. And so, today, I present you with one such number to the tune of the beloved Christmas classic: My Favorite Things! (Although I'm not really sure why that's considered a Christmas song ...)

Two reminders: 1.) Not all of these events/things happened in 2010. I just liked them all this year. And 2.) Remember: sometimes I have to be ... creative to make the rhyme scheme work for me.

My Favorite Things: The 2010 Edition

*This is the part where the piano music begins its happy ker-plunkery*

*And now she sings!*

Boys who write love songs

And warm furball snuggles,

Thanksgiving dinner

with my favorite muggles!

Violets and novels and old banjo strings

These are a few of my favorite things!

Burberry Brit Sheer

and chocolate chip cookies

yellow umbrellas:

And this plastic wookie:

Wild winter sunsets:

And butterfly wings:

These are a few of my favorite things!

*full symphony kicks in!*

Jenny Jones blogging

And June Carter dancing:

Jo's speech at Harvard

And bookish romancing


Harry + Jenny! 
Katniss + PEETA!

Red lipstick:

green apples,
and the way these folks sing:

These are a few of my favorite things!

Warm cups of coffee:

Old books with swirled writing:

Melanie and Sarah

Cause they make suck-days more exciting!

Colors like black and tiffany-blue

Banana Bread French Toast

And readers (that's you!)

Libraries,
blackberries,
and emails that go ping!

These are a few of my favorite things!

*the music fades to the simple ker-plunkery of the piano again*

*our leading lady walks to the edge of the stage and stares up, into the far-far-away, as though she is wishing on a star*

Two thousand eleven,

I see you there waiting.

Time keeps on pulling

but I'm hesitating.

I wish I could know what this new year will bring.

Uncertainty is certainly my least favorite thing.

But some dreams, they keep calling

(though I say I'm not ready).

My heart feels so dizzy

(but God holds me steady).

Am I brave?

Am I foolish?

Won't know till I try.

Most likely I'll faceplant.

But maybe I'll fly!

CHORUS: This is the part where she takes to the sky!

*music SWELLS!*

So here's to....

the falling and flying

and loving and hating

the self-doubt the victory

the debating the waiting

the wondering

the wonder this new year will bring ...

Love makes me believe I can do anything!

And I'm loved and I'm loving

And love is most certainly,
most wonderfully,

most truly,

my very most favorite thing!

*CURTAINS!*

Happy New Year, friends :) Thanks for making me so smiley all year long.

P.S. - As I was trying to find the right angle to take the picture of the butterfly, I kept mumbling, "Open your wings so I can take a picture ..." And Biscuit kept her nose pushed against the door, wagging her tail as if to say:
"Open the door so I can eat the butterfly ..." She's helpful like that.