Showtunes

Okay, so this blog is about how I actually love to sing, and enjoy show tunes.

....

Mhm, yeah, I'll let the snickers die down. Not hard for me to admit that fact, but I’m sure some people would think that’s funny, seems to be a small populous around me that enjoys the sing-alongs. I don’t mind though, because what the hell, I like it!

I was listening to Pandora at work and I made a show tunes station (The Music Man station). And while I don’t know a huge variety of Broadway shows I did know quite a few of the songs. Since I was doing paperwork at the clinic I did not sing along as that would be slightly awkward. Although it seems to be that in shows everyone knows all the words and the choreography so maybe if I break out into a song all of my co-workers and patients would join in! That's it, I'm trying it out tomorrow.

As for singing, I love to. Now, I’m not going to sit here and say I have the best voice, I’m certainly not going to win any singing competitions, but I don’t think I’m bad either. Really, I think that everyone is a good singer when they’re in the car, by themselves with the radio blaring. When you’re alone you can sing any range, note, song, mess up the words, and you’ll still feel good at the end of the song and think, “hey, I sound pretty good!”

Yes, I do that too.

I like music I can sing to which is one of the reasons I don’t care for big guitar solos or mostly musical pieces. I suppose if I played guitar I would be into listening to that, but guitar is on my list of "things I want to know how to do", it's an ever-growing list. A capella is one of my fav forms of music, as it's all voice. It’s just voice and you can sing all the different parts; I particularly like to sing the bass part, or do some beatbox (again, might not be that great at it, but who cares?). Singing the bass or bari part is due to the fact that I can’t really do the tenor thing. Well, I can but it ain’t all that pretty to listen to by those around me. I think it’s an underrated form of music too, like when I mention that I love Rockapella, the group from “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego”? most people have no idea what I'm talking about. In general, people tend to only know that song, but the group is incredibly talented and have some great variety. If you’d like I’d be happy to show you, because I’m a huge fan. And while we''re listening to it I will do my best to not sing along. That's like watching a movie for the first time with someone that's seen it three dozen times and recites all the lines while you're trying to watch it. I make it a point to only recite lines any other time but watching the movie I'm quoting.

To go off on a tangent for a second; my favorite movie is The Goonies, by far. People know that I can recite many movie lines at random (as most guys can [as a matter of fact, I think women don’t do this because they have actual important things to remember]), I think that I can recite Goonies material better than any other movie. I had to name that as my fav movie so I could lead in to my fav musical which would be The Music Man – Robert Preston version, not the new one. While I’m a big fan of Pirates of Penzance too they haven’t released it to DVD, but that has great music too. In general I do like show tunes, they are easy to sing along to, all the different parts and there is a ton of variety from decades worth of shows.

Besides, most of you can sit there and sing along to most of the Disney musicals, so don’t be busting me for liking a little Broadway. Ooh, I like the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors too. Disney-wise I think I like Aladdin best. I am definitely not an expert when it comes to musical theater though so don't ask me about the Spiderman show, I heard it isn't doing that great... It's alright, you can go ahead and admit there are some musicals that you know and love too. Now I have a kiddo so I can sort of use that as an excuse for having those Disney sing-alongs on. Not that I need an excuse.

Initially I started this blog due to a co-worker laughing that I had my musicals station on Pandora and was listening to it. Thankfully she wasn't laughing at me, because there is plenty of ammo there. She was laughing with me as she is a fan of the musical theater and probably didn't expect me to be listening to that type of station. It did make think back to my other post about how I'm a weirdo, I believe that the singing thing was mentioned too. So I guess this falls in the category of things I enjoy but other guys don't typically. It is also in the category of "random things that I know about".

In the end I guess the take-home message here is that I enjoy singing, and singing along to stuff. I also have no shame in admitting that. It's the sensitive, artsy, music-y side of me.

Do you want to have a small glimpse into who I am? Go ahead and take the time to watch both The Goonies, and The Music Man, then you might understand me a little better.

If you also need references feel free to read my blog “I am a weirdo”.

I am a weirdo.

Well holy shmokes, that went by really fast.

So it's been 5-ish months since I last wrote a blog, and wow has a lot of stuff happened since then. In fact, me and the wife had just mentioned recently that in this past 3 years I finished grad school, got my first clinic job, got licensed as a PT, we got married, and had a baby. There are some other things that have happened in there too, some good and some tragic, but those are for another time.

I did go back and read through the few postings I had listed, and ironically I even mentioned that I get on a kick and was getting into the blog thing, and who knew if it would last. And I see that I wrote we had just moved, planned on staying here for a few years even. Haven't even been here a year and we are moving.

Again.

While I am not looking at the move part all that fondly, it is a great move for a great reason. We are going to be renting a house and there are a bunch of positives with that, but the main thing is that we will be right next door to my wife's sister, who watches our daughter during the day - being next to family is the best part.

That's some of the changes going on, but really I wanted to write a blog about how I am kind of (read: am) a weirdo.

Now some of you will read that and go "Yup." and that's cool, this blog is just me knowing who I am and that I've accepted that I am not a usual guy. Yes, we could go on a nice little editorial about how we're all different and special in our own way, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I have talked about this to many people over the years, friends, acquaintances, etc. Mainly the conversation starts out about how I get along better with girls vs guys. Then I mention that I don't have a lot in common with most guys which is why I don't spend much time with them. I don't really watch sports or play (due to a lack of skill), I know nothing about cars or tools, and I'm not a very macho, testosterone driven meat-head. Plenty of testosterone though, I am manly in my own - show-tune singing - flexing muscles - artistic - loving ladies - ballroom dancing way... Hm.

Yeah.

I did have a small group of 3 close guy friends growing up, but over the years it was always just a few guys, and a bunch of girls. In college I had about 6+ girls I sat with at meals, always a bit worried that the people around me thought I was gay. Side note: I did get asked out by a guy once (which it didn't dawn on me that he was looking for a date, when I did realize I politely declined). The girls kind of treated me like one of the girls, always stating something along the lines of "it's just Jamie!" - implying that I was non-threatening and there to hang out, not to find a date. True, just doing my thing, not looking for a date with those friends of mine. Felt more at ease with the girls.

I mean, why do I think I'm a bit different? (Editor's note: I originally wrote a bunch of things that I am known for and which I find unusual. In the end though I left them out because the people that know me well know my little quirks and such). There was a time where I wasn't sure where I fell in the social order, but after a while I realized I got along best with the odd people, so that would make me one of them.

Really I guess the point of all this, if there is one, is that when I meet people I get along with really well; it makes me happy. These could be family, co-workers, patients, wait staff, whatever, it's a quick connect of personalities that you know just works. And heck, I even found someone that wanted to marry me, that really worked out well!

It makes me happy because I think; "ooh, they get me, and are like me, and seem to like me!" Good for the self-esteem, but in the end it's more about my self-realization that there are other oddballs out there like me. There are certain people in my life that I am extra glad when I saw them or talked to them today, so thanks to each of you for making me smile and be happy that I know you because we click well.

If you decided to give this a read through and know me, and get me, then thank you again.

You're a weirdo too.