Step Into G... if you look like a Men's Health Magazine cover model

So I had a great weekend, naturally to be followed by a not so great Monday. I have a huge pile of work that never seems to dissipate, my outlook inbox collected over 1,000 emails and more ad hoc tasks than I know what to do with, however, I managed to remember to take my gym clothes with me to work (even though I arrived 15 minutes late). As it is, I drink too much coffee but due to the extenuating circumstances, I had more than usual. Add stress to the mix and voila! Queue the nausea and pains that can only be described as, what I think bleeding ulcer's feel like. I managed to pull myself away from the perpetual to do list to go to lunch, and of course… I over ate! But it sucked because it was Red Robin, to add salt to the wound, it wasn't even a real burger, I ordered a Boca burger and the server was an ugly fat heifer (hah, like me) with a shitty attitude!

I worked late because I had to make progress on my workload, I also wanted to take three days off this week, now realizing how completely overambitious that notion was. Since I worked late, I didn't get to the gym in time for my spin class, so I half heartedly schlepped onto the elliptical machine and joined my posse from Human Resources (EG, Melinder and Indy). Afterward, I decided to tag along with Indy and take a trip to Target, while we shopped for a few items we realized we were starving so we immediately wrapped it up and headed for Corner Bakery. After overeating for the second time today, Indy and I walked around the shopping mall, stopping here and there. We stopped at the "G by Guess?" store and were greeted by one of the associates with a script that someone at Guess? headquarters probably came up with (unsuccessfully, in my opinion), to *try* to indicate a sense of voguish atmosphere, "Hey what's goin' on, step into G, blah, blah, 50% off, blah, blah, blah…". Well, we 'stepped into G'; I tried on some jeans that would normally fit me loose, but I could barely get them over my knees, once I did get them on… well, I couldn't get them off fast enough. I stepped right out of G and wanted to step into the G-Y-M! Admittedly, it's not Guess?' fault that I avoided the gym for four months, in fact I'm sort of grateful to them because it inspired me to go to the gym with more frequency and interest, but it sort of closed the day appropriately with an in your face reminder of how unfit I've become. I'm getting up at 5:45am tomorrow morning and going for a jog before work because I will be stepping into G again and I will rock a pair of those bloody jeans, mmmkay! Then I'll go get a pair of RnR jeans, you know… real jeans. Kidding, I'm completely content with Guess? jeans, as long as they fit :)

Peace betches!

Rockero for one more night

Let me preface this with a little edu-macation: Rock en español devotees are known as “rockeros”. The music sounds a lot like 80’s music/new wave/synthpop/punk - it is common practice for DJ’s to interweave The Cure, Berlin, Depeche Mode, A-ha, Blondie, Flock of Seagulls… on and on… you get the picture.

So last week, as I strolled home from Target, I noticed the restaurant at the Hyatt had changed - it used to be called Belluno and it sucked hard! The new name was very familiar, JC Fandango. The rest of the way home, I replayed memories from the era between the ages of 18-22, when Liz, Sandy, Teresa and I, and occasionally a few others, scoured the southland for rock en español clubs. We mostly frequented Carlos O’Brien’s in downtown San Bernardino. I know what your thinking… and ghetto it was indeed, but you have to understand, we lived in a very rural town called Hemet, San Bernardino was the closest city. Additionally, there weren’t a whole lot of rock en español clubs; the few in existence were sprinkled about Southern California. Carlos O’Brien’s was certainly one of the most popular, followed by Tia Juana’s in Irvine and… ah yes, JC Fandango in Anaheim (I remembered as I unlocked my door, getting home from Target)

Saturday afternoon, I convinced Liz to drive down from Hemet; I lured her by letting her in on my recent discovery, “JC Fandango moved a block from my apartment”, I exclaimed! She reluctantly came. We got ready at my place, just like old times. But this time it was hard trying to figure out what to wear because I couldn’t remember how to dress to a rock en español club and none of my old clothes fit anymore. It’s been at least 3 years since I’ve set foot in one of those clubs - pretty much, since I left Hemet for Orange County without looking back. After visiting the JC Fandango website, I learned you can get around the $20 cover charge if you have dinner in the restaurant first. As it turned out, the food was surprisingly good. Liz and I crossed over to the club right after dinner; we were among the first people there. The DJ was spectacular! He played several sub genres of Latin music, as well as some hip hop and pop, but when our music came on, our eyes lit-up and we booked it for the dance floor. It was the beginning of a mojito laden, nostalgia driven, Shakira-Juanes-Maná-Berlin-Soda Stereo-Heroes del Silencio-La Ley-Hombres G- Enanitos Verdes-Jaguares-‘A-ha’-The Cure-Duncan Dhu-Vilma Palma-Moenia escapade.

I forgot how much I liked this music and how it brought me closer to my best friends. I’ll be downloading all of my favorite songs this week and Liz and I are planning on bringing the old crew. Hopefully we come to the point where we don’t have to refer to it as the old crew… drop the old and just call it the crew. I dug up these pictures… [cough… cruel intentions… cough]

"Shanaydo Connor"

Liz called me a little while ago, we were reminiscing about the good ol' days. Somehow the conversation went to Sinead O'Connor and her cover of the song, "Nothing Compares to You". Without skipping a beat, we ensued in an impromptu duet over the phone, my windows are open so I can imagine my poor neighbors were horrified, or worried someone was dying a horrible, painful death. We started off with, "It's been seven years and hmmm hmmm days; hmmm hmmm hmmm hmm hmmm hmmm hmmm"… (we hummed our way to the chorus)… "CAUSE, NOTHING COMPARES; NOTHING COMPARES TO YOUUUU". I later googled the lyrics & video and realized the song starts with, "It's been seven hours and fifteen days", lol. As I read the lyrics, I remembered I was seven when she released that song and I thought her name was Shanaydo Connor.

Here's the video:


Here are lyrics so you don't have to humm the entire song, like Liz and I did:

NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU
(Prince)

It's been seven hours and fifteen days
Since u took your love away
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since u took your love away
Since u been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
..Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you

It's been so lonely without u here
Like a bird without a song
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me baby where did I go wrong
I could put my arms around every boy I see
But they'd only remind me of you
I went to the doctor n'guess what he told me
Guess what he told me
He said girl u better try to have fun
No matter what u do
But he's a fool
..Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you

All the flowers that u planted, mama
In the back yard
All died when u went away
I know that living with u baby was sometimes hard
But I'm willing to give it another try
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you