Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Concerts, Mobs, Dinners, Dates, Girls With Brown Eyes

I feel so old. Taking an eleven-year-old to a Jonas Brothers concert doesn’t help. Isabelle wanted to get there early—it was her first big concert ever. So we were there at 5:30, for a 7:00 show, caught up in the frenzy that is 10,000 six- to eighteen-year-olds contained in one space. The opening act didn’t come on until 7:30 and the Jonas clan didn’t start for an hour after that. Such divas. The show ended by 10:30 and I was exhausted, but Isabelle wanted to go to the Virgin music store in Times Square for the midnight album release party, which the brothers said they would be showing up for. Since she plans on marrying one of the brothers, I figured we really should go. In my head, I kept saying “no way” but I knew in the end I would take her. How can you say no?

The release’s locale lead to an interesting exchange:

Isabelle: Virgin makes music? I thought they made cell phones?
Me: Actually, Virgin makes airplanes. But I guess you wouldn’t know that because you were born like two years ago.

OK, I didn’t actually say that part about being born two days ago, but I thought it in my head.

The record release (oops, there I go revealing my age again: I mean CD release) was a mob scene, literally. It was so crowded that Isabelle and I came up with a meeting place should we get separated, which was a horrifying thought but we needed to play it safe. We were up close, three or four people from the front of the barricade, but we had literally an entire city block of people behind us pushing. I really thought that there could be a stampede, one that we would read about the next day in the papers. I was pushed and pulled and jabbed and fondled and threatened. One girl in front of us was yelling to all around her “I swhair ta Gahd I’ll spit on yew if yew pash me again.” And she did. Nice.

We got home at 1:30ish. In the freeking morning. I didn’t get to sleep for almost an hour after that. We had to get up early the next day because I then had to drive Isabelle to soccer camp on Long Island. It was exhausting but she had a really good time and it was nice to see her so excited and happy and I was glad to be a part of this memory of hers. But I so don’t get the Jonas brother infatuation. The whole time I kept thinking of Lisa Simpson’s (yes, The Simpsons) and her Non Threatening Boys. That’s a reference we old people might get.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at a friend’s house with the girls and then came back to the city and went out for dinner with two other friends and a restaurant that was too loud. See: Another I’M Getting Old Moment. We sat outside because without a pitcher of margaritas and a few beers and ten years slivered off my age, I couldn’t imagine screeching inside the restaurant to be heard or straining to hear. It was so nice to get out and we had a great conversation about lying, mothers, marriages, and very pale skin. We laughed a lot.

I enjoy watching the Olympics but I am beginning to feel Olympics burnout. And seeing all this greatness of athletics makes it easy to lose perspective that you are indeed watching the elite. I told Nicole that they should have side-by-side presentations of the elite with the amateur. So there should be a swimming lane with a regular person like me in it, doggy-paddling down the pool while being lapped sixteen times by Dara Torres. Then you would really see that she is unbelievably amazing. When you see her swimming next to other elites, it is so easy to not see that greatness. At least for me. You know it is great because she is in the Olympics, but where is the perspective? Show a regular person trying to walk on a balance beam next to the gymnasts. Show a regular person trying to do a vault. It might make is all appreciate the athletes more.

Was any one else disturbed that the USA gymnasts all looked the same? All blond hair. Are there not women of darker hair or skin in this country that are flexible and strong?

Above, if it works are two videos. After yesterday’s playdate the girls feel asleep in the car like two seconds after I started driving away. On the radio was Brown-Eyed Girl and I thought it was so fitting, as here I am, with three brown-eyed girls in my life (including Nicole, who will say her eyes are hazel but whatever). The second video is them sleeping still because how can you get enough of such cuteness? In that video, Just Like Heaven is on, which also seemed very fitting. And a third mini video because I am having fun uploading videos. In all, embarrassingly, you can hear me singing in the background. Please, no judgements. I now my voice is off key! After you get over the sugar shock of cuteness and the horrors of my singing, you can feel horrified that I was driving AND videotaping at the same time. I know.

10 comments:

K J and the kids said...

You are the best Aunt EVER !
Ever !

Cute sleeping babies. How can you not sing to Brown Eyed Girl. There is just no way.

Now the last video was just unneccesary and all it did was made me dizzy :) at least you weren't texting though.

Shelli said...

after the oooo, awwwww, moments, I'm all: "dude - I'm SO not getting in a car with you if you video tape sleeping babies instead of drive!" ;)

Anonymous said...

thanks for spelling out the obnoxious girls accent at the cd release party, i practiced my accent a few times and had a ball! you are definitely the best aunt ever and surely you'll do the same for your girls so they'll think you're the best mom ever too - you've got it in the bag!

Lynnbug said...

You are definately a good Aunt! I felt your pain though. Concerts and crowds of screaming teenagers are not for me.

The babies are adorable!

CD and SP said...

i teach teenagers, interact with them for several hours a day, 5 days a week, and i still don't get the jonas brothers (or hannah montana, for that matter) thing, either, so don't feel bad. you just earned yourself a LOT of good karma!

Anonymous said...

That is some serious sleeping!

Anonymous said...

wow- videoing and driving at same time- now THERE is an Olympic sport you could medal in.

Denise said...

OOh I love me some Jo Bros, and i am older then you lol.

MsPrufrock said...

The entire length of the post I was wondering who was doing the videotaping, so thanks for clearing that up. I cannot fathom the talent that must take!

Anonymous said...

Wow...what a great aunt you are! But being that I am such a worrier, and being that I myself just recently had a carseat inspection, I wanted to say to please tighten your girls carseat straps a little (only 1-2 fingers space should be between them and the strap). And the plastic clip should be aligned much much further up, about nipple height, so they don't just slip out in the event of a fender bender. I know I know...I should just mind my own business and be on meds for my incessant worrying, but I've been a long-time reader and I'd feel devastated if something ever happened to your girls.