Getting ready!

I just removed myself from filling Easter baskets, as I was dancing a little too close to the sugar shocked flame. I am pleased to announce that I only ate one peppermint patty, in the past thirty minutes, but there was no telling how long that willpower was going to last.

As a distraction, I started to panic a little bit about how dangerously close April is. On Monday the A-Z challenge will begin, whether I am ready or not. Last year I signed up at the last minute and flew by the seat of my pants. This year I started to see folks talking about the challenge back in February, and when I went to sign up I was hundreds of people down the list. I read so many posts talking about the plans and writing people were doing, and realized it might be a bit much to consider that throwing havoc to the wind a second year in a row would yield positive results. So, I did what I do best...I panicked!

I decided to take my inspiration from some recent eighties' ballad serenading that has gone on between the fabulous Marianne and me. When I coupled that  with my recent perusal of material for the My So-Called Teenage Life blog hop, I was able to come up with a theme, sort of...kind of...I think so...(drumroll) Angsty 80's Songs! I started middle school, graduated high school and went off to college in that decade...talk about feeling anxious. I have a list of songs that were part of the soundtrack in my mind back then jotted down on paper...A to Z. I have changed several of the letters a few times. I also have another few songs that run through my head most days, and are forgotten before I can write anything down. There are some that I have texted to my email as reminders that I swear I will get to.

Here is a gem to get things rolling. I wrote this "song" in March of 1990, but I think it pays a decent homage to the angsty eighties...

A Love Song
I was waiting to see you
Hoping to want you
Now memories stab me
And painfully haunt you
I'm hanging by this piece
Much thinner than a string
Choking on the thought
That I meant everything
So why don't you tell me
About your new found friend
You must have known
I'd find out in the end

Chorus:
I never planned
To find out this way
Surprise, surprise
Is this my lucky day?
Thank you for nothing
Simply said and done
Congratulations baby
I give up, you won

You barely look at me
No trace of laughter in those eyes
The icy touch of your fingertips
Is one I don't recognize
Was it too little time together
Keeping too much empty space
Did you ever think my eyes
Would belong to a stranger's face
Now it's not a matter of love
If it was things would be fine
The question lied in whether or not
You had the strength to draw the line.

(chorus)

Tell me-is she pretty
Tell me-is she smart
Tell me-does she realize
She helped you break my heart

(sob, sniff, sob)

Phew! Now that I got that out of my system (and my flannel covered book), I can laugh and turn to the (often big-haired) megastars for the actual hits I will use for the challenge! I hope you'll stop by to visit and sing along!