>first blog of 2008

>so, not that anyone is foaming at the mouth to know about my new year, i thought i’d share it with you anyway. it wasn’t half bad, actually.

we received a call from my mom a day or two after christmas asking if we’d mind having new year’s eve and new year’s day at our house this year. i think last year we had new year’s eve at our house and then we went to my parents’ house for new year’s day. anyway, she said that my dad was hoping we’d have it at our house because he’d enjoyed christmas here so much, including dinner. yes, it shocked me, too.

i guess the relative success of christmas this year kind of took some of the stress out of preparations for new years for me. we bought more alcohol free spumanti and some frozen snack-type goodies for new year’s eve. i must say that was a huge hit. dad was very happy with our choices and went on and on about it. then the next day was a pretty easy fix of our family’s traditional pork roast-saurkraut meal that we have every new year’s day.

the only real tarnish on an otherwise pleasant holiday is that on new year’s eve we watched some old fred astaire-ginger rogers’ movies. now, it’s not like i don’t enjoy watching old movies or musicals, because i do. the problem was, these were some of the first movies that they did together. i think all three movies we watched had the exact same cast in each one. the plots were relatively the same. they even seemed to have the same set in each one. even that, though, isn’t what really bothered me. no. what bothered me was there came a point in the first movie, “the gay divorcee”, where they did a new number. it was the longest freaking number in movie history, i think. i joked around that it was 10 minutes long. joke was on me, though because i’ve since found out it was 22 minutes long!

this is where you should be thanking me profusely, too. i tried and tried, but i could not find a video clip of this number anywhere. i did, however, find the lyrics, which doesn’t begin to portray how annoying this song is. as we speak, and for the last 4 or 5 hours, i have had this blasted song running through my head.

“The Continental” music by Con Conrad and lyrics by Herb Magidson

GINGER: Beautiful music… Dangerous rhythm… It’s something daring, The Continental, A way of dancing that’s really ‘entre nous’. It’s very subtle, The Continental, Because it does what you want it to do. It has a passion, The Continental, An invitation to moonlight and romance. It’s quite the fashion, The Continental, Because you tell of your love while you dance. Your lips whisper so tenderly. Her eyes answer your song. Two bodies swaying, The Continental, And you are saying just what you’re dreaming of. So keep on dancing, The Continental, For it’s a song of romance and of love. You kiss while you’re dancing. (FRED: Not a bad idea. (spoken)) The Continental, hmmmmm. It’s continental. You sing while you’re dancing. Your voice is gentle and sentimental. You stroll together arm in arm. You nonchalantly glide along with grace and charm. You will find while you’re dancing That there’s a rhythm in your heart and soul, A certain rhythm that you can’t control, And you will do The Continental all the time. (music, dance and applause) ERIC RHODES: Beautiful music… Dangerous rhythm… It’s something daring, The Continental, A way of dancing that’s really ultra-new. It’s very subtle, The Continental, Because it does what you want it to do. It has a passion, The Continental, An invitation to moonlight and romance. It’s quite the fashion, The Continental, Because you tell of your love while you dance. Your lips whisper so tenderly. Her eyes answer your soul! Two bodies swaying, The Continental, And you are saying just what you’re thinking of. So keep on dancing, The Continental, For it’s a song of romance and of love. You kiss while you’re dancing. The Continental, hmmmmm. It’s continental. You sing while you’re dancing. Your voice is gentle, so sentimental. You know before this dance is through That you’re in love with her and she’s in love with you. You will find while you’re dancing That there’s a rhythm in your heart and soul, A certain rhythm that you can’t control, And you will do The Continental all the time. LILLIAN MILES: Dukes and lords of noble station Love the new sophistication of The Continental. In a Belgian hall room, In a Monte Carlo ballroom, you will see The Continental. In the Paris bistros crowded with Apache, You will see The Continental in the best French fashion. Spain and Italy, Transylvania, Norway, Sweden and Rumania do The Continental. On the dike of Zuider Zee, The wooden shoes have found the key to The Continental. It’s like a fever. It’s like a plague. It’s swept all Europe From Moscow to The Hague. You kiss while you’re dancing. The Continental, the rhythm is driving you wild. The Continental, a meter that isn’t so mild. You sing while you’re dancing. His voice is gentle. It thrills you, the touch of his hand. The Continental, a meter that you understand. You know before this dance is through That you’re in love with her and she’s in love with you. You will find while you’re dancing That there’s a rhythm in your heart and soul, A certain rhythm that you can’t control, The Continental. The Continental. The Continental.

aren’t you disappointed it wasn’t on youtube?

first blog of 2008

so, not that anyone is foaming at the mouth to know about my new year, i thought i’d share it with you anyway. it wasn’t half bad, actually.

we received a call from my mom a day or two after christmas asking if we’d mind having new year’s eve and new year’s day at our house this year. i think last year we had new year’s eve at our house and then we went to my parents’ house for new year’s day. anyway, she said that my dad was hoping we’d have it at our house because he’d enjoyed christmas here so much, including dinner. yes, it shocked me, too.

i guess the relative success of christmas this year kind of took some of the stress out of preparations for new years for me. we bought more alcohol free spumanti and some frozen snack-type goodies for new year’s eve. i must say that was a huge hit. dad was very happy with our choices and went on and on about it. then the next day was a pretty easy fix of our family’s traditional pork roast-saurkraut meal that we have every new year’s day.

the only real tarnish on an otherwise pleasant holiday is that on new year’s eve we watched some old fred astaire-ginger rogers’ movies. now, it’s not like i don’t enjoy watching old movies or musicals, because i do. the problem was, these were some of the first movies that they did together. i think all three movies we watched had the exact same cast in each one. the plots were relatively the same. they even seemed to have the same set in each one. even that, though, isn’t what really bothered me. no. what bothered me was there came a point in the first movie, “the gay divorcee”, where they did a new number. it was the longest freaking number in movie history, i think. i joked around that it was 10 minutes long. joke was on me, though because i’ve since found out it was 22 minutes long!

this is where you should be thanking me profusely, too. i tried and tried, but i could not find a video clip of this number anywhere. i did, however, find the lyrics, which doesn’t begin to portray how annoying this song is. as we speak, and for the last 4 or 5 hours, i have had this blasted song running through my head.

“The Continental” music by Con Conrad and lyrics by Herb Magidson

GINGER: Beautiful music… Dangerous rhythm… It’s something daring, The Continental, A way of dancing that’s really ‘entre nous’. It’s very subtle, The Continental, Because it does what you want it to do. It has a passion, The Continental, An invitation to moonlight and romance. It’s quite the fashion, The Continental, Because you tell of your love while you dance. Your lips whisper so tenderly. Her eyes answer your song. Two bodies swaying, The Continental, And you are saying just what you’re dreaming of. So keep on dancing, The Continental, For it’s a song of romance and of love. You kiss while you’re dancing. (FRED: Not a bad idea. (spoken)) The Continental, hmmmmm. It’s continental. You sing while you’re dancing. Your voice is gentle and sentimental. You stroll together arm in arm. You nonchalantly glide along with grace and charm. You will find while you’re dancing That there’s a rhythm in your heart and soul, A certain rhythm that you can’t control, And you will do The Continental all the time. (music, dance and applause) ERIC RHODES: Beautiful music… Dangerous rhythm… It’s something daring, The Continental, A way of dancing that’s really ultra-new. It’s very subtle, The Continental, Because it does what you want it to do. It has a passion, The Continental, An invitation to moonlight and romance. It’s quite the fashion, The Continental, Because you tell of your love while you dance. Your lips whisper so tenderly. Her eyes answer your soul! Two bodies swaying, The Continental, And you are saying just what you’re thinking of. So keep on dancing, The Continental, For it’s a song of romance and of love. You kiss while you’re dancing. The Continental, hmmmmm. It’s continental. You sing while you’re dancing. Your voice is gentle, so sentimental. You know before this dance is through That you’re in love with her and she’s in love with you. You will find while you’re dancing That there’s a rhythm in your heart and soul, A certain rhythm that you can’t control, And you will do The Continental all the time. LILLIAN MILES: Dukes and lords of noble station Love the new sophistication of The Continental. In a Belgian hall room, In a Monte Carlo ballroom, you will see The Continental. In the Paris bistros crowded with Apache, You will see The Continental in the best French fashion. Spain and Italy, Transylvania, Norway, Sweden and Rumania do The Continental. On the dike of Zuider Zee, The wooden shoes have found the key to The Continental. It’s like a fever. It’s like a plague. It’s swept all Europe From Moscow to The Hague. You kiss while you’re dancing. The Continental, the rhythm is driving you wild. The Continental, a meter that isn’t so mild. You sing while you’re dancing. His voice is gentle. It thrills you, the touch of his hand. The Continental, a meter that you understand. You know before this dance is through That you’re in love with her and she’s in love with you. You will find while you’re dancing That there’s a rhythm in your heart and soul, A certain rhythm that you can’t control, The Continental. The Continental. The Continental.

aren’t you disappointed it wasn’t on youtube?