One of my fellow August Blog Challengers (ABC) wrote a post about the need for taking a break, no matter how hectic the writing schedule might be or how scary the deadlines looming over us. I wish I could remember offhand which of these talented writers wrote that post, but I can’t. And as is the way of things, skimming back through their blogs is NOT turning up the post in question. Trust me, it was a good post. And if the author of it reads this post, I trust they’ll give me a cyber whack upside the head and leave a comment so I can do an after the fact link. A POST post, as it where.
But on with the point here.
I took my usual morning walk on the beach (is there ever a point where one can collect too many shells and pieces of beach glass? Is there a socially acceptable limit, as there is with, say, cats? Can I be a crazy shell lady?) and have spent the rest of the day so far expanding the world of my short story, Champagne, with a brief diversion to write my weekly post for Fatal Foodies. Then back to Champagne (and wishing I had a glass of it). I hit a wall about 20 minutes ago and took a meal break (whatever you call lunch and dinner when they’re combined). I turned the TV on to see if some wonderfully crapituous (it’s my word and I like it!) Sci Fi original movie was on, but it was FINAL DESTINATION II, which is only bad enough to be annoying rather than gleefully horrendous. It’s gotta be at least an 8 on the Crap-o-meter to make it in our Bad Move Night lineup. Disappointed, I did a brief channel surf to see if anything else was on. ROAD HOUSE was on AMC, Patrick Swayze and his mullet were kicking the shit out of testosterone overdosed men with inferior mullets.
This is the second time I’ve walked in on ROAD HOUSE mid-movie and considering that both times it took only five minutes to fill me with an overwhelming desire to gather a group of friends and several bottles of tequila, I decided to save it for later and did another brief channel scan. This time I found the last 10 minutes of SUMMER STOCK, an MGM musical starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. I was just in time to see Judy sing ‘Get Happy’ (as in ‘Forget your troubles, come on, get happy…we’re gonna chase all your cares away…forget your troubles, come on, get happy…we’re heading for the judgment day’). Both song and movie were part of my upbringing; Mom raised us on musicals (I found the Hammer horror films all on my own), watched the movies and played the records. She used to waltz me around the pool when I was too young to swim, and sing the songs.
Not all musicals were created equal, of course – if they didn’t have Gene Kelly they weren’t quite as good. I grew up with a very definite opinion on what the ideal male legs looked like and they were Gene Kelly’s. If you’ve ever seen THE PIRATE and watched the Pirate Ballet number where he’s wearing what might be the sexiest pirate costume ever created, you will understand why my opinion remains unchanged to this day.
What does this have to do with taking a break? Easy. Because some of my best childhood memories are based around watching these movies with Mom and Lisa after our dad moved out, hearing a snippet of one of the songs or, better yet, seeing even a few minutes of movies like SUMMER STOCK, AMERICAN IN PARIS and THE BANDWAGON (the latter doesn’t have Gene Kelly, but it has the Manhunt Ballet, which was a huge influence on Murder for Hire) is an instant mood booster. Admittedly I sometimes watch a few minutes of DAWN OF THE DEAD (my first date movie) when I need a break, but I’ve yet to see a zombie with legs as good as Gene Kelly’s.
P.S. Go here to check out my latest post on Fatal Foodies!
When I was a kid I watched old movies on rainy Saturdays.
I see what you mean.
cmr
“I’ve yet to see a zombie with legs as good as Gene Kelly’s.” Me either. This was a nice post, it even relaxed me a little. Although I don’t have the luxury of morning walks on the beach (I hate you! lol), I think frequent reposes are stimulating.
When I want to take a break, I usually read or watch something like Masterpiece Theatre (I have a couple of things I’ve taped recently). If I want to laugh, I watch Whoopie Goldberg in Jumping Jack Flash.
I hate to admit, but I have no idea what Gene Kelly’s legs look like.
Incidentally, a combo lunch and dinner is lunner. Which of course means a combo lunch and supper is lupper.
Yeah I’m guilty – I did the ‘relaxing’ post – Now all I feel like doing. ha! I can’t think of anything better than old movies!
Rainy Saturdays are another thing I love…it’s Saturday, so you know you have one more day of weekend bliss left…and rain just cheers me right up and puts me in the mood for popcorn, movies and relaxing! It also makes for a good writing day…
Don’t hate me, Marvin! It took me years to get to live near the beach…I lived in Glendale for a long time and it was hotter than Hades there in the summer… I wonder what Gene KElly’s legs would look like if he was a zombie…
Helen, the picture at the bottom of my post can be clicked on and enlarged so that you can see his legs… I think we had lunner yesterday.
Chris! It was you! I must not have scrolled back far enough in the archives…
Gene Kelly and Patrick Swayze mentioned in the same post. Le sigh…
I watch Dirty Dancing with the fast forward button at hand to skip to the dance scenes.
We went to see “A Chorus Line” last night. I felt really old when I realized that most of the dancers on stage were probably not even born yet when I saw it on Broadway…
I’m off to Netflix to put “The Pirate” in position 1 (ahead of whatever action or sci-fi flick the menfolk have sitting there right now…)
Heee…I’ve never been a huge Patrick Swayze fan, but Dirty Dancing is a hoot. And Roadhouse looks to be magnificently horrible. His mullet is truly an amazing thing all on its own…
I hope you like the Pirate as much as I do!!!
I saw a bit of Summer Stock also—there will never be another one like Gene! Even if your Aunt Joan referred to him as the “stupid grinning Irishman” I don’t know if she had anything against Irishmen,– I think it was the grinning part that got her. Misery didn’t love grinning company, I fear. Anyhow, I feel like a success as a mother, having educated you about the magnificent Gene.
Yeah, I almost mentioned the ‘stupid grinning Irishman’ quote… I LIKE his grin! And yes, even if I turned out rotten in every other way, you can always console yourself knowing I appreciate Gene Kelly!