Saturday, August 18, 2012

Last Dance with Marianne

Anyone remember that scene from Gone with the Wind where a shamed Scarlett O'Hara is forced to attend a party with her southern neighbors?  She doesn't want to go and Rhett basically drags her out the door.

Replace Scarlett with Marianneparty with Tom Petty cover band, and southern with southside Chicago, and you'd pretty much understand my situation last night.

It's not that I don't like live music.  Or my neighbors.  Or going out.  But it was a long day with the kids and I was cranky.  In addition, I'm just not a big Tom Petty fan. And this wasn't even the real Tom Petty.  I mean, I'd do a fake Neil Diamond or a fake Barenaked Ladies, but a fake Tom Petty?

It felt wrong.

Three hours later, I was the one who was wrong.  The "we do everyone" band Tributosaurus rocked it at the Beverly Arts Center (Chicago's response to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts).  There was beer!  There were relatives!  And best of all?  There was THIS guy:



You remember Steve, right?  The man who believes it is better to be funny than proud.  Let's just say there was a lot of rushing the stage to dance with 50 year old women last night for good ol' Steve.  My sister-in-law Missy decided to bet me that I wouldn't do the same.  Missy, of course, is way cooler than I after coming off her backstage visit with Train last weekend:



Never one to be outdone, I picked up Missy's gauntlet and ran to the stage.  Like I really need to be encouraged?

So husband Joe and I danced like four-beer fools to Mary Jane's Last Dance.  The song is about marijuana.  I've never done marijuana.  But somehow dancing to a song about marijuana made me feel part of the counter-culture. After the show, I did something else very unlike me:

I demanded Mexican food.  With bean dip.

I don't even like Mexican food.  And I hate bean dip.

It tasted divine.

So there's a whole new Marianne in town.  A Tom Petty-loving, stage-rushing, Mexican food-eating Marianne. 

What she has in store for next weekend is anyone's guess.

15 comments:

  1. You've become that wild and crazy cousin I have always dreamed of having. I hope you have fantastic new adventures. I can't wait to read about them.

    XOXO - A jealous someone who has never danced on stage to a fake Tom Petty band.

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    1. It's not too late! The band is going to be in Skokie next week! (Who am I fooling? I just like typing "Skokie").

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  2. I think that I never do anything like that anymore. I did have lunch today with one son at On The Border. And I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, either.

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  3. Muy caliente Marianne Walsh! Bet you were one hot tamale!

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    1. Gracias, eres muy amable, mi amiga!

      I was SO hot. In my own mind, that is.

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  4. I knew it! I always knew that there was a rebel rock chick in there somewhere.
    You go girl! ;D

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    1. I think you've been a positive influence on me, Lil. I need rebel friends and you do just the trick! Thank you!

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  5. Wild Thing! You make my heart sing!

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    1. That's right. I'm practically an Osmond now! (:

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  6. Oh my! Look at her getting all wild! (: Can't wait to see what's in store for next week!

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    1. I'm thinking I rock back-to-school night next week. (: Thanks for reading!

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  7. AWESOME Marianne! Next thing you know you will be blogging about sittin in your backyard with a Mikes Hard Lemonade, listening to some Tom Petty and chomping on Bead Dip.
    Marijuana? You are not missing anything. I never liked it in High School. I was too vain. I would get passed the joint, then immediately feel slow, and my eyes would get red. Red eyes did not go with my perfect precise liquid blue eyeliner. Hard to flirt with boys when your eyes are half way shut. Flirting won out!

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    1. One can only hope, right?

      I too keep away from the marijuana for vain reasons. I hear it gives you the munchies. Like I need that in my life?

      Thanks for reading!

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  8. this is so funny! You and I must be the only ones on the planet who didn't smoke grass. It never interested me. I guess we were boring then, but now our brain cells are still intact. :-)

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