Saturday, February 6, 2010

Aye Carumba! La Vida Es Loco!

An interesting progression of one thing leading to another has begun happening in the five days since I accepted my own challenge of learning to speak Spanish.  (114 days to go, but who's counting).  First of all, right this minute, as I typed this post title, I realized I've been learning  Spanish since I was a young child and I just didn't realize it. Crazy, no? I honestly don't know what aye carumba means or if I'm even spelling it right. But I'm pretty sure I learned that phrase while Speedy Gonzales was chasing down Wiley E. Coyote just before he blew up Bugs Bunny as Bugs was stealing spinach from Popeye.

I have two music cds propped up against my computer at work.  Yes, only two.  Get over it.  I play  these two cds during those times when my normally challenging, they-want-it-when? workday is reduced to a boring, mind-numbing, who-has-candy-outside-their-cubicle-I-need-something-to-stimulate-me effort to maintain an upright position in my chair while at the same time appearing to be challenged. At least when the boss walks by. Clicking my mouse to the beat of a song can be stimulating, and if I alternate the clicks with each chew of candy/doughnut/pretzel/cookie, it can be downright challenging. Some days that's the only way I can keep myself from falling face-first into my keyboard. This week I increased my cd collection by one.  I now have the additional choice of a spanish music cd Abby and Jorge gave me for Christmas.  This complicated process of  listening closely in order to pick out the words I recognize from the spanish songs, while rhythmically clicking and chewing, has the additional benefit of  forestalling Alzheimers.

However, a side effect of all this spanish music listening is that I have begun to dream with spanish music playing in the background.  Really. Two nights in a row I was dreaming spanish music. And not only that, I was singing it! Yes, singing! The real spanish words. To this song! 



How weird is that?

And here's something even more crazy. spanish music has taken control of my brain and I have signed Dean and I up for a salsa class!  I intend to.  I have the form.  I will be filling it out.  Soon.  Really.  If you have ever seen Dean and I dance, you know that our prospective Salsa instructor has no idea of the challenge ahead of her.   I will be trying to lead.  Dean will be one beat off.  He'll go one way when I want to go the other.  I'll lose my count and stop dead in the song, wait, count, start again.  Dean'll still be a beat off.   I'll move like an arthritic ostrich, arms flapping, head bobbing.  Dean will duck and sway, still one beat off, hoping to avoid my flailing limbs, now and then grabbing a wing arm to twirl me.

Listen.


Are you feeling it?  My foot's tapping. My head's bobbing. My left hip just moved.....it's Salsa Time!

Aye Carumba! La vida es muy loco!◦
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3 comments:

Al said...

I'm feeling *something*, Cathy, and I think it's from the stitch in my side from laughing at the mental image you painted of you and Dean dancing.

Deb said...

I would 100% agree with Al and I have SEEN you dancing - you are almost as bad as we are - we flunked out of ballroom dancing - ignoring the fact that I had to have a cervical fusion less than a week later - wonder if it was from the numerous falls or from the confusion of deciding who was leading - me or Gordon... LOLOL

Click away - I want a job like that - in truth - I want a JOB!!!

Deb

Cathy said...

Yeah, watching us dance is pretty scary. I truly feel sorry for our salsa instructor....maybe I should bring her a gift to the first class. :-)