ARE YA'LL READY FOR THIS (PART 3, BUT REALLY SHOULD BE PART 4)

I can hear you thinking two things already. 1) Why has she not blogged in such a long time? 2) She really should pay Bryan to cartoon her blog on a regular basis, because this is B-o-r-i-n-g.

Before I get down to it in this post, I want to tell you our trio sang again in church. I have it recorded on my phone, with a fairly funny ending (the person recording forget to hit the Stop button). I will post it here shortly. Our church choir is singing an Easter cantata this Sunday. In which, I have a SOLO. So, I will try to find someone to record it for all of you many readers who've requested the long-anticipated solo. The sad fact is it's bound to be disappointing with this long of a build-up.

Now, let's get down to what is actually on my poor brain today. My crazy ass dating life. The universe keeps throwing me these men with very real problems/issues. For the record, I think this will continue to happen until I get VERY CLEAR on my own boundaries and am able to say to them (in the face of hurting their feelings) that this will, in fact, NOT blossom into a "relationship."

Cue the traveling music:

I think we all recall my first (recent) dating experience. I wrote about it HERE. To help refresh your mind, it was the Alcoholic Guy. Funny story. Terrible experience.

My second dating (recent) dating experience I wrote about HERE. Yep, it was another alcoholic. Funny how THAT works. This time a much nicer sweeter alcoholic, but still an alcoholic.

My third (can I call this dating?) experience was the Tree Guy. I wrote about him several times. Here. Here. Well, after date number two (dinner, movie) I was very disturbed. Took me about ten minutes of reflection once I got home and could THINK about it. I knew this guy was dating someone else (fine by me), but she didn't know he was dating me (not fine by me). In fact, I felt like the Other Woman, even though they hadn't been dating long and weren't married. Not the point. I really disliked his dishonesty. If I were dating someone and I erroneously thought "exclusively," which is what I thought she believed based on what he said, I'd be mad when I found out I'd been lied to... even if it was a lie of omission. "I know you thought we were exclusive, but I was actually dating around." And we all know if a guy will do it to one woman, they will do it to YOU. So, I was going to tell the Tree Guy I wasn't interested only he didn't ask me out again. Way to burst my bubble. I hope that he felt guilty about what he was doing.

Which leads me to the current prospect (number four). I met this guy in a game room (yeah, I'm talking about gambling). I know I should've expected to meet a gambling addict in there. But, I'm not a gambling addict... and you see where this line of thought is going. But, really, it's like going to a bar. Bound to be some alcoholics there. The thing that's rare in a game room is meeting anyone even close to my age (or that I'd even consider dating.) So, I met this guy and something he said made me think, "I wonder if he's a gambling addict?" I left. Saw him the next night and he was really sweet. So, I set the first thought aside (but didn't forget it, obviously). I gave him my number. And then we talked, and I found out he was 17 years younger than I am. Holy cow. I about fainted. If I were him, I'd have been OUT. In fact, I almost dated someone with that sort of age gap when I was 30 (really super nice guy), but it was just too much of an age difference.

He tells me has a Facebook. I look at it. Holy carp (yeah, I meant to say carp!). About two years ago there were two really long threads about his gambling addiction. Other people saying he had a problem and him in denial. Well, safe to say that he's still in denial since I met him in a game room. So I KNOW that this isn't going to be a "relationship."

And I INTENDED to tell  him that and pretty much cut ties. I didn't want it to be ugly because I'm sure I'll run into him, but... Well, me being me, I suggested we be friends because I can't date someone with an addiction. And he agreed to the Friends, but not to the addiction.

But, this feels very much like dating story #2. His idea of friends and mine are different methinks. Now I'm just going to have to drop the bomb again... only harder.

And this, my friends, has kept my migraine in full blown pounding. My spirit knows when I'm making a wrong choice and it doesn't fail to alert me by threatening to twist my head off my shoulders.

The irony is that the more I talk to this guy, the more I fully understand that he has trouble with boundaries, too. People who don't want to hurt others, want to help, etc. often end up taking a beating (or sorts) for their well-intentioned choices. This guy has enormous debt (because of his gambling), but couldn't say to no to a co-worker who asked to "borrow" $60. He didn't have that money to give, but did it anyway. He's got another friend who's going through a "crisis" and doesn't have a place to live. He doesn't want him living with him, but allowed him to crash for a night in his guest BR. Now he's feeling guilty about not wanting him to live with him (but he doesn't trust the guy).

Oddly enough, listening to his story about the friend needing a place to stay provided me with some inspiration. When I tell him firmly and definitively (again) that we won't be dating, I can remind him of that friend he didn't want in his house. Not because he didn't like him. Because he knew that was a bad choice for him. I don't want to date him. Not because I don't like him. I know he's a bad choice for me. The end.

Saying what you feel/know to be true even when it hurts the feelings of another is one of the hardest things we do in life. However, we must do it for our own mental health.

Sadly, because I couldn't drop the bomb immediately on this guy, I know there's another one waiting around the corner. The universe is patient. It will keep handing you variations on the same story until you manage to get it done. I wish I were a faster learner...

I saw this graphic on Facebook the other day and thought, "Oh my. This is the story of my life."

With that in mind, I encourage you to think about what vibrational attitude you're putting out there and what you've got in your life. Can you see the correlation in your own life between your vibrational attitude and what is manifesting in your life?

10 Ways To Identify a Romance Scam

My blog buddy, Bryan over at A Beer For The Shower is here to make my post ever so much funnier than anything I could write by myself. He's also the brilliant creator of the cartoons. Please give him a standing O.

Okay, you can sit down now.

What you're about to read are the Dos and Don'ts to identify a scammer: Robin's Personal Top 10 List of How To Save Your 401K From The Online Man Of Your Dreams You'll Never Meet.

Chances are, if you're reading this, you're NOT the person being scammed. Why? People who are being scammed absolutely refuse to believe they are the victim of a scam. I know. My mom has been pursued by numerous scammers. Let me share my (I mean Mom's) credentials to validate that I can absolutely recognize a scammer from twelve inches (the approximate distance of my nose to my computer monitor).

Brief Descriptions of the Scammers Who've Approached Mom:

Scammer #1 - Lives in Atlanta. After a couple of weeks of IM and Phone Calls he had to leave for Malaysia for a JOB (because that’s where people go to work). As soon as he arrives in Malaysia: FINANCIAL CRISIS. SEND ME ALL UR MONEY PLZ.

Scammer #2 - Forgot where he lived (happens to the best of us). Currently in CO buying furniture for his business. He's robbed* and FINANCIAL CRISIS. SEND ME ALL UR MONEY PLZ.

*Bryan, who lives in Colorado, can confirm that he’s robbed CONSTANTLY**

**never once

Scammer #3 - Lived in S. FL. A meeting is scheduled, but the day before the meet he must fly to TX because his son needs a heart transplant, and FINANCIAL CRISIS. SEND ME ALL UR MONEY PLZ.

Scammer #4 - Ironically, #3 and #4 happened simultaneously. These two knew each other. #4 referred her to #3 (not knowing they were already talking) because #3 supposedly worked to help women who'd been already scammed… for the miserly fee of $10K. SEND ME ALL UR MONEY PLZ.

Scammer #5 - Lived in CA. Wanted to relocate to wherever his true love lived. Who knew it would be here? However, as a geologist he had to leave for work in Malaysia (because again, that’s where everybody goes to work) and FINANCIAL CRISIS. SEND ME ALL UR MONEY PLZ.

Scammer #6 - Native of France. Lived in Boca Raton, FL as a renter. Ran a business to fix cruise ships (sounds legit). Wanted to meet mom, but had to leave for Australia for work and FINANCIAL CRISIS. SEND ME ALL UR MONEY PLZ.

I bet you can already see a pattern. But sadly, if it's happening to your mother (or friend), I promise you she can't/won't see it. She’s dazzled by all of those super sexy emails promising to spoil her rotten and love her up and down (gross). Not to mention buy her a new house, new car, and the new Whatever The Hell She Wants because he makes Big Bucks! So, it's up to you to recognize that your loved one is being scammed. Lucky for you, I've been through this six times (sigh) over the past two years. I'm a freakin' expert.

I've got 10 Simple Tips to help you determine if your mom's potential spouse is really just looking to get into her pants (to filch her wallet).

1) If your mother shows you the profile of her new online boyfriend and he is twenty years younger than she is, don't be alarmed. Your mom is just a babealicious babe. No, wait, actually be alarmed. Your mom is the Perfect Target, and it's not normal for a rich, good looking man in his mid-50s to salivate after a woman in her 70s.

2) If your mother's boyfriend is widowed. I know this seems innocuous, but my mom has been romanced by six different scammers. Not a divorcee in the bunch. It probably helps play on sympathy. Either that, or it’s the rich symbolism that he’s about to rip his mate’s head off like a black widow.

3) If your mother's potential new mate has a foreign accent, is an engineer or contractor, and doesn't live anywhere near her.

4) If your mother's new man has a first and last name that are actually two first names. For example, Steve Samuel, Richard Mark, Wayne Michael. Anything that sounds like it was either created by a 5 year old or someone who’s never been to America.

5) If, after your mom insists on a face-to-face meeting, he instantly must leave the country for a) work or b) a sick relative or c) that small child that fell down a well. Whatever the crappy excuse, it’ll happen the very instant she’s ready to meet.

6) If he must depart the country for work, your new love is very likely to meet up with many unexpected catastrophes. Like there’s an import tax of which he was previously unaware, but fortunately for you it only requires you sending him $5K to get his stuff back so he can get to work. After he succeeds in getting this money, expect every possible crisis to soon follow. Not enough equipment. Equipment is ruined and must be replaced. He gets a six figure check but cannot cash it due to the fees imposed by the bank. He can't send it to his own bank because they don't accept check by mail. Additionally, everyone in his family has sold their homes and the dog to try and get his ass back home. You, and you alone, are his last hope.

7) The good news is that he has a six figure check, so he can reimburse your mother immediately. I mean, he'd totally help her out of a jam if the roles were reversed…

8) Your mother's man might have his lawyer correspond with her to confirm that Her Man is in very real, very dire circumstances that can all be alleviated with one small, or not so small, check. Or he might introduce her to a family member if she hesitates at sending the money. This person, if they're very good, will tell her not to send it if she doesn't have it, but reassure her that said family member is the "most honest person they know."

9) If you become suspicious of your mom's knight in shining armor, there are sites you can use to determine the likelihood of a scam. Copy/paste some of those sweet words he sent your mother in an email. (Word of warning: It is painful reading this sugary sexpot stuff. Perhaps you should pop some pills or drink a bottle of Jack, or both, before never being able to look at dear ol’ mom the same way again.) If you find that same message word-for-word on the internet, chances are your mom's honeypot didn't write it. Either that, or he did write it… and then sent it to about 1,000,000 people.

10) Scammers use, and by use I mean steal, other people's pictures as their own. If your mother is corresponding with a man embodying all of the aforementioned traits, run his pictures through Google Images. For the non-savvy computer user 1) Click on Google Images 2) Click on the camera 3) Click on upload picture from your computer (if that's where you have it saved). Then wait. If the boyfriend pops up as someone else on social media, he just might not be who he says he is… regardless of dear cousin Mary vouching that “he is most honest person that is knowing.”

While all of this is presented with humor, the facts are TRUE. If someone you care about is dating on-line, they are in the sights of salivating scammers. I hope these 10 tips help your mother avoid the pitfalls of falling prey to their ruse. Unless you just came from Bryan's blog, use the link at the top of this blog to run over their posthaste. I promise you won't be sorry!

Cheers and Stay Classy, Friends,
Robin and Bryan

Drinking: Red wine out of the box
Listening: Barenaked Ladies

And She's Gone...

I know you came here looking for Battle of the Bands, BUT I've

Catfishing you say?

Yep.

That's my way of telling you I'll be back bright and early tomorrow with something VERY SPECIAL... and something never before done on this blog. (Seriously, that is the TRUTH.)

Here's a hint at the topic under discussion:

However, all is not lost. It's entirely possible you missed the much-anticipated HERE'S TO YOU post that went up on Friday. It's been so long you might not recall what that is. Hint: it's a bunch of dedications to all of YOU. So, go back one post and celebrate your awesomeness.


For more Battle of the Bands fun, check out the other BOTB bloggers to vote on their battles:

• Far Away Series
• Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog
• Tossing it Out
• DiscConnected 
• This Belle Rocks
• Mike's Ramblings
• Curious as a Cathy 
• Book Lover
• The Sound of One Hand Typing
• dcrelief ~ Battle of the Bands
• Alex J. Cavanaugh (Monday, 3/16)

HERE'S TO YOU FRIDAY

Holy tomole. On my last post I told you to expect a HERE'S TO YOU post for today. That is what this is (if the title didn't give it away). So, I went through my old blogs searching for my LAST HERE'S TO YOU post. Can you believe it was last year? That shocked me. 12/11/14 to be precise. AND it was mostly a kiss good-bye to one of my favorite blogs. So, I don't even know when the last "normal" HERE'S TO YOU went live. I'd look it up but I don't want to depress myself more.

I love doing HERE'S TO YOU. I love showing you the love for what you're doing on your blogs. The stuff you share. I really just enjoy the heck out of it. And I think you like it, too. But these posts don't happen if 1) I'm not reading as much, or 2) I'm not getting that vibe that tells me "this video goes with that blog bit." I think the first reason is the primary one that HERE'S TO YOU has slowed down to a crawl.

Since I hope to jump back into writing my novel ferociously and with all-consuming passion, I'm not going to promise these will come more frequently. I'll just continue to do as I've done (post random links on your blogs when I know I don't have enough for a "real" post) and surprise you when I'm actually rollin' with it.

If you don't get how this outpouring of love goes with what you've been doing, email me. I'll tell you. My addy is in the sidebar.

Let's get this party started!!!

This one is for everyone:



This one is for The Beer Boys at A Beer For The Shower: (this is the song I couldn't think of and talked about at length on your blog, but I saw this band in the sidebar while I was on YouTube and was like, "Yes!")



This one is for Optimistic Existentialist at Musings of an Unapologetic Dreamer:



This one is for Stephen T. McCarthy at STMcC Presents Battle of the Bands:


This one is for JJ The Disconnected Writer:



This one is for DiscConnected: (I'll just tell you: this is the song the kids requested when I was driving!)



This one is for Susan at I Think; Therefore, I Yam:

Directionally Challenged (Smarty-Pants Terminology for Lost)

Funny thing happened on the way to this blog....

As I began working on it, a HERE'S TO YOU post began to take shape. I kid you not. So, I stopped doing THIS and started doing THAT. Which means saving videos to Favorites. Thinking about your posts. I think my psychic link is somewhat broken. Or flickering. Used to be that I'd read one of your posts and *voila* I'd just know the footage to go with it. Now, it happens sometimes, and I've been prone to linking you to the footage since a HERE'S TO YOU hasn't actually happened in a very long time. So, be on the lookout for a HERE'S TO YOU... maybe Friday.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about a few things going on here. Last night I was so tired. Just drained really. I went to bed before 7pm. Right after dinner. This from the girl who often can't sleep at night. Anyway, I woke up rather a lot, but didn't get up until 9:00am or so. Can we say TIRED? Anyway, in the middle of the night I had this dream about my dad.

Me and My Dad

Honestly, I always love when my dad makes an appearance in my dreams. He was driving a van or minivan. I was in the backseat. He says something like, "Uh oh. I think I made a wrong turn. I just got off the interstate and now I'm not sure I can get back on." To which, I climb into the passenger seat, reach under the dash, and say, "No worries. I've got a GPS. We'll just plug it in."

And then I woke up.

For the record: NOT ME

Now, that is funny because I used to have literal panic attacks when I'd get lost. (Not anymore, but it was seriously an ISSUE for me.) I was thinking about this dream (again) in the shower (aka The Think Tank) trying to decipher the ins and outs of it. When my dad comes to talk, it MEANS something. Finally, I decided that he was representing my mom in this dream. It feels like she's driving "our" car and has taken a very bad wrong turn. Rather, many wrong turns. In the dream I wasn't worried because I had the GPS, the fix, the way out. In real life, I stay knotted up all the time because she won't accept my GPS, my fix, or my way out.

So what is Dad trying to tell me? Get out of the car? Force the GPS on her? Or just remain peaceful and centered inside because I will not get lost no matter how many wrong turns she makes? It feels terrible, but it will be okay.

So, what was I doing on YouTube?

Well, I'm still trying to take you on the Train tour. This was a band that was also in need of some GPS. I think I can safely say they felt directionally challenged after the failure of For Me, It's You (2005). So much so that the band went on "hiatus" and Pat Monahan recorded a solo album, Last of Seven, in 2007. So, now several years have passed; it's now 2009. That's a long time and many people thought Train was dead after For Me, It's You. Then they release Save Me, San Francisco.

Pat said this about this amazing come-back of an album:

"(It was), 'Let's just make this record from our hearts and not worry about the rest. Let's just do this because we love it.' When we started go from that angle, it made us make better music and write better songs, feel better about things. Before anyone heard the record we felt like we were successful. And for maybe the first time in our careers, we stopped trying to write hit songs and were coming from a place of love."

I've made the statement that I hold fast to regarding the song by same name as the album (in this case, Save Me, San Francisco) as embodying the "feel" of the album. As someone who feels like I could use some direction or a "save," this song is keeping time with my life.



Train wouldn't know it at the time this album was recorded, but it was a LONG time before they recorded the next. California 37 was still quite a few years off. So, they lived on this album (and this album tour) for years. So, I'm going to stretch this album out a bit. But, always keep in the back of your mind that every song on this album is a search for their sound. Their selves. Their independence and their interdependence. So many of the things we all spend much of our own lives seeking. Heck, I'm still looking.

Where do I end and my mother begin? At what point do her problems become my problems and vice versa? We can't navigate this life without affecting the people around us. Sometimes we're being saved and sometimes we're saving and sometimes we're just working on our swimming skills. But, let's face it, we're never standing still. And, as FAE, said so eloquently in the comments of my last post: "Whenever I'm blue thinking how someone, especially someone important, disappointed me; I think of all the possible disappointment I've caused others, by simply being myself." Did that feel like a sucker punch? Don't look at me. I'm just quoting another brilliant mind!

Have you been high, been low? Have you been yes or oh hell no? What about rock 'n roll and disco? Have you been up, been down? Been lost when someone's not around? What about reggae or calypso? Have you been stop, been go? Have you been yes or oh hell no? Rock 'n roll and disco?

I've definitely been Oh Hell No!

Battle of the Bands Results AND Monday Bullets (aka The Dirt)

First up, Battle of the Band Results. I've got my theories, but this was the least voted battled I've posted in a while. Don't know if you just didn't care for the contenders, the battle was overlooked in our never-ending quest to Get Things Done, or what... BUT, for a Brief Moment this was a very tight battle between Sir Mix A Lot and Richard Cheese. And then it wasn't. (BTW, the song was Baby Got Back) and I think both versions are hilarious and iconic in their own ways. In the end, Sir Mix A Lot ran away with it. Final tally:

Sir Mix A Lot: 11

Richard Cheese: 7

Anyone else notice that if you reverse them you get 7-11? There was a day when I loved 7-11 (as in the convenience store). Let's all say Big Gulp, because I know you want to. As for me and my vote, I'm sincerely torn in this battle. I think the original by SMA is hilarious. If you haven't seen a group of skinny white chicks karaoke this song, you haven't laughed nearly as hard as I have. Funny, funny stuff. On the other hand, the arrangement by Richard Cheese also seriously tickles my funny bone. I guess I 'll vote with the majority on this one for Sir Mix A Lot (my vote doesn't count for anything anyway), but it was a tough call for me.

In other news...

• Thank you, Bryan, for pointing out in my comments on the last post that if I were a terrible or "wanna be" writer he wouldn't bother CPing for me. Ironically, that little gem infused me with some much needed inspiration to tackle my WiP again.
• However, I think there is something to be said for taking a break from your novel when you're in the very unproductive state of writing and deleting. Maybe that is a good time for thinking. Or reading a book by someone else. Or both.
• I just finished Paper Towns by John Green. I'm not sure I can continue to read his books. I'm consistently awed and amazed by how good he is. I then go a through a period of self loathing, wherein I can never write anything even close to that good. Followed by a period of telling myself that we all write differently and no matter what "I will never be John Green" and "the world doesn't need two John Greens anyway."
• My blogging has just sucked. My blog reading has sucked. I wish I could explain this in a satisfactory way. Alas, I cannot.
• I'm strongly considering going back to camp this summer. It sounds innocuous and not a bit scary, right? Wrong. This is a camp I grew up at. Loved. Haven't been to since 1992. It terrifies me on so many levels that I'm not sure I can even list them all. I wanted to go back about five years ago, but didn't because of my migraines. I'm still very worried that the pace of camp will be too much for me and that my migraines will flare up and I will be DOWN. I also fear that it won't be the same magical place I remember. Heck, I know it's changed. I've been to their website. It's changed. Yet, it's still the same. If that makes any sense at all.
• So, I've been dreaming about camp (literally and figuratively), thinking about camp, and trying to work up a strategy to 1) get through camp, while 2) loving going through camp. I'll keep you posted on this one. If I do go, it will mean three weeks this summer of no cell phone, no computer, no internet, no TV, no nothing. Me. Nature. God. Kids. Fun. That's it. It sounds freakin' wonderful, doesn't it????
• I wanted C-Man and H-Girl to go to camp. For one week. They couldn't live without their cell phones that long. Sigh. I wanted to say, but didn't, that they both say they believe in God and Jesus, but they weren't willing to give up their phones. Yet Jesus gave up his life. However, if it takes guilt to get them there, I'm not willing to do it. Jesus wasn't guilted into dying for us. It was a gift. You can either accept it or not. Simple as that. However, it made me think about the things I've been (and not been) willing to give up in my own life. Which makes it tough to throw any stones at anyone else.
• However, the disappointment remains that they will never have the great life-changing camp experience I had. Not because they couldn't have it, but they didn't want it. 
• Last, but certainly not least, we are about to find out who is right about the man in my mother's life. Yes, I'm talking about the one she's been emailing with for the last six months or so. The one I'm sure is a scammer and she's sure is about to be her next husband. He's FINALLY saying he's leaving Australia (where he's been "trapped" by various and sundry issues that I only have vague notions regarding, because I wanted to stay out of that loop). Yesterday she tell me his flight is booked and he'll be here Wednesday night. This morning, she tells me that he said he went to pick up his boarding pass at the airline and was told that me might have some taxes to pay in order to leave. I was like "That is the biggest pile of bologna (thank you Oscar Meyer, or I'd never remember how to spell that word!) I've ever heard." Mom seemed to see the sense in my statement, but still has faith in the dude. Whatever. I'll eat a paper plate if he shows up. My money is on him needing money (from her) to "leave" the country.
• Alas, as you can see, there is disappointment aplenty to be had here. At our meals we pass the fried chicken and the disappointment. You don't get one without the other.

And that is the all the news that is fit (and unfit) to print.

Is It Ever Gonna End?

I can't believe we're in March. This is the first Wednesday of the month and that means IWSG, an insecurity party hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

What am I insecure about with my writing? This question feels like it should be followed by a bullet point list. Ironically, when I started this writing thing, I thought I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted this story to roll out. I (mostly) wrote it consecutively. I wrote The Beginning, The End, and then started back where the beginning left off and wrote until I reached The End. It was really rough, but the plot points were good. The writing... needed lots of work. So, I spent a great deal of time figuring out to show, not tell, and other important writing stuff.

I thought I was close to done.

Turns out, I wasn't close to done. The first six chapters required a major rewrite that will ignite weaves of revision through the rest. I think I've already talked here about my process of write one day, delete it all the next day. I've stopped that. Felt very unproductive. Now, I'm just thinking. That sounds lazy. However, I think I might be gaining on a solution.

Once I have a more cohesive idea, I plan to run it by Bryan over at A Beer For The Shower (who's been invaluable to me on this writing journey!) and see if it works, or I need to spend more time thinking.

So, I'm insecure that it won't work. That I'll never be able to come up with the idea to make this novel a really good story. Bottom line: What if I'm just a lousy wanna-be writer? Isn't that the secret (or not so secret) fear that keeps us up late at night in a cold sweat?

If you have any other ideas to help me with this story snafu, I'm all ears.

Also, I posted a really fun battle for Battle of the Bands on my previous post. If you haven't voted, I encourage you to run over there, give it a quick listen, and post your vote. I think it'll make you smile:) 

Battle of the Bands ~ Baby Got Back

I'm going to be honest. I remembered Battle of the Bands was Sunday (when I was out of town) and thought, "Oh dear, I hope I remember to do this Saturday when I get home." I didn't. I recalled it again this morning on the way to church. I promptly forgot when I got home and only remembered (again) on the way to Bible Study this evening. Can we say "Not on top of things" in unison? Oh good. Now that we're clear....

I actually had two sets of songs in my Favorites as possibilities for today. I listened to them and just wasn't feeling it. I think I needed something more fun. That's when I recalled a fairly recent battle in which Stephen T. McCarthy used a Richard Cheese cover. I'd considered this song before, and discarded it because of the Cheese Factor, but when Stephen did it, I thought "So Can I!"

And I am:)

I'm not sure if your vote in this one will actually be FOR one version or simply a vote AGAINST the other version. So, be sure to elaborate on the Whys of your voting. Yep, I really want to know!!!

The song: Baby Got Back

The original is by Sir Mix A Lot and sounds nothing like Richard Cheese's cover, which is what makes this so much fun!

So, let's begin at the beginning (with the original).

Sir Mix A Lot with Baby Got Back:


I suspect that some of you (not naming any names) want to reach through your computer to give me a good throttling. Ah well. That's the way it rolls around here sometimes... hahahaha. If you're feeling all wonky and out of sorts, maybe Richard Cheese will hit your happier notes. Of course, you will only appreciate the genius of his cover if you listened fully to Sir Mix A Lot.

Richard Cheese with Baby Got Back:


For more Battle of the Bands fun, check out the other BOTB bloggers to vote on their battles:

• Far Away Series
• Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog
• Tossing it Out
• DiscConnected 
• This Belle Rocks
• Mike's Ramblings
• Curious as a Cathy 
• Book Lover
• The Sound of One Hand Typing
• dcrelief ~ Battle of the Bands
• Alex J. Cavanaugh (sometimes)

If you are participating in Battle of the Bands, and you are not listed here, leave me a note in the comments. Thanks!

Now, is the critical moment. It is time to vote for your favorite version of this song. I even encourage you to leave me long comment explaining all the ins and outs of why you voted as you did!