this is spinal tap

back in 1990 i met david andrew impellizzeri at a band party at 525 clarendon street in syracuse, ny. i hope he'll forgive me for sharing the story...but he just got some disappointing news and i was sitting on the stairs, talking with some marching band folks and i saw a figure throw open the front door, shoot up the stairs, turn a corner and slam a door.

now, i couldn't bare that all of these marching band folks were having a good time in this person's house and this person seemed none too happy. erika had to go find out what was up and went upstairs, gently knocked and asked what was wrong.

a voice through the door sounded muffled and refused the company at first, but then the door open and i spent the next few hours talking to dave. he was a cymbal player in the band, but had his own band -- the dartboard goalies, and he was a bass player. it was a cool human to human moment and we started dating soon after that.

i happened to crash in the living room that night because i didn't want to walk all the way back to sadler hall. i was on a cot cushion and the next morning woke to a face hovering over mine asking me if it was okay that he kissed me.

the first thing that came into my mind was that i hadn't brushed my teeth.

this was my first encounter with romance, this prince charming hovering over sleeping beauty thing. it was sweet, but a little scary to a 17 year old who never had a boyfriend.

i learned a lot of things from dave, namely that "big bottom" was not an insult, but a song with double-entendre; innuendo for the fat sound that is GOOD for a bass guitar to make.

it was hard to believe this coming from a man who's first compliment to me was that "I had great birthing hips." ah, dave.

dave introduced me to the music of spinal tap and all of the joys that come with knowing all of the little geeky music things and after seeing it i was so pleased to recognize SO many actors in cameo, little roles. in this 1984 flick we see the likes of:
(this is all from imdb)
Rob Reiner .... Marty DiBergi
Kimberly Stringer .... Heavy Metal Fan
Chazz Dominguez .... Heavy Metal Fan
Shari Hall .... Heavy Metal Fan
R.J. Parnell .... Mick Shrimpton
David Kaff .... Viv Savage
Tony Hendra .... Ian Faith
Michael McKean .... David St. Hubbins
Christopher Guest .... Nigel Tufnel
Harry Shearer .... Derek Smalls
Bruno Kirby .... Tommy Pischedda
Jean Cromie .... Ethereal Fan
Patrick Maher .... New York M.C.
Ed Begley Jr. .... John 'Stumpy' Pepys
Danny Kortchmar .... Ronnie Pudding
Fran Drescher .... Bobbi Flekman
Patrick Macnee .... Sir Denis Eton-Hogg (as Patrick MacNee)
Memo Vera .... Bartender
Julie Payne .... Mime Waitress
Dana Carvey .... Mime Waiter
Sandy Helberg .... Angelo DiMentibelio
Robin Menken .... Angelo's Associate (as Robin Mencken)
Zane Buzby .... Rolling Stone Reporter
Billy Crystal .... Morty the Mime
Jennifer Child .... Limo Groupie
J.J. Barry .... Rack Jobber
George McDaniel .... Southern Rock Promoter
Paul Benedict .... Tucker 'Smitty' Brown
Anne Churchill .... Reba
Howard Hesseman .... Terry Ladd
Paul Shortino .... Duke Fame
Cherie Darr .... Fame Groupie
Lara Cody .... Fame Groupie
Andrew J. Lederer .... Student Promoter
Russ Kunkel .... Eric 'Stumpy Joe' Childs
Diana Duncan .... 'Jamboree Bop' Dancer
Gina Marie Pitrello .... 'Jamboree Bop' Dancer
June Chadwick .... Jeanine Pettibone
Victory Tischler-Blue .... Cindy (as Vicki Blue)
Joyce Hyser .... Belinda
Gloria Gifford .... Airport Security Officer
Paul Shaffer .... Artie Fufkin
Archie Hahn .... Room Service Guy
Charles Levin .... Disc 'n' Dat Manager
Wonderful Smith .... Janitor
Anjelica Huston .... Polly Deutsch (also as Angelica Huston)
Chris Romano .... Little Druid
Daniel Rodgers .... Little Druid
Fred Willard .... Lt. Hookstratten
Fred Asparagus .... Joe 'Mama' Besser
Rodney Kemerer .... L.A. Party Guest
Robert Bauer .... Moke
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Korda .... Rock star, LA party guest (uncredited)
Claudia Sloan .... Girlfriend (uncredited)
Brinke Stevens .... Girlfriend (uncredited)

Yeah...did YOU know Dana Carvey was in the film? I didn't THINK so! Knowing that Fred Willard has been working with these guys for YEARS...that would be 21 years (at least) makes me want to be part of comedy again. There has to be something magical about working with the same people to create fabulous sketch comedy that has become the stuff of legend.

Super-cool.

So tonight I avoided a coworker's going away party because I am flat-broke and I am just feeling...well, crappola. Friggin demons coming into my head taking me down on my weak points...what I don't have, what I haven't achieved, what I am not, BLAH BLAH BLAH.

I called mami for some comfort and she told me I needed to get angry and scream, even YELL at these bastard demons and say I AM NOT GOING TO LET YOU RUIN MY LIFE! I AM WORTHWHILE! I AM BEAUTIFUL! I AM TALENTED! I AM INTELLIGENT! I AM CAPABLE! I AM STRONG!

She told me to yell these things at the top of my lungs in a park somewhere.

And my pessimistic brain said, "You can't do that."

And I wonder why. Is it the same reason why I held onto those leather boots way past their usefulness?
Is it the same reason why I am coaxing myself to let go of the rope and drop into the blue lagoon of possibility?

That kicked-in-the-stomach feeling is gone. So that means the bruise, however emotional, is healing. I'm cool. I strutted here from the busstop. It's 45 minutes until the date with myself and Spinal Tap. I am ALL about Derek Smalls. (He's the bass player we may know better as Harry Shearer.)