I found myself peeing to Simple Minds in the Ikea bathroom yesterday. Somebody in that store is stuck in an '80s groove, and even the restroom couldn't provide sanctuary.
The '80s were the only time in my life when I was, however briefly, something approximating hip, or what I thought was hip, which to me was close enough. So all that Duran Duran, Howard Jones, Thompson Twins and the Bangles sunk me into a two-hour nostalgia funk.
I don't wear black or dye my hair pink anymore, which is just as well, as my husband wouldn't recognize me and it would fairly scream "midlife crisis."
As the antidote to feeling obsolete and old, I've compiled a few youthful items so I can enjoy other people's hipness vicariously:
Hot tees: The ink's still drying on her college diploma, but my Internet friend Lilit already juggles several (unpaid) writing jobs and two blogs. One of her paying gigs is at Chosen Couture, which features smart-alecky tees on Jewish themes, though there's a nifty "shiksa" shirt and Katie Couric sported "You had me at Shalom" recently. Most are more daring than anything I ever wore, unless you include the safety pin in my cheek before I had my tetanus booster.
Hot teas: Ever heard of Moby? Of course you have. You're cool. I'm decidedly not. He's a musician of some sort. More importantly, he runs what looks like a sweet little tea shop in lower Manhattan called teany. Now why didn't I think of that?
He and ex-squeeze and partner Kelly Tisdale are about to release their cookbook/memoir:
teany bookIt's just the sort of tea house Plosh and I have envisioned running: a full assortment of exotic, imported and herbal teas accompanied by light vegan fare. Cool stuff: adding a sachet of dried lavender to lemonade, or making a footsoak from rose petals and crushed mint leaves. Sure you can't drink it too? Probably not a good idea after you've soaked your pigglies in it, I imagine.
Hotties: DadTalk brags a little about his extraordinary weight loss -- 40 lbs. -- and the dive in his cholesterol level. Though Plosh has complained lately he's put an ounce or two back on. Technically, this doesn't fall under the "hip" category, except I like the "hotties" pun and the hubby's certainly looking and feeling younger. Meanwhile, I am looking and feeling like a pregnant 41-year-old. Who said life was fair?
A safety pin in your cheek! Man, and I used to think I was punk rock.
In the '80s, you know. When I was eight.
Posted by: Lilit | March 21, 2005 at 01:14 PM
Stop it, you look great.
Posted by: plosh | March 21, 2005 at 01:16 PM
Oh, why did you have to point me to that website, just when I am trying to curb my online spending? I simply MUST have that Mamaleh T-shirt!
Oh, and my very first concert was the Thompson Twins - with A Flock of Seagulls as the opening act. Can you possibly get more quintessentially '80s than that?
"Doctor doctor . . . can't you see I'm burnin', burnin'"
Man - those lyrics were DEEP!
Posted by: | March 21, 2005 at 06:33 PM
Uh, that was me, by the way, the mysterious poster above. And I have ONE MORE thing to add: I still think Hold Me Now is one of the most romantic songs ever!
Posted by: Aimless | March 21, 2005 at 06:39 PM
Lilit: :-P
Plosh: Yes, dear.
Aimless: My favorite is still Howard Jones "What is love anyway?" Brings a sigh to my lips every time I hear it. Dang, I'm suck a sentimental sucker.
Posted by: Anne | March 23, 2005 at 11:36 AM
I think we get hard-wired to like whatever music was popular when we were 17.
I just picked up a copy of Franz Ferdinand's album, and I love it, only because it sounds like the stuff I listened to when I was 17.
Posted by: psychotoddler | March 23, 2005 at 02:44 PM