25 Years Younger: CHOMP, The 80s ATE Me!

These last few days have thrown me, unknowingly, down a swirling sand pit of time to another universe where the 80s are forever on rotation.

First, during daily workouts, I find my iPod constantly serenading me with 80s pop hits. And I LOVE it. When I take off the headphones, the tunes are still pounding in my temples, causing spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen with mom. When they slip out of my succombing lips, "Straight Up" by Paula and "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by god-knows-who have produced some pretty mad raves, let me tell you. Mom just might perm her hair again.

During the rest of the day, I turn on the TV, settling in for some relaxing mind-numbing, and, to my genuine surprise, realize that, in what seems like a second, I've just devoured 3 hours of Growing Pains re-runs and a 'Child Stars of the 80s' countdown. I've laughed and cried along with the original audience 20 years past, sitting like ghosts on the couch next to me and continually running through the door to join the party in their bulky socks and tight neon jeans.

I looked at myself in the mirror this morning, and realized that I had tight, bright blue sweat capris with a baggy hot pink tee teetering off one shoulder, with my morning blonde-highlighted ponytail loose and resting comfortably on one side of my head. It took everything I had to restrain my frantic self-minded fingers in painting brightly colored makeup on my face and snapping large costume jewelry over the rest of me.

I'm taking some steps to pull myself (somewhat unwillingly) back up the present. First, I downloaded a large amount of music from this momentarily foreign modern music scene, like new singles by Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Jennifer Hudson, and the rest of that new Britney CD that I might as well give into already. I have banned Growing Pains from my life (not without a steady withdrawl process, however), and now eagerly await the next episode of Cash Cab (the best show EVER!!), though many trivia questioned are catered to my 80s expertise. I've gone shopping with Mom, and picked out a few new work-clothes for China. I think I've finally gotten over my monster crush on Rick Springfield. Sigh, what a heartthrob.

This weekend, in celebration of my parents anniversary, we are heading to Clearwater Beach. It's a nice long 4 hour drive, but with a TV in the back of the van, I won't drive my parents crazy with questions like "Are we there yet?", "Mom, I'm HUNGRY!", "Can we PLEASE listen to my new Culture Club 8 track?!". Should be a fun 2008 weekend.