Tag: youtube

#2342 Wonderful Wintry Super-Slow Sunday

It was Sunday in every sense of the word.

And on a Wintry Sunday, well, you just have to chill and stay home, don’t you?

Baby girl gave me one of her spa messages at midday, where I lay face down on her bed, in the warm heated room, while she gave me a light massage, patting and rubbing my back and shoulders for about 10 minutes, all to the tune of some background ‘sleeping’ tunes she found on YouTube. 😁

It was uber-relaxing, and I finished it off with the biggest laugh, all because of this…

You know how when you finish any kind of gentle spa or face or body treatment, the spa person will say something like “now, open your eyes gently, when you feel like it, take your time…”

Allowing you to slowly stretch up and move gingerly?

Well baby girl stopped the massage, walked over to her ipad, pressed stop on the music, and then said to me “It’s done.”

😆😆😆😆

Oh God, I laughed and laughed. It was actually a great way to end the relaxing session, with a big belly laugh.

And then in the afternoon, I made baked nutella-filled cinnamon doughnuts, because why not?

And following that, spent a good couple of hours (yes! 😲😲) reading, having me time, and just, chilling!

Why, I never!

A super chill Sunday, just how I like it. 🙏💖

#2141 Boxing Day chill and games

The day after a big day like Christmas, birthdays, any kind of event, brings with it a lot of lounging around, and also…

LEFTOVERS.

The 3pm coffee break came and I happily indulged in some dessert from yesterday. What was even better though was the games and fun we had, because it was a public holiday, and free from all the prep and rush and stress of getting things ready all week, we could now chill and play.

We participated in a headband “who am I?” type game that baby girl got from her aunty and fam yesterday, before engaging in some ‘green light, red light,’ another game we all played yesterday out on the deck, before playing some YouTube tunes loud after dinner.

It made my heart happy that it was only us 3, and yet we were making noise and having fun and laughing out loud, at really the simplest, easiest things.

And I love it. I love US. 💖🙏

#2035 Lockdown Saturday night tricks

I have a little trick to help during these lockdown-Saturday-night-party blues.

(While we pine over parties we went to in the past, and yearn for those that are yet to come).

I accidentally came across this great and super easy solution tonight, that can trick you into feeling like you are at a party. (Yes, keep reading!)

Put on music. This can be stereo, phone, record player, or like for our Saturday night tradition, YouTube.

This is great to do even if on your own since you can just keep selecting all your fave tunes, but even if in company this might be better, since the others will be selecting their own songs, and then it really will feel like a party!

Wait, that’s only half of it.

With the music still going, LOUD, start messaging people, preferably unrelated to each other… those who are reliable, who you know will respond… at least two people.

But as they say, the more the merrier.

This is what I did tonight. We had the music blasting, then on a whim I started messaging some family and friends… and before I knew it I was swivelling from one conversation to another, all while music was happening in the background…

And then lo and behold, a third group chat began, and I was like “WHO DO I TALK TO FIRST?”

And the music was so loud!

And it was so happening!

And then, it hit me… party vibes! 🤣

Well look, almost, not quite, but it’s the best that we’ll get, ’til we get to that super elusive, ‘there.’

🤞💖🙏🎶

#1966 Chocolate slice and Ricky

Two things brought me joy today.

(Well, many really, but I gotta talk about something different now, don’t I? 😉)

  1. Cooking.

It was such an inside day, and I was happy to spend most of it indoors, willing the rain to rain down even more, so I could revel in the inside-ness, even more.

I did lots of cooking, and was most happy with this chocolate slice I made. It’s a recipe I’ve had for yonks but never tried. Honestly, I have a trillion recipes scattered in magazines, books and clippings all over the place, and need to go through them more regularly so that I can discover more interesting things to make.

It was good.

2. Ricky Martin.

I’ve been on a massive rock fest of late, and most of the time Queen is the only thing I play. But I put a song on YouTube tonight, a live Ricky Martin performance, and after that was done it gave me another Ricky Martin song…

And I just REMEMBERED. I mean, it’s not like I forgot. But you can’t love everyone at the same time, and you gotta play music according to your mood.

But man, I still love the guy.

I ended up finding a CD and pumping it up as I did the dishes, because that’s the rule in our house… whoever does the dishes, picks the soundtrack.

And it was a whole lot of ‘ola’ tonight!

Chocolate slice, and Ricky. Both so, so sweet. 🤣💖😉

#1939 Loom bracelets

Starting from last night, baby girl embarked on a loom band bracelet FRENZY.

She was given this container of bands when she was like, a baby… from a relative. Hand me downs, with all the connectors along with a tin of bright and interesting beads.

I kept them all this time, and finally I have cashed in.

Baby girl has been unfortunately stuck to her ipad during lockdown, and I can’t do anything about it.

  1. Because I’ve been working, and I can’t really be stopping every two seconds to supervise her, and
  2. Even when she isn’t finding new apps, she is doing homework on a device of some kind.

🤦‍♀️

Somehow, she decided she wanted to learn how to make these bracelets. I found a youtube video, we ran through them…

And she has spent almost ALL of today making bracelets!

It’s actually quite soothing and rewarding when you pull the band out and see the pattern you’ve created…

Coo-el.

If you get one of these for your next birthday… well just be grateful.

🤣🥰

#1887 It’s Friday then…

I love Fridays.

Who doesn’t?

I’ve previously written about the anticipatory excitement one gets when Friday rolls around.

For me, when 3pm on a Friday comes around. 😁😁😁😁

Hell yeah! It’s the best. Knowing you have days off ahead, is FAR better than any of those days off, let’s be honest.

It’s the anticipation.

So today as I clocked off from my work office at home, logged off my laptop, and headed into the kitchen where baby girl was happily waiting, I started singing…

“It’s Friday then, then Saturday Sunday what?”

We’ve been singing this song ever since a Friday has rolled along, ever since we saw the absolutely fantastic video of that guy that just jumps out of the car and dances to his hearts content when he hears the song.

And so we did. Baby girl and I ripped up a storm on the kitchen dancefloor, because…

“It’s Friday then, then Saturday Sunday what?”

#1845 Have you ever really loved, a love song?

I’ve been listening to Bryan Adams suddenly, out of nowhere, and I can’t stop.

Maybe it’s the weather. The warmth has dissipated, leaving in its wake cold, windy, grey days.

Things feel slower. Sleepier. I feel like chilling, playing love songs on repeat.

Which is kinda what I’ve been doing. 😉

To be honest, it’s not quite all of a sudden. It all started after I was listening to one of my favourite songs “O Sole Mio” last week. And then when I looked it up on YouTube, I came upon the most weirdest of versions.

It was a duet, featuring Pavarotti… and Bryan Adams.

BRYAN ADAMS? I couldn’t believe the caption, until I watched it and listened to it with my own ears.

Now, at first, I was very slightly offended. Was this a joke? I have no problems with Bryan Adams at all. I think he’s great.

But, this song was made for the operatic tone. We don’t need no husky, raspy voices here. Bryan Adams, you may not apply for this job. And yet there he was. Singing alongside this famous Italian, the Pav looking at him all amused, perhaps like it was some kind of joke, or dare, or perhaps more realistically, a TV special or charity show?

In fact it was neither. Rather it was for Pavarotti’s 59th birthday in Modena, Italy, and he surely thought he’d get a kick out of it or something. Look it up, and see his deeply amused smile as he watches Bryan attempt this song designed only for a tenor. Just watch.

And then, something happened. After I got used to the wildly different voice and version, his voice started repeating in my head.

BRYAN ADAMS STARTED REPEATING IN MY HEAD.

I could hear the strain, even and mesaured, but not deep, as he sang “Ma n’atu sole cchiù bello, oi ne'”

(Otherwise known as line five)

I was actually starting to like it.

🤦‍♀️

And with that… his other songs started repeating in my head.

Because of that, I’ve been playing various renditions and versions of his songs…

Summer of ’69.

Heaven.

Let’s Make a Night to Remember.

Please Forgive Me.

And last, but definitely not least, and most certainly my favourite song of his of ALL TIME:

Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?

(With special subtitles :))

I have loved this song since it came out when I was a young teen. I LOVE IT. And the love just keeps on growing in our household, because every time Hubbie comes home from work, he hears this guy…

LOL.

#1788 Hats off to Hatzis

Isn’t it THE BEST when you pose a challenge to someone, and you just know they will never get it?

“Guess what cd I’m going to put on!” I smugly asked Hubbie tonight.

He guessed something that I had taken out of the archives like, 6 months ago.

Err, wrong.

I pressed play, and the sound of a dial tone came on immediately.

“Hello?”

Soon, it was this guy talking in his unmistakable Aussie/European accent.

Yep. Good ol’ Guido.

This wasn’t my CD. Newsflash, it wasn’t Hubbie’s either… he borrowed it off a friend a gazillion years ago, and never gave it back.

Tsk tsk tsk.

I know, I know. But it’s so damn good, I kinda don’t want him to give it back (I think it’s long-forgotten by his friend now!)

Over the years, from our dating days, to early married days, to pre-baby days, to now, we occasionally put this CD on. And it’s the best way to do it, like any comedy. It’s not so funny if you watch or listen to it all the time, because YOU KNOW THE JOKE. But if you come back to it, every year, or even longer, then it’s hilarious.

It’s…

Yep.

It’s truly been years since we listened to Guido. We let the CD run tonight, but then strapped for time, we went to the Florist phone call. We thought that was the one that we loved best from memory, but after a minute or so realised it wasn’t the one, though it is funny… Guido calls a florist to say he will accept the job being advertised, but first things first… they have to get rid of the flowers.

Anyway. The phone call we wanted, was the one AFTER the florist.

THE PLUMBER.

I actually found the call on youtube, for your ultimate listening pleasure. 😁

But before I share, they’ve added a Guido cartoon for effect… I think it totally detracts from the call itself, so sure, play the video, but keep your eyes closed! Listening to Guido and the plumber on their own, is comedy gold.

I won’t say anymore, because like in the words of my other fave comedian Eddie Murphy, who talks about people who “Fuck my jokes up on the job” after seeing his show…

I’ll just let you enjoy 🙂

#1785 Shameless Insta self-promotion

You know why holidays are so good?

You get a whole lot of time to actually catch up on stuff.

And it may not be things that you feel are necessarily important or even life-serving…

It can be something as simple as working out how to use Insta stories.

🤦‍♀️

This thing has been bugging me for months now. Insta. In particular, insta stories, and the potentially and definitely mammoth amount of filters and options and links and tags and what have you that you can add onto them.

They’ve left me confused for so long, but yet I haven’t really tried to learn it either.

Insert, tonight.

The Insta youtube tutorial. Oh yeah, I am such a dag right now.

But now, I KNOW! I’m a dag that knows!

I posted my first insta stories tonight, and even created a new Highlights reel on my page, woo hoo!

If you wish to check out what all my fuss is about (and see my stories, i.e. it’s food!) look up @smikgwriter

Watch out world… this is only the beginning!

@imcoming @newbie @smikg @insta @tagtagandmoretags