In 2009, before I began blogging, Kurt and I shared an eventful year via a video holiday card for family and friends. We were living in Los Angeles.
2009 was insane. Obama’s inauguration was the first I ever watched. Kurt had assignments in Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Hastings, Nebraska before being moved to Los Angeles, California. We were soaking up the sun and still giddy from watching the Pittsburgh Steelers win the Superbowl and the Penguins win the Stanley Cup, as we watched from a little bar in Hastings, Nebraska.
After arriving in Los Angeles, I ran into Rutger Hauer at the convenience store, went to the Jay Leno Show and the Price is Right. We traveled to the Redwoods, went to the X-Games, to the Miramar Air Show and so many iconic spots in L.A. with our visitors from back home that we couldn’t keep track.
This was our dorky tribute song, to the music of the TransSiberian Orchestra:
Kurt has said that I won’t get him to do another video unless we’re living too far away for a drive home, so maybe that means something strange and wonderful from Africa next year.
I don’t know, but in the meantime, I thought I’d ring in December with our goofy little video capturing the best of 2009.
Love, Marla
P.S. The lyrics are terrible, but if you’re like me, you like to know things like that, so here is the original video outline. The formatting won’t come through very well on WordPress, but in the original certain words overlap to go with the music (and you might be able to guess Kurt and I attempted to perform them that way).
I printed these large (including the directions) and hung them just below the video recorder so we could see them as we performed. 7 takes, btw, is all we could stand doing it. I think the lack of “perfection” adds to the charm…
MARLA: We left our friends and fa-mi-ly
To work in oth-er states
KURT: Her bro-ther told her not to be hip-pie
MARLA: a bleeding heart liberal hippie
KURT Her brother told her not to be hippie
MARLA he told me not to ever hug a…
[MARLA WILL HOLD UP PICTURE OF TREE]
8 count of music starting with “tree” picture
KURT: Point Pleas-ant West Vir-gin-i-a
MARLA: The Mothman didn’t come to us
MARLA: Rich history
KURT: Not much to see.
MARLA: Mothman story!
KURT: Ren-ted movies.
KURT: Back to PA. (higher pitch)
For a short stay
MARLA: Obama’s Day
I watched him say
“Prepare the nation
for a new age and
roll back the spectre…”
I am waiting.
KURT: But this isn’t a pol-it-i-cal piece
MARLA: Though we hope he may be working toward peace.
KURT: On to Feb-ru-ar-y
Di-ane’s foot-ball par-ty
MARLA: Harrison was running
Steelers won the 6th trophy!
[MUSIC]
MARLA: (1:30) Onward were we
to the prairie
Nebraska town
No one a-round
KURT: -I thought she might just hang herself
MARLA: Smelled like a cow
no, wait. A sow.
or ethanol.
I had a ball.
KURT: She made 10 trips back home for stuff
MARLA: Tornados came
and lots of rain
Not all was bad
Kool-Aid oh yeah!
KURT: But no we made the best of it
MARLA: Gizzards – no way!
Garden Café
made us a good
Pittsburgh salad
KURT: Al-though it reall-y smelled like shit.
MARLA: to watch the Pens
win once again
the Stanley Cup
Wings – suck it up!
KURT: (1:50) Crossed the Rock-ies (Change to FAST)
To Glen-wood Springs
saw Steel-ers truck
Knew it was luck!
Bryce Canyon next (Higher pitch)
then to the west:
south of L. A.
sun ev’ry day.
[MUSIC]
MARLA: (1:57) We went to see a
concert on Sunset
My heavy metal
friend Randy jammed it
with his band Flatline
at Whisky Go Go
I didn’t mosh ‘cause
Kurt he said “No, no.”
KURT (SLOWLY) That Was Lat- er
In Sept em ber
First was skate boards
Hunt ing ton beach
MARLA: (2:20) Oh yeah and Baxter
mounted an actor’s
dog at the dog park
Now I’m on track.
And then I saw Rutger Hauer shopping
KURT: And on cue you stuttered-did your Garth thing
MARLA: (2:28) I’m not that bad
KURT: You’re such a spaz. (Change rhythm)
MARLA: X Games were next
KURT: Vert BMX
and saw Shaun White
MARLA: (Not on a bike)
KURT: saw moto too
then to the zoo
MARLA: (2:36) with our great nieces
‘manda and beth’ny
then Escondido
Falls (more like drip)
KURT: (2:40) Amy, Liz and Roland visited next.
Marla: Took a creepy tour, stalked Adam Sandler.
KURT: (2:43) Saw the Red-wood For-est
MARLA Hiway One was gorgeous
KURT: Came back went ice-skating
MARLA: I went to Jay Leno show
KURT: (2:48) Mir-a-Mar: Fun!
Air Show – Top Gun!
MARLA: Emily came
and we got rain
KURT; Saw mom & dad
Gone. Now I’m sad.
MARLA: October gone.
Walked for my mom.
KURT: (no sing) WENT TO A KING’S GAME
FLEURY WAS SPAZZING.
MARLA: BRANDON WAS NEXT FLIGHT
WENT TO PRICE IS RIGHT
KURT: NO LEAVES WERE TURNING
SUN IS STILL BURNING
MARLA WE’RE STILL PA KIDS
BUT GUESS WHAT I DID?
KURT: MAR-
LA
HUGGED
A
TREE!
[Marla indicates 2, then gives peace sign]
(Not to music, just speaking)
KURT: Feliz Navidad & Merry Christmas!
MARLA: Melekelekemaka
KURT: Happy Hannukah. Happy Kwanzaa.
MARLA: Akemasite omedatou gozaimasu.
BOTH: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Hello, I have just nominated your blog for the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award:
http://clanmother.com/2012/12/06/stars-change-the-world/
Please accept my kind regards without any obligation. This is my thanks for being an inspiration to me on my blogging journey.
Rebecca aka Clanmother
Still haven’t stopped laughing, Marla you have a natural born talent for comedy
Brilliant!!! You have found your calling!!!
Hahaha…yea I remember that!! Ditto on Brandon’s “dorks” comments!! Hahaha…thought you guys were gonna make that some sort of tradition, bummer! Well maybe next one can have some sort of south Africa theme!
OMG…I forgot how flippin’ funny this is. 3 years seems like such a long time, even though it’s not. This just made me literally “LOL” as much as I did the first time. You two are dorks, and I LOVE it so much…wouldn’t have it any other way! 🙂 And the lyrics help!
Brandon!!!!!
Aww, cool. Thanks so much for saying that. Yeah, it was requested on Facebook again this year (it has been requested there every year) and I thought I should share it on the blog, too. I say if it makes other people happy, dork it up! 🙂 Love, Auntie M.