Singin' In the Rain

Hey beauts.

So if you read my last post, you saw that there's been a bit of rainy, foggy, chilly gloom around these parts lately!  Yiiiiiikes.  But today is a gorgeous day and I'm feelin GOOD and I thought I'd share a really interesting article I read recently (can you call BuzzFeed lists "interesting articles"?  Yeah, I think you can. So I stand by it).

If you know me at all, you know I do a fair amount of singing.  And humming.  And when I say a fair amount, I mean it's rare that I go more than 15 minutes without doing one or the other, unless I'm sleeping.  Or it's socially unacceptable to do so.  And sometimes that doesn't even stop me.  Oops!  We're talking grocery store aisles, libraries, gas stations, etc.  I've been given looks.  And I'm fairly certain a lot of people think I talk to myself.  Whatcha-gonna-do. Most of the time I don't notice when I'm doing it.  I would say probably three times a week my office mate will say "What are you singing this time?" or "There she goes again." Or "Hey I like that song."  To which I reply, "What song?"  And she informs me that I was singing.  Geez!  God bless my perfect roommate, who hears the singing while cooking / cleaning / showering / existing that occurs around our apartment on a daily basis.  

You know what I've realized?  Singing gets me through a lot.  Sometimes all I want is to get in my car and put on a playlist of belters and let 'er rip.  I actually have one on my phone called "Belters," containing the likes of R. Kelly, JoJo, Mandy Moore, Kelly Clarkson, Switchfoot, and many many more.  It covers all the bases and gets the job done.  

When I first started skiing, both my daredevil younger sister and I would sing our way down the whole mountain.  Singing louder as the run got steeper.  It helped us simultaneously concentrate and distract, and seemed to ease the tension of a scary moment.  Scary, snowy driving over Snoqualmie Pass?  Never without a lot of singing.  Preparing for a stressful work day or event?  Sing sing sing, hum hum hum.  

My point in telling you all of this is to say - it really works!  And I am a FIRRRMMMMM believer that singing shouldn't be reserved for people who consider themselves singers.  We all have vocal cords.  So use them for more than basic communication.  It's a God-given, built-in stress reliever, people!  Have at it!  But don't just take my word for it.  Check it out:

15 Reasons You Need To Start Singing Every Minute Of Every Day
(I mean the title alone is amazing... they had me at hello)

And just in case you prefer to take your health tips from something slightly more scholarly, here's a Time Magazine article while we're at it: 

Singing Changes Your Brain

Honestly, articles abound on this topic!  Have a little Google fest for yourself!  (That kind of sounds bad for some reason.  So, just Google it...)

And don't forget to dance.  While you sing.  Whenever possible.  I know I've made my thoughts on this perfectly clear, but I can't say it enough.  Zumba provides a great opportunity for this, seeing as the music is so loud nobody will hear you singing along to the songs you don't actually know, and they're all too preoccupied with watching their own damn selves shake their groove thangs to even notice!  For real.  It's perfect.  And, as I said to my main squeeze Russanne the other day, "Nothing makes me feel like more of a hot goddess than just the right combo of cropped, fitted yoga pants, a flowy workout top, Nikes, and Sean Paul."  Guys I love Sean Paul and I don't care who knows it.  So you just go ahead and click here and learn this dance (sorry for the terrible sound quality) and know that it's my new favorite thing.  That specific routine.  I do it at Zumba.  That very one.  Every week.  And feel like a freaking dancing queen.  Young and sweet.  Only seventeen (can't win 'em all).

So sing like no one is watching and dance like no one is listening or whatever the crap that awful quote is, and let's power through the rainy season right into the summer of our dreams!

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu.

Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you.

Just keeping with the theme here.

Today's jam: "Song for Zula" by Phosphorescent.

(I don't know about you, but this song makes me feel like I can do anything)