"Power Ballads" are the greatest.

Another close to a successful week. I'm pleased with how well my running has been going. I had a strong week. So far I think I'm sitting at about 7.0 miles total for the week. And I think I may have a few more left in me! I hope. I'm really liking the lake route. It's nice and hilly so it helps break up my stride a little bit and use different muscles. I'm still working on the new play list for my .mp3 player. It needs some serious work. I have my certain "power ballads" though. Yes, power ballads. What else should I call them? These are the ones, without fail, that give me the extra boot in the caboose and get me over the hill or to the next mile marker.

Worm's Top 5 "Power Ballads!"

1. "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel
Maybe it's the history geek in me, maybe it's the fact that this song inspired me to go grad school, maybe it's just that it's someone shouting really loud and the rythm is fast, but I love this song!! I know I'm holding pace if I struggle just a little to sing along.

2. "Jet Airliner" by Jefferson Airplane
This is the unexpected one. Thanks to the final season of The West Wing and a kick ass video montage featuring the hustle and bustle of campaigning for President, this song always gets me in a happy, funky mood.

3. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard
This is the cheesiest of all cheesy songs and I'm still trying to figure out why it always gets me running faster....and wanting to shout "POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME!!"

4. "Me and My Gang" by Rascal Flatts
It's like country N'Sync. As long as they don't start doing coordinated dance moves in their videos, I think I'll be ok.

5. "Lean on Me" by The Temptations
It's one of those determination songs. I just wish I weren't out in public when I was running so that I could belt out the lyrics! "We all need somebody to lean on..." Sometimes by the end of the run, I could really use somebody to lean on. This song usually fixes that problem!

"Pop" Coincidence

A hidden gem in the mass of romantic comedies, Music and Lyrics starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore was funny and charming. I'd never heard of the movie, but based on previous selections, Netflix recommended it. So who am I to disagree with Netflix? Maybe they figured I needed some direction after choosing Tristan and Isolde and History Boys all on my own.

Playing a "has been" 80s pop star, Grant lands a duet with the teenie bopper of the moment who's similar to the psycho Britney Spears not the post Mickey Mouse club, JT's girl, Spears. Required to write the song they are going to sing together, Grant's character discovers his oddball plant waterer (Yeah, I said plant waterer. I so need me one of those!) has a hidden talent with words. He ropes her into being the lyricist for the song he composes. It's a humorous little adventure that has Grant pathetically shaking his booty around like a parent two generations shy of coolness while also playing the hero by writing his own song to get the girl. I'm still trying to figure out if Grant did his own singing. It kind of sounded like him. The songs were in good spirit. Certainly not Grammy worthy but for an unheard of movie, they weren't too bad!

One of the songs that had made Grant's character famous in the 80s was called "Pop!" The film even had a VH1 style flashback thing at the beginning of the movie with a cheesy music video and all. Anywho, the connection of the day - there always seems to be a connection - is two-fold. Stay with me here... remember, a movie about a has been and a song named "Pop!" So my family's annual garage sale was yesterday and an N'Sync shirt of mine was sold for the purpose of a white elephant present. I'd hang my head in shame but I have no regrets! The three concerts of theirs that I went to were incredible! Ok, laugh if you must. I'll wait. So, back to the connection...I'm almost certain that N'Sync can be considered a group of has beens, excluding JT, of course, AND they had a song named "Pop!" Coincidence much! And just for the record, N'Sync's "Pop" is way better than the one in this movie! For reals, y'all.