The Savage Beast*

I’ve written before about my workout playlist that I have on my iPod to motivate me. I also have a playlist that makes my heart feel better. And I sing along with great gusto (while alone in the car).

Of course, the heartbroken among you probably have the Adele and Alanis songs on repeat. I am recommending the following tunes to supplement those**:

Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson

Since U been gone
I can breathe for the first time

I'm so moving on
Thanks to you, now I get what I want

Some people are lucky enough to have never experienced being crushed under the boot of someone that claimed to love them. They don’t understand the very real, physical pain. When you break up, your body triggers a fight or flight reaction that can—quite literally—take your breath away. When someone gets betrayed, their opiate levels plummet, causing real hurt. Here’s the good news: eating chocolate causes opiate levels to surge. Chocolate really does make you feel better. Pass the M&Ms, please.

Blow Me (One Last Kiss) by P!nk 

See also: So What and Raise Your Glass

I think I’ve finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much
I think this might be it for us
Blow me (one last kiss) 

Take it in
I mean what I say when I say there is nothing  left

Is there any feeling as simultaneously painful and freeing as the wave of emotion that covers you when you decide and accept that you do not have anything else to give a relationship? 

Gives You Hell by All-American Rejects

If you find a man that’s worth a damn and treats you will
Then he’s a fool, you’re just as well

Hope it gives you hell 

Tomorrow you’ll be thinking to yourself

Where did I go wrong?

But the list goes on and on

I change the lyrics to woman and she’s when I sing it out. I have a feeling the band wouldn’t mind. 

Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood

I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
I slashed a hole in all four tires

Maybe next time, he’ll think before he cheats 

I might have saved a little trouble for the next girl

'Cause next time that he cheats

You know it won’t be on me

I love this one on several levels. The first is that I believe Mr. E will ALWAYS cheat and lie, unless he gets some help and puts in some hard work. It’s a pathology that I was foolish enough to think we could fix together. But it's bigger than the both of us. 

I also like this one because E tried to teach me how to swing a bat. I love picturing me using those skills on his car. Not that I would, but it's nice to picture. 

Irreplaceable by Beyonce

You can pack all your bags

We’re finished
‘Cause you made your bed, now lay in it

I could have another you by tomorrow

Don't you ever for a second get to thinkin’

That you’re irreplaceable

Mr. E has said on occasion that he is sure I will never find another man like him. Here’s hoping he is right. I'm not strong enough for another earthquake. 

We Came to Smash by Martin Solveig

We came to smash, smash

This one is just plain loud and fun.

* Soothing the savage beast is actually misquoting the source material. The actual quote is:

Music has charms to soothe a savage breast

That is the first line from the tragedy The Mourning Bride, written in 1697 by William Congreve. He is saying that music can calm your inner turmoil and heal your heart, which happens to be right under your breast.

By the way, later in that play, Congreve writes:

Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned

Nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned

Just sayin’.

**These songs will help heal your heart. But they will also help remind you that you are strong, smart, and beautiful. And you should be with someone who thinks he/she is the luckiest person on earth to get to be with you. Don’t settle for less. (And remind me of this every once in a while.)

Rockin' and Rollin'

This week is Thanksgivukkah. These two holidays will never collide again, at least not in our lifetime. I had a couple other once-in-a-lifetime things happened last week*:

Sara (the one who made me try out for derby) and I got pierced to celebrate her birthday. OK, I've been pierced before. OK, many times. But this was the first time I went with a friend to celebrate a milestone. These are mile-marker nose studs.

League pictures were take up at the State Capitol building in the bitter cold (which was still warmer than the Derby Depot.) I really, really, really hope they turn out well. Because I organized the shoot. I wanted to find a location other than the Depot. The Capitol building offered many cool staging areas. Steps, columns, and statues were all incorporated into the shoot. The pictures should be great with all of those fabulous women starring in them.

Then there was this. I was was asked to appear on an internet radio talk show. Host Tim Manson asked me about my MS diagnosis and how it took me to roller derby. I was so nervous! But it was fun, and I think it turned out well.

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/74223/moving-forward

I'm in the second segment, if you want to take a listen. Let me know what you think. Unless, of course, you think I sound like a dork. Then just lie and tell me it was great.

I was also interviewed for an article published on EverydayHealth.com.  Bodybuilder and fellow MS-er David Lyons writes a column for them called MS Fitness Challenge: Overcoming MS challenges on the road to fitness. And last week, he wrote about me.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/ms-fitness-challenge/426/

Don't be all jealous about how hot I look in that picture. I just can't help myself.

One more interesting thing happened. I was at the gym (by itself a rare occurrence, I know), and the man on the treadmill next to me asked what I was listening to on my iPod Shuffle. We started talking about our workout playlists. And I thought I would share a couple of my go-to lady jams.

Aside--I'm sorry, what? You haven't seen Pitch Perfect? Stop reading this now and go watch it.

Oh, you're back. Wasn't that acca-awesome?

Anyway, here are a few highlights from my workout playlist, which is cleverly titled Workout. What can I say? I'm a wordsmith. A poet.

The song with the top number of plays is Know How by Young MC. I have loved this song since I was in college working at a record store. Remember when there were record stores? Remember when there were records? This song brilliantly uses a sample of the Shaft theme, creating a great beat. But it has super bonus points: it was used in the movie Whip It.

Next on the list is AC/DC's Thunderstruck. This is the ultimate crank-it-up, skate-your-jam tune. I believe that there is a law in 27 states making it illegal to listen to it below a volume of 11.

And now there are three movies you have to watch this weekend. This Is Spinal Tap is the Best. Musical. Ever.

I bring a little Girl Power into the mix, of course. Raise Your Glass by P!nk will have you singing out loud, which will annoy the other gym patrons. But you won't give a shit. If my little nieces grow up to be like P!nk--strong, tough, talented, fun--my work will be done.

I am not usually a big fan of song covers. But there are a couple of songs that, when covered, make you forget all about the original version. Among those are Ring of Fire by Social Distortion and Hurt by Johnny Cash. But when you take a song made famous by the royalty of rock and make it your own, it is going to be epic. Karen O and Trent Reznor took the Immigrant Song away from Led Zeppelin. You may have heard it during the opening credits of the American version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. (You don't need to see that one, but check out the Swedish original.) Put this song on your MP3 player. It will make you kick it up a notch.

And there is one song that has been released this year that I can listen to over and over. If you haven't heard Harlem by New Politics, download it, plug it into your car's stereo system, and crank up the volume. It will make you happy, I guarantee.*

Happy Thanksgivukkah everyone! Have a safe and happy holiday.

* Well, maybe they will happen more than once in my life, but these were the first times they happened.

** Happiness is not guaranteed. But I'm willing to bet you are smiling.