Before you know it, you're the crazy cat lady in the scary house

The Beginning of My Fandom

August 16, 2002 ... 2:21 a.m.

The Beginning of My Fandom

Okay, first of all, my computer is doing this really annoying thing where it won't type certain letters, so I am annoyed.

Secondly, my cat is now terrified of my brother. Le Prince locked Tinker in his closet last night. My cat, who is weird beyond reason, HATES small, dark places. Unlike every other feline in the species. So Le Prince held him hostage all night, getting up occasionally to check on the cat and thwart any possible escape attempts. I think we may need some kitty Prozac. Tinker is showing signs of post traumatic stress disorder.

Third, velcro curlers and my hair don't work well together.

In case you didn't get the memo--today is the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. Now I already did a whole diatribe on what would have been his 67th birthday.

This year was the 46th anniversary of "Heartbreak Hotel" hitting number 1. And he would only be 67. Did you know Elvis is Forbes' top earning deceased celebrity for the second year? From June 2001 to June 2002, he brought in close to $90 million. And the remix of "A Little Less Conversation" hit #1 in Britain this summer and it's climbing the charts here.

Anyway, I thought I'd share how I became an Elvis fan.

It began when I was 12 and we were shopping for back to school supplies. I was being a pain, demanding this or that. My mom was thisclose to losing it. We got to the folders section. I refused to have the el cheapo paper folders, insisting on those expensive glossy ones. So my mom grabbed four glossy ones and shoved them at me. "That's it" she said, "take 'em or leave 'em." I looked at them.

Ohmigawd. Elvis? Elvis Presley? The guy's been dead forever. I would be a laughingstock.

At home, we were labeling our supplies and I was making snarky comments with all the venomous 12-year-old sarcasm I possessed. My mom just kept saying what a hunk Elvis had been. Whatever, Mother.

I wasn't unfamiliar with Elvis--we were raised on "golden oldies". Still my preferred genre.

Anyway, Mom handed me the first folder. The picture was from "Aloha from Hawaii." Gah. A fat guy in a white jumpsuit? The horror. Then she handed me the next one. '68 Comeback Special. Hey, he isn't so ba--wait--is that mascara? He's wearing makeup? Then she hands me a folder with him in that gold lame suit. Ooo, I may be able to handle this whole Elvis thing, after all. The last folder she handed me had Elvis in his Army uniform. HELLO! Yeah, I can totally handle this.

At school, instead of teasing me, kids would ask if I liked Elvis or what song was my favorite. I was asked about Elvis so much, I decided I had better bone up on my "Elvisology." My mom rented Jailhouse Rock for me and---whoa---Elvis was HOT! Hooked from that moment on. For my 13th birthday, my mom bought me an Elvis doll and an Elvis poster. It was slow going on the collecting as I was not old enough to have a job. After I got my first job, my first Elvis purchase was a box of old vinyl albums. 20 in the box, now I have close to 200 (yes, several are duplicates). Now I have everything from dolls to telephones, cds to vinyl and books to newspapers (I have the Memphis papers announcing his death). And, in the midst of the family photos in my bedroom, are my pride and joy--two actual photographs from a Vegas concert.

I still have those folders in my display case.

Cheeseburgers, fries & Cokes for dinner. Midnight to midnight is filled with Elvis movies or music. All Elvis, all day (this is really the only day I�m allowed my Elvis movies--you haven't lived until you've seen Clambake at 2am)! Of course, the rest of my family is less than fascinated with Elvis--so they have other plans.

More fried peanut butter & banana sandwiches for me!!!

Currently Reading: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (yawn)

Listening To: ELVIS: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden--my favorite!!!

~*~

Have a happy day!

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