August 11, 2006 | Filed under: Stuff
I have a new embarrassing moment, one I almost didn’t share. A normal person certainly wouldn’t, but then it turns out I didn’t have anything to write about today so what the hell.
I walk with Ashes through the woods every morning. Mostly I use that time to plot in my head or return phone calls to the people in my life that I love but am sorely neglecting because of impending deadline. But lately it seems that I am a greater social moron than usual, and I’m inserting foot in my mouth and irritating people by just breathing, so this week I avoided the phone entirely and came up with a new tactic. I grabbed Middle Daughter’s IPod, stuffed the earpieces in, and rocked out. Now you know I’m in the Sierras. Where I hike is truly isolated forest land, like a million acres of it. I rarely run into anyone, just the occasional biker. Knowing that, I felt free to crank the tunes and yes, sing at the top of my severely tone deaf lungs. You might be laughing at the image, but you’ll laugh more when you hear what I was listening to.
High School Musical.
Remember, this is a twelve year old’s IPod. But hey, I’m not picky. I love music, all of it, and trust me, the songs are quite sing-along-able.
Okay, that’s not a word but you know what I mean.
So there I am, in the middle of nowhere, IPod cranked up, singing VERY happily along to Disney, when it occurs to me. I’m walking down the middle of the path, not on the side like I usually do, so bikers can pass me. Oh boy. Self awareness begins to creep in. It’s been at least five minutes since I’ve looked behind me. Ears already flaming, I turn around, and yep, there’s a line of bikes, four of them to be exact, waiting to pass me, each with a variety of expressions on their faces; amusement, irritation, and my personal favorite, horror.
Oh yes. They’d all been forced to listen to me sing Disney showtunes, and worse, they’d probably been asking me to get the hell out of their way, but I couldn’t hear them. Fun stuff. I pulled one of the ear pieces out, mumbled a sorry, and wished for a big hole in which to swallow me up as I moved aside so they could finally pass me.
“Nice dancing,” one guy said sarcastically as he rode on by.
Oh, God. Had I actually been DANCING too? This would be a new low, even for me. But as this guy rode past me, I realized he had a major wedgie going so I figured he was pissy because his panties were up around his ears. Still, I think maybe I should leave home all the electronic devices for awhile, and just commune with nature . . .
Posted by Jill @ 1:00 am | Make a Comment
Brandy says:
Hahahaha! (sorry gasping for air) hahahahaha!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 2:00 amI love your moments, I know you don’t, but…..hey, I bet this is going to end up in a book, right?
Judy F says:
poor JIll. I can only imagine what was going through those bikers minds.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 2:33 amHoney says:
That’s hilarious. I hope they’re just random people in town for a biking convention and you don’t ever have to face them again.
Thanks for some great reading!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 4:02 amI finished Aussie Rules last night and LOVED it.
Stacy ~ says:
Oh boy. Singing and dancing - I too hope you’ll never see those bikers again… Jill, Jill, Jill. LOL.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 4:13 amAlicia says:
+ 
= 
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 4:29 amOh wow… Jill, that’s wonderful.. what a priceless moment. Thanks for sharing with us - I love ending each day with a laugh or two courtesy of your blog.
eve says:
No, bad Eve, bad. Ahem. I am so sorry about your recent misadventure in the wilds of the Sierra Ms. Shalvis and - no, I can’t do it, I gotta laugh. Sorry!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 5:02 amSue says:
Jill you are so funny
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 5:13 ambut I think the guys thought it was funny too
Carol says:
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 5:17 amI wish I had been there to see that! Thanks for telling us! I’m still laughing!
Laurie says:
Hey, what happens in the woods stays in the woods, right? Unless there are bikers around!! Have a great day!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 5:32 amCarolyn A. says:
Hey great story Jill. I love laughing along with you. Rock on!:bananadance:
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 5:56 amBarbara-Jo says:
Keep singing Jill!!! Remember each misadventure will someday be food for your next book.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 6:13 amKimberly Holt-Whitlock says:
Oh, Jill. With the life you lead, you will never ever run out of plot ideas
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 6:35 amKaren K. says:
Oh Jill , I can always count on you for a great beginning to my day.Thank You so much !
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 7:24 amErin says:
Really, the saddest part here is that this could have been me. Only on a much busier trail. ha!:thumbsup:
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 7:28 amAllie says:
Those guys will be telling their story about you for years. “And here we are, out in the middle of NOWHERE and this crazy lady is out there with her dog, singing and dancing to DISNEY songs…”
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 7:53 amSusan says:
Too funny.:rotfl: Really Jill, we laugh with you not at you!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 8:16 amKIM H says:
funny stories
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 8:38 amruby55 says:
Great one, Jill. I know it’s embarrassing at the time but I’m sure you found it funny too on reflection. I can imagine any one of us doing that.
And I agree with the person who said that you’ll never run out of plot-lines. You could build a whole romance around that. The review almost next to this says “Ms. Shalvis characters leap off the page.”-Romantic Times. I guess the reason why is that you’ve brought the stories out of life.:D
Very cute. I hope you don’t mind if I repeat it at the shower I’m going to on Sunday–at least to my family. And I won’t mention names.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 9:10 amKaren says:
Oh, man, I would want to melt into the dirt if something like that happened to me. I can’t sing to save my life so I would probably have burst their eardrums if I’d been singing loud and happy with my iPod.
Thanks for sharing. Your blog always makes me smile.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 9:40 amMichelle Miles says:
Oh Jill! You made me laugh so hard!!
I think I’d want a very large black chasm to swallow me up too.
Thanks for sharing.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 10:00 amJill says:
So I tell my husband what happened, and he stared at me in horror. You see, he knows exactly how bad I sing … He said I need to stick to the side of the trail. Gee, ya think? Helpful advice. Really. :?.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 10:08 ameve says:
I would have just told them it was to scare away the bears.:yes:
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 10:34 amK-K says:
Oh Jill, I know this has been said but…:rotfl:
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 10:47 amKristen says:
Wedgie karma…that set off peels of laughter and nearly woke up one still sleeping child.
Thanks for the giggle.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 11:24 amDonna M says:
:rotfl::bananadance::bananadance::rotfl:
Have a great day.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 11:26 amThanks for sharing that Jill. Really, I am laughing with you not at you! I’m the klutzyiest person & if I trip I always look around to see who saw my ungraceful stumble!!
You need a T-shirt that has “World Famous Author” on the front & the back so people know to give you respect!! I am sure those bikers are going to be telling the story & getting a good laugh. Your humor is the best.
Lis says:
too funny, but like Kristen said above, good wedgie karma to that guy 
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 11:34 amJennifer Y. says:
LOL!!!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 11:36 amJordan Summers says:
LOL! I can see the little dance now…:bananadance:. You should’ve charged them for the entertainment.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 12:08 pmKate Hardy says:
As everyone else says, we’re laughing with you and not at you. I can just SEE it. And bad Ashes for not warning you about the cyclists.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 12:24 pmLaure says:
Sounds like something I’d do. I love to sing, would do it professionally if I could. However, many, many more people would pay vast treasures to keep me from ever singing another note out loud. But I can’t help it, I tend to sing along to the radio, too. Get lots of looks from passersby, too. I totally sympathize. And kudos to you for not kicking over the snotty biker as he whizzed by.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 12:48 pmMarcy says:
OMG! It’s hard to type with the tears of laughter falling down my face.
I even read it to my dh. *gg*
Bust-a-move, Jill!!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 6:20 pmLindsay says:
haha.. that’s so funny! Especially because you were singing High School Musical songs ha… nice!
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 6:37 pmTempest says:
OMG! This beats the time “Hotel California” was playing on the radio and there I was singing along with it in my car while waiting for the green light.:wigglebrow:
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 7:19 pmButterflyLane says:
I’ve caught myself singing VeggieTales songs in public on several occasions. Today it was the one about the wall of Jericho.
“Keep Walkin, but you won’t knock down our wall.
Keep walkin, but she isn’t gonna fall.
It’s plain to see, your brains are very small
to think walkin, will be knockin down our wall.”
I was with my children. Neither of them were singing. Sigh. At least it wasn’t “The Song That Never Ends”.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 7:24 pmKris says:
ButterflyLane, I find myself singing the “Keep walkin” song often, especially to my kids when they aren’t moving fast enough for me.
Jill that is hilarious:hyper:. Thanks for sharing.
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 8:35 pmArlene says:
Oh, Jill…:rotfl:
Posted on August 11th, 2006 at 9:45 pmCryna says:
Oh, Jill……….I can imagine how embarrassed you would feel……….I would have been horrified myself, because I am absolutely a horrible singer………but at the same time thanks for sharing because it was funny……..:rotfl:
Posted on August 12th, 2006 at 1:11 pmDiana says:
Jill, those “High School Musical” songs are damn addictive. I used to work with third graders, and they loved that movie.
Posted on August 12th, 2006 at 4:31 pmkim says:
me too love hsm.
Posted on August 13th, 2006 at 4:52 pmtrish says:
OMG!! That sounds too much like something I would do.:oops: Especially since my 11 year old daughter’s iPod has High School Musical on it as well. (Not to mention numerous posters of Zac Efron all over her walls.) So glad it was you and not me, though. Sorry.
Posted on August 14th, 2006 at 11:30 am