If you want to survive...

As a ginger, I have a fondness for other gingers.

So my magnetism toward Florence + the Machine wouldn't really surprise anyone. 

And anyone who knows me at all probably wouldn't be shocked that I love "The Dog Days are Over." A whole, whole lot.

Lately, it's been my go-to. Big time. Even during Christmas, I kept wanting to pull up this song.

I think my favorite line could be, "You can't carry it with you if you want to survive." It's just a great way of looking at past, and present, and hope, and what's important to bring (and leave) if you ever want to move forward.

Here are the lyrics from that ginger:

Happiness hit her like a train on a track
Coming towards her stuck still no turning back
She hid around corners and she hid under beds
She killed it with kisses and from it she fled
With every bubble she sank with her drink
And washed it away down the kitchen sink

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run
Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive
The dog days are over
The dog days are done

Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come
And I never wanted anything from you
Except everything you had and what was left after that too, oh
Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back
Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come
Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come
The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

And here's the song on YouTube:

I do think about the importance of the baggage I leave behind when I move forward, but not love and longing. Definitely not love. But some love....Yeah. It's best to leave behind.

I say that Florence is a pretty smart little ginger. As is that Machine of hers.

Being Erica.

I stumbled on "Being Erica" after months of seeing its blurb on Hulu.com and mentally clicking, "not interested."

Boy, was I ever wrong.

For me, "Being Erica" is a fabulous watch. As a non-cabler, I only catch it online, and IMO, it's well worth the time invested. I think it originally plays on Soap Net (so I guess that means that channel really exists).

I would say it's more of a girl-centric show -- I haven't polled anyone about this, including guys -- but since it's about a girl's world, and her life, and her past and present, I'm just guessin.'

One of the most fun parts for me is that Erica is a 30-something redhead who loves to write and edit, but is constantly getting things wrong. (In life, mainly, not in writing and editing.) Another equally fun fact is that one of my best friends' name is Erica, and especially since she's not much like the character, and I'm not a lot like my friend Erica, it cracks me up to think of MY being Erica. :-) (Which I do, you understand. With every star of every show or movie I connect with. But anyway.)

If you're female, and like the idea of a sort of  "Sex and the City" meets post-college "Felicity," maybe, you should give it a shot.

And if you're a guy, check it out it out if you want, and please also let me know what you think. But don't say I didn't warn you. :-)