Thirty One Years

My favorite Elvis performance. Look and that smile and tell me you don't love him!

My first home was a condo painted Pepto Pink with black and white pictures of Elvis every where.
Little Plus One history... he helped me paint that condo so many years ago.

The King.
What he has meant to me over the years has changed.
Used to he was part of my identity. I owned the right to be the only living Elvis fan.
Gradually he became something that brought me great comfort but I stopped kicking peoples asses in the parking lot when they said they too liked Elvis.
I still know more Elvis trivia than your average person.
I still love his movies and his music.

For my 30th Zelda and I made pilgrimage. She had been before but I never had.
Graceland is a small modest home really. But I was still soul stirred when I walked in the grass and imagined I was truly walking in the footsteps of the King. I also remember there was an Oklahoma flag on his grave that day.

A couple of random things:
the first Elvis fan club I tried to join... my letter came back marked Return to Sender.
I still have my mint condition Elvis stamp voting ballots.
Also many Bradford exchange plates, Elvis "Barbie" dolls still in the boxes unopened and stacks and stacks of Elvis trading cards reissued circa 1992-93.
My favorite Elvis movie is King Creole.
My favorite Elvis to watch impersonate Elvis is of course Nick Cage. Wild at Heart... Treat me like a fool.
I do remember when he died. I do. I wasn't very old. But I loved him then. My mother spun his records all the time.
I had an orange t shirt with one of those old crispy 70's iron on's of the King on the front of it. I wore it with my zip up the side brown boots and my light blue jeans that had zippers everywhere.
It might still be my favorite outfit I have ever worn to this day.
I used to want my ashes sprinkled on Graceland when I died. And I still wouldn't mind someone taking a handful and pitching it over the wall.
When I walked into Graceland with Zelda this song was playing:
Its my favorite.
It also expresses how I feel about being minus Plus One this weekend very well.



Elvis to me now...
it reminds me of dancing with my Grammy in her living room.
My Grammy is one world class dancer. Old, old school dancing. She does the jitterbug and waltz's with my Grandfather... they are so light on their feet and beautiful to watch it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.
I know it reminds Noodle of me.
We did a little dancing to Elvis once upon a time ourselves when she was little. I would take her in my arms and she would laugh and drool and bounce up and down. I don't know if she'll remember that when she is older like I do with Grammy. But I hope she does.

Elvis. He was beautiful indeed. The hair didn't move unless the hips and knees moved and his lips parted in such a way while he was singing that girls just passed smooth out in front of his from hysteria.
I would have loved to have seen him Live. To feel that myself.
Elvis is part of my childhood... part of my child's childhood and I hope she will pass the love along to her children.
Last video... it was the first time America saw him... and it was love at first sight and we still love him.