The Death of Summer & Common Vernacular

Our Bethany Vacation usually begins the weekend after Labor Day, so this is the first year we've been in town for all the end of the summer festivities. On Saturday night we had the pleasure of listening to and meeting the members of the Beatles cover band, Fabmania... Four really nice guys who look, dress and sound the part. All the while maintaining the character and accents of the fab four. It was only after I got into a side conversation with 'Paul' about where we were both from and that he works in my home town, that the Liverpool accent kind of faded... Naturally.

Later, I was talking with my beach house buddy Janet, who is herself British, South African born and spent a great deal of her life living in Britain. I expressed that it might've been funny for her to introduce herself to the members of Fabmania, possibly giving them the impression they were being mocked (I have a rather twisted idea of what's funny... Speaking of which, I'd really like to hear Janet do a Benny Hill impression, which knowing Janet, it'll be a cold day in hell before that happens.) My very British friend Janet, in typical British form, obviously didn't see why I found this idea quite so hilarious. Anyway, I realize Janet's accent and the Liverpool accent are quite different. I mean, have you ever noticed that when the Beatles talked, whatever they said always came out sounding like a question? Case in point "He's Paul's Grandfather."

So Janet and I get to talking about the different accents in England and I say something regarding the 'Liverpoolian' accent. She looks at me and says, "Liverpoolian?" (exactly as a Liverpoolian might say it) and she says (very British like), "You mean 'Liverpudlian'." "LiverPUDlian?" I say, "What the heck is LiverPUDlian... Why that just sounds derogatory!" Cause I mean, how does someone who comes from a place ending in 'POOL' end up being referred to as a 'PUDDLE?' Why, I think that's just rude. The argument ensued as to which was the proper reference and only until we looked it up on Google did I admit to being wrong. Leave it to someone from Britain to KNOW the proper vernacular for someone who hales from Liverpool but it continues to boggle my mind. Puddle indeed!

So back to the end of summer festivities. Last night the adults went out for dinner together and left the kids to fend for themselves (put down the phone, childrens services division doesn't want to hear that we expected a bunch of teenagers to procure their own dinner), when we got a call from Chloe who explained that she a the others had been quote: "Touched by DEATH!" Expecting they'd had a close call with a rude tourist behind the wheel, my husband asked if they were okay. Turns out there's a ritual here in Bethany called, 'The Death of Summer.' Mourners gather dressed in black, a dirge is played and a woman walks around with a long black scarf and wipes away the 'tears' of the vacationers and tells them they've been touched by death........... Creepy? Yes! But I guess everyone has their own way of kissing summer goodbye.

My Kick-Ass I-pod Shuffle Tune of the Day:
For high energy you can't get much higher than THIS tune. I own the cd of this band or should I say, Orchestra and nearly every tune exudes this kind of energy. So I'm certain this won't be the last time I post a link to this tattooed genius.