Only a True Friend Would Spend Her Hard-Earned Money On This Stuff

My friend Melanie went to Blog World Expo in Las Vegas this past weekend.

That's Las Vegas.  Where my Barry lives.  And sings.   And since it wasn't a practical option for her to pack me in her suitcase and sneak me backstage to the concert, she had to suffice by stopping by the Barry Manilow gift shop.  We had lunch on Tuesday, and she pushed this across the table at me.  I squealed.

It's a complete Barry Manilow gift pack, all wrapped up (appropriately) in a glossy black bag with leopard print tissue paper.  Let the classiness just wash over you for a minute.

Inside is a Barry poker chip, Barry lip balm, Barry pencils and a Barry cell phone dangle.  "That's awesome!" I told her.  "Every time I use my cell phone, the people around me will see how much I love Barry!"

She frowned.  "And....that's....good for you?"

Oh yes ma'am.  It's so good I might have to download a Copa Cabana ring tone to go with it. 

Comments

[Tracye]

Love that song!

When my daughter was a baby, my husband made up silly words to songs, and that was one.

Here it is, if you don't ever want to listen to that song the same way again:

Her name was Christian.
She was a showbaby.
With pretty flowers in her hair
And a diaper right down there!

At this point, he would use her little baby hand to gesture to her diaper-clad bum. He did a lot of songs, but that one still gets airtime today... six years later!

[Debbie]

I use to have records of Barry as a pre-teen!
Loved him!
-Sandy Toes

[LauraLee Shaw]

LOVE it! That is awesome!

[Leslie]

We loved listening to Barry when I was a kid. We even named our dog Lola.

[Kelly]

That will be perfect should you want to have a Weekend in New England.

No Copacabana margarita mix?

[Shauna Okongo]

That's very funny. You're right. Only a true friend would do that. hehe. Glad it made you happy!

[Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba)]

So much fun! :)

[[email protected] Grace & Over Coffee]

I'm kinda liking the leopard print tissue paper. And that bothers me.

[MamaHenClucks]

At the copa, copa cabana. . . Not a huge barry fan, but do love that song! I'd like to hear that on a ring tone!

[Shan]

Hee heE HEE!! "My Barry", I love it! What a hilarious gift bag. I didn't realize I felt much for Barry until one day my husband made fun of his flat sounding and long held out "BAN-A" in The Copa song. Then he went on to say "That guy can't sing and he just goes on and on into the ages!"

Well, I was incensed and realized right then and there that I was actually a fanillo myself and Barry was still quite special to me. Naturally I defended him like a protective mother, and from then on husby knew better. Wear the cell dangle proud Shannon! :)
Hey, maybe we're actually a sub-group called Shanilos!

[Stephanie]

Color me green!!!

Took my daughter with me to a Barry Manilow concert when she was 6 years old, 'cause DH didn't want to go. Afterwards, I dropped her off at home and went back cruising around the civic center wondering if maybe I'd run into him some where.

It didn't happen.

[Amy from Texas]

Oh lordy... my husband would love that! ha. Too funny!

[k&c's mom]

Sigh.
The perfect gift.
My teenagers would be so embarassed to see this comment.
But: BARRY.....

[Carol ~ I Throw Like A Girl]

Yes! You definitely need a Copa Cabana ring tone. Go for it!

[suburbancorrespondent]

I've been to only 2 live concerts in my life, and one of them was Barry.

[elizabeth]

You're kidding about the bag, right? Please say you are because I really like it. No...seriously. I LOVE leopard print!!!

[mzzterry]

I just can't do the Barry thing with you Shannon.....but I have a few singers that I have swooned over thru the years, so I will let you have your fun!

What a great friend you have!

[Tara W]

My hubby took me to a concert about 7 or 8 years ago for my birthday. He sat the entire time and I had a blast!!!

[kelli]

So jealous.

There are NO words.

[Molly]

You're cracking me up, Shannon!

Can you imagine singing all those same songs every night for all those years???

[T with Honey]

Now that's what I call a true friend. She knows you and loves you anyway. ;-)

[Shalee]

Oh Chili! You totally fed her more of her addiction! Now she'll be impossible on our next girl weekend. Shannon will be pushing Barry on ALL of us...

[Keely]

Barry lip balm. Love. It.

[michelle]

I am so with you on loving Barry. My kids just shake their heads and walk away. But us, we know class when we see it.

[Heth]

Cell phone dangle? Clearly I am not up with the times.

[Cheri]

So funny and sweet of your friend. I have a buddy who is over the moon about Barry. I honestly don't get it. But I have a huge thing for Jon Bon Jovi and I know not everyone gets that, too. And I'm okay with it. Jon understands.

[Faerylandmom]

You're so cute. :-)

[Kris- dreaming of mermaids]

*snicker* enjoy you some Barry, mamma. ;-)

[mandy]

I LOVE Barry Manilow!! People think it's crazy that a 31 y.o. woman would love him. Honestly... it might be. But my mom played his music in my nursery as a baby. "Oooh Maaanndyyy..."

[Carrie]

Thanks for the giggle this morning! Enjoy your Barry items!

[Edwina]

I love me some Barry!!! The gift bag is great.

[Stephanie]

LUCKY!! I'm so jealous!! Barry rocks.

[Melanie]

If it makes you feel any, um, cooler, I would feel the same way about a Yanni bag.

[kelli]

Oh my word! That's great! The tissue paper really sends it over the edge.

What a true friend.

[Kori]

I have a Hawaiian party CD in the car, when I couldn't take Sesame Street anymore, I popped it in thinking the girls would like it for a change. A few car trips went by and then I heard it... in stereo from the back seat... "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl...." In those few car trips my almost 5 year old had picked up EVERY. SINGLE. WORD.

[Lori]

Hooray - another "fanilow"! We're a dying breed, you know. I'm so jealous of your Barry treats!

[Melanie Nelson]

ROFLOL. I chose that tissue paper just for you! Also? Can we please be clear that I DID NOT ATTEND A BARRY MANILOW CONCERT. I simply stayed at the hotel where his concerts occur. I don't even know if he was in the house. Just sayin'.

[Anna]

I live in Vegas. If you ever come to visit, let me know. I haven't seen Barry, yet, but we really only go to shows when tickets are given to us. But, a friend of ours works at Hilton and he reports that the show is great. Oh, and our church's choir sang with Barry, but that was maybe 10 years ago, before I was involved in Worship Arts.

[carol at A Second Cup]

What a wonderful friend. Does she share your passion for all things Barry?

[jennielynn]

I still think you are a fabulous person, even though you like Barry Manilow.

[Mandy]

My name is Mandy, and I was born roughly about the time that song was popular and to this day (at almost 30 years old- I said almost), my dad still sings it to me. All together now...AWWWWWW!

[Joanna Jones]

Hello! I ran across a link to your blog while reading Counting Sprinkles. I am humored to find someone who loves Barry Manilow as much as I do! I currently have "Copacabana" as my ring tone, and I love to talk about Barry whenever I can. I've never been to a Barry concert, but it is a dream of mine! Who knew they made Barry Manilow lip balm???

[Kristin]

my mom had his record and i swear, everytime i held that record he was looking straight at me! AT ME!! no one else. what a find she got for you!!

[Mandymomof2]

Try being sung to your whole life. Ooooh Mandy,you came and you gave.......

Then being asked if you are an Amanda or a Mandy. What can I say I am a Mandy and my mom was in love with Barry just as you are.

[Dana]

Seriously. Cannot get that song out of my head! I'm not much of a Barry Manilow fan....I think it's because my mother and aunts used to play his music ALL the time when I was young. ;)

[boomama]

I now love Melanie more than ever.

[Liza's Eyeview]

Melanie, a true friend indeed :)

Thanks for the post Shannon - this made me smile on this stressful Sunday evening ...

[Denise]

ROFL. I just blogged about a little Manilow problem and your friend shared your addiction with me. I had no idea.

She's a good friend but you're a sick woman. I like that. :-)

[Wendy]

Oh Man! A Barry Manilow gift bag! I.Am.So.Jealous!!!!!

[Katiebod (Roses are Red, Violets are Violet)]

Dear fellow Fanilow:

I was the pretend President (although real in my heart, I tell you) of the Barry Manilow Fan Club in college. Ain't NOTHIN' gonna keep you farther away from coolness than that!

(I also accidentally ran over his trash can in Hollywood. It was dark, it was a dead end. That's all I'm sayin.

:)