feast it all...(just go with it)

This Thanksgiving was a landmark....my fam was not physically in the same place for this holiday...which was a first. Somehow every year up until now, we've managed to celebrate Thanksgiving together (even if it meant transporting an entire feast from my parent's house to my one-bedroom apartment in Dallas)...but this year, it just wasn't possible.  My younger bro was stuck working in Florida, and my older bro and sister-in-law got to spend the holiday with him.

Which left me and my folks at home.  For the most part, it wasn't super different.  We spent Thanksgiving lunch with my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin...and ate way too much food (which is definitely not out of the norm).  But I honestly missed having the other 3 around.

Overall, my dad and I watched way too much football...while my mom read (a lot)....and somewhere in the low-key mix we squeezed in a listen.read.love.repeat. event (and raised over $600 for the American Cancer Society) for the hometown crew.   :)

Speaking of football...college football teams beware...literally every team I was pulling for this past weekend lost! Oklahoma State, Alabama, LSU and (most of all) my Longhorns...they ALL lost. Plus I was kinda anti-Oregon as well, but not really pro-Arizona (#1 just can't really support a team coached by anyone that has the last name Stoops, #2 we won't go there)....so add that to the list however you see fit.  [I mainly wanted to see what the rankings would look like if Oregon and Auburn both lost.]  Maybe I need to use some reverse-psychology and start supporting the team I actually want to lose.

Funny side note, I finished reading this month's book club book ("Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?") during my time at home....and I'd been told before I started reading that the movie "Blade Runner" was based off this book. As I got into the book I was highly confused, because I didn't see how the book and movie were connected...turns out tonight that the movie reference I had in my head was "Blade"....not "Blade Runner"....apparently very different!

PS - It's kinda become a tradition from me to make a Thanksgiving Mix for the long drive home...this year's mix was entitled "feast it all...(just go with it)"...thought I would share:





A few fun facts...
1. The mix not only includes a Cee Lo Green cover of the Band of Horses song "No One's Gonna Love You"....but I also threw in "Georgia" which Band of Horses covered from Cee Lo Green's album (apparently they liked the cover he did of their song so much that they returned the favor).

2. I literally thought that the chorus to "Pyro" (by Kings of Leon) said "I won't ever be a porno star" when what he really says is "I won't ever be your cornerstone"....don't judge...listen to the song, and just tell me what you think he's saying!

3. The song "How He Loves" by David Crowder Band pretty much brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it...simply beautiful.

blegh

Ever had one of those days where you just should've stayed in bed....well, it's been one of those weeks for me.

After an already long week, which has included my car being towed from our work lot while I was working overtime, a water moccasin situation during our event set-up and all other kinds of fun...today has been no exception.

First let me just note that currently all is not right in my head...
a. I'm sick...like for real (this is what I get for joking about calling in sick during tournament season)
b. After the past couple of weeks, I honestly have no concept of what weekday it may or may not be

This morning I went into the office to assist in putting together our Volleyball program. When things started to slow down a little, I got the bright idea that I would run downstairs and unload the office suburban (which was fully loaded with Cross Country supplies). This would have been an excellent move if I had not:

a. left my key to the office on my desk on the 3rd floor
b. left my phone in my purse beside my desk on the 3rd floor
c. forgotten that our office doors automatically lock on the weekends (of course, I remembered this just as the door shut behind me)

Which left me outside, in the cold and sick. After yelling, beating on the doors until my hand was too bruised to continue, honking the league car no less than 18 times and waking up every dog in the neighborhood, I gave up and laid down in front of our back door. After a generous amount of time passed (and thoughts of going door-to-door in our eastside neighborhood to beg to use a phone, running down Manor to track down a cop on patrol, or pushing a UT emergency phone button, etc), a coworker finally came down to check on me.

Being the angel that she is, she promptly sent me home.

After I thaw out a little, take some meds and sleep some more...I think I'll feel like a brand new person...or at least regain a little common sense.

happy wizarding-world-of-disney halloween!

This past weekend, I got to fly over to Orlando to see my younger bro and catch up with a friend...this of course was only made better by a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventures, Epcot's 15th annual Food & Wine Fest, a little time in the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween and a truly awesome gospel brunch with Apostle J.L. Cash at the House of Blues. 

VACATION WIN (times 3)

1. Captain EO!  I don't know who was able to pull together the genius of Michael Jackson, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola with a cameo of Anjelica Huston thrown in the mix...but someone at Disney in the 1980's must have been a smooth talker, because they accomplished just that.  I vaguely remember seeing Captain EO back in the 80's, but it was a real treat to watch it again as an adult. It is completely over the top for a short Disney 3-D experience film...but that's what makes it so great. Think Star Wars meets The Dark Crystal merged with the Michael Jackson Thriller video. Check out the clips below, and you'll see what I'm talking about:



I can pull off the open-jacket-fling, but my moon walk needs a little work...



2. Free candy...that's right I said FREE CANDY! Ok, maybe that's not technically true since there was an entry ticket involved...but Disney has "free" candy for those who come trick-or-treating in the park during "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween" Party.  Some of my favorite costumes were a family dressed up as crayons (I really wish the dad had come as the crayon box...or that the parents had been primary colors, with the kid as a secondary color...), a guy wearing a shirt that said "i'm scarier without the costume"...which is my personal choice of costume, but my favorite was a dad with his little girl...she was a tiny toddler-size cinderella and he was dressed as prince charming...completely adorable as they walked hand in hand through the park.

 3. I was on vacation....duh!

VACATION FAIL

I was put on camera duty by my mom. So I brought two cameras...only to have a complete stranger (kindly attempting to take my photo) point out that I didn't have any memory remaining in my nicer camera. Oh no, the memory card wasn't full...I just didn't have one in the camera period. My "doh!" [hand slap to the forehead] moment of the trip. Which left me with the point-and-shoot. Thought I got a few pretty nice pics despite my limitations. :)

Plus I also committed a major faux pas....at least in the world of all things sci-fi.

I cross-referenced Star Trek and Star Wars unintentionally.  Basically I made the "live long and prosper" sign,  yet said "may the force be with you"..... my bro in turn gave me a look of utter disgust. I don't know what the problem is....like Miley Cyrus would say, it's the best of both worlds!

[a comment I'm sure that will even further disgust my brother....even though he secretly loves Miss Hannah Montana] ;)

I'm back with an attack!

My mom seems like a quiet, unassuming person....which for the most part she is....until you get to know her, and then she's a little cheekier than expected. Kinda like me I guess....must be in the genes.

Anyways....my parents are coming to move all my listen.read.love.repeat. inventory back to my hometown soon, and it made me think of a pretty funny story from the evening prior to my Austin event.

My mom and I left my crew of faithful friends/fam back at the apartment to run an errand. We parked at the HEB, took care of our mission, and started back to the car.  My mom managed to make it inside the car, but as I was walking to the driver's side...things went a little awry.

Looking back on the situation, I would have noted that the couple hurriedly rushing past me trying to shield their baby acted in this manner for a specific reason. Instead I continued on...it wasn't until I opened the driver's side door that I realized I had just walked into in swarm of bees. Not wanting to draw the bees into my car, I started running around the car like a crazy woman. Worst part of this all was that I initially ran straight towards the couple with the baby...serious no-no!  So then I had to retreat and jump in the car as fast as possible. My mom was laughing so hard that she was crying, and the only words she could manage to get out were: " hahahaha....bees....haha.....coming out [gasp] of your....purse!"

[Apparently from her angle, it looked like the multitude of bees apparated out of my purse...and yes I casually just used a Harry Potter reference.]

When we got back to my apartment, she couldn't even make it through the story without cracking up.  My mom had a lot of fun reliving this story for the rest of the weekend...especially since she said that watching the whole scenario was pretty much like watching an old school cartoon.  I can admit now that it was pretty hysterical....especially when I think about the parents of the baby running from me as I ran towards them.
oops.

Notes to take from this:
1. When I encounter creatures from the wild (in this case bees...past experiences give insight into encounters with snakes, possums, armadillos, etc), logic leaves the picture and insanity enters. Catch a video of my response and you may have a viral hit on your hands!
2. My mom has a 'mean girl' sense of humor (ie. she finds my panic-driven-knee-jerk response to "danger" extremely funny)! ;)

blogging hiatus

Hi Friends!

At the moment, my creativity is zapped, my thoughts are completely jumbled and I'm feeling a little emotionally over-exposed....so instead of writing some "filler" posts, I think I'm gonna take a short(ish) blogging hiatus.

I hope to be back in a month or so with a refreshed point of view and interesting stories to relay.

With hugs and awkward dancing,
B

90210: Prime Time

So this year my birthday just happens to fall on "90210" (Sept. 2, 2010), and I reeeeeaaaaallly wanted to have a 90's throw-back party with awesome 90's pop rap music, Fresh Prince-inspired clothing, etc....but since all my energy was funneled into the listen.read.love.repeat. event this past weekend, my super-awesome 90's party will have to wait for another year! Instead I plan to celebrate 29 in a manner that's become somewhat of a tradition in my late twenties...at a place that involves both a "2" and a "9"... :)

However, just for the heck of it...I thought I'd share a few early 90's photos:

Can we just talk about all the awesome hairstyles?  Btw...I'm the little blonde runt third from the left on the front row, casually wearing the wrong color shorts.

Feathered bangs. Enough said.

Just in case you were curious, here are some fun facts about 29 via wikipedia....

• It is the tenth prime number, and also the fourth primorial prime. It is also the sum of three consecutive squares, 2² + 3² + 4². It is an Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part and real part of the form 3n − 1. Since 18! + 1 is a multiple of 29 but 29 is not one more than a multiple 18, 29 is a Pillai prime. 29 is also the 10th supersingular prime. (which I interpret to mean that I'll be in my super single prime...) 
• The atomic number of copper
• The New General Catalogue object NGC 29, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Andromeda
• The lunar month is very close to twenty-nine days.
• Saturn requires over 29 years to orbit the Sun. 
• The number of days February has in leap years.
• The number of letters in the Turkish,^[1] Finnish, Swedish,^[2] Faroese,^[3] and Norwegian^[4] alphabets.
• The highest possible score in a hand of Cribbage.
• An album by Ryan Adams.^[6]
• The track the Chattanooga Choo Choo leaves in the Glenn Miller song.
• The amount of attributes existing according to The Strokes in You Only Live Once.
• The number every woman in the "wrong age" claims to be. According to "The Nanny". (ahem....not so, b/c I really will be 29)
• The number of Knuts in one Sickle in the fictional currency in the Harry Potter novels

A little preparatory reading to consider reading before September 2, 2011 (not really......ok....maaaaybe):
29 & Counting: Chicks Guide to Turning 30
30 Things that Everyone Should Know By 30
Midlife Crisis at 30

brotherly love

My older bro turned 30 this past weekend...to commemorate the Big 3-0, here's the card I gave him:

[My message says: 'For your 30th birthday, I thought I'd offer you the gift of perspective! You're 1/3 of the way there! :)]

While I was looking at all the numbered birthday cards, this card caught my attention as the only appropriate option...especially considering that I gave him a "Happy 30th" card last year only so I could write "oooops....that's right, this year you're hanging on to 29!"

I've set myself up for much ridicule this year (and next)...but it's been worth it!  :)

---------------------------------------

It was also my mom's birthday this past weekend...and I had several conversations with my younger bro (regarding a gift for our mom's birthday) that went something like this...

me:   "Hey...so what's this gift idea that you've got mom?"

TK:  "She said she really wants a new shirt." (obviously satisfied to pass along such vital news)

me:  [crickets]

TK:  "You know...a shirt to go 'out' in..."

me:  [intrigued/confused silence] "...what do you mean by 'out' exactly?"

TK:  "well...like to go to Beaumont (the nearest city to my hometown) and stuff, but not to wear around the house or to church..."

me:  "hmmmm...." [my bro still is oblivious as to how ambiguous this description still is]

[silence]

me:  "soooo, maybe I should just take her shopping...?"

TK:  "yeah, that works too."

three reasons...

why this past Friday rocked:

1. I got a call from the Sustainable Food Center to say that they want listen.read.love.repeat. to be a part of the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market (instead of just occuring in an area near it)...exciting stuff...

2. I got a semi-private office space...after a year of being hidden behind a printer at the end of a hallway! No more awkward convos from people waiting for their documents to print... :)

3. I got to hang out with Meagan's little fella, Hudson! Isn't he a cutie?! I think most of our office was anxiously waiting for his visit.

Life 301: Lessons in Dating

This past Saturday, I got to enjoy a lively dinner with my fam (including people who might as well be family). The large party involved my parents and younger bro...two of my good guy friends...one set of their parents...and some of their siblings. 

My friend's mom commented that as I get close to 30,  that I'm gonna have my pick of these guys.
[when I was a teen, I made "back-up" plans with multiple guy friends (a la Phoebe from Friends)... therefore securing my options early on]

I laughed and joked that it was my all part of my master plan....I've just been waiting for the ball to be completely in my court before I finally settle down.

One of the guys, who tends to occasionally suffer from "foot-in-mouth" syndrome, remarked, "well B, out of everyone I know, you're the ONLY girl over 27 who's still single.......sooo you're looking preeeeetty good right about now!!"  (I sincerely wish you could hear the way my friend said this b/c it was hysterical...while it was a compliment, it sounded like a complete burn.)

[The table (with me included) erupted in laughter.]

Amidst the giggles, I leaned over and told my friend that he has a thing or two to learn about women. Like...

lesson #1: never reference a woman's age
(especially in a way that suggests she's some sort of sideshow freak)

Later in the evening, this same guy friend was wildly gesturing (like he's scarfing down food) at the waitress to indicate that he's waiting for his food to be delivered....I casually dropped this hint:

lesson #2: sometimes talking is necessary....
(a given should be when you're trying to communicate with a waitress)

And as he's waiting for his food to be delivered, he pointed out that my large piece of chicken looked like it had been genetically altered and therefore could result in my gaining an extra toe....hence, my quick (and fairly comedic) follow-up to #2:

lesson #3: but more often than not, silence is golden.

It was at this point I quipped that I wished I could record my friend's comments and play them back to him...and, with a goofy grin, he commented to my parents that he thinks I've told him that before (which I have...many, many times). 

There were several other "lessons" that popped up through the course of the evening...such as watching out for ladies with "crazy eyes" (I was immediately informed that all women have "crazy eyes"), never talking about a woman's weight, checking the crazy/hot scale standing, etc.

My parents were practically in tears from laughing so hard at the whole conversation (I think my dad about lost his tea at least twice)...especially given the timing, quick chatter and funny looks involved in it all. And my other guy friend was making the situation even more humorous by trying to work the other end of the spectrum by saying things like, "B, you know, I've heard that a woman really comes into her own during her 30's...it's when you really grow in your own beauty"....only to be put on the spot (by his mom) as to how a woman in her 50's could be perceived.  Poor guys couldn't catch a break...


My final tip for the evening...

Lesson #??: Don't take dating advice from a single gal (ie. me).
;)

from a mustard seed...

Back in 2008, I wrote a blog about a little gem of an idea. Over time, that idea got pushed aside...brought back up...tweaked and refined...and most of all given a clear cut purpose.

I'm thrilled to say that this August, we'll get to witness the culmination of this project. Right now donations are being gathered for listen.read.love.repeat....but the real goal is for people to come purchase these donations, and (through that purchase) donate to the American Cancer Society.

To stay up-to-date on the latest listen.read.love.repeat. news (including how you can get involved)...check out the website and facebook page!
Website: recycle2love.org
Facebook: facebook.com/listen.read.love.repeat

I'm excited to see how this all plays out...and I'm already plotting for future endeavors... :)

note to myself

I should never ever be allowed to go grocery shopping when I'm legitimately hungry (and craving sweets), because this is what I come home with:

Oreos

Cinnamon Rolls

6pk of Big Red

Brownies topped with Chocolate Chip Butter Fudge Ice Cream

2 bottles of Chocolate Milk (hey, at least I got a 1/2 gallon of real milk too)

No wonder the check-out girl gave me a disapproving look!

float on

Dear Comal,

Yesterday you pushed me down and hit me in the knee (while drawing the tiniest bit of blood), but I think that only made our time together more lively and adventurous. Thanks for hosting my "polygamist family" as we floated along....I'm sure our discussions were highly educational to you.  You and your wily ways....kept trying to separate me from the group, but we had a "no toob left behind" policy [and yes, I really did just spell tube like that....on purpose].  You definitely amused me while I was the DD (designated drifter). Next time, I might throw you off-guard and bring my wine-in-a-juice-box...who knows what fun we'll have then!

B

phone chronicles...

with an anonymous, awesome friend....

my friend was trying to talk me into wearing my hair curly [note: my hair is naturally straight...curls seem to be something beyond my hair's comprehension] for an event this upcoming friday:

me:  "you don't understand...my hair looks awesome for maybe the first hour, but then everything goes awry"


aaf:  "seriously....I'm sure it's not that bad!"


me:  "I'll send you a photo to prove it!"


aaf:  "[long pause].......[snort]...HAHAHAHA.....Ok, maybe it IS that bad!!"


me:  "hahahaha....I told you so! so I think straight hair is the way to go..."


aaf:  "[still laughing] agreed!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------


minutes later, on the subject of guy prospects:


aaf:  "well...I give all your damn bastards the benefit of the doubt."

me:  "hahahahaha....yes, you do...and I'm gonna quote you on that. Plus I think you could add that along with awesome friend and extremely honest (especially in regards to my hair) to your personal resume."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

several minutes after that:

aaf:  "[giggling]....sorry...still laughing about your hair"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

**originally forgot to include this section...
even later in the convo (in the midst of another topic):

aaf: "seriously, what friends were you with that didn't inform you that your hair had transformed into a hot mess??...b/c you really shouldn't be friends with them anymore. [still snickering]"

me: "[chuckling] actually I'm supposed to be a bridesmaid in one of their weddings..."

[laughter interlude]

aaf: "you should rethink that."

warning: this may end up in a sitcom

As I was waiting in the Austin airport to board my delayed flight to Long Beach, Carla called to chat with me about my transportation to Laguna. Carla had originally planned to pick me up, but then she found out that me and one of Jason's friends were actually coming in on the same flight...and this guy apparently had his friend [Jason's friend's friend....ummm, yes this gets confusing] picking him up on the way to Laguna...so she asked if I would be ok hitching a ride with them [Jason's friend {who we'll call Dude One} & Jason's friend's friend {who we'll call Dude Two}]...and since I'm a fan of adventure I (of course) agreed.

First, I have to find Dude One...who Carla had described as "a really tall guy who looks like he should be in Weezer"....note to all: most guys flying from Austin to Long Beach seem to fit this description. Just when I was about to call Carla back and tell her that finding this guy was like picking out Waldo in a scene where everyone's dressed like Waldo.....a guy walks up to me and says, "umm hey...I think you're Brooke"....ummm, yes that would be me. My introduction to Dude One. [One of my friends was like, "he prob was told to look for a petite, quirky Nancy Drew look-a-like with her iPod on and a book in-hand"]

While Dude One definitely had some Weezer-esque qualities (with the Buddy Holly glasses and tattoos)....he totally looked like Phil Dunphy from Modern Family! I'm a huge fan of that show...so the fact that Dude One not only looked like Phil, but the fact that he talked like him too was a genuine novelty to me.

Finally we made it to Long Beach, and got picked up by Dude Two....who just happened to resemble Mitchell & drive a Prius....needless to say, I had to restrain myself from giggling throughout the 45-minute car ride. Especially since I was wedged between car seats in the back seat.

When I shared this experience with my office mates (who also happen to be fans of the show)...they extrapolated that I was riding with the true inspirations for the characters...and therefore could end up in an upcoming episode as random girl #2 who Mitch and Phil "accidentally" pick up at the airport on their way to a wedding.  

ps - click here to see some professional pics from Carla's wedding!

california dreamin'

Guess all the dream talk during my vacation inspired a San Fran-related dream...which went something like this:

Krystal was in the process of purchasing an enormous house in San Fran. Being the generous person that she is, she invited me and several others to live in the place...(apparently my brother and his wife were looking at moving in as well...among numerous others...so I guess it the house was going to be a commune of sorts). Thankfully the place was ENORMOUS...to give you a better idea, the back wing had a movie theater in it.

However, there was a hitch as Krystal tried to sign the closing papers. Jon Voight, Jennifer Aniston & Angelina Jolie showed up to protest her purchase (apparently they wanted the place as well...enough that they were willing to work through their personal issues)...and in an insanely short amount of time the housing dispute went from being somewhat civil to an intense full-blown war (with actual guns, knives, etc). Krystal (somewhere amidst the breakdown in decorum) took on the appearance of Courtney Cox in a black, full-body super-spy outfit...and I magically changed into cocktail dress with a bullet proof vest hidden beneath it (b/c that's how I roll...at least in my head!).

Krystal/Courtney and I ran down the road to find cover from the bullet tirade...and as we were looking for cover, we unearthed (yes, it was underground...and no, I don't know why) a Toyota FJ that apparently was bulletproof...however in the process of getting in the car...Jon, Angelina & Jennifer drove by and shot at us again...this time Krystal/Courtney got hit directly in the chest. Fortunately she was saved by her cleverly disguised bullet proof vest.

Once Krystal/Courtney & I got back to the house, we immediately headed to the theater for a cocktail party (which explains my dress...at least to some extent). I also noted at this point that Krystal/Courtney's face was falling off (so I guess she was wearing a disguise to look like Courtney Cox...perhaps to confuse Jennifer Aniston??). Of course, Jen, Jon & Angelina were hot on our trail. But as they approached...I loudly exclaimed, "Oh my gosh...is that Angelina Jolie with Jennifer Aniston?!" and they were instantly swarmed by celebrity-seeking party guests. This quick and utterly ridiculous diversion allowed Krystal and I to escape....and ultimately live for another day.  :)

surreality: my subconscious at work, part II

Recently, Paste Magazine posted a list of the 20 Creepiest Kids' Movies of All Time ...and as I was reading through the list, I remembered that I had an extremely strange dream a few months ago that combined two of the films from this article.

Here's the basics of this Jim Henson/Return to Oz trip-fest....
1. I looked like Kira (and, I don't mean in a real, human way...I mean I was Kira the muppet)
2. My guy friend [*Dude] looked like Jen (again I mean, the muppet)
3. I've never actually seen Dark Crystal...so it is beyond me as to why I dreamed about these characters.

Me and *Dude were in the abandoned futuristic city of Dallas, frantically being chased by Wheelers (these Return to Oz baddies thoroughly creeped me out as a kid). We finally decided to take refuge in an airstream trailer...which proved to be a wise choice, since the Wheelers couldn't open the door with their wheel-hands. [Initially I thought it was a good dream ending, but then again how long can you survive in an airstream trailer??...I guess, forever if you're a muppet..?]

During my San Fran trip, I divulged this hilariously quirky dream to Krystal & Cherie...Krystal kept trying to figure out a way to make the dream fit in 140 characters or less, so it could be described in a twitter post. Since that didn't work out...I figured a blog would have to do!

*Guy friend who will not be named :)

samurai diva

Today I received a "Save the Date" postcard for my friends' (Jenny & Daniel) wedding, which I'm thrilled to be a part of this upcoming winter. The card listed their wedding website which I decided to investigate...especially after a few rumors I'd heard about it. I was thoroughly excited to see that they selected a 'Disney Princess Personality' to describe each bridesmaid (sooo Jenny!!).  Mine reads as follows:

Disney “Princess” Personality: Mulan from Mulan-Brooke has ninja skills. Brooke is a beautiful woman inside and out. She would do just about anything to save the honor of her friends and family. Although, we’re not sure how cool she would be with dressing up like a dude.  

The reason this is soooo perfectly awesome is that the first time I met Daniel I jokingly (with a slightly serious edge) told him that if he ever hurt Jenny I would bust out my ninja moves on him! Glad to see that my talents have been accurately recognized... ;)

July Independence

Today I was hit with a heavy swirl of emotions, mainly because I realized today is July 1st. I think so much of this sentimental uprising is based on the events of last July. Last year, the first full week of July in particular became my personal hell week. I was initially thrilled about July 1st, 2009 which marked my Granny & Papa Brooks' 60th wedding anniversary. However, that celebration was short lived, because on July 2nd they lost their youngest son (my Uncle Zack).

An already fractured environment seemed to completely unravel after that day...after a progressively tough year of loss (whether from illness that took friends and loved ones, or natural disasters that destroyed lifelong homes) countered by momentary highs (my brother's wedding, my parents' 30th anniversary, etc),  it's like things just began to fall apart at a scary pace. Within a week of my uncle's death, my Granny Brooks went into ICU...my Papa Sheppard had a hospital encounter...and I was taken to emergency room on the verge of a stroke. Those who weren't in the hospital were stretched beyond their limit trying to care for the rest of us. When I went to the ER, I actually begged my friends not to contact my family just because I didn't want my parents answering another late-night call bearing bad news (of course my request was taken into account and [without my knowledge] dismissed ...so I thankfully had my parents by my side).

Needless to say, I've avoided thinking about this all for a long time (almost a year to be exact)...but with the realization that today is my grandparents' 61st wedding anniversary, the memories hit full force.  It's all bittersweet...which encapsulates life in a nutshell. There are so many things to celebrate/commemorate over this next week...a rare marriage well lived; the independence of our country & the sacrifices of those who fight on our behalf; my sister-in-law's birthday; the beauty and grace of friends, family and faith; tears wept over loved ones;  growth from difficult times; our homes, whether it's a brand new place or a home lived in for 30+ years; fried fish (if you have tasted my Papa's fried fish, you'd celebrate it too).

Even though last July was excruciatingly rough, it caused me to look at my conditions through a different filter. Within the past year, I've lived with a greater sense of purpose...and with this refined resolve I've taken on fresh challenges, made new friends, traveled coast to coast (and beyond), learned more about grace, repaired a few old friendships,  fought for causes I believe in, etc....and I can only hope that I continue to embrace the curve balls of life and live with peace that defies circumstances.

Bit by bit, I'm learning to just let go...

when the lights go down in the city, i'll be sitting on the dock of the bay wearing flowers in my hair

[please excuse the ridiculously long title...I'm just a music geek...]

WEDNESDAY:

*Arrive in San Fran!

*San Fran - dinner at Home with Cherie, Krystal, Meg & Kim;  traveled to Meg's to pick up an air mattress (our saving grace considering the room only had two twin beds)

*Chancellor Hotel - the night of mini-disasters: 

1. the realization that my small digital camera was missing (luckily recovered by the Glen Ivey Spa staff!)

2. Krystal's almost-lost prescription meds ("did it go down there?"...we all took turns looking 6 stories down from the bathroom window into the back alley...fortunately the meds were safely in the bathroom) 

3. the first broken drinking glass...which led to our introduction with Mehari (the adorable, elderly bell hop/custodian/etc) who, with intelligent insight/foreshadowing, offered us two glasses to replace the one lost

THURSDAY:

*Sausalito - breakfast at Cibo; pictures on the pier; the cutest bus stop ever; the almost breakfast at the Lighthouse Cafe

*Santa Rosa - caught up with a friend at Kendall Jackson Winery & checked out the garden tour

*Healdsburg - Oakville Grocery for lunch; explored Bella Wine Caves (they had hula hoops!)

*San Fran - 1st stop at the Golden Gate Bridge; recommendations from Matt (the awkwardly endearing concierge) and his "i'm not insinuating anything, but...." comment; dinner at Cafe Claude w/cute, lonely boy (who we almost invited to join our table)

FRIDAY:

*Hotel - 2nd broken drinking glass (I think little giggles escaped when we heard the glass break...like "really, did that just happen again?....someone call Mehari")

*Muir Woods - the "hiking" experience, which can't be too legit since there was a guy in a suit there

*San Fran - 2nd stop at the Golden Gate Bridge; lunch at Cioppino w/our cute waiter/hockey player; Fisherman's Wharf; breakdancing dudes; Pier 39; saw Alcatraz from a distance; the quest to find Chronicle books (where I bought this hilarious little book); shopped at the Blue Jean Bar with "Dustin Bobby" (the Justin Bobby look-a-like) and his dog Penny/Penelope; got poor bus instructions from "Dustin Bobby" ("yeah, just go right outside there and hop on the bus" ...no bus number, no sign w/schedules, etc...we should've known better!) and ended up on the other side of town; walked back to the hotel to avoid any further unwanted detours;  shopped/explored Union Square; laid-back dinner at Chipotle; hung out at Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's and listened to a lot of songs by Lady Gaga & Queen 

SATURDAY:

*Hotel - Krystal departed at 4:30am

*San Fran - Cherie ventured out to the ferry market while I headed out to look at art in Union Square; I walked the air mattress to Meg's office to meet up with Cherie; quick breakfast at Posh Bagels before we loaded up for the airport; farewell to the nice guys in the parking garage (these older gents called me "nice lady" and knew me by name during our stay)

*SFO Airport - watched USA and Ghana battle it out surrounded by numerous others in the airport

*Austin - made it to my lovely apartment sometime around midnight  :)

+Click here for Additional Photos

++If you're interested, you can listen to my 'CALIFORNIA: by plane, train & automobile' playlist below:

from the East to the West...cont.

The interesting DJ from Damona's wedding thought we were fun enough to put on his site...just scroll to the bottom of his site to check out his pics:
DJ Pics


From Carla's wedding, Holly & I took some "single lady" pics in the photo booth that I completely forgot about...plus you can click through the other pics to see all the photo booth fun:
Photo Booth Pics

from the East to the West...

Two of my really good friends got married...the weddings were two weeks apart, and on separate coasts. It's only fitting that they got married so close together, considering that both of these ladies got engaged within hours of each other (on the day before Valentine's Day). Even more fitting that Damona (Hi-C) got married only days before her "Da-mini", Carla. [Note to Holls: If we continue on the current trend, you're next!]

Trying to recapture these past few weeks in a blog just doesn't seem possible. I don't feel like I have the vocabulary to accurately portray my accounts or express my thoughts...and the photos seem to pale in comparison to the actual events...but here's what I can share:

 EAST COAST
 

East Coast photos: 

East Coast (Damona + Rob)

Notes from Amish-land:

1.  Carla & I got lost driving from the wedding to the reception, but we got beautiful countryside photos from our side excursion.

2.  Stuttgart = Single Ladies (at least, for our table that was the case!)

3.  Holly has a twin! not really, but her & another bridesmaid looked like they could be sisters

4.  Rob hearts Damona, and vice versa

5.  I heart cupcakes :)

WEST COAST

West Coast pics: 

West Coast (Carla + Jason)

Notes from celebrity-wanna-be land:

1.  We found the cutest Subway ever!

2.  There were elk and rams and bears....oh, my! (?)

3.  Awesome signature drink (tequila + cherry limeade)

4.  Jason hearts Carla, and vice versa

5.  I heart steaks, jazz & champagne! :)

ps - if you're confused by my notes, the photos offer more insight!

surreality: my subconscious at work

This past year for SXSW, Jen and I happened to wander into the ReadyMade Rocks Party seeking warmth and fun crafts. Fortunately the party offered a sanctuary from the shocking outdoor chill, and the event (to our pleasant surprise) introduced us to a band that quickly won us over....which made up for the lack in actual crafts.

Something about the cozy haven of the Beauty Bar Annex at Palm Door, combined with the mellow tunes of Everest, really struck a cord with me. When Everest started singing "Rebels in the Roses," I couldn't help but glance around and notice how hypnotic the entire scene was:  the people in their coats and scarves casually scattered around the room, all moving in rhythm with the music...and there was just something about the setting (the white board walls, exposed beam ceilings, light-infused windows and wood floors) in conjunction with the song that made it all hauntingly beautiful.

Obviously, the song made an impression on me...so much so, that it has managed to infiltrate my subconscious thoughts...

I recently had a dream that was pretty much all about this song. In the dream, I was walking through a suburban neighborhood...it was a beautiful sun-drenched day soaked in sepia tones...there were people walking their dogs down the street, various bicyclists cruising along, guys outside tinkering with their cars, families doing yard work, kids playing in sprinklers, etc...

BUT everyone in the dream (regardless of what they were doing) was either singing or humming the song "Rebels in the Roses"....and it was even more eerie considering that there was no background music...it was all acapella (and on-pitch).   I was walking down the street in a trance-like state...completely confused by the entire situation. I distinctly remember internally questioning how everyone knew the song, and why everyone seemed to be singing it at this exact moment. However I was in awe that everyone was singing in unison, and equally excited that they did know the song. Just as I started to ration out (still in my dream) that I merely had to be daydreaming (since I seemed so removed and alienated from the spontaneous performance), a little boy came running by me and he looked directly me at me as he sang the line,  "Can you come out, I'm outside, can you hurry?"

The dream ended with everyone stopping their activities and turning to me as they hummed the last few bars of the song. When I woke up, I had to convince myself that it hadn't really happened...

ps - Just in case you're curious about the song, I posted a video of it below...but I truly don't feel like it does the song justice. Of course, many times, things are much cooler in my head than they actually are in real life....and I'm ok with that. :)

grace, for giving

So, it's funny that as I'm reading this book (Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott), I haven't been expecting much. But as I keep trucking along, various statements are striking through me like lightning bolts.

These reflections from a chapter on forgiveness hit me like cold water in the face...

In fact, not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.

The clipping said that forgiveness meant that God is for giving,  and that we are for giving too, and that to withhold love or blessings is to be completely delusional.

Man...the imagery of the rat poison comment alone was enough to stop me in my tracks. I mean, I've been that person...expecting someone else to suffer because of anger/resentment/hurt I've held on to...only to realize that it's only me who's suffering from my own bitterness. Which made me even more thankful for the reminder of grace...

[Grace is] unearned love - love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's help you receive when you have no bright ideas left, when you are empty and desperate and have discovered that your best thinking and most charming charm have failed you.

It's not a long book....in fact, I've devoured much lengthier reads than this in much less time...but this is one I'm having to take a little slower (mainly because it keeps taking swipes at my precarious walls). Honestly I do have some issues with the book, but there are occasional redeeming kernels of truth that make me stop, think and pray....and those moments just break me a little more (in a good way).

On a sidenote...let me just say: I love God's timing...seriously, He's got great timing. I say that because a couple of friends recommended this book to me several years ago...and it wasn't until two years ago that I actually purchased a copy. I obviously put off reading it until now...but this is when I needed to hear these messages the most.

the illusionist

I'm currently reading "Traveling Mercies" by Anne Lamott, and I just read a couple of sentences that really made me stop, think and re-read. She wrote:

A fixation can keep you nicely defined and give you the illusion that your life has not fallen apart. But since your life may indeed have fallen apart, the illusion won't hold up forever, and if you are lucky and brave, you will be willing to bear disillusion. 

Ugh....how true this is...and hard to live out (to bear disillusion)! I know that when I've been faced with difficult circumstances, I've shifted my focus to something that is more "manageable"....which is ironic considering the notion that I'm actually in control of any situation is a mere illusion in itself.

Oh, that I may be lucky and brave!

gnomadic adventures

Couldn't resist showing off the finished products!

Plus I have all these ceramic references that I'm just dying to throw out there....like:

Claying with fire!
Kilning me softly...
Don't glaze me bro!

Needless to say...I'm ready for another night of wine and pottery painting!

wise cracks

Thought I would share some of my favorite fortune cookie messages from the past several months:

A new business adventure is on the horizon.

Considering Courtney and I have talked about creating our own fortune cookie empire called "Wise Cracks" featuring witty/sarcastic predictions, this is definitely a possibility (now if only we had a few ridiculously wealthy investors with the right sense of humor). However, I think there's another project that is slightly closer to fruition... :)

You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do.
Seriously, a motto I try to live by.

Originality overcomes everything.
Not so sure about this one...BUT originality does make up for a multitude of flaws.

Be careful! Bees with honey in their mouths have stings in their tails.
Haha...well, I do warn people that I'm pretty fiesty beneath my sweetly unassuming exterior.

You discover treasures where others see nothing unusual.
Perhaps in finding a new purpose for used books, cds and dvds...??

Someone you care about seeks reconciliation.
The timing of this one was just oddly appropriate.

pure grapeness

While discovering the joy in painting ceramics, I also stumbled across the novelty of wine in a juicebox!

Don't knock it till you try it...there are several reason the wine-juicebox marriage is wonderful, like:

 

1. It is cost effective/efficient for a single gal...$9 for a pack of 4.

2. The juicebox contains a larger portion than what comes in the miniature bottles.

3. I can take a wine-juicebox while I float the river!

Apparently I'm slightly behind the curve on this...but better late than never!

sxsw 2010: the recap

bands we saw:

terror pigeon something something revolt (interesting, but not worth remembering)

sleepy sun+

frightened rabbit+

everest+ (they played at the Palm Door Beauty Bar location...great place & enjoyable music)

sondre lerche+

oh no ono+

the very best+ (I loved that they had back-up dancers...the very best back-up dancers)

man miracle

the walkmen

she & him

the antlers

the temper trap

dawes+

delta spirit+ (super fun crowd at Lustre Pearl)

broken bells

the soft pack+ (a favorite mainly b/c of the venue)

body language

+denotes favorites

performances that will have to wait for another day:

1. bone thugs n harmony (praaaaaaay...and we pray and we pray and we pray and we pray....everyday everyday everyday everyday)

2. major lazer  (if it hadn't been freezing...we would have stuck around for his set)

3. jukebox the ghost (a fun band that I'm determined to see....eventually)

4. snooooooooop dogg (although I'm honestly not disappointed that I missed the perez hilton party...I'm not a fan of super long lines...but I am a fan of snoop dogg)

I've seen this band before but would have LOVED to see this performance...I mean, seriously band of horses rocking out in a church...just doesn't get any better

sxsw sneak peek

from the bands I know, here are some of my sxsw picks for 2010:

sleepy sun
frightened rabbit
major lazer
jukebox the ghost
dawes
anya marina





catch their shows at these parties:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/sxsw10

http://www.lustrepearlaustin.com/

http://www.banyanbranch.com/sxsw/

http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/rsvp/sxsw/

http://thebayareatakeover.com/wp/

http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/03/12/update-cos-sled-island-sxsw-venue-change-set-times-announced/

http://sxsw.com/music/shows/auditorium_shores

ps - port o'brien is not actually playing sxsw this year...but they were a favorite of mine from last year, so I included them on the mix anyway. :)

road revelations...

On my solitary road treks to and from Austin, I seem to have several [minor] epiphanies that would not take place otherwise...most of them are inspired by my playlist [simply that hearing something leads me down a rabbit hole of thoughts]. My mental notes from this trip were as follows:

1. My mixed cd's should come with an 'explicit content' warning [or at least a heads up of 'don't listen to this in the presence your parents and/or children']. I could arbitrarily blame this on my love for rap, but I think that would be a lie [ie. track 5]. It also made me think about my workout mix, which features a certain Buckcherry song that is completely inappropriate...YET my favorite song to get me through a workout...and still I blush at the mere thought that anyone might possibly overhear this particular song blaring loudly out my iPod [considering that I do crank it up quite a bit as I pump through my time on the elliptical]. I guess sketchy music is my vice.

2. I've finally made peace with Regina Spektor. For the past several years I've avoided her music, because it brought up bad memories and just made me angry in general [especially when I started thinking about how an artist I liked got hijacked by circumstances]. I included one song of hers on this mix to specifically test if I could make it through without angry feelings brewing...and I found that it didn't make me want to break things...which I count as a success.

3. Watching the video for 'Kids' by MGMT may have permanently scarred me....enough to where I almost shouldn't listen to the song [which would be tragic since I really like the song...which is why I emphasized almost]. I even had strange dreams that I feel were inspired by the video. In one trippy dream, I was living with two other girls and a guy...but the guy was some sort of a mutant, because he could transform into a snake. Once I found this out, I no longer wanted to live with the guy [which I thought was justified...considering he = epitome of my worst nightmare]...but one of the girls insisted that we would be okay. She explained that when she was younger, she knew a boy who could change into an alligator [cut to grainy footage of kids in playpen, little boy pops out then jumps back in the pen as an alligator...catches little girl in a headlock using his massive jaw]. Creeeeeeeepy.

4. Maybe I misjudged Patty Griffin's 'Flaming Red' album. I used to think she tried to change her sound/image too much with this cd in particular...but I'm slowly coming around to various tracks...especially "One Big Love"...

5. I recently saw "Whip It"...which influenced me in my Tilly and the Wall selection. LOVED that movie...not surprising since it was filmed in Austin, features the sarcasm of Ellen Page and has a great soundtrack. Definitely made me want to be a roller-derby girl...for like a day [because, let's face it, one day would be enough to hospitalize me]. But seriously, it hits a nerve with another wish of mine...I reaaaaaallly wish I could tackle someone [like football-style tackle, not jokey-fun tackle]. BUT not with the force of my tiny-little-lady self...but with the power of someone like Ndamukong Suh [with the appearance of my little-lady self]. I think it would be awesome to do that just once!.....or twice....

6. Dang Miley Cyrus song...makes me all teary-eyed every time! [I directly associate it with the movie preview for "The Last Song"...and since I read the book already, it makes me get all emotional].

7. With the combination of realizations #1, #2, #3 and #5, you might think that I'm a slightly disturbed person....but I promise I'm not! Jamie Foxx may blame it on the [ah-ah ah-ah ah] alcohol, but I blame it on my song selections.

'ghost of good' mix:
1. Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas
2. One Big Love - Patty Griffin
3. On Top - The Killers
4. Graces Amazing Hands - Dave Barnes
5. Keep Yourself Warm - Frightened Rabbit
6. Pot Kettle Black - Tilly and the Wall
7. Blame It (feat. T-Pain) - Jamie Foxx
8. When I Look At You - Miley Cyrus
9. Just One Look - Doris Troy
10. Love Me Through - Port O'Brien
11. That Time - Regina Spektor
12. Kids - MGMT
13. Today Was a Fairytale - Taylor Swift
14. Got 2 Have U - Color Me Badd
15. Tightrope (feat. Big Boi) - Janelle Monáe
16. WTF? - OK Go
17. On to the Next One (feat. Swizz Beatz) - Jay-Z
18. Wish You Were Here - Incubus
19. Roll Over Beethoven - The Beatles

As for right now, 'i guess i'm taking my chances...'