Here Comes the Sun

confession

2011-09-27T22:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I learned that spending a late evening working on a database and my contemporary folk pandora station do not mix well....

My solution?

The creation of my *NSync pandora station....!

I went from snooze-fest to sing-a-long party within the span of a minute!!

Currently jamming to a Backstreet Boys tune.....I feel like I'm a senior in high school all over agin.
Flirty 30, ftw :)

meet me in st. louis

2011-06-14T11:34:00.005-05:00

or more aptly titled...
Lessons Learned: St. Louis edition

If you're picking friends up at the airport....whatever you do....DO NOT accidentally use the bus lane.....it results in lots of yelling and honking.
Drury Inn offers free appetizers and three free drinks for guests during Happy Hour...a big time win for anyone on a budget.
The Big Bang Piano Bar attracts bachelorette/bachelor parties like you wouldn't believe. I think we counted around 8-10 bachelorette parties alone....pure insanity!
You DO NOT get complimentary bread if you order an appetizer at The Spaghetti Factory (even though all meals are advertised to come with bread, soup/salad, etc)...unless you ask the waiter, then he'll bring you three loaves just to be snarky.
To have a delicious breakfast/brunch/lunch, just visit Roosters for a yummy crepe.
The older I get (ahem, which is still on the younger side of the line), the less travel-friendly I become.
The free Anheuser-Busch tour is totally worth the time...which is saying a lot since I don't drink beer. For you beer lovers, they give two free nice-sized samples.
If you're in the mood for a movie....I suggest checking out Chase Park Plaza, which is actually housed in a hotel....the theater even has a man playing an organ to entertain the crowd prior to the previews!
On the movie subject.... "Midnight in Paris" is a very endearing movie...it harkens back to older Woody Allen films. Definitely a charming film for those who love Paris and have a nostalgic disposition.
Oh, and don't start watching "Reservation Road" when you're getting ready to go out....it's a serious downer.
I feel like all the fleur-de-lis around town made more sense after I made the obvious connection that St. Louis was named after the canonised king of France.
St. Louis is actually home to a cathedral housing the largest mosaic installation in the world.
Holly = Patron Saint of Hospitality (at least to Carla, Damona and me!) ....after some research in relation to one of our many convos, I learned that St. Louis is the Patron Saint of many areas (including, but not limited to):

*button makers
*difficult marriages (really??)
*distillers (this could be why it's the home to Anheuser-Busch!)
*grooms
*tertiaries (which I'm choosing to believe that this relates to the definition pertaining to birds)

I think I relate to Saint Catherine of Alexandria much more....I mean, she is the patron saint of old maids, spinsters and secretaries. ;)

As you can probably guesstimate, the trip was great....it even included a cruise through downtown with the windows rolled down/sunroof open just so we could blare "Just a Dream"(even though "Country Grammar" would have been my first choice) ....such a great way to commemorate being in Nelly's hometown!

I only wish I would've watched "Meet Me in St. Louis" before the trip!

random mondegreen moment of today:

^{singing the lyrics to Ke$ha's Tik Tok as.....}

^{The party don't stop til I walk in}

yeeeesh...I certainly don't want a party to end just because I show up....that's probably why the actual lyrics contain the word start.....

buzz worthy

2011-06-06T17:39:00.000-05:00

My friend, Jen, sent me this photo a few days ago....which we both found pretty humorous....

You can read this previous post to understand why!

Makes me think someone at Louis Vuitton might be reading my blog..... ;)

flightless bird

2011-06-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

The realization has set in that my passport has officially expired...and it makes me slightly anxious. I've always liked the idea of being able to leave the country at a moment's notice (not that I act on such opportunities...often)...but alas, I cannot run away to Europe (or even Canada) today...

the Vonnegut connection

2011-05-18T13:38:00.001-05:00

I really like random coincidences, even when there is no real or personal effect on me....like last night:

I'm currently reading Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (it's the latest book club pick), and I had gone to a coffee shop after work to read some before catching a movie with some friends (hence, the author was freshly on my mind).

The movie happened to be Can't Hardly Wait (honestly probably my favorite teen film) which was being shown for Girlie Movie night at the Alamo Drafthouse....and I completely forgot that at the end of movie the main actor (the endearing Ethan Embry) is leaving (or, at least, trying to) for a workshop with Kurt Vonnegut.

Made me feel cool....until I realized I was essentially 15 years behind the times. :)

ps - now that summer is upon us, maybe i'll have some time to blog!

hello sugar

2011-02-23T20:17:00.000-06:00

A clear sign that I'm sleep-deprived....stuff like this ends up packed in my bag for work:

I truly hope to avoid showing up to the office in my sweatpants...but that is the next step in the lack of sleep progession. If I get to that point, I would highly suggest greeting me with caffeine! ;)

notes from another monday (not) morning...

2011-02-21T23:20:00.003-06:00

just a few of the errant thoughts that crossed my mind today...

1. Why don't people take fasts from work like they do from food, tv, etc? About two seconds later, it hit me that a fast of that sort would probably equal unemployment. Shut down that rabbit hole pretttttty fast.

2. Why is Donatello the only Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle that I can never remember the name of? More importantly, why do I care??

sidenote: Want to know the name that comes to mind instead of Donatello (literally every time)? Versace. Seriously, he should be the 5th turtle.

3. Is it possible to be on a highlighter high? If so, I think I'm on one.

4. Could I reaaalllllly identify pajama jeans if I randomly came across someone wearing them?

notes from monday morning

2011-02-07T09:54:00.005-06:00

1. My caffeine addiction is to the point where I am willing to trade a $5 bill for three $1 bills without question just so I can buy a soda from the vending machine.

2. My office mate related me to an episode of "An Idiot Abroad"...the correlation would probably offend most other people, but I find it humorous...
BUNNY HUG! (that's all I really have to say about that...)

3. The office interns think I am 24 years old....and I'm gonna let them keep thinking that.

4. I literally just received a work email that consisted of three words...in quotes. Not really sure how to respond.

:)

2011: eat. pray. love.

2011-01-04T11:22:00.002-06:00

Soooo each year...it's kinda become an expectation for me to choose a theme for the year...a mantra of sorts. I guess in a way it's the same as making a list of resolutions...but I mainly see it as a mental mind-set for the year. Recent years have been associated with personal slogans such as:

Great in '08 - to be a better friend, daughter, sister, etc...to set realistic goals for myself...to challenge myself in new ways, etc

Redefine in '09 - to not be confined to previous expectations

2010, Live Your Life - to live my life without getting bogged down in ridiculous things or becoming worried about everything to come

Most years it's been fairly easy for me to come up with a theme...because I've had a good idea of what I wanted out of the upcoming year based on the year prior. However, this time around it was a little difficult to come up with what I wanted this year's focus to be....I think I was a little jumbled, because I felt drawn to several concepts that seemed unrelated. It even became a running joke New Year's Eve night among my friends. Since last year's theme was based on a song...they kept suggesting mantras such as "Party Like a Rockstar," "Bottoms Up" and "All I Do is Win." The funny thing is that I seriously almost chose "Dog Days are Over" as my theme...mainly for these lyrics:

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father

Run for your children, all your sisters and brothers

Leave all your love and your longing behind.

You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

I don't know the actual intent...but I interpret the lyrics to mean seek out those who genuinely care for you, give all the love you have because it doesn't do any good to withhold it and stop focusing on things that you can't change.

That being said...I decided to go a different, semi-related route and select 'eat, pray, love.'

Now let me just say that I honestly don't like the inherent association with the movie or book...because I don't personally advocate the message of either. Nothing about my 2011 mantra is about running away from problems or leaving friends/loved ones behind to escape the reality of my circumstances just to focus all my efforts on myself. I do, however, like the actual words. They're simple and straightforward in their message, yet incredibly powerful. My resolve is about embracing a full life that is healthy on multiple levels....deepening my faith and further developing my knowledge of Christ....loving my family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers in a way that exhibits the love of my Savior.

Eat. Pray. Love.
2011, let the journey continue.... :)

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

2010-11-28T23:20:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-14T12:07:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-10-26T22:17:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-10-15T23:12:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-08T08:42:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-31T21:32:00.004-05:00

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 $3 n - 1$ . 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

2010-08-17T08:01:00.001-05:00

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...

2010-08-08T21:33:00.001-05:00

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

2010-07-25T11:30:00.003-05:00

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...

2010-07-23T11:53:00.001-05:00

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

2010-07-21T18:38:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-18T10:33:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-07-13T23:20:00.004-05:00

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

2010-07-07T11:57:00.002-05:00

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'

2010-07-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-02T15:03:00.001-05:00

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

2010-07-01T20:38:00.002-05:00

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

2010-07-01T00:13:00.004-05:00

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

2010-06-30T17:44:00.002-05:00

[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.

2010-06-29T23:24:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-06-28T22:58:00.007-05:00

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

2010-05-20T22:37:00.004-05:00

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

2010-05-03T20:38:00.002-05:00

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

2010-05-01T21:24:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-01T19:15:00.002-05:00

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

2010-04-28T20:00:00.002-05:00

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

2010-04-12T14:59:00.003-05:00

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

2010-03-26T13:32:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-15T13:41:00.007-05:00

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...

2010-03-01T11:11:00.013-06:00

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...'

my love/hate relationship with the open road

2010-02-27T21:33:00.006-06:00

I'm either extremely lucky on the roads...or very unlucky...depending on how you chose to view it (I choose lucky). My road encounters are notorious...but by the grace of God alone, I've been very fortunate to avoid any major catastrophe. A few examples...

Case #1:

I'm driving from Austin to Buna on a narrow back-woods road [lined by a wall of pine trees on each side] in torrential rain/wind, trapped behind a truck carrying chickens while desperately trying to avoid a tornado that was in the area. Thought I was going to die in a swirl of feathers and pine needles, yet somehow I escaped the wrath of the tornado [but not the feather/pine needle mix].

Case #2:

As I'm driving from Austin to Dallas [a drive that has caused me much torment over the years], a piece of sheet metal blew out of a guy's truck, flew underneath my car and sliced a tire open. Seriously thankful that the sheet metal went under my car and not through the windshield instead.

Numerous other incidents could be listed including the time I lost power steering [in a van on I-35....not good], or the time I lost the ability to accelerate [on I-10 in Houston...also not good], or the time a muffler fell off the car in front of me and hit my car, etc...but you get the point.

My most recent 'incident' occurred during my drive home for this weekend...which I personally think takes the cake...

I literally drove through hell*...not the fire-and-brimstone type, but the icy-pellet-downpour-that-might-break-your-windshield version...AND [as if the fear of having my windshield broken by these large, angry ice marbles wasn't enough] I'm 99.3% sure that I [ie. my car] got struck by lightening!

Just as I was beginning to see relief from the damaging hail, I heard a loud pop on the roof of my car quickly followed by an extremely bright flash of light in the rear section of my car [I also noted that most cars chose to put fair amount of distance between themselves and me after the fact...I can't blame them, I would be wary of any driver that got zapped as well]. I think that my immediate thought was something along the lines of "Ok God, [you've got my attention] I'm listening." My dad claims that he even found a mark on the top of my car to substantiate my claims....but my brother remains slightly skeptical. I seriously wish I had eye-witness accounts, because I would love to know what the people in the cars around me saw.

I could easily see these circumstance as a "target on my back" issue...but instead I think that I've got an awesome shield around me. Kinda makes me feel stealth. :)

*hail

say anything

2010-02-16T10:36:00.003-06:00

here are some quotable gems I've been saving up:
[af = anonymous friend]

af #1: "you know that song....something about lucy..."
me: " you mean...'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'...?"

(context: trying to casually to break the ice with a group of guys to pass off a phone number on a dare)

af #2: "hey...are you guys from Michigan?" (note: when she asked this, the anticipated response was 'no'....so she could quickly brush off the ice-breaker and pass off the number.)
boy group: Yeah! We're actually all from Ann Arbor!

af #2: "Girls....they really ARE from Michigan!?" (said with a "you've got to be kidding!" look)

af #1: "I like that Dave Barnes song, and surprisingly I don't really have diminishing returns for it"
me: "did you actually just say that you don't have diminishing returns for a song you like?"
af #1: "are you gonna put this on your blog?"
me: "yes...I think I just might"

af #3: "you kill it, you keep it!"
(an interesting dating perspective)

af #4: "patty griffin is good" (said with raised eyebrows)
me: "you're being sarcastic"
af #4: "I didn't say it sarcastically"
me: "no, but your eyebrows were sarcastic"
af #4: "alright, how about this...patty griffin is good" (said with a slow head nod)
me: "ok, your eyebrows weren't sarcastic...but your head nod was"

weather explanation

2010-02-12T12:43:00.001-06:00

A recent email from a family member...

As everybody knows, if the Saints ever won the Super Bowl, Hell would freeze over.

Washington DC is under two feet of snow from last week, and they are getting more.

Geaux Saints!

2010: Live Your Life

2010-01-20T07:25:00.003-06:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged, and there's not really a single reason why I stopped. I just haven't had anything worth saying...in a while. That being said...I do have some thoughts on the New Year (even if I'm a little late on the resolution/fresh-start train)...

As the title suggests, my motto for 2010 is "live your life" (and yes, it is inspired by the T.I./Rhianna song because that's how I roll). May seem pretty simple...but I think it's a fitting start to this new decade.

If there's anything that I learned from my "redefine in 09" year is that life throws us unexpected curve balls. So many things about this past year made me realize how short a lifetime can be, and in turn it made me appreciate the significance and impact of simple, thoughtful gestures. The growing sense of mortality also caused me to acknowledge how many days I've wasted...and when I say wasted I don't mean "I took an evening to rest" or "I spent a Saturday enjoying a novel or movie"....it's more of the "I went to dinner tonight because I felt an unspoken obligation to be there" or "I spent money on a concert that I really had no interest in just to be semi-social" type deal. It's the epiphany that I shouldn't continually do things that leave me frustrated, stretched for cash, etc when I could easily take that time to invest in my health, rejuvenation, home maintenance, etc.

These past 12 months were a continuance in learning what I truly enjoy, what my limitations are, what I value, what annoys me, what my personal goals are, etc. I've noticed that with each year, I feel a little more self-aware and comfortable in my own skin. I don't feel the same pressures to be something that I'm not or meet the expectations of outside influences. I've also gotten a lot better about saying "no"...and the even bigger step forward is that I don't have the self-imposed guilt that used to come whenever I turned down an offer/request/etc. In general, I just feel a lot calmer and more peaceful than I have in a long time...I think I can attribute that to finally (truly) accepting that there's sooo much that is out of my control.

2010 has started off with a bang...presenting a fresh set of challenges and glimmers of new opportunities. Only God knows what this year has in store...and that's okay with me. So my two cents (because that's exactly what my opinion is worth) is that for 2010, keep it simple and just live your life. :)

So live your life
You steady chasin' that paper
Just live your life
Ain't got no time for no haters
Just live your life
No tellin' where it'll take ya

Just live your life

"cake" ...??

2009-09-24T09:55:00.005-05:00

I hope I never order a cake from a place that puts the word cake in quotations:

Cake Wrecks

(specifically this post)

The recent post about "Growing Geek Girls" was pretty fun too...I mean, I totally would have loved the princess/darth vader cake! :)

i'mma let you finish

2009-09-22T12:49:00.004-05:00

My friend, Jen, recently tweeted about this:

Winners of I'm Gonna Let You Finish/Kanye West Contest

If I had known about the contest I would've submitted this scenario as a contender:

Yo, Past Kanye....you're cool and all...I'mma let you finish. But Future Kanye is the best of all time...Future Kanye is the BEST of ALL TIME! [said by Present Kanye]

twenty-eight is great!

2009-09-03T19:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I was completely perplexed. I publicize my birthday every year...but at work it seemed like EVERYONE knew it was my special day. It wasn't until yesterday afternoon that I realized a birthday announcement had been posted on our office intranet. Oops...I should probably check that more often...

Here are some of the highlights:

1. All the birthday well wishes/gifts/hugs

2. The "Birthday Homage" wall put up on my office wall...which you can see here

3. Hanging out with great peeps at 219 West

4. Great food and treats

5. My new dress

(check out my pics over on the right hand side of the page...or here)

Some things I chose to forget about until today:

1. The parking ticket I got at work yesterday

2. The massive hospital bill that came in the mail

cheers to another year of grace and wisdom...but not maturity! ha...I think I'm still a kid at heart as long as stuff like this makes my playlist, right?...

Party In The USA - Miley Cyrus

mix it up

2009-09-02T07:51:00.001-05:00

my happy year, pt. 1

No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand
Love Never Changes - Ledisi
Healer - Hillsong
Shiny On The Inside - Leona Naess
Wonderful World - Sam Cooke
The Climb - Miley Cyrus
We Are Golden - MIKA
Popular - Kristen Chenoweth
I'm Not That Girl - Idina Menzel
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Weezer
Creep (Live) - Ingrid Michaelson
Southern Point - Grizzly Bear
Rollout (My Business) - Ludacris
Crying Over - Patty Griffin
Let Your Kingdom Come - Aaron Ivey
Bonfire - Third Eye Blind
Sober - P!nk
While You Wait for the Others - Grizzly Bear

my happy year, pt. 2

Freedom - George Michael
Party In the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus
Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire
Backfire - MuteMath
Ah Mary - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Off the Record - My Morning Jacket
Alone - Heart
Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
Stronger - Kanye West
Defying Gravity - Idina Menzel & Kristen Chenoweth
Shadows - Rufus Wainwright
Battlefield - Jordin Sparks
Motorcycle Drive By - Third Eye Blind
Atomic Dog - George Clinton
I Don't Ever Give Up - Patty Griffin
I'll Come Running Back To You - Sam Cooke
Found - Aaron Ivey

And after their amazing show last night....I'm really digging a band called Sleepy Sun

jean-free at work

2009-08-31T16:13:00.004-05:00

my newest project:

http://goodbyejeans.wordpress.com/

...in a nutshell, it means that getting ready for work is going to take a little more brainpower than before. :)

As for today, I'm playing Mel McDaniel's "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On"...

the happy number

2009-08-26T23:03:00.002-05:00

Since I'm quickly approaching my birthday, I figured it was only fitting to research special reasons to celebrate my 28th year. I honestly thought it would be difficult to top 'turning three cubed', but I was pleasantly surprised with my findings (once again, thanks to Wikipedia):

In math:

*Twenty-eight is classed as a perfect number because it is the sum of all it's divisors, and the sum of the totient function for the first nine integers (I always knew I'd reach perfection.----insert lightning strike here----)
*Twenty-eight is a happy number. (seriously, it does say this on Wiki...just look!)

In science, 28 is:

*The atomic number of nickel
*The fourth magic number in physics

and randomly, 28 is:

*The lunar month is about twenty-eight days
*The number of days in the shortest month of the Gregorian calendar, February (except in leap years, when there are twenty-nine). All twelve months of the Gregorian calendar have at least 28 days, regardless of the year.
*The number of letters in the Danish and Swedish alphabets (not counting W), and also in the Arabic and Esperanto alphabets.
*The number of Chinese constellations, "Xiu" or "mansions" (a literal translation), equivalent to the 12 western zodiac constellations.
*The number of dominoes in standard domino sets. (cuz dominoes rock!)
*The postal code of the province of Madrid, in Spain. (can I claim that I'm Spanish now?)
*Approximately the number of grams in an ounce, and used as such in the illegal drug trade. (Hugs Not Drugs peeps!!)
*In Québec, François Pérusse, in one of his best-selling Album du peuple made a parody of Wheel of Fortune in which all of the letters picked by the contestant were present 28 times. As a result, 28 became an almost Mythical number used by many Québec youths, the phrase "Y'en a 28" (There are 28 [Letters]) became a running gag still used and recognized more than 15 years later. (I like running gags...just not runs or gagging.)

I'm Back!

2009-08-25T23:24:00.002-05:00

After a short rendezvous with another blog site, I'm now back on blogger! For some reason, I just didn't feel the same mental/writing ease on the other site that I do with blogger (I know, I'm weird!). Plus I'm really digging my new skin!!

I'm currently working on another blog project that I hope to reveal soon...possibly this weekend. I'll keep you posted.

However, I may get distracted from my project with the temptation to create my birthday playlist...especially since a new mixed cd would be reaaaalllly nice for my drive home on Friday... ;)

update

2009-05-12T13:42:00.001-05:00

http://bmkeeler.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/like-sunshine-and-rain/

new month, new blog

2009-05-04T21:23:00.002-05:00

i've been won over by a different blogging site (due to all the fancy charts, etc)...you can catch my new posts here:

http://bmkeeler.wordpress.com/

workday distractions

2009-04-24T09:55:00.002-05:00

I would have loved to have seen this in person...

You should also check out Susan Boyle's competition...because my money's on this kid!

high heat tumble

2009-04-20T08:17:00.006-05:00

Have you ever had completely inappropriate and unjustifiable reaction to something that really shouldn't be a big deal...but it just literally sends you over the edge?

Maybe so...or maybe I'm a little weirder than I thought.

Anyways...I totally had one of those moments this past weekend.

The offender: my dryer

You're probably wondering.... "How in the world does a dryer evoke any sort of emotional response from someone?"

when the better question to ask is actually: "How does a dryer send someone into a furious, angry tirade...making that same person question all recent decisions and life in general?"

Simple...it stops working.

Which probably would not have been an enormous issue under normal circumstances (or to any sane person).....

HOWEVER, the entire reason I just signed a 14 month lease for an apartment that is waaaaay more than I wanted to spend is because it has the oh-so-desirable full-size washer/dryer connections!!! Not so handy when my dryer DOESN'T WORK!

I was angry to say the least...and it didn't help that my discovery of my inert dryer came after I had just washed a full load of clothes (which included all of my jeans minus one pair). I was also in the midst of getting ready for a birthday party which meant that a.) I was severely limited in my clothing options and b.) I didn't have time to find the local laundromat...

Then along with the anger came the multitude of questions, like:

1. Did I make the right decision about my new apartment?

2. Should I move in with a random roommate?

3. Maybe I could kick my dryer, and it would magically work again? (bad idea, by the way)

4. Should I even be staying in Austin?

5. Why do I even care about these stupid material things?

6. How hard would it be to sell all my stuff and move out of the country?

7. Maybe God is trying to send me a sign???

Even after the angry fog lifted, I was still left questioning a lot of things about my life...and I may be heading down a new, unanticipated path (with begrudging) thanks to my dryer....

holy cow! we're campery!

2009-03-30T13:43:00.006-05:00

HIGHLIGHTS

successes:

1. the tents lasted through the crazy winds

2. no one got bitten by a snake, hit by a deer or attacked by a cow

3. we had hot, yummy food, plus campery cosmos

4. breakfast breakdancing lessons

5. my old-school, man-sweatpants

6. throwing rocks with the girls

challenges:

1. the shocking coldness, without a campfire (dang burn ban)

2. the park ranger waiting in the shadows to give us citations for all the rules we were breaking

3. the random streak of injuries

4. the snake encounter

best made-up word:

campery - descriptor for people, places or things related to camping

ie. "I like your campery hat."

fun with names:

blesslie - blessings from leslie

dorian the explorer - if only dorian had an explorer, and not a 4runner

long-johnce - what johnce wears to keep warm

best convo (for me):

[context: hiking....after coming up alongside antonio moments after I was "blazing my own trail"]

antonio: you know, bk....I sometimes forget that you're a small town girl, and then you say or do something that reminds me that you're from the country....

me: haha...yep

best quote:

[context: driving down a dirt road at night, and coming up unexpectedly on a cow]

jenny: HOLY COW!.......literally....

tent breakdown:

a. the "snuggie" tent - me and the girls in my tent had no shame in cuddling and snuggling for the bitterly cold/windy night; we were also careful with how much cheese was in the tent...because we wanted to avoid being attacked by cows... ;)

b. the "legit-campery" tent - these girls knew how to camp :)

c. the "bacardi-party" tent - these girls had a night cap...or two...

d. the "bromance" tent - the boys will not like this name at all...but it's true...gotta have the brotherly love...especially when it's crazy cold outside...

sidenote: there was an awful lot of talk about snuggies this weekend...I think some of us may need to purchase a snuggie...or two...

best made-up game:

tortilla toss - laura and jenny tossing a hot tortilla like a frisbee (even though we had actual frisbees with us)

best pit-stop:

dairy queen - regardless of the fact that all the cars left at different times/took different routes home...we all ended up at the same dairy queen within the same time frame....obviously no one could resist the temptation of a hunger-buster or blizzard...

sxsw (+more) recap

2009-03-22T14:49:00.009-05:00

bands i saw:
anathallo*
samantha crain & the midnight shivers**

amanda palmer

port o'brien**
loney dear*
m. ward*
beach house**
efterklang**

alela diane

coupleskate
we have band**
women

hatcham social
tinted windows
*performances i enjoyed
**new discoveries I really liked

best phone convo:

jh: soooo....you like women?

me: (dramatic pause)....ummm.....you mean the band???

[lots of laughter]

jh: yes, yes!...definitely meant the band, women.

me: then yes, I do like women (the band, that is).

[this was before I saw them in person....after seeing them live....eh]

textually challenged:

me: seen kanye?

la: yes I have why?

la: oh not at sxsw I thought u meant before

me: seen kanye?

ad: we are on the hunt!!!

ad: okaybwe gotnwoed from the bar tender!!!! kanye fir sure!!!

[still slightly lost in translation]

me: seen kanye?

jh: seen elton?

this texting-convo has nothing to do with sxsw (other than it happened during the same time period), but I thought it was a funny:

jm: coffee in the crotch is not nearly as funny as on tv!

me: oh no! haha...ouch...I bet that's pretty painful...aim for your mouth next time! ;)

jm: i figured i'd be more alert if I took it in the crotch. :)

billy joel & elton john [face to face] set list:

your song (duet)

honesty (duet)

don't let the sun go down on me (duet)

my life (duet)

saturday night's alright (ej)

burn down the mission (ej)

tiny dancer (ej)

goodbye yellow brick road (ej) - one of my all time favorites by sir elton

i guess that's why the call it the blues (ej) - my favorite elton solo

daniel (ej)

rocket man (ej) - GREAT

levon (ej)

i'm still standing (ej)

crocodile rock (ej) - shocked that he played this

angry young man (bj)

moving out (bj)

allentown (bj) - surprisingly probably one of my favorites to hear live by billy

the ballad of billy the kid (bj)

zanizbar (bj)

don't ask me why (bj)

she's always a women (bj) - so, so good

scenes from an italian restaurant (bj)

river of dreams (bj)

we didn't start the fire (bj)

uptown girl (bj) - I was pleasantly surprised that he played this

still rock & roll to me (bj) - I LOVED that he played guitar for this one

only the good die young (bj)

the bitch is back (duet)

you may be right (duet)

bennie & the jets (duet) - my favorite duet of the night

birthday - beatles cover (duet)

back in the ussr - beatles cover (duet)

candle in the wind - original version (duet)

piano man (duet)

throwing rocks...

2009-03-18T09:10:00.007-05:00

This past Sunday, Megan and I got to catch up with two of my super-awesome guy friends (Troy & Josh)....and it was incredibly therapeutic for me. Great friends and tasty food are always a winning combination.

One of the funniest parts of the lunch was when the guys found out that my bridesmaid dress collection is almost in the double-digits. Troy then made reference to 27 Dresses, and he insisted that I get up on the table and sing "Bennie and the Jets"...because that would surely attract my Mr. Right. I graciously declined....Sunday lunch at Red Lobster just didn't seem to be the appropriate setting for such a performance.

After our lunch, Josh texted his apology for not bringing me rocks. He had previously offered to supply me little sharp rocks (mainly because I can't lift larger ones) to throw at mean boys.

I told him that I was okay with not getting rocks-to-throw for two reasons:

1. I don't want/need to go to jail on assault charges.

2. It would affect my standing on the "crazy/hot" scale. (see video below for explanation)

It's almost funny how much (yet how little) has changed in the past 10 years. It definitely affirms my notion that I need to hang out with guys (especially these two) more often. Don't get me wrong...I have some amazing girl friends....but I need the balance of some laid-back guys who'll shoot straight with me (plus the bear hugs are nice).

new moon

2009-03-10T18:07:00.003-05:00

Today at lunch, my fortune cookie provided me with this ambiguous message:

Luck will visit you on the next new moon.

and the word translation on the back:

Wait.

How annoyingly fitting....

Now I guess I should wait and see what March 26th brings!

Unfortunately, I doubt that it will involve two supernaturally-gifted guys fighting for my affection....but a girl can dream, right?

Queen B's night to B Scene

2009-03-08T12:38:00.010-05:00

This past Friday, I finally made it to the monthly B Scene party at the Blanton Museum. This month's theme was "The Birth of the Cool"....and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with the event. Not only were the exhibits great, especially the temp exhibit featuring mod pieces from the 1950-60s, but they even had a station where you could make your own vinyl cover. I have never seen so many adults get excited over a glorified arts & crafts session (me included, or course). Here is my creation:

After finishing our record artwork, me and three of the girls I had met up with decided to head downtown to have a drink. We got into a discussion of how none of us know how to flirt. I admitted that if I was batting my eyes it probably meant there was something legitimately in my eye....and with my luck, if I tried to coyly toss my hair, the chances of my tresses catching on fire from one of the many stand-up heaters was close to 98%. As we were confessing our flirting downfalls, a guy named Charlie approached our table...chatted and told us he would be back later. After he left, I believe it was Sally* who mentioned that touching the inside of a guy's wrist was a subtle way to show interest and flirt with a guy. But from that one statement, a bet was placed between Leah* and Sally*:

The Bet:

1. Leah* would have to touch a guy's wrist before we left.

2. Leah* would have to lick a guy's wrist.

I don't know where the second part of the bet spawned from....but I guess touching a guy's wrist was not daring enough...so licking was the most obvious (?) way to up the ante.

I jokingly observed, that if the question on most women's minds when appraising a guy was "can he build a table?"....then the majority of men are most likely asking "will she lick my wrist?"

Needless to say that when Charlie ventured back to our table, he was the target of Leah* and Sally's* dare. As we were playfully talking with him, Leah* asked if she could see his hands...and with great purpose she grabbed his wrist and leaned down to lick it the inner part of his wrist. Of couse, me, Sally* and Haley* all were in tears from laughing so hard. Poor Charlie never knew what hit him. He stood in complete shock for a moment...staring in awestruck wonder at Leah*. He had to sit down to regain his composure....Charlie just kept saying "I REALLY like you girls!" and he was (of couse) extremely fascinated with Leah* from that point on. He then asked for all of our names again....and when he got Leah's* name he commented, "I'll definitely remember you!". He quickly left to herd all of his guy friends over to meet us (which I'm sure they all got word of the wrist-licking excitement). I, of couse, squealed, "it works! that's the question that men want answered!"

Guys are truly wondering (whether they know it or not)...."will she lick my wrist?"

For four girls who don't know how to flirt, we had a shockingly flirty night. And amazingly with no awkward phone number exchanges, etc....just a good old fashioned ego-boost and an epiphany into the psyche of the opposite sex!

PS - I just had a weird revelation that I'm having a very Carrie Bradshaw-ish moment...with my written commentary on the experiences of four single women in the city....

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved...well, except for me. :)

notes from a wannabe bgirl: part 3

2009-03-01T18:29:00.003-06:00

In last Sunday's class, we were taught how to "battle rock"....which is basically "top rocking with weapons" (at least, this is how it was explained to me). I would consider it more in the "choreography" category than the "stunts/tricks" side of breakdancing. As our instructor walked us through the movements, she explained that we needed to act like we were pulling out our weapons as we do the steps...and she specifically looked at me when she said the following:

"For all you ladies that have never handled a weapon, just act like you're pulling a gun from your purse."

I felt slightly indignant and frustrated that I couldn't immediately provide evidence of my weaponry skills...

I only wish I could find my 7th grade hunter's education photo where I'm rocking a neon-orange camouflage bandana (an oxymoron all in itself) to show how far back my skills go. Although I highly doubt a red ryder BB gun would be taken seriously on the street.....

FYI - It seems as though hunter's education only existed in Southeast Texas...I used to casually refer to it, assuming that everyone had taken a similar class...of course, after a year or two in college, I realized this was not the case. Apparently, most schools were wise enough not to entrust their 7th grade students with weapons.

My Personal Ad

2009-02-27T21:59:00.002-06:00

In response to one of my crazy emails, in which I ranted and offered to bribe my friends with chocolate + mild entertainment (from me) in exchange for their company, Johnce suggested that I should submit the following personal ad to the Austin Chronicle:

SWF-ish. slightly entertaining. provides chocolate. keeps ranting tendencies to a minimum.

I am slightly intrigued to see who would actually respond...but not enough to actually do so.... :)

But maybe I'll keep an eye out for an ad like this:

SWM-ish. kind of a goofball. enjoys chocolate. likes a good random rant. can build a table.

PS - Oh....and the only reason that the ad is listed as "SWF-ish" and not just "SWF" is because I claimed that I had experienced a "SWF-ish moment" in the previously-mentioned-email. Just felt the need to clarify! :)

notes from a wannabe bgirl: part 2

2009-02-19T19:48:00.003-06:00

This kid is so much better than me...it's not even funny...

this is definitely more my speed...

made-up word of the day: CARBOHYDRATED

2009-02-16T17:07:00.004-06:00

carbohydrated (v):
1. To carb-hydrate.
2. To supply carbs to (a person, for example) in order to restore or maintain a healthy mental/emotional state.
Thank goodness she was carbohydrated, otherwise someone could have been seriously injured.
A woman who is not properly carbohydrated might endanger not only herself but those around her.

notes from a wannabe bgirl: part 1

2009-02-11T23:00:00.001-06:00

This past Sunday, I officially started my breakdancing class. Just thought I would take a moment to share what I learned:

1. I'm an uber-white girl.

It's not like I didn't already know this, but, at the same time, as much as I mentally assume that I have street cred...I soooooo do not!

2. Yoga classes would be a wise investment.

I was ignorant to believe that these movements would fall into the "natural" category.

3. Gloves with padding in the palms = awesome

I don't know if such a thing exists, but it definitely should!!

4. Dance studios with street level windows = bad

Even the random people on the street can witness my sad attempts at "battling"...

everyday will be like a holiday

2009-02-11T09:09:00.005-06:00

1. Put your iPod or other music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer. The name of the song is your answer!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
The Payback – James Brown

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Once Again - Fusebox

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
I’m Afraid of Americans – David Bowie (that narrows my dating field immensely)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Three More Days – Ray LaMontagne

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Green River – Creedence Clearwater

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Angel of the Morning – The Pretenders (hahahaha….I LOVE this! But I really hope this is not the public opinion of me…)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Get Loose – Rob Blackledge

WHAT IS 2+2?
Levon – Elton John

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Everything Will Be Alright – The Killers

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I Go to the Barn Because I Like the – Band of Horses (strangely, this is fitting)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
From God Above – Hillsong United (couldn’t have handpicked a better song)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Don’t Ask Me Why – Billy Joel

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Geek in the Pink – Jason Mraz (HAHahaha…seriously, perfect!)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Fallen from the Sky – Glen Hansard

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Same Girl – Jack Johnson (ummm…I seriously hope not, considering this is pretty much a breakup song...that would not bode well for my marriage)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Please Read the Letter – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Now I’m Here - Queen

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
These Arms of Mine – Otis Redding

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Across the Universe – The Beatles

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Human – Jon McLaughlin

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
He Can Only Hold Her – Amy Winehouse (should have known that one her songs will one day attribute to my passing)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Tremble for My Beloved – Collective Soul

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Rich Woman – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Bigger Than My Body – John Mayer

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
This Fire – Franz Ferdinand (yikes!)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Something Good This Way Comes – Jakob Dylan (ooohh...the irony)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine – The Killers (hahaha….and she still is!)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Misunderstanding – Genesis (oh, how I heart this song)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Kissing the Lipless – The Shins (that probably would hurt)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday – William Bell

best compliment ever...

2009-01-29T16:42:00.003-06:00

well, at least it's the best compliment I received today...

At lunch, Phyllis (my co-worker/friend) told me that I was the equivalent of a "sleeper" hit.

She commented that my shy/reserved/slightly prim/conservative exterior is a slightly false advertisement for what lurks beneath the surface. The "real me" involves car-stereos-turned-up-way-to-loud, "raising-the-roof", mischief-making, etc.

I think I'll use this as a my new personal descriptor....it's so much better than telling people "I grow on you like a fungus"!

thanks for the warning....

2009-01-26T16:52:00.005-06:00

I hope they give warnings for alien invasions too...

The Austinist

munching on the memories

2009-01-22T09:51:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, I ran by Zen to grab a quick bite for lunch....usually I just bring my food back to the office, but I decided to take a mental break from the UIL world and eat at Zen. I even brought a something to read. However, focusing on reading became a challenge because I was distracted by the music selection. Zen usually opts for techno-synthesizer driven-chant-like music that is easy for me to tune out....but yesterday this song caught my attention:

'Your Mama Don't Dance' by Loggins & Messina

and as soon as that one ended, another song from memory lane began...

'In My Room' by the Beach Boys

the timing of the orders being called out across the speakers was perfect...it went something like this:

there's a place where I can go and tell my secrets to, in my [order # 128], in my [order #129]...

just as I was getting ready to leave, this song came on...

'Feelin' Stronger Everyday' by Chicago

It's weird how certain songs can take you back to a certain time(s) and/or place(s) in your life...

I automatically relate 'Your Mama Don't Dance' to the Buna Little League Show....

the Beach Boys take me back to the 8th grade...especially 'In My Room' because it was also on the Friends soundtrack (which I played non-stop)....

and I equate Chicago with Ryan....however, this song became my post-breakup anthem...it's weird to note how fitting the lyrics are...

cathedral of junk

2009-01-19T18:28:00.012-06:00

This odd roadside attraction definitely puts the old saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" to good use. A man has taken garbage and made it into a true sight to behold. And it isn't just randomly tossed into a pile...it's constructed to sustain multiple levels that you can explore...just check out these shots:

I like that this seat has the saying "wish us well upon a star"...

and I just really liked this footstool phrase....

A view from within:

Going down....

Looking at one of the walkways above...

The complete castle....

under construction

2009-01-14T20:24:00.007-06:00

My blog is under-going some changes....as you can tell from the new background, etc. However, it is a work in progress. I hope to have all the links active and working properly asap (*fingers-crossed*).

In totally unrelated news....Mitch finally sent me some of the pics that we took at the Explosions in the Sky concert (from PARIS!)...check these out:

listography

2009-01-07T10:57:00.005-06:00

My new favorite website...

http://listography.com/

I LOVE making lists (which is coincidentally evident in some of my more recent posts)....so I find this site completely addictive!

25 things

2009-01-02T22:09:00.003-06:00

1. My dad has had the nickname Rock since he was in high school...seriously, my cousins used to even call him Uncle Rock...and for years he even got mail that was addressed to Rock (instead of Mike)....so quite literally I am a child of ROCK...how cool is that :)

2. I tend to have extremely vivid dreams...and colors usually play an important role...like there was one time I had a dream about my wedding and everyone was wearing black...and my wedding dress was black, but when I was looking at it in the mirror it kept changing from black to white.

3. Everyone thinks that I'm a huge fan of all things pink...but I actually prefer the color blue (and green) a lot more.

4. Growing up, I was a performer...I was in plays...I sang...I twirled...etc...but ever since I graduated high school, I've developed a weird adversion to being on stage/in the spotlight.

5. Earlier this month I signed up to take breakdancing classes....fo' real!

6. I LOVE dresses with pockets....even to the point where it's practically a requirement for any dress that I purchase. And I'm obsessed with flats...well, shoes in general.

7. I was born with black hair and my hair turned blonde by the time I was one...but I've always wanted long dark, curly hair.

[Note: I'm slowly working towards this goal...I'm about an inch shy of my goal in length...and I'm gradually going darker...we'll see if I actually follow through on the curls though]

8. I used to read comic books.... A LOT...thanks to my bros....so I know all about DC, Marvel , etc...we even developed our own comic heroes and villains...and I was generally dubbed the illustrator due to my early love of drawing...I even came across some of our character sketches when I was helping my parents pack for their upcoming move.

9. I had a serious crush on Keanu Reeves (thanks to "A Walk in the Clouds") for years! Keanu and I even share the same birthday....ahh, it must be fate.

10. I have a weird thing with touching different textures...I really like feeling different materials & objects in my hands (and feet)....like sand, fringe, silk, etc....probably why I ended up graduating with a degree in Textiles and Apparel.

11. I have never been skiing...but that might change next Christmas, since my fam is currently planning to take a ski trip for the holidays....I doubt that I'll actually ski...I envision myself as more of a snowboarding girl.

12. I develop hair-brained schemes that I never fully follow through on (well, I do plan them out mentally, they just don't always materialize in a tangible way)...like my latest inspiration: "Merry Me" cards...humorous holiday greeting cards targeted at the "singles" demographic

13. In junior high, I would stay up every night listening to the Top 9 at 9 on the radio to record the songs on a mixed tape.

14. I also used to memorize the Top Ten Billboard Hits for each year...so I would randomly know that the #3 song for 1973 was Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips...and that Elton John had two singles in the top 10 that year (#1 Crocodile Rock and #7[?] Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)...but unfortunately I have forgotten a lot over the years...

15. At one time...I really wanted to marry a guy with a last name that started with the letter "W" (and if I could have picked the last name it would have been Wakefield, thanks to my childhood obsession with the Sweet Valley High books)...all because I wanted my initials to be "BMW".

16. When Taylor was a toddler, my mom and I would test out new fingernail polish colors on him (we usually just painted his thumb nail...sometimes he would end up with a different color on each nail)...my dad would get soooo mad at us...especially when his little boy would show off his "pretty thumb".

17. I have regrets about college...such as not studying abroad, not getting more involved in activities on campus, not living in a dorm, etc.

18. I can do the Witch Hazel (from Looney Tunes) laugh...just ask my bros...they used to make me do this all the time...check out this clip to get a better idea.

19. I don't eat lettuce or salads....but I wish that I did...b/c it's not only healthy, but a great default [ie. safe and easy] choice at most restaurants.

20. I'm not a phone person...in fact, I'm slightly phone-phobic....I would much rather chat face-to-face. I dislike my phone almost as much as I despise my alarm clock.

21. I really don't like having things around my neck...it's why I rarely wear scarves (even though I love the way they look), necklaces, turtlenecks, etc..

22. I usually don't think in linear thoughts...so my sentences often come out jumbled...like talking about how my parents "dated, got married, then engaged" ...or I spit out glorious comments like "if I were a girl..." without it immediately registering that I just insinuated that I'm not a girl. I usually catch my mistakes about 2 seconds after I say them...it's probably why I prefer to communicate in writing...because I have a chance to actually edit myself.

23. I crave moving to new places at least every two years...I like the change in scenery, meeting new people and getting the chance to reinvent myself. I'm trying to break my moving addiction by taking trips to pacifiy my need to experience new things.

24. I think about going to grad school on a daily basis, but I always talk myself out if it...mainly because I'm not even putting my undergrad degree to use in my current job.

25. Humor is the way to my heart...people who don't know me that well may think that I'm super serious (thanks to my initial shyness)...but I'm a goofball at heart...and I love nothing more than a good, hard laugh.

My Holiday

2008-12-27T23:54:00.005-06:00

1. Awesome presents...including my beautiful new Macbook :)
2. Fun times with the fam involving several rounds of Mexican train & photos
3. Cooking lessons with my Grandy Sheppard
4. Crazy dreams like one in which I was fighting in a war (apparently I was a fighter pilot in training, and it was an all female war), one where I was sobbing because an older lady called me out for dancing inappropriately (because a. I was dancing alone and b. I did an arm wave from one side to the other)
5. Helping my parents pack up their house for their upcoming move
6. Catching up with hometown friends (unfortunately not all of them...next time Katie!)
7. Already planning our fam Christmas of 2009...which will hopefully involve a ski lodge....YAY!
8. My "Merry Me" card idea....basically funny holiday cards targeted at the "singles" demographic
9. Celebrating the announcements of loved ones....like the "unofficial" engagement of my bro
10. Taylor's gall stone attack at 3am on Christmas morning
11. Courtney and Allen's wedding in Mexico
12. Seeing the super featherweight boxing championship in Cozumel

my history trip

2008-12-12T10:36:00.006-06:00

Got this idea from Jen's page. It's my "top fives" of things I would go back in time to see/do...

Musical Performances:
1. The Beatles, Shea Stadium, 1965
2. James Brown, Boston, 1968
3. Queen, Wembley Stadium, 1986
4. Led Zeppelin, Tampa FL, 1973
5. Woodstock, 1969 (for Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, CCR, The Who, etc)

Movie Releases (In Theater):
1. Star Wars
2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
3. Singin' in the Rain
4. Casablanca
5. Dr. Strangelove

Biblical Events*:
1. When Jesus first visited the disciples after His resurrection
2. When Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire via a whirlwind
3. When David killed Goliath
4. When Jesus fed the 5000
5. When Moses parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape the pharoah & his army

Historical Eras/Events*:
1. The life of Queen Elizabeth I
2. The French court of Louis XIV, mainly to see the fashion
3. The women's suffrage movement in the US
4. The cultural and political movements of the 1960's in the US
5. The events and battles of England in the 6th century...mainly to see if King Arthur ever really existed...

Books I Want to Discuss with Their Authors:
1. The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis
2. 1984, George Orwell
3. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
4. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
5. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Top 5 People from History I Wish I Could Talk to for an Hour:
1. Albert Einstein
2. Winston Churchill
3. Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. C.S. Lewis
5. Queen Elizabeth I

*Denote events that I would like a removed/non-participatory/movie-watching view of...mainly for safety purposes :)

sites to see

2008-12-05T13:48:00.004-06:00

this is what happens when I'm limited to my apartment for a little too long... :)

Play to help feed people:
http://freerice.com/index.php

Expand your vocab:
http://www.buzzwhack.com/
http://www.urbandictionary.com/

Find cheap gas...near you:
http://www.gasbuddy.com/

Find a baby name...don't even ask how/why I ended up on this site:
http://www.nymbler.com/

Start your family tree...a nice segue from the baby name thing:
http://www.geni.com/

Photo editing:
http://www.picnik.com/

No frills event planning:
http://mobaganda.com/

Find color inspiriation:
http://www.colourlovers.com/

For small spaces:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

It's Wiki...in the sky...with diamonds...okay, maybe the last bit wasn't true:
http://wikisky.org/

The Periodic Table of Comic Books...another one that it's prob best not to ask about:
www.uky.edu/projects/chemcomics

two reasons

2008-12-03T13:49:00.006-06:00

why I should have never gotten out of bed today....

1. I'm sick (like "who-cares-that-my hair-is-not-combed-and-I-am-in-pajamas-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-middle-of-the-day" sick)...and probably contagious. I mean, really...why in the world did I feel the need to show up to work today?! Especially to end up back at home just two hours after I went in...

2. I got a flat tire. Yep...as I was headed to go pick up a few things to make my day at home bearable, I had a blowout. Which meant I got to hike back to my apartment. yipee.

grrr....why can't I just learn to stay in bed when I'm sick...

: /

made-up word of the day: MOTO

2008-11-07T08:31:00.004-06:00

MOTO (n.) - a matted photograph.

We should hang a couple of motos on that wall.

rock the vote

2008-11-04T09:36:00.005-06:00

give me something good to eat...

2008-10-31T13:04:00.009-05:00

I am not a huge fan of Halloween, at least in the scary/creepy sense. I don't like scary movies, and I've never stepped foot in a haunted house....so most of my Halloween memories are fairly wholesome...and centered around fun costumes and feeding my sugar addiction. As a kid, my mom would hand-sew my costumes...which I used to think was lame...but now I realize how awesome it was that I had a "one-of-a-kind" costume made just for me. I remember being so jealous of kids with their store-bought costumes. I desperately wanted to be Rainbow Brite for several years....I mean I totally could have rocked this costume...

I thought about being Rainbow Brite last year...unfortunately, the adult version of this costume is sooooo not appropriate to wear in public. The trashy adult costume selection just makes me want to be a kid again...so I could wear stuff like this:

or my absolute favorite....

(Mike is probably my favorite Pixar-Disney character...and the costume has a built-in candy pocket...it just doesn't get any better than that!)

I wasn't planning to dress up this year, but I was told yesterday that I HAD to. So I've opted to dress as "Sleeping Beauty"...my costume includes the following:

Pink dress

Pink eye mask

Tiara

Pink Fuzzy House Slippers

and I'll be carrying a pink pillow that says "Princess"

At the very least, I'll be comfy...plus I can take a nap and still be in character....

i heart chuck

2008-10-30T14:50:00.002-05:00

Taylor and I informally designated Wednesday nights as our "chill out/TV" night. Our mid-week break usually involves chowing down on comfort food while we enjoy the latest Chuck and Heroes episodes via his laptop (due to the lovely falling out between KXAN and Time Warner). As if I wasn't already a huge fan of Chuck, they completely won me over with their latest guest star: Buster Bluth (he doesn't play Buster on the show...but I can't help but refer to Tony Hale by his Arrested Development alias)....and it looks like he will be on multiple episodes...

And I just threw in this clip because I thought it was funny....

feeling right this time of year...

2008-10-08T12:48:00.007-05:00

I woke up this morning, and there was a cool briskness to the air...and I was once again overwhelmed by my enthusiasm for the fall season. I don't know if it's because I was born in the fall or if I'm just grasping at straws by looking for some type of logical reasoning...but something about this time of year makes me feel like the best version of me. It's as though I am completely and totally "at home".

I could list numerous reasons of why I love this time of year...the holiday season (I heart Thanksgiving like no other), the fashion (my obsession with cardigans is scary, not to mention the options that boots, scarves, etc provide), the colors, the food (there are so many fantastic dishes that just aren't "summer appropriate" like chicken and dumplings, chili, gumbo etc), college football (hook 'em horns!)...

but beyond everything else...you can feel it in the air...

say it ain't so, Joe...

2008-10-03T11:18:00.006-05:00

This will probably be my one and only semi-political post of this year, and I will preface this by saying that it really has very little to do with the actual debate/political points of last night.

I have known for months now how I will vote in the upcoming election, so I haven't really felt the need to stay up on all the debates/gauntlet of interviews/political smoozing/etc. Yet for some reason I decided to tune into the vice presidential debate last night...maybe it was my curious nature getting the best of me or the morbid draw of watching a train wreck happen on live tv.

However, a catastrophe of national proportions did not occur (at least, from my point of view). I was actually pleasantly surprised by the performance of both candidates. BUT more than all the talk of policies, taxes, false promises for the future...something struck me more than anything else.

Joe Biden...

You see, here's a man that has spent his entire career working in the political machine, and instead of being the front man of his own campaign...he's essentially the (possible) first runner-up in America's largest/fiercest beauty pageant.

He's done everything that a presidential candidate "should have" done (ie. spent serious time in the senate, chaired various committees, practiced law, etc)...he knows all the political jargon...he has the maturity that most have come to expect for the leader of our country.

But all of that doesn't really play into this election like it would have just four years ago...this is a year of historic changes in our presidential election...where the expectations of the past are no longer what the American populace seems to want. No matter which way the cards fall, there will be another "first" to add to the US History books.

Instead Biden is the head cheerleader of a man who is almost 20 years his junior...who doesn't have near the same experience or political pedigree...and Biden's slated rival is a spunky, wild-card woman "of the people" who is making it known that she prefers not to be lumped in with the political guns of capitol hill.

All this to say that...I felt disappointment on behalf of Biden. Not because I want him to be our president....but last night while I was watching the debate, I just felt a wave of empathy for him....for being a guy put in his time (30+ years), followed the "how-to-become-a-president" pretty much by the book....only to realize that he's a Pip to a much more marketable Gladys.

ACL Videos...

2008-10-02T09:23:00.011-05:00

Here are two of my favorite video clips that I took over the ACL weekend...I apologize in advance for the poor quality (sight and sound)...just know that these snippits do not do justice to the amazing performances delivered...

First up Jamie Lidell...unfortunately I realized that there was a bug on my arm part way through filming this, so you'll notice the camera droop and come back up...

and now a little of John Fogerty...this one is little more shaky, but I just could not stop dancing...

September Retrospect: My So-Called-Birthday-Hurricane-Festival of a Month

2008-10-01T15:22:00.006-05:00

These are my playlists for my long drive home this upcoming weekend...

Part One:

September - Earth, Wind & Fire

In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins

Cheap Wine - What Made Milwaukee Famous

Hurricane - Jimmy Needham

Closer to the Sun - Slightly Stoopid

What's Been Going On - Amos Lee

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin

Nowhere Man - The Beatles

Blood on the Ground - Incubus

She's Gone - Daryl Hall & John Oates

Good Love is on the Way - John Mayer

A Little Bit More - Jamie Lidell

Hold You in my Arms - Ray LaMontagne

Love Remains the Same - Gavin Rossdale

Sunshine of Your Love - Cream

Joy & Pain - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

Sittin on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

Where It's At - Beck

Part Two:

Another Day - Jamie Lidell

It's Beginning to Get to Me - Snow Patrol

The Garden - Mirah

Black River - Amos Lee

Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

Rich Girl - Daryl Hall & John Oates

Take Me to the Riot - Stars

Piano Song - Meiko

Instant Karma - John Lennon

Firefly - Jimmy Needham

Rump Shaker - Wreckx-N-Effect

You are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne

Cochise - Audioslave

Bennie & the Jets - Elton John

Ramble On - Led Zeppelin

Under My Skin - Jukebox the Ghost

Map of the Problematique - Muse

Beg - Shane & Shane

Good Times - Sam Cooke

Textual Healing: My ACL Recap 2008

2008-09-29T18:19:00.009-05:00

Let's cover the basics of this year's festival:

Who I saw:

What Made Milwaukee Famous - great way to start the weekend.

Vampire Weekend - apparently it wasn't a memorable performance b/c I keep forgetting that I saw them

Jamie Lidell - AMAZING...his performance was an unexpected surprise

Patty Griffin - beautiful as always...

Gogol Bordello - start wearing purple, wearing purple....loved the "lion king"

David Byrne - Yay for the dancers :)

The Swell Season - good, but definitely made me realize how tired I was

Fleet Foxes - nice way to kick off day two

The Fratelllis - eh

The Lee Boys - fun times

Eli Paperboy Reed & the True Loves - even more fun times

MGMT - another band that I keep forgetting that I saw, but I think I'm mentally blocking that crowd experience...seriously, Jen even texted that therapy may be required, and I concurred

John Fogerty - I LOVED THIS SHOW....my fav performance, hands down! Plus he rocks a plaid pearl snap & bandana like no other...

The Black Keys - sounded awesome...I was camped out for the next show though

Allison Krauss & Robert Plant - loved that they sang "Black Dog"

Beck - enjoyable

Stars - surprisingly energetic beginning of day three

Blues Traveler - pretty much what I expected

The Raconteurs - good

Band of Horses - great show, as anticipated

Foo Fighters - sounded great, for what I heard of it

**Kevin Fowler - didn't really watch him, but he earned major cool points with me for playing "Sweet Emotion" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" which we heard on our way out....

"Loves" of this year's festival:

1. Jen came! Plus all of the other wonderful friends I spent time with.

2. The additional beverage options....especially the addition of Vitamin Water.

3. My preparedness....although my bag was heavy, I liked having everything I needed!

4. The little booklets instead of just pamphlets for the schedule....loved the book!

5. The fabric wristbands....awesome!

"Dislikes"....

1. The ever-growing mob of people.

2. The "dust/weed" fog that encompassed the entire area.

3. Thieving kids...one girl walked by talking about she just stole 5 pairs of sunglasses from on of the vendors...not cool, my dear....not cool.

4. My poor timing with my camera...I was like 10 feet away from Dave Grohl at one point...plus me and Jen think we were sitting next to the band members of Flyleaf pre-Jamie Lidell (if so, we are concerned about a few of their habits).

5. The two hour delay on texts....which I find ironic considering that AT&T is my carrier, and they are one of the big sponsors of the event. Blake commented that I might need "textual healing" after my weekend...and I agreed that it would be necessary.

Overall, it was a wonderful festival experience. I had a blast listening to great tunes with great people. It's a little sad that it's already over, but I must confess that it will be nice not to be out in the heat covered in grime with a questionable fog surrounding me at all times.

PS - Jen sat across the aisle from Allison Krauss on her flight home!

listen.read.LOVE.repeat.

2008-09-24T14:42:00.003-05:00

It has come to my attention that I've had a very selfish focus/attitude over the past several months. I was reminded that I have been granted a lot of "free" time, and I think it is appropriate that I start using that time for a greater purpose.

Enter my current brain-child revelation:

listen.read.LOVE.repeat.

One day it occurred to me that I have more than my fair share of books and cds lying around, many of which will never get touched by me again....and it hit me that a lot of people probably have an excess of these items as well. I started thinking of ways these particular items could be used to benefit others.

Here's the concept that I developed:

1. Take donations of used books and cds.

2. Resell the items for a set price (currently thinking $5).

3. Put all profits towards a charity (possibly Children Mothers of Uganda).

Not only is this a way to expose people to different books/music for a reasonable price, but the more amazing thing is that it could help provide funds to save lives. This concept combines several of my passions, obviously music and literature...but also promotes recycling and more importantly a cause. The underlying idea is that we would listen to the needs of others, read information about how we can help, love people through our actions and repeat the process.

This whole thing is still in the brainstorming stage...so I would appreciate any comments/suggestions. I'm currently investigating whether or not there may be any legal issues, and praying over which charity to support.

I'm also praying for my faith to look and sound like this...

even if the ones I love turn around and crucify me,
I won't ever let You down,
I won't fall,
I won't fall,
I won't fall as long as You're around me
-washed by the water by needtobreathe

hurricane

2008-09-23T13:27:00.005-05:00

I recently heard the song "Hurricane" by Jimmy Needham...and the lyrics just really resonated with me:

I have built a city here

half with pride and half with fear

just wanted a safer place to hide

I don't want to be safe tonight

I need You like a hurricane

thunder crashing, wind and rain

to tear my walls down

I'm only Yours now

I need You like a burning flame

a wild fire untamed

to burn these walls down

I'm only Yours now

I am Yours and You are mine

You know that far better than I

and if destruction's what I need

then I'll receive it Lord from Thee

yes, I'll receive it Lord from Thee

and it's Your eye in the storm

watching over me

and it's Your eye in the storm

wanting only good for me

and if You are the war

let me be Your casualty

'til I'm Yours alone

I am only Yours

I am Yours alone, Lord

come be my hurricane

It's a hard idea to grasp...that destruction may be needed....definitely a concept that I wrestle with...

hip to be square

2008-09-11T14:01:00.006-05:00

I think it's my restless nature kicking in, but I've been looking for ways to get involved/grow/learn/etc so that I'm not just going to work and doing the same old routine. I love the academic setting, but I'm not ready to commit to anything serious (ie. pursuing my masters)...so instead I recently started looking into the Informal Classes that UT offers. They have a fairly extensive catalog of courses to choose from...and, thanks to my erratic interests, I was fairly overwhelmed by all my options. Feel free to check it all out here.

Here are all of the classes that appealed to me...some slightly more legit choices than others...

Basic Pistol I - this is essentially what I already learned at Ladies' Night at Red's Shooting Range.
Hang Gliding - but alas I am too chicken....maybe one day...
Breakdancing - dang all the reality TV dance shows that make me think I could do this.
Intro to Street Jazz - curious as to what constitutes "street" jazz...I have visions of West Side Story.
Oil Painting - this is the only way I will get back into painting regularly...but it is also one of the most costly options...will have to wait for the summer.
How to Write a Comic Book Strip - my brothers used to make me do this all the time; might as well put my talents to use.
Writing Your First Book - they make it sound so simple.
How to Become a Private Eye 101 - umm...seriously considering this one-day seminar; and now, as if it wasn't bad enough that I am already in a Hall & Oates phase, I have the song Private Eyes permanently stuck in my head.

These classes caught my eye, but only because I'm highly skeptical of the course content...

Write a Book in 3 Weeks - is this something that can really be taught?
Forgiveness Made Easy - refer to previous question. the "made easy" part is what I question.
Meditating with the Angels - really? it's sad that someone is going to make money for teaching this class...and even sadder that someone will pay to take this class.

I actually signed up to take the following two classes...

Texas Wine & Cheese - I mean, how could I pass a class up that involved wine and cheese?!
Personal Expression in Photography - keeping my fingers crossed that I will get in...out of college, but still subjected to being on a wait list for the class that I want!

long ride home

2008-09-09T16:21:00.007-05:00

This past weekend, I made a long over-due trip back to Buna to catch up with my family, etc. It was weird going back this time around...especially since it was just me (no Mitch or Taylor tagging along for this trip). Heading back to the piney woods always brings back a surge of memories and emotions...some good, some not-so-good. In my mind, Buna exists in a space that has been frozen in time...in other words, I essentially expect everything to be the same as when I left it...even though I know the town (and the people) are changing just like everything else.

This weekend made me question why I've chosen to stay away for so long...it was a lot like having a hearty helping of comfort food for the soul. Nothing exceptionally great happened (in fact it was more of a sobering time), but I was just reminded of the community of people that have loved, raised and supported me...it made me realize how much I've taken that kind of environment for granted.

Highlights of the weekend include:

*Visiting both sets of grandparents

*Hanging out with my parents/aunts/uncles/family friends at their Sunday School social

*Nabbing a picture of the cow that is my mom's namesake (b/c it was born on her b-day)

*Eating at Fausto's with my parents (along with the entire Buna coaching staff)

*My mom's beef tips and rice...mmm...good stuff

*Gumbo courtesy of Tammy Gatlin :)

*Digging through old photographs for a Christmas gift project that I've started

*Watching the UT football game with my dad

*Getting a FryDaddy and 2lbs of fish (apparently my papa feels like it's time for me to learn how to fry my own fish...I was told if I didn't screw up this batch, then he would give me more fish to cook the next time I come home)

This past weekend was also incredibly sad...a good family friend, Mr. Bill Lee, passed away on Saturday evening. Growing up, he and his wife (Essie) were pretty much like an additional set of grandparents to me. They've been a part of my life ever since I was a toddler...some of my first memories are from back when my parents would go square-dancing with Lee's (and yes, I do have some glorious pics of their dancing exploits). I think everyone else was a lot more prepared for his passing than I was; his health had been declining for quite some time. I just was unaware of how truly serious his condition was. My mom called as I was driving in on Friday to tell me that she and my dad were headed to the hospital...they had gotten a call that Bill was not expected to make it through the night. It was then that reality really began to set in.

I was at home by myself when the calls started coming in on Saturday evening to let us know that he had passed....and being the coward that I am, I refused to answer the phone because a.) I was operating on a "if I ignore it, then nothing bad happened" mentality (lame, I know), because answering the phone meant that it was real, not just speculation... b.) I didn't want to be the person responsible for giving the news to my parents, etc. As bad as the "not answering the phone" episode, I am more frustrated with myself for not staying in town to go the funeral yesterday, because I should have been there...especially for Essie.