Jamie's Joys

Friday Five

2010-07-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Spent the Fourth of July weekend with Rachel, Joe and Zeke. Did the same thing in 2009, so it must be a new tradition. I love that even though we both live in the Metroplex, I pack an overnight bag and stay over all weekend. It's like going out of town.
I'm rereading the Harry Potter books, and man, is Goblet of Fire dark and devastating. And knowing what comes next in Order of the Phoenix, Rowling planted the seeds for that oppressive atmosphere perfectly with inaccurate Potter stories in the paper and Ministry staff troubles.
I'm watching the Community marathon on NBC. I love this ridiculously goofy show! The episode "Modern Warfare" was one of the best episodes of TV all season, and "Physical Education" (THE pool game) is still funny. And the college mascot is the Human Being.
Who is enjoying the break in the heat? Saw fireworks last Saturday night and could have used a light jacket. Love it!
Not much else going on. To be honest, I love being lazy on my work-free weeknights. I'm flying through books and catching up on TV shows. And cooking dinner.

Friday Five

2010-06-22T20:41:00.004-05:00

I keep forgetting to blog!

So last Thursday I went with some friends to see Idina Menzel at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. That woman knows how to command a stage. She sang "Poker Face" from GLEE, which is not a song you would ever associate with the symphony. She closed with "Defying Gravity" of course. But my favorite song was an a cappella version of "For Good," also from WICKED. She even dropped her mic, so it was just her natural voice filling the Meyerson. I almost cried. And just thinking about it gives me chills. We bought the cheap seats behind the orchestra, but it was worth it, even though Idina's back was to us most of the time. So that is what I was doing last Thursday night instead of blogging. I think you can forgive me. And this Thursday I was working and didn't get home until almost 10 p.m.
By the way, loved doing something social on a Thursday instead of working. I did give up my WICKED ticket last night because of a work conflict, but I have already seen the show. And I've heard this touring cast underwhelms.
I just finished reading the book "Devil in the White City" about the Chicago World's Fair and a charming local serial killer . What I learned: the Ferris Wheel is so named after the engineer who designed it for the World's Fair; Shredded Wheat cereal made it's debut at the Fair; the Pledge of Allegiance originated because one man thought it would be a good idea if all the school children recited something in unison to observe Columbus Day and acknowledge Dedication Day of the Fair.
Loving me some "30 for 30" documentaries on ESPN. I've only seen three, but they've all been excellent.
I finally bought a bookcase for my living room. The absence of boxes make the place feel more like home.

Friday Five

2010-06-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

I grew accustomed to not blogging over the last two months, and I forgot to blog last week. Oops. I don't have much life news to share.
Our office was closed Friday and Monday for Memorial Day weekend. Awesome. I didn't have many plans, and that is how I wanted it. After eight straight working weekends and three Relay weekends in a row, it was great to do nothing. The weekend also announced that summer is officially here. Janie and I played tennis and barely lasted 30 minutes. Too hot. So we've moved our weekly game from Sunday afternoon to Friday evening.
Love this photo! Love that the Maldives government held an underwater cabinet meeting to draw attention to the dangers of global warming. Talk about creativity.
The French Open started two weeks ago, and my fave player - Rafael Nadal - is expected to advance to the final and win his fifth Roland Garros title. Yay! Catch some tennis this weekend on NBC. Neither female finalist has ever played in a Grand Slam final, so expect some shaky, nervous tennis.
I need some reading suggestions. If you've read a good book lately, put it in the comments. I devoured the final Lisbeth Salander (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) book over the weekend. Ready for something new.

Friday Five: It's Back

2010-05-21T18:36:00.006-05:00

Wow. I haven't blogged since March. Life definitely got busy around that time. Relay consumed me. I've worked every weekend since April and the past three weekends have been Relay events. Relay is from 7 p.m. - 7 a.m. on Friday, so it took a lot out of me. But I think I've caught up on my sleep. Caffeine is keeping me up at night (that hasn't happened since March) and this morning I work up fully rested an hour before my alarm was set. And next week I start exercising again. I really think my strategy of not waking up before 8 a.m. sped up my recovery.
Here are a few pictures from my last Relay. We had to move indoors because of inclement weather, but everyone still showed up. It was great! It would cross into the awesome category if I had achieved my income goal. (If anyone has a spare $50,000 they would like to donate to the American Cancer Society, you can be my BFF.)
I did see Patty Griffin in concert in April (?). She was awesome! She closed with "Up to the Mountain," my favorite song. Ready to see Indina Menzel at the Symphony next month.
Despite all my night meetings, I have managed to keep up with all the TV shows I watch. Random thoughts. Cannot believe LOST is ending on Sunday. It's the end of an era! So not in to the Office this year. Haven't watched the last three episodes, including the finale. I don't think I like the new Doctor (Who). Something about this character is unlikeable, which I never felt about David Tennant's Doctor. Loving Party Down this season. And loving that you can stream it free on Netflix. Still bothered by the recorded musical numbers in GLEE because background noises - clapping, stomping, cast reactions - aren't included and take away from the authenticity of the performances. That said, the Madonna episode was awesome, as was NPH and the entire "Dream On" episode. Joss Whedon is a TV god.
Haven't been reading. Anyone have any recommendations for me?

Friday Five

2010-03-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday is Passport Day! I have a firm belief that everyone should possess a valid passport. You never know when the opportunity to travel will present itself, and you always want to be able to GO! On Saturday, passport agencieswill be open from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., no appointment necessary. (Not all agencies are open on Saturday and usually require appointments.) Take advantage of this opportunity! If not for the opportunity to travel, then for the cost. The State Department has proposed new passport fees, and if they go into effect, new passports will cost $135 (instead of $100) and renewals will cost $110 (instead of $75.)
I had a birthday dinner with my family last Saturday. Because I was skiing on my actual birthday, I thought I had missed out on my annual cookie cake. I may be 31 years old, but I still require a cookie cake for my birthday. For my 30th, I had two! Thanks to my Mom for remembering.
I encourage you all the buy the new She & Him album, Volume Two. In full disclosure, I
have not listened to it yet. (I thought I downloaded it twice, but iTunes had a glitch. Imagine my disappointment two mornings in a row when I planned on listening to the new album on the way to work.) But I love, love, love Volume One. Listening to their music is like being transported to Paris in springtime. Who doesn't want that? The She of She & Him is actress Zooey Deschanel. One more reason to love her. Just go ahead and buy both albums. You won't regret it.
In just over a week, Lent will be over and so will my fast of caffeine and carbonated drinks. Last week I was bored of drinking water. This week I'm used to it. But I am looking forward to having my first Diet Dr. Pepper from Sonic after 40+ days.
I don't know if I have mentioned on this blog how much I love the Vulture blog from New York Magazine. For all you LOST watchers, they have an episode recap AND compile a list of their favorite LOST theories. Check it out. WARNING: They did not like this week's episode.

Friday Five

2010-03-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

College Humor does a nice job making fun of several of the Oscar-nominated movies in this collection of posters. Check it out.

Honest Movie Titles: Oscars 2010 on CollegeHumor
Had a great time skiing last weekend. Trip was cut short by a winter storm expected to bring 18 inches of snow overnight. We decided to not stick around for that. I love skiing. Want to do more of it.
Finally, in the eleventh week of 2010, I read my first two weeks of the year. Can't believe it took me so long. One I started the final week of 2009. So I turned that into a streak and made a trip to the library. Here's hoping the reading continues.
In honor of Kathryn Bigelow's success at the Oscars, I'm watching all her previous films. Through this process I have voluntarily subjected myself to a Keanu Reeves film. I had no idea he starred in a movie with Patrick Swayze. Kathryn creates suspense well and frames scenes well.
Micheal and Darryl simultaneously saying, "That's what she said" = AWESOME!

Friday Five

2010-03-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Recently discovered a fun Canadian TV show called "Being Erica." It's about a 30ish woman with career, romantic and family drama. A "therapist" finds her after an accident and helps her take charge of her life my sending her back in time to fix her mistakes. Time travel dramedy. Sounds kind of cheesy, but it's not. Erica - and the actress that plays her - is awesome! She's not perfect, but she's strong and likable. Give it a try on Hulu.
The Oscars came and wen,t and the Hurt Locker prevailed. I've written about this excellent film before, so now that it's won the Oscar for best picture and director, will you see it? I knew Sandra Bullock was going to win, and even though I don't feel it's deserved, she gave the best acceptance speech I've heard in years. Funny, heartfelt and authentic. Makes the win more bearable. I was 18/24 with my Oscar predictions. Not bad. How about you?
Going skiing this weekend! Yippee. Just New Mexico this time, so the trip is shorter. Foot still bothering me, but I think it will hold up.
The second week of the month is my busiest because I work regular hours and also Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. And this week also included a Wednesday evening meeting. Until Wednesday afternoon, when my Wednesday meeting was canceled. It's amazing how much joy I felt in that cancellation. When I'm in Relay mode, I almost don't think twice about scheduling meetings at night or on the weekends (I have Saturday morning and Friday evening appointments in the next month.) I always look forward to the slow summer. Which is the complete opposite of my job in Lubbock.
Maybe I'll pick up a book on my ski trip, which I haven't done since the last time i went skiing. In December. Crazy. I know. It's March!

Friday Five

2010-03-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

I finally ran a half marathon! Cowtown 2010. Due to my lack of training, I completed it with a three-minute run/two-minute walk formula, but I still finished! Yippee. I could barely walk later that day, but who cares. Here are a few pictures.

Before
During

After
I was going to give up running after the Cowtown, but I loved the experience too much. So I'm giving in and finding a sports medicine doctor to check out my foot. Recommendations anyone?
The weather has been great the past few days. Bring on the sunshine!
Ready for the Oscars on Sunday!
I have writer's block.

Friday Five

2010-02-26T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm participating in my first half marathon on Saturday. Due to injury and the realization that I don't enjoy the run-walk program I was doing, I'm not trained. Neither is Joe. So we'll suffer together. I actually like running, which is why I decided to sign up for the half in the first place. But I don't like running with walk breaks, which is how I was training. So I lost my motivation to wake up early in the morning and train. Maybe I'll try again. Maybe I'll give up running. Maybe I'll give in and see a specialist about my foot. We'll see.
LOST Theory of the Week from Televisionary:
"My current (and possibly off-the-wall theory) is that the flashbacks we've seen over the years were in fact the moments that were seen by Jacob at the looking-glass. I've long wondered if Jacob either exists outside the boundaries of time and space (thus able to manifest as both his past incarnation--the bloodied teenage boy--and his ghostly adult self and appear off- and on-island) or is able to perceive the world through the veil of time, perhaps aided by the looking-glass. Just as Smokey was able to scan the castaways upon coming upon them (as seen when he "reads" Mr. Eko way back when), Jacob is perhaps able to watch these key moments unfold. Which would therefore make the flashbacks not only key plot points but also integral to the larger narrative, giving us an plot-based explanation for why they exist within the series and making Jacob not just a player in the larger game but also one of us as well: a viewer, privy to these characters' pasts in a way that only an omniscient narrator can be."
I'm enjoying my life without caffeine and sodas. Because I'd been drinking caffeine-free Diet Coke or Diet DP when I had the opportunity, I didn't experience caffeine withdraw. I am enjoying sleeping better, except when the stress of my job keeps me awake, like it did one night this week.
As much as I love the Olympics, I'm starting to tire of them. At the same time, I just sat on the edge of my couch watching the results of the Nordic Combined. But that is because I love sports in general. I do not love NBC's time-delayed coverage, which is senseless from Games in the same continent and with results posted on the internet before before aired on NBC.
So haven't been reading lately. It's been Olympics and movies all the time. I still haven't finished the Andre Agassi autobiography I started in December. I devour books, so if I take a break, I don't usually finish. But I want to finish. Have to make myself.

Friday Five

2010-02-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've seen all 10 nominees for Best Picture. Finally. I'm partial to the Hurt Locker. Rent it today. It's a thriller about disarming bombs. Don't skip it just because you think it's a "war movie." It's not. Tthe war in Afghanistan is the setting. And it has great cinematography. And it's a directed by a female, the front runner to win and become the first woman best director winner.
It feels like ages ago that we had snow, doesn't it? I didn't go into work Thursday or Friday. On Thursday, I walked a mile or so to eat lunch because I didn't have groceries. I knew the roads weren't bad, but I love the snow, so why not? Here are a few pictures from my journey. (I took them with my new phone; it has a zoom!)

I love the hay barrels in this photo. This is in a field behind my apartment complex.

The resort-style pool at my apartment. Loved the juxtaposition in this photo. Palm trees covered in snow.The road I walked from my apartment to Chick-fil-A.
On Friday, I went a little stir crazy. I got out in the afternoon and drove to the mall to see a movie. Poorly chose "Valentine's Day." Do not waste your time or your money. Skip it and put "Love, Actually" in your DVD player. You will thank me.
Saw the Greencards in concert last Wednesday and Zane Williams (!) two days ago. I haven't seen Zane since college. He sounded good, but the venue was awful. Horrible acoustics. Want to see him again when I can really hear what he is singing.
Going to see a documentary film festival this Saturday in Denton. If that interests you and you want to tag along, let me know. We are going to see three Oscar-nominated docs, including the "Cove." So if you are anti-dolphin slaughter, this is the movie for you.

Friday Five: Oscar Nominations

2010-02-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

I love movies. Shocking revelation, I know. Tuesday was Oscar nomination day, and I have opinions on those nominations. Again, shocking.

Unless you've been living under a rock (or simply don't care, which if that is the case, I won't be offended if you stop reading now), the AMPAS expanded the best picture list to include 10 (10!) movies. Crazy. Nominees and my reaction below.
-Avatar
- the Blind Side
- District 9
- An Education
- Hurt Locker
- Inglourious Basterds
- Precious
- A Serious Man (have not seen)
- Up (have not seen)
- Up in the Air

Super excited about the inclusion of District 9 on this list. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Avatar has to have the worst dialogue of any Best Picture nominee, possibly ever. So bad it was distracting. The Blind Side, really? Tim McGraw can now say he starred in an Oscar-nominated movie.
Overall, don't see the point of expanding the list when the Best Director category is still five. Movies there weren't nominated for best directing are the "second-class citizens" of the best pic race. But with the inclusion of Avatar, the Blind Side, Up and Inglourious Basters, maybe ratings will increase.
What happens if Up loses the Oscar for animation? How can the Academy justify that? It was good enough to be nominated for the overall best picture race, but somehow is not considered the best animated film?
Kathryn Bigelow might become the first woman to win the Oscar for best director! Lee Daniels is the first African American man to be nominated for best director! Exciting! Except I have mixed feelings about Daniels inclusion. Saw Precious, liked it, recommend it. Daniels pulled incredible performances out of his cast - two receiving Oscar nominations - and deserves credit. But I didn't like many choices he made shooting and editing the film, including, but not limited to, the scenes in and around the fantasies. So mixed feelings.
In the Loop was nominated for adapted screenplay. Wow. Just saw this movie last week. Probably the most profane movie every nominated for an screenplay Oscar. You know how sometimes, you watch a movie with repetitive foul language and you get used to it by the end. The profanity in this movie is so over the top (and creative) that you always notice it. It's a British comedy about the lead up the Iraq war. But it's very smart and clever and deserving.

Friday Five

2010-01-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

For my (few) regular readers, I'm not done with my Best of the Decade series, I'm just struggling with the TV and music lists. Challenges, challenges. To be continued.
Super excited about the premier of LOST next week. Bummed that I work every Tuesday night and can't watch the episodes live. What is going to happen? Totally love these posters for LOST. Check out more here.
Recently released movies you should add to your Netflix queue immediately: the Hurt Locker, the Cove (propaganda with disturbing footage, but worth knowing about), and (500) Days of Summer. Yay!
Glad the work week is over. I worked Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in addition to regular working hours. And I'm not done yet. I'm working 11-4 tomorrow.
Recent happy thoughts:
-"What the Fraggle Rock is going on here?" - Scrubs
-"stealing" wi-fi from the parking lot
-people sitting on the floor reading in a bookstore
-watching tape-delayed sports instead of looking up the scores
-Conan: "Let's have fun on television!" followed by jumping and dancing
-playing tennis and cooking with Janie on Sunday

Best of the Decade: Movies

2010-01-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm constantly debating myself on the criteria for my favorite movies of the decade. Ultimately, I decided to only include movies I own - with exceptions.

Exception one: documentaries. I have seen some exceptional documentaries, but I don't own any of them. I figured I'd be doing those docs and my faithful readers a disservice by not including them.

Exception two: movies I expect to own or think I own. Think I own? Movies I've tried to watch several times, only to be frustrated by their absence from my library. But when I go shopping for movies, I never remember to look for them (because I think I own them.) So I'm counting those movies. Besides, it's my blog and my list, and I make the rules.

So, here are my favorite movies of the decade, once again in alphabetical order. I'm still torn between some of the movies on the official list and my honorable mention. I just love so many movies! If you like the illustrations, check out the work of Elloh at her Etsy shop.

Almost Famous. Hands down my favorite Cameron Crowe film of the decade. A teenage boy goes on the road as a rock journalist and discovers himself and his passion. Crowe based the film on his own life experiences and the authenticity helps the movie resonate. It also has great characters. Watching this movie makes me shake my head at Kate Hudson's career choices. Her breakthrough performance 10 years ago is far and away the best performance of her career.
Amelie. Love at first sight, baby. Some movies pull you in instantly, like this one. How can you not be charmed by Amelie and her romantic journey and her quest to help others find happiness? Add in the city of Paris and gorgeous cinematography, and you have a winner. Seriously, check this movie out now.
Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. (Before Sunrise came out in 1995, but I saw it in 2003. And you need to watch them in order, so I'm including both.) I like to think I would appreciate these movies even if I hadn't backpacked through Europe, but I can't be sure. The opening sequence of Sunrise left me giddy because it was so true to life. You meet strangers on trains, have deep and personal conversations, and alter your plans to travel with them, all before exchanging names. I lived it. From there, I was hooked. Nine years later, the sequel arrived, and I think I like it more than the original. The movies are one long conversation, set in Vienna and Paris, so don't expect much in terms of plot. But the point is the conversation and the relationship. Heads up: you might not like the ending, but I think it's perfect.
The Best of Youth. I've written about this Italian miniseries before, and I will keep encouraging you to watch it. The movie follows two brothers throughout their lives set against the backdrop of Italian history. It stars, who I like to call, the Italian Hugh Jackman, and it's just captivating. Great storytelling. And over the course of six hours (not a typo) you feel connected to the characters. And by the closing scene, you feel closure. The final scene is one of my favorites of the film because it communicated so much without words.
Brothers (the original Danish version). I just wrote about this film, so I won't say much more. This movie nails the nuances of all kind of relationships and manages to express so much with very little. And it's far superior to the recent American remake.
City of God. This film is about the slums of Brazil and what you must do to survive, with our hero using his love of photography to escape his surroundings. It's not easy to watch, but it is beautifully made. Somehow it wasn't nominated for the foreign film category in its eligible year, but returned the following year with director, cinematography, editing and screenplay nominations. So it's a well-made film.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Is there any genre film Ang Lee can't direct and direct well? I loved many things about this film: the breathtaking fight sequences, the dominant role of women, the heart.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry team up and the result is better than any of their solo efforts. Loved the originality (it won the Oscar for original screenplay)! The movie is such a fun, unique journey. Kate Winslet should have won her first Oscar for this performance. She is outstanding!
Grizzly Man. Fascinating is the best word to describe this movie. It's about a man who devoted his life to studying bears, believing that they are misunderstood by the human world. He lives with the bears every summer and this movie uses his own footage to chronicle his life until he is mauled to death (not shown). Fascinating.
Little Miss Sunshine. How can I leave off the movie that made me laugh more than any other movie I can remember. After I saw this movie, I called several people to tell them to go see this movie immediately. And I couldn't stop laughing long enough to do much talking. I also couldn't fall asleep because I kept remembering scenes in my head and laughing.
Memento. I say that my movie obsession began when my aunt took me to see the Spitfire Grill in high school, but Memento played a key role as well. I watched a lot of odd movies in college, and some were just awful. But this 2000 film convinced me that I had to keep searching. If I have to sit through a few duds to see a movie like Memento, it's worth it. This revenge thriller is told backwards because the protagonist has a memory disorder that prevents him from making new memories. If you want to know why so many fanboys were excited when Chris Nolan took over the Batman franchise, this movie is the reason.
Moulin Rouge! I was in Europe when this movie came out, and didn't know much about it. I remember turning to Janie in the middle of the Elephant Love Medley and saying, "I love this movie." And that moment, when a movie overtakes you, is one of the reasons I love cinema. I still can't believe Baz Luhrmann didn't receive a best director nomination for this movie. It's travishamockery that boring Ron Howard and an overrated Beautiful Mind beat out Baz. Anyone could have made a Beautiful Mind; there was nothing distinct or special about it (multiple personalities represented by real actors does not count). Baz Luhrmann is the only person who could have made Moulin Rouge! It breaks my heart every time I see it.
Murderball. Rugby-playing quadriplegics compete for Gold in the Paralympic Games in Athens. Really, that should be enough. Add double crossing coaches and other conflict, and you've got yourself an interesting movie.
Once. The little movie that could. I'm not sure I've seen a more perfect movie scene than when Glen and Marketa get to know each other while playing and singing "Falling Slowly." And what a song! (So glad it won the Oscar because it was essential to move the story forward. Hate it when songs that play over the credits win. What is the point?) I have a smile on my face the entire time I watch them. I can't find a movie clip to show you, only edited and cut ones, which don't do the scene justice. Again, some people aren't entirely thrilled with the ending, but it doesn't change my love for the film.
The Royal Tenenbaums. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I love the quirkiness of this film. Comedy with a heart.

Honorable Mention: Across the Universe (I'll take Julie Taymor reaching for the stars, sometimes hitting her target and sometimes missing, over cliched, blah romantic comedies any day), Big Fish (great visuals and a compelling story), Billy Elliott (what's not to like about a young boy falling in love with ballet), Bourne Trilogy (specifically the Paul Greengrass-directed second and third films - each one got better), Children of Men (kind of dark, with only a slight ray of hope at the end, but man, gorgeous to look it), Hairspray (fell in love with this movie by the end of the opening song), Hero (loved the decision to drench fight sequences in certain colors), In America (one family's story of immigrating to America, not all happy, with young actresses that break your heart), Lars and the Real Girl (delightful and moving; don't be turned off my premise of man dating sex doll), Pride and Prejudice (love the Keira Knightley version and how it portrays the character of Elizabeth), Slumdog Millionaire (a romance disguised as a thriller, this movie will steal your heart) , Stranger than Fiction (this movie comes across like a book, and it has brilliant moments, like when Will Ferrell brings Maggie G. flours), Waitress (slightly odd tone, but very lovable film with a great performance Keri Russell; takes on an added depth when you know the writer/director and star was murdered before it's release)

Best of the Decade: Books

2010-01-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm jumping on the best-of-the-decade bandwagon with lists of my favorite books, movies and TV shows. This week is all about books.

Just to clarify for those of you that don't know, I have a horrible memory. Mainly, it's the recall. If you ask me to name the last five books I read, I can't do it. But if you show me a list of books, I can remember which ones I've read. All that to say, I started keeping a reading list in 1999. And since 2000, I've read approximately 243 books. I still forget to write down every book (my most recent completion and the entire Twilight series were left off; who knows what else.)

I decided to be generous with the list. I went through my list and marked any book that stood out. I went back through and excluded anything that didn't stack up. Not too scientific. The list is in alphabetical order, with the year I read it included, and series listed together.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (London, 2002). Great story, great writing. You've probably read it. What else is there to say?
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (2008). I didn't want to put this book down, and it's about gardening, cooking and eating.
The BourneTrilogy - Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum (2003). Started the first book and didn't stop reading until I finished the third and final book. I'm not saying these are top quality books, but the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter keep you reading. Finding a book you can't put down is one of the reasons we read. The books were a jumping off point for the movies, so the plots are different.
Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (2003). I read the Da Vinci Code on a bus and couldn't put it down. Enjoyed Angels and Demons even more; even read it twice. I've also loved thrillers, even though you won't find a Grisham book on my list. (Hmmm. I read eight of them. I guess none stood out.)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Little Alters Everywhere by Rebecca Wells (2000 and 2002). Not perfect books, but I loved the style and the characters. And these books were loved by my friends, creating a shared experience.
Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer (2003). Now for something completely different, this true crime novel won the Pulitzer in 1980 and tells the story of the first man executed after the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. I remember reading this book at the kitchen table instead of eating during my lunch breaks. Not light reading.
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (2006). I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that reading this book did not result in permanent changes in my behavior, just temporary ones. Maybe I should read it every year. Because I want to act on what I learned in this book, and that action should not be eating fast food. It's just not a positive action.
Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner (2006). A quest-for-faith memoir that includes embracing Judaism and Christianity. I enjoyed reading this book because the author's writing style matches the way I think. Everything about this book made sense to me.
Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling (2002-2007). How could I not include this series? It was the biggest literary sensation of the decade. Even though the first book was published in 1998, I didn't read it until 2002, in England, with the title "HP & the Philosopher's Stone." I want the entire series in hardcover, but I will always cherish my British paperback. Because I made the decision to wait and read the books until right before the movie releases, I had the shocking revelation in Book 6 spoiled for me. No fun. So I read the final book right after its release. Can't wait to read the series again.
His Dark Materials Trilogy: Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (2007). Another British, young adult series makes the list. In this series, a young heroine fights a corrupt government and makes the ultimate sacrifice to win. Heartbreaking. I wasn't offended by these books and the perceived anti-God theme, but some might be.
Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2009). A society that forces children to compete in a gladiator-style competition to the death broadcast on TV may not sound like the ideal plot for a young adult book, but it is. And it's excellent. Another story of youth fighting a corrupt government. Great pacing and characters. Can't wait for the third book in the trilogy to be released.
Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Sons by Khaled Hosseini (2006 and 2007). Different stories, but the author and setting are the same, so I'm clumping them together. Great stories, great writing, and a great window into a culture that is dominating the news.
Lamb by Christopher Moore (2004). I love to read and love to laugh but very rarely do books make me laugh. I laughed out loud all the way through this book. This is a religious satire, so if you can't handle reading about Jesus doing "sacrilegious" things, don't try it. To me, that is what made it so funny. And because I read this book, I had a conversation with a stranger on a plane about religion and politics, separation of church and state, Christians and Bush, abortion and homosexuality. All because of a book.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2005). Magical storytelling is how I've heard this book described, and I have to agree. It's a story you can't resist.
Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg (London, 2002). The book is interesting as much for the man it deconstructs as the role his celebrity plays in the story of his life.
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (2007). Not as easy read but worthwhile because of how the story is told and the character of Susie Salmon.
Madam Secretary by Madeleine Albright (2009). Loved the insight into the inner workers of foreign policy combined with her personal life story.
McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy (backpacking, 2002). Sometimes a book lands in your lap at the perfect time, and such is the case with this book. By the time I read this, I'd spent 10 months living and working in London and Ireland, and had just started backpacking across Europe. And here was a book about a man on a journey through Ireland to discover if you can ever full belong in a country you weren't born and raised in. I was on the same journey.
My Life in France by Julia Child (2009). Reading this book made me want to get to know Julia Child even more. And the fact that she found her calling so late in life is inspirational.
Personal History by Katharine Graham (2001). Graham was the editor of the Washington Post Co. during Watergate and the Pentagon Papers scandals. Well-written novel about the inner workers of journalism and being a successful woman in a man's world.
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (2001). One of my all-time favorite books, I've read this book more times than I can remember. Every chapter is written from the perspective of a different daughter in the family, and they each have a unique voice.
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (2006). Living with or without freedom, oppression and the role of women, and the power of art and literature all combine to produce a moving memoir.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X (backpacking, 2002). I remember sitting in a train station in Paris forcing myself to finish this book before I moved on. A good book will always slow you down. And what is not interesting about this man's life and his journey?
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (London, 2002). Any one can make a difference, as this true story proves.
The Hours by Michael Cunningham (London, 2002, 2003). I kept rereading sentences and paragraphs because they were so beautiful. Even read the book twice. Three intertwining stories, all centered on Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway." Reader beware: dark tone.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2007). Couldn't put this dark, apocalyptic book down. I read it in one sitting, staying up half the night to do it.
Thursday Next Novels by Jasper Fforde (2004). Reading these books was fun! I've heard this series compared to an adult Harry Potter series. Kind of sci-fi meets literature. Thursday Next is a literary detective in England in the future. Silly, but fun and smart. And fun!
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer (2007). Under the Banner of Heaven is an intriguing study of Mormon Fundamentalism. To understand Mormon Fundamentalism, you have to understand the history of Mormonism and why the Fundamentalists have broken off from the official Mormon church. The author includes a lengthy reference list, but I wanted a more immediate attribution of facts to base some of his claims.
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. Almost nothing like the movie, this book is about an American couple that lives in Italy during the summer and and their experiences. Being someone that has lived in a different country and adapted to a different culture, I enjoyed enjoyed this person's perspective.
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg (London, 2002). I just like the style of this book. If I were to look through my happy list from this time in my life, I would find quotes from the book.
Where the Heart is by Billie Letts (2000). Finally, a book from the first year of the decade. Is this book great literature? No. Do I love it? Absolutely. I even own the movie based on the book. To be honest, I read it so long ago, I can't remember why I love it. But if still feels like a part of me.
White Teeth by Zadie Smith (2001). Again, I read this book so long ago. Simply, this book is about multiculturalism and the immigrant experience. Sounds like a book I would have picked up in London (that is the setting), but I read it a few months before I moved there. I remember being surprised by this book, feeling like I was reading something unique.
Wicked by Gregory Maguire (2005). Did not expect the political angle when I picked up this book, but I ate it up. A little uneven, but worth reading. A book you want your friends to read so you can talk about it together.

And those are my favorite books of the decade. Did I miss anything you would include? Totally disagree with any of my selections. Sound off in the comments.

A White Christmas!

2009-12-25T11:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

The holidays were weird this year. My family celebrated Thanksgiving on Wednesday, and on Thanksgiving day, I went to a Cowboys game with Eileen. For Christmas, my family celebrated on Monday. On Tuesday my sister and her husband went to spend Christmas with his family, and on Wednesday my parents drove to Phoenix to visit my Dad's brother and his kids. So today, on Christmas Eve, my aunt and I went to see a movie, and then she came over for dinner and a movie. I made Christmas fettuccine (with alfredo pesto, shrimp and veggies) and then we watched The Holiday, where they eat Christmas fettuccine. And then we took these pictures. It snowed all day Christmas Eve! The day prior I wore a short sleeves.

My car covered in snow!

My and my aunt.

Who says we can't have a White Christmas in Texas?

Friday Five

2009-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

My car doesn't vibrate anymore. It's amazing! Always thought it was normal because Rachel's Saturn did the same thing in common. Absolutely not normal. I had two engine mounts replaced - one bent and one broken. Yikes.
Today is my last day of work until January! And today is a department Christmas party, which includes breakfast and ice skating at the Galleria. Yay!
As part of our office Christmas party - yes, that equals two work Christmas parties - we had a door-decorating contest. I joined forces with the girl next door, and this is our creation.

I'm sure you immediately guessed the "scene" on the wall, but in case you had a little trouble, Santa and his reindeer had a little accident and their sleigh crashed into a snow bank. We did not win the contest.
It makes me happy that Better Off Ted is back on the air! Kudos to ABC for renewing a poorly-rated, critically-acclaimed, FABULOUS comedy. If you don't already watch it, check it out Tuesdays on ABC.
I love this time of year. Yes, it's Christmas and all that, but it's also Oscar season. Several prominent critic groups, including the Golden Globes, announced their nominees or winners....and the Oscar speculation has begun. With 10 best picture nominees this year, the anticipation is greater than usual. Love it!

Friday Five

2009-12-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm worried about my car. Long story short, an 18-wheeler knocked the driver-side mirror off my car, so I took it to a dealership to replace. And of course they run a complimentary inspection to scare you into spending more money. And of course my card had six things that needed tending to. Several I've been putting off since July, and I'm still putting them off. But it looks like I might have some serious transmission issues. Old car with lots of mileage. No reason to pump lots of money into it. So say a little prayer that it's minor, and I don't need to start looking for a new car. I'm not ready!
One more week of work before the Christmas/PTO break. And some of that time is set aside for work Christmas parties.
Loved this Christmas tree made of Murano glass displayed in Venice!
I keep returning books to the library unfinished. My most recent return was a Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories. I don't do short stories. I try, but I always give up. One of the reasons I love reading is that feeling of being swept away by a story. With a short story, just about the time I'm connecting with the characters and being pulled in, it's over. I know I'm missing out on great stories and writing, but so far I haven't been able to move past my little hang up.
Stealing Janie's verbiage here...Janie and I have become professional concert-goers. Since I moved back to the Metroplex, we've seen U2, Derek Webb, Third Day, Greencards, multiple bands at a bar on Halloween, and tonight, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis! At the new performing arts center in Dallas.

Brothers

2009-12-04T13:16:00.003-06:00

Totally didn't realize it was Friday today. That makes me sound crazy, but the inconsistency of my work schedule makes me forget what day of the week it is, especially this week since I'm working Saturday morning. All that to say, no Friday Five this week.

But with the new movie Brothers (Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire) coming out, I wanted to put something out there. This movie is a remake of an incredible Danish film of the same name. It's a subtle, emotional drama about the dynamics of changing relationships. I loved it so much, it sent me on a Danish-film-watching adventure. And now I own the movie. The previews for the remake don't do justice to the plot, and just promote the the showdown at the end of the movie, which was not the purpose of the original film. I have not seen the new film, so I have no comment on it, other than I want to see it. But I want you to see the original Danish film. Watch it today, with Netflix streaming!

Friday Five

2009-11-27T06:00:00.001-06:00

I watched Twilight on DVD, but I saw New Moon on the big screen Sunday. Watching the movie in a theatre full of teen girls was an experience. The hoot & hollering that occurred when Jacob (Taylor Lautner) took of his shirt was worth the price of admission.
Being the faithful Cowboys fan I am, I've always wanted to go to a Thanksgiving game. Even before I followed the Cowboys, our family always watched the Thanksgiving game. This year, due to my sister's work schedule, we had Thanksgiving on Wednesday, freeing up my Thursday. Eileen and I were finalizing our plans for the Dec. 13 game when I mentioned how much I wanted to go to the Thanksgiving game. Her family celebrated Thanksgiving last week, and she could come to the game. So she brought her son, Darren, to town, and the three of us went to the Thanksgiving Cowboys game. My last year in Lubbock, I watched almost every game with Eileen, and taught Darren how to cheer for Romo and do touchdown dances, so they were the perfect people to go to the game with. Eileen went with me to a Cowboys game the final season in Texas Stadium, so it was fitting that we went to a game together the Cowboys first season in Arlington's Cowboys Stadium.
Participated in my first Turkey Trot. Because of the tendinitis in my foot, I haven't been in a race in more than a year. I miss racing, even though my goal is basic: to not finish last. The weather was great, if a bit cold at the beginning. I've been running with walk breaks to protect my foot but ran the entire Trot, and I loved it! I never get in a rhythm or groove when I train now because of all the walks breaks. So it felt great to do that for this race. I also loved the residents that watched and cheered from their front yards.
Monday Night Football last some of its relevance when it moved from broadcast TV to basic cable. (I will spare you my rant about that.) But I still love to watch the intro with Hank Williams singing "Are you ready for some football?" It's a perfect fit!
Can't wait for Christmas to get her. I'm taking off the week of Christmas - actually having Christmas on Monday - and the following week I'm going skiing in Colorado with Eileen, her family and some friends. Bring on the snow!

Friday Five

2009-11-19T06:00:00.001-06:00

I turned my library book in on the "Day of Grace" and was charged a late fee. What? When I went to pay, I asked why they didn't have a Day of Grace. Every (American) library I've used offered this benefit. Turns out a patrol that this policy was unfair because not everyone knew about it, and he took his complaint all the way to city hall. So now the library charges late fees the first day past due. Why would anyone complain about a policy designed to give customers a break? It must take a grumpy person to wage a battle against grace.
I'm only in the first chapter of My Life in France by Julia Child, and I already love it!
Even though it was abrupt, I enjoyed the seasonal temperatures this week. I actually got so cold at night, I had to close my window, turn down my fan and add a blanket. It makes me happy.
Plaid really is back, isn't it? It makes me feel old that fashion styles from my lifetime are cycling back.
I'm Team Jacob.

Friday Five

2009-11-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

One part of my job I'm still adjusting to is the openness of strangers. You walk into a business, introduce yourself, and the stranger before you starts spilling personal details about a cancer diagnosis or recent loss. I don't always feel comfortable with the conversation, but I always enjoy telling them the many different ways the ACS can help them.
I'm seeing the stage production of Sweeney Todd tonight. The trailers for the movie included the refrain, "I will have vengeance." And then I saw the movie. After that, I couldn't get that refrain out of my head! So if you see me in the next few weeks, expect that song to be in my head...and to pop out my mouth.
Oscar (from the Office) speaking in a Southern accent = hilarious!
I'm a little worried about my plan to run the half marathon in February. My tendinitis-afflicted foot has bothered me all week. And I'm only running three miles. Maybe this week is a fluke.
Even though it sounds ridiculous, I've never successfully cooked with a crock pot (other than queso). I follow the recipe, the cooking directions, everything, but my food always burns. Last week I made chicken tacos! And I had enough leftover chicken to make Mexican stack and tortilla soup throughout the week. I did leave work early to make sure my food didn't burn.

Friday Five

2009-10-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Went to a Derek Webb concert in Deep Ellum on Sunday. Between him and Third Day last week, it felt like 1998. Oh, college memories.
Anyone have any book recommendations? Leave them in the comments. I'm looking for my next favorite book.
So I've never seen a Chorus Line, but I just watched the documentary Every Little Step about casting the revival. Anyone seen the doc? Now I just need to see the Broadway show.
I had my performance evaluation today. Ouch. Got a "failing grade." Sucks to be in fundraising when the economy goes south. Because I didn't meet my money goal, I started at 65 points (out of 100.) Obviously, I wasn't perfect in every other category. At least it was a low year for everyone.
Read a great advance review of Place of Execution, the two-part miniseries premiering this Sunday on PBS' Masterpiece Contemporary. It's a psychological thriller about a filmmaker and a 45-year-old murder investigation. And it's British! Can't wait to watch it.

Friday Five: Short and Sweet

2009-10-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Saw Oprah and Martina McBride at the State Fair of Texas!
Went to a U2 concert at Cowboys Stadium! That place is huge!
To ACU Homecoming I went! No pictures though. Left the picture taking to Rachel, and she had to cancel at the last minute. Had fun hanging out with Rachel and Ben, Wendy and Lisa, and Jeremy. Good production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Saw Third Day in concert on Thursday (no pictures - I wrote this on Wednesday).
Decided to run the Cowtown Half Marathon on Feb. 27 with Joe V. and Jaime A. We are all first timers and slow, and our only goal is to finish. So join us!

Friday Five

2009-10-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Kristin Chenoweth was on GLEE this week, and she was amazing! I agree with Janie: If you own a TV, you should be watching GLEE. Although it's far from perfect, it's infectious. Even though this is the farthest thing from real life, I couldn't stop laughing when I watched this scene last week.
DIY headboard isn't complete yet, so here is a photo of my kitchen, one of my favorite areas of the apartment. Second favorite is the closet, but photos don't illustrate its vastness. I've always lived in apartments with small kitchen with limited storage and counter space. Not in my apartment! It's OK to be jealous.
I'm going to see the movie Precious tonight at a museum film festival. Ah, culture. Love it!
I've started running again, and it's going well. I'm including walk breaks to protect my foot, and so far it seems to be working. The goal is to train for a half marathon. I'm hoping the walk breaks will prevent my tendinitis from returning.
Gov. Perry's decision to replace three members of a commission investigating a possible wrongful execution stinks. It looks like a cover-up when the man that refused to stay his execution disrupts the investigation two days before a critical report is expected. Perry's decision could be justified, but I still think it stinks. No marketplace of ideas for Perry.

Friday Five

2009-09-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've been listening to NPR's Fresh Air podcast in the mornings when I run. Love it! The host, Terry Gross, is an amazing interviewer. She asks intelligent, probing questions, and it's always entertaining. Give it a try if you like arts and culture.
Is anyone else enjoying this Fall weather? I know it won't last, that the Texas heat will return before cool temperatures stick around, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
Here is a Before Picture from my new apartment. Boring bedroom. I decided to change my bedding, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. So I found a pillow with colors and a pattern I liked and started building. But right now, it's a boring room. Hopefully next week I will have an After Picture to share with you of my bedroom with a DIY head board I'm making with Rachel. I also need to repaint my lap because I bought it to go with my old bedding, which was black, white and red.
So I visited a church last week where the singles class series is about how to date. Literally. The teacher talked about what you should and shouldn't do to make a good impression on a first date so you'll go on a second date. That was the topic of discussion in Bible class! At the end, the teacher did tie it back to the Bible, by describing the Bible as the best guidebook you can find for making a good first impression on a date. I'm not joking.
I spent Thursday in one of my communities. I visited 10 businesses, had a lunch meeting and attended a Chamber mixer. It was exhausting. I'm glad the Chamber mixer included free fajitas because I did not feel like cooking dinner. I did win a free gift card to a spa!

Friday Five

2009-09-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Even though I'm doing the same job in a new location, it's totally different. I'm traveling much more frequently, which I like, even though it doesn't come naturally to me. Today I had lunch with a complete stranger to recruit her to be a volunteer. Mildly successful. Tomorrow I'm meeting another stranger for a similar reason. I am excited about my new assignment for October. Because it is Breast Health Month, I have to schedule at least 10 meetings with different organizations (including the mayors of all my territories) to talk about the ways we can encourage breast health among their female employees. I like this assignment because instead of asking people to help me, I am telling them what I can do for them.
Went to a Rangers game this week. In the rain. And they lost. But at least it was Dollar Hotdog Night. Thanks, Jenise, for the hook-up.
Many, many stories lines came out of the US Open, both positive and negative. I'm still in shock that Federer lost to Del Potro. I had that gut instinct it might happen, a la Safin's defeat of Sampras, but I didn't trust my instincts. I should always trust my instincts. They have a good track record.
The new season of TV is upon us! I have a slight obsession with numerous TV shows, so this is an exciting time of the year for me. And the Oscar-caliber movies start showing in theaters.
Sorry my posts have been boring lately. Other than the move, not much going on.

Friday Five

2009-09-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the lack of a new post last week. I'm adjusting to life in the Big City. I've lost an hour from the end of my day. This week I've been watching tennis all night, every night. So before I knew it, Friday came and went. But this week I found my routine. Sort of.
My job involves driving. That hasn't changed with my move. But I've lived in small cities with little traffic for the past six years. I'm still adjusting to the traffic and how quickly I go through a tank of gas. I've filled up three times this week!
I had a good Labor Day weekend. Went to WestFest with some friends. After living so close to West, eating kolaches isn't the novelty it once was. I still came home with some. And some jalapeno cornbread. Yummy. On Labor Day, I had barbecue and spent the day in the pool with some other friends. And I didn't even have to drive in for the weekend.
I have no motivation to decorate my apartment. I've unpacked everything (except books; I need a bookshelf) but I haven't put anything on the walls. I want something different than I have, but I don't want to spend money. (It's not cheap to cancel a lease.) So my apartment doesn't feel like home quite yet. Maybe I'll do that this weekend. Pictures to come.
I'm eating hazelnut gelato purchased from Central Market in Plano. So glad to live in DFW again!

Friday Five

2009-08-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am busy packing for my big move. I have boxes a-plenty, which I did not expect. We go through boxes quickly during event season because we are ordering so many materials. But event season ended in June, and the box surplus dried up. As luck would have it, one of the volunteers was adamant that the boxes for her event be recycled, and so she set them aside. And forgot to recycle them. So I load of my car with boxes every few days. If anything, I have too many boxes. So I will Reuse the boxes, and when I'm done, Recycle them. Everybody wins! Yes, simple things excite me.
Watching the trailer for Taking Woodstock on Sunday, I was reminded how much I like director Ang Lee. His resume is diverse, and his movies are always well made. I fell in love with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in college, and remember being surprised to learn that the director also made Sense and Sensibility. He's since won an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain, and made another foreign language film. It looks like he'll be adapting the Life of Pi for his next turn behind the camera. Check out the book if you haven't read it already.
For some interesting reading, check out the 'A Week Without...' series on the ReadyMade website. The first two diaries involve giving up plastic and processed foods for a week. Sometimes you don't realize how much you consume something until you give it up. On a related note, what is the best way you know to keep herbs fresh without using a paper towel? I followed the Rachael Ray method of folding most herbs into a paper towel and putting them into a plastic bag. I stopped buying paper towels over a year ago, so that doesn't work for me anymore. (I bought a roll a few weeks ago for a quick-fix rinse of quinoa, but once that roll is used up, I'm back to hand towels, so I need another method.)
I feel sorry for Hilary Clinton. Obviously, as a diplomat and representative of the United States, I expect her to control her temper and act more professional. But diplomats are not robots (or are they?) and feel insulted like the rest of us. And the question posed to her in the Congo was insulting, especially considering the purpose for the visit was to demand the government show zero tolerance for the rampant rape and torture of women in the country. I can only imagine the outcry for not practicing what she was preaching if she had ignored the insult and acted like nothing happened. I'm glad the whole world doesn't dissect and judge all the over-reactions I've made in my lifetime.
It's Blog Participation Time! As you know, I'll be living in the Metroplex this time next week, and I'm in need of a church home. I'm on the liberal side of the Church of Christ spectrum. I'm looking to make friends, so a vibrant singles group or young couples that don't discriminate is preferred. :-) Although Church of Christ is my heritage, I am open to other denominations. I'll be living in Lewisville, so I'm not looking to go to church in south Fort Worth. Where should I visit? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

* I'll be moving next Friday, so no blog post. Once I get settled, I'll post pictures of my apartment. Be prepared to be jealous of my closet.

Friday Five

2009-08-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Everything with the move is happening so quickly. I found out I got the job on Thursday, and on Sunday I found an apartment in Lewisville. Next week I'm traveling to one of my territories and meeting my new co-workers at a staff meeting. I've been in the right job at the wrong place, so this move should make everything click.
I'm going to see U2! I have always wanted to see them in concert. I knew they were coming to Dallas but the show sold out before I knew tickets were on sale. But they released more tickets this week, so I'm going with Janie and Jon! The concert is at the new Cowboys Stadium, so that makes it even more exciting!
Last week I skipped a number on my list. Here is what I intended to share. The picture is amazing. Can you imagine seeing it for yourself?
My computer was invaded by all sorts of mean viruses this week. Totally freaked me out because I thought I had the software to remove the viruses, but I did not. I had to purchase software online while my computer was hacked and hope for the best. So far, so good. (Knock on wood.) I called my credit card company immediately to let them know I authorized the charges but anything else was not mine; I hadn't used my credit card in more than a year so they had already sent me an email alert. Yay! I think the viruses are stalking me because they infected my work computer Thursday. By the end of today, I hope it's clean.
“Hmmm, usually this is the point in my process where Liz Lemon steps in and takes care of everything. Heavy is the head that eats the crayons. Gonna take a nap, see you in 10 hours.” - Tracy Jordan

Friday Five

2009-07-31T06:00:00.001-05:00

Raise your hands if you watched Torchwood: Children of the Earth on BBC America? Alexis? Very gripping television. And dark. I'm talking Battlestar Galactica and The Wire dark, possibly darker. Gotta love British television. It's available on DVD, so if you have similar taste to me, I encourage you check it out. But be prepared for it to sucker punch you. I thought this quote from a British TV critic described it quite well. "Anyone who had been watching Torchwood Friday as the prelude to a “big night out” would have silently taken off their stilettos around 9.30pm and sat silently on the sofa with a large vodka, crying." Probably not the best sales pitch. :-)
Seriously, what is with the Birthers? Love Obama or hate him, refusing to believe something despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary astounds me. And yet, their viewpoint keeps gaining ground. I'm writing about it! Did anyone else see the crazy lady on the Colbert Report. Check it out.

The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Womb Raiders - Orly Taitz
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Tasers
I know the Emmy nominations were announced weeks ago, but I just can't let it go. No Kyle Chandler or Connie Briton from Friday Night Lights? No Mary McDonnell from Battlestar Galactica? And as much as I love 30 Rock, it was nominated for all but one of the slots for comedy writing. Seems a little extreme.
So a few weeks ago I hinted that I might have exciting news to report. And I do. I am moving to Dallas! I am staying with the American Cancer Society, just moving to the North Texas Region. I'm super excited. My new jobs starts in month, so I have lots of packing, moving and apartment locating to do.

Friday Five

2009-07-24T16:46:00.003-05:00

After traveling three straight weekends, I used last week to be lazy, which is why I didn't blog. I slept in, read books, watched DVDs and relaxed. I'm traveling again this weekend, so it was much-needed.
After reading the biography of the Duchess of Devonshire, I'm ever-so happy I don't live in the 17th or 18th centuries. Women were completely dependent on their fathers or husbands. Even giving birth to a female was not greeted with enthusiasm. The Duchess' influence in political matters was unheard of and amazing.
Even though I've been in Central Texas since December, I'm still shocked when I walk outside and instantly start sweating because of the humidity. Crazy.
What exactly is the point of Supreme Court confirmation hearings? The candidates never say anything new, at least Roberts and Sotomayor didn't. Senators just get to grandstand, which is nothing new.
Overall, underwhelmed by the new Harry Potter movie. It felt like a teenage love story with a little Fighting Evil thrown in.

Friday Five

2009-07-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

I love watching movies or TV shows and reading books that make me think about subjects that don't come up in every day conversation. Can we ever overcome our true nature, if there is such a thing (A History of Violence)? What is the best argument for supporting gay marriage but not polygamy (Big Love)? How do we live in a world where the bad guys can't lose (Gomorrah)?
As I mature and continue to solidify my views and opinions, I keep coming back to how the church heritage I grew up in seems so at odds with the person I am today. The limited role of women is one of the areas where we disagree. You can find a great conversation about this issue at Rude Truth, a blog I just discovered. It's nice to know you aren't alone in your frustrations.
I'm traveling for the third weekend in a row, this time for work. Enough already! I just want to spend a lazy weekend at home doing all the things I haven't been able to do with all the traveling. And really, having to work on a hot weekend in July is cruel, don't you think?
I finished "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (still unsure about) and moved on to "Grace Eventually" (did not enjoy) and now I'm reading "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire." My to-read list just grew exponentially with recommendations by Newsweek and Nick Hornby. I think I'll start where they overlap.
Why is it so hard to find five things to write about every week?

Friday Five

2009-07-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Four-day weekend! Those don't come along too often, so I'm looking forward to it. Have a safe weekend!
Had a fun girls' weekend in the Metroplex with Lubbock friends last weekend. Ate a hot dog and garlic fries at a Rangers game; saw a chick flick (The Proposal: cute); ate fondue; chased fireworks in Grapevine (can't really say watched because we drove toward them and when we finally found a place to pull over, goodbye fireworks); had relaxing pedicures. All in all, a good weekend.
I might have some exciting news in a few weeks. Stay tuned. :-)
Watched Oscar-nominee "Waltz with Bashir" this week. Extremely moving film. The final images take your breath away. Wasn't sure what I thought of the film when it started (it's a foreign-language animated documentary about Israel's invasion of Lebanon and a specific incident) but as the movie concluded, I noticed I was leaning toward the TV in anticipation. Haunting images. War if awful. Highly recommended.
"Witty movies directed by Woody Allen" is one of the categories suggested by Netflix. I'm hit and miss on Woody Allen. Never see "Melinda and Melinda." The acting is so awful, I can't believe I watched the whole movie. I expected it to improve.

Friday Five

2009-06-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I keep thinking I'll get tired of the song "Gives You Hell" by the All American Rejects, but I haven't yet. Every time it comes on the radio, I turn up the volume.
Here's a photo of my beautiful sister and her husband. For all you ACU readers out there, Melanie's sister took her photos.
So I went from the shocking violence of the book Gomorrah to the surprising gore of Jane Austen with the book Pride and Prejudice and Zom bies. Austen's prose stands up well; the portions of the book written by her are superior to the additions by the new author. In case you are curious, a plague that turns humans to zombies is ravaging England. Mr. Bennett sends his daughters to the Orient to become trained warriors, and they are well trained, particularly Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy is also a skilled warrior. The plot is the same with much of Austen's writing, but with embellishments. Probably wouldn't recommend this book for the Austen purists. I haven't even made up my mind about it.
So the big entertainment news this week is the decision by the AMPAS to nominate 10 movies for Best Picture next year. Initial reaction: the "big prize" just became less prestigious. Hopefully more foreign films and documentaries will get nominated for BP this way, in addition to critically-acclaimed blockbusters. I will say this. My goal to see all films nominated in the major categories (picture, director, acting categories, foreign, documentary) just became more challenging.
Pete Sampras is my favorite tennis player. Federer surpassing the record set by Sampras for most Grand Slam titles is inevitable. I do not want him to set a new record at Wimbledon. Come on Roddick, Murray or Djokovic! Also, go Venus!

Friday Five

2009-06-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics to prove Rachel and I went to Denver for Brent's wedding.

Me and Rachel with the mountains behind us.
Me and the groom minutes before the ceremony.

The ACU gang that came to the wedding.

Me in the mountains, being adventurous. :-)
Country music has changed since the '90s, at least the country music endorsed by the radio stations. Can't stand most of it. I do like Lady Antebellum. They have an old-school country sound. And great vocals. And their lyrics aren't about drinking ... or whatever Kenny Chesney sings about.
I'm just about finished with the book "Gomorrah," the expose on the Italian organized crime network more powerful and violent than the Mafia. Crazy brutal! If that title sounds familiar, it's because the book was made into a movie. It's on my Netflix queue. What should I read next? Leave your suggestions in the comments. I think I've had enough murder and corruption, so send me in a different direction. I just want a book I can't put down, one with well-developed characters, good plot and excellent writing.
I finally saw John Michael Montgomery in concert! I've loved JMM since his first single, "Life's a Dance." He performed at an ACS charity event. I dressed up like a cowgirl for this event. It was fun! I now own a pair of cowboy boots. Here is a picture back at home after spending five hours outdoors on a hot Saturday. Luckily my job was in the shade.
I've blogged before about my buckwheat pancake recipe. The pancakes are small, about the size of the palm of your hand. The recipe makes two servings, pictured below.

Can you believe that is only two servings? I eat two pancakes for breakfast, topped with strawberries, and served with yogurt. I can't imagine eating seven of these dense pancakes in one setting. I make this recipe and it feeds me for two weeks (Monday-Thursday). (I don't know why this text is formatted as a link.)

Friday Five: Soapbox Edition

2009-06-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm mad at Kelly Clarkson. Get your eye-rolling out of the way now, Rachel. I like Kelly. I love the song "Breakaway," and it's the reason I have all her albums, except the most recent one. I've been resisting buying it because of the hit single, "My Life Would Suck Without You." I do not like the message this song sends, in particular the line, "Either way, I found out I'm nothing like you." I can't listen to that song without shaking my head at those lyrics. What kind of message is that to send to all the 13-year-old girls that love her? And what self-respecting female would release a song with that message in it? It's the whole "You complete me" messaging again. The idea that we are incomplete, pathetic, or nothing without another person infuriates me. And it doesn't matter if the other person is a boyfriend, parent, sibling, etc. And the song is about a dysfunction relationship, which makes the sentiment far worse.
Miss California USA Carrie Prejean. Enough already. I don't care if she lost her title because of her stance on gay marriage or for violating her contract. I will say this: freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Just ask the Dixie Chicks. And they don't represent a company with an image and brand to protect.
The uproar over Judge Sotomayer's "wise Latina women" comment. Yes, as the nominee for a vacancy on the Supreme Court, she is accountable for her opinions, public comments, etc. No problem questioning this comment. But man, it would be nice if people factored in context and background before making assumptions. I've read the entire text of the lecture this quote came from. Very interesting thoughts on the role our backgrounds, heritage, culture and experiences have on decision making. A good read. Here is the context.

"Justice O'Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases. I am not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.
Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society. [Holmes ruled to sterilize a woman against her will because "three generations of imbeciles is enough."] Until 1972, no Supreme Court case ever upheld the claim of a woman in a gender discrimination case. I, like Professor Carter, believe that we should not be so myopic as to believe that others of different experiences or backgrounds are incapable of understanding the values and needs of people from a different group. Many are so capable. As Judge Cedarbaum pointed out to me, nine white men on the Supreme Court in the past have done so on many occasions and on many issues, including Brown.
However, to understand takes time and effort, something that not all people are willing to give. For others, their experiences limit their ability to understand the experiences of others. Other simply do not care. Hence, one must accept the proposition that a difference there will be by the presence of women and people of color on the bench. Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see. My hope is that I will take the good from my experiences and extrapolate them further into areas with which I am unfamiliar. I simply do not know exactly what that difference will be in my judging. But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage."

Whatever you think about Judge Sotomayer after reading that is not important. What is important is that you read it and came to a conclusion. Based on the dialogue we've been reading and hearing in response to her comment, how many TV, radio and print media personalities do you think looked into her comment before decrying her a racist or unfit for the Supreme Court? Very few I would guess. Get the facts before making a decision. I encourage you to read the entire text. You can find it here.
I don't have a lot of patience for other people's emotional instability. Maybe this makes me a bad person, but I can't help it. Whatever your emotional issues and needs are, don't bring me into it. I won't indulge you because it is not good for you. Get yourself together! (Can you tell I'm an extremely rational person, which could be considered my issue.)
I ran out of soapbox topics. I'm about to walk out the door and head to a free outdoor concert along the river. Fun times!

Friday Five

2009-06-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm going to Denver this weekend for Brent's wedding. Happy for Brent. Ready to escape this Texas heat for cooler mountain air.
Now that my schedule is back to normal, I'm home at night to cook dinner. I bought a Williams-Sonoma "eating by color" cookbook at Marshall's for $5, and I've been cooking from it this week. I've only made four recipes, so I'm not ready to recommend the book, but it's fun mixing-and-matching recipes to eat five colors a day.
I'm sure you are all wondering what I did at work on Thursday. I practiced my hula-hoop skills! One of the guys in the accounting firm down the street stopped by the office to socialize. When he gets bored, he comes down to our office. A lady in my office is married to one the partners in his firm. Today he noticed a stack of hula hoops in someone's office. So he wanted to know who could hula hoop. If you said you could, he made you prove it. I said I wasn't very good, and he still made me prove it. After he left in disgrace - he was the worst one- someone picked up a hula hoop again and found the secret to keeping it going. We all tried again. And we called the guy back to the office to see our new hula-hoop skills. She wanted to have a "hula-off" between our offices in the street. I work for the American Cancer Society, and we take time to hula hoop.
Nadal lost his first ever match at the French Open. It's been a shocking French Open hasn't it, tennis fans? Anything can happen, but it looks like Federer is going to equal Sampras' record of Grand Slam titles in a few days. Most people will concede he is the Greatest of All Time if he wins this tournament, but I don't agree. How can you be the GOAT when you can't consistently beat another player (Nadal) in your generation?
Does anyone else enjoy the categories Netflix creates and provides recommendations for on the Netflix home page? So specific. Here are five categories I've seen recently, a little bonus Friday Five.
- Critically-acclaimed romantic thrillers
- Suspenseful space-travel TV shows
- Dark political documentaries
- Feel-good teen musicals
- Visually-striking dramas with strong female leads

Friday Five: iTunes Top Five

2009-05-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

What are the most played songs on your iPod? Here are my top five.

Chocolate (Edinburgh Live Version) by Snow Patrol. Several years ago, before Grey's Anatomy made Snow Patrol a household name, I bought a couple of their songs after reading a recommendation in Newsweek. I don't know what I expected to be the most played song in my iTunes library, but it wasn't this. I have added it to seven different playlists, which probably explains why it comes up in the rotation often.
My Savior My God by Aaron Shust. I can definitely understand why this is a top-five song. I usually play songs from my "Favorites" playlist or "All Songs by Artists" and Aaron Shust is the first artist list in both playlists.
You're Worthy of My Praise by Jeremy Camp. Before Jeremy Camp ever released his first album, he traveled to Cork, Ireland, as part of a mission trip and performed at the end of the week. I loved him! When I started hearing his songs on the radio in Lubbock, I couldn't believe he found success so quickly. I love to rock out to this song! Laugh all you want.
Be Near by Shane and Shane. Love Shane and Shane. Thanks, Janie, for introducing them to me. B Near is from my favorite Shane and Shane album, Carry Away. It's not my favorite Shane and Shane song though.
Lubbock or Leave It by the Dixie Chicks. My dad calls me a traitor and a communist for liking the Dixie Chicks. I will always like the Dixie Chicks. I like this song and this album, but I don't know if I would include this song in a list of my favorite Dixie Chicks songs, and yet it rotates through my iPod regularly. My favorite Dixie Chicks song, Top of the World, has played 22 fewer times than this song. Go figure

All in all, I'm a little surprised by the songs on this list. I guess this is what you get when you listen to your music on the shuffle setting constantly.

Friday Five: Catch Up

2009-05-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've resisted writing about the two weddings I was in - my sister's and Elisabeth's - due to the lack of pictures I have to add to this post. I didn't have my camera at either wedding and neither photographer has released photos. But ask and you shall receive. I was maid of honor in my little sister's wedding almost a month ago. Amanda's wedding was similar to what I would want. Simple but full of personality. Her lingerie shower/bachelorette party was one of the best ones I've attended: barbecue, margaritas and close friends only, no parents. May aunt and uncle from Arizona and cousin and his family from Alabama attended, so it was a minor family reunion.
Wedding number two was for college friend Elisabeth. Gorgeous wedding in an old, downtown church. Very classic and traditional. Great to see my Lubbock friends again.
My busy season at work is finished. I haven't known what to do with myself this week. The evenings seems to last forever. Plenty of time for cooking and cleaning, exercising, watching Netflix movies, anything I want to do.
My apartment complex is offering a recycling program, and by program, I mean a recycling dumpster on the grounds. Works for me. It's much easier than driving to the drop-off center in town, and I don't have to sort anything. I had the exciting privilege of being the first person to use the the shiny new dumpster.
It's been an interesting season finale season hasn't it? Jim and Pam are having a baby! Did Jack and Co. change the future? Does Booth really have amnesia? Chuck knows kung fu?

Friday Five: Movie Magic

2009-05-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

It's not secret I love movies. For this week's installment of Friday Five, I am going to list five moments of movie magic. What is movie magic? It's when you walk out of a theatre thinking you've seen the best movie of the year, or get on the phone and call everyone you know and tell them to watch a movie you've just seen, or a scene in a movie that movies you. These aren't my all-time favorite movie moments, just five recent ones. I do have that memory issue.

Once - The "Falling Slowly" music number. What a great scene.! The music is great (the song won an Oscar!) and everyone - the directors, actors, musicians and editors - gets what happens when people connect for the first time.
Moulin Rouge - The "Elephant Love Medley" number. I saw this movie with Janie, and halfway through this song, I turned to her and said, "I love this movie!" The eagerness of Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman's complete dedication to her role won me over. The whole movie is fabulous, but I still remember my reaction to this moment in the movie.
Before Sunrise - The opening train scene when Jesse and Celine meet for the first time. I was freaking out when I started watching this movie because I experienced what I was watching. Well, not exactly. I didn't get off a train with a guy I just met before telling him my name, but I did ask a guy to eat dinner with me before I knew his name. Many Americans watching this movie probably rolled their eyes at how far fetched this scene was, but it's authentic. Backpackers are a sub culture in Europe. If you meet someone on a train or in a hostel that speaks your language, you pursue the relationship, even if it's only a two hour train ride. You share personal things and exchange travel stories. And sometimes, like Jesse and Celine, you ask for more, and have a great experience. I actually like the sequel, Before Sunset, better than the original, but it was the opening train scene that stayed with me.
Little Miss Sunshine - The pageant scene. I have never laughed so hard at a movie as I did while watching Little Miss Sunshine. The whole movie is funny, but Olive's performance in the pageant tops it all. Once I started laughing, I couldn't stop. I was laughing so hard, I started to sweat. I walked out of the theatre laughing. I got on the phone and called Rachel, Janie and Megan (I think) to tell them to stop what they were doing and watch this movie. I couldn't go so sleep that night because I kept playing parts of the movie over and over in my head and laughing. If that isn't movie magic, I don't know what is.
The Constant Gardener -The entire movie. The performances were great (Oscar awarded to Rachel Weisz), the method of jumping-around-in-time story-telling technique was effective, the "liberal" message of giant corporations covering up wrongdoing was timely, the visual style of the movie - all of these things combined to make a movie I loved. I walked out of the theatre thinking this was the best movie I'd seen all year. I later found out the director also directed City of God, one of my all-time favorite movies.

I did not list these movies in any particular order. I had this idea on my drive back from Lubbock last week. When I thought of a movie, I would write it down. When I looked at the list, I realized I owned all the movies on it. What would make your list of magic movie moments? Share in the comments!

Friday Five: Oh Me, Oh My

2009-04-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Work is really picking up. I worked three nights this week - in addition to my normal day schedule. But I also feel like I'm finally getting in a groove with my new job. One of the reasons I took this job was because I thought it would be a good fit with my strengths and interests, and this week proved I was right. Tuesday was my rock star day: I delivered a presentation that resulted in two new volunteers and a new patient. I also got word that my event chair recruited a volunteer to handle advocacy, a focus area because the Texas legislature is in session right now.
Saturday I'm walking in the Komen Race for the Cure. I've never participated in a Komen Race in the spring before. I hope it doesn't rain.
I found this great, high-intensity workout on Exercise TV On Demand. It's a boot camp aerobic workout, and it wears me out! Any exercise routine that involves burpees and mountain climbers is hard work. If you have Exercise TV On Demand, give it a try. I think it's called BootCampCalBurn.
I know this is old news, but was anyone else shocked when South Africa not only denied a visa for the Dalai Lama to attend a peace summit but announced they were awarding Castro with an honor they've also awarded to MLK and Gandhi?
My sister is getting married next Saturday. Crazy, crazy, crazy. A week after that, my college friend Elisabeth is getting married. So I'll be spending the new two weekends in Houston and Lubbock. As a result, please do not expect regularly-scheduled programming. I've barely kept up the last few weeks.

Friday Five: Picture Perfect

2009-04-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have a strange assortment of photos on my external hard drive. I've picked five of my favorites to share with you today.

Rachel interprets the look on Joe's face as "Why I am surrounded by all these crazy white people?" It's a valid question. Me, and the gang, in all our silliness.
The reason I started this blog was to document my trip to Prague in 2006 (?), so I'm including a picture of the chandelier made from every bone in the human body from the "bone church" outside of Prague. Fascinating place.
I couldn't speak Italian, they couldn't speak English, but these nice Roman police officers were kind enough to take a photo with me.
I had to provide a childhood photo for a United Way retreat two years ago, so this is the only photo of me as a child in my possession. Aren't I adorable? :-)
And of course, the blurry photo of me and John Corbett, the actor from Sex and the City. My shirt reads "Sex my city." I wore this tank under my "normal" clothes. He was greeting everyone after the show, taking pictures, so I told him about the tank I had on. He made me show it to him. Then he made me take a photo with him. And he made me hug him no less than five times. And he slapped my butt for good measure. Ah, encounters with tipsy famous people.

Friday Five: Things You Should Know

2009-04-03T17:56:00.003-05:00

Another late Friday post. I was in Austin all last week for a training, so I didn't have time to write.

Today I'm listing five things I think you should know about me. My guess is that most of you already know these things, but, hey, I have to come up with five things to write every week.

I keep a Happy List, and I have since my junior year in high school. It's a list of things that make me laugh, I feel blessed by, I am grateful for or I appreciate. You get the idea. I have seven or eight journals full of happy thoughts from the last 20 years, which I think is a great way to track my life. I have a blast reading through old happy lists from college with my ACU friends. All it takes is a simple phrase, and we're laughing and reminiscing. Thanks Janie for the idea!
I love the Dallas Cowboys. Always have, always will. Not sure why. I really don't remember when I started following the Cowboys. It's almost like I woke up one day and decided to be a fan. Growing up, we always watched Cowboys games on Thanksgiving, but that was about it. And I started watching before the first Super Bowl of the 90s, so I wasn't jumping on the bandwagon. You know where to find on Sunday afternoons during football season.
I love movies. My aunt dragged me to see the movie Spitfire Grill in high school because it won some award at the Sundance Film Festival. I had never heard of it. Little did she know that the knowledge that such a movie even existed would change my movie viewing habits forever. In college I started searching out movies with endorsements by Sundance, Cannes and all the other obscure film festivals and film critics groups. Not all were winners. Ask Rachel. But my search led me to films like Memento, Run Lola Run and Billy Elliot. It's why I become obsessed with the Oscars every year, even though I could go on a tangent about how political the Oscars have become. It's why I read film blogs, so I can hear about movies like City of God, one of the best movies I've seen since college. I'm not a film buff, because I haven't seen many classic films. I'm not going to give examples. I don't want to embarrass myself. But I do love films.
I've subscribed to Newsweek since sophomore year of high school. Even when I was living in London and Ireland, I kept up my subscription. The first thing I do when I come home on a Tuesday, is flip through the latest issue. I won't pretend to know everything or even have an opinion about everything, but I want to know what is going on in our country and world. Just like I believe every able person should vote, I believe those of us in free countries should take advantage of the information available to us. How can we keep our leaders accountable if we're ignorant?
If I had the money and opportunity, I would quit my job and leave everyone I know to travel the world. My family always traveled, but we were limited to where we could get by car in a day or two. I don't think I appreciated what my parents gave to me by taking me to different cities and different states. But when I moved to London, and then to Ireland, and started jumping from city to city in Europe, I fell in love with what I was doing. I loved acting like a local to get to know a new city. I loved comparing my culture to the culture I was in. I loved seeing the history I sort of remembered from high school. I loved arriving in a new city where I didn't speak the language with only a book to direct me. You get to know yourself that way. I told a story to my boss about arriving in Athens at night, by myself, with no place to stay, and a guidebook that translated Greek street names into English. Not helpful when you are trying to figure out where to go. I don't remember how I got to the hotel; I just figured it out. And my boss said that story explained a lot about how I work. To her, I take in what I know, what I can get, and then start moving, putting the pieces together as I can to get a result. And she knows I am going to get the job done. Was I always that way or did I develop that skill by traveling? Either way, I know that travel changed me and will always change me if I do it right.

Friday Five

2009-03-27T17:19:00.002-05:00

I wrote a post on Friday after all. I had a few hours between normal work hours and attending a Relay For Life event tonight. Since my job is help people plan and execute this overnight event, I'm glad I have the opportunity to be a part of one first. It should help me do my job.
Gas stations in this are have started stocking caffeine-free Diet Dr. Pepper, and it makes me happy. I spend a lot of time on the road for this job, and I like to drink something other than water. Especially if I've driving home at night, drinking a caffeine-free drink is like tricking my body
I'm getting closer to watching all the movies nominated for top awards at the Oscars (picture, actor, actress, foreign film, documentary, screenplay). Once I see Frost/Nixon and Frozen River, I will have seen all the best picture and best actor/actress and screenplay nominated films. Yay! I'm not doing so great with foreign films and documentaries; they need to come out on DVD.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Watch Instantly feature on Netflix. I just watched the Visitor, starring Oscar-nominee Richard Jenkins. Somehow Netflix manages to stream a two-hour movie at high quality with no interruptions, and yet, every time I try to watch an ABC show online, it stalls my entire Internet connection. If you aren't taking advantage of this feature, do it now. I've heard the studios want to renegotiated the available this feature. There are some really great films available to watch this way, including popular movies like Made of Honor and Enchanted, and entire seasons of TV shows (all three seasons of the Office!)
"What is this, Horseville? Cause I'm surrounded by naysayers! Word play!" and “What those people were doing to the Superdome." or "One word: coffee. One problem: where do you get it?' ' Anywhere!You get it anywhere!"

If you don't know where those quotes came from, it's because you still aren't watching the funniest show on TV. Haven't we discussed this? (By the way, you can also watch 30 Rock instantly on Netflix. What are you waiting for?)

Friday Update

2009-03-27T11:24:00.002-05:00

No Friday Five this week. I've worked every night this week, so I didn't have time to write my weekly feature. I will try to get something up before the weekend is over.

Friday Five

2009-03-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Quote of the Week: "Traveling changes you but slowly, minutely. It's not one big mind altering event but a polishing of the edges of your personality. So of course I'm different. I can already see many of the changes. But many of these were incremental changes I never even noticed - and still haven't." - Matt Kepnes
Commentary of the Week: My friend Janie's take on the heroine of the movie Happy-Go-Lucky. In case you forgot (or don't know) Janie started the Happy List tradition that I still carry on. This movie has been on my to-watch list since I heard about it, and I'm glad I watched it before I read Janie's thoughts. I totally agree with her, too!
Movie Trailer of the Week: So far John Krasinski hasn't had a great movie career, but this movie has potential. Plus it co-stars Maya Rudolph. And Maggie Gyllenhaal! And Allison Janney! And Catharine O'Hara! It's also written by Dave Eggers and his wife, so it should be funny.

'Away We Go' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video
Life Event of the Week: I turned 30! I had a group of friends over for lunch on Saturday, and it was a blast. I enjoyed having people from different stages of my life present: family, high school friends, college friends, "real-world" friends, and a few tag-a-longs. And keeping with tradition, I had cookie cake. Not just one, but two! I will never outgrow cookie cake.
Happy things of the week:
- exercising for two weeks without foot issues (including some running!)
- listening to Rick Steves' podcasts while exercising on the treadmill
- patches of bluebonnets throughout the city, not just on the side of the highway
- playing Taboo
- Stephen Colbert told the the South Carolina governor he was extremely boring
- "Beautiful World," duet by Dierks Bentley and Patty Griffin
- taking a walk along the lake on a sunny afternoon

My Next 30 Years

2009-03-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of my 20s. Tomorrow I turn the BIG 3-0. In honor of this milestone, I've made a list of things I want to accomplish or experience in my next 30 years.

Visit every country in Europe
Travel to six of seven continents (I don't really care about Antarctica)
Run a marathon
Learn conversational Spanish
Go scuba diving
Find the perfect job
Keep up my Happy List
Get married and have children
Give more money to charity
Turn passion into action
Get out of debt and stay that way
Attend all 4 Grand Slam tennis championships (one down, three to go)
Attend a taping of the Daily Show
Attend a taping of the Colbert Report
Buy a car I love
Get fit and stay that way
See U2 in concert
Meet Emmitt Smith
Go to the Oscars or the Super Bowl
Start a new tradition
Bring someone to Christ
Take hobby classes (photography, cooking, dancing, etc.)
Find a new hobby
Help someone on the side of the road like I've been helped
Send a kid to summer camp
Bake a pie for the family that will be passed down to future generations
Read every Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction novel
See an opera at the Met
Never say no out of fear
Always be myself

"I think I'll take a moment to celebrate my age, the ending of an era and the turning of a page. Now it's time to focus on where I'll go from here. Lord have mercy on my next 30 years." - Tim McGraw song

Friday Five: Better Late Than Never

2009-02-16T12:47:00.005-06:00

Wow! I'm horrible at blogging these days. I didn't realize how much blog writing I did at work until I got a new job with actual work to keep me busy. I don't know how many people still check my blog for updates, but I'm making a spring resolution to blog once a week. Starting today

Overall, I was pleased with the Oscars. Loved Hugh Jackman as host, especially his opening song-and-dance number. Last time I blogged, I recommended you see Slumdog Millionare, so I'm glad it won Best Picture. I wish Kate Winslet had won for Revolutionary Road instead of the Reader, but she is incredible in everything she does, so I'm glad she finally won an Oscar.
I've given up caffeine for Lent. I did this last year, and liked the results. This year, my goal is to stay off caffeine after Lent. I might have to make an exception when I am required to stay up all night two Fridays in a row for Relay For Life events. Justified exception. I've been drinking caffeine-free Dr. Diet Pepper and Fresca as I slowly eliminate all carbonated beverages from my diet.
Quote of the Day: "Others take notice of your radiance; share your happiness."
Terrell Owens is no longer a Dallas Cowboy. I'm a fan of this decision. He was the biggest voice in the locker room and more often than not, a divisive presence. I don't have statistics in front of me, but it seemed like Romo threw more interceptions in Owens' direction than any other receiver. This doesn't fix the problems the offense had last season, but at least the quarterback and offensive coordinator's number one priority doesn't have to be Owen's happiness.
Here are a few things that have made me happy lately:
- on-demand channels
- buying a bridesmaid dress for $25
- getting back in touch with a friend
- Nadal beat Federer to win the Australian Open
- watching the Super Bowl with friends
- sleeping with the windows open
- Love Potion #31 ice cream at Baskin Robbins (Rachel, I think this is our favorite flavor from college!)
- Starbucks Sour Jellybeans (and seasonal candy in general)
- artichokes
- being silly with Rachel
- ringing in the new year with old friends

Friday Five: Long Time Gone

2009-01-30T06:00:00.001-06:00

Wow! I can't believe I haven't blogged in more than a month! I now return to my weekly feature.

The new job is going well. January started with a bang. I've started traveling to my territories and made several trips to the Austin office for training and events. I enjoy working with volunteers, and am staying positive about my more challenging events and communities. My boss is encouraging and easy to talk to. My coworkers are friendly and supportive. It's a good fit.
Because of all the traveling I've been doing for work, I haven't been able to establish much of a routine or find a church home. My best bet for a church of Christ here doesn't have any single people my age. The young professionals class I attended was full of married couples. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, but I'd prefer to find some people in the same life stage as me. So I'm still searching for that. I've joined a group of girls that meet once a week for dinner. After three or four weeks, I've determined these aren't the right type of people for me. No one from this group will become a lifelong friend. So I'm "using" them until I find a group where I feel like I belong.
I had a great girls' night with Rachel and Lauren (plus a few add-ons) from college a few weeks ago. We had a blast! It's always fun to spend time with close friends, the kind where you can pick up where you left off, not matter how much time has passed between visits.
Movie Update. I recommend Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Button is a classic "Oscar movie." Very polished and epic. I'd read that it was hard to connect to emotionally, but that wasn't the reaction I had. Can I just add that Brad Pritt is beautiful? Slumdog is at heart a romance, which makes all the critical acclaim bizarre. I have a theory regarding the mostly male movie critics and feminine-oriented films. Critics do not forgive weakness in chick flicks, usually romances, but they forgive all sorts of liberties and flaws in male-oriented films. Slumdog is a violent, gritty film that appeals to males, but it's also a love story. Somehow the so-called flaws of this love story are acceptable because it's in masculine packaging. Anyway, I liked the movie and encourage you to see it. The presentation - colors, soundtrack, editing- is great. Also, the subtitles were part of the presentation instead of a distraction. I also enjoyed the movie Last Chance Harvey with Emma Thompson and Dennis Hoffman. Emma Thompson is fabulous! A grown-up love story. Rachel Getting Married was more emotional than I expected. Anne Hathaway is good. She should take more complex roles like Kym and stay away from fluff like Bride Wars. I'm pretty sure the heat wasn't working in the theatre; I wore my coat and gloves. Gloves! In the documentary genre, I suggest American Teen, a profile of high school seniors in Indiana. It's been compared to a the Breakfast Club (with real people) because it profiles a nerd, a jock, the popular girl, and the quirky outcast. Some parts seem phony, but character of Hannah was enough to keep me invested in the story. Worth a rent.
Book Update. I went on a reading kick and read two novels by Tana French - In the Woods and the Likeness. Both are murder mysteries set in Ireland (!) with well-developed characters, interesting, complex stories and excellent writing. The books are a series, so read In the Woods first.

Tagged

2008-12-16T21:04:00.003-06:00

Rachel tagged me...

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Moe's
2. Orlando's (Lubbock)
3. Bogie's (Abilene)

4. Joe Allen's or Sharon Allen's (Abilene)

5. Jamba Juice
6. Rockfish
7. Cheesecake Factory (one day I will live in a city that has one!)

8. McAlister's (love that sweet tea!)

8Things that Happened Today:
1. I scraped ice off my car
2. I ate someone else's leftovers
3. I had a "gut check" meeting with my new boss
4. I received Christmas presents from coworkers
5. I wore a scarf for warmth (not fashion!)
6. I bought a Christmas present
7. I drank hot chocolate
8. I cooked dinner

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Making double chocolate pumpkin pie for Christmas
2. The year 2009
3. Making new friends in a new town
4. One day, not driving a station wagon
5. The return of LOST on TV
6. Weekends
7. Cowboys games
8. Loving my new job

8 Things I'm Scared Of:
1. Not being good at my new job
2. Not making new friends
3. Missing opportunities
4. Not reducing my debt substantially in 2009
5. Making a huge mistake
6. Losing ANYONE I love
7. Severe pain or serious illness
8. Not realizing my potential

8 Things I Wish For:
1. To live in a house
2. Another international travel adventure
3. Peace
4. Happy, healthy marriage for my sister
5. A baby for Rachel and Joe
6. A job I love (hopefully my new one)
7. The economy to turn around
8. Continued happiness

8 Things I Watch on TV:
1. Pushing Daisies
2. LOST
3. 30 Rock
4. The Office
5. Chuck
6. Bones
7. How I Met Your Mother
8. Ugly Betty

8 People I TAG:
1. Wendy H.
2. Janie
3. Wendy K.
4. Jenise
5. Elisa
6. ABL
7. Megan
8. Terri

Friday Five: New Beginnings

2008-12-12T20:06:00.002-06:00

I've worked one week at my new job. The week included an evening board meeting and a home meeting in Austin. Next week I actually get to start doing my job and contacting volunteers and setting up meetings. Yay!
I miss the cheap gas prices in Lubbock. I'm paying about 20 cents more per gallon here, but at least the price is dropping.
I went to Wine Wednesdays with the other newbie at work and four girls that work on TV. Being surrounded by 22-year-old TV personalities was a definite change in pace. They make me feel old!
I went to a tumor conference this week. Being surrounded my doctors and nurses for the past six years in Lubbock came in handy because I wasn't totally lost. That didn't mean I knew what I was looking at on CT scans though.
I started my ACS t-shirt connection today. I'm going to collect ACS and Relay for Life shirts quicker than I collected LCU shirts. I didn't think that was possible.

News!

2008-11-21T17:23:00.003-06:00

I'm moving to Waco to work for the American Cancer Society!

Today was my last day at my old job. I've got a busy weekend of packing ahead of me. I'm heading to Waco to find a place to live on Monday, then on to to GP to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I'll move sometime after Thanksgiving.

It's a quick transition, but I'm exciting! It was time to leave Lubbock.

Happy Friday

2008-11-14T09:50:00.002-06:00

I'm skipping the Friday Five format this week.

I'm reading Madam Secretary by Madeleine Albright. It's fascinating to read about the inner-workers of the UN and a White House administration, especially as it parallels to the administrative transition we are experiencing. As ambassador to the UN and Secretary of State, Albright dealt primarily with foreign affairs. Reading about the international response and investment in our election helps remind me that nothing happens in our country without repercussions around the world. That is a lesson I believe the Obama administration understands.

I'm started watching the critically-acclaimed TV series the Wire. I've only watched three episodes, but I'm already invested. The show centers on the drug scene in Baltimore, shown through the eyes of both drug dealers and law enforcement. It aired on HBO, so pretty much everything you associate with those subjects is depicted. The pace is pretty slow through the first few episodes as they set the scene and introduce the characters. From what I understand, the entire show - all five seasons - focused on the same investigation.

Friday Five

2008-11-06T21:57:00.002-06:00

So I spent four out of five weekends in October travelling. Last weekend I spent $75 on gas, and that was with buying gas for less than $2. I'm excited about staying home this weekend and not spending money. I plan on reading, watching Netflix movies and cooking.
I am the official pie maker for my family. My great grandmother made a delicious chocolate meringue pie for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. After she died, my mom took over the pie-making duties, but she didn't have the patience - or the gene as my family calls it - for the job. So my aunt starting making pies. One Thanksgiving, they asked me to make the peaks on the meringue. Apparently I made such great peaks they determined I must have the gene. Tough criteria. I've decided that because I will be making pies for every holiday until I die, I want to introduce my own pie to to the family tradition. My experiment begins this weekend when I make a German chocolate pecan pie.
Barack Obama is the next President of the United States! Regardless of whether or not you voted for him, the significance of his historic victory is something all Americans can take pride in.
Did you watch 30 Rock last night? Funny and timely, as usual. Sleeping pills that cause "dizziness, sexual nightmares and sleep crime." Two characters, a white woman and a black man, debating who has a harder time in American. Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey) outpouring of personal details to Oprah after taking sleeping pills. Tracy complaining about all the things white people stole from black people, including Will Smith and heart disease. Liz Lemon dressing up as Princess Lei and saying she can hear people's thoughts to get out of jury duty. (I should try that!) Oprah turned out to be a "spunky little tween." Those sleeping pills again!
The Cowboys don't play this weekend, which is probably good for my nerves. Texas Tech plays a big game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. I hope they can sustain their momentum.

2008-11-05T08:17:00.002-06:00

Friday Five

2008-10-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Don't see the movie "The Happening" by M. Night Shyamalan. Awful. The dialogue is cheesy, cliche and unrealistic. The acting was bad. I like Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, but both were horrible. They didn't have much to work with in terms of character development and dialogue, but they were painful to watch. Shyamalan has officially lost the benefit of the doubt. I didn't see "Lady in the Water" but I heard from several people that it wasn't as bad as the reviews. Now I don't want to give it a chance.
So glad "30 Rock" is back on TV! With Tina Fey's popularity this Fall, I can't believe NBC didn't capitalize on that buzz and launch the show earlier this month and try to build a larger audience. Wasted opportunity. SNL didn't need Thursday specials to drive traffic to their show during this election season. The episode wasn't one of the best, but it's still good. Loved the facial expressions in this episode. If you aren't watching this show, you need to be! If you missed this episode, try watching it on the NBC website. I wrote this Monday night after watching it online.
I voted, and I hope you have to. I love early voting. If you haven't voted yet, don't forget to cast your vote for President on Tuesday! The only time I remember not voting for a major office was the 2002 gubernatorial race. I did all sorts of research to determine who I was going to vote for, and then the night before the election, I found out I was registered to vote in Abilene and not Grand Prairie. I could have driven 300 miles round trip to vote, but I didn't. I've talked to several people the last few weeks that don't plan on voting, and I don't understand that. We live in a democracy, where our voice is our vote. Why choose to be voiceless? Next time you are at your grocery store, pick up the Voters Guide or click here for the Texas edition. You can take it in to the voter's booth.
The Vietnam Ministry of Health has recommended banning small-chested people from riding motorbikes! Why? To improve driver safety of course. I guess their thinking is that larger drivers are less likely to suffer serious injuries if they are involved in an accident. What will we think of next?
So did anyone watch the Obama "infomercial" on Wednesday? I was traveling and missed it. It's an interesting tactic, especially since McCain can't afford to buy the same airtime. I'm curious about the response/backlash and the ratings, although as you read this on Friday, you've probably formed your own opinion after watching it or already know how well it went over.

Friday Five

2008-10-23T12:28:00.006-05:00

Here is a picture of me and Eileen from the Cowboys game a few weeks ago. We had a blast!
I spent last weekend in the DFW area. On Saturday, I participated in the Dallas Race for the Cure. So much bigger than the one in my town. Here is a picture of my team - the Pirates.
I can't believe the month of October is almost over! It was 38 degrees when I headed out of the house this morning. I loved it! Today it's chilly with blue skies and sunshine. Those conditions create the perfect Fall day.
I'll be at ACU Homecoming this weekend. Hope to see you there! Next weekend I'll be in the DFW area again. I always seem to be traveling in October.
I haven't read the book "The Shack" since I wrote about my lack of interest in recent post. I probably need to give it up so I can start a book I want to finish. I can't read more than one book at once. Usually that is not a problem because I finish them so quickly.

Friday Five: Fall Break Edition

2008-10-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

Oh the joys of working at a university. I have Thursday and Friday off for Fall Break.
Fall makes me happy. I love the seasonal food offerings, specifically pumpkin and eggnog. I've been eating pumpkin bread for breakfast this week. It's store bought and not super, so I've been searching for recipes online and have found a few to try. I'll let you know what's worth making. Not worth it: pumpkin pie blizzard from Dairy Queen.
I tried four new recipes this week: acorn squash quesadillas, chicken apple chili, salmon soft tacos and ginger & cilantro tilapia. How did they fare? Acorn squash is delicious all by itself. These quesadillas took an hour to make and about five pots and pans. Too much work. I could eat acorn squash all by itself. The chicken apple chili was interesting, but not something I'll make again. I like the salmon soft tacos; the cilantro crema had a unique flavor. I'll probably make those again. No report on the tilapia. Jaime took the router with her to Seattle and I haven't set mine up yet.
My poor Cowboys. First, they play poorly and lose. Then, injuries force their starting quarterback, explosive running back and Awesome-Aussie punter off the field. To top it off, the NFL suspended cornerback Adam Jones indefinitely (minimum four games). It's his own fault, but the timing couldn't be worse. At least the Redskins and Giants (!!!!) lost this week. They did sign receiver Roy Williams, which should help, but I worry T.O.'s response could be negative.
My landlords are awesome! Even though I'm losing a roommate and even though they know I'm looking to move out of the city, they are not making me pay Jaime's half of the rent for the rest of the year. It pays to be a good tenant.

Friday Five

2008-10-07T16:30:00.003-05:00

I had a fantastic time at the Cowboys game! What started out as a potential blowout ended up being a competitive game. It's fun to be part of the crowd, especially when you feel like you have an impact on the game. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from Eileen.
I've decided to follow one of those Couch-to-5K training plans. If you've followed this blog for a while, you know I used to be a runner and then over training (stupid spinning class!) resulted in tendinitis in my left foot. I've had to take several breaks from exercising as a result. I miss running and want to do again, but I don't want to do too much too soon. I figure this slow-build plan should do the trick. Plus I'll keep up the anti-inflammation diet I mentioned in this post.
How many of you have read the book "The Shack?" I'm just not that into it. I had to force myself to read it last night, never a good sign. It's such a cultural and religious phenomenon that I made myself read it. I just don't get what all the fuss is about.
I don't like watching Presidential debates. I'm following the election enough that I don't learn anything from the debates. I didn't watch the one this week, but I read the transcript the next morning. The polls said Obama "won."
I watched two high profile summer movies this week: Iron Man and Sex and the City. Both movies could have been shorter, but I enjoyed them. Jon Favreau seems to be a talented director. Elf and Iron Man couldn't be more different. I didn't like the choices the characters made in Sex and the City. Seemed written to advance the plot and create conflict instead of reflecting the characters well.

Friday Five

2008-10-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Political Rant of the Week: The Presidential Debate. I don't know how many times McCain said "I don't think Obama understands..." during the debate, but every time he said it, he made me angry. If you listen to Obama, he's obviously educated and knowledgeable, even if you disagree with his policies. He also called Obama or his policies naive several times. Piggybacking on my rant about sexism and politics two weeks ago, can you imagine the response if Biden had said either of those things about Palin? Uproar. If it's OK for McCain, it's OK for Biden; if it's unacceptable for Biden, it's unacceptable for McCain. The same standard should apply. (I wrote this BEFORE the VP debate.)
Blog Discovery of the Week: Foreign Policy Passport. If you are interested in affairs outside the United States, check out this blog by Foreign Policy Magazine. I just started subscribing toit, but I already like it. When I was living abroad, I continued my subscription to Newsweek, and I received the English-language international edition. I like it better because it includes major stories and issues in the United States, but doesn't leave out the rest of the world. Unfortunately, it feels like you have to seek out that international perspective more here in the States than you do elsewhere. And I seek it out. I enjoy the "Morning Brief" post that provides an overview of the top news stories here and abroad. Check it out.
Embarrassing Moment of the Week: Crying at TV shows. Most people that watch TV and find themselves emotionally invested in a show or fictional characters have probably experienced this before. My embarrassment doesn't come from the act of crying but from the TV show that brought me to tears. The O.C. Yep. I'd always heard that the show was good, at least in the beginning, but never checked in out. Then I found out that Warner Brothers was launching thewb.com to stream episodes of their shows. I figured I'd try the show because it wouldn't cost me money. Last night I watched the season one finale and cried. So much pain and separation. I'm still surprised at my reaction.
I'm Art Walking Friday night, Racing for the Cure Saturday morning and dying of happiness at my first ever Dallas Cowboys football game at Texas Stadium Sunday afternoon.
I'm out of things to write about.

Friday Five

2008-09-24T13:23:00.005-05:00

I went to the Opening Night Gala of the Metropolitan Opera... at my local movie theatre. Spending four+ hours in the movie theatre after a day at work was uncomfortable, but overall it was a neat experience. Going to the opera at the movie theatre has several benefits. It's cheaper than the real thing, they provide subtitles so you know what is going on, and the shots are up close and personal so you can actually see the facial expressions of the singers. I'd like to go to an opera in person, but until that day, watching the opera in HD at the movie theatre is a good option.
Last week I killed my iPod nano. A day of mourning indeed. The new nanos had just been released, so I ordered a (PRODUCT) RED nano online. It arrived Wednesday. It's so pretty. Because you have to purchase the (PRODUCT) RED editions directly from Apple, I had never seen one in real life. The color is so vibrant. Here's the story of how I killed my iPod. I still can't believe it. I put my iPod, which I keep in a hard, plastic case, in the outer, narrow pocket of my purse. I sit my purse down next to my chair at the movie theatre. I open my smuggled Sprite Zero, and it explodes, with Sprite Zero falling on the ground. And into the outer, narrow picke of my purse, apparently. I leave the movie theatre, get into my car, and plug my iPod into the car charger/iTrip. The volume is strangely low. I turn the volume up and nothing happens. Then my iPod just quits. I give it a few minutes to reboot; still nothing. I look at my iPod and think, "Odd. It looks wet. Oh no." I unplug it from the charger, and Sprite Zero drips out. My heart sinks. I Google ways to fix my iPod. General consensus is that iPods are resiliant creatures, and will dry out and work fine, unless, of course, electricity passes through and fries them. Oops.
TV Show to Watch: Firefly. This short-lived but excellent science fiction drama holds up after multiple viewings. Great characters, fun dialogue and creative stories. Joss Whedon of "Buffy" fame created the series. Every once in a while, usually after I see Nathan Fillion (Waitress) in something, I get in the mood to watch it. It's completely different than anything you've ever seen, and that is a good thing.
Thursday night television is back! If only NBC had aired an episode of 30 Rock, the night would have been perfect. Jim proposed to Pam in the rain on the office! Awww.
I don't really have a political rant of the week; I must not have been paying attention. I do hope there is a debate or not. Regardless of whether I truly understand what is going on with the economy and the best way to fix it, I'd like to hear what the candidates have to say about it.

Friday Five

2008-09-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

I'm a little bit annoyed with Blogger right now. I typed part of my post in Outlook and then copied it to Blogger. When I hit the "Publish Post" button, I was told my HTML was unacceptable. No matter what I tried, it wouldn't go away. So I had to retype this entire post. If you read it to the end, you will understand why I'm so annoyed.

New Music Discover: The Wailin' Jennys. LOVE the name. If you like female singer/songwriters with gorgeous harmony, you'll like this Canadian folk band. When they aren't singing traditional folk songs, they write songs independently, and take the vocal lead on songs they write.
Movie Update: Son of Rambo. This British film about two boys that make a home movie about the son of Rambo on a search to rescue his dad is adorable. I started smiling during the opening credits, and that sense of enjoyment never left. The soundtrack added to the somewhat whimsical nature of the movie. Rent for a feel-good, upbeat movie experience.
Book Recap: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Janie was right; this was a good book. Here are my three favorite quotes, one from each section.

"Still, despite all this, traveling is the great true love of my life. I have always felt...that travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I am loyal and constant in my love for travel... I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, cocky, restless newborn baby - I just don't care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it is mine. Because it looks like me. It can barf all over me if it wants to - I just don't care."

"We're miserable because we think that we are mere individuals, one with our fears and flaws and resentments and mortality. We wrongly believe that our limited little egos constitute our whole entire nature. We have failed to recognize our deeper divine character. We don't realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist ad Supreme Self who is eternally at peace."

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it and sometimes travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you...leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you are in distress, but continuing to pray when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to it's good attainment."

Bonus quote: "He's got a smile that could stop crime."
Best News of the Week: I'm going to a Cowboys game! I love the Dallas Cowboys. My obsession started in high school for no apparent reason. I used to pain my fingernails blue and silver to celebrate the start of every season. In the majority of my high school pictures, I'm wearing a Cowboys shirt. I even took a Cowboys-themed senior picture. On a clear day, from a certain spot near my high school, I could look toward Irving and see Texas Stadium, something I did every time I drove past this spot. I have never been to a Dallas Cowboys football game. That changes on Oct. 4! My awesome sister somehow got her hands on two tickets for the game and game them to me as an early Christmas present. Best. Present. Ever.
Political Rant of the Week: Sexism and Politics
(Yep, I'm going to rant every week. Whether you agree or disagree with me, hopefully you will do your own research and engage with this campaign. And vote, Wendy H.! No excuses! I'll try to keep them balanced, but right now it's the Republicans are doing and saying stupid, offensive things. I'm sure the Democrats will get their turn. Joe Biden has never had a successful bid for president for a reason.)

I start this rant by acknowledging that sexism, racism, ageism, etc. exist in this country and are part of the campaign narrative. I believe that true sexism should be challenged when it exists. False charges of sexism for personal, or in this case, political gain, should not be tolerated. And that is what the McCain campaign and the Republican machine are currently engaged in. It's insulting. I'm sorry, but asking someone running for president or vice president about their experience, qualifications, opinions and world view is not disrespectful or sexist. Now, the argument and discourse about the Palin can be a good mom/wife and VP can be sexist because Biden isn't being asked the same thing. However, Biden has made his commitment to his family part of the discourse because of his decision to take the train home every night to Delaware.

I just read an opinion piece in Newsweek that set off this rant. The author seemed to imply that asking female politicians tough questions is inherently sexist. She said she thought Charlie Gibson was sexist in his interview with Palin. She was offended that she and Palin were given a "foreign policy exam" in their interviews. The author, the first female every nominated for the vice presidency, said, "But who the the hell does he (Gibson) think he is, acting professorial and getting impatient and annoyed because she didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was. Frankly, I'd never heard it called the Bush Doctrine either, although I know what Bush's foreign policy is."

(CAVEAT: I read a transcript of the interview but did not watch it. I thought it was going to be aired much later than it was. So his tone and non verbals could have been sexist. I read the questions and thought they were fair.)

I did a Google search on the Bush Doctrine, and it's a fairly common term. Obama and Biden have each been asked how their doctrines would differ from Bush's. I can't see how the question was inherently sexist, and I think Palin did a decent job of answering the question, even if she didn't say exactly what Gibsom wanted her to. Does the author consider the fact that Palin in completely unknown and these questions are being asked so we, THE VOTERS, can make our minds up about her? No one is asking Biden these questions because he's been around forever and the media knows him. A Google search let me know everything I want to know about him. That is not the case with Palin. As a major and governor in Alaska, she hasn't had foreign policy experience. (The ability to see Russia from her state does not count.) She didn't even have a passport until 2007! Without these questions, how am I supposed to be an informed voter? It doesn't make me sexist for wanting to know her answers. No one said the media was being racist (or sexist) when they questioned Obama's experience and qualifications during his campaign against Hilary. So you can question a male's experience, but when you question a female's, it's sexist?

But this quote from one of McCain's spokesmen about Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin is a perfect example of what I'm ranting about. By the way, I thought the skit was hilarious and spot on and the only good thing about the season premier of SNL.

Fiorina: Well, I think that she looked a bit like her. I think that, of course, the portrait was very dismissive of the substance of Sarah Palin, and so in that sense, they were defining Hilary Clinton as very substantive, and Sarah Palin as totally superficial. I think that continues the line of argument that is disrespectful in the extreme, and yes, I would say, sexist in the sense that just because Sarah Palin has different views than Hilary Clinton does not mean that she lacks substance. She has a lot of substance.

So suddenly it's sexist to compare and contrast two politicians? Objectively, Hilary has more experience than Palin, not just different experience. How can reporting that be sexist? How can thinking someone lacks substance by sexist? That comment is just as bad as when the Republicans accused Obama of making a sexist remark directed at Palin when he made his comments about pigs and lipstick. Quit insulting my intelligence. Most people can recognize sexism when they see it an don't need people fabricating something.

Now, in all credit to Palin, I haven't read anything about her saying Gibson and every other journalist covering here is sexist. But she did say this about Hilary's claims of sexism during her campaign. "When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, 'Man, that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, or women in general, trying to progress this country.'" So why is she letting McCain and the Republican machine cry "sexism" on her behalf?

It does do more harm than good. It should backfire on them, but it probably won't. It's going to make it harder to stop real sexism if we focus on false charges.

And that is my political rant of the week. And the end of my post. Did anyone make it to the end?

Friday Five

2008-09-10T13:31:00.007-05:00

I've had two short work weeks. Last week included the Labor Day holiday, and this week I took Monday and Tuesday off to go wedding dress shopping with my sister. Short work weeks are fabulous.
I'm just finished reading the "Twilight Saga" book series. In case you haven't heard of it, it's a Young Adult series, aimed mainly at girls I would assume, about a normal teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire. The first book is being made into a movie to be released around Thanksgiving. It's like Harry Potter for girls. Apparently there was a reader backlash against the final book, but I don't really understand the hate. I like the simple cover design of the books and the appropriate color choice (see examples.) The books are a quick and enjoyable read.
I don't offend easily; I never have. But the Republicans offended me during the convention. I support Obama, but I've always generally liked McCain, well, until he became Candidate McCain. During the convention, both Giuliani and Palin attacked Obama (to be expected because that is what happens at these conventions) for his service as a community organizer. They treated that position with absolute contempt and disgust, which upsets me. I'm not a community organizer, but I am involved in my community and do not take kindly to people that undermine the great work community volunteers do. People who use their talents and resources to make their communities better should be commended not scoffed at. I just keep thinking of all the great people I work with and how much time and energy that put out to do everything in their power to make our community better. Our country has always relied on community organizers and grassroots efforts. As a female, would I even be able to cast my vote for president, would Palin even be on the ticket, if it wasn't for the people that fought for my rights, and did it as outsiders? It's also unsettling that so many Republicans supported and cheered the negative view of community organizers that Giuliani and Palin share. Anyway, I'm angered and offended, and I will not be voting for John McCain. Oh, and that wolf ad McCain has out now claiming Obama will try to destroy Palin? Wow. During campaign season I wish we lived in England where the candidates actally had to talk about issues because they use public financing. It's much more civil and educational.
I'm off work today. Apparently the city flooded (and I'm far away from the Hurricane) and our campus shut down. I've worked there five years and never once has the campus closed, even on snow days when the rest of the city shut down. They didn't send out text messages as part of the emergency communication plan like expected, so I showed up to work as usual.
I'm about to start reading "Eat, Pray, Love." Janie said the beginning is annoying she the author wines about divorce that she instigated, but once you get past that part, the book has a lot to offer. So I'm trusting her judgment and trying the book. Here's hoping. Anyone else read it?

Friday Five

2008-09-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Five Things I Think I Think (Who knows where I "borrowed" that phrase?)

Sarah Palin. Really? I'm still thinking this decision over days after the announcement, which I guess was part of the plan. The Republican party definitely took the story away from the Democrats, but it hasn't all been positive. I don't like what this choice says about McCain. It seemed so rash. He only met her once before asking her to be his running mate, and potential leader of the free world. She gave an interview last month saying she didn't know what the VP does and that the job didn't seem productive. The cynic in me sees this choice as a blatant political move. "The Democrats didn't nominate a female president, so I'm going to nominate a female VP and all those Clinton supports will become McCain supports." Palin and Clinton don't appear to have anything in common other than gender. I would hope McCain has better judgment than that. Same goes for the voters. Her selection has also set off another round of Mommy Wars. Will those other end? What is interesting is that the Republics are defending her for things they traditionally criticize and the same goes for the Democrats. Politics as usual. As a person, she appears to have a compelling personal story.
Brett Favre in his Green Bay Packers uniform everywhere to market the 20th anniversary of Madden NFL on Xbox. Brett Favre playing for the New York Jets in 2008. Gotta love that. (How wrong does Favre look in a Jets uniform?)
Has anyone ever tried Pandora to listen to music? The new computers we have at work have embedded speakers, so I can plug my external speakers into my iPod and still listen to music or videos on my computer, which is a nice change. I don't love Pandora because I just found it, but listening to free music online is a great thing, especially when it's customized to match your taste.
Microsoft Vista. Can't make up my mind about it. Do you use it? Do you like it? It seems dumbed down a little to me. At work everyone received a new computer running Vista. I didn't use mine all summer because I was at camp. The first few days back I couldn't get any work done because so many programs weren't running properly. And Bloglines, the program I use for RSS alerts, isn't compatible with Vista. Boo! But I can subscribe to RSS feeds in my inbox with Outlook. I like that. No one will ever know I'm not working.
I'm ready for Fall to arrive. It stayed in the 70s here yesterday, and it was so nice. It was a short reprieve from the heat, but it made me crave cool days, colorful leaves and everything else that comes with my favorite season.

Friday Five: One Week Late

2008-08-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so out of the habit of writing on this here blog that I up and forgot to write a Friday Five post last week, after I advertised it and everything. Oops. But today, I do have five things to share with you.

I've been watching tennis for the first time all summer! Gotta love the US Open. Just turn to USA on a weekday to catch a tennis match or CBS on the weekends. The night matches that start at 6 p.m. are usually entertaining.
I made a delicious salmon with blackberry brandy sauce last night. Thanks to Steamy Kitchen for the recipe. My sauce was a little tart, so next time I'm going to add more blackberry preserves to sweeten it.
Check out my friend Janie's blog, "Inside the Sparkling." Be sure and read the great explanation for the blog name in the "About" section.
Even though I spent my summer in the mountains, I managed to not read a single book that entire time. That fact blows me away because I love reading. With all the reruns on during the summer, I usually devour books in that time span. I must have missed being absorbed in great book because I picked up a book last week and read it from start to finish in one night, with the Olympics on mute in the background.
I said I would prove I spent my summer outdoors, and here is your proof. My friend Jenise visited and we hiked to the "crevice." (I have no idea how to spell that word. Pronounce that word with a French accent, and you are probably saying it correctly.)

Back in the Saddle

2008-08-19T08:54:00.002-05:00

I'm back in Texas. I was not prepared for the heat. I wore a sweatshirt every night this summer.

Monday was my first day in the office since the Thursday before Memorial Day. Wow! I'm pretty sure the few readers I had deserted this blog when I stopped writing this summer, but now I'm back to regular blogging. I'll be posting pictures from Canada in the next few days, as well as proof that I actually spent my summer in the middle of nature. And of course, the return of Friday Five! I know you can't contain your excitement.

There's a First Time for Everything

2008-07-12T18:34:00.002-05:00

The summer has been going along smoothly. Time moves so slow up here. I talk about things that happened at the beginning of the week, and they seem so far away I can barely remember them.

It finally started raining, and we had our first campfires two weeks ago. We got six inches of rain in four days this week. The forest needs it, but that quantity is bad for the camp because activities have to be postponed.

We had a great week. Some drama of course, but overall, a fun, unique week. How did I end it? While the campers were getting ready to leave, I was firing an employee. Yuck. First time I ever had to do that, and hopefully the last. It gets worse. This person didn't have a car, so I had to wake her up and let her know so she could get a ride back with someone that was leaving camp today. Not ideal circumstances. I'm comfortable with the decision, however unhappy it makes me, and I keep telling myself I had to do what was best for the camp, even if it was difficult. This whole camp experience is definitely beneficial and extremely educational.

In more upbeat news, I'm getting a break from this camping life and leaving for Canada on Thursday. I'm leaving my counselor unsupervised, which is hard because they are so exhausted. They are a good group and I don't worry about them too much, but because they are so exhausted, it will be easier for them to be lazy. They'll be OK. I'm taking 12 people to Toronto, Montreal and Quebec. It should be fun!

Nadal won Wimbledon! I so wish I could have seen it! And Venus won! My two favorite tennis players won my favorite tennis tournament.

Time to get back to work. Have a great day!

A Camping Life for Me

2008-06-02T16:14:00.002-05:00

I've been at camp for a week now, but today is the first full day of camp with campers. There are 60 4th-8th graders running around making life interesting. My day has been easy. I've had plenty of time to get work done, check email, and blog. This afternoon I might watch a movie. Who knows! Every night that I put on long pants and a sweatshirt, I smile. And I enjoy looking at a sky full of stars every night.

We are in extreme fire danger, so campfire is out, but we do simulate a campfire using flashlights. I think tonight is our first time to truly do that. I took the counselors up there last week, but we just used spotlights.

So overall, I think I'm enjoying myself. Of course, it's only day one of week one of nine, but still. I was worried about orientation with the counselors because all of them have been campers and know more about the camp than I do. But it went well. We went hiking and got lost as a group, which is much better than getting lost on a mountain by yourself, like I did a few weeks ago.

Friday Five: Looking Forward To It

2008-05-16T09:28:00.004-05:00

This is my last regularly scheduled edition of Friday Five for the next three months while I'm at camp. Here are five things I'm looking forward to this summer.

Change. I've worked with summer camps the past five years, but the same ones each summer. I really think I'll enjoy doing something completely different.
The weather. I can't tell you how excited I am about waking up to 45-degree temperatures every day. I know the days are warm, but they are not 100-degree warm. Makes a difference.
Nature. I love the outdoors. Grew up camping. Since college, I haven't had that much opportunity to go camping or hike, but I'll be doing plenty of that this summer. My goal is to go hiking every morning for my exercise. I'll be eating camp food all summer, so I will definitely need to exercise. And exercising outside is my absolute favorite.
Canada. I'll be leading a small group of 12 people to Toronto, Montreal and Quebec during my week off of camp. I'll be exhausted, but I'm really excited to see these cities. I might even be able to catch a tennis tournament in Toronto.
God's work. Summer camp was in important part of my spiritual development, and I know the same thing goes for hundreds of teenagers that will pass through camp this summer. I'm looking forward to seeing how God works in their lives, in the lives of counselors and my life.

I'll try to update my blog periodically throughout the summer, and definitely after my trip to Canada.

Friday Five: Tagged

2008-05-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's time for another installment of Friday Five, and I've been tagged, so I'm expanding the original tag.

What FIVE skills or hobbies would you learn if you had unlimited time, money and tools?

Become fluent in Spanish and French. With my unlimited time and money, I would live in a Spanish or French-speaking city to truly learn another language. As it appears I'll be moving to Costa Rica in five years for a year-long medical mission trip, I can learn Spanish there.
Travel. I want to visit every country in the world. I would have to have unlimited time and money to accomplish that. I'm making progress on visiting every European country, but not so much with the rest of the world.
Cooking. I cook a lot for someone cooking for one. But I can't improvise or cook without a recipe. I would love to be able to do that! I also limit what I make due the cost of rare ingredients, so having unlimited money would mean I would never have to reject a recipe for that reason again!
Photography. I would love a expensive, fancy camera that took great pictures. I'm tired of my camera that befriends blurriness. I would combine my hobby of traveling with this skill and focus on travel photography. I've always wanted to visit a place I know well, like London, and focus on photography instead of sightseeing.
Learn to sew. I just sewed on a button for the first time a couple of years ago, and that is the only sewing I've ever done. I think it would be fun to make my own clothes, clothes that fit me perfectly.

I tag Wendy and Wendy. The original tag was for only three skills or hobbies, so you don't have to come up with five. Five was pushing it for me.

Friday Five

2008-05-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I want one of these cars! I live in a small-ish town, and I could totally drive to and from work, the gym, the grocery store and most shopping establishments in this car. I wish it was a little more affordable.
Still watching Battlestar with my friends. On season two now. It's great to spend time with them since they are moving and will be gone when I get back from camp this summer. Sniff, sniff. On the downside, I spent money on groceries for the week, and I've only cooked once. My Netflix movies aren't getting watched, and the books I checked out from the library on Friday are collecting dust.
I'm leaving for camp in three weeks! I should probably start preparing or it will sneak up on me, more than it already has.
I have mixed feelings about this "Office" spin-off that is going to premier after the Super Bowl. I love the "Office" but lately, haven't felt like it's really on it's game. Doesn't seem the ideal time to start a spin-off. Will one of the characters leave the show for the spin-off or will it be just like the "Office" with a different set of characters? Not convinced. I'm also not convinced that Pam is going to say yes to Jim. Did you see her reactions to the marriage conversation and the fake proposal? She didn't appear excited or ready. Maybe the writers are just messing with us, and she reacted that way so we would think she would say no to this forthcoming proposal, and when she says yes, it's an even better moment. Or she is going to say no because she just got out of long relationship and isn't ready to take that leap again. Who knows. I did love Jim flashing us that ring. He's adorable!
I ate some delicious grilled bacon-wrapped shrimp covered with Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habenero sauce. Their Papaya Lime Serrano sauce is great too. The sauce is crazy expensive, but the ingredients are pretty straight forward. I think I'll make my own version and save money. None of the ingredients are words you can't pronounce, so if you see Fisher & Wieser in the store, jot down the ingredients and make some yourself! I had the sauce on grilled tuna, and it tasted great. The sauce is made in the Hill Country, so it's local.

Friday Five

2008-04-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

I now use the scheduled post feature in Blogger in draft to post my blog. I work on posts throughout the week and when I finish with one, I publish it with a post time of Friday at 6 a.m. On Friday I didn't have to worry about it. Awesome!
I recently created two individual tracks from those annoyingly-long songs with a hidden track after several minutes of silence. One of my favorite SheDaisy songs comes at the end of a Christmas song, which I never get to listen to because it's holiday music and filtered out of my playlists right now, and I because I always hit skip once the silence begins. Not anymore! Follow this guide to create individual tracks in iTunes.
I'm stressing about my job at the camp in New Mexico this summer. It's hard to create a training curriculum for a camp you have never been to. And this camp is unique because each week is the responsibility of a different director, so each week is different. No one really knows what goes on each week on this end of camp because no one has spent an entire summer there. So it's going to be a learning experience.
I've started watching the TV show Battlestar Galactica with Dustin and Eileen. We've watched one or two episodes a night since Sunday. We're about halfway through the first season.
Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy and most importantly, LOST, returned Thursday! Thursday is my busiest night of TV watching because I also watch 30 Rock, Scrubs and the Office (and occasionally My Name is Earl.) Good thing I get off work at noon on Fridays so I can catch up! I'm sure you are jealous of my social lifestyle.

Tuesday Shuffle

2008-04-22T11:38:00.002-05:00

I'm listening to my iPod on shuffle mode, which is almost all I do. These are the last five songs I've listened to.

Keith Urban, Raining on Sunday
Love Syndicate, Ain't No Sunshine
Dido, Thank You
Martina McBride and Bob Seger, Chances Are
Chris Rice, Hallelujahs

Now it's your turn: Hit that shuffle button, and share the first five songs that play. Editing to make yourself (and your taste in music) sound cooler is frowned upon.

Friday Five: A Week in Food

2008-04-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've been reading cooking-related blogs recently. I enjoy looking at the pictures of the food, so I decided to give you an idea of what I eat during the week in pictures. The photos aren't great - my camera kept blurring all the close-ups and the lighting in the kitchen is horrible - but it's a visual guide to my week in food.

A few weeks I blogged about the anti-inflammatory diet I put myself on, the one that Wendy said made me sound old. Thanks! This is a picture of the blueberry buckwheat pancakes I eat for breakfast every day I exercise. I eat them with butter, powdered sugar and fresh strawberries.
I make Rachael Ray's Zucchini-roni Pizza, and I love it! You use jarred roasted red peppers as the sauce, mozzarella cheese and sliced zucchini with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes as the pepperoni. I can't find prepared whole wheat pizza crust, so next time I'm going to make my own. Anyone have a recipe?
The chili-salmon with zucchini and corn I made this week was a new recipe. I broiled it in the oven. Every time I opened the oven, the smoke detector went off from the heat; there was no smoke. Annoying.
I also used the broiler for this simple pesto pita pizza. I used my own pesto recipe with a little red pepper flakes for flavor and heat. This is a great lunch meal if I make the pesto in advance because it only heats in the broiler for a few minutes.
I've experimented with several tortilla soup recipes and this is my quick-and-easy favorite. I chop an onion, but everything else I dump and heat: canned diced tomatoes, pinto beans and green chiles, water and chicken brother. Crumble chips in the bottom of the bowl and top with cheese.

Green Challenge

2008-04-15T09:27:00.003-05:00

I'm trying something completely different for my Friday Five post this week, so I'm actually blogging on a day other than Friday!

I try to be mindful of my impact on the environment. I recycle, carry my own canvas bags shopping - and this awesome on-the-go, fit-in-your-purse Chico Bag (pictured) - instead of the horrible plastic ones, replace burned out bulbs with CLFs, wash my clothes in cold water, drink tap water instead of bottled water, and walk to work when I can, which hasn't been lately due to the logistics of making it to the gym on time, but I have a plan to remedy that. But I also use paper towels, paper plates and disposable razors. So my new green challenge is to stop using those three products. Not using paper plates will be the easiest. It's just one more dish to wash. No big deal. Not using paper towels will be harder, but that is more about breaking a habit than anything else. I went to Sam's on Saturday and bought a pack of towels that I plan to use instead. So far so good. Whenever I wash towels or sheets, I'll just throw those in with the load. I've always used disposable razors because it seemed ridiculous to spend $10 on a razor and as much or more for new blades. I still think it's ridiculous, but every time I throw a razor away, I feel guilty. I was at Target over the weekend, and they had a razor and three-blade refill package for $10, so it was like getting one item for free. (The thrifty Jamie can't believe I spent so much money on a razor!) Those may seem like small changes, but if everyone makes small changes, it will make a difference. Anyone else have their own green challenge?

Friday Five

2008-04-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

We took a family photo when I went home during Spring Break. My parents, my aunt and my younger sister are in the picture with me, along with my aunt's dogs. She refused to let us take the photo without them.
I finished reading Bee Season by Mayla Goldberg. I recommend it. Near the end, it gets a little weird, and the final spelling bee performance was totally predictable, but I enjoyed it. Now I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, which is vastly inferior to Bee Season. It's not nearly as well written as Bee Season, and I can't get a handle on the characters. The structure of the book is partly to blame - in each chapter the characters are different ages - but I don't feel like I know them. I don't picture them in my head. I don't even picture the actors playing them in the upcoming movie. And the author has used the word resplendent to describe the same male character's appearance twice. Please. I'm enjoying the book, but I'm halfway through and I can't figure out the point.
Someone out in the blogosphere directed me to The Pioneer Woman. If you have some time on your hands, read her series "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels." It's the compelling story of how the author met and married her husband. You won't be disappointed.
I've agreed to go on a blind date. I know. I'm waiting on the guy to contact me. He's has a bit of an advantage in this situation. Due to my work with the United Way, he received at least one email a week from me for six months. It was one-way communication, so he knows a bit of my personality while I know nothing about his. Apparently people try to set him up on blind dates all the time and he refuses. My emails must have been mighty impressive! :-) I'm not excited as much as I am curious.
I always play tennis with Janie when I go to DFW. We played twice over Spring Break, and the last time we played before that was during Christmas break. Our play is erratic due to our inconstancy, so we made a pact to play with other people before the next time we play together. I am playing next with with a guy at work that played in college. I'm expecting to underwhelm him with my "talent." If he can stand it, hopefully we'll start playing on a regular basis. I played in high school for those of you out there that didn't know that. That also explains why I love watching tennis. I'm upset at the TV coverage of the tennis match that just ended. They only aired the final, but there were several exciting matches along the way that an American TV audience would have enjoyed. For instance, every time Andy Roddick plays Roger Federer everyone talks about his chance to break his losing streak. Federer always wins and keeps the streak alive. Not this time. Roddick beat Federer and no one saw it. I know all of you are sad about missing that match.

Friday Five: Saturday Edition

2008-04-05T14:17:00.005-05:00

I'm late in posting my regular Friday "column" due to a shotgun trip I made to the camp I'm working at this summer. I went up on Thursday and left on Friday. That sure is a boring 5-6 hour drive.

Here are a few pictures of where I'll be living this summer. I wish I had taken more, but I meant to leave after lunch, and it was 5 p.m. before I left, so I took a few quick pictures on my way out. I'm excited to spend my summer there!
I've been listening to the new album by Zooey Deschanel, the actress from Elf, Failure to Launch and Almost Famous, among others. The album is She & Him: Volume One. It's the perfect spring soundtrack. When I listen to, I envision a couple wandering around Paris on a sunny, spring day. Part of the reason that image comes to mind is because some of the songs sound like the waltz Julie Delpy plays in Before Sunset. I bought it with a gift card, but I would spend money on it.
I like to discover new music anytime I have gift cards. If I end up not liking it, it's not as big of a deal because I didn't waste my money on it. It addition to She & Him, I also bought two albums by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Another good purchase. Her music is a mix of folk rock, southern Gospel and other genres. Of the two albums - Nothing but the Water and This is Somewhere - I would recommend This is Somewhere, but my favorite songs are the title tracks to Nothing but the Water.
My experience as an alternate delegate at the county convention was uneventful. I spent a couple hours in the morning waiting in line to get my credentials, then spent a couple hours sitting at the convention. My precinct didn't need to call up any alternates, so I left when they started voting on chairs and other things. Alternates can't vote. It was neat to be part of the process though.
I'm reading "Bee Season" right now and enjoying it. Up next is "The Time Traveler's Wife." Anyone read either of those?

Friday Five

2008-03-28T20:42:00.003-05:00

It's been almost a month since my last post! I don't know if I have any readers left, but if I do, I plan to write a Friday Five post every week (until the summer). My life isn't super exciting, so I'll have to be creative with what I put on the blogosphere.

I'll be spending my Saturday at my democratic county convention as an alternate delegate for Barack Obama. By living in a Republican town, in a Republic precinct, I became an automatic delegate just by staying at the caucus until it was over. The whole process is fascinating to me, so the county convention should be interesting. I have to check in from 10 a.m.-noon and get my credentials, and then return at 12:15 when the doors open. I don't know what time the convention starts, but I've been told to plan on being there until 3 or 4 p.m. We can't bring food or drinks into the caucus (what is that about?), but I did make a trip to the library today. I've received two postcards in the mail about the convention, a recorded phone call from Barack Obama and a call from a someone who attended my precinct caucus. I never get any political mail, so this is a whole new experience for me.
I'm addicted to Danish cinema! I've watched four Danish films since Spring Break, and another one arrived in the mail today (love that Netflix!) My new "celebrity crush" is Nikolah Lie Kaas. You've never heard of him! I'm aghast! :-) (I tried to add a photo, but Blogger wouldn't let me.)
I'm on a self-title anti-inflammatory diet. I've started exercising again, but it seems like any exercise results in the tendinitis in my foot recurring, not necessarily full force, but I'm aware of my left foot the way you are with something is wrong. Make sense. So I did a lot of research, and I'm incorporating foods that reduce or prevent inflammation into every meal, or attempting to. Omega-3s are a great anti-inflammatory, so I had salmon four times this week. Pineapple has an anti-inflammatory ingredient in it, and most produce, especially green foods with chlorophyll in them are good for inflammation. I also made buckwheat pancakes that are an anti-inflammatory powerhouse!
I'm crazy busy at work, which is a nice change. The preparations for my trip to Canada and summer camp planning is almost too much work at once. Today I even lost track of time and was happily working along after hours. I've adopted the work-to-live mentality of Europe (instead of the live-to-work mentality so many Americans have) and always leave work on time, especially on Fridays when I get off at noon.
One of the new exercise classes I'm taking is cardio circuit. You spend 1:30 at each circuit. By the way, ever tried doing push ups for a minute and a half? It's a lot longer than you think. Anyway, the instructor claims that the class burns 1,500 calories. The instructor is a athletic male, so that might be true for him, but I don't buy it. I am exhausted at the end of the class, and usually have to take breaks in the middle of multiple circuits. It burns a lot of calories, but 1,500 in 60 minutes? I'm only taking the class every other week due to the high impact involved. Gotta keep that tendinitis away!

Pesto Recipe

2008-03-03T13:11:00.004-06:00

As per ABL's request, here is the pesto recipe I've used. This was my first attempt to make pesto, so I know there are probably better recipes out there. If you have one, share!

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (I skip the toasting step)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped (I use the refrigerated kind)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons water

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the pesto: combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth (you may need to add a splash of water so that it blends well).

The first time I made pesto, I bought a cup of pine nuts. The next three times I made it, I only had to buy basil. The other ingredients I always have on hand. This is much cheaper than buying the expensive store-bought kind.

Random Tuesdays

2008-02-26T13:41:00.003-06:00

''I am totally overwhelmed with joy and sparkles and fireworks!'' - Marion Cotillard to the press corps backstage after her win for Best Actress at the Oscars. How can you not be happy for her after reading that?

I haven't had caffeine since Feb. 6, and I sure am sleeping better at night. My next step is to stop drinking carbonation all together. Sprite Zero and Diet A&W are my friends right now.

Have you ever made pesto from scratch? It's surprisingly easy and cheap. I'm trying out a cilantro pesto tonight.

I've added a new role to my job. I will be managing the camp my company owns and operates in New Mexico. So from May 27-Aug. 8 (ish) I will be living in the mountains of New Mexico working with counselors and camp directors. This new position also pays! I will be doing this in addition to my other duties, including taking alumni to Canada in July and my work with the United Way. Summer camp was important to my spiritual development, so I'm happy to do my part to make sure other teens having a good camp experience. If you are looking for a place to send fourth graders - high school grads this summer for a week, I can help you out! You can come with them and visit me!

Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

2008-02-08T10:07:00.000-06:00

A long title and a long movie. The running time was two hours and forty minutes. After Jesse was assassinated, I tried to will the movie to end, but it didn't work. I enjoyed the movie; it had gorgeous cinematography and good acting (Casey Affleck is nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor), but it was too long. Maybe I shouldn't have watched it at night, but I really think it could have been reduced to two hours and been just as good.

Extra long films appear to be epidemic right now. I'm torn about my own feelings about this. On one hand, I think filmmakers should be able to make the movies they want to make and viewers can accept or reject that vision. If studios make all the decisions about movies, we'd live in a wasteland of films designed to appease the lowest common denominator. Who wants that? But the viewer in me wishes filmmakers had advisers or studios that called them out on their indulgences, especially the ones that are somehow above the system. No Country is another film that could have shaved 20 minutes off its two-hour run time. I haven't seen There Will be Blood, but it's 158 minutes - two hours and 38 minutes! I doubt that every frame was necessary.

And Juno is a fun, enjoyable movie, but the first third of it is overwritten and therefore comes across as fake and unrealistic. Screenwriters are always going to fall in love with their words. Someone needs to tell them when enough is enough. Honest to blog. (That is a quote from Juno, in case you were wondering.) It doesn't help when self-indulgent movies or parts of movies are nominated for prestigious awards, like this year.

Anyway, that is my soapbox for today.

(My spell check isn't working, so I apologize if there were errors in this post.)

Walking

2008-01-15T11:30:00.001-06:00

I've started walking to work again, and I love it! I bought some cheap but comfy walking shoes so I don't have to factor in footwear every morning. I love the fresh air and additional exercise. If I walk home for lunch, which I usually do, my walking totals 32 minutes. And I'm saving on gas. My savings will add up if the price of gas keeps climbing.

One of my favorite things about living in Europe was walking everywhere, and I'm glad to have it back in my life. If you live close enough to work to walk or ride your bike, I suggest you give it a try.

Best of 2007: Books

2008-01-12T17:36:00.000-06:00

I'm at home watching football - the Seahawks vs. the Packers (so much snow!) - and I decided it was a good time to write about my favorite books of 2007. Nothing fits with football quite like literature.

This list is the hardest one for me to make. I keep a list of the books I read, otherwise I wouldn't be able to tell you what I read last week. I also use Amazon.com to compliment my memory when summarizing books. If only Amazon could remind me what I thought about the book right after I finished reading it. I might need to add notes to supplement my list.

Here is my list of the best books I read in 2007 in chronological order.

City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. This is a nonfiction book about Venice with the mysterious fire of the Fenice Opera House the main character, besides Venice. If you've been to Venice, you'll probably enjoy reading this book about life in this unique city.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. I read this book in elementary school and decided to read it again when I found out Disney was making a movie out of it. The relationship between Jesse and Leslie is written so well that you can't help but be heartbroken by the way the story plays out.
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. Almost nothing like the movie, this book is about an American couple that lives in Italy during the summer and holidays and their experience. Being someone that has lived in a different country and adapted to a different culture, I enjoyed reading about someone else's experience.
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I remember liking this book. I remember feeling engaged with the characters and enjoying the story and writing. But I had to read the synopsis on Amazon to remember what it was about. I still can't remember any details. I still feel like it should be on my list.
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. Anytime I read a book that has been translated to English from another language, I wonder if I'm missing something in the translation because other languages have expressions we don't have and words can be translated different ways. How do translators make their choices? That won't stop me from reading translations, but it's always on my mind. This is one such book. You've got sex, war crimes, literacy and guilt in this book. What more can you ask for? Oh, a movie version with Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet! Excellent casting choices by the way.
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, the Amber Spyglass. Just like the Harry Potter series, each book in this series was better than the its predecessor. All the talk about these books and the movie being anti-religion are missing the point. The story is about children fighting an oppressive, corrupted authority and making huge sacrifices to do what is right for the world. It just happens that the authority in the book is organized religion, but it could be any authority with corrupted values and leaders . The heroine Lyra is a great character, and it's nice to read a children's fantasy book with a female heroine. If you saw the movie, the actress did a great job of personifying Lyra's attitude and strength.
A Thousand Splendid Sons by Khaled Hosseini. The author of the Kite Runner has created another great book about living in Afghanistan, this time following the lives of two women through several decades and leadership changes in the country.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Here is what I wrote about the book after I read it around Thanksgiving. Under the Banner of Heaven is an intriguing study of Mormon Fundamentalism. The author dissects the case of the two Lafferty brothers who murdered their brother's wife and child because God told them to do it and places it in the context of Mormon Fundamentalism. To understand Mormon Fundamentalism, you have to understand the history of Mormonism and why the Fundamentalists have broken off from the official Mormon church. It all seems to boil down to polygamy. The book was fascinating. Occasionally he made statements that I wish were followed by a source ID, but he provided a lengthy reference list at the end of the, so I guess that counts.
Atonement by Ian McEwan. It look me a while to get into this book because I don't generally like long, narrative passages, but once the exposition and initial character development were out of the way, I didn't want to put the book down. McEwan is a great descriptive author because I read all his words and can clearly form pictures in my head. (Literature snobs, don't hate me, but I have a tendency to skip long, descriptive passages.)

What great books did you read this year?

Best of 2007: Movies

2008-01-05T20:13:00.000-06:00

I had a hard time picking my favorite movies of the year. I saw a lot of movies, courtesy of Netflix of course, but few wowed me enough to put them on this list or recommend them to other people. I saw several movies over the Christmas break, including potential Oscar-nominated movies, but I had a hard time putting those on my list (I'll get to that in a minute.)

Here is my list, in no particular order.

Waitress staring Keri Russell. I missed seeing this in the theatre due to it's limited theatrical run in my market. I finally watched it on DVD. I've already blogged about, so I won't say much more. It's a movie with heart, which I always like.
Once. Another movie I've already blogged about. A non-traditional musical with plenty of heart and a realistic resolution, even if it's not one we "want." I love the song "Falling Slowly" the two characters play together that starts their relationship.
Jesus Camp. As a person that helps plan and run a Christian camp, this movie might be more interesting to me than you. The film focuses on a summer Bible camp for children as young as five. I don't want to live in a Christian church state (church states don't work anywhere else in the world, so why would we want one here?) and the goal of this group alarms me a little. Regardless of where you stand of the role of religion in politics and government, you should find this doc intriguing.
Bourne Ultimatum. I love Jason Bourne. I've read all the books, which are more of a jumping off point for the movies instead of an adaption. A lot of people don't like Greengrass' quick-cut editing, but I think it illuminates Bourne's role as the weapon against anyone he faces. One of the best action flicks I've seen since, I don't know, the Bourne Supremacy. :-)
Zodiac. If I expected this to be an adrenaline rush like the Bourne Ultimatum, I might have been disappointed. I'd read enough to realize this was more of a slow-boiling, psychological thriller. I thought it worked. Seeing the emotional and psychological toll trying to find a killer took on difference people involved in the investigation was fascinating.
Atonement. I was not expecting the artful direction of this film. Gorgeous film! I read the book and the film took advantage of it's medium well to tell the story. I loved how we would see part of scene as witnessed by one character and then see the full scene without losing the scene's impact or significance. This method also helped the audience understand why Briony did the things she did because we saw what she saw. Atonement is a good story with good actors beautifully filmed.
Hairspray! This was the best experience I had at the movies all year. I didn't know much about the play or the music. The movie starts with the in-your-face "Good Morning Baltimore" sung by Tracy. At first I was unsure of what to think, but by end of the song, I was sold. It took me to the "Elephant Love Medley" to feel that way about Moulin Rouge the first time I saw it, but Hairspray accomplished that with the first song. I left this moving smiling and humming the songs. I saw it again in the theatre and bought it on DVD the first day it came out.

Over the Christmas holidays I saw Juno, Sweeney Todd and No Country for Old Men. None of them made my final list. Why? It was a mix of high expectations and bleak, dark subjects. Juno is not dark. Juno is uplifting and funny. However, the reviews I read for this film were so glowing that I expected something magical. What I saw instead was your basic, feel-good comedy/drama that is being touted as the most original work to ever come along. Obviously the critics have never watched an episode of Gilmore Girls. However pop-culture happy, witty and snappy the dialogue on Gilmore Girls was, it still seemed natural. With Juno, especially in the beginning, it didn't seem real. The movie couldn't recognize it's own limitations and tried too hard.

I couldn't put the book No Country for Old Men down when I started reading because I had to know what happened. And despite the fact that I knew who lived and who died, the Coen brothers set up scenes and chases so well, I was tense and anxious during the movie. But something about the conclusion, when the Sheriff is processing everything that has happened and his role in it, rubbed me the wrong way. I thought the same thing as times during the book, but because there was so much inner-monologue throughout the the book, it didn't take away from my overall experience. With the movie it did. And the movie was too long; near the end I was waiting for it to be over. Well made but hard to like, like Sweeney Todd.

The dreary art direction fit the tone and spirit of the movie; Tim Burton was the perfect person to make this movie. I wasn't bothered by the lack of singing talent of Depp and Bonham-Carter. It's the character of Sweeney Todd that I don't like. He has a valid reason for wanting revenge, but that is all that matters to him. Does he care about the welfare of his daughter? Only if it helps him get revenge against the person that ruined his life. I didn't like him any more than I liked the villian, which is problematic. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I doubt it. It's hard to not like a movie that is as well made as this, but I don't.

New Year's Resolution

2008-01-02T14:20:00.000-06:00

I don't usually make these, but last year I got out of the habit of writing in my happy list, and I want to be more consistent this year. Keeping a happy list serves multiple purposes. The most obvious is that the list helps me focus on the joy in my life and not the negativity. I've always been a glass-half-full person, and a great way to express that is by keeping a list of things that make me happy. The list is the closest thing I have to a journal, and the happy list is probably better because it focuses on anything and everything that I take joy in. So an entry like "kettle corn" is followed by something like "family that will love and support you, no matter what." Anyone interested can read my happy list; it's meant to be shared. It's also a good snapshot of my life. I've given personalized happy lists as gifts to my friends, and I'm in the process of entering everything into the computer. Even though the idea came from Janie, it's been part of me since I was a junior in high school.

Anyway, all that to say, I didn't write in my happy list as much as I would have liked in 2007. Sometimes it was a matter of not having my list with me when something came up. More often than not I just didn't think about it. Part of keeping it up is habit, and I lost that. I tried carrying the list in my purse so I usually had it with me, but that plan backfired. It is my goal to write consistently in my happy list. I started a new book for a new year, so I'm heading the right direction.

Whether we live in the same city, only exchange emails or you read my blog anonymously, feel free to ask me what I've written in my happy list lately. Hopefully the answer will be "Plenty!"

And I encourage you to keep your own list. It can start with anything. Next time you laugh, write down what made you laugh. Mine started because I opened the songbook right to the page I wanted. (Remember when we had songbooks in church?) I went home that day and started writing in a spiral notebook. More than 10 years later I'm still writing.

Best of 2007: TV Moments

2007-12-28T16:18:00.001-06:00

My year-end posts start with the best TV moments of the year. I have used memory aids for this list, mainly b/c I didn't want to forget about the spring of 2007 with the new fall season fresh on my mind.

Here goes, in no particular order, after the first one.

The "flash forward" on LOST. ABC made a mistake deciding to air the first six exposition episodes followed by a lull of reruns, but when LOST came back, it came back great. And the season finale was some of the best television I watched all year. HEROES has all the pop culture good will right now, but it can't come close to LOST in terms of quality. (By the way, if you want an 8 minute, 15 second recap of LOST, check out this video. Informative and entertaining. The link is to the ABC website. The video you want is "Catch up on LOST." Female narrator.)
Friday Night Lights, anytime Connie Britton is on screen.
Banter between Marc and Amanda on Ugly Betty.
Craig T. Nelson on My Name is Earl. Glad Earl is out of prison, but I will miss Nelson's incompetent warden.
Jack shoots Curtis on 24. Poor Jack. I didn't actually finish last season of 24, but the beginning was great, especially Jack having to shoot a friend and fellow government agent.
"Oceanic flight 815 was shot down by..." as part of the Intersect info on Chuck. I enjoy when current shows reference other current shows. Chuck started to gel near the end of the first segment of episodes. Here's hoping the strike ends soon enough for us to watch more new episodes this season.
Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock. Watch one of his funniest scenes.
"Slapsgiving" and any slaps that took place during 2007. The "Slap Bet" on How I Met Your Mother is hilarious. These guys swing away when they get an opportunity to slap each other. And this episode managed to make the slap funny even though we knew it was coming. Even better was the closing song Marshal wrote for the occasion. Check it out!
Lorelai sings "I Will Always Love You" to Luke on Gilmore Girls. Lauren Graham is fabulous!
Booth and Bones kiss!
Pam confesses her feelings to Jim; Jim asks Pam out on a date! Watch Pam's speech and follow the link for Jim's response. I've noticed that links to specific videos on the NBC website aren't always accurate, so I apologize in advance if it's the wrong clip.

I think that about does it for TV moments. Did I miss something from your favorite TV show?

End of the Year Posts

2007-12-20T12:48:00.001-06:00

As the year comes to a close, I will be compiling several lists. I expect to include my favorite books, movies and TV moments. The majority of "Oscar-caliber" movies haven't opened here or are opening this weekend, so I don't know when I'll get around to that list.

Friday is my last day of work until January 2, 2008. I can't believe it's almost 2008!

Happy holidays, and have a safe trip!

Once

2007-12-18T13:17:00.001-06:00

If you missed seeing the movie Once, you can rent it or buy it today. The "art house musical" won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. It stars two musicians who get to know each other through music. It's a very heartfelt movie.

Also, check out this video! It's Indiana University's a cappella group Straight No Chaser.

Update

2007-12-13T09:16:00.000-06:00

I really am trying to write more frequently. I'm just not that interesting. Here's a few things I've been up to recently.

Saw the Blue Man Group. That's a fun, unique way to spend an evening. I liked the interactive elements and the variety. I was expecting to see more paint though.
Spent the weekend in DFW to attend Melanie's wedding. It was great to see friends from college I don't see regularly.
Saw the documentary What Would Jesus Buy? while in Dallas. Basic synopsis: Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping choir tour the country encouraging people to shop responsibly and refocus Christmas so it's about Jesus and being with family and not about what gifts you give and receive. Good message, but Billy is a bit too fanatical to be effective.
Watched the movie Waitress, with Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion, last night. The writer/director and co-star Adrienne Shelly was murdered before the movie premiered at Sundance to rave reviews. That information influences how you view the movie. Watching her character as a happy bride was a little bittersweet. I recommend the movie. It's tone is a little unique, so you might have to adjust to the style of acting.
I've given up caffeine. On Fridays, I will treat myself to a breakfast burrito from Josie's (yummy) and a Diet Dr. Pepper.
I read Under the Banner of Heaven, an intriguing study of Mormon Fundamentalism. The author dissects the case of the two Lafferty brothers who murdered one of their other brother's wife and child because God told them to do it and places it in the context of Mormon Fundamentalism. To understand Mormon Fundamentalism, you have to understand the history of Mormonism and why the Fundamentalists have broken off from the official Mormon church. It all seems to boil down to polygamy. The book was fascinating. The author, Jon Krakauer, also wrote Into the Wild, which has been made into a movie directed by Sean Penn.
I've been keeping up with the writer's strike. Did you know the WGA was striking? Right now most people probably don't. We've entered the usual rerun holiday slumber. Come January and February, when shows run out of new episodes, anyone that watches TV will notice. The Office has been in reruns since November. Fox has already decided to postpone Day 7 of 24 indefinitely so it can air uninterrupted. There is a chance the writers will not cross picket lines to write for awards shows like the Golden Globes and Oscars. Crazy times. I support the writers, but I wish both sides would come to a solution.
I've started wearing heels again! My foot is reacting great! Next week: heels and exercise! Whoo-hoo!
I'm trying really hard to think of something fun or cool I've done lately. Last night I had a dance party with a three-year old. Does that count?

Friday Five: Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T12:44:00.000-06:00

I could just list things I'm thankful for until I run out or have to leave, but in keeping my my inconsistent Friday Five tradition, I'm limiting my list to five things I'm thankful for right now.

Family. My family wasn't perfect, but I knew growing up that my parents loved me. That gave me and my sister a self confidence that comes from being loved for who you are and not who you will become or what you look like. And that is a great gift.
Friends. Everyone has different levels of friends, and I'm thankful for all of them. But I'm most thankful for the friendships I know will last forever, and those people that bring out the true me when I'm with them.
iPods, TiVos, HDTV. I've had an iPod for three-four years, but it's something I can't live without. It's changed the way I listen to music, just like the TiVo has changed the way I watch TV. HDTV is something I've just experienced this year, but there is nothing better than watching Tony Romy and the Dallas Cowboys win football games (which I'm also thankful for) on a large, flat-screen HDTV. If only I had enough money to own that technology myself.
Weather. I love this cold front! I was not looking forward to an 80-degree Thanksgiving. It's so much harder to listen to Christmas music when you are wearing short sleeves and driving with your windows rolled down. But Mother Nature to the rescue! Other than when it's snowing, cold and sunny is my favorite weather. It was snowing at Texas Stadium yesterday, but 15 miles SW at my parents' house, it was just sleeting. But it was cold everywhere, and that is what I'm thankful for.
Things that make me laugh out loud. It doesn't matter if it's what I see on TV or the movies, what I read in books, listen to on the radio, or hear my friends say. Sometimes it's just the craziness that is life. But if it makes me laugh out loud, I'm thankful for it. What would like be like without laughter.

What are you thankful for today?

Silence

2007-11-19T10:40:00.001-06:00

Those of you that only watch mainstream American movies, have you noticed how there is almost never any silence? It's almost like the studios are afraid that if there isn't dialogue or an intense action sequence (think Jason Bourne) the audience will lose interest.

I thought of this over the weekend while watching the movie "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring." This Korean film has two main characters. Occasionally a third person enters the story to progress it, but mainly it's a two-person movie. And the characters are Buddhist monks living on a floating monastery in the middle of nowhere. Guess what? Minimal dialogue. I remember hearing one of the characters speak, and I suddenly realized I was watching a 90 minute film that had 30 minutes of dialogue at most, probably considerably less. And dialogue wasn't necessary. The movie was able to communicate everything it needed to through other elements. It seemed the the silence gave me the opportunity to question what was happening and how it was effecting the characters. The director let the movie unfold instead of telling me what was happening.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to everyone, but if you want to see a perfect example of silence being the right choice in a movie, watch the Best of Youth. The closing scene in that movie is perfect, and it would have been ruined with words. (Don't forget that movie is six hours long. Jaime started watching it around 10 p.m. one evening, which I thought was an odd choice. Turns out she forgot it was so long. Originally it was an Italian miniseries.)

General Supreme

2007-11-17T15:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry I haven't been consistent with my writing lately. I promise I'm trying!

Anyway, in the last two weeks I've had the opportunity to see General Colin Powell and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. I helped plan the event with Powell because my employer brought him here to conclude our 50th anniversary celebration. Boy am I glad that event is over. My work load dropped considerably after the event, and now I'm back to finding ways to fill my time. The local law school brought O'Connor, and it was free for everyone. She didn't charge for her appearance, and all other costs were paid for by a law school alum.

Colin Powell was great. He was quite funny. He was scheduled to talk for 45 minutes and he went about 65 minutes. Then he answered a few prepared questions. He talked about world events, the military, what it was like being in public service, what it was like suddenly being out of public service, characteristics and leadership/management styles of each President he had the opportunity to work with, pretty much everything you expect and hope someone who has served in all the areas he has served will talk about. Plus, plus, plus. And he did a great job of incorporating my employer's mission statement into his talk. Perfect!

Justice O'Connor wasn't quite as great. She talked about the importance of democracy at home and abroad and how important an independent judiciary is to that democracy. It makes perfect sense she would talk about that, but that is all she talked about. She didn't talk about what it felt like to be the first female justice on the US Supreme Court, she didn't talk about being on the Court at all. She's become a spokesman for an independent judiciary since her retirement, but I was disappointed her talk was so short (maybe 10 minutes) and that was the only topic. It was a great opportunity to hear her, but I was disappointed. If I'd paid to hear her, I'd be upset. But for free, I'm just glad I had the opportunity to hear her.

__________________

I finished reading The Namesake last night. I thought it was great! I've never read the author's Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories because I don't like short stories - by the time I'm interested in the story and involved with the characters, the story is over - but the book was well written.

__________________

I got a great hair cut today! I've been going to the same hairdresser for a while now. She can't give me the perfect hair cut I want - no one can - but she does a great job. And today she gave me the best haircut so far! I hope I still like it next week.

_________________

I had to GP on Tuesday for Thanksgiving. I'll spend Wednesday afternoon and evening making pies an deviled eggs. I always see movies with my Mom and Aunt, and we'll probably see August Rush and Enchanted. I've heard great things about Amy Adams' performance in Enchanted, so I'm excited to see it. I love the scene in the trailer when James Marden's character starts to burst into song and he's run over my cyclists in Central Park! (By the way, that guy needs a new agent; he's always the guy that never gets the girl. Think about it: Superman Returns, the Notebook, X-Men.) My boss told me to take a day off as thanks for all my work with the United Way, so I'm taking the Monday after Thanksgiving off.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Rosemary's Baby

2007-10-27T16:21:00.001-05:00

If you missed Thursday's episode of 30 Rock, follow this link to watch it. If you don't laugh out loud during Tracy's therapy session when Jack (Alec Baldwin) starts impersonating Tracy's family, I don't think we can be friends. I mean, how can you not find that funny?

Homecoming 2007

2007-10-24T19:47:00.000-05:00

I had a great weekend in Abilene. Check out Rachel's blog if you want to see pictures from the weekend. Brent's fiance Jenny is adorable

We saw the Homecoming musical AIDA, and it was fantastic, like usual.

We ate at Sharon's BBQ, which serves the exact same food as Joe Allen's without the two-hour wait. That potato salad sure is yummy.

Rachel already mentioned this on her blog, but we want all the GATA pledges from 1998 to return to homecoming next year for our 10-year pledging anniversary. If you are a Preying Mantis, check out this new blog and get connected.

Jaime A. has finished nursing school and is blogging again. Catch up with her today!

Fall has officially arrived! We had our first freeze on Sunday night and it was so cold on the way to work in the morning. Refreshing! The leaves are even starting to change colors slightly.

Homecoming

2007-10-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

Who is going to ACU Homecoming this weekend? I'll be there, along with Joe and Rachel V., Jeremy H. and Brent W. Rachel and I will also be at GATA Breakfast. Rachel and I want to get 100 percent attendance at GATA Breakfast in 2008, the 10-year anniversary of our pledge class. Start spreading the word, and make plans to attend!

Holler in the comments and let me know if you'll be around. You can find us at the Parade on the east side of Campus Court near the Ad. Building.

I have any extra ticket to see AIDA on Saturday night if anyone is interested in it. I can't remember the exact price, but it's between $10-15.

See you this weekend!

Friday Five

2007-10-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

Against all evidence to the contrary, I will continue updating my blog at least once a week, believing a few people out there actually care about me. :-)

Prayer is powerful and effective. A student where I work was diagnosed with a brain tumor, apparently the most severe case you can have. It's been amazing to see the community where I work and the entire Christian community petition God to heal him. He went to Plano for treatment, and more than 100 people from here have traveled there to support him and his family. His tumor-removal surgery was successful and he should be on his path to healing now. I don't know how people without a Christian community survive tragedy.
My friends bought me an iPod Nano! Technically I'm paying for most by providing free babysitting four times, but I think that trade is in my favor. It's so pretty and small. I'm almost afraid to touch it. It has a color screen and plays video, things my outdated current iPod don't do. And I bet the battery will allow me to listen to music all day long at work, something my current iPod, even with a new battery, doesn't do.
Tony Romo and Co. narrowly escaped defeat Monday night to set up a contest of unbeaten football teams Sunday against the New England Patriots. I always have faith in the Cowboys, but they will have to play perfect to win this game. Never doubt.
I've been giving Pushing Daises, Private Practice and Dirty, Sexy Money a chance on Wednesday nights, but so far I don't love any of them. It's not like when I watched Ugly Betty for the first time last year, and laughed and cried in the pilot, and probably the next four episodes and was addicted. It's not like Friday Night Lights, where I started watching episodes online and couldn't stop, even with a laptop screen. It's not like the incredible 24, ALIAS and LOST pilots where I couldn't wait for next week and asked everyone I knew if they watched the same shows. I think I like Chuck best so far, but even though I enjoy it and think the character/actor Chuck is adorable, the show doesn't make me laugh out loud. Any thoughts?
Don't forget to set your TiVo to record Friday Night Lights tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC. No excuses! I recommend the show even though I don't like the plot twist introduced in the season premier. But the show is so good, that storyline is no excuse not to watch the show.

Have a good weekend!

Friday Five

2007-10-05T09:29:00.000-05:00

I don't think anyone reads my blog anymore because I post so sporadically, but I'm committed to bringing back the Friday Five, so there will be at least one post a week.

Diet Dr. Pepper is evil. With the exception of a few phases, I've never been much of a soda drinker. I officially decided to switch to diet a few years ago, and since that time, my consumption has drastically increased. Why? Drinking Diet Dr. Pepper feels like a free pass because it doesn't have any calories.
I really want to see the movie Lars and the Real Girl staring Ryan Gosling. For those of you that didn't see his Oscar-nominated performance in Half Nelson last year, you probably know him as Noah Calhoun from The Notebook. In Lars, Ryan's character thinks that a blow-up doll is his girlfriend and his family and community go along with the charade to help him deal with his issues. Sounds like it could be horrible, but the trailer looks cute and sweet. And I've read good things about it.
The Cowboys and 4-0! It's so much more enjoyable when your team is winning! And when your quarterback is an exciting and cute as Tony Romo. Oh, and watching the games on HD TV is my new favorite thing. Strangely, Fox does not offer HD in this market - even though all the other local channels do and the national broadcasts allude to Fox being in HD - so I can't watch every game in HD. Man can you tell the difference!
Why do professional athletes keep disgracing their sports and our country? It's not just professional athletes, like Marion Jones, Michael Vick and Floyd Landis. Seven UT football players have been arrested since June. And I'm sure there are stories about high school athletes to add to this. It's sad.
Are you watching Friday Night Lights tonight? If not, you need to TiVo it. Also, check out 30 Rock on Thursdays. Both shows are great and need bigger audiences.

Have a good weekend!

Saturday Seven

2007-09-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not blogging with any consistency lately. I'm sure all of my readers - the whole handful of you - are upset about this. Which reminds me, if you didn't watch the Emmy-award-winning season of 30 Rock last year, you should check it out this season when it premiers on Oct. 4.

Next week is TV premier week! Woo-hoo! I'm most excited about the hour-long premier of the Office on Thursday, and the next three weeks of hour-long episodes of the Office. I'm actually babysitting Thursday, so I will have to time-shift and watch all four hours of TV I TiVo on Thursday on Friday afternoon (or late Thursday). The show that is generating the most buzz - Pushing Daises on ABC - doesn't even premier for another week. Annoying!

Anyway, my topic today is not TV, but movies. Read below to find out what seven movies I am anticipating the most.

Atonement staring Keira Knightly and James McAvoy. Keira reunited with her Pride and Prejudice director Joe Wright for an adaptation of Ian McEwan's popular novel. Buzz on this is super positive, with many saying it is a lock for best picture and best actor and maybe best actress. And adapted screenplay of course.
No Country for Old Men, the Coen brothers return with this faithful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's brutal novel. I started reading this book and couldn't put it down, read it in one night. And it's a bloodbath. It's generating very positive word-of-mouth as well.
The Golden Compass. Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig star in this adaption of the first of three books in Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy. I just finished the final book in this series, and each book was better than the one that proceeded it. If you can overlook the anti-religion theme in the book, you'll enjoy the series. Haven't heard much about the movie, but I can't wait to see it.
Juno. Who saw Thank You for Smoking? Director Jason Reitman returns to direct this story of a pregnant teenager who decides to give her baby up for adoption to a couple played by Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) and Jennifer Garner (ALIAS). Critics have been writing glowing reviews about this film. It's supposed to be a feel-good comedy.
Eastern Promises. I've only seen one David Cronenberg film that I'm aware of (The History of Violence - not recommended for general moviegoers) and it also stared Viggo Mortensen. They team up for another violent film surrounding the mysterious death of a women connected to the Russian mafia. Naomi Watts also stars.
Sweeney Todd. Tim Burton directs Johnny Depp in this musical about a murderous barber. Perfect for a Christmas release. :-) I have no idea if this will be good or not, but I want to find out.
The Kite Runner. If you haven't read this book, it needs to be the next book you read. You won't be disappointed. Hopefully that is what people will be saying about this movie. The posters look a bit cheesy, so I'm almost concerned.

Those are the movies I'm most looking forward to, in no particular order. I'm sure at least one of them will disappoint me, but such is the nature of the beast. Has anyone heard of any of these movies, at at least the books most of them are based on? What movies are you looking forward to the most?

Procrastination

2007-09-13T09:31:00.000-05:00

I'm procrastinating. I need to make five development calls for the United Way, but I don't want to do it. So instead, I'm blogging.

We had a staff conference in May where we played get-to-know-you games. I have a stack of questions from one of those games, so I pulled five of them out to answer on this blog. Once you read them, you are tagged to answer the same questions. Don't worry; they aren't complicated.

What does your favorite t-shirt say? "The People's Republic of Cork" - Cork, Ireland, is where I lived for four months. I love this shirt because you can only buy it in one city, in one country, in all the world. I get a lot of strange looks when I wear it. However, when I wore it to an Irish bar on St. Patrick's Day, I got a lot of compliments.
What is your favorite sport to watch? Football, specifically the DALLAS COWBOYS! I went to my second Big 12 football game last weekend, which was a blast, especially because I didn't have to pay for the ticket.
What is your favorite season of the year? The Fall! I love the weather - cool, but not cold. Perfect for sleeping with the windows open and driving with the windows down. It's also football season and State Fair time. I could go on and on.
What was your favorite event as a child? I'm going to be vague here and say camping with my family. Growing up we only visited places we could drive to, including Calif. and Fla., and camped once we got there. Beaver's Bend is probably the campground I have the most memories from, but I enjoyed all of it. We started out in a tent, upgraded to a pop-up trailer and finally graduated to a RV. I wish I went camping more now.
Name three things you would like to accomplish in your lifetime. 1 - Run a marathon. If my tendinitis is going to flare up every time I hit a certain training level, that might be difficult. 2 - Visit six continents. I don't really care if I make it to Antarctica. I've been to North American and Europe, so I have South American, Asia, Africa and Australia to go. 3- Learn a second language. Spanish would make the most sense, but I would love to learn French.

Your turn!

Shoes and Tennis

2007-09-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

I had a new experience today. I spent $85 on a pair of black dress shoes. I don't think I've ever spent more than $30. The tendinitis in my foot bothered me all week, even though I didn't exercise. I would switch to flip-flops about an hour into the work day because my shoes were hurting my foot. So I decided to buy comfortable, supportive shoes and accept the cost shock. I love the pair I bought - Nurture from Dillards - but the heel is designed for support and comfort, not style, so I might splurge and buy another pair of $80 shoes from the Naturalizer with a more traditional heel, to wear when I want to look a little more professional. And the shoes I bought have a lower heel, so all my dress pants would have to be hemmed to wear with my new shoes. I did buy a pair of brown shoes for $30, so I didn't go crazy. But I had a hard time telling the sales lady at Dillards I would take the $85 shoes. I can talk myself OUT of buying anything, but I didn't give myself time to do that. All I have to say is that these shoes better last me a long time (and not hurt my feet.)

Does anyone else have a problem buying expensive shoes? Has anyone found a better priced comfy shoe they want to tell me about? It's never too late to return my expensive purchase.

Be sure and catch some US Open tennis on CBS and USA this weekend. Sharapova has already lost (she was the defending Champion) and things are about to get very interesting on the women's side. What most would consider championship match-ups start happening in the fourth round. OH MY. Federer just lost the first set against John Isner, the tall, hard-serving 22 year-old American.