2011 To Do List

I know these are dangerous, but I had to write it somewhere... and I like a challenge. :)

1. Re-read Mere Christianity. It's been a couple of years and it's my favorite. It's just time.

2. Read 19 other books. That's less than 2 a month. I started the Hunger Games trilogy today, I'm off to a good start.

3. Make contact with the word of God daily. This one is lofty, but essential. I have the cd's to listen to on my commute, I got a new ESV bible for Christmas, I have a small group and church once a week-- I really have no excuse and I need this. More than anything else. I'm tired of being so undisciplined in this area. My life is never going to calm down, I've got to learn where to fit this in. I've got to make it a priority.

4. Express thanks. Part of Todd's salary includes financial support that we raise throughout the year. We are SO grateful when people choose to partner with us to support August Gate and I want to make a concentrated effort to sincerely and promptly express gratitude when we receive support of any kind.

5. Make guwumpki and invite Tushka & Jeffrey over for dinner. I'm 1/2 Polish, I've eaten it my whole life and realized today I've never made it. It must be done. And who better to critique me than my Polish friends?

6. Memorize (at least part of) the book of Ecclesiastes. Todd is currently memorizing Phillipians using this technique by Tim Keller. I know I could pick a shorter book to start with (and I might), but my reason for choosing to memorize Ecclesiastes is two-fold; Hiding the Truth in my heart AND paying homage to one of my favorite fiction books at the same time.

"Walk carefully. Guard your health. If anything should happen to Harris, you are the Book of Ecclesiastes."
- Granger, to Montag in Fahrenheit 451

7. Finish story arcs one and two. Finish them. Completely. This is a secret-ish project, you'll know more WHEN it's finished. But trust me, it's really cool.

8. Get Gotham certified in Schutzhund 1... or at least through the competition in March.
Todd & Mohammed (dog trainer we met at the park) have been working with Gotham on obedience and protection training for weeks now. He loves it. I'll post a video soon.

9. Cook a never before attempted vegetarian meal and invite my 3 veggie girlfriends over to enjoy it. I love meat. I have to talk myself into eating most vegetables. But I'd like to learn how to make vegetables sassy and able to stand on their own-- even if only this one time. :)

10. Be the best Marketing Coordinator Design Group has ever seen. Relatively easy, since they've never had one before. Technically this is all still hypothetical, since they still have to "officially make me an offer", but we're supposed to be making things official this week or next. I'll let you know.

Firsts This Week

• Went to the Nashville NKOTB Reunion concert.

• Met Jordan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg.

• Made a trade on swaptree.com.

• Laid out at the pool for an hour.

• Worked the monthly Vanderbilt Dinner all by me onesie.

• Did squats. (I hate that word.)

• Listened to The Wood Brothers.

• Drank a Full Moon Ale with an orange in it.

• Got Coldplay tickets for June!

• Ate (a bite of) pistachio ice cream.

• Waited on 3 six tops and 2 two tops, simultaneously without losing my mind.

• *Woke up to a crazy Aussie man sleeping on cushions on my "lounge room" floor.
  

*Not the first time. But the first time in a year and a half, so it counts. :)

Confessions

I've got a weakness for country music on sunny days. And not even good, solid, old school country music. Rascal Flatts.

I dilute my drinks a lot. I don' t really know why. Maybe I think if I add water to them, it will make them less sugary/carbonated/caffeinated and therefore healthier? Because water makes everything healthier? I only do this at home. Probably to avoid going grocery shopping as often. Plus, sometimes, I only use like 7 taste buds, so watered-down-ness doesn't even faze me.

Post-dinner, between the hours of 7:30pm and 9:30pm tonight, I ate six pieces of buttered toast.

I'm gradually becoming a Sawyer/Juliet fan... Sawliet? Julyer? LaFleuliet? Yes. I like that one. :)

I've been drinking tap water. I'm not proud of this. But it's so convenient. Plus, there are like a billion people in the world who don't even have tap water to drink. So I shouldn't complain.

I've been reading Angelina Jolie's journal about her travels to Asia, Africa and South America in conjunction with the UN Commissioner for Refugees. She was 25 when she became a Goodwill Ambassador.

I don't have a problem with boy dogs, but I'd rather not own one. Also, I'm not a fan of curly-haired dogs. I think they look sort of ridiculous. So far, I think Jiggs is the only exception to these rules.

I love brushing my teeth with baking soda. Just baking soda. So simple, so effective. Every now and then, I'm allured by some shiny gel or oddly-flavored paste... but baking soda doesn't hide behind designer packaging. It just freshens your mouth like a champ and does not ask questions or stick around to cuddle afterwards. Hit it and quit it. See you in 12 hours. Bad form for a relationship-- excellent form for toothpaste.

Good Things

-Two Chik-Fil-A chicken biskits for breakfast.

-Keaton Simons' song, which I bought yesterday, contains these lyrics:

"You are my Undertow... caught in a Riptide... and I am Currently in love with you."

I love the ocean. And blues. And love songs. Triple threat, right here. It's called "Currently".

I listened 3x before work. 

-Bypassed the Shell station ($1.82) in hopes of cheaper gas down the road. Found gasoline right next to work, for $1.79. Filled the tank. When I left for lunch? It had gone up to $1.89. Triumph.

-Got to work on time. Early even.

-Bobby Wayne came in for lunch and left me a great tip.

-The sight of my newly nearly-black hair is still a bit shocking-- but I like it.

-Plane ticket purchased for under $400.

-Many sweet calls and messages from friends.

-81 degrees.

-Ate a big ol' BBQ Pork sandwich for lunch.

-Pre-dinner line up outside, in the midst of the glorious 81 degree-ness.

-Spent majority of dinner shift laughing at Vinny and/or looking at sexy furniture.

-Reheated delicious leftovers that I cooked yesterday and ate them for dinner.

-New issue of Real Simple came in the mail, so I won't be real bored at work tomorrow.

-Talked to my ridiculously handsome boyfriend on v-chat. And even though he tried to stir up some sauce, and make me mad-- he danced his way out of it. ;) Won't be the last time, I'm sure.

-New facewash.

-New mixtape for the car tomorrow.

-Going to sleep sans big comforter and with the windows open.

-My Hero, no longer bound by a broken body, met Jesus earlier yesterday morning. Finally, she is whole. And home.

"Butterfly in the sky... I can go twice as high..."

Book List From 2008

¸ The Memory Keeper's Daughter- Kim Edwards
¸ The Shack- William P. Young
¸ The Last Battle- C.S. Lewis
¸ Velvet Elvis- Rob Bell
¸ The Pursuit Of God- A.W. Tozer
¸ Through Painted Deserts- Donald Miller
¸ Songbook- Nick Hornby
¸ Maniac Magee- Jerry Spinelli
¸ Atonement- Ian McEwan
¸ Batman: The Dark Knight Returns- Frank Miller
¸ Sold- Patricia McCormick
¸ The Great Gatsby- f. Scott Fitzgerald
¸ The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis
¸ The Secret Life Of Bees- Sue Monk Kidd
¸ Twilight- Stephenie Meyer
¸ Pride & Prejudice- Jane Austen

Notes: Atonement and P&P took me the longest to finish. And I liked Atonement better. It was also my second time to attempt Screwtape. And it really was good once I got the feel of it. P&P disappointed me a little. There wasn't near enough pizzazz in the ending for my liking. After all that tension, I wanted a little more payoff. At least a proposal that was more than like-- 3 sentences. I was also shocked by how great Maniac Magee was. That book and Sold really need to make it onto some Jr. High required reading lists. They were both excellent. And while I loved the idea/format behind Songbook, I don't think I can make my way through another Nick Hornby piece. I keep wanting to like him, but I've read 3 of his books and his viewpoint about life is just depressing. I think we're breaking up.

I haven't SEEN Atonement, Twilight OR Secret Life Of Bees. But I imagine I will at some point. I really enjoyed Bees a lot, and Twilight was entertaining too, but I'm definitely not in love with Edward Cullen. 1) I find him overly attentive/obsessive and 2) because I could never be with someone who was cold all the time. That is unfortunately MY role.

Dark Knight was my first graphic novel experience and everything about it was gritty, and written in a very cool way, even though the last book freaked me out a little. And I couldn't be happier about Baz Lurhmann's plans to tackle Great Gatsby. I think he'll make it amazing. He'll capture all the rowdiness and frivolity and passion and violence and make it look like a dream, the same way Fitzgerald so beautifully describes it. Can't wait.

The Shack blew my mind a little bit, Velvet Elvis was okay, but honestly, the typesetting really threw me for a loop. I know that's weird, but it's true. Pursuit was awesome, should have read it years ago, and The Last Battle left me in tears for the second time. But Through Painted Deserts was a FABULOUS surprise. One of my easiest, most enjoyable reads of the year, and in my opinion, Miller's second best, right behind Blue Like Jazz. A VERY close second.

And my first books of 2009 are in a stack on my armchair at the moment. I'm starting with Bird By Bird, a writing book by Anne Lamott (who I've somehow never read), followed closely by Eragon (yes, the dragon book. I've been told it's an excellent adventure story :), Catcher In The Rye (another classic I missed) and The Soloist (starring Jamie Foxx and RDJr).

So it begins... :)

Goals For 2009

• At least two blog posts EVERY week. Long, short, logical, nonsensical-- it matters not. Hold me to this. Please. Badger me. I need it sometimes.

• Purchase Rosetta Stone: Spanish ("It's my birthday present to me! I'm SO happy!") and be able to hold my own in conversation with my friend Jose by the end of the year. Or maybe just have a conversation with Tim Sayles entirely in Spanish.

• New job = New challenge. Something to put my degree to use. Something more permanent. Preferably with a company called Pure Safety. Mr. Gaudreau, if you're reading this... call me? :)

• Finish reading 20 books. I attempted this last year. I only made it through 16. More on that in my next post.

• Continue my adventures in cooking. Now that I own a Magic Bullet, this could get interesting. :) I'm planning my first attempt at fresh pesto this Sunday.

• Eat a pomegranate. I've never done this. I'm intrigued.

• Participate in NaNoWriMo. I might have to work up to this.

• Submit stories to at least 2 other competitions held by Narrative Magazine.

• Keep a plant alive. Hopefully two. My adopted grandmother sent me home from Texas after Christmas with a baby orange tree. And I, feeling overzealous because of her belief in my ability to not kill this plant, also bought some fresh basil. I may be in over my head. We'll see.

• Play Rock Band 2. Drums, specifically.

• Multiple dates/hangouts (read: at least two) with Annie Parsons and Kara Orendorf. :)
  

• Visit (my cousin in) Boston in September and/or Brazil (with missionary friends) in November.

• Continue to shorten the degrees of separation between myself and Baz Lurhmann. In a perfect world, have ALL degrees erased and be nearing BFF status before production on Great Gatsby begins. I can dream with the best of 'em. That's why I think we'd get along so well. :)

When Did I Become Grown Up Enough To...

... have friends in jail?

... decide to buy organic bread and vegetables?

... owe $80,000?!?!?

... worry about how much gasoline costs?

... call an exterminator?

... say cuss words in appropriate context?

... have two married exes and friends with children?

... stay on a budget?

... be given charge over a friend's important personal business while he is away?

... see my Grandmother begin to forget?

... be a bridesmaid?

... buy a plane ticket and fly across the country by myself?

... not come home until 2 in the morning?

... babysit drunk people?

... know, love and or work alongside a bunch of gypsies, tramps and thieves?

... vote?

... realize that I don't really want to vote... but know that I should anyway?

Life Canon

Like ten polaroids in a line. No labels, no explanations. Just ten snapshots of ten paradigm shaping works, significant to you as an individual. They'll take the form of albums, stories, film and words. Just no people. No sacred texts. And no specific hierarchy.

Think about it long (or short) enough and the works will occur to you. 

I found the idea, via Brandi on The River Merchant blog.

I thought that was interesting.

So I gave it a shot.

Since it must speak for itself, here it is, as of today, in the order it occurred to me, off the top of my head.

Rent

Johnathan Larson 

Jesus Freak

dcTalk 

Mere Christianity

C.S. Lewis

Lord of the Rings 

J.R.R. Tolkien / Peter Jackson

Star Wars 

George Lucas

Wild At Heart

John Eldredge

Nothing Is Sound

switchfoot

Les Miserables

Victor Hugo/Cameron Mackintosh

LOST

JJ Abrahams, Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse

The Beautiful Letdown

switchfoot

Re: No one is into all kinds of music

A friend of mine made me want to lay out a couple of things for you.
Go ahead and judge me. I dare you. 

--

I drink decaf coffee because coffee caffeine makes me jittery.
(Chocolate caffeine and soda caffeine do not.)
Lately, I like caramel cappuchinos with caramel drizzled on top.
And I like them better in the "for here" mugs.

I won't touch Red Bull or Monster or Rockstar or any of that crap.
But i love Vitamin Water and water in pretty bottles and Arizona Green Tea (esp. with Mandarin)

I really don't listen to country music.
But my favorite driving song ever is "Feels Like Today" by Rascal Flatts.
And it's very hard for me to hear Blake Shelton's "Austin" without tearing up a little-- just because I think it's fantastic.

I love checking the mail.
Apart from CD's from DaniLin, catalogs and magazines are the best.

I can watch basketball. Soccer. Hockey. And football.

And enjoy it.

Not baseball.

I don't watch scary/horror movies.
At all.
Ever.
And I won't. No, not even with you.

I love eating breakfast.
Bacon. Toast. Pancakes. Waffles. French toast. Bagels. Pastries. Muffins. Hash browns. Cereal. Fruit. Oatmeal.
Eggs. Scrambled.
With cheese.
And sometimes salsa or ketchup.
But I don't like sausage.

I can do without condiments.
Sometimes I want them, but sometimes I just want to taste the meat and bread.

Musically,

I hope Whitney Houston makes a comeback.

I hope Britney Spears does not.

(Britney does need to make a comeback in life though.)

Fish are fine when they mind their business.
Or when they are on my plate, cooked*, WITHOUT a head or eyes.
But I do NOT want to touch them.

I like my tuna medium rare and my steak medium/medium-well.
I could eat red meat in some form every day. I think it's amazing.

If I had to learn any instrument, 

It'd be piano,

Then drums,

Then guitar.

I think tapdancing is badass.
If I knew how to tap dance, I'm pretty sure I could perform the "Moses Supposes" number from Singin In The Rain...
I've seen it that many times.

When it comes to most varieties of Stout Beer and Sauvignon Blanc;

I'm gonna have to go with No.

Sweet > Salty > Spicy

I always listen to the lyrics.
ALWAYS.
If I can't understand them or if they don't mean anything or if they mean something stupid and meaningless--
I probably won't like the song.
I think that's why I like musicals.
Clear and clever storytelling via lyrics.

You think I'd listen to more country music...

...that's all for now. :)

*thus far, tuna is the only sashimi on the GO list.

Playlist

I've stumbled into some great music lately.

Love Revolution- Lenny Kravitz
As of right now, I have a few of his singles, but I don't own a Lenny Kravitz album... but i think I'm about to. The pieces I've heard of this one are pretty rockin.

Natalie- FLOREZ
I'm friends with these guys. They're terrific. I like this song so much. It was actually featured during the 5th season of Scrubs. And it's even better because it's not really about what it appears to be about. Clever ones, they are. :)

Sea Breeze & Tyrone Yodels- Tyrone Wells
The first is just a beautiful smooth, shimmery, summery love song. The second is... yodeling. Sexy yodeling. I know, I know. But I'm serious. This man's entire live album is amazing. He is my Marc Broussard of 2008.

Greatest Hits of Journey
Okay they're not new. But they were in my car stereo today and it made me happy. :)

Question- Old 97's
Precious lovesong from the episode of Scrubs where Carla finally accepts Turk's marriage proposal.

Helix Nebula- Anamanaguchi
I don't play video games. But if they made this song into a video game, I sure would play it. The first time I heard this song, it was aural overload. But now, I kind of can't stop listening to it. It's started to make me happy... in a really delightful, hyper-metallic-pixelated sort of way... if that makes any sense.

Remedy- David Crowder
I love 6/8 time. This song is no exception. So full of hope in brokenness. I love it.

Yesterday- switchfoot
Also not new. But completely beautiful if melancholy. Anyone who's ever lost someone they loved will find it has a perfect blend of reflective sadness and hope.

Brave- Nichole Nordeman
Annnnd also not new... but what a great song. My theme song, as of late.

raeY tsaL nO snoitcelfeR weF A: 7002

If you get me to call you "boyfriend",
There's currently a 40% you will marry a girl from New Mexico
Within two years of the end of our relationship.

Within reason, I like tattooes.
But I'm not sure I'll ever get one.

I think I should have a two drink maximum.
Nothing good happens after two drinks.
Funny things happen. Exciting things happen.
But good things? Rarely.

The only thing better than listening to people speak fluent Spanish,
is speaking it-- however meagerly-- myself.

My two biggest pet peeves at work: people who put gum on plates for ME to throw away, and when the water in the sanitizer bucket for the wipe down towels—is cold and dirty. Bggggggh.

If you throw your cigarette out the car window, and the cinders scatter all over the road so that I have to endanger my life and my car to avoid them OR if i'm forced to plow through them like usual, I MIGHT experience something similar to a rage blackout and "accidentally" smash into the back of your car.

I have a weakness for songs that are inherently and classically seductive.

Cooking and mowing the lawn: two tasks I've come to enjoy doing because of the delightful instant gratification that occurs upon their completion.

I get really empathetically nervous when worship leaders seem or sound nervous while they're leading worship. I try to overcompensate for them and sometimes it totally distracts me.

I understand dogs and dogginess. I don't understand cats and cattiness.

I'm sort of obsessed with people's quirks. I secretly collect them and place them in this intangible Vault Of Future Characters.

Regardless of all her past drama, I think Christina Aguilera's voice is amazing.

Since 1996, every time single time I've walked out of a venue where Toby McKeehan has been on stage, I've felt the same unbridled happiness and energy. I will respect, admire (and probably continue to be starstruck by) that man for the rest of my life.

I'm afraid I am seriously and quite literally addicted to sugar. I want it all the time. Even for breakfast. This problem, compounded with my raging, semi-irrational fear of dental work, is not a good combination.

Being secretly attracted to a friend is exciting, but frustrating.
Being openly mutually attracted to a friend is confusing.
Being secretly in love with a friend is miserable.
But being openly and mutually in love with a friend?
I'm very curious to see what that's like.

Epic Role Models

So at different points throughout my life, I've harbored a secret (or not so secret) desire to be or be just like each of these women.

Mary Poppins: who doesn't want their room clean in a finger snap? And her dress inside the painting?! Yes, please.










Any one of the four members of Point of Grace: first time since Amy Grant that I thought I might want to be a singer.










Belle: I'll always love Jasmine & Ariel too, but Belle with her books and her dreams and her stubbornness and her bangs that never stayed in place-- we were two of a kind.







Lois Lane/Teri Hatcher: mostly because of my raging crush on Clark Kent...
(except I also loved-- coveted, even!-- her haircut. THIS haircut. I know, I know. But i did.)








Kimberly/The Pink Ranger: mostly-- okay, entirely-- because of my raging crush on the green/white/red ranger...










Eponine: tragic heroine-ism at its purest and finest.



















Mara Jade: I know, I'm epically nerdy. But she was a former Imperial assassin and a total badass. And she ended up marrying Luke Skywalker, which sounded like a grand idea when I was 14.













Jennifer Knapp: I think I covered almost every song on her Kansas cd-- for one youth group function or another.








Anastasia: orphaned princess (with amazing red hair) goes on adventure and marries hot kitchen boy who's guts she used to hate... still my favorite kind of storyline. :)








Jean Grey: I know she's not the real or original Dr. Grey-- but she's who made me want to be her.











Mimi Marquez: I'd actually rather NOT be her... just would like to portray her on stage. :)








Arwen Undomiel: annnnnnnd I still want to be her. I still try to be her.
(and this scene is my favorite shot of her-- ever.)














I left a few out... maybe there'll be a volume two.

I'm So Over It.

I hate to be negative, but blogging is about sharing your thoughts, and lately, these 5 things, when brought up in conversation, tend to invoke those four little words in bold printed above.

1. Celebrity gossip. I don't care. I especially don't care about Britney Spears. Or Paris Hilton. Or Lindsay Lohan. Maybe if we stopped stalking them and paying so much attention to them, they'd calm the hell down.

2. Red Bull. People are all jacked up on it. But it hasn't been around long enough for us to know whether overconsumption of it will really wear out your heart faster or cause your body to do other weird stuff. I just don't like it. It's just one more thing to be addicted to. (How and when did our nation get so prone to/apathetic about addictions?)

3. Reality TV Shows About Rich People. Boring. Stupid. Overdone. I'm tired of getting sucked in by them and having my life wasted.

4. Slasher Movies. They will always be gross, and they're just getting worse and worse. And it seems regular tv has to get more intense just to keep up with people who get bored when blood and brains aren't being slung everywhere. Fact is, there are real blood and brains of innocent people being slung everywhere in countries all over the world everyday... and we hardly ever even hear about it-- because the news is all caught up with the life and times and uh-ohs of the people from bullet #1. And we (as individuals) subsequently, do nothing to stop it.

5. The overabundance of hip hop music that insults my gender and my intelligence. At the moment, namely "Crank Dat Soulja Boy". If I hear that ridiculous song one more time... nothing will happen. Because it's just on, everywhere, all the time and I can't get away from it.
I hate music that doesn't mean anything. I thought that was the point of music. To convey a message, a mood. To tell a story, to give the listener something to relate to. Not just background noise. Not a soundtrack for mindless drunken gyrating. Mindless gyrating is meaningless. Superfluous words that don't mean anything are meaningless. Idleness is meaningless. Meaninglessness is meaningless.

And depressing.

You know what I hear when "Crank Dat" and everything else like it comes on?

Little boys. (And don't tell me I'm thinking too hard about this-- that's how this crap got popular to begin with. No one thinks about it.) Immature, selfish, egocentric, unfullfilled and unaffirmed little boys, telling each other (and any female who will listen) how pimp and tight and BAMF they are, because no one who loved them ever bothered to tell them that they could be more than that. That they could be heroes, role models, defenders, revolutionaries, with power and influence who gain true respect from everyone-- not just they boys in the street.

It's pathetic. Trendy hip-hop is pathetic. And I hate the stereotype that it sets, encourages and promotes for the Black community nationwide.

I also hate that the Black community (like every other community, mind you) allows a place (BET?) for meaningless garbage like this to flourish, instead of demanding a higher quality of popular music (and film, for that matter. God bless Tyler Perry!). I'm mad that most don't think about it past the surface-- and those that do get blasted for "forgettin where they came from" and "listenin to dat white music". In the meantime, those people doing the accusing settle into the stereotype-- and then get mad with they get profiled.

(sigh)

I know pop & hip-pop will always be around, and much of it will always be mindless and meaningless and overplayed. It has it's place among all the rest of the garbage in the entertainment world, but it just sucks watching the general public turn into media zombies. It sucks to watch people stop caring and start settling for whatever. I'm terrified of numbness, and that's what I get from music like that.

Music associated with the Black community used to mean SO much. Jazz and soul and gospel and RNB & reggae and rap all had purpose, substance. They said something. The music was thick and emotional and controversial-- that's what made it stand out.

Now it feels cheap and mass-manufactured. Probably because it is.

I never want to write anything just to be popular. (Which is probably why I'll never make it in the music business. Which is fine.) I want to write things that have meaning. Things that that share wisdom and experience, things that people can relate to, connect to, be comforted by.

I believe my purpose in life is to spread hope to the hopeless through my own experiences and the experiences of others. To connect people by their similar struggles and remind them that others before them have made it-- and that they will too.

Words that mean nothing, do nothing.

And to quote the man who participated in televisions very first primetime interracial kiss,

"I can't get behind that."

C'mon, c'mon...

Found this from ages ago. Just wanted to do it using my favorite band.

Choose a single band/artist and answer the questions using titles from any of their songs. This is harder than it looks! Only the song TITLES are supposed to answer the questions, not neccessarily the lyrics...

My artist choice: switchfoot

Are you male or female: Concrete Girl

Describe yourself: Learning To Breathe

How do some people feel about you: Living Is Simple

How do you feel about yourself: Awakening

Describe your ex girlfriend/boyfriend: Amateur Lovers

Describe your current gf/bf/crush: Golden

Describe where you want to be: Edge Of My Seat

Describe what you want to be: Something More

Describe how you live: Dare You To Move

Describe how you love: On Fire

Share a few words of wisdom: This one's really hit me lately...

You've been living life like it's a sequel,
And you're already bored with the plot--
As if the cast and the score
Are more money than before,
But the script and the backdrops are stock.

We've got the rest of our lives to regret
All the words that were said here tonight, but I bet
That the morning, in the morning
You'll find us in bloom...

So c'mon, c'mon, c'mon--
Let's not be our parents...
Oh c'mon, c'mon, c'mon--
Let's follow this through...
Oh c'mon, c'mon, c'mon--
Everything's waiting...
We will rise with the wings of the dawn
When everything's new... when everything's new.

Let us rise up like the summer sun,
Let these songs awaken the dawn ,
Let us breathe every breath,
Like a gift to be kept,
Let us breathe it all in till it's gone

We've got the rest of our lives to live out
All these dreams we stayed up tonight talking about--
In the morning,
We'll start hoping,
But nothing to soon...

So c'mon, c'mon, c'mon--
Let's abandon this darkness!
Oh c'mon, c'mon, c'mon--
Let's follow this through!
So c'mon, c'mon, c'mon--
Everything's waiting...
Well be lit up like fire and gold,
When everything's new...
When everything's new.

BTW, in case I've not mentioned it in awhile...

I LOVE switchfoot.

I want to hang out with switchfoot.

I want to be friends with switchfoot.

Switchfoot is what I want for my birthday. And Christmas. And my ringtone.

If anybody has connections to a job where I can legitimately be paid to follow switchfoot around—please let me know.

Immediately.

I'll move and everything.

Will work for switchfoot.

Switchfoot is also one of those words that gets really weird when you write it too many times.

File: Create New Playlist

Lately, I have rediscovered that there are several songs on my iPod that I have ridiculous, unbridled affection for. Not all of them are particularly noteworthy... some of them are questionable... yet they remain on my list of faves. Just thought I'd share.


Twin Rocks, Oregon- Shawn Mullins

I started with this one because it's definately the most obscure. It's barely even a song-- it's a story that rhymes a little, that's spoken over gentle acoustic guitar, with a little singing on the chorus. But since the very first time I heard it, it's haunted me in the simplest most beautiful way. I love it. It's so unassuming. It's raw. Honest. Lonely. Flawed. A story of searching, a story of strangers, a story of life paused to enjoy one moment of beauty in spite of-- everything.

Next time its raining and you can spare 99 cents... check it out.

Photograph- Nickelback

I know, I know. Your respect for me is just oozing away. I can feel it. But there's something about this song (especially the way it ends) that makes me listen past Chad Kroger's growly ol' voice that always sounds exactly the same-- and if I commit to it for the full 4 minutes... it sort of gets to me. Again, it's a story. You expect that from a country song, but not really from this genre.

Also, I'm very much a reminiscer, and terrible-- terrible-- at saying goodbye. So the whole "hard to say it, time to say it" line is pretty close to home. Say what you want, but I definitely have a little tiny piece of my heart carved out for this one.

Austin- Blake Shelton


Speaking of country... I don't listen to it often. But this is my favorite country song of all time. Again, a whole story, and a good story! in 3.5 minutes. I'm impressed by that. It's typical, it's cheesy-- but I wish I'd written it. I think it's beautiful. And like I said, before, if I let myself commit to it, I can totally be crying by the time it's over. :)





Harder To Breathe- Maroon 5

This is one of my absolute favorite angry songs. It doesn't get old (to me). Lyrically, it's not exactly golden, but the composition of the music and the vocal inflections and the inherent frustration is hard to beat. If I were to fight somebody in real life, and real life happened to be a musical, it's entirely possible it would sound just like this.



Much Afraid- Jars of Clay

I'm a really big lyrics person. And this song-- I've been there. Plenty of times. And the tone, the mood of this song is exactly how it feels to completely give up. In a good way. I don't think this particular Jars of Clay album was very popular-- but I always thought it was just the right kind of melancholy. Again, very honest, very simple, very raw.




In Repair- John Mayer

I have this feeling I'm going to keep repeating myself. But again, it's been a long time since I've found a song that so accurately depicts where I've found myself so many times. John Mayer is very good at the honesty thing... and while I would think his albums would grow progressively less honest-- so far, it's not true. He may very well be a jerk in real life, but his lyrics are memorable and so easy to identify with. I respect that.



Inner City Blues- Marvin Gaye
(though I'm listening to the version covered by Marc Broussard)

So much was happening in the world when this album was recorded. This song is courageous, flustered, and fed up without being obnoxious. It's the "At The End Of The Day" (Les Mis) for the 1970's. Enter key words of this entire post: raw, honest, simple, unapologetic, real. With quiet intensity, it appeals to your humanity and demands your attention.

Hard Times- Eastmountainsouth

All these songs are kinda depressing, yeah? Oh well. I guess when you're depressed is when you most need to know that someone else has been there. Therefore, a lot of times, the songs that soothe you when you're depressed are the ones you hold dear... because they brought you out. I love this song because it sounds like it's from another time. I'm actually-- using it for a project. I'm not going to tell you what it is yet though, because you might try to laugh. Oh, but when it's finished-- if it gets finished-- you won't laugh then. :)

Straight Lines- Silverchair

This is currently my favorite song. I listen to it on repeat. I have a few friends who really liked it the first time they heard it. But I was indifferent. I'm pretty sure the reason they liked it is because at the time, they were there. They identified. I wasn't there yet. I wasn't ready.

But I'm there now. I'm ready now. And so grateful to know I'm not alone here among the other "desperate believers".

My Roommate Made Me Do It...

How does she post 100 things about herself and still maintain her mystery? How?!
(tagged by Ms. California herself...)

1. I love names. Really. And naming things. I'm actually very good with names.
   
2. I wish I was left handed.
3. I think fluorescent lighting is gross.
4. I don't generally watch a lot of tv.
5. But my favorite show is LOST.
6. I too, vote for Kate & Sawyer.
   
7. And even though it's megacheesy, I really like Smallville.
   
8. Chloe Sullivan is my favorite character on the show.
9. But I have a crush on Tom Welling.
10. And I will have a crush on Clark Kent for-- maybe the rest of my life.
11. I consider myself a connoseiur of chocolate cake.
12. And a very big fan of convertibles.
    
13. I too studied abroad in Oxford, UK.
14. I took about 45 rolls of film while I was there.
15. The camera I used? It wasn't digital. And I named it Luke. (I too, name all of my important stuff.
    
16. I lost my favorite pair of pajama pants in England,
17. Left all my makeup behind the weekend I went to Paris,
18. Stayed in a trailer park in Venice Italy,
    
19. Went on the Sound of Music tour in Austria,
20. Ate chocolate cake in a castle in Germany,
21. Rode a ferry boat to Ireland,
22. Slept in a ferry station in Wales,
23. Melted a candy bar on my sunburnt skin in Spain,
24. Watched the Lion King from the front row of theatre in London,
25. And haven't worn a watch since I got back to America.
26. I don't like wearing yellow.
    
27. I love wearing red.
28. I wish my hair was red sometimes.
29. Last week it was.
30. I really like wearing boots.
31. My favorite musical is Les Mis.
32. And my favorite character in that musical is Eponine.
    
33. I love hats.
    
34. I love gloves without fingers.
35. I love scarves.
36. I was a drum major in high school.
37. I also played the saxophone.
38. I don't paint my fingernails because I think it makes my fingers look clownish.
39. I like the smell of new bike tires.
40. And new car tires.
41. And Payless Shoe Stores.
42. I'm a terrible parallel parker.
43. I say it's because my car doesn't have power steering... but maybe it isn't.
44. My car's name is Jade.
45. My laptop's name is Bruce Wayne.
46. And subsequently, my flash drive is the Batmobile.
47. I have a thing for superheros.
    
48. I really like words. Thesauruses (Thesauri?) fascinate me.
    
49. I like it when people use SAT vocabulary words in context in mundane situations.
50. In my car, I am a kareoke superstar.
51. I'm a terrible drawer. (That's pronounced draw-er.) As in artist. I'm not a terrible artist. but I'm a terrible drawer.
52. I should have used the word "sketcher" in the previous sentence.
53. I wish I could skateboard.
54. I wish I could surf!
55. I've never been to California.
56. Or Florida.
57. Or South America. But I'm totally going there one day.
58. I can hardly ever go to Target without buying something.
59. I would eat all organic if I could afford it.
60. I HATE when my jeans aren't long enough.
61. I love eating steak. And chocolate.
    
62. But I don't really like shrimp.
63. Or lamb. Blech.
64. Or Guinness. Ew.
    
65. I'm a little annoyed by crispy bacon. That's no way to cook bacon, that just means you didn't pay attention.
66. I have never smoked anything.
67. I think mohawks and tattoos are sexy.
68. But nothing beats a man with a passionate heart and a stunning smile.
69. The worst book I read in high school was The Stranger by Albert Camus
70. I hate crawly bugs. And flying bugs. I think that covers all of them.
    
71. And mold.
72. And gnarly grody teeth.
73. Actuall, dentistry in general.
74. And edges. All five of those things really frighten me.
75. I am SUCH a dog person.
76. I have a guitar, but I don't really play it.
    
77. I would love to be fluent in piano.
78. And Spanish.
    
79. My first crush? Kindergarten. Christopher Rodriguez.
80. I used to really like the taste of Dimetapp.
81. I love writing when it's raining outside.
82. I'm not the best bike rider.
    
83. Um... making this list makes me feel a little vain, and I don't know what else to tell you...
    
84. I won't be offended if you stop reading this now.
85. Okay... I like Poloroid pictures.
86. I don't like metal music.
87. I like french fries. A lot.
88. I used to be pyrophobic.
89. I'm extremely fond of the Cheesecake Factory.
90. I want to be in a musical.
91. Lord of the Rings is my favorite movie.
92. I've never seen any Austin Powers movies.
93. I'm guilty of facebook stalking.
94. I don't like scary movies.
95. I think baseball is really boring.
96. I like Italian food. A lot.
97. And bread. Bread is delicious.
    
98. Maybe it's carbs. I just really like carbs.
99. I'm watching Smallville right now.
    
100. And most of the time, I really like making lists of things. :)