Eunice? That's a person named Eunice?

The Mightiest Sword

2011-11-02T16:57:00.015-04:00

I've been discussing this post with a good friend of mine for several days. She just posted her thoughts here. I highly recommend that you read them. I would almost just like to say amen to her post and call it good. Alas, I do have some thoughts of my own to add.

Forgiveness has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. I think it's interesting that both my friend and I found inspiration in Broadway songs. Hers came from Les Miserable and mine, a song entitled "Forgiveness", comes from the musical version of Jane Eyre. The following lines have been on near constant repeat in my head:

Forgiveness is the mightiest sword...
You must never lose faith
You must never lose heart
God will restore your trust
And I know you're afraid
I'm as scared as you are
But willing to be brave
Brave enough for love

Those lines paint so many images in my mind; the image of forgiveness being a sword that restores one's own power, the image of God restoring a person's trust by mending a broken heart, and the image of someone bravely forging ahead to seek love. All are simultaneously compelling and sweet.

Making ourselves vulnerable to pain and disappointment has always been a part of life. I can't say that it's ever been my favorite part, but I think I've always been pretty cognizant that it is an unavoidable and even desirable part of human relationships. I mean what's the point of relationships (and I don't just mean romantic relationships) if no one takes any risks right? And some of the most powerful lessons I have learned in my life have come as a result of that kind of disappointment. I would never trade those lessons, even if I also wouldn't choose to relive the painful bits.

At church on Sunday, I was impressed to get up and bear my testimony. I stood and looked out at the congregation and realized that I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I knew that whatever it was, it had to do w/ forgiveness, but I had no idea how to formulate my feelings into coherent thoughts. Thankfully, I had a printed copy of a talk I had recently read (and re-read, and re-read) by President James E. Faust that expressed what I could not. It's entitled "The Healing Power of Forgiveness". I had listened to it several days before and it could not have been more perfectly what I needed. The link to the entire article is here , but let me just share the part that I read to the congregation.

“'Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.'

Most of us need time to work through pain and loss. We can find all manner of reasons for postponing forgiveness. One of these reasons is waiting for the wrongdoers to repent before we forgive them. Yet such a delay causes us to forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours. The folly of rehashing long-past hurts does not bring happiness.

Some hold grudges for a lifetime, unaware that courageously forgiving those who have wronged us is wholesome and therapeutic.

Forgiveness comes more readily when...we have faith in God and trust in His word. Such faith “enables people to withstand the worst of humanity. It also enables people to look beyond themselves. More importantly, it enables them to forgive.”

...If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being...Their example of forgiveness is a sublime expression of Christian love."

And so it comes back to the idea of seeking love again. Christ is our ultimate example. He experienced EVERY kind of betrayal, injury, disappointment, loss and sorrow that mankind has ever and will ever have to endure, and still He loves us. One sentiment I expressed in my testimony that I did not fully realize before, was just how far-reaching the act of forgiveness can be in finding that love and in salving our wounds. It's really easy to assume that forgiveness is solely for the transgressor's repentance, but that's only one narrow point of view. I hadn't yet seen how much I needed to forgive not only others, but also to seek forgiveness for myself. And until I could do all of these things, I really was forfeiting my peace and happiness. I kept rehashing. As soon as the wound began to heal, I would pick at it, poke at it, until it began to bleed all over again. And because of that, I became weaker.

I'm not certain that I've fully achieved everything that Pres. Faust talks about, but I know that I am progressing toward it. Right now it is still a constant battle. I have to remind myself daily to forgive. I have to remind myself not to forfeit the peace and happiness of knowing that God loves me and that He loves those who have injured me. I'm working toward that kind of love. I have to plead daily for that kind of humility. Some days I feel like I've found it and others I find that I have to trudge back up that hill a little ways. Some days I wake up and I feel like John Breen, a fifteen-year-old survivor of the pioneer Donner party, when he had finally made it to safety after months of starvation and incredible suffering. The images he creates with his impression of the ranch he came to on that first morning are the most powerful images for me in this very image-laden blog post. "The weather was fine, the ground was covered with green grass, the birds were singing from the tops of the trees, and the journey was over."

I have hope that this particular journey or battle will soon be over, replaced by a great feeling of love. I have faith that I will get to the point when I can see the green grass and hear the birds sing and feel the sun on my face every morning. I believe that God will restore my trust. And ya know what? I am willing to be brave enough for love.

A Little Boob-tube Therapy pt. 1

2011-09-20T10:01:00.006-04:00

Here is a post that I originally began on 09/29/08. I'll be following this up w/ my current TV therapy. Remember the ones listed below were from 2008. What are some of your favorite shows to unwind to?

Because I'm so busy this semester and dealing w/ a fair amount of stress, I thought I'd detail for you what is, I realize, a very silly post. Trust me - this is purely for therapeutic purposes. Between work, school, homework, internship, my church calling and the stake play, I have very little time to decompress, but when I do, it's usually to the tune of some TV show that I watch online. Come on. You have your own television distractions too, admit it.

Because not every show has premiered yet this season, here are a few of my current distractions...followed by a few of my ongoing distractions.

Psych - If you haven't watched this show yet, it's one you can jump into at any point and still enjoy fully. I haven't found clever, funny, truly laugh out loud writing like this since the early days of Gilmore Girls. In fact, this is kind of like Gilmore Girls for guys....uhhhh, kinda. And it doesn't hurt that Shawn and Gus are equally adorable.

Burn Notice - Another show that is a mere distraction. It's a little deeper than Psych, but still formulaic and simple enough to follow. It's really only slightly weightier material, but still has a good amount of humor. And again...it's led by a pretty face. Are you seeing a trend here? Hey, it's my therapy, okay?

Chuck - Yet another light-weight show, centering around an average guy caught up in above average circumstances. Dialogue isn't as clever as other shows like Psych, but the characters, twists, and ultimately the actors keep me coming back for more. Plus, it's got a lot of humor and it's relatively innocent - which is refreshing w/ all the trash on TV right now. And yeah, you guessed it. THIS is another big draw for me. (I mean, for the LOVE! Wow, he's a beautiful boy!) So I have a thing for tall, lerpy, brunettes, okay?

The Office - Classic. Season 5 has just started, but it's already off to a great start! Humor and silliness abounds.

Heroes - (Insert added 2011. I have no idea what I would have written here three years ago, but I think I was on my way out with this show. Heroes had a BRILLIANT first season, followed by an alright second season aaaaand then it rapidly spiraled out of control. I went back to reacquaint myself w/ Season 3 from 2008 and I don't remember much at all, so I'm guessing this is about the time I jumped ship. Such a great idea. So convoluted and ugggggghhhhh. Enough said.)

Pushing Daisies (I bought Season 1 on DVD and I've been enjoying every last bite - of the show and of this guy. Sigh. Oh, and the new season premieres this week.) [Insert added 2011 - Adorable, light and joyous show. Unfortunately, it jumped the shark in season 2 and was thusly canceled.]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Insert added 2011. I know, I know. It's just what you think it is and it is admittedly both more intriguing than you might expect and just as cheesy as you might expect. The show ended getting canceled early. Go figure.)

Eureka (A perfectly enjoyable diversion, without a lot of complicated plot developments. It's both humorous and sweet. This is definitely geeky, quirky, clean, and funny. While it's got plenty of deaths, the show always seems to end on a positive note.)

Battlestar Galactica - (Insert added 2011. I'm just saying if you haven't watched this show....whoa. Okay, this is NOT for everyone. It has some VERY racy scenes that I highly recommend you fast forward or watch on a clean flick dvd player, but it also has some really deep correlations to the gospel. So this is a remake of that incredibly cheesy 70s/80s TV series and creator of the original show was (not sure if he still is) a member of the LDS church. So some of the mythology surrounding the show is kind of awesomely steeped in Latter-day Saint theology. Also, for those afraid of science fiction, rest assured that this is very light on the "beep-boop" components so prevalent in many ridiculous science fiction shows. So yeah. It's kind of great...aside from the icky sex scenes. Justification much? Hmph.)

Lost - (Insert added 2011. Do I really need to say anything about this show? Well, I could, but so much has already been said about it that I just don't feel that I need to make my own contribution. Suffice it to say I love the show. I'm still not sure how I feel about the way it all ended, but I'm really glad that it did. It was betimes simultaneously brilliant and incredibly frustrating, but I have a soft spot in my heart for it all the same.)

Never Forget

2011-09-11T17:40:00.006-04:00

Ten years ago I was in German class at BYU where my teacher was trying to explain the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in German. I remember being confused because I didn't fully understand the vocabulary she was using and even when she drew pictures on the board of the twin towers and airplanes, I was still confused. I hadn't been listening to the news or anything before going to class that morning. A classmate in front of me turned around and explained what had happened to me in English. Directly after this class, I was scheduled to attend Russian, but classes were suspended. My classmate and I went to a media center in the JKHB (as it was) and immediately tuned into the news. We watched as the towers fell in complete shock. I believe I was in such shock that I don't really remember feeling anything. Although most of that day was a blur, I can still remember that I went to work at the MTC that day and told my elders about what had been going on. The mother of one of my elders was a flight attendant and he had no idea where she was at that moment. He was understandably concerned. Thankfully, we later learned that she was alright. I don't remember much else, but I do remember ending up at home and sitting for hours in front of the television watching the coverage of the attacks. It wasn't until that point that I learned that there had been separate attacks on the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 crash in Pennsylvania and the gravity of what had happened that day began to sink in. It wasn't until that point that the tears started flowing. Days later I had reached maximum saturation from being glued to the television coverage of the attack.

Certainly this experience affected me profoundly. Initially it created an enormous sense of fear and uncertainty, even living in far away Utah, and I felt heartbreak for those who had died or been injured and all of their families. Ultimately it engendered a deep feeling of pride in the way the nation came together. Never before had I experienced such a swelling of respect and pride for the United States of America. Say what you will about President George W. Bush and his administration, but I was and am so grateful for the way he led our country in the days surrounding this tragedy. In the years since 2001, I have gained an even greater respect for the men and women working to defend our freedom and protect our country. May Heavenly Father continue to bless them and bring them home safely.

Now living in the DC area, observing the 10th anniversary of such a terrible day is even more poignant. I love living here. I love feeling that same sense of unity with my fellow citizens when walking around DC on any given day, but especially during this significant anniversary. Some have asked if I feel frightened living here when this area is under such heightened security from more terror threats, but as odd as this might be, I have never felt safer. Considering the heightened awareness and precautions (near the Pentagon, the police were pulling over and inspecting all semi-trucks), I feel like there really isn't a safer place I could be. Where were you on 9/11/2001? What are your thoughts as we remember 10 years later?

I pray for the protection of my brothers and sisters defending our freedoms. I pray that we might seek peace and understanding instead of greater division and hatred. I'll let Tiny Tim take us out with his Christmas wish, "God bless us, every one!"

Happy Anniversary!

2011-09-05T13:40:00.002-04:00

Okay, so here is the oldest of my un-posted, unfinished entries. This was dated 9/9/08 and is now almost exactly three years old. My how time flies. I find it funny that I didn't just go ahead and post it as is. I mean, I know that I really wanted to find some significant highlights to include for each year and possibly include some pictures, but come on Christina. Hmph. Also, I just realized that I have none of my mission pictures in digital format, so I wouldn't have been able to include them anyway. Hmmm, new project to look forward to, perhaps? Anyway, I don't know if this one is terribly exciting, but enjoy it anyway!

It has been ten years since the day I entered the MTC to serve a mission. Weird. Am I really that old? Piffle. Ooo. I just said piffle. Dangit, I guess I really am that old. Sigh. Well, Happy Anniversary, Rachelle and Heather (my two MTC companions), wherever you may be today!

Here are few highlights of the last 10 years of my life:

1998:

Completed 1st semester at BYU after transferring from Ricks College - most miserable semester of my life.
Submitted mission application and waited 7 weeks to receive mission call
Learned I was going to the Lithuania Vilnius Mission, Latvian-speaking
September 9, 1998 entered the MTC in Provo, UT, where I learned the language, the gospel and how hard missionary work was going to be
November 11, 1998 arrived in Latvia - didn't understand very much
1st Christmas in Latvia filled w/ lots of new traditions, songs and food. Not long after, I threw up on a trolleybus. (One of my favorite stories...remind me to tell you about it sometime.)

1999:

First baptism in February of 1998 - Trainer, Sister Jamison, and I witnessed two young girls (Kristīne Baradovska & Liene Meiere) and an older lady (Lidija Tarabukina) that we had taught, join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through the waters of baptism.
Learned A LOT of Latvian and continued teaching myself Latvian Sign Language from a small picture dictionary. Began to interpret for the Deaf family in the branch in Rīga (Bērgmaņi).
Witnessed several more baptisms from teaching - many of them resulting from 6 week companionship w/ Rachelle: Sanita Janovska, Skaidrīte Bokuma, Evita Janovska, Dzintra Leonoviča.

2000:

Witnessed several more baptisms: Hildegarde Brauna, Anda Saulīte, Zane Finstere, & Santa Lieģe. A couple that happened after I went home were Aija Vismiņa and Antra Gundarina.
Returned home honorably from serving in Latvia.
Began teaching at the MTC and started back at BYU again in the Linguistics program.

2001:

Returned to Latvia with my former companion, Rachelle. We visited all of our wonderful Latvian friends. We met up with another former missionary, Kelly Draper, rented a car and drove up to Tallin, Estonia to see what they had to offer. Gorgeous medieval town with very nice people! We also attended the Latvian Song and Dance Festival that only happens once every 5 years. This was one of the most amazing concerts that I've ever attended (or series of concerts, I should say). We got to see our friend Agrita and a few others perform in that massive, massive gathering. I also got to hear Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga speak. I kind of thought that was cool, since she was the first female president of Latvia and the first female leader in Eastern Europe.

2002:

I volunteered to help with the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. I worked with the Latvian team, but mostly just hung out in the Olympic Village chatting it up w/ some of the managers of the hockey team or wandering around trading pins w/ other teams. I did, however, get to go see the bobsleigh team compete. That was exciting for the first 12 seconds, which is about all I saw from our position at the beginning of the track. But hey, I was THERE!

2003:

Graduated from BYU w/ a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, Minor in TESOL.
Began working full-time at the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU as the Humanities Department Assistant. So many good memories here!

2004:

I got engaged and unengaged.
I'm sure there were some other significant things that happened this year, but I can't recall what they are at the moment.

2005:

I traveled with two of my best friends Marin and Andrea to NYC, Paris, London, Venice, and Florence. It was a truly glorious trip! Too many adventures to name...girls, you know what we did. :)

2006:

Applied and got accepted George Mason University to start Masters program
Moved across the country to Alexandria, VA to begin a Masters program in Folklore at George Mason University.

2007:

I bought my first new car that wasn't a pimped out Nissan Sentra. Woot! Love my Toyota Corolla!

2008:

Traveled to Puerto Rico w/ some awesome friends and had some great adventures in spite of the fact that all of our planned activities were foiled by a tropical storm. So instead of swimming in the bio luminescent bay, we rented a van and drove around trying to find beaches that weren't too treacherous to hang out on, all the while singing Disney songs at the tops of our lungs.

An Exercise in Humility

2011-08-25T10:24:00.003-04:00

Do not adjust your computer screen. I'm actually posting something to my blog. I know. I nearly had a heart attack too. I was just discussing blogs w/ a friend of mine who is a successful blogger. Not only is his blog interesting and varied, but he's consistent with his follow-through. Impressive. Maybe that's not so impressive to you, but to me? I'm obviously not as good at that part. So when he was asked whether I had a blog, I shamefully hung my head and mumbled (or I would have mumbled if we had been speaking face to face), "I have a blog but haven't written in years." As it turns out, it's only been like a year and a half, but still. He felt that I'd write interesting things. Very flattering. I explained that I often have these ideas for something interesting and I'll start writing a post, but because I want it to be perfect, perfect, perfect, I stall...and then it never gets posted. This got me thinking. Maybe I should just take all the posts I've already started and post them as is - as an act in humility.

Heh. I just went back and read through my unposted entries. This could be kind of fun. So. Prepare yourselves. I'll make sure to include when the post would have originally been published. I may also add a little something, but for the most part, I'm going to try not to alter the original state in which it currently resides. And as an act in consistency, I'm going to start out with posting one/week, unless I feel inclined to post more than that. I'm going to commit to the weekly post and then go from there, k? K.

Hee-YA!

2010-07-19T10:28:00.005-04:00

I know just about everyone has seen all of these commercials and the genius BYU parody, but honestly, how can I pass up posting these gems?

You may remember this magnificent marketing campaign for Old Spice beginning with this:

and following up with this:

Well, the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU decided to get in on the action and produced this brilliant version of their own.

It makes me miss working at the HBLL. Especially because A. they have guys that good-looking roaming the stacks, and B. they finally implemented a "snack zone". So unfair that I missed out on both!

One more thing. These commercials are getting so much attention, that CBS News even picked up on the phenomenon and gave BYU a little face time. Sweet!

Mom

2010-05-10T00:08:00.004-04:00

So I was sitting in church today, thinking about the lesson I had prepared to teach the Young Women on the importance of writing in a journal and the fact that it was Mother's Day. What better way to combine both than to write about my own mother in my journal? I began making a list of some of the things I love about my Mom and decided that it was too important not to share. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, but it does cover some key things.

I love her faith and testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Her quiet, firm foundation in the gospel is evident in everything she does and says and in the way she serves her family and others in her neighborhood.
I love her love of family. Family always comes first. She prays for all of us each day and thinks of ways to reach out and help us.
I love the way she loves her grandchildren. Watching her read a story to, bake cookies with, or create an art project for one of my nieces or nephews is one of the sweetest things ever!
I love her love of family history and her determination to acquaint her children with our ancestors.
I love her creativity - painting, sewing/quilting, crafts and doodling. I always love seeing the doodles she creates while on the phone w/ someone. Mom, I wonder if you know what a wonderful artist you are?
I love her love of reading, good storytelling, and learning. Thanks to her, I grew to love reading too and to pursue my education as far as I have. One of my very first memories ever is of her reading me stories. It is also one of my sweetest. I still find listening to her voice reading to be one of the most comforting and beautiful things I can imagine.
I love her physical beauty. My mother is simply lovely.
I love her hands. There is something comforting and familiar about her hands and what they have been used to do over the years. They have been used to cook, comfort, wipe away tears, cuddle, create countless art projects, edit countless school papers, bake bread, cookies, brownies, prepare innumerable meals (many of them far under-appreciated), pin, hem, sew everything from pants to prom dresses, and so much more. I find them inexpressibly beautiful. I love that when they are at rest they are still always carrying memory, experience, and love.
I love her for her faith in me. She has always had the ability to see some things more clearly than I - whether that was regarding my serving a mission or not or whether or not I could complete my Masters program. She always believed I could do it and always encouraged me beyond my own insecurities and sense of failure. She always prayed for me by name.
I love her for her patience with me. Sometimes I feel endlessly needy - especially throughout my Masters program, constantly seeking her skills as an editor at all hours of the night and she was always there.
I love her love for me. It is kind of hard not to love someone who loves you and I think I've already given enough proof that my Mom loves me very much. But the simple fact that she loves me is enough for me to love her back.

Lois Anne Whitaker Bishop, I love you forever. Happy Mother's Day!

Did you wish your Mom a Happy Mother's Day? What do you love about her?

Mary, to the Savior's Tomb

2010-04-04T13:55:00.004-04:00

Listening to our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, speak about the resurrection and the reason we celebrate this glorious Easter holiday reminded me of a special song written by my great grandfather, Albert R. Lyman. It is entitled, "Mary, to the Savior's Tomb".

Mary, to the Savior's tomb hastened at the early dawn.
Spice she brought and sweet perfume, but the Lord she loved had gone.
For a while she ling'ring stood, filled with sorrow and surprise,
trembling while the crystal flood issued from her weeping eyes.

But her sorrows quickly fled, when she heard his welcome voice.
"Christ is risen from the dead and he bid your soul rejoice!"
What a change His words can make!
Turning darkness into day!
Ye who weep for Jesus' sake, He will wipe your tears away.

Amen.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Panacea Playlist

2010-03-08T13:48:00.005-05:00

A week ago, a friend of mine invited me to act as guest blogger to a collaborative blog called Setlist Society to which he regularly contributes. How flattering! I mean, it's not like I contribute that often to my own blog, but being asked to guest blog? Well, that's just might be enough to actually get me to write something! For those unfamiliar w/ the Setlist Society, the rules are that each week a new theme is chosen and throughout that week, each contributor must submit his/her musical realization of that theme in the form of a setlist. The setlist, however, must A. be no longer than an 80 min. cd, B. come from music you actually own, and C. must be submitted w/in the week. So, honored w/ the task of blogging AND choosing the week's theme, I dove right in. Enjoy! (Be sure to check out the Setlist Society's earlier themes too. I've been introduced (and reintroduced) to some great music thanks to these fine folks! Scroll down for the week's theme, followed by my post or simply go here to read/hear it.

Ya know when you've had the day or week from hell and you feel like screaming, crying, shaving your head and joining a monastery, punching something (or someone), or just going to sleep for a long, long time? You, my friends, are not alone. If you're anything like me, you may occasionally feel like wallowing in all that self-pity, frustration, and sorrow. Other times you have so much anger or frustrated energy that you need help releasing it. Time for a little music therapy with the perfect panacea playlist! Let's hear yours. Who are your musical shamans? No one is the same, so I'm looking forward to a group of setlists as broad and varied as the emotional spectrum. Let's dance/sing/scream it out.

After a series of weeks of frustration, disappointment, stress, heartache and sadness, things are finally looking up. Ahhhhh. Thank goodness. Thanks, specifically, to the music I turned to for a little symphonic soothing. While a hellish week might suggest angry chick rock to one and mopey emo tunes to another, as a musical panacea for all that ails me this go 'round, I've really craved a gradual progression from beautifully melancholy to happily peppy songs. Follow my progression thusly, won't you? Look below the widget to read about my explanations for choosing each song.

"Both Sides Now" from Hits by Joni Mitchell - If you've ever seen "Love Actually", you will also remember the scene where Emma Thompson listens to this song alone in her bedroom after realizing that her husband is cheating on her. Thompson's heartbreaking performance coupled w/ Joni's mournful song...well, if you haven't seen it, it says it all.

"What Happens When the Heart Just Stops" from Strict Joy (Deluxe Edition) by The Swell Season (originally written/performed by The Frames) - I just love the last 2 lines - "There's a bad bone inside of me. All my troubles started there." The lyrics of this entire song are perfect, actually. I've definitely had this one on repeat in the last few weeks. I love you, Glen.

"Hallelujah" from Grace (Legacy Edition) by Jeff Buckley - Heartbreaking, slow, and beautiful. Amen.

"Fake Plastic Trees" from The Bends by Radiohead - This song has always made me kind of weep inside. Perfect for the days when you're feeling like weeping on the outside too.

"Breakable" from Girls and Boys by Ingrid Michaelson - Picking up tempo here. Simple lyrics, but easily very relatable. And sometimes I feel like a breakable girl.

"Way I Am" from The American by Martin Sexton - Progressing into the feel good section here. Martin's voice does things for me that penicillin never will.

"The Flower Duet" from Lakme by Leo Delibes - Mmmmm. Close your eyes and listen to this one. I actually can't listen to this duet without involuntarily closing my eyes.

"O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini - Transportation to a beautiful place...probably Italy. This may or may not have something to do w/ the movie "A Room With A View".

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from Alone in IZ World by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - No matter how many times you've heard this one, tell me it doesn't make you smile.

"Sweet Disposition" from (500) Days of Summer Soundtrack by Temper Trap - The opening of this song forces my eyes closed and utterly transports me. As silly as it might sound, it makes me feel like I'm floating. I love that.

"This Too Shall Pass" from Of the Blue Colour of the Sky by OkGo - Because every so often we need full, orchestral reminders that this too SHALL pass! Also, if you've never seen the most recent video for this song...it is pure genius and will add another smile to your face.

"Little Secrets" from Manners by Passion Pit - Just a few weeks ago when I was having a really rotten day, a friend shared this one with me and it instantly made me smile from the inside out...and may have poured out of my eyes a little bit.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" from Classic Queen by Queen - Entering the "sing along as loud as you can" section! I dare you to try NOT to sing along!

"Island in the Sun" from Weezer [Green Album] by Weezer - I thought of including any number of other Weezer songs, but I just really loved the feeling of being on a holiday. Go ahead. Take a musical holiday from your problems for 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

"Lollipop" from Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika - Jared, thanks for reminding me of this song. I love it and I love Mika's infectious peppiness. Also, this has some pretty apt lyrics.

"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" from Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend - VW never fails to infuse me with some much needed pep and feelgoodery. I could have included Paul Simon, because he often has the same effect, but I thought I'd give VW a shout out.

"Diner" from Black Sheep by Martin Sexton - Because Martin is just too good NOT to include twice. And doesn't this happy little ditty make you start moving in your chair or beating your knee/desk along w/ the beat?

"Chelsea Morning" from Hits by Joni Mitchell - The worst is over and you can wake up to your own Chelsea Morning. Who doesn't want to feel the sun pour in like butterscotch and stick to all your senses? Mmmm. Thank you, Joni, for being able to express my melancholy and my happiness!

"Here Comes the Sun" from Abbey Road by The Beatles - Cue The Beatles. Joni asked for the sun and here it comes.

Are you smiling yet? You should be.

Snowmageddon, Snow-pocalypse, SnOMG...Oh snow they di-in't!

2010-02-10T20:48:00.024-05:00

So where were you when the Great Winter Storm of 2010 struck? Why, I was right there in my house...where I then stayed for the next six days (and then some). [deadpan] Boy, it was fun.

Is anyone as tired as I am of hearing about, looking at, thinking about, shoveling up, or dreaming of the snow? Yeah. It is everyone's pet topic on the east coast and the amount of snow we've received in such a short amount of time that it's caused nearly everyone to react thusly. Seriously. There is no better word to describe the general reaction to all the snow than panic. From the general frenzy witnessed in nearly every grocery store in the area beginning last week Wednesday, one would have thought we were preparing ourselves for the end of the world. Picture going to your local store and finding the shelves cleared out of milk, bread, fresh produce and snacks with check out lines from here to kingdom come! Now picture every hardware and convenience store sold out of shovels and rock salt for the rest of history and you'll have the prevailing hysteria that has swept this part of the country.

Well, after the first onslaught of snow last weekend, it was on for real and considering the fact that nearly every county in Virginia has already overspent their snow removal budget for the year, it wasn't looking good that we would be going anywhere anytime soon. So here I sit...after six days of being home, shoveling A LOT of snow, baking/cooking a lot of food with my roommate(s) (but mostly just Becca since the other two jumped ship), sleeping...and perfecting my techniques on precisely how to be lazy. With so many days of snow, work/school cancellations, and involuntary house arrest at least we can say that we set some records! Highest snowfall for the DC Metropolitan area. 55 INCHES!! Well, hallelujah! For all our troubles, at least we made history.

And now for some visuals.

If you're interested in watching the rapid accumulation of Snow-pocalypse Part I, click here.

Proof that the snow wasn't just invasive, but also really lovely. For anyone who wants to see more pictures (complete w/ descriptions) feel free to check out my picasa pics here.

We'll Bring the World Our Truth

2009-09-30T10:59:00.017-04:00

No. This isn't a missionary blog post...although if I knew what was good for me, it would be. But no. I feel this has to be addressed.

I was recently having a discussion with a friend about a most disconcerting trend that is slowly taking over our collective consciousness. I, myself, am not immune. Upon making this realization, I posed the question to my friend, "When will the madness end?!" and he responded, "They won't stop until the entire earth is covered."

That made me think of the glorious, albeit singular and ambitious work of environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who frequently cover large edifices or landscapes in fabric.

What could we possibly be discussing, you ask? What else? Snuggies, of course! Now, let me be perfectly clear. I love Snuggies. I purchased two for my parents as Christmas gifts last year and two for myself. Admittedly, the two for myself were an unintentional purchase, but (and I think my roommates will concur) they are fantastic! They are every bit as cozy and warm and snuggly as advertised. Inane, though they are, the Snuggie really is useful.

What concerns me is the craze that has been spreading rapidly behind this phenomenon or, dare I say, movement. Hm...concerns may be too strong a word...but I don't know of an adjective that simultaneously means concerned and amused. (Wordsmiths? A little help?) Come to think of it...add awed to that word too. Snuggies started out as just your average informercial marketing scheme, a la the Bumpit, the Ab Rocket, and the Bedazzler. (I'm not necessarily endorsing any of these products, but if they want to send me free stuff for advertising for them, how could I refuse?) After only a very short time span, Snuggies had sold over 4 million units and had a waiting list for people who wanted their Snuggies. In fact, my parents and I had to wait about a month or more before our Snuggies arrived! So, okay. Kudos to them. Way to go, little entrepreneur! But now the growing product line is getting a little more disturbing. Follow the trend here, will you?

We began with this:

And then we came to this:

(Who can argue with the genius of such dialogue: "Just put, put, PUT your arms through and see what you can do!" or my personal favorite "Don't bug me. I'm wearin' my Snuggie!")

What's next? The only natural conclusion, of course, is this:

I'm not sure who was/is in charge of the script-writing, direction, etc. for these infomercials, but in my opinion they were just begging to either inspire a cult following or to be spoofed. I mean, come on now. Whose idea was it to have a kid doing the macarena? All joking aside, you really do have to hand it to the entrepreneurs behind this craze. They have obviously embraced the kitsch-factor and run with it all the way to the bank! And you have to have a pretty healthy sense of humor to hold your own fashion show in the heart of fashion central New York City during Fashion Week! So kudos to them and kudos to those of you who own Snuggies. We can form our own cult/fan club and hold monthly meetings where we read books, enjoy a snack, or attend outdoor sporting events! Who's with me?

Oh...and for those new moms concerned about taking their new babies out in the cold weather...we've got you (and your baby) covered.

The Bog of Burnsie

2009-08-05T10:45:00.004-04:00

I want you to imagine the worst thing that you have ever smelled. No...worse. Got it? Now triple it. Quadruple it. That is what the inside of my car currently smells like. It's like the Bog of Eternal Stench got together with every landfill, decaying roadkill carcass and your stinky, little brother to spawn the most unimaginable funk known to man. Noxious, deadly, poisonous, lethal, toxic, putrid, malodorous, reeking, foul, rank, squalid, decaying, fetid. Nearly fatal, at one whiff it will put you into a hundred year coma. Smelled peripherally, it will merely knock you unconscious for several hours...possibly days and make you incapable of eating for weeks afterward. What's worse…my hands still stink - after vigorous scrubbings and repeated sprays of Glade Fabric & Air, they still stink. You never realize just how many times your hands come near your face until they resemble the odorous equivalent to mass genocide.

How? How is something of this magnitude possible? Would you believe that instead of a can of whoop-a#$, this morning I opened a can of death? As is my usual morning routine, on my way out the door, I grabbed a banana and my can of Safeway brand Weight Loss Shake. As I sat at the light, waiting to turn left out of my neighborhood, I shook up my can and popped it open. Imagine my surprise when it started to fizz and bubble, pouring over the edges like a bad science experiment.

What the? I was immediately greeted by just the edges of a new smell, but it was one I couldn't imagine coming from this can. It didn't smell like bad milk product. Instead it started first as an almost sweet smell and then rapidly progressed to an acrid, deathly gag-inducing cloud of putrescence*. Thankfully, I quickly came to another light, so I was able to open my door and pour the remaining offensive liquid onto the pavement. Unfortunately, I was still left was the offending can and the aftermath of the spillover on my floor mat, drive shaft area and even my pants. I drove the rest of the way with my windows down, but was still unable to breathe through my nose. Oh. I should also mention this. Honestly, I don't know what possessed me, but I kind of think it's a slightly human reaction to just "want to be sure". Because I still didn't quite believe that such an astonishing smell could come from my innocent can of liquid breakfast, I lifted the can to my nose and took a swift sniff. Now, I have a fairly strong stomach. I don't get car-sick. Gross stories don't literally make me want to lose my lunch...but this...ugh. It took an inconceivable amount of control NOT to vomit on my dashboard. But yes. I know. I asked for that one*.

I knew that I couldn't just get to work, abandon my car and run into work, so I called in and told them I'd be late and stopped at the first grocery store I could find. I have now employed the use of some heavy-duty fabric cleaner, 3 liters of water, a scrub brush and about half a bottle of Glade Fabric & Air. Pray for my car, folks. Pray for it. I'm actually afraid that when I get to my car after work, the noxious fumes will have reduced it to nothing more than a slightly steaming hole in the ground. So pray for Burnsie, folks. Also, if you can suggest a place that does good interior detailing for cars, I would be much obliged!

* Thank you Princess Bride.

**Does anyone remember the sketch on SNL with the family sitting around the table and one person opens the carton of milk and goes, "Oh man! This milk is bad! Smell it!" He passes it to the next person who smells it, makes a similar exclamation and thus it is passed from one person to the next...they follow w/ other things like, a broken chair - "Ow! This chair is broken! Sit in it!", etc. If had could have found a clip of it somewhere, believe I would have posted it here! But what on earth IS it about stuff like this, that we have to be sure or seek a second opinion? We humans are weird.

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words

2009-07-27T13:29:00.032-04:00

A number of things have sparked my interest in writing this post, but it's mostly meant to be a visual. I was just reminiscing about some of my favorite books as a child and why they were my favorite books. As is well-documented here, I'm a major pushover for a good story, but I'm equally swayed by a moving illustration or picture. So often, pictures tell parts of the story that words or our own imaginations cannot...or they simply enhance our own imaginations. So w/out further ado, here are some of my favorite illustrators. Who are some of yours?

P.J. Lynch
Hands down my favorite illustrator. I will buy just about anything if he has illustrated it. Plus he's Irish. Plus I heard him speak at a BYU Symposium for Young Readers a few years ago and he's delightful!

As if his rich and beautiful use of color and detail isn't enough, he also alluded to one of my all-time favorite paintings (Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" - picture on the right) in his illustration of my all-time favorite fairytale, "East O' the Sun, West O' the Moon"(picture on the left).

Is anybody swooning yet? Because you really should be.

Marilee Heyer

Heyer also illustrates a lot of really wonderful folk and fairy tales. The cover below is of a book that I bought purely for the pictures and ended up loving the story. I've also had a long love affair with Asian books/stories, so it had me at hello. I love how her pictures are sweeping, graceful and intensely intricate. I love detail. LOVE IT. Some of her books beg for you to spend hours just staring at her pictures...which I will neither deny nor confirm doing. Another book of hers that I'm fond of is The Girl, The Fish, & The Crown. Simply lovely illustrations.

Trina Schart Hyman

Hyman's illustrations evoke something of the 70s to me. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it has something to do w/ her pictures being somewhere in the middle between sketch and painting or the heaviness of her lines...but it just feels like my early childhood. Hm...not that I think of my early childhood as being somewhere between sketch and painting, nor did it have heavy lines...but well...her pictures just make me feel that way, okay? She also has lovely, graceful lines and delicate details. Her style is distinctive and memorable. I love it. I own this copy of Snow White, which was also purchased solely for the illustrations.

Maurice Sendak

How could I have a list of illustrators without mentioning Sendak? Some of the most vivid images from my childhood originated in his imagination. Where the Wild Things Are & Outside Over There are two of the most vivid for me. Sendak is so talented at evoking a sense of fantasy and mixing in a bit of melancholy, eeriness and something uniquely beautiful. In short, I love his artwork and I love his stories. What more do I need to say, really?

Leo Lionni/Eric Carle

I combine these two because something about their affinity for collage-ish/cut-out artwork makes me want to group them together. Also, I'm getting tired of writing, so I just wanted to make this go a bit faster. Also...they kind of look a little alike, don't you think? Lionni's character, Frederick, is one of my very favorite characters from my childhood. Perhaps I loved him so much because I was a daydreamer too. And what's not to love in such a sweet, adorable, unique little mouse made of paper?

Carle's pictures aren't quite as dear to my heart, because he didn't create actual characters, just illustrations. However, there is no denying that his illustrations are bright, cheerful and very memorable, which is why I've included him here.

Dare Wright

Who says that illustrations always have to be paintings or drawings? These books have been stuck in my subconscious for as long as I can remember. My mom checked them out from the library for me when I was a little girl and I must have asked for them a thousand times after that. I was at least 80% convinced that because they were photographs, they were real. This little doll lived alone in a house w/ two stuff bears...and I was totally enamored with the idea. There is melancholy and loneliness in a lot of these pictures. (I'm noticing a trend w/ my attraction to illustrations/stories...) Being separated from my parents as a little girl was my greatest fear, so I think I was both horrified by the visual reality of such a thing and enchanted by the thought that even if that were to happen, someone/something might come along to care for and love me. Like a couple of teddy bears. Don't judge. They're special books, okay? And I still love them.

So what books do you remember most from your childhood (or after) because of the illustrations?

Awesome Possum!

2009-06-03T01:22:00.015-04:00

So, it would seem that I am driven to blog primarily about rodents. (Fine - rodents, mammals and marsupials, if you want to be completely accurate.) Just to recap, I've now blogged about field mice, squirrels and a raccoon - all of which met their untimely demises at the will of my car. Today I am forced to blog about another member of the rodent family; the opossum. To be specific, the Virginia Opossum. Thankfully this one is alive and well and currently hiding in our kitchen. Yes. That's right. Our kitchen. (Update: the possum has vacated the premises...details later in the post)

How did all of this begin? Well it all started when Roommate #1 inadvertently left the patio door in the basement open for several hours on Monday. Roommate #2 discovered this when she came home late that night and shut the door. The following morning Roommate #2, whose bedroom and bathroom are in the basement, found a little "gift" waiting for her on the bathroom floor. Say what you will, but at least the little critter had the decency to relieve himself on the bathroom floor and not the carpet. (We're all praying that there are no more little "gifts" waiting somewhere else! [shudder]) Roommate #2 was so disturbed by what she found that she wiped up the droppings and flushed them away. Understandably, R#2 was distressed and so she immediately contacted Animal Control to see if they could come and remove the animal - whatever it was. Unfortunately, Animal Control informed her that they would only dispatch someone if we had actually seen the animal. Sigh. R#2 and I searched the house (with broom in hand) from top to bottom and neither found nor roused anything, which only added to the frustration of the situation. This meant that because R#2 was the only one who had seen the droppings, she would have to use her super-sleuthing skills (thank you Google!) to figure out what kind of critter we actually had. Because she was at home that day, she gave me periodic updates and informed me that she thought it was either an opossum or a cat, but she seemed pretty sure that it was an opossum. Well, if it was, that would explain why we hadn't seen/heard anything in our searches because they're nocturnal and notorious for...well, "playing possum".

After returning from work, there were no new developments, so we decided to head off to institute and bother with it later. Later found R#2 and I in the living room at around 11PM both on our laptops and watching a bit of TV. Because this gave me the perfect sight line with the basement door, it was I who noticed movement and looked up just in time to see tiny black eyes peering from the delicate pointy-nosed face of a very small possum with a look of curiosity. My reaction? "R#2, R#2! Possum! Possum", spoken while pointing wildly toward where the little possum had just headed for the closed front door. Thankfully R#2 had her camera handy, so we got some good shots of the frightened little guy.

Let the games begin! The idea was to try and keep him corralled in the entryway, while we got the front door open and shooed him out with a broom or other such tool. Sadly, it didn't quite work out that way. As I slowly approached the possum to get him to the side of the door, so I could open it, he darted past me and behind the entertainment center in the living room. BLAST! So close! R#2 and I got down on our hands and knees and tried to find where he had gotten to, but couldn't immediately find him. He was a quick little guy and well, I already said it, but he was little. After moving as many objects on the floor that would provide hiding for him, R#2 lifted a blanket from a pile of other blankets and found this.

That's right folks. Have you heard that Snuggie is going for a new marketing scheme, focusing on a new and growing demographic? "Possums: the new spokescreatures for the Snuggie." (And yes, I own two Snuggies. What of it?) We succeeded in shooing Poss (he needs a name, okay?) back the way he had come, in hopes of getting him to head for the now open door. Unfortunately, because we hadn't thought to create barriers to other doorless openings, he instead, made a run for the kitchen. Sigh. We thought that wouldn't be such a big deal, because the kitchen is small and there aren't many places that he could hide, but rodents are clever and very squishy and he found a happy little crawl space between the bottom drawer and the floor. ARGH! This time we weren't going to fall for his shenanigans. We set up barriers using anything and everything we could find and then laid a trail of trail mix from his hidey-hole to the door. After that proved not as successful, I added some smelly bananas to the mix.

We retreated to the living room to wait him out and before long, we heard him happily munching on the bananas. We were not, however gifted with stealth and we had soon scared him back into his little hideaway. Great. Now he's fat and happy and has found a place to hang out indefinitely! What next?

After a few more times of him poking his little snout out and then running back to safety, we decided to back way off and just be patient. By this time it was nearing 2 AM and while I had been determined to stay until the job was done, I realized that I would be worthless today if I didn't get some sleep, so I went upstairs to get ready for bed. R#3 came down to keep R#2 company and to take her turn on "possum watch". By about 2:30AM I was in bed, but not yet asleep when I heard the front door close. I ran downstairs to see that the front door was, indeed, closed and when I asked whether Poss had acheived freedom I was met with R#2 & 3's joyous cries of triumph! Yes, he had found his way out of his hole and they shooed him the rest of the way. HOORAY! So it is official. We are finally possum-free.

Final Results

2009-02-04T23:29:00.034-05:00

So for the last six months or so, I've been redoing my bedroom. It started back in August when I consulted with my friend Spencer (thanks!!) on the reconfiguration of my room and the important choice of wall color(s). Then I repainted my walls. Although my bedroom is relatively small, it was a looooong week to get it all done.

As you can see, I went with three different colors. Grape leaf for the wall behind my bed, a paler green for the two side walls and pumpkin spice for the wall across from my bed, in the area I call "my office". I painted that wall w/ flat paint and then painted stripes of the same orange in high gloss. The effect is kinda cool. I like it.

Anyway, it's been a long, slow process of getting all the walls painted and then getting my existing pieces of furniture moved around to where I want them. Lastly, and with the help of our favorite "house boyfriend" (Thank you, Andy), everything got hung on my walls/ceiling.

The Bedroom & closetThe Window
The office

And now my room is a marvelously beautiful little haven. I love it. Love, love, love it! I don't know whether the pictures can do it credit, but it's the best I can do. If you'd like a more first-hand view, you're welcome to come on over for a visit. I love visitors.

What projects have you been working on?

Happy Heart

2009-01-05T16:00:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine thoughtfully sent me this poem today. Truly, my heart could not be smiling any bigger. I have more to say on the matter, after a weekend that I will never ever forget, but that will have to come later.

In the meantime, enjoy this.

Why We Tell Stories

Lisel Mueller

I
Because we used to have leaves
and on damp days
our muscles feel a tug,
painful now, from when roots
pulled us into the ground

and because our children believe
they can fly, an instinct retained
from when the bones in our arms
were shaped like zithers and broke
neatly under their feathers

and because before we had lungs
we knew how far it was to the bottom
as we floated open-eyed
like painted scarves through the scenery
of dreams, and because we awakened

and learned to speak

2
We sat by the fire in our caves,
and because we were poor, we made up a tale
about a treasure mountain
that would open only for us

and because we were always defeated,
we invented impossible riddles
only we could solve,
monsters only we could kill,
women who could love no one else
and because we had survived
sisters and brothers, daughters and sons,
we discovered bones that rose
from the dark earth and sang
as white birds in the trees

3
Because the story of our life
becomes our life

Because each of us tells
the same story
but tells it differently

and none of us tells it
the same way twice

Because grandmothers looking like spiders
want to enchant the children
and grandfathers need to convince us
what happened happened because of them

and though we listen only
haphazardly, with one ear,
we will begin our story
with the word and

By George, I think She's Got It!

2009-01-05T00:18:00.009-05:00

Ever had one of those experiences that is so moving, so inspiring, so exciting that you fear talking about it might somehow blow all the magic away? I just had one of those. But while I do sort of feel this tenuous grasp on the magic, I feel too inspired NOT to share it.

I just had the privilege of enjoying a two-day storytelling workshop led by professional storyteller, Donald Davis (Seriously, follow that link. He's WONDERFUL!). It was held in the home of generous teller, Susan Gordon, who mostly uses her telling in therapeutic settings. Right now she works as an addictions counselor. The first time I heard her tell back in the Fall of '06 (it was the story of Cuchulain - a traditional Scottish hero), I felt a tug at my soul. What she was doing pulled at me, called me. It was more than the story she chose to tell that day that spoke to me, it was how she was using that story to offer me solutions to my questions, my problems, my yearnings. And without realizing it, that experience offered me a glimpse of a possible future. Because that's what stories - really good stories - have always done for me. They have left an indelible mark on my heart and allowed me to carry them with me. They helped me find a bit more of myself. I have always wanted to do that much for someone else. I want to share stories of substance with other people, in order to make them laugh, help them feel joy, put them in touch with their own sadness in order to understand it better, basically to help them recognize themselves and to give them what I've been given, love.

I've been attending the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Orem, UT for about 5-7 years now and I have always loved it. I am utterly enamored by it, but the few times anyone suggested that I should be a storyteller, I dismissed it out of fear. I used to be involved in theater, but I haven't done much of anything substantial since 1998...so I let the fear take over and make my decisions for me. Bad idea. Then I started my Masters program at GMU in Folklore and that first semester, my professor invited Susan Gordon to tell for us. And you already read how that made me feel. Yet still I resisted. I heard her a few more times over the last 2 years until finally this last semester, while a small group of students joined Susan for dinner before an evening of storytelling, she mentioned this workshop. I said, "Oh, I wish that I'd known about it earlier! I would absolutely love to participate in something like that!" Susan was happy to hear of my interest and agreed to let me know if an opening presented itself. And my Christmas Wish was granted.

A group of about nine people gathered and told their stories, all works in progress. I was touched by how personal and intimate some of those stories were and felt so privileged to be given permission to see and meet the places and people that they loved. After each story, Donald would lead a discussion on it. What else did we want to know about the story, or the main character or the storyteller? Then without a word of judgment or criticism, he shared his years of storytelling experience in his deep, welcoming North Carolinian accent. It was absolutely inspiring! I was (am) a complete novice, so I hadn't formally prepared a story, but had two small, related stories I felt comfortable telling. Ugh. It was rough. Although I know the stories very well (for family members, I told about Dad's left-handed misadventures), I hadn't ever considered or practiced how I would present them. I also had no ending...so it just kind of fizzled out into nothing. But I was given such incredible, such clear and simple guidelines by Donald that I began to feel that maybe, just maybe I could actually do this. I went home that night, my mind abuzz with ideas, and began working on that same set of stories I'd told to the group. I practiced them out loud and added a better introduction and transition and tried out a few different endings. Then I recorded myself. As I listened to it, I realized that while it was still obviously rough, the difference was incredible! I had just told a real story! If only I'd had an audience for feedback.

I had let myself get all wrapped up in my fears and that had almost kept me from this truly exciting and inspiring future. While I'm still scared, for the first time in my life, I feel like this is something I could actually do. I have a passion for stories and (a longing for attention - egomaniac that I am) and a desire to share that passion w/ others. So if I can manage to remember the P's that Donald shared with me, take the time to plan out and practice the stories I want to tell and then tell them, I think I might be able to find my own voice. And in finding my voice, I think I might find what I've been looking for all along! So who wants to help me by being my audience? I need feedback and I need experience telling in front of people so I can conquer my fears.

Have you ever had an experience like this? Like you just found your place in the universe and the chaos might just make sense? Do tell!! I loves a good story, I do!

In case anyone is wondering what the P's are, here you go:
1. Picture = Every story has to paint a picture. Storytellers make movies appear in the listeners' minds.
2. Place = Show your listeners a place they've never been before. Use the picture to take them there.
3. People = Introduce your listeners to people they'd never have the chance to know (not like you know them).
4. Plot = A storyteller needs to establish the normal, everyday way people behave in this new place.
5. Problem = In order to move forward, there has to be a problem, a turning point, that causes pulls the people/place out of its everyday existence.
6. Progress Report = Essentially, there must be some sort of end evaluation. You could call it the moral, but not every story really needs to have a moral. Basically what did you (the teller) or the character learn?

For more fun and for those maybe interested in trying this out on their own, check this out. Then I would suggest that you go to your library and ask if they have any storytellers on cd (or tape, if you're old school) that you can check out. Get acquainted w/ their stuff. Then go and practice.

The Girl Who Couldn't Laugh

2008-11-17T10:39:00.005-05:00

I've decided that for whatever reason, I only seem to attract 2 subsets of men:

1. The overly confident, beautiful guys who know they're beautiful and walk up to me breathing testosterone into each word they utter with phrases like, "I know you want me. Why don't you just have my babies right now?" To which my response is invariably, "Barf! Can you lean your head back so I can more easily punch you in the throat?"

Or

2. The super nice, sweet, innocent, good guy that is about as exciting as paper. To which my response is, "Do you have anything sharp in your pocket? I want to see how quickly I can slit my own wrists and bleed out."

Why does it seem too much to ask to find a guy who is capable of making me laugh - not smile, not simper, not occasionally chuckle...I mean full on laugh my guts out, guffaw! Now I don't require that he make me laugh that hard all the time, of course, just knowing he has that ability is enough. There are plenty of amusing guys out there, it's true. I can smile or even laugh at them (or with them, rather), but my heart isn't in it. Correction, my brain isn't in it.

I'm not saying I'm some kind of philosophical genius that is so far above mere mortal humor that I cannot find any amusement in the things people say or do. FAR from it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to laugh and that I can laugh quite easily. I'm just saying that for whatever reason, it is rare to find my brand of humor - which, by the way, welcomes awkward nerdiness, puns (good AND bad), corny jokes, good, intelligent wit, and even the occasional slightly ribald joke. So I laugh, but my brain may not be in it. To me, a good sense of humor is evidence of a sharp mind - one capable of both levity and thoughtful discussion on a variety of topics. I just can't figure out why it's been such a long time since I have really, truly laughed.

This morning I was thinking about this some more and it reminded me of a particular Grimm's fairy tale, the Boy Who Went Forth To Learn Fear. Follow the link to read the full version, but in short it's about a boy who is too "foolish" to know when to be afraid, but really he's just wise enough not to lose his wits when faced with all kinds of frightening creatures and challenges. In the end he wins riches and marries a princess, but still hasn't learned to shudder. At last, the only way he learns to shudder and shake is when his wife pours a bucket of minnows over him in his bed. I wonder. Am I a bit like the boy who went forth to learn fear? Instead of wanting to learn fear, I want to learn to laugh. Why can't anyone make me laugh, dangit? Am I too foolish to know how to laugh or is my foolishness actually protecting me from falling for a bunch of inflated egos and bland personalities? Even if my "foolishness" helps me meet a good guy, will he have to dump a bucket of fish over my head to get me to realize that love him?

I anticipate that this post might be met with any number of reactions. Let me just apologize if anything I say here is offensive. Keep in mind that I'm using this as a way of venting, so while it does reflect how I actually feel, I may or may not be exaggerating a thing or two for literary effect. (And let me just add here, that the picture above is just a silly illustration. I like nerds. I am a self-professed nerd, therefore, it would hardly behoove me to shun my own kind. I just desire the kind of nerd that can also make me genuinely laugh!) And I know that I might be "asking for it" here, but I'm really curious. What are your thoughts on my "little defect"? Do any of you deal with something similar?

Musically Uplifted

2008-10-15T16:31:00.000-04:00

And that's what I have been - truly musically uplifted! I recently went to the best concert of my life. Bold words, I know. What made it so? Well, a combination of things, really; venue, the location of our seats, company and most importantly, the performers. Answer? The Birchmere, front and center (thank you, Lisa!), Lisa Fraser (a musician herself, great appreciator of fabulous music, and just all around fun to be with), and Ryan Montbleau and Martin Sexton. Sigh. I've been in love w/ Martin's music for about 9-10 years, but this was the first time that I was able to see him in concert. Speechless. And the opening singer, Ryan Montbleau - a great musician with a really sweet sound. He sounds like he's on his way to becoming as good as our dear Mr. Sexton. Both performed solo, stripped of any fancy-shmancy bands, but Martin did have a nifty microphone that created reverb. The end result was perfection.

And now, because my words can do nothing to explain how fantastic these guys are, here are some of my favorite songs.

And here's another gem:

Now for a little Martin...sigh. And in case you're wondering...yes, that's just his voice making those sounds. I know it's not the best quality, but he's so freakin' good!

Continued in next post...

Take two...

2008-10-15T16:27:00.001-04:00

Musical upliftment continued...

Hey - even John Mayer agrees that Marty is the best! (That may not be much of an endorsement, but truly, John should be bowing to Martin's greatness!)

He did this one for our encore and it happens to be my favorite song.

Amen. I love good music. Any comments or recommendations?

Are you freakin' kidding me?

2008-10-06T11:51:00.011-04:00

Seriously! What is it with me and animals? And I don't just mean any animal, I mean vermin, specifically.

You may recall a previous post dealing w/ some rodents and my car. After that infestation, I now wonder whether my car has a beef with furry little (and not so little) creatures.

Okay, here's what happened. I was driving w/ Becca and Adam to a friend's bowling birthday party - Becca in the front seat, Adam in the back. As I was driving, I looked down for just a few seconds to adjust my iPod in its adapter and when I looked up, there, in the center of my lane staring at me w/ a wide-innocent (if a mite vacant) expression was a full-sized raccoon. Did he run? No. Like a proverbial deer, he was transfixed by my headlights and in the .2 seconds I had between seeing his mug and reacting, my car had already made up its mind to end the life of this pitiful creature.

My immediate outward reaction was this:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!", just as my car's reaction was this:
"Badump Bump Chunk!!"

Inwardly I thought, "I could swerve, there are no other cars on the road. I could slam on my brakes. I could... AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
As I kept screaming, I began stroking the side of my face, like I was my own mother (perhaps somehow hoping it really would be alright that I'd just destroyed one of God's creations) and I heard "Yup, he's a goner!" from the backseat. Adam had turned around to get a look at the twitching lump of animal my car had left behind. Apparently, it did not have the wherewithal to scamper away, so the prognosis wasn't good. As I continued to breathe small shrieks of horror at what I had just done, we heard a noise coming from underneath my car, "...scrape...scrape...flap...flap...flap..."

"Oh my gosh! Is he stuck under my car? Is he hanging on w/ one little paw, desperately trying to claw his way back into life?" I shrieked.

"Naw, he was definitely back there on the road", replied Adam.

We pulled into a parking lot and Adam gallantly crawled under the car to investigate the possibility of a ninja assassin raccoon...or worse, raccoon bits left to flap against the pavement. With the use of Becca's stellar cell phone light, he determined that there actually weren't any animal bits and that it was some kind of (okay, my ignorance of cars is going to come out here) metal plate that attaches to the bottom and likely protects the underbelly of the car from various things (see my earlier post for what kinds of things I may be referring to) was hanging loose and dragging on the ground. He managed to shove it back into place, but now I need to make sure I can get that fixed good and tight. I don't want to have rodents nesting in my air filter again.

But SERIOUSLY! What is the DEAL?! Does my car emit animal pheromones or something? AUGH!

And after such an ordeal, you might think that my night couldn't possibly get any worse, right? Not right.

Not really thinking ahead to the fact that this was a military fort we were going to, we were unprepared when we got there and they asked each person to show his/her ID, in order to gain access to the bowling alley where our friend's party was being held. Sigh. I had my ID, as did Becca, but poor Adam had had his wallet stolen not long before. So no ID. Double sigh. He generously decided to hang out a friend's house nearby while Becca and I went back to bowl. So after dropping him off, we made our way back to Fort Myer to show our birthday support of our good friend by rolling a large resin ball down an alley toward some penguin-shaped plastic pins. After the guards finished laughing about the fact that we'd ditched the dude w/ no ID so we could go bowling and inspected my car, we hopped in and entered the base. Silly us. We forgot to ask for directions to the bowling alley! Our hopes that we would find simple signage pointing the way were unproductive and we spent the next 10 minutes or so driving around the fort. Becca was busy admiring how charming the housing was on base, while I was becoming increasingly more annoyed and anxious to just get OUT OF MY CAR!!! She laughed and said something like, "It's not that bad!" I responded w/ something like, "It's not that good either. This night has so far been a total bust and I just need a lame game of bowling to cleanse my palate." Finally, after asking a couple for directions (and realizing that we'd turned too soon back at the beginning of our aimless drive), we headed for the bowling alley. Just as I realized I had overshot the parking lot by a bit and was planning to turn around, I saw flashing lights in my rearview mirror. It would appear that I just couldn't catch a break. I pulled over, put my car in park and looked at Becca, at which time we both just burst out laughing. I mean, could our night get any more like a cheesy 80s comedy? The cop told me I had been going just a little fast and asked if we were lost. I just told him that we had been looking for the bowling alley and was admittedly a little lost. He kindly just told me to turn around and pull into the parking lot and to slow down. I was more than happy to oblige.

WHEW! So there you have it. Oh, and while I am not and never plan to be a stellar bowler, it did, in fact, cleanse my palate and make for a very fun night! All in all - it was one crazy night. Ever have one of those?

Fishy Footsie Follow-up

2008-08-15T23:09:00.001-04:00

Extreme Pedicures? How about a MANicure...

2008-08-15T22:02:00.001-04:00

MANicure: Redux

2008-08-03T13:28:00.019-04:00

ARGH! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post a follow-up! A. I've been kind of busy. B. I've been kind of lazy, and C. I've had a DEVIL of a time getting my videos to upload properly. And trust me, it's not HALF as fun w/out the videos.

So without further ado...here is a video/pictoral account of all my dealings w/ the fishies. (And click here, here and here if you want to watch them again on YouTube. We're famous!)

Jenn was up first, so I had the chance to get some shots of her reactions. Heh, heh. Priceless.

Becca and I were up next. After washing your feet for you, they put you in some cheapo sandals and walk you over to the fish foot tanks and help you step in backwards.

Here is a picture of our first reactions. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, no? How about a video?

In my research on this pedicure experience, I heard it described as the pins and needles one might feel if one's foot fell asleep. I disagree. It was mostly just unbearably ticklish - well, nearly unbearable. And then after about a minute or so, it becomes rather pleasant. Ya get used to it, ya know? But if you want a real experience, try spreading your toes for the little guys. Oooo! They loved that! Yipes!

Here is a close-up of the lucky feet.
Christina
Jenn & Becca
After our fifteen minutes w/ the fishies, we went over to the regular pedicure stations (complete w/ massage chairs...mmm) and had our feet/toes buffed, clipped, filed and painted. They even included a bit of a foot/calf massage. That was very nice.

Overall, it was a rather silly, but pleasant experience. Would I do it again? Mmm, probably not. Why? Because while my feet were quite smooth and the pedicurists did not have to use any razors to shave the dead skin off of my feet, I didn't notice any great benefit other than giving the fish a meal. So for the sake of the innovative technique, I'm glad I did it. I even recommend it to those who like to add things to their lists of slightly to definitely odd novelty experiences. And I most heartily recommend a regular pedicure to anyone - male or female.

Side note: I asked about the fish and whether this is detrimental to them at all, ya know over-feeding and whatnot? I was informed that they can eat and eat and eat and eat...and apparently poop and poop...so there's something else to consider when planning for your fish-icure. As an unrelated aside, I did have one floater in my tank, but I SWEAR that it wasn't my fault! I'd say it's more likely that he just gave up the ghost because he couldn't stand swimming in his own filth anymore. And in my last aside, they do change the water between pedicures.

I'll finish off with one more video.

Oh, and in case you didn't get it from the video, Diane Sawyer described the experience as having fish "kiss your feet". Uh...I don't know if I'm on board w/ that one entirely, but whatever floats your boat...or bites your feet, as it were.

What kind of things have you done just for the "novelty" of it?

MANicure

2008-07-28T15:43:00.006-04:00

So you know the trend where everything has to be EXTREME? Well, I've just fallen victim to the latest trend of "extreme pedicures". Check it out. That's right...tiny little carp will nibble at the dead skin on your feet to make them all smooth and luxurious. And on this coming Saturday, my friend Becca and I will be offering our tootsies up as a morning snack to a school of hungry garra rufa. You may be asking yourself, "What in the sam hill?!" I ask you, "Why the sam hill not?!" I mean it's not like these little guys have teeth, so it won't hurt... I hope. I just hope my feet are at their most calloused, so I can provide them with a really good meal. Admittedly, when I first heard about this, my "wig-out" factor was at a level 8.9, but I was also secretly attracted by the idea. I mean...what a novelty, right? And who knows? I might actually like it!

And this leads me to the heart of my post. Thanks to gmail, the announcement of my upcoming ichthyotherapy caused a male friend to remark "As a self-respecting heterosexual male, I don't do pedicures in general, but the idea of fish chewing my feet does seem intriguing." So I wondered...do the majority of heterosexual men feel this way? Would the only way to get them in a pedicurist's chair be to tempt them w/ the promise of having fish gnaw the dead skin off their feet? Or is that just a ploy? Do they secretly want to indulge in something like a pedicure, but can't feasibly do so without the guise of "scientific experiment" or the excuse "my sister (wife, etc.) made me do it"?

Thinking that I'd prove my friend wrong about his gender, I began to poll all of my other available male friends on pedicures. My question of "Have you ever had a pedicure?" produced a wealth of responses:

No way!
That's a rather personal question...but no. I haven't.
No, I'm a man.
I have feet?
No. Wait. I mean hell no.

So out of the eight men that I polled, only two of them had previously had pedicures and both were in favor of doing it again. Okay, I get it, guys. You don't want to be thought of as a nancy-boy, a metrosexual, a whoppsy. Fine. But does the occasional act of someone scraping the dead crap off of your feet really make you into a girly man? Would it really bring your manhood into question? Speaking as a woman, I see nothing wrong with a man who enjoys a pedicure from time to time. I mean, he doesn't need to get his nails painted - that would be going too far in my estimation. But, to me, a pedicure would in no way injure his manliness. But guys, are you more afraid of what other guys will think or of what women will think of you?

I'm not really trying to define a gender line here, I'm just wondering if maybe we're more similar than we are different. I know that often for women, our insecurities deal more with how we imagine we might be perceived by our sister peers, rather than by the male population. Are we really more fascinated by things deemed "feminine" or "masculine" than we let on, because we are afraid of how it might look if we show too much interest?

I didn't exactly expect my musings on foot-nibbling fish to end up where it did, but I'm curious to know your thoughts.

Memory Game

2008-07-12T10:46:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I do have lots more to blog about and I promise to update you soon...ish. (Sometimes I wonder if anyone believes the words "I promise" from me anymore. Sigh.) But first, I'm fulfilling my half of a blogligation. Uh....I don't know if that worked. I just tried combining the words blog and obligation. Whatever. Here it is:

My sister-in-law sent this to me and I thought it was kind of a fun idea. I enjoy remembering good times and I love to be reminded of why I dig you people. :)

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog (or e-mail if you don't leave comments) leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew/know me a little or a lot - just anything you remember.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. Judging from my sis-in-law's blog, it's kinda cool and sometimes pretty funny! If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

As a folklorist, I find the collection of memories fascinating and endless fun! As a bit of an egotist, I find it kind of gratifying. Hey, just being honest here. Come on! You know you like it too. :) (That may have hindered any possibility of a happy memory from you, but I couldn't help from pointing it out.)

Stream of Something...

2008-06-22T20:12:00.007-04:00

Okay, on the recommendation of several of you, I'm just streaming now. I realize that one of my biggest problems with writing of any kind is thinking too much. So. Here I am. I'm writing.

So what's been on my mind lately? Whoa. I just had about 14 different things come to mind... Let's see if I can grasp onto any of them long enough to blog about it.

1. Summer.

I love it. I love warm weather. I love that I can walk out the door and bask in the warm sun. Of course, basking must be kept to a minimum of 10 - 15 minute intervals or I run the risk of melting, but still. It's bliss while it lasts. Actually, the weather has cooled off a bit, so the oppressive humidity that we'd been getting has somewhat dissipated. Hm. Now this has devolved into a weather report. New topic.

2. Dating.

Well, what do you expect? I'm single. And I'm Mormon. We're programmed to think of almost nothing else, so you really can't blame me. So what do I think about dating? I think it's a lovely pastime - one I thought I was actually rather "good" at, until I realized that it's not a sport that one should want to excel at. Am I right? I mean, there's a difference between being a good date and being a "good dater". Being a good dater just means that you're great at going out w/ a multiplicity of people while staying aloof from dating just one. That's not my idea of success. Well, not according to the aforementioned programming that Mormons go through. Let me just clarify that I'm not opposed to marriage. In fact, I'm very much a fan of the idea...and, as a matter of fact, it hasn't been until just recently that I started thinking of it as an inevitability rather than a fantasy. That may sound a bit strange, but trust me. It's a major paradigm shift. Anyway, I'm of the opinion that dating in the Greater DC Area is really rather fun. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by such a large number of fun and interesting people. And in a very real way, dating and socializing out here has been really instrumental in furthering my spiritual education. I feel like I'm better acquainted with who I am since moving here. I'm certainly more aware of my strengths and weaknesses and I'm more aware of what strengths and weaknesses in others will complement my own.

Does any of this mean that I'm any closer to marriage? Well, I wouldn't really go that far, but if it means anything at all, it doesn't wig me out quite as much to think about it anymore. Heh. The conclusion I came to after reading Alma 7:23-24 was that if I make good choices, then good things will come of it - good works will abound. Rather simplistic, yes. Did I already know that? Sure. Did I need to be reminded? Obviously. Good begets good, so now I'm working on doing that good and seeing where it takes me. Mmm, okay. Last topic.

3. A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Our stake is putting on a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream this Fall (right around Thanksgiving, in case anyone is curious) and I've been cast as Cobweb, one of the fairy attendants to Titania, Queen of the Fairies. First, let me say that I'm so excited to be a part of the theater again, even if it is minutely! It's been...um...over 10 years since I've acted...so it's time I did something about it. A good friend of mine is directing and I'm really looking forward to see how her vision comes together. Second, I have to say what a brave choice it is to do Shakespeare as a stake production! I mean, I have full confidence in Eve, since she teaches Shakespeare at college levels and also teaches workshops to middle school-aged kids and helps them adapt their own versions to suit their situation and experience. I have no doubt that she'll do the same for us, but there's just the tiniest bit of me that snickers at all the bawdy jokes in this particular play. Hee. Mormons saying things like, "O spite! O hell!" [Snicker, snicker!] I'm not sure how much will be kept and how much will be edited out or just modified, but I'm really looking forward to seeing how it goes. Eve also plans to have music written so that the lyrics in the play can be sung. She told me and a fellow fairy today (Peaseblossom) that she envisioned us as a choir of angels singing. Ha. No pressure. So, while I may not have many spoken lines, I'll be singing and I'm really looking forward to that. So, yay to my re-entry to theater.

And I think my stream has flooded this post enough and it's time to call this good for now. What's been on your mind lately?

A Little Help?

2008-06-04T11:51:00.004-04:00

Now that I've resurfaced on the blog-ocean, I've been trying to come up with something interesting to blog about. So far I'm only coming up with half-developed semi-interesting ideas. So in lieu of an interesting topic, I'm blogging about the very fact that I don't know what to blog about. How 'bout that, huh?

Here is what I propose: I will give you my list of half-baked ideas and then you (whoever you are) will vote on the ones you think will actually be interesting enough to read. Additionally, you can make any of my ideas better or add completely new ones. This way maybe I won't fall off the map again - at least not right away.

And here they are:

Favorite/Least favorite words or phrases
Exotic/foreign foods you've tried and now long for (could also extend to foreign experiences unrelated to food)
Childhood memories, ie. fave TV shows, toys, games, books, movies, memories - I feel like this one has been done to death, but it keeps popping up in my brain
Dream jobs
Favorite random/hilarious video clips that make the work day shorter

Aaaand I think that's about all I've got for now. This post is short, but after my last one, I think that's a good thing. So...ideas?

The Mother of All Catch-ups

2008-05-30T09:47:00.040-04:00

Believe it or not folks, I am alive. For those of you giving me a hard time for not posting since December, I'll have you know that I've started about 5 posts that I never got around to posting. I may have a few retro-posts in the next few days, if I deem them worthy...but I've decided that I have to move forward instead of fretting about the stuff I neglected to blog about before. Sound good? Good.

So, how about a little update on what I've been doing in 2008? I will add photos where available and try to keep my descriptions to a minimum so as A. not to discourage my finishing this post and B. to keep from putting you to sleep.

JANUARY

I rang in the New Year w/ a yummy Thai dinner, a dance party at my house and lots of really great friends. My roommate Amber and I brainstormed some new mottos for the new year, here's one that I tried out on Jan. 1st. Learn to skate in 2008!! (That was my first time ever on a pair of roller blades.)
Still later, Becca and I volunteered to serve food to the homeless on Martin Luther King, Jr. day. It was the first time that day held any real significance for me. It was a really moving experience...not to mention a cultural one! Becs and I were the only white folks for miles! Everyone was so nice and welcoming and I'd love to help out again next year!

At the end of this month, our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away. He is truly missed, but we also openly welcome our new prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.

FEBRUARY

Uhhh, I don't think I can remember anything significant in February, besides school and work...and neither is really noteworthy. Moving on.

MARCH

Now March was a pretty eventful month. We started off the month w/ an homage to the 80s. It was pretty much every 80's cliche that you could think of. And while the TV show "Saved By the Bell" only began in 1989, several of us chose that as our inspiration. Here is Kelly, Zack, Jesse and AC Slater! In this other group, you will see JEM (she's truly, truly outrageous) and some other 80's hotties.

Mid-March was my BIG trip of the year (so far) to Puerto Rico for some tropical fun and relaxation. Well, that was the plan, anyway, but it was foiled when a winter storm stirred up the seas so severely that no one could get into the water for most of the days that we were there. So no bio-luminescent bay, no sailing trip around the Bermuda Triangle, no snorkeling...and barely even any swimming. Sigh. In spite of all of that, however, it was one of the best trips I've taken because of the people I got to spend it with. There was a lot of bonding that went on in that rented minivan of ours. VIVA PR!! No puedo expresar! (PR buddies include, Jen, Danny, Becca, Steph, Becky and Aaron)
At the end of the month the famous DC cherry blossoms hit their prime and my roommate, Amber and I went down and took some pictures of them. In fact, we even documented a well-beloved Primary song in pictures...but you'll have to go to my Picasa account to see the whole thing.

APRIL

The month began w/ a trip up to Rochester, NY to visit my friend Jen's parents and also catch the sights in Palmyra, which is only about a 20 min. drive away. This happened to be conference weekend and we attended the Solemn Assembly in Palmyra and I was just in overcome by the universal love for our new prophet, President Monson. It was really amazing to almost physically see a change in him as that mantle was placed upon him. I'm privileged to have been a part of that experience.

Afterwards, we walked around Palmyra and had the missionaries show us around. It was very quiet due to Conference and the cold weather. It was a lovely day, though and we all enjoyed some quality time in the Sacred Grove, viewing the various Smith homes, the Visitors Center, Hill Cumorah, the Grandin Press, and the Palmyra Temple grounds. Although only a short trip, I think I gained about 25 lbs. from Jen's mother's cooking and all the food we consumed on the drive up and back down. WHEW!

It's a good thing that in the next few weeks, I joined in on a Biggest Loser Challenge put on by some friends that included approximately 75 people, I believe. Some participated in groups and others individually, but it was a really great opportunity to pay closer attention to my eating, exercising, sleeping, etc. and get myself in a better way. It was mildly annoying (read: extremely annoying) that this also fell right during finals, but I suppose it actually was a good thing since I didn't lose too many points even when I was staying up all night writing papers!

But I digress... Let's see, the next big thing was the Cherry Blossom Parade, which always takes place after the cherry blossoms have all blown away. Sigh. Kind of lame, if you ask me, but whatever. Our ward volunteered again, but I was able to enjoy it more since I wasn't in charge of it. Wahoo! We had a few showers, but mostly it was a lovely, sunny day!

The following weekend, was the Lupus Walk in DC. This is the 2nd year that I've participated, because one of my friends suffers from Lupus. I was happy for the opportunity to do even just a little bit to bring more awareness to the disorder and hopefully help w/ funding so that they can find better and better treatment and someday a cure!

The last week in April was one of the most stressful that I've experienced in a long while, mostly due to my astonishing gift for procrastination. No really, I promise I'm better at it than you. Uhhh, this blog should be proof enough. Anyway, even though I was way past my ears in papers, some great friends still got together to make me the most scrumptious dinner on my birthday. (Spencer is cutting the delicious raspberry, chocolate cheesecake he created for me and Alexia was in charge of the main dish!) I was so touched that they'd all take time out of their busy schedules and do that for me. Thanks everyone! I still have some of those Strawberry Milkshake Oreos under my bed...mmm. Why, Nabisco? Why must you torment me like this, by only making them a limited time treat? You're evil and I hate you...until next year when they come out again and then I'll be your most devoted slave.

MAY

And we're almost caught up, can you believe it? So, Mid-May, some friends and I, (Jamie, Becky and Wendi) drove up to Lancaster County, PA and enjoyed the beauty and fun of Pennsylvania Dutch country. We went to Lancaster (correctly pronounced LANK-ih-stir, rather than the more common pronunciation LAN-cas-ter) and visited a big market...and bought some apple butter, good hearty breads, some traditional crafts and had our first intro to whoopie pie. Having no basis for comparison, I don't know if it was that good, but man...it was pretty durn good!! Before I go on, I also have to comment on how genuinely friendly and outgoing everyone was. I wasn't expecting that. I didn't find the Amish or Mennonites to be reclusive or stand-offish at all. So that was a lovely surprise. After that, we made a short visit to a local museum and then caught a buggy ride. We learned a lot from our driver, who was a young woman raised in a Mennonite family, but was not a member of the church. She explained ways to tell the Mennonites from the Amish and what it was like to grow up in that kind of community. She was what could be considered a "rebel" by bucking tradition and going on to get a college education. Most Mennonite and Amish children only go to school until 8th grade because they believe that higher education is another way to become too worldly. Isn't it an interesting thought that rebellion could take the form of something good like education? Anyway, we drove around more, stopping in Intercourse to go to a Rhubarb Festival (not my veggie of choice)...eat another whoopie pie (we couldn't resist, I mean come on!!) and drink some homemade rootbeer. We ate at an Amish family restaurant and after we were thoroughly stuffed to the gills, we kept driving, hitting towns like Bird-in-Hand and Paradise, where we saw a pretty covered bridge. And yes, that's right, Paradise comes after Intercourse. Look, I don't make this stuff up, okay? And that was the end of that.

And then this last weekend masses and masses of single Mormons flooded the Outer Banks of North Carolina for Memorial Day weekend for volleyball, relaxation and non-stop flirtation. I was in a much bigger house this year than last and I got to know so many awesome people. And yes, I did take part in my fair share of flirting. How can you not when it's the sport of choice? ;) I managed to keep from getting burned to a crisp and really did have a great extended weekend with some really great people. (In the pics, L-R, Ani, Me and Becca, people who stayed in "Heart's Desire" (where I stayed) and "Of Pines and Pelicans" - thanks to Kim, Ani, Melissa and Chelsea for putting all together!, Rich, Me & Emily neither spoke, saw, nor heard any evil while at Duck Beach. And how could a visit to the beach be complete without an homage to Daniel-san? Bless you, Andrew Gibby.)
And now it's just about to turn into June. Holy crap, for REAL?! And it's summer! I want to do so many things this summer!!

Explore DC/VA/MD and the east coast as much as I can
Travel back to UT for a short visit, if possible.
Stay consistent w/ exercise and better eating habits.
Run a 5k or 8k
Spend time w/ good friends.
Reorganize and possibly paint my bedroom.
Make myself a better person.

So nothing too extraordinary, right? What are your summer plans? Anyone want to come w/ me to take some interesting walks or bike rides through DC? Hit a renaissance fair? Go to Boston, Philly or any other number of east coast cities? Anyone interested in going w/ me to the Holocaust Museum? I still haven't been, but I'd really like to go and I think it would be best if I had someone to discuss it with.

Okay. That's it. This post is far too long as it is. Happy now, folks? Whew! Let's see if I can keep this up. Maybe it'll be more interesting when I'm not playing catch-up.

Two field mice and part of a squirrel

2007-12-10T21:18:00.002-05:00

So this last weekend, while I was away in NYC having a blast, I decided it was time to send my car to get its 30K mile check-up. It's a great little car (NOTHING like my former mode of transportation - seriously, don't get me started!), but there were just a few little things I wanted looked at, 1. Squealing brakes, 2. low air-pressure when blowers were on head and feet, 3. a little rattling sound that had just started, but would come and go.

So, no big, right? Yeah. Nothing major. So I went to NY, had a fabulous time (future entry) and came back to pick up my car on Sunday night. We had previously arranged that I would drive the rental back to the dealership, drop the keys in the drop-box and pick up my car w/ my spare key. The invoice would be in my glovebox. So I looked at it and was duly sickened by the amount of money charged by labor, etc., but what really caught my eye was the charge for "Removal of dead rodent from air filter". WHAT?!!?!! I had a dead what in my car?!

Yeah. So the next morning, I call my mechanic and the first words out of his mouth were, "Two field mice and part of a squirrel. I thought about keeping them for you, but I decided against it." Gee, thanks. What a gentleman. So that would explain the low air-pressure from the blowers in my car. Ick. But the question remains...how the heck did they get up in there? And excuse me, but part of a squirrel -PART of a squirrel was found in my air filter?! How the crud did part of ANYTHING crawl up there? My only possible explanation are the cats that hang out in our parking lot...think it's possible that one of them was just being kind and bringing me a gift? There is one that I've made friends with. Perhaps he thought this was the best way to show me he cared. But how did he get in there? According to my mechanic, that's not a very likely scenario.

My only other explanation is that two mobster field mice had been hired to bump off a neighborhood squirrel-bookie and were looking for places to hide him. They must have figured that hiding him in pieces would throw off suspicion. Sadly, they underestimated the effort it would take to pull him up into the air filter of my car and when they got there, they decided to take a short nap... Bad decision, mousies. RIP.

Not so cute when thought of in that way, are they? Hey, no sympathy here! They made my car into a sarcophagus!!

So, ever find anything "out of the ordinary" in your car before? What about your house, etc.? Do tell.

End of the summer ruminations...

2007-08-28T13:15:00.000-04:00

(No, I don't mean cud-chewing.)
So another semester began for me recently and I'm forced to ponder the things that I will miss with the advent of homework and night classes. I list them for you below...in no particular order.

Free time, or what I like to call "Any-time-when-I-can-do-nothing-for-as-long -as-I-like." It could be argued that, because I am an adult, all of my time could fit into that category...but if I start thinking that way then I'll REALLY never get anything done!
Reading all the novels I can get my hands on. This one makes me sad, even if my class reading IS fascinating. There is some mental block that forms for me when I'm told to read a book as opposed to when I choose to read a book. Even if it's a popular novel, when it's made into a "textbook", it becomes a horrible chore to read it. Stupid mental block!
Staying out late without repercussion - unless you call falling asleep at your work desk, repercussion. I just call it nap-time.
Spending money on completely unnecessary things anytime I feel like it. (Oh give me a break...while this might be curbed a bit, let's be honest. This lovely little habit ain't goin' nowhere.)
Keeping on top of all the latest films in the theater. Well, this one shouldn't suffer terribly until crunch-time begins. I mean, I'll still need to let loose on the weekends, right?

What won't I be giving up?

Well, I won't be giving up my obsession with web-surfing and other various online time-wasters.
Speaking of online time-wasters, I will hopefully not be giving up my blog. I know I've been exceedingly lazy this summer, but I'm hoping that now that classes are beginning again, I'll be blessed with greater determination to blog...as a means of avoiding the homework I have looming above me. I mean, that's kind of why I began this thing. Tools of procrastination are a wonderful thing...kinda.
My recently rekindled friendship with exercise. I've been so good for the last few months, but it's so hard to keep up once homework and classes start taking over...and the fatigue begins to creep in. Gotta make myself go to bed at a reasonable hour and then I might not be battling so much.
I'm also worried about keeping up my slightly healthier eating habits. Sigh. Life-long battle, maybe? But wait, this list is for what I'm NOT giving up...so that settles that.

And there you go. Does the end of summer signify an end or beginning for you too? Do share!

Apathetic, lazy, langurous, indifferent, lackadaisical...

2007-08-08T10:41:00.000-04:00

Sigh. Story of my life, lately. I'm so unmotivated...about everything! I am so disinclined to be productive at work that I actively look for ways to be lazy. Yes, I am aware of the contradiction in ideas there. Mine is just another kind of productivity! Surfing around on the web alone provides me with ample places to waste time and tax-payer's money, but then on top of my own time-wasting skills, I have many friends who send me links to other fabulous time-wasters. Gaaaahhhh!!! Enablers! Wanna see how evil* they are? Good, cuz I'm gonna show you.

This one was just brought to my attention by a friend today. (Curses!) Sift through the various comics...just try and tell me they don't make you giggle! (Ha! Snapes on a plane! Hee!) Here's one that's quite apropos!
And what about this? I have been exposed to a lot of great new music lately (that'll have to be another post, I think.), so tell me what you think of this one.
Here's a link to some more new music that has been highlighted on another blog. This just goes to show my level of infatuation with it at the moment.
And I have to thank** my friend Marin for this one. You can thank her too. I warn you...this will lead to hours and hours of free tv/movie-via-internet-watching. Don't say I didn't warn you!
And without AsianKeng's help, how would I have know what kind of friend I am?
And it's only natural that at least some of my recent procrastination should have been Potter-related. Anyone hungry for some Potter food?
This is just plain cool. Ever played Guitar Hero? Well, this person certainly has...and he/she kicks tail-feather! And if you know who Trogdor is, then you're just plain cool too. :)
And before I go, how about a bit more cool and interesting music that I've been exposed to lately. Dawn is pretty earthy and cool...and she inspires infatuation and near-stalking in some people. Check this one out. And no, not this Jem. Ooo, and just one more. How can you NOT find this absolutely amazing?!

So, there it is. A first-hand look at the lengths this procrastinator will and has gone to. So...anyone else want to enable me further? What are your favorite time-killing sites? Got any new singers/bands you think I should check out? Please share. :)

*Evil = wonderful in their diabolical ability to get me to procrastinate even further
**thank = curse (while secretly being grateful)

"Air" your gripes here...

2007-08-01T13:28:00.001-04:00

Where on earth has Christina been? The world has been asking and Christina has decided to finally crawl out of her hole of laziness to respond. ("Hey, it's my vacation, people! Doesn't that mean vegging?") Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I know this kind of absence is just plain unfair to all my fans. (cough!)

I've been suffering from a lack of inspiration lately (and extreme laziness brought about by the effects of summer). I've actually had a post "in the works" for some time now....so I guess I'll just finish that one off and post it. Be forewarned...I began this right after a long trip and I wasn't in a very "pro-airport" mood. And here it is...

Okay, so I recently decided that I hate airports! I love traveling, but I HATE airports! Summer is a big time for travel, right? That's fine, I always plan for delays and what-not, but what I don't understand is being told that domestic travelers must be at the airport TWO hours before a flight departs. Which means, if you're planning for the added hassles of heavy travel traffic, you should likely tack on another 30-45 minutes, just to be safe! RIDICULOUS!! And okay, while I may think the measures which our airports have been taking to ensure our safety are a bit much, I'm all for safety. Okay fine. What I don't understand are those travelers who still act like they don't expect to have to take off their shoes, belts and excessive jewelry, remove their laptop from their bag and make sure their small gel or liquid items fit in one plastic baggy. This is not that difficult, people! You're in line for like an HOUR! Why couldn't you have figured all this out before you got to the metal detectors? AAARRRGGGHH!!

But, in all fairness, this isn't even my biggest annoyance. No, I've actually taken the next step and decided that I hate flying. I'm not phobic. I don't mind the actual flying. That's just fine and dandy. What I DO mind is the lack of leg room in the seating area, the difficulty it is to climb across the other passengers to get to the bathroom (that is, if you're lucky enough to have a window seat...or even cursed w/ a middle seat), the discomfort you may decide is necessary to avoid having to climb over others, the bathrooms themselves. Ugh! What else do I hate? Passengers who seem to forget that we are all sharing the same air space. I recently flew from one end of the country to the other and I realize that that's a looong flight, but why do I have to get stuck behind the guy who decided to share his "travel gas" with his fellow passengers every few minutes? Honestly, people. I almost found myself wishing for a massive change in cabin pressure, just so I could use the air mask! Have mercy!! And hey, here's another one...if you're afraid that your feet may stink...do everyone a courtesy and leave the shoes ON!

So...that was a lot of pent up negativity, wasn't it? Okay, I'll end on a positive note. Several months ago, I was stuck at the international arrival gate in the Dulles airport, waiting to meet a foreign visitor from Japan, and to pass the time to and keep from cursing my lot I decided to indulge in a little people-watching. While I did see my fair share of people I wouldn't wish to meet on a dark street, I was actually surprised with the intimate look I had into people's reunions! I felt a bit like a voyeur, but since it was in public (and I was waiting there FOREVER), I just gave in to the unabashed (if slightly glazed) gazing. It was truly touching to witness the tenderness that some people shared with their loved ones upon reuniting. Some of my favorite sights...

countless hugs and kisses of every, shape, flavor and intention
servicemen and women being greeted with applause and looks of admiration and gratitude
this interchange: Dad picks up son (approx. 6-8 yrs. old) and hugs him fiercely saying, "You got bigger! Two weeks is too long!" Son: "Yeah. It's way too long. Don't go away again, k?" (awwww!)

All this made me think of this.

So, I know I ended on a positive note here, but anybody got a good horror story from the airport that they want to share? I know I'm not the only one whey gripes about this stuff! You can share a tender one too, if you want. Come on...this is universal.

New Blog - Check it out!!

2007-06-19T17:26:00.000-04:00

So a few fr ie nds and I have started a new blog...to add to my plethora of others. It's all kinds of fun, though. If you're a fan of movies and like to comment on them or even just read about others' comments, please join us at http://fruitysoaps.blogspot.com/.

Our mission statement...er whatever you want to call it, is as follows.

"Movies and other entertainment media fall prey to a myriad of different view points. Thus, it is highly arrogant to assume one person can effectively process and evaluate all the various genres of movies and music in a fashion that respects the full spectrum of movie patrons. So, we give you the Movie Cynics. Sharp wit and quick tongues cut straight to the heart of plots, character development, product placement, and shameless intrigues giving you an honest, well-rounded synopsis allowing you to know beforehand what to expect from your entertainment."

Well put! Come one, come all and let out the movie cynic within you!

Sitting Duck

2007-05-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

Duck Beach, North Carolina: not a place, but an experience. (Yes, one more blog about the happenings at Duck...get over it.) Common characteristics of the experience include; great hoards of single, flirting Mormons from all along the East Coast and beyond, sand, volleyball, sunburns, shameless flirting, Deer Park water bottles in excess, a lot more skin than accompanies your average Mormon gathering, an overuse of expletives such as "Fetch!" and "Flip!", and more shameless flirting. I only participated in some of the aforementioned activities.

In truth, this annual Memorial Day weekend trip takes place not only in Duck, North Carolina, but extends to any of the following locations; Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk, Corolla, Nags Head, and Sanderling. Large groups of people rent GINORMOUS beach houses in these and other locations that sleep anywhere from 10-35 people, thus making it an affordable venture. I stayed in a house w/ a total of 12 people (small by Duck standards), but which was RIGHT on the beach in Sanderling. In fact, the bedroom that I shared w/ my friend Becky faced the ocean and we opened our sliding door so that we could fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Sigh. I miss it.

The weather was absolutely perfect. PERFECT! The temperature ranged anywhere from the mid-70's to the low-80's with a steady, warm breeze. Really, the majority of my time was spent laying on the beach, building upon 30 years of skin cancer. But I'm nice and brown now...if not still a bit itchy. I hate that part.

So, you may have noticed the distinct lack of men in my pictures here...yeah. It didn't end up being my greatest priority to meet new boys while there, but just to enjoy my time w/ my friends, who are primarily girls, and get in as much beach time as possible. I loved every minute of it. I did hit some of the big parties on Saturday night, but as I already knew would happen, I spent my time talking to the people I already knew or the ones I had come with. I'm not social in those situations. I don't like them. Give me a smaller group combining people I know and some I don't and I'm a much happier girl. Give me a group of around 4000 people and I just shut down. Sensory overload. Christina is closed for business.

But whatever, that was just one little part of an entirely fantastic weekend. Spending Friday through Monday at a beach is heaven, pure and simple. A few other highlights of my time there included:

finding some sweet deals on beach chairs (and treating our fearless driver to one to assuage the ickiness of having gotten a ticket on the way down) :(
learning that I do, in fact, love long walks on the beach
trying crab legs for the first time and liking them
driving down to the lighthouse to watch one of the most enchanting sunsets
learning some new, hip lingo..."Hollerrrrrr"!
discovering the most evil (read: exquisite) creation made by Nabisco - Strawberry Milkshake Oreo
searching for and finding some perfect sea shells
getting caught in a crazy hail storm on our way home and wondering if we would make it home in one piece
strengthening friendships and striking up new ones - learning to appreciate others for who they are

Now aren't you just jealous?

Irony or Disappointment?

2007-05-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

"It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought ... it figures"

Thanks, Alanis. So, irony or disappointment, call it what you will...have any of you ever experienced something along the lines of:

Getting all geared up for a big game, just to break your leg the day before?
Anticipating a vacation so much that you actually make yourself ill (or unexpectedly get sick) and then you're unable to enjoy it?
Meeting a person you have read/heard about or communicated with by means other than face-to-face and finding out he/she is either a jerk-face or a total bore?
Trying an exciting new food (or even a food you've once enjoyed), only to learn that you're allergic to it?

Unfortunately, I have a story that kind of combines #2 & #4. I had dinner at a friend's house (no hard feelings!) on Sunday and we had some fairly harmless salad. They were build your own salads and one of the available ingredients was mango. Now, I've had mango before (not often, but I have eaten it) and I don't recall any adverse reaction to it. For whatever reason, my body chose to reject it this time....in the form of an itchy rash on my neck and face. So now my once satiny skin has taken on the lovely texture of eczema - lots of little itchy bumpies on my neck and face. I'm gorgeous.

Go ahead...ask me how thrilled I am about this...especially when looking forward to a weekend away at the beach... Thrilled? Oh yes. About as thrilled as I'd be anticipating a root canal. Mercifully, it's really not all that bad...it's itchy, but not unmanageably and it's not really visible. What is most unappealing is the texture of my skin. Blech. So...guess I won't be eating mango anytime soon...or ever again. Grr. Oh and by the way did you know that mango is in the same family as poison ivy? At least I'm not alone. (And no, it is most definitely NOT herpes. No, no, no...I know what a cold sore is...unfortunately very well. Yech.) This is turning into a gross post. My apologies.

Anyway...ever had a similar experience? Tell me either weird allergy stories or sad ironic stories...or any story at all. I'm not picky. I'm just allergic.

A Wynneterview

2007-05-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

I know that I recently posted the i8ball quiz, but it seems that I'm not out of the "quiz me" kind of mood. My friend Wynne just participated in a voluntary 5 question quiz from another blogger and since she put the invitation out there, I figured I'd bite. Besides, if you either know Wynne or have read her blog, you know that she is not only brilliantly hilarious, but also deliciously off-kilter (only slightly, though)...so you never know what you're gonna get. (This is also a plug for any and all to read her blog, because it really is wholly entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. Read it!!)

So...here goes...

My Wynneterview
by Christina Bishop
(get off my back, will ya? I just got off the paper-writing train, so my brain is still on that track, okay?!)

Wynne: Empty your purse/backpack/briefcase (whatever you happen to be carrying these days) and tell us what's in it.

Christina: Are you kidding me? Oh boy...ever since I graduated to actual purses, and when I say purses I mean the kind that you could sleep in if your house burnt down, so I tend to collect more crap than is absolutely necessary in there. Brace yourselves...
Outside pocket = car keys, lipstick, chapstick, pen, scripture-marking pencil, 2 packs of gum, Target gift card (Whoopee, I forgot I had that!), some face-blotting tissues, my business cards and my iPod.
Ginormous inside pocket = little mirror, more face-blotting sheets (it's humid out here, alright?), nail file, cell phone, empty Tupperware container from my lunch, a planner I never use, my wallet, a lipstick case, and (my personal favorite) Hempz herbal hand lotion, which I received as a stocking stuffer from my mom. The best part? It has a picture of a marijuana leaf on the front.
Hmm, that wasn't really all that bad, but oh we're not done yet.
Little inside zipper-pocket = checkbook, deposit slips, allergy medicine, eye drops and the mandatory supply of feminine hygiene products. Ta da! Huh, I guess I don't have quite as much junk in there as I thought! Good, that means more room for me, then. I don't like sleeping in cramped spaces.

Wynne: What is the meaning of life?

Christina: To keep the world amply supplied with cheese.

Wynne: If you could be a superhero, what would your name be, and what superpowers would you have?

Christina: No, no...nothing cheese-related here. Wow. What an amazing question! I'm going to blog-plagiarize here and use this nifty little quiz to answer you. Two of my blogging friends, Jen and Wendi also had recent posts about this very question and given my present obsession w/ the TV show "Heroes", this seems apropos.

Your results:
You are Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman		82%
Spider-Man		80%
Green Lantern		70%
Supergirl		62%
The Flash		60%
Superman		60%
Catwoman		50%
Robin		45%
Iron Man		45%
Hulk		30%
Batman		20%

You are a beautiful princess
with great strength of character.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

YES! Wonder Woman! I get to have those awesome bracelets that shield me from the inevitable rays coming from my opponents' eyes/guns/whatever. (Frightening, I know.)

Okay, but if I were to choose both my name and my power...I would choose...I would choose the power of hyper-perception (not quite reading minds, but close - reading minds could be a little unpleasant & I think I'd rather not know some things for certain) and telekinesis, although I still think that bending time and space for time travel or freezing time would be fantastic too! Ooo, how about a package deal? And they would call me...The Questionable Elf Pimp? Um, I'll leave that one alone, I guess.

Wynne: What are you most afraid of?

Christina: A worldwide shortage of cheese.

Wynne: How do you feel about cheese?

Christina: Are you really asking a girl from America's Dairyland her feelings on cheese? Well, you see, cheese and I have a very, very special relationship. But I'm not one to eat and tell, so I'll keep it between me and the fromage.

I'm sorry if any of these were totally lame-o answers! I ran out of ideas? Anyway, do you think you can do better or would you just like to give this thing a whirl?

Well, here are the rules:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. (If you don't have a blog, well—I guess you could do it in the comments section of this post, if you really, really want to.)
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the
same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Any takers?

Pop Goes My Heart! Music and Lyrics

2007-05-01T13:17:00.001-04:00

A friend's blog turned me onto this little gem. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I thought sharing this bit could be just what people need to get them through a tough day in the middle of finals, work, and life-related stress. I heard that the movie isn't much to shout about, but that this video makes the whole thing worth it. I believe it.

Okay, honestly? They've gotten the 80's video down pat! And my favorite part? Hugh Grant's hip swivel, of course! It was my favorite feature of Love Actually too, so I'm happy to see him utilizing this talent more. Perhaps we'll see him on Dancing With the Stars next. However, that really is him singing AND playing the piano! Go Hugh!

Anyway, so I wasn't one of the "lucky" kids who grew up with MTV or VH1, but I've seen my share of videos from the 80's and 90's. My question to you, is, what is your favorite? What makes it so special? (Please provide a link or URL , if at all possible.) Oh, and does anyone miss Pop-up Video as much as I do? Sigh. I sometimes wish life were like that. I mean, wouldn't your next blind or first date be SO much more entertaining with little blurbs that give you interesting and sometimes embarrassing information about your date? Feel free to also tell us where you wish you could see Pop-up balloons utilized in life.

Ok. Let's hear it!

Magic i8ball

2007-04-25T09:19:00.000-04:00

A great big THANKS to Sara, Becky and Michelle, I've decided to do my own version of this fun little survey. It's like those silly surveys that your friends email you with questions like, "What kind of pants are you wearing right now? and Who is the most likely to respond to this email?" Boring. This is way cooler! A friend said that this is like a Magic 8-ball for iPods. Seems fitting. Okay, so I did it twice, because honestly, I didn't understand all of my first round of answers. I'm sure it's technically cheating...but my answers below are a combination of my first and second rounds with this little game. Sorry if I offend any of you iPod Shuffle Gama purists!

Well, what are you waiting for? Follow the directions below and enjoy!

Directions: Put your music player on shuffle. Press forward for each question. Use the song title as the answer to the question. No cheating.

How am I feeling today? This Woman's Work - Pressed in a Book - The Shins (Ugh! SO TRUE! I have a bunch of reading to finish and then more reading to look forward to!)

Will I get far in life? My Finest Hour - The Sundays (Hm, not bad.)

How do my friends see me? #1 Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie, #2 Cruel Summer - Bananarama (So either my friends see me as a dead, reformed drug addict or a cruel summer...uhhh. Neither says much for me.)

When will I get Married? (Both times gave me cryptic answers, you decide what they mean, because they're totally confusing to me.) #1 I Still Feel the Same About You - Ella Fitzgerald & Friends, #2 You've Got a Friend - James Taylor

What's my theme song? You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi (Ha ha! Maybe that's my answer to the previous question? My second attempt was strange. It's a song in Latvian called Dark Night, Green Grass...hmmm.)

What is the story of my life? Bermuda Triangle - Barry Manilow (Yes, I know. I have Barry Manilow on my iPod. Story of my life, I get it. 'Nuff said.)

How can I get ahead in life? #1 Don't Leave Home - Dido (Okay. So I'm going to become a successful recluse. How nice for me.) #2 Living in Oblivion - Anything Box (Um, apparently I'm not exactly looking toward a stellar future here.)

What is my best feature? Stay - Shakespeare's Sister (Wha?)

How is today going to be? You're the Voice - Heart (Again...wha?)

What is in store for this weekend? #1 Nothing Better - Postal Service, #2 Joy - The Sundays (I had to share both, since this weekend is my birthday! Thank you, oh wise iPod, for promising me a great birthday weekend!!)

What is my life like at the moment? Everybody Wang Chung - Wang Chung (I just think that everybody should wang chung, okay? I'm chunging wang right now, are you?)

What song describes my secrets? Meet James Ensor - They Might Be Giants (So my secrets resemble a reclusive Belgian painter? "...he lived with his mother and repeated himself..." Ooookay.)

What is my current lover like? #1 Missionary Man - Eurythmics (Ha, ha, ha!! Oh I hope not. Well, I mean I hope he's not a missionary right now...I'm turning 30, you see...) #2 Heavenly - Harry Connick Jr. (That's more like it!)

What song will they play at my funeral? Burning Love - Travis Tritt (Okay then!)

How does the world see me? (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman - Aretha Franklin (Awesome. It's nice to know that I make the world feel like a natural woman.)

Will I have a happy life? (Okay this one is equally confusing and disturbing.) #1 You And Me And The Bottle Makes 3 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, #2 The Magdalene Laundries - The Chieftains w/ Joni Mitchell (song about an unwed mother being sent to work in the laundries at the Magdalene Convent. I don't want to end up a drunk, unwed mother!)

What do my friends really think of me? Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan (Is that anything like a black sheep?)

Do people secretly lust after me? (Contradicting answers.) #1 I am a Man of Constant Sorrow - John Hartford, #2 Doors of Your Heart - English Beat

Will I accomplish my goals in life? The Stranger - Billy Joel (So...no?)

Will I find true love? #1 Boadicea - Enya (I took this to mean that I will either find true love in Ireland or that it's all Gaelic to me!) #2 Purple Toupee - They Might Be Giants (Hee hee. I just thought this was funny.)

How do I treat others? Thanks a Million - Louis Armstrong (Sweet!)

What's in a name?

2007-04-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

"That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet." Right? Hm.

Okay, this is just a continuation of the comments on my last blog...they seemed to be taking on a life of their own, so I put it to you. Have you ever had your name butchered? Why? Is it an unusual name, spelling or pronunciation? Was it accidental? Was it on purpose? What about nicknames?

I have to admit that I never had a big problem with this growing up (other than being called lots of clever names that had absolutely nothing to do with my name by my siblings). I have one of the most pedestrian names around, I think. I like it. I do. It's just pretty un-make-fun-of-able. Go ahead, give it your best shot. The worst a classmate could do when I was a kid was, "Yeah, Christina BIZZZHOP!" Yeah. I'm still reeling from that one. Please. Okay, I know I'm totally asking for it here, but Christina? Bishop? Without being blasphemous or anything...I don't really see it being easy to mock.

Okay, but I will give you my nickname from my childhood. Warning: I do this as an offer of good faith. I do know what it is to be called names, but this isn't an invitation here to do so...unless it's a really good one. So my nickname as a kid was Bina....as in Christina-bina. I was so proud of it, I would introduce myself to people, "My name's Christina, but you can call me Bina!" Yeah. Turning 30 in 7 days has re-emphasized the fact that I'm way over nicknames.

Okay...now I'm rambling. Get on with it. Let's here the name debate. Go.

The English language is NOT a toy!

2007-04-09T19:04:00.000-04:00

An encounter with our handyman this week caused me to reassess the value of the English language in my life. I don't know, maybe it's because I got my undergrad degree in Linguistics or perhaps I'm just an English Language Nazi...you can decide, but I value the English language. My question here is, why doesn't everyone else? I mean honestly...where do some people come up with these grammatical putrefactions?

Okay. Let me first explain the encounter that sparked this tirade. It started several weeks ago when I first tried to get our handyman to come and fix my dripping bathroom sink. When he came to take a look at it, he said, "Yeah...that thar needs a new spicket. I'ma hafta run overta hardware store an' pick uppa new one." No, I'm not kidding. Now, I know that Virginia is considered (by some) to be in the South, but in what dialect does a 'g' become a 'k' and why? Vowel sound changes I can understand (mostly) and even enjoy (ah, Wisconsin!) Now this was just a one-time encounter, so I wondered if perhaps I'd heard him wrong. Well, over the course of the next few weeks, through phone calls and his final visit, I learned that the word "spicket" was a hard and fast part of this gentleman's vocabulary. I swear each time he said it, I gave myself a headache from clenching my teeth as hard as I could to keep from screaming, "SPIGOT!! The word is spiGot! With a 'G', you idiot! Or better yet, why not skip that word altogether and just call it a dang FAUCET!?!?!!!" ...deep breath...count to ten...ahhhh. I've found my happy place.

So anyway, in addition to the other embolism-producing mispronunciations that I've heard in my life, this caused me to start pondering regional accents and the strange sounds they encourage. What I've come to conclude is this...if it's a mere matter of regional accent causing the word to sound different to me, I am generally just amused (or bemused) instead of distressed. In fact, I may enjoy trying to learn how to approximate said pronunciation, because I think it's fun. (I did, in fact take a stage dialects class once...SO much fun!) However, when a person deliberately abuses the English language by using an entirely fabricated word...well, this I cannot abide. And when I say they do it deliberately...I mean it. They are deliberately trying to cause permanent damage to my delicate ears. I just know they are.

Anyway, here's a short list of both mispronunciations and accent changes that I've heard over the years. It's not very extensive, because I was drawing a serious blank as I wrote this. See if you can place them (answer key below)...

Supposably (supposedly)
Suh-um (something)
warsh (wash)
ward/warm (pronounced like the words 'hard' or 'arm')
ungyun (onion - this is one my mom has heard several times)
flag/bag (same 'a' sound as in 'age' or 'wage', sometimes as in 'egg' or 'beg')
ahnry (ornery - while 'awr-nuh-ree' is an accepted pronunciation, as is 'or-nuh-ree', it's rarely ever pronounced either way. YARRRGH!!!)
spicket (spigot...I think I've said enough here)

Now before anyone actually does start calling me the English Language Nazi, let me just say this. I know I'm an abuser in my own right. I have and do change, botch, mispronounce, and misspell words ALL the time. Also, English is a living language so it's bound to change and develop...but come on...I mean...COME ON! Some things are honestly just not necessary. Spicket? Really?

So what are some of your mis-pronunciation or accent-related pet peeves? Do you have an accent? Take this little quiz to find out.

Here are my results.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Interesting. Does it mean something that my parents are from the West and that I lived there for over 6 years? I think I'm too smart for this test. (ahem)

Answer key: 1. I'm not sure...anywhere, really, but I heard it most in Utah. 2. Utah 3. Oddly, I heard this in Wisconsin, but I think it appears in some of the south and North-East. 4. Utah/Idaho 5. Utah 6. Wisconsin (Midwest) 7. West 8. Virginia (oh I do hope this is the only place!!)

That's right...time for another one

2007-04-03T16:24:00.000-04:00

I don't mean to startle anyone by having two posts in a row...I was a little startled myself. However, I felt that these little tidbits had great need of being posted. First of all...to the toast lovers out there. (You know who you are.) I thought you might enjoy this little game . Object of the game? Not to get burned, of course! Who likes burnt toast? Blech! So here's to you toast-lovers...Yeah toast!

All I can say here is Story-ory-o! Ah, Jack Black...you make nearly everything better. Black-a-lee-doo! (I do apologize for the slightly blasphemous script topic. Ignore that part.) I mean, who better than Jack Black to spread love, peace and how to come up with a story? I kind of wish he was teaching how to write a movie theme song, though. A-scroot-a-lee-doo, a-fruit-a-lee-doo...anyone? Anyone else love that movie as much as I did? I expect all who answer this one will be female...it is most unabashedly a "chick flick" and I loved every minute of it. Remarkably, I loved it in spite of the fact that it has Cameron Diaz in it...who most often makes me want to pull out my eyelashes one by one. She was actually alright. If you haven't seen it yet...go watch it. Or come over to my house and watch it with me. I own it. :)

Okay, and one more instructional video. The 80's are officially back. That's right ladies and gentleman...it's time to find that large piece of cardboard you've been hoarding for just such an occasion, put on your finest 80's track suit and get down to it. Come on everybody! Let's make Michael proud! (Oh Michael, you're such a parody of yourself now...but at least you were still black in this video.)

So, what do you think? Do we need to have a game night with a "fight to the toast" followed by a battle of the moon walkers? Anyone with the most believable MJ moves gets equal parts admiration and horror from me. I mean, as much as I've always wanted to know all the steps to his Thriller dance, I kind of feel that the level of "dedication" it takes to learn them might speak to a greater problem. That's all I'm sayin'. On second thought...maybe we could just re-enact this "version" of the Thriller dance. Oh I couldn't not put this one in here. This is for all you fans of bollywood. I haven't stopped laughing yet. (Killer! Killer!)

Exactly 27.5 days left of my twenties

2007-04-01T22:38:00.000-04:00

That's right! Can you believe it? Well, I can't. I mean, I swear it was just yesterday that I was dying to get in to my twenties...and now I'm about to leave them. Huh. Odd. When did getting older stop being fun? I suspect it was around the same time that I stopped believing in Santa Claus. I'm not entirely sure how they're related, but it just seems to make sense. But I mean, don't you remember just waiting for the day that you would be "older" so that you could do all the things you weren't allowed to do? Being the youngest of six, I was keenly aware of how being older also meant having so many more privileges. I could hardly wait. So, now that this "getting older" thing is breathing down my neck, you may ask how I feel about this transition. No, go ahead, it's okay. Ask me. Perhaps something like this?

Well to be honest, I think I freaked out more when I turned 29. That may seem a bit strange, but I think now that I've had a year to get used to the idea that I'll no longer be in my twenties...yeah, that's a lie. It's freaked me out the whole time, but ya know, it's just a number. And as I was just reminded of the other day, I don't "look" 30...whatever that means. I mean, I suppose that's a blessing...or will be once I really start getting old (Definition of "old" being relative to whatever you believe is old. Ha!). This may sound cliche, but something my grandma said was that you're only as old as you feel. When she was probably in her 80s or 90s, she told me that she would often walk past the mirror and wonder, "Who's that old lady?" So, if that's true, then I'm really only about 21. Woohoo!! I've got everything to look forward to again! Finishing my undergrad degree...going on a mission...getting my first professional job...starting grad school...etc., etc., etc. Which reminds me...while I was surfing around on the internet for things to link to this message, I found an article that first reminded the reader that, "Unless you make it into one, turning 30 is not a death sentence". I can agree with that. I mean, isn't 30 the new 20? The writer of this article also advised those turning 30 to ignore all of the annoying articles with titles like "100 Things You Simply Must Accomplish Before You Turn 30!". To those articles I say, "Bah! Baloney!" Something that it did, in fact, suggest was to think of all the things you have accomplished in your life by this time and to list them. I liked that idea. So here goes...

I earned my high school diploma, an Associate Degree in German and a Bachelor's in Linguistics, with a Minor in TESOL and I began my Masters degree in Folklore
I've lived in Wisconsin, Idaho, Latvia, Utah and Virginia
I've learned new skills like basket-weaving, how to speak using various dialects for the stage, how to speak Latvian and Latvian Sign Language and I've studied a small handful of other random languages
I served an 18 month full-time mission to Latvia for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
I have visited Germany, Austria, Latvia, England, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, Italy, France and numerous U.S. States
I have read oh...I don't know some 5000 books (this is a guesstimation, but I'm going for my whole life...so maybe it should be higher. I don't know.)
I have seen some 3 billion films (maybe a slight exaggeration, but it doesn't feel like it)
I have become an aunt 19 times over
I have gained many lasting and life-changing friendships
I have been on hundreds of dates (I was debating whether this was an actual accomplishment or merely a matter of course...jury's still out.)
I bought my first car (ok, well it almost looked like that)
I traded-in my first car
I bought my first "real" car
I started a blog

Well, that's it, in a nutshell...sorry if I'm missing anything glaringly huge. If so, I'll insert an addendum or something. Now, you may not be as close to turning 30 as I am, but what have you accomplished in your years? Go ahead, toot your own horn for a minute.

And one more thing...any birthdays that gave you cause to pause and wonder...what the? When did I get this old? Good. Let's hear it.

Whistling in the dark

2007-03-15T16:15:00.000-04:00

There's only one thing I know how to do well, and I've often been told that you can only do what you know how to do well and that's be you. Be what you're like. Be like yourself.... Well, John and John inspired me to post. If there's one thing I know how to do well it is procrastinate!! Oh yes. Kids, don't try this at home. I am a trained professional.

So, the other day I was surfing around, as I am wont to do when I should be doing anything else, and I ended up watching Yahoo's The 9. Personally, I'd like to poke Maria Sansone with pointy sticks until she shuts up, but I do enjoy many of the links this little show provides. Okay, here's the one that I was enjoying the most right here. But I must warn you...this is one INCREDIBLY addictive little game. Play at your own risk! Fancy pants indeed, eh? Be sure to go to the home of that little page and check out World 1 as well. I haven't yet investigated any other games, but I can only imagine that they're equally as consuming.

Okay, so anyway...hey! You! Come back...you can play the games later! Finish reading this post first! Sheesh!

This is a truly random and yet absolutely engrossing little tidbit. This video is from the French Idol. I don't know what they're saying, (Becky? A little help?) but if I were to narrate, it would probably go something like this...

Narrator: Joseph is 21 and competing to win French Idol for the 6th time...
Jacque: Alright! I rock!
Narrator: Let's see what the judges have to say about him this time around...
Judge 1: How many times have you been here?
Joseph: 6 times.
Judge 1: 6 times?
Joseph: 6 times...I just know I've got what it takes.
Judge: We'll see about that... What are you going to sing for us today?
Joseph: Oh I was thinking of something like this...[commence beat boxing]
Judge 1, 2, 3 & 4: [jaws dropped to the floor - no translation necessary] Oh my gosh! This guy is the bomb! Blah, blah, blah... Did he just use two tones at once?

Okay, I'm stopping here, but honestly, pay close attention to the different tones this guy is using AT THE SAME TIME!! Also, watch the judge in the red sweater. His expressions are priceless! Seriously. I wish I could beatbox. Dang. The real question here is...do I smell a winner? Or does he really belong on the French equivalent of another random reality show? Oh David Hasselhoff, where did you go wrong?

Ok. Well, that's all I've got for now and those are my two cents. Got any good time-wasters? If so...do tell!

Happy (Belated) Women's Day!

2007-03-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

So when I was a missionary in Latvia, one thing I really liked was randomly receiving flowers from people on seemingly random days. They had a lot of them...most of them were some memorial day or holiday I'd never heard of. Anyway, March 8th was another one of these "random" days. I know, today is March 9th, but better late than never, right? Anyway, the first time this happened, I learned that I was receiving flowers for the simple and incontrovertible fact that I am a woman. No, it's true! Well, I was not going to look a gift flower in the...(that doesn't work here, does it?), anyway, I graciously accepted them. It wasn't until later that I learned that this "holiday" extended beyond the boundaries of just Latvia. Actually, I learned that the Latvians themselves weren't the ones keeping it going, but the Russians. Hey, all I cared about was getting pretty flowers from friends and strangers alike! But for those of you interested in learning a bit more about International Women's Day... here ya go. And even though you may be a day late (and a dollar short) go ahead and wish all the women in your life a HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!!

Oh, and perhaps this isn't necessary to say, but I do take pride in being a woman and support the cause for equality of the sexes and while this makes me a feminist simply due to that fact, I hope I am not mistaken to be (oh I do hate this term) a feminazi. I try to stear clear of any heavily one-sided or fanatical belief system...but I fear that I may be opening a can of worms that I had no interest in opening, so let's just leave it there, shall we? I am, after all, a great fan of the male persuasion! So, down with inequality...long live equality!! And...let's just all get along, k?

There's a first time for everything

2007-03-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

So. After much prodding and wheedling and connivery (yes, it's a real word), I have joined the massive blogging population. The question now is, do I have anything worthwhile to say? Well, sure. I've got plenty of worthwhile things to say...but will I remember to say them here? I dunno. Time will tell. Perhaps a bit more of that coercion might do the trick.

Well, since I'm here I might as well get down to it, eh? So, as a way of introduction (although those reading this, likely know a bit about me), let me just explain that I'm a graduate student, studying Folklore. Yes, folklore. This statement is most frequently met with several questions.

Number one: What is crud is Folklore? Here, you can learn a bit more about it if you're not comfortable with learning from the pros. Eh. I figure it helps to have more than one definition, since I'm continually explaining what it is anyway. I find it quite refreshing to let someone else do it for me. (Follow the links, people! Follow the links!) So. What does this say about me? In my opinion, my study of Folklore says that I'm essentially an adult suffering from ADD. Okay, I'll be a bit more complimentary...my interests are incredibly interdisciplinary. How's that? Literature, film, theatre, music, art, performance, culture, traditions, crafts, languages, history, sociology, anthropology....it's all in there! Anyway, back to the topic at hand. (See, I'm easily distracted...even by myself.)

Number two: What does one do with Folklore? What do I plan to be when I grow up? Well, besides a lounge singer...I just want to take all of my loves and squash them up into a big ball aaaand call it good. I wanna do that. What? You're not satisfied with my dream of becoming a jane-of-all-trades? (I don't feel much like a Jack.) Okay, fine. Well, as surprising as it may be, earning a degree in Folklore doesn't automatically guarantee me gainful employment. If I had my druthers...I think I'd like to go into either public sector Folklore or something dealing more with the performance aspect of Folklore or Folklife, such as storytelling. I really enjoy doing actual fieldwork, but I also really love the performance aspects of different kinds of Folklore. I find it incredibly stimulating and exciting! So there. Better? Whatever, it's my future anyway. You know, I think that may be the first time that I've actually qualified my plans for the future. (Ha! Qualified...) But honestly? I don't think I know enough to know, ya know? It's too soon to tell. Maybe I'll end up being a plumber? I hear that's a very honorable profession.

Number three: How the heck did you get into Folklore? Well...I think it started when I was a wee one and... Okay, I'll condense. Truthfully, I think I've always had a secret love for Folklore, although I didn't know it. I've always loved stories in any form; written, spoken, projected on the silver screen, hanging on the wall of an art museum, coming from my dad's record player...etc., etc. I love it all. I've always felt some kind of connection to these forms of expression. I'm only now realizing that this connection is to more than just the stories themselves, but to the people who create them or pass them on. I think our abilities to tell stories as human beings is what makes the world smaller, more personal. It connects my culture to yours. It gives me a bridge to understand a society that I would otherwise have absolutely no affiliation with. So, in short, it's about people...and their stories. I love that no matter where you go, or where you come from, you come chock-full of your own brand of folklore...family lore, religious beliefs, occupational stories... It's all so exhilarating! I mean, seriously...isn't that cool? And isn't that what makes people love things like just hanging out with friends and talking or watching a talk show or reading the news paper? It's all about the stories that connect us together!

I hope I'm doing a decent job of explaining what it is that I'm in love with, because I basically get one of two responses from those closest to me..."Oh that's great, honey!" *pat-pat-pat* (said while patting my arm, head, whatever and typically with a glazed look of confused sincerity) or "Wow! That is truly fascinating!" (said with absolute sincerity and excitement for my chosen academic field) I do understand that not everyone is going to jump on the Folklore bandwagon with me, but I'm aiming to get as many to the "Wow! That is truly fascinating!" side of things as I possibly can. Mostly, I just want people on this side so they can at least understand why I choose to study what I do. Because in the end, folks...it's all about me. Well, it's about the individual. (But mostly me.)

So there. That completes my first blog...EVER! Comments are most welcome. I'm totally willing and eager to discuss or dispute anything I've said so far. Bring it on.