steph--i know this doesn't surprise you...
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
the good news and the bad news
bad news first. in an inexplicable technical malfunction, the likes of which i've never encountered before, on day three of the london trip, when attempting to copy the day's photos to my comp, i found my memory card had been wiped clean.
now the good news. because i am entirely too organized, i had already uploaded day 1 and 2's photos, so day 3 was the only victim. while i did cry a little bit about the loss of the portabello road pics and vids, and the dozen or so i made deb take of me at shakespeare's globe, in the end perspective is good, and at least it was only one day's worth. fortunately, deb did take a few photos of her own, so there is at least some record.
explanations of the pics will be forthcoming, but for now at least the voyeur in you can be satiated. find them here.
now the good news. because i am entirely too organized, i had already uploaded day 1 and 2's photos, so day 3 was the only victim. while i did cry a little bit about the loss of the portabello road pics and vids, and the dozen or so i made deb take of me at shakespeare's globe, in the end perspective is good, and at least it was only one day's worth. fortunately, deb did take a few photos of her own, so there is at least some record.
explanations of the pics will be forthcoming, but for now at least the voyeur in you can be satiated. find them here.
i'm baaaack
it was an incredible trip, but i’m feeling quite overwhelmed with work at the moment. i hope to have pics posted by this evening and the trip report completed by this weekend.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
it's that time of year again
with thanksgiving's rapid approach, it is certain that christmas will be hot on its heels, and as if teaching weren't enough, i've been asked to write and narrate this year's christmas program.
i love christmas, and over the last several years have made great efforts to ignore the commercialized aspects and to focus on the truly important principles. so in a way, i'm honored to be asked to give voice to perhaps the most retold story in all of history.
i know myself well enough to know that i will not be content with the 'same 'ol' christmas program, and have some ideas, but i am curious, dear readers, looking back, is there a program that was especially memorable to you? if yes, what made it so?
i love christmas, and over the last several years have made great efforts to ignore the commercialized aspects and to focus on the truly important principles. so in a way, i'm honored to be asked to give voice to perhaps the most retold story in all of history.
i know myself well enough to know that i will not be content with the 'same 'ol' christmas program, and have some ideas, but i am curious, dear readers, looking back, is there a program that was especially memorable to you? if yes, what made it so?
Friday, November 17, 2006
i'm in a strange mood tonight and my mind is on overdrive
i would qualify this as another episode of short attention span theater, since i will be all over the board, but i don't expect it to be short, and that's just false advertising.
so here goes long attention span theater?!
1.
let me tell you the story of two people we'll call 'jill and corey'. we'll call them that because those are their names. at any rate, let me chronicle my association with these two.
jill and i met in high school. we didn't go to the same high school, but we were in the same ward, and began a friendship that unbeknownst to us would still be alive almost 15 years later.
our paths have woven in and out of one another over those years, but i could never predicted the quilt those threads would form.
then there's corey. ah corey. perhaps the greatest gift i received from my short stint as mid-singles co-chair for ashburn stake, was corey.
at our first activity, there were a couple of new faces, one of which belonged to a quiet, resrved, shy guy who appeared on the scene from out of nowhere. truth be told, i didn't give him too much thought at first. but at every activity, there he was. always ready and willing to participate and to help. i don't even entirely know how it happened looking back on it now (mostly through his great effort and persistance probably) but we ended up becoming good friends. in fact he turned into a lifesaver and absolute rock in a very difficult time for me. when i needed someone the most, he was there.
so fast forward (or rewind, depending on your perspective)to this spring, when corey and i decided we wanted to pseudo-participate in the annual duck beach infestation, but didn't want to be out of control or our environment. so we decided to put a house together. there were some concerned moments as we tried to fill spots and cancellations were made, but we ended up with a full and fabulous house.
i was especially excited that my friend jill would be joining us from baltimore. i mentioned to corey that he might *like* her, but other than that didn't give it too much thought. until jill approached me on one of our last night's at the beach to ask me what my 'cute friend corey's story was.'
and the rest is history! they have been together since then and are absolutely perfect for one another. corey proposed tonight and jill accepted.
i've been giving them a hard time telling them how much they owe me, but the truth is (as i told jill tonight), there are not many greater rewards then having two people you love find happiness with one another.
so again i offer my congratulations and my YAY!!!
2.
one of them is me so who is this other chick!?
3.
i'm a little in love with myspace. truth be told, when i was originally invited to join, i wanted nothing to do with it. from what i could tell, it was a bunch of people wearing far too little clothing sending messages to eachother. not exactly my scene. until the day that it all changed.
my 10 year reunion was a couple of years ago, and i didn't go. but it's not what you think. unlike most people, i had a grand ol' time in high school. those were good years for me. i had great friends, i felt good about myself (for the most part), i found and nurtured my true passion and niche in theater.
though i would have labeled myself a 'drama geek,' the label isn't entirely accurate. i was certainly not the most popular girl in school, but i had a lot of friends. friends who were in drama, and in band, and color guard. and friends that played football and basketball, and wrestled. friends that were cheerleaders, friends who were 'journalists,' and friends that defied categorization.
i went to senior prom as a sophmore with a guy that i still adore and am still in touch with (hi aaron). i played basketball, served as thespian president, and homecoming princess. my high school experience (barring the actual school part) was diverse and rewarding. i attribute my generally healthy self-esteem and diverse interests to that formative stage of life.
for that reason, i was excited to go to my 10 year reunion. i have fond memories and was genuinely interested in where people had ended up. but my class officers were lame. they didn't announce the reunion until two months before, and they scheduled it over thanksgiving. while i would have been able to attend, i found that according to the rsvp list, none of the people i was interested in seeing would be, so i didn't go.
there have been a few people that i have thought of often over the years and wondered about. i was locked in on one particular old friend for a long time, but i couldn't find him anywhere. i googled him, checked the alumni sites often, and nothing. then one day i decided i had exhausted my other resources, and myspace was gaining popularity, so i thought i'd give it a shot.
though i didn't find him, i was pleasantly surprised to find his brother, who quickly put us in touch. it put a smile on my face to hear about what he had been up to over the last decade and to know that life had treated him well.
since that time i have found and been found by several other junior high, high school, and college classmates. every time, it makes me giggle just a little. i've found three more this week, and when i look at their photos and read their blogs and profiles it makes me all warm and fuzzy.
i find that i still feel connected to them even though it has been years and years since i have been in touch with most of them. maybe it is because we shared the turbulence of our teenage years together, or maybe it is because these are the people who helped make those teenage years memorable and enjoyable, and for that alone, there is comfort and joy in learning of their progression in life.
needless to say, i have been unwittingly won over by myspace.
so here goes long attention span theater?!
1.
let me tell you the story of two people we'll call 'jill and corey'. we'll call them that because those are their names. at any rate, let me chronicle my association with these two.
jill and i met in high school. we didn't go to the same high school, but we were in the same ward, and began a friendship that unbeknownst to us would still be alive almost 15 years later.
our paths have woven in and out of one another over those years, but i could never predicted the quilt those threads would form.
then there's corey. ah corey. perhaps the greatest gift i received from my short stint as mid-singles co-chair for ashburn stake, was corey.
at our first activity, there were a couple of new faces, one of which belonged to a quiet, resrved, shy guy who appeared on the scene from out of nowhere. truth be told, i didn't give him too much thought at first. but at every activity, there he was. always ready and willing to participate and to help. i don't even entirely know how it happened looking back on it now (mostly through his great effort and persistance probably) but we ended up becoming good friends. in fact he turned into a lifesaver and absolute rock in a very difficult time for me. when i needed someone the most, he was there.
so fast forward (or rewind, depending on your perspective)to this spring, when corey and i decided we wanted to pseudo-participate in the annual duck beach infestation, but didn't want to be out of control or our environment. so we decided to put a house together. there were some concerned moments as we tried to fill spots and cancellations were made, but we ended up with a full and fabulous house.
i was especially excited that my friend jill would be joining us from baltimore. i mentioned to corey that he might *like* her, but other than that didn't give it too much thought. until jill approached me on one of our last night's at the beach to ask me what my 'cute friend corey's story was.'
and the rest is history! they have been together since then and are absolutely perfect for one another. corey proposed tonight and jill accepted.
i've been giving them a hard time telling them how much they owe me, but the truth is (as i told jill tonight), there are not many greater rewards then having two people you love find happiness with one another.
so again i offer my congratulations and my YAY!!!
2.
one of them is me so who is this other chick!?
3.
i'm a little in love with myspace. truth be told, when i was originally invited to join, i wanted nothing to do with it. from what i could tell, it was a bunch of people wearing far too little clothing sending messages to eachother. not exactly my scene. until the day that it all changed.
my 10 year reunion was a couple of years ago, and i didn't go. but it's not what you think. unlike most people, i had a grand ol' time in high school. those were good years for me. i had great friends, i felt good about myself (for the most part), i found and nurtured my true passion and niche in theater.
though i would have labeled myself a 'drama geek,' the label isn't entirely accurate. i was certainly not the most popular girl in school, but i had a lot of friends. friends who were in drama, and in band, and color guard. and friends that played football and basketball, and wrestled. friends that were cheerleaders, friends who were 'journalists,' and friends that defied categorization.
i went to senior prom as a sophmore with a guy that i still adore and am still in touch with (hi aaron). i played basketball, served as thespian president, and homecoming princess. my high school experience (barring the actual school part) was diverse and rewarding. i attribute my generally healthy self-esteem and diverse interests to that formative stage of life.
for that reason, i was excited to go to my 10 year reunion. i have fond memories and was genuinely interested in where people had ended up. but my class officers were lame. they didn't announce the reunion until two months before, and they scheduled it over thanksgiving. while i would have been able to attend, i found that according to the rsvp list, none of the people i was interested in seeing would be, so i didn't go.
there have been a few people that i have thought of often over the years and wondered about. i was locked in on one particular old friend for a long time, but i couldn't find him anywhere. i googled him, checked the alumni sites often, and nothing. then one day i decided i had exhausted my other resources, and myspace was gaining popularity, so i thought i'd give it a shot.
though i didn't find him, i was pleasantly surprised to find his brother, who quickly put us in touch. it put a smile on my face to hear about what he had been up to over the last decade and to know that life had treated him well.
since that time i have found and been found by several other junior high, high school, and college classmates. every time, it makes me giggle just a little. i've found three more this week, and when i look at their photos and read their blogs and profiles it makes me all warm and fuzzy.
i find that i still feel connected to them even though it has been years and years since i have been in touch with most of them. maybe it is because we shared the turbulence of our teenage years together, or maybe it is because these are the people who helped make those teenage years memorable and enjoyable, and for that alone, there is comfort and joy in learning of their progression in life.
needless to say, i have been unwittingly won over by myspace.
congratulations jill and corey!
let me be the first to blog my congratulations on your engagement!
more details and credit taking later, but i didn't want to miss the opportunity to be the first of the many well-wishers.
more details and credit taking later, but i didn't want to miss the opportunity to be the first of the many well-wishers.
things that totally don't suck about today
i figured that since i posted ‘things that suck’ last week, today would be the perfect day to talk about some things that don’t suck at all.
1. getting a morning wake-up call from one of your best friends tellng you that she just delivered her baby. julie and colby are now the proud parents of cooper jeffrey, and madison has a little brother. in the funniest line i’ve heard in a long time, says julie ‘he looks like colby. i feel like i just gave birth to my husband.’ mother and baby are healthy and happy..she was remarkably ‘with it’ two hours after popping a baby out, and i even got to hear lil’ cooper crying in the background. too too precious.
2. starting my car from my bedroom. see, my car is only two years old-new enough to have had keyless entry. but i bought it used, and the remote had been lost or misplaced, or something. in a grand gesture one random day, dad went to saturn and bought me a replacement, but when i went to the dealership to have it programmed, they were confused and baffled to find that for no logical reason, my car did not have the piece it needed for the remote to actually work. they told me i was better off going to circuit city or best buy since i would have to have the whole system installed. so over a year later, i finally decided to shell out the dough to do it. all i wanted was to be able to unlock my doors with a remote. that’s it. but come to find out, pretty much all keyless entry systems now are also remote start systems. i had it installed on wednesday and am still adjusting a bit, but this morning, with the double-click of a button, from my bedroom, i started my car. in theory, we will one day see winter here, and when we do, i think i am going to wonder how i ever survived getting into a cold car!
3. knowing that it’s friday and i don’t have to teach in two days, or two weeks, or even three. my upcoming travels for business and pleasure have me off the hook until mid-december. yay!
1. getting a morning wake-up call from one of your best friends tellng you that she just delivered her baby. julie and colby are now the proud parents of cooper jeffrey, and madison has a little brother. in the funniest line i’ve heard in a long time, says julie ‘he looks like colby. i feel like i just gave birth to my husband.’ mother and baby are healthy and happy..she was remarkably ‘with it’ two hours after popping a baby out, and i even got to hear lil’ cooper crying in the background. too too precious.
2. starting my car from my bedroom. see, my car is only two years old-new enough to have had keyless entry. but i bought it used, and the remote had been lost or misplaced, or something. in a grand gesture one random day, dad went to saturn and bought me a replacement, but when i went to the dealership to have it programmed, they were confused and baffled to find that for no logical reason, my car did not have the piece it needed for the remote to actually work. they told me i was better off going to circuit city or best buy since i would have to have the whole system installed. so over a year later, i finally decided to shell out the dough to do it. all i wanted was to be able to unlock my doors with a remote. that’s it. but come to find out, pretty much all keyless entry systems now are also remote start systems. i had it installed on wednesday and am still adjusting a bit, but this morning, with the double-click of a button, from my bedroom, i started my car. in theory, we will one day see winter here, and when we do, i think i am going to wonder how i ever survived getting into a cold car!
3. knowing that it’s friday and i don’t have to teach in two days, or two weeks, or even three. my upcoming travels for business and pleasure have me off the hook until mid-december. yay!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
random
in my job (as erin and steph will attest), people give you craap. sometimes it's good craap, sometimes bad, and sometimes just strange. it took four hotels but i have myself a complete bed and bath set, with a pillow, pillowcases, sheets, and a terry cloth bathrobe... okay that's a digression. the point of this post is to catalog random gift day.
to the left, godiva chocolate from a hotel in baltimore encouraging me to 'try baltimore.' chocolate is a good motivator.
in the middle, 'architectural' clips and magnets from my co-worker who saw them and 'just thought of me.' yes, i do actually have co-workers like that.
and on the right, from nemacolin woodlands, the five star resort in pa that we are about to lay a bunch of mula on...(drumroll please)...soap. oh but not any soap mind you, bird-shaped soap.
to the left, godiva chocolate from a hotel in baltimore encouraging me to 'try baltimore.' chocolate is a good motivator.
in the middle, 'architectural' clips and magnets from my co-worker who saw them and 'just thought of me.' yes, i do actually have co-workers like that.
and on the right, from nemacolin woodlands, the five star resort in pa that we are about to lay a bunch of mula on...(drumroll please)...soap. oh but not any soap mind you, bird-shaped soap.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
fafarazzi
so, joy found this great site called 'fafarazzi', which allows you to create a fantasy league and compete against your friends by selecting celebrities and hoping they do something, anything, newsworthy. for any pop-watcher, this is pretty much a dream come true.
though i didn't get the top picks in my draft pool, i do have high hopes for several members of my team.
happy playin' y'all:)
though i didn't get the top picks in my draft pool, i do have high hopes for several members of my team.
happy playin' y'all:)
new seven wonders sham...
i've decided that i am officially withdrawing my support and the iota of buy-in i had for gma's new seven wonders. the 4th wonder named was the hawaiian national marine monument, and the 5th? the friggin internet. now, don't get me wrong i like fish, and i LOVE the internet, but it's gotten to the point of ridiculousness. these aren't the 'wonders' of myths and legends (maybe maybe maybe the first two), like stonehenge, the great wall, the taj mahal. i am getting the feeling that gma and their panel of 'experts' are trying to pull one over on us, and i may have been a little lake for that wake up call, but no more hitting the snooze buttion.
now if you go here, a site seemingly completely unrelated to the gma list, you have a 'real' list. now these are wonders that i can get behind. i am half tempted to pull my previous posts regarding gma's list in a grand gesture of disgust, but i guess in the end, gma is not going to be calling me up expressing their disappointment in my withdrawal of support. nonetheless, i'm over it, until july 7 of next year when the new new 7 wonders list will be revealed. then again, it will be my wedding day, so i may not care all that much.:)
now if you go here, a site seemingly completely unrelated to the gma list, you have a 'real' list. now these are wonders that i can get behind. i am half tempted to pull my previous posts regarding gma's list in a grand gesture of disgust, but i guess in the end, gma is not going to be calling me up expressing their disappointment in my withdrawal of support. nonetheless, i'm over it, until july 7 of next year when the new new 7 wonders list will be revealed. then again, it will be my wedding day, so i may not care all that much.:)
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
quick poll...as in, respond right now. please
my registration is up, so since i have to renew anyway and it's pretty inexpensive, i think i'm going with a vanity plate.
based on what's available (yes, the ones i really really want are gone) i've narrowed it down to the following:
nc lovr (a tribute to my love of the state)
etctara (because i'm cute, and funny, and smart, etcetera, etcetara)
trvellr (this is pretty self-explanatory)
trvl chc (again-self-explanatory)
attatud (a play on the last name and an accurate description)
drma kwn (a tribute to my theater life and also an accurate description)
tv girl (my initials and my obsession)
i expect to see mucho comments and opinions on this. please don't disappoint--all are welcome to express an opinion. i'm also willing to entertain other ideas, but time is running out....
based on what's available (yes, the ones i really really want are gone) i've narrowed it down to the following:
nc lovr (a tribute to my love of the state)
etctara (because i'm cute, and funny, and smart, etcetera, etcetara)
trvellr (this is pretty self-explanatory)
trvl chc (again-self-explanatory)
attatud (a play on the last name and an accurate description)
drma kwn (a tribute to my theater life and also an accurate description)
tv girl (my initials and my obsession)
i expect to see mucho comments and opinions on this. please don't disappoint--all are welcome to express an opinion. i'm also willing to entertain other ideas, but time is running out....
Monday, November 13, 2006
anne..shut your ears
well, last week's cma's made me realize that the last country playlist i had on the blog was back in may. high time to throw another one up. for all you country haters, you'll just have to deal. lara and rae, enjoy.
typically i never post multiple songs from the same artist, but since it may be awhile before the next country list, and there is some stuff i am totally diggin right now... i also try to keep the playlists between 10 - 15 songs, but i'm breaking all my own rules this week. i know, i'm a rebel.
some of my favorite lyrics from this list...
"she's a saturn with a sunroof with her brown hair blowin"
"you never gave enough of you to make it worth a try"
"when a man wants to be with a woman, there ain't no way of gettin there t0o fast. when you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want to start the rest of your life as soon as you can."
"these boots....the damndest thing i've ever seen 'em do, is walkin out on you."
"when you think happiness, i hope you think that little blak dress. think of my head on your chest, and my old faded blue jeans. when you think tim mcgraw, i hope you think of me."
now that that's out of the way. 3 events down, 1 to go, before london. then two the week i get back. then i can breathe.
and in other news, gma is back with the third new wonder:
polar ice caps, iceland: mountains ring the glacier lagoon in southeast iceland. the glacier lagoon is about 350 kilomenter east of reykjavÃk and one of the greatest wonders of nature in iceland. glacier lagoon was formed fairly recently, the result of a warmer climate.
um. okay?
typically i never post multiple songs from the same artist, but since it may be awhile before the next country list, and there is some stuff i am totally diggin right now... i also try to keep the playlists between 10 - 15 songs, but i'm breaking all my own rules this week. i know, i'm a rebel.
some of my favorite lyrics from this list...
"she's a saturn with a sunroof with her brown hair blowin"
"you never gave enough of you to make it worth a try"
"when a man wants to be with a woman, there ain't no way of gettin there t0o fast. when you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want to start the rest of your life as soon as you can."
"these boots....the damndest thing i've ever seen 'em do, is walkin out on you."
"when you think happiness, i hope you think that little blak dress. think of my head on your chest, and my old faded blue jeans. when you think tim mcgraw, i hope you think of me."
now that that's out of the way. 3 events down, 1 to go, before london. then two the week i get back. then i can breathe.
and in other news, gma is back with the third new wonder:
polar ice caps, iceland: mountains ring the glacier lagoon in southeast iceland. the glacier lagoon is about 350 kilomenter east of reykjavÃk and one of the greatest wonders of nature in iceland. glacier lagoon was formed fairly recently, the result of a warmer climate.um. okay?
Sunday, November 12, 2006
jeremiah
my third lesson since being called to teach gospel doctrine, and i knew when i began preparing, that this one was going to be different.
the first two lessons were...okay. though they were taught with the spirit, they were just okay. i struggled with feeling like the flow wasn’t quite on. i didn’t feel like the transitions were natural. i felt like i was getting by. but this lesson was almost a 180. when i started reading the chapters, i knew exactly what i wanted the main principle to be. then i read the lesson plan, and it didn’t exactly jive with where i wanted to go. so i downloaded several talks about various topics covere in the lesson plan--some focusing more on the direction i wanted to head, some more in line with the lesson plan. each morning on my way to and from work i would listen to a different talk. and still it was clear to me.
diverging from the lesson plan meant almost completely writing my own, and when i began, i remembered..this is how i used to do things--when i taught before. and all the sudden everything was flowing. i knew, when i had completed it, that this was the lord’s work, and that as long as i was able to deliver his message without throwing up (just because it was flowing doesn’t mean i wasn’t still ill), that there would be some in attendance who would be powerfully affected.
so, taking my place at the podium today, i knew what i had in front of me was good, and from the get go, everything was ‘on’. it was one of those lessons that, even though i was guiding and directing the lesson, in a very loose sense of those words, in a way, it was also completely out of control. it was one of those lessons when i would be about to read a quote, or cite a scripture, and a class member would raise their hand with a comment regarding the very quote/scripture. it was one of those lessons where the class members might have been reading my lesson plan. it was incredible. some of the responses to questions were so poignant and beautifully stated that it took me off guard.
while several people approached me after class to express their thanks, i was most pleasantly taken off guard when one of the guys in the ward came up to me and while handing me a slip of paper, said ‘here is your quote back.’ i had asked him to read one of the quotes during class, and found it a bit odd that he was returning it to me. i thanked him, but must have looked a tad confused, and as he walked away he mumbled something about a note. when i turned the quote over, i found the following handwritten note:
i just wanted to thank you for your wonderful lesson. it was eloquently delivered and finely crafted. you have been truly blessed with an ability to strengthen the testimony of the saints. --s
in any call to serve, there are sacrifices and rewards. my sacrifice comes from facing my greatest fear, and knowing that that fear will never decrease. but a lesson like today...that is my reward. it is humbling to be the vessel for such important messages, and my testimony cannot help but increase exponentially as a result.
the first two lessons were...okay. though they were taught with the spirit, they were just okay. i struggled with feeling like the flow wasn’t quite on. i didn’t feel like the transitions were natural. i felt like i was getting by. but this lesson was almost a 180. when i started reading the chapters, i knew exactly what i wanted the main principle to be. then i read the lesson plan, and it didn’t exactly jive with where i wanted to go. so i downloaded several talks about various topics covere in the lesson plan--some focusing more on the direction i wanted to head, some more in line with the lesson plan. each morning on my way to and from work i would listen to a different talk. and still it was clear to me.
diverging from the lesson plan meant almost completely writing my own, and when i began, i remembered..this is how i used to do things--when i taught before. and all the sudden everything was flowing. i knew, when i had completed it, that this was the lord’s work, and that as long as i was able to deliver his message without throwing up (just because it was flowing doesn’t mean i wasn’t still ill), that there would be some in attendance who would be powerfully affected.
so, taking my place at the podium today, i knew what i had in front of me was good, and from the get go, everything was ‘on’. it was one of those lessons that, even though i was guiding and directing the lesson, in a very loose sense of those words, in a way, it was also completely out of control. it was one of those lessons when i would be about to read a quote, or cite a scripture, and a class member would raise their hand with a comment regarding the very quote/scripture. it was one of those lessons where the class members might have been reading my lesson plan. it was incredible. some of the responses to questions were so poignant and beautifully stated that it took me off guard.
while several people approached me after class to express their thanks, i was most pleasantly taken off guard when one of the guys in the ward came up to me and while handing me a slip of paper, said ‘here is your quote back.’ i had asked him to read one of the quotes during class, and found it a bit odd that he was returning it to me. i thanked him, but must have looked a tad confused, and as he walked away he mumbled something about a note. when i turned the quote over, i found the following handwritten note:
i just wanted to thank you for your wonderful lesson. it was eloquently delivered and finely crafted. you have been truly blessed with an ability to strengthen the testimony of the saints. --s
in any call to serve, there are sacrifices and rewards. my sacrifice comes from facing my greatest fear, and knowing that that fear will never decrease. but a lesson like today...that is my reward. it is humbling to be the vessel for such important messages, and my testimony cannot help but increase exponentially as a result.
Friday, November 10, 2006
things that sucked about today
1. having my sister steal my reasonably expensive flat iron....again
2. having to buy my fifth tire in 8 or so months...apparently my alignment is off. doh!
but making me feel better about that, is the fact that 'men in trees' is moving to thursday nights after grey's anatomy, which makes thursdays absolutely divine. ugly betty, grey's, and men in trees...i will not be answering my phone or responding to any invitations on thurday nights for the forseeable future, unless they involve groups of people watching all of the above.
my commentary on the switch is, yay! i knew it wouldn't have a chance if it stayed put on friday nights, but i hope this means that the network is really supporting it, and it will subsequently stay on air long enough for itunes to offer a season pass;)
2. having to buy my fifth tire in 8 or so months...apparently my alignment is off. doh!
but making me feel better about that, is the fact that 'men in trees' is moving to thursday nights after grey's anatomy, which makes thursdays absolutely divine. ugly betty, grey's, and men in trees...i will not be answering my phone or responding to any invitations on thurday nights for the forseeable future, unless they involve groups of people watching all of the above.
my commentary on the switch is, yay! i knew it wouldn't have a chance if it stayed put on friday nights, but i hope this means that the network is really supporting it, and it will subsequently stay on air long enough for itunes to offer a season pass;)
i can dig it
gma's second new seven wonder...jerusalem -- home to 14 million jews, 2 billion christians, and 1 billion muslims -- is considered one of the most holy cities in the world. it has also been ravaged by 30 years of violence and strife.
an aerial view shows the al-aqsa mosque compound, and judaism's holy site, the western wall in jerusalem's the old city. the al-aqsa mosque means the "farthest mosque" and commonly refers to the southernmost mosque that is part of a complex of religious buildings in jerusalem called the noble sanctuary by arabs and muslims. the mosque is one of the holiest shrines of islam.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
color me confused
well, according to gma, the first new wonder is potala palace, located in lhasa, tibet. it was apparently once a center of government, and residence of Tibet's ruler (the dalai lama), as well as the site of a monastery and a mausoleum for eight previous dalai lamas. it is a 13-story building built on 32 acres of land.and i've never heard of it...
to see the video, click here, and pray that your streaming time is faster than mine!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
restless
my expiration date in any given place is about five years. i’ve been in the nova area since i was three with a few stints here and there, so i’m not really sure where that comes from. i think that my travels have had an impact on it, but i’m not sure if it is the cause or result. and i am fairly certain that being single plays a large part. i simply get restless, frustrated and bored.
i’ve been back in the area for six years, and in january will have been with my company for four, which more than doubles the time i’ve been anywhere. and it was about a year ago that i started feeling like i needed a change. i’ve felt drawn to north carolina for a long time, probably in part due to my college stint in charlotte. i love that state and long to be there. it’s close enough to the family that it doesn’t make me completely isolated, and as of late, there seems to have been a migration of people i love to that area.
so i’ve been looking, and waiting, for the right opportunity to come along. the truth of the matter is, this company has been good to me and allowed me to do what i love, so i can’t justify leaving unless i am absolutely certain that the time and opportunity is right. but lately i have been coming closer and closer to my breaking point. in part, it comes as a result of some corporate structure changes that have changed my job in ways i am not happy with. but it’s bigger than that. i am ready for a ‘next step’, whatever that is. i’ve done the single career woman thing here for long enough, and i need something different. since i enjoy what i do, and have not inherited millions as far as i know, i still need to work, but location seems like a good fix, if only for a few years.
what is frustrating me even more right now, is that everyone around me seems to be experiencing major change. julie is expecting her 2nd child, kristina and ralph are planning a move to north carolina, stephanie just left for montana, gwen up and moved to utah, angela and steve are planning a move to new york, corey and jill are walking down the marriage road. it’s happening with co-workers too. one of them told me last week he was leaving, another is planning on leaving by the end of the year, and i just learned that my boss is tendering her resignation. these are people i have known and worked with for years. they have looked out for me (two of the three are the entire reason i am where i am) and supported me, and been substantial contributors to my enjoyment at the company.
change is happening all around me, but not to me. were i better with finances, i would take the leap of faith and just see. but there was a period of time when i was out of work for a year and a half, working temp and odd jobs here and there, and that has made me afraid. it’s made worse by the fact that i was in a similar situation-- i needed and felt like it was time for a change, and i took a leap of faith. i believe that is was the right thing to do, but it was one of the most difficult periods of my life. and that leaves me now trying to determine whether i am going to let fear and logic keep me here, or if i am just going to make the decision to leap again, and pray that the outcome will be different.
i’ve been back in the area for six years, and in january will have been with my company for four, which more than doubles the time i’ve been anywhere. and it was about a year ago that i started feeling like i needed a change. i’ve felt drawn to north carolina for a long time, probably in part due to my college stint in charlotte. i love that state and long to be there. it’s close enough to the family that it doesn’t make me completely isolated, and as of late, there seems to have been a migration of people i love to that area.
so i’ve been looking, and waiting, for the right opportunity to come along. the truth of the matter is, this company has been good to me and allowed me to do what i love, so i can’t justify leaving unless i am absolutely certain that the time and opportunity is right. but lately i have been coming closer and closer to my breaking point. in part, it comes as a result of some corporate structure changes that have changed my job in ways i am not happy with. but it’s bigger than that. i am ready for a ‘next step’, whatever that is. i’ve done the single career woman thing here for long enough, and i need something different. since i enjoy what i do, and have not inherited millions as far as i know, i still need to work, but location seems like a good fix, if only for a few years.
what is frustrating me even more right now, is that everyone around me seems to be experiencing major change. julie is expecting her 2nd child, kristina and ralph are planning a move to north carolina, stephanie just left for montana, gwen up and moved to utah, angela and steve are planning a move to new york, corey and jill are walking down the marriage road. it’s happening with co-workers too. one of them told me last week he was leaving, another is planning on leaving by the end of the year, and i just learned that my boss is tendering her resignation. these are people i have known and worked with for years. they have looked out for me (two of the three are the entire reason i am where i am) and supported me, and been substantial contributors to my enjoyment at the company.
change is happening all around me, but not to me. were i better with finances, i would take the leap of faith and just see. but there was a period of time when i was out of work for a year and a half, working temp and odd jobs here and there, and that has made me afraid. it’s made worse by the fact that i was in a similar situation-- i needed and felt like it was time for a change, and i took a leap of faith. i believe that is was the right thing to do, but it was one of the most difficult periods of my life. and that leaves me now trying to determine whether i am going to let fear and logic keep me here, or if i am just going to make the decision to leap again, and pray that the outcome will be different.
Monday, November 06, 2006
cma's
who i think will win in bold, who i want to win in italics:
2006 Final Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
• Brooks & Dunn
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Rascal Flatts
• Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year
• Sara Evans
• Faith Hill
• Martina McBride
• Carrie Underwood
• Gretchen Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year
• Dierks Bentley
• Kenny Chesney
• Alan Jackson
• Brad Paisley
• Keith Urban
Horizon Award
• Miranda Lambert
• Little Big Town
• Sugarland
• Josh Turner
• Carrie Underwood
Vocal Group of the Year
• Alison Krauss + Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas
• Little Big Town
• Lonestar
• Rascal Flatts
• Sugarland
Vocal Duo of the Year
• Big & Rich
• Brooks & Dunn
• Montgomery Gentry
• Van Zant
• The Wreckers
Single of the Year
• “Believe”/Brooks & Dunn
• “Better Life”/Keith Urban
• "Jesus Take The Wheel”/Carrie Underwood
• “Summertime”/Kenny Chesney
• “When I Get Where I’m Going”/Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton)
Album of the Year
• Hillbilly Deluxe/Brooks & Dunn
• Me And My Gang/Rascal Flatts
• Precious Memories/Alan Jackson
• The Road And The Radio/Kenny Chesney
• Time Well Wasted/Brad Paisley
Music Video of the Year
• “8th of November”/Big & Rich
• “Believe”/Brooks & Dunn
• “Jesus Take The Wheel”/Carrie Underwood
• “Kerosene”/Miranda Lambert
• “When I Get Where I’m Going/Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton)
Song of the Year
• “8th of November/Big Kenny & John Rich
• “Believe”/Craig Wiseman & Ronnie Dunn
• “Jesus Take The Wheel/Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, Gordie Sampson
• “Tonight I Wanna Cry/Keith Urban & Monty Powell
• “When I Get Where I’m Going/Rivers Rutherford & George Teren
unfortch, i think brooks and dunn are going to clean up with a song i hate. i'd love to see sugarland, carrie underwood, and rascal flatts do well. and if boyfriend #5 (dierks) takes one home, that'd be alright by me.
any thoughts rae or lara?
2006 Final Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
• Brooks & Dunn
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Rascal Flatts
• Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year
• Sara Evans
• Faith Hill
• Martina McBride
• Carrie Underwood
• Gretchen Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year
• Dierks Bentley
• Kenny Chesney
• Alan Jackson
• Brad Paisley
• Keith Urban
Horizon Award
• Miranda Lambert
• Little Big Town
• Sugarland
• Josh Turner
• Carrie Underwood
Vocal Group of the Year
• Alison Krauss + Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas
• Little Big Town
• Lonestar
• Rascal Flatts
• Sugarland
Vocal Duo of the Year
• Big & Rich
• Brooks & Dunn
• Montgomery Gentry
• Van Zant
• The Wreckers
Single of the Year
• “Believe”/Brooks & Dunn
• “Better Life”/Keith Urban
• "Jesus Take The Wheel”/Carrie Underwood
• “Summertime”/Kenny Chesney
• “When I Get Where I’m Going”/Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton)
Album of the Year
• Hillbilly Deluxe/Brooks & Dunn
• Me And My Gang/Rascal Flatts
• Precious Memories/Alan Jackson
• The Road And The Radio/Kenny Chesney
• Time Well Wasted/Brad Paisley
Music Video of the Year
• “8th of November”/Big & Rich
• “Believe”/Brooks & Dunn
• “Jesus Take The Wheel”/Carrie Underwood
• “Kerosene”/Miranda Lambert
• “When I Get Where I’m Going/Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton)
Song of the Year
• “8th of November/Big Kenny & John Rich
• “Believe”/Craig Wiseman & Ronnie Dunn
• “Jesus Take The Wheel/Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, Gordie Sampson
• “Tonight I Wanna Cry/Keith Urban & Monty Powell
• “When I Get Where I’m Going/Rivers Rutherford & George Teren
unfortch, i think brooks and dunn are going to clean up with a song i hate. i'd love to see sugarland, carrie underwood, and rascal flatts do well. and if boyfriend #5 (dierks) takes one home, that'd be alright by me.
any thoughts rae or lara?
the new 7 wonders
i’m a bit of a list girl. i like them, i use them. as such i’ve been following the new 7 wonders selection process, because i like the idea of being able to check all of them off of my ‘visited’ list.
good morning america is scheduled to announce the new seven, beginning on the 9th. i’m still a bit confused as to why the new 7 wonders site says they won’t be announced until next year (07/07/07, which incidentally, is my new wedding date) and gma is announcing them this week, but, whatever. the 21 finalists are as follows:
1. Acropolis of Athens, Athens, Greece
2. Alhambra, Granada, Spain
3. Angkor Wat, Angkor, Cambodia
4. Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico (been there)
5. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. Colosseum, Rome, Italy
7. Easter Island statues, Chile
8. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France (been there)
9. Great Wall, China
10. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey (been there)
11. Kyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
12. Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow, Russia
13. Machu Picchu, Peru
14. Neuschwanstein Castle, Fussen, Germany
15. Petra, Jordan (been there)
16. Pyramids of Giza+, Egypt
17. Statue of Liberty, New York, United States (been there)
18. Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom (going there...in 18 or so days)
19. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
20. Taj Mahal, Agra, India
21. Timbuktu, Mali
(sorry, the list girl in me could not resist identifying those already visited)
In addition to these 21, you can apparently vote for the 8th wonder of the world from the ‘runner-ups’, only three of which are in the current top 21 (weird!):
1. Great Wall, China
2. Machu Picchu, Peru
3. Taj Mahal, Agra, India
4. Grand Canyon
5. Victoria Falls
6. Saturn V
7. Panama Canal
8. Venice
i am still confused as to how 4-8 ended up as runner ups since they didn’t make the top 21 to begin with. i also am not sure why saturn v would be considered, maybe a wonder of the galaxy, but of the world? And lastly, I need to express my sheer disgust at the fact that the great wall, machu piccu, and the taj mahal (all sure things in my book) are in the runner-ups list.
with that said, here are my guesses for the 7:
1. Acropolis of Athens, Athens, Greece (feeling confident about this one)
2. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (totally guessing on this one)
3. Colosseum, Rome, Italy (feeling confident)
4. Easter Island statues, Chile (feeling so-so about this one)
5. Petra, Jordan (here’s hoping)
6. Pyramids of Giza+, Egypt (the only remaining ancient wonder...t’would be quite an insult if it didn’t make the list)
7. Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom (feeling pretty good about this)
and for the 8th? i still think it sucks that i have to choose from three that should be on the other list, but i guess i will go with macchu picchu, peru.
good morning america is scheduled to announce the new seven, beginning on the 9th. i’m still a bit confused as to why the new 7 wonders site says they won’t be announced until next year (07/07/07, which incidentally, is my new wedding date) and gma is announcing them this week, but, whatever. the 21 finalists are as follows:
1. Acropolis of Athens, Athens, Greece
2. Alhambra, Granada, Spain
3. Angkor Wat, Angkor, Cambodia
4. Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico (been there)
5. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. Colosseum, Rome, Italy
7. Easter Island statues, Chile
8. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France (been there)
9. Great Wall, China
10. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey (been there)
11. Kyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
12. Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow, Russia
13. Machu Picchu, Peru
14. Neuschwanstein Castle, Fussen, Germany
15. Petra, Jordan (been there)
16. Pyramids of Giza+, Egypt
17. Statue of Liberty, New York, United States (been there)
18. Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom (going there...in 18 or so days)
19. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
20. Taj Mahal, Agra, India
21. Timbuktu, Mali
(sorry, the list girl in me could not resist identifying those already visited)
In addition to these 21, you can apparently vote for the 8th wonder of the world from the ‘runner-ups’, only three of which are in the current top 21 (weird!):
1. Great Wall, China
2. Machu Picchu, Peru
3. Taj Mahal, Agra, India
4. Grand Canyon
5. Victoria Falls
6. Saturn V
7. Panama Canal
8. Venice
i am still confused as to how 4-8 ended up as runner ups since they didn’t make the top 21 to begin with. i also am not sure why saturn v would be considered, maybe a wonder of the galaxy, but of the world? And lastly, I need to express my sheer disgust at the fact that the great wall, machu piccu, and the taj mahal (all sure things in my book) are in the runner-ups list.
with that said, here are my guesses for the 7:
1. Acropolis of Athens, Athens, Greece (feeling confident about this one)
2. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (totally guessing on this one)
3. Colosseum, Rome, Italy (feeling confident)
4. Easter Island statues, Chile (feeling so-so about this one)
5. Petra, Jordan (here’s hoping)
6. Pyramids of Giza+, Egypt (the only remaining ancient wonder...t’would be quite an insult if it didn’t make the list)
7. Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom (feeling pretty good about this)
and for the 8th? i still think it sucks that i have to choose from three that should be on the other list, but i guess i will go with macchu picchu, peru.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
kelly, guess what?!
one of the ironies about my recent macbook purchase is that i haven't been able to hear my playlist, on my site, on my computer--the downside to windows media player.
this annoyance prompted me to search for an alternative, and i am so happy with what i found! still working out a couple of minor glitches, but i think you all are going to love it;)
kelly, you can finally hear my playlists...and so can i!
ps - i decided that hearing my own voice is a little too unsettling, so podcasting is not in my immediate future.
this annoyance prompted me to search for an alternative, and i am so happy with what i found! still working out a couple of minor glitches, but i think you all are going to love it;)
kelly, you can finally hear my playlists...and so can i!
ps - i decided that hearing my own voice is a little too unsettling, so podcasting is not in my immediate future.
Friday, November 03, 2006
giddy up
my mother was born and raised in preston, idaho (of napoleon dynamite fame), and my grandfather ran a farm. he was a large animal veterinarian and raced quarter horses. what that meant was that summer vacations often consisted of time at the farm with the family.it’s amazing how a child can turn a farm in the middle of nowhere (at the time) into a playground. there was the horse walker that we loved to hook swings to and go round and round and round. there was the barn with the trap door for hay, that we used in the most mischevous ways imaginable. there was walking to will-o-way (now a burger king owned by karl malone) to pick up bubble gum for the bubble blowing competitions. there was grandma’s jewelry, which spawned several dance routines, the most memorable of which was madonna’s ‘material girl’. and there were the ‘cousin wars’--no holds barred prank battles between the boys and the girls. falling hay when walking through a doorway, putting makeup on the sleeping boy cousins while they slept (when boys sleep, they REALLY sleep), baking powder in bed, you name it.
but one of my fondest memories from those summer vacations were the horses. in fact, horses have been the conduit for some of my most memorable experiences. i must have been 7 or 8 when i rode my first horse. uncle verl pulled out one of the non-racers and brought her to the corral, where i climbed aboard. after about a half hour, when i showed no signs of being remotely done with the experience, he asked me if i was ok, and headed back inside. he would come and check on me from time to time, and after several hours of circling that 30 X 30 corral, i finally just felt bad that he had to keep coming out, so i got off. i could have stayed on that horse forever. i would have been happy falling asleep on it’s back.that was the first, but not the last of my horse experiences. i had a lot of chances to ride when visiting the farm. some were thoroughly enjoyable and some (like the time i got dragged by a racehorse, unable to get my foot out of the stirrup) were a little more painful. good or bad, equine love is in my blood.
since then, i’ve had multiple opportunities, the most memorable of which took place a long way from preston. i’ve ridden on work retreats, dated guys with horses, and had random other opportunities arise, but between living in northern virginia, and grandpa’s passing, they have been far fewer.i could ride every day and be happy, but every once in awhile i get an undeniable craving to be on the back of a horse, and i got one last week. knowing that lara is a horse lover as well, i asked her if she’d be interested, and we made plans to play hookey today to get our fix in.
we headed out to marriott ranch, where we saddled up and hopped on our horses for the hour and a half ride. it was a small group--our guide, lara and i, and a young couple--and it was nearly perfect. sunny and cool, and the leaves were in fine color. my horse was a dream, responding to the slightest movement of the reigns, and truth be told, i could have dropped them and would have been fine. i was in good hands, or on them, 15 or so. lara got a bit of a grasseater, but fortunately there were long stretches of the ride that were not grassy.
all in all, it was an amazing day, and an amazing way to spend a friday afternoon.
for the rest of the pics, click here.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
farewell
only a few days until everything changes. stephanie is heading out west to reconnect with her roots in montana, and last night was her farewell gathering.
it caused me to reflect on my many experiences with steph, particularly the first time i met her. through sheer coincidence we ended up roommates at the langley ward’s annual ski trip almost three years ago (holy cow, has it been that long?!). after arriving at our hotel in pa, a few of us decided to go out dancing. the club was about as redneck as it gets, and when we arrived back at the hotel, we all reaked of smoke. we took turns in the shower and got cleaned up and ready for bed. for steph though, getting ready for bed meant staying stripped down to g’s and undies.
i have always been overly modest when it comes to ‘group’ situations. in p.e. i would change in the bathroom stall. my family was just always that way. and here was this girl walking around our hotel room with nothing but her whites on. i thought she was crazy. little did i know that i was right, but it’s the kind of crazy that you just can’t ignore, and end up loving.
since then we have shared many memories, and not a few laughs and tears. we often joke that we are living parallel lives. we think the same way more often than not, and i always know that when i am going through something no one else will understand, steph will. so her departure is not without some sadness. while i am thrilled for her and the new opportunities she will be experiencing, life in nova will simply not be the same. steph, we love you, and you will be missed!
on a random sidenote, my favorite moment from last night occured when a former co-worker arrived with some delicious looking pastries, and steph (in true steph fashion and being the only person i know who could get away with this) gave him a giant hug and said ‘leave it to the gays!’
it caused me to reflect on my many experiences with steph, particularly the first time i met her. through sheer coincidence we ended up roommates at the langley ward’s annual ski trip almost three years ago (holy cow, has it been that long?!). after arriving at our hotel in pa, a few of us decided to go out dancing. the club was about as redneck as it gets, and when we arrived back at the hotel, we all reaked of smoke. we took turns in the shower and got cleaned up and ready for bed. for steph though, getting ready for bed meant staying stripped down to g’s and undies.
i have always been overly modest when it comes to ‘group’ situations. in p.e. i would change in the bathroom stall. my family was just always that way. and here was this girl walking around our hotel room with nothing but her whites on. i thought she was crazy. little did i know that i was right, but it’s the kind of crazy that you just can’t ignore, and end up loving.
since then we have shared many memories, and not a few laughs and tears. we often joke that we are living parallel lives. we think the same way more often than not, and i always know that when i am going through something no one else will understand, steph will. so her departure is not without some sadness. while i am thrilled for her and the new opportunities she will be experiencing, life in nova will simply not be the same. steph, we love you, and you will be missed!
on a random sidenote, my favorite moment from last night occured when a former co-worker arrived with some delicious looking pastries, and steph (in true steph fashion and being the only person i know who could get away with this) gave him a giant hug and said ‘leave it to the gays!’
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