on the road again

He has pitched a tent for the sun.

So we went to Colorado and it was AWESOME. I’ve finally posted some pictures below. It was a great time. I can't even tell you how great it was- it was just what i needed. And I always love to visit Ingrid!
Anyway, I went with my family to Kansas City this past weekend for my cousin’s wedding. I’ve posted a few pictures of that blessed event below too. It was beautiful. And Joel & Layna are perfect for each other. It was a lot of fun.

Wondering about that cloud pic above? I snapped that on my way back from Kansas City this weekend… I’ve been seeing a LOT of beautiful clouds lately. Kinda unusual... so I had to throw one up on here.

So I’ve been thinking a lot over the last couple days about how ridiculously self-righteous people are. Who do we think we are? Seriously? All the songs I’ve heard on the radio lately are all about how important you are over everyone else. And that’s simply not true. I am not more important than you. And you should not think that you are more important than anyone else either. What is it with society today? Seriously- the movie stars, the musicians, the writers, the christians, the non-christians, the men, the women, the old, the young, the rich, the poor, the beautiful, the ugly, the married, the single, the child, the parent- it seems that everyone suffers from this disease. It seems like everyone thinks they are "it". Everyone seems to think they're why the world spins ‘round.
I heard someone say one time “There is a God. And you are not Him.”
When we finally figure out that it’s about love and loving others unconditionally (not loving OURSELVES unconditionally) then there might be a world changing shift. If you don’t know the definition of love then find it here.

Leaving for St. Louis tomorrow. Going to a conference about purpose and passion. Do I really need more education about purpose and passion? Really? Ha… I guess I probably do… who doesn’t?
When I get back from St. Louis, I’m headed to Boston for a week! It’s a work thing… but I’m totally expecting it to be TONS of fun. I’ve never been to Boston before and I’m super excited. Which means that I’ll take lots of pictures… which means there will probably be lots of pictures that land on my blog... eventually.
Ciao for now!

Joel & Layna's wedding

finally... pictures from Colorado

Colorado or BUST!

hey! i'm leaving for CO tomorrow morning! whoohoo! going to visit Ingrid!
going to have a blast! and Tara is going with me!
i'll be posting pictures I'm sure!
btw, did i mention this vacation is a full week?! WAO!
and when i return, my friends Steph & Matt will be back from Korea!
i'll blog more when i get back & have some fun pictures to share!

oh, and check out this cool scripture:
Matthew 11:28-30
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Anne and her diary

Photo taken from http://www.annefranktree.com

everyday i get an email that lists things that happened that day in history. i don't always read them... and in fact, i usually delete them before i even open them. but on wednesday i decided to actually read it.

among the many things listed that happened in history on August 1st was:
1944- Thirteen-year-old Anne Frank made the last entry in her diary; days later she and her family were taken to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she died at age 15.

i read The Diary of a Young Girl when i was younger... but i really didn't remember much about it. since getting this email on wednesday, i've spent a lot of time researching what happened to Anne & her family. there are several different websites with info... including annefrank.org
the story of Anne, her passion, and her courage inspire me. through her writings she's touched so many thousands of people. the diary has been translated into more than sixty-five languages and has sold more than thirty million copies... and she only lived to be 15 years old. 15! can you imagine? and by the way, she received her first diary only 2 years before her death... on her 13th birthday.
the picture above is the view that Anne had from the annex window... where she and her family were in hiding. she wrote of it: "Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs, from my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind. As long as this exists, I thought, and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts I cannot be unhappy."

i've been thinking a lot about passion lately... and when i saw this about Anne... i couldn't help to think about it more. if you have never read her book... you should... i will be re-reading it soon.

"A man without passion is only a latent force, only a possibility, like a stone waiting for the blow from the iron to give forth sparks."
Henri-Frédéric Amiel

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Dr. Howard Thurman

Do what makes you come alive.
Anne once wrote: "I know that I can write..."
what do you know that you can do?
Do it.

some pics from my NYC trip last week...

it will be like Facebook

so i've been on Facebook since May. i love it. i wish everyone on myspace would come on over. it's awesome. anyway, i'm not writing this to talk people into switching... i'm mentioning this only to say i love meeting cool new people & reconnecting with old friends. I have a new friend in Alaska now... it's such a fun little world.

i was listening to an old Rich Mullins song the other day... I miss that guy. Unlike a lot of singers/artists, he wrote most of his own music. He was a seeker. He was different. He was bold and courageous... and he understood God's grace. Anyway, I was listening to If I Stand and as I was listening to it... I started to miss something... I started to feel this strange longing well up inside of me. Does that ever happen to you?
later on that day I was listening to another song by someone else and it said i'm missing someone but i don't know who...
and i got to thinking, i know who and where i miss. i miss home (a place i've never been) and i miss my friends... the ones i know and don't know. it will be like Facebook when i get there... but for real... in person... everyone connected to everyone else... we'll meet new friends... and old ones. and hopefully i'll meet Rich. i can't wait.

tomorrow I'm heading to NYC for a few days of vacation and fun. yes, i will be taking LOTS of pictures. prepare yourselves! ttys!

just a phone salesman

I can't believe I forgot to put this on my blog... a friend of mine sent this the other day... it's amazing... and inspiring.

CHALLENGE:
is there anything in your life that you are holding inside?
STEP OUT and take the chance! Don’t hold yourself back!

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
-George Eliot

time for a blogdown

“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.” –Ursula K. Le Guin

heard any good music lately? If not, then you’re not listening hard enough. Go find some great music that you love and chill with it. May I suggest Ingrid Michaelson’s Girls & Boys album? Check it out.

One of my closest friends, Steph, has been living in Korea for the past 3 years. Every once in awhile we get Skype and chat together. Sometimes she sends me video messages when we can’t Skype. I love it… and I love technology. BUT today I saw something that kinda bothered me. Steph & her husband Matt have seen some pretty sad things while traveling in Asia… like when they went to parts of Cambodia. So, like I was saying, I love technology and all the things it allows us to do… but… sometimes… our gluttony sickens me.
This is about the iPhone. Look, I’m sure it’s great. And I’m a huge Apple fan… and I love electronic toys… but something about people waiting up to 12 hours and then shelling out large amounts of cash seemed a little ridiculous to me. Reports say that there were 500,000 sold this weekend. That’s over the top. Way over the top. While I was reading about it I just found myself shaking my head and thinking about how much money people in the US waste on the latest and greatest thing…
Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m a new media consultant and I LOVE my iPod & my Mac & would like to have an iPhone one day… but… I don’t know… guess I’m just not into that kind of crazy yet… the kind of crazy that spends 12 hours waiting in line and then spending $600ish on a gadget… even if it is the coolest gadget around.

I moved this weekend. whoohoo! I’m still unpacking… but it went well and is going well. It’s a good thing I like my new roommate or I don’t know if I could share space again… TL and I get along quite well… I think we’ll be cool. :) I have a good feeling about it.
I’m just bummed cause I wasn’t able to say goodbye to my cool neighbor Barney. I’m thinking I’m going to go visit him tonight… or sometime this week.

Has anyone notice that I’m addicted to quotes? here’s another one I thought was worth sharing: “Irritability is immaturity of character. If you are subject to being cross and unpleasant with others for no apparent reason, you need to come face-to-face with the fact that you are thinking too much of yourself. After all, your feelings are not the most important thing in this world.” -Lawrence G. Lovasik

Yes, this is a randomly organized blog.
But what can I say- I’m random.

Hope everyone has a SUPER Independence Day!!

stop

I’ve been doing a lot lately.
And I’m ready for a break.
Ready for a break from everything.
I’m tired of fighting the wars that I’ve been fighting and I’m tired of running the race that I’ve been running… the rat race. I’ve tired of rats.
Rats are selfish, nasty things.
There’s a reason it’s called the “the rat race” and I’m not interested in being a rat. There’s more to life.

Do you really believe there’s more to life? Seriously- do you? Stop and think with me for a minute about what the most important things in your life are right now… what do you spend the most time doing? Priorities? What do you spend the most time thinking about?
Stop. Be quiet. Meditate on God. Spend some time thinking about what God wants you to do. If you think that God doesn’t have anything for you to do… think again… He does.
Stop and take some time to look at the map of your life- where you’ve been- where you want to be- where you don’t want to be- where you’re headed- which direction you need to go.
Stop- check it out- check the Compass- and redirect/remap things if need be.

This week the fish in our office died. Yes, it’s true. He finally kicked the bucket. He was a good little beta fish… and many loved him. Amazing little story actually…
He was on his way out of this life and dying when Nita (our current Administrative Assistant) first came to work with us. He hadn’t had a very good life before Nita… didn’t get much attention… in fact; I think he’d even attempted suicide once or twice. That was about 3 years ago. Nita brought our little fish back to life. He started swimming more and he grew beautiful purple and blue fins… it was a miracle that everyone noticed. Nita spent a few minutes talking to him everyday and… on occasion she required that many of us greet him. It’s amazing what attention and love can do… even to a little fish… sounds ridiculous… and I’m shaking my head and laughing as I write this… but it’s true. Our fish became quite the thriving little fella… and became pretty popular too. Nita brought him back to life and he lived much longer than he would have without her. So, yesterday, he passed away… but he lived a good & happy little life… thanks to Nita. Before she came, most of us just passed by the little fish on the way to another meeting and didn’t stop to talk to him or notice him… but Nita made us stop and pay attention to the little things. If you can’t tell, Nita is someone who I look up to and consider a mentor in my life. (I can write this because I know she doesn’t ever read my blog.) Anyway, I hope you have someone in your life who reminds you to stop and pay attention to the little things. Just in case you don’t, let me be that person… STOP. PAY ATTENTION TO THE LITTLE THINGS. Stop and take a look at the world around you every once in awhile. There really is more to life than the rat race.
When our little fish passed away yesterday, Nita got on the intercom system and announced it to the entire building. And she allowed for a viewing of the body before orchestrating the funeral service. Only a few of us attended the service… but it was a memorable experience… and he was a memorable little fish. Our office will not be the same without him.

Everything is going to be okay.

one of my favorite teachers in highschool was Mr. Cap.
Every day Mr. Cap would say "Everything is going to be OKAY."
Yes, every day. I'm not kidding. Every day.
I remember one particular day where he threw a pop test at us... NOT a quiz... a pop TEST. you know, a biggie, the kind that can really hurt you if you screw up?
Well, everyone started freaking out: "BUT MR. CAP, YOU DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT THIS! WHAT IF WE FAIL?!"
and I remember saying to him: "Are you kidding me?! You could of at least warned us... I'm gonna fail this." To which he said "Like you would have studied anyway? C'mon. Let me tell you something- you're not going to care about this 2 years from now. You're not going to care about this 5 years from now. You're not going to care about this 10 years and especially not 20 years from now... TRUST ME... EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY. Sometimes life throws you things you're not expecting... and that's just too bad... but everything will be okay."
I cannot tell you how much I think of this. Usually at least once a month- but here lately- it's been more like once a week. Kristin, everything is going to be okay.
Just recently my boss lost one of his best buddies in a tragic accident. It was sudden. Unexpected. He was gone. I did not know this man but I've heard wonderful things about him. And then just a week ago, one of the administrators of the highschool I attended passed away after a courageous fight with cancer. Chip Olin was one of the most reliable and kind men I've ever met. He constantly served and encouraged other people... his life was truly about serving others. Chip's memorial service was Monday... it was a great service.
guess who I saw at the service? Mr. Cap.
And what did he say to me?
"Everything is going to be okay."

Sometimes it doesn't feel okay- sometimes when you lose someone you love it doesn't feel like things will EVER feel okay AGAIN. BUT you will be okay. When you feel like things will never change & you'll never get out of the prison you're trapped in-- when you've been betrayed-- when you've been forgotten-- when you've been abused-- when you've hit an unexpected bump in the road-- when you've been misunderstood-- when you've been rejected-- everything will be okay.
How can I be sure?
One of the hymns we sang at Chip's memorial was "In Christ Alone".
you should buy it on iTunes.
The lyrics are powerful.

this weekend one of my closest friends gave birth to a little 7.5 healthy baby boy. Logan is awesome. Mel said that when he was born he heard Brian's voice and immediately looked in his direction... how cool is that? Yup, we had some quality hang time... it's not very often I get to hang out with people who are 5.5 hours old. He was extremely alert... wide-eyed and ready to see what this world is all about. Just 5.5 hours old and already curious about what's going on. He's got his whole life ahead of him... and he's wiggling and ready to start learning, experiencing, living... he even came 2 weeks early so he could get a head start!
You know how newborns can't really visually focus with their eyes at first? I googled about it today and found that newborns can only focus eight to twelve inches. They can't see the distance. Yup, I'm like that. Can't see what's ahead- I can only see the few inches that are right in front of me. I can't see the things that are far away... so i just have to follow the sound of the voice holding me... the sounds of the voices I recognize and trust the most.
Life is an amazing journey. Sunday I'm holding a new-born baby and the next day I'm attending a memorial service... there is a time for everything. Seasons change, the circle of life continues... regardless of how we might try to slow it down or speed it up. It's God's timing... and we just have to get used to trusting that Everything is going to be okay.

Thanks Mr. Cap.

mac vs pc parody vids

today one of my coworkers pointed out some videos to me... the Mac vs PC Parody vids... i think there's 4 of them. anyway, pretty funny... done by Community Christian Church in the Chicago area.
i love it when a church has a sense of humor.
i'm down with the JC.
enjoy.

click here! click on the title!

For those of you who receive this blog via email and have asked why you don't see pics or vids, you just need to click on the title of the blog post... and you'll get the full benefits... pics... videos... everything. you know, like the Rocky vid i posted a couple weeks ago. :) whoo hoo.

i read this quote and thought it great food for thought...

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well." -Theodore Roosevelt

hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday! I'll blog at you more soon.

wii wants to play

what's up.
i've been wanting to write about an experience i had with some 10-year-olds... an experience where they blew my mind via their Nintendo DS system skills. I had asked them what games they were playing… and if they’d show me how to play them. I couldn’t believe it… these game systems have come a LONG way since our “Game Boy” days. I was completely baffled by the kids’ skills on the DS. Unfreakinbelieveable. Did you know that they use touch screens and the buttons and watch 2 screens... all at the same time? And DS is wireless so they can play each other from across the room. Ok, that wi-fi part may not be mind-boggling but the graphics on the games are. And the kids worked together, recognizing each others skill-sets and utilizing them to beat level upon level. I was pretty impressed. i'm thinking i should get a DS... or a PSP... or maybe a Wii. well, anyway, these kids are amazing... they were telling me about their favorite websites and their favorite tv shows... i can't wait to see what their generation does... they're going to do some incredible things... i just know it.

well, i thought i'd share a little something that my friend, Chris Tabberer had emailed along. (Side note: you should check out his podcast.)
anyway, here's the story "Two Wolves"... enjoy...
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

stuff in the basement

ever start writing something and then stop... and just rest your finger on "delete"? yup, that's what i just did.
sometimes wish i could do that with things in life. but then again, who would i be without those things?

i watched ROCKY BALBOA this weekend with my family.
if you've seen the movie, you probably remember when Rock is telling Paulie why he wants to go fight again and says, "There's still some stuff in the basement."
yeah, it may be cheesy... but where would we be without a little cheese life? the point: you should never dismiss what's in your basement. shoot, Sylvester Stallone thought it was so important that he based his entire movie around it. people bought tickets to see this movie... the guy is almost 61 years old... and people bought tickets!
so it's never too late... and if they make a seventh Rocky movie people will still probably buy tickets... because it's about the message... the underdog.
it's about everyone who has stuff left in their basement... in their heart... looking for the chance to bust it out.
it's never too late to clean out the basement... get it out for good.

think you're inferior? you're not. if you're a follower of Christ, the Bible says that your righteousness is in HIM. you don't have to depend on your own strength... you can depend on HIS. if you're the Bible reading type, it will tell you that it's not about keeping a list of rules... it's about trusting Christ and making Him Lord of your life. He's done all the work... it's why He died for you. Read Galatians 2:19-21 and Philippians 3:7-9.
He's ready to make covenant with you. He sees no stain of sin on you... and you can come find rest in Him. God's promise from Jeremiah 31:33-34 was fulfilled through Jesus.
Read Romans 8:31-39.
Keep seeking... God will not let you down. Read Luke 11:1-13.
Lucky for us that He's done this... none of would ever make it. I know I wouldn't.
Don't know why or how I got into this preaching mode... but oh well... every once in awhile it comes out.

okay, i'll stop... here's a little ROCKY BALBOA for you. TTYL.

"It's kinda fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney

have you started reading Chazown yet?
no? well, don't.
it will just make you more uncomfortable than you already are. so... don't bother... really... you don't want to read it. not now anyway. now is the worst possible time... because you don't have any money... or time... and you'd probably just screw it up. you know you're crazy... and there's no way that'd work... no way you'd make it... no way you could succeed. you're no one... and no one cares about what you think you can bring to the table. what do you have? you're nothing... and besides, they'd all laugh at you. you'd be made fun of. so, just stick it out where you're at... you're safe there. stay where you're comfortable... that's where it's at. no one will ever know.... just keep it ALL to yourself... bury it... and that way no one will ever know or be able to laugh at your stupid ideas... and stupid impossible dreams... just keep it all to yourself... keep it to yourself.

or maybe... it's too late.
maybe you've already started reading it... maybe you've already made it to page 83 and you've read: "Please understand one very important point: When God gives you a dream, you will be anything but comfortable. Why? Because God's vision for you is bigger than you can imagine and impossible for you to do on your own."

i have a little black book that i've been writing quotes in.
you know, the kind of quotes that inspire...
the kind that bother you... the sort that make you uncomfortable... kinda like those dang dreams.

anyway, here's a couple from Mr. Mark Twain:
"Every man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds."
and
"It doesn't matter whether you think you can or you can't... you're right."

Walt Disney:
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Paul of Tarsus:
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."

so, yeah, i've been writing quotes in this little book for almost a year now.
what can i say? it's been one uncomfortable year... and i think i'm ready for the impossible... how about you?
i've jumped off the edge... wanna join me?
no? well, then just stand there... on the edge...
and listen to the rest of us screaming wildly...
yeah, you don't want to jump with us... we're crazy...
and you're safe just where you are.

the force

so i've been in orlando since friday. i've been at a conference for work... the national religious broadcasters conference. unfortunately, no disney world for me... i was hoping we'd have time to make it over there... but no such luck... oh well.
let me take this time to remind you that the views expressed here on my blog are my views and my opinions... not necessarily the opinions of any one else i work with, work for, know, love, met yesterday, or will meet tomorrow... these are my opinions.
having said that... during much of this conference i've been thinking... wow... these people are odd... and not odd good. don't get me wrong, you meet some really great and normal people... but they are very few and FAR between. i better not say anything else... i never would have come here on my own will... i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my employer.... but yet i'm glad i came. it opened my eyes even more. again, there's some really great people here... but maybe we need to start our own convention... and get away from the oddness.
funny thing- there was another conference going on in this convention center at the same time- it was on the other side of the convention center. it was some sort of comic and gaming conference... you know... the kind where the fans come dressed as their favorite comic or game and/or sci-fi character? yeah, i've never seen anything like it. i had Luigi on one side and Chubaka from Star Wars on the other. and dare i say i felt more at ease with these people and had more fun walking around them than i did on the other side of the convention center. oh well, it's all over and i'm leaving for the airport soon... i'll blog more about some this jazz later on.

life

I have had an interesting last week or so. Very thought-provoking things going on.
Went to a funeral last week. But not just any funeral… the funeral of a man who many will always hold high and remember with great esteem. I did not know him very well… but I’d had the privilege of meeting him and being around him a few times. You know how sometimes people talk other people up so much… that they make them seem like heroes? Well, little did I know how true things were in this particular case. I thought saints of this nature were only in biblical times… or in movie scripts… or stories… or fairy tales.
But no… what this man did with his spare time and his money... what he did quietly… I truly believe all of creation will know about one day. He literally went to several SEVERAL other countries… spreading the gospel.
The scripture verse that the officiating minister read was this:
Then the king said to his men,
"Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?"
2 Samuel 3:38

And to think… many people have the exact same opportunities… same resources that this man had… and to hear what he did with his life and his time… made me want to be a better person. Even in his death, he inspired us to be better followers of Christ. Amazing… he was a prince for sure.

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you…
1 Peter 1:4
_______________________________________________________________

Have you ever read the words of martyrs… ever read any of their historical last words? Or have you ever read any historical account of someone who died for what they believed? If you haven’t, you should… trust me…
I feel sorry for people that don’t have some sort of passion in their lives. I’ve been reminded of what life looks like without it… and what life can look like with it. I guess the trick of it all is to live out your passion for the right reason…

For those of you who have been crazy enough to have been reading this blog of mine for a few years, you may remember when I was reading Perpetua…
if you want to stroll down my memory lane… feel free to read what I wrote back then about the story and the passion.

I was at my parents’ home on Sunday afternoon and I went through some of the stuff in my old room… I was looking for something I’d written when I was 13. I found it. i knew I’d find it. But I didn’t know how much more I’d find along with it. There was a journal from my senior year in high school that my AP English teacher had required us to keep… she would give us topics to write on… and so… I was reading in it… and it was a very surreal experience to think about how much my life has been molded… and slowly shaped. I hope you've kept a journal that you accidentally find 10 years later. Maybe you should give yourself a topic every day for 5 months… or 8 months… or a whole year… and then hide it away… and then it’ll be like Christmas when you accidentally bump into it again…

oh, and among the many books I'm attempting to read right now... is one about vision. It's called Chazown. I'm thinking you just might enjoy it... i have a feeling that many of my entries to come might be from thoughts i'm having thanks to this book.

BDay fun

almost forgot... so my bday was Tuesday... and it was a fun time... had dinner with friends... and then closed out the evening w/a lovely time over at Vintage 1740. here's a few pictures from dinner... unfortunately didn't get pics w/all the girls... the pics were too dark... my camera doesn't like PF Chang's lighting too much! anyway... thx to everyone who helped make my bday fun this year... love ya!

beauty of grace

you know how sometimes you might love the sound of a song... the music... the beat... the melody...? but then you read the lyrics and you're like what the $#%@* are they talking about? and then there's times when you really like the lyrics of a song... but maybe it's not the most well composed musically? or the singer might not be the greatest?
yeah, well, i heard a song the other day that i loved the lyrics to... and i'd hate anyone to miss them because they may not enjoy the music... so... click on the link below if you're interested...

sometimes you just need something... and the other day these lyrics were the something for me... surprised i got through the entire song... i almost changed it when i heard the first "La de da, la de da da" but for some reason i didn't... who sings "La de da, la de da da" anyway? that should only be allowed to be sung by leprechauns or something...
oh well... i like the rest of the lyrics anyway.

love thy neighbor

tonight i caught a M&M commercial that said to go to www.becomeanmm.com
and so... i did. and i became an M&M. Earbuds and all. i'm wearing gloves & snow boots because WHAT? it's freakin cold outside right now!

so i'm going to try to go to sleep at a normal hour tonight... last night it was reading... the night before i think it was tv... the night before that i'm sure it was music... and who knows about the nights before that...
anyway... my point is that this is going to be short and sweet...

the other day, after it started sleeting and icing and all that... my neighbor (who is an elderly man) was outside in his tall boots and knit cap shoveling the sidewalks. and i'm talking he was going around the entire section of our building... cleaning it off for everyone... even up to their front doors. and then later i saw him out walking the sidewalks and throwing that salty ice-melt stuff down... walking through the entire length of our building... throwing the mixture down on the sidewalk...
one day, when i grow up, i hope to be like my neighbor... shoveling and de-icing sidewalks out of the goodness of my heart... even if it's freezing ass cold outside... not saying a word... just shoveling... and de-icing. i think i might ask him to dinner sometime. i wonder if he's ever been to Diamond Jack's...

anyway... i had to blog about my neighbor... cause his act of kindness made me stop and think...

BRRR...

it's cold... the roads aren't super friendly due to all the sleet we've been getting.
i had to get out of the house though... i was experiencing cabin fever... went to the store and walked around a bit... rented a movie... interacted with some other humans... got some batteries in case power goes out... got some more food...

i've been browsing around the web and watched a podcast... look at one of the things they featured: http://www.babyrockrecords.com
kinda cool...

and another site i visited... thanks again to ABC's podcast: http://www.barcodeart.com
hope everyone is staying warm... ciao for now...
k.

lipsaver

I have to tell you about this wonderful product. For the last couple weeks... with the changing weather going on... i've been experiencing some serious chapped lips. it just kept getting worse and worse no matter WHAT i tried! i've never had such a bad case in my life... I'm talking parched, cracked, & bleeding. anyway, THANKFULLY, my dear friend Rebecca intervened. She bought me a Carmex click stick (cherry flavored!) and i'm like a whole new person. I'm not exaggerating... i'm completely serious. i love it. let me tell you... you need to stop wasting time and go do yourself a favor and go buy some of this right now... you will be so glad you did.
Ever have one of those weeks when you feel like no one sees you? Ever feel like no one notices and no one ever will? And then someone surprises you w/a random act of kindness? Yeah, me too.

gifts...

don't know if anyone read my super long entry from Dec 18... but I've been thinking a lot lately about the gift(s) that God puts in each one of us...

and if any of this strikes a cord with you... or speaks to where you're at in your life...
then here's something you should read that was written by my friend Mike. no, really... read it... what else are you going to go do right now anyway? go check out some more stupid clips on YouTube? you have 3 minutes... i know you do... so take it.

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! much love, k.

it's late...

you know how sometimes the things that are obvious to you are simply not to other people? like when someone you know is extremely talented or gifted in one area and they don't see it? well, i realize that can be true with myself too.... and so tonight i asked Rebecca if there was something that she could see in my life that maybe i don't or don't pay enough attention to that she might see as a natural thing... something that i could/should do... a path or direction i could go... that would be more natural for me. there are special unique things that are in each individual life that is a part of their own unique dna... and some people never make use of their uniqueness... they never use their gift. never flex that muscle or go that direction... i do not want to waste what i've been given.
and i will not. i will not be one of those people. well, Rebecca's response was thought provoking... and as she mentioned, to NOT do what God has gifted me in... would be wrong. why run from the things that God has put in you? it's funny because i hear stories about people who spend their lives going one direction and then one day they decide to step out and do something totally different- do the things that God put in them. be one of those people... start small if you want... but START. start moving in the direction where your gifts lie... those things are in you for a reason. and it's your duty to share them... right? i feel like i'm already using some of my gifting... i'm not sure what it's going to look like 40 years from now... but at i'm going to start working it more... and more.
i dare you to ask one of your closest friends if there's something they see in you that maybe you don't (or don't want to see). don't ask your smart-a friend... ask the one who really knows you... the one you can talk to about anything.
side note: have i mentioned that i love music? man, i'd love to work in music in some capacity... geez... (YES, i'm listening to music right now.) maybe i can have 2 jobs... yeah, i think that's what i'll do... totally do-able...

have you ever truly tried to put yourself in someone else's shoes? have you ever imagined what it's like to be them, look through their eyes at what they're looking at, step on the ground they walk, eat the food they crave, smell the scents in their life, feel their hurts, feel their joys, depend on the money they depend, sing the songs they sing, drink what they drink, hear the songs they hear, feel the passion the feel, cry their tears? sometimes when i read things, i try to imagine myself as that person...
but in real life, imagining yourself in another person's shoes can also help you understand them...
i say this because on saturday night i went to eat a local restuarant where they have been serving some of the best specialty sandwiches and deli-type food in tulsa since 1965. yes... since 1965... almost 42 years. well, i'm guessing that many of the patrons we shared our meal with on saturday night may have very well been coming to this restaurant for these 42 years. and i tried to put myself in their shoes...
went with my dad, mom, & grandmother. at first it seemed as though we'd walked in on a special dinner for the elderly... and then i saw the elderly gentleman sitting on the stage playing his keyboard and singing the tunes from his younger days. wow. talk about walking into someone else's world. we sat down and ordered. and then the gentleman started playing and singing "It Had To Be You". and several of them started singing along... and they sang and they sang and they sang. and they sang. they sang the entire time we were there... and i sat there and watched and listened and tried to put myself in their shoes. i was honored to be eating with them on saturday... they were awesome. i imagine that many of them go there every saturday night... or maybe they travel back and forth to their favorite local diners... but they stick together and they dress up and they remember together and they sing their songs... and they laugh... and they sing. there's something special about this specific generation... their songs are different... and when they're gone... a part of their songs will go with them... because no matter how much we try to put ourselves in their shoes we don't have the memories associated to the songs that they have... the first time they heard "It Had To Be You"... the world was a different place then. not only that but think about what a night like this would be for a group of people who were from the hippie era... what about the punk rock era? i have a feeling that the music from these other generations won't have that same warm nostalgic feel... they'll have feeling... but not the same!
my grandmother started singing along a little bit... and i could tell that she was loving it... and i tried to put myself in her shoes... and i could see why she was loving it...
they were still singing when we left... maybe i should frequent there more often on saturday nights... call me a romantic... but i think they're cool.

my sweet brother, Jared, graduated from OU this weekend. i'll post a couple pics soon. but my pillows are calling my name right now... much love... k.

5 things...

Steph tagged me to share "5 things that you don't know about me".

okay, if you know me at all… you know that I’m open book… so I really had to think to come up with 5 things that people wouldn’t know about me… had to go way back… to childhood stuff… so here you go:

1. when I was a little kid (like 4ish) and my parents used to take us on road trips, I would stare out the window the whole time… looking intently at each street sign we passed… looking for Seasame Street… I never found it…
2. when my brother was about 5 and I was about 9ish, I punched him so hard that it knocked the wind out of him… and it scared me SO BAD that I never hit him ever again (not with my full strength anyway).
3. My first pair of Nike shoes played a big part in a terrible incident that left me hanging upside down from the fence in our yard… by my shoelaces. (yes, please, take this time to imagine little me dangling upside down by the shoelaces.)
4. One of my favorite meals as a kid was baked beans & dogs heated up in a skillet w/ some mac-n-chesse on the side. Hhmmmm… actually…. that sounds really good right now… ☺
5. The first memory I have of going to the movie theater… was to see Annie. And I loved it… loved the music. Yeah, give me a break… I was 3…

Speaking of childhood… today one of my childhood friends is getting married. Wow, not sure I’m ready to go to this wedding… I hope I don’t have to be escorted out… I just might be crying my eyes out on this one. It’s weird to feel like you know someone… even though you really don’t know the most recent things in their life. I know the boy in him from our innocent days… the boy from tree climbing days… from baseball in the summer… from teenage years… and struggles… and we were close… soulmates. We used to write each other letters. Getting letters from him was one of my most favorite things in life…
I’m looking forward to seeing him tomorrow… and being at his wedding.

just elfing around

thanks to Steph, i have a fun little jig for you... enjoy this Merry Christmas dance... from me to you.

whoohoo!

Layna & Joel!! They just got engaged today! whoohoo!

yeah, my cousin Joel popped the question today & is now engaged to Layna! Congrats to them & whoohoo! I'm excited to have another girl in the family! geez!
anyway, tonight i'm typing from my hotel room in Austin. Here for a business seminar. i've already met some interesting & friendly folks. i sat at a table tonight that was full of people from the east coast... we talked about NYC... and it kinda made me miss it... i'm definitely going to have to make a NYC trip every couple years (at least). going on trips solo makes me more outgoing. i made friends with a New Yorker in the car rental line... and we raced each other out of the airport parking lot. who says New Yorkers aren't friendly??
can i just say that i HATE Austin's roadways!! Good Lord!! what the heck?!?! luckily i have a GPS system in my rental car... but even the GPS system can't figure it out quite right! when i realized it was leading me in the wrong direction, i turned around and told it to reconfigure... and then it was fine... but that was a close one!
on the plane trips here i sat next to women on both flights. and both of these women were mid-fifty and pleasantly plump(i don't know why i say pleasantly... it's just the nice thing to say i guess). and both women were very friendly... but they didn't force me into any conversation... you know, sometimes i just don't want to chat on planes... sometimes i do... but sometimes i don't... so it was nice not to have to. both ladies could easily be characters in movies or on tv. they were funny... and had fun personalities. the flight attendants on my second flight were crazy. they were yelling at passengers and were very short-tempered... yikes!
my hotel room is nice... there are 2 beds... and 7 pillows on each bed! i'm thinking i'm going to surround myself with 14 pillows tonight and drift off into a blissful, pillowful sleep.
well, i'm going to go ahead and jump into those pillows and try to get some sleep... i have to get up early tomorrow! hope everyone is doing well! ciao for now.

fun times

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I start writing something late at night? Ugh! I need more sleep in my life! Especially as of late… 16 hours in uncomfortable shoes on Sunday was enough to cripple me… I’ve been hobbling around for the past 2 days… trying to act like my feet aren’t still killing me. Geez! Anyway, that being said, don’t judge me for my poor punctuation skills tonight.
So I’ve been meaning to write for awhile… in fact, I wrote something about a week ago… I wrote this huge long thing… and right as I hit the “Submit” button, it was all deleted. 2+ hours down the drain. Yeah, I said 2+ hours… needless to say I was annoyed… but what could I do but just wave it good-bye and go to sleep? So that’s what I did…
Anyway… to Bethany, Steph, and whoever the rest of you are who occasionally read this… yes, I had a great time in NYC. A better time than I expected… but I guess part of that would be because I had no idea what to expect to begin with. I bought a camera the night before I left… and I’m so glad I did. I took tons of pictures. Spent a lot of my time in the Manhattan area… it was such a colorful experience. The sights, sounds, smells, people… the energy really was captivating. Easy to get caught up in. Talk about a romantic place! It was a very surreal experience… I felt like I was literally in the movies for the first couple of days but then I got into it… I started to become accustomed to the busy way of life… I started walking the way they walk… I started crossing the streets the way they cross (there’s a way)… I started to communicate & talk the way they talk(just the facts please)… I started living in it… and I liked it. BUT I don’t think I could live there permanently… I could definitely do a vacation home or something (yeah, like $ isn’t a factor). We went to tons of places and saw tons of things but we still didn’t have time for it all. Thanks to myspace, I was able to reconnect with Matty G and he showed us around a bit… took us to fun places like Little Italy, Chinatown, Time Warner Center, and tons of other stuff. Ingrid & I went to Macy’s and just walked the city one day. It was a lot of fun… eating dogs in Central Park, strolling down 5th Avenue, touring the Empire State Building, taking a Harbor Tour and seeing the Statue of Liberty… good times.
Yeah, so thanks for asking Blee… I can send you (any of you) some pics if you’re interested. It was interesting just to live in the NYC world for a little bit… totally different than anything at home. GEEZ, the taxi rides alone were definitely life-changing experiences! Brought me closer to God I tell ya! I was praying for forgiveness & salvation, recommitting my life to God in those first few taxi rides!
Well, I’ve been listening to some great music tonight… the kind that makes me think about climbing mountains & busting down brick walls & driving at 100mph… the kind that makes you think crazy world-changing Big Ridiculous Impossible thoughts. The kind that spurs dreams that you can’t escape… the kind the rekindles the fire inside. I say all of that to say that I could write all night… and go on and on about stuff… and change the world and everyone in it with just this one entry… but it’s raining and it’s late and I need some sleep… and I think tonight’s rain will help me sleep… but I’m going to write some more stuff soon… so look for it. Hope everyone is doing well. Ciao for now.

Manhattan(s)

yesterday, late afternoon, I surrendered and joined myspace. yup, sure did. still haven’t worked on my page… haven’t done the about me or anything yet… but I’ll get around to it… :) anyway, here it is: http://www.myspace.com/playintune

my parents came over last night to hang out for a bit… and they brought Marie Callendar’s pie with them. oh hallelujah… yum.
boy, am I one sleepy kid today. stayed up kinda late again. and my neighbors didn’t help… they were making all kinds of ruckus last night! the joys of living in an apartment.

I’m headed to Manhattan, KS to a friend’s wedding this week… leave on Thursday. They call it “The Little Apple”… how cute. I like Kansas… it’s under-rated.
anyway, get back from all that jazz on Sunday. Then I’m going to turn around and leave for the “Big Apple” on Tuesday morning! Yup, I’m headed to Manhattan, NY!
I get to visit both Manhattans within a few days of each other… how funny is that?
Anyway, it’ll be my first time in NYC. I’m really looking forward to it… and I’ll be sure to take plenty o’ pictures! If anyone has any “must-see” suggestions, email me!
ciao for now!

McFreakinAwesome

i have a little toad friend who's recently showed up... he greets me and welcomes me home in the evenings when i get home after dark. he's not always there... but i look for him and wonder how he's doing when he's not there. i think that a lot of people have toad greeters or toad doormen. i know for a fact that my friend sarah does... and i can think of a couple of others too. hmmm... i guess that toads are friendly little buggers... must be socialites. i wonder if they having a greeting committee... maybe that's where he is when i miss him and he's not at my doorstep... at the toad greeting committee meeting.

so about my audio class... i know you're wondering about that Steph! it was a huge HUGE success. basically left class with a huge goofy grin on my face... i always thought that i had a good ear... and it was only proven last night. everyone loved LOVED Rebecca(vocalist). In fact, they loved her singing so much... that they freakin' gave a standing-o! yeah, i'm not kidding. i'm siked. i'm ready to start recording like a mad person! i asked my teacher tons o' questions...

anyway, everyone loved it and my teacher said it was really REALLY great. and that's quite a compliment coming from him. i love GarageBand! i can't wait to learn all about ProTools!

again, it obviously could not have been a success without Rebecca (McFreakinAwesome), Danny, and Joesf... so thanks to them!!!

i'm listening to Blue Merle's cd "Burning in the Sun" tonight. they're good... check them out. i like their life-like sound. does that make sense? sounds like they're right here in my apartment singing... his voice isn't crowded out by the music... it's above the music bed... it sounds great. the sound of Blue Merle reminds me of DMB... but it reminds me of David Gray and others too... but yet it's still original... different in some way. but i don't like some of the songs because they're depressing... so i just skip those when they start to get me all depressed. why don't people make happier music anyway? not that everything has to be happy all the time but things don't have to be freakin' depressing all the time either. Blue Merle's happier songs are the type of music that i would like to paint to... or write to... or drive to. a few of my favorite songs of Blue M so far are "Part of Your History", "Bittersweet Memory", and "Places".

okay- i'm out- later ya'all- i gots to get some sleep tonight.

I ♥ Music.

i'm sitting here listening to Sufjan Stevens... his "To Be Alone With You".
I like it... it's more than what it seems.... it's deep.

anyway... we recorded music tonight. we recorded the song i needed for my audio class. it went really well & it was a lot of fun. Good thing was that i didn't end up having to do the guitar part... hallelujah! i met a guitarist at the music store yesterday... so he played for us tonight. Rebecca did the vocal... and she did awesome... no surprise there. i have a feeling that my recording is going to be better than anybody else's... thanks to Rebecca, Joesf, & Danny. :) It sounds soooo great... love it.

it's weird cause i'm sitting here listening to Sufjan... and i like a lot of his music... but there's some of his stuff that i could do without. so it's funny how you can like one artist and then turn around and really like another artist that's totally different. Guess that's the beauty of music... that it doesn't all have to sound the same to be good... to be enjoyed... by someone. We briefly talked about Janis Joplin tonight... and it's not like she had a stellar sound 100% of the time... I mean, think about Janis trying to make it on American Idol... not too sure she'd be able to make it past Simon in the try-outs!
And i'm sitting here thinking about Sufjan's music... a lot of the titles are whacked out... such as the titles on his Come On Feel the Illiniose! album... read these whacked out titles. Luckily crazy titles don't stop people from loving him and his music.
To each his own... that's all it boils down to.

i think Sufjan Steven's music reminds me of the movie "I ♥ Huckabees" in some weird way. Saw the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" last week and i recognized one of the songs in it as a Sufjan song... i think it might have been the song "Casimir Pulaski Day" or the ending of "The Transfiguration"... the 2 songs can sound similar to me. Not that anyone cares about this besides me... anyway... hope everyone has a great week... it's time for me to hit the pillow... cause i'm half asleep!

Happy 1st day of October.
love ya'all.

stepping out

so as i was buying a bag of "FUN SIZE" Butterfingers the other day I was thinking... why call this little mini-sized candybar "FUN SIZE"? To me, the "FUN" size is not the 1 inch piece of candy... i would think that it would make more sense to call the KING SIZE candybar the "FUN SIZE". I don't know, maybe it's just me... but i think that the more candy you get, the more "FUN" it is. They should call this little 1 inch bar the "JUST ENOUGH". Everyone knows that this is the size that you buy to hide in your desk drawer at the office or in the kitchen cupboards...

Ever have those moments when lights of clarity go off and flicker in your head?? Maybe while listening to a song, while singing a song... or while talking with a good friend?? I've experienced some of those moments- some of those "lights" lately... while doing those 3 things. Don't you love it when that happens? Those are the moments that keep me going... the things that i have to remember when i feel like i'm literally battling... blood, sweat, tears stuff. I pray that God keep you & guide you as you battle whatever you're facing. I pray that you have little lights and moments of clarity that make it all make sense... make it all come together in your head to give you the bigger picture of what it is you are fighting for or against...
or maybe you're not fighting anything at all... i hope you can still experience those flickering light of clarity moments regardless of where you're at in life right now. those moments are important.
speaking of fighting, i read a quote today that almost brought me to a Braveheart battlecry.
even though it may not make sense out of context, i'll share it with you:
"If you are willing to do a frightening thing, if you are willing to run toward the sound of the guns, if you would fight with all your strength against self-righteousness: step out of yourself and see the truth your adversary sees." -Roy H. Williams

no, i'm not a Roy H. Williams groupie... seriously... those people weird me out. any and all groupies weird me out... not just the Roy groupies.

awesome

Lightning photo courtesy of spaceweather.com

So I'm taking this audio techniques class on Monday nights now.

Much to my surprise, the professor is actually going to the trouble of teaching us the VERY fundamentals of sound... for example, we're learning about at what frequencies the human ear hears and things like wave paths. It is fascinating stuff... I'm not sure any of us were ready to leave when class was over.

GET THIS: Do you know what the sound of thunder is??

The sound of thunder is the sound of all the notes in the musical scale at once.

I cannot tell you how cool that is for me... all the notes in the scale... all at once... thunder is... not just noise... it's music. how can all the notes in the musical scale all at once be an accident? Reminds me of the string theory and the theory of everything.

it's awesome... I am so excited about the things I'm learning in this class. And I thought all I was going to be getting out of the class was how to do audio mixing!

and get this: the end of the course project is to record/produce a song.

sounds way more fun than most of the classes i took in college.

hope everyone is having a great week.

later.

coordination skills

just in case you missed this rockin' awesome live performance from the OK GO boys on the VMAs...
here it is: OK GO.

i need more

the long weekend is winding down. bummer. oh well, at least that means that we'll have a short work week. :)
last night i drove down the highway on my way home with the windows rolled down, sunroof wide open, and the music turned way up. and i was happy... i was happy for the invention of cruise control and the invention of the sunroof. the wind was blowing my hair all over the place... it was a wonder i could see anything... it was so therapeutic. it was really great.
i own a pink chair. it's an antique. i acquired this chair from my grandmother... and i love it. i think i've almost decided that it's my most favorite piece of furniture that i have. i got to thinking about why i love it so much... and i think i've uncovered why i love the old pink chair. call me sentimental... but i think i love it so much because i know that my grandfather once sat in it... reading his newspaper... or sleeping... or watching tv... or smoking a cigarette. it was a part of his life... and now it's a part of mine. since he died when i was 1-year-old... there weren't whole lot of opportunities in that one year to get to know each other... and so you take what you can get... and for me, it's the chair. i guess you could say that the pink chair brings us together in a way... it's a part of the family. hmmm... who knew all that could be wrapped up in a chair? seriously haven't ever thought about it until today. funny...

p.s. found a fun blog if you're interested: http://hughe2030.blogspot.com/

nicole, steph, & me

from Steph's visit... out on our girl's night. :)

2 things

1
the scripture of the day:
Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand.
Proverbs 19:21 (Amplified Bible)

2
the dictionary.com word of the day:
tete-a-tete \TAYT-uh-TAYT; TET-uh-TET\, adjective:
1. Private; confidential; familiar.
2. A private conversation between two people.
3. A short sofa intended to accommodate two persons.

Tete-a-tete??? i've never once heard this word used in conversation. anyone? anyone?
I'm going to go sit on a tete-a-tete now and have a tete-a-tete. that's right you heard me... a tete-a-tete on a tete-a-tete.

the Fray

have i mentioned that i like THE FRAY? and Issac Slade?
since i missed their concert here, i'm really thinking about traveling a great distance to go see them in concert in September. why not? i need a vacation!! why not make a vacation out of it? man, if i could only pull it off... we'll see.

get this, according to AOL, Isaac mentored a crack-addicted teen, providing the inspiration for the title track How to Save a Life: "I wrote the song about how there's no formula for bringing somebody out of that."

from page 18

so i'm reading this book, Bird by Bird. it's pretty good stuff...
funny thing, i read something in it the other day that sounded very similar to something i wrote here in June... my another fog blog.

anyway... here's the paragraph from page 18:
E.L. Doctorow once said that "writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." You don't have to see where you're going, you don't have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice about writing, or life, I have ever heard.

is that good or what? because it's so true.

i'm listening to The Fray right now... i love music.

Adam & Melissa's wedding

remember my little brother? yup, it seems

jared's all grown-up... weird. :)

i like icecream...

yes, i like ice cream...
and i LOVE guacamole...
but i'm not sure i would have ever thought of Icy Hot Avocado Ice Cream.
hmmm... sounds interesting... i just might try it.
i also found Alton Brown's recipe for Avocado Ice Cream... but i'm thinking the icy hot recipe sounds better.

new

i recently bought some new towels. i love them.
yesterday i bought a new toothbrush. i love it.
this morning my motivation for getting up was the thought of my new bath towels and my new toothbrush. i love the feeling of new. but i have to say that as i was getting ready for work and realized that my reason for getting up was a towel and a toothbrush...
i started to get a little depressed.

but new is good... right? i should be excited about my day regardless of whether any new towels or new toothbrushes are involved... right?
speaking of new, i got a new job... well, same place... just a different job... and yeah, it's a good thing... it's a happy thing.
so now i've got my new job to get me up in the morning... my new bath towels... and of course, don't forget the new toothbrush. but something tells me i'm out of focus... cause as cool as all this new stuff is and as grateful as i am... none of it really matters in the long run. there should be something else getting us up outta bed... i'll stop here before i get too serious & philosophical... i think you all know where i'm going and what i mean. refocusing... i need to do more of it... daily.

back to the toothbrush... seriously... don't you just LOVE the feeling of a new toothbrush or is that just me?

last week Rebecca introduced me to Sudoku.
i've played 5 games so far. i don't remember how long my 1st game took... my 2nd game took 15 minutes... i gave up on my 3rd game... my 4th game took 20 minutes... and gave up again on my 5th. they say the average is 6 minutes. what? average for who? who are they talking about?
you know what? i'd like to see Raymond go after a sudoku puzzle. i'm thinking he'd have it solved in a minute or less... he'd blow the record.

drip... drip... drip...

i recently added the following two quotes to my little quote book… and thought that they were both worth sharing:

Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.
-Henry David Thoreau

Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
-Helen Keller


could it be that most go to the grave with the song still in them because they’re too busy trying to attain self-gratification? no, I’m not preaching at anyone… well, maybe a little to myself...
geez… apparently I’m a fan of both Thoreau & Keller… a lot of their quotes have really struck a chord in me.

it’s not a matter of whether or not there’s a song there… it’s a matter of bringing it out… bringing it to the surface... finding your music, your instrument, your rhythm, your voice, your style.
what’s my unique contribution? what’s yours? when do you notice your song playing?
what is it that makes music leak out of your soul?

I can’t believe it’s the end of July already! what?! speaking of which, it's freakin' hot!

p.s. STEPH & MATT are coming for a visit soon! yeah for visits from friends!

burritos, clocks, and billy joel

it's almost been a month since i've thrown a line or two up on here... so i thought i'd go ahead with an update. my gosh! how time freakin' flies! anyway, i'll keep this short and sweet.
woke up this morning and decided to sleep in a few extra minutes... it turned into about 20 minutes. ended up being only a couple minutes late to work. :)
an old friend stopped by to say hello...
had lunch with some coworkers... discovered that Emily eats burritos starting in the middle. she always starts eating them from the middle. hmm.
discovered that another one of my coworkers sets every single one of her clocks exactly 25 minutes fast. another hmm.
had a weird afternoon... but made it to 5pm.
had dinner with my parents.
listened to "easy listening" on the way home tonight... and actually enjoyed a tune from Billy Joel of all people!? what?
decided to jump online and shop for a new phone... still can't find a phone that i wanna buy... but in the meantime i made another impulse buy & bought another ring tone. geez! they get me everytime! (and no, it wasn't Billy Joel!) peace out.