More Good Stuff

We all want more good stuff.  I mean, you would be crazy to refuse if someone offered you more good stuff. So I have decided that when we say “no” to something good, it is probably because we don’t have the knowledge of what is being offered, OR, we don’t want to be uncomfortable and try new things.

I believe that Modesto has good stuff to offer. If we live here, let’s enjoy it! I think most negative conversations I have regarding this city are with people that don’t know what is offered here. I have personally been affected by the nation’s economic disaster, but I aim to show you the positives of this place so that we can re-build and invest here! Start trying new things, step out of your boring, restrictive box and get out there!

This past year I visited the Prospect Theater, a tiny little building located on the outskirts of the downtown area.  The Prospect Theater Project was brought to life by people who wanted a place to practice the arts on a regular basis. I visited on a night they had a poetry slam. I had NEVER been to a poetry slam before and was a little nervous because I thought it would be full of people snapping, dressed in gothic clothing, full of strong emotions and bad language…not my “typical" environment. I was partially right, but what I didn’t know was how freaking cool it was going to be. It was welcoming environment where people could be creative with words, an art form that I didn’t necessarily appreciate before (ironically, because I love to write).  Yes, there was some shocking content, but there was also some truth being spoken and truth is often shocking.  Visit their site here to read up on what else they offer.

Because I went to the Prospect Theater and had such a good time with this new experience, I decided go to the Ill List event with a friend earlier this month. This was a professional poetry slam (forgive me, poets, if I use the wrong lingo, I am a newbie!) that Modesto has been promoting for years! What the heck, I just hear about it now?! Needless to say, or rather I need to say, I am an instant fan. 8 poets from around the nation were invited to show their talent, and we were not disappointed. I heard some awesome poetry being performed and was thoroughly entertained and challenged. I got to mingle with people that I wouldn’t normally run into, you know how people get stuck in their “circle” of friends. Well I hate being stuck in one circle, I want to be a part of ALL of them, and so this was amazing! After the slam, the poets said that this is the only event in this style, and we have it here, Modesto!  This year’s winner was Carlos Robson, I am posting a piece he did at the Modesto slam, though the video was taken elsewhere. Take 3 minutes to watch it (I do not own this video), it is about an autistic boy and entitled “Amazing Grace”:

If you are interested in this type of thing, check out this freaking cool website I found a while back: www.p4cm.com

And as a bonus, watch this video which I sadly do not own, of my favorite ladies of word (with awesome hair):

 Hmmm, let me try:

The Ill List was rad,

I didn’t go last year, by bad.

But when my rhyming gets better,

I will perform words organized by letter,

For the betterment of my community,

Who knew it could be done through poetry?

Please forgive me this ditty,

But I just love this city!

Yeah, yeah, I guess I need a little work… it looks like I will “have” to attend these events more regularly for education and inspiration. And since I brought it up, why do you try something new, take someone with you and check out these types of events too?! I would love it if you posted some new things you have tried, or new local places you have visited so that we can check them out too! We will from this point on call them “Success Stories.”  Yeah, I dig it *snap, snap, snap*.

We Need To Talk

Now before you worry, I know this is a phrase that often brings a lot of anxiety. It generally comes at a time when you cannot talk, ironically.  Once spoken, there is normally a waiting phase before the “talk” actually happens, bringing lot of unresolved tension. Well, I will not leave you waiting.

The issue I would like to bring up is interesting enough that I have decided to spend a few moments of writing on it. We have all seen it, some have unfortunately experienced it. It often has the nerve to be seen 3-5 times, sometimes more, a day. If it was a once in a while issue, it would hardly be worth mentioning and I wouldn’t waste my time.  But this is something that repeatedly swirls in my mind as an annoyance that needs to be mended! Enough is enough!

 I am sure by now you know of the issue I am writing about.  Yes, I am addressing the inappropriateness of artificial blue toilet water. You know, the color of blue that makes you stop and question if you just became a cartoon character once you walked through the bathroom door. No one’s sanity should be questioned!  I object to the use of topaz being used for a commode, however grand, when it should obviously be the color of a jewel in a ring or necklace.  When will we make a stand? What is next? Where will we draw a line?

The steps we must take begin with our own families. One suggestion I have for the non-confrontational type  is to leave a family gathering at an unnoticed moment and try to flush the thrown as many times as possible so as to use up the colored water. If the family gathering is not large or loud, it may become awkward for one to explain all the flushing, so pick your time wisely.  Other ideas include having a carefully planned intervention, adding artificial red food coloring to your meals (fighting fire with fire will be a decision you make solely based on your personality), have a bathroom strike, or set up picket lines complete with signs, if you have other thoughts or suggestions you may post them below.

I realize this is awkward, but it had to be addressed.

 

A Typical Morning

So I am trying this whole blogging thing out, and realized that in order for you to value anything I write, you should probably know who I am. I have a lot of years behind me enough experience in life to share a ton of stories, but instead of sharing every little detail of the last “enter approximate age years here”, I will just share a typical morning, so you get the “jist” of how my life is.

I wake up to country music playing on my alarm clock/radio, not necessarily because I love country music and need to wake up to some twang, but definitely because it is the only radio station the antennae picks up in the little house I live in….located in another person’s backyard. This should be enough for you to feast on, but wait, there’s more. It takes me approximately 30 minutes of lying in bed in order to wake up, translation: 5-6 hits on the snooze button. Originally, I strategically placed my alarm clock across the room so that I would have to get up and turn it off, and thus “wake up.” However, I have perfected the art of crossing my room in only 2 steps WITH my eyes closed, so getting up 5-10 times soon became a conquered challenge. It is better to just lie there until I can walk with my eyes open and function properly.

 

Anyway, once I am awake, I usually have about 30 minutes to get ready and leave the house, this is easy enough; I am a working woman after all. Now this is when I begin the self-imposed argument about self-control and discipline, while I am walking to my car I ALWAYS have some inner dialogue about whether or not I will go buy a vanilla latte, or if THIS is the day that I will refuse and wait to drink tea at the office.  Luckily, it is only a 5 minute drive to Starbucks so the conversation doesn’t get too far and normally ends with something like, “Maybe next week,” or “This is ok, I have budgeted this in,” or on some occasions, “Shut up, me! IneedthisitisafreakingMonday (note that Monday is interchangeable with any of the other 6 days)!” For those of you tea lovers out there wondering why I don’t just wait for the tea, I should mention that once I get to the office, I also have a hot cup of tea once the vanilla latte is gone. And for those of you who are about to suggest a different latte flavor, let me stop you, don’t be ridiculous. For those of you who know I am cutting my caffeine, I used to get 2 shots or more of espresso, it was beautiful:

 

And to be clear, this is how most people recognize me (latte face):

 

 

Sometimes I have bouts of craziness before I have coffee, like today, I opened my car door after purchasing my beverage (8oz, one pump of vanilla, latte), and paused because I actually thought I heard sleigh bells…no, no it was just my car keys.

 

And  no, I do not work at a mental institution, nor do I work at the North Pole…ok, rabbit trail with me for a minute, I wish there was a “West Pole,” an all beach terrain where it was always sunny, warm, fun and always smelled like BBQ…I would definitely want to work there, or here:

 

Once at work, I change into “business Adrienne,” kind of like “Career Barbie” but without the “Barbie” (no picture available). This is where I would like to offer Work Survival Tip #27: The coffee cup warmer can be used as a hand warmer if you are on hold for more than 30 minutes at a time and unable to procure a jacket or mittens from your car. Now, if you read my Facebook status or Tweets (shameless Twitter plug: adrienneyerzy), you will know that I eat an apple around 10am everyday, an apple that is safely placed upon a yellow post-it note on the right side of my desk. This in itself is not weird, I know that. But what has been happening is that every day between 9:50 am and 10:10am the UPS driver parks outside my office window. Now, I grab for the apple when I see that brown uniform and am a little concerned that future me is going to be embarrassed when I see a brown uniform and start salivating. This is an issue that may have to be dealt with at a later date.

Well, this information brings you up to date on my mornings. And now you know a little of the mind that writes these blogs. Take it or leave it. But please take it, seriously….I don’t want to have to tell people that I blog, when in reality it is an online “diary” that only I read. Seriously.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What if?

When tragedy suddenly and fiercely bears down on a community or a nation, people look for answers. I doubt that there is ever a satisfactory answer to the question of “Why?” What explanation is ever good enough for the loss of a precious life? There is a question of “What if” that perhaps may help with preventing future events of evil.

What if a community turned in on itself to love one another?  Not with a passive love, only a proactive, inconvenient love can truly combat hate and evil.  Instead of turning to a governmental power, or professional entity for help, we would take pride in caring for our own.  

What if we saw a problem and became peacemakers instead of people that placate (one does what is needed for real peace, the other appeases to smooth over an issue but doesn’t necessarily fix the problem)?  This would imply that we have to know our neighbors, to love them and to be willing to get in their business, or worse, to allow them into ours. What if we weren’t concerned with the messiness implied in really knowing our neighbors?

What if we had a history of kindness with a person before we pointed out a flaw?

What if we ruthlessly loved people so that there is no doubt that love is the motive of the addressing person, making it perhaps a little easier to receive correction as the instigator?

What if we stopped blaming “things” as evil, but address the heart of the issue?

What if we remember that love is not just a good feeling but often has to be fought for?

What if grace (getting what I do not deserve) and mercy (not getting what I deserve) were not just actions I demand or desire from others, but became the characteristics of a lifestyle that I extend to others?

What if we created an atmosphere for people to be honest about their issues, so that they could then begin to address them? What if this didn’t take place in a secret AA meeting, or in the expensive office of a psychologist, but this conversation begins in a neighbor’s home where people sit side to side as equals?

What if I didn't ask these questions because I knew that I would have pressure from my peers to prove I really want answers?

I am sure that there are tons of people who have already asked these questions (perhaps even determined them to void of substance) and are already on this road to actively finding answers but I don’t have the answers. These are the questions I am asking myself. I want more for my community, Modesto, than what we have currently settled for. Confession:  I definitely have the Type A personality, all in or nothing, so when I see huge problems that I cannot fix I don’t attempt to do anything. Or, I think if no one else is going to help, if this doesn’t become a “movement”, then trying to do anything by myself is futile.  However, I am now beginning to think that true community change cannot happen by a temporary movement or by an organization, but only when individuals seek answers to the social problems they are confronted with and then are willing to be uncomfortable and act accordingly. What if as situations come up, I will consider them opportunities, and not inconveniences, that I will have the audacity to claim love from a Higher Power, and be willing to be uncomfortable. It may take a while, and if you know me, then you know it is unlikely that I will ever come even close to perfecting any acts of love, I am flawed, but….what if I try?

 

Awkwardness, I Own You

I will submit three definitions from the Encarta Dictionary:

1) Embarrassing and requiring great tact or skill to resolve
2) Lacking physical coordination and grace
3) Shy, uncomfortable, and embarrassed

There are so many forms of awkwardness, there are brief bouts of awkwardness that end quickly, for instance, grabbing into your purse for earplugs but flinging out a tampon instead. Please, that’s cake to me.  Or what about when you are in Starbucks on your laptop with the headphones plugged in while you blast your favorite Christmas music only to find minutes later you are not really plugged in and everyone had to “enjoy” your music…no, no they were not staring because you are hot. Or what about when you are at a youth camp and expected to be a mature “leader”, but end up with pictures like this all over Facebook:

 

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending if you are reading or writing this post), there are TONS where these pictures came from. These samples of awkwardness are not too hard to deal with; the situations just take some quick thinking, tact, and quick action.

There are other types of awkward situations that we bring upon ourselves, that are not as quickly fixed. My middle name is not Grace, so I should have known that 3 inch flip-flops for instance, no matter how “cool” or trendy they were, should have had a presupposition that popped up in my mind flashing that embarrassment was imminent. Likely this embarrassment would occur at school when the sidewalks were most trafficked, so that as I tripped, nay flew into a downward spiral into the street, it would not be the street that burned the knees, but the blush that burned the ears.

Or what about when you are minding your own business, working, reading, whatever, and a guy, no, no, “THE” guy comes up to say hi without you being ready. You never saw him coming. Instant flush-blush face. You know, when you flush out of surprise, and almost instantly realize that you flushed so it turns to a blush that doesn’t leave because, well you are stuck until he walks away. I mean, so they tell me.

All these situations are in and of themselves “awkward”. But this is what I have decided, awkward situations pass, but what they leave behind is a heart that is a little more compassionate and sensitive to what other people are feeling.  So, don’t worry about being awkward, especially YOU high schoolers and junior highers, you are just creating a lifestyle for future understanding, embrace it, laugh it off and get on with your lives!

Now when I see someone dump a latte on the floor (which to me is a tragedy more than awkward situation), I can grab a towel, lock eyes with them and communicate, “I understand.”

Epic Songs

You know how a good song can make you run an extra mile, give you courage to do things you would not normally do, or bring you out of a weird funk? Conversely, a sad song has the power that can put you in a dark place instantly for quite a while? I have decided to share some music that I consider powerful, some of these pieces are insanely popular, but some you will not have heard before, listen to each one and broaden your musical taste.  I’ll ad a brief little note to give you some background on each piece, and will state right now, I am posting YouTube clips, none of which are mine.  I ask you to remember that I am defining “powerful” as a piece of music that evokes strong emotion, so keep an open mind. And finally, I am not giving you an exhaustive list, because in all reality, I will get board at some point and just end this. For the good music ideas you are welcome in advance.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody

Performed by British rock band, “Queen,” this song became popular long after it was first conceived. I \ don’t even know what to say about this song, though the word “epic” comes to mind. It has a little something thing for everyone, hard rock, opera, ballad, intense harmonies, emotion, and it is all wrapped up into one song. I am tempted to post the video of the intoxicated man singing the whole song in the back of a cop car, but then realized that if you hadn’t heard the real thing, you wouldn’t know how hard that is, sober. So here it the live performance by Queen:

Video: Bohemian Rhapsody

 

The Halleluiah Chorus

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, my family attended the funeral for the daughter of my parent’s friends. The girl that passed away was only around 10 years old. The pastor that was officiating the ceremony said that the girl had written in her journal that if she ever died she wanted the Hallelujah Chorus to be sung at her funeral. So, about 200 people began to sing ALL of the parts of this song (with accompaniment) as they stood from their seats.  You may not know, but tradition dictates that you stand when the singing starts. The power of a large, mixed, audience standing in agreement already makes a powerful statement.  If you can imagine the power of hurting but loving people belting out all the parts to this gorgeous chorus, you will understand that no little amount of emotion was involved. I’ll never forget hearing it; it was the first time music brought tears to my eyes. I still get teary when I listen to it, like right now.  

I chose to upload this version as it may appeal to a larger audience:

Video: Halleluiah Chorus

Nessum Dorma
This is one of the most famous tenor arias, made popular by Luciano Pavarotti in 1990 when he sang it at a FIFA tournament (yes that is a soccer event) in Italy. Millions watched the event and were introduced to this gorgeous song.  Even if you have not seen the Italian opera Turandot, you cannot deny the passion portrayed through this short song. The lyrics in English are:

Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

Video: Nessum Dorma

 

Summertime

You better believe a vocal jazz piece made it to my list, and you better believe I am going to showcase the version song by the “Lady of Song,” the “Queen of Jazz,” Ella Fitzgerald (my all-time favorite singer). “Summertime” is a song composed by George Gershwin for the opera Porgy and Bess. It is one of the most covered songs of all times, so listen to it:

Video: Summertime

 

O Holy Night

Although deemed a Christmas song, this song has the lyrics and melody that demand attention any time it is played.  “The weary world rejoices...He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger…All oppression shall cease…” I mean come on, this is amazing content, right?! To top it off, the melodic line ascends perfectly as the phrases become more emphatic, making it the perfect song for a singer to perform!

Video: O Holy Night

Requiem: Lacrimosa by W. Mozart

Larimosa is just one of the parts of the whole requiem, and while I literally can play the whole thing when I go for a drive, I will only post a link to this setion of the Requiem. “Lacrimosa” is latin for “weeping”, and you can hear the finality and sorry in the voices in this section of the Requiem. You may want to turn up the volume when you listen to this one, you need to feel it.

Video: Lacrimosa

 

O Fortuna by Carl Orff

Ok, you may not think you know this song, you will likely recognize it because it is very popular background music in a lot of movies, its intense dissonance and extreme drive often takes us to an epic battle scene.

Video: O Fortuna

 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Somehow this song both encompasses wistfulness, hope, and sadness at the same time. I love it and it seems to be a fitting end to a list of great songs, and the end of this post.

Video: Somewhere Over The Rainbow

 

 

 

 

Pranked, again.

For those of you wondering why the heck I decided to write a blog, it is because I feel I have enough life experiences and funny thoughts to share for the purpose of bringing smiles to each of your beautiful faces. So that is my general purpose here, I want you to be happy.  Sometimes this will mean I “need” to share personal stories, psh, easy. So, to give you “the story” background, a little about me. I am a youth leader and have been involved with various youth ministries for about 8 years now. I just attended our junior and senior high White Elephant Party, and so begins “the story.”

 

This White Elephant Party (from now on be referred to as “WEP”), was not unlike any other WEP that people go to. Everyone showed up with a gift and everyone was greeted by an array of fun Christmas music selections and a table of assorted cookies. If you are not familiar with this type of party, click here for instructions. There were approximately 40 people comprised of youth and youth leaders involved in this year’s party so it was going to be a long game of gift exchanging….or perhaps more appropriately defined as “gift pranking”.

If you are unfamiliar with the WEP, you may think that Christmas party gifts will come looking like this (image found online):

But these are what they will more likely look like (images found online):

There were the cute gifts of stuffed animals, candy, and picture frames. There were also the trash gifts, for instance, someone showed up at church with an empty box, found all the trash laying around and then wrapped it up (” trash” is not limited to fire extinguisher and random street sign).

At one point one of the guys stuck his hand into a gift bag to pull out the pretty tissue paper and quickly withdrew his hand, withdrawing, or slinging to the ground, rather, a dead rat. Luckily, one of the girls (yes it was a girl) found a dead rat that morning in her garage so she was spared the inconvenience of finding a last minute gift (which was my case)…so in one way we all received a bonus gift that night: the plague.

We finally got down to the last 5 or so gifts, when the game became“UWEP” or “Ultimate White Elephant Party”…at least in my opinion. One of the younger high school guys grabbed a package, opened it, and promptly looked confused. Then everyone started laughing. The “gift” was comprised of 3 pages printed out from the website called “Mail Order Husband” and was complete with a user name and password. Now, if you are reading this and you know me, you may have guessed where this is going, but I think it is probably worth it to keep reading. Each of the 3 pages contained lists of men’s pictures with a little blurb on what they want in a bride for the purpose of making some lucky woman’s choice a little easier…some examples are:

Anonymous: “I’m looking for a girl named “Julie…It’s just easier that way. I got this “Julie tattoo last year, and would prefer to not deal with it…”

Daryl: “I’d like to meet a woman with money so we can have fun…”

Philip: “I live in a crappy basement apartment and I’m hoping to go somewhere warm and sunny. If you have money and you aren’t in Canada please email me.”

Mike: “I will be starting a new life shortly and want you to be part of it I am very romantic and physically fit…but I won’t be available for maybe 18 months, but I’m happy to write letters. My parole is next months, so I’m hoping to be available sooner.”

It is likely that you have now figured out that this was an account that another person created for me, and the password to the already set up account was given to a high school kid. Before this point in the exchange, I was laid back and hanging out, but as soon as I heard what was at stake, namely my freedom, you better believe I did everything I could to get those papers! Luckily, I did NOT have to beat up any kids (or leaders) and was successful in retrieving the little packet and am now glaring at it while it is lying next to this laptop.

Now, you may think that this is too much to handle, but I am unfortunately a veteran of these types of gifts. What I have yet to mention is the highlighted gift from last year’s WEP: An E-Harmony account was created for me and the log-in name and password became “THE gift” for 2011.

So by the end of the night, I was jealous of the boy who got the dead rat, compared to the list of rats I received, it didn’t look all that bad. 

Do you have any stories that top this? I would LOVE to hear them, misery loves company, right?! Please post them below. And if you have any good ideas on how I can return the "favor," please post them!

Fine print: Reading this may give you temporary side effects not limited to a possible fear of the plague, high school girls, too much sugar, and white elephant parties. After very, very little research, I should mention that the mail order husband site is a joke and not a real site, though the aforementioned situation is still hilarious and in needing of payback. Although dead animals were brought to the WEP, no animals were harmed in the planning or enjoyment of the WEP. I have nothing against E-Harmony and have a ton of friends who met through that dating site, the humor obviously comes from the fact that an account was created for me and the power given to a minor.

 

This One Horse Town

For some reason, Modesto gets a bad rap. Ok, there are lots of things that may negatively influence a person’s view on this town, but nothing will change unless we look at the positive, right? If you don’t enjoy where you live, then perhaps YOU are not contributing? I have decided to highlight a few of my favorite places in this town so that maybe they will bring you some joy too?!

As a product of the 80’s, I am very familiar with that old show “Cheers”, you know, where “Everybody knows your name.” I want to pause a second, so that song becomes stuck in your head, perhaps a quick listen will be sweetly nostalgic for you. This is not my video, I found it on YouTube.

Well, friends, we have a place like that in Modesto and that place is Camp 4.  You walk into a stylish yet comfortable environment, and are greeted by the best staff a wine bar could present. And before this becomes another boring “review” (as my intention is not to rate an establishment, but show you the good things Modesto has to offer), I just say that if you want a place to hang out, this place has great wine, beer, people, and of course my favorite, the 3-cheese-panino.  Check them out here on Facebook.

Downtown Modesto is becoming a more welcoming and visually appeasing place too! If you are not between the ages of 18-20, then perhaps you are tired of the “club” scene downtown (I am sure you noted my sarcasm by my use of quotation marks)? Well, they are beginning to create “parklets” downtown, and although this may not be a finished work, it is definitely a starting point!  If you are interested in getting involved, even if you just want to show that you appreciate this work, perhaps send an email or write to the City of Modesto and let them know you back them up on these types of city beautification projects? If you don’t tell the city that you want this, they are not going to spend money on it! Here is a brief article on the downtown "parklets."

 Are you newer to the area and looking for some sort of community to join? I know of just the place! Now, I am first going to add the caveat that there are a TON of churches in Modesto, lots of good ones, but the one I have been attending is different than others I have visited. It is a community.  It is a place where you can deal with your ugliness in safety. Yes, there are two services on Sunday; Yes, it is unlikely that you will sit long before someone walks up to you to meet you; Yes, God is spoken as One in whom you can find your purpose, identity and acceptance. But on top of all these things, the whole, crowded, lively place is divided up into community groups that meet over the week to share life (The good, bad and ugly). You know what that means? It means all these people actually like each other AND they welcome others to participate. As a whole, this is one friendly, adventure seeking, artistic, musical, God finding, food loving community.  This place is Redeemer Church. Here is a link for more information, or just ask me!

Finally, one of my favorite places is the Virginia Corridor. You know, the pedestrian path that runs along the old train tracks alongside Virginia Avenue? I love this path! It is pretty, safely lit, and long enough now to get in a good walk or a decent run. Now that the pedestrian bridge over Briggsmore Ave. has been completed, the path has extended to Bowen Ave. They have a doggie water fountain on one end, doggie clean up bags and trash cans at every street intersection. Additionally, the path runs up behind Roseburg Square, which means you can stop for frozen yogurt or amazing Mexican food if you need a break. Winning! This is a great trail and I fully suggest you get some exercise on it, and bring a friend (me)! Here are a couple of pictures I found online:

I am reading back now and see that I have written a lot. So I won’t add any more locations, but I do want to add that the best things about Modesto are its people! I love being able to walk into Starbucks, Target, the grocery store, and see people I know.  I would guess that a large number of us have stayed here because our families are here. Use that to your advantage, the more we hang out with each other and get into each other’s lives, the more fun this place can be! So make it a better place! Invite people into your home, or go try new dinner locations and bring new friends with you, be creative and be a part of this city!

Annual Oktoberfest Event 

 Breast Cancer Awareness Benefit

 Camp 4

 A community group dinner

 Another community group dinner

 Ice blocking

 

I am sure there are a TON of places that I should have listed but don’t know about. Will you post the places you love below so we can all try them out?