tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66570273157964822302024-03-13T06:55:58.116-07:00SunTossedShoreAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-33256673756178069712013-03-01T17:06:00.002-08:002013-03-01T17:06:10.200-08:00It's True! I have a new blog!Please visit my new blog site!<br />
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<a href="http://suntossedshore.com/suntossedshore/">http://suntossedshore.com/suntossedshore/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-23601325500848759242013-02-18T11:09:00.001-08:002013-02-18T11:09:53.267-08:00I’m a Survivor: Winter Youth Camp 2013<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been involved with youth ministry for about 8 years
now and always consider it a badge of honor to survive youth camp. This past
weekend was no different. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those that have never attended youth camp, I will try
and describe the experience from a young adult’s perspective. My perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weekend starts officially at the very moment on Friday evening
when we begin to cram backpacks, pillows, sleeping bags, and suitcases into cars
already overloaded with teens and pre-teens. Fortunately, there is always a
junior high boy (or 5) that forgets his sleeping bag and pillow, so we always
seem to have room for all of the luggage. The placed we were staying at this
year was not too far, the car ride only lasted an hour, so there was not too
much time for havoc to ensue. However, it IS enough time for kids to get
carsick so we were on a diligent watch for emergency pullover sites, any
containers that could be used for unexpected putrid fluids and of course, we
knew at all times where the car window handles were located.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon arrival, there is always a portion of time where the
kids tumble out of the vehicles to look around and gain their mountain feet.
This is good as the girls needed mountain feet to make it up to their
cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t too worried about the
hike because I run. Unfortunately, I do not run up cliffs, so it became a work
out every time I needed to get something out of the cabin. But in all
seriousness, our cabin was awesome and the scenery was beautiful. This view confirms that verse that says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"For His anger
is but for a moment,<br />
His favor is for a lifetime;<br />
Weeping may last for the night,<br />
But a shout of joy <i>comes</i> in the morning." Psalms 30:5</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ-SJEJngxc/USJyo5UmVXI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/dE_0nOIJCU8/s1600/Camp+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ-SJEJngxc/USJyo5UmVXI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/dE_0nOIJCU8/s320/Camp+1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1FK1w6Tgu4/USJzyYHufjI/AAAAAAAAAKY/g5OOjrx9Fn0/s1600/Camp+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1FK1w6Tgu4/USJzyYHufjI/AAAAAAAAAKY/g5OOjrx9Fn0/s320/Camp+2.jpg" width="191" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can confidently tell the parents of the girl campers that
we woman youth leaders don’t get ANY sleep the first night of camp, so should
an emergency happen, we are alert and awake. Unfortunately, because we do not
get any sleep on Friday night, I cannot say that we are as alert on Saturday
night…So when I say that I “awoke” to a beautiful sunrise, in reality it was
more like I joyfully and ecstatically realized the sun was finally rising, confirming that a
sleepless night was soon to be over. Luckily, one of the best parts of camp is being able to look like a camper, so tired eyes can be somewhat masked by a beanie (look, I'd much rather post pics of everyone else, but I don't post pictures of the kids for privacy reasons).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I saw the sun beginning to rise, I heard the other youth
leader in the room, Jessica, tumble out of her bunk to use the bathroom around
6:30am. Unfortunately, we soon found out that our door was stuck shut. There is
nothing like the inability to use the commode to make one begin to panic, so
imagine how this might affect a room filled with 8 girls. I jumped out of bed
and tried the door handle and it would not open the door. By this point, all
the girls in the room were awake and a little concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our room was about 10 steps off the ground,
so I thought that punching out the window might be the best solution to our
problem, that way we could enter the cabin from the outside door. I aggressively
lifted the window while simultaneously punching out the screen. Unfortunately,
the window was too heavy to stay put once lifted, which I found out BECAUSE it
was too heavy to stay put, so I held the window open while Jessica started her
climb out said window-only hearing “Eye of the Tiger” at this exact moment
could have made this experience more epic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, the drop was longer than expected, so there were a few
scrapes and bruises for that leader, and more importantly to me, I am pretty
sure that a spider dropped on me at one point while I was holding that window
open, but I remained strong. Parents, this is what we do for your kids. And
THAT is how Saturday started off.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a morning session for the kids where we discussed identity
issues. This session was soon followed by a trip to the snow. Thank you to
whoever invented snow pants. I borrowed a pair of snow pants from a friend (I
am definitely more of a beach person, so I own a ton of swim suits, and zero
snow pants), and I am pretty sure they saved my life. This thought occurred to
me while I was flying down a mountain, connected to a chain of kids on inner
tubes, while looking back to see my inner tube trailing behind me. Thank you snow
pants. Luckily we returned to camp with the same number of kids that we left
with earlier that morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saturday night at camp is always my favorite time. It comes
after a long day of activities and sessions of course preceded by a night of no
sleep. But we normally have a campfire on Saturday night and it is so relaxing
and fun to hang out with the kids, just chatting and laughing. Oh wait, I almost
forgot that the junior high boys like to fart into the fire, but other than
that, Saturday nights at camp are so fun!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The drive back to town on Sunday is much quieter than it was
leaving town on Friday, and to me, THAT is a sign that camp was good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why do I do this? Because it is incredibly important to me that young people know that God loves them, that they are created and accepted by the Creator who says they are valuable and that there is ALWAYS hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So with that, I leave you with another video I do not own:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/iUUmhnOPBdE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-71508051941759138042013-02-08T17:21:00.002-08:002013-02-08T17:21:43.649-08:00Risk Taker<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Risk Taker</strong>- <em>Someone who risks loss or injury in the hope of gain or excitement.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was recently asked in an interview the following question:
“What would you change about yourself?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally,
I would have many answers for that question, but for whatever reason, I had one
answer this time and it came close to immediately. I wish I was more of a risk
taker.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am going to want your input at the end, so pay attention.
Living safely is fine, it is good, but to be honest…it is also boring, and
right now I am bored. Now don’t get me wrong, I am EXTREMELY busy every day,
for instance yesterday. I went to work, then to band practice and then to hang
out with a couple of my high school girls, I left the house at 7:15am and I didn’t get home until after
9:30pm. I am not bored due to a lack of having things to do. I think that I am
bored because I have done the same types of things for so long. I like the
stuff I do, but I need some change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I started to think through this surprising desire or need for “risk” (for those not paying attention until now, I am NOT referring to the game Risk…though I do enjoy taking over the world), I started wondering if my recent life style of playing it safe is directly related to how I view God? I used to take risks. The last time was when I felt God tell me to go to Australia. I quit my job and left with only a plane ticket and ended up not only going to Australia, but also to Indonesia, and it changed my life. Here are a couple of pictures:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>The Youth Leaders were creamed in a massive 100+ person food fight, I had no idea what was coming, but it was some sort of oatmeal, honey, food coloring mixture mess (AUS)</o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-erNekhxb4tU/URWeFBRGRtI/AAAAAAAAAJk/7XEGshRaoBw/s1600/1391_51650827304_3004_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-erNekhxb4tU/URWeFBRGRtI/AAAAAAAAAJk/7XEGshRaoBw/s320/1391_51650827304_3004_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We volunteered in the café for the high school kid's events (AUS)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rPDGG0nwfbY/URWeIjXc0ZI/AAAAAAAAAJs/oup4Ox9FhqI/s1600/1391_51649682304_307_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rPDGG0nwfbY/URWeIjXc0ZI/AAAAAAAAAJs/oup4Ox9FhqI/s320/1391_51649682304_307_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In Indonesia we hung out with the street kids, played games and tried to learn the language! (Indo)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JPggsORXjdU/URWeNP-6cLI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/9Dava5XpciI/s1600/1391_51641272304_5942_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JPggsORXjdU/URWeNP-6cLI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/9Dava5XpciI/s320/1391_51641272304_5942_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also got to play with the kids in the orphanage and help prepare a new building that was much larger! (Indo)</div>
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Side note: I cannot wait to adopt kids</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EySgYiPMXHQ/URWeNH3zymI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/zdRDAGnfcVQ/s1600/190_35093785584_7066_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EySgYiPMXHQ/URWeNH3zymI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/zdRDAGnfcVQ/s320/190_35093785584_7066_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But if this turned out
so successfully, why don’t I take risks more often?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have come up with two possibilities:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1. I don’t love something enough to take the risk
to make it happen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2. I am too afraid of failure</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now I will respond to myself, excuse me while I expose you
to some inner dialogue, self-diagnosis.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Both number 1 and number 2 have ultimately to do with fear.
Fear to have passion or interests to pursue, or fear that things will not work
out and that I’ll be stuck. But God doesn’t give or promote fear:</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“But God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 2:7</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In fact, I would venture to guess that when fear exists, it
is because there is something missing in my belief system about God’s
character, when I fear it means I do not trust him, nor do I believe Him or hear Him. So
if I believe that fear is not of God, can I then walk in the opposite spirit
and attempt to do the thing that causes timidity? I think so. Obviously, there
are lines that need to be drawn here, I mean, it is ridiculous to do stupid things,
so no, do not jump off your roof in hopes that you will fly. That is stupid. I
am talking more about things like trying new hobbies, moving to a new country,
going back to school, having “THAT conversation” with someone, those types of
things. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ok, I don’t have a great way to end this because this is
subject matter that I am still processing through. This is the part I where I want
your input, what do you think about risk? Maybe the ultimate question isn't about risk, but about loving something enough to risk loss or injury? What do you find valuable enough to take a risk? I am depending on you… as are many others reading this! So
comment away!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is this week's video that I don't own!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fjDojEOiMcE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-49221144088826992432013-02-01T16:13:00.000-08:002013-02-02T12:24:19.832-08:00Funny Friday<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some days are just full of funny little nuances that need to be intentionally noticed in order to entertain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had such a day. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night a friend and I decided that we would take a spin
class this morning. Spin classes are offered at most gyms and consist of stationary bikes, a small room, loud music, an instructor up front giving
directions and lots, I mean LOTS of sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One thing I have yet to mention is that often times spin classes are
offered at an early morning time slot and at an evening time slot, so we
decided to go to the early class as this is Friday and it is unlikely that I
will have time, or desire to go to the gym on a Friday night (I am trying to
give the illusion of “having a life”, is it working?), so this entire paragraph
was to let you know that my day started at 4:30am. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because I had to get up so early, I was not quite fully
awake before I left the house. I thought I would chow down on an apple for some
quick energy, I grabbed the apple, and promptly dropped it, practically
threw it, on the hard tile, and watched it bounce about 3 times before I caught
it….when I say “watched” I also mean “heard” as the apple was of the Granny
Smith variety, the floor was made of hard tile and the house was quiet, so perfect
bounce/sound combination. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tweeted
earlier (@adrienneyerzy) that I decided I could be described as a “hopeful”
person since only such a person would dare think that the apple wouldn’t be too
bruised for consumption after such a fight with the ground. It was delicious.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the spin class I thought about how gyms should offer take out, not fast food, but for people. I just started working out again this
week (at some point I will post about why I have been unable to work out) and
because I did so many squats with so little muscle, post cycling me was pretty
weak and I am just saying that it would have been nice if someone offered to
take me out to my car. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I drove home and dragged my body into the house at about
6:10am and thought, “now what?” The thought of watching an episode of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The Office” quickly entered my mind, but I didn’t
want to tempt myself as one episode leads to another episode, and so on and so
forth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have to drive to work
for a while so I kind of just stood there lost for a few minutes, but finally
the thought occurred to me to make breakfast (my favorite meal type) so I made
some killer oatmeal (raisins, lots of cinnamon, a little brown sugar). As I
re-read this I realize that you might not think it too funny, but if you could
just picture me standing dazed in my own kitchen wondering if I should watch Dwight
and “The Office” at 6:10 in the morning….well, I think it is funny so I am keeping
this tidbit in.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At this point, actually around 7am every Friday, I have a
heart to heart with myself regarding my office’s policy of allowing “Casual
Friday.” Normally, I have to dress in business attire for work, but not on Fridays! I am always questioning if I have taken advantage of casual Friday and
am often questioning where I should draw “THE line.” After much inner dialogue,
I have decided that I cannot wear baseball hats, or any hat for that matter,
but I CAN (and will) wear jeans. Today I threw on a sweater, skinny jeans
(pushing the edge here), and boots. I will never be accused of not taking
casual Friday seriously enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I finally got to work at 8am, with vanilla latte in hand
(obviously) but soon after had to leave to go to the Court to file some
documents. If you have ever had to file anything with the legal system, you
will know that there is a LOT of waiting time and lots of opportunity to “people
watch” and I was not disappointed this time. To my left, out of the corner of
my eye I saw something sparkle. I turned to see what it was and it was a lady
wearing some sort of purple pompom on her head. This was not a like a cute
little hair tie with something fluffy attached, it was like a full sized,
cheerleader’s pompom in lieu of hair…on her head. Based on my personal reaction
to “pompom head”, I can only conclude that we likely all agree that one must
not wear something so outrageously out of the ordinary on their head if one
wishes to be taken seriously. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I continued to wait in line and noticed that behind the
counter there were hearts everywhere. Red hearts hanging from the ceiling,
sticker hearts sticking to the plastic windows, paper hearts pinned to the
cubicle walls, I mean love was in the air, people. The place looked like it should
be called “lover’s lane” unfortunately, there were few waiting in line waiting to
take a magical walk, most people would have been happy with stamped papers, or
just reasonable answers to their questions in a time sensitive manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Side note: Speaking
of “lovers” I am currently witnessing a “connection” being made at Starbucks.
Awe...or more accurately, awkward. I hate witnessing awkward moments, even
though I may not be the target for the awkwardness fairy, I'll blush. Sigh.) <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After I finished filing the documents, I drove back to work…
and soon prepared to go home (we have a half day on Friday). Before I drove out
of the parking lot, I got a notification from Facebook telling me that someone
posted a photo on my wall. The photo is of my friend Bri, who I met in
Australia but now lives in Florida. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bri
is a blogger for Compassion International as well as for a personal site and the
photo was posted by my California friend, Kendra, who is has a blog for moms
with young kids. The amazing thing about this little FB interaction is that Bri
and Kendra, although they are my friends, didn’t know each other. Both of them
told me that they were invited to a blogging conference and once I realized
that they were going to the same place, immediately began working on getting
them to meet each other! They both have such a gift with writing and such large
followings that I just KNEW this would be a connection that at the very least
would benefit their blogs and followers. This is one of those instances when I
think that God is so big and the world is so small. Two people have a friend in
common and meet at a location that neither lives in, both living 3,000 miles
apart, all because I volunteered with YWAM 5 years ago. And I was right, now
they are friends. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DjSE-5a_9iE/UQxeYud-bFI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/eUdE_oUb4c8/s1600/IMG959547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DjSE-5a_9iE/UQxeYud-bFI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/eUdE_oUb4c8/s320/IMG959547.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would love for you to check out their sites:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kendra’s site is called “<strong>Preschoolers and Peace</strong>” and you may
visit it <a href="http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Bri’s site is called “<strong>Our Savory Life</strong>” (about food and love) and you may
visit it <a href="http://oursavorylife.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. Bri </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">also blogs for <strong>Compassion International</strong> and <a href="http://www.compassion.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> is a link to their site.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, that catches you up to my lunch time. I have no idea
what is in store for the rest of the day. But one thing I do know, entertaining
situations and interesting moments happen all the time, you just have to have
your eyes open to the things happening around you and have command a good sense
of humor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Why not end this post with a funny clip from "The Office"? Here it is, another video I do not own:</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-26829914995078316582013-01-24T21:28:00.002-08:002013-01-24T21:28:20.905-08:00Les Miserables, Mercy and Grace<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a few weeks I will have the opportunity to speak to a
bunch of high school age kids. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said I can speak about anything I want…Muahahahaha. But in all
seriousness, I love this age group, and find it a little overwhelming to have
all subject matter available to me at my discretion. How does one choose what
to talk about? Well, I decided to talk about Les Miserables (please don’t roll
your eyes….just read on, you’ll see), Mercy and Grace. Let me share with you “why”.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
My favorite scene in Les Miserables (can be translated to The Miserable, or The Wretched)...(the 2012 movie version) is
near the beginning when Jean Val Jean, a man who had recently been released from
19 years of prison for stealing a loaf of bread, searched in vain to find food
and shelter. You see, no one wanted to take him in because his papers reflected
his past and since everyone at that time was starving, he wasn’t worth a risk
or precious food. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He roamed around,
close to dying from hunger, when he stumbled upon a convent of sorts. The Bishop
was the only one that offered him food and a warm, safe place to stay for the
night. Once everyone was asleep, Jean Val Jean stole all the valuable silver and
took off. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bishop’s wife was clearly
unhappy when they woke to find that they had been robbed by the man they showed
compassion to, but soon the police showed up with Jean Val Jean in chains. They showed
the bag of stolen goods to the Bishop and told the bishop that the man said the
bag of silver was a gift. This is where the movie gets good. The Bishop looked
down at the pathetic, guilty, and angry Jean Val Jean and told the police that
the man was telling the truth! That the silver WAS a gift and then said to Jean
Val Jean, “You forgot I gave these also, would you leave the best behind”? “They
are worth more, surely you forgot them” and then gave him the expensive, highly
valuable candlesticks while the police watched in disbelief. The Bishop thanked the police for doing their job and dismissed
them. Once they left, he told Jean Val Jean that he saved his soul for God and
to use the items to live a life of honesty. Bam.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me submit my definitions for Mercy and Grace:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<strong>Mercy</strong>: NOT getting what you deserve<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Grace</strong>: Getting what you DON’T deserve<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously, if the Bishop wanted to send Jean Val Jean back to
prison, he was totally in the right, no one would have blinked an eye. But he
held back and didn’t let Jean Val Jean get the punishment he deserved. <em>Mercy</em>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On top of that, now this is the “kicker” for me, on TOP of
not giving the thief what he deserved, he gave him some good stuff, the expensive
candle sticks! <em>Grace</em>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
What was this guy’s motive? He didn’t get anything for
showing Mercy or Grace to someone so clearly undeserving, maybe a “good feeling”
but that doesn’t last long when you have no income, or financial stability. He
must have placed his value, personal significance, and security in something
else. SomeTHING else, or someONE else.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It reminds me of this poem I read:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span class="text">“Praise the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text">, my soul,</span><br />
<span class="text">And forget not all his benefits—</span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="text"><span id="en-NIV-15553">Who forgives all your sins</span><br />
</span><span class="text">And heals all your diseases,</span><br />
<span class="text"><span id="en-NIV-15554">Who redeems your life from the pit</span></span><br />
<span class="text">And crowns you with love and compassion,</span><br />
<span class="text"><span id="en-NIV-15555">Who satisfies your desires with good
things</span></span><br />
<span class="text">So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s…” (Psalms 103:2-5)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So God gives new life, brings a person out
of “The Pit,” which is totally an act of mercy because we all do things or create
situations that make “The Pit” a consequence of those actions…But he doesn't
stop there, on top of that redemptive act, he gives good stuff, he satisfies
our desires with good things and renews our youth! That’s crazy stuff. I
imagine that really getting this concept is the stuff that life change is made
out of. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, how can someone so
forgiven, or released from obvious guilt not live in amazing freedom,
especially when he receives good stuff on top of that so he is equipped of
living a free man’s life!?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span class="text">Can we take this back to Les Mis for a
quick minute? Because of one Bishop’s actions towards one man, how many people
reaped the benefit? Here are a few examples: Jean Val Jean (now to be known as </span>JVJ)
created a business situation that gave many poor people work, JVJ saved the man
under from the weight of the cart, JVJ saved Fantine from immediate death from
the hands of a ruthless man, JVJ saved the orphan named Cosette, JVJ saved
Marius from the French soldiers, and he saved Javert from the French Student’s revolt.
All these people received the benefits of the Bishop’s selfless act of
releasing his rights in order to give Mercy and Grace. <span class="text"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Man,
personally, it is easier for me to show Mercy to people than to show Grace (please note I specifically wrote "easier...than"). I
can relent, but to relent AND be kind on top of it…it is a painful struggle I
normally lose. Sometimes, there is not even a struggle. I am an example of a “work in progress.” Ah, but a
work in progress is still a work in progress so there is hope! Are you with
me?! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alright, video time! I like this band, and I love this song (I do not own this video)!</span><br />
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/OGTaAAXOx_Q/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OGTaAAXOx_Q&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OGTaAAXOx_Q&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-8867151101275209632013-01-19T14:42:00.001-08:002013-01-21T10:01:44.327-08:00Ingredients for Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh4wGZZOehc/UPdO28mc25I/AAAAAAAAAHs/_M3Uc4GPFBg/s1600/Girls+Trip+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh4wGZZOehc/UPdO28mc25I/AAAAAAAAAHs/_M3Uc4GPFBg/s320/Girls+Trip+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had been excited for this weekend for months. Back in the fall of 2007 I met 4 fabulous ladies in Australia (a story for another time) and we have made it a point to meet up in a different location once a year....though sometimes it is more often! This year we planned to meet up in the San Francisco area... And
that is ALL we had planned. A “normal” group of people would probably have had
an itinerary of sorts, but not us. We don’t roll that way, and we have “fun!”
and yes, there is a difference between “fun” and “fun!” and I am going to
attempt to share this with you.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was the last one to arrive Saturday morning, and the
excitement was incredible, because I. KNOW. THESE. LADIES. We don’t fly to a
different location every year “just because.” We do it because we are “fun!”
Each lady possesses a desire for excitement, laughter, something new, good
pictures, (I am going to add shopping in parenthesis, because I am sure this is
already assumed), and for good, nay, AMAZING memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the expectations for our weekend trips are
always high, and we are never disappointed. Here are a few necessary
ingredients for a <u>fun</u> trip:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Variety:<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before our weekend trip had even begun, the saga had started
because packing must first be accomplished before departure (insert ominous music
here). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I don't know who I think I am, but I had the "brilliant" idea that I could pack for a weekend trip within 30 minutes. </span>I will go into more detail below,
but if you don’t have a plan for the weekend, then it is pretty difficult to
pack for a weekend trip. So of course, the best thing to do is pack for ANY
occasion. If you are a guy reading this and not of the metro persuasion, let me explain, this means
that if there are MANY different types of outfits then there must also be MANY
types of shoes that need to be included and they ALL have to be crammed into a
little overnight bag... don't even get me started on jackets, makeup, hair dryers, straighteners, etc. After successfully using every bit of available space in
the overnight bag, the thought had occurred to me to sell my expertise of space
conservation to potato chip companies. But I digress.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spontaneity:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We met Saturday morning and after much laughing and talking,
quickly took off to go. Go where? We do most of our planning en route, so the
first thing is to get into a car and go. While driving we decided the general
list of things we were going to accomplish: Take our traditional coffee picture
at Starbucks (this is really one of our number one things to do and is time
specific as we need to do this picture first thing in the morning, so for a
weekend trip, that means we have only 2 options: Saturday morning or Sunday
morning), go outlet shopping-day trip, go wine tasting in Napa-day trip, have
amazing breakfast on Sunday morning, make a Paleo-style dinner Sunday night,
watch Downton Abbey Sunday night, and stay up late…ok, this last one was really
a plan that I had to make for myself, because I am not traditionally a night
person. Not at all, actually.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Example: Girls' Latte Picture from New York 2010</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tRbg_S4J-c/UPse134_TqI/AAAAAAAAAIc/CMHAh4L3C_U/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tRbg_S4J-c/UPse134_TqI/AAAAAAAAAIc/CMHAh4L3C_U/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The spontaneous dance party should also be a part of any fun
weekend, obviously. This dance party can happen everywhere and anywhere. If you
are on the go, you can have it in the car, but make sure there is always a good
soundtrack available. I'm not going to pretend like Brittney Spears didn't occasionally visit our weekend drive sessions. We have even come up with “moves” to our favorite
selections and dance parties often turn into cardio/calorie burn parties. That, my friends, is what you call a "win-win".</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></b><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2nSCUwno54/UPdRY89MOiI/AAAAAAAAAII/xF9Rwz7SpWo/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2nSCUwno54/UPdRY89MOiI/AAAAAAAAAII/xF9Rwz7SpWo/s320/9.jpg" width="191" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Flexibility:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although you may not think the above list is that extreme, you may not realize that a drive to Napa is not just “a drive to Napa”. For instance, if along the way you drive by an antique store, or privately owned one-of-a-kind boutique, and there is an open parking space out front, there will of course be an immediate diversion from the set course into said empty parking space, an immediate pause in the plan and an instant stop along the way. So if you have an hour long drive, the amount of possible side stops are countless. Flexibility is a key factor for a successful weekend trip and a huge indicator of what type of “fun” will be had. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Food:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Food is something that brings people together, we need it,
we like it, we consume it. So if you want to have a good time you have to have
good food. So our plans for Paleo-Dinner obviously needed to be changed. I would say that cooking (when there
is time for it and it is not rushed) is fun, but when you have a large
kitchen full of friends cooking together, listening to music, the fun becomes
“fun!” We had our 2 head chefs that were in charge of the stove area and thus
the main course and side dish (scallops and risotto). We had the kitchen
photographer capturing the moments. We had the table settler and wine pourer.
And then we had me, the chopper/measuring cup estimator/dish washer. All these
positions were important and necessary ingredients for a good time and a good
meal. Especially if you wanted perfectly chopped parsley as a garnish...thank you, no thank you.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Awkward Laughter:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Initially, this doesn’t seem like it belongs in a recipe for
a good time, but let me explain. While wine tasting we went to an awesome
vineyard that I had been wanting to visit for quite some time. The man leading
our tasting was not only knowledgeable on wines, grapes, family, but basically thought he had the answers to all of life's questions. Yay. You can probably imagine
that one with such a large…personality, might find it difficult to keep the
tasting moving along in front of 5 ladies, so to keep the tasting
moving, we found it best to insert some laughter when necessary to fill the
void of empty jokes, or failed attempts to seem like a ladies man, aka “catch”.
For you younger people reading this, I am trying to artfully explain that
someone was attempting to prove he had SWAG, but did not have it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the laughs, however awkward, became a way
to keep things moving, a method to regulate and control time. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you think these ladies are fun, you should visit their
sites because they are also creative. I am serious, do it: <a href="http://oursavorylife.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This one is on food and love</a>, and <a href="http://www.carissacadyphotography.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this one is on photography</a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, I think that concludes this post recipe for fun. I have left a
few pieces of this weekend’s happenings out as I will likely write another post
about awkwardness and will need to refer to this weekend later on (my first installment on awkwardness can be found <a href="http://suntossedshore.blogspot.com/2012/12/awkwardness-i-own-you.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>). That, my friends,
is what I call a “tease” and you’ll have to keep reading my posts, I guess.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those of you that are new to reading my posts (first,
thank you and welcome), I end each post with a video that I do not own, and I felt this one was appropriate for this weekends trip, so here
you go! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Classy Girls”-Lumineers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-73893301651373623642013-01-10T17:12:00.002-08:002013-01-11T13:24:25.003-08:00Branching Out: Supper Club Style<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let me start off this post with some good old fashioned
stereotyping, it hasn’t hurt anyone yet, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>-Married Group:</strong> Single people have
not yet reached “adult status” regardless of age, and wouldn’t understand real
issues and problems associated with life after marriage, besides, it is too
irritating to hear singles complaining about all the “freedom” they have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>-Singles Group:</strong> We have nothing but
free time and need to party all the time, married people aren’t welcome because
they always have to plan hang out time and we don’t like to plan. Additionally,
it is annoying to hear married people complaining about their spouse when
“options” are scarce.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>-Hipsters:</strong> We don’t care about
anything but making ugly stuff look cool, so if your sense of style is classy,
preppy, or “other”, then you won’t fit in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>-Grey Haired Group:</strong> It is too hard
to keep up with technology so we don’t have anything in common with the younger
crowd. It is easier to talk about how things used to be amazing until the
younger generations messed it all up. Besides, the young people don’t have time
to talk to us, they are too busy have sex and being promiscuous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>-Social Justice Group:</strong> We are the
only ones who care about the world and people, if you live in an advanced
nation, you don’t have any problems that are worthy of complaint. We want to actively
participate in change. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>-Mom Group:</strong> Our lives belong to our
children, if you don’t have kids, you don’t understand. Stop making us feel bad
that we cannot squeeze you in between dance class, baseball games, soccer,
cheerleading, laundry and bath time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hopefully, I haven’t offended too many people. The point is
that with the ridiculousness of some of these above mentioned stereotypes is a
little bit of truth in how we think about these groups. We don’t hang out with certain types of people because of
how we view ourselves and the groups we do or don’t associate with. So, we stay
in “our” group of friends because it is safer and easier, effectively cutting out the rest of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I want to talk about it is how to facilitate change in
a community. This is a subject that I think about all the time and often feel
overwhelmed by it, but I want to know what I can do as an individual to
participate in making good changes. When I refer to “community” I am often
thinking of my specific city, but this applies to you, regardless of location.
I want my city to be better, in order for that to happen, some things need to
change. But what needs to change? What needs to happen to accomplish this
change?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Change is when you make something different, you “alter”
something. So, one may conclude that if you want a larger group to change (aka
a city), then the individuals in that group (citizens) must also change. Herein
lies a problem. We don’t think we need to change. We think by default that “I
am right”, “they” need help, “they” aren’t doing it right, “they” should be
doing it differently, “they” made bad choices, I could go on and on because I
have thought all those things. I think that we are allowed by the groups we
hang out with to think this way because we tend to hang out with people that
think similarly to ourselves and are not challenged to think differently,
perhaps, from a different view point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now I will give an example of branching out. I have a friend
named Tawny Labarbera who together with her friend Lindsay had the great idea
of starting <strong>Supper Club</strong>. The idea of course was birthed at a birthday party.
Every other month a different person hosts the club and everyone brings a dish
of some sort to share. We eat great food, drink great wine, and laugh a lot!
Every event is different and new people are always showing up, some are single,
some are moms, some are dating, some have kids, you get the point, everyone
could be identified with a “different group”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t
know any of these people before I showed up. Yeah, it was a little awkward
showing up to a house belonging to someone I didn’t know and to hang out with
people that are crazy (crazy fun, I mean!), but that’s what branching out is
all about (though at one point, I did stand at someone’s door who had no idea
what Supper Club was, only to find out that I was at the wrong house, sigh)! I
met some amazing people through this club that I wouldn’t have met otherwise!
(I would also like to take a minute to plug Tawny’s Etsy site, she makes really
cool clocks, buy one <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/118520761/40-inch-large-french-country-wall-clock?ref=v1_other_2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">!)
And if your fear of awkwardness is keeping you away from trying new things or
meeting new people, check out my thoughts on awkwardness <a href="http://suntossedshore.blogspot.com/2012/12/awkwardness-i-own-you.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are a few pictures from our previous Supper Club events;
maybe you will want to start something like this (I want to credit Melissa
Cahoon for the awesome pics!):</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0GPOgshmEA/UO9gyQ2-ZsI/AAAAAAAAAGk/2lFSu-6CqhI/s1600/Supper+Club+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0GPOgshmEA/UO9gyQ2-ZsI/AAAAAAAAAGk/2lFSu-6CqhI/s320/Supper+Club+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PAvsk73OdQ8/UO9iU3OnoNI/AAAAAAAAAG8/Y5v8zAqkza0/s1600/Sweet+Potato+Cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PAvsk73OdQ8/UO9iU3OnoNI/AAAAAAAAAG8/Y5v8zAqkza0/s320/Sweet+Potato+Cupcake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bi1SjxIW9Uo/UO9iVtyidEI/AAAAAAAAAHA/FXoYitTOinE/s1600/Supper+Club+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bi1SjxIW9Uo/UO9iVtyidEI/AAAAAAAAAHA/FXoYitTOinE/s320/Supper+Club+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BUdna-trUIQ/UO9gzCeUBqI/AAAAAAAAAGo/5aKQVO7PdDg/s1600/Stuffed+Portobello+Mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BUdna-trUIQ/UO9gzCeUBqI/AAAAAAAAAGo/5aKQVO7PdDg/s320/Stuffed+Portobello+Mushrooms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7y0cSBSfthI/UO9lS79K2zI/AAAAAAAAAHY/Y8oNqoeIjFU/s1600/Supper+Club+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7y0cSBSfthI/UO9lS79K2zI/AAAAAAAAAHY/Y8oNqoeIjFU/s320/Supper+Club+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t become stagnant or culturally irrelevant because you
refuse to branch out. Be proactive in finding new people to mingle with and
bring new people into your circle, mix it up! Have conversations that are different
from the norm because you are hanging out with people that are different from
the norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you need to take
someone with you, I will volunteer! I love meeting new people and need to be
challenged with new social situations too! Who knows what kind of change can be
brought about by simply making more friends?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And with that, I end this post with a song. This song doesn't necessarily have to do with the post itself, but if you are going to be throwing parties to meet new people, then you need to have a good play list, so here is a song from a band I love (no, I do not own this video, yes, I want to see this band live, and if this band comes to your party, I better get an invite): The Avett Brothers-Kick Drum Heart</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Please feel free to give me feedback and ideas!)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-83777065945035449312013-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:002013-01-06T16:39:28.796-08:00Broken Heart<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think that it is normally more interesting to hear about
the heart that has been broken from a relationship because then you get juicy
details sometimes rivaling the drama of Kardashians, or entertainment magazines.
No, I am not going to spill my guts or failed relationship attempts in this
post, there is always time for that later (or never), but this morning I
witnessed something that broke my heart in a different way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was driving to a meeting on one of my town’s most trafficked
streets, so stopping right away wasn’t an option, there were too many people driving
like crazies late for work. I saw out of the corner of my eye a female running
on the sidewalk, but she was wearing jeans and something didn’t seem right. I
saw that not too far behind her was a man, and he suddenly took off running
after her and he suddenly threw something at her. That is when I had to make a
U-Turn because something has to be done when a person is in trouble! What I saw
happened so fast that it took me a minute to get back to the location where I saw
the interaction, but once I got there I saw that the man was gone and the “woman”
was on the other side of the street…but in fact was also a man, dressed in a “pretty
woman” outfit. Suddenly the whole thing was clear to me. And my heart broke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">People, we have to deal with our identity issues and
insecurities now! Time is not always on your side, don’t wait. If you do not
know whose image you bear, that you are a magnificent creature, a being more
detailed and complex than anything else on this earth, then you are not going
to live a life worthy of that complexity. I need to “soap-box-it” for a minute.
I am tired of seeing girls bearing it all to attract some guy in order to feel valued.
I am tired of seeing guys obsessed with video games because a game won’t create
an opportunity for rejection. I am tired of seeing people work out like crazy
to achieve a certain body image, when the purpose of being healthy and fit is to have a
body that is most capable of being able to carry your personality, thoughts, and heart in ways that
it can best interact with other people. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Ok, I am stepping off the soap box. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because of whose image you bear, you are worth more than the
life you have settled for. You are capable of great things, go for it! If
something his holding you back in your thoughts, attack it. Walk in the
opposite! For example, if you think nobody likes you (who doesn’t have that
thought at some point?) so you shut yourself up indoors, then be proactive and
find a group of people to hang out with. Yes, it may be awkward (see my post on
awkwardness <a href="http://suntossedshore.blogspot.com/2012/12/awkwardness-i-own-you.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>), but so what?! Challenge yourself and get out there. We are
all links in a chain, you need someone and someone needs you. Find a strong
person to link up with and someone you can help. We live in a community (whether
local or global) that needs strengthening, people, and it starts with you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have realized that I like to end my posts with a video to drive home a point. I know this one may seem long, but by now you should realize I do not suffer from bad taste, so watch it. Seriously, my mind was blown after I watched this video I do not own the first time. If you do not have much experience studying the Bible, then you can start the play button at 9:52.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-68291338190717189242013-01-02T11:21:00.002-08:002013-01-02T11:21:15.388-08:00Filtering Flaws For a Forever Fabulous Finish is Futile
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you ever wish that there was an Instagram filter for your
life? I do. I wish that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If I could apply a filter to some of the conversations or thoughts I’ve had they wouldn’t seem as bad as I remember them. Or even better, I wouldn’t look as bad to the people I had talked to or thought negatively about. A filter makes everything better, less harsh or unattractive, at the very least, makes something “artsy”, or dare I say it….”hipster-esq”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I'll use myself as an example so that only I am embarrassed:</span></div>
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Normal, aka #nofilter:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q2DdmKgcagI/UOSA4QdpjBI/AAAAAAAAAGM/mMIh46qf0rY/s1600/Normal+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q2DdmKgcagI/UOSA4QdpjBI/AAAAAAAAAGM/mMIh46qf0rY/s320/Normal+1.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
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Mayfield filter applied, border, fish bubble</div>
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(Instant jaw line, say what?!)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ba-o2LokgQM/UOSA6wz3CWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/5ZvP7pVt7RY/s1600/Filter+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ba-o2LokgQM/UOSA6wz3CWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/5ZvP7pVt7RY/s320/Filter+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I have been wondering is what if the flaws (let’s
just group everything under this category) actually are ok to be viewed as they
are? Follow me here. If I smooth over a flaw, then I don’t really know what I
am dealing with, so how can I fix it in the future? So I am left with two
options: 1) Either keep the flaw, and always apply the filter for the smoothed
over look, knowing things are not as put together as they appear and thus never
having confidence, OR 2) Be daring and expose the flaw so that it can be
remedied with finality? To be clear, I normally choose option 1, it is in my
personality’s default setting….now I just sound like a robot, let’s move on.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel like I should mention that my life is not an open
book. I used to be like one of those diaries you get as a little girl that had
the little key lock attached, impossible to open as a 6 year old. But now I
would say I am more like a hard cover and I insert the chapters I’ll let you
read, but they may not be in order, and there are chapters still yet to be
written…it is something I have been working on because “vulnerability” is a
four letter word to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am confident
that I am not alone in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it
seems only fitting that if I am going to write about flaws and filters, I
should give a personal example? I hate reading vague contexts and superficial
what ifs. Give me a minute (better give me tons of minutes) to think of
something I don’t mind sharing. Please hit the play button on this video I do
not own:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back when I was in college I remember walking out of a large
classroom, probably containing about 60 students, into the neighboring hallway
(if I just left this sentence by itself, it would qualify for one of the most
boring introductions ever, I know). This is going somewhere. Immediately after
class I proceeded to tell a friend who also attended the class, how boring and
unbearable the class was with no few words…that means I talked a lot about how
I hated the class, and I can be fairly loud. My heart dropped when I turned to
find the professor of that horribly dull class a couple of feet behind me. While
to this day I maintain that the class was boring, I was sure he heard me and
that my conversation with this girl likely did the opposite of inspire
confidence in this teacher (who by the way I really like, but the subject matter was blah), yes, teachers have feelings too. This was one of
those moments where I wish I had a filter, possible even a muzzle or better
yet, duct tape. I wish I could apply the “forget that memory” filter, but if I don’t
remember being “caught”, then I wouldn’t remember that I have a flaw that needs
fixing, and I wouldn’t be sensitive to that sort of thing happening to others
(let’s be clear, there are TONS of things I need to work on, obviously, but one
mountain at a freaking time). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What about the girl who “fixes” every photo of herself
before she allows it to be seen by others? Been there, done that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you noticed this? Don’t even get me
started on lots of girls taking pictures together! Whenever a group shot is
taken, it takes a million shots to get one that every girl is happy with,
resulting in a lot of tired faces and more future “smile wrinkles.” We are so
used to “fixing” or applying a filter to make us look “better” that we don’t
appreciate a picture that captures us as we are, not perfect. Instead of seeing
a beautiful, one of a kind, magnificent creation, we immediately look at the
crooked smile, big butt, or non-curvy frame and beg for countless retakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much freedom would you have if you didn’t
have to maintain the illusion of perfection?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not against filters in fact I love them when referring
to Instagram, but I think they should be used only when reality is appreciated
first and foremost. To be clear, flaws in and of themselves are not beautiful, but let's not compound the mess by pretending they are not there, or that they don't exist. Let’s not be afraid of “normal” (i.e.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#nofilter for those of you born after 1995) and
learn to appreciate reality and beauty despite the flaws, and when those flaws come out, don't freak out, let's deal with them so they don't come back!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Cue outro song) I wish I had written this song, <a href="http://www.metrolyrics.com/beautiful-things-lyrics-gungor.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> are the lyrics, and I wish I owned this video:</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-60859890230408965792012-12-31T12:17:00.000-08:002012-12-31T13:42:57.592-08:00More Good Stuff<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We all want more good stuff. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past year I visited the Prospect Theater, a tiny little building located on the outskirts of the downtown area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there was some shocking content, but there was also some truth being spoken and truth is often shocking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit their site <a href="http://prospecttheaterproject.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to read up on what else they offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because I went to the Prospect Theater and had such a good time with this new experience, I decided go to the <strong>Ill List</strong> 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! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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”:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are interested in this type of thing, check out this freaking cool website I found a while back: </span><a href="http://www.p4cm.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.p4cm.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And as a bonus, watch this video which I sadly do not own, of my favorite ladies of word (with awesome hair):<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hmmm, let me try:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Ill List was rad,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t go last year, by bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But when my rhyming gets better,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will perform words organized by letter,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the betterment of my community,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who knew it could be done through poetry?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please forgive me this ditty,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I just love this city!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I dig it *snap, snap, snap*.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-54301329319182523472012-12-27T14:32:00.001-08:002012-12-27T14:32:31.965-08:00We Need To Talk
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this is something that repeatedly swirls
in my mind as an annoyance that needs to be mended! Enough is enough!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure by now you
know of the issue I am writing about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When will we make a stand? What is next? Where
will we draw a line?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The steps we must take begin with our own families. One
suggestion I have for the non-confrontational type <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I realize this is awkward, but it had to be addressed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-1748575029335018782012-12-20T16:38:00.000-08:002012-12-20T16:38:42.633-08:00A Typical Morning
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 <s>a lot of years behind me </s>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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLWlsvGNy_w/UNOuICxBmqI/AAAAAAAAAFs/W3lFhkCXi6M/s1600/Latte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLWlsvGNy_w/UNOuICxBmqI/AAAAAAAAAFs/W3lFhkCXi6M/s320/Latte.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And to be clear, this is how most people recognize me (latte face):</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5E0azxcnlks/UNOua65mEjI/AAAAAAAAAF0/RnNDOtDgl6A/s1600/Latte+Face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5E0azxcnlks/UNOua65mEjI/AAAAAAAAAF0/RnNDOtDgl6A/s320/Latte+Face.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wS0s--FxRfw/UNOunERmc8I/AAAAAAAAAF8/1GojA99P6fY/s1600/Keys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wS0s--FxRfw/UNOunERmc8I/AAAAAAAAAF8/1GojA99P6fY/s320/Keys.jpg" width="191" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-mr7fe8gEU/UNOtf8SAaQI/AAAAAAAAAFk/mPeuww0ewEg/s1600/Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-mr7fe8gEU/UNOtf8SAaQI/AAAAAAAAAFk/mPeuww0ewEg/s320/Beach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ain’t nobody got time for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-43052956838238863482012-12-17T10:44:00.000-08:002012-12-17T10:44:23.792-08:00What if?
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 “<strong>What if</strong>” that perhaps may help
with preventing future events of evil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> a community turned in on itself to love one another?
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not with a passive love, only a
proactive, inconvenient love can truly combat hate and evil. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of turning to a governmental power, or
professional entity for help, we would take pride in caring for our own. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> 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)? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <strong>What if</strong> we weren’t concerned with the messiness
implied in really knowing our neighbors? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> we had a history of kindness with a person before we
pointed out a flaw? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> 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? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> we stopped blaming “things” as evil, but address the
heart of the issue? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> we remember that love is not just a good feeling but
often has to be fought for?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> 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?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> we created an atmosphere for people to be honest
about their issues, so that they could then begin to address them? <strong>What if</strong> 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?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>What if</strong> I didn't ask these questions because I knew that I would have pressure from my peers to prove I really want answers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <strong>What
if</strong> 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….<strong>what if</strong> I try? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-33675644678140962382012-12-13T17:58:00.000-08:002012-12-13T17:58:36.339-08:00Awkwardness, I Own You
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will submit three definitions from the Encarta Dictionary:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1) Embarrassing and requiring great tact or skill
to resolve<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2) Lacking physical coordination and grace<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">3) </span>Shy, uncomfortable, and embarrassed<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X20FZekhs2Y/UMqFSYNG18I/AAAAAAAAAFA/Tww2798hWM8/s1600/Awkward+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X20FZekhs2Y/UMqFSYNG18I/AAAAAAAAAFA/Tww2798hWM8/s320/Awkward+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-48348340672597854852012-12-11T16:24:00.000-08:002012-12-11T16:24:32.317-08:00Epic Songs
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bohemian Rhapsody<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p4MZJsexEs" rel="nofollow">Video: Bohemian Rhapsody</a></span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Halleluiah Chorus<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I chose to upload this version as it may appeal to a larger
audience:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<o:p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76RrdwElnTU" rel="nofollow">Video: Halleluiah Chorus</a></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nessum Dorma<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nobody
shall sleep!... <br />
Nobody shall sleep! <br />
Even you, o Princess, <br />
in your cold room, <br />
watch the stars, <br />
that tremble with love and with hope.<br />
But my secret is hidden within me,<br />
my name no one shall know... <br />
No!...No!... <br />
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines<br />
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...<br />
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)<br />
Vanish, o night!</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <br />
Set, stars! Set, stars! <br />
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5moKfZ9Y2Q" rel="nofollow">Video: Nessum Dorma</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></b></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Summertime<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIDOEsQL7lA" rel="nofollow">Video: Summertime</a></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">O Holy Night<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although deemed a Christmas song, this song has the lyrics
and melody that demand attention any time it is played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“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!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqqFJf6_Ags" rel="nofollow">Video: O Holy Night</a></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Requiem: Lacrimosa </b>by
W. Mozart<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1-TrAvp_xs" rel="nofollow">Video: Lacrimosa</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">O Fortuna </b>by Carl
Orff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD3VsesSBsw" rel="nofollow">Video: O Fortuna</a></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p></o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somewhere Over the
Rainbow<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<o:p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWeF5Zv_pzs" rel="nofollow">Video: Somewhere Over The Rainbow</a></o:p></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-62998300705099870792012-12-06T17:20:00.003-08:002012-12-06T17:25:11.935-08:00Pranked, again.<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.”</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq-A-t3W0gw/UMFB55S9W3I/AAAAAAAAADs/ZQY9TykvbxM/s1600/WEP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq-A-t3W0gw/UMFB55S9W3I/AAAAAAAAADs/ZQY9TykvbxM/s1600/WEP.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 <a href="http://www.ehow.com/list_6977791_white-gift-exchange-party-rules.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> 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”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
If you are unfamiliar with the WEP, you may think that Christmas party gifts will come looking like this (image found online):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nkKJMtm7f90/UMFD9EMenaI/AAAAAAAAAD0/Wn6Oa19n0_8/s1600/Presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nkKJMtm7f90/UMFD9EMenaI/AAAAAAAAAD0/Wn6Oa19n0_8/s320/Presents.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But these are what they will more likely look like (images found online):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zJuOQzjFZhE/UMFEOxVcfFI/AAAAAAAAAEE/khqV4cNlBb8/s1600/Poor+Gift+Wrapping+Job+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zJuOQzjFZhE/UMFEOxVcfFI/AAAAAAAAAEE/khqV4cNlBb8/s1600/Poor+Gift+Wrapping+Job+2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcaxtJHrH78/UMFEJ_c6rwI/AAAAAAAAAD8/zI0_p3f1Q_w/s1600/Poor+Gift+Wrapping+Job+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcaxtJHrH78/UMFEJ_c6rwI/AAAAAAAAAD8/zI0_p3f1Q_w/s1600/Poor+Gift+Wrapping+Job+1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Anonymous</strong>: “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…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Daryl</strong>: “I’d like to meet a woman with money so we can have
fun…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Philip</strong>: “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.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Mike</strong>: “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.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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!</span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-53930192058594232482012-12-03T16:58:00.000-08:002012-12-03T16:58:04.321-08:00This One Horse Town<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7KtAgAMzaeg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, friends, we have a place like that in Modesto and that
place is Camp 4. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Check them out <a href="http://www.facebook.com/camp4wine">here</a> on Facebook.</span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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 </span><a href="http://www.modbee.com/2012/11/03/2441541/city-creates-downtown-parklet.html#storylink=misearch">"parklets."</a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place is Redeemer
Church. Here is a <a href="http://www.theredeemerchurch.com/">link</a> for more information, or just ask me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F8Z33euaQ9o/UL1FxpvIqoI/AAAAAAAAACU/PP6rpE49tDQ/s1600/Redeemer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F8Z33euaQ9o/UL1FxpvIqoI/AAAAAAAAACU/PP6rpE49tDQ/s320/Redeemer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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:</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c4e2y1PXGRM/UL1GibKul0I/AAAAAAAAACc/hRrHGQeuOpE/s1600/Virgina+Path+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c4e2y1PXGRM/UL1GibKul0I/AAAAAAAAACc/hRrHGQeuOpE/s1600/Virgina+Path+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGLRAa1xZRo/UL1GqaRsLnI/AAAAAAAAACk/0XM44kc_ZrQ/s1600/Virginia+Path+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGLRAa1xZRo/UL1GqaRsLnI/AAAAAAAAACk/0XM44kc_ZrQ/s320/Virginia+Path+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Annual Oktoberfest Event </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5MK9Mspw1w/UL1I_mh9iRI/AAAAAAAAACs/ErQXU6GBFAo/s1600/Annual+Ocktoberfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5MK9Mspw1w/UL1I_mh9iRI/AAAAAAAAACs/ErQXU6GBFAo/s320/Annual+Ocktoberfest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Breast Cancer Awareness Benefit</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a5PDcKYKfWY/UL1JAdpbC-I/AAAAAAAAAC0/atRNwoA2nDg/s1600/Breast+Cancer+Awarenes+Benefit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a5PDcKYKfWY/UL1JAdpbC-I/AAAAAAAAAC0/atRNwoA2nDg/s320/Breast+Cancer+Awarenes+Benefit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Camp 4 </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-26VUKz_YvNQ/UL1JBiQKLcI/AAAAAAAAAC8/kGElhuuKopU/s1600/Camp+4+with+Laurel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-26VUKz_YvNQ/UL1JBiQKLcI/AAAAAAAAAC8/kGElhuuKopU/s320/Camp+4+with+Laurel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A community group dinner</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Th3zgryDolg/UL1JDQbxZDI/AAAAAAAAADI/4n2J7gznYy0/s1600/Community+Group+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Th3zgryDolg/UL1JDQbxZDI/AAAAAAAAADI/4n2J7gznYy0/s320/Community+Group+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another community group dinner</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYPq-ctErnM/UL1JD2QejRI/AAAAAAAAADM/UkpvTyOWdsA/s1600/Dinner+Shot+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYPq-ctErnM/UL1JD2QejRI/AAAAAAAAADM/UkpvTyOWdsA/s320/Dinner+Shot+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ice blocking</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQYR4TzHYV8/UL1JEzdoBTI/AAAAAAAAADc/DoRDCq2QeHM/s1600/Ice+Blocking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQYR4TzHYV8/UL1JEzdoBTI/AAAAAAAAADc/DoRDCq2QeHM/s320/Ice+Blocking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-2666237201204032382012-11-30T17:54:00.000-08:002012-11-30T17:54:39.979-08:00What Makes Me Mad
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anger is a strange thing; one never knows what might set a
person off and then there are varied levels of anger, such as frustration,
irritation, rage, and of course “merely upset.” On top of that, there are
varied levels of life circumstances that can initiate anger, not limited to
issues with parents, job, politics and religion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well recently, something normally miniscule made me angry. I
raced home between appointments to make some lunch; it is healthy-ish, good for
the budget, and satisfying, right? I opened some extra sharp cheddar cheese and
made a quesadilla. I hate it when there are dishes left out, so while lunch was
heating up, I decided to clean up and put everything back. Time-efficiency is
my long, underrated, middle name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everyone knows that cheese has to be wrapped up as tightly
as possible so that it doesn’t get moldy. So before I put it into a Ziploc bag,
I decided to first wrap it in plastic wrap and THEN put it into the plastic bag.
That is when I got angry. The plastic wrap box normally comes with a serrated
edge so you can tear off the plastic. But the box at my house had part of the
jagged edge missing. Have you ever tried to separate a piece of plastic wrap
from itself by just stretching it? It is maddening. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please it is never THAT easy:</span></div>
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<a href="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4947575491268136&pid=15.1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="145" id="yui_3_5_1_15_1354326834959_488" src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4947575491268136&pid=15.1" style="height: 148px; margin-top: 0px; width: 148px;" width="145" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is no moral to this story, no great ending, just
proving the ridiculousness of humanity. We can create plastic so thin that it
can be stretched, but for some reason we cannot figure out how to cut it. We
think we know everything. But it is proven over and over that we are stumped by
the seemingly stupid. In this case, I lost out to a box. What else do I assume
I know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wonder if this is ever how God thinks about us, people,
humanity? Yes, I know, God is a God of love. But you can love and still be
angry or upset, right? I just wonder if He ever looks down and sees the
freaking marvel of what is the human body, and then sees the talents and
goodness he has given to each person, and then sees it misused, abused, or even
worse, NOT used. I am specifically referring to those that pretend they are not
good at anything. We are so afraid of arrogance and pride that we don’t embrace
the talents or giftings we have been given. Instead of excelling we hide that piece
of knowledge we have, or we shrug off leadership and sit passively by.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am suggesting we stop being falsely humble, embrace what
we are good at to benefit others, and live in triumph. And before I really get
on my soap box, I’ll end this soon-to-be-too-long entry and suggest that you get
on with it! Life is too short to live in mediocrity!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do you think?</span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-29095007555575799212012-11-26T08:47:00.000-08:002012-11-26T08:47:21.929-08:00Vermin Of The Worst Kind<br />
While writing my last post, I realized I had yet another laundry story that needed to be shared, albeit in the direct path of something darker and more sinister.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_ERsDp_bOE/ULEBMfKV_eI/AAAAAAAAACE/AzKgtm6YBdc/s1600/Coconut+Catcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_ERsDp_bOE/ULEBMfKV_eI/AAAAAAAAACE/AzKgtm6YBdc/s320/Coconut+Catcher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I was in Australia in 2007 and lived in a house that contained 17 girls and one bathroom…the bathroom has nothing to do with this story, but I felt it important to note, as it is somewhat of a miracle for that many girls to peacefully live together with just one commode. I use the word "peacefully" loosely.<br />
I had some free time on a Saturday so I decided it was the perfect time to do my laundry. I carried or rather dragged a pile of laundry to the back of the house where the washer and dryer were located and began the process. Normally, you would turn on the water, add soap, then the throw in the clothes. This time it was not so. I turned on the water. I added the soap. Then I put in…BAM! Something to my left, on the floor, caught my attention; I thought it was a mouse. I WISH it had been a mouse. NO! No, no…the thing that caught my eye was a large, later to be known as “Huntsman”, spider the size of my hand.<br />
<br />
I froze. That is my normal position when I see a spider of any size. <br />
<br />
After an undetermined amount of seconds, or minutes, I started yelling for any roommates left in the house, I couldn’t leave because any sane person knows that if you leave the room after seeing a spider, the spider disappears, and then you have to burn the house down. I had enough mind-over-matter power in that instant to know that this was not my house therefore I could not burn it down. So I had to wait. I heard that someone was on their way so I prayed that God would let me graciously pass out. But I didn’t. One of the girls that I shared a room with came out and shouted for me to throw her my flip flop….<u>MY</u> FLIP FLOP! I know I mentioned this already but it is important to remember that this monster was the size of my hand and my flip flop would only bounce of the sucker. So I did the only thing I could do. As soon as the girl began striking the nasty thing with someone else’s shoe, I ran.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
During my stay in Australia, I found 4 more of the spiders in our house ("spi-dar" is not a gift), to total 5. I was told at one point that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone</i> knows Huntsman spiders travel in pairs. You read that right. P-A-I-R-S. I had seen 5; 5 divided by 2 …now you get it.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Every night I thought about how we supposedly eat spiders during our sleep and was paranoid that my time would come with one that I couldn't swallow. Welcome to my nightmare. I didn’t know until the end of my stay there, that someone had found the 6<sup>th</sup> spider. <br />
<br />
I really need to learn the art of deliberate fainting.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14574071806718130152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6657027315796482230.post-89974945015821384132012-11-24T08:58:00.000-08:002012-11-24T16:19:53.273-08:00How to do laundry<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have decided to give this whole blogging thing a try. If this
doesn’t work out, I will have only devoted hours of time to my online “diary.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel I must first create the atmosphere of a writer,
though for myself, I use the term loosely. Wine, check; Triple-cream Cambozola
cheese and crackers, check; Fragrant candle burning, check; Singing in the Rain
(musical) playing in the background, check. Apparently, I think “writing
atmosphere” embodies a Frenchwoman from the 50’s who likes romance…ok, I can
deal with that. Warning, you all know how my mind works from my Facebook
statuses and tweets (shameless plug for Twitter, @adrienneyerzy), random and
short. Let’s begin, 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> blog, take 1!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few years ago I had the opportunity to go to Indonesia
with a small group consisting of 9 people, 3 ladies and 6 guys. The 9 of us
willingly crammed into a very small apartment on the twenty-something floor. I
do not know the square footage of the place, but to give you some sort of reference
point, I will tell you that the 3 of us ladies shared a queen sized bed for 2
months…something reminiscent of the 3 Stooges, I think. Now you sort of get the
picture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While there are MANY stories to tell from this trip, I want
to focus on just one. Like a first date, some mystery must be left for later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When our team arrived at the apartment, we realized right
away that we would need to purchase a water tank, which uses bottles similar to
the large bottles that the Alhambra man might bring to your office or home. We
tried purchasing normal liter sized bottles for a while (as we couldn’t drink
water from the tap), but they were used up too quickly and after collecting a
full set of empty, plastic bottles, we decided our collection, though
impressive, was too large for our cabinets and that the water cooler was a
better idea. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also notice right away that our apartment didn’t have a
washer or dryer, though this was expected and really not an issue as most of us
had taken many international trips where we had to wash laundry by hand, no big
deal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We, the ladies of the group, took turns washing our clothes in the sink or tub. Whites, by themselves, dark colors by themselves, in small “loads” because there just wasn’t room to do everything at once, I will not bore you with the rest. One of the guys, however, had a different plan. One day I turned the corner to find him vigorously shaking a large water jug (I will add that a fellow teammate had procured a harmonica from a cereal box and repeatedly played random chords over and over…this was going on in the background). Of course, I had to figure out what was going on and to my surprise (followed by doubled over laughter) he had decided to put his laundry into the water jug so that he could do all his dark laundry at one time, to “save time”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MgMaGkH5kJQ/ULD66EDUKfI/AAAAAAAAABs/NEfuE_1zXvM/s1600/Justin+and+Laundry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MgMaGkH5kJQ/ULD66EDUKfI/AAAAAAAAABs/NEfuE_1zXvM/s320/Justin+and+Laundry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am
hoping you are picture someone using the “Shake Weight” only this is about 30
times bigger and heavier! I laughed with tears in my eyes for quite a few
minutes, then sensing that the “show” was almost over, I looked again to see
him pull everything out of the water jug…and then put them right back in again!
I couldn’t figure out what he was doing, so I asked and his reply?
“Rinse-cycle!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know how else to end this other than to mention we only bought 2 water jugs to refill with water for the 2 months we were there…So we all experienced one man’s laundry, one way or another.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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