The Abilene Reporter-News is publishing a series of religious columns I wrote for my Media and Religion class this semester. They chose to start off with this one, which isn't my best, but oh well. They also edited it incorrectly, so one sentence doesn't make sense. The sixth paragraph should start off like this: The PTC, an antiquated watchdog group that uses scare tactics to lure parents into complaining about TV shows not worth complaining about, has campaigns against MTV, FXÂ's show Nip/Tuck and releases lists of the best and worst shows on TV. I guess it was too much of a compound sentence for the Abilene readership. Thanks, Reporter-News. But I guess beggars can't be choosers.

hustlers grab your guns, your shadow weighs a ton, driving down the 101

Even at night, I could see the smog settled over the city as my plane landed, along with crawling lines of countless cars making their way down highways and interstates. An orange tinge from buildings and street lamps ensures that the sky is never completely dark.

My weekend in Los Angeles was filled with In-N-Out burgers, movies, nearly dying in traffic, celebrity sightings (apparently I walked right past Horatio Sans from SNL at the theatre on our way to see Capote, there was an actor sitting near us at Baja Fresh and we saw The Daily Show's Dan Bakkedahl in Hollywood with a camera crew, presumably filming a segment for the show), being a tourist in Hollywood, being accosted by street performers in Hollywood, hanging out in Santa Monica and seeing the Pacific Ocean. The visit was brief but memorable.

Here I am with Anakin Skywalker, Mr. Incredible and Sponge Bob Squarepants down at Hollywood and Highland in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. I hadn't intended on having my picture taken, but I unfortunately made eye contact with Anakin, who beckoned me with his finger and took the camera from my hands before I knew what to do. Daniel loved every minute of this scene and took my picture. After Anakin mentioned twice that they accepted small tips, I gave them each a dollar and we were on our way.

This is Dan Bakkedahl from The Daily Show, talking with various street performers across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre, where the Oscars are held. I'll have to keep watching The Daily Show next year to see if this segment, or something like it, makes it on air. After we saw him, we ate at Mel's Diner, which the diner in American Graffiti is based on, and sure enough Dan and his crew came in to eat there as well. I had trouble staring.

The pier at Santa Monica, Saturday night at sunset. Tourists and locals come down for the fishing or for the rides. The best part was the 3rd Street Promenade, a blocked off street of shops and entertainment that was alive with people.





The funnel cake we devoured while at the pier, killing time before dinner and our viewing of Brokeback Mountain at the ArcLight.











The Pacific, and a farewell to California.

Blame Canada

In case you were wondering how demented my brother and I actually are (you probably weren't, but oh well), here is an excerpt from a recent AIM conversation we had. For background, he was talking about reviewing Memoirs of a Geisha and how many are upset that Chinese actors were cast in Japanese roles. This had us talking about actors of different nationalities acting as Americans.

Daniel: i mean, casting a white guy as a mexican is just stupid, like in Touch of Evil. but casting a latin actor to play latin is deemed ok. and canadians play americans all the time, those sneaky bastards. like alan thicke and michael j. fox
Me: mike meyers
Me: tricky
Daniel: yeah
Daniel: they slip right in
Me: it's crazy
Daniel: we should exterminate them
Daniel: or put them in camps
Daniel: or something
Me: why that border isn't protected more is beyond me
Daniel: totally
Daniel: it's so long. too long to be unguarded
Daniel: dangerous
Me: i agree
Me: they just come on over as if they'd been invited
Daniel: elk or whatnot could just roam on down
Daniel: seriously. something should be done
Me: hmmm
Me: we need a plan
Daniel: we should just invade canada. turn it into a ski resort
Me: haha
Me: have you noticed how high up alaska is? they're practically canadian. we should kick them out of the union
Daniel: they're too close to russia. those commie bastards. acting like they're american. then why do your islands stretch like a chain to soviet land, huh? why?
Me: let's get rid of them
Daniel: with nuclear fire
Me: sounds like a plan
Me: blame canada
Daniel: you know bush would do it. he hasn't bombed anything in like 3 months. dude's got a build-up he needs to unleash
Me: if only we were his advisors
Daniel: we could be
Daniel: easily
Me: we could whisper our canada extermination plan into his ear
Me: it's true
Me: we'd have to pretend that we voted for him
Daniel: hmm. then no
Me: exactly
Me: i'll only go so far
Me: i don't really want to put my soul in jeopardy
Daniel: kill puppies? yes. but say i voted for bush? no way
Me: i'd rather be tortured
Daniel: luckily, we have the facilities for that
Me: thanks, cheney
Daniel: seriously, this whole place is messed up
Me: but not as messed up as Canada...those bastards. stop saying 'eh' after everything.
Daniel: and hockey? HOCKEY? no one likes hockey
Daniel: lame ice sport
Daniel: lame
Me: the maple leaf is a dumb flag
Me: sure doesn't beat the stars and stripes
Daniel: tell me about it. a symbol for syrup vs. the bold colors of righteous freedom? eat it, canada
Me: what the crap is up with mounties? your border? like we'd want to cross it. it's the canadians who are the invaders. our country is awesome enough as it is.
Daniel: you're not fooling anyone with your free health care and low crime, either, canada. we know it sucks up there
Me: south park got it right in their depiction of canadians. not really worth drawing.
Daniel: their little heads bouncing around
Daniel: and bryan adams...
Daniel: shame on you, canada
Me: "Let's make it all for one and all for love?" I still haven't gotten over that.
Daniel: i mean, it's a nice sentiment and all, but i don't know how you got sting to be involved with your scarred canadian mug. and what's up with that robin hood song? you made him sound like a wuss
Daniel: you're the wuss, bri
Me: truer words were never spoken.

bah, humbug

Does something about this strike you as inherently wrong? Yes, Christmas is a time for family, but look at it's name: Christmas. I'm sorry that it's stressful putting on a show, I mean, service, for thousands of people, but can it really be called work in the sense of punching a time card for a nine-hour day? And if you're afraid of low attendance, why not try encouraging your parishioners to come. Maybe that's just old fashioned, but at least it's not secular.

This scene is one of my favorites in the film To Kill a Mockingbird, which I just watched on TV. Atticus Finch guards his jailed defendant the night before his trial from the town people out for their own form of justice. My favorite part comes when Scout, Jim and Dill come running up through the middle of the crowd. Atticus looks terrified that his children are there and asks Jim to leave, but he refuses. While Scout is standing next to her father, she looks over and recognizes Mr. Cunningham, who had done business with Atticus. She talks to him and asks him how he is, mentioning that she goes to school with his son, Walter. This goes on for a while, with Mr. Cunningham looking embarrassed and Atticus looking amazed.

He replies back to Scout and tells her he'll tell Walter she said 'hello.' He then corrals the group of men to leave. Scout reminded him of his humanity, something hard to do in the midst of such hatred and mob mentality, something probably only the innocence of children can do.

Melanie's comment on my previous post had me thinking of great film adaptations of books. I have to say, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best. Usually, when I learn of a new movie coming out that is based on a book, I rush out to buy the book before the movie premieres. Right now, I'm reading Memoirs of a Geisha.

Why must all good books be made into probably not-as-good movies? I say this in anticipation of and nervousness toward The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, opening Friday. Let's hope this adaptation will be true to the story and not fall into the melodramatic category Peter Jackson made his own.

Anyone have any favorite book-to-movie adaptations?

five hours of awesomeness

Latest review: Pride & Prejudice. I've seen it twice and you all should see it, too. While it can never replace the 5-hour extravaganza brought to us by the BBC and A&E starring Colin "Wet Shirt" Firth (I stole that), it's still really good. I also, of course, have a mistake in this review as well. I spell the Bennet name incorrectly, although when I pulled out my copy of the book to verify the name - I spelled it Bennett - the back of my book had it spelled that way, which is incorrect. I blame finals, Dr. Marler, my fellow staff members for distracting me, rock 'n' roll, the 40 mph wind we had here, Colin Firth, caffeine, Joseph McCarthy and Jane Austen for this error.

Current reading: The Boxcar Children, Book 1. I have a 5th grade reading level...probably should admit it...

I should be studying right now. I have to figure out what exactly which area of the Intelligent Design debate I want to argue in my editorial for my Opinion Writing final. Personally, I'm tired of reading about monkeys, the Galapagos Islands, crazy people, Dover, Pa., and Pat Robertson. Intertwined with this research comes studying for my Bible final, for which I have to read 1 Samuel through 2 Kings and know random information. If I sit in my room to study, I'm distracted by my computer. I've been sitting in the living room, but if I look up, I see the rows and rows of pretty movies I own sitting next to the TV.

Ah well, I just need to make it through a few more days, then I have one semester left of not being an adult.


OK, one more picture of Colin Firth and I'll go back to studying (this is from the best scene in the miniseries):

concessions of the weak, part 2

Screw them all, screw them all. Screw, screw, screw them all.

concessions of the weak

After reading a never-published story about homosexuality on campus, I couldn't help but be struck by a certain quote. This quote, said by a certain president at a certain private Christian university in a certain West Texas town, was no doubt a typical thing for this man to say considering his title and position. However, I've got a problem with it.

When talking about practicing gay students on campus, this president said that if the university is doing its job, the students should feel uncomfortable on campus, adding that the school should be up-front about it's belief that homosexuality is a sin. "It doesn't matter what society thinks or practices," he said. "God's side is clear."

Again, I understand his need to take a strong stand against homosexuality, but I couldn't help but be bothered by his sentiment. Is making a Christian brother or sister feel uncomfortable about their sin really the best way to approach the issue? Will making gay students feel secluded and condemned open the floor up for dialogue on the subject of homosexuality, or will we really just be turning even more people away from Christ by being self-righteous? Where's the balance?

Homosexuality is only one of the many giant elephants in the room at this certain university. I can't help but wonder when we'll finally be brave enough to truly discuss the issues, not just have a forum where a student who had had same-sex feelings tells how they changed their ways and how you can, too. It's a start, yes, but it's not near enough. Life is just more complicated than that.

going to the chapel

This one goes out to Karen Shields (right), soon to be Mrs. Karen Benavidez. Congratulations on your engagement! Plus, she's graduating in two weeks. I suddenly feel very old.

On a side note, isn't it interesting that our high school friend who went to a public university is now engaged, but those of us who attended the Marriage Factory itself are all graduating single? I guess some of us really can make it out alive.

Congrats again, sweetie!

my glasses are really a disguise

I don't know about the mild-mannered part, but at least I can fly. So there.


You are Superman

Superman 75% Spider-Man 75% Supergirl 67% Green Lantern 65% Robin 47% Wonder Woman 47% Catwoman 45% The Flash 40% Hulk 40% Batman 35% Iron Man 35%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

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

thanks

Great Thanksgiving editorial in The Washington Post yesterday.

THANKSGIVING IS, for many, the most affecting of the holidays, a complex mixture of memories, emotions and family obligations that has both its happy and somber moments. This year it's been simplified somewhat, at least so far as the spirit of the day is concerned. To state it plainly: We have a lot to be grateful for in this country, and the gratitude we feel ought to beget great generosity. Lord knows, it's needed right now.

In the past 12 months, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced by water, wind, earthquake and fire -- not to mention the usual acts of human violence and the ravages of disease. Each disaster -- tsunami, hurricane, the horrendous quake in Kashmir -- produces its own wave of charitable giving, the responses varying in size and extent depending on such things as media coverage, proximity and other unpredictable factors. But no matter how great the need, one thing is almost certain: The need will exceed, by a considerable margin, the popular attention span for dealing with it. Which is why, last month, not that long after hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the earthquake, you could already find headlines in this paper that read, "Donations Slowing as Disasters Mount Worldwide" and "Charities Report Low Donations for Quake Victims."

This isn't to say that people have lacked generosity. The amounts given for tsunami and hurricane relief have totaled several billion dollars. But more is needed, especially for those facing winter in the Himalayas with little or no shelter and limited food supplies. The series of natural disasters -- including catastrophic mudslides in Central America that seem to have largely escaped the world's attention -- have caused some to speak once again, inevitably, of "compassion fatigue." But look around -- there's little evidence of wallet fatigue in what people are wearing and driving and the places so many of us are living in. During the recent budget debates, Congress argued about cutting $50 billion, and some commented on what a small percentage that was of the national wealth and of budgets that run into the trillions. Small? Imagine what just a fraction of it, added to the fraction already donated, could do to alleviate the suffering that continues in many parts of the world, including this country.

We're into the traditional season of giving. Would that we could deepen and extend it in the interest of charity as much as we have expanded our various holiday occasions in the interest of selling.

the trump shall resound

Column: Thanksgiving evokes bittersweet memories

Review: Phoenix brings Man in Black to life in 'Line' (I made a mistake; Phoenix did in fact meet Cash before he died. I suck.)

funny

Courtesy of The Onion.

and i'm asking people to hire me?

I'm one of those people.
You know, those stupid people who end up on Jaywalking on The Tonight Show or who talk during movies.
As I sat in Environmental Science today, an entry-level course that I cannot mathematically make an A in unless the teacher drops a certain test grade for everyone, I realized I'm not as good of a U.S. citizen as I had thought. We were looking at U.S. map that didn't have states' names on it. Now, I can sing Fifty Nifty United States, which lists all 50 states in alphabetical order, but I don't think I can say where every state is located on the map. Maybe if I had an hour and a set of map pencils, I could, but not this morning. But seriously, can you do it? Try it in your head without writing anything down or looking stuff up. Seriously.

In other news, I locked my keys in my car at the gas station today. Fortunately, a campus police officer was eating lunch at Rosa's across the street from the station and was able to pop my lock. Sometimes, I'm amazed I've lived this long.

countdown

Hooray for villans. An incentive to make it through the week.

The way Kathie Lee needed Regis -- that's the way I need Jesus

Welcome to the suck.

how far should you go to be heard?

"At that period, apparently indifferent, something of a revolutionary thrill was vaguely felt. Whispers coming from the depths of '89 and '92 were in the air. Young Paris was, excuse the expression, in the process of molting. People were transformed almost with suspecting it, by the very movement of the time. The hand which moves over the dial moves also among souls.

Each one took the step forward which was before him. Royalists became liberals, liberals became democrats.

It was like a rising tide, complicated by a thousand ebbs; the peculiarity of the ebb is to make mixtures; thence very singular combinations of ideas; men worshiped at the same time Napoleon and liberty. We are now writing history. These were the mirages of that day. Opinions pass through phases. Voltarian royalism, a grotesque variety, had a fellow not less strange, Bonapartist liberalism.

Other groups of minds were more serious. They fathomed principle; they attached themselves to right. They longed for the absolute, they caught glimpses of the infinite realizations; the absolute by its very rigidity pushes the mind toward the boundless, and makes it float in the illimitable. There is nothing like dream to create the future. Utopia today, flesh and blood tomorrow."

the city i live in, the city of angels. lonely as i am, together we cry

I'm flying to Los Angeles in a little more than a month to visit my older sibling. Things I plan to do:

1. Stalk celebrities.
2. Go on a celebrity homes tour.
3. Take pictures of my favorite celebrities' stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
4. If Daniel can swing passes, run around Disney World like crazy, having my picture taken with Mickey and the gang.
5. Go to the beach.
6. Eat an In-N-Out burger.
7. Go to Rodeo Drive.
8. Take pictures of famous streets and their signs.
9. Annoy my brother by acting like a tourist.
10. Stalk some more celebrities.

If any of you have other suggestions, feel free to share them.

Days left in school: 17 school days, 5 final days.

Current listening: Life in Slow Motion, David Gray and Strange and Beautiful, Aqualung
Current reading: In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Most recent purchase on iTunes: Run, by Snow Patrol (thanks, Courtney)

I'm awesome. My new opinion: you're never too old to trick-or-treat. The Optimist staff had a grand time on Halloween, driving to our professors' houses and begging for candy before we begrudgingly went back to the office to work on our next issue. It took a while for us to convince the guys to join the fun, but everyone loved the excursion.

his only begotten son

Another reason not to live in a red state.

A favorite movie of mine is The American President. In the climactic ending where President Andrew Shepherd is giving a speech defending himself against his opponent, presidential hopeful Bob Rumson, he sums up Rumson'’s stances on issues fairly well. He tells the American public that Bob Rumson doesn'’t care about their problems; he cares about two things and two things only: making you afraid of them and telling you who'’s to blame for them. That's how you win elections.

It appears Middle America has been listening to too many Bob Rumsons. Homosexuals, those who have abortions, unwed mothers, the media and liberals in general have all been blamed for the downfall of our society. We'’ve been made afraid of them, thinking our society will continue to worsen if they are openly accepted. After being afraid of them and then blaming them, we conveniently lumped them into one group and gave them a name: sinners.

The only problem is that we forgot to put ourselves in the group, too. We'’re all sinners, just as much as the next person, white or black, Jew or Gentile, gay or straight. God doesn't view us any differently, so why should we?

Too many thoughts circulate in my mind about this issue, and it's hard for me to adequately surmise the important factors to be taken into consideration. All I know is that I'm tired of it all, and I'm tired of feeling alienated in my own religion.

it's all happening

The latest. I actually like this one (the review, not the movie).

Christmas came early

Don't you think they look alike? I do. This came to me today, sometime between laughing about Scooter being indicted and smiling about Miers withdrawing her name. I'm such a jerk.

searching for my lost shaker of salt

An actual conversation I had with a checker at H-E-B yesterday, sparked on by the ACU shirt I was wearing:

Checker (male, about 19, glasses, nerdy): You know, I hate to tell you this, but Abilene High School is a better school than ACU.
Me: Um, OK.
Checker: No, really. I mean, a lot of our classes are better and we have college-level classes, like Calculus.
Me, confused: What year are you there?
Checker: Oh, I graduated.
Me: Where do you go now?
Checker: Nowhere, I can't afford it.
Me: Well, going to ACU is better than sitting at home and doing nothing.
Checker: I'm not sitting at home, I'm sitting here working to earn money so I can afford to go to school.

I don't think I said anything after than, just made an annoyed face, picked up my bags of groceries and headed for the door. My sitting at home comment was rude, I know, but I was just confused as to why a high school graduate was telling me my education was a sham. Apparently, I've been kidding myself these past four years. I should have just audited Abilene High classes and I'd be good to go. Thanks for the tip, random checker person. Oh, the fun people you meet in Abilene.

Dean Barnard's worst nightmare

So, the Associated Press picked up the story of three ACU social clubs having their pledging halted for hazing investigations, unapproved activities or the resignation of their sponsors. Several papers and networks picked it up, including The Fort Worth Star Telegram and The Houston Cronicle. For a more complete list, click here. This can't bode well for the future of social clubs.

she probably doesn't know what she's talking about, but she at least references "The Godfather: Part II"

Hooray for columns! I like this one and let's pray it's accurate. Miers added to Bush's croney staff. I know I keep only posting my Optimist stuff on here, but life is too crazy because of Homecoming for me to be creative.

you can't take the skies from me

The latest. The review's not that great, but the movie is.

take my love, take my land

I sat in a theatre filled with some normal people, and some strange-looking people. I've decided most of the strange people were there not just because of the movie's subject matter, but because I was at the Mall of Abilene movie theatre on a Saturday afternoon. Serenity was great, but now I want the stories to continue. Maybe if the film is successful, sequels will be in the works. You should all get past the sci-fi/western label of the film and see it. It's amazing. Daniel and I can die happy now that we've seen it.

Oh yes I am, Oh yes I am, Oh yes I am! Oh yes I am Huckleberry Finn, and I am in trouble again...

Apparently, the days of book burning and banning are not behind us, and many people call their local libraries to demand certain books be banned. While I can see their problems with certain titles, though I don't think they should be banned, some of the books on the list are classics and it's worrisome that they're targets. To Kill a Mockingbird? Great book. Kind of controversial...I guess. Actually, no, not really. Just good. I'm glad to see Harry Potter made the top 10, I'm so proud. Some of the children's books are interesting, though. Some of them don't even sound real. Daddy's Roommate? Really can't stop laughing at that one. The Face on the Milk Carton? What's terrible about that one? Wasn't that a TV movie starring the actress from Christy, who was later on ER and killed off by a psychotic patient with a knife? I think so. Ah, this list is just entertaining. God bless the First Amendment.

an unproductive weekend

Hastings employs weird people. As I was in the check out line there yesterday, the cashier said the usual "Hello, how are you," to me. Glad that he hadn't asked if I wanted to add popcorn to my purchase as he had to the two men in front of me in line, I said fine and asked how he was. He answered that he was alright, a little tired. Just alright, I asked? He said yes, because his toes hurt. He then stepped back from the counter and indicated his feet, so I leaned over to get a closer look.

"I had my toenails surgically removed, so they hurt." My face screwed up in confusion at to why I was looking at the holes caked with dry blood that once held his toenails. I asked why they were removed. "Well, they were ingrown for about 10 years, so it was about time." Good to know. He didn't appear to be that old, he might even be late teens or early 20's. He's just one of those guys who probably likes video games too much, and his large glasses were too close to his head. I asked if he was taking medicine for it and he said yes, but he wasn't looking forward to when the pain killers wore off. By then I had finished with my purchase and, after adding I hope he felt better, left.

Would it be such trouble for Abilene to perhaps add a Barnes & Noble or a Borders to its growing list of possible businesses on the north side? Then, perhaps, when I want to buy a book, I will buy it from someone who won't have me look at their toenailess feet. Still, characters like that help make the city what it is.

Stay classy, Abilene.

Joss Whedon is amazing

To make my brother happy, I will try to keep posting my reviews on here so that they are more accessible. So here ya go: "Just Like Heaven."

tears stream down your face when you lose something you cannot replace

These Starbucks cups were banned from the location at Baylor University because the quote was apparently inappropriate for a Baptist university. I should be writing about this, and I'll be sure to post a link to my column next week. Gay or straight, it's a good quote and good advice.

Instead of being in Spring, Texas, right about now, eagerly awaiting the Coldplay concert at The Woodlands on Saturday, I am stuck in Abilene, cursing the name Rita and everything related to hurricanes. I'm crossing my fingers that the concert will be rescheduled. If it's not, I may just have to drive to a random state to see my favorite band play. If ever there were a weekend I needed to get out of dodge, this was it.

Go to this site and see some cool videos done for the Optimist. If you watch the ones for Homer Hiccolm and the Night Riders and look closely, you will see my crazy roommate.

In other multimedia news, this video is hi-larious. Yes, it's old news. But you know what? Tom Cruise is still crazy.

yes, she's a poser, but at least she poses with style.

My latest movie review. You should all go see it.

i'd kill for a coke

Among the sound bites of his presidency that Mr. Bush will most regret, one will surely be "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." That was Mr. Bush's valentine last week to his hapless FEMA director, Michael D. Brown. Many Americans are already frustrated -- justifiably so -- by the administration's unwillingness to candidly acknowledge the difficulties it is facing in Iraq, and the degree to which its own misjudgments contributed to them. They aren't likely to have much tolerance for a similarly inadequate response to a domestic disaster -- nor should they.

I want to be able to write editorials like this one.

detox

I'm not supposed to eat sugar. I went to the doctor yesterday because I get headaches every day. We're trying various things to see what the problem is, and one of his temporary solutions was no sugar, not even sugar substitutes. Have you ever realized how much food has sugar in it? Now, I e-mailed him asking him to clarify this matter. Did he mean no sugar whatsoever, or did he mean no items that have a lot of sugar, such as soda, candy, etc? Hopefully, the latter is the answer. Most everything in my pantry and fridge has some sort of sugar count to it. I'm going through withdrawals. I want Coke. Diet anything is an abomination. I also have to take antihistamine, which just about knock me out. I looked like I was dead this morning and probably throughout most of the day. Sugar is my friend. Who cares if it might give me headaches?

It was a rough transition back into the grind this semester. The Thursday of the first week of school, a day I was battling it out to have my review of The 40-Year-Old Virgin run in the paper, I realized that I had only been in the state for a week. One week, and already I had had stories and reviews and assignments and classes and not enough sleep. It took me days to unpack. I'm still behind on all my stories, and I've been writing everything last minute, thus producing less than great pieces. I think I'm finally settling in, but I probably won't rest until Christmas. If anyone wants to contribute to the Sarah-wants-to-visit-Daniel-in-LA fund, donations are welcome.

I don't know about half of the students walking around campus. I definitely feel more removed from everything this year. I'm content to do my work and then go home, and spend weekends at home. I got pretty used to the routine this summer. Ah, the days of high school and freshman year when I wanted to be entertained all the time. I'm fine with a book or movies on TV, apparently. I feel old all of a sudden.

I had gotten so used to my routine this summer. On my last day, I had to carry several bags and a large picture home from the office. I ran out of money on my metro card and had to use the last bit of change I had to pay my fare, meaning I didn't have any left for the bus. I climbed up the steps of the 622 quite disheveled and Ray exclaimed that he was sad it was my last day. He helped me set all my things down and I began to explain to him about not having change. He waved it away and told me not to worry. A man in a grey suit who I'd never seen smiled at me and told me to take care when he got off the bus at his stop. When my stop finally came, he gave me a hug and kissed my cheek and told me to come back and see him. Who knows if he'll be driving the same shift of the Fairfax Connector by the time I return, whenever that will be, but I'll try and find him just the same.

the best part of waking up

A letter that was printed yesterday in the Express, a short version of The Post that people read on the Metro, made me happy. It read:

 

Who's the Smooth Operator?

 

"Can we identify the Orange Line operator whose soothing voice, moderated sense of humor and signature "Let's be careful out there," enhances even the earliest of morning commutes? There's an art to getting those of us who have yet to connect with caffeine to smile. This guy really gets it!"

 

I totally know who she's talking about! I ride the Orange Line to work every morning, beginning at the end of the line in Vienna, Virginia. Sometimes we have inaudible operators, or those who sound tired or bored, but every now and then I will get on this guy's train and you can't help but notice his voice. He always sounds cheerful, but not in an annoying way. He could do voice overs for commercials, I'm sure of it. So, I was excited that I recognized a reference to the daily routine out here. I felt almost like a local.

 

This morning, as I was walking from the Metro to the office, I recognized a man I saw on the Metro line more than a month ago. He seems middle aged and I think he's deaf, and he mismatches his clothes and carries around a fair amount of luggage. I saw him when I was traveling downtown to go to the Smithsonian back in June, and today I saw him standing on a corner in Arlington next to a 7-Eleven. Probably what makes the commute seem so natural and routine after a while is the fact that I see pretty much the same people every day - various businessmen and women, coming with wet hair and leaving looking exhausted.

 

The group that rides the 622 Fairfax Connector to Vienna at 7:26 a.m. and from Vienna at 6:18 p.m. varies slightly, but I generally see the regulars. One guy seems to be from Texas. I've heard him talking on the phone several times and I got the impression. I named him Dewey. He just looks like one. He has a huge ring on his finger that I assume is from college, and I decided it was probably Tech or A&M. I also decided he is the son of an oil tycoon. One time he wore seersucker pants and a pink tie and I thought he was trying too hard. I haven't seen him wear them again. A woman with short brown hair and brown glasses usually sits next to me on the ride home, and the only thing she has ever said to me was "thank you" when I moved to let her out of the seat. The driver home is named Ray and I can't quite place his accent. He finally asked me what my name is about two weeks ago and I don't think he was expecting to learn that I am still in school. When he learned my major, he asked why I wasn't interning at The Post or USA Today or the likes, and I don't think he understood why I laughed at the notion. He calls me sweetheart and said he is sad today is my last day on the bus.

 

One more bus ride and it's back home.

 

 

songs about rainbows

Too many thoughts circulating to make one post...

1. Boredom Numbs the Work World
Lack of Stimulation Infects Humble and High-Ranking Jobs Alike

By Amy Joyce
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Page D01

..."We know that 55 percent of all U.S. employees are not engaged at work. They are basically in a holding pattern. They feel like their capabilities aren't being tapped into and utilized and therefore, they really don't have a psychological connection to the organization," said Curt W. Coffman, global practice leader at the Gallup Organization, whose large polling group measured employee engagement.

...That problem -- a lack of autonomy and a job that has very specific instructions -- hits workers from the highest to lowest echelons of the working world. Many spend their days surfing the Internet, writing e-mails or taking care of personal business.

Basically, this article proved what I had already known - that most employees get bored at work and look toward the internet, books, playing hookie or taking extra long lunch breaks to break up the monotony of the day. I have done all of these things this summer. Some times I was quite busy and didn't have time for anything, and other times I had just enough work to be pacing myself and working comfortably. But, for a good portion of my summer here, I have been underworked and bored. My JMC classes and the work I produce for them and for the Optimist have been much harder than anything I've done here. But I guess that's the life of an intern. My only goal now is to find a field and an workplace where I will be both challenged and happy, if that's possible. I think it is, it is just not as common as most people would like.

2. Bookstores such as Barnes & Noble are already displaying the tons of extra copies of The Chronicles of Narnia they've ordered in preparation to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe's theatrical release in December. I also saw there yesterday a book called Finding God in the Land of Narnia, by the authors who wrote Finding God in The Lord of the Rings. This is upsetting to me. Of course, the Chronicles have been well-read by many who know the tales of Aslan, but still, it was not prevalent in our pop culture in my opinion. Daniel once said about The Lord of the Rings, now every idiot knows what a hobbit is, and I feel like I've lost something - or words similar to the effect. Now that they have a mass market campaign to sell Narnia as a fantasy land, saying it's a great story and liking it to Rings or even, which doesn't make sense to me, Harry Potter, everyone will know who Mr. Tumnus is, or Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, and all the other characters and stories. I feel like I've lost something. Do we need a book in order to find God in the Chronicles? They're pretty blatant Christian allegories if you ask me, and the series means so much to a lot of people. Rings wasn't overtly Christian and Tolkein even said it wasn't. That book was dumbed down for the masses in its movies, and I can only hope that the movie version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe won't be as well. The previews look promising, so we'll see. I'm an elitist and I'm not apologizing for it. I just love my books and don't like them being ripped apart for the silver screen.

[stepping off my soapbox...]

3. National Treasure is a surprisingly entertaining movie. What makes it "great" is how the makers went full throttle after the idea of an invisible map on the Declaration of Independence. They didn't shy away from crazy conspiracy theories - they embraced them. The map was a freaking hologram, and secret decoder glasses that Benjamin Franklin designed and hid inside of a brick on a wall at Constitution Hall in Philly show where the treasure is - treasure that's been hidden for thousands of years and worth about $10 billion. Brilliant! They went for it, played with the idea and came out with a product that was both family friendly and entertaining. Of course I was skeptical at first, but I enjoyed it.

4. Congrats to Daniel on his new job at The Hollywood Reporter. Way to be awesome, and thanks again for the present you sent me.

5. I can't wait for Taco Cabana. Five days!

random musings on embarrassment

Why are people embarrassed when they fall down? Walking in a straight line or standing upright shouldn't be that difficult, but we somehow manage to trip or slip and fall. But, if we fall in public, why are we so mortified? Us interns had this discussion because one of us, Lucy, bit it last Sunday while riding her bike on the National Mall. She tried to corner to quickly and flew off the bike, hands and legs spread eagle and face first. She cut her knees so badly she should have gotten stitches, but was too stubborn. She stumbled to a nearby police car and waited for them to return while several tourists stopped to help her. They bandaged her up and the police offered her a ride home, but she refused, hobbling her way back to Georgetown. She told us the detailed story on Tuesday and then on Wednesday, as she was walking from the elevator to the front door of the office in the morning, while talking to an intimidating and important attorney, she tripped on her pant leg and fell forward again. The other staff member present helped her up while the lawyer picked up Lucy's lunch, which had flown from her hand. They had laughed slightly, but not enough to ease Lucy's horror.

Well, Lucy passed on her skills to me because on Thursday, as I was headed to lunch with fellow interns and a few staff members, I slipped and fell backwards. I've argued that my fall was worse than Lucy's second fall because 1. I was in nylons, heels and a skirt, which went a little too far up my legs for my liking, 2. I was in front of three boys, and 3. I fell on the concrete floor of a parking garage. I laughed, and so did Lucy and Courtney, but the three boys didn't really laugh. And here is the problem with falling: Other people make you embarrassed. If everyone had laughed heartily along with me, and not at me, which is different, things would have been fine. But the two staff members looked away, awkward and embarrassed for me, and so did the male intern, Shane.

When I was talking to Shane afterwards, he said he was sorry that he was one of those people who makes situations like falling down awkward for those who have fallen. He told me of how when he taught middle schoolers last year at a private school (that means uniforms - skirts for girls), one of the 8th grade girls, while playing volleyball with classmates, asked him to watch her serve. Of course, she bit it and fell, her skirt flying up completely. Shane said he acted like it never happened and that the girl handled it well, but that he had never been more embarrassed for someone in his life. I'm really embarrassed for her and I don't even know her. When you're young and haven't grown into your body, it's normal to trip and fall and stumble and what have you, but for adults it's a different story. I've seen men in suits trip and it is always startling for some reason. It just doesn't seem natural. I always act like I didn't notice. People should really laugh and joke around though. I think it's when people are embarrassed for other people, and those people sense that, that they make the situation embarrassing.

My situation wasn't really that bad and I don't really care about it. I think my dodgeball incident last Spring takes the cake for recent horrific moments. And again, in that situation, it was the guys who were present who made it awkward. Thanks, guys.

confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks

Things/People I miss:

Having a car, which also means having the freedom to do what I want, when I want
Blue Bell Ice Cream
Dollar burrito night at La Popular
Singing in Chapel and at Highland (harmony, anyone?)
Texas accents, even those sometimes annoying West Texas ones
My own bed
My dramatically decorated room in my apartment
Sonic
I admit it - The Optimist
West Texas sunsets
The parents
San Antonio
Our dog, Rusty (I really want a dog)
Daniel
Mrs. Baird's bread products
H-E-B
Taco Cabana
People who know what the Church of Christ is so I don't have to explain it, which is hard
People who like movies as much as I do (OK, that's pretty much Daniel)
Late-night Taco Bueno runs (I have a lot of food on here...)
Writing columns that make people mad
The music I downloaded off iTunes, which is stuck on my computer in A Town
Being on campus
Friends


It's about that time...

recent discovery: i like guacamole

So, I started reading The Da Vinci Code out of sheer boredom and because it was in front of me. My uncle thinks it's great, but he also thinks anything Bruce Willis does is great, like Hostage. I'm only a few really short chapters into it, but already the bad writing is beginning to grate on me. Filling the manuscript with excessive metaphors and similes will not improve the plot and/or your writing, Dan Brown. Examples:

 

"His usually sharp blue eyes looked hazy and drawn tonight. A dark stubble was shrouding his strong jaw and dimpled chin. Around his temples, the gray highlights were advancing, making their way deeper into his thicket of coarse black hair. Although his female colleagues insisted the gray only accentuated his bookish appeal, Langdon new better." (what sort of man writes sentences like that?)

 

"Langdon stared at the picture, his horror now laced with fear. The image was gruesome and profoundly strange, bringing with it an unsettling sense of deja vu."

 

"As they entered the deserted park, the agent reached under the dash and turned off the blaring siren. Langdon exhaled, savoring the sudden quiet. Outside the car, the pale wash of halogen headlights skimmed over the crushed gravel parkway, the rugged whir of the tires intoning a hypnotic rhythm."

 

New game: Count the adjectives! Wee!

 

Unfortunately, Brown has felt it necessary to present information up front, setting up stories so we might know all the background. He feels in necessary to describe the characters, mention what they've done, their backgrounds. He gives us their resume without letting the story tell it to us.

 

I was reading this on the bus and train this morning, but felt self conscious. I took the jacket cover off the book, but didn't like the idea of people seeing the title on the tops of the inside pages. I don't want people to see me reading it and judge me. Is this vain/presumptuous? Hmm.

 

i just don't know what to do with myself

I finished my weekend marathon of remaining in my PJ's and reading Harry Potter. Malinda called me last night - we hadn't talked about Harry Potter in months, but she knew I'd be reading it - and asked me to call her when I had finished because she couldn't take it. Lori e-mailed and said she had to talk about it. Last night, I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about it. Fiction really shouldn't have this effect on people, and children's fiction at that. But I am at a loss for words and don't know where to turn. Book Six can be seen as a bridge book, linking 5 and 7 by setting the stage for what Harry has to face at the end. This book is darker and in my opinion, the content will go over most of the younger reader's heads, not to mention scare them. If I'm 21 and I had my hand over my mouth in shock, how is a 3rd grader going to react? Well, maybe I'm not giving them enough credit, but this book will be sure to disturb most who read it. There is no stability left and no real promise of what will happen in Book Seven. But, I can tell you one thing, if Rowling kills Harry, I'm camping outside her house and going on a hunger strike until she rewrites the ending.

 

Reactions to this series should not be this dramatic by any means, but like I said, I just don't know what to do with myself now. If you've read it and have any words of encouragement/theories, feel free to pass them along.

i can see clearly now

Current reading: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, by Philip Gourevitch (to be interrupted this weekend by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Yes, I will transition from reading about genocide to reading about wizards. Somehow, this isn't surprising to me.)

 

A great quote from the beginning of the book:

 

"The best reason I have come up with for looking closely into Rwanda's stories is that ignoring them makes me even more uncomfortable about existence and my place in it. The horror, as horror, interests me only insofar as a precise memory of the offense is necessary to understand its legacy."

 

Being one of the 29 million Americans who commutes to work every day using public transportation, I was slightly concerned to be living near the District when the bombs went off in London. At first I thought the French had finally gone overboard in losing housing the Olympics to London, but as the news rolled in and one of our investigators told us to be careful on the Metro, I knew we were dealing with something truly terrifying. Fortunately, living in Virginia and working in Arlington I didn't see any armed guards patrolling the rails or anything, and of course, everything was fine. It almost seems like old news now, which is unfortunate. I guess things like that will always seem distant as long as they don't happen on our doorstep.

 

This week I've realized that working here has been great and definitely a learning experience, but it is reminding me that I really do love journalism. I've been following the Judith Miller case, I want to read Bob Woodward's new book and definitely kept the front pages of the Post from when Deep Throat was revealed. I'm writing much more PR style and trying to get a certain message across, which is fine and understandable for an organization. I have also had my fare share of complaining about deadlines in the Optimist office, but now that I don't have many, it's annoying. I'm always asking my supervisors for deadlines and more work. I like the immediacy of it all, and how every day is a new day with something else to be done. Who knows what I'll end up doing, but I don't think I can give up on news writing just yet. (Because of my background in journalism, I am definitely the one all the other interns turn to for editing advice. They're surprised at what I catch and how quickly I catch it. You never realize how prepared you are for something until you're actually out doing it. I'm always surprised at how much my department at school has taught me.)

 

Things that freak me out: People who don't wash their hands in public restrooms; creepy guys on the Metro bus; anything I learned from just watching Fahrenheit 9/11, so basically anything related to Saudi Arabia; the fact that I'm technically an adult; the fact that I'm graduating in about 10 months.

 

I'm thinking of cutting my hair. It's half-way down my back now, and I've been toying with the idea of cutting it to a little above my shoulders. Any comments? I'm too indecisive and attached.

 

I've added new pictures to my www.shutterfly.com account. User name is my school e-mail and password is my screename. If you don't know this, e-mail me. If you don't know my e-mail, well, then we aren't really friends, and you shouldn't be looking at my pictures anyways.

 

Daniel, my brother, you are older than me.

Good song.

 

Interesting facts that occurred on our birthday:

 

1519 - Charles I of Spain was elected Holy Roman Emperor. He was crowned as
Emperor Charles V.
 

1914 - Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sofia, were
assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serb nationalist -- the event which
triggered World War I.
 

1919 - The Treaty of Versailles was signed in France, ending World War I.

1976 - Women entered the Air Force Academy for the first time. (The Air Force tried to get me to join them. I said no.)

 

2000 - The Supreme Court ruled the Boy Scouts can bar homosexuals from serving
as troop leaders. (I think this is crap)
 

People who share our birthday:

 

1491 - Henry VIII, King of England (1509-1547), founder of the Church of
England. (I've seen his painting in the great hall of Christ Church in Oxford)
 

1712 - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, French philosopher. (Daniel's probably read him)
 

1902 - Richard Rodgers, award-winning composer with Lorenz Hart and Oscar
Hammerstein. (I love musicals)

1926 - Mel Brooks (Kaminsky), writer, director, actor. (I love Young Frankenstein)
 

and the rocket's red glare

"The flag-burning amendment will move out of the category of inane legislative posturing in which it has lurked since the Supreme Court rightly declared burning the flag to be a form of constitutionally protected speech.

Such an amendment would be offensive even if flag burning were a kind of expressive epidemic. But the problem the amendment purports to address is a fiction. When was the last time you saw someone burning a flag? If the answer is never, that's because it hardly ever happens. In fact, one of the few certain consequences of passing this amendment would be to make flag burning a fashionable form of protest.

The other effect would be to water down one of the most profound principles that the Constitution articulates: that Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech. The great power of this principle is that it admits no exception: not for the most odious racism or Holocaust denial, not for the most insulting criticisms of those in high office, not for cone-shaped white hoods or hammers and sickles, and not for burning or otherwise defiling the Stars and Stripes. Passing this amendment probably wouldn't create a great substantive shift in the general scope of the First Amendment's protection, but it would sap it of the idea that gives it its power: that American government does not punish even the most offensive ideas. Congress does the flag no service with such protection." - The Post

fire in the sky, clouds burning in the night

TUESDAY, JUNE 28, IS MY BIRTHDAY. IT IS ALSO DANIEL'S AND OUR AUNT'S BIRTHDAY. TUESDAY. JUNE 28. I WILL BE 21.

Just letting you know. Last year, just about everyone who has ever met me forgot my birthday. My friend Faith, whom I had just met in DC, remembered and called me. But friends I've had since I was 11? Nope. All of Daniel's friends called him and added a tell Sarah Happy B-Day, too. So maybe now that I have told everyone I won't feel so lonely out here on the other side of the country. OK, my pity party is done with. Actually, I think I am going out that night with the rest of the interns, so that should be fun.

I sat next to a guy in a flight suit on the Metro today. I love taking the Blue line down toward the Pentagon. I always see important-looking people, or really just attractive men in uniforms. I definitely started singing GSP's Sing Song act in my head though. The train was too crowded for me to do the windmill.

One of the interns actually talked me into reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. Jon wrote Wild at Heart. I have generally stayed away from books like this being the skeptic that I am, but I didn't have anything else to read on the bus and train. Aside from the numerous pop culture references that really shouldn't be equated to my life (if they reference the Lord of the Rings film trilogy one more time I'm writing a letter. See, they're referencing the movies and quoting and talking about things that happened in them and not the book. Yes, I'm a nerd and I have issues.), the book isn't as bad as I thought it would be, though, and it's actually started haunting me. I'll give you a book report when I'm finished.

Wednesday I went to a House Subcommittee hearing called "combating Trafficking in Persons: An International Perspective." One of our director of operations testified before the committee, which looked at the recent Trafficking in Persons report and discussed measures Congress is taking to prosecute Americans who are sex tourists, as well as those who sleep with prostitutes, etc. I felt pretty honored to be associated with the organization and it was nice being part of the entourage that sat behind the director as he read his testimony. Several weeks ago we toured the Capitol and we were able to see the Senate in session. The members were all coming in for a vote and we got to see all the all stars including Hillary, Kerry, McCain, Obama, Frist, Brownback and Kennedy. At least those were most of the ones I recognized. I wanted to yell "I voted for you!" to John Kerry, but I didn't think it'd be appropriate. It was interesting sitting up in the galleys and watching important people walk about beneath me, doing their job and not paying attention to the public they represent. I didn't like Hillary's hair. But, it's safe to say I've been able to see some cool things so far.

I stayed up watching the Spurs game last night and am so excited they won! I was pacing back and forth in front of the TV and then was jumping up and down and trying not to wake up my aunt and uncle. I also got pretty homesick watching all the footage of San Antonio and the natives going crazy. Things are just more relaxed back home. People will stay up all night on a weeknight to party on the Riverwalk to celebrate the win. Then, they'll call in sick and go and get themselves a breakfast taco. That's the way life should be. The slower pace seems comforting to me right now.

Man, I'd give anything for a great breakfast taco.

save a mouse, shoot your brother

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin..."

I was reminded of this part of scripture today as I was forced to go on a hike with my fellow interns a several staff members. My father used to call me a lily of the field. Yep. I'm high maintenance. I considered our trek through the woods, crawling over jagged rocks and hardly stopping as a form of punishment. I kept hearing the phrase "this is fun" escape my colleague's lips. I was confused. I was sweating, out of breath and had a pounding sinus headache. I kept most of the swearing internalized. I did, however, get a comment from the intern supervisor that I have heard before: "So, you're not really an outdoorsy type of girl, are you?" Yeah, that was my day.

I could spend quite a few posts crafting an ode to the Metro and public transportation in the city. I'll spare you most of the details, but it's interesting to watch all the commuters coming in from Virginia, boarding first a bus then a train to get to work. They don't talk to anyone but spend their time reading the Post or the Express (a short version of the Post) or listening to music on their iPods. Man I want one of those. You kind of feel like you're a part of the culture, but it's exhausting watching everyone be so exhausted. Being stressed and tired is a requirement in the city.

Things are going alright at work. I haven't had as much to do as I would like, but I guess that's an internship for you. Apparently, I work faster than previous interns the Communications department has had, so they are having to think up more projects for me to work on. I guess you shouldn't tell your employers that you're really bored. But maybe I'll get some fun stuff to do out of it.

Current listening: Coldplay, X&Y. If you do not have this yet, you must purchase it. Otherwise, we cannot be friends.

My brother actually shot a mouse in his apartment with a BB gun. Luckily it was on top of newspaper so the blood didn't get on the carpet. Crazy stuff goes down out in LA.

Long and tiring days, waking up at 5:30 a.m. and going to bed at 10:30 p.m. Is this what adulthood is going to be like?

so keep on comin', these lines on the road

And how I'm all wrapped up in my mother's face
With a touch of my father just up around the eyes
And the sound of my brother's laugh
But more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives

I love those lyrics. They just fit.

Goodbye, comfortable car and really long commute. My uncle switched car dealerships and had to give the Taurus back. So, hello public transportation. It's not fun being stranded in the suburbs of Virginia, but I can hop a bus that takes me to the metro, so it's not so bad.

It's interesting how you can experience culture shock within your own country. One of the other interns was talking about this since she's from Oregon and goes to school in California. Life out here is much different and we both come from places where people are much more laid back. Watching professionals out here teaches me both what I do and don't want to do with my life. I'd like to be successful, but when the weekend comes, I want to have time off. My aunt is the kind of person who doesn't know how to slow down and I don't want to be that. I pride myself in my ability to sleep for 12 hours easy, watch TV all day and shop for hours. They walk into a store, grab something, don't look at the price, rush around and buy it. "We'll take it, it's fine, just ring us up," etc. Where's the fire? Why do we need a game plan when we're coming home from the grocery store? Why do we need to plan out who will put the groceries up, who will take in the dry cleaning and who will walk with dog? It's exhausting just watching them.

I finished my first week of work and it's been interesting. I like the interns and we have a lot of fun in our corner of the office. We have cubicles but they're open, so I'm sitting in a quad with three other girls and I'm looking at them. I'm also looking out the window onto downtown Arlington. In the distance I can see the Capitol and the Washington Monument. I've started writing some of the mailouts and editing one, which is what I'm used to doing so it's not such of a challenge. It's good to be working though, but the work days are so long. By the time 4 p.m. rolls around, after I've been awake since 5:40 a.m., my productivity level drops significantly. I have a calendar with meetings, workshops and activities scheduled for every day. And I wear business professional attire every day. It's just funny.

I have Fridays off though. I think that makes up for everything. I'll and post more often.

So this is how the other half lives

Make that the other top 1 percent or so. I am living in a three-story townhouse in Fairfax, Virginia. My aunt Pat and Uncle Bob (or whatever they are; Bob is my dad's cousin) picked me up from the airport in Bob's brand new black Hummer w/ leather interior. Then, we stopped by his work (he's a car dealer) to get Pat's car - a black jaguar convertible w/ leather interior. The Hummer is good for intimidating people on the road, but man are jag's the way to drive. This baby has pick-up like you wouldn't believe, and I think Bob said he got it up to 170 mph once. I am driving a '97 Taurus - not as exciting, but hey, I'm small town compared to the people out here. I actually like it a lot; it's fun to drive and I have a 6-disc CD changer, so of course I'm content.

Picture me hopping in the back seat of a Hummer to go eat at the country club/golf course Saturday night. This is just hilarious.

It's a whole different world out here. For starters, everything is green and beautiful. It's going to be hard to go back to West Texas for another year after being here. There's also always something to do. I'll be sure to post pics of the house and places soon. Pat and I drove by the office today so I could get a feel for the area. It's a huge building on the top floor and it looks quite impressive.

Right now I am sitting in the den of the house watching Pretty Woman on a huge-screen TV that has over 400 channels. With this many movies to choose from, I really don't see the point in me leaving the house. But, alas, I will have to make at least an hour to an hour-and-a-half commute to work everyday - and that's only driving 15 miles. Ah, traffic.

I'm going to go back to lounging and living like a queen. I'll be sure to post again so that you commoners will have something to be entertained by.

she has trouble acting normal when she's nervous

So, I'm supposed to be packing for the summer right now, but it's not really happening. It should be interesting seeing how much I can cram into two suitcases, so we'll see if I have to mail anything to myself out there. I'm pretty anxious/apprehensive/nervous/terrified about the whole thing. All the interns had to write mini bios and then we were able to read everyone's, and I have to say mine was one of the least impressive. I've done a lot on ACU standards, but a lot of these kids are from Ivy League schools and will probably cure cancer in the next 10 years or something. I feel confident in the fact I was accepted, but I still don't know what to expect. I'll be sure to keep the four of you who actually read this thing updated about the goings on in DC and at work.

I've got contacts again, so that's strange. I've had them for about 6 years but it's been almost a year since I wore them last, so it's weird getting used to the feel of something constantly in your eye, not to mention how I look.

I want to be in a Gap commercial. Or an iPod commercial. But really a Gap commercial. It's a life goal.

Sonic doesn't make regular cheese coneys anymore, only the foot-long ones. This is upsetting to me.

My stomach has been queasy for weeks now. Holy crap I'm nervous.

i should have punched him and gotten myself arrested

So, it's been a while since I've posted. I know the countless many of you who read my musings religiously were sitting with baited breath during my hiatus, but never fear - I have returned.

I'm back in San Antonio, starting the second week of summer, and today was not the best of days. Even though Bravo's West Wing marathon started today, which means I set my alarm for 10 so I could start watching it from the beginning (it's a sickness), other events of the day put a damper on my Bartlett-o-thon joy. As I was driving from one mall to the other today, leaving 281 and getting on 1604, I noticed several cops were sitting on the side of the road. Odd for 4:30 p.m. on a Monday before school is even out for the summer, but oh well. Well, as I was driving in the left-hand lane, I came behind a car that didn't feel like driving the speed limit. We were going about 68 mph. First rule of highway driving: Right lane - people going speed limit. Left lane - people going over the speed limit but not enough to get pulled over. You know how when you're behind someone in the left lane and you want them to move so you can actually drive like 72? You drive behind them - not tailing them - but behind them so they get the drift. We were in the left lane and the car in front of me was waiting to get in the right lane but we had to move past a car that was there. It finally moved and then I went along my way in the left lane. I had already noticed a second cop on the side of the road but didn't think much of it, until I saw it pulling onto the highway. I got into the right lane. All this time I was never going above 70. What do you know, he pulls me over. He said I was following too close. At no time was I or the other car in danger, and I was far enough back to see their tires and quite a few feet of pavement. But I still got a ticket. Oh, the obscenities flowing through my head and out into my car on the drive home. Dad remembered tonight though that recently the city has declared a huge portion of 1604 a no-tolerance zone because of a large number of car accidents and deaths on the highway. That explains the cops sitting out there, which I've never seen before, and me getting ticked $150 for "following too close." Which I wasn't. I should have spit on him or something, and the resisted arrest and gotten thrown in jail. That I would have deserved and then I'd accept the punishment. But random crap like this?

Well, at least last week was productive. Jaci and I cleaned and painted the Optimist office and we have to admit we are quite impressed with ourselves. We also bought tickets to see Coldplay in September and I'm soooo excited! Oh I can't wait, especially until their album comes out in June. A lot of fun stuff coming out this summer. Who needs to pay attention at work when you have new CDs to listen to, a new Harry Potter to read and lots of movies to see? "Work." Just gets in the way of the important things. I also made straight A's for the first time in college and oh, say since probably 3rd grade. Math and science were always my downfall. So yes, I am pleased with myself.

It's nice being back home and I really love this city, except for it's cops. Well, I don't like Abilene police either. The first time I was ever pulled over was for failure to signal. It was 10:30 p.m. and no one was coming or behind me. Why do I always get in trouble for random things? Why don't cops catch me when I'm legitimately doing something wrong, like driving 80 or cutting people off (which I don't do by the way Mom and Dad, just so you know). Oh well, I guess that's my luck.

More updates from Sarah's awesome adventures in SA sure to follow kids, so keep checking back. And be sure to post comments. I feel uncool when no one responds.

four dead in ohio

A life goal of mine is to be arrested for civil disobedience. I'm rather disappointed in my generation in that we don't protest things enough. I was reminded of this when I received my daily e-mail from reference.com listing off important events that happened on this day, one of which was the shootings at Kent State in 1970. Neil Young's song has been running in my head all day. We still don't protest things enough. I'm not sure where the separation occurred and for which generation, whether it was generation X or before that or my generation, whatever it is. But somehow the majority of people stopped caring as much about war and stopped questioning the government, content to either remain ignorant or complacent in their comfortable homes.

You should both read this piece by Sojourner's David Batstone and sign the petition at the bottom. Now. It might make you subscribe, but it's quick and free. Americans and the rest of the Western world have the blood of almost a million Rwandans on their hands, and it's time to rectify the situation in Sudan.

On a completely different note, other observations I have made while I should be studying for my Comm Law final:

1. The Roxanne musical number in Moulin Rouge has to be one of the most creative and emotional musical numbers ever put on film.
2. I would give my right arm if the cast of The West Wing was in fact the president and his staff in real life, especially the cast from the first two seasons.
3. Weather in Texas is weird, considering it is the beginning of May and I have been wearing sweatshirts.
4. The latest Batman Begins trailer is wicked awesome. So are the clips from the upcoming Goblet of Fire trailer. Man I spend too much time on the internet.
5. Grades are arbitrary and finals unnecessary.
6. I like to procrastinate.

Almost a senior and tired of reading,

sc

"So if I asked you about art, you'd probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him. Life's work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right? But I'll bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You've never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that. If I ask you about women, you'd probably give me a syllabus about your personal favorites. You may have even been laid a few times. But you can't tell me what it feels like to wake up next to a woman and feel truly happy. You're a tough kid. And I'd ask you about war, you'd probably throw Shakespeare at me, right, "once more unto the breach dear friends." But you've never been near one. You've never held your best friend's head in your lap, watch him gasp his last breath looking to you for help. I'd ask you about love, you'd probably quote me a sonnet. But you've never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable. Known someone that could level you with her eyes, feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you. Who could rescue you from the depths of hell. And you wouldn't know what it's like to be her angel, to have that love for her, be there forever, through anything, through cancer. And you wouldn't know about sleeping sitting up in the hospital room for two months, holding her hand, because the doctors could see in your eyes, that the terms "visiting hours" don't apply to you. You don't know about real loss, 'cause it only occurs when you've loved something more than you love yourself. And I doubt you've ever dared to love anybody that much. And look at you... I don't see an intelligent, confident man... I see a cocky, scared s***less kid. But you're a genius Will. No one denies that. No one could possibly understand the depths of you. But you presume to know everything about me because you saw a painting of mine, and you ripped my f***ing life apart. You're an orphan right? You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you? Personally... I don't give a s*** about all that, because you know what, I can't learn anything from you, I can't read in some f***'n book. Unless you want to talk about you, who you are. Then I'm fascinated. I'm in. But you don't want to do that do you sport? You're terrified of what you might say. Your move, chief."

we may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again. so open up - i'm climbing in

The topic of Mike Cope's sermon today: justice. Talk about great timing. Lizz talked to him after church about the campus chapter and the organization and he wants us to bring him brochures and talk to him about it, and I think he mention it next week at Highland. His sermon on a Christian's responsibility to seek justice came at the end of an exhausting yet rewarding Awareness Week. We pulled the concert off pretty well and it was definitely a success. I haven't counted up the amount we raised, but I'm guessing it's around $750 or so. Thanks to everyone who spent long hours helping me out with everything. I don't want to spend my blog listing off friends and what not - you know who you are and I appreciate you. You can look at pictures from the week, including ones of our wicked-awesome banner and T-shirts, on my shutterfly account. My password is my screename.

I actually have time to relax now and not much left to accomplish before the end of the year. This excites me.

Most recent purchases off iTunes: Speed of Sound, Coldplay's new single, and Dragostea din tei by Ozone. What is this, you ask? Well, watch this video and you will find out. Words cannot express how happy this video makes me. Apparently this video was quite the sensation earlier this year and was on the news. The Optimist staff just discovered it and it is delightful to play in the office to relieve stress. Another fun video was discovered is here. Click on the 'downloadable versions available here' link and watch all 4. So funny.

Books I have purchased and will hopefully read someday:

Look Homeward, Angel, by Thomas Wolfe
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf
Three, by Flannery O'Connor
The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard
We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda, by Philip Gourevitch
"A Problem From Hell": America and the Age of Genocide, by Samantha Power

A week of class + two finals = home free.

awareness.

"Arise, LORD ! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account"?
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.
The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You hear, O LORD , the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."

Psalm 10:12-18

Manifold Sins and Wickedness

I think I'll have the congregation at my wedding repent aloud for their transgressions as well. Speaking of transgressions, does anyone else think the Anglican church is sketchy as crap? Not only was it founded by Henry VIII so he could divorce Catherine of Aragon, but now the eventual head of the church, Prince Charles, assuming the queen ever dies, is a adulterer and divorce. Those Brits sure are crazy.

So, I learned two things yesterday. One: Never let your car run out of oil. Apparently, I did this. On my way home from lunch yesterday afternoon, my car began to make a strange clicking noise and eventually smoke started drifting out from under the hood. I made it home (after a frantic phone call to the rents while on the side of the road) and my aunt and uncle came to the rescue, buying me oil and putting it in there. So yeah, don't let your car go dry on oil. Not a good thing.

Lesson number two: Be nice to your computer. My computer hates me and has been trying to slowly kill itself for several months now. Luckily, Adam Smith came to my rescue and came over here last night, installing anti-virus crap and cleaning the hard drive. Don't ever try and delete Internet Exlporer from your computer, guys. I thought I was being smart, but no. Not a smart thing to do.

Sometimes I'm amazed that I'm still alive after stupid things that I do. I mean, I'm a smart and logical person but at times you'd think I were blonde. I can't always balance my checkbook. I need a husband who will take care of me and do the taxes and budget the income, as well as put oil in my car. That's all I ask for.

This weekend we went to the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association competition in Dallas and it was a lot of fun. Several of us placed in our various categories, and I got 3rd in General Column and Honorable Mention in News Feature. Jonathan got 2nd in column, 2nd in Feature and something else. Jaci got 3rd for headlines. Lori placed in the live contests and got 2nd for Copy Editing and either 2nd or 3rd for Headlines. Way to go us. Unfortunately, the Optimist did not place in Best Overall, the category we came in first last year. The arrogant Daily Texan (UT) staff earned the top prize. Bastards. We have another shot next year.

Three more weeks of school, then finals, then I'm a senior. That's weird.

This just in: Dean Barnard, life-long friend of John Paul II, to attend pope's funeral

Apparently, in between the pope's visits to France, Ghana, Kenya and Congo in the summer of 1980, John Paul II took the time to visit with a fresh-out-of-ACU Wayne Barnard. This, obviously, had a great impact on Wayne and he therefore felt it necessary to share his meeting the head pontiff with the crowd at Chapel today. I wasn't planning on remembering the pope but now, since Wayne told me he not only met him but talked with him, I will definitely remember John Paul forever. Oh Wayne...

So, as I sat working the KACU pledge drive today, bored out of my mind, I invited about 50 people to be my facebook friend. I felt a little unwanted considering I only had 31 friends, trailing miserably behind the rest of my compadres. So, if I know who you are, chances are I invited you.

This also just in: The new album cover for Coldplay's upcoming album X&Y, to be released June 6 and seen below. First a Coldplay album in June and then the new Harry Potter in July. Life doesn't get much better.

Coolness. 

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

Love those Killers. Guys who wear eye makeup = strangely attractive.

Congratulations are in order for Mr. Justin Thomas Scott, our newly elected Students' Association president. To win a majority with no runoff out of three candidates is impressive. I'm so excited for him and this means I might actually stay involved in SA for next year.

I've been running around like crazy working on Awareness Week. We got appropriated to us about $350 to order an awesome 12 by 25 foot banner for the side of the Campus Center and I'm really excited about it. Joey is also working on making our Jam for Justice concert amazing. Everyone should get involved in the activities we have planned and at least come to the concert, which I believe will be a battle of the bands. Or else just buy the awesome T-shirt. Halbey is the man.

Also, a few of us are planning a trip to see Dave Matthews in concert September 2 in Selma (outside of San Antonio). We're going to buy our lawn tickets soon, which are $40, and we'll leave the day of the concert (Friday) probably before or right after Chapel so we can get to the concert and stake out good seats. So if you're interested in attending this most amazing concert, let us know. Dave is the man.

Things I have learned this week:

It's dangerous to buy snack stuff at the store like honey roasted peanuts or cheese balls. They are addictive and all you will do is eat them way to fast. Trust me.

Burning stuff in a metal garbage can down at the lake is fun, especially when it's a group of girls.

There is such a thing as selling yourself too much/campaigning too much. One should just be themselves.

Dave Matthews' music will never grow old (right, Malinda?)

"I have nothing to declare but my genius."

I considered saying these words from Oscar Wilde as I went through customs in London, but thought against it. It has been several weeks since I have posted on here, but I promise I have not been idle while I have been away. I shall now give you a short summary of the past three weeks of my life. I will attempt to be brief but I am warning you now: This will be the longest post in the history of the world.

Monday, February 28: I finally find a pair of frames I can cram my lenses into. Not being able to see is incredibly disorienting.

Tuesday, March 1: Write abstract for Communication Law paper after Optimist deadline.

Wednesday, March 2: Run around like mad preparing for trip. Stay up until 3 a.m. studying for Comm Law test, packing, etc.

Thursday, March 3: Go in at 7 a.m. for Comm Law test. Make high B, as expected. Not bad for 3 hours of sleep and not even reading half of the assigned readings. We all leave for DFW at about 9:45ish. Arrive at DFW, Robyn's parents take us to lunch at Wendy's, drop us off at airport. We are on the plane for 9 hours, arriving there Friday, 7 a.m. their time, 1 a.m. our time. I didn't sleep much and watched Ray and the end of The Incredibles. A baby was screaming near me, the person behind me smelled and the couple in front of me kept kissing and working on scrapbooking. Ray, by the way, should not have been nominated for Best Picture and only received the hype it did because Ray Charles died. I'll probably continue that argument later.

Friday, March 4: It is snowing in London, creating a slushiness on the ground that soaks through mine and Sarah's shoes and socks. We are in considerable pain. We see Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and take a bus tour through the city seeing all the main sites. We are exhausted at this point and I fall asleep during it. I think I missed seeing the Tower of London. Oh well. Later in the evening, Sarah, Robyn and I attend Evensong at Westminster Abbey. We walk in a little late to the sounds of the boy's/men's choir singing hymns. Sitting in a 1,000-year-old building with monuments and memorials all around while reciting passages, etc., was unbelievable. The experience just felt sacred because of the surroundings. That night, the girls went to a pub and I had fish and chips. Thank God for ketchup because the food over there is bland as crap.

Saturday, March 5: After a slow start, we make it to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Sarah goes and does her own thing while the rest of us go tour Westminster Abbey. We took an audio tour that gave us this hand-held listening device so we could take our time. This was probably one of the coolest things we did and we spent over 2 hours walking through the Abbey. The history is out of control and it only reminded me of how we forget how young America really is. "Oh look, there's the tomb of Elizabeth I. Cool." "Wow, over here is Isaac Newton, and here we have Charles Darwin. Neat." My favorite part was Poet's Corner where I practically hyperventilated at all the names there. I kept looking for Wordsworth but couldn't find him. After the abbey, we went and rode the London Eye. It's the world's largest rotating thingamajigger and it's an impressive 20-minute ride. We went back, met up with Sarah at the hostel, and later me, Robyn and her tried to go see a musical. We weren't smart enough to anticipate it being sold out, so we grabbed coffee instead.

Sunday, March 6: Robyn and I head to Kensington Gardens and take pictures next to the Peter Pan statue and on one of the benches as seen in Finding Neverland. We decided the one we sat on was the one used in the movie because we felt Johnny Depp's presence. We also saw Kensington Palace where Princess Diana lived after her divorce until her death. Then we walked to Notting Hill and to Portobello Road. I haven't been mentioning how I had been having shoe/feet problems. From the first day when I got them soaked they had been hurting me. I only brought one pair of tennis shoes and they were thin and the ones that were soaked. Other than that I had ballerina shoes. So, I had to buy new shoes. This was an adventure, and Robyn wasn't too thrilled to be shopping with me, but I found a pair that are the brand Faith, so see kids, God provides. After shopping, we went to the British Library where we saw a copy of the Magna Carta, the Gutenberg Bible, lots of Beatles stuff, an original copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion manuscript on her writing desk, Handel's Messiah, Shakespeare stuff, you get the drift. Way cool.

Monday, March 7: We head to Oxford. And if you thought we hadn't been having fun yet, you were wrong. We spend the day walking around the town, doing a little shopping, going through indoor markets. Robyn, Angela and I tour Christ Church, which was beautiful. We then go and eat at the Eagle and Child, the pub frequented by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. This is where the s*** hits the fan. I have a jacket potato, which is really just a baked potato, and a Pepsi. But, across the pond when you order bacon on something, it doesn't come out like you'd think it would. They don't fry things all crispy like but rather don't finish cooking them. After we leave and start walking to the university park, my stomach begins to hurt and I have now concluded that it was food poisoning from my potato. Well anyways, we go to a park and then we head to the ACU Oxford houses and Angela figures out the code to get us in. We leave a note for Dee in his room and take advantage of the free internet. All this while my stomach has felt progressively worse. We start walking back to our nasty hostel and I feel sicker and sicker. Robyn and I get back a little after 7 p.m. and the others are right behind. About 7:30, in the middle of a conversation with Joey and Angela, I sprint to the bathroom and throw up. I will throw up about 9 times over the next 3 hours as I sit on the dirty floor of the bathroom, shivering and exhausted. Robyn and Sarah take turns sitting with me and holding my hair back. After a while, Sarah tried to get me to drink water and then flattened Coke, but I couldn't keep anything down. So, at a little after 11 p.m., she decides I need to go the hospital. She, Joey and I get there at 11:30 p.m. and I am there until 6:30 a.m. When they put the IV in my hand and started putting the saline in me because I was severely dehydrated, I was convulsing and almost delirious. Sarah was freaking out and for good reason. We at first thought we might have been overreacting, but when they were about to release me at 1:30 a.m., the doctor took my temperature and blood pressure. I had a fever and my blood pressure was fluctuating a lot, as well as my pulse. I think my pulse was 128 while I was lying down. So they put me in the observation ward. Sarah and Joey went home at 4:30 and Sarah came back. I had 3 bags of saline put in me through the course of the evening, which is 3 liters of fluid I believe. My friend, Andy, who is an EMT, said they normally only give that much fluid to severe trauma patients who are bleeding profusely. That's right, I'm awesome. My nurses Oliver and Sarah were very nice to me and called me 'love.' I also didn't have to pay for my visit.

Tuesday, March 8: We sleep for a little while and at about 10 a.m. Sarah goes and books our hostel room for another night and then went and bought groceries for me. We were supposed to be heading to Scotland, but I was too sick to travel. I was too sick to move, really. Our train tickets weren't refundable, either. Angela, Joey and Robyn pack up for Paris and go out to eat and to a park. Sarah and I crash. I will wake up periodically and go to the bathroom and nibble on the crackers Sarah bought for me and sip the water and power drinks she got as well. I was able to take medicine and my fever finally went down at about 5 p.m. when we both woke up. I was supposed to drink 3 liters of fluid but that didn't happen. Sarah did coach me, though, and I tried my best. I was in bed reading and not being happy about being sick, and went to bed before 10 p.m. Oh, and we are rooming with 3 American guys in their mid-20's who were funny but stunk up the room.

Wednesday, March 9: I take a shower for the first time since Sunday night and brush my teeth for the first time since Monday morning. I am able to walk around town a little bit but I get dizzy quickly. I also don't have much of an appetite. In the evening, when we were sitting on the floor of our room playing Nerts, Sarah and I couldn't help but laugh at how we were spending our spring break while the others were trampsing around Paris. Oh well. I seriously could not have survived without Sarah. She took care of me and took on the mother role when I needed it most. She trusted her instinct to take me to the hospital when the others thought she was overreacting, and it was the place I needed to be. My sickness put a huge damper on the middle of her break, but she kept going and worked to get me better. You never know if you can fully trust someone until you are put in this type of situation, and I know I could trust her with anything.

Thursday, March 10: We head back to London. We sleep and so we don't get there and get checked into our hotel in Piccadilly Circus (a real bed and shower!) until the afternoon. Sarah is supposed to meet Robyn at an airport because she was flying in early from Paris. So I decide to go and see Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre by myself. I felt bad because I was the one who had seen it and Robyn and Sarah didn't get to go. But, I felt justified because of my crappy week. So I go the the theatre and Sarah goes to get Robyn, only when she gets there she learns there has been a type of strike among air traffic controllers and flights were cancelled. Robyn has a great story to tell, but basically she gets help from a variety of people who get her on a train and a plane back to London. She misses our Friday flight though but gets on the Saturday flight with the rest of the crew.

Friday, March 11: I leave bright and early for the airport. Our flight leaves at 10:30 a.m. their time, so I arrive at about 1:30 p.m. our time. I didn't sleep any on the plane and watched The Incredibles, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and Closer. Very large Russians (or something, I didn't recognize the accent) sat behind me and the women kept hitting my chair. At first, she sat slouched down with her knees in the back of the chair, not permitting me to adjust my seat at all. But ha! She got up to go to the bathroom and boy did I move my seat back quickly. She kept kicking me and moving around. I just wanted to be back in America. Talk about being confused. Robyn has contacted her family and so they knew I was coming. I called Mrs. King and she was on her way. She and her other daughter, Allison, took me to Chili's to eat and then I stopped by her work with her. All this time my body is about to fall apart. I still have not recovered fully and am very pale, and I had started to feel sick on the plane. So I go home with them and stay up until about 6 p.m. and then crash. I wake up at 3 a.m. to go the bathroom and then sleep until 8 a.m. They took care of me, fed me, washed my nasty clothes, etc. I had missed home and parents a lot during the trip (being sick will do it to you), so they were a great comfort.

Saturday, March 12: The others came in that afternoon and we headed back to Abilene. I go and get burritos at La Popular (crap I had missed American food) and crash.

Sunday, March 13: Church and procrastination.

Monday, March 14: I write a 12-page paper on Harry Potter for my short course that was due that day.

Tuesday, March 15: I spend 10 hours working on my Electronic Publishing Web site storyboard.

Wednesday, March 16: Finish storyboard, totally about 16 hours. Luckily, my Comm Law paper deadline was moved back.

Thursday, March 17: Have the paper and stuff to deal with.

Friday-Sunday: Exhausted. Sleep until 1:30 on Saturday and don't do any work. Fortunately, the Comm Law paper deadline was extended again.

And so here I am. This has taken my an hour to write (with the break for a phone conversation with Daniel). The trip was quite an experience and not one I will easily forget. I don't regret any part of it though. Yes, our communication was not at it's best and we all got on each other's nerves at one point or another. But that's life. I was still in Europe and got to see some amazing things. Hopefully one day I will go back and get to spend more time there.

You can see photos of mine at my Shutterfly account here. You should know my e-mail, and my password is my screenname.

Cheers.