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.

london calling

I'm in the UK. For those who have a Spring Break, have fun and be safe. I'll fill you in on my awesome trip when I come back.

I always knew I should have been British

Random quizzes to take when you should be studying for midterms/writing Comm Law abstracts...


In my not so humble opinion, you, of course, belong
in the Picture of Dorian Gray, and do not try
to deny it. You belong in the fashionable
circles of Victorian London where exotic
tastes, a double life, decadence, wit and a
hypocritical belief in moral betterment make
you a home. You belong where the witty
apothegms of Lords, the silly moralities of
matrons, the blinding high of opium, and the
beauty of visual arts mingle to form one
convoluted world.


Which Classic Novel do You Belong In?
brought to you by Quizilla

Can't...focus...on...schoolwork 

no matter how old you are, you can always relive that certain feeling of inadequacy epitomized in those dreadful years known as middle school

We had our first club social tonight, Kappa Krush. Our theme was "I Love the '90s: Kappas Strike Back." I went crazy at St. Vincent's thrift store this afternoon and bought a bluejean skirt, white turtleneck, embroidered floral vest and navy flats. I looked like a 3rd grade math teacher and I thought it was fun. I thought the Krush was going to be fun. Well, as it turned out, the '90s struck back.

I didn't have much communication with my date, Jake, and he showed up looking much more normal than I did. He also talked with Jeff more than he did with me. Some people were dressed up more than others, but it was OK. I guess. Things went a little slow after we ate, and some played with dodgeballs in the gym. Then we watched Napoleon Dynamite, which is still funny, but during which about half of our crowd left. Then we circled up and sang our somewhat-embarrassing club song. Then we stood around and talked. Then it happened.

I was standing around, minding my own business, talking with Courtney, Jeff and Jake. Suddenly, I was hit in the face with a dodgeball. This wasn't just a bump off of my forehead. No. Smack dab in the middle of my face, knocking my glasses off and breaking them. My frames snapped (but not in half) and one of my lenses popped out. The girl who had kicked the ball in my direction with the force of a gladiator came running over to see if I was OK. I remember getting hit in the head with volleyballs in middle school gym and back then I had to try and play it cool. I really wasn't able to do that this time and yes, I started to cry. I did so in front of Jake (who will probably delete my number out of his cell phone now with good reason) and everyone. Our theme was about going back to the '90s when we were young and insecure, and it couldn't have been more appropriate for the situation.

Jake and Jeff made an exit not too long after that. I tried to drive home but nearly ran into a fence, so I waited around and Courtney drove me back. Hopefully, someone will drive me to Eyemasters or somewhere tomorrow so I can try and get my glasses fixed or get new frames, all before Wednesday because I'm freaking leaving the country on Thursday. Maybe I could just stay in Europe and create a new identity. Hmm...

So now I sit here, leaning very close to the screen and typing away on a Friday night. I hate the '90s.

the sound of silence

I came out of my room yesterday at 1 p.m. (I slept for almost 13 hours. Thank you Sing Song/Lectureship) and heard a delightful baseline coming from upstairs. "That's it!" I thought. I called the offices of the company that runs my apartment complex and filed a complaint. About 10 minutes later, the girl I had talked to on the phone was at our place and came in to hear the noise level. She agreed it was unnecessary and went upstairs, knocked on their door and gave them a citation. The music was turned off. I have not heard it since. I better not hear it or else I know who I am calling. I don't know when I turned into a 50-year-old who wants quiet, but I did and I'm not looking back.

I bought Amy Grant's Heart in Motion at Hastings the other night for $3.24. I like reliving my 5th grade years when I had the cassette and rocked out to it on my walkman. I think I also listened to it on a boom box in the bathroom while I showered. I remember all the words to Galileo and Baby Baby. Ah, good times. I bought it after I ate dinner at Abuelo's with Northside people and it was great to see Adam again. I had a flood of memories and emotions I hadn't thought about in a while, but it was good. I don't know why the age of 16 seems like a lifetime ago, but it does.

My Comm Law professor commented on my red prom dress today. I told you I don't have any privacy. I guess that one's my fault though.

A certain Students' Association Executive Officer coughtylercough told a certain class senator, who probably deserved it, to shut the hell up and go screw himself in the SA office today. Really can't believe he did it, but he is now one of my favorite people.

I forgot to post about this, but I was accepted as an intern in Washington, D.C., for this summer and I am so excited. I applied thinking it was a long shot but I made it. If any of you know someone who lives in the D.C./Arlington area who would like to have me live with them this summer, feel free to pass the information along.

In one week, I will be about to board a plane at DFW to London. We'll see if I come back.

Technology = No privacy

So, Daniel pointed out to me yesterday that I am quite the famous person. Have you ever googled yourself? I've done it with my name and I can find things about me, usually from the Optimist. I can also get a few pictures from my church's Web site to appear. But I always search using google. Well Daniel searched my name using the yahoo browser and a scary thing happened. Click here to see almost my entire life story in pictures. Yes, that is what comes up when you type in my name on yahoo. These are the pictures from my senior slide show and for some reason, Malinda's dad (who puts the church's Web site together) put the pictures on there. So it's kind of creepy.

Also, my Comm Law professor reads this blog. The Optimist adviser and chair of the JMC department reads my away messages on instant messenger and comments on them. This is weird. I guess that is what I get for putting myself out in the tech world. People now know what I looked like as a baby and have seen the red dress I wore to my senior prom. I feel so violated.

Lines written in early Spring

I spent two hours today cleaning my bedroom and bathroom. We had the windows open on this delightful and warm day in West Texas and it was quite lovely. I think I had stuff growing in my shower. But all is well now and I feel quite domestic. I've been on a roll lately, cooking steak and scalloped potatoes just for the heck of it and now cleaning. Who wouldn't want to marry me, much less take me on a Valentine's date, I mean really?

Current listening: Keane, Hopes and Fears

I'd like to give a shout out to Justin Scott, recently home from running a marathon in Austin this morning. You threw up several times and had some trouble, but I can assure you that had it been me trying to run the race, I would have died. Seriously. So you have my upmost respect at your dedication and focus.

The neighbors above us are playing loud music again. This must stop or someone will die.

I leave for London in about 2 1/2 weeks and I can't hardly sit still I'm that excited. It's just getting through this week of Hell known as Sing Song and Lectureship, as well as various tests and projects. Then I'm home free, flying across the pond to experience a country I have always dreamed about going to. If you want souvenirs, speak now or forever hold your peace.

Looking forward to Daniel coming on Friday and bringing me LA presents...

bring it on

So, Lexi and I have started a turf war here at Aspen Place. We have new neighbors to the north who enjoy stomping around, playing loud music and turning the volume on movies up as loud as possible. Apparently, in the room above Lexi's, they were watching a movie Sunday night at about 1 a.m. and it was so loud, Lexi could here the dialogue word for word. She also heard the song Sweet Home Alabama. As much as she is a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, it was not what she wanted to be lulled to sleep by. She put a pillow to her ear but even that didn't do the trick. The next morning she relayed her frustration to me and we devised a plan. What did we do last night close to 1 a.m.? We blared Sweet Home Alabama on Lexi's stereo and had ourselves a hoedown. That's right, we're vindictive. Don't come between us and a quite night's rest. I wonder if they will respond tonight...

An Ode to Mike Cope

As I sat in church this morning, I saw Mike Cope walk past me down the aisle pushing his youngest, Chris, now in a wheelchair after the accident. It was their first Sunday back, and though Chris went to class, the family didn't stay through the entire service. I couldn't help but think of the time I interviewed Mike last fall. We talked about Megan, since it was the 10th anniversary of her death, and he discussed the wheelchair he would push her in as he went running, training for various marathons and achieving things she would never be able to. And I was just struck seeing him today.

I have so much respect for him and his wife, Diane, and I really consider him my preacher, not the ones I grew up with back home. When he stops preaching I don't know what I'll do. I have learned a lot from him through his teachings on grief and what he learned from Megan's death.

But now I wanted to publish on here excerpts from the feature I wrote on him. It probably won't run because it will have to be rewritten now to consider the accident. Yes it's long; get over it. Here is the beginning and the end of it anyways:

In his office at Highland Church of Christ, Mike Cope sits staring up at a picture of himself and his smiling daughter, Megan, on the top of his bookcase. Concentrating on the young girl’s face, he tells of the last days of her life and the influence she had on everyone who met her.

He remembers one man who snuck into Megan’s deathbed and whispered the deepest secret of his life he'd never shared with anyone. Cope's throat tightens and his eyes fill with tears. He takes a sip of water from a Styrofoam cup and says a barely audible "I'm sorry. You asked. I haven’t thought about that one in a while."

A missionary in Uganda, once a student of Cope’s, sent him a fax after her death saying she had changed his life.

“He was amazed at the way a child could grab his heart and teach him so much about Jesus without even being able to speak,” Cope said.

Another letter came from a lawyer in Arkansas.

“‘You taught me, you baptized me, but Megan is really the one that brought me to the Gospel because when I met her, I thought ‘Why am I trying to kill myself to be a partner by the age of 30, when here’s a child who is fully alive and full of love who doesn’t have any of these kinds of goals and aspirations in life?’’’

Nov. 21 was the 10th anniversary of 10-year-old Megan’s death. Megan was mentally handicapped but led a healthy and energetic life until the age of six when she had chicken pox and almost died from encephalitis, recovering but becoming more feeble. She died of aspiration pneumonia, which she had struggled with for several years.

Cope, in his 14th year preaching at Highland, wrote an article for Christian Standard magazine about her life, death and how his life was completely changed by them.

“In it I talked about how Megan is the most influential minister of the Gospel in my life, and when I say that I’m not exaggerating,” Cope said. “That frail little child for 10 years taught me more about the Gospel than any seminary professor I’ve ever had. She welcomed love even though she could never really speak much. She drew people in.”

Cope spoke at a Christian conference several weeks ago and afterward, he said a woman came up to him unable to speak. Eventually she hugged him and whispered “Megan changed my life.” She had been a speech therapist for Megan in Searcy, Ark., when Cope preached at the College church at Harding University for seven years. She said to him “I pray often that God will put in my kids something of what Megan had.”

“It’s so hard for us to remember that we’re jars of clay,” Cope said. “We want to pretend that we’re these wonderful vases that have been uniquely made and worth millions of dollars, but the truth is we are broken vessels, and with Megan there was never any doubt. She was mentally handicapped, and then when she got older, physically ill. But to this day, people tell me that she changed their life, which is funny for a little child who couldn’t even speak.”
...
Cope said he has spoken many times about what he learned about the Gospel through Megan’s life in that our culture places so much emphasis on external qualities, what he calls accidents of birth. He said society values what one’s IQ is, what they look like in a bikini and how fast they run the 40-yard dash.

“I’ve just tried to imagine ‘What would a culture be like that really values things of the heart, things you’re not just born with but things you’re developing?’” Cope said. “Christian character, what happens when you decide to follow the way of Christ. If culture valued things like compassion, forgiveness, unconditional love, then we wouldn’t have thought of Megan as retarded. We’d think of a lot of us as retarded. But, because we focus on the external things, we think she was the one with the problem.”

not cool

I just looked in the mirror and saw that I had stuff in my teeth that has been there for about 4 to 4 1/2 hours and no one said anything to me. For those of you who noticed I had stuff in my teeth and did not say anything to me, you are officially not my friend. I think it's better to be told and be temporarily embarrassed then to find out later by yourself and be really embarrassed.

I hate you all.

i was this close

Today had to have been one of the most depressing days of my life. After gearing myself up for snow, since the forecast had called for about 2-4 inches of it, I was saddened throughout the day as I kept looking at the sky for flurries of white, but to no avail. Curse you, weather forecasters. You filled my hopes. And they were deflated today. So sad.

When I went to the store to pick up my medicine, I stood in the express line behind an elderly man who caused a ruckus over a coupon. He was buying English muffins but found a coupon for pita bread. The cashier pointed this out to her, to which he indignantly replied that it wasn't his fault, the coupon was next to the muffins, they need to re-lable things, he's going over there right now, we'll see about this, etc. The exasperated cashier gave in, and that crazy old fool got away with it. What's with old people? Are we going to be able to get away with things like this when we're senile? He wasn't apologetic and didn't admit it was his mistake. He made it clear that it wasn't his. He turned and looked at me for recognition, and I gave him a "aw, how cute, you're old and insane" look. Maybe I should just act crazy and I can use wrong coupons for items at the store as well. Ah, to be old.

For Junior class Sing Song, some of our titles include Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Meatloaf's I Would Do Anything For Love and Paula Abdul's Straight Up. I am excited. I also feel bad that my parents are paying to see it. It'll be an experience.

The Surreal Life

I remember last semester when a group of 8 girls stood outside Campus Life after a meeting with Wayne Barnard and Mike Spell. We were brainstorming ideas of what we would do if we actually recharted TKG, one of which was getting new jerseys and wearing them in Chapel. I couldn't believe it was we all sat in Section H of Moody today while heads turned and people pointed, all wondering what we were doing. Courtney summed it up when she called it surreal. It's been a good week and getting the jerseys was exciting. It just felt very unifying. This semester is bringing a lot of transition for the club, but I know that things will work out.

Also this week I received the latest copy of ACU Today with my article in it. That was exciting as well and I felt pretty proud. I was reading an interview with the Alumnus of the Year, David Leeson, pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist and JMC alum, and appreciated what he had to say. He mentioned Comm Law and how hard it was but also how necessary, and I liked that I am tied with him somehow through the JMC department and the classes we take. I like how it ends and wanted to post it here.

"We all have a mission in life; we can all make a difference. You don't have to have a camera around your neck to make a difference in life. Ultimately, your personal life is a reflection of the evidence of God within you, or the lack thereof.

"I tell people all the time: It's a wonderful thing to be 47 years old and be able to say, 'I was used by God. It was not what I wanted to do but what He wanted to do.'

"And don't think for a minute that a Christian education doesn't help establish that fundamental concept in your life."

Hooray for fun jerseys. 

I can see down her throat. Our jerseys came in! 

"The Russian Revolution cries: Workers of the World! Awake! Rise! Put down your enemy and mine!"

So, this guy who wrote into the Optimist about me said my column (although he called it an article, which it isn't, dumbass) was unoriginal and a poor excuse for an opinion piece. He suggested I maintain higher standards for the Optimist instead of "parroting half-baked liberal media biases." Two other people wrote me telling me I am biased, especially for citing CNN and The New York Times.

OK. I will no longer ever make an opinion in my opinion columns. I apologize for polarizing everyone who doesn't completely agree with me. It is my fault you misunderstand me.

:)

shoulda been a cowboy

With weeks in between each post, I always have too much to write about. I shall try and recap.

Hooray for the Fort Worth Stockshow and Rodeo and a fun weekend with Robyn. I think I need me a cowboy. He'll come in handy in case there is heavy lifting to be done, or if a calf gets in the road they can tackle it and tie its legs together. Or maybe if there is a stray bull they can ride it.

The King family took care of me and fed me well. I was in a constant state of being full. They know me as the 'Sarah who looks like Courtney,' even though we look nothing alike. Her dad called me Stacy at one point though, and then her mom introduced me as Susan later on. I went with them to a family reunion in celebration of an aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. Robyn then introduced me to her relatives as various other S-names, such as Stephanie and Samantha. She also told her ex-Marine grandfather that I am enlisting in the Marines and know the Marine hymn by heart. He then asked me to sing "From the Halls of Montezuma..." Those Kings are kidders.

You should look at my way-cool Rodeo pictures here. You know my e-mail, and my username is sahee628.

Last week, as I was driving back to school from HEB, I got turned around on a side street and ended up in the "ghetto" of Abilene. Amidst square houses with chipped paint and cars on cement blocks in the yard, I saw a small animal hobbling down the middle of the street. I slowed down and pulled over to see a three-legged chihuahua coming my way. I think it was one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

Most recent purchase off iTunes: Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway. Don't be ashamed, Justin, it's a great song and it's freaking catchy. I think if I listed off all the songs I have purchased on iTunes, most of you would decide not to be my friend. But hey, they make me happy.

Current reading: Terrify No More by Gary Haugen.

When I went into the Optimist office today, Jaci asked me about my weekend, trying to get a feel for my mood. Apparently, I can be scary sometimes and it is easier on everyone if I'm in a good mood and not stressed out. Funny and true. I will try and not scare you anymore, Jaci. I promise.

I think I have underappreciated my awesome roommate. Last night we had a good talk and I was reminded of what a strong person she is, as well as an amazing resource when I need to talk about life and spirituality. I have also been reminded of what a good friend Justin is. Last week was hell, and when I was practically in tears from stress and lack of sleep, he was there to give me a big hug and talk. I like my friends.

my life is a sitcom

Last week was probably one of the most stressful first weeks of a semester I've ever experienced. Hopefully, the rest of the year will be different but the beginning did not bode well.

I hectically tried to get internship applications together, spending several hours on Wednesday running around campus and bugging professors for recommendation letters. I mailed the applications second-day mail, costing about $30. I was in such a frenzied state that after I mailed them, I got confused about whether I mailed the right letters from my professors to the right organization. After already harassing the people in the mailing center about prices and delivery dates, I went back and had them open up my package so I could make sure the correct letter was in it. It was. I had left most of my Arts page to be written until that night, which is not a smart idea. That is why the page isn't very good. But while I was working on all my Optimist stuff I ran home to try and tape West Wing, only to discover that I couldn't. My VCR is hooked up with my cable, so in order to tape something using my rabbit ears, I would have to rewire everything. I was not happy. Being in the office until 1:30 in the morning 3 days into the schoolyear is not my idea of a good time. I'll just keep telling myself that things will get better.

I went and saw In Good Company this afternoon with Jaci and need to get a start on my page so I don't end up going crazy and producing crap like last week. At the theater, I was again reminded why I hate Abilene: since it was a holiday, Century Theatres, which already does not provide student ticket prices, stops the matinee price for movies at 2 p.m. I was pissed. I only had $6 and had to use my laundry quarters. I told the lady behind the glass this. She didn't care. Jaci was nice enough to give me extra quarters so I can wash my jeans and socks. However, the bureaucratic bastards at Century must be stopped! First not giving us discounts even though we're poor college students and then making us pay more on holidays? Death to them all!

On a completely different topic and note, please keep the families at Highland affected by the car accident yesterday in your prayers. You can read about it here, and post a comment of encouragement on Mike Cope's blog here. These children are so young.

Hygiene is important

I went to the store today and returned a tube of toothpaste. I had bought Crest Fresh Mint on accident. I don't like the way it tastes. So I went and exchanged it for Cool Mint. Does this mean I have issues?

It's the first day of the semester and I am already slightly overwhelmed and stressed. I would have time to fit everything in if only I didn't have to go to class.

Dreaming about Spring Break will get me through...

What's so wrong with elitism?

I bought an $8 rabbit-ear antennae tonight and was able to watch The West Wing. That was $8 well spent, my friend.

The heat is broken in my apartment. It's 30 degrees outside and the thermostat is reading it's about 55 degrees or so in here. It is a wee bit chilly, my friend.

After making quite a journey to get a new tire for Jeff's car yesterday when he had a flat, ultimately opting to purchase a used one from a certain Jesus Moreno in a tire junk yard off Treadaway, the new-to-Jeff tire went flat this morning. While using an old jack to lift the car this afternoon in the WPAC parking lot, a cowboy type stopped by to offer a hand. I later found out he had stopped to help me out of chivalry. I had been standing watching Jeff try and use the jack, and the guy thought Jeff was helping me with my car. Face it, Jeff; I'm cuter than you. Jeff went along with this charade in order to get the guy's help. I had walked away from the car to talk to my aunt on the way to her car, and the guy left before I could thank him. He probably thought I was rude for not talking to him in the first place, him thinking it was my car and my tire, and me thinking since it wasn't my car to stay out of the mess. He was nice and kind of cute and obviously handy with automobiles. Oh well. Maybe I will see him again and can thank him.

Exasperated was the word for the day. Listening to inane conversations about the movie Chocolat, which I happen to both own and like, nearly led me and Jeff to either kill ourselves or our classmates. I am now convinced I have a civic duty as Arts Editor to help people think about movies differently and definitely more critically. I do not think the movie is entirely about indulgence versus abstinence but more about judgment, measuring what good really is and learning to take the plank out of your own eye. I also don't like trying to find theological meaning in everything, analyzing it to death and deciding if it fits into our Christian principles. I don't think that is healthy or fair to you, the art or the artist.

I am going to bury myself under blankets and hope I don't freeze to death in the night.

Substitutiary Locomotion

I'm surviving my short course Arts and Culture: A Christian Aesthetic, despite the fact that my teacher is a little scatterbrained and half of the people in the class are not the brightest crayons in the box. I kept having the feeling today, as we talked about what good and evil are in life as well as in the arts, that Dr. Aquino would have started crying if he had heard some of these people's answers. I also seemed to be surrounded by people who are not huge First Amendment fans, or maybe don't appreciate it as I do, me being one of those crazy liberals in the media. Seeing a painting or exhibit that is different or controversial, they decide it offends them, is insulting and therefore should not have been made or maybe even considered art. It seemed like not many felt the artist behind the work "Piss Christ," where a crucifix is inside a vile of urine, was entitled to his own opinions. Some aren't sure if art is really useful. They're also the kind of people who would rather watch the movie than read the book. Sad times, my friend. Oh well, what can you do?

Even though he's scatterbrained, my teacher, Jeff Berryman, is interesting. He read an excerpt from The Divine Conspiracy (Adam, I though of you. "We always live in a larger context of activities we do not see." Impressed?) He also quoted Wordsworth and asked if any of us were familiar with the poem, to which I raised my hand. I think one other person might have raised their hand also, but Jeff wrote "Nerd" on his notebook paper and pointed at me. I was also the only one who knew who Mandy Patinkin is and might have been the only one who knew who G.K. Chesterton is. Alright, no more criticizing the people in my class for not being as awesome as I am.

I watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks last night with Courtney and Jeff, hence the title of this post, and let me tell you it was interesting. We were fascinated at how we didn't question any of it when we were 8-year-olds. Angela Lansbury and three children with cockney-mouthed children using a bed to fly through, psychedelically, the air to random destinations, such as underwater with cartoon fish? Sure. A spell that brought armor to life, going to battle and defeating the Nazis and sending them packing? Of course. Ah, to be young again.

Most recent purchase off iTunes: Kanye West's Jesus Walks. Give it a listen, kids, it's enjoyable.

Current reading: Girl With a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier

I'm also very upset that Cox Communications is fighting with KRBC and is therefore not showing NBC. I think I will be forced to buy an antennae so I might watch The West Wing tomorrow night. Priorities.

Other than that, it's nice to be back in A-Town. Merry 2005, everyone.

late September back in '63...

OK, I thought of more things that annoy me.

1. Women who bring their boyfriends/husbands with them to Victoria's Secret. Here I am, elbows deep in a barrel of bras, and there is some 15-year-old bleached tipped, Abercrombie wearing kid, or better yet, a balding, middle-aged man, each looking both uncomfortable and elated while his girlfriend/wife picks out thongs. I feel like my personal space is being violated. This is when I leave the store.
2. People who do not accelerate while getting onto the highway. Aren't they called acceleration ramps, or did I just make this up? Go faster.
3. People who slow down while exiting highways. I know it says go 40 mph on the exit ramp, but I take that as merely a suggestion. Then they wonder why they can't get over. Go faster.

Can you tell that I went shopping today and had to deal with traffic? The only upside to Abilene is that you are generally never stuck in traffic. You might me stuck behind someone driving slow, but you're never really in a traffic jam. I really need to learn how to harness my chi while driving.

Back to A- Town tomorrow. I probably should start my homework for my short course sometime...

I'm not who I was 24 hours ago

Some of my pet peeves, or really things/people that bug the crap out of me:

The front tuck
trucker hats
velour jump suits
people who clap during movies
people who talk during movies
people who answer their cell phones during movies
slow drivers
slow walkers
slow talkers
ashton kutcher
people who don't make their kids stop screaming/crying in public
annoying, "too cool" freshmen who send me hate mail
wet socks
lindsay lohan

This is what I have so far. I'm sure more updates will follow.

London calling to the far away towns

I am officially going to London and possibly other parts of Great Britain for Spring Break. UK '05 is going to be wonderful, and I can hardly wait. A loan from Mr. JT and the purchase of my ticket today was an awesome Christmas gift. I plan to be an almost-annoying tourist, saying "London baby!" (a la Joey from Friends) constantly and taking tons of pictures, embarrassing all of my friends. If you want a souvenir, just let me know.

A lot of people are stupid.

In a survey done by Polling Point about media bias, major networks were divided among partly lines on whether or not they cover the news fairly/accurately/what have you.

Eighty-five percent of Democrats said FOX News, the oh-so-fair-and-balanced station, does the worst job of covering news and nearly 70 percent name PBS or CNN as the networks that provide the best coverage. On the other side, 9 in 10 Republicans say FOX offers the best coverage of all the networks and 6 in 10 Republicans say CBS does the worst job. Wow.

Conservatives also find Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh to be the most entertaining news anchors and think O'Reilly and Brit Hume do the best job in coverage. Liberals find Jon Stewart and Al Franken the most entertaining and think Stewart does the best anchoring job, with Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw close behind.

For more results, click here.

When we were tallying up the results on Election Night, the source the Optimist staff trusted most was CNN. We waited for them to call a state before we called it. FOX had practically called the election at 6 p.m. OK, that is an exaggeration. They did, however, call Ohio before anyone else did and named Bush the victor - dare we say? - prematurely. I just think it's interesting how the country is even divided on what news stations they watch. The fact that so many conservatives trust FOX news is frankly disconcerting but not unexpected.

This could be a future column. Hmm...

On a similar note, I appreciated this piece in USA Today by Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine. Here's an excerpt:

"Polls taken since the election have consistently shown that Americans care about moral values and don't restrict them to one or two issues. For instance, a Zogby International poll found that, when asked to choose the most urgent moral problem in American culture, 64% of respondents selected either greed and materialism or poverty and economic justice, while 28% chose abortion or gay marriage. Voters don't want to ignore these broader issues.

"Neither do our religious traditions. Thousands of verses in the Bible make poverty a moral and religious issue. The environment protecting God's creation is a religious matter and moral concern. Important issues of war and peace are deeply theological and just as much a life issue as is abortion. And human rights are rooted in the religious concept of the image of God in every person.

"Right now, neither party gets the values question right..."

To read the rest, click here.

You're a wizard, Harry

Christmas came early this year, kids. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth installment of JK Rowling's series, will hit stores July 16, 2005. I don't know where I'll be, but you can be sure I will be waiting in line at midnight to receive my copy, just as I did June 21, 2003, for The Order of the Phoenix.

Before the first task of the Triwizard Tournament 

Preparing for the Yule Ball

The fourth film, The Goblet of Fire, is due out in November. For all of you non-Potter fans, I appreciate you indulging me and letting me post about it. It makes me happy.

I do believe in fairies! I do, I do!

Questionable passages in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan:

Page 76: "After a time [Peter] fell asleep, and some unsteady fairies had to climb over him on their way home from an orgy."

Page 119: "What is it Peter?" [Wendy] cried, running to him, thinking he was ill. She felt him solicitously, lower down than his chest. "Where is it, Peter?"

Those are two of the main ones where, upon my reading them, I read them over again to make sure I had read them right. I finished the book tonight and enjoyed it, although it was a little strange. Definitely not the Disney version. I like the idea of kisses in the corners of our mouths that not many can get to.

Oh my sweet disposition, may you one day carry me home

Yes, I know. I have neglected this for a week now. My most sincere apologies. It seems like I don't have as much to write about now that I'm home. I'm too preoccupied sleeping in, watching TV and playing with our insane puppy, Rusty.

My grandparents, who are insane, and my aunt and her husband are coming into town tonight for dinner and to go downtown to look at Christmas lights. At times like these, I really wish Daniel were here to share in the spectacle of family gatherings and to save me from the inane conversations sure to follow. That was harsh, but a little true. My grandma will always see me as a 5-year-old with pigtails. It will be good to see my aunt Ruthie, though. She's a trip.

Change of direction. Something that has been bothering me this past week was the sentencing of Scott Peterson. I watched it live on TV back in Abilene and was amazed at how the crowd outside of the courtroom cheered when the juror read the death sentence. The funny thing is is that I bet if you took a cross sampling of people in the street of San Mateo that day, some of those cheering for the death penalty will be for abortion but against the war in Iraq. Or else against abortion but for the war, or whatever combination. And this is what is troubling to me. So many Christians say God is pro-life. Do they mean this only in terms of abortion? Or are they sincere in their belief that God values all life?

I just find it interesting how so many conservatives scream up and down about abortion being evil, but are adamant about the death penalty and blindly support a war that some brilliant person in charge has convinced them has something to do with terrorism. It just seems incongruent to me. They are qualifying life. They are saying everyone has the right to life...Initially, until you mess up. And for some reason war isn't even considered a life issue at all. I don't know. It just seems like you need to pick a side to be on. Either for life in all possibilities or "against" it, not just picking what you think is best at the time. Especially after my philosophy class, I just don't know how someone can come to the conclusion that taking one's life is the best option because we cannot clearly put ourselves in someone else's place. The prosecuting attorney said Scott deserved to die. How can we be the judge of that? One of the only smart things the defense attorney said was that enough people have died - there has been enough killing - and the jurors shouldn't continue the cycle.

What's hard is when it comes after such tragedies as when Laci and her unborn son died. I'm reading a three-part series from the Post now about the trend of pregnant women who are murdered. The study found that women murdered while pregnant are not always coincidences but rather a trend. Husbands, boyfriends and lovers kill them because they don't want to deal with the responsibilities of parenthood of have to pay child support or what have you. It's scary but interesting. You should read it.

Part One: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10074-2004Dec18.html?nav=hcmodule
Part Two: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12359-2004Dec19.html?nav=hcmodule

Just thoughts circulating in my head.

For the Beauty of the Earth

Braces are scary things.

I watched Little Women tonight, and of course cried for too long of a time when Beth died, as I always do. I don't like crying in public and feeling vulnerable, but I also feel stupid when I'm by myself and crying. All I need to do is rent The Killing Fields and get some guacamole and I've got myself a par-tay. 10 bucks to whoever can name where that line's from.

Back to the movie. I love the scene after her death when Jo is putting Beth's things away in her chest in the attic. When Jo opens it and sees all the things Beth had saved she is touched and handles each piece as if it were priceless. When I went home for Thanksgiving, I ran into Georgia at church and she said she had found a journal of mine and Katie's. I swung by the Ockerman household before I left town to pick it up, and couldn't help but laugh when I saw it. The cover of the spiral is plastered with cut-outs from magazines. Pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Devon Sawa...of sunflowers and make-up...our names compiled from different colored and shaped letters. It is from the summer of '96 at Camp Metro, and my first entry starts like this: "Dear Katie, Wuz up?" (except the 'up' was an actual arrow up) "Me not much, just chillin' on my bunk." Oh, to be 11 again. Wait a minute...nevermind. It's always amazing to look back and see where and what I used to be compared with where and what I am now. It's also heartbreaking.

On the back of one of the pages has a Sarah + Katie = BFFAE. Priceless.

Jo at first wrote adventure and thriller stories, but nothing from her heart. After everything, she felt compelled to write what she knew. I've never been able to keep a diary or journal or whatever, but more and more I feel compelled to write what I know or would like to know. Now all I need is a good-looking German professor to come along, and I'll call it a day.

Call me Carlson

Dynasty: 1 a succession of rulers who are members of the same family 2 the period during which a certain family reigns

It appears that I will pick up where my brother left off in May as the new Arts Editor for the Optimist (not to discount the work of my beloved Dee, who has actually seen and likes The Court Jester, which makes me like him even more). I'm pretty excited about it and am planning on practicing writing reviews over the break (yes, I'm a dork).

Mike just dropped by the apartment to pick up a philosophy book he had loaned me and to say goodbye. I can't believe I just had to hug him and say goodbye, and who knows when I'll see him next. I know he will do well in whatever he pursues, but it is just so sad to see him leave ACU. It's hard when people leave and don't stay the full 4 years. It makes everything seem all too real. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met.

I'm actually looking forward to next semester, which is strange. Usually I am about to kill myself during finals week and don't want to think about returning. Now, a lot of things are in the work for next year that I'm excited to be a part of. I am the co-chair for the campus chapter of the International Justice Mission, along with Andrea Gallman, and Joey Halbert and Becca Lemmons are our officers. We all have so many ideas, and Joey came to us with a ton of energy, that I know amazing things are going to happen on campus in the spring. I am also a recharter member of TKG. I can't believe we actually did it. When we show up in Chapel the second week of school in our pink and black jerseys, people are going to be confused and curious, and I can't wait. This is the first my brother is hearing about this, so I'm sure I will receive a phone call. I believe he threatened to disown me if I ever pledged TKG. Well, now it's going to be different. We're changing the face of the club, and I can't wait.

So many things are in store. Now if I can only find an internship, and then maybe come to a realization of what I want to do with the rest of my life. I won't think about it now; I'll think about it tomorrow.

I will share this room with you, and you can have this heart to break

Things I have contemplated whilst I should have been studying for finals:

Bob Dylan has his picture in the dictionary. How famous/important do you have to be to reach this level of celebrity? That rhymed.

I seriously thought about, for more than 5 minutes, why Randy Harris was wearing all tan yesterday. Mr. Aaron Winn, our friend from South America returning to us shortly, pointed out that Randy likes to wear a color besides black during finals. This could be the answer, but I am still curious. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw him, and I thought I was about to witness the Second Coming.

My roommate, who is cool, and I are both sitting at our desks, posting on our blogs. I spent quite a bit of time these past few days browsing various blogs. Why is this so fascinating/addicting?

In the NIV of the Gospel of John, it says that Jesus says "I tell you the truth." Actually, the Greek says "Truly, truly, I say to you." I know that changed your entire theological perspective. You're welcome.

Switchfoot is played a lot on MTV now. What's that about?

OK, it's been a long day and I am finally finished with Greek and Feature Writing for good. I am going to watch The West Wing, which always satisfies me.

I'm not dull, I swear...I mean I don't swear a lot, but I'm still cool, I mean...

So, I took a British survey to see what the UK movie rating would be for my life, and I was rated at PG. This is what it said: "PG stands for 'Parental Guidence', meaning that this film may not be suitable for small children, due to either a little violence or some mild harsh language, but nothing earth-shattering. Plots may have twists and turns, and there may even be real-life situations." Film examples it gave were Bill & Ted movies and The Fifth Element.

Is it bad that I was not surprised/disheartened by this rating? Bill & Ted's Execellent Adventure is awesome.

My life has been rated:
See what your rating is!
Created by bart666

I have returned

Yes, I do have a blog. I admit it. I started it this summer but failed to maintain it. I've never been able to keep a journal, so really, why should I be able to keep a blog? But I'll try - just for you.

I am talking with my brother on the phone right now, as he is driving home in insane LA traffic. He just called the ents in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy "crappy-ass tree muppets." He also referred to himself as "husky but fashionable." Man I miss him. It looks like he won't be able to come home for Christmas, which sucks and I don't know how to deal with that. It just won't be the same. I hate that we've come to the times in our lives where we don't see our immediate family as much as we'd like, especially for me now that my brother lives two time zones away. I've decided I really don't like growing up. That is also why Christmas isn't the same now that I'm older. I'm in the in-between stage - I'm not a kid and I don't have kids. I'm just stuck not believing and don't have anyone to teach how to believe. That is probably why I cried so much during Finding Neverland (which everyone should see). I hate that we have to lose that innocence and ability to purely believe in something without questioning it. We just lose the ideal. OK, I will stop moping in my Romantic tendencies. I know you are throwing up right now.

So, I heard McCain made it through Mel Gibson night. Way to go, Jeff; I'm so proud. Jonathan Smith also bought and was wearing jeans today. I'm looking at Elizabeth on that one - she got him to do what no one else could. I really can't express how impressed I was at that. And Sarah dyed her hair and is drinking soda again. Wow, aren't we all just going absoultely wild?! What will we think of next?

Now I just need to make it through this week, which honestly shouldn't be that hard, and then I'm home free. I don't want to think for about a week. I could sleep for about 2 months and not be fully rested. Oh well.

P.S. I love my PREG girls.