Help please!

Okay my blogger friends who are more technical and web savvy than I am... I am going to try and do a travel blog for my fun new job, and hopefully document some of my crazy and embarrassing moments traveling to Asia. What's the best site to do this? I can do another blogger site, I have a Facebook already but I don't want to add a million friends just to view this info. Maybe I'll let you know what I think I need and you wise one's give your advice?

Needs:

• Accessible to anyone (not just members), this way my dear parents will still view it easily.
• Hosts pictures and slide shows easily
• Not too hard to navigate (I am pretty good at figuring computer stuff out, but if it involves writing fancy java script I'm not there yet.)
• Easily integrates diary like blogging and pictures and media together

Thanks!!!

First Port of Call...

Singapore in January!

I freaked out a little today when I first found out. But after about an hour of surfing the web on Singapore detail I am doing better. Apparently English is the main language, HOORAY, and they are big on business and tourism. And I already found the main shopping areas, ha, ha, ha! So I think I'll be able to have a nice first foray into my new region. I'll keep you posted and hopefully I can post pic's for you all to see. Which reminds me I need a good camera.

Also I was very excited to pick out my fancy new laptop which has a cool tablet feature. You can write on it with a stylus and it will convert to text. Where was that when I was in college?! Though now it will convert meeting notes. Oh and a new blackberry. That's right I'll be one of those people. In my nerdiness I get really excited about these details.

Thank - FULL - ness

Sorry its been so long since I last wrote. I was chastised recently about that and decided this would be a perfect time to catch up. Thanksgiving is always a great time to just reflect on the amazing things God has provided. So here's my list for this year:

A new job!!! Yep, I just got a new position at work. I'll be working with our Asia Pacific region (Australia to China to Japan). Its a new level of responsibility (what were they thinking?) and will have some travel and I am excited about the opportunities and adventures I'll have. It feels very grown up to be flying to Asia for work... Bring on the frequent flier miles! Not too mention that recently I've felt a renewed sense of purpose at work. God can use me there even in random conversations with people to speak into their lives. I've started seeing more and more believers and just knowing we have a community there is encouraging.

My fun and crazy family- They always provide much entertainment, love and support. We are a typical family, which means we are not perfect in any means, and we have plenty to work on in our relationships with each other. But they are the unique family God wanted me to be a part of and I am thankful He did. Not too mention there is nothing like hugging a cutie pie niece or nephew to make my day. And there is a new one on the way, HOORAY!!!

My Montavilla Family- I officially became a member a week ago. Though there was a lot of joking about not letting me in or voting for me (You know who you are!). I know they love me and I always feel at home there. There are surrogate parents/grandparents/siblings and children everywhere. It is another awesome family and community of believers that God has provided for me. I can share my life, the good and the bad, and they will support and love me through it. I am also so encouraged by the work God has been doing there in motivating us to get out there and meet people and live for Him. My prayer is that this fire will continue to grow.

The HS Youth Group at Church- I waver on continuing to be a leader and I get pretty tired at times, but God continues to renew my love and passion when I think its at its end. There is nothing like helping these kids move towards a relationship with God that is real and their "own". I am most thankful for how many people are on staff right now. It really helps share the load and keeps me less stressed, which is good for everyone. We are a great team!

My fantastic friends- There are so many of you, I can't even list them all. How overwhelming that is to reflect on. I LOVE people... We truly are meant to live in relationships. They fuel our lives. Whether they are old friends or new they have been used to lift me up and encourage me when I need it most. I am really blessed with the people God has brought to me. Whenever I start to feel a little out of it, or lonely God seems to move someone into my life to meet that need.

Most importantly I am thankful for a God and Savior who is personally interested in my life. He's not about having me follow rules, or appease Him somehow. He provided everything I need to be in relationship with Him. All I have to do is allow it. How beautifully simple... I didn't doubt once that He would guide me in this attempt for a promotion, or that He would lead me in my work with the HS kids. He hears every cry of my heart, and even when I don't understand His ways or purposes or timing I know He is still good. He is incredibly fond of me, and that brings me so much satisfaction and peace. (P.S. the book The Shack by William Young has really helped me with my concept of God this year. Check it out!)

I'm filled to the fullness of Him on this day of Thanksgiving. Here is my prayer for you (italics are mine).

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

John got it

This quote in Abba's Child by Brennan Manning just struck me today. It is in regards to John 13:23-25 in which John is noted as the disciple who was reclining against Jesus and being one "whom Jesus loved". It is an intimate picture of a close relationship. There are no physical boundaries. John is totally comfortable and at home with his Lord.

"To risk the passionate life, we must be "affected by" Jesus as John was; we must engage His experience with our lives rather than with our memories. Until I lay my head on Jesus' breast, listen to His heartbeat, and personally appropriate the Christ-experience of John's eye-witness. I have only a derivative spirituality. My cunning impostor will borrow John's moment of intimacy and attempt to convey it as if it were my own."

In the past few years I've developed some wonderful friendships and relationships in which I feel so comfortable and loved that I can lean against those people physically and rest in their love for me. I adore that feeling. But I remember that it was not natural for me to be this close at first. I had to consciously open myself up to be close to those people. That intimacy and closeness is based and rooted in love and trust. We draw reassurance and a feeling of being "at home" in those moments. This is what Christ wants with us. To have us lean against his chest and arms and just feel wrapped in His love and centered in the trust we can place in Him.

What keeps us from this intimacy?

452 Insights into my Soul

If you are a You've Got Mail fan you know that quote. This week at work I got this personality profile back on myself and it was uncanny how it really spoke back to me what I think and who I am. I answered only 24 questions and from it I got a 3 page summary of who I am and how I work. How is that possible?! But it seemed extremely accurate.

The program is called Insights and it basically uses four colors to group personality traits.

Red- Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone
Yellow- Involve Me
Green- Show Me You Care
Blue- Give Me The Details

Take a guess... What do you think I was?

Now everyone is a mixture of all the colors, but just in different proportions. But if you guessed my dominant color to be red, you are right. I also have a healthy dose of yellow (big surprise). My next color is blue, but a much smaller amount than I thought. Funny because it fits the "Analyst" jobs I've had and now I realize I didn't really like that piece of the job. Ha, ha, ha. And lastly green, which barely registered on the scale. So sad, I'm not very sensitive or caring naturally, I think I'm better than I used to be though. My tag title was "Director". Yep, I like to be in charge. There were a lot of pieces of the assessment that were really difficult to read. We hate to see our weaknesses or our blind spots, but guaranteed we all have them.

My favorite quotes from my assessment I received:
"Katie needs work that challenges her and holds her attention" - Oh YES!
"I am less interested in principles and theories than new projects and processes" - Definitely! I hated theology at school.
"She can get to the heart of any situation and implement an effective solution." - Bring me your problems and I will always try to give you a solution. ;-)
"She wants to make an impact and accomplish something in life that she will long be remembered by." - Hm... Explains a lot.
"Being respected by her peers is of greater importance to Katie than being liked."- Not so sure about that one, but respect is a big factor to me.

Ouch moments:
"She may unwittingly compare herself with others in the race for success" - bad, bad for the self esteem
"She may lose interest and move on to the next thing, once a job becomes routing or dull" - um, is four different jobs in 7 years a sign of this?
"She prefers to combine creative decision making with limited reflection." - oops, a bit hasty aren't I?
"May resort to dictatorial practices if anything appears to get in the way." - danger!
"Articulate and thinking, she tends to be matter of fact and practical." - i.e. not so sensitive

Since we did this, I've been assessing everyone I meet. They are probably all sick of it already. But it really is dare I say... "Insightful" to know how other people work and how to communicate with them. We are all so very different and to assume that someone else wants to be talked with or worked with in the way we want to be worked with is just silly. So my new motto for a while (because as we know from the assessment I will lose interest in this when it becomes routine or dull) is treat others how they want to be treated. Novel idea huh?

Guess your color and I'll tell you my assessment of you. Hee, hee, hee!

What I'd be wearing if I had a 25" waist

I stumbled across this FANTASTIC site while searching for knitting patterns. (Yeah, yeah, call me an old lady but I like knitting.) Its http://www.vintageous.com/ and its full of wonderful vintage clothes. Though pretty much every dress or coat is made for a 22" to 25" max waist! Seriously were women in the 40's and 50's really this small or did they all still wear corsets?

But if I was that small or had a magic contraption to make me that small... Had a spare $800 and the dress wasn't already sold... This is what I'd be wearing. Sigh. Such beauty. Its Christian Dior.

Surrender

God spoke to me this weekend. It was a very rough last few days. Emotional wreck is the best way to describe me. Here's what he said...

Q. Are you willing to surrender everything to me? I mean everything.
A. But what do you mean? Of course I've surrendered to you. I believe in you don't I? I try to live for you.
Q. But you still hold on to things in your heart. You reserve them as your right. You think you deserve them. In fact you are mad at me for not giving you what you think you need. Right?
A. But I know those things are only at your grace and mercy...
Q. But you still think they are yours, your right. You have to sacrifice them to me.
A. Um... what?
Q. Sacrifice, like Abraham sacrificed Isaac.

Abraham was asked to sacrifice his miracle and promised child. His only son, whom he loved. It made no sense. Why would God ask him to give up what had been promised to him as a miracle and symbol of God's plans for his chosen nation? It was the ultimate act of submission, of trust, of surrender. Abraham so believed God would be true to his word, that he was good, that he would raise his son again that he got up and obeyed. Immediate obedience, without question, without hesitation. He built an altar with his own hands as an act of submission to his God. He laid aside reason, and his love for his child and put him on the altar. He held nothing back from God.

Q. Can you sacrifice your love and will and mind like that? Can you surrender fully to my plans for you? Can you trust me?
A. But God those aren't bad things I want to hold on to...
Q. But they keep you from giving me your whole heart. I want all or nothing. Your whole heart is what is a pleasing sacrifice to me. Not partial surrender, but total surrender. Its only in my will that you will be free.
A. I'm not free am I?
Q. No, you are slave to what you think you need.
A. I see now... I'm chained to those things, I hold so tightly to them. I see the whole world and even you in light of those things. They've begun to suffocate me, they are so heavy. I didn't realize it until today. I'm chained to my security blankets, my dreams, my so called needs. You are right, I have to surrender them to you. I've carried them my whole life.
Q. It will be one of the hardest things you will ever do. Do you trust me? Do you trust that what is on the other side is my good and perfect will for you?
A. Yes
Q. Then build your altar, sacrifice and surrender totally to me. Then you will feel freedom.

I built the altar. Crying the whole time at what I was giving up. I don't know what life is going to be like without them. What if God doesn't restore them again to me like he did for Abraham? There is no guarantee. I had to take the risk. I can't live this way anymore. I want His freedom. I want His blessings. I crawled up there along with all the things I'd placed on it and I let it burn up. A holy and pleasing sacrifice to God. Maybe the only true sacrifice I've ever made.

And I do feel freedom. I am at peace. Its only in His will that we are free.

Are you free? Have you surrendered fully? What do you hold back as your own? Christ is our picture of true submission to our Father. His sacrifice saved us and restored us. Abraham was just a taste of what full surrender looks like. Follow Christ. Submit to God, to His will, and find freedom and peace and blessing.

Inspiration please

I need help. This Sunday is our first "big" group prayer time at church with the younger classes. I've been unsuccessful getting people together to pray for direction for our generation's involvement and passion in the church. Mostly because of summer schedules and conflicts, so we decided to try a Sunday during normal Sunday School time for the classes we are hoping to get involved.

It just hit me last night that since our first awesome meeting, my excitement and passion has been dying. I think Satan is definitely trying to discourage me and keep me from moving here, and probably everyone else based on some of the scheduling conflicts, from seeking the Lord together. Randy sent me home from youth group tonight to try and meet with God again on this idea and prepare for Sunday. So first order of business was to ask for your help...

Will you guys pray for our meeting? It seems funny to pray for a prayer meeting, but I think its essential to pray God's protection over this time. I know God can work in the people in my church and I desperately want Him to move us into action and further growth in Him. I need Him to direct our time on Sunday, and I need Him to empower me and fill me with the Holy Spirit so this group will be inspired and catch the vision.

Odds and Ends

Its been a while so here's what I've been up too...

Moved- Hooray! My new place is really big (well for one person at least), I painted some walls (nice warm brown) and I'm dying to buy all new stuff to decorate with (right now I'm into cherry red and grass green). I'm holding myself back until Ikea opens in July.

Read/ing- Finished Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for the first time. I loved it. Also I'm in the middle of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini right now. It is a very powerful book so far, and I've struggled a lot with the protagonist and some of the story line, but I'm hoping he pulls through in the end. I require redemption in characters I read.

Movie/TV- I went to see Ocean's 13, which was WAY better than Ocean's 12. It was a fun way to spend an hour or two. I'm steadily Net Flixing my way through the Lost Season 2. So addictive. And speaking of addictive, I now have cable and can't stop watching HGTV, Food Network, and TLC. I might need a 12 step program.

Listening- The sweetest song I've heard recently that I'm loving is Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's. One of my big guilty pleasure is always music by Gwen Stefani and I'm loving her latest Sweet Escape. You can hear me yeehooing along with the song in my car most days.

Driving- My new commute is now about 45 minutes to an hour long. On Wednesday I got stuck, I didn't have food and by the time I made it to my meeting at the church I was shaking. Long drives and a hungry Katie do NOT mix well.

Moving up and Moving out

Just wanted to post an update on the prayer time we had, and the previous posts. Our time together went really well! I was too busy the week leading up to it to really plan what we'd do so I just kept committing the time over to the Lord and asking Him to lead us and I really feel he did. It was very affirming to hear everyone who came express similar concerns and callings to do something to connect with our generation and to grow together in the Lord.

Some of our key thoughts that resulted in our conversation and prayer time was that we feel its our responsibility to rise up and reach our generation for the Lord. We want to connect with each other deeply in relationships and we desire these relationships to reach across generations and social status (married, single, families, college whatever... all together). We felt a call to really reach out to all the single parents in our community and also to represent the godly picture of a family to them through our church family.

We felt this was really just the start of our journey, and really it is a journey. We totally understand that God may only reveal one step at a time but we want to be faithful to take those steps as he reveals them. And we want to do this bound together as a community and centered in prayer and guidance from our head, Jesus. So we are getting together to pray again next weekend, and will probably continue to do so. Thanks everyone who prayed for this! I know your prayers really helped us keep focused on the goal. Continue to pray for us and if you are in the area and want to be involved just let me know.

On a personal note I have to move in a few weeks. Laurel is trying to get back on the mission field and needs to start saving money so she can set up house in Germany again (which is very expensive). I looked desperately for places close in P town, but Craigslist is the bane of my existence. As soon as I'd find a place and call or visit to view it would be rented. Sometimes within hours! So discouraging. So I decided I'd make the move out to the 'burbs. I can get a lot more apartment, with amenities for cheaper. My commute will be longer though. So if anyone wants to help me move let me know! :-) I'm going to miss my neighborhood.

Pray

This Saturday a group of people from my church are meeting together to pray and discuss the idea of how to reach our generation through our church body. If you think of us, please send up some prayers. Already I feel a little resistance from the enemy in a few ways, and discouragement. I know we are seeking God and therefore we will be opposed. Pray that the right people will be able to make it, that God will lead our time and that he will give us direction and inspiration.

Thanks!

Be the change you want to see...That's hard to do.

I noticed, or perhaps woke up, to a disturbing realization recently. I looked around my church the other day and realized the people I used to rely on being there on Sundays and connecting with are slowly disappearing. In fact the number of people in their 20's and 30's (with the exception of our College group which has been doing pretty good at keeping the kids involved) has been declining. Some have left for various reasons, some just don't come to the main services. Those of us who are there have been there for years, but you rarely see a new face. This really disturbs me. I've been praying about it a lot. Maybe its just my perception of the situation. I know numbers aren't the sign of a healthy church, and I'm not trying to say that's the issue here.

This has been the main topic of thought for me lately, which I think means perhaps I'm supposed to do something. Dan Mayhew said this week at HS group as he taught that sometimes you know God is leading you to do something because the idea just won't leave you alone, it keeps needling you. Well that's what's been happening to me lately. I can't leave this idea behind. The question is what am I to do? I have no clue what my role is to be in this endeavor. In fact the idea is daunting. But I know I really want my church to be a place where my generation, my friends, can feel comfortable coming together as a body and seeking the Lord together. I want to spur others on to meet God and grow in relationship with Him and each other. I want to be relevant to the culture we are in and not tied to traditions of the past which make no sense to us. Yet I don't want to give in to the culture and have it be our master. It would only lead us to be irrelevant again in a few years! I want to be able to bring people who aren't churched there and have them feel comfortable journeying to know the true God. Right now that's not something I can honestly say I would do. I've been making excuses about this issue for too long, because I truly do love the people there.

I took a first step this week and met with a trusted pastor at church and explained my heartache over the issue and my desire to do something. My second step is to say it out loud in this forum too. Now I can't just forget about it and not respond because you all can hold me accountable. I have only ideas so far, and no true word from the Lord on what to do. So far all we've committed to do is pray and seek the Lord further. For now I am careful in not getting to attached to plans and ideas. I'm resolved only to take steps forward in the realm of prayer and petition, and to just wait on the Lord to lead and inspire us to move forward. Better his plan and timing than mine, that's for sure!

There's a whole generation of people in their 20's and 30's who are definitely interested in spirituality in Portland, but they aren't comfortable usually in the standard traditional church setting. Which means they'll go look to Buddhism, Hinduism, Wicca, you name it. Sometimes I think this culture is so obsessed with being different that's the main draw to some of these faiths. Most often they are so turned off by the "Christian Right" they won't step foot in a traditional church. It can represent so much hatred, bigotry, and ignorance to them. Whether that's true of the local church or not doesn't matter, those issues still plague our ability to reach this community. They seem to know that's not what Christ is, but they can't separate it. One of the only answers to this is that we truly need to be the essence of Christ in this community. They need to see him through us.

I want to reach this generation without losing the key values and core of the church. We can't let the pendulum swing so far that we lose sight of what those who've gone before have already learned. The one thing I'm most afraid of is ending up with all younger people and no elderly wise counsel anywhere in sight. I would be so misdirected without the mentors I have in my life. I definitely think we can't forget the call in Titus 2 to have the younger trained up by the older generation. If everyone is young, you totally miss out on these discipleship opportunities.

I've been reading up on the Emergent or Emerging Church movement lately. This is the kind of church my friends and I are drawn to. Its characterized by lots of free expression of thought, art, media, interaction, value of the "sacred" and core values Christ demonstrated (helping the needy, poor, cast outs of society). I am drawn to this too, but some of the statements I've been reading from these churches and leaders, and trends I've seen are very close to bordering on heretical. Not all of course. There is a group that is emerging for a reason! This generation's church will and has to look different. Just think about the technology changes we've had in the last 10 let alone 20 years. We can't think doing church the same way we always have will work. Its just like putting our heads in the sand and hoping to ride out the storm. I want to be careful though not to just follow some fad that in 10 years from now we look back on and laugh at. Plus we know formulas don't work. We need to uniquely move forward in the mission field God has for us, it may end up looking very different from what others are doing.

So if you feel led, please pray that God will guide us in this new endeavor whatever it may be. Pray that he would raise up the core group that will passionately care about this idea and get involved. If you have thoughts on any of this feel free to share. I'm a verbal processor so that's part of what this all is.

Divine Romance

Thoughts for today...
First God answers prayer. I love when I'm reminded of this in a very tangible way. I started keeping a prayer journal recently. I thought it would be an awesome way to record the way God is faithful in hearing my prayers. Well today he answered one for me that was so encouraging. Out of the blue at work I got a bonus check! I had prayed a few weeks ago that God would help me out financially as I most likely will have to move soon, and that can get so expensive. When I was handed the check today I knew it was from Him, and in answer to that prayer. He's always been so faithful to meet my prayers, this just makes me so confident that he hears and cares about my concerns. So cool!

Second you all need to give Phil Wickham a try. I'm in love with his music. I bought his cd a two weeks ago and I can't stop playing it. Its surprising to hear music like this from a "Christian" artist. I'd put him in the Jars of Clay quality category. My best description is to liken him to David Gray, with amazing lyrics in worship to God. Its inspiring and speaks the truth on my heart. His song Divine Romance is playing on Air1 now and its good, but so far I love every song on the cd as much or more than this one. He's passionate about what he's singing, which is just as it should be. Just thought I'd give him a shout out. I think he's coming to the Portland area soon. I might have to try and go.

Planes, Planes, and a Taxi

I went to Memphis for work last week. Essentially every plane I took was delayed, causing me to miss a connecting flights. The way out to Memphis wasn't too bad. I had a great time meeting everyone I work with out there. I learned the meaning of Southern Hospitality. Its definitely a different culture from the one I'm used to.

My observations of the city...
There is a church, and I mean a MASSIVE church on every corner. Probably a Baptist one to boot. This is so weird for me. The rental car I got actually had Christian stations programmed in. So this is what they mean when they mention the Bible Belt!

I was the minority in many places I went, which is a new experience for me. Not a bad thing, just different.

I've never been called Ma'am so many times!

The city seems to reflect the blues music it is home to. Dark and a little dingy with some sad undertones. Its hard to explain. I'm sure someone out there loves this city, but I didn't see those places I guess. When I asked for suggestions on where to go I was told to be careful and not to go places at night. In a parking garage when telling someone we were tourists the lady said we should keep our purses close! Is this all you have to say about your city? Kinda sad. Everyone I work with lives outside of Memphis, and they said the crime is high and local government corrupt. Needless to say it was hard to find places to visit. No we didn't go to Graceland (its expensive)!

I did enjoy seeing Stan and Nicole who came over to visit. It was so fun just to spend time with them and catch up. We took a trip down to see the Peabody hotel and the ducks that live in the Penthouse, and then over to Beale Street (famous blues street). I think Stan's going to load some pic's from our wanderings. We went to the Brooks Museum because there was a massive storm moving in and we wanted to stay inside. Musuem's are seriously one of my favorite things. So peaceful, and I love art of all kinds. I saw this beautiful girl there (William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Au Pied de la Falaise -At the Foot of the Cliff). Don't you just love her? She's amazing in person. It almost makes what happened next worth while. Almost...

When I went to the airport on Saturday to catch my flight out the weather was already pretty bad and a tornado watch was on. I was just praying I'd get out. I got there early just to make sure I got on my flight. When I checked in it was already delayed so much that I'd miss my flight to Portland in Minneapolis (the last for the night). No other options either, because I checked with 4 different agents. So I just decided to wait it out. I had to get a hotel in Minneapolis for the night. It wasn't the end of the world since my company would pay for it. Yeah for travel on the corporate card!

Then my flight continued to delay (4 hours total), because the weather was so bad in Minneapolis. So I didn't get into Minneapolis until 1 in the morning! Which was a 1/2 hour past when the hotel shuttle stopped running of course. So I go to get a taxi, for which there was a line 20 deep waiting. I have no winter clothes of course, and so I'm glad I just happened to pack my fleece. I finally get in and my driver barely makes it through the snow to the hotel. Where I get to sleep for a whopping 4 hours before waking up to try and make it to the airport and hopefully home. Of course I was again delayed and in the end I got to Portland about 22 hours after the time I arrived at the Memphis airport.

INSANE!! I'm okay not travelling again on planes for a very long time.

In case you are stumped...

I thought I'd remind you all its the V word this week. That's right... Valentine's Day. Women the world over will go to bed depressed that night. As I already know you all love me so much, and that money is no option when shopping for my present this year I'm noting a few ideas below. Just to get your juices flowing and perhaps inspire you. And I know you couldn't live with yourselves if I ended up as one of those depressed women this year.

And remember...Its the thought that counts.


Jewlery is always a classic choice:

Tiffany Lace Necklace

Lucida Diamond Band

A nice little gettaway to help relieve my stress maybe:

Here's a nice one in the Maldives set right on the ocean, literally. Huvafen Fushi is the name and I like the Ocean Pavillion. It even has an underwater spa, how peaceful.

A new car possibly:

The Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG is pretty.

For the practical gift giver:

A private Butler is always a nice way to show someone you care, by taking away all their cares.

Happy Shopping!

Apparently I don't remember much from High School

I just had someone forward me this quiz on whether I deserve my High School diploma. Apparently I don't remember very much. Only 80%! My perfectionism made me want to go look up all the answers immediately so I could answer again and get 100%. 80% is kind of sad considering I graduated in the top of my class. I am going to be positive. My theory is that all the NEW information in my head has displaced the OLD information. I await your snide comments... Let me know how you fare?

You paid attention during 80% of high school!

68-84% Pretty good, you know that there are libraries and newspapers, and you remember what you've read. You were a child that wasn't left behind!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

The List

My friend Foolish Knight has set forth another challenge. To share my twenty five favorite films (in order of first favorite to twenty-fifth favorite). I started compiling a list and realized that I needed to define what favorite meant. There were just too many movies to choose from. Is it a favorite because it was significant and artistic? Is it a favorite because of its impact? Or is it a favorite because I in fact watch it repeatedly? I decided that a favorite needed to be a movie I enjoy watching over and over again. The kind of movie you never tire of. This means my list below does not always include what I considered some of the greatest movies (based on significance or artistic achievement). Many movies are amazing and impacted me but I can't watch them more than one time. So please remember that when you read my list. I also made a conscious decision to be totally honest, so I didn't let myself edit the list to make it look more intellectual etc... Because you know we all like to do that.

The List: 25 Favorite Movies

1. Chocolat - The book is not so good, but the movie is fantastic. I don't even know why I love it so much but I do. It's pretty, and I watch it a lot.
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - This is my idea of an epic love story and the bonus is that its combined with crazy martial arts. Its so beautiful at times its just breathtaking.
3. Amelie - The music, the kookiness all go into my love of this one. Lost and lonely people breaking out and finding love.
4. The Usual Suspects - Crazy, crazy, crazy. My love of Kevin Spacey began with this movie. Its violent but the story is so great. I didn't know it was coming, which is one of the best elements in a movie. Its a classic in my opinion.
5. Pride and Prejudice - The new version because its so pretty, but I do adore the 6 hour one also. In fact if I could combine the two I would.
6. Breakfast at Tiffany's - This combines many of my favorites: Audrey Hepburn, Tiffanys, and Love stories. Its a little melancholy so I watch it only in certain moods.
7. You've Got Mail - I don't watch this as much as I used to. But partly it has to be here because of the sheer number of memories I have associated to it from my college days. We watched it repeatedly. And it is so sweet, though I still think meeting people on the internet is totally freaky.
8. Under the Tuscan Sun - I love this one because it is essentially about someone overcoming tragedy in their life, and learning to really live again.
9. Shall We Dance (Japanese version only) - So amazing the way this man goes beyond social mores in hopes of getting something more out of his life.
10. Legally Blond - At first it just seems silly and vapid, but then you realize it has some depth and a good message. Very fun.
11. Almost Famous - The music and the era this is set in (late 60's classic rock) are so intriguing to me.
12. Finding Neverland - How can you not love a story that is so sweet. I cry, and cry. Always a sign of a good movie.
13. Funny Face - Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire dance and sing in Paris. Sigh of happiness...
14. White Christmas - I NEVER get tired of this. I love the music, the silliness, the cliché Christmas of it all. Sorry F.K. I'm sure you are cringing reading it. But I've got to be true to myself, now I have that song in my head...
15. Hello Dolly - If you can sing to it, its good in my opinion. No really, I love musicals and this one is great.
16. A Love Song for Bobby Long - It's beautiful, though the characters are quite ugly at times. The story of dysfunctional people finding a sense of family and function together. I think its the idea of redemption in it that I love the most.
17. LA Confidential - I'll never forget the first time I saw this movie. I love plot twists and this movie does it very well.
18. LOTR-Return of the King - The best because it all comes to an end beautifully.
19. LOTR- Two Towers - The second almost solely due to Legolas' shield surfing scene.
20. LOTR- Fellowship of the Ring - Beautiful start.
21. Drop Dead Gorgeous- Dark humor, but definitely hysterical. I quote this one often. A mocumentary is always great in my opinion, and this one profiles high school beauty pageants in the Midwest.
22. Blue Crush- I am almost embarrassed by this one but every time I want to just have fun and watch a movie, this is the one I put in. Maybe its all the shots of sun and beaches? It makes me want to surf.
23. So I Married an Axe Murderer- Mike Myers in the beginning was so very funny. I quote it all the time... "HEAD! PAPER! NOW!"
24. Moulin Rouge- Sheer genius the way its made and all the songs are so fun. Visually its like a LONG music video.
25. Best in Show - I had to have at least one from this group on the list. A mocumentary of Dog Show (aka insane) people.

Razzle Dazzle'm

Happy New Year!!!

This had to be one of the best New Year's Eves I've ever had! I lucked out and got a spare ticket to see Pink Martini tonight when Laurel's friend couldn't make it. I like Pink Martini a great deal so I figured it was an awesome way to ring in the New Year. First we stopped off at my friend Josh's for the usual New Year's Eve Party, then we met up with a friend and headed downtown.

We were sitting down waiting for the start of the show when Thomas from Pink Martini came out to explain their planned opening guest couldn't make it to the performance due to medical issues, but they had found what they thought was a suitable replacement... Carol Channing!!!! Carol Channing as an opening act no less! She's one of the most amazing Broadway legends and performers. I grew up watching her in Thoroughly Modern Millie. When she walked on stage I couldn't believe it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see her perform in person.

She definitely is getting older (85 I think she said) but she still has all her old "Razzle Dazzle", which she performed along with Hello Dolly, Little Girl From Little Rock, and my FAVORITE Diamond's Are A Girl's Best Friend. I was so blown away. I think I had permagrin the entire time, and definitely sang along to many of the song's. She even brought her cute husband out that she married recently, they are in their 80's and were childhood sweethearts. It was so very cute, and they did a little dance together. At their age I'll be lucky to be up at midnight let alone singing and dancing. After she performed we got to spend the rest of the old year and the start of the new year listening to Pink Martini, and dancing in our seats. It was FANTABULOUS! Sigh... I can go to bed happy. Then I will get up and watch all the old Carol Channing movies and musicals I can find.

I seriously haven't been up this late in quite a long time.