Riding the Christmas Train

Who knew Chicago Transit Authority had a Christmas train? I had heard about it, but was one of the lucky ones whose L travel last night collided with the route of the annual Christmas train.

The inside of the train has upholstery on the seats in Christmas patterns, the plastic covers of the flourescent lights, above, are green and red instead of white, the poles are candy-cane painted, the advertising along the walls have cute little joke ads about the North Pole such as:
Need a new eye doctor? Come see Dr. Yule C. Better.

Doll makers and assemblers needed ASAP at The Toy Factory, run by Kris Kringle. Too cute!

Halfway through the train, there is no car, but a flatbed, in between cars. On it is Santa with his sleigh. He is shouting Merry Christmas, and Christmas carols were playing throughout the train and on speakers outside the train so those around could enjoy the train. There were CTA workers dressed as elves in each car, handing out candy canes as people entered and exited the train. I found out that Santa wears a battery-operated suit to keep him warm. Glad to hear he is kept safe from sniffles during his travels!

Dental Work, Take Two

I went back to my dentist for part two of the root canal today. Hooray! One more visit and we're all done! That's the good news.

Here's the bad news. My jaw feels like it's going to split in two and my gums feel like they're going to expell my tooth, they hurt so bad! Boo!!!!

Then, I had to go back to my dentist at 12:30 because my temporary filling fell out, I was already starting to lose my numbness, and it hurt my jaw even more. So now no talking, bc my tongue keeps rubbing against the filling and keeping it from setting, hence it falling out the first time an hour after I got it in. At least they didn't charge me for a second visit and filling. So now I'm sitting at my desk, in severe pain. I finally was able to drink some tomato soup down in order to take a lot of ibuprofen. I want nothing more than to go lay on a heating pad in my bed and sleep until another two hours go by and we can consider it 'set'.

My Dad, the Big Game Hunter

Those of you who know my dad know he's a big hunter and gun enthusiast. He just got home from his bi-yearly big game hunt, this year being a buffalo hunt. He went with a couple of his friends, plus my uncle Jim and brother Todd. I don't know if Todd got one, but know that Jim is still out there through Wed to catch a different type than Dad and his other buddies got.

I've only had buffalo meat one time, and I recall it tasting almost exactly like roast beef. I look forward to some yummy meals when I'm home for Christmas! (I'm going to lie to Amy about the meat in the chili at my Mom's and have her try some!!) J/K.....

Teeth

I remember Jessica Simpson saying on an episode of Newlyweds, "I hate teeth. I hate everything about them: I hate cleaning them, I hate flossing, I once didn't take care of a cavity for three years and then had to get a root canal."

While I don't completely agree with Jess (I'm all about fixing my teeth when I hear they've got problems), I don't like dentists and dental insurance right now. Here's been my last month....

Four weeks ago, I discover a crack in my back molar. I call my dental insurance. They tell me I need to pick a new dentist, and then I get to wait three weeks until Dec. 1 to go see said dentist.

Two weeks ago, my tooth broke.

Dec. 1, I see dentist. Dentist tells me I need a root canal and writes me a referral.

Dec. 5, I see endodontist. Endodontist tells me he won't do a root canal until I've had my wisdom tooth extracted and had gum cut away. He also tells me that I'm seriously infected, and it's infecting my gums. Then he says that he will have to do the root canal procedure to even see if the tooth is savable, but that it probably isn't. Translation - spend $1500 on dental procedures (that's after insurance pays) before we even know if the tooth is savable.

Dec. 6, I go back to my dental practice and see a new dentist. I was going to have the daggone broken, painful tooth I've been dealing with for a month, extracted and be done with it. The new dentist is also an endodontist and was like, "It's not that bad and doesn't look infected." She did the root canal right then and there. Not only is she able to save the tooth, it's not infected, and my gums are fine. Another fun side note - my first dentist didn't tell me I had two cavaties, but wrote it in my file. When I showed up this morning, the receptionist says, "Is there some reason why you don't want us to remove your cavaties and give you fillings?" In addition, I'm wondering why my first dentist wrote me a referral to see an endodontist instead of having me see one of the two that are in my practice.

While I could have been ridiculously irritated, I was just very grateful to get my teeth taken care of!! I go back next Friday for the final step in the root canal. YAY!!!

Hallelujah!!

No, I am not singing about the advent season. I'm rejoicing New Year's Day, when Chicago officially (legally) becomes smoke-free indoors.

What makes a perfect day?

This machine. In my office. We 'gifted' our office with this gift instead of buying each other gifts this year. What makes it really special? It was half price on JCPenney.com.


I'm enjoying my first latte...

Rosie in her Christmas dress.

Rosie (little girl I babysit) and her mommy.

To Whom It Concerns, My Name Is Alison

I have had...a day today. I decided my feelings about the day might best be expressed in drama form. Enjoy.

Scene: A cold, windy, dark Chicago early evening with a young woman standing on a sidewalk waiting to cross a busy street with no crosswalk lights. It's damp, with ice.

Said woman is shivering, hoping the stoplights on either side of the area will turn the right combination of red/yellow soon. A city bus is coming, slows down, and stops.

Said woman waves a thank you, and begins to cross street. As she reaches the middle, the oncoming car also stops. She begins to cross the other side of the street when...

Bus Driver, leaning out of open bus window and says: Hey pretty Momma!

Woman turns around, realizes bus driver is 'hollering' at her, and waves another thank you while saying: Thanks - have a good day.

Woman, aka Pretty Momma, crosses the rest of street and fades into the darkness.

Later that evening....

Woman is sitting on bed, with laptop, pulling up her online class. She has a group project and wants to see what her part of the assignment is going to be.

Project laptop screen on backdrop to see the name Andrea listed several times in the thread titles on the discussion board for group of four people.

Woman: Hmmm....my group is Cynthia, Bert, Sarah and Kate. It looks like Kate's our facilitator this week and posted what she wants us to do. Wait....there's no Andrea in our group. Maybe the professor shifted the groups and added someone....

Woman, after pause: Wait a minte, I don't see my name, Alison

Alison, after another pause, with a look of shock on her face: I think she means me when she says 'Andrea.' Wow. It's not like she hasn't seen/used my name multiple times in the past. To even get to our discussion board, you have to go past a list of our names, and my name's at the top bc both my names start with the first two letters of the alphabet...geesh.

Close laptop, fade out.

Bfast for the Girl On-The-Go

I've never been a big fan of smoothies. I love fruit, I love yogurt, so I should love smoothies. But I don't. I think it's the texture - I don't want to drink chunks. This is also the reason why I don't love the oatmeal cookie latte at a coffee shop in Lincoln Square - who wants to drink oats in their coffee? Not this girl.

I have been quasi-restricted to liquids the past few days because of some tooth issues. BOO!!! But I have an appt to get it all taken care of this Wed afternoon. I have had to get creative with finding non-boring ways to get calories and nutrients in my system (namely protein) and try to stay full so that I don't get light-headed, etc. I created a smoothie that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

I dumped the fruit (not juice) of an entire can of peaches or pears, about a half a cup to cup of vanilla yogurt and some milk into a blender. Then I added about five/six spoonfuls of the juice from the can. The canned fruit completely mixes with the yogurt/milk and isn't chunky. YUM!!! I can drink it through a straw.

This morning I put about a half a cup of cinnamon apple sauce, 3/4 to a cup of vanilla yogurt and some milk into a water bottle, shook it up, threw in a straw and viola!!!! Another tasty smoothie. If you like apple pie and ice cream, I promise you'll love this smoothie.

First Dates Make Me Cynical

I've had some doozies of first dates. I won't go into many details, but if you must know...ask Amy, Erin or Maegen/Traci.

Last night I had a first date that restored my faith that there are, in fact, good ones out there. =)

He was very thoughtful, old-fashioned, and all about how "nobody communicates anymore, and he doesn't agree with that." (Did I just hear a collective sigh from all the single girls out there? ;) I didn't pay for a thing (not that it's about that) and he even wanted to put me in a pre-paid cab for my ride home from downtown because he didn't want me riding the L by myself that late at night. (I ended up on the L because I don't think it's necessary to spend the cab fare it would have taken, versus the $2 for the train.)

But it's the thought that counts, and my faith was restored that there are still good men looking for good women out there, and that it takes patience to find them.

Happy Thanksgiving

Americans Enjoying Thanksgiving Tradition Of Sitting Around At Airport

I am

I Am
by Lisa Orris and Marti Burger
Evangelical Covenant Church

(This was written for youth, but has such important stuff in it.)

I am more than my body.
I am more than my current relationships.
I am more than the latest hype.
I am more than my personal best.
I am more than my latest performance.
I am more than my parents think I am.
I am more than my GPA.
I am more than my last mistake.
I am more than airbrushed perfection.
I am more than my latest crush.
I am more than my ACT/SAT scores.
I am more than...

I am more because of
I AM
God said to Moses, "I-Am-Who-I-Am. Tell the People of Israel,'I-am sent me to you.'" Edodus 3:14

Evangelism Takes All Form

I'm currently sitting a Panera, doing some work on a class I'm guest lecturing tomorrow at North Park (yay! I love guest lecturing!) and I'm sitting next to a pastor visiting with a man in his 60s or 70s. He's evangelizing and coaching him on a relationship he's having with a woman. I love that evangelism takes all forms, has no set rules, and can happen anywhere. They're even talking about 'kids today' and how this guy in his 60s/70s prefers the candor of teens who are people of color rather than the passive aggressive 'lies' of 'the white kids.'

While I'm not intending to eavesdrop, I am enjoying listening to this pastor speak to this man.

A crappy day

that, frankly, is wrapping up a crappy couple of months.

Here are a couple of things said to me today:

a) A guy who works with an organization I sometimes work with called me today to tell me that he had used me as a negative example with his boss. It was actually a round-about attempt to compliment me on his part...but it landed quite flat as my pride is a big issue.

b) The guy I have been dating on/off for awhile told me, as we were navigating a disagreement, and I quote "I'm attacted to you. I just think it might all be physical." I've never actually had a guy I've dated for a significant period of time say that to me before. (Wow - just read my post and can't believe I just said it that way. Let me rephrase: I've NEVER had a guy say that to my face.) And he couldn't come up with a softer, more respectful delivery? Then he kept denying that he said it. Let's just say this was the icing on the cake I needed to not EVER talk to him again. And the very nice long-sleeve Bears jersey I got him for Christmas? It just became my most expensive nightshirt.

Seriously. Over. Dating.

Lots of HYSTERICAL 'Sound Bites'

These are some funny 'isms' that have been said to me or around me, recently:

a) "Just out of curiousity, who all is coming tonight?" asked on a Wednesday, after several emails about an activity that we're doing this Saturday.

b) "Oh no...I think she may be mildly retarded..."

c) "It's because I'm a f****** retard, that's why!"

d) "You need to leave your movie and come pay your respects to keetchka (cat). She's dying. She has the milky eyes."

e) "I hope I haven't kept you awake with my coughing" said by my downstairs neighbor.

f) "Be as loud as you want. We'll just take out our hearing aids." said by my downstairs neighbor.

g) "You know what would be great? What if I moved my car out of the garage, and you had your movers put all your stuff in there, then you could carry it all upstair the next day after my movers come to move my stuff out." said by an old roommate to a new roommate. We're talking couches, full-size beds, dressers, etc.

h) This was posted to my online class, by my small group project facilitator, the day before our dialogue was 'open' online, "I thought I'd get us started, so everyone understands the expectations and the assignment." We all have the syllabus, we all can read, we all have comprehension skills. You're not the professor, you can't answer questions about the assignment. Thanks.

I'm eerily good at this game

Check it out.

Chicago's Complaint Choir

I want to go to this so badly!!! You have no idea.

Ladybugs do not belong in mashed potatos

This post is not for the faint of stomach...

Last night I made a little pouch of butter and herb instant mashed potatos. I was on bite three or four, when I found something chewy. Thinking it was a hard piece of herb, I began chewing it. Then I thought it might be plastic, bc it wasn't disentigrating.

I pulled it out of my mouth, when I realized I was tasting something very un-butter-and-herb-potato-like....and it was a ladybug shell. I screamed, flicked the shell and spent the next ten minutes so grossed out.

It's good to know that some things never change...

I have been home sick the last couple of days, and daytime tv is pretty much the same as ever. I turned on the tv the last two mornings to find Maury Povich doing DNA tests to find out if cheating women's husbands were the fathers of their children. Weren't Ricki Lake, Maury and Leeza Gibbons all doing this one back in 1990?

It's good to know that some things do change...
Steve from The Jerry Springer Show now has his own show. Glad he's moving up in the world. I wonder if it's filmed in Chicago, too?

Miscellaneous....

Some miscellaneous notes from today:
a) I'm sick again. What the heck is going on with my body?!?! I don't normally get sick this often or this bad. I went to work because I'm tired of taking sick days and because I had a big meeting today, but I definitely have a fever this time. Booo!!!!!

b) There has been some repeated harassment by locals of the students on campus this semester that resulted in a student being beaten last night by three guys. Hearsay is that the locals are from a gang, and that there were several students around who watched the beating but only one person phoned the police while another student stepped in and helped out the student being beaten. Apparently the locals said they would be back with guns next time. I'm guessing that's why only two people helped out. If you're a praying person, pray for our campus and its leadership as they try to figure out next steps to keep the violence from escalating and further.

My "Visit" to Chicago

That's what my friend Erin called this weekend, because a friend of mine was in town, and he wanted "Chicago from a Chicagoan's perspective," although he picked out some of the stuff we did.

Here are the highlights, and the reviews:
Brazzaz is a Brazilian Steakhouse. They bring the meats to your table and slice it off for you. We were able to partake in a lunch special for $20, although it is normally in the $50/person range. It was a solid B. Good food, but the meat was not really seasoned very well. I enjoyed the sides more than the meat. I don't think it's worth the money if you don't get a special.

The Wendella Boat combined River and Lake tour is my favorite Chicago attraction. I take everyone on it when they come to visit. It's a 90 minute boat tour that, as it states, takes you up and down the Chicago River, then out onto the lake. You get the history of Chicago, hear the truth about some urban legends, and it's always a lot of fun. I particularly enjoy it at night, because the view of the Chicago skyline at night is beautiful. Most people think the tour would be better during the day because they can see better. Not true - you can see better at night due to all the lights. It's $20-$23 a person and totally worth it.

We capped off the weekend with Second City. I love Second City. I used to go quite a bit in Detroit because I had ticket hookups with Keegan Michael Key (now a cast member on MadTV) and Maribeth Monroe (cast member on NBC's Thank God You're Here) through my roommate. This particular show was hilarious, and they had a song entitled "I am Socially Awkward," which literally had me laughing until I cried. I've experienced every exaggerated type of socially awkwardness they displayed in the song, and my friend proceeded to sing it the rest of the weekend.

Sad Day

The boots didn't fit. They were very poorly manufactured, and clearly mislabeled. I sent them back.

She's getting big...

The little girl I babysit, so excited because her mom made her new bedding that has ballerinas all over it.

Shop-A-Holic?

When did I become one? I have seriously shopped so much in the last two weeks, it's ridiculous. A big part of it was a desperate need for new shoes for cooler weather, as I have a really hard time finding cute shoes that fit my feet.

Another part of it was my need to buy some stuff a size down, as I'm finally acknowledging that I am the next size down. These are two of my favorite finds and am currently awaiting their delivery!!!

Skater Girls

This morning as I was walking to work, I could help but chuckle when I saw a female student text messaging while on her skateboard. She was so into what she was doing that she stopped using her foot to push, and both feet were on her board. I burst out laughing when she stopped rolling forward, and began to roll backward, but continued texting furiously bc she did not notice. She all of a sudden looked startled and put a foot down to stop her rolling.

Babyface Comeback?

It's true - I'm a sucker for some old school Babyface tunes. The good news is that he has a new album coming out. The better news is that you can listen to it, here.

Goodbye Summer...Fall is Here

It's official: fall is here. It's 7:43 pm, it's pitch black out, and I'm feeling like I'm missing the opening kickoff of the Palmyra Panthers high school football team. =)

I took a personal day, today, and spent some time at the beach. I lasted an hour before I was too cold. It's a sad end, but a pretty beginning.

A Phone Conversation

So the little girl I babysit likes to pretend she's talking on the phone with me. If she sees my cell phone in the vicinity, she'll point for me to pick it up. The she will pick up whatever is near her and pretend it's a phone that she puts to her ear and baby jabbers to me. She's beginning to pick up more words, and here's a conversation she had with me this weekend:

She picks up the phone
Alison: Hello? Rosie?
Rosie: Allo
Rosie: Yeah?
Rosie: What?!?!
Rosie: Nooooooooo.....
Then she hangs up the phone.

I laughed until I had tears.

Arellano was deported

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-web_elviraaug21,1,6817291.story?coll=chi_tab01_layout This story makes me sad. I've heard so many stories about families who have been torn apart by this immigration mess: the children may be citizens if they were born here. The part that sickens me is when the government does raids on businesses, without thinking about the children of said individuals who are in day care, school or with a babysitter at the time. When it happened earlier this summer in Massachussets, the Governor deemed it a humanitarian crisis.

I think regardless of a person's position on immigration laws, this isn't a picture of God's kingdom at work. Jesus' love transcends race, creed, color, religion, age, weight and the nation where you were born.

It's no wonder so many non-documented people in the US are illegally in the country: it costs a fortune to obtain your citizenship and it's a rare indivual who can afford it these days. It's become a class issue. In Chicago, there is rampant racism towards Spanish-speaking immigrants. If I were Latina, I would be afraid to pursue citizenship, fearing that I would likely be deported simply for my accent and skin color. Pay attention to the news - there's an immigrant rally in Washington, DC, scheduled soon, and a call for immigrants and non documented workers to boycott work and not make purchases on that day. It will have a huge impact on our economy and hopefully help put it in a little bit better perspective.

Reading List

I have been reading a lot lately. It's good to be back. =) I love to read.

I just finished Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I liked it. Some have told me that they had a hard time getting through it, but I enjoyed it. It's by the same author as Wicked, and it tells the Cinderella story through the eyes of one of the stepsisters. Check it out.

I have been working on The Great Divorce and Reconciliation Blues for quite some time, now. The problem is I have one at work to read during lunch, and the other at home...I need to just finish them, already!

How Rich Are You?

http://www.globalrichlist.com/

Check it out - you won't regret it. Certainly puts things into perspective.

Amazon.com

I just want to put in a plug for selling your old books on amazon.com's marketplace. The only thing you have to enter is the ISBC number. Last year I cleaned out my books, and sold about $150 worth. I recently cleaned my shelves, again, and have already made $80. Textbooks tend to sell quicker than fiction. Amazon does take a commission, but it's worth it when I do so little to sell them. Love it!!

Book and Movie Reviews

1) A MUST Read is Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther by Ginger Garrett. I had initially thought it was non-fiction, but it's a fictional account of Esther's diaries interspersed with fact and some Associated Press articles and scholarly essays. Incredible book - couldn't put it down, and read it in a day. Apparently Esther's diaries really did get discovered, and I want to read them!!

2) Why didn't anyone tell me how much I would love Harry Potter? I've never had a desire, but my friend Erin let me borrow the first book, and finished it in a day.

3) Rules of Engagement (the movie). I wasn't sure if this was based on a true story, although I didn't recall reading about it. I googled Colonol Terry Childers' name, and found a whole lot of international articles about the movie. VERY interesting to hear how other nations viewed this movie as stereotypical American superiority complex. I kind of agreed with the Colonel's logic in opening fire. (If you haven't seen the movie - and this doesn't spoil anything - there were children and women firing at the marines from the demonstrating crowd in Yemen outside the American Embassy.) This is a hard line that the military has to deal with. I happen to think we Americans get a little too war/gun/bomb happy, and often don't put care into the fairness of the situation, but I can see how it would be difficult to follow the rules of engagement in combat when the opposing side isn't playing fair (e.g. child or civilian soldiers). Good movie - if you haven't watched it, I would encourage you to.

4) Elizabethtown. So cute, and different from what I expected.

Bizarre happenings on an August 8

Was there some crazy alignment of planets this week, that culminated in yesterday's craziness? Here's a list of the bizarro things that have been happening:

a) April/May like thunderstorms, flash floods and tornado warnings with tree limbs down EVERYWHERE
b) A foul and mysterious odor that comes and goes in two places in our apartment with nothing there that could be producing said odor.
c) A note I found ON my office door (versus an email or a memo handed to me in my office that I actually would have read before this morning, as it was put up yest during the day...hence I didn't see it on my way out) telling me they are putting new carpet in my office starting tomorrow...and everything that is not in furniture needs to be moved. **My offices are in a three-flat apt building - my office is in the living room, my two bosses are in the bedrooms, the den is our conference room. Both my bosses are out of town and one has stuff strewn all over her office (and I do mean STREWN) but she knows where everything is. There's no where to move said stuff to -it's not like we have a hallway. And I'm not touching my bosses stuff, as they are both on vacation. Grrr!
d) Maegen (roommate) began to swell and lost feeling in the skin on her face, so we went to the ER. She'll be okay - some sort of allergic reaction in her sinus cavities, she's got more DR visits and tons of meds to take.
e) My laundry soap and softener was stolen out of the back of my truck (I moved it out of the cab into the bed while taking Maegen to the hospital).
f) this morning the movie I had ready to return to Netflix was not only not where I was sure I left it - I couldn't find it ANYWHERE in the apt. Bizarro happenings.

Insert wierd television sound effects here.

If I don't do it myself...

Does anyone else suffer from this sentiment: If I don't do it myself, it won't get done right?

I'm really not a micro-manager. I hate being micro-managed, and I could care less what method someone working with me uses to get something done...provided it gets to the completed stage and isn't completely messed up. If there's an aesthetic involved (e.g. tableclothes or signage) I could care less what it looks like, as long as it's noticeable, legible, is NEAT, and gets the job done. (I have learned the hard way that I can't always send a student worker to go buy things like wrapping paper and gift bags without being uber-specific about what I want...or I'll end up with giant bags with balloons or flowers all over them.)

Sometimes, however, I find that some people's help winds up with me having to spend so much time doing damage control or figuring out how to re-do the project without offending said person. The damage control (usualy pr-related) is common with crappy communications made on my behalf. Urg!!!

But let me also just say that for every headache I have from this type of thing, I have five other people who do great things to help me.

A Midnight Dip

Okay, so not REALLY a midnight dip, but an 8 to 9ish pm dip.

It was so hot and humid, today, that Traci, Maegen and I took off for the lake and took a nighttime swim. It was SO fun, and the water was surprisingly cold.

I'm proud of me - I got in a natural body of water and no fishes touched me!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...there's no view that is as beautiful as the Chicago skyline at night. The lights are reflecting on the lake, and it takes my breath away every time.

Starbucks can always make me happy

Whether it's a groggy, sleepy-eyed morning; a long, hard day at work and I need some quick energy and a break; or the need to feel like 'i'm doing something' on a day off and I go to read a book...Starbucks can always make me happy.

This morning I went to Panera and Starbucks before work. I got my favorite (and oh-so-delicious) Asiago Cheese bagel with reduced fat cream cheese. I walked over to the 'Bucks and was jonesing for a venti iced nonfat almond latte (only two shots of almond, please.) I happily headed off to work.

Then, I took a drink. They put orange syrup in my latte instead of almond. Now that's just disgusting. As I was in my car, halfway to my office, I said, "Everybody's bound to accidentally pump the wrong syrup once in awhile...it's no big deal...maybe I'll get used to and begin to like it."

Upon arriving at work, I had changed my mind. I literally gagged on my last sip of the coffee, and decided that for a $4 drink, I should at least call them. I figured they might give me a coupon in the mail or something. They did me one better - they took my name down and told me the next time I come through that store, the next drink of my choice was on them. Starbucks can always make me happy.

Why Do I ALWAYS Have to Call Customer Service?

I asked myself this question while on hold last night with AT&T, because our wireless modem wouldn't recognize our phone number as a line that had a DSL order attached to it.

The first woman we spoke to (who was in India, naturally) spent at least a half hour on the phone with us. She kept walking Maegen and I through variations of the exact same registration thing that would bring us back to the exact same error message. Go Figure! The problem wasn't on our end, it was on THEIR end.

It was when I realized that every time I've moved in Chicago we've had to call customer service bc of an error on SBC/AT&T's part in setting up the new DSL order, that I finally handed the phone to Maegen and went to hop in the shower.

Imagine my absolute SHOCK (note the sarcasm) when I step out of the shower to hear Maegen still on the phone. The woman in India had to transfer her to someone else, because 'she'd reached the limit on what she knows how to do.' New guy got us squared away very quickly.

A Weekend from Bad to Great...

This weekend was nutty-crazy. I had one roommate move out, and another one move in. Welcome to the north side, Maegen!! =)

The roommate moving out really surprised me. She's always been passive aggressive, but took it to a whole new level of petty these past two weeks. It really shocked me, bc it's not the type of behavior I've ever seen out of her, and I've lived with her for two years. I'm hoping in her new environment she can get back to her old self. Let's just say that every little detail about her moving out and Maegen moving in was d-i-f-f-i-c-u-l-t to the extreme and incredibly stressfull.


My weekend brightened when I went to see Hairspray on Sunday. LOVED IT! It's a must see. It's hard, at first, to get past John Travolta in that role, but he did do a good job. The movie was cast so well. Take your girlfriends, teenage daughters, etc. Loved it!!




I also saw Last Holiday, with Queen Latifah. Not what I thought it was goign to be about, but ended up liking it. It's light-hearted and fun, a good 'pick-me-up' movie. And LL Cool J is HOT.


The finale of my long weekend was seeing Natalie Cole last night at Ravinia, an outdoor concert. She was, in a word, lovely. It was such a mellow night and so enjoyable. It was uber-romantic, so any Natalie fans should definitely hit her concert and expect adorable couples dancing the night away to her beautiful crooning. My two favorites were "Smile" and some other song whose name is escaping me right now. At any rate, a beautiful evening.

The Illusionist and The Good Shepherd

I watched The Illusionist this weekend while I was at mom and dad's house. LOVED it. Jessica Biel is a decent actress. I haven't seen her in much more than teeny-bopper type movies, and never thought that much of her as an actress on 7th Heaven. But this redeemed her. Edward Norton is hard to co-star with and not look ridiculous, bc he's such a good actor. Excellent movie. I didn't see the end coming, at all. I normally can predict what's going to happen, so I particularly enjoy it when I am surprised.

Watched this one last night. VERY good. You'll need to be in the mood to concentrate and give it your full attention, or you'll be lost. I tried to do some stuff in my room while watching it, and finally had to go back to the beginning and start over with my full attention. Well worth the 2 hours and 40 minutes. It felt like an hour.

Helena Handbasket

Seriously...what's wrong with the celebutantes of today? Britney's pregnant and proudly proclaiming she doesn't know who the father is; Paris has already been in jail; Lindsay and Nicole are both likely going to jail. Again I say TRAIN WRECK! The world is going to hell in a handbasket.

Talk to your daughters, your neices, your friend's daughters... Ask them what they think about this stuff, and how it makes them feel. Talk about what their impression of these celebutantes' behavior was a year ago, and ask them if they have friends that behave similarly. One or all of these young ladies are likely role models for them in terms of movies, music, clothing or pop culture in general. They need to process what they think about it, and aren't likely able to do that on their own. Teenagers (especially those in junior high and early high school) aren't really capable of non-abstract thinking on their own at this point in their adolescent development.

Tucker's First Cubs Game

My aunt Lori and uncle Jim came to visit this weekend with their daughter Jill, her husband, Rob, and their 10 month old son Tucker in tow. My cousin Chris (their oldest child) also lives in Chicago, and he had received some free tickets to the Cubs game on Saturday, hence the trip. This is my aunt Lori (aka Grandma) with Tucker.

It was officially Tucker's first Cubs game. As he was born into the very athletic and sports-loving Kaufmann family, it was a big occasion.


He also loved taking the train to the game. So cute!! This is Tucker with his momma, Jill.

More Movie Reviews

Finally saw The Pursuit of Happyness. It was good. Not quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it. I didn't like the fact that 'happiness' seemed to coincide with money. I'm curious as to what Chris Gardner finds important, now.
I could NOT get into this movie. I know Helen Mirren got so many accolades for this movie, but I finally shut it off after 20 minutes. Good thing I netflix, or I'd ask for my $10 back.

Hugs and Kisses

So my little bugaboo was super cute tonight. I have mentioned, previously, that she doesn't really respond to affection by adults other than her parents. Earlier this week she gave me a hug, and tonight I got a whole lot of baby-affection.

She wallered all over me while we were playing on the floor, then I was pulling her close to me and making a kiss-noise like "mmmmmm-mah!" and give her a kiss on the cheek during the "mah!" part of the noise. She loved it and made the noise with me several times. So sweet and cute!!

Then, and this is my favorite part, I thought she was asleep and I stopped singing to her. (You are my Sunshine and Twinkle Twinkle are her favorite songs.) She started patting my shoulder and sang a little bit, herself, as if to say, "Sing some more, Alison!" So cute!!

Fried Corn and other Yummy Things...

So 'the boy' made me some really good food this weekend. One phenomenon I had never had was fried corn. Anyone had it? It's delicious, yummy, albeit dangerous, goodness!!!

You put a little butter or margarine in a frying pan, then add some frozen or fresh corn. After it's thawed out, add a can of creamed corn, and cook it until the juices have cooked off. OMGosh....so good it's dangerous. Corn may be a vegetable, but it's essentially just starch. Alison's advice: only make it when there are people over who will help eat it gone!

Other yummies were BBQ catfish and salmon, some sausage, DELICIOUS baked beans (see below), then at another meal, salmon croquettes and biscuits dipped in molasses. MMMMMMM.

The Boy's Baked Bean Recipe:
Fat free Bush's baked beans, some mustard, little bit of brown sugar, some BBQ sauce, chopped onion, chopped green pepper, and add some vegetarian hamburger crumbles or some chicken sausage. Also add a dash of worcester sauce. Let simmer. MMMMMMMMMM!!!!

Sounds so good I think I'll make some for my dinner....

Because I Said So

Another GREAT movie. I liked this one because it centers around a young woman (Mandy Moore) who's mother won't let her be an adult without meddling and trying to make decisions for her. I loved it. Also, Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo had great chemistry with Mandy Moore as sisters, and Diane Keaton is always one of my favorites. =)

Worth the Watch

This movie was so good! Be warned that some parts will be difficult to watch, but it's worth it.

My Little Bugaboo...

I have taken to calling the little girl I babysit 'bugaboo.' I'm not sure why, but I do, and I daresay she's starting to answer to it.

I helped with her during her parent's party the other day, and two things made my month: a) I saw a photo from their Cancun vacation where she had made the 'fish face' (see below) and b) she gave me a huge, sandy hug while we were playing in the park sandbox.

We have been working on various faces and noises, bc she thinks they're hilarious and she tries really hard to do them, herself. We've been working on the fish face for some time now, and she hasnt' been able to do it. Seeing that picture in Mexico got me SO excited. I'm choosing to believe she was missing me and did the face. Her mom was so tickled to learn that I've been teaching it to her.

The sandy hug was huge! She's not a baby who chooses to give much affection to adults other than her parents. She loves to be held, but doesn't really react when you kiss her or hug her. I put her down in the sandbox, she went nuts (bc she loves the feeling of the sand on her legs) then she lurched across the space between us and gave me a huge, sandy hug while she squealed and squealed. Needless to say, it pulled at my little heart strings. I already adore the child, but that made me fall in love with her.

A Taste of John Mayer

So I succumbed to the pressure. Today, I went to a John Mayer concert. It was free...it was the Taste of Chicago.

Let me sum it up as quickly as possible.
Hot as hell.
Too Crowded.
My attitude was not unlike how I get at amusement parks on a summer day.
People WAY in my space.
2+2 = Alison was NOT feeling it and got a sunburn.

But I do kind of see what all the hoopla is about - he's way better live that on his cds, mainly bc he's an incredible musician. What made all the angst worth it? When Buddy Guy stepped out to do "Gravity" and "Sweet Home Chicago." Why a picture of the jumbotron? Bc that's as close as we were. =)

The super duper plus side was that I was with Traci, Maegen and Tricia. I love them! We did get some good photos from the day, and I will post them soon. I would advise you to check out Maegen's blog in the next day or two, as I'm sure she will post a funny account of some of our 'experiences.'



I think it's obvious how hot and tired I was. That's Tricia, Traci and Maegen. Traci is my roommate, and Maegen will begin moving in to replace Jenny this weekend. YAY for Maegen moving in with me and Traci!!


Post concert, post 'tasting' at the Taste, post sunburn.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

So the little girl I babysit has been having some 'growing pains' lately. She screams and cries instead of using her words or body language to communicate, and she's definitely used to getting her way when she's screaming and throwing her tantrums.

I've been working with her the last two weeks (translation: sitting through hours of screaming and trantrum throwing without doing anything to get her to understand the screaming and tantrums will get her no where) and I'm proud to report that she's going to bed without too much fuss and she's also choosing to point and reach for things instead of scream. I'm so proud of her!! She's a much happier baby as a result, too. (In part, I would wager, from the fact that she no longer has crying/screaming headaches and is fully hydrated again!)

Dream about the Simpson Sisters

This is how tired I am this week from working some crazy hours...

I dreamt that I was on a school bus headed somewhere, and Jessica Simpson was on it. We stopped for gas, and Ashlee Simpson walked beside the window where I was sitting. I asked her what she was listening to on her hot pink Ipod Nano. She gave it to me and said, "You want to hear it? I have a ton of these on my tour bus."

Then Jessica spent the rest of the trip trying to get me to give it to her so she could give it back to her sister.

These are yummy...

A Blog Post on my MySpace One Year Ago...and an update...

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

There's a Freaking SQUIRREL in my Apt!!


That's right, folks, there's a squirrel in my apartment. Right now. In my living room. Let me back up....

7:15 pm: I was finishing up making my own breakfast bars (my own recipe for a high-protein, high-fiber breakfasty, granola-y, Cliff-bar-y, breakfast bar) and patting them in the pan. I hear this bizarre, LOUD noise coming from the living room. I go investigate.

7:17 pm: Said noise is coming from the chimney pipe. There's definitely an animal in there, who keeps trying to climb back up the stovepipe, and then slides back down, turning the flue a bit each time with its body-weight. It's a free-standing pot-belly fireplace, with black stovepipe up and through the ceiling. I notice that the flue is turned half way. I begin to panic and ask myself, "if I try to 'shut' the flue all the way, will I inadvertantly open it?" Meanwhile my brain is screaming, "Shut all the bedroom and closet doors bc you ARE NOT sharing your bed with an animal!"

7:20 pm: Run around apartment, shutting all doors and calling for roommate Kyoko to come out and help.

7:22 pm: Watch as Squirrel proceeds to try to climb up the pipe, AGAIN, and it's body weight on the fall down pops the flue open the rest of the way. Dazed and confused Bullwinkle daintily (and in slow motion) steps out of fireplace into living room. When he realizes he's not outside, he panics.

7:23 pm: I call the non-emergency line and they put in an emergency call to Animal Control to come out and capture the crazy rabid squirrel who has just taken over my house.

7:25 pm: Roommate Kyoko and I put up a 'barricade' to try to keep the squirrel contained to the living room. We did allow space so that we could try to 'shoo' the squirrel out into the stairwell, down the stairs, and out the front door. (Yes, I know squirrels like to climb - I just needed some sort of wall to help me feel like I could control its location.)

7:30 pm: I head downstairs to hold open front door while Kyoko tries to shoo the squirrel out with a broom.

7:31 pm: Squirrel has reached panic point. Said squirrel repeatedly hurls itself at our Lazyboy, catapults itself off the the seat like its a squirrel-sized trampoline, and smashes into the window glass as he tries to leap outside. Squirrel falls down, winds up and leaps again. This happened five times before Kyoko stopped counting.

8:25pm: I call the non-emergency number to see if they got lost. The City of Chicago graciously informed me that Animal Control is 'done with work for the day by 9:30.' If they don't make it to their calls before then, you're out of luck. I ask them, "Okay...what am I supposed to do with this squirrel between now and tomorrow morning?" They said, "I don't know."

8:30 pm: I head upstairs to deliver the news to Kyoko, and decide to take matters into my own hands. I go get a mop (bc it has the longest handle) and head into the living room. All I can see is Clark Griswold, with his entire family behind him, when he's trying to capture the squirrel who came into his house on the Christmas tree. I also am seeing John Candy and Dan Akroyd, in that movie where they are staying in a cabin in the woods, and they are trying to capture a bat. Both rodents, both with catapult powers, both with teeth...I'm a little freaked out.

8:31 pm: I head in. I begin banging all the furniture, pushing the pieces around with the pole of the mop. I'm crawling all over the daggone living room and can't find the squirrel, anywhere. I begin to question Kyoko, 'Is it possible the the squirrel ran out of the living room? Do you think it knocked itself out on its last catapult/crash into the glass?' I get braver and braver in my search for the squirrel, until I relive that scene from Christmas Vacation where the squirrel is on Clark's back, and I freak out all over again.

8:40 pm: I call my Dad. His advice involved laughter and these two comments: "well, it's not going to do you much good until you find the squirrel,' and "why don't you flush it out by putting some peanut butter out in the living room?" Thanks a lot, Charles.

8:42 pm: I call Jim Dekker, my boss, who is an outdoor enthusiast. He and his wife confer, and he totally youth pastored me. I loved it! He said, "See, squirrels want to climb when they're scared. Remember, it's way more scared than you right now. It's probably clinging to the bottom of the couch, and that's why you couldn't find it. Open two windows..just two or three inches...and make sure something is in front of it that the squirrel can climb to get out. Put the peanut butter on the window sill. Turn all the lights off, and go to your room. He'll settle down and come out eventually. The sucky part is going to be that you're not going to know when it leaves. I know...I know...there's comfort in knowing that he's gone. Are you going to be okay?" I appreciate you, Jim and Christine Dekker!

8:50 pm: Kyoko and I go in, one last time, to open windows, set up the peanut butter, and shut off the lights. Oh yes, and to close the flue.

9 pm: I call information, trying to locate my landlord at their vacation home in Lake Geneva, where they're staying all summer. See, it occurred to me that the grate on the roof is broken, and that's how our friend ended up in the fireplace, in the first place. I can't locate my landlord. Heave 100th deep sigh of the night, and contemplate laughter vs tears. I really, really don't want a squirrel in my apartment.

9:30 pm: My other roommate, Jenny, gets my message about the squirrel, and calls me on her way home from work. I inform her that first thing tomorrow morning, we're getting the ladders out, climbing on the roof, and putting some plywood on top of the chimney grate. I will not be chasing any other critters around my apartment. This ain't no petting zoo!

10 pm: Best friend Amy phones me, and gets pissed at the City of Chicago for not coming out. I believe her exact words were, "What, like there's an epidemic of squirrels who fell down chimneys into people's living rooms tonight? They couldn't come in TWO HOURS?" She then proceeds to tell me that: a) "what if the squirrel is in your bed right now?, b) "Charles would have suggested that you shoot the squirrel, and then you'd have blood all over your living room," c) "you don't need to get on the roof, Alison Joy Burkhardt, because you are known for hurting yourself doing stupid things. Do I need to remind you about the slip n slide knee injury?' d) "There's a f***** squirrel in your living room!" e) "Don't feed the squirrel peanut butter, Alison. What's it going to learn, but that you're willing to feed it three squares a day?!?!" e) "I was at Megan's house when you called and left me the message about the squirrel. I tried text-messaging her to let her know that there was a squirrel in your house." (We went to high school with Megan.) and f) "This one is going down as one of my favorite Alison stories - up until now my favorite Alison story has been the Unfortunate Ohio Incident. You need to blog that one."

My one regret of the evening is that I did not get a picture of the squirrel. The best I could do was locate the video on my home page, which did make me laugh until I snorted. It also made me go, "If that squirrel doesn't get out of my house, I'm going to have to move." Enjoy!

I'm just glad that my squirrel wasn't of the German variety...

Donald Miller and A Cheap Whore

Last night I went to see Donald Miller speak at Willow Creek's Worship Conference. (Let me just insert here that I am not a Willow fan, but am a Donald Miller Fan.)

A friend, who shall remain nameless, asked me to go. I enjoyed Blue Like Jazz (although I haven't found the time to read his others) and have heard him speak before. Why do I like him so much? Because he cuts through the bullshit and keeps it real. For example, and I quote, "Now, some of you think that God caused all the bad stuff in your life," he says, then puts his hand over his mouth, looks down, and continues, "although I'd wager a lot of that bad stuff is because of dumb decisions that you made..." I immediately threw my hand up in the air, pointed at him, and said to my friend, "And that's why I love Donald Miller!" He bursts our little Christian hypocrisy bubble EVERY time!!!

Anyway, said friend has a HUUUGEEE crush on Donald Miller. I told her to dress slutty, and that we were going to meet him afterwards and throw her at him like a cheap whore. (Which I repeated about 75 times, because those words almost never come out of my mouth!)

Unfortunately, a Willow staff member hauled him away, and he didn't even get to sign any books. Sad day. I told said friend that I planned to cyber-stalk him and get his personal email address for her. Princess (aka Nancy Drew), we might need your assistance.

Chicago Drivers at the 4-way Stop

Chicago drivers can move like nobodies business. It's an artform, really. Non Chicagoans think we're crazy drivers, and I am on the fence. I still whole-heartedly believe Chicago drivers are absolutely bananas and scare the crap out of me, sometimes, but I am becoming more and more of one every day.

With the exception of the 4-way stop. Every day I am shocked and amazed at how badly Chicagoans are with a 4-way stop. Being a country girl, and only having 4-way stops in town (vs stop lights), I know how you're supposed to drive at them so that people can get through them quickly.

For example, even if it's not your turn, but someone else is going in such a direction that you can go at the same time (e.g.the car across from you is crossing the street, meaning the cars to the right and left of you MUST wait or cause an accident)...GO AT THE SAME TIME! You don't literally have to wait until the three drivers there before you have gone before you can go. In Chicago, that kind of backup can last for two hours. A 4-way stop on a major street can lead to cars being back up two and three blocks, sometimes, for several hours. On a major street leading to Lake Shore Drive, it's backed up like that pretty much all day on the weekends, and it'll take twenty minutes to get to and through the daggon stop bc of how people wait for the other three to go.

Grrr...stupid Chicago Drivers!!!

Rudeness...or am I just tired?

I'm willing to say that it may be because I'm tired that my patience has worn thin. I have probably gotten an average of 4-5 hours of sleep every night this week. Considering I do not have children, that's unacceptable!! =)

This morning I was standing in line in Panera, to get a bagel (ended up with Cinnamon Crunch because Asiago Cheese was sold out - furthering my theory that it could just be me in a bad mood) and a salad for lunch. A woman standing in line behind me was violating two of my restaurant rules: a) standing much too close to me, and b) talking WAY too loudly to her child.

She was holding the child, so his ear was about 3 inches from her mouth - there's NO NEED TO SHOUT! I liken this to people on the 'el' or metra who talk heinously loud on their cell phones. When they start talking about the sex or drugs they had last night, that's when I want to paint a smirk on my face, grab their phone and say, "Is there even anybody on the other end of the line?"

When it was my turn to order, this woman then follows me to the counter and continues to stand about 2 inches behind me. Panera is like the airport checkin counter - you wait at the end of the staunchens until an employee says, "next customer." She was standing so close to me that I couldn't even turn around and walk away when I was done, I had to step to the side, then turn around walk away.

THEN, as I was leaving, she was, again, right behind me. I hold the door for her as I stepped through, to pass the door off to her. Instead, she breezes on through (child is walking, now) and then proceeds to stand there and wait for her son, who got sidetracked by his reflection in the window. This lasted for probably 30 seconds. Part of me was like, "I kind of want to let this door go and knock the kid down so she realizes what a be-yotch she is being right now!!!!" But I decided to find some satisfaction in the self-righteousness of realizing that I was better than she was at not hurting her child. lol

Again, I maintain that all of this may be due to me being tired, cranky, and not having yet walked to Starbucks for my morning coffee....

Things All Over My Truck

Last night I was in Northbrook, and started out in a Starbucks parking lot. I was on the phone, and hadn't left my truck yet. I see some teenage boys climb out of an SUV parked next to me, and about five seconds later, hear/feel the back end of my truck jerk. I look up and hear one of the boys point at my truck and say, "You hit that, man! It's over here!" <"Over here referring to a football.>

So I step out of my truck, bc I'm concerned that there's a big dent (it hit me that hard) or that my tailpipe is still intact. The boys start running across a VERY busy street. I pick up their football (my truck is fine) and say, "Hey! Guys! Did you just throw this and it hit my truck?" They ignored me and RAN across the second part of the street. That's when I yelled, "Hey! Don't throw a football at my truck and then run away!" But they totally did. So I climbed back in my truck and resumed my conversation.

About two minutes later a woman comes out and gets in the SUV. I get out and talk to her, and give back the football, and she's MORTIFIED that her boys did that. She was so nice and was like, "Are you okay? Is your truck okay?" Then she said, "You know 15 year old boys..." I responded with a "Yes...I do..." and a knowing nod. Later on, though, I thought to myself how inappropriate of her to say that. It's one thing to brush it off as silly 15 year old boy behavior when they're goofing around with a football and they damage or break something and they apologize for it...it's quite another when they run away when they do it. If I am ever in her shoes, I will go get said boys, bring them back to the truck they just hit, make them apologize, and then arrange for them to do something for said person (e.g. hand wash and detail the car.)

When I came out to my car after my appt...I found cicadas all over it. I was like, "Cicadas, NO!" trying to get them off my truck. I was very careful in opening the door, bc I didn't want them to climb or fly inside. I called a friend and was like, "We don't currently have them in the city, and I don't want to single-handedly be responsible for bringing cicadas in who will mate and drop eggs back in our soil to re-birth in 17 years!!!!

Cicadas, Schmicadas

So the cicadas aren't in the city of Chicago, although they are annoying the smack out of the suburbanites. Apparently they go where the new trees are, and there are no new trees in the city. Hence, I have not laid eyes on a cicada, yet.

Until, this morning, that is.

I was driving on the expressway, with my window rolled down. I was very groggy due to a Sudafed and the sun beating down on my face. All of a sudden, I see something flying at me (it looks like the size of a large dark rock) and it smacks me in the face and ricochets off of me. About 3 seconds later, a GINORMOUS bug smacks into my windshield and gets stuck in the windshield wiper. It's so big and so messy I'm afraid to turn the wiper on to unlodge it. I get back to my office, and see a bug as big as my thumb laying on the seat next to me, still a little alive. I all of a sudden say, "I think that's a cicada!" Turns out, I was correct.

I can't experience new things in normal ways...I have to get smacked in the face with them. Flying Fish story, anyone?

Isn't she a cutie?

This is the little girl that I've been babysitting for some on the weekends. She's such a cutie!! This was in mid-swing at the park, so it's a bit blurry and she was definitely looking at me like, "what are you doing with that thing in your hand!?!?" lolol

We had fun last night. We went for a long walk, and she was jabbering a mile a minute in her little baby talk. She's at the stage where she knows exactly what she's saying, and she's totally having a conversation with me...too funny. Then when I rolled her stroller into the park, she let out a scream so loud that I stopped the stroller and ran around to see her face, in alarm. It was a scream of joy - I LOVED it!! Then as I roll her over to the baby swings, she started reaching up for them and giggling slash baby jabbering. She is so stinkin' cute!!! Then we played with bubbles and went home to play with her toys. She associates me with clapping her hands and saying, "Yay Rosie!!" When she either gets a puzzle piece where it belongs or she pushes a button on a noisemaker toy, so she kept sitting there doing something, clapping her hands and singing some baby jabber similar to "yay, rosie!" She is a joy.

Evan Almighty

Last night I saw a pre-screening of Evan Almighty. This movie was, in a word, delightful. You must go see it, and take your whole family.

If you've seen Bruce Almighty, you may be saying, "take my whole family? No way!" Trust me - you'll be glad you did. They purposely made this one family-friendly, and there are SO many good themes in it to talk about with your kids. Some of the themes are environmental, using your power for good, systemic political issues, family (both quality time and believing in/supporting your spouse), and having faith when God leads you in a direction that society deems 'crazy.'

Not to mention, it's rip-your-sides-open hilarious. Steve Carell, Lauren Graham, the guy who plays Andy from The Office, Christopher Guest, Morgan Freeman and Molly Shannon all grace the screen for us. It's Great!

Bird-warning for Nicole Esmon - you are going to freak out when you see this movie...there are birds...and lots of them. They act in ways that may cause you to have an anxiety slash panic attack, so I suggest you put Alex on a strict "tell me when I can uncover my eyes" policy as soon as you see the birds. There are two or three scenes in the first 30 minutes that will freak you out - after Evan owns his inner Noah, the birds are all good. =)

Master of Higher Ed Administration

This is a new degree program at North Park through the school of nonprofit business management. I decided to enroll in it, and am taking my first classes this fall. I'm taking four quad classes, which results in two regular classes. This may be aggressive...but I'm realizing it's primarily classes I have already had at an undergrad and graduate level. So I don't think it will be too difficult for me. I am curious to see how my learning in this arena will have changed since I've worked for awhile in non-profit management.

Paris n Lindsay n Britney

Did you watch the MTV Movie Awards? I don't typically watch MTV's award shows, bc I think they are stupid. But I love the movie awards for the spoofs that they produce on the movies. This year's was a letdown, bc they let viewers create their own spoofs...and let's face it, when you don't have an unlimited budget and brilliant comedic actors who will act in them for you, they pretty much suck except to the friends and family of said video-makers, who understand their quirky inside jokes.

But that wasn't my biggest disappointment. I was APPALLED at how Sarah Silverman, Dane Cook and Sacha Baren Cohen humiliated Paris, Lindsay and Britney. Paris was at the awards show, right before she checked into jail. In Sarah's opening comments, she said something about Paris having to go to jail this week, and the entire audience erupted into cheers and jeers (including the celebrities). Then Sarah went on to say something really, really crude and just plain mean. It was humiliating. If Paris didn't realize it before, it became painfully clear to her how Hollywood feels about her: she was their laughingstock last night. The looks on celebrities faces while they laughed at her expense was horrifying. I was literally sick to my stomach. Later on in the show, Dane Cook said that Paris was so offended by Sarah's remarks that she left early and went ahead and checked into jail, which caused a whole other eruption of cheers and jeers, and Paris looked like she was going to cry.

Later on, Sacha Baron Cohen accepted an award for Borat and made a statement about how Borat would have been there to accept, except that fame had gotten to him and he needed to "relax" in rehab. Previously this week, Borat had crashed his horse and carriage into the fence around Jew-town, and was under the influence of fermented horse urine...and that they found a more-than-legal stash of rufies in the backseat. Then Borat was so freaked out about it all, he went to a barber shop and had his mustache shaved off. Again, this was all met with horrifying cheers and jeers from the entire audience.

I am no fan of Lindsay or Britney, and certainly not of Paris Hilton...but they are human beings, and let's face it, they are little girls deep down. They are all extremely young and have made horrible choices in their lives. But everybody makes mistakes, and they live in an environment that promotes this type of behavior instead of helping it. They did not deserve this sick humiliation, and it certainly won't help their problem. As my friend Erin said, "what about the people who were supposed to be looking out for these girls? what about the people who sold them the drugs and alcohol and who encouraged this behavior? they aren't going to jail or being publicly humiliated." Hopefully, reflection on last night will help Paris, Lindsay and Britney get the reality checks they need to start taking responsibility for their lives and better themselves. They've got their whole lives ahead of them, and I wish only the best for them.

More Movie Reviews

This one was fun!! If you have kids, I think they need to be a bit older and familiar with popular fairy tales to get most of the jokes...although Puss n Boots and Donkey are sure to please all on their own. There were a couple of rather 'riskee' jokes in there, but I seem to recall feeling the same way about Shrek 1 and 2. Not sure I would re-spend the $10 to see it, but will definitely watch it again when it comes on TV.

I have one phrase, "Oh My Gosh!!!" Truthfully, I was afraid that this one had been hyped up so much that I would be let down. That happens to me, a lot. I get these ridiculously high expectations bc of the hype. But I so enjoyed it. It was beautifully cast, too. I don't watch American Idol, so I was unfamiliar with Jennifer Hudson's talent. WHOA - how did she not win?!?!!? That woman is phenominal and can sing circles around Beyonce. I loved Jamie in it (thought he was perfectly cast) and Eddie Murphy was brilliant. I had flashbacks to his album he recorded in the 80s that didn't do so well. Anyway - I might have to own this one.

This week I am going to a pre-screening of Evan Almighty when it comes to Chicago. I will post my thoughts.

The Starter Wife

a new show on LifeTime or USA...not sure which, starring Debra Messing, is my new favorite thing this summer!!! That, and the fact that My Boys is coming back for season two in July-ish.

Check it out....

Movie Reviews

Today I watched The Departed, with Leonardo Dicaprio, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlburg. GREAT movie! I now understand why it was nominated for so many Oscars. It reminded me a bit of the movie Heat, but was different enough. I loved the plot line of looking for a rat in both the Costella organization and amongst the state troopers. Loved it and give it a full five stars on Netflix!

I also saw Pirates of the Caribbean with Jimmy and Erin (there's your shout out!!) today. It was better than I expected. I had been hearing from people that this movie had way too many new characters, and that it was extremely difficult to keep tracking with all the story lines....and that it was just too long. I really liked it, but parents take heed - this is NOT a kids movie!!! Something else to think about is that the cinematography was very different than from the first two - there are several graphic and gory scenes in it. I wouldn't let anyone younger than high school watch it, and only if they don't have nightmares...this one is scary and I was disappointed in Disney for producing the first two so family friendly and this one being ghory and too scary. If you go see it - get there in time for the previews - there are some GREAT movies coming out!! Also, stay put at the end and watch ALL the credits. There's a very sweet surprise scene at the very end that you do not want to miss!!

Las Vegas Reunited

Is anyone else ridiculously excited about this show? Because I totally am. Go ahead and judge me - I'm aware how juvenile my excitement is.

Previews show that Arissa hasn't talked to any of them since the last show, and it sounds like there's major drama with her and the other girls. It should be explosive!!!

California Knows How To Party...

So I was in California last week. Thursday through Friday was Urban Youth Worker Institute's National Convention, which is one of my favorite conferences all year.

I went out a couple days early to connect with some Evangelical Covenant churches (denom of the school). I stayed in Redondo Beach at a hotel, and visited churches in Pasadena and Manhattan Beach.

The couple who pastor the youth in Manhattan Beach were really amazing, and I feel like I made two new frieds. Thanks, Grace and Matt!!

I spent some time in Manhattan Beach before I headed over to Azusa Pacific. I ate Wahoos Fish Tacos, drank Peets coffee, and had lots of mexican food.

A superfun 'plus' for me was that my good friend and youth ministry mentor, Josh, lives in LA. He is getting married this summer, and I have had the opportunity to spend time with him and his fiance, Kate, when I go to this conference the last two times. This year, Josh was teaching a workshop on programming for urban/suburban blended youth ministries. I was so impressed, and proud of him!! It's fun to watch your friends stretch and grow, professionally.

Here are some photos from Manhattan Beach....

AAADD

Ummm....I'm NOT old, and suffer from this daily....

Recently, a friend said she was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. -
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it develops:

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I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my
car needs washing.
As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch
table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can
under the table, and notice that the can is full.
So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage
first.
But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox, when I take out
the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.
I take my chec kbook off the table, and see that there is only 1 check
left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the
house to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.
I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting
warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the
counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.
I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water
the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water
and suddenly I spot the TV remote someone left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looki ng for the
remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide
to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the
flowers.
I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the
floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and
wipe up the spill.
Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:

----the car isn't washed,

----the bills aren't paid,

----there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,

----the flowers don't have enough water,

----there is still only 1 check in my check book,

----I can't find the remote,

----I can't find my glasses,

----and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really
baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realiz e this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it,
but first I'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know,
because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY.
GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC.

P.S. I just remembered.
I LEFT THE WATER RUNNING IN THE DRIVEWAY!

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