11.30.2005

"The whole point of the fairy tale of the Gospel is, of course, that he is the king in spite of everything. The frog turns out to be the prince, the ugly duckling the swan, the little gray man who asks for bread the great magician with the power of life and death in his hands, and though the steadfast tin soldier falls into the flames, his love turns out to be fireproof. There is no less danger and darkeness in the Gospel than there is in the Brothers Grimm, but beyond and above all there is the joy of it, this tale of light breaking into the world that not even the darkness can overcome.

That is the Gospel, this meeting of darkness and light and the final victory of light. That is the fairy tale of the Gospel with, of course one crucial difference from all other fairy tales, which is that the claim made for it is that it is true, that it not only happened once upon a time but has kept on happening ever since and is happening still. To preach the Gospel in its original power and mystery is to claim in whatever way the preacher finds it possible to claim that once upon a time is this time, now, and here is the dark wood that the light gleams at the heart of like a jewel, and the ones who are to live happily ever after are...all who labor and are heavy laden, the poor naked wretches wheresoever they be" (90-91).

--Frederick Beuchner.

(If I could, I'd make you all read this book, but as it is, I can continually post exerpts from it until you get sick of it or until you run out and buy it yourself.)

11.29.2005

Triple J's in Kirkland has been remodeled. It now has an "Ikea" feel. Not quite the W Hotel, but like they are trying hard to reach that high hipster status. I just don't know how I feel about this change. I suppose the main issue I have with Triple J's and have always had is the ATM machine located inside. It didn't work with the eclectic cafe feel and it doesn't work with the New York wanna be decor. Now, if they had gone with the whole truck stop in Texas feel, the ATM machine would really cozy the place up and I'd probably be raving about how much I love the place.
Here's a thread to follow. And an excellent topic too.

11.28.2005

In honor of the snow discovered on Camano Island this morning by two adventurers named E*star and Juniper, I bring you this: (best read with hot cocoa and christmas cookie in hand next to cozy woodstove burning hot wrapped up in grandma's quilts)

"You wake up on a winter morning and pull up the shade, and what lay there the evening before is no longer there--the sodden gray yard, the dog droppings, the tire tracks in the frozen mud, the broken lawn chair you forgot to take in last fall. All this has disappeared overnight, and what you look out on is not the snow of Narnia but the snow of home, which is no less shimmering and white as it falls. The earth is covered with it, and it is falling still in silence so deep that you can hear its silence. It is snow to be shoveled, to make driving even worse than usual, show to be joked about and cursed at, but unless the child in you is entirely dead, it is snow too, that can make the heart beat faster when it catches you by surprise that way, before your defenses are up. It is snow that can awaken memories of things more wonderful than anything you ever knew or dreamed."
--Frederick Buechner; Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale.

11.22.2005

With six days of vacation, I have this feeling of TIME. I have little homework. (That is completely relative, however...but we are talking feelings here...) I have days and days at my parents new house on Camano Island stretching out before me... (and 4 of them are paid). Premium.

What will I do with all this luxurious time?

Eating (hopefully not too much or else my already too tight jeans won't fit and I dont have a hundred bucks for another pair of Lucky's).

Sleeping (In the large big four poster bed, well until my brother and his wife come to kick me out on the couch. Hey! I should make them sleep on the couch...they like to cuddle).

Exploring (Hopefully, this time I will take a map. Last time I was on Camano, I got lost and I thought...Hey this is an island, I will just eventually end up on the other side...well, not exactly. I did go in a circle, but somehow only stayed on the opposite side of the island than where my parents live. Not a very efficient roadway system, if you ask me) (Also, exploring will give me the ability to eat more...).

And perhaps doing a little homework (trust me, as little as possible).

And as I saw on the Splash and Dash Car Wash sign today...."Life is either an Adventure or Nothing."
i am so sad. my blog seems to be broken...

11.21.2005

Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. As I got myself situated at home for a night of studying, I realized that it has been a whole 7 days since I have had a proper cup of tea. Can you believe that? 7 DAYS. The whole process of boiling the water, putting the tea bags in the teapot, waiting for the tea to brew, smelling the aroma of tea, putting in sugar and milk, stirring, and AH.....the first sip.

I love Tea.


It is important to follow directions. And this is one of the BEST that I have seen in a long while...
Flying at night...

...is always an adventure for me. The stars are so clear, and the city lights below are fascinating. Flying home from California last night, we were approaching SeaTac airport, coming around the circle on our way in for the landing. The fog was thick below us, with the lights of the Seattle area glowing under the cloud bank in various patches. We made the last turn, ready to make the final approach and the waning moon appeared low over the clouds, very large and very orange.

As we entered the clouds and headed toward the ground, we had almost reached the runway, when the pilot realized that he wasn't properly aligned and so up we went again. Though some people on the plane were a little freaked out by this, I was happy for another look at that moon. I wanted to stay up there, perhaps three or four more turns...

11.18.2005


I decided that I should start my own reality show.

11.17.2005

Getting lost in LA, and this is the result. (Oh, by the way, this is not really where Ive been hiding out. This was just a foray out for food and supplies)

11.13.2005


Blue Boat on Camano Is.

Checking out my Parent's new pad on Camano Is.



11.11.2005

Hairline Poll:

1. How many of my readers have a widow's peak? Don't be embarrassed to say, as I have one, and have had one all my life. (perhaps for any balding readers, I should ask, who has had one since childhood?)

2. Who has a Cowlick? (I also have one of these, and its quite annoying.)


I might add that as a child I used to get two words mixed up. (Crotch and Cowlick) Now that's embarrassing.

11.10.2005

Have you ever had a conversation on instant messenger that is actually worth saving?
I just did.


me and molly

11.09.2005

T.S. Eliot "Rhapsody on a Windy Night"
Synonomous

We share the same moon but, we argue
whether the man on the moon
watches us down here on earth
or if she is a great lady
up in the night sky.
I find the moon smiles at me
from mud puddles and reflects
off skyscrapers in daylight
while you hold coins in the air
to make her disappear with your hand.
I am always looking for him
to rise, large and round.
You wait patiently for her
to appear on the next clear night.

11.07.2005

Can I just vent a little? I mean this is my blog. I can write whatever I want, can't I? Sometimes I just think my roomate is the greatest person. I mean, she is really great.

but you know sometimes she is just so frustrating. It seems like every weekend when its time to do laundry, her clothes are in the wash. I come to the little laundry corner, with my large overflowing basket and what do I find? The washer and dryer are filled every time! EVERY SINGLE TIME. So you know what? I thought, ok, I'm an adult, she's an adult, we can work this out, right? So I sit her down this past weekend to talk, discuss, you know, come to SOME kind of resolution. Anything. I'd be happy. So she sits there nodding, going "uh-huh" "uh-huh" "yah" ....so on and so forth....so I think, great! it's all worked out. We've got a schedule, a plan.

WELL....this evening I come home and what do i find? my roomate, trying to make up for all the earlier headaches, well....she does my laundry!!! And she knows that I love bleaching stuff, so what does she do? She BLEACHES my DARKS! HELLO!

Oh I'm so angry right now.

oh, and by the way, don't tell her i told you all this....
Thom and Kate's Wedding
a few higlights. My pictures aren't even .00001% of how cool it was....


First Dance



The Hallstrom Sisters









Thom tucking his Bride in...

The getaway car...



A.P. hoping to see the light...

11.05.2005


some people think this is a trip. no, i wasnt on a trip.

11.03.2005

It can happen in a second. It is a matter of a switch of perspective. Pulling a string on a lamp, click, click. Light off, Light on. Just like that. It doesn't have to be a big ordeal. There does not need to be courtroom debate. Its a simple thing. Simple. And why doesn't it happen? That's the complicated part. Reason, experience, geography and so on...

Trust is simple.
Here's a site for all you movie go-ers:
Brian Godawa is Christian Screenplay writer who analyzes movies from their philosophies and worldviews. He is not doing what Ted Baeher does and other sites like that, analyzing how much sex and violence is in a movie. I think that his site (alongside others) would give a better picture of what a movie is about. Caution--he does spoil the movies for you, if you like to not know the story...

11.02.2005

this is an audio post - click to play
Your Fashion Style is Classic
You like what's stood the test of time...Simple, well styled clothes that don't scream trendyYou stay updated and modern, but your clothes stay in style for a whileYou wouldn't be caught in animal prints, fake fur, or super bright colors
The Everyman Photo Contest

I entered in two categories:
People/Portrait: #344
Landscape/Nature: #615

Under People/Portrait, I like #299
and under Landscape/Nature, #161, #228 and # 382 are also very good.

Wish me luck!

11.01.2005

I get a little report on my blog each week that tells me the amount of page loads. I noticed that on this past Sunday, I had 57 page loads, but only 13 unique visitors. These page loads do not include my views as I have a little "cookie" stored on my computer that tells the counter not to count me. It seems that someone was coming back to my blog to look at something over and over. Very interesting.