un-productivity...

it really should be a word, productivity is a word... so unproductivity, you just wait it's coming to a webster near you. It is the only word that begins to define my time at home thus far.

I have read two novels:
There's No Place Like Here, by Cecilia Ahern (the author of P.S. I love you). A sweet and charming story, easy to read, and it almost made me cry.
The Darcy Connection by Elizabeth Aston, a way to indulge in my Jane Austen period fantasies.

I have watched movie upon movie:
Knocked Up, worst movie of the year award.
Live Free Die Hard, "you have no idea who I am or what I am capable of"
Prince Caspian, I say better than the first except for the Regina Spektor song at the end, weird.
Astronaut Farmer, sweet but I would never watch it again, Billy Bob Thorton is hard to look at
Little Giants, a classic
In the Land of Women, better than I thought it would be
The Holiday, it was on a movie channel and I couldn't resist

and TV show upon TV show:
American Idol, congrats David Cook!
Grey's Anatomy, It's a soap opera I've decided, and I'm gonna watch it.
One Tree Hill, don't ask why
Regis and Kelly, my best friends. I just love them!
So You Think You Can Dance, It's back
LOST, it's gettin' crazy
Wildfire, who knew that show was still on
The Bachelorette, who knows if it will stick
Gilmore Girls, I haven't finish the 7th season yet

and the list goes on.

So if you're wondering what I have been up to...nothing productive. I have indulged in mediocre entertainment for the past week.

There's no place like home

crazy weather equals...
ridiculously hot weather for a few days (100's)
beautiful sunshine...great pool weather
torential downpour including rain and thunder, not to mention hail
and tornados

ALL IN ONE WEEK! I have used every type of clothing from my wardrobe in order to accomodate this wacky weather.

Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in southern california anymore!

memories of ole

I find I am missing all of my fellow vanguardians, and this song makes it a lot easier. thanks al.

"I'm a new soul, I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take.
But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

la la la la
la la la la la la
la la la la la la
la la la la
la la la"

favorite new song sung by Yael Naim, however I prefer it sung by Alaina with her oh so endearing and strange voice

a mistaken chuppah

Last night I went to church at Rock Harbor, and they have been doing this series on the Song of Solomon called Sex, Love, and God. Super cool and interesting since sex is rarely talked about in the church. Well I didn't go last week because I was at home unpacking boxes at my Mom's new condo...needless to say I was out of the loop this week...hence my story:

The message revolved around restoration and forgiveness all through God's presence in our lives. To symbolize God's presence there were chuppahs placed around the walls of the sanctuary and after taking communion and praying you could take a mini chuppah home to remember God's presence in your life this week. Sweet Idea...I want a mini chuppah to carry in my pocket. So I go take communion, give my tithe, pray, and then I look for the mini chuppah and on the ground I see these tiles. Well they looked like something I should pick up...I guess the mini chuppah can be a broken piece of tile. So I hold on to this tile for the rest of service, and in the car on the way home I realize my stupidity.

Chris and Dannae show me their mini chuppahs...which amazingly enough are little tiny pieces of white fabric. Huh? Why do I have a piece of broken tile? My friends start screaming and yelling that I have taken someone's brokenness...hold on what? apparently last week (when I was not there) everyone was supposed to pick up some broken tile and then this week they were supposed to lay it at the cross, symbolizing their brokenness. I picked up somebody's brokenness! So we decided to pray over it in the car, then we threw it out the window...I mean I can't hold on to someone else's brokenness.

All to say I didn't get my mini chuppah...

A day spent avoiding my paper...

So today I visited Target twice.

On my first trip my goal was to buy a gift for the girl that is taking over my floor for Catalina "Pass the Torch." I walked in knowing exactly what I wanted to buy for her...a candy dish, a journal, and some office supplies. Easier said than done. I spent at least an hour, walking around contemplating over prices, looking at items I did not need but thought that I did. I love to just walk around and look at all the pens. I try to figure out if I'm getting a good deal or if I'm going to be ripped off by Target. I can never make up my mind. I debated on whether or not I should get dry erase markers for the gift...they are so freakin' expensive (3.49). I picked up a few items, held on to them for the majority of my trip, eventually putting them down (as soon as I realized I was stupid for wanting them) right before I went to the cash register. All to say...I left with 2 journals, a pail from the dollar section I utilized as a candy dish, a Magnetic Magna Doodle, a Cherry Frost Icee, and a bag of popcorn. Don't ask.

My second trip was about 4 hours later after I put my entire gift together (which involved painting and mod podging and lots of just sitting there contemplating what I should do). Alaina wanted to go get gifts for her Pass the Torch as well! So I said, "Why Not?" We decided to go to the Target on Adams instead to see if they had a different journal that we both wanted (in the dollar spot). We spent about an hour and a half walking around looking at everything...and by everything, I mean we went to every single section in Target. I went to get one journal from the dollar spot and I walked away spending 55 dollars...what the? Let me list my buys for you: Sister Act/Sister Act 2 double feature, Grease/Grease 2 double feature, some fancy brown flip flops, life cereal, vanilla crunch granola, jello, and the journal.

Target and I have a love/hate relationship...it brings out my indecisiveness.

trip back to 7th grade...

Back in 7th grade when I had layer-less shoulder length hair, sparkling blue eyeshadow, a black miniskirt that I wore at least once a week, and platform black steve maddens...I loved Spice Girls!

Tonight some the RAs and I took a trip back in time and watched the wonder that is Spice World. (with Korean subtitles).

and we didn't finish it. somethings haven't changed. I still have a 10:30 bed time.

books I've read so far this junior year

Some for class, some for pleasure, some for knowledge:

• Summer by Karen Kingsbury
  
• If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern
• Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau
• Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
• Big Boned by Meg Cabot
• Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Short Stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller
• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
• The Odyssey by Homer
• The Second Mrs. Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
• With Open Hands by Henry Nouwen
• Passing by Nella Larsen
• Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the US
• Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
• The Gangster We Are All Looking For by Le Thi Diem Thuy
• Sex God by Rob Bell
• Native Son by Richard Wright
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Maru by Bessie Head
• Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller
• Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

best read: To Own A Dragon by Donald Miller

boxes and independent women (and BJ) living free

so I went home today. watched beauty and the geek, one tree hill, and american idol (all to say, I am a few brain cells short). my house is sold and my parents are moving into their separate places...which will leave me with 4 homes: vu, mom's, dad's, gma's (unnecessary). so I packed boxes upon boxes of stuff that I'm not sure I want but I have to keep because I'm a freak who doesn't throw anything out. Boxes for storage and boxes for each of my homes...I have so much crap, and I need all of it (or so I think).

on my return to VU...I enjoyed a tasty dinner in my absent RD's house with al, da, kristin, BJ, and destiny's child. some living free and dying hard occurred while on duty while all members in the box browsed the internet aimlessly instead of engaging in more meaningful work.

we lived free.

books I read this past summer

All for pleasure. none for brain stimulation.

• The Nanny Diaries by Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus
• PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Love, Rosie by Celcelia Ahern
• As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers
• An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers
• A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
• Grace in Thine Eyes by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Whence Came a Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Fair is the Rose by Liz Curtis Higgs
• A Thorn in my Heart by Liz Curtis HIggs
• Mr. Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer
• The Second Mrs. Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
• Ever After by Karen Kinsbury
• Sunrise by Karen Kingsbury
• Forever by Karen Kingsbury

Best read of Summer 07: PS, I Love You

Live Your Questions...

I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language.

Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. - Rainer Maria Rilke