Do You Hear The People Sing?

They say once you've done something three times, it becomes a tradition (Okay, I'm not sure if 'they' actually say that, but I think it makes sense). So this is the third happening of what is now a grand tradition of taking the train to visit my aunt and seeing a musical in San Francisco. Yesterday, my aunt took my cousin and I to see the 25th anniversary tour of Les Miserables. All I can say is: WOW! 

The production was incredible, and there was not a mediocre talent on stage. Betsy Morgan's Fantine absolutely blew me away and her range was unbelievable. The characters being portrayed seemed so real, I forgot there were actual actors on stage. Especially with Peter Lockyer (absolutely amazing) I could tell where he ended and Jean Valjean began. He was just astounding, he poured so much emotion into the part, and yet he never seemed drained. By time he sang 'Bring Him Home' I couldn't hold my tears in anymore and by the finale they were streaming down my face. 

Note to self: if when I see it again (considering the movie is coming to theaters in December) I must remember tissues and water-proof mascara!

The three lovely ladies (but not prostitutes) 

My traditional souvenir coffee mug!

I am so in love with the music from this show, and the fact that it is entirely sung-through is always so impressive, the actors must have so much stamina (especially when you consider that Saturdays are two-show days, since we were at the matinee, these guys still had one more show to do).
It will be interesting to see how they do the movie, whether they treat it like the light-opera it is, or if they trade the more 'recitative-ish' songs for dialogue, like in Rent

It's a Mad Extravaganza!!

The only thing better than a trip to the theatre, is a somewhat impromptu trip to the theatre! This morning, I hopped in my car, drove to my friend's house and continued on from there to Hollywood to see La Cage Aux Folles at the Pantages theatre. The Producers are right...no matter what you do on the stage, keep it light, keep it bright, keep it gay! There was so much fabulous, I don't even know where to begin!
I guess I'll begin with the only thing that was not-so-fabulous. George Hamilton cannot sing. Other things George Hamilton doesn't do well? Dance, enunciate, and have regular-human-colored skin (the man looks like an elderly Oompa Loompa!) He may have been decent if Christopher Sieber and Michael Lowney weren't such incredible singers. Other than Mr. Hamilton's sub-par vocals, I have nothing else to quasi-complain about! Our cheap seats did not come with a cheap view and everything was wonderful and full of theatre-magic! This show does not allow you simply spectate, the audience is a very important character in this show...and we all played our part serving as patrons of the club. The cagelles were ridiculously incredible. I swear, those guys are ten times better in heels than I will ever be! Michael Lowney (Jean-Michel) was very talented, and had a sort of swoon-y Jo-Bro quality about him (and so full of charm for a straight kid!) Christopher Sieber (Shrek: the Musical, Into the Woods, Spamalot, Pushing Daisies [Smell of Success], worked with Olsen twins, etc.) was HI-LAR-IOUS as Albin/Zaza! His range was just...wow! His timing was spot on! AND I got to meet him at the stage door after the show.

I even got an autograph...well, sort of:

I knew the Playbill would be black, so I brought a silver gel pen...just in case! Well, gel pens are unreliable, and the blasted thing didn't work. Bugger.

My favorite takeaway line from the show comes from Zaza's song I Am What I Am, which closes out the first act:

"Life's not worth a damn until you can say 'Hey world, I am what I am'"

And I truly believe that! You've got to be yourself! Don't let others tell you what you should or shouldn't be. Don't let anyone tell you you've got to hide!

And of course being what I am...I cannot have an adventure without acquiring one of these:

 

Don't be jealous of my Vanna White skills! (Or my jammies, which have pies on them.)

It's hard for me to say nice things about the Central Valley, it being so dreadfully hot and all...but it'd be hard to make a 12 hour round trip excursion to Hollywood (that includes taking in a show) from anywhere else...

Adventure Weekend Part I: Hip-Hooray for Hollywood!

It really is true what they say: 'When it rains, it pours!' Luckily, I love the rain...especially when 'rain' is a metaphor for out-of-town adventures!!
This past weekend I ventured over the grapevine for the second time this month (two weeks in a row!) This time, not only did I have a travel-buddy...but I was also relieved of any and all driving responsibility. I literally didn't have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride! And enjoy it I did!! A good friend and some good music and we arrived in no time! Our destination: Jess's apartment!
Jess had a beach day planned...so after getting settled, and gathering our beach gear we were off to Malibu...but it wasn't nearly as warm as we were expecting (but that didn't stop us from having fun!)
We decided to leave the beach and head back for a little tourist action. Jess lives pretty close to Hollywood, so after she gave us a tour of the studio she works for...we headed into Tinseltown.
I had seen parts of the Walk of Fame before...but it's always exciting to look for your favorite star's star!

'The Producers' have adjacent stars!!

We wandered down the boulevard a bit and all of a sudden there it was:

Grauman's Chinese Theatre!! 

It is so much fun to see all the hand, foot (and sometimes hoof) prints of so many movie legends. I was having a hard time containing my excitement...I mean, almost all my favorites were there: Doris, Bing, Julie, Dick, Danny, Frank, Johnny, Rock...and then there were these three:

The hand, foot & wand prints of Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe & Rupert Grint (aka Hermione Granger, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley!)

The newest addition to my personal Walk of Fame mug collection

We ended the night with delicious burgers at Mel's Drive In...
...the weekend was much too busy to contain to one post, the adventure will continue in part II

Stuff.

Most of us have too much of stuff. I have too much stuff. So much stuff that there is a storage unit full of my stuff.

Stuff from my apartment: Pots and pans, dishes, a microwave, a crockpot, furniture, lamps, silverware, shoes, pictures, blankets, odds and ends, gadgets and gizmos, whosits and whatsits...you name it!

I miss my stuff. I miss my knick-knacks, I miss my refrigerator magnets, I miss the chairs I fixed up, I miss my random assortment of framed pictures and allllllll the stuff from my Alice in Wonderland kitchen. And most of all I miss my mugs. Yes, I am quite attached to my mugs.

For some reason, it makes me a little sad when I open the cupboard to grab a coffee cup each morning and I only have 3 options. I've had the same 3 options for the last 7 months and I will continue to have the same 3 options until I can move out of my parents' house.

I am waiting very impatiently for the day I can unpack this box (and the two others just like it) and have multiple mug options. Until then I will have to settle for the 3 I have here.

In Everything You Do Always Be Yourself

There are two things I believe...well, actually there are a lot of things I believe...but here are two of them:

1. Everyone should have a really fun Aunt (RFA)

2. There is no such thing as 'normal'

I am very lucky that my Aunt Jenny is the coolest RFA ever! She's is one of the kindest people I know (as well as one of the smartest and strongest). She's definitely one of my most relatable relatives, and one of my favorites to visit. I had the chance to visit my aunt (as well as my cousins) this past weekend. I took the train up and stayed a couple nights. It was a great opportunity to have some time away from my parents, take a break from triple digit weather and enjoy a change in scenery. Plus, Aunt Jenny offered to take us to see the Billy Elliot National Tour while it was in San Francisco. I don't need incentive to visit my aunt, but I was going to turn down this opportunity, either.

Billy Elliot was a musical I wasn't overly familiar with. I knew the basics: a boy who wants to be a ballerina (ballerino?) set against the backdrop of a miners' strike in a working class English town. I knew a couple of the songs. I knew it won the 'Best Musical' Tony in 2009.

But...as it turns out, there is WAY more to the story than just ballet and coal. This is a musical about being yourself. A musical about over coming challenges. Maybe even a musical that proves that 'normal is as normal does'.

Contrasting something as seemingly frivolous as ballet dancing with a serious situation like the coal miners' strike of 1984 is just the skeleton of this show. Billy Elliot is not just about a boy who wants to dance ballet, but rather, about a boy who is daring to be different.

I had never seen a professional show that had kids as main characters before, and I have to say that JP Viernes (who played Billy at this performance) gave the adult cast a run for their money.

He is a true triple threat...not only was he an incredible dancer and actor with a great voice, but he was also able to make me laugh and cry.

I walked out of the theatre truly inspired by Billy's story. And after all the dancing in the show...I also felt inspired to run home and lace up my pointe shoes. After all, in the words of Michael (Billy's cross-dressing best friend) "If you want to be a dancer...DANCE!")

And, true to form, I also walked out of the theatre with yet another mug for my ever-growing collection!

"Everyone is different it's the natural state. It's a fact it's plain to see!

The world's grey enough with out making it worse...

What we need is individuality!" -Expressing Yourself (Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Sir Elton John)

Half full, half empty or too big

I have this giant mug I got at Disneyland, commemorating the 55th anniversary of the theme park. And by giant...I mean giant!!!

So, naturally...I can't fill it all the way to the top. Whichever hot liquid I chose to put in this cup (coffee or tea) would surly be cold by the time I was half way through. So I don't fill the mug to the top, I fill it to the middle.

Some would say the cup is half full. Some would say it's half empty. Some would say it's too big. Okay, that was literal.

I try so hard to view the proverbial 'mug of life' as half full, and lately it's been taking a lot of effort to see things that way. I'm not flipping over to the 'half empty' side of things, but maybe just the 'too big'. I feel like I have a lot on my plate right now. Work is crazy, my parents are on my case for not 'getting out enough', and I am finally facing the facts that I am too poor to care about any of that. Being optimistic just takes too much work, and I quit. And I'm over it. And I'm tired.

I like to pronounce it 'thee-ay-tor'

...theatre, that is.

I went up to visit my parents this weekend, and Friday evening, my mom and I went to the William Saroyan Theatre where the national touring company of Wicked (a New? Musical) is making a brief stop. This was my second time seeing Wicked, but before I talk too much about the show I'm going to be a snob and do a little rant on theatre etiquette. My first complaint is how people were dressed...yes, it is just Fresno, but I have always upheld that, whether it is community theatre or a professional show, people should dress for theatre. I'm not expecting ball gowns and tuxedos...but please no Uggs, flip-flops, t-shirts, sweat-shirts, shorts or ripped jeans. And when they say 'turn your cell phones off' turn them OFF, not just to silent. (I can't even count how many people I saw on their phones at intermission, because your email and Facebook are too important not to be checked for the duration of a three hour show). And for goodness sake, arrive on time. The people sitting to my left didn't come until 'The Wizard and I' was almost over, and of course they caused a disruption because their seats were in the middle of the row! If I ran a theatre, any guests that aren't in their seats by curtain would have to wait in the lobby until intermission.

Okay I'm done.

Wicked was INCREDIBLE!! Anne Brummel's Elphaba was perfect! And although I wasn't sold on Natalie Daradich's G(a)linda right away, she grew on me and ended up nailing it! The thing that I think surprised me the most was how small the cast was at the curtain call. The monkeys, students, Emerald Citizens and 'Ozians'are all portrayed by the same 15 people (who must undergo some serisouly complicated costume/make-up/wig changes several times throughout the show) but you don't really realize that until they take their bows.

The cast was so talented and the sets were just incredible. I truly think I could sit through this show every night of my life and get something different out of it!

Plus, I got another mug to add to my collection!!

A Farewell to Mugs

I feel like I should end this month with some kind of 'Circle of Life' (or 'Circle of Mugs', if you will) or a ceremony of sorts. Maybe had I chosen my first and last mugs more wisely, I could have linked them together in some kind of 'well, there you have it' phrase. Y'know something deep...or something akin to the 'in the end, we all fruit' statement the dad makes in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. As hard as I try, I can't think of a way to force this mug together with today's.
Again, had my mug selection throughout the month been wiser, I wouldn't have to arrive on the 31st with 'the only mug I haven't used yet', but that's where we are.
Again, please excuse the PaintShop editing job. The text spirals and reads 'Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul'. Which is such an appropriate sentiment for a coffee mug, since coffee is usually served warm, if not hot. At least when it's served in a mug.
This is a poor replica of a mug that used to be for sale exclusively through Jamie Cullum's Website. But the price was listed in British Pounds, therefore ordering the mug off the website would mean I would have to call my bank and ask them to authorize my credit card for use in a foreign country. Then Jamie's merch people nixed the mug. So I attempted this recreation, fiddled around on zazzle, and voila...Jamie Cullum mug!!
When ever I use this mug, I feel the need to jump off a piano
I didn't take this picture, and I regret to say that I don't know who did...because they deserve mondo credit! In fact, whoever captured this is kinda my hero.
The last time I saw him in concert, I wasn't able to capture a jump with my camera. I got a pic of him standing on his piano, and then a pic of him landing...I'm not quick enough, nor do I have the mad photo skillz (or a super schnazzy camera) to produce such an image...but I feel major photog envy towards whoever did

'A rit-dit-doo'

When the character of Andy Bernard first joined the cast of The Office, I thought he was the most annoying person on the face of the Earth. I almost hated him more than Dwight (and I can't stand Dwight). But he grew on me. Yes, he is very annoying. Yes, my heart still belongs to Jim Halpert. But Andy is just such a clueless goof that you can't help but laugh. I definitely would have rather had Jim mug, it's true. But Jim didn't go to the party; if you know which episode this mug is from, you'll understand.

I'm not going to lie, I think I'll be glad after tomorrow when this mug thing is done and I can blah-g freely about random stuff again. Not that I haven't been doing that throughout this, but I feel a little locked in to writing about the mug of the day and trying to tie that in to something that makes sense.
For instance, I'd love to write about the re-awakening of my Harry Potter obsession. It's been pretty dormant for a while, but...it's baa-ack!
I was watching Sorcerer's Stone last night. Everyone is so little in that movie. I can't believe it's been ten years since it came out.
There is a part near the end, when they are trying to get to the Stone, and they have to play an epic game of Wizard's Chess to get through. Ron is telling Hermione to be a castle, Harry to be a bishop and then he says: "As for me, I'll be a Knight"
This part is so special for me because my grandfather's name was Ron Knight. I know it's just a weird coincidence. JK Rowling didn't know my grandpa, but for some reason...I don't know.

Be True to Your School

I went to college at California Lutheran University, and I loved it. I had experiences at CLU that I wouldn't have had anywhere else. I can talk anyone's ear off about how much I loved my time there. It wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but the good times far outweighed the bad. If you ask me about CLU, I will be more than happy to answer your questions with glowing honesty. The professors were amazing, and there were a few that I went out of my way to be sure I had a second (and sometimes, third) time.
I made amazing friends at CLU. I received a great education at CLU. I got involved in campus ministry at CLU. I lived on campus for 4 years at CLU. If it wasn't such an ugly color combination I would proudly profess that I bleed violet and gold (which translates into purple and yellow, which translates to gross). If my mascot weren't an adjective, I'd be proud to say that I am (a) Regal. If our NCAA bracket weren't division...40, I'd proudly cheer on our teams. Heck, I'm proud anyway. I love my school. I also love that they use nearly any excuse to give away free stuff. T-shirts mostly. I have probably a month's worth of CLU shirts.
But this month isn't 'shirt shots' (possible theme for next month though). When I graduated I was given what I am going to call an 'alumni starter kit'. It had a license plate frame (which is on my car), a 'class of 2008' water glass, and the obligatory 'take this to your office so everyone knows where you went to school/brag about your alma mater' mug. I love my school. I love mugs. My school loves giving away free stuff. Win-Win-Win!
Except I don't have to brag about my alma mater at work. CLU does that for me. Working at a Lutheran church, we get so many 'hey the students in your congregation should go here' brochures. Plus, my boss's oldest daughter goes there anyway.

That being said, I slept horribly last night, so I'm going to take a nap now.

Puppy Love

I am a dog person. I discovered this fairly late in life, since my family didn't own a dog until my senior year of high school. We'd been thinking about getting a dog for a while. With a 17 year old and a 14 year old, my parents figured we could handle the responsibility. Rats, bunnies and fish are one thing...but a dog was a huge undertaking. My dad was very strict about the fact that the dog would not be his. Said dog wouldn't be allowed on the furniture or the carpet. Originally he wanted it to be an outside dog, but conceded to let it sleep in the laundry room with a baby gate up. He would not walk the dog, or feed the dog. He wasn't necessarily an advocate for getting a family pet.
This makes it sound like my dad hates dogs. He really doesn't. I was really baffled by all of that. He was always telling my sister and I about fond memories of his dog growing up, Hildaguard the St. Bernard. I couldn't understand why he was being so down on this dog thing.
Anyway, one Saturday my mom went to the farmer's market to procure some produce, and the SPCA had brought some of the cutest and most adoptable dogs (and cats too, I'm sure...but who wants a cat??). My mom saw this one little terrier mix with a docked tail and it was all over (the dog my mom had growing up also had a docked tail). She called the fam down to approve, papers were signed and we were the proud owners of the cutest terrier mutt known to man-kind. She was our dog!!
In no time at all she was hanging out on furniture and in carpeted parts of the house. My dad treated her like a third child, and talked baby talk to her. He loved walking her. Yes, as down as he was on getting a dog, that's how much he ended up loving our Kylie.
When it came time for us to take a vacation, we had to decide what to do with our baby. My parents heard of a really sweet kennel, and we took her there! She loved it, it was like doggie camp. Anyway, as a Christmas present or whatever they gave us a mug with our dog on it.This really isn't a good picture of her, she kind of looks like she's being strangled by the kennel guy. Here is a better one I think I was trying to take her to college with me, which is why she is in a box.

Sadly, Kylie passed away about two years ago while I was away working at summer camp. She was not the best behaved or smartest dog, but she is definitely missed!

And now you shall deal with me, O prince...

(excuse my shift key) but Maleficent is the most bad@$$ Disney villain of ALL TIME!!!
Easily my favorite villain, and definitely up there with my top 5 favorite Disney characters ever! She's just so...evil, but in such an intriguing way. She is just so subtly evil, she doesn't really raise her voice or lose her temper. She has this quiet, calm evil about her that is just so much scarier than anything else. She is in complete control...and she can turn into a freaking DRAGON!!! No wonder she's the self proclaimed 'Mistress of all Evil' and the star villain in Fantasmic! You'd think there'd be mugs upon mugs dedicated to her. But no. The bad guys very rarely get their mug on a mug. Except during Halloween time at Disneyland. The villains run rampant throughout the park. Their misdeeds are celebrated, and they get to be featured on souvenirs!
It was during one October jaunt to the park that I bought this mug. It says "You're Wicked Awesome" which is quite lame; but it has Jafar, Cruella, Captain Hook, Ursula, Scar, MALEFICENT, and the Evil Queen on it. Maleficent is clearly the star of this mug, because she is color and everyone else is in black and white. She is 3D and everyone else is flat against the mug. Because she rules all!

This is the last of my Disneyland mugs, I promise.
Although, I can't promise I won't come back with another one when I go in two weeks!
I've got a two-day trip planned with my best friend (and Disney partner for life) AllyJo! We've booked our room and we're all ready for 'the time we went in September'*. I am most excited for World of Color!!


*Three years ago, we went in October (not the October I bought this mug), but even still we refer to it as 'that time we went in October' so we decided, to avoid confusion, we can't go together in October anymore

Black Hills Central Railroad

It's in one of the Dakotas or Montana or something. One of those states that just kind of hangs out there in the middle of the country. Wherever it is, my parents thought this railroad was important enough to buy a mug for their eldest daughter. I don't know what else...

I wish I had something interesting to say. I really don't, though.

Well this was an extremely boring post, I'm so sorry

Our Founding Fathers

My parents got me this mug at Mount Rushmore (which will be quite obvious when you see the picture, I hope).
"Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a tribute to the greatness of America and its leaders. For millions of visitors each year, this granite sculpture represents the growth of a nation and an understanding and appreciation of its heritage." I didn't come up with that, it's what it says on the other side of the mug.
My mom explained to me the reasons Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt were chosen to be carved into this hunk o' rock. It was like, Washington built the country, Jefferson did something else to it, Lincoln did yet another thing to it, and Roosevelt did something to it as well. I wish I could remember what it was, because it made a lot of sense.

As to why the presidents aren't in chronological (or even alphabetical) order is beyond me. I don't like it when things are arranged arbitrarily. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't even know how many times I have threatened to sneak into my sister's room and alphabetize her DVD collection. How are you supposed to find which one you want to watch if they are just hanging out there, willy nilly-ly? No rhyme, no reason...just there. I'm sorry, I just can't roll that way. If I want to watch, let's say, Breakfast at Tiffanys- I need to know that I will find it safely tucked in between The Breakfast Club and Bridget Jones' Diary every single time!!

Yogi: Smarter than the average bear

oh wait, he lived in Jellystone...and this mug is from Yellowstone.
Not the same. Nevermind.


Unrelated to...just about everything...my broken finger has been really bothering me lately. I wish it connected to some phenomenon, like 'Spidey senses'. Or could at least give me the ability to predict certain weather patterns. But no, it just hurts.
I broke it at the end of January. I fell, landed on my bum and chipped the second knuckle of my right middle finger. The doctors laughed at me when I asked if they could fix it. Well, not really...but the oh so professional docs at the urgent care center more or less told me there was nothing that could be done and I should deal with it.
But it hurts.

My parents went on vacation and all I got was...

...about a week's worth of cheesy souvenir mugs!
Introduction to 'theme within a theme'...the next four days will be the mugs my parents brought me back from the road trip they took last summer. I don't remember what they brought back for my sister, but it was probably something that was 4-mugs worth of non-cheesiness.
I kinda like these mugs though...in a quirky kind of way. They remind me of something you'd see at grandma's house (probably not my grandma...but a grandma.)
This one is from Wyoming. It has a wolf on one side that I wasn't able to capture the awesome-ness of with my camera, so I decided to just not bother and stick with the the caribou or moose or whatever on the 'right-handed' side of the mug.

Also, a thought struck me this morning as I was making my coffee...
I wish everything in life was like coffee filters. I mean, you can buy a package of 200 for, like, $1.75...and you know how long it takes to go through 200 coffee filters...almost a year. I can spend $1.75 on something that lasts almost a year.

I don't even know...

I painted this mug at one of those 'paint your own pottery' places. Like, 6 years ago. You can't really see the inside, but it is pink with black speckles. Yeah, this mug simulates a watermelon.
That is all.

Wonderfultown

New York, New York!!
I've only been to NYC twice in my entire life. And the last time I was there, it was hardly for more than 36 hours. But I loved it!! I wouldn't want to live there, or anything...it's a little 'I don't want to live on the moon'
There is just something about a big city (and all that theatre!!) that has a wonderfully strange effect on me. It's such a high to be around all that hustle and bustle. Besides the fact that I wander around looking like a country bug...
The first time I went was with my sister, and I can't imagine anyone else who I'd rather go with! We were there for a week and we saw Broadway shows and went to museums and spent almost a whole day in Central Park. We went to Ellis Island and found 'Grandpa Tony' in the immigration records (my dad's mom's dad). We went to the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building. We saw the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero, we shopped and ate hotdogs from a cart. We had breakfast at Tiffany's on 5th Avenue and we saw a taping of the Today Show. And we barely scraped the surface of what the city has to offer.
I can't wait to go back again. But until then I have my memories, my pictures and my mug:


In other news...I got a new computer, so I've been working on transferring all my files. It took me almost all day yesterday to make sure I had all my music. I thought that was complicated (3228 songs...whew)--I am dreading trudging through all my pictures. Trying to figure out which ones transferred on my external hard-drive and which ones didn't. And sorting them because they didn't stay in their files when I stuck them in iPhoto...urgh

TGIF??

It has been so long since I have had a day off that has actually been a 'day off' that I have no idea what to do with myself this weekend.
I honestly don't know how I am going to occupy my time today or tomorrow. My apartment is clean, because I had company last night. So I don't need to clean. I went grocery shopping earlier in the week, because the company I had last night was for a dinner party. So I don't need to grocery shop. My children's sermon for this Sunday is written. Check.
I almost want to go to Disneyland since I have my pass, but I'm not sure how much fun it would be to go by myself. I guess I could read. Or watch a few DVDs. Or organize the files on my computer. Not sure what else there is to do.
I was going to use today to prep for having my girlfriends over for dinner tonight, but we bumped that to last night.
Two of my college roommates came over and I made baked ravioli (which was delicious...ifIdosaysomyself). I hope we are able to get together more often, esp since one of these girls is moving to The OC soon...which means instead of 20 minutes to get from her house to mine, it would take 1 1/2 hours...sad day. It was so great to have them over last night, it was almost like college all over again. 'Family Dinner', walking to 'sevies' (7-Eleven) for dessert and massage trains in front of the TV!! And what did we watch after our 'grown-up dinner'?? Glee, of course...duh!
My mug doesn't tie-in with any of this, so instead of trying to bridge the gap between the above paragraph and the photo below, I will use this sentence as an awkward segue. Here is my mug of the day:

I got it at the Rainforest Cafe...the frog's name is 'ChaCha', which I found amusing, since my newspaper-nickname in high school was Cha...because since there were two Laurens, that's what they would write on the assignment board. (Opinion>golf carts on campus>Cha)...and eventually they started calling me that too!

Heads Carolina

It's the third Thursday of the month, which can only mean one thing...NETWORK LUNCH!!
I love network lunch day! Once a month, I get together with a handful of other youth directors in the Channel Islands conference of the Southern California Synod of the ELCA and we eat, talk about life and ministry and commiserate with each other about how junior high kids can be little punks sometimes.
There is something about talking to people who have the same job as you that just clicks. I can talk to my friends about work all I want...but until you can share in the frustration of planning a totally cool event and having no one show up for it, or having to scramble at the last minute to find a male chaperone for a lock-in...you just can't 'get' my job.
That, and some of my friends think I'm certifiably insane to opt to spend my time with teenagers...
I love all my friends dearly, but the network...them's my peeps!
And once a year all the youth directors of all the conferences of all the synods of all the regions of the ELCA are invited to one big party called 'The Extravaganza'. Which is awesome-sauce.
You get to learn about how to teach young'uns about 'that Jesus guy' and how to be good at your job. Plus, it's good renewal for those of us who spend most waking hours with students to have a week of being an adult around other adults. Fun adults. Who act like teenagers...
Last year the 'E' was in Charlotte, NC...and it was my first one ever and it was amazing and I loved it and I can't wait to go to the next one.
And I have a point, I promise...
I bought this mug at the airport...ha!
...yeah...not a very good point...