Wowsas

I had no clue.

Val and I were g-chatting yesterday and I mentioned how "I think people read our blog, even if we don't have any comments." We checked our stats. It's true.

Apparently you have found a place in your heart for this odd array of personal stories, likes, dislikes, and our random journeys. Thank you for walking with us. That being said - I've had quite a few people ask some questions about some previous posts and now I shall endeavor to answer them (and probably make up some other random stuff.)

1. The neighbors DID come over for dinner last week! Two different couples, two and a half hours of eating and conversation that led to quite a few laughs and some warm smiles all around. Since that time I have met kiddos AND been invited to a culdesac block party in two weeks. Is this real life?! Y'all. This is Arizona. No one does this! I am SO excited. "Meeting my neighbors" has been on my yearly goals since moving to this state. I am finally making good on a goal.

2. Valerie DID come to visit and she made a great video about it. But here's the question I've been asked regarding that visit: "How was your time with your sister?" It was great! Val and I have a lot of similar quirks and interests (BBQ, books, movies, tv, Texas, Morbys) but we also are pretty different. I think that we vacation quite differently. That being said, I had a great time just catching up for a few days. We went out, we stayed in, we walked my little neighborhood and basked in the sun, we laughed, we made my husband shake his head... we even tried to locate some home movies. Having Val here was a GREAT birthday gift!

3. "What are you working on?" Since October I've been working on a manuscript for a book, writing children's curriculum for a local church, setting up speaking engagements, and... building a website. It's a whole lot of dreams all at once and they are all wrangling for first place in my time and thoughts. But it looks like (if all continues to go well this week) I will be taking my website LIVE next week. (Deep heaving breaths.) My target audience is young women 6th-12th graders and the site will have both written and video blog components. If you are willing I will need you on your best social media selves when the time comes - twitter, facebook, chalk. You name it and I will humbly ask for it.

4. I used to blog on and on about what I was reading and my mild obsession with my local library. Reading (especially fiction) took a back seat for a while, but I'm back in the saddle again. Latest books - and the order in which I might recommend them:

-The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

-Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

-Reflections On the Psalms by C.S. Lewis

-When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin (fiction)

-My Life as an Experiment by A.J. Jacobs

-The New Eve by Robert Lewis

5. Friday Night Lights makes me weep... every time. (We are halfway through season 4.)

6. I really feel like I had a lot more material going into this post than I do right now.

7. Sometimes... getting a blog comment is like getting a sticker on your 2nd grade handwriting paper or having someone bring you a Route 44 Diet Coke without you asking.

8. That's all.

Armed and Rangerous

"36 Hours till Daybreak"

Installment #3 in this thrilling short story

by an 8th grade me

(Start with parts one and two and get caught up.)

New York, 6:30pm

"Blair?"

"Oh yeah, hi Kurt!"

"Sorry to call again but this was an emergency."

"What is it?"

"David Bradley is dead."

"Dead?"

"Yeah. It looks like he was shot while he was starting his car."

"What a way to go."

"Talk about it."

"Well anyways, I wanted to let you know that I might be a little bit late coming home."

"How late?"

"Maybe another week."

"Blair, you know I need you back here to present the story that you did over the air in the subway."

"Get someone else to introduce it."

"Darnit Blair. Carol is on her honeymoon, Jerry already has three stories at once, and Angela... well you know..."

"Yeah I know. Look, I'll do my best to get back by Saturday and you, in the meantime, should look for a sub."

"Okay."

"Well, I need to get outta this house."

"What? You're at Bradley's house??"

"Apparently I was the last person to speak to him, so the police want me around for a while."

"You're not a suspect are you?"

"Heck no. I'm just... here."

"Blair?"

"Nothing. Oh, by the way. Call Nick for me and tell him I won't be able to make it to the marriage counselor on Friday."

"What? You can't call your own husband?"

"I don't need this from you Kurt! Bye."

"Blaire!"

"What?"

"Be careful."

"Good-bye."

Blaire got off the phone feeling very guilty. Her marriage was on the rocks and she couldn't even call her husband. "I am such a coward! It's not that I don't love him, I do... we just are too strong-willed for each other's own good," she thought. When they were first married life was fine. Nick had his job at the college and she was an anchor woman for channel 6. That was in Connecticut. Then she had a miscarriage and Nick decided to go back to school, and they saw less and less of each other. Blair got a job with ABC on Nationwide as a reporter in New York. She had a two hour commute to work. But now she and Nick had been separated for two years.

Her story was her life... but now with David Bradley's death her ticket to the top had been stolen from her. And from what the chief had told her, Blair was beginning to conclude that this murder had something to do with her. Blair was the only one in the house. It was beautiful. Now she had a chance to view it at its full. She had called Kurt while she had been sitting on a white leather couch. The hand of a decorator had graced the walls with flower arrangements and black and white pictures. Rugs lay across the white tile floor. A friendly portrait of the family sat over the fireplace. "Now their world is shattered," thought Blair.

Blair knew she should tell the police everything, but then there would be the risk of her story leaking to the press. She yawned and glanced at her watch - it was almost 7:00 and she was hungry. Maybe tomorrow she would tell Chief Conol.

"Mrs. Stevens," the young sargeant called. "You have a phone call."

"On the Bradley's line?"

"Yes."

Blair walked back into a bedroom where the second line of the house was.

"Hello?"

"Yes. Blair."

"Yes, who is this?"

"I think you know!"

Suddenly the line broke and Blair was left with her fears and a dial tone. It was 6:58pm.

* * * *

Wowsas. I know I can't wait to find out what other things innanimate objects can do. How bout that dialogue? Oh Blair... at least you have your fears AND a dial tone.

Poncho

I've been told that I should wear a poncho at all times.

1. I pulled out my amazing hazelnut coffee creamer from the fridge yesterday and gave a vigorous shake. Apparently the lid was slightly ajar... because then my kitchen was slightly punched in the face with hazelnut creamer.

2. I had the perfect second cup of coffee ready to accompany me to work today. We were all set to go. I had even managed to get the creamer into the cup. I grabbed the mug, my bags and my keys and went out the door. I pulled out my phone to call Val on the way to work and five minutes into my drive I realized that the coffee would not be making the trip with me. I'm looking forward to getting home tonight and discovering at which point my coffee left me. Is it: on the ledge of my stairs OR did I take off with it on the roof of my car? Oh the mystery of it all.

3. I told both of these stories to co-workers today and then proceeded to dump diet coke down my face.

4. I then decided to water my plant. FAIL. The plant did not want the water and sent it right back at me off the leaves... and onto my desk of books and paper.

5. The question now remains: can I make it through 2 flights tomorrow without getting anything on me? I'd take that bet.

**(The Internet gremlins ate this post up the first time, for whatever reason, so we're reposting it again for your enjoyment! --V)**

Typical

I trip. I spill things. I break things. I do it all on a daily basis. I used to think I was coordinated and perhaps even graceful. When I was a freshman theatre major I started taking dance classes again. I called my mom and asked her why they hadn’t continued my dancing career as a child. Her response? “You weren’t very good.” (I’m sure she is going to comment and say this isn’t the case… and I suppose I could be exaggerating.) I’ve come to grips with my clumsiness. Thankfully those nearest and dearest have too. As I dumped a plateful of rice on the floor two weeks ago, David was quick to surmise, “It’s a good thing you’re cute.”

So I apparently grabbed hold of that bit of encouragement and ran with it.

I took Sunday off from work so that I could visit David’s church for the first time. We had a great morning, went hiking in the mountains that afternoon and then returned to get ready for a nice dinner. I felt a little rushed as I did not want to be the one to make us late for dinner reservations.

While rushing the application of your shampoo is one thing... rushing with a new razor is ridiculously risky. I nicked my ankle and didn’t think much of it until I looked down and saw the blood. I decided to keep getting ready and just folded a piece of toilet paper over the wound. After all, that’s what men do, right? I obviously forgot about my ankle in the process, because post hair and make-up I proceeded to suit up – heels, hose, and dress. We left right on time and I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I gazed down at my ankle. The huge clump of toilet paper was mocking me from behind my tan hose. David offered to turn the car around, but I assured him I could make it work. I maneuvered the toilet paper down so that it was in my shoe. Problem solved.

Not so fast, Sydney Bristow.

What I didn't realize was that the moment I removed the toilet paper the cut started to bleed again. I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. I snagged a piece of Kleenex out of my purse and held it on my ankle for a moment and then checked the damage. The amount of blood running down my foot was incredible for the size of the wound. I laughed sheepishly as David’s eyes widened. His immediate response, “Apply hard pressure for five minutes, now.” I obeyed.

Here's the situation: date in suit and tie, myself clad in a dress and heals, positive and encouraging K-Love calming the situation as we drive down the freeway towards a very nice dinner reservation and I cling to my ankle.

It's four minutes into applying pressure and my hand is starting to ache. “Well,” I boast, “At least I’ve gotten my most embarrassing moment with you out of the way. Heh-heh. Good thing I’m cute, right?”

“Most embarrassing? How about your baby crying noise? Do we really think that was second date material?”

Good news: the bleeding stopped, dinner was amazing, and he seems to like the fact that I’m ridiculous. Yesss.

WIN/FAIL

FAIL.

I baked chicken in the oven on Sunday.  I burnt my hand in the oven on Sunday.  I was so anticipating my lunch that I rather eagerly pulled up on the foil only to have my hands make contact with the roof of the oven.  Domestic fail.

WIN.

Val and I talked on Skype for an hour last night and finished our conversation singing to Don’t Stop Believin’ by the cast of Glee.  Check it out on iTunes and you too can be a winner.

WIN.

I auditioned for the first time in five years.  After the not-so-subtle encouragement of friends I made the appointment, printed head shots, pulled out the old sheet music and made my way to the theatre on Saturday.  I have a callback in two weeks.  Yet another story only made possible by getting out of the car.  Degree-in-use win.

FAIL/WIN.

Depends on whom you ask.  This is yours truly on the first day of 6^th grade. Looking good.  Check out the same plaid in the shoes and shorts.  The shirt is what we will actually be talking about.

This is me today.  That’s right.  Same shirt.  Total win.  The unfortunate truth is that there has been a mighty hole in my blue shirt growing in size with every year.  I decided last night that the time had come to fix the problem at its source.  I pulled out my sewing kit while I was on the phone, so I did a bang up job.  In the opinion of one of my co-workers “it’s the worst sewing job ever.”  There’s still a little hole.  But at least it’s not being held together by two safety pins.  Win.

WIN.

I’m flying home to Texas in one month and seeing most of my extended family over the 4^th.  Big win. 

FAIL.

My gym only has three channels available for viewing:  CNN, ESPN, and NBC.  Depending on the time of evening and day of the week this has the potential to make or break my workout.  All week I’ve been there somewhere between 7:30pm and 9:00pm and found myself with the choice of softball playoffs, Larry King Live, and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.  Culture FAIL.

They Call Her Valerie

When I read Ginger’s post about her name, I thought, “Oh, that’s nice. Her name is so entertaining. But I don’t have any thing really to say on the topic. No one wants to read about the name Valerie. BORING.” Well guess what, blog readers. You don’t have a choice in the matter! I write it, you read it; that’s the deal we made. Ha!

I love the shortened “Val,” because most all of the people closest to me call me that. I don’t introduce myself as Val, because it sounds weird and fake and...you obviously don’t know me well enough to call me that. I’m okay with you calling me Val when you get there on your own.

Several people call me V, which probably seems weird and not like a name or nickname or anything AT ALL, but sounds very natural when certain people do it. V-Baby, however, can only be pulled off by a very select few....

People in my parents' generation like to sing me a random song that NO ONE ELSE has EVER heard of. It goes "Valereeee, Valeraaaah, Valerah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Or something like that. A lot a lot of older people sing me that song. Good one.

If someone can’t quite remember my name, they will usually at least remember that it starts with a V. Victoria? Not quite. Vanessa? Eck. Do I look like a Cosby to you? And I used to really hate the Veronica guess too, but now I’m very okay with that. Anything that gets me one step closer to V. Mars....

I have never ever never seen my name spelled with a “Y.” Ever. Why do people attempt to spell my name this way? Valery? What? VALLERY?? Even weirder. Did you even try at all? You just spelled “valley” and threw an R in there, didn’t you? Fail.

“Your song’s on the radio!” Dad would tell me. And sure enough, those guys would all be singing “Valerie! I love her....” I would get all squirrely and embarrassed but totally love it all at the same time. Indeed, it has always been “My Song.”

When I was little, I always felt very limited when it came to games involving what words started with the same letter as the first letter in your name. “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing... a vest? Vultures? A violin?” So not creative/fun/glamorous.

The name Valerie means “determined.” For me that apparently translates to: “Determined to not doing ANYTHING until the dang LAST POSSIBLE SECOND because why not? Determined to LOSE things and BREAK things and WHAT THE CRAP? Determined to ALWAYS FORGET EVERYTHING because what was I talking about?” Yes, I am very determined.

Does anyone else...

-Actually keep the small plastic bag of extra buttons that come with new clothes? (other than my mother)

-Worry about the waitress when you have a large group of people at your table? Is anyone else paying attention to her?! Pay attention people!

-Utilize cruise control a majority of the time you are driving?

-Drink milk straight from the container?

-Drink chocolate syrup straight from the bottle?

-Remember watching Hang Time on Saturday mornings? AWESOME.

-Find cottage cheese to be disgusting? I call it bird food because it looks like a mama bird chewed it up and then spit it back out on my plate.

-Know that there are only 122 days until the movie event of the summer?

-Find reading non-fiction to be a chore?

-Wish that you too could have had an animated conscience like McGee as a child?

-Dream about meeting Jim Gaffigan?

-Only wash on two settings? Colors on cold, lights on warm. I don't have time to make 12 piles.

-Groan when King of Queens comes on?

-Find existential Facebook status updates to be ridiculous? Ginger is basking in the sun of thoughts and the dreams of clouds. OR Ginger is tap shoes and rhythm.

-Wish they could still catch WINGS reruns on t.v.?

-Recall wishing to live like The Boxcar children? I read the section about swimming in the little pool and setting up house in the car over and over. Things went downhill for me when they actually moved into a real house.

-Wish that they still had their curly elastic shoe laces?

-Cry so hard through Extreme Home Makeover that sometimes they don't think they actually have the emotional energy to watch it?

-Recognize the quote: There's something nasty in the woodshed.

-Think of the state of Texas as if it's your best friend?

-Wonder why Claudia Kishi was supposedly so fashionable when her choices were clearly unstable?

-Remember reading and loving and being obsessed with A Bride for Donnigan or The Stars for A Light - Dr. Cheney Duvall, M.D.?

-Have all the dialoge and songs memorized from at least six Psalty tapes?

-Recall spending their Saturday nights expectantly watching Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman?

....Just thought I would check.

The year was 1996...

...And it was a magical year to be me.

-Hello contacts.

-Good-bye braces.

-Farewell Algebra 1 (Oh wait, you passed because you can sweet talk your way out of anything. You will have to retake this again in 9th grade - and still struggle for a B. Sucker.)

-Shortalls. (You stay classy.)

-Nice jorts combo with the socks and loafers. (Photo likely taken in 1995.)

-Thank goodness for TGIF (The best line up: Full House, Step By Step, Boy Meets World, and Perfect Strangers. NO thank you Family Matters and Sabrina the Teenage Witch)

-I love Saturday Mornings on TNBC. (Teen NBC - Saved by the Bell, Hang Time, California Dreams)

-Girl Scout trip to home of Girl Scout Founder Juliet Lowe in Savannah, Georgia. Entire trip paid for with cookie sales. Boo-yah.

-Socks + Sandals = a winning look. Lookin’ good.
-Way to graduate 8th grade from a small private school and enter a big and scary 5A public school. (Making it through the 1st day of high school without being shivved and only sobbing once - VICTORY! Shank you, shank you very much.)

-No more practicing piano at 6:15am. "We were on a break!" (Read: QUIT)

-Hooray for pithy journal entries that say things like: "This is my link to the past..." Thank you Captain Obvious.

-HAIR FAIL. Perm.

-Filling out an application to be the Brio girl was an absolute highlight. Dear Susie: pick me!

-LYLAS. Love you and you and you...like a sister. (Don’t read into that too much, Val and I still side hug.)

Tagged for Seven

Dani tagged me for this fun "seven things" survey, which comes at the perfect time. Most of these items are things I've considered devoting whole blog entries to but just aren't long enough. So this makes for a great mosiac of randomness! Here we go, seven things I've never blogged about before...

1. I'm not typically a fan of fantasy or science fiction. At least, so I've thought. Witches, elves, vampires, they never really interested me. And I saw myself for a long time as staunchly separated from anything having to do with any of those things. "I'm not one of those people." And even as I began to enjoy certain sci-fi/fantasy (sci-fantasy?) shows, movies, and books, I qualified each of them as an exception to the rule. But recently I've begun to realize something. My favorite movie? Is "Lord of the Rings." Favorite books? "Harry Potter." Musical? "Wicked." Favorite TV drama? "Lost." Most recent book series read? "Twilight." Wait-- when did this happen? Y'all. I am totally geeking out! And you know what? I couldn't be more okay with that.

2. I'm currently reading Lana Turner's autobiography. It's a really exciting book, and I always love hearing the inside Hollywood story. However, I think prefer the self-deprecating tone of Debbie Reynolds or the unassuming and humble approach of Henry Fonda in their autobiographies. Lana was fabulous, yes, and most assuredly a screen icon. However, she certainly won't let you forget it! Hardly a page goes by that she doesn't mention how many men desired her, how valuable she was to MGM, how glamorous her nights on the town were, or how dramatic her entire life was. Ginger Rogers was the same way in her book: not necessarily conceited, but she never let you forget how popular she was or how influential her dancing has been. Some of it may be fawning by the ghostwriter, and I don't doubt it's all (or mostly) true, but seriously...give it a rest!

3. My new favorite game is Word Twist. I absolutely love it! You're given six letters and you try to make as many words as you can out of it. Very simple, and very addicting. I like to play right before bed, and the other night I woke up thinking "If you can make the word shelf then you can also make the words self and elf...." Cool, Val. Anyway, the best part is-- you get to play your friends! The competition is pretty fierce between Julie, Dani and I. Sometimes the clock is ticking toward zero and I haven't gotten the six letter word yet but Julie and Dani both have why can't I think of it and NOOOOO! Time's up. Widely. The word is widely. GAH!

4. "Legally Blonde: The Musical" is so. Much. Fun. I never thought I'd be here recommending it, but I just love it! It really is a quality show, and the songs are so sing-alongable. It's hilarious, the music is great, and I can't WAIT to see it on tour! Check out my favorite song from the show, "So Much Better:"

Love it! If you're interested in checking out more, my other favorite songs are "Chip On My Shoulder," "What You Want," and of course, the show opener, "Omigod You Guys!"

5. I keep a small squishy soccer ball (see what I did there, alliteration?) on my desk at work. It's fun to squeeze while I'm making phone calls or toss to people who walk through the door. Yesterday one of the part-timers and I went out into the long hallway to see how hard we could throw it at each other. What does my boss think of these crazy shenanigans? Well, the other week he led us in a longest putt competition in that same hallway, so I'd say he's okay with a little craziness every once in a while. And yes, we totally do real work at my office. Why do you ask?

6. When I was in sixth grade and Ginger was in eighth, we were in a wonderfully cheesy school play called "Thanks is Something You Give." The show involved a group of kids that raise money to give to a poor family, until OH NO! Someone STOLE the money. My character blames Ginger and turns the group against her, and she cries. Angels come down from heaven to help us (I'm not making this up) and in the end the real thief confesses. Who was it? Why it was me all along, of course!

7. One time several months ago my cousin Shannon and I went shopping at Target. She was looking for some new work-out clothes and found several items to try on. I sat in the dressing room opposite her so that as she modeled different outfits I could give her my opinion. After three or four different looks, she opened the door wearing a shirt that I instantly vetoed. "Oh, no," I said emphatically, shaking my head. "Definitely not." Seriously, I did everything short of sticking my finger down my throat and rolling my eyes. She just stood there staring at me, her smile widening. "What?" I asked, obliviously. Finally, it dawned on me just as she answered: "This is my shirt." Yeah, as in the shirt she came in wearing. Wow. Foot in mouth much, Val?*

*In my defense, though, it was a 3/4-length black shirt that looked like it would be very uncomfortable to exercise in! It was a nice shirt, not a workout shirt! See? I just had her best interests at heart. Love you, Shanni!

Tag! You're it: Amanda, Katie, and Kaki- who is doing NaBloPoMo and surely needs more new blog ideas!

Carryin' the Banner Tumpin' Tall!

I first saw “Newsies” when it came out in theaters in 1992. My best friend Meredith's mom took us to see it. The theater was completely packed, and we had to sit on the very edge of a row right by the wall. I’ve always remembered this detail, because for years whenever I mentioned “Newsies” as a favorite movie I got nothing but blank stares and furrowed brows. Weren’t the theaters packed when it came out? Where were all the people who had watched the movie with us that day? It wasn't until I got to college that people seemed to know the movie again, and to this day I find that nearly everyone has at least heard of it, if not seen it. So don't ask me what happened in that time period—I'm just happy that we as a society are moving toward more “Newsies” awareness every day.

Meredith and I loved that movie. We would always pick out our favorite newsie (she liked to pick Spot or Kid Blink, while I've always been a Jack girl). She gave me the cassette tape for my birthday and it was nearly destroyed when we played it over and over and over again. We would dance around the house for hours singing the songs and pretending that we could dance like the newsies. I can remember jumping around to “High Times, Hard Times,” and pretending to spin on a fan during “King of New York.”

We sang those songs a lot, even though I had no idea what the boys were really saying. I still remember the lyrics as I thought they were, so here now is a bit of my interpretation of a couple of the lyrics from "Carryin' the Banner":

Try Bridal Alley... (Try Border Alley)
Full of buck-an-eye! (For a buck I might)
Carryin' the banner tumpin' tall! (Carryin' the banner tough and tall)
Showbiz washin' dishes! (Sure beats washin' dishes)
It takes an orphan with a stunner! (It takes an orphan with a stutter)
I know Snowza! (I’m no snoozer)
Since you left me high and undone! (Since you left me I am undone)
We need a gooder sassination! (We need a good assassination)

I think that this early love of “Newsies” was just an early love of musicals for me. I love Broadway musicals, movie musicals, and even “High School Musicals.” “Newsies” was an introduction to the joy, spirit, and passion that musicals could bring. I still get lyrics from “Santa Fe” stuck in my head, and I still get excited when “The World Will Know” comes up on my iPod. Yes, it’s a kid’s movie, and Disney at that. But it means so much more to me. It's memories of dancing to those songs as a kid with my best friend (and, yes, doing the spit shake with her too). It's the freedom to roll down my car windows and sing "Once and For All" at the top of my lungs. It's the ability to have an instant bond with someone once I find out they're a fan too. It's the gateway to a world where people stop their lives and burst out into song because everything they are feeling is just too big for mere words; they need lyrics and orchestration and choreography and exclamation points!

“Newsies” has been on my mind especially this week because of Halloween. Some of the girls in my office decided to dress up as different decades. I couldn’t decide which decade was right for me. But then... inspiration! I decided to dress up as... the 1900’s. And I would be a newsie. Luckily I got some enthusiastic responses when I shared my idea, so I decided to go for it. One black newsie hat and a pair of pink suspenders later, I was set. Finally, my heart’s desire:

                                               Ain't it a fine life?

I am Michael Phelps.

Like most of the world, I've been pulled into watching the Olympics every night, usually well past 11:00pm. I've never been so motivated at the gym. I went almost every night last week for close to two hours at a time. The television at my rental place is finicky, so I rely on L.A. Fitness to get me through. If you ever want to truly motivate yourself, just watch some of the swimming races while on an elliptical. Are my legs moving or is that a whirlwind? Can't tell, can you?

I think my favorite part of the games have been...well, me. I know, sounds ridiculous, but I'm ridiculous. I can't help but imagine myself as a better athlete than I actually am. For someone who played pretty much every sport growing up, I'm now a certified klutz. I can't do anything without hurting myself. But since the start of the games in Beijing, I've seemed to recover that sparkle. I leap from room to room and walk as though I'm a gymnast headed to my next event. I can barely move today from all the "Olympic-ing" that's taken place.

And while I admit to being committed physically to this process, I would be lying if I didn't happen to commit emotionally as well. You should have seen me as I watched the women's all-around gymnastics competition. I was watching on my roommate's couch, which is suede, not wanting my newly washed hair to get her pillow wet, so I had a kitchen towel draped over the pillow. So glad I had it, because I cried through the entire thing. I hadn't even heard of Nastia's name a week ago, but here I am sobbing "Go Nastia! You can do this. Make us all proud. You've worked so hard for this!" I now speak of her as though she is my best friend. I've been to her website. It's sad. I was telling someone about her crying through the National Anthem and I started crying just talking about it. And don't get me started on those Morgan Freeman Visa commercials. They get me every time.

I don't even remember watching any of the Olympics when they were in Athens or Sydney. Bejing has become my Atlanta. I'm going to be so sad in another week when I have to go back to watching NBC summer programming. Blech. For now I will continue to stick my landings, win the gold by a fingernail, and cheer like the athletes can actually hear me.

*Photo: Winning the gold in ocean running at the Galveston '06 Olympics. Watch out Phelps.

H20-no

I spent most of the weekend at work helping pull of quite an event. Although the 114 degree weather threatened to keep us completely uncomfortable, we successfully presented a new preschool curriculum, promoted our kids to their new grades, opened a youth building, and hosted a party outside complete with slip-n-slide, dunk tank, painting, and snow cones. I was preparing to head to work at 11:00am on Saturday morning and had just pulled out of my neighborhood when the inevitable happened. I went to open the nozzle of my water bottle with my teeth and instead pulled off the entire lid. 12 oz of water dumped all over me filling my cup-holders and soaking my clothes. I'm impressed that I didn't scream. I calmly went upstairs and threw my clothes in the dryer, changed into my now warm clothes and entered back into the 114 degree heat.

Retro Post

True fact – Every entry in my journal from 1994-95 is addressed to “Dearest Sonet.” I was going for “Sonnet”, but that quite possibly makes even less sense. Why would you write to a sonnet? (The first entry to correctly spell sonnet is March 11, 1995.)

July 6, 1994
Dearest Sonet,

Today I traveled from Galveston to Tyler. I am staying with my Grandma here until Saturday. Last night in Galveston, I (and Grandma and Mom) went and saw the musical production of Show Boat. It was both boring and fascinating. Boring whenever they sang love songs but wonderful when they danced. Oh yes, and tonight Grandma took me to see the Disney movie, The Lion King! It was good. It was a little violent and kind of short, but all in all it’s sure to be a classic. I think one of the songs in the movie might even get an award! Well, I was up late last night and it’s already 9:27pm so I gotta sleep!

Bye for now My Sonet – GMM

July 17, 1994
Dearest Sonet,

Today we took the long and perilous journey from Dallas, TX to Trinidad, Colorado. We passed through about 50 miles of New Mexico. Tomorrow we travel from Trinidad to Euray. The motel we are staying in is called Budget Host. Budget is for sure. It’s better than the No go HO JO! (At least.) The mountains are beautiful! My sister and I thought the little hills of New Mexico were big. The mountains when we got to Colorado were huge. Mom says they’re going to get larger the deeper into Colorado we get. Well, I gotta try and get some sleep.

Bye for now My Sonet. – GMM

*And I know what you're thinking, and yes, I was a rebellious child. Just look at that butterfly collar...watch out.

The Closest Thing to Crazy

Y'all should probably be worried about me. Because I think I'm losing my mind. Let me tell you three stories here to illustrate my new brain condition.

Story #1. I love listening to my iPod in my car. So that makes my iPod car adapter my new best friend. It allows me to simply listen to my podcasts and the occasional musical soundtrack and altogether avoid that unsightly thing we call radio. After each car trip, I am careful to unplug the iTrip and iPod and either place them in my purse or in my center console. The other day I decided to leave them plugged in my car for just the 2.5 minutes needed to run into my grandparents house to stack up their newspapers and mail since they were out of town. The whole time I was telling myself to "Hurry, hurry!" because I didn't like leaving my iThings unattended. I came back and "Phew!" they were fine of course. Fastforward to a couple days later. I get in my car yesterday morning to drive to work and wonder of wonders I have left my iPod plugged in to my cigarette lighter all night long. Let's evaluate here. 2.5 minutes. An entire night. Worried the first time. Didn't even realize it the second time. What is wrong with me?

Story #2: I am allergic to a little ingredient that's in most face washes called benzoyl peroxide. As in, my eyes will swell up, turn red, and I find myself rivaling John Rhys-Davies for craziest lobster- looking eyes. So needless to say, generally I'm pretty careful to check the ingredients list when buying a new facewash. When you are losing your mind ,however, all the typical rules no longer apply. Case in point: buying a new facewash a couple of weeks ago. It didn't even cross my mind to check for benzoyl peroxide, and I didn't realize my mistake until I was in the shower washing my face! As soon as I felt my face tingling a little bit, a lightbulb went off and I went to work attempting to scrub off the first few layers of my skin. I spent the rest of the night dousing my eyelids in lotion, squirting in eye drops, and laying a pound of ice cubes across my face. By the next day I had actually managed to stave off the worst of my symptoms, and I went to work with perhaps a slightly pinker right eyelid. But either no one was tactless enough to mention it, or I did a handy job with the eye shadow that morning. No, you're right, it's probably the former. Either way, I am an idiot.

Finally, Story #3. Perhaps the most unnerving to me. I went to take a shower this morning but remembered I had left my (benzoyl peroxide-less) facewash by the sink, so I turned on the water, grabbed what was next to the sink, and set it on the edge of the tub. It was only when I was in the shower ready to wash my face that I looked down and saw a tube of toothpaste on the ledge. Y'all. Tell me that is not scary. I hadn't even look at what I picked up, I just grabbed something off the counter and put it in the shower. The toothpaste. Is something eating away at my brain??

Okay, storytime over.

See? These are not the actions of a well person. I'm just amazed that I was able to find my way to this computer to even tap out this entry. So if the next time you see me I show up wearing my bra on the outside of my shirt or something, I really shouldn't be held accountable. I'm doing the best I can sans-brain.

The Forgotten Love Language

There are five love languages, or so say the experts. Five ways to express your love, no more and no less. According to the book, there's quality time, gifts, service, words of affirmation, and physical touch (not big in our extended family-- we prefer comfortable side hugs). I've always thought my language was a mix of some of these, but lately I've been thinking that I have a language that's not included in the above list.

(This may be a good time to confess that I've never actually read the book. Regardless, I have heard the love languages explained and discussed, and feel I have a solid handle on the general idea.)

Recently I've been thinking about how I get excited about certain things, and always want to share them with those around me. Be it books, funny videos, stories, interesting web sites, movie trailers, or what have you, I want to present these to others. So I think the lost love language that I possess must be "interests."

Whenever I find a funny or fascinating section of the book I am reading, I find that I want to jump up and read it aloud to whoever is nearby. If I've found an amazing movie trailer or film clip, I find a way to distribute it to the people I think would enjoy it. It might be something I find interesting myself, or it could be something that I think one of my friends will especially like.

I just can't express the enjoyment I get from watching someone else appreciate a television show, comic strip, article, or song that I love. I recently re-watched the entire first season of Heroes a second time just to be able to see my brother's reaction to each scene as he saw it all for the first time. I was delighted to find that he loved it too, and elated that he loved it enough to share it with his own friends.

.

I want you to see this certain movie because I want you to love it like I love it. I want you to read this book so we can discuss it and share what we learned or why we think it's amazing. I want you to understand even an inklings worth why I am passionate about something in particular.

So next time I am pushing my favorite movie on you, or telling you I think you will like a particular piece of music, just know I am doing it out of love. It's one of my love languages, so I am no doubt expressing my love for you by wanting you to feel the happiness that I get from my various books, videos, articles, etc. etc. etc. And thank you for humoring me.

Lest you think coming up with a name was easy….

Here’s a peek at a conversation we had while deciding what to call our blog.

Ginger: it could be "Pick a Lane"
Valerie: i think the title comes last
Ginger: or "Your skull is on my eye"
lol
Valerie: and is not a weird
and disturbing
Ginger: lol
"I just lav it"
lol
I just realized there was an interview going on in the office next to me
and I was laughing way to loud
Valerie: haha wow
you are 2 cool
4 school
Ginger: that could be it
2 Cool 4 School
cuz we are 2
and we are out of school
and stuff
Valerie: all true
tho i dont know about the 'cool
part
Ginger: 2 cute 2 4get
Valerie: HAHAHA
Ginger: "Good for a Laugh"
"New Mexico Sandwhich"
get it?
Valerie: .....
Ginger: Arizona...Texas...
what's in the middle?
Valerie: oh
Sandwich
:)
thats funny!
Ginger: "New Mexico Two Step Sandwich"
Valerie: oh my
Ginger: lol
"Mac N Cheese"
Valerie: ha
you would be cheesey
Ginger: and you would...put your mac on?
Valerie: lol
Ginger: it would definately have cheese potential
Ginger: "If the pew fits"
Valerie: oh wow
Ginger: "Don't bite off more than you can chew...especially if it's corn on the cob"
"gargle...stop laughing...gargle"
"Who eats Babies?"
Valerie: what?!
Ginger: clay
oatmeal
babies
haha
Valerie: ooooh
lol
yeah!
let's call our blog "Who eats Babies?"
Ginger: lol
Valerie: good job
cut and print
Ginger: lol
Magna-doodle
"Steal Your Own"
"Reach for the stars"
Valerie: "I'll defend you as my friend cause Jesus calls me his friend too"
Ginger: "Yum yum...eat em up."
"THE ROACH"
Valerie: haha
Ginger: "Clay's the ROACH!"
it would be unique
to say the least
Ginger: what if we call it
"ValPal"
or "Save trees - Blog"
"The gym has fungus."
"Laminated nametags"
"You forded the river"
"Laminated Ice Cream Cones"
Valerie: ok, you have officially gone off the deep end
lol
Ginger: lo
lol
anytime I see you type lol
it makes me lol
it's contagious
lol'ing
Valerie: ha
Ginger: are there shots for that?
the lolio virus
Here lies Janie, dead from lolio. Rip
"You shot 2 buffalo"
"Just a coke"
"The derby's been around forever"
"Inclement weather"
"And a pickle shooting train"
Valerie: you are going insane
i am sure of it
Ginger: "I don't hear you playing!"
(piano)
"Clean laundry in the dirty clothes!!!"
Valerie: i am so worried about you right now
Ginger: i'm waiting for you to call one of them genuis
Valerie: yeah, you keep hoping
Ginger: "Many will meet their doom"
Valerie: lol
Ginger: come one!
we can do it
"Your skull is on my eye!"
Valerie: we dont even remember what that one is from!!
Ginger: "CLAY!"
how bout that
just clay
because we have a brother named clay
lol
Valerie: ha
Ginger: and we are clay in the potters hand
Valerie: tales of 75074
Ginger: sounds so dramatic
Valerie: lol i know
haha
Ginger: like an e true hollywood story or something
"Note to self"
"Be Right Back"
"What happened to Dr. Quinn?"
"Before the sun sets on the third day"
Valerie: okay, now you're just going crazy
Ginger: lol
Valerie: and i cant stop laughing
Ginger: ""Littlefoot and Sarah"
Valerie: "Sarcast-ulous"
Ginger: "Head butting for tree stars"
Valerie: OH MY GOSH
Ginger: lol
Valerie: you have problems
"Sarcasti-ful"
Ginger: sarcasti - no
Valerie: "Sarcasti-licious"
lol
Sarcasti-headbutting dinosaurs
Ginger: lo
Valerie: how bout THAT
Ginger: l
"Oh My Goodness!"
"Lemon, lemon...sunshine in a cup"
we did have lemonaid stands
Valerie: lemonade
Ginger: "The lime and the coconut"
Valerie: which is which
Ginger: The liming coconut
"Say, that's swell"
82 to 84
final score
Valerie: ?
Ginger: 1982
1984
Valerie: ooh
Ginger: 6 to 1/2 dozen of the other
Valerie: lol
nice twist
what does that even mean?
Ginger: lol
no clue
Valerie: :)
Ginger: Hola, mi llamo...
Hola, ,mi llamo Enry Iggins
Valerie: wow
Ginger: i'm trying
"The cha-cha church"
"Fireworks in the Shower"
lol
probably not good
Valerie: HAHA
Ginger: now that I read that
Valerie: no
lol
Ginger: lol
shaking
"We ALWAYS have ham"
get it because we ham it up
and we always have ham
"Not it"
"Pass the ketchup"
"Chew with your mouth closed"
"Trundle Bed"
"Now I lay me down to sleep"
"Get a real job":
Valerie: what are you even doing anymore?
LOL
Ginger: still sending ideas
Ginger: "Pair for the Course"
get it
par
pair
Valerie: lol
this is going to be interesting...
Ginger: De-Caf with a side of Sarcasm
"Hi I'm sarcasm and this is my sister cynical..."
enjoy your meeting
going to get ready to film.
"Up, Up, WHOAH"
"Blue Scales"
Pairody
Pair-ody
Valerie: lol
have fun
BLUE!
scales....
Ginger: thanks
dark forest
What degree? 1,000!
"Come get your bear."
"Lord beer me strength"
Valerie: lol
Ginger: "Guys, it's ok. She didn't mean to steal the money."
Valerie: ok, now i really have to go
HAHAHAHA
lol
love it
Ginger: lol
Valerie: ok, talk to you later
and LOST tonight
woot!!
Ginger: Get lost
lol
Valerie: ha
:)
bye

Brushes with the (semi) Famous

Some people I know have legitimately met famous people. They've had actual conversations with these people. My own encounters have been few, and though you probably don't even know who I refer to, they are celebrities to me. They aren't even real encounters, unless you count an autograph signing, a MySpace page, and an email. But I do. Oh, I really do.

The first has to do with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And yes, I am a fan. Though let me clarify: I am not a fan of the mythology, creatures, languages, and races. I am a fan of the movies themselves: the actors, the crew, the behind-the-scenes stories, and the adventure of spending years on 12 hours worth of films. Granted, that doesn't make me much less of a dork, but it's an important difference.

Anyway, it was the spring of 2004, just after the release of the movie, and I was in Oxford, England. And soon I learned that Andy Serkis, voice and movement behind the character of Gollum/Smeagol would also be in Oxford, for a book signing. Long story short, we arrived there hours early, stood in line in the rain, and finally made it in for our autographs. I babbled about being a fan, we took pictures, and that was that. Andy has gone on to be in 13 Going on 30, King Kong, and The Prestige, but his name still elicites blank stares when I mention my encounter.

I only mention my experience with Jenna Fischer of The Office because I am that crazy about the celebrities that I am a fan of. This one isn't even that much of an experience, but I'm including it regardless. Jenna keeps up a really interesting MySpace page, and last Halloween she invited anyone who had dressed up as something Office-related to send her a picture. Since I had dressed up as 3 hole punch Jim (you'd have to watch the show), I uploaded a picture and sent it off to her. And I'll be gosh darned if she didn't make a slide show of all those crazy Office folk and include me in it! Few people understood how exciting this was, but one friend understood completely, saying this was thrilling because it meant Jenna had actually seen my face! Looking back, I realize how weird that sounds, but that's just what it means to be a fan!

My last celebrity encounter was actually just yesterday. Let me first explain who I'm talking about. His name is Jason Marsden, and if you were to enter his name into imdb, there would undoubtedly be a lot of things you recognized, most notably various TGIF shows. You know who he is-- that one guy! He played a rich guy vying for DJ's affections on Full House, Eric's best friend on Boy Meets World, and JT's best friend slash Dana's boyfriend on Step By Step. He has also done a ton of voiceover work, including Tino from the criminally clever cartoon series "The Weekenders." But most importantly, he is the voice of Max Goof, from A Goofy Movie. He played Goofy's son. I know- it's big.

A few weekends ago I was surfing the net and found an email address for him, one that people swore was really him, and I wrote him a fan letter, trying not to sound to dorky or in awe. Not sure I was actually able to do that, but the point is that he actually wrote me back! I was shocked, and might have started shaking a little bit as I read it. It was pretty short, but he shared some very interesting information. For instance, like me, he is a fan of Heroes, and loves Harry Potter. Two peas in a pod, me and Jason!

So there you have it. All my weird celebrity fandom moments, the few that there are. I'm proud of my handful of "encounters" with famous people (at least in my mind). And I think that meeting, or hearing from, a celebrity that you are a genuine fan of is way more exciting than meeting a person that everyone knows, but who you have no special connection with. I would much rather have a glimpse of an Office or Lord of the Rings castmember than have a celebrity sighting of a Jessica Simpson-type any day.

Secret Single (or always single) Behavior

Some people call them "guilty pleasures." Sex and the City (err...never seen it) would call it "Secret Single Behavior," as in the things you could never do in front of your boyfriend. Carrie confesses that when no one else is around, she likes to eat grape jelly on crackers standing up at the counter while reading Vogue.

Most of the time, it's not all that secretive, and we don't generally feel guilty for doing it. It's not always even that outrageous, just something that's slightly weird. For one of my college roommates it was always blowing on her curling iron before using it on her hair. Obviously it's nothing too secret or embarassing, otherwise I wouldn't be listing it in a blog. And I would never refer to it as "Secret Single Behavior," because I've never really not been single. I'm going to list just a few of my little quirks, and hopefully you will comment with some of yours!

-Coming home after work and immediately removing all articles of clothing and going straight for pajamas at 5:30 p.m.

-Sometimes I like to work out to classical music. Lately it has been Beethoven's 6th Symphony.

-High School Musical. Is it wrong that I own both the dvd and the cd? And that I can't wait for the sequel to come out on Friday?

-I fall asleep to Gilmore Girls. Every night.

-I'm not an organized person in the least, but my dvd's (all 160+ of them) must remain alphabetized at all times.

-I watch all of Kathy Griffin's comedy specials whenever they're on Bravo. Usually several times.

-Still purchase and read Archie comics. Still.

-Many times I will have entire conversations with someone in my car. By myself. Either things I really wish I could say, or things I would say if I could actually talk to that person. Sometimes I end up yelling, and a lot of times I end up crying.

-Practicing the poses and challenges I see on America's Next Top Model. I know.

-I eat peanut butter right out of the jar.

-I eat honey right out of the jar.

-I eat a lot of things right out of the jar.

-I love to file my nails while laying on my couch and watching E! News.

80s in the 90s

Echoing the unfortunate post below, I would like to back my sister's statements and verify that the 11 years at private school really does have such a detrimental effect. On my first day of 7th grade, I wore high top tennis shoes, denim shorts, and a black shirt underneath a sleeveless pink button up shirt. Left open, because I am sassy like that. In addition, I wore my hair in a side ponytail. No, I think you need to read that again. My hair. Side ponytail. Also, please bear in mind that we are not talking about the 80's here. I started the 7th grade in 1996. Please allow that to sink in.

Let it also be known that Ginger was my stylist. It's true. Often she helped me pick out a "cute" outfit, and the first day of school was certainly no exception. Read that again. The girl with the socks and sandals. Picked out. My clothes.

I don't know what kind of time warp existed in that school to allow an otherwise perfectly sane person to not only dress like that, but to actually fit in. If I ever get to the bottom of this mystery, I'll be sure to let you know.