cusack as cowboy...

in my quest to see every john cusack movie ever made, i've encountered some of the worst movies i've ever seen... but on occasion, i've seen a couple that are amazing... which add to the deep admiration i have for john cusack as an actor...

next on my cusack list was the jack bull... a western (of all things) starring good ol' johnny boy... i had my doubts... i'm not a huge western fan... and i have been burned by some of the last cusack movies... money for nothing was the worst... seriously one of the worst movies of all times...

but i rented it... on vhs... it was a hbo movie in 1999... and the tape's quality was horrible... i was pretty much ready for the worst two hours of my day... the only thing giving me hope was how attractive john cusack as a cowboy looks on the front cover of the tape...

after a few minutes, i was hooked... it is a terrific movie... seriously one of the best movies i've seen this year... (not just cusack movies... one of the best of all the ones i've seen this year...) and cusack did an excellent job... he was very believable in the role... i think one of the reasons i love some of his other movies is that i believe him to be the characters... lloyd dobler, rob gordon or martin blank... but he was also believable as myrl redding in territorial wyoming... and he was amazing...

the movie gave me a lot to think about... it wasn't a surface flick, that's for sure... i'd like to write more, but it's 4:05 on friday afternoon and i was just given the ok to get a head start on friday afternoon traffic... so i'm going to take it...

m-t-s-thursday, part 2

this weeks trivia is a little different from last week, inspired by much of what i saw while i was at home sick early this week... as always, no cheating... the ones in white are still up for grabs... the correct answers will be revealed when i feel like it... and then the points will be awarded...

80's tv trivia... 1000 points each answer (500 points for each half answer because if you know one of the two, the other one is easy)

1. chelsea noble played former babysitter to doogie howser and then married her costar from another 80's tv show. name her husband and the show. {Kirk Cameron/Growing Pains} (chris)

2. the newest on-screen president played a house helper for a few episodes in a popular 80's show. Name the 80's show and the star whose character was infatuated with the helper. {Family Ties/Michael J. Fox} (chris)

80's movie trivia... 1000 points each answer (#3 is worth 2000 points total - 1000 for each actor)

3. these two john hughes bus riders also had short stints on saturday night live during the 1985-6 season. {anthony michael hall and joan cusack} (andrea and amy - 1000 points each)

4. This "out of this world" actor directed the movie three men and a baby. {leonard nimoy} (amy)

90's tv trivia... 1000 points each answer

5. a gilmore, office burnout, tv free spirit, and a princess/prom queen all starred on this short lived tv series. {townies} (amy)

6. this "single focused" film actor played an abusive date to mayim bialik on blossom. {james marsden} (chris)

90's movie quotes/trivia... 500 points each answer

7. Chuck: You told us where we go one we go all, well we believed you, we lived by it, Sir. And now you're saying where you go we can't follow. {white squall} (andrea)

8. You see, we're not "The Wonders" right now. We're "Cap'n Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters". {that thing you do} (amy)

9. I do not regret the things I have done, but those I did not do. {empire records} (amy)

10. name the actor that was in #'s 7, 8, and 9 and the actress who was in #'s 8 and 9 for 500 points each {ethan embry, liv tyler} (andrea)

characters "Hit the Road, Jack..." Identify the actor who plays the role listed... Questions are worth 500 points unless otherwise noted.

11. Captain Jack - Pirates of the Caribbean {johnny depp} (amy)
12. Jack Kelly - Newsies {christian bale} (amy)
13. Jack Colton - Romancing the Stone {michael douglas} (amy)
14. Jack Dawson - Titanic {leonardo dicaprio} (amy)
15. Jack Taylor - One Fine Day {george clooney} (amy)
16. Jack Campbell - The Family Man {nicolas cage} (amy)
17. John Robert "Jack" Sommersby - Sommersby {richard gere} (chris)
18. Jack Morrison - Ladder 49 {joaquin phoenix} (amy)
19. Jack Callaghan - While You Were Sleeping {bill pullman} (chris)
20. Jack Harmon - Mission Impossible {emilio estevez} (chris)
21. Jack Holden - Three Men and a Little Lady {ted danson} (andrea)
22. Captain Jack Ross - A Few Good Men {kevin bacon} (andrea)
23. Jack Traven - Speed {keanu reeves} (andrea)
24. Jack Torrance - The Shining (1980) {jack nicholson} (amy)
25. Jack Torrance - The Shining (1997) (worth 1000 points) {steven weber} (chris)
26. Jack Powell - Jack {robin williams} (chris)
27. Jack Ryan - Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games; Hunt for Red October; Sum of All Fears {Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck} (chris)

but what about owen wilson as jack ryan in the big bounce? :)

points are as follows:
amy - 7,000
chris - 6,500 (including random bonus points)
andrea - 4,500

word-a-day is stupid...

i took the day off (sick) yesterday, so today, i came in and going through my normal routine, i tore off monday and yesterday's word of the day and landed on today... wednesday, september 28... the word of the day is irregardless... it irritated me... because i don't think it makes sense... it's like a double negative... so dumb... i want to throw the calendar out the window... but i can't open my windows...

to find out how much i don't like this word, click here... you know it's frustration when i've blogged about it not once, but twice, now...

random afternoon visit to target...

this afternoon i went to target to pick up a few things and i realized that it's a whole different place than when i'm there at night and on weekends... i encountered a few different interesting things:

1. i saw a mom and her two kids... they were in the book aisle... the younger daughter looked about 2 or 3... she had her eye on a dora the explorer book, but then i heard the mom say, "hey... look at this book... it talks about going to the bathroom and then she pressed a button that made a flushing toilet sound... the little girl ignored her mother and the flushing toilet sound... and said... "mom... i want this book..." about the dora book... and her mother kept trying to get her hooked on the toilet book... i'm guessing she is trying to potty train the little girl... but it was so random... "look, honey, this book makes noises..."

2. i was back toward the toy section and i saw this family - parents with 2 or 3 kids... but there was this lady standing right behind them with a clipboard, paper and pen - and she was writing... not really looking up, just writing... of course, i'm really curious... so i get a little closer and really the only word i remember seeing was "dad," but it gave me the impression that she was writing down everything that the family was doing... a few minutes later, at the other end of the aisle, she was still right behind them, writing... it was weird... i'm not really sure what it was all about...

3. right down the aisle from the family/writing lady was another lady who had a basket, and her purse was in the front part... a big pink purse with a little chihuahua... just hanging out... i am just not around people who would actually do that... but there she was... with her little dog... it was just weird...

4. ok - this isn't necessarily a middle-of-the-day thing... but i was looking for creative things to buy - for something i won't name... and i ended up in the halloween section - and so i looked at the costumes... and i totally saw costumes for the dukes of hazzard... for only $35, your kids could dress like bo or luke duke... or even daisy duke... i think it's a little weird... there were other weird ones too, but daisy duke seemed the weirdest to me, especially because of the connotations behind her character...

it was just weird to be at target in the middle of the day - so quiet... which is why i heard/saw all the things i did... usually there are a ton of people... and there were so few that i noticed them...

i am sure there were other things, but that's all i remember for now...

ready for a sick afternoon...

yesterday i was really sick... i didn't feel good... my sinuses were bothering me... and i kept feeling like i was going to sneeze, but then i couldn't... and i had a headache... my throat hurt really bad and i didn't have a voice... no fun...

so i decided yesterday morning that i was not going to work a full day today... i had to come in this morning to bring in my corrections for the paper and to wait until the paper was out the door...

and of course, i woke up this morning feeling better - not worse... i still don't feel great... but i thought, "maybe i should work the full day..." and then i realized that was just crazy talk... so i'm leaving here in just a minute and going home for a fun-filled afternoon of doing NOTHING!!

and i think it's stupid to be sick on a weekend... i mean, where are my weekend sick days? a wasted weekend is the worst thing ever... a weekend is a terrible thing to waste...

dilemma::should i stay or should i go...

it's not really a question of should i stay or should i go... i just like saying that... and singing it in my head...

it's more should i go or not go...

the event is an engagement party for a friend of mine...

the pros/i should go's:
he's my friend/kind of like a brother
his family is like my family
he said i was invited
it's a party

the cons/i should not go's:
in the craziness of his life (i'm guessing), he forgot to give me directions
i don't know what time it starts
there will be some people there i'm not crazy about
i have a sore throat


we'll see... i feel like the cons are outweighing... but my devotion outweighs the cons... i hate this junk!

101 ways to praise a child...

when i was in high school, they gave each of our teachers a poster or magnet - something - that had "101 ways to praise a child" written on it... i was in ap english at the time, and my teacher, ms. cobb, decided to start using it while grading our papers... my homework assignments on crime and punishment would be returned with a "hot dog" written on it... she told us about it, and it got to be a joke within our class... our favorite was "you're a-okay, my good buddy..." it was actually written on the list... i've never forgotten about that - and something at work reminded me of it this week... i was making corrections for the paper and at the bottom of our executive director's column, it said, "Awesome statement. You are right on here."which seemed like a really strange thing to write at the end of an editorial column... like self-praise or something... but it was funny, so i decided to research the 101 ways to praise a child... and i found a list... i don't think it's the exact same one... it doesn't have the "you're a-okay, my good buddy"... but it's still pretty funny... so i've decided to post it... look for your favorite and use them to praise someone today!!!

Wow - Way To Go - Super - You're special - Outstanding - Excellent - Great - Good - Neat - Well Done - Remarkable - I Knew You Could Do It - I'm Proud Of You - Fantastic - Super Star - Nice Work - Looking Good - You're On Top Of It - Beautiful - Now You're Flying - You're Catching On - Now You've Got It - You're Incredible - Bravo - You're Fantastic - Hurray For You - You're On Target - You're On Your Way - How Nice - How Smart - Good Job - That's Incredible - Hot Dog - Dynamite - You're Beautiful - You're Unique - Nothing Can Stop You Now - Good For You - I Like You - You're A Winner - Remarkable Job - Beautiful Work - Spectacular - You're Spectacular - You're A Darling - You're Precious - Great Discovery - You've Discovered The Secret - You've Figured It Out - Fantastic Job - Hip, Hip, Hurray - Bingo - Magnificent - Marvelous - Terrific - You're Important - Phenomenal - You're Sensational - Super Work - Creative Job - Super Job - Fantastic Job - Exceptional Performance - You're A Real Trooper - You Are Responsible - You Are Exciting - You Learned It Right - What An Imagination - What A Good Listener - You Are Fun - You're Growing Up - You Tried Hard - You Care - Beautiful Sharing - Outstanding Performance - You're A Good Friend - I Trust You - You're Important - You Mean A Lot To Me - You Make Me Happy - You Belong - You've Got A Friend - You Make Me Laugh - You Brighten My Day - I Respect You - You Mean The World to Me - That's Correct - You're A Joy - You're A Treasure - You're Wonderful - You're Perfect - Awesome - A+ Job - You're The Best - A Big Hug - Big Kiss - Say "I Love You" - P.S. A Smile Is Worth A 1000 Words

m-t-s-thursday...

beth and buck - that's just for you guys... it's fun from last summer that i just thought about today... thursday...

i thought that maybe thursdays should be my day to do some fun movie trivia and quotes... amy's got mondays... and i don't want tuesdays or wednesdays... so thursday will be my day...

here are some quotes 1000 points a piece... and... an additional 2500 points goes to the person who can figure out what the common bond of the quotes is... have fun... any points for unanswered quotes will go to me, as well as the "theme" points sometime on saturday, by monday at the latest... and as always, play fair - no cheating... quotes in orange have already been guessed correctly. the bonus common bond is the actors listed to the right of the quotes are in the movies as well as starring in or frequently appearing in the television series LOST.

1. I'm a hopeless dancer, but this looks like you just screw in a light bulb with one hand and pat the dog with the other. {bride and prejudice} (robyn) - naveen andrews

2. Who will cry for the little boy, he cried himself to sleep / Who will cry for the little boy, who never had it for keeps / Who will cry for the little boy, who walked on burning sands / Who will cry for the little boy, the boy inside a man / Who will cry for the little boy, who knew well hurt and pain / Who will cry for the little boy, who died and died again / Who will cry for the little boy, a good boy he tried to be / Who will cry for the little boy, who cries inside of me? {antwone fisher} (jeremy) - malcolm david kelley

3. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams. {spiderman 2} (amy) - daniel dae kim

4. Po-tay-toes. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew. Lovely big golden chips with a nice piece of fried fish. Even you couldn't say no to that. {lord of the rings: two towers} (chad) - dominic monaghan

5. This is the last straw. I came back from the war and my house was burned down, my cows were dead. My wife's run off with my cousin Jeb. That son of a *****, he took my dog. {american outlaws} (robyn) - terry o'quinn

6. If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking and you beat love down. {romeo + juliet} (amy) - harold perrineau, jr.

7. A guy don't need no sense to be a nice fella. {of mice and men} (robyn) - john terry

8. You'll dress only in attire specially sanctioned by _____ special services. You'll conform to the identity we give you, eat where we tell you, live where we tell you. From now on you'll have no identifying marks of any kind. You'll not stand out in any way. Your entire image is crafted to leave no lasting memory with anyone you encounter. You're a rumor, recognizable only as deja vu and dismissed just as quickly. You don't exist; you were never even born. Anonymity is your name. Silence your native tongue. You're no longer part of the System. You're above the System. Over it. Beyond it. We're "them." We're "they." We are the ____________. {men in black} (amy) - fredric lehne

9. I never said I was a golden god... or did I? {almost famous} (amy) - william mapother

10. Here goes: I sped. I followed too closely. I ran a stop sign. I almost hit a Chevy. I sped some more. I failed to yield at a crosswalk. I changed lanes at the intersection. I changed lanes without signaling while running a red light and *speeding*! {liar liar} (amy) - swoosie kurtz

#300 - for some reason it makes me feel normal...

today i really got in the mood to watch high fidelity... i put it in, but remembered i had an episode of gilmore girls to watch - so i ended up watching it instead... alyssa and i had decided to do something tonight, and i wanted to do something cheap... and erin and shelley decided to come along, too... so we went to alyssa's and watched one episode of undeclared... i wanted to see alyssa's reaction to this one episode that is hilarious to me... and then we walked to nw 23rd (one of my favorite streets in the world) and got pizza... we sat outside, ate our pizza and laughed... at one point we were all singing some song and there was a guy totally watching us... i saw him and he saw me... and he acted like he was holding a movie camera... it was pretty funny... especially since no one else saw him until he was about to walk away...

then we went to starbucks and went to this shop and went back to alyssa's... we decided to watch high fidelity (which made me happy)... i haven't seen it in several months and i was looking forward to watching it again... i think i realized tonight that it makes me feel normal... i love the dialogue... the story... everything... it's definitely one of my favorites... i just love it...

i was going to put some of my favorite quotes - the top 5 to be festive... i had a really hard time... there are so many i love... but i'm going to give it a shot... in no particular order...

Barry: I wanna date a musician.
Rob: I wanna live with a musician. She'd write songs at home and ask me what I thought of them, and maybe even include one of our little private jokes in the liner notes.
Barry: Maybe a little picture of me in the liner notes.
Dick: Just in the background somewhere.

Rob: The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules. Anyway... I've started to make a tape... in my head... for Laura. Full of stuff she likes. Full of stuff that make her happy. For the first time I can sort of see how that is done.

Rob: If you *really* wanted to screw me up, you should've gotten to me earlier.

Customer: Hi, do you have the song "I Just Called To Say I Love You?" It's for my daughter's birthday.
Barry: Yea we have it.
Customer: Well, can I have it?
Barry: No, actually, you can't.
Customer: Why not?
Barry: God. Do you even know your daughter? There's no way she likes that song. Oops, is she in a coma?

Rob: What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?

and one more - consider it a bonus... it wasn't listed on imdb, but i loved it...

Rob: A while back, Dick, Barry and I agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like. Books, records, films - these things matter. Call me shallow. It's the truth. And by this measure, I was having one of the best dates of my life.

i can hear it in her voice, see it on her face...

it's only 9:19 on a saturday morning... this is not when i want to be up... but i got a phone call at 9:00 from amy... she's only called me one other time earlier than that on a saturday because she forgot about the time zone thing...

i hit mute and put the phone back down... and then i remembered... today's the day she's trying to win tickets to see the premiere of elizabethtown tonight... and i thought, "i may have to be supportive... or she may have won..." but i knew i had to answer, even though it was early... i had to be a friend...

and... SHE WON!!! i'll let her fill in the details... but she doesn't have to worry about hussies anymore... she gets to go experience this - something that means more to her than i can imagine... i'm trying to figure out what this would be equal to in my life... maybe if it was john cusack - but it's different because she's so excited about cameron crowe - who is her favorite director and that's what one of her passions is... it's like something she's worked her life toward... and i have nothing to really compare to that... she's so excited... i've never heard her be more excited about anything in all the time i've known her!!!

so, off she goes... i know it will be the best thing ever for her... so look for updates on her blog - probably tonight... the funniest part of it from my end was that i really prayed multiple times that she would be able to go... because i knew how important it is to her and how disappointed she'd be if she didn't get to - which is not something she needs in her life right now...

then i started thinking about my lesson tomorrow - they wanted me to talk about being real, genuine... so i thought... amy didn't fake her excitement... it was natural... real and very genuine... what are the times when it's impossible to fake our emotions? and when are some times when i haven't been real to people? false excitement or sadness or something else... and i realized how much harder it is to be fake than real... but there's a whole different issue of being real in the right ways... i don't know... it's just a lot to think about - and that will be my intro to my lesson... amy gave it to me this morning, saturday morning at 9 a.m. - i'm glad i didn't sleep through it...

sometimes i wonder if i've done something wrong...

tonight i went to hang out with the family that i lived with last year... i love that family and don't visit near as much as i should... i'm averaging about once a month for a visit, which is horrible! i went tonight and hung out and talked in the boys' room with bethany... eventually micah came home (he's the oldest - about 10 months younger than me) and he had news...

he's proposing to his girlfriend next friday... insane... i had no idea that it was coming this fast, but evidently he's sure...

it was surprising and not surprising at the same time... he showed me the rings, which was exciting, i guess... the projected date is sometime next july... i am really happy for him... the two of them are really very good for each other... they come from similar family structures... kind of sheltered lives - although both of them would disagree... they have each travelled overseas, but seem to find their true comfort within the confines of their safe family structures... which is not wrong... it's just so not me... they were both home-schooled and come from conservative christian homes... they're kind of like the model christians... have always been involved... say the right things... and i'm sure they'll do great as a married couple... i am happy for them, and yet...

i can't help feeling that i've done something wrong... when i hear of others getting engaged and married, it makes me feel like i've made some tragic mistake or missed it... i couldn't be more happy right now... i'm thrilled about my upcoming move... and i really am wonderfully okay with being single... that's the truth... i've lied about that before... but this time, i'm really being honest... i don't think about it much... just every now and then - and it's usually a fleeting thought...

i'm not the perfect christian girl... i'm cynical in so many ways and have liberal ideas, sometimes... and want to be involved in ministry, not just be a pastor's wife, not just sitting on the sidelines... and so sometimes i think this is where i've messed up - if i would just be a perfect christian girl... conservative and ready to fit into some pre-designed box that a man has for me, then i'd be alright... but the thing is - that's not me... while talking to bethany tonight, i kind of came to the conclusion that i think that's what some men want... a pretty girl to fit into the box they've made complete with their ideas about what a wife should be... and once they aquire said bride, they can take her out to love on her and let her cook and clean for him and show her off and then stick her back in the box... that's not me at all... which may be the reason i'm still single... i want to be a partner, a helper, not a prize or a trophy... i want to be getting my hands dirty alongside my husband, not waiting at home dressed like donna reed...

there's a surprise party for them next week - when he will propose... i'm sure it will be a happy time for everyone... i know i'll stand there and smile and be excited for them... and i'll come home wondering if it's my fault that i'm single, knowing that it's not - and that it hasn't been the right time and may never be the right time... and i'll be okay with that... seriously... better than okay, even...

10 fun random quotes for a fun random friday...

quotes are worth 1000 points a piece... monday at noon, any remaining points go to me... i love fridays!!! (oh - and NO CHEATING!!!)

1. My voice is my passport. Verify me. - Sneakers (robyn)
2. Sorry, ____. I guess a more experienced shopper could have gotten more for your seven cents. - Stand By Me (amy)
3. There wasn't an F name in the Bible, so they named him Frankensense, because he smelled so sweet. - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (jennifer)
4. Ladies and gentlemen, please return your seats and tray-tables to their full upright positions, and extinguish all smoking material, as we're about to land in the red zone. Ahh! No survivors! - Space Camp (robyn)
5. Look at me ______, I'm the oldest 26 year old in the world. - Jerry Maguire (amy)
6. For a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. - Pride and Prejudice (robyn)
7. We're definitely locked in this box with no TV. - Rain Man (amy)
8. Oh, sugar, you just gone and done the dumbest thing in your whole life. - Sin City (amy)
9. You're a real woman of the world, kid. - The Journey of Natty Gann (robyn)
10. It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces. - Bridget Jones' Diary (amy)

happy birthday louis...

(The first picture is when we were little and we would play on our granddaddy's lawnmower... and the other one was taken a couple of years ago at a banquet...)

Today (for 10 more minutes in my time zone) is my baby brother's birthday... (no, i didn't forget - i called him 3 times today and sent him an e-card...) he's growing up... turned 23 today... the last time i was around for his birthday was in 2001... and it kind of got lost in the shuffle of 9/11...

but that's not the point... i think my brother is one of the most amazing people i've ever known... i love him to pieces... i appreciate his feedback... he sees through me, which isn't always fun, but i feel like he knows me... and i love that...

louis is one of the most positive people i've ever met... it's almost like it's fake or put-on... he always has something good to say... but it's not fake or put-on... he genuinely gets excited about what God is doing and being a part of it... he gets excited over the little things and big things alike... and he has a way of seeing the positive when it seems there are only negatives...

his get-up-and-go attitude is amazing... he is solution oriented, but his heart breaks when someone is in pain or suffering... which can be a bad thing... like when he has girls (not the right ones) swooning because he's just a nice guy... because he's kind to everyone...

but enough of the recommendation letter, which is what this post feels like... all of it is just to say that i love my brother very much and i'm very proud of him... distance has kind of damaged our friendship a little bit, i think... and that makes me sad... but it won't be long before we're back in the same time zone... and i can't wait...

happy birthday ben...

as i looked at the front page of imdb, i saw that today is ben savage's birthday...

and i was thinking... wow... he looks different than the little cory matthews i remember... and i always associated more with his older brother fred because of the wonder years... but fred is 4 years older than me and ben is just 9 months younger... weird... anyway, i was just taken aback by the picture and thought i'd post it as a random entry of the day... i'm working on a movie trivia/quote entry... it's been too long and i'm ready for another one...

but for now - happy 25th birthday, ben savage!!!

my "the most disturbing thing ever" moment from saturday night...

i've never been one to go gaa-gaa over male movie stars... i am kind of non-traditional when it comes to that stuff... i don't wish that orlando bloom or brad pitt would magically appear at my door... so, when i see movies starring "hot guys," i usually don't have an instant desire to go see them... i, of course, have exceptions to this... but for the most part, it's not me...

my friend erin is different...

we went to see the constant gardener with a couple of other friends on saturday night... i've decided that one of my favorite things about going to the movies is seeing previews... so, as the previews started playing, a couple caught my attention... the first being the preview for the new cusack movie that will come out towards the end of the year... i think i'll like it - it definitely has a pushing tin feel to it and less of his rom-com style... but doesn't look as funny as grosse pointe blank... so i don't know how much i'll love it, but fun to see the preview...

then the next/last preview pops up... the first scene of the preview is of jake gyllenhaal in a cowboy hat... it doesn't take long for heath ledger to pop up, also in a cowboy hat... erin is elated... two hot guys as cowboys? just her type of movie... so, to be supportive, i lean over and say, "okay... i'll go see it with you..." before she has a chance to ask...

we don't make it very long into the preview before our eyes turn to shock... did that really just happen? what???

before you go on reading, it would be better to watch the trailer... this page has some information about the movie as well as some still shots and the trailer...

erin can't figure out why they would have those two playing those roles... and it seems like this would ruin their careers, but maybe not... anne hathaway and michelle williams were cast as supporting roles... i like both of them, but i'm just not sure if i want to see it...

if you can't view the trailer or don't feel like it, i'll recap it below... but if at all possible, if you really want to appreciate the shock value erin and i experienced, it's better to see it for yourself...

this is from imdb.com - the plot summary...
A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 sheepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted.

which puts it so mildly... about 3 seconds into the trailer, you see the two young male stars lean in for their first kiss...

there's a great part of the trailer where ledger pulls a shirt out of the closet, holds it up to his nose and then hugs it - such a girl thing to do...

at this point, it's just too much for us to take... it's starting to get funny... and there are a few lines that we're just too funny... one is:

said by jake's character to heath's character - "i wish i knew how to quit you..."

and...

(this is the best/weirdest one) said by randy quaid who plays the sheriff (i'm guessing sheriff) -
"You boys sure found a way to make the time pass up there."

gross... but at this point, we just started laughing... i even snorted... and then, finally, we get to see the name of it... "brokeback mountain" - which just seems even funnier... (what's great is the two guys we were with thought, at first, that it was called "bareback mountain," so they're laughing too...)

erin missed the part with the shirt, so she wanted to watch the trailer last night, so i had to watch it again with her... and it's still as disturbing the second (and third, she missed it the second time, too...) time... so weird...

oh - and a point of trivia about it off of imdb.com

According to reports, Heath Ledger nearly broke co-star Jake Gyllenhaal's nose while filming a kissing scene.

just trying something out...

i wanted to see if it was possible for me to email my
entries in... this could be a cool feature for me to
share with one of my coworkers wanting to start a blog
- if others had the email address, they wouldn't have
to have access to blogger - only to email and it would
make it easier for them to post... hmmm... let's see
if it works...

(it does work... it just took me going in and publishing it... so that's a fun new thing that i probably won't ever use... but it's good to know about it... )

tagged...

i also don't normally do stuff like this, but I was tagged by amy to continue the game, so i must.

what I was doing...
10 years ago (1995) i was a sophomore in high school... my school was 10th-12th grade, so i had just started at little rock central high... and i loved it... i was in journalism and communications, which were my favorite things... i got involved with the drama/debate crowd and wore really weird clothes... and i had a crush on a guy named patrick that i ended up going out with a couple of times (very informally)... and i was really involved with my youth group at church...

5 years ago(2000) i had just started my junior year of college... i moved into the cute little yellow house on church street and starting interning with the youth group at my church that spring... it was my first year singing with the bcm ensemble 'new creation' - my brother started at asu that year... i worked at the pharmacy and other than weird roommate stuff, it was one of the best years...

yesterday (9/10) i got up early (for me on a saturday) and went to help my friend move into her new apartment. then i went to a baby shower, worked for about 4 hours, came home, made a t-shirt, and went to see the constant gardener...

5 snacks I enjoy: chocolate (almost anything), strawberries, cheddar peppers (from sonic), olive oil and rosemary triscuits, and reduced fat wheat thins

5 songs I know all the words to: all for love - color me badd, let's get it on - marvin gaye, girls just wanna have fun - cindy lauper, whip it - divo, bohemian rhapsody - queen... i was trying to think of fun stuff...

5 things I would do with 100 million dollars: pay off my (and my family) debt, start high five ministries, buy new stuff - mac, camera, car, furniture, tv, etc..., take people i love on a big vacation and put the rest in savings...

5 places I would run away to: the northwest (when i don't live here anymore), charleston, new york, england, africa

5 things I would never wear: gold jewelry, mini-skirt, fur, anything that says "princess" or "spoiled" on it, midriff shirts...

5 tv shows that I love: gilmore girls, friends, lost, freeks and geeks, the real world (as much as i hate to admit it)

5 bad habits: not wearing my seat belt, speeding, procrastinating, not keeping my apartment clean, spending money

5 biggest joys: God, my family and friends, movies and music (a great melody and/or tight harmony), laughter, starbucks

5 favorite toys: cell phone, dvds, camera, laptop, eyelash curler

4 people I'm tagging: sorry about this...but i'm chosing... louis, marie, beth and/or buck, chad and any one else that reads this can play the game. just copy and paste...then keep on tagging

i've been waiting... and now you're here, dear friend...

fall has officially arrived in the northwest... as we left the movies this evening, there was a definite chill in the air... and it was misty-rainy today... the air smells different... and it's time to add an extra layer of clothing and pull the covers up tight... and i may think about closing the windows and my sliding glass door for the first time in 3 months...

i love fall... it's my favorite season of all... and i love fall in the northwest... i'm glad i get this season here before i move... i'm looking forward to it... but right now i'm really just looking forward to going to bed... i may write a more extensive post on my love affair with fall in the northwest at a later point... and i will also write my thoughts on the movie the constant gardener, as well as my preliminary thoughts on some previews i saw tonight - one being the new john cusack movie - ice harvest... and another one being the weirdest thing ever... but i don't want to give it away just yet... but for now... it's time for sleep... limited sleep... i can't believe i signed up to help with set-up at church... darn conviction... and i can't believe it's 1:54 in the morning...

i hear you calling, lovely bed... i'm on my way... (yes, amy, i realize i am a weird person - but i'm a weird person you're going to be roommates with in a short time)

check this out...

my story is on namb.net - how exciting... with all the craziness of katrina, i didn't know if my story would get shoved to the back, unforgotten... evidently the guy didn't forget... now i'm one step closer to famous... :)

it's just really exciting to me...

Thursday! It can't be! It's too gruesome!

This week, a big chunk of the staff have been at a staff meeting about 30 minutes away... right now, there are only 6 of us, and i'm the only one left in my corner of the world... it's extremely quiet... and i am not extremely motivated... so i'm turning on some music and getting some work done... and then i'm going home... i wish it was friday...

what will i do with the other 11 if i don't like it?

so, lately, my drink of choice has been diet cherry coke... i don't like cherry flavored anything except diet cherry coke... i like diet coke and diet coke with lime... and so i started wondering if i would like other diet drinks, too... and i was thinking that diet cherry vanilla dr. pepper has the longest name of any drink... and then i was wondering if i would like it...

so i ask amy if she likes it and i tell her that i've been thinking about trying it... but i tell her that i don't want to buy a whole 12 pack because if i don't like it, i'm stuck with a whole bunch extra... and i don't want to waste them... and i really thought, i'll just wait until january when we live together... when she clues me in to the obvious... i can just go to the gas station and buy a can or bottle... i seriously would have never come up with that... thanks, amy, for being smarter than me...

trying to figure out where i am...

after reading a blog entry recently, i discovered that not all people think like me... i know, that must come as a shock...

i've been trying to wrap my head around some church stuff lately... trying to grasp this argument and movement of the emerging church - and why some are so dead set against it... i spent a big chunk of my morning looking up articles on baptist press and back issues of our paper where there are some articles about emerging church, reading a couple of blogs and websites... i still don't have a clear answer... but i think i've discovered a couple of things...

i hate the terms conservative and liberal (and moderate for that matter)... i hate the way of thinking that puts labels on people and says, "this is who you are because you're a conservative (or a liberal)..." some might enjoy it and find comfort in their label... i do not... i hate to be categorized into certain sub-groups... what makes our christian subculture any different than high school with our cliques and segregated lunchrooms (churches)?

i do understand that on some level, it is good to understand where one is coming from in a discussion... it helps when i know where someone is theologically, however, if i know that, i immediately assume things about that person that may or may not be true... cameron (my boss) and i have talked about the assumptions we (naturally) bring to the table when talking with people from work... there are definite assumptions that i'm sure everyone has in my office about each other... those assumptions could range from lifestyle choices to voting habits to theological stances... i think that many of the people in my office have fallen into the same trap i have in thinking that "everyone thinks like me" when that may not be true...

back to the bigger issue at hand... the thing i hate most is the "good ol' boy" system... it gets talked about so often among my peers about my office... and the bigger system as well (sbc)... and i wish that i could argue with it... i wish it wasn't true... but there is definitely this good ol' boy system in place... it seriously makes me want to throw up... it reminds me of a college fraternity or high school football team where you have to be in the "in crowd" in order to get ahead... and everyone who meets the approval of the "good ol' boys" is fine, as long as they continue to play by the rules...

i don't want to be a part of it... ironically, i work in the middle of it... and yet, there are people who would love to be a part of it and who would give their "eye teeth" as my grandma would say, to get in... if only they could crack the "good ol' boy" code and get in it, they would be set... when did following Jesus Christ require the entry into the "good ol' boy" system? "follow Me and I will make you a good ol' boy." i don't think that's exactly what Jesus had in mind... and yet, that's the system in place...

i don't mean to criticize all pastors or convention employees... as much as i hate the labels, i guess i have now put a label on many who don't deserve it... in general, this is what i see going on... arguments about whether a pastor is justified in his attempts to lead a church by using means that may or may not be the norm... whether the "experience" of Christ in a worship service is as valid as a 45-minute sermon from the book of Leviticus... whether a clip from a movie or a secular song containing an application point that could be relevant to today's culture is acceptable...

(disclaimer: here's another little sarcastic side note...) i guess we should just shut ourselves in from the culture... don't talk to non-christians except while holding a tract... and don't you dare send your kids to public school... or compartmentalize our lives so much that our christian life (including church, personal devotion time and prayer) is separate from other aspects of our lives... so the two should never overlap... and maybe we should have hats that tell which aspect we're in each second of the day... when i go to see a movie, i'll wear my "culture/movie hat" and when i'm at work, i'll wear my "working hat" and when i'm at church, i'll wear my "Jesus hat" - but don't expect me to talk about Jesus when i'm working or going to a movie... and kick me out of the church if i talk about movies or culture when i'm at church... because that's "Jesus hat" time...

then there's a whole different world with the spiritual/secular tension when it comes to culture and what's appropriate in church, etc... i won't attempt to battle that giant today... i just felt like journaling some preliminary thoughts on a debate that is seemingly prevalent in my world at the moment...

good for the soul...

(in the picture: kristy, mary, me and bobbie)
tonight i got to hang out with my dear friend mary... one of the things i love about mary is that she is one of the few people i've been around in my lifetime who is a natural, normal friend... i know i can be completely me around mary and not feel like i have to be something different... she loves me the way i am... and the feeling is mutual... i don't have to perform, pretend or apologize... when we're around each other, we pick up from where we left off... i haven't seen her in 9 months, and it felt like it had just been a few weeks... i like who i am when i'm around mary... i love the way she puts people at ease...

a group of us went to joe's crab shack... and i was a little sad that it was a big group of people, because, in all honesty, my favorite times spent with mary are one-on-one over a great cup of coffee sitting and talking about anything and everything...

luckily, after the crowd died down, we did escape - and went to starbucks and got two non-fat chais and talked and watched people... it was refreshing... it was wonderful... i miss her being in my life all the time - close enough for a cup of coffee...

the excitement continues...

i got a phone call from now-pittsburgh-friend mary today... she was on her way to rob's and then rob is taking her to the airport to fly here for the weekend... she's doing wedding stuff, so i won't really get to see her very much, but we're going out to dinner with another friend of hers on saturday night and i may hang out with her some on saturday afternoon, depending on her schedule...

in just a little while i should have plane ticket reservations for homecoming in october... hopefully there will be some fun bcm alumni who have connections in nashville that can help me get a job... plus, it will be a fun time to hang out with friends i haven't seen in a long time... by that time, it will be a year and a half since i've been to arkansas... my dad is so gracious to pay for my plane tickets... and i won't have to rent a car, because my fun, awesome little brother will be driving me from lr to j-town and back...

but now i have to get back to work... i can't believe it's september 1!!!