The Barbie Song

I went and saw K.C. Clifford at The Blue Door last night. She's a local singer-songwriter that is very talented. I highly recommend you all look her up. (A couple of her CDs are on iTunes)

She has one "silly" song that she sings at almost every show that is always a crowd favorite. She mentioned last night that she'd put up a version of it on You Tube.....so now I am able to share with you the famous Barbie Song. Enjoy!

20 Things To Love About My Father

1. He loves me no matter what.

2. He once listened to me agonize over my love for one of the New Kids on the Block for over an hour in the car. (I was 11 or 12 and sadly I cannot remember which one I was so much in love with)-- and he never laughed at me once. He listened patiently the whole time while I explained that this person (whoever he was) and I were soul mates but I just knew we'd never meet and that our love would never be.

3. He is one of the wisest people I know.

4. He always made me feel like my opinions and thoughts were important. (If you've ever wished I would shut up about my opinions....blame him)

5. He put my mom to sleep on their first date....and STILL managed to get a second date.

6. He bought a wet suit off of Ebay and is still wearing it 4 years later. And that wet suit gave birth to "Cool Pool Man".....who shall live on in the minds of his grandkids for years to come.

7. He is the most generous person I know.

8. He has an addiction to cottage cheese.

9. He drove a light blue Chevy Malibu that was longer than most boats for most of my childhood.

10. He works unbelievably hard to make a difference in the lives of nearly everyone he meets.

11. Even if he doesn't really watch TV, I suspect that he passed on to me my predilection for Sci-Fi.

12. He may not always get why I'm doing what I'm doing-- but he always supports me anyway.

13. He has never asked me why I'm not married (though he has tried to play matchmaker a time or two which is always disturbing)

14. The family now has a legend about the year that dad quit competing with our neighbor over hanging up Christmas lights. Instead he just hung up some chicken wire and used Christmas lights to make a sign that said "DITTO" with an arrow pointing next door. I still can't believe we didn't take a picture.

15. He gives me free medical advice (and tests)......and even puts up with me when I ignore it.

16. I've never seen anyone give more unconditional love and respect and care for a parent than him.

17. The look on his face when he gets together with his brother. I think of it has his "little brother" look because I only see it when Uncle Mike is around.

18. When I first confessed to my parents that I had a blog, his response was "I knew it! I knew you had one of those things!"

19. When someone called the house a few weeks ago at 2am with a wrong number and then asked him to look up the right number for whoever they were calling-- he actually got out the phone book and tried to find it. Seriously. Who does that?

20. He was and is the best dad ever!

Happy Father's Day Dad! I love you!

Maybe I Can Save You Some Money

I don't usually bother with movie reviews-- but today, I feel the need to branch out and give you all a warning. What has caused me to feel this need? Well, this afternoon I went and saw a little movie called The Happening. Admittedly, M. Night Shamalyan (I have no idea if that is really how you spell that) has had some rough movies in the past-- but I always still held an affection for him because of The Sixth Sense (a movie that actually surprised me-- a rare feat) and Unbreakable.

Well, I'm here to tell you that he has beaten that affection into the ground and then stomped on it for good measure with this movie. It was the perfect storm of bad acting, atrocious writing, cringe inducing piety and just silly directing. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that 5 minutes into the movie watching Mark Wahlberg, I turned to my friend and said "What is wrong with him? Why is he talking like that?". I've seen him in other things.....it isn't as if he can't act. So I don't know what happened in this movie. And it was like a virus that spread to everyone around him. Pretty soon everyone was at the acting ability of your average 8th grader.

By the time we were 15 minutes in, I couldn't stop laughing. I spent most of the movie with my hand either over my eyes to block the silly goriness of the movie or over my mouth so as not to disturb others with my giggles.

There are no words for how bad this movie was. Seriously.

Thought of the Day

There is something seriously wrong when you find yourself envying the baby-soft smoothness of your brother-in-law's feet.

The Business World

Sometimes in my life as a pretend adult I run into problems. Today, the issue was this: How do you respond to a blatantly false (and idiot) "business" email? What do you say when you ask someone for an explanation about something and the response they give you is so ridiculously stupid and obviously untrue as to be laughable? If I weren't pretending to be an adult, I would simply hit "reply" and say the following:

LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE


Unfortunately, life as a "professional" is a bit more prohibitive than life as a 10 year old.

Some Surprising & Random Facts

*The bus that American Airlines puts you on when they cancel your flight from Chicago to Milwaukee actually makes a stop at the Iron Skillet in Racine on the way.

*I have now kept multiple plants alive for a whole week!

*I'm no longer sure that Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Jane Austen novel.

*The movie Deep Impact almost always makes me cry (you may not think this is surprising, but some people I know don't think I EVER cry)

*I don't like Kevin Costner.

*If I ever won a contest that had a "walk down the red carpet at a Hollywood Premier" as the grand prize, I'd give it to Katie. You couldn't pay me to do that.

*I am 98% sure that I am over my crush on Orlando Bloom

Spelling Bees are Addictive

Songs In Your Head

He went away and you hung around
And bothered me, every night
And when I wouldn't go out with you
You said things that weren't very nice

My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble
You see him comin' better cut out on the double
You been spreading lies that I was untrue
So look out now cause he's comin' after you

He's been gone for such a long time
Now he's back and things'll be fine
You're gonna be sorry you were ever born
Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong

My boyfriend's back he's gonna save my reputation
If I were you I'd take a permanent vacation

Yeah, my boyfriend's back
Look out now, yeah, my boyfriend's back
I could see him comin'
So you better get a runnin'



So I woke up with this song in my head this morning. I have NO idea why.....but that's not the sad part. The sad part is after the 4th or 5th time of singing it in my head, I started to wonder. What if her boyfriend DOESN'T believe her? She's so confident he's going to save her reputation-- but why is she so absolutely sure? I kind of wish there had been a follow up song so we'd know. I mean, did he kick this guy's tail or what? And for that matter-- where did this boyfriend GO for "such a long time"?

I find the whole thing very suspicious.

Tomorrow Is Another Day

And so we come to the end of my pledge to post every day in the month of May......please, please contain your cheers. It has been an interesting time of bonding for me and my blog. I have officially posted more this month than I did in all of 2006!! (No cracks about quantity vs quality, please). I have to say it was kind of freeing being obligated to post SOMETHING every day because it gave me an excuse to post just about any little thing that flitted through my head. Before, when I just posted sporadically-- it kind of weirdly gave it this pressure....like if I was only going to post once a month, then I should at least make it worth it. (Of course, that can all go off into a tangent addressing the fact that keeping a blog in general is not exactly rocket science.....or as we like to say at work "We're not exactly saving lives here!" Sadly, that is not a claim that my dad, or brother, or Erin can make!)

Anyway--this post isn't really funny or profound-- but more of a thanks for you guys bothering to check in with me on most days and taking the time to comment. It is nice to know people are out there, you know? And in a weird way, it is like talking to my friends, family, and a few complete strangers on a daily basis!

I guess I'll just end it by saying this little exercise has definitely converted me into the post more than a couple of times a month camp. I probably won't make it every day in June (if for no other reason-- it doesn't rhyme!)-- but I have decided my general rule of thumb is going to be at least 4 posts a week from now on.

So the randomness and stupidity isn't going anywhere. Aren't you happy?

The Awesomeness That Happened Today

I went to my favorite restaurant today for lunch. As it was SUPER crowded, Jini and I went to sit in the bar area. After the waitress took our drink orders (I ordered a Diet Coke for the record), she turned and asked me something-- but the place was so crowded and loud that I had no idea what she said. So I just looked at her blankly and said "Uhm, what?"

And then she repeated herself and I heard her hilarious and wonderful question:

"Are you 21, miss?"


Is that not just the best question ever? All for sitting in the bar area......

The Golden Bullseye Awards

Welcome ladies and gentleman to this evening's special Golden Bullseye awards. This special award ceremony is the first of its kind, endeavoring to honor the wide variety of patrons that can be found at the Target by my house.


The I Really Hope That One of You Just Got Home From Serving Your Country Overseas Because Otherwise that PDA is Completely Inexcusable Award goes to....


The Couple in the Deodorant Aisle, and then the Pen Aisle, and then the Kitchenware section! Congrats! You guys really explored the store tonight and yet probably didn't see any of it!




The You Made Me Do A Double Take Because You Are the Spitting Image of Britney Spears Award goes to.....


The girl working the dressing room. It is truly amazing I was able to spot your likeness to Ms Spears under the piles and pile and PILES of clothes that had not yet been put away.



The You're Deluding Yourself by Trying on That Dress AGAIN Because You Still Don't Have the Body of a Ballet Dancer and That's The Only Person Who Would Look Good in it Award goes to......


Me! (Is it cheating for the judge to award themselves a prize?)



The You're Pushing Your Luck By Insisting On Both Wrapping Your Arm Around the Guy You Are With AND Putting Your Hand In His Back Pocket Because His Pants Already Look Like They Are Holding On For Dear Life & His Belt Has Seen Better Days Award goes to.......

The Woman from the PDA couple award! Two in one night! Impressive!



The I Don't Know if You Were Hitting On Me or If You Were Just That Excited About the Slightly Inappropriate Father's Day Cards You Were Finding and Just Had to Read Them Out Loud to Me and Then Try to Bond Over Target's Greeting Card Selection Award goes to.......

The Strange Middle-Aged Man in the Greeting Card Aisle!



And now we come to our final award of the evening......

The Why Are You Glaring At Me Because I Noticed There Were Only 2 People in the Next Aisle Over and Moved Over Since You Were Waiting in Line Behind at Least 5 People For No Apparent Reason and it REALLY Isn't Cutting, Sir Award goes to......

The Stern and Unhappy Man who was inexplicably waiting in a long line with his loaf of bread! Congrats!!

Nathan the Prophet of Israel was a what?

So I took a personality test that declared me to be an "INFJ". If you are like me and have no idea what that means-- here are the highlights:


"INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers."


So far so good, right? Well, read on:



"They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people... On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates.".....at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. "


See! There's a REASON I revert into hermit mode every couple of months!



"As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type."


I'm both misunderstood AND rare. They might as well just come right out and call me an ENIGMA. You know they want to.


"INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil."


It is like I'm SANTA!





I could go on and on since I'm sure you're all enthralled with hearing all about me and my personality-- but my favorite part of the test was the part where they tell you the "famous INFJs through history".

First of all we have Michael Landon, Billy Crystal, and Carrie Fisher.
Not excited for me yet?
Okay, how about Chaucer and Mother Teresa?
No?

Alright-- you are making me pull out the big guns: Nathan, Prophet of Israel. That's right, people. Nathan the prophet! He's not just any prophet. He's the one who called King David out on his behavior with a certain lady whose name rhymes with Dathbeeba. (At least I think he is. I could be getting my prophets confused again. It HAS been known to happen)


And now my question becomes: How the heck do they know what personality test profile fits an ancient prophet of Israel?

May's Musical Selections

I haven't done this one for awhile-- but as we're nearing the end of the month of daily posts (whew!) and I'm running out of ideas, we're returning to a classic.

So I now present to you my Song List for May 2008:



"Comfort" by Deb Talan
My friend Erin gets the credit for introducing me to Deb Talan. Her lyrics are creepy yet comforting: creepy because it seems that someone dug into your brain and decided to put your innermost thoughts and insecurities to a pretty tune and comforting because they let you realize that yes, someone else DOES feel that way too.


Ache by James Carrington
The kind of song that makes girls wish they could enchant a musician just so he would write songs likes this about them.


Rhumboogie by The Andrews Sisters
Listen to this while cleaning your house and just try not to have a LITTLE fun. Go on. I dare you.


Back To Me by Kathleen Edwards
As a nice girl I really shouldn't like this song.....but alas, I really I do.


Windows and Walls by Jules Sheer with Patty Griffin
This song is weird. Jules Sheer really has kind of a creepy voice-- but when Patty Griffin comes in with her harmony, it is IMPOSSIBLE not to sing along. I'm sure if I were musical I would be able to tell you the special name for why the harmony is weird but beautiful-- but I'm not. So I'll just tell you to listen to it and enjoy.


Blush by Plumb
This is such a "WB" kind of song, I shouldn't really recommend it (wait-- did I just age myself? Should I have said "The CW" there?)-- but that would just be pretending that I'm not the kind of 31 year old that still gets into shows about teenagers. And I think we all know that is EXACTLY the kind of girl I am.


Look Away by Chicago
I can't hear this song without performing it melodramatically...... (this and "You're the Inspiration"). I also can't listen to Chicago without thinking of the road trip I took with "the girls" in Oregon. Nothing beats driving down the coast with 5 girls singing at the top of their lungs getting just about every other word right. "Look Away, baby....LOOK AWAY"


We Could Be Together by Debbie Gibson (campfire mix)
That's right. I said the CAMPFIRE MIX. (that is very important) If you doubt my love for this song, then you just need to check with my friend Bobby whom I once subjected to a performance of it on the way back from IHOP. I think his silent staring meant he was thoroughly impressed. (In fact, listening to it while typing this I broke out into another rendition of it-- this song will not be denied!)


We Are Man and Wife by Michelle Featherstone
Is it wrong to want to have a wedding just so I can play this song in it? No? I didn't think so.


E-Pro by Beck
A great work out song. (At least it would be if I -- well, you know-- actually worked out....but I have it prepped and ready to go on my iPod in case the mood strikes)


Patricide by Hans Zimmer (Gladiator Soundtrack)
Funny story-- I was making my dad a mix CD a year or so ago and I had this song on there. It was only at the last minute I realized what the name of the song was and why it might be a bad idea to put it on a CD for my FATHER. But it is still beautiful.

The World Through The Eyes of an 8 Year Old: Part 2

I know I'm biased-- but Anna's really got an interesting eye when she takes pictures. (Although in the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that I picked these out of the well over 100 pictures she took on my camera....thank goodness for digital cameras and large memory cards!)

The World Through The Eyes of an 8 Year Old (with additional photography by a 7 year old and a 6 year old)

Meet The Photographers

Very Sweet & Unintentionally Funny Quote of the Day

While playing water balloon volleyball this morning, my dad picked up water balloon that had been filled to the brim (by me-- I like them bigger while my Dad kept making "hand grenades"-- it was an ongoing disagreement) and said "This one's for Sarah! It is big and beautiful!"

That was when Eli (my 9 year old nephew) chimed in: "Just like Aunt Sarah!"

I couldn't stop laughing after that.

I Know It Is All In My Head

My parents live in a fairly small town where they know a LOT of people. When they are out with all their grandkids in tow, it is a lot of fun for them to show them off. But whenever I am here and the actual parents (my siblings) of the grandkids are not .....and we meet someone who doesn't know the family well enough to know that I'm not an only child, I sometimes feel as though I must look like the most fertile single mother ever to hit this town.

Quote of the Day

Today we took the kids to a space museum not too far from my parent's house. Standing underneath one of the "retired" shuttle/rockets they have outside, Meredith whispered to me-- "I think I can hear the cry of all the souls that lost their lives on this vessel" (Yes, she is 7 and YES dramatics apparently run in the family)

I looked at her with momentary confusion and then tried to reassure her that no one had lost their lives on that particular shuttle-- and then I asked if maybe she was just hearing the cry of all of the souls who had WORKED on the shuttle. She scrunched up her forehead and said "Well, I don't know. But I do hear an "Ahhhhhh!" coming from it"

Getting All Fancy

We are coming upon a tricky time in my grand mission to post every day this month. This is because starting on Thursday, I will officially be at Camp Cousin 2008 which will make having the energy to update daily difficult. Some of you are familiar with this family event of mine-- but for the rest of you: basically it is all of my parent's grandkids convening at their house for the weekend without their parents. I'm the "activity director" (whatever that means). So, I'll be in Kansas until Sunday-- but hopefully I will be able to update you all on the craziness as it happens.

I'm SURE you are super excited to hear stories about children you don't know! (with the exception of my sister who is probably reading this....of course you DO know your own children as well as your nieces and nephew.....hope you're enjoying your Scrapbooking!)

Here's a pic of the inaugural Camp Cousin 2 years ago:





The getting all fancy part comes in because I am pre-writing this post and scheduling it to be posted tomorrow. I have no idea if this will work, but I guess we shall see!


And just so this isn't all about my family, I present to you your random fact of the day:


Today I got stuck in traffic behind an SUV that had a license plate that read "HLYSPRT". And I seriously spent several minutes trying to figure out what the Holy Sport could possibly be. Not my proudest moment.

Oh The Books I Start & Never Finish

So there are lots and lots (and LOTS) of "books" I've started writing that I've never finished. The one I probably got the farthest on, though, was a guide for single Christian women. (I know, I know-- a little presumptious of me) I started writing it after a wretched year of church visiting in Oregon looking for a "singles" group. I was in my mid 20s and thoroughly fatigued of the issue of feeling out of place. Anyway-- I wrote several chapters that I might get around to posting on here someday since most of it won't ever see the light of day otherwise.

This little blurb I found tonight amused me because it sent me back to a thousand conversations I've had with friends starting in high school and beyond. And you know what? It is as true now as it was when I was 16! So without further ado......



Your Friend Who Is A Boy Is Not Your Boyfriend

I don't think I have a single female friend in my life who hasn't had a visit from the Maybe Man. Sometimes he lasts a few months, sometimes he stays for years. But no matter the length of his stay, I've come to view the Maybe Man as a rite of passage for today's woman.

Now who is this Maybe Man, you ask? Actually, I think 90% of you know exactly who is he is. But for you other 10% (you lucky, lucky 10%), I'll explain.

The Maybe Man is that guy in your life who always seems to be dancing along that friendship/something more line but can never quite decide where he wants to land. Some days you're convinced he's more than a friend, some days you aren't. Sometimes he acts like a jealous boyfriend, sometimes he could care less if you are still on the planet.

He's the guy in your life about whom you are never sure how you feel because you're too busy trying to figure out how he feels about you.

The problem with Maybe Men is that they are almost always good guys at heart (at least today I think they are, tomorrow I just might think they are Satan's toadies) who just can't seem to get their act together when it comes to one woman: you.

And the absolute worst part about it is that because nothing is ever said directly (really, what would you say? “I know you must like me because you've called me every night this week!), so you are never quite sure if it was all in your head.