Cue Julie Andrews

My Favorites:

Car: Volvo V70

Sports Team: The Chicago Bears

Shoes: Born

Eggs: Over easy (the better for dipping my pancake in, or eating my asparagus Milanois)

Actors: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Kevin Spacey, Paul Newman, Robert Duvall, Ryan Gosling, Gary Sinise, Johnny Depp, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslett

Directors: Michel Gondry, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Sofia Coppola

Cinematographer: Conrad Hall

Country Songwriter: Hank Williams

Country Singers: Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash

Crooner: Bing Crosby

Interpreter of the American Songbook: Tony Bennett

Jazz Diva: Ella Fitzgerald

Singer Songwriters: James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Denver, Ben Taylor, Sufjan Stevens

Beatle: Paul

President: Harry S Truman (the S doesn't stand for anything to placate both sides of the family)

Region of the Country: Midwest, Second is the Great Plains

State: Illinois

Month: March

Adornment Metal: Silver

British Country: Wales

Scandinavian Country: Sweden

Antipode: New Zealand

Italian Region: Tuscany

Miscellaneous European Region: Bohemia

Present Wrapping: Brown paper tied up with string

Sports: Football, Wrestling, Rugby

Beer: a Baltic Porter

Cheese: Muenster

Grain: Oat

Dessert: puddings (rice, bread, and chocolate)

Candy Bar: Snickers because "Happy peanuts soar over chocolate covered mountain tops and waterfalls of caramel. Prancing nougat in the meadow sings a song of satisfaction to the world."

Soft Drink: Barq's Rootbeer

Meat: Lamb (baby lamb isn't complex enough in flavor)

Country flag: Sardinia

Dave Grohl band: Foo Fighters

Shakespeare Play: Hamlet

Shakespeare Character: Iago

Short Story: Bartleby the Scrivener

Novella: Apt Pupil

Novel: The Music of Chance (fell in love with this as a film first)

Epic length Novel: The World According to Garp (was not impressed with the film, glad I read the book first)

Psychological Thriller: Fight Club

Romance: Meet Joe Black

Hymn: Abide With Me

Predator: Jaguar (I'm partial to their automobile styling too)

German Car: Mercedes-Benz

Musical: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Coffee: Strong with one lump sugar

Food Network Show: Good Eats with Alton Brown

Fake News Show: The Colbert Report

Dramatic Serial: Lost

Comedy: The Office

NFL Network Show: America's Game

Baseball Team: Minnesota Twins

Hockey Team: Detroit Redwings

Big XII Football: Nebraska Cornhuskers

PAC-10 Football: Arizona Wildcats

Big East Football: Rutgers

Big Ten Football: Michigan, followed by Wisconsin

A Pirate's Life for Me

So the first Thursday night Beanbags and Rhubarb was a smashing failure. I grew impatient after playing two games against myself (I won both.) and followed the true desire of my heart at 7:15: At World's End. The 8:00 and 8:01 showings at The Grand were sold out when I got there, so alone and flexible, I got a ticket for the 9:00 showing. This gave me an hour and forty minutes to occupy before the trailers started.

First I went to Ivanna Cone for a large dish of two scoops of Ginger-Lemongrass, Rootbeer, and E.D.G.A.R. (created by children at an elementary school, it is milk chocolate ice cream with pieces of fudge brownies and chocolate chip cookie dough.) As I was crossing 8th street for IC, I saw Ben Yancer turning north onto the selfsame street. At Ivanna Cone I read the dictionary as I'm wont and got the note from Angela, Katie, and Ben wishing me enjoyment while I ate ice cream and read the book in which the note was. I'll talk about the stuff I learned from my reading in my Word Hoard web log.

After a good twenty minutes at Ivanna Cone I went to see if they'd started seating for the movie. They had not. So I perused Homer's for a while (the downtown Homer's will be closing May 26th.) then went to Bennett Martin to get something to read for my wait for the film to start. My eyes landed upon The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation by David Kamp. After reading the preface, it looks to be a good book and nice companion to the other book about food I'm reading now.

This brings me back to the theatre with about thirty minutes to spare. My recent acquistion at the library started a conversation ("What's that you're reading?") with a former Hastings High Math teacher that instructed Dr. Ryan Wells' daughters. Our conversation also allowed me to mention my new interest in quinoa and my blubarb pie.

The movie was excellent. I really liked it. I'm very glad I went to it. And I'll go again if the situation is right. I recommend it, even if you haven't seen either of the first two.

"Owning a Barnyard Animal Isn't as Easy as It Looks"

I woke at 3:45 this morning, which worked out alright because my sister was also insomniacking. Fortunately, these mind-gloaming hours allow one to tap that subconscious, so to speak.

Apparently I spend a lot of time in my web log community because my subconscious was rocking the poetry type stuff (see Angela and Katie's recent posts). Katie's post particularly spoke to me. I was wanting to add a comment to say how much the ocean meant to me, but I've only been to each of America's oceans once, and only single digits in age at that. The other idea that was floating in my mind was my disdain
for a lyric in a praise song, something about God's love being closer than the ocean to the shore.

Here's what some amalgamating got me, one simile:

as close as the tide

The phrase "as close as the tide to the sand" (scroll to bottom of page for pertinence) was used to describe Blaine and Barbie's relationship over three years ago, but I'd like to think I wasn't influence by that in any form.

What I like about the phrase is its Janus-like qualities. It is always there but always changing too. I know I'm not a poet, but I had to fill the last two hours with something besides music video watching, so I blogged about it.

I'm going to have a post soon about a few of my favorite things, so start thinking about your favorite things too: colors, way to prepare eggs, type of meat/analog, car, actors, sports teams/athletes, films, directors, music artists, and other stuff too. I think the post might actually be a lot of my favorite things.

Just sharing that I discovered who was singing a cool song in the recent Puma commercials: Mazarin. I have the song on my Space if you want to check it out.

Now that it is 6:07 and day light, I'm gonna go running.

It's an Orangy Sky *

Today at first service, Tom Nazarenus gave the message, because he is in town to give the Baccalaureate address for the CVA graduation ceremonies. The message was titled 1,2,3,4 . . . because that is sometimes how many times it takes us to answer God's call. He provided examples of different people in the Bible who were called by God: Peter, Saul, Moses, Noah, and Samuel (It was the fourth time that God called Samuel that he responded.). Tom then mentioned that while at the academy kids would tell him that they felt called by God, but that they didn't know to what. Tom made the point that God calls us to follow Him--everything else will work itself out. [For those who know/care about Tom and his wife Lisa, they are moving soon to TN where she will be a licensed practitioner nurse in her father's practice.]

Then Pastor Keith Jacobson got up and said that the rumours of his departure were true. He and his family will be taking the pastorate in the Carmichael church in Sacramento, CA, a position he had rejected twice before. In January, his wife said that if No. Cal. asked again they should take a look because her mother is getting older and it would be good to be closer to her. In February, that third call came. Also in consideration of family, the Jacobson's son Zach said that he would move back home if they went to Sacramento. There you have it.

Last night I went to a concert by the LoCash Cowboys. They were very entertaining and diverse in their efforts. They covered Violent Femmes, Sublime, Prince, Lipps Co., Kool and the Gang, Def Leppard, Michael Jackson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama, Charlie Daniels Band, The Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, Steve Miller Band, and others I'm forgetting. Their own songs were also entertaining.

* Lyric from a Cars song, Bye Bye Love, that I could never decipher before. Another nice line is "with your eyes of porcelain and blue."

Some Names and A Reason I Gave to Smile

Aridorkis Maldonado

Cwilla Kincaid

Dientje Jeltema

The juvenile side of me likes Aridorkis, the Welsh side--Cwilla, and the Baltic side Dientje.

In my abcedarian personal profile, for R-reasons to smile, I put "private observations of irony." Now I share one of those.

The Engel Hall men's restroom on the first floor is second only to the Jorgensen Hall men's restroom in my ranking of men's restrooms on the Union College Campus.

The Engel Hall restroom has a great sink and a couple great urinals. The other night after Eric Robison's senior guitar recital, I was there and found Renown at the bottom of each of those urinals. The little red strainer mats proudly said Renown in white letters. I thought this was a funny place to find renown, but the L-rd keeps us humble.

Let It Linger

Today I stayed when I planned to go. It was good.

I started the day attending first service at College View Church because Mark Robison was giving the sermon for first service and the Baccalaureate address for second service, and I didn't want to fight for a seat then. So I enjoyed his message and chatted with Terri Krovoza after the service before Sabbath School. I stayed for SS for some reason. Then after Sabbath School I had a good seat with plenty of room. I was curious about the page Mark cut out of his first service message because of time constraints and there was going to be more music for second service. So when I went to get a drink after SS I saw Klaralyn and invited her to join me in my prime real estate. So I stayed from 9:15 to 1:30 when I planned to stay only til 10:30. This helped me to synthesize more of Mark's message and spend some time with Klara.

Then after some Sabbath afternoon "lay activities" (napping), I joined the others at Ivanna Cone. I had Maple Grapenut, Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookie, and the much anticipated Honey Sesame. They also had a Lychee Mandarin that was popular with others but not myself as much. After enjoying ice cream, I was invited to Bashley's for games and said yes.

I got there at 9:45. We played Catchphrase for a good while. After the sensible folk called it a night Ben and Ben and Tyler and I played a Cheapass Game called U.S. Patent Number 1. It was a fun game that took 90 minutes to play both times we partook. Then we convinced Tyler to stay a while longer and play Kill Dr. Lucky, another Cheapass Game. Tyler left at 3 AM and we called Justin to join us (He lied and said he'd be over). We played some more Dr. Lucky to varying rules and at 4:45 I left. So I probably planned to leave around midnight and stayed almost another five hours. Good times, good water, and good cookies from Ashley.

I'm now going to sleep for like five hours and then go to Jeremy's Open House after Graduation, hopefully to play some bean bags.

Road sNot Taken

Or: Your Ice Cream Is Better Than Love

Tonight I had two options for my after My Name Is Earl and The Office tv watching. Option One: Pay five dollars and go to No One Conquered, Wyoming and Sons of Norway at Knickerbockers
Option Two: Pay three dollars and seventy five cents to enjoy a small dish of ice cream at Ivanna Cone while reading their dictionary

I realize I consistently use my discretionary income on ice cream. I don't feel bad about this. I don't know if I'm substituting the company of humans with food or not. Fortunately, I'll have both later this weekend.

Tonight I had Chili Chocolate and Espresso. Combined they made a nice replica of my favorite drink from The Mill, moto mocha. Also on the board was Honey Cornbread (which I've had before and the honey is good, but I'm not one for cake type substances in my ice cream) and Raspberry Sarsaparilla (which they spelt "sasaparila"; they aren't very good spellers, but they make a mean ice cream). I tasted the RS on the way out and it was very good. They also have some Honey Sesame in the freezer for the weekend. It is there because Angela requested it for Klaralyn's arrival this weekend for Kayla's graduation.

Like a Shark in a Cousteau Film

I've been tagged by Ceri.

A-Available or Single? Single
B-Best Friend: Outside of a dog, a dictionary (inside it's too dark).
C-Cake or Pie: Pie
D-Drink of Choice: a brew pub's best beer.
E-Essential Item(s): an appetite
F- Favourite Colour(s): Wedgwood Blue
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? Worms
H- Hometown: Doland, SD (Hometown of Heroes)
I- Indulgence: Ice Cream
J- January or February: February, I like how precious each day is in this shortest of months.
K- Kids: Can be better behaved, yet are often a delight (kinda like puppies).
L- Life is incomplete without: Family feasts
M- Marriage Date: not to be confused with the Divorce Fig
N- Number of Siblings: Two, a younger sister and a younger brother.
O- Oranges or Apples? Apples--Fuji, Connell Red
P- Phobias/Fears: legion
Q- Favourite Quote: More matter, less art. -- Queen Gertrude, Hamlet
R- Reasons to smile: private observations of irony.
S- Season: Spring, green cardamom
T- Tag Three: Michael, Buffy, Katie
U- Unknown Fact about Me: still unknown
V – Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? Liberator of their sweet, succulent flesh.
W- Worst Habit(s): compromising to myself
X – X-rays or Ultrasounds?: x-rays
Y- Your Favourite Foods: bread pudding, lamb, oatmeal, rhubarb
Z- Zodiac: Aries, Rooster

"Let It Rain"

So my mother and I ran the Lincoln Half-Marathon this morning. It was raining at the start, which made for a generally wet race.

My chip time was 111 minutes and 57 seconds. I think this was faster than last year. If memory serves me (and that should be memory's purpose: To Serve Man), I did 1:56 last year. Turns out Memory failed me. According to my post about last year's half-marathon, I did it in 1:54:27.

Instead of running the first half of each mile at a comfortable pace and then racing to the next mile marker, like I did last year. I worked for two 8 minute miles to start, then just ran comfortably for the rest of it. And I did run for the entire thing, no walking for a bit after hitting the 11.5 mile wall.

As the 4800 or so were inching toward the starting line, I thought how interesting it would be to move at that rate for the entire 13 miles. Everyone slowly shuffling along and every so often getting to move 10 feet at a time instead of just 1 or 2. I know how cattle or sheep going to market feel now.

Labels

So I've taken the time to label all of my beta-blogger posts. So now if you click on any of the labels you'll be able to see all of the posts that included that topic. Most frequent labels are beer, ice cream, movie (don't ask why I didn't go with "movies."), Spirituality, and names. Feel free to take advantage of the work I've done to archive my life.

Some names:

John Butarbutar

Georges Razafindrabe

Christo Bezuidenhout

Georges is from France, Christo works at SDA Language Institute in So. Korea.

Pivot and Tooltime

When I'm browsing television during commercials, I'll often flip to Inside the Actor's Studio with James Lipton with about ten or fifteen minutes left because that is when he administers Bernard Pivot's Proustian questionnaire (I don't know why it is called such. Blame Wiki).

After waxing philosophic on Galaxy Quest, Lipton and Tim Allen did the question thing. I was very impressed by his answer to the final question: If Heaven exists, what do you want God to say to you when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? His answer, "I told you there was nothing to be afraid of."

Part of the lore of God's Mercy is that people who wouldn't enjoy Heaven don't have to be there. He is merciful because he spares them an eternity in what to them would be Hell. It is not just once that I've reflected on my feelings toward someone and concluded that they should be in Heaven and I don't like them.

John Rivera blogged on MySpace recently about his return to Hawaii and how Ellen White thought that might be much like what Heaven will be, yet it was just a place he didn't much care for, given its outside naturey stuff and tropical weather. He concludes:

Heaven is one of those crazy speculated places that I don't feel any of us know much about. I've heard there are gold paved streets and some trees and no seas, but other that, most of it is speculation. A lot of what I hear of heaven even scares me -- I hear there are going to be tons of people there that I may have to socialize with, and that there isn't going to be any steak. I want to go though. Even with all of those scary trees and squirrels, even if it's hot all the time and there isn't any snow, even if I'd be relegated to never living in the city again and have to be stuck in the forest for the rest of my life, I want to go. There's somebody I need to see.

So Heaven is scary. I'm scared of Heaven too; that is why I'm not taking steps to get there. There is also a line of thinking that Heaven begins here on Earth (it ends here too), and if you want to go to Heaven you should start practicing now. C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce does much to characterize the personalities he thinks will and won't complete the journey to Reality. (It is a quick read if you are interested in this topic.) One foundation of a lot of those that don't make it is their selfishness.

I'm selfish. The irony is that one who wants for themself doesn't want the idealization of eternity, or can't exist in such a place.