Jeans

This is hilarious.

Brew and View

Pedro, Brenna, Lisa, Robin and I all met up on Saturday night to check out The Vic's Brew and View. I've lived in this city for almost 4 years and this is one of those things that I hadn't experienced yet, so I was really looking forward to it. And the movies showing were Juno and Semi-Pro! Which I wanted to see both films in the theaters one last time, so it was perfect!
And yes, I made everyone wait as the credits rolled on Semi-Pro and yes I clapped loudly when Josh's name scrolled by. :)

But here's the one problem with the Brew and View, you sit in a dark room, sipping beer, quietly, while watching 4 hours of movies. It makes you very sleepy. So I think it's important to go when funny movies are playing, so you can laugh and such.

Michi, we should go when The Rocky Horror Picture Show is playing. Now that would be an experience!

This is No Letterman's Top 10 List

Michi went to a work-related training on Friday. The seminar was about communication and the key note speaker asked each person to list off 10 things that person does well. Here's my list:

10 Things I Do Well in the Workplace and in my Personal Life:
1. I can always see the big picture and I know what steps need to be taken to reach a goal.
2. I'm very organized so nothing is missed or left unfinished.
3. I'm proactive. I don't wait until the last second to do anything.
4. I am welcoming. If I find out that someone is new to town or to a team, I am the first to welcome them, ask them to lunch, offer to show them around and introduce them to other people. I like to include everyone.
5. I stand up for what is right and argue against what I feel is wrong. This has gotten me kicked out of class, has broken up relationships and has limited who I can be friends with. But it's earned me respect from those who matter most to me and I respect myself for it.
6. I appreciate hard work and the good in people. I am quick to compliment on both.
7. I am humble enough to know that I don't know everything. I have incredible role models in my life and if ever I am faced with a situation in which I don't know what to do, I ask them for help.
8. I am helpful and giving. Even if I am overwhelmed at work, if someone stops by my desk and asks for help I will drop what I am doing to help them. Whether it's helping someone write a work review, helping when they are sick or giving the perfect birthday gift, I find great joy in helping/giving to others.
9. I know who I am and what I stand for. I don't apologize for either.
10. I am both right brained and left brained. I am creative and analytical. When I am faced with a situation that involves more than just brain function, I trust my gut. And I always, always listen to my heart. When I am involved with something (be it a project or a relationship) I am in it with my whole self.

Brunch Topics

Michi and I met up for brunch at Bleeding Heart Bakery today. She dined on a Blueberry Scone and homemade granola (which was sooo delicious). I opted for the Vegan Tomato Basil Bisque soup and a Raspberry/Green Tea Soda. What a great meal on such a dreary, wet day.

So we chatted about all sortsa things, one topic being guys and this question was raised:
Q. Could you date someone who had bad taste in music? For instance, what if he owned a bunch of Music Now! cds?

**We both agreed that we couldn't do it. We could not date a guy who listens to any or all of these: mostly Top 40, who's favorite band is Dave Matthews, Music Now! cds, gangsta rap, or any band found playing at Bonaroo. Now maybe listening every now and then would be ok (I did like the Lillywhite Sessions album by DMB) but if he's listening to this stuff on a daily basis, well that's a different story.

And that led to this question:
Q. Could you date someone who had bad taste in books? For instance, what if they thought The DaVinci Code was "the best book ever"!

**I piped in on this one almost immediately, because I faced this dilemma with the last guy I dated. He asked me if I had read The DaVinci Code and did I like it? I told him I had read it and it was ok but for quality reading, no...not so much. It's pulp fiction. Each chapter is 3 pages long. The book is one long cliff hanger.
He got upset and told me that it's one of his favorite books. And I lost a little bit of respect for him. (hee hee)

I think this stuff matters because it's all clues to a bigger picture about a person. They are hints to their personality: where they like to spend their time, what their friends are probably like, maybe even how open minded they are, etc.

Michi and I agreed, although these points may seem insignificant at first glance, they are quite the opposite.

Flumonia: A Recovery Story (Part 2)

Any good Lifetime made-for-t.v. movie must have two parts. In the continuing saga of Flumonia: Sean's Grandmother, played by Betty White, has also been stricken with Flumonia and the community has spent the week holding bedside vigils and prayer chains to will her the strength to beat this nasty illness. And after a week in the hospital, Grandma H., as everyone in town lovingly refers to her, has gained her strength back and has a new appreciation for life, family and community!
She decides, once being released from the ICU, that she should help all the little furry friends that have been displaced because of the tornado that ripped through the town. She then focuses her time and energy on opening up an animal clinic/shelter, named F5: Furry, Fluffy, Fortunate, Friends and Family, for all of the displaced pets in town. She arranges pet adoptions and finds loving families for all the homeless dogs and cats.

Sean - I'm glad to hear your grandmother is doing better. :)

A Lesson Learned

I've been renting the show Felicity from Netflix. I'm currently watching the third season. Felicity and Ben are going through a really rough time and are on the verge of breaking up. Felicity has spent days on the brink of tears.
Megan, Felicity's friend and roommate, is dating a guy named Sean who is roommmates and friends with Ben.
Megan and Felicity run into each other in their living room and strike up the following conversation:

Felicty: Ben didn't dump me he just said he needs to be alone.
Megan: What?
Felicity: Yeah, i mean we talked about it and he said he needs some time to go and figure it out.
Megan: Oh, guys just suck!
Felicity: Well what else am I going to do, let him...?
Megan: Not all guys suck just certain guys suck! I mean Ben sucks!
Felicity: What's your problem?
Megan: Nothing.
Felicity: Wait a second...Megan what are you talking about?!
Megan: Nothing. Nothing.
Felicity: Megan, if you know something and you're not telling me I swear to God I'm going to kill you.
Megan: Ok, but don't tell him that i told you because Sean told me...you know what, screw Sean! Ben doesn't want to be alone. He went to South Hampton with Avery.



Too bad everyone doesn't watch Felicity. There's good lessons to be had on friendship.

Sean - Thank you for pointing out that in one week I lost a 3 and rekindled a 10. So I'm still up 7! :)

Real Simple

A year ago this May, I took a trip out to Los Angeles to visit my good friend Karla. While staying at her and Aaron's place, we cooked up a dinner using a recipe from a Real Simple magazine. While Aaron and Karla chopped and diced up veggies, I helped myself to some wine while leafing through the magazine (I'm so helpful, I know). And guess what, I fell in love with the magazine.
What really caught my eye was an article about the best beauty buys under $10. Now I'm about the most frugal person out there, just ask Karla, and so of course this article peaked my interest. But there were also articles on organizing, cooking and health, which are all things that interest me!

So for the past year I've picked up the magazine while standing in line at the grocery store just to browse through it. I bought the magazine for my cruise through the caribbean for something fun to read. Finally, three weeks ago I actually ordered a year's subscription to it. I got my first magazine in the mail yesterday and I love it!

This is my new favorite magazine, for sure.

The Gospel According to Bif

Pastor Dave had recommended this book a couple of weeks ago so I went to Borders yesterday to buy a copy. I spent last night reading the first 50 pages and it's pretty funny. I like books that make me chuckle outloud.
Here's a brief passage:
You think you know how this story is going to end, but you don't. Trust me, I was there. I know.

The first time I saw the man who would save the world he was sitting near the central well in Nazareth with a lizard hanging out of his mouth. Just the tail end and the hind legs were visible on the outside; the head and forelegs were halfway down the hatch. He was six, like me, and his beard had not come in fully, so he didn't look much like the pictures you've seen of him. His eyes were like dark honey, and they smiled at me out of a mop of blue-black curls that framed his face. There was a light older than Moses in those eyes.

"Unclean! Unclean!" I screamed, pointing at the boy, so my mother would see that I knew the law, but she ignored me, as did all the other mothers who were filling their jars at the well.

The boy took the lizard from his mouth and handed it to his younger brother, who sat beside him in the sand. The younger boy played with the lizard for a while, teasing it until it reared its little head as if to bite, then he picked up a rock and mashed the creature's head. Bewildered, he pushed the dead lizard around in the sand, and once assured that it wasn't going anywhere on its own, he picked it up and handed it back to his older brother.

Into his mouth went the lizard, and before I could accuse, out it came again, squirming and alive and ready to bite once again. He handed it back to his younger brother, who smote it mightily with the rock, starting or ending the whole process again.

I watched the lizard die threemore times before I said, "I want to do that too."

The Savior removed the lizard from his mouth and said, "Which part?"

by the way, his name was Joshua. Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Yeshua, which is Joshua. Christ is not a last name. It's the Greek for messiah, a Hebrew word meaning anointed. I have no idea what the "H" in Jesus H. Christ stood for. It's one of the things I should have asked him. Me? I am Levi who is called Biff. No middle initial. Joshua was my best friend.

How Will You Spend Your Check?

Check this out.

a-haha! i just read what i wrote! "check" get it! get it! (wipes tears) gosh that was good...

Congratulations to Us

So good to hear from you too. :)

your friend,
me.

RIP Little Experimental Indoor Herb Garden

It's a very good thing that I wasn't in charge of the Garden of Eden.




Cause we all would be dead now.

Olivia Needs

So I just learned this new trick, well actually it's probably a really old trick but it's new to me!, put your name and the word "needs" in a Google search and see what appears!

Here's what I found:

Olivia needs a new camera!
Olivia needs a ride
Olivia needs a miracle
Olivia needs some comic relief
Olivia needs to act fast to fund her dream


...it's like playing with a Magic 8 Ball! Thanks Julia for the idea!

I Rise

*Cross-Blogging - you're right Angie, it's such a humbling experience when at the moment you least expect it, grace in the form of an answer falls upon you...for the question(s) you've been wrestling with.
I love this poem and it seems so appropriate to so many people right now.*

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Maya Angelou

Surprise

I received a pleasant surprise this weekend when my friend Sadia called me up on Friday night. She was in town for two days! So we made sure to meet up on Saturday night at The Black Beetle, in the Ukrainian Village. Just the two of us, drinking 312, catching up and remembering why we are such good friends. Remembering why it's good that we are in each other's lives.

I am always so happy to see Sadia. She has this incredible, contagious energy that pours from her soul and shines on everyone around her. She is so genuine with her love and I know that she would never, ever intentionally hurt any of her friends. Ever. She cares for people that much.

And being around my friend like that of course made me think of friendship on a broader scale. There are many different types of friends in the world. Some are meant to be in your life for just a brief moment and some are meant to last a lifetime. Some are meant to make you laugh and some are meant to help you cry. But all should be there to help you prod open your heart and explore the best side of you. And that's how you tell a true friend from a false one; whether they open up the best side of you.

This weekend I celebrated a true friend while also discovering a false one. It's surprising comparing the two side by side. All the energy I see Sadia pour out, investing in her friends, reveling in their joy. She puts a lot of effort and time into her friendships and all those people put all that effort right back into her. And the mutual love is just beautiful to experience.

Thank you Sadia for being a shining example of what a true friend is. I will spend my life doing everything I can to be the exact same thing for you. xoxo

BSG is BACK

The fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica airs tonight! Woot!
Sarah and I have been anticipating this day for months!!

*Update: I think I've figured out who the final Cylon is. What an awesome episode that was!*

A Naming Ceremony

I believe it's time for a naming ceremony.

I have many friends that have names for the alternate personality that emerges when they've been overserved with drinks. For instance, Sean's alternate personality is named Hyde. Hyde likes to call people on the phone.
Timmy has an alternate personality named Stevie. Stevie is often angry and likes to pick fights.

So let's name my alternate personality, shall we? This is what I know about her, she loves to hug everyone. And I mean everyone. She hugs and says hello and talks to everyone. She is especially interested in petite women. But no matter how many drinks she has, she is always coherent enough to refuse hard alcohol. She will turn down a shot every time. She's a smart girl.

So what do you think her name is? My first thought was Jenni (with an "i")...

*After a morning chat with Sean, I have decided her name is not Jenni. Because his first response was to ask if her last name was Random. haha!*

IMHO

I've never actually seen the show Gossip Girl, but in my opinion, these guys look like a bunch of douchebags.

Especially the guy on the left.

Baby Schuh

I can now also announce that my best friend, Karla, is 14 weeks pregnant! Which makes me an aunt by association.

Weathered

From my good friend, the very talented Matty B:

Hi.

What does a television editor do when faced with months of no work whilst the writers go on strike (besides trying to use the word "whilst")? Make his own movie! My friend, Matt Webb, and I wrote a story about a woman who lost her fiancé 20 years ago and is now a recluse in her own apartment. She longs for human connection and fills her loneliness through doctors' appointments.

With time on our hands and fire in our bellies, we have decided it's time to make this short film. We will begin shooting at the end of April and in order to pay the crew, rent camera and lights, obtain the location permits, buy insurance, and more, we need to raise $25,000. So far we have raised $9,000, much of which has come out of our own pockets.

Would you consider helping us reach our goal? In return, we have various gifts that you can receive depending on the amount you give (taking our cue from public radio!) Any size donation will help. And if you aren't able to help us financially, but have other resources that you'd like to offer, feel free to email us. You can find links below that will take you to our website and donation page.

Thank you in advance for considering lending your support.

Cheers,
Matt

Here's the movie's website.

To pledge your support, go to: Fundable Site

The Hotel Cafe Tour

On Sunday night, Carisa and I ventured over to Park West for The 2008 Hotel Cafe Tour. It's a group of musicians who mingle and mix to play songs. Each musician would come out on stage and play three, maybe four, songs and then someone else would come out and then the two of them would sing a duet and then someone else could come out and do backup for another song, etc., etc. It was really fun.

I mainly wanted to see Joshua Radin perform, as I love every song he's ever written, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Meiko and Ingrid. And Cary Brothers looks exactly like Timmy, when he's performing on stage. And Dan Wilson, another performer, reminded me of John Denver and then, lo and behold, he did a John Denver cover towards the end of the show. You fill up my senses, come love me again

It was a three hour singer-songwriter love fest. There were at least three times where a musician would make a comment, such as when Joshua Radin said "I used to teach art to children here in Chicago" and the crowd of women would immediately sigh "awww...." in unison. It was pretty funny.

At the end of the night I felt like I had spent three hours engrossed in thoughts about break-ups, heartache, love and hope. While hailing a cab home I told Carisa I felt we needed to go drink Chai Tea and smoke cloves after a show like that.