Legolas Was Here August 3, 2009

Apparently, a lot of people have been finding my blog lately by typing “Legolas” into the Google Image search engine.  The picture I used for this one post is the first image result to pop up!  Weird.  If you’re reading this blog and feel upset that it’s not a fansite, may I offer you this consolation: the author of this blog is an Orlando Bloom lookalike.  With that comforting knowledge, feel free to wander the archives and comment if you like.  Doesn’t matter how you got here…the more the merrier!

A Question, Sir July 22, 2009

So, I was reading through some of my old blogs today (oops, did that just tag me as a narcissist?) and one thought was running through my mind: when did I get so effing boring?  In other words, when did I start to take myself so seriously?  Sheesh.  I started this blog with references to Zach Braff’s unfortunate profile and lists of words I love or hate.  Now it’s all heavy quotes from heavy books leading to heavy pondering about life.  Who am I?  Like, seriously, who writes about sun-warmed tomatoes?  I have to laugh at myself.  Okay, here are some justifications, though – 1) I’ve been going through re-entry (not just from Norway back to the States, but from one lifestyle to a totally different lifestyle) and so I’ve found writing to be a natural and helpful outlet for me.  And once I finish a piece, I think, why not throw that up on the ol’ blog?  2) I’m not working so much, and I have a crappy Internet connection at home, so I don’t really have oodles of time to piece together fluffy blogs filled with images and links to Amazon and Wikipedia.  3) I don’t know, I just feel like there needs to be a third.  Maybe I’ve become a bit of a snob?  Maybe I think my readers have come to expect more from me than valley-girl reviews of movies and TV shows?

So I just wanted you to know that I understand this blog has evolved into a bit of a literary review, philosophical/spiritual journal type of blog.  And that’s not all bad…but is there still room on here for current events and confessions of guilty pleasures and celebrity crushes?  Or is the only place for that now my status updates on Facebook?  Bah.

Okay, here are a few randoms running through my mind that I (generously) put pictures with:

- I read an interview with Jennifer Aniston in Marie Claire where she called Diet Coke her “brown monkey.”  Love it!  And if Jennifer Aniston, with her amazing yoga body and glowing skin and there-is-NO-WAY-she’s-40 looks, can still be semi-addicted to Diet Coke, I think it’s just fine that I drink it a few times a week.  Thanks, Jen!

- Do you think that wearing a hat is ALWAYS making a statement?  I read somwhere (poss. Esquire) that it is.  My sister gave me a freaking sweet straw fedora for my birthday and I’ve worn it a lot already, always with many compliments and girls being like, “No, seriously, where did you get that, and do you think they’ve already closed for the day?”  The hat had its big debut at a friend’s bbq/mini-concert/dance party (yeah, it was fun) on Saturday and was warmly received.  But I couldn’t help feeling like that girl the whole time…you know?  Plus, I might look cute in a hat but I NEVER look cute when photographed in a hat.  Sucko.

- Seriously, are they EVER going to make a Gilmore Girls movie?  Because I would totally watch it.  Logan, I didn’t forget about your proposal and the house in California with an avocado tree in the yard.  If Rory’s still following Obama around, I’ll come hang out.  (NERD ALERT)

- …and The Bachelorette.  So, SO good.  Could you believe the Men Tell All special?  Those guys were crazy!  Even Chris Harrison was later quoted to say that they came off as “knuckle dragging cavemen.”  I fully agree.  I also stand by my theory that men are worse gossips than women.  The only thing is, they don’t get as hurt when someone talks crap about them.  If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?  If a guy talks crap about his friend and said friend doesn’t care, is it still gossip?  Oops…I’m wandering too far into pondering mode.  Back to The Bachelorette.  Who will she choose?  I think my vote is for Kiptyn.  He’s totally cute and grew on me, but I’m scared that when the going gets tough, he’ll drop out and go back to having tacos at Wahoo’s in San Diego.  I love Reid for her, but I think she’ll never be satisfied because he seems to be too much “in her league.”  What do you guys think?  And would you still love me if I was the new Bachelorette?  It would be so fun and you would get so many cute clothes!

And…comment!

Born on the Fourth of July July 7, 2009

Okay, I wasn’t really.  I was actually born on the 3rd of July.  But (Mom, correct me if I’m wrong) the story goes that my due date was July 4th and the doctor didn’t want to do a c-section on the holiday, so my mom had the option of picking the 3rd or the 5th.  How special!  I’m glad she chose the 3rd, though, because otherwise it wouldn’t be so crazy that my license plate has the numbers 7 3 84 in it.  Woah.

Anyway, I turned 25 on Friday, and one thing I can say about my 25 years on this earth: I finally got smart about parties.  See, I love throwing parties.  The more the merrier.  I hosted a couple of epic parties back in college (epic being a relative term when you go to a Bible college where everyone’s signed contracts that they won’t touch alcohol).  The best was at the end of my senior year, when I threw a Peter Pan themed party – fairies, lost boys, pirates, and Indians everywhere.  I was Tiger Lily and got a wicked spray tan.  A bunch of us ended up dancing in the backyard like the lemurs in Madagascar.  Sweet.

Back to my party anxiety.  The during is usually great.  But my freak outs always happen in the moments before, when I’m waiting for the first guests to arrive and wondering if anyone will even show, if anyone at all in the world actually loves me.  Birthdays are the worst, because so many people go out of town for the Fourth, so my guest list is usually pitifully small.  So this year, I wised up.  I decided that a) I didn’t want to worry about who loves me and who doesn’t on my 25th birthday, fully aware that I might already be dealing with monstrous emotions of a quarter-life crisis; and b) I didn’t want a diminished guest list due to the Fourth and also about half of my friends leaving for other countries the first week of July.

So what did I do?  I had two parties, silly!  The Saturday before my birthday I had a bunch of friends meet me at my new (to me) apartment in Pasadena where we had some drinks and some appetizers before heading out to The Cat and Fiddle in Hollywood.  Inside, the Cat was pretty dead, but their courtyard was hopping.  Lots of ivy and twinkle lights and wrought iron made it a good place to chill, although not worth the traffic we had to fight to get there!  Good times with fun friends.

Then on Friday, my actual birthday, I had a little barbeque with just my family and my “other family”, the Rays.  It was so fun because I was totally relaxed.  I didn’t have to worry about how I looked or who came or how much food we had.  It was so good to spend quality time with people I love and who love me.  So, it’s good to know that while I am older, I’m a bit wiser too.

Now on to the juicy stuff…I know you’re dying to ask if I am going through a quarter-life crisis.  As dumb as that sounds…I kind of am.  I think.  I don’t know.  I do know that I’ve been having a lot of feelings lately – such strong emotions that I don’t know how to deal with so I tend to just try to shut them off or drown them out.  Healthy, right?  Oh, and every time I see a baby now, my womb hurts.  Hee.  Totally kidding about that one.  Although, I am way more aware now of my utter singleness.  I never thought I would be 25 and not even dating anyone.  I know that there’s people reading this thinking, “Why, she’s just a baby!” and others thinking, “Yeesh, 25?  She should join eHarmony or something.”  I remember being 20 and seeing 25 year old friends get married, thinking that they found love “later in life.”  Oh ho, how foolish I was.

To round out these ramblings I thought I would share a quote I read on Greg Boyd’s blog that goes along with the Fourth of July theme and made me think:

Greg Boyd, on Steven Russell’s Overcoming Evil

He [Russell] notes that empires rise and fall with remarkable speed, even those such as Assyria and Babylon who, at the height of their power, seemed utterly invincible. Babylon’s mighty reign lasted less than a century, as did the empire of modern day communist Russia. We Americans are now the reigning empire, and, as with all previous empires, we trust in our power and wealth to keep us secure. (In fact, as with all previous empires, we interpret our power and wealth as a blessing from God/the gods). We must remember that this has been the arrogant mindset of all empires just prior to their falls from power.

In this light, Russell concludes, “Who imagined the fall of the Soviet Union would come a short seven decades after its founding and rapid rise in power? And who among us knows what God has in store for our nation or any other? But His purpose is good, and if we choose to become part of His plan, even our deaths will be victorious” (72-73).

Wise words. I encourage you to put no trust in the power and wealth of America (or whatever country you happen to live in). The only real security is in Yaweh and living his way, as revealed in Jesus Christ.

Even if it means you die.

Okay, maybe not terribly cheery or patriotic, but these are wise words.  Often in Europe I thought about what it would be like to be one of those smaller, albeit developed and thriving, countries.  Prior to the election, Norwegians would eagerly ask my opinion on the race, declaring that “America’s president is our president.”  How crazy will it be when America is in that position with another nation overshadowing her?

What I Want to Do on My Summer Vacation June 3, 2009

You know how you used to tell the whole class what you did during your summer break?  Well, now that I’m a *cough* grown-up and work full time, thus disqualifying me for a summer vacation, does not mean that I can’t still wish for some things to happen during this season.  In random order, and fully aware of the improbability of a few*, here are my top 13**:

1. See Kings of Leon live.  Preferably outdoors.  And dance like a rockstar to “Use Somebody.”

2. Swim in the ocean.  I know it’s basic, but you’d be surprised how easy it is for summer to pass without this happening.  And once I get in, I always love it.

3. Go to the Hollywood Bowl with either a) cute, funny, and attentive boy, or b) group of fun friends and definitely with c) lots of amazing cheese and wine.

4. Travel to Sweden for Matilda and Rickard’s wedding, and for the Midsummer’s celebration.

5. Hike.  Frequently.

6. Go sailing.  (I’ve never been.  I know!)

7. Griffith Observatory.  This one depends on the company.

8. Watch the sunset over the ocean and have a bonfire, complete with s’mores.  (Oh, and if we do carne asada like the good old LPC days, so much the better).

9. Go to a Dodger game, hopefully on a fireworks night.

10. Go back to Berlin.  And Paris. And Norway.   And London.  ….and pretty much do a whole other European tour.

11. Disneyland.  This must be rounded off with a waffle cone from the ice cream shop on Main Street.

12. Wear a LOT of really cute summer dresses.

13. Have a memorable (in a good way) 25th birthday. *cough* July 3rd

*I have no problem with friends attempting to make some of the items on this list happen.

** This list may get longer.  Deal with it.

Guest Book March 10, 2009

We’re staying at a YWAM base in Bavaria that’s called Hurlach castle…because it’s actually a castle, in a little village called Hurlach.  Last night I was reading through the guest book in our room, and amid the normal sappy, thank-you-for-your-generous-hospitality-we-felt-at-home-here entries, I found this gem:

December 22 2005

I am here at Hurlach Castle.  I have dreamed of coming here.  I was conceived here 26 years ago and born down the street.  [...] There is a completion felt as I sit here and a start of something new.  [...] I hope to own this castle someday and keep it running.  [...] I am in awe.  I am in a dream.  I’m living a dream.  Thank you.

Signed.

Is it just me, or is that totally awesome?  I laughed out loud.  I hope I didn’t just break some code of ethics by plagiarizing somebody’s guest book entry in the blogosphere.  Whatever.  I hope it made you laugh…especially the part about how he was conceived here.  Hee.

But What Would My Name Be? March 1, 2009

If I were a super heroine, here are some super powers I would want:

1. Power to consume any foods I want without gaining weight or damaging my health.

2. Ability to learn any language in the world in a matter of minutes.

3. Teleportation (and not like that guy from X-Men, who has to be able to see where he’s teleporting to or whatever.  What’s the use of that?  I just want to go from Valencia to France in a matter of seconds).

4. The ability to memorize entire books, verbatim.  Top choices are the Bible, the Chronicles of Narnia, several of Brennan Manning’s books, and various Anne Lamott essays.

5. Power to disembark an international flight and look like I’m fresh off a Neutrogena commercial.  (I tend to look absolutely haggard even after a 45 minute commuter flight).  Although, if I obtained #3, I guess this would be a non-issue.

I realize a couple of my dream superpowers reveal my nerd status.  What do yours reveal about you?  Share!  Discuss!  What else are you doing at work, anyway?

*Btw, just realized this is my 200th post on Eeper!  Yay!

Random Christmas Memories December 9, 2008

We didn’t have the boys that particular Christmas, meaning my stepbrothers were spending actual Christmas Day with their mom and half brothers.  Their other family.  So we celebrated a few days early, our blended family of seven (1 boy and a housekeeper short of the Brady Bunch) gathered to exchange gifts and carry out a couple of our annual traditions, like bickering about lyrics to Carpenters’ Christmas songs.  (“Gee, the traffic is terrific” – um, isn’t the sarcasm OBVIOUS in this lyric?  Apparently not to everyone).  So of course, after less than an hour, there’s a squabble.  Everyone is throwing in their opinion as loudly as possible, and then my stepbrother Tim says above the noise, in an exasperated tone, “Can everybody stop fighting?  It’s our fake Christmas, for God’s sake!”  

Classic.

Oh, thank you Lord for the blessing of a blended, dysfunctional family.  And there is not a trace of sarcasm in that statement.

Life is Never Boring October 28, 2008

Yesterday a middle aged Norwegian man prophetically rapped over me.  And yes, that is exactly what it sounds.  And you know what?  Everything he said was true…and maybe I cried, just a little.  

There’s no way he could have known that the things he was singing/rapping were exactly what God has been telling me and showing me for the past few weeks…confirming something He told me a year ago.  But that’s how God is.  Creative.  Unpredictable.  Life is never boring with Him.

What I’ve Always Wanted October 24, 2008

Sometimes I will want something for a really long time, and for some unknown reason, deprive myself of it.  Like, I don’t know how long I loved Jason Mraz’s cover of “Melt With You” before I finally got it…and, come to think of it, I didn’t buy it – my friend gave it to me on a mix CD.  

Beauty Treatment October 7, 2008

Did you know Esther had to go through 6 months of beauty treatments before being presented to King Xerxes?  Well, in about 6 weeks I’m going to present myself to family and friends after not seeing them for 3 months.  I will be in a dress, standing in front of people, and posing for lots of pictures.  Thankfully, my sister will be getting 99.9% of the attention (she IS the bride, after all).  But I still think I need to go through about 6 weeks of my own beauty treatment so I can feel cute and not worry that people will think, “So THAT’S what happens when you move to Europe…” (in a bad way).

Here’s my list:

1) Tone up with my own personal combination of running, Pilates, free weights, and Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred DVD.

2) Whiten my teeth using Crest White Strips (thanks for including those in the care package, Marmee)

3) Hope that the porcelain complexion most Norwegian women have will end up positively influencing my rebellious skin

4) Save up money for a Mystic Tan when I get back to the States (I’m only half-kidding)

5) Find a date so that during the slow dances at the reception I don’t completely fit the bill of Single Missionary Woman.  I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I’m just saying…