remembering

This week seems to be about remembering...

Sunday we said goodbye to our friend and youth pastor at my church. He had resigned, and we were having a farewell party for him. Lots and lots of pictures. Lots and lots of memories. And I saw a lot of people who I haven't seen in a long time... It was great.

On Tuesday, I attended a Brewers Game. Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies. Granted, I'm not a huge fan of either team, or even a fan of baseball really... However, I felt a bit nostalgic because the Colorado Rockies used to be my friend Nate's favorite baseball team in junior high. I've known Nate since I was three. Today, I attended his wedding. Surrounding him at the wedding were a whole slew of friends from my past - some of them I known since I was in diapers, some of them were my best friends. It was a great day for reminscing and remembering all the amazing times we had together. I feel truly honored and blessed to have had them all as a part of my life, and it was great remembering with them today.

Wednesday, I was driving a friend of mine down to Lake Geneva. Before we even had a chance to leave town, we were sitting at a stoplight and this younger guy was walking across the intersection. As he drew closer to my car, I informed my friend that I knew him. Him name is Eric, and he used to live down the street from me - two streets down, on Indianwood Lane. He used to have a bright yellow old school Volkwagon Beetle convertable that he'd work on. As he passsed by my car, he waved... I'm not entirely sure if the wave was due to the fact that we were staring at him or that he remembered me. Either way, it made my day.

Monday is Memorial Day - a day to remember soldiers that we've lost. Soldiers who have fought and served their country so that we can enjoy the freedoms we do today. On Monday, I have been been invited to a picnic at the Witmer household to remember Michelle, who died serving her country. It will be a tough day as Michelle is greatly missed... but I'm sure it will be a day to celebrate her beautiful life, and remember her for the way she lived it.

Lots and lots of memories. Lots and lots of nostalgia. Some of it really good and cathartic. Some of it really hard and sad. It's so crazy how God designed us with such emotions and abilities. I'm grateful for them though. It makes life all the richer.

the sun sets

The sun sets on another day in the life of Jack Bauer. Season four came to a close tonight with a great two hour season finale. Who knew how it would turn out? I won't write about it so as to not spoil it for those who haven't seen it.

Just one thing though...Any bets on a new name? And no Kelly, it will not be K.Do....

mad hot ballroom

I'm not sure how many of you are documentary fans, but I started watching them not that long ago, and have fastly become addicted. My list of documentaries seen is not that many, but I am more and more drawn to them as time goes on. I saw the preview for this documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom" before the movie "Millions", and thought it looked great. It's from the same director as "Spellbound" (another great documentary that follows, I believe, 8 different students as they prepare and compete in the national spelling bee). Check out the trailer if you get a chance and if you enjoy documentaries.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_classics/mad_hot_ballroom.html

ovaries for an ipod

I had an original post on this, but created a longer version of it.
Here is the new version.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/article.php?sid=6439
(or click on the link above)

feel good

I'm addicted. I am officially, completely, and utterly addicted to the iPod commericals (and now addicted to the Feel Good Inc. song by Gorillaz). Granted, when U2 launched their iPod commerical, I thought it was a beautiful thing. However, as more and more commericals come out, I became more and more addicted. There was the recent "Jerk It Out" by Caesars, then came "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz (such a great commerical with all the old school rollerskaters) and now, the new "Technologic" by Daft Punk - do they get any cooler? And a friend of mine suggested that crazy dancer David Elsewhere may be behind some of the slick moves, or else they stole some of his moves (seriously, who else can move like he can?). Whatever the case, the commercials just keep getting cooler and cooler. Not to mention, whoever they have on board for introducing new music is really smart... great taste that TOTALLY catches on everywhere.

Kudos to Apple and iPod commerical makers and all involved. Keep up the good work.
If you get a chance, check out the Rollerskating iPod commercial (which despite the amazing dancing in the Technologic commerical (the picture above), I still think the Rollerskating is my favorite - click on the title of this post).


Enjoy.

zap, magic fairy zap

Do you guys remember the "Super Mario Brothers Super Show"?
Who knows what made me think of it today, but I found this great screen cap (it's a little distorted) of the show, and I listened to the main theme song (I forgot how terrible it was) and remembered the greatest quote from the whole show that my friend Leah and I used to quote all the time when we were little:

"Zap, magic fairy zap!"

Who knows why... Then again, who knows why we did any of the things we did when we were little. But I remember watching this show... I remember playing Mario Bros until I got blisters on my fingers, especially Mario Bros 3.

Speaking of Mario Bros 3 - did anyone out there ever see "The Wizard"? Now there's a great movie! Hehehe...
I remember it was about this kid who was amazing at video games, and they went to this video game competition. For the final round they introduced a new game - Mario Bros 3.

Man, do I feel old.
Then again, I guess we could talk about Pong, and make ourselves feel even older.

anger

Anger is an odd thing, I'm learning. I'm learning there are different forms, different levels, and even different venues of expression. However, it's such a soul deteriorating, heart hardening thing. It literally has the capability of consuming an entire person, sucking the life right out of them. It burrows down into the deepest parts of one's soul, deep within one's bones and unleashes its wrath at the most inopportune moments. It makes me think of a bear... Now, track with me for a second here... A bear hibernates. Just lays there, silent, and waiting. It's even possible to be unaware of the bear. However, once stirred and awoken, look out! He's hungry, and on a definitely violent mission. I feel like I have such a creature within my soul... How does one even catch that sort of animal? How does one tame a wild beast that has been in such a deep slumber for so long? What does one do with that wild bear.

A bear made his way to the suburbs a few weeks ago. He followed the river, or the train tracks or something. A little cub, who had no idea where he was, or that he was even in the wrong place. He found a semi-truck to sleep under - that's where someone spotted him. And then, he made his way into a tree in Wauwatosa - about as "suburbanish" as you can get. Maybe he was tired of the woods. Maybe he wanted to see what surburbia was all about. No matter what the little bear's motive, the fact still remains: he was out of place. He did not belong there, and needed to removed from the city.

Does my little cub story have a point? I believe it ties in with my association with anger. Anger does not belong in ones soul. It's out of place. Whatever the reason, no matter how it got there, it doesn't belong there and needs to be removed.

The little Wauwatosa bear was shot with a tranquilizer gun, and removed from the city. What do you suppose works for anger? How does one tranquilize it and remove it? Now, I love animals, and would never have wished for the bear to be slain. However, I would give anything for this beast of mine to be slain. It does not need to be relocated, it does not need a proper place, it does not even need to be hidden - it needs to be demolished.

No tranquilizer gun. No zoo for rehabilitation. No forest up north.
Gone. Vanquished. Never to be seen again.
That's where it needs to be.
Let's hope that miracle happens, before it's hiberation time again.

eco session UPDATE

I got the Billy Bragg song, thanks to my rockin' professor who sent it to me.
Thanks you, Nik Heyen. My playlist is complete. :)