christmas

we had the entire week of christmas off this year. i'm the one that likes to sleep in, nate likes to get up early and he's constantly working on something. and it's usually something he thinks he supposed to do, not something fun. it seems like it's constantly raining here in the northwest as well. i like slow mornings where i don't have to rush, i can stay in my pj's and have a nice pancake or waffle breakfast with my family. those moments are few and far between but i can always be assured i will get just that every christmas at least. and i did this year too and it was wonderful. (except omelettes instead of waffles) nate, tony and i spent the night at nate's parents and woke up ready to eat freshly-made cinnamon rolls and omelettes.

Can’t you see it’s just raining?
There ain’t no need to go outside
But baby you hardly even notice
When I try to show you this
Song it’s meant to keep you
From doing what you’re supposed to
Like waking up too early
Maybe we could sleep in
I’ll make you banana pancakes
Pretend like it’s the weekend now
And we could pretend it all the time
Can’t you see that it’s just raining
There ain’t no need to go outside
But just maybe, hala ka ukulele
Mama made a baby
I really don’t mind the practice
Because you’re my little lady
Lady, lady love me
Because I love to lay here lazy
We could close the curtains
Pretend like there’s no world outside
And we could pretend it all the time
Can’t you see that it’s just raining
There ain’t no need to go outside
Ain’t no need, ain’t no need
Can’t you see, can’t you see
Rain all day and I don’t mind
Telephone singing, ringing, it’s too early
Don’t pick it up
We don’t need to
We got everything we need right here
And everything we need is enough
It’s just so easy
When the whole world fits inside of your arms
Do we really need to pay attention to the alarm
Wake up slow, wake up slow
But baby, you hardly even notice
When I try to show you this
Song it’s meant to keep you
From doing what you’re supposed to
Like waking up too early
Maybe we could sleep in
I’ll make you banana pancakes
Pretend like it’s the weekend now
And we could pretend it all the time
Can’t you see that it’s just raining
There ain’t no need to go outside
Ain’t no need, ain’t no need
Rain all day and I really really really don’t mind
Can’t you see, can’t you see
We’ve got to wake up slow
~Jack Johnson - Banana Pancakes
Click here to listen to a clip from itunes.

then came the presents! this is some of what i got for christmas...




ya. it was a good christmas! ;-)

in it

"Sam: You're in it right now, aren't you?
Andrew Largeman: What?
Sam: My mom always says that, when she can see I'm like working something out in my head, she's like, 'you're in it right now' and I'm looking at you're telling this story, and you're definitely in it."
~Garden State

...ya, i'm in it right now...

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memory seeps from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there

So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
~Sarah McLachlan - Angel
Click here to listen to a clip from itunes.

crash

It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.~Graham

as humans, we crave personal relationship. we were created to experience personal relationship in it's fullest and most wonderful capacity - then something went horribly wrong. since we can't get it the way God intended, we grapple, scratch, and grasp for it, eventually attaining only a semblance of the real thing.

i watched this movie about a month ago. i haven't been able stop thinking about it since. it's such a great movie. very moving - thought provoking. it's one I will add to my very small, very selective collection of DVDs.

listen to the soundtrack.
see the trailer.

harry potter vs. narnia

Nate and I ran into a couple in the hot tub at Skamania Lodge about a month ago. we didn't know them but the guy signaled to the book nate was reading and commented approvingly on his choice. nate was reading mere christianity by c.s. lewis. love c.s. lewis! so, we started talking about what a great author, thinker, philosopher c.s. lewis was and what great books he put out. that lead us to the chronicles of narnia (sp?) series and our excitement at the new movie coming out on the series....as the conversation progressed we were able to deduct that they were "religious" of some sort and they realized the same of us, or at least it was assumed when we mentioned that both of us work at our church full time).......we were doing fine and connecting well until the guy said "oh we just love c.s. lewis and the chronicles of narnia. it's such a great way for kids to learn about good and evil [...] but you know those harry potter books they've got out these days....they're just plain evil! it's just a shame how parents let their kids read that garbage [...] you know i've seen kids before and after reading those books and their whole outlook changes....they become depressed and angry [...] blah, blah, blah....

our conversation was over after that, just as soon as it began. what was i supposed to say to that? we just kinda responded like, "oh really?" and there wasn't much to say after that......they just assumed that because we worked at a church we would hold the same opinions as them.......it really baffles me how christians get soooo legalistic and judgmental. i'm still baffled to this day at how i so quickly became that way when i was 15....thankfully i got over that quick....

what is the difference between the magic in the chronicles of narnia that c.s. lewis writes about and the magic in harry potter? if the guy's case on the matter is that the narnia books are great for showing kids good and evil......harry potter does just that! they both include magic. seriously, am i really missing something that's very terribly wrong with harry potter? i'm willing to hear someone's debate on this if they think i'm wrong....maybe i'll hear some feedback that'll make me change my mind. but until then.....i think all the negative hubbub surrounding harry potter is stupid and just another way for religious christians to create an "in" or "out" of the club mentality towards other people and makes it easier for them to reject people while feeling justified in doing so.

office space

"damn, it feels good to be a gansta!"

Joanna: So, where do you work, Peter?
Peter Gibbons: Initech.
Joanna: In... yeah, what do you do there?
Peter Gibbons: I sit in a cubicle and I update bank software for the 2000 switch.
Joanna: What's that?
Peter Gibbons: Well see, they wrote all this bank software, and, uh, to save space, they used two digits instead of four.
So, like 98 instead of 1998? Uh... so I go through these thousands of lines of code and, uh... it doesn't really matter. I uh... I don't like my job, and, uh... I don't think I'm gonna go anymore.
Joanna: You're just not gonna go?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Joanna: Won't you get fired?
Peter Gibbons: I don't know, but I really don't like it, and, uh, I'm not gonna go.
Joanna: So you're gonna quit?
Peter Gibbons: Nah-uh. Not really. Uh... I'm just gonna stop going.
Joanna: When did you decide all that?
Peter Gibbons: About an hour ago.
Joanna: An hour ago... so you're gonna get another job?
Peter Gibbons: I don't think I'd like another job.
Joanna: Well, what are you going to do about money and bills and...
Peter Gibbons: You know... I've never really liked paying bills. I don't think I'm gonna do that, either.

ok allan here's my office space. and I'm sporting my "i-hate-posing-for-pictures-and-I'm-trying-really-hard-not-to-look-dorky" face. :)