No! And you're crazy!

While talking with my friend Garrett yesterday it came up that I did a zip line tour through the jungle in Costa Rica a few years ago.



He stopped me mid sentence with --

"Wait, was it up high?"

"Yes," I replied. "Do heights bother you?"

"Yes!" his voice was slightly edgy.

I couldn't help myself and blurted out, "Oh! Well then you should come skydiving with me sometime!!!"



Then with shear panic in his voice he replied, "we've had this conversation before, Windy, and it always ends the same way: NO! AND YOU'RE CRAZY!"


I get that a lot.

It's all my own now!

Today was the big day. The album I've been anticipating for months, and now it's all my own. I have not been let down. I love every word.

To share my new love with all of you please have a listen to my instant favorite track off the new CD. It's called 21 Guns. By Green Day.

Book Review: The Eyre Affair

The Eyre Affair
A Thursday Next Novel
by Jasper Fforde
Rating: 5 starts out of 5
"it was amazing"

Here is another recommendation from one of my sisters, and Melanie always passes on excellent books. This is book one in a series I will most definitely be reading. In fact Melanie says they only get better from here.

Fforde has a way with words, and an obvious sense of humor. Thursday Next is the name of our main character and heroine. She works in Special Ops as a LiteraTech (Literary Detective). Our story begins when a Dickens manuscript is stolen and SpecOps is called in to investigate. The bad guy, Acheron Hades (Fforde creates great names for characters), has stolen the manuscript for his own evil purposes. It's an original, so if he alters it then all other copies will be altered as well. Hades then kidnaps Thursdays Uncle who has invented a portal that allows someone to enter into a book. Hades goes inside and snatches a character from the book that he then has killed. This outrages the community as a whole. But this was a small taste to get their attention. The main character is next if his demands are not met.

Wow, there is way too much going on in this book to do any sort of sufficient summary. Long story short, the Dickens manuscript is burned and Hades needs a new one. He goes after Jane Eyre herself this time. It's now up to Thursday to track down Acheron Hades get Jane Eyre back in her novel and set things right.

Jasper Fforde is very funny and clever with his wordplay throughout the book. It made for a very enjoyable read, even if I occasionally had to reread a paragraph to make sure I understood what was said.

One of the reasons I enjoyed Thursday’s character so much is that she is a kick-butt female lead. She takes action and gets the job done when no one else will do it. Plus she has morals too.

next book: a re-read of Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

A phone call from Tommy

My brother Tommy is currently in Argentina serving a mission for our church. He'll be there for a total of 2 years. It's been almost a year now since I last saw Tommy in person.


Tommy and I are pretty close. I won't lie, it's hard not having him around all the time. I hear from him every week, but twice a year he is allowed to call home and speak with our family. Today was one of those days. It was so good to hear Tommy's voice again. To talk with him directly, make secret plans, joke and laugh again. I really miss my brother.

I know what Tommy is doing is some of the most important work on Earth. He is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those seeking faith.


Being the loving li'l brudder he is, Tommy is always looking out for me and even gave me a homework assignment. He told me to get married within the next year. If I don't he thinks he's going to set me up when he returns so that he and I can have a double wedding. Looks like I need to find myself a husband. :P

The Senate with Noah Gundersen

Sasha and I rarely agree on music, but when it comes to Noah Gundersen, we're there. Particularly when Noah opens up for The Senate. The combo of these 2 together works. It really works. Tonight, at Cafe Solstice, I saw them for the 3rd time and loved it.

The evening started with Noah Gundersen. I fell in love with his music from the moment he began to play the very first time. He sings with so much emotion that I feel like I'm there with him, in the song. He did not let me down one bit, I loved every moment of his performance. I picked up his new CD Live at the Triple Door (I even attended that concert) tonight and even begged him for a signing after the show. Which he happily obliged.

Following Noah, The Senate took the stage and played a great show! They have some newer songs which I'm not sure I like as much. The songs might grow on me. But then they might not. I love their fast in-your-face sort of songs. "Face-melting acoustic riffage" at it's finest. All 3 members are very talented musicians, but I really enjoy the bass player. He plays a stand up bass, not something seen in rock today, which makes him that much cooler. The Senate played all of my favorite songs I was hoping to hear tonight so I walked away a happy girl. They have a unique sound, check them out. Click on the play button to hear Ocean Song.

21st Century Breakdown

I get excited about new albums and music. But there are very few albums that I get this excited over! One week from today 21st Century Breakdown will be released. I've been itching to get it for months now!

Green Day is by far my favorite band. My addiction started about 16 years ago with a song called Longview. My life has never been the same since. Dookie was the first CD I ever bought. Green Day my first concert I ever attended. Billie Joe Armstrong my first celebrity crush. Good Riddance the first song I learned to play on guitar.

July 3rd Green Day will be playing the Tacoma Dome. I will be there. You know I will.



And Letterman is right, there is something wrong with the drummer...

Edamame

Last night I made a late night run to the grocery store to pick up some olives for my mother who was making a salad. On a whim I grabbed a bag of edamame while there.

えだまめ (edamame) is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches.

Edamame is a major source of protein. It also tastes surprisingly good for something so healthy. I boiled up a handful today during my dinner break and could not stop munching on them.

Ok-- I feel like an advertisement at this point, but I really did enjoy them. And I'm looking forward to eating the rest of them later this week. Anyone else want to join me for some edamame?

sourse

I'll take ten of them!

Everyone should have a niece or nephew or two. Me? I'll take ten of them.

This morning I attended the blessing of my newest niece, Emily Jo. It was short and beautiful. And fun to see everyone. Just afterward we stepped outside to take a few pictures with Emily in her beautiful white dress. This is me with 5 of my nieces and nephews, all of these belonging to my older brother David. I love being an aunt!

I love it when they see me and come running up to give me a hug. Especially when all 4 (of the walking ones) do it at the same time. I love that Katie always wants to hold my hand. I love that Zachary always wants to learn about things I'm interested in. I love that Lindsey is so shy at times, but then when she warms up a little she is so loud! I love that Tyler always likes to joke around and laugh. I love that Emily always seems so content to live in a house full of energetic siblings and chaos. I love my nieces and nephews.

Me, with Emily in my arms. Katie, Tyler, Lindsey, and Zachary.
Five of the most precious children in the world.

He that hath no beard is less than a man

Since I have not the gift of words I will quote those who do. This is a brief excerpt from Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare.

Leonato: You may light on a husband that hath no beard.

Beatrice: What should I do with him? dress him in my apparel and make him my waiting-gentlewoman? He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man: and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him: therefore, I will even take sixpence in earnest of the bear-ward, and lead his apes into hell.

Leonato: Well, then, go you into hell?

Beatrice: No, but to the gate; and there will the devil meet me, like an old cuckold, with horns on his head, and say 'Get you to heaven, Beatrice, get you to heaven; here's no place for you maids:' so deliver I up my apes, and away to Saint Peter for the heavens; he shows me where the bachelors sit, and there live we as merry as the day is long.

An Indulgence

Is it silly of me to think everyone wants to see a picture of my feet? My toenails are just that cute. You simply need to see them. They are silky smooth too. Mmm.