Visiting Friends and Jack

This past weekend, Jack and I got to get away to Atlanta. I stayed with my friend, Laurie, and her husband, Jonathan, and two daughters, Elise and Audrey (she has another one to come in November!). Laurie was a dear friend at Auburn that I met when I went to China my sophomore summer of college. I then got to know her even better when we roomed together my senior year. She is very good at keeping up with her friends, even with juggling a family. I would describe her as a great encourager, witty, and sincere. It was great catching up and being with her girls and Jonathan. Jack and I also saw my friend, Melanie and her two boys. Mel is also a great Auburn friend, I met her at RUF and roomed with her my Sophomore year. Anytime I see Mel again, it's like we've left off when we last saw each other. No one else can make me laugh like Melanie and she is so talented. In fact, she was sewing Huxley's monster costume when I arrived. It was such a great chance to see friends, but I wish it would have been longer.
On Saturday, Jack and I headed to Lynchburg, TN to tour the Jack Daniels Distillary. We arrived on the main road to find a loooong line of traffic to the Distillary and we found out it was the Annual National BBQ cookoff. Just as we were about to call it a day and try again later, we found a parking spot. Good thing we did, because it turned out to be a great day. Our tour guide was absolutely hilarious and we had some good BBQ. (Notice the original safe that Jack kicked, which it turn got infected and he died later from gangrene. )

Fear of the unknown

The other night, Jack and I watched a TV show that we got from netflix called 30 days. It is hosted and created by the guy who did Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock, where he ate McDonalds for 30 days. In this series, "participants face their fears and prejudices when they spend 30 Days living someone else’s life". The first three episodes were on Minimum Wage, Anti aging, and Muslims and America. I especially enjoyed the Muslims and America episode where a Christian man from West Virginia went to Michigan and spent 30 days with a Muslim family. It went through his stereotypes, his struggle to not compromise his faith, then to changing how he viewed Muslims. He wore traditional Muslim clothing from his house to the airport and to Michigan. He said it was the first time he was stopped by security. It really showed how lots of americans have sterotypes and fears of Muslims since 911 and maybe even before then. I highly suggest seeing it to challenge your thoughts towards Muslims. I know it really challenged me to open up to those different than me and have dialogue about it. This series makes you think about others than yourself. Opens your mind and your heart. I like that it challenges me and enables me to see a small view of how it is to walk in someone else's shoes.
One of my close friends, Alicia, who went to high school and Auburn with me is married to Mark who works for Common Path Alliance. They are an organization dedicated to initiating dialogues of trust and building relationships of peace between Muslims and Christians around the world. They exist to unite people who have been divided by religion by seeking our common path to God. I love the way they get community and relationships moving through being honest and loving. Definitely check out their website on what they are doing and encouraging others to do. Mark speaks here in Nashville occasionally so I can let you know when he does.
And now, to make fun of my own race... I picked up a gift for a friend today I couldn't resist: "Stuff White People Like" by Christian Lander. I have seen the author's website and heard interviews, but the book is hilarious. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. 80's night
2. Wes Anderson Movies "(They) have this way of being sort of funny and a little cleaver, so white people in the audience will laugh like crazy. Also, if they don't get the joke and other white people start laughing, they'll all join in."
3. Film Festivals
4. Standing Still at Concerts-"Music is very important to white people. It truly is the soundtrack to their lives... most of the music white people like isn't especially dance-friendly. More often the songs are about pain, love, breaking up with someone, not being able to date someone, or death."
5. Expensive Sandwiches
6. Knowing What's Best for Poor People
7. Apologies- "White people are so used to apologizing that they start all sentences that might cause disagreement with "I'm sorry, but Garden State was a better film than Hard Eight."
8. Netflix
9. Public Radio
10. Indie Music- "White people hate anything mainstream...If you mention a band you like and the other person has heard of it, you lose. They own you. It is essential that you like the most obscure music possible."

Free Download of the Week

Civil Twilight has the free song download of the week on Itunes! "Letters From the Sky" is beautiful, the rest of the cd is good, too. (Their name has nothing to do with Twilight, even though the lead singer does look like Edward)
I also watched an interview with Christian Siriano. I thought it was hilarious because they were asking him about the words he's made up and at the bottom of the screen the definition would flash up. Ha. This was on the morning news, people. Feel free to use these words in your everyday jargon. I have already used ferosh several times.

FIERCE-You either are or you aren't. You can't become fierce. This is the highest fabulous.
FEROSH-When something is fabulous, but not quite at fierce point. Used in a sentence: "Jacob is so ferosh, but Edward is fierce"
TICK-TACK_TOE-When all Tackiness has come together and created a perfect score. This also comes from the word "Tickety Tack". Used in a sentence: "Traci's outfit was so tickety tack"

Hell to the No

Glee is my new favorite show. Singing, snappy comedy, and that woman from all the Christopher Guest movies (Jane Lynch). Refreshing after watching so many reality shows. I think one of my favorites has been the song that got everyone talking in the premiere episode, "Don't Stop Believing". Last night just might have topped that one, "Somebody to Love". It gave me chills. Kristen Chenowith was the guest star, aka Ga-lenda from the original Broadway of Wicked and recent Emmy winner. My favorite was "Last Name", followed by "Maybe This Time". I think she played a great drunk, trashy, older woman. If you haven't seen any of the shows and you like comedy and singing, do yourself a favor and WATCH! The Glee Soundtrack comes out November 3rd!

"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O Lord, what is man that you care for him, the son of man tat you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." Psalm 144:1-4

"I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint...I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph." Ps 77:1-3,11-15

Defying Gravity

This month in Nashville Wicked is playing. I tried to read the book, only got half way through and gave up. It just was a little dark and too sexual for me (not to mention boring). TPAC was offering a lottery 2 hours before each showing to win $25 orchestra level seats, so I shot over there and tried my luck. People kept coming and coming. My winning luck was over, but my friend, Jordan, called while I was waiting and said she had an extra ticket. Wicked was excellent. Defying gravity was my favorite song. So much emotion and such a powerful voice. Ga-lenda was hilarious and her voice was fantastic.
So speaking of fantastic, what is not is all these women sports reporters on the football field. What is with this trend? When did we need to know what was going on the sideline by a women in heels? I am all for power to the women, but come on. I have a theory: I think they have to be women asking coaches questions because otherwise, they would get hit in the face. A man is not going to hit a woman.
Confession #4: When Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning" comes on, I don't change it. I sing along and I kind of like it. There, I said it.

Me want food!

Here is my shopping trip for this week. I think I did a really good job, I only spent 44$ and saved 21$. I did several "stock piling" by buying meat that was on sale at Kroger. I think I am getting better at this! I got great deals on ground turkey, family pack of ground chuck, and roast. My meal plan this week: Sunday-Burritos, Monday-Mahi mahi, quinoa, and veggies, Tuesday- roast and carrots, Wednesday-NFG (off night), Thursday- Stuffed Potatoes with left over roast, Friday-Lasagna or quesadillas, Saturday-Carrabas (using gift card!). By planning meals ahead and using left overs really helps save time and money. I am trying to freeze more stuff, I'm just not used to doing this. I am dividing up the meat into servings in ziploc freezer bags, making sure I put a date when I put it in and when it expires. Next time there is a good sale on strawberries, I plan to freeze them as well. I can use those for strawberry bread, smoothies, etc. I'm going to try freezing carrots, we will see how it goes.
I was trying to keep some fresh herbs I had left over from cooking this weekend and I found a tip online. It said to cut the ends off the herbs, place in a container with water, then place a clear bag over them. Make sure to leave the bag open. I took a picture to see how long they last.