Don't Pass the Chuck

Probably my favorite author of this time, could be attributed to none other than Chuck Klosterman. He's written so many books that challenge every aspect of my intellect. Strangely, I first got turned on to his literary genius through a little show known as, the O.C. Seth Cohen was reading, perhaps his most famous book, "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs". I can honestly say, that this book was the first book I have ever read that coaxed genuine laughter out of me. It's a rather strange oddity when you're sitting by yourself, reading, and can't stop laughing. Chuck's satire is unparalleled in my opinion. He has also written books including: "Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota", "Killing Yourself to Live", "Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas", "Eating the Dinosaur", and the book I'm currently enjoying, "Downtown Owl".

Perhaps it's because I grew up in a town not too different from Owl, North Dakota, or it may be Klosterman's subtle wit and ability to transfix the reader, transporting them into his own world. This is his first published stab at writing a full, fiction novel. I'm not done with it yet, but am enjoying it immensly. I've been so busy re-reading books that have movies coming out this season (i.e. New Moon, the Road, Precious, etc.) Now back to Chuck.

Lately...

...I've been watching the following. Sometimes, I get home from work, and my motivation level is next to zero. So what happens...I read, eat, or watch television. Here are a few snippets of things that have entertained me.

Kathryn and Legacy from So You Think You Can Dance...not a season I've been watching much. But I did manage to catch this dance and loved it. It's supposed to be about a girl dealing with grief...it was beautiful.



The ridiculously hilarious new, primetime sitcom "Glee" cracks me up. The storylines are always a little vacant, but the performances are so funny. Here's a good mindless video to take you back.



Today on the Ellen Show...a really funny segment with a cute Chinese girl. Sarah, you will see a lot of these little kids soon.

Thank Goodness for Moms

After looking at my friend Dusty's page, I saw that he took part in this hilarious exercise down memory lane. Evidentally, by the magic of technology, we can see how ridiculous we would've looked had it not been for our moms telling us we couldn't get a certain haircut, or piercing, or shirt. Mom...thank you!


I've always wanted dreads. After seeing this picture, maybe I'm rethinking that. I think I look like an extra from the Pauly Shore movie, Encino Man.


This is the Tiger Woods version of me...a Blasian.


When everyone wanted to be Zach Morris...ah...thank goodness I never had this ridiculous hair!


Is this an AC Slater look-a-like contest?


Um...I still see this hairdo on many people. They just shop at Walmart and aren't male.


Bahahahaha!


Carrot top...not really an Asian haircut.


Kelly will you please cut my hair like this? Haha.


In honor of MJ.


My dad had this hair.


I've never noticed before...but I look like that guy in all the tabs that they're saying is a "bad father" or "reckless parent"...what's his name again...oh ya...John.


No words.


I'm pretty sure I'm going to bring this hairstyle back.

Hope you laughed. I certainly did...am. Thanks for sharing Dusty. This was too funny!

Movie Quiz...why not.

1What's the best sports movie? Hoosiers obviously
2What chick flick can you watch over and over? Sleepless in Seattle (I love my city)
3As far as musicals go, which one transcends? White Christmas will always be
4What movie can always make you cry? hmmm...any sports movie
5What's your favorite holiday movie? Love Actually
6What movie are you always in the mood for? Harry Potter
7Which movie can you quote in your sleep? Home Alone
8What movie brings back all of your childhood memories? The Goonies
9What movie do you wish they would remake? Wizard of Oz (c'mon Tim Burton)
10Even though most sequels don't fair too well, what movie deserves a sequel? The Incredibles
11What disaster movie do you love most? Twister
12TV on DVD can bring a series to life. What series do you enjoy most? the OC or Law and Order SVU
13Which movie was the bigest let down for you? The Secret Life of Bees
14What was the last movie you saw in the theatre? Where the Wild Things Are
15What movie are you most looking forward to seeing? The Road or Pirate Radio

Bringin' Back the Train

The other day while I was watching 106 & Park on BET-yes, you heard me right-they did a modern day soul train. It looked like so much fun. We were talking about it at work, and everyone was telling me that soul train is what people of color do while midwesterners do the dance-line...or mambo. This made me truly bust a gut. And you know I'm not tryin to get down with the mambo, chicken dance, or macarena.

As the holidays quickly approach, I've been getting excited for all of my favorite Christmas movies. I think that it's really hard to make a good, quality Christmas movie these days. The classics are just too good. One that I did discover last Christmas that I enjoy, also features a soul train. Here's a clip. Enjoy.



Can you imagine doing a soul train with your family? Might be the funniest thought ever. I think that Christmas at the Wilde's might need to implement this tradition into their holiday traditions.

Asleep

I know this song can seem a bit depressing, and the video is super old and a little out-dated. But I think that's what makes it great. The Smiths are one of the greatest bands in the last few decades...ya dig?

We don't krump...we jerk.

This video is a couple of people from work. They're jerkin'. If you haven't heard of it already...jerkin' is the new scene dance. Get it.

Thanks for the Challenge Joey

Use only the titles of songs of ONE ARTIST or BAND and cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat songs.

Pick your Artist: Bright Eyes (of course)


Describe yourself:
I Will Be Grateful for this Day

How do you feel:
Don't Know When But a Day is Gonna Come

Describe where you live:
Spent on Rainy Days

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
At the Bottom of Everything

Your favorite form of transportation:
Reinvent the Wheel

Your best friend is:
A Scale, a Mirror and those Indifferent Clocks

You and your best friends are:
Patient Hope in New Snow

What's the weather like:
Lime Tree

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
No One Would Riot for Less

What is life to you:
Down in a Rabbit Hole

Your greatest fear:
Falling Out of Love at this Volume

What is the best advice you have to give:
The Movement of a Hand

Thought for the Day:
An Attempt to Tip the Scales

How I would like to die:
Easy/Lucky/Free

My soul's present condition:
All of the Truth

My motto:
Sunrise, Sunset

I could've used some more cliche songs, but felt these were a better fit. Especially in the actual lyrics of the songs...so if you feel bored, and want to check out more search Bright Eyes lyrics and be awed.

Road Trip(s)

I have been terribly bad about blogging lately, but I have been super busy. My company transferred me to ghetto Tacoma to try and turn business around there. It has been an extremely hard transition because of my lack of desire to be commuting. I have taken trips to Pomeroy, the Tri-Cities, Portland, and LA. I needed the vacations, so I'm very happy to have gotten the chance. Unfortunately, right when I returned home, I had to report to my new location...Tacoma.

I am really hoping that Tacoma is a short stay for me. I really do like my management team. Kyla and Alex are great. It's also a lot of fun to be in a mall with multiple brands...feels more like a community. It's a much bigger volume area, so that also helps. Still, I am praying for temporary stationing.

My trip home to Pomeroy was rather hilarious. I did get a chance to see a lot of friends from high school that I haven't seen for years!
Nikki Utke, Melissa and Jon Borley, Colin, Justin, Nick and Craig, Courtney, Corrie and Crystal, Clint and Jess, Brandon and Megan...and their cute daughter Olivia. Visiting my hometown is always a comical experience for me simply because I have changed so much, and it has not. Everyone still lives exactly where they always have. The majority of people still use dial-up internet. My visit was announced weeks before I got there, so my arrival was expected. I got a chance to go back to my high school and see some of my favorite teachers...and some of my least favorites. Haha. It was a surreal experience to sit in the teachers' lounge listening to them all talk about how great my graduating class was. I swear they have thought more about it than any of us have.

After Pomeroy, I got a chance to go to the Tri-Cities and see my grandparent's house. It was so much fun to spend time with them! We went and saw an amazing movie, "the Soloist". What an amazing story! My uncle Jeff has actually had the chance to interact with Steve Lopez from the LA Times. After the movie, grandad, grandma, and I went home and had a couple mini sandwiches. I don't know if I can really describe it, but the sandwiches somehow took on an overwhelming nostalgic attribute. I'm pretty sure it is the rolls and the sweet cucumber pickles.

Quickly after that, I went to spend a couple days in Portland. I got to see my friends Dane, Charles, Spicer, Katie, Becky, and my mom. After a dance party, a new introduction to a coffee shop off MLK, and the Deschutes' Brewery Restaurant...my trip was rounded out. Spending that time with my mom was so refreshing! I had an amazing time, and long for the days when those sorts of visits can be more frequent.

I had a quick few days of work back in Olympia, then off to LA I went. The first day I got to LA, my aunt Wendy picked me up from the airport. We went to this great little place simply named "Home". It was a great restaurant with an array of delightful dishes. We also got to go pick up my cousins Caleb and Maggie at their school on Mt. Los Angeles. Caleb had no idea that I was coming to visit, so his face was priceless! Later that night I hooked up with Brian Gould and hung out at his place in Pasadena. I kid you not...the dinner Mike made for us...I would've paid good money for! Brian is lucky to have Mike. Marc later met up with us and we explored the wonderful Pasadena strip. I wouldn't mind living there at all. Marc and I spent the next few days around Hollywood. We hiked to the Observatory, went to the art museum, the Getty, checked out the greatest music store this side of the Mississippi, and got to experience Glendale, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and many other places.


Here's Marc at the Observatory.


After walking the Promenade out at Santa Monica, we took a night view of the pier.


Marc's Bailey's pancakes at the Griddle.


Glendale...right after watching Star Trek and eating out...but we passed a really hilarious taco shack, if only we would've known.


Marc and I spotted David Hasselhoff on our way to get music and coffee. He was shopping in Urban Outfitters of all places.


Brian, Marc, and I spotted this on Venice Beach...right by Muscle Beach ironically enough.


One of my favorite things about LA and its surrounding areas is that there is literally art everywhere you look. This is right by a bus stop in WeHo.


Had to get me some new glasses for the LA look.


Visiting Andrew at Red Bull in Santa Monica was such a turning point for me. That structure above their heads is a huge skate ramp. Behind them is a huge gaming room and to the left of them is a mini-theatre...what you don't see is people riding from office to office on their bright orange cruisers and pit-stopping at one of the many freezers full of Red Bull (which doesn't really have cocaine in it). Thanks for the Red Bull Cola, Gomez.

So, there are way too many stories to tell you about my time in California, but there were a few pictures from my time there. If you want to hear some crazy stories, hit me up, and we'll chat.

My Day Off

Yesterday, I got to have an actual day off from work! It was so great! First off, I went to the gym, then to a meeting for work, then to brunch. Then Megan and I went to find luggage for her. Right after that, I ran into a new friend, Cameron, and hung with him at the park. Then I went back to the apartment to pick up Tyler, and was rather proud of myself for accomplishing so much before noon. Anyway, once Tyler got up and showered, we left for Alki.

Once we made it to Alki, we parked and mosied along the boardwalk. The beach was so glorious! The weather has definitely been good to Western Washington lately. People playing volleyball, laying out, and sailing. All things done on a normal Tuesday afternoon.

Later in the day, things got a lot busier. But for the time being, we shared the beach with only a select few. We decided to eat at this little hut. And to my surprise, the food was amazing!


On our way back to the beach, we spotted a tattoo shop. Tyler had to get one. So...Twise got his first tattoo. What do you think?


Directly after that process, we met Tal for a little dinner at Black Bottle in Belltowne. What a fantastic day it was.

Ode to a Squeeze It

How I miss thee,
Dearest Squeeze-It.
The crazy faces that you had.

How I miss thee,
Juice of wonder,
the greatest refreshment fad?

Your flavors running wild,
amix the plentiful sweet.

Your crazy bottled figure
of which you cannot beat.

Juice boxes are so boring.
Your absence is so sad.

Cherry, Lime, and Blue...
Your flavors remain rad.

Lisa Hannigan

One of my new favorite artists. I'm not sure what it is about her lullaby-esque tone, but I enjoy her greatly. Even though I am not a parent yet, I've found myself listening to many artists that I think I would love to have as a children's album for my kids to sleep to and such. When I was a kid, I grew up on Psalty the Singing Song Book and GT and the Halo Express. Plus, who can forget Sandi Patty, Steve Green, and Al Denson. But I think if I had kids right now they'd listen to Lisa Loeb's children's album (She made a "comeback" can you believe it? Haha). They'd also have to listen to Belle and Sebastian, Jack Johnson's Curious George Soundtrack, Meaghan Smith, Maria Taylor, and of course..Lisa Hannigan. Enjoy.

Stomp!

Thanks to Melissa, I was able to see this hilarious video. You can't help but feel a little sorry for her, but that's what she gets for trying to cheat. Let that be a lesson. And now, she's got her own music video, too. Just watch the second video. Does she sound a little like a dying dog?

There's a Canyon in Thurston County!

So today, I was driving to work, and approached a yield to turn green light. Coming in the opposite direction was another car, and they of course, had a regular old green light because they were going straight. So I yielded...go figure. And they slammed on their breaks (seeing my turn signal) and waved me through. I thought...wait, I am supposed to yield dummy. And they kept waving me through. The car behind them began to honk, and it turned into such an ordeal. I quickly thought this was a bit bizarre because I'm in Wasington...not Idaho anymore. Then, no joke and no surprise, I glanced down at the license plate out of habit. Much to my heart's pleasure, it was a 2C license plate from Idaho! They have followed me!

25 Things

Thanks Meagan for showing me this video...cracks me up.

Bubba Bow-staff

It's good to be back in Idaho.


Bo Staff Training from Shane Grove on Vimeo.

Is Vinny an Idol?

Months ago, we were all under the impression that Vinny, Calvin Nicholas Arthur Mann, left for graduate school in Scotland. Up until a few weeks ago, I had never questioned this. But now...now that I've seen a few episodes of the hit show, American Idol I've discovered that this is most likely not true. Vinny is posing as Scott McInteyer. You be the judge.


Scott or Vinny?


Scott or Vinny?

You be the judge.

"Desmond is nowhere to be found..."

Today, I got up early and flew out from Sea-Tac to Boise. It was an early morning, and with little sleep from the previous night as well...I was exhausted. I kept falling asleep waiting to board, and I realized that if I did, I would be dead to the world. So, I needed to do something to keep me occupied. I decided to play what I've named, "The Lost Game". Here's how it works. You look at all of the people that you're flying with, also waiting to board. You start pondering what their professions are and what they would contribute to the culture on the island, if we crashed. Then you look at the supporting cast, and those that are probably just going to be extras in the background. Today, I spotted someone that I think would've flipped and joined the Others if push came to shove. Two kids and their mom sat right behind me on the plane...and I'm sure they would've been casualties. Sad I know. And I think that I saw a brother-sister relationship that would've been much like Boone. A small role, but not much meat to the character development. This game definitely kept me awake, and I boarded the plane. Made it back to Idaho...and am set for a great, relaxing visit.

What was I thinking?

How could I forget the Francey's! Mark and Rachelle have been such amazing examples of devotion to me. They truly challenge young people to better themselves. It takes special people to encourage someone to care. That's a gift that is straight from God. Mark and Rachelle lobby people to care. Although I haven't spent much time with Kenzie, I'm sure that she will be such a strong pillar. This family I admire greatly. If I had to sum them up in a nutshell, it'd be "adventurously caring".

Looks Do Matter!

I have come to terms with the fact that I truly am treated differently based on what I'm wearing. It's unfortunate, but when I'm in my Abercrombie (work) clothes, people ask me the most ridiculous questions. Here are some of the comments.


"Hey, you a Duke man?"
"How often do you go tanning?"
"Didn't I see you on the treadmill yesterday?"
"Do you get to like, date every girl that works here?"
"Should I tuck the front part of this shirt in?"
"Will you come to Victoria's Secret with me?"
"Do you think T.I. is innocent?"

But when I'm in my normal get up...what I choose to wear when I'm not at work, the questions are totally different. They're more like:


"What'd you think of the new Andrew Bird album?"
"Don't you hate it when people buy albums only on iTunes?"
"Want some of my homemade granola?"
"Should I get a vegan tattoo?"
"Got a lighter?"
"How do you feel about Neitzsche?"

These are all things that I've been asked by complete strangers. Not people that I know...just random walk-by strangers. It's so bizarre to me that my clothes cause me to live such a double life. I mean...what's a vegan tattoo anyway?

Your Secret Admirer

As dumb as it sounds, after I got one of those cheesy conversation hearts at work, mine said, "Your Secret Admirer", I started thinking about how much I loathe Valentine's Day. It's a day of extremes. We're set to promote extreme affection and love, or extreme loneliness. How fun. What a great day to celebrate. For me, more times than not, it has been a holiday that I choose to pass through. But this year, I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and pay tribute to the candy heart; to whom I admire. Please enjoy.

Krist and Kelly Wilde have shown me such great support. Not only just the amazing impartations of teaching, but their wisdom and constant faith in me is something that I have never experienced before. I admire both Krist and Kelly's desire to further the Kingdom. They are such strong pillars of faith.

In a similar way, Tracy Wilde has such a fervor for faith. But what I admire most about Trace is her vintage desire to disciple. Much like traditional rabbitical teachers, I believe Tracy has an innate ability to possess spiritual attraction. People seek her out. Her spirit is stretched in so many directions, and the giftings that God has given her are so diverse. The platform that God has built for her is grander than any I've personally seen. I admire her perseverance greatly.

Jolleen Quimba is the single greatest example of genuine empathy. Although my understanding of this is frequently ignorant, the ability she possesses to feel and genuinely care about people is magnanamous. People that she knows, she hears about, or sometimes even just sees can experience what I call "only's" solely because of her. "Only's" are those specific times, when in retrospect, you can look at your life and remember that one and only event. I really believe that Jojo is a minister of love. She'll talk to people with such a kind word, I believe her impact is far greater than we can ever imagine. She will change the world.


Another friend that I admire is Tom Foisy. I have this admiration of Tom because of his love for people as well. His love for God is so apparent when you're around him. Instantly, you know that he is a man of great faith; a man that believes there's nothing too big for God; a man of God.

On the flipside, Stephanie Rooks is one example of what God has asked women to be. She is a giver. Stephanie is so selfless. You will never meet someone that is so willing to give themselves to the "cause". The determination Stephanie has deserves great admiration.


My boy Adrian Gomez has such a desire to be better. To achieve. I can't believe how determined he is to get to the next level, whatever that is. I am amazed with him.

Meagan Murphy is a true worshipper of Christ. There's nothing more beautiful than someone opperating in their gifting that God has given to them. It's so amazing to see someone do what they love to do...what they were made to do. Meagan I admire you for your joy...for your Davidic worship...for your reckless abandon.


Of course my HLP, Marc Herring is someone that I can't express how much I admire. I know that if you know Marc, you know that he has a constant willingness to show grace to people. We talk about the grace of God so much as Christians, and I know that Marc has this down pact. Marc shows this grace and mercy.

Lastly, I have to include Shane and Kirsten Grove. Not only are they admirable as parents and husband and wife. But they are also examples of never-ceasing prayer. Prayer is something I've grown to love, desire, and cherish. This is greatly because of Shane and Kirsten. Without them and their direction, who knows where I'd be. Thank you to all of you.

Looking at all of these things I admire, they are mostly because of the way people interact with others. Their love for people. This is what I admire most.

Stalker?

I know that in this day and age, everyone has different boundaries, and I would suspect that people's various definitions of voyeurism has changed. But I can't get over the fact that in my lifetime, we didn't have cell phones...let alone live webcams. As I have watched some of the Waiting Kind on mogulus.com, I have realized my uneasiness. It's like you're peering in on people's lives. It's not like television shows (i.e. Real World). It's more like peeping. I don't like it. But if you'd like to check out a really great, phenomenal, annointed worship band...check 'em out at:


http://www.mogulus.com/thewaitingkind

Enjoy!