i found this interesting

it's a letter from a former slave to his former master
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html

going postal

i hate going to the post office. i don't know why, i just do.  but i ordered 'i hate luv storys' from an ebay store in india and they made it so i had to sign for it, and of course i wasn't home when the mailman got here, which meant i had to go pick it up. so i dragged myself out after work and went and got it (from a very annoyed that people were there postal worker). the dvd was extremely well-packaged. it took at least 8 hours to get into and had all sorts of padding. so naturally, since i so hate going to the post office, it didn't work. the prongs that hold the dvd in place (and the prongs that hole the cd in place - this is a two-disc set) were broken, leaving both discs all scratched up. now i get to contact the seller, figure out how to return it, and go back to the post office. such a conspiracy.

just a reminder (for me)

"...the chief purpose of life, for any one of us, is to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks." - J.R.R. Tolkien

darn that 4 hour nap

I love Samwise Gamgee

"[Sam] cared no longer for Shagrat or Snaga or any other orc that was ever spawned. He longed only for his master, for one sight of his face or one touch of his hand.
"At last, weary and feeling finally defeated, he sat on a step below the level of the passage-floor and bowed his head into his hands. It was quiet, horribly quiet. The torch, that was already burning low when he arrived, sputtered and went out; and he felt darkness cover him like a tide. And then softly, to his own surprise, there at the end of his long journey and his grief, moved by a thought in his heart he could not tell, Sam began to sing.
"His voice sounded thin and quavering in the cold dark tower: the voice of a forlorn and weary hobbit that no listening orc could possibly mistake for the clear song of an Elven-lord...And then suddenly new strength rose in him, and his voice rang out, while words of his own came unbidden to fit the simple tune.
"'...Though here at journey's end I lie
in darkness buried deep,
beyond all towers strong and high,
beyond all mountains steep,
above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.'"
 - The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien

Drew Butera and I had a moment last summer.

Denard Span watched the 1991 World Series instead last night.

what i learned last night

apparently matthew morrison is my lobster.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyvRjF0NBeM]

at least that's what someone told us after we were lost in some woods somewhere then got back to this huge plantation-like house and were kind of fighting, but distraught because we were both scared we would lose the one we love.

oh, but i will add

for someone who picks up accents quickly like i do (i have to concentrate to speak american after watching a two hour british person movie), 'the help' is dangerous. it's so well-written that you hear the people speaking, which means that your co-workers might look at you funny for the first 5-15 minutes you speak after putting the book down.

Book Review: "The Help," by Kathryn Stockett

I don't read books on the bestseller lists. They're trendy, and I don't like trendy, and if I actually do want to read them there's a waiting list at the library, which means I'll have forgotten about them by the time they're available. Oh yes, and they also used to often be recommended by Oprah, which, considering that we all know that the anti-christ will come back as someone similar to her (or the pope) very much made a book lose its appeal.

After hearing how good this book was supposed to be, though, and after my mother asking me if I wanted to watch the movie with her, I decided I might like to read it. I was still a little leary that it might be sentimental; bestseller, a book about women, race relations - it could easily get sappy or preachy.

But it wasn't. At all. The women weren't victims, they were strong but not abrasive, and they just plain felt real. It was the first book I had read in awhile that made me want to stay up way past my bedtime. It was extremely well-written, and very easy to read. I was a little sad that it ended.

With all the other reviews out there, I'll stop here. Suffice it to say, I recommend it.

why my mom is awesome this time

she's singing "'a' you're adorable" about herself. ("'a' i'm adorable, 'b' i'm so beautiful, 'c' i'm a cutie full of charms..." :D )

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk_BiU9x9pM - not my mom, but the song, in case you don't know it]

i wish wasting time could be a job

cuz i am so so so good at it

more of my prophetessness

two nights ago i had a dream that one of the housekeepers at work was living in a building that got condemned because of structural damage suffered on 9/11. in my dream she kept insisting she was going to live there because she really liked her place. i told her that it wasn't safe and she might die and she could come stay with us til she found a place. she said no. i pleaded with her again. she said no because she wanted to be able to go to a shoe exchange at her church. i told her she could drive there from my place. she said no. i pleaded with her again because i didn't want her to die, no matter how much she liked her place.
yesterday she was late coming in to clean the dining room. i wasn't actually concerned, but when she got there i told her i was glad to see her and explained why.
she said, 'don't say that. you're scaring me.'
me: it was just a dream.
her: no, that stuff can mean something.
me: i wouldn't worry too much.
her: i am worried. this morning we smelled gas at my place. we think it's the stove.
me: but it wasn't because of that. your apartment was going to collapse.
her: i don't know...
today she came in and said she had gotten rid of her stove.
me: what? why?
her: i don't want us to die. your dream meant something. i know it.
me: why didn't you just call someone and have him check it out?
her: we did. he said he didn't think there was anything wrong with it and didn't do anything. but we still smelled gas. so we got rid of it.
me: because i had that dream?
her: yes. thank you. you saved us.
me: um...you're welcome.
her: i'm serious. i believe in that stuff. i'm sorry for when i drew a face with it's tongue sticking out at you on the meal sign-up sheet that one day. you saved our lives.
me: it's okay. i'm glad you're not dead.

i'll hang with you Benjii

BenRevere9 Ben Revere

I hear these girls say bad boys are no good. Well that maybe true, but good boys aren't no fun!? Well your hanging w the wrong dude lol

My Alphabetical Biography List: Graham, Franklin - president of Samaritan's Purse

"Rebel With a Cause: Finally Comfortable Being Graham" - Franklin Graham

Living in Billy Graham's shadow would be daunting. From the time Franklin Graham was born he was being compared to his father. It's understandable that he would rebel. In his mid-20s he came back to the faith, though, and by the time he was 28 he was the president of Samaritan's Purse. Through that relief organization, he has made his own mark on the world, going about serving the LORD in his own way.
I found the first third of the book boring. I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood when I read it, or what, but when I had to return it because someone else had it on hold at the library, I wasn't sad - only worried that I wouldn't get back to it. Months later I finally did, and I enjoyed the last two-thirds much more. Maybe it was the timing, maybe it was the fact that he was done rebelling and I was reading about the ways GOD was working through Samaritan's Purse. Either way, I liked the end much better.

feeling better today

sometimes i just want to throw something in frustration

again i think...

i have to go to england. i don't know when or how or why or what for, but i feel like i have to. darn the olympics being there this year. although really, i don't know how i'd manage it anyway. part of me feels like i have to go alone, which scares me considerably, especially when at this point, the only way i can see is as a tourist, which leaves me with no one (unlike if i were to go for school or something so i could meet someone there). part of me also feels, though, like it should be for a long time, which would mean giving up a job and not being able to find one when i get back. darn the whole thing.

where i'm at spiritually

i'm bored. extremely bored. prayer bores me (okay, so it always has), the Bible bores me, going to church bores me, having to be good bores me. and what the heck is the point of being good if you don't care about the rest of it anyway? but then, my life is boring, with no opportunities to be bad, so i guess that's really a moo point.
i'm not even feeling like i wish it was different. i just don't care. i guess maybe somewhere down deep i do, but it doesn't really upset me that overall i don't.
it could be just that i'm bored in general. like i said, my life is boring. and yes, i know, most people's lives are. but i wish mine wasn't. i caught myself the other day wondering how long it had been since i had fun; not how long since i had done something exciting, but how long it had been since i had just had fun.
six days off is too long. too much time to think. and for me, thinking never ends well.

ever just want to shed your skin and try being someone new?

dear hobbitsister,

when will your husband be starting his presidential campaign? i very look forward to your first lady cause of women not having to shave their legs. as the pippa to your kate, i could be very helpful, and would be so gladly.
love,
mel

he's just so bamfiful.

linda wanted 2 party favors

party favor for linda's birthday

Happy Birthday Linda!

I know I can't make it perfect for you, but I hope this at least gives you a smile!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvgVMecNp0c

Dear Bollywood,

Please export Imran Khan to Hollywood.

I don't know about his acting chops,

but the rest of his chops would transfer just fine.

Sincerely,

Melilot Brandybuck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cvIscZjUrc

Movie Review: 'Jaane tu-- ya jaane na'

With time off, I'm not tired, which means I'm up to reading movies. I got one Indian (though I also have 'I Hate Luv Storys' on hold for me at the library again) and one French. Today I watched the Bollywood one.

'Jaane tu - ya jaane na' ('Know it or not') is about a guy and a girl (Jai and Aditi) who are best friends, but of course, are not in love with each other, no matter what their parents or friends say. Finally, to prove that they aren't the ones for each other, they decide to set each other up with someone else. First Aditi finds a girl for Jai, but of course, when she sees that she's losing her best friend she's heartbroken. She won't let Jai find a guy for her, but gets set up with someone by her dad, and of course, when she tells Jai she's engaged, he's devastated.  Yeah, it's predictable, but what chick flick isn't? (I have answers for that, but I won't tell.)

Based on reviews, people tend to compare this to 'I Hate Luv Storys,' and this tends to win. I see the similarities, but I must disagree. I liked 'I Hate Luv Storys' better. I liked this one, but it seemed to move more slowly, and the girl was a bit of a brat (and she started to remind me of Kristen Stewart after awhile). I preferred the girl she hooked him up with, and it seemed like he might have, too. Also, the music was not as catchy, which is too bad, since now I have 'I Hate Luv Storys' stuck in my head with nothing to get it out.

I did like it, though. And it had Imran Khan. I'd watch 'The Spanish Prisoner' again if it had Imran Khan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPF-5KNmqq4

 Okay, maybe not.

Book Review: "I'll Mature When I'm Dead: Dave Barry's Amazing Tales of Adulthood," by Dave Barry

If you ever want to look dorky when you read at work, I would recommend this book. As you sit there smiling (at times borderline laughing) while reading your book, you feel like a bit of a dork. Which of course, makes you smile more, thus making you look more dorky.

No, not all of the book is that funny, but parts of it are, and the rest is still amusing. He covers everything from having a baby to technology to health care to Twilight. My favorite part was his take on dance recitals (his defense of men was good, too). This is from his solution to the celebrity problem:
"We need to do something about the celebrity surplus, and I have an idea, which I got from agriculture. Think about it: What do we do when our farms produce surplus wheat, and it starts to pile up in grain silos? We export it to other countries! Do you see where I'm going with this? That's right: We need to start putting minor celebrities into grain silos.

"If that turns out to be legally questionable, we should export them. This would not be difficult. All we'd have to do is park a cruise ship in Los Angeles, and announce a new reality show called Celebrity Cruise with the Stars. Within minutes there would be Kardashians storming up the gangway. As soon as the ship was full, we'd untie it and send it steaming off to someplace that doesn't produce enough celebrities of its own, such as Asia. Granted, at some point these people might try to get back to the United States. But that is exactly why we have a navy."
If you're looking for a quick, light read, this just might be the one.

but what about when HE doesn't answer?

from Twitter:
Zachary Levi
In my experience darlin, that's a question for Jesus. RT @RacheLara91: @ZacharyLevi how do you get over the love of your life?

Write what you know. Isn't that what they say? That's not easy for someone who doesn't know anything. But sometimes things come out of your pen anyway. This is what I wrote on my way to Tacoma back in September:

There was an empty seat beside me. At first that's what it was. An empty seat. However, as I watched the passengers around me, squished three in a row, it became noticably empty. Not that he and I had ever flown anywhere together. It was never like that with us. We were never together. Not technically. We were best friends, yes. We sometimes referred to us as "we," yes. But it was never anything romantic.
So why did that seat feel so empty? Why did I feel like I should be able to rest my arm on his arm? Why did I feel like his shoulder should be overlapping onto mine? Why did I still ache after six years?
Six years. That's about twice as long as we actually knew each other. But by the end of those three years, he was buying me flowers and taking me on picnics. I was holding him as he grieved for his friend who had committed suicide. Things were right when we were together.
And then it ended. He didn't answer phone calls, he moved, he changed his email address. Finally a year ago I found his sister (whom I had never met) on facebook and asked her how he was doing. It was good to hear he's doing well, single and living and working in Iowa. There were no answers to the real questions - why did he vanish being the main one - but at least it was something.
I don't know why I'm thinking of it now. Maybe it's the old Asian couple across the aisle who are all cuddled up next to each other. Maybe it's the eighty-year-old woman two seats over who's also travelling alone. Maybe it's the fact that my aunt and uncle have arranged for me to meet a guy they know almost as soon as I get off the plane.
But the one thing I do know is that he's the one thing on my mind right now.

frosty the malaysian jewish snowman

when my diana and i had our Christmas, we listened to an indie Christmas music station on pandora. and since 'frosty the snowman' is not technically a Christmas song, i decided that since i just remembered this version and it's still winter, i could still post it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYAraU01oZ8
(starts at 1:00)

i love it

all day today, i sat here knowing that i had to run errands, but really not wanting to get out of my jammies. i finally decided forget it, there was no way i was going to get dressed.
and then my father came home and said, 'if you get dressed we can go to applebee's.' and so i got dressed right away.
we came back from applebee's, and i immediately put pajamas back on. my father rolled his eyes.
and then my mom came into the room. my dad looked at her. 'you put your pajamas on, too?!' to which my mother replied, 'it was either that or go shopping.'

go me

my diana has a friend named aaron. i know because he commented on her fb status. when i looked at her reply to him, i totally thought it looked weird how she mistyped 'Aragorn.'

oh my gosh it's me

i took the monvee 'what Bible character are you' test a few months ago. when i read the results, all i could think was, 'how did they get this so right? this is me exactly. other people can't possibly think this answer is tailored to them as much as this is to me. crazy.' 

followed by, 'i don't like that last part.'

darn being me

because i'm both lazy and terrified of phone calls, i never got myself better internet. that means no mythgard class. that means no tolkien master's.

Happy twelftieth birthday, Mr. Tolkien!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6de_SbVUVfA&feature=related

chelley reminded me

so the other night i went to hang out at my friend's. she had put out a desperate plea for anyone to come hang out cuz she just really wanted to see people after being sick for a few days. i was the only one who responded, so i went over and we decided to do a puzzle. shortly after i got there, the guy she wanted to set me up with called and said he could come over. and so he did, and so i met him. he's nice, and it was fine hanging out, but i think it's safe to say that that's all that will ever be.