Boxer VS. Beagle

YouTube - The Air Car

Now if I can just fold Sophia into one of these...


YouTube - The Air Car

So What's On Your Tube?

I had a bought of insomnia last night and found myself watching the tube at 4am last night. I caught a really cute movie called ‘Employee of the Month’ on Showtime. The plot was pretty simple. A box boy, played by Dane Cook, at pseudo-WalMart tries to make employee of the month to impress a cashier, Jessica Simpson. The movie is pretty silly and predictable but I just love Cook’s humor. He reminds me of Steve Carell of ‘The Office’ fame whom I think is hysterical with just his expressions alone. I used to work a minimum wage job in fast food and could relate to the main character. Watching the box boy jump through a series of inane antics in order to make employee of the month left me giggling for hours.

Next up was a reality show on MTV called ‘Juvies’ which follows teens after they get arrested. The show did a great job of unromanticizing the life of crime in a realistic yet unpreachy way which I guess is one of the things MTV does best unlike mainstream TV. The show also humanized the kids. One story about a boy who could not get off drugs left me literally watery eyed.

And finally, I watched a show on MTV called ‘Made’ where kids get re-made into something they dream about. This particular show featured an ultra tomboy girl who wanted to be a super model. I think the show is trying to promote the idea to kids that dreams really do come true. However, I wasn’t sure that the underlying theme that changing who you are as a person can make you happy is a realistic message. At any rate, the show was harmless enough with its happy endings and watching the tomboy clomp around in high heels was pretty entertaining.

So, what’s on your tube these days?

Just Call Me Sweet Singing Sade

I spent last week in Illinois and Missouri and it felt like a trip through time. Each day I drove into St. Louis to work and crossed the vast corn and wheat fields that line the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Sediments like plants, dead animals and nutrient rich rock are ground into bits by the mighty water making the river bottom one of the most fertile soils on earth. I watched the John Deere tractors pulverize the earth into precisioned rows and even though it still looked today to be very difficult work as in the 1800’s, I thought about how rewarding it would be to watch acres of food spring from the yard and enjoy the successes from the work of my own hands.

Because the land is so flat and cleared by farmland, the St. Louis arch can be seen from miles away. I’ll let some of the facts speak for themselves and tell the story of the incredible engineering that is nothing short of awesome. The Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States although when standing under it you would think it was shorter. I read that the Arch is a structure known as a catenary curve, the shape a free-hanging chain takes when held at both ends, and considered the most structurally-sound arch shape. In order to ensure that the constructed legs would meet, the margin of error for failure was 1/64th of an inch. All survey work was done at night to eliminate distortion caused by the sun's rays. Since the Arch was constructed before the advent of computer technology, relatively crude instruments were used for these measurements. The Arch sways a maximum of 18" (9" each way).

The arch is a monument dedicated to westward expansion, however, the Lewis and Clark expedition actually embarked from Wood River, Illinois, which is a minor fact that folks like my family who live in Wood River will never let you forget. Everyone has heard the Lewis and Clark story but seeing the exact replica of the 55 ft keelboat at the Lewis and Clark encampment really shows how tiny the space was and makes the journey seem even more amazing to me.

Another stop was the Cahokia Indian mounds which are like the Etowah Indian mounds in Georgia only much larger. Both mound villages were created by the Mississippian Indians but it was believed that the Cahokia village was occupied by as much as 40,000 people at its peak. The Mississippian Indians lived under a strict hierarchy where the highest order of caste lived on the top mounds and the lowest on the bottom. The commoner lived in a 5 ft by 5ft thatched hut and although all needs for survival were met through bartering, it was apparent that few frivolities existed.

I had a great time over the long weekend imagining what it would be like to live in the past. We watched the strong tugs pushing the strings of barges up and down stream. I imagined myself as the captain of an old barge, shouting out commands while navigating the swift and dangerous black waters. I fantasized about being a farmer, an Indian, or a fast talking carpet bagger looking for a sweet deal. I guess if I had my choice, I would be a lounge singer on a gambling riverboat. Free room and board with admirers ready to help me don my cape for a stroll on the deck was the life for me!

What about you? Where would you be if you went back in time?

Renaissance Festival

Over the weekend Eric, Cara, Karen and I went to the Renaissance Festival. Here is a trip summary:

Steak on a stick, Pork on a stick, Banana on a Stick, Strawberries on a stick, chicken pie, spinach pie, fried pickles, fried coca-cola, ice cream sandwich, chocolate fudge sundae, sassperilla, diet coke, coke, more coke.

Bodices and cleavage, Eric the Great swings the sledge hammer and rings the bell, sometimes boots are NOT sexy, Lipizzan stallions, Jousting can poke your eye out, Blacksmithing is not for sissies, Parrots of paradise like orange slices as snacks, Nickel Wenches like to sneak up behind Eric and Cara, Eric sasses the rose bearing Wench, Karen does NOT like haunted houses, Cara is fascinated by sculptures of skewed mermaids.

Did I miss anything??

Some Times You Just Have to Smile

A tender hearted friend of mine found a stray labradoodle pup in the parking lot of a grocery store. Worried that the little guy would be hit by a car she scooped him up and took him home. After receiving no responses from her lost/found postings she agonized about what to do with him. She already has two very active dogs of her own and wasn't quite sure if she could support a third. She finally found a placement for him at Atlanta Pet Rescue but continued to watch for adoption status every day.

As far as whether she made the right decision about what to do with the little guy, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Below is the picture of the pup with his new adopted owner.

Happy Earth Day

Recently Cara and I hooked up to go to the zoo. The weather was beautiful fantastical and she is the best person to go with because of her love of all things animals. It was like having my own personal docent at each of the exhibits because she could talk at length about each animal and their habitats. It had been many years since I had been to the zoo and I admit that I could not even name half of the animals like the wart hog or the even more bizarre naked mole rat - ewwww!

I could have lingered all day and watched the primates. It was so easy to read their communication since it is so very much like our own, go figure, that it was like watching a soap opera.

My thoughts today are with Marina, the Beluga whale at the Atlanta Aquarium who died last December. Watching her gave me one of the most peaceful experiences that I can ever recall. Hopefully attached is a quick video I took last year.



On today of all days, god bless them all, large, small, ugly or cute, even the naked mole rats.

My Confession

It started years ago in the shower while living with an old boyfriend. Desperately trying to get ready for work I was running through my shower tasks and there it was. At least 4 or 5 inches long and just my size. The weight was beautiful in my hand without being too heavy. The color wasn't barbie pink or sunshine yellow either, it was, well, manly, which gave it an even more dark and mysterious allure. I just couldn't resist it any more and I finally snatched up my boyfriend's razor and proceeded to use it to shave my legs. With much exhilaration I shaved long strokes until each stubble was turned effortlessly into smooth bare skin. I had cleanliness envy.

The habit started small, just once in a blue moon. But I just couldn't resist the perfectly smooth shaves I got from his razor. Then one day my boyfriend stomped out of the shower with little pieces of bloody toilet paper stuck to his face with the look of death and I really couldn't blame him. After several months of this he got pretty tired of his shredded hamburger face so he found the solution. He bought me one of my very own.

Over the years I've watched the evolution of men's razor's and I even got a free sample of the new Gillette 5 blade razor. I can't say for sure if adding razor blades makes my shave any smoother but just the site of that mac daddy shaver had its merits in owning one. Because the 5 blades makes it more expensive I'll probably just stick to my old 2 blade shaver but it was fun to try out the new model and I just had to smile at the motto on the box "The Best A Man Can Be".

What's for Dinner?

Super-Fast Orange-Ginger Chicken and Rice

I am always on the prowl for quick and easy recipes. Here is an easy one that came out well for dinner and is low-fat. Although not a traditional chicken and rice dish since most of it comes out of a bottle or mix it was fast which merits perks for me for a mid-week meal.

- Bottle of Iron Chef Orange Sauce Glaze with Ginger (found with the bar-be-cue sauces and marinades at Publix).
- Boneless, Skinless, Chicken breasts
- Yellow Rice Mix (my favorite brand is Vigo)

Place chicken in baking dish and glaze generously with orange-ginger sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour. In the meantime make yellow rice mix. After chicken is cooked, cut into small chunks. Mix the chunks of chicken with the left over orange-ginger sauce from the baking dish into the rice. Serve and enjoy.

I still have a leftover baked chicken breast and will probably cut it up and use it in a salad.

I love to hear about recipes at any time!

Sophia's Vacation

This is your rooooving reporter Sophia providing the dish on my vacation while my human was away. The first couple of days I was sad and did not eat well. But the owner fed me lots of treats and I got a bone every day so soon I was quite spoiled. There were two beagles in the house and at first I was quite frightened of them. I wore a muzzle for a few days because I thought the best approach was to show them who's boss. After I got used to them being around I realized all they wanted to do was play. Soon we became fast friends and played all the time!

The owner even had a back yard so we raced back and forth at top speed. I am the fastest one and not even my human can catch me. I also got to take naps with the beagles. Sometimes they snore cuz they have those funny looking noses but I didn't mind because I love being part of the pack.

I'm still not over my fear of other dogs yet because I get pretty upset when other dogs come around me when I'm walked. At least I've made some new friends and learned that sometimes you gotta take a chance on others in order to get the rewards.

That's all for now,
Sophia

Everybody Loves an Irish Girl

Introducing...(drum roll)...Karen's new blog

Everybody Loves an Irish Girl

The Big Banana

Last week I spent the week in a training class in New York. I came upon the Naked Cowboy as soon as I hit Time’s Square. There he was, in all of his shining glory, and I just couldn’t resist the pose. I noticed right off that he was, well, very endowed, but I can say honestly that I was never close enough to verify the claim. I decided the city should not be called "The Big Apple" and instead should now be called, you guessed, "The Big Banana".

The class was in Rockefeller Center so each morning a co-worker and I walked about 6 blocks to work. NY was a difficult place for me because I am directional challenged. I basically started using a Starbucks counting method to get me back and forth to work. I knew I had to go 2 Starbucks up and 1 Starbucks to the right. According to the Starbucks website there are 68 Starbuck shops within a 5 mile radius of the hotel. That’s no joke either. I was happily jacked up through my entire visit! I guess I was thinking that there would only be one building but of course things are never that simple. The plaza contained about six buildings. As I rounded the corner I heard a loud crowd screaming. Whipping around I scanned the area suspiciously. A screaming crowd was not what I wanted to hear in New York. Suddenly I realized that behind me was the Today show window where everyone stands to watch the show and get on TV. My building was across the street. It really was a nice daily treat for my ego. By the end of the week I became accustomed to the roaring crowd and as I rounded the corner I nodded towards them and said in my head “Thank you! Thank You All Very Much!”

It was pouring down rain by lunch time and I discovered that all of the buildings in the Plaza were connected by underground tunnels around the ice rink that contained little shops and eating places. I ate a sandwich and watched people skating at the rink. Before I even looked I knew he would be there. As I scanned the ice skaters I saw all of the tourists clomping around the rink like they had lead weights inside their boots and there he was. The one lone ice skater. The guy that could actually skate. In the center of the rink, with his shiny slick red and black sequenced dance outfit, was the star of the show. He was practicing one tiny part of his routine over and over again. First the tight tight spin, then the quick stop with the pointing of the toe, and finally the over head sweep, hand drop, and the grand flourish. Silently I munched my sandwich and watched the flourish for about a dozen times over and over again. I tried very hard to be cultured. I tried to be posed and enamored of his skill. But, eventually it happened, and to be honest I knew all along it would, the flourish had gotten to me and it started with a smile and ended with a gut bursting, eye tearing, howling laugh in which I had to remove myself completely from the area. I could hear my mom’s voice in my head saying “I just can’t take you kids anywhere”.

On Wednesday we were all taking a quiz and we heard the unmistakable music of REM shaking the windows. Apparently they were on the Today show for their album debut. My table looked at each other and mouthed “REM” with eye bugging resonance. I was tempted to sneak out but my adult side stayed rooted to the chair and finished the quiz. Luckily someone had snuck away and got photos with his cell phone. We passed the cell phone all around the class under the table. I guess passing notes in class just isn’t what it used to be. I imagined the teacher saying “Now, give me that note right this instance!” That evening a bunch of us were walking to dinner and saw the Rolling Stones coming out of a hotel and getting into a car. There were tons of people surrounding them and there were no less than 20 patrol cars. They literally had a presidential entourage as they traveled. The sirens were full blast and police cars surrounded their car and escorted them through traffic lights without stopping. We read in the paper that they were in town for the premier of ‘Shine a Light’. I have to admit that I did not actually see the Stones through all of the crowd but could only make out the unmistakable tuft of hair whipping out from Keith Richards. Alas, such is my brush with fame. The next morning I was waiting for my entourage to arrive to escort me to work but they must have been late so I left without them. Damn paparazzi!

K. came to see me over the weekend. She only asked to do one thing and that was to be kissed at the top of the Empire State Building. So on Saturday off we went. I was amazed that even at my age I was still giddy and excited at seeing the Empire State Building. As we wound our way up to the top we heard many tidbits about the building such as that it has over 1,000 businesses with its own ZIP Code, that at least 32 people jumped to their deaths off the observation deck on the top during the deck's operation and that the metal-plated tower on top of the building was planned as a zeppelin port. Yet it was used for only one zeppelin landing because the winds were too strong at such heights making mooring dangerous and also because the golden age of zeppelins was quickly slipping into the past. We also heard all of the construction Eric-like facts such as that the building incorporates 10 million bricks, 1,886 kilometres (1,172 miles) of elevator cables, 6,400 windows and weighs 331,000 tons. I was surprised how crowded it was at the top. We were virtually elbow to elbow in most places and I suddenly felt very shy about that kiss that I had promised. K. leaned in and all I could muster was one quick peck followed by “Hey look over there…”. But I saw it in her eyes and knew she was disappointed. The more we walked around the observation deck and looked at the view such as the Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler building, Ellis Island, the more I became aware of that fact that we would never look at these sites for the first time together again. There would only be one first time. I thought about the many first times in my life. The night I was baptized in my church as an adult on the evening of Easter several years ago, the first time I ate caviar (it was awful), the look in the eyes of my parents when I graduated college and on and on the memories go. I knew that first times made an impression. I had vowed to myself long ago to try to live every moment with intention and without regrets. I vowed to try to live each day with love, honor, and dignity to God, myself, and others in the best way that I can even though I often fail. It’s the trying part that matters. With that in mind, I came upon K. from behind, twirled her around, and gave her the kiss that expressed all of these sentiments that were in my heart. I love New York!

In Search of Twix

Greetings from Charlotte, North Carolina where I am holding up in the lovely Doubletree hotel. For some reason the hallways are a virtual haze of foggy smoke whenever I make my way to my non-smoking room. I mean really, what's the point of a non-smoking room. I've now created a little game for myself where I see if I can hold my breath after exiting the elevator and make it to my room without passing out. So far I'm 2-0. Tonight I got a craving for snacks. It hit me sometime after reading Cheryl's post about Cheetos. When I travel I usually pack for comfort over style so I donned my only casual clothes for this trip which included a pair of boxers with pink moose (or possibly Kairbu?) on them, a white boys Hanes undershirt, and a pair of slip-on shoes. Shuffling down the hall I was dreaming of my carmel mixed with chocolate twix cookie when I suddenly realized my room was down the hall from the banquet rooms. There was no way to pass them so I turned back to go to my room. Then the horror of at all hit me. Yep, I left my room card key inside. So, with a bit of Jame's Bond grace I darted and slid down the hall and swiftly passed the open banquet hall doors with hundred's of people and just kept telling myself over and over that none of those people will ever see me again in their lives.

Finding the vending machine was uneventful and after clutching my twix and pretzels I squared my shoulders and headed out to complete my mission. I confidently, purposely, headed straight for the front desk without making any eye contact to anyone I passed and why should I since my mere attitude and chin held high suggested that absolutely everything was in my control. My voice was strong and contained no shame as I asked for a duplicate card key. After receiving it I turned on my heel with my clutched provisions and strode brillently back to the elevators. I was almost in the clear until the elevator opened and of course, in true Murphy's Law form, a coworker stepped onto the elevator. I answered questions about tomorrow's agenda as elequently as one can while wearing pink antlered animals. After what seemed to be about 4 hours the elevator door finally opened and I bolted to my room.

Finally, Mission Accomplished.

Comcast.net TV - Tulsa Singer Cook Rocks 'American Idol'

Wow, he's played in front of 5 people! What a rock star! Is that a typo?

Comcast.net TV - Tulsa Singer Cook Rocks 'American Idol'

"He's gone out and actually played hundreds of gigs in bars in front of, sometimes, five people. He's the real deal in the sense that regardless of what happens in this competition, he'll still be out playing three nights a week."


The next round is tonight, yippee!

YouTube - ReelNASA's Channel

It always gives me goose bumps to see a launch!

YouTube - ReelNASA's Channel

That would be exciting to see one of these rare night launches.

Vatican lists new sinful behaviors - CNN.com

The good news: "it is time for both sinners and confessors to get over their obsession with sex"

Vatican lists new sinful behaviors - CNN.com: "/living

I think I need to see a point system for sins because I'm not sure I understand the difference between deadly sins, venial sins, and mortal sins. This theme would make a good video game.

NASA - Space Shuttle

Space launch tomorrow!



Space station gets a new arm.

NASA - Space Shuttle

When is our field trip?? I'm excited.

For the Cat Lovers

Poor Kitler, Unlucky markings!

Here are some funny cat pictures. Somebody did a great job with the captions. Just hit next for more:

Funny Cat Pictures - Avoiding Bath Water

Too Funny :D

Question Of The Week

Name an important event in your life?

Watching the Americans win the gold metal in soccer for women was a great experience in my life. It was the first time women’s soccer was introduced as a sport at the Olympics in 1996. As a suburban child living in a lower to middle class neighborhood my family was far from tennis courts and golf courses. It seemed the most popular sport offered to girls at the local rec center was softball in which I was awful. My hand-eye coordination would always be limited and my height, or lack thereof, made me a bad candidate for basketball as well. My love had always been running and that led me to soccer. At that time there were no teams for girls but my friend’s father coached an all boys team and asked me to join. After the first practice I cried all the way home and begged to quit because I felt so isolated and I had let the teasing of some of the boys get to me. After my mom shut the engine off in the driveway she took my face in her hands and told me this “I don’t mind of you quit because you don’t like it, but don’t quit because it’s hard.” I went back the next day and the rest as they say is history. Soon I made friends with the other boys and they accepted me as an equal teammate. It was actually harder to get a few of the parents to accept a girl in the league. There were a few parents who did not want me to play with their sons so they would cite a league rule that clearly stated that all players had to wear an athletic cup. They had me there because I didn’t have one but my coach always took my defense and sorted it out so I could play. I played several more years on all boy teams until teams for girls were finally formed.

It wasn’t just watching the American women win the gold that moved me. It was sitting in the stands with thousands and thousands of largely little girls all screaming at the excitement. One little girl sat next to me and had cards of all of her favorite players. She knew them all by name and could recount their stats. She had something wonderful. She had positive role models and she had gotten the same thing I had out of playing soccer that had nothing to do with women’s lib at all. I had learned the spirit of social interaction through cooperation, teamwork and friendship. Experts say that sports help kids think critically and solve problems, build self-discipline, trust, respect for others, leadership and coping skills, all of which form the foundation of character building. The last time I saw my friend’s father several years ago I let him know how much he impacted my life by being my coach. It’s amazing how we all impact each other without even knowing it but I supposed that’s the beauty and undercurrent of life.

The picture above is one I took of Carla Overbeck after the team won the gold. She rushed to the side line in tears to hug her husband and I happen to be standing there.

Please feel free to share your great events!

Bucket List

I found this survey on the net called 100 things to do before I die..I'll try to put the link but you know how I can't do those techie things: http://brass612.tripod.com/cgi-bin/things.html

Because I'm nosy, I put my answers here in hopes others will post their own answers.

1. Attend at least one major sporting event: the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the U.S. Open.
2. Throw a huge party and invite every one of your friends.
3. Swim with a dolphin.
4. Skydive.
5. Have your portrait painted.
6. Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure you use it.
7. Go skinny-dipping at midnight in the South of France.
8. Watch the launch of the space shuttle.
9. Spend a whole day eating junk food without feeling guilty.
10. Be an extra in a film.
11. Tell someone the story of your life, sparing no details.
12. Make love on a forest floor.
13. Make love on a train.
14. Learn to rollerblade.
15. Own a room with a view.
16. Brew your own beer.
17. Learn how to take a compliment.
18. Buy a round-the-world air ticket and a rucksack, and run away.
19. Grow a beard and leave it for at least a month.
20. Give your mother a dozen red roses and tell her you love her.
21. Be a member of the audience in a TV show.
22. Put your name down to be a passenger on the first tourist shuttle to the moon.
23. Send a message in a bottle.
24. Ride a camel into the desert.
25. Get to know your neighbors.
26. Plant a tree.
27. Learn not to say yes when you really mean no.
28. Write a fan letter to your all-time favorite hero or heroine.
29. Visit the Senate and the House of Representatives to see how Congress really works.
30. Learn to ballroom dance properly.
31. Eat jellied eels from a stall in London.
32. Be the boss.
33. Fall deeply in love -- helplessly and unconditionally.
34. Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia.
35. Sit on a jury.
36. Write the novel you know you have inside you.
37. Go to Walden Pond and read Thoreau while drifting in a canoe.
38. Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home (just once).
39. Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich.
40. Be someone's mentor.
41. Shower in a waterfall.
42. Ask for a raise.
43. Learn to play a musical instrument with some degree of skill.
44. Teach someone illiterate to read.
45. Be one of the first to take a flight on the new Airbus A380.
46. Spend a night in a haunted house -- by yourself.
47. Write down your personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time.
48. See a lunar eclipse.
49. Spend New Year's in an exotic location.
50. Get passionate about a cause and spend time helping it, instead of just thinking about it.
51. Experience weightlessness.
52. Sing a great song in front of an audience.
53. Ask someone you've only just met to go on a date.
54. Drive across America from coast to coast.
55. Make a complete and utter fool of yourself.
56. Own one very expensive but absolutely wonderful business suit.
57. Write your will.
58. Sleep under the stars.
59. Take a ride on the highest roller coaster in the country.
60. Learn how to complain effectively -- and do it!
61. Go wild in Rio during Carnival.
62. Spend a whole day reading a great novel.
63. Forgive your parents.
64. Learn to juggle with three balls.
65. Drive the Autobahn.
66. Find a job you love.
67. Spend Christmas on the beach drinking pina coladas.
68. Overcome your fear of failure.
69. Raft through the Grand Canyon.
70. Donate money and put your name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
71. Buy your own house and then spend time making it into exactly what you want.
72. Grow a garden.
73. Spend three months getting your body into optimum shape.
74. Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring.
75. Accept yourself for who you are.
76. Learn to use a microphone and give a speech in public.
77. Scuba dive off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
78. Go up in a hot-air balloon.
79. Attend one really huge rock concert.
80. Kiss someone you've just met on a blind date.
81. Be able to handle: your tax forms, Jehovah's Witnesses, your banker, telephone solicitors.
82. Give to a charity -- anonymously.
83. Lose more money than you can afford at roulette in Vegas.
84. Let someone feed you peeled, seedless grapes.
85. Kiss the Blarney stone and develop the gift of gab.
86. Fart in a crowded space.
87. Make love on the kitchen floor.
88. Go deep sea fishing and eat your catch.
89. Create your own web site.
90. Visit the Holy Land.
91. Make yourself spend a half-day at a concentration camp and swear never to forget.
92. Run to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
93. Create your Family Tree.
94. Catch a ball in the stands of a major league baseball stadium.
95. Make a hole-in-one.
96. Ski a double-black diamond run.
97. Learn to bartend.
98. Run a marathon.
99. Look into your child's eyes, see yourself, and smile.

Reflect on your greatest weakness, and realize how it is your greatest strength.

My Weekend

One of the highlights of my weekend was spent at the High Museum seeing the Impressionist exhibit. I have been enjoying my annual membership where I can just pop in and out for a few hours whenever I feel like it. For me the museum is a place I can go and let my mind muddle over things that I don't quite understand. I really can not tell you the difference between a Monet and Manet but enjoy the process of letting my mind drift over an image as I ask and try to answer questions such as do I like this? If so why? What do I like about it and just who is this guy/gal anyway. What was he or she thinking here? The audio tapes and little description signs are a big help.

Several of the paintings really moved me to the point where it was difficult to walk away. There was a landscape painting by Monet that showed a lake with lots of tree reflections in the water. When I stepped up close to the picture it was just a bunch of blurred strokes but as I stepped away my mind put the image together and it became a non-realistic foggy dreamscape where I felt lulled and peaceful.

He also did 3 separate paintings of the same object but each painting held an entirely different perspective even though the object was exactly the same. I liked that a lot and it reminded me of life and how people can experience the exact same thing but have an entirely different perspective. For example getting pregnant can devastate one person but thrill another. I want to learn more about always being on the thrilled side. I guess it's like Laura said, learning to embrace the waves.

The Renoir pieces were mostly portraits. The exhibit stated that portraits was a style in which he was known best. There were many portraits of nudes, especially women. Renoir said "A nude is never quite finished until I feel I can pinch the flesh." I was beginning to think he was quite a ladies man and this whole artist thing was just a ruse. I mean, just who were all of these naked woman anyway?

I smiled as I imagined myself sitting around drinking French wine in little street cafes like they often did, complementing each others work and flirting with the admirers. Alas, it's back to my banking job for me but what a great escape for the day! I can't wait for the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit next month.

Plane Talk

On my flight back from Chicago to Atlanta I sat next to a 21 year old who had just left Navy basic training that morning and was in route to her new training school in Mississippi. She kept saying she was still a little overwhelmed as she spoke and I could tell. She had lived in a vacuum the past 8 weeks in a rigid routine, in another city, on another base, and as simple as stepping onto a plane, her life would now change. I listened to the conversations of the other new recruits as they were trying to decide if Atlanta was in Georgia. She had never been to Georgia before and this was her second trip on an airplane. One recruit asked another if they had heard of Stevie Ray Vaughn. The recruit replied 'No' and the asker said that you've never heard rock and roll until you've heard Stevie Ray Vaughn. They discussed that the old bands they liked were Nirvana and Pearl Jam. I smiled but said nothing. I always wondered why I got carded when I was 21. Now I knew why. I never knew youth was so apparent.

Sara, the new recruit sitting next to me explained that her mother was in a nursing home and could barely recognize her due to a disease. She wanted to make a stable living so she could take care of her mother. Her father's relationship was described as 'he works a lot'. I remember this age. The age where I felt an overly sense of responsiblity, where I could change the world. Sara would never be able to fix her mother and I wondered if she'd accepted that fact yet. I'll admit, I still feel this challenge in my own life, but now I guess I have a better sense that some things in life are just not in my control. For some reason I wanted to parent her, tell her everything would be okay, give her a hug even, but I didn't. She was so very adult sitting in her polished Navy suit that she fiddled with like a toddler with a new toy. I did tell her how proud we all were of her as well as all of those who serve. I tried to offer the words her mother could not.

After training school she would embark to a job and place that the Navy would decide for her. Her own future was unknown to her at the moment. At first I was so shocked by this. I could not imagine not knowing what city I would be told to live in as well as doing a job in which I had no input. But then the more I thought about it, and here's where my spiritually kicked in, I suppose that is the way I live my life. I don't really know about tomorrow but have the wisdom to know that I will most likely never have exactly what I want but I also have the faith to believe that I will always have what I need. In that I feel comfort. Mick Jagger is a profound guy.

Last night I said a little prayer for Sara and the new recruits. God bless them everywhere.