if it makes you happy...

here are a few things i've heard recently that have made me laugh...

1. "i'm a midget, and i know my rights." - person standing on chair illegally at Tim McGraw concert.

2. "i tried out for the choir, they put me in charge of sheet music." - my friend Lisa.

3. "if i spell Chesney wrong, will i still get paid?" - deputy sheriff at Kenny Chesney concert.

4. this next one is a conversation between me and a lady at my new apartment complex.
little old lady: honey, what is that down there in the road, i can't quite make it out.
me: well, it's a rooster.
little old lady: where do you suppose that came from?
me: i have no idea
little old lady: well, there are some crazy people living here, maybe one of them has a pet rooster and it got out.



this is an actual picture of the resident rooster. luckily we've only heard it crow once, other than that it's pretty quiet.

5. finally...

it only took two years, but they finally act like they like each other.

two musicians, a barracuda, and the buzz = one cheap date

a radio station in the portland metro area, called the buzz, sponsors these events called cheap dates. they line up musicians to come and perform to a small group of people. all you have to do to be a part of this elite group is...become a buzz freeloader, get online when the dj tells you to, print off your ticket, and you and a guest are in...for free.

last week was the second of these events. the musicians were Ryan Cabrera and Charlotte Sometimes, the location was barracuda's, and due to Ang's freeloader status, we were in. the venue was small and intimate, and any seat in the house was a great seat (although, there weren't actually any seats).



i had forgotten how much i liked Ryan Cabrera back in the day. i remember him looking more like a frat boy than the "emo" boy before us now, but he had some great hits! if often felt as if we were just sitting in someones living room with about 100 of our closest friends listening to him strum his guitar. i love live music and he didn't disappoint.



i admit that i had no idea who Charlotte Sometimes was going into this. but, going in with little expectations, i was pleasantly surprised. in fact, i really like her a lot. she has a great sound and an amazing voice.

a two week addiction...

i love the summer olympics and i always have! the summer games have some of my favorite events...gymnastics, swimming, diving, track & field. i admit that i have become a little bit obsessed. i even admit that i have completely bought into "Phelpsmania." i remember what he did in Athens. i vividly remember the VISA commercial that showed him swimming from New York to Greece, so i am excited to see hiim doing so well in these games. and, yes, i'm fairly sure that i was standing on my couch last night yelling "go michael" as he won his seventh gold medal by such a slim margin.



in an interview with michael phelps before the games began, he was asked what he was most looking forward to in Beijing. his response..."standing on the blocks in the stars and stripes. to be an american up there representing your country with all of their support on your shoulders...it's an amazing feeling." i can't judge his honesty in that statement but i liked his response. today as i watched the weight of the world rest on the shoulders of an 18 year old cyclist from colorado, i thought...it's odd how i feel this connection to this kid that i've never met and most likely never will meet simply because we're both americans. i don't know anything about him, or if he deserves to win, but i want him to just the same. i'm sure that my response to him had nothing to do with the sad story about his father's fight with parkinsons right before his race. but, there are countless athletes that i feel this same connection to...dara torres, ryan lochte, nastia luikin, and shawn johnson. that list could go on and on.

it's just that sometimes i feel like it takes something devastating to unite us as americans, so i appreciate that the olympics, something positive provides a sense of unity. i know that there are people who are tired of all the michael phelps hype, but i am not one of them. it's really an amazing thing that he has done, with seemingly little effort. i think maybe the USA needed a little positive attention for a minute, and he brought that.

i feel the need to mention the olympic events that i haven't been able to get behind...trampoline, badmitton, and synchronized diving. my question...why don't they have olympic surfing. if they do and i'm just not aware of it...please somebody make me aware.

workin' for the man every night and day...

today as i arrived at work, began my morning routine, said hello to people as i passed them in the hall...i felt extremely blessed. i've been in this job for almost three years, which blows my mind sometimes. i know that three years is not all that long in the grand scheme of things, especially when you're working with people who are starting their thirtieth year. but for me...three years is a long time. there are days when i don't want to come to work, and today would be one of those days, but as i visited with my co-workers this feeling of gratitude came over me. i am so blessed to be in a job that i love, most days, and to work alongside people who i can call friends (a fact proven by a recent move when they showed up to hall my boxes). blessed to work in a community of believers that are striving to help others grow and change. just blessed.

i'm thankful that, today...a crazy day amidst a crazy week...God decided to show me the wonderful things about my job, which far outweigh the frustrating things.

this picture is just a portion of my co-workers. they are truly great people to work with. if you want a small glimpse into what i do...the woman on the left (red/white striped shirt) and the tall older man in the back (hawaian yellow/blue shirt) were not originally in the photo. my task was to photoshop them in. i admit that it was a pretty quick patch job, so if you can see flaws...please don't point them out!