My Life || My iPhone

I'm only doing this because she tagged me, and it'll give me something to do.

I'm adding MySpace links. A lot of the songs are actually there too.

And my tagging is done on Facebook, not out here in the World Wide Web. That would just be weird.

And I would never use the above headphones for actually listening to music. For that they're crap. That would make me want to use them around my neck.
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If you got tagged for this note, you need to copy/paste this into your own facebook note, delete my answers, and answer the questions using your own ipod.
2. put the ipod on shuffle
3. use it to answer the question
4. hit “next”
5. try not to cheat
6. tag some of your friends so they'll do the same

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1. How am I feeling today
Flume - Bon Iver (Daytrotter Session)

2. How far will I get in life?
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - The Killers

3. What is my best friend’s theme song?
Everything's Not Lost - Coldplay

4. What was high school like?
Greet Death - Explosions in the Sky

5. How will today be?
Mercy - Duffy (Where the crap did this come from? But I'm sure it's what I need.)

6. What is in store for me this weekend?
Leave Your Effects Where They're Easily Seen - Spoon

7. What is the best thing about me?
Love, Reign O'er Me - Pearl Jam

8. What song is about my parents?
Midnight Souls Still Remain - M83

9. How is my life going?
Nous Tombons Dans Elle - Dominique Leone

10. What song will they play at my funeral?
Free Fallin' - John Mayer

11. How does the world see me?
Opposite Day - Andrew Bird

12. What do my friends think of me?
Not Myself - John Mayer (Acoustic)

13. Do people secretly think I’m good looking?
Look After You - The Fray

14. How can I make myself happy?
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes

15. What should I do with my life?
Everybody's Changing - Keane

16. What is some good advice?
Violet Hill - Coldplay

17. Will I get married?
Pressed In A Book - The Shins

18. Where will I go in life?
Peace Beneath the City - Iron and Wine

19. Will I have kids?
Why Georgia - John Mayer (Live)

20. What is my current theme song?
Chicago (acoustic version) - Sufjan Stevens

Photo Friday

I grabbed a couple of SD cards recently to see if I had forgotten anything on them, and lo, there were a couple hundred photos on one of them. I haven't even gotten to the other one yet.

And yes, I did use "lo."

This was mid-construction in December, just before Christmas. A lot has been done during January. A new floor, new electrical wires, other stuff. Still a very long way to go.

My Photography || Flickr Friday Photo

For You

I don't know if was the screaming guitar, or the lyrics. I'll let you make that decision.

Colbert's Dating Advice

My mom got me Stephen Colbert's Page-A-Day Calendar for Christmas. It's great.

Colbert's "For the Ladies" Dating Do's for Sunday January 25 is dead on.

During the meal, order something that will get his attention, like a side of bacon for dessert.

I can't think of anything sexier.

Neither can I.

Photo Friday

I didn't think I would have a photo for today. I even brought my camera to work to see if I could find a shot. I didn't try very hard. I did manage to balance a mini-water bottle, a Pilot Precise V5, a Stanley Steemer business card and a Sharpie on top of one another. I've been very productive today.

But I have this photo of Michael from over Christmas. I took some shots of him and his beautiful and pregnant wife Katie. She should be having a baby any day now. So beware people: this man is about to be a father. Holy Crap.

I think he'll be alright.

I would like... 2009

I took yesterday as a day to reflect in earnest about what I would like my 2009 to look like. I know we're three weeks into already, but that's ahead of the curve for me. I wrote out a few statements that turned into the formula of I would like

...to read through the Bible. I've done this before. Both in a year and otherwise. But last year I tried to commit myself to doing it and failed horribly. I'm continuing in Deuteronomy, but I hope to get through it in far under a year.

...to get a job. Yeah, I have a job. But one that I actually enjoyed wholly would be great. And this one's going to end in a few months.

...to have regular prayer and journal times. This has just not been up to par recently.

...to experience freedom. It would be nice to put to death those nagging sins that have hung around for too long.

...to be more involved. Really in the city of Chicago. I would like to find someway that I can serve this city and be able to get out in more social spheres (food, photography, beer, etc.).

...to revive my original languages. This is by far probably my loftiest goal, especially given the amount of energy this takes. But I know people have done it and I have all the resources. I just have to put my mind to it.

...to memorize Scripture. I had a really six months of doing this once, while I studied abroad in Costa Rica. My bus trip was just long enough to get through all my Navs TMS cards twice. Now I'll actually have to schedule it into my day. Which leads us to our next:

...to develop a rhythm. I wake up and scramble to get ready and arrive later than I desire most days. Getting to bed typically happens when I'm done with what I'm doing, or can't find anything else good on TV. I think I can do better than this.

...to not be dissatisfied. This one is hard to quantify, but I often let things that I'm not happy with continue to persist long after they should have been taken care of. That's why I just got my bathroom sink and dishwasher fixed after living in my apartment for 4 months.

...to run again. I didn't actually put this in my journal, but even with temps in the 30s, I would like to get out and run. But since May I have only gotten out a handful of times. Fortunately I can't blame this purely on laziness, but have had nagging knee and foot ailments since then. I actually enjoy running, but when it hurts just to walk, I'm not going to push myself; I just need to be healthy.

If you read this, you have permission to ask me about my progress. It'll probably be slow, but I have a year.

Scammed

I got scammed.

Well, almost.

The church was trying to sell it's used pews at the site usedpews.org. Yes that site actually exists. The proposal was that the buyer a Rev Cole Morra, was going to buy 10 of the pews and send us an extra $100 just for the fun of it. Okay. Odd, but okay.

For about a month we didn't hear back and didn't receive a check. We had other buyers come and look at the pews, but no one's bought yet. I wanted to make sure that Rev Cole was still interested so I emailed her again. Oh yes, very interested still. Sorry for the delays. We'll get the money to you soon.

I get an email yesterday. We're sending you 3500$ for the pews. Then you deduct what else left and send that to our shipping company. Oh, wait. This was not the arrangement. This sounds more odd than okay. I explain in an email back that this is not the arrangement. She finds me on Gchat. Oh, crap. We chat. Nothing productive. More odd uses of the Engilish language. So I Google "Cole Morra".

The Usedpews website has a section on scams. They send you fake checks and get your account information. I emailed Rev Cole Morra this morning. We're no longer doing business with her.

We should be fine. We never received a check. But the exchanges do make for some entertaining reading.

Friday Photo

Gosh I almost forgot. Today's been oddly busy. Not only is it odd that I'm busy; the day itself has just been odd.

These are my favorite shots from New Years Eve. The first one is my most favorite.

My Flickr || Flickr Friday

Real Sex

In a Christian landscape, what's important about sex is nurtured when we allow sex to be ordinary. This does not mean that sex will not be meaningful. Its meaning, instead, will partake in the variety ofmeanings that ordinary life offers. Sex needs to be clumsy. It should at times feel awkward. It should be an act we engage in for comfort.
...
Our task is not to cultivate moments when eros can whisk us away from our ordinary routines, but rather to love each other as eros becomes imbedded in, and transformed by, the daily warp and woof of married life. For in household sexuality, we see the ways our daily human stuggles offer the only language we have to call ourselves to God's grace.

Lauren Winner, Real Sex, p. 81, 83.

Christmas Wii

Both my sister and I got Wii-s for Christmas. I was surprised by it, cause I wasn't expecting one. My sister's reaction was priceless though:



While actual footage was not available, I was able to hire a small family to reenact the proceedings. The kid did a pretty good job, he missed a few things, but he sure did get Laura's smile down pat.

Original