Hyperbole and a Half

Do you need to laugh? I mean really just laugh so hard that your stomach hurts and your eyes start watering? To laugh so loud and so much that people come down the hall into your office so they can find out what is so freaking funny?

Here.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

You're welcome.

It's all hilarious, but be sure not to miss the posts This Is Why I'll Never Be An Adult as well as one of my favorites, Dog.

(Special thanks to Heather, who was the first one to show me this magical site. I'll forever be indebted to you, dear!)

Facing the Fires

In my Bible study we have been going through Daniel. This is great, because I knew next to nothing about that particular book. Like every kid who went to Sunday School, I have vague memories of the "Daniel in the Lion's Den" story, but that was about it.

I didn't even realize that one of my favorite Old Testament stories was IN the book of Daniel. That'd be the one with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I also didn't realize that though I knew the basics - the three of them won't bow to the false gods, the king throws them in the furnace, but they don't burn up and the king is amazed - I didn't really understand any further what it meant and how it could truly reveal God's sovreignty in our toughest trials.

What I learned was so good I just really wanted to share it with you all! I hope you find it as meaningful - and ultimately comforting - as I did.

If you want to read it first, the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is in Daniel, chapter 3.

So background: these three guys were actually Israelite (Jewish) captives living in Babylon and working for the king. Their names were not Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - these were Babylonian monikers assigned to them to force their assimilation into the culture. Their real names are revealed in Daniel 1:6 - Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. All three names have meaning related to the goodness and sovreignty of God.

More background: King Nebuchadnezzar was the head honcho in Babylon, the mightiest empire of the day. It was by his hand that Jerusalem was seized and that strong, smart young men like Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and their friend Daniel were taken prisoner and forced into the king's service. Though just one chapter ago in Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar learned through Daniel's interpretation of his dream that God would break all the kingdoms of the earth - including Old Neb's - he decided the best thing to do to assert his authority was to built a gargantuan statue and have everybody bow and worship it.

Cut to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who respectfully declined... in front of every important person in Babylon, who had gathered for the celebratory first bowing-down and worshipping session. Nebuchadnezzar walks over, points to the roaring burning inferno just off to the side of the statue, and is like, "Oh, maybe you didn't hear me when I said to bow down. I'll give you one more chance to do it and then it's roasting to death for you three."

And they respond, in what has got to be one of the best comebacks EVER: "Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

We could just stop there, right? God is able to rescue us from any circumstance. ANY. But even if He does not, will you remain faithful? Even unto a fiery death? Just, BAM. Gets me!

But there's more to think about. In her study, Beth gives three ways God delivers us when we face the fires in life.

We can be delivered FROM the fire. This would have been like if the king's response was "Wow, I'm impressed by your devotion. No furnace for you today! You all can live and you can worship your God as you'd like." Or from a modern perspective, a near miss. A car crash that you narrowly avoided. A health scare that turns out to be nothing. A shaky circumstance that ends more positively than it should've. This is, as Beth points out, what we all rationally hope for! God's deliverence in this way BUILDS our faith. Turn your gratitude toward Him and give Him the praise He deserves when this is your fortunate lot!

We can be delivered THROUGH the fire. This is what happened to our three brave young men. They were bound and thrown into the furnace. It was so intense that the soldiers in charge of putting them in the fire died just because they got too close. But when the king peers into the flames, he is astonished to see not three but FOUR men walking - walking! - around in the furnace. Unbound. Unharmed. God himself walked through the fire with them. They came out of the furnace and not a hair on their head was singed and they didn't even smell like smoke. God can deliver you through the fires in your life, too, walking with you the whole time. The injury or sickness that you must endure until you are healed. The long, tough road through a desert in your life, when all you want is to reach the other side already. The difficult, strained relationship that takes every last ounce of your energy to maintain and honor. God is in the process of delivering you through that even as it happens. And like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, your faith will be REFINED. Improved. Made stronger. Again, just like these three, when you exit the fire by God's hand, the only thing burned away will be what bound you up.

We can be delivered BY the fire. This is death. And by it you are delivered straight into the waiting arms of our Father. If God had allowed these three to die in the fire, they would still have been delivered, just in an eternal way. And they were willing to face it. "Even if he doesn't," remember? Death, in the end, is what PERFECTS our faith.

So when we face these fires, what gods are we tempted to bow to? Bitterness? Unbelief? Self-pity, maybe, or resentment? Write the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego on your hearts. Sear them on your tongue. "The God I serve is able to save me from anything, and he will rescue me from this fire. But even if he does not, I will not bow to the little gods of this world."

You know what else will happen when you trust in God and refuse to bow to any other? God will get the glory for your faithfulness, and others will want to know him more. Look at what Nebuchadnezzer proclaimed when the three exited the fire unharmed:

"Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

No other god indeed.

Bonnaroo Dance Party!

Most of you know that Ben has been going to Bonnaroo every year since it started back in 2002. I have never been, as three days of camping in the sweltering summer heat with no showers, surrounded by smelly sweaty strung-out hippies and hipsters, and listening to music which I mostly dislike would be my own personal hell.

But wait!

Ben shot and edited this AWESOME video of a Bonnaroo late-night event called "Silent Disco" in which everyone in the tent gets wireless headphones so they can listen to music and then have essentially a silent (to outside observers) dance party. And I watched it and I thought, That looks like fun! If I could teleport in and immediately back out, I think I'd like to go to Bonnaroo just to shake my tail feathers at the Silent Disco for an hour or two.

So all of that was a really long introduction to some continued bragging about my husband's super-fly videographer skills. I love everything about the way he shot it, how it is edited together, the bumpin' song he picked.

Please be advised, this video features some ladies dancing around in bikinis. Also some shirtless dudes. Also a guy in a Gumby costume. I did instruct Ben to avoid any footage that was too... jiggly. So now that you've been properly warned... dance party! Check it out you guys!

Click to watch it in HD on YouTube for extra awesome!

Maybe come next year's B-Roo you'll see me getting my grove on at the Silent Disco! (I talk a big game; this will never happen.)

But how badly do you want a light-up hula-hoop after watching that video? Answer: SO BADLY.

It's Almost Time.

Six years of amazing television all comes to an end this Sunday night when LOST airs its series finale. I cannot wait! This is a fan-made trailer but it is somehow more awesome than all the promos ABC managed to put together.

Hiking Fox Glacier (Or, The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done)

For the purposes of this story, it doesn't matter what you do or don't believe about climate change and global warming: whatever the reasons, glaciers around the world are receding. These ancient remnants of the planet's last Ice Age are tucked away in the steep valleys of mountain chains or stretching in ice sheets of the polar seas.

In New Zealand, the really cool thing is that the proximity of the Southern Alps mountains to the country's western coast means that a few of its remaining glaciers are no more than 15 miles offshore, and are only 250-300 meters above sea level. This makes them quite possibly the most accessible glaciers in the world... Which means that people who aren't skilled mountain climbers and hikers can visit them. Good thing I fit that bill!

There are two main glaciers in the area that are toured by visitors. Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier are snuggled right along the northwestern side of New Zealand's tallest mountains, descending from those peaks and ending amidst temperate rainforest. That's another unique feature of these glaciers, and it means that visitors are comfortable hiking to the glaciers in shorts and t-shirts.

Which is a good thing, because you're going to get warm hiking to Fox Glacier. Why, you might ask? Well, friends, that's because you're going to have to hike up 800 stairs. EIGHT. HUNDRED. STAIRS.

Quick, stair comparison stats! The Empire State Building has 1576 stairs. So, you know, I did the equivalent of half the climb of arguably the world's most famous flight of stairs.

I believe my previous stair accomplishment was climbing the 320 steps up to the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. I didn't remember this number before I started the Fox Glacier hike. So when I heard "800 steps" I assumed, true to my complete lack of spacial awareness, that it probably wasn't that much different than St. Peter's. And hey, at least walking the stairs to the glacier wouldn't be like a claustrophobic fun house:

Climbing to the St. Peter's Cupola

Besides, here was the fitness/activity level information suggested by the brochure: Moderate fitness and agility is required. Involves steady, well-graded uphill walking for 45 minutes.

Now I'll be the first to admit I'm not in great shape. I don't do a lot of exercising. I could stand to lose some poundage. But still, to my ears, "moderate fitness" means, okay, I don't weigh 300 pounds, I'm not a grandma. (Though as it turned out there was a grandma on our hike and she was in way better shape than me.) But I'm 26. I'm young. I'm on the vacation of my life, and I'm certainly not going to let a little "uphill walking" stop me from the experience of climbing on a glacier. Sign me up! 800 stairs, what is that, like... well, whatever I can do it.

Off we go!


Start of the hike, and hey, we're actually going downhill. Thumbs up for that.


I didn't get many pictures while I was on the stairs, because I was more concerned with not dying/passing out/crying/being laughed at by fit Europeans, but here's one we snapped from nearer to the top.


And one of our awesome guide Cole looking, well, awesome.


There's one section that involves creeping around the edge of a bluff, at which point we were sternly instructed to put our cameras away because it was too dangerous. I did some Google Image searching and found this one that someone took despite the warnings:


Do you see that chain the guy is holding? You have to hold that while you climb the rocks because if you let go and you fall you're going over 100 meters straight down. To your death.

There were times I thought I was not going to make it. I was reciting scripture in my head about the weary renewing their strength and soaring like eagles! And Ben didn't let me give up and somehow by the grace of God I did it! It wasn't fun. But it was rewarding.

This is the face of someone who WORKED for it!

And our reward was walking on a glacier, which has got to go down as one of the ultimate experiences of my life.

Crampons, which are metal spikes you strap to your boots for ice-walking.

Looking down a moulin in the glacier surface where water trickles down to the river some 150 meters below.

So the moral of the story is... for about $100 more a person you can take a scenic helicopter ride and get dropped off on the top of the glacier and then hike around it and there are no stairs involved. I'm just saying.

New Zealand

I've sat in front of this computer for about 15 minutes, just staring at the Blogger screen and trying to figure out how to sum up my trip. And the only conclusion I've come to is that it won't fit.

It wouldn't fit in our cameras (though we have 3000 photos as evidence that we tried) and it won't fit in my blog. New Zealand is, in comparison with the size of the world, such a small place, but it won't fit in here. The extraordinary creativity of God is bursting from the seams of the place, His glory revealed in lakes vast and mountains ancient, in the carving of a landscape by water, wind, glacier, volcano, earthquake, time. We were rendered spectacularly speechless around every turn.

So rather than try to come up with an eloquent and succinct summary that would end up being overwrought and insufficient, I'll just share some stories, and of course, some pictures! Let's start with this one.

This is a kauri tree. A teenager kauri tree, in terms relative to some that still exist in parts of the North Island. Some of the largest-growing and oldest-living trees in the world, the kauri were almost completely cleared from logging and fires in the 19th century. About 4% of the forests were spared and are now fiercely protected. In the far north, where we didn't have time to go, there is one giant specimen believed to be over 2100 years old: a tree from before the time of Christ. There are records of others, bigger and older, that existed before the massive deforestation, including one that explorers estimated at nearing 4000 years old. There are a few groves left in the Coromandel Peninsula, which we drove through, and thankfully this one and its twin behind it there were right by the road.

Also thankfully for all you fine readers, we'd been kayaking and Ben was still shirtless. Hands off, ladies. Hands off.

Lots more pics and stories to come!

Just Watch This.

And a happy Thanksgiving to you!

Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing" and its Music Video Muses

Twitter was a-buzz today with kudos for the new Coldplay video. It IS pretty awesome, and you can see it here. (I couldn't find a good embeddable version.)

I wasn't completely overwhelmed, however, because it so reminded me of Oren Lavie's beautiful stop-motion video for the song "Her Morning Elegance."



I first saw the video in this post from Inkdryer's blog. Coldplay obviously turned it up a notch with the crazy cool chalk animation but I like the way the other video used the real items as props, like the sock fish.

And, while we're at it, someone already fought psychotic squirrels in a music video, and that someone was David Crowder. Case in point.

PS. Sorry, I fail at blogging lately. I will try not to wait two weeks between posts again!

Zack Attack

I love when people are good sports about themselves. Score for Mark Paul Gosselaar... I mean, Zack Morris.

Oooh Pt. 2

A few days ago I blogged about seeing the poster for the Where the Wild Things Are movie coming out this fall. And today, this:



I'm even more encouraged that this could be a really special movie!

To view the high-quality version, click here.

Thanks Rachel for the heads up!

Can I Get One More Boomer Sooner!?!

This weekend an extra-adorable-looking Sam Bradford became the second sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy award. I figure he earned it, what with breaking about a jillion individual and team records this season. The wunderkind QB of the Oklahoma Sooners was nominated alongside Big XII rival (and good buddy) Colt McCoy of Texas, as well as the 2007 Heisman winner, all-around good guy Tim Tebow of Florida. Who was wearing a very shiny and dapper looking blue three-piece suit, I might add.

Bradford, Tebow, & McCoy... don't worry, that cast is on his non-throwing hand and expected to come off before the title game....

Anyway, it was a treat to see him win! I read this really cool article about how many of the Native American kids in Oklahoma look up to Bradford as a role model - and no community could use such an example more.

On a lighter note, won't it be exciting to watch Bradford and Tebow face off in the big game? Of course I want my Sooners to win, but I know whatever happens, we'll be in for some great football. In conclusion, this will be my last Oklahoma Sooner football related post of 2008. Hopefully the next time you hear from me on this subject it will be a victorious-sounding entry on January 8th right after we win the National Championship game!

I'm Not A Trekkie.

I just wanted to make that clear. I've never been to a convention, worn a costume, read the books, or learned to speak Klingon. I don't know the history of the Enterprise or how all the many manifestations of the Star Trek universe fit together.

That distinction aside, however, I am a fan of Star Trek, albeit a casual one. Here's why.

See, one of my fondest childhood memories is curling up next to my dad on the couch while he watched Star Trek. He was always a sci-fi fan, my dad - from him I learned to love Douglas Adams, Ray Bradbury, and the X-Files. While he'd watched the original Star Trek show in the 60s, he raised me on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Each week we joined our beloved crew - Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Riker, Geordi, Data, Worf, Counselor Troi - aboard the USS Enterprise for another episode of intergalactic goodness. I still remember bits and pieces of my favorite episodes... I think I even saw one or two of the movies.

So even though I haven't watched an episode of Star Trek in probably 15 years, I still geeked out a little when I learned that J.J. Abrams (oh, he who brought us the trifecta of awesomeness that is Lost-Alias-Felicity) was directing a new Star Trek film. And I geeked out even more when I saw the trailer in all its big-screen-glory before the new Bond movie a few weeks ago:




See, it looks kind of awesome, right?! No? Anyone?

Well, if nothing else I'm pretty sure my dad will go with me...

And One Thing I Forgot

This morning as I drove to work I realized I had neglected one very, very important item that I love very, very much on my list yesterday. So consider this the 101st thing I like...

101. My car has seat warmers

Car seat warmers are the types of things that I have always considered frivolous and rather stupid. But all those thoughts go flying out the window on frigid November mornings when the warmth radiating out of the leather and all through my backside is maybe the most blissful part of my day. Plus, those seat warmers nursed me through months of excruciating back pain, like a toasty little heating pad form-fitted to my lumbar region. Mmmmmm.

So thank you, Toyota, for putting seat warmers in the design of your 2003 Highlanders. My butt is eternally, cozily grateful.

FujiAppleChickenLove

It is BACK! My salad is back! Thank you Panera, from the bottom of my hungry heart.

I love it so much. I guarantee you I will eat it at least once a week until they take it away again.

At Long Last: Sleeping at Last

It is pretty late so forgive me if this is a less than eloquently written entry. But I couldn't NOT write about the concert I was just at while it was so fresh in my mind, so here goes.

If you've ever listened to anything I've ever said on this blog ever, listen to this: Sleeping at Last is a band you should know - and once you know them, one you will love.

Two brothers and their friend, all hailing from the Chicago area, make up the trio that is Sleeping at Last. I hardly believed there were only three of them in the group until I saw them in person. They just produce so much sound for so few people! Of course by "sound" I mean so much more than noise. Their songs are lush, rich, full. The band members themselves are industrious, with the lead singer switching back and forth between keys and guitar (at one point playing both on the same song, I kid you not) and the bassist/keyboardist/looper/pedal pusher doing so many things at once I lost count. The drummer kept himself busy too, at several intervals shaking his little heart out with one hand and knocking the snot out of the toms with the other.

The best part about this show was that they were joined by a guest string quintet. The band uses a lot of orchestration on their cd and to hear the full effect with the strings live was unreal.

And the craziest part? These guys could not look less like rock stars. I present you Exhibit A, the lead singer:

I dare you to envision what you think his voice might sound like and then go visit their MySpace page and listen to some of their songs. He is so unassuming looking - like any random baby-faced twenty-something you might pick out of a coffee shop - and then he opens his mouth and out comes this insanely unique and lovely voice.

Did you think I was done gushing yet? Well too bad because we're just getting to the good stuff - their lyrics! The songwriting is so different - he finds this way to string together all these really great, unique and visual words in a subtly striking way. And then, as if sounding cool wasn't enough, the words have such great - even worshipful - meaning. So I'll leave you with the words from one of my favorite songs, Needle & Thread. And for the love of all that is good, just go listen to their music okay? I'll loan you my CD.

Needle & Thread

When the world welcomes us in
We're closer to Heaven than we'll ever know
They say this place has changed
But strip away all of the technology
And you will see
That we all are hunters
Hunting for something that will make us okay.

Here we lay alone in hospital beds
Tracing life in our heads
But all that is left
Is that this was our entrance and now it's our exit
As we find our way home

All the blood and all the sweat
That we invested to be loved
Follows us into our end
Where we begin to understand
That we are made of love
And all the beauty stemming from it
We are made of love
And every fracture caused by the lack of it

"You were a million years of work,"
Said God and His angels, with needle and thread.
They kissed your head and said,
"You're a good kid and you make us proud.
So just give your best and the rest will come,
And we'll see you soon."

All the blood and all the sweat
That we invested to be loved
Follows us into our end,
Where we begin to understand

That maybe Hollywood was right:
When the credits have rolled and the tears have dried,
The answers that we have been dying to find
Are all pieced together and, somehow,
Made perfectly mine.

We are made of love,
And all the beauty stemming from it.
We are made of love,
And every fracture caused by the lack of love.

Monday Night: Battle of the Chucks

In one corner, we have Chuck Bass, who alongside his sometimes love/all-the-times nemesis Blair Waldorf, is the real star of the WB's deliciously bad Gossip Girl.

In the other corner, we have Chuck Bartowski, the adorabley geeky accidental spy after whom NBC's action-comedy Chuck is named.

Two shows. One timeslot - 7 pm, Monday nights. Only one TiVo.

What's a couple to do? Ben and I came to the difficult decision that we would TiVo Chuck since we (oh yes, he likes it too) could watch Gossip Girl online. But I made sure to put in a clause that stated that if I happened to get home on time I could watch GG live from the other TV.

And thank goodness for that, because last night both our Chucks were in fine form. Mr. Bass was showing his softer side, overcoming Blair's straight-from-Cruel-Intentions schemes and looking suave in his typically insane outfits to boot. Over on channel 4, Mr. Bartowski was HI-larious... maybe the funniest episode yet for the show. Plus, there were guest roles by Nicole Ritchie and - wait for it - CORY from Boy Meets World (actual name Ben Savage). If only they'd gotten Topanga, too...

This One's For Rachel

...who of course started it all. It's also for Jen, Bethany, Lila, Anamarie, and Jenny. And my mom's middle school youth group girls.



EDIT 10/20: Added to the fold this week, my coworker Angilee. WELCOME TO THE SWOONING, my friend. Welcome.

EDIT 10/31: New addition to the fan list, our intern Sarah. Yaaaaay!

You're Killin' Me, Smalls

We went to our friends' Lila & Grant's house last night for s'mores around their firepit. It was the perfect way to spend our first officially chilly night, even if we did smell like (to quote Lila) jerky when we came inside. The logs were cracklin', the marshmallows were toasting, and the chocolate was melting. I really dislike marshmallows but for some reason on a s'more it works for me! I like the marshmallow to actually catch on fire and get a little burnt so the inside is really gloopy... mmm...

The other great thing is that s'mores always make me think of the scene in The Sandlot where Scotty gets invited to the sleepover in the treehouse. It includes one of my favorite lines. Observe:

I hope this fall brings you many opportunities for good friends and delicious treats.

Want.

This is the Epson Stylus Photo 1400. It can print borderless 12x12 pages. In other words, it can make all a scrapbooker's dreams come true. And I want one.

I haven't even had a working printer in my home for two years, because... I have no idea, just never got around to replacing my broken one and if I desperately needed something printed I just had to do it at work. Suffice to say, it would be a big jump, going from no printer to this sweet sweet piece of machinery. But you know what? I think I can handle it.

So, Santa Clause Claus*, if you're reading this, Amy wants to see this under the tree come Christmas morning. I promise I'll be good.

*Thanks Heather for the catch!

It Was An Accident

I really and truly did not set out to revert back to being a 14 year old girl. It just happened, because I was kinda curious to see what the big fat deal was with these vampire books.

And then, without understanding why or how, I had read all four books (had to have been a good 2000 pages total) in less than four days, and I was compelled to go on the internet and look up everything that could possibly have anything to do with these books, and also the movie that is coming out November 21 (now circled in red on my calendar).

And I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED TO ME, and I'm sorry to all my friends and family who expected better from me. I'm an English major for crying out loud, I'm supposed to be all high-brow and hoighty-toighty (sp?) about my literary tastes, and raving about the new Philip Roth novel and its elegaic postmodern brilliance. But all I can think about is will Stephenie Meyer change her mind and finish Midnight Sun?!

And if that last sentence made no sense to you, it's probably for the better. But if perchance you read that sentence and said, "OMG me too! I need to be inside Edward's head," then I love you and let's make "Mrs. Cullen" bedazzled t-shirts and go see the movie together and maybe afterward we can braid each others' hair and play MASH, if your mom is cool with that. Text me later!

See?!!! SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME!