Betwain

I represent the deepest felt values of the American people . . .

2012-01-22T23:11:00.000-05:00

Essscuse me? Pardon? Are those values the ones that say because you're a man with *game*, you have the right to cheat on and disrespect your wife with an intern? Errr?
You can't have it both ways, Newt. Either you represent values, or values have nothing to do with how you might do the job.

Interesting how Bill Clinton inherited a deficit and had the budget balanced in 3-years.

November makes me uneasy this year...

Parties Don't Exist. Paterno. Missed Kick.

Fire Stone Wood Fired Pizza in Woodstock

2012-01-01T12:06:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce for this photo. I borrowed it from their website. ;)

On a random Friday, late-afternoon, I was checking out some more of the local shops with my mom, and we veered into the parking lot of this new pizza joint downtown for an early-dinner-dining-adventure.

We had no idea what to expect, so it was a happy surprise to find a creative jewel inside. The decor hearkens to campfires and woodsy Colorado ski lodges, which fits this place's woodfire specialty very well. One wall is lined with a bar while the area facing the door houses the open kitchen, so you can see the chefs tossing dough disks as you walk in. The dishes are tin and campy, the servers wear plaid with their jeans, and a back room with French doors and a huge fireplace screams "pizza party" . . . okay, maybe ... uptown pizza party.

Not only is the decor creative, but the food is worth the long hike way-outta-the-Perimeter. I had a beet salad with a citrus dressing, pistachios, and some sharp frisee. It was a great combination of sharp, sweet, and crunch, with a bright orange finish. Yum!

We shared a sausage pizza with shaved mozerella and homemade sausage on a good, but not legendary, chewy-smoky-sweet woodfired crust. I've been spoiled for all other crusts by the Alpine Bakery in Alpharetta/Milton. :P

The coffee is good. There's a wine list. They have a couple good beers on draft. If they had a few leather chairs, I think I might sit in front of that fireplace and stay a while. It's a fun place to try for you culinary adventurers.

And while you're on this side (outta) town, walk across the street, and check out Blue Frog Imports. It's a narrow incense and whatnots shop that goes back for yards. You'll find everything from scarves and imported Indian jewelery to repurposed license plates made into bracelets and handcrafted metal artistic garden decor. There's a lot to check out in this shop, and when you buy, you support a couple of locals. Bring a twenty, and prepare to have a good time dropping it.

Adventures on Atlanta's skirts. The outer skirts. A living, breathing, downtown.

Aubrey

Celebrity Crushes (in no particular order)

2011-11-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

Mike Rowe
The host of Dirty Jobs and Ford spokesguy
He's hilarious. Whatta smile! Whatta voice!

Damon Bennett

A crew chief from Holmes on Holmes

He's so handy. Whatta man! Make it right!

Alton Brown

A food man extraordinaire

He's so wacky and creative! Whattan interesting guy. What a humble heart.

Kenny Chesney

A shrewd businessman and lone rider

Mysterious guy. I think there's more there than a strong jawline. Love his voice.

Wasting time. :) Men. Character.

Yum!

2011-11-13T18:05:00.002-05:00

Tornado Closet

2011-09-05T16:50:00.000-04:00

I guess it's not all bad that I'm stranded in a tornado closet with dog treats, spicy V8, water, Pandora, and 11 Alive.

My Chore List

1. Email Grandpa. Do they have tornadoes in South Dakota? Lucky Duckies. Ok. Maybe I would rather have a tornado than a blizzard.

2. Finish my IRB Training (ethical research) for Grad School. Yeeha! I've been waiting for a special time to do that. :) yep. A real special time.

3. Brush up on my Bruce Hornsby and Genesis lyrics. Nothing like 80s piano ballads when storms are nigh.

4. Create new seating charts for next week. I wonder if I could organize the desks in a zig-zag pattern for a change?

Today would be a really good day for a basement, a movie marathon, or a wrestling competition.

Beneficence. Belmont Principles. Promulgated. AaaaaaaHHH..

I Confess

2011-08-21T23:51:00.000-04:00

There have been so many times in my life that God has showed me that I have very little to do with how things turn out. I can iron my favorite blue shirt and show up early to the interview, but the job is in his hands. I can pre-pay for tickets and mapquest the route, but traffic happens . . . or maybe it doesn't.

So, why is it I try to take credit sometimes when things go soooo right, or try to take all the blame when things go soooo foul? Either path is one side of the same I-Run-The-Show coin. Either way, I'm wrong. The buck doesn't stop here, it stops with Him.

It's running on the heels of midnight this Sunday, and I can't stop thinking about how wrong I've been.

I confess...
God is in charge, and whether he chooses to put his Hands all over my little life situations or let His laws run their course, that's his perogative, and I trust him (or at least I WANT to). :P

I confess...
I really like *my* plans, and I cling to them like an entitled toddler. Lord, help me let go. Help me be obedient even when I don't get it.

I confess...
God made me. He gets me. There is nothing I could do that is so wacky that it would shock God. He is in charge, and I can rest (that's such a good word--REST) and just let his plans unfold instead of trying to steer his ship.

I confess...
That every time God has shown up in a big way, it has been so obvious and more creative and perfect than anything I could manufacture. I really don't want anything less in my life than his divine, strategic, and gorgeous plan. So, I'll wait for it... even if I wait forever.

I confess...
I'm really sad thinking about waiting forever.

I want a dog.

Love. Ouch. Lord.

Aubrey

Dooo do do doo do do

2011-08-21T19:06:00.001-04:00

Papyrus

2011-07-13T22:40:00.000-04:00

Pretty cool. This is the oldest piece of the New Testament that we've found. It was unearthed in Egypt in 1920. It's crazy to think this could be John's handwriting. It's on display in Manchester, England.

Home Again

2011-07-08T00:09:00.003-04:00

The Best Pizza Outside the Perimeter in Atlanta

2011-06-27T10:53:00.003-04:00

About a year ago, I happened into this place almost by accident. Between one of Crabapple's iconic grain silos and a fitness center, I saw the words "Alpine Bakery." The baked goods displayed in this place rival those anywhere: everything from cannoli to biscotti to prettily ganached cakes.

You can see a glimpse of it here:
http://alpinebakeryandtrattoria.com/bakery/

Picture from Reid Casey, a local realtor.

While I was enraptured, gazing at the pastry cases, I saw a few guys walk in and leave with pizza boxes, so I asked about the pizza and ordered one. I don't even remember what was on the pizza now, but I remember the crust, OH I remember the crust. Thin and crispy as your teeth hit the top, chewy as you bite down, hot and slightly sweet, the crust pairs with "just enough" sauce and toppings like artichokes and slices of italian sausage. Yum.

I went back the other day, and the owners have turned half of their space into a restaurant. The menu includes an array of traditional Italian favorites and a few restaurant creations. The average dinner entree price is fifteen dollars. I ordered a pizza and brought it home with me. :)

I noticed there's a lovely outdoor seating area, and when I stopped by, it was pretty full of people enjoying a bite of the evening breeze with their pasta.

If you find yourself in Atlanta's northeast suburbs and you like New York-style pizza and pastries, try the Alpine Bakery. :)

Another review with pics of the restaurant and the pizza:
http://foodwolfblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/alpharetta-alpine-bakery-and-trattoria.html

Another great review:
http://www.chowdownatlanta.com/alpine-bakery-and-pizzeria/
Restraint. Pizza. Delicious.
Aubrey

On a Better Bite, Sugo, Iberian Pig, Castellucci Review

2011-06-25T13:54:00.001-04:00

http://www.iberianpigatl.com/

http://www.sugorestaurant.com/
I'm not sure how to find words to express how much I love the Castelluccis! They're an Atlanta-area hospitality group who could open a sardine dessert shop, and I'd try it! I'm so impressed with everything about their style.

Let's start with Sugo, shall we? :) The first time I went, it was my birthday-- a Monday night, incidentally. The pillowed benches were peppered with business people getting after-work-cocktails. I was absolutely floored by the unique Greek-Italian flavor combinations! Little bites of bacon-wrapped dates-- sweet and salty, a giant meatball--fresh and bright. After sampling a variety of small plates and drinking a few glasses of wine, my friend and I noticed it was near closing time-- which in my experience in food service-- especially on a Monday night, finds servers glancing at their watches. Not here. Stephanie Castellucci, who was hanging at the bar, seemed unconcerned about time-- the staff seemed more like family hanging out than a group of harried wait staff ready to clock out. Before I left, my server brought us dessert and a glass of a light moscato, and I was in Heaven-- I mean it.

The next year, again on my birthday, I decided to try another Castellucci establishment--The Iberian Pig-- in the ultra-hip part of downtown Decatur. I ordered a cheese plate and a whiskey old fashioned while I waited for my stuck-in-traffic dining buddy. My server was very knowledgable and friendly. Again, the food was amazing and creative-- different from anything that you'll find anywhere else. Again, the service was exceptional-- and I say that as someone who has waited tables for years-- it was exceptional.

"Mr. C." the head of the Castellucci clan and Nancy, his wife, are a class act and such a dynamic duo. Northeast transplants, we're really lucky to have them and their kids running these beautiful restaurants in the Atlanta area.

If you're looking for a "sure thing" for drinks-after-work, an impressive first date, or a culinary adventure, these restaurants are just a reservation away.

Love. Castelluccis. Spine-Tingling-Greatness
Aubrey

Thai Star Restaurant Review-- Norcross

2011-06-25T13:25:00.000-04:00

Friday afternoon, I was on a mission to explore another area Thai restaurant. I immediately thought of Thai Star as its yellow sign winked at me for a year when I lived near its home on the intersection of Peachtree Industrial and Medlock Bridge in Gwinnett. Though it's an hour from where I live now, I buckled up and decided to try it.

I cruised through the quirky revolving door and was seated immediately. I ordered the rat naa, expecting this version as I had too many times from street shops in Sakhon Nakhon ราดหน้า. Thanks, Wikipedia for the photo.

I asked about som tam, and my server's eyes narrowed, "No, we don't have that." ส้มตำ

I asked for a Thai iced coffee and never got it.

Meanwhile, the Thai server girls working at the time rolled silverware and chatted about someone's "jai dahm"--black heart . . . or black skin.

I got my rat naa gai --which was a stir fry with steamed rice on the side in about 2-minutes. The vegetables were crisp-tender and bright. The sauce was slightly sweet. The food was good. The bill landed on my table after the second bite.

If you have no expectations when it comes to Thai food or service, try this place. If you want an authentic Thai experience, don't. In Thailand (and good Thai restaurants),

the table is set with a quad of condiments which might include: fish sauce, chilies in vinegar, siracha, sugar, peanuts, dried chili powder, etc. Not here.
the place setting includes a fork and a giant spoon. Not here.
the shop keepers are accomodating, sometimes to the extreme, and after a few visits, can feel like family. Not here.

I see many of the reviews for this restaurant are positive, so maybe I'll go back and see if the service is better, but what a disappointing lunch.

Aubrey

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

2011-06-18T23:39:00.000-04:00

To a guy who . . .
1. Manages to be artistic while wearing steel-studded boots.
2. Answers the phone with a daily "Jimmy John's Flower Shop" or "Jimmy John's Racecar Emporium"
3. Keeps life balanced with a ready array of spicy candies and jars of red pepper flakes.
4. Spent a 6-hour drive as the navigator--inventing crazy band names with me.
5. Is so silly sometimes the glimpses of deep wisdom he dishes are sometimes shocking.
6. Saved a lady from a giant cheese grater . . . and refuses to take credit or tell me the story (again).
7. Loves my mom more than he did when he met her.
8. Mows his lovely cottage-sized yard in 4.5 minutes with a Orange Husqvarna Zero-Turn Lawn Tractor (full speed ahead)
9. Is more "Jimmy Stewart" than Jimmy Stewart.
10. Has been a really great dad.

Thanks, Pops. You're one in a billion! I'm really glad you guys came to town. :)

Love. Father's Day. Daughter.

Aubrey

Chain Link

2011-06-05T22:29:00.002-04:00

So, today I've been thinking about unintended consequences. The sermon this morning was about Noah and his Ark, and honestly, I only half listened. I was stuck in my mind again---thinking about fear--- and how I've let it make me think I'm chosing the safest, most responsible option, when actually I've been cowering and kowtowing to ugly fear.

What if Noah had chosen the "safest" option? What if he had run from the tigers? What if he had been more responsible and gone to work instead of building a giant hobby ship?

Sometimes, I wonder how my life is different from the girls who seemed to have it all planned out by sophomore year in college. By graduation, they'd be married. By the next year, they'd be finished with grad school, and when Timmy started kindergarten, they'd open a consulting firm and buy a motorcycle. And yeah, it's five years later now, Timmy is in school, and I've seen Susie cruising around town on her motorcycle in her powder pink chaparreras.

What are these Perfect Plan-istas afraid of? What do they struggle with? Do people ever look at them like they're aliens? I have no idea what their kind of life must be like.

It's an interesting place being single approaching thirty. People aren't sure how to make polite conversation without being able to ask about my strong, strapping husband or my healthy babies. So, they ask about the gym, the weather, the school assemblies, and the who-I'm-dating-now.

I have learned so much being on my own for these years. I've learned about good parenting from some awesome friends. I've learned about good communicating from some patient roommates. I've learned about loss-and-letting-go from some sisters who've gone. I've trudged through the sludge in the bottom of my heart and found some jewels there, too. I've wandered from God, and I missed Him so much. It has been fun to have the freedom to explore all of these things on my own calendar.

I think the hardest thing about being where I am, as the one who doesn't fit expectations in our society . . . is that I am the oddball in my family. My parents and my sister walked the Married by Twenty Path. They really speak the same language. Maybe someday, I'll learn it. Until then, there are going to be times I'll be on the outside.

I just read Genesis Six again. I wonder if Noah had fun building the Ark? Cypress wood, pitch, rooms, decks, animals . . .They say he was 500 when he started the project and 600 when he finished. I wonder if he and his sons sanded the decks together? I wonder if his wife painted and hung curtains? :P I wonder if there were times Noah looked up at the sky and thought, "Pfft. Water? From where? God? Did you change your mind? God?" And then, maybe he looked down at his sons and thought, "I trust."

Lord, show me what it means to be obedient. I've been as obedient as I know to be, but show me more. Show me what to do with all this alien freedom. I don't want to waste it. Show me how to be courageous.

Love. Rain. Ready.

Aubrey

Trust

2011-04-11T01:05:00.000-04:00

I was reading the other day about Biblical Jonathan, the warrior prince, son of Saul, brother-of-another-mother to David. There's a part of his story that mentions his armor-carrier. This is a guy I'd never considered before(thanks, Beth Moore).

So, Israel is waging this bloody battle with the Philistines, and without permission from or word to the Commander (dear old Dad), Jonathan goes rogue and says to his servant something like, "Dude, let's climb these deadly cliffs and attack these *^%#<%^s (my Bible says "uncircumcised fellows") "maybe the Lord will help us out."

So, the armor carrier says, "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." I think a better translation of that might be,"HooYAH!":p

There's something about a brother. There's something about a sister. There's something about someone you know will be standing at your back when the blood and bones settle.

It seems like everyone is looking for love. OHkay. I am, too. But maybe we've got it backwards. The excitement of Love is a chemical cocktail that's gone in 18 months. I think the relationships that last are between friends and lovers who face the cliffs back-to-back. "do all that you have in mind. Go ahead, I am with you heart and soul." hooyah:)

Jonathan and Unnamed Armor Guy with God's Hand, killed 20 men, sent the Philistines into panic mode, and saved the Israelites.

Moving and Grooving (and somewhat sappy) V-Day Playlist

2011-02-13T21:49:00.000-05:00

Yeah, Baby! Those of you who have a honey this year, use this playlist at your own risk.

1. What's Going On-- Marvin Gaye
2. Paperweight--Joshua Radin
3. Let's Get It On--Marvin Gaye
4. You Do Something to Me-- Frank Sinatra
5. The Point of it All--Anthony Hamilton
6. Where you Are--Marc Broussard
7. Sunshine--Josh Rouse
8. I'm the Man who Loves you--wilco
9. You Sexy Thing--Hot Chocolate
10. Never Knew I Needed--Ne-Yo
11. Fly Me Away--Annie Little
12. Two Coins--Dispatch
13. Stole My Heart-- Marcus Ashley and Annie Little
14. Here is a Heart--Jenny Owen Youngs
15. God Gave Me You--Dave Barnes
16. Feel the Blast--Waterdeep
17. Groove Me-- King Floyd
18. You Shook Me All Night Long--ACDC
19. Let My Love Open the Door--Pete Townshend
20. Green Eyes--Coldplay

A and I

2011-02-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

Today, I read -Bark, George- to two little kindergarten girls near downtown ATL. It made me remember the good ol' librarian days. I always loved kindergarten storytime! :)

Southern Surgical Associates

2011-02-06T19:46:00.000-05:00

$250 for a half-hour consultation.
That's $500 per hour.
That's $4000 per 8/hr day.

When doctors gripe about the changes in insurance company policies/procedures, I will no longer feel a twinge of sympathy. Here's how my consultation went:

Me: I have this issue; can you fix it?
Doctor: Yes
Me: Ok, let's set up an appointment.
Doctor: Ok, these dates work for me.
Me: Ok, sounds good.

There should be consumer reports for doctors. I give this one three giant, He-Man sized thumbs down.

Voiceless

2011-02-06T19:41:00.000-05:00

I lost my voice a few days ago, and it has been interesting. This is the first time I've lost my voice completely, and here's what I'm noticing.

1. Most people talk louder when they realize I can't speak. Hrm? It's MY voice that's volume-challenged, not yours!
2. I can't use the Starbucks drive thru.
3. I talk and sing to myself quite a bit apparently... I miss that. :(
4. Teaching is really challenging without a voice. Though it was hilarious trying to use a Brit-talking chipmunk courtesy voki.com to talk to teach! Haha.
5. I can't take care of customer service-type issues.
6. My parents don't like to text. Pooo.
7. I feel kind of trapped. I need to invent a whistle that screams like Mr. T.
8. Many people are really illiterate when it comes to lip reading. They don't even want to try. Pffft. Pffffft.
9. It's kind of nice to be quiet sometimes.
10. I'm really happy for the Steelers right now. Really, they're scrappy. I can't cheer for them though---not today.
11. The only sign language I know is the middle finger. I guess it's time to work on that! :P

I want my voice back. And if it sounds a little less like Sh-owen Wilson when it returns, that would be ok, too. ;P

trapped. silent. raspy.

Aubs

Pies in the Oven

2010-11-22T23:29:00.000-05:00

Introducing . . .

My first holiday pie of the year.

It's Pioneer Woman's Dreamy Apple pie ... ehem... without the hard sauce ... or the fancy camera ... and a few charred spots of sugar on the top. But didn't Mama always say a little charcoal never hurt anyone?
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/dreamy-apple-pie/

Next up?

The honey-scented pumpkin pie from the Publix supermarket pumpkin puree label. Sweet Publix. Oh, how I love Publix. In fact, I think it's time for another episode of *buh.duh.duh.duuuuh* The Why-Georgia-Rocks Show. I thought you'd be pretty excited about that. You might want to sit down for this.

Number Three: Georgia gives football players of all ages the opportunities to feel like champions. I went to a middle school game a few months ago, and the hoopla (this is the official "football term" for the lights, announcer, referee uniforms, cheers, and pretzels) was nicer than my college football hoopla.

Number Two: Publix. Grocery Store Extraordinaire. The cashiers itemize my items. The stockers front all the stock. The butchers ask me if I need any meat. The sandwiches are better than I've had in any sandwich shop, and the crab dip is divine.

Number One: Still topping the list of my Why-Georgia-Rocks Show is the Southern Man. Sure, some women feel trapped by chivalry and laundry days, breadwinners and good ol' boys. The longer I live, the more I'm finding that Gram probably didn't have laundry days because of tradition; she probably had them because maybe she would've turned into a giant mess like me if she hadn't installed a little organization in her life-- Mondays are for sheets; Tuesdays are for ironing. Um...I digress. Breadwinners are hot (though I like to throw my own contribution into the bowl), good ol' boys know where the best local diners are, and when a man holds the door open for me, I feel the world tilt on its axis ... just as it should be. So, Men of Georgia*, I salute you.

*This salute is intended for Men (capital "m"). As is true in every region of the country, knotheads lurk if you're looking for them. But most people around here are pretty solid.

Butter Pie. McCartney. Dig a Little.

Strolling with Friends

2010-11-07T09:06:00.001-05:00

I don't like moving on. Digging in my heels, gritting my teeth, and flipping my chin to the sky, I usually refuse to do it. The feeling of looking at something gorgeous in the rearview mirror fingernails my chalkboards in a way I hate. When something rare and wonderful spends a season in my life, I wish for Fall forever . . . or Summer, or Spring, or even Winter.

But I'm wrong. I know I'm wrong. I'm the teenager wearing shorts in a blizzard. I'm the pioneer whose lantern isn't lit, and the sun has gone down. I'm holding on to friendships that passed me by when I wasn't watching.

Change is as real as the skin on our bones. We shed about 2-million skin cells an hour! Time changes everything, even friendships. Friends are friends forever, but maybe the same friends aren't friends in the same ways forever.

It's time for me to wake up and start paying attention.

Need more iron. Mums. Zippies.

Aubrey

Mark Twain is Hilarious

2010-10-17T09:52:00.000-04:00

Before he died, he did interview "conversations" for four-years about his life.

He ordered the notes be saved, and an autobiography published 100 years after his death.

They're calling him one of the first bloggers as his autobiography isn't written chronologically, but topically . . . randomly.

What a Showman! Still making a scene 100-years later!

white suit. personality. moustache.

A Voice from the Inside

2010-09-16T19:33:00.003-04:00

Dear Mr. President:

During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.

While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.

Respectfully,

ROGER STARNER JONES, MD

A Road Diverged--Wrecked

2010-09-13T20:44:00.000-04:00

One side of my car looked perfect; the other side was pretty banged up. You can see part of the other car's tail-light stuck in my door. I'm still trying to figure out their angle when they hit us.

The car came around this corner on Hwy 20 in Canton. If you look up on the shoulder, you can see my parents' car pulled over and my mom walking toward us. This was almost exactly where the other car hit us . . . only when I stopped the car, I was in the oncoming lane trying to avoid a head-on collision with the silver CRV.

The lady took out the guard rail before ricocheting off it. She said she was only going 50 around the curve.

I love you Car, but I'm not even sad about your bruises . . . because my Girls are ok. I'm a little apalled that the lady said, "This is the second time I've gotten in a wreck in this vehicle! My tires lost traction with the road" after something like this. What if someone had been hurt?? Get new tires, slow down, or better yet, b.o.t.h., but don't act so nonchalant about nearly killing a bunch of people. por favor.

Scary. Miracle. Adrenaline.

Change in Societies Results Only from the Passion of Individuals

2010-09-11T00:50:00.000-04:00

This is an awesome documentary.The Cove

&

I'm in Love with a Church

2010-09-08T21:02:00.002-04:00

I grew up wearing gloves on Easter and sitting in a wooden pew ... sometimes padded.

I grew up learning about Jesus, Mary, and Joseph by way of artful felt-backed, strangely Caucasion flannel-board peeps.

I grew up sitting in "Adult" church alone while Mom taught Sunday School; Kel WENT to Sunday School; Dad stayed home. I heard about Solomon, who asked God for wisdom, and then biked around the neighborhood asking for wisdom and asking God what He meant that I should fear Him. How could I love someone and fear them at the same time? I decided to bury my favorite stuffed animal as a love offering to God! Once a strange kid, always a strange kid.

And the pedulum swings.

Things changed in college when I decided gloves and skirts were as good as prison, and respect was more of an attitude than an attire.

Things changed in college when I learned about Grace, Wine, Music, Gambling, Cussing, and Freedom.

Things changed in college when I rolled my windows down on a rainy Missouri night and screamed at God, "If you're so powerful, how could YOU LET this HAPPEN?" . . . and I had no fear. And if there was love in my heart, I couldn't find it.

And the pendulum swings.

So, tonight I went to a church where I studied "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in the red hymnal while waiting on a green fuzzy pew for everyone to gather in the chapel.

I heard Paul's words to the Romans and the "10 cents" of a humble preacher-man.

I went to a new church tonight. I didn't count them, but I think 17-people, ranging in age from 35 to 75 shook my hand and called me by name (Hey, there's a first-timer sitting in the front by Terry. Psst. Her name is Aubrey.). Seventeen. My heart was so raw from all the love that I almost cried (Hey, there's a crazy woman sitting in the front by Terry. Psst. Her name is Aubrey.). :P I praised God in my heart because He is greater than the sunset and the sunny days he crafts, and yet, crazy enough that He keeps poking me in the ribs. I'm here. I love you. I'm here. I love you. I'm here. I love you.

Redeemed and Redeeming. Ying Yang Tick Tock. Inhale Exhaaaaale.

Prayer of Saint Frank

2010-09-07T23:43:00.000-04:00

<

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury,pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Oh, fer cute

2010-08-16T21:05:00.000-04:00

I can tell I'd love this couple just by browsing their tour!

Emily and Meeko

Oh, fer cute!

Finishing Baby Joey's Quilt

2010-07-29T18:19:00.001-04:00

. . . before you grow up, Kid! :)

You. are. Loved.

Aubrey

A bite for everyone! :)

2010-07-29T16:18:00.006-04:00

I'm on my way to work to share Martha Stewart's Icebox Cake (graham crackers, a sort of chocolate ganache and bananas) that Brin inspired me to try! A bite is really enough.

chilled. sugar. share.

Today's Cleaning Playlist

2010-07-23T20:12:00.002-04:00

If there are suds involved, it might as well be a party. :)

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) The Proclaimers
Killer Queen Queen: Greatest Hits
Simply Irresistible Robert Palmer
Ain't Nothing Wrong With That Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Back In Black AC/DC
Life In a Northern Town (Dance Remix) Sunset Boulevard
Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) Us3
XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl) Trisha Yearwood
And It Stoned Me Van Morrison
There's Your Trouble Dixie Chicks
Just Like Heaven The Cure
Some Kind Of Wonderful Grand Funk
Magical House Cleaning / Blue or Pink (Score) George Bruns Mr. Tambourine Man The Byrds
Take On Me a-ha
Lovely Day Bill Withers

Heh

2010-07-23T00:46:00.001-04:00

Jimmy Carter was a Peanut Farmer

2010-07-20T19:04:00.004-04:00

. . . and he had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House.

Ronald Reagan had them taken down.

Guess what three companies are top givers to politicians and political parties?
60 million --Exxon Mobile (profits of 40 billion dollars per year)
40 million --Chevron/Texaco
30 million --BP

Iraq has the second largest oil reserves in the world. Why are our troops there again? Military expenditures in the form of LIVES and MONEY to protect the lining of some pretty fancy pockets. Ladies and Gents in the oil business, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Then again, my Toyota runs on oil. Shame on me.

The U.S. has 2% of the world's oil resources. How much of those reserves are ~~under~~ in the Gulf?

Who really owns this country? . . . Interesting how politicians sponsored to powerful places have oil running in their veins (Dick Cheney, G.W., Palin, etc.).

Baby, it's time for some honesty and some alternate fuel sources.

Out of Oil. Big Britches. Energy "Task Force".

A Draft of a Declaration

2010-07-16T00:02:00.003-04:00

A shell of a ship sits in a shop
Gutted
No sails taking wind,
No prow cutting surf,
The planks recall yells of yesterday's port
Whispers now

A jewel setting gathers dust on the desk
Empty
No sparkle glimmering facets,
No clasp holding treasure,
The gold reflects yesterday's light
Gone now

Lord, I came to know you in second grade. You gave me joy--even then. Even that young, I felt you change my hear as clearly as I would a warm squeeze.

That joy developed and got deeper as the years passed. People used to remark about how often I smiled. They thought it had something to do with me.

I started to believe it did, too.

They say a fade happens slowly, and it's true. Something about my response to my traffic ticket the other day made me look hard at my hardenend heart.

Any joy I've ever had . . .
Any smile on my face . . .
Any inspiration I've felt . . .
love shared
beauty observed

Has been only and utterly because of Christ.
How could I ever think I had anything to do with that?

So, tonight I've had this glimpse of my angry, prideful, bitter self.

That is who I am.

The whole gift of Christ, though, is that He has given me more. He replaced that bitter girl with an inspired joyful woman ... just over twenty years ago.

I want that back. I want a life surrendered to God. I want the purity of a child biking around the neighborhood ... wondering what God will do next.

Lord, thank you for my ticket. Keep killing my pride and calling me back to you -- whatever it takes.

I want to glorify you -- whatever it takes.

Love.

Aubrey

Random Summer

2010-07-15T00:10:00.003-04:00

Overflowing with Classroom Projects!

2010-07-14T23:35:00.003-04:00

So, I have some good ideas for fixing up my classroom for the upcoming year, but it's always more fun to spend less money! :P Well, almost always.

Project One
Picture Frames.
I put these together using moulding, a miter box, wood glue, a corner clamp, some paint, and a lot of muscle, baby! I think they turned out pretty cute! I'm going to use them to display pictures I take of students throughout the year.

Updates on my other projects when I have more to show! :)

Dear Officer Bent

2010-07-14T16:44:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

4:45 p.m.

Dear Officer Bent,

I learned to drive on gravel roads. Where I come from, the road generally isn't wide enough for two cars, wise drivers watch for stray cows and meandering tractors, and people wave at one another with two fingers. In my experience, getting pulled over in a small town is a professional exchange. Officers are polite and to-the-point.

When I moved to Atlanta, I was shocked at the local attitude toward law enforcement. When Kathryn Johnston, the 80-something Georgia-Tech-neighborhood dweller was killed in a faulty drug bust, I was waiting tables and heard the public flack. I actually defended the law-enforcement vocation. What a tough job--ladies and gentlemen risking their lives to keep the streets safe.

Soon after the drug bust talk died down, there was a huge drama in the parking lot at the restaurant where I worked. After breaking half a dozen car windows and stealing items, a man pulled a gun. A few things of mine, including my wallet, were stolen. Some officers actually found my stolen wallet in a ditch and drove to the restaurant to return it. One Point: JUSTICE and SERVANTHOOD!

A few years later, I moved to the Norcross area and was working out in John's Creek. I got pulled over (rightfully) and experienced my first taste of Atlanta's Finest. After writing the citation, the officer informed me he could follow me home and give me a ticket every single day if he wanted to. I felt absolutely bullied and unsafe. I was alone in the car. I had just worked out. It was late at night. Was it really necessary to speak to me that way? One Point: UNPROFESSIONAL BULLIES!

You pulled me over this afternoon saying I pulled into an emergency lane and almost struck a van "who was waiting to do the right thing." Most days, I'm the one who is waiting while other drivers move right before the white lines dictate it's allowable. Today, I was the idiot who didn't see the cop camped on the corner. Today, I was the idiot hurrying home to make picture frames for my classroom. I did not "almost strike" the van. The van had been in the position to move right for at least 30-seconds and hadn't. I understand you're just doing your job. I know times are tough. In south Georgia, the State is about to put convicts to work maintaining school grounds. Convicts. In schools. I know times are tough.

I know it's hot out. I know you have a job to do. I know what it's like to work in a business where you interact with seas of faces, books of names, and snapshots of situations that play over and over.

I don't know where you're from, what's important to you, or what music you listen to on days off. What I do know is that I would have appreciated a "hello" before you wrote the ticket. I would have appreciated a "good afternoon" so I knew when I could drive away. I am a person, not just your paycheck. My name is Aubrey. My eyes are GRN, not BLU, and I'm a public servant, too. I believe that no job is so important and no uniform is so ~~blue~~ black that it gives the wearer the right to rudeness. Though I know there are plenty officers like the Bully I mentioned above, I hope there are more out there who don't use their position as an excuse to be flagrantly unprofessional.

I got into the "right lane" before the white lines officially allowed it. I'm a damn criminal. My crime will cost me $300 bucks and my summer plans.

Thank you, Officer, for keeping the streets safe for us all.

Aubrey
Eyes
GRN

I missed it!

2010-06-22T22:43:00.002-04:00

Hutchmoot sign-up has come and gone. Pooh. I'm setting a google reminder for Spring next year!

Hutchmoot

But, I can still make its reading list mine. So, starting tomorrow, I'll be re-/reading:

By Walt Wangerin, Jr.
The Book of the Dun Cow
The Book of Sorrows
Saint Julian

By Frederick Buechner
Godric
The Sacred Journey
Son of Laughter

By Annie Dillard
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
The Writing Life
Teaching a Stone to Talk

Flannery O'Conner
A Good Man is Hard to Find
Mystery and Manners
Wise Blood

C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce
Perelandra
Til We Have Faces

George MacDonald
Lilith
At the Back of the North Wind
Phantastes

That's EIGHTEEN BOOKS! It's time to get started. I'm sure I'll fill up a notebook with notes. I'm sure these notes will benefit my mind and heart much more than any notes I might take on *Falling for Montana Man*. Cheers to writing that is more meat than milk.

I can't believe I missed Hutchmoot!!

Meaty Reading. Pool Notes. Sarong.

Netflix Namastey

2010-06-19T23:55:00.006-04:00

I always think it's kind of fun to check out what the folks in my neighborhood are watching. Here are a few favorites on the summary page:

1. Steve Harvey: Still Trippin'--This looks pretty funny.

2. Jab We Met--About a girl who meets a guy on a train and decides to go traveling with him.

3. Kurbaan-- A handsome young Indian couple moves to suburban USA and finds they are a enmeshed in a terrori*t plot.

4. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (A Match Made in Heaven)--A May December romance with all the struggles they suggest.

5. Fanaa--Zooni, a sheltered blind girl, meets Rehan, a poetic womanizer, and romance ensues.

Shubh raatri. Sneezy. Father's Day grillin!

Running to this

2010-06-15T22:59:00.004-04:00

Use it at your own risk. :)

Baba O'Riley (Live Sheperton Film Studios) The Who
The Tears of a Clown (Hotsnax Remix) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Hips Don't Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean) Shakira
Rude Boy Rihanna
Jump (For My Love) The Pointer Sisters
Rosa Parks OutKast
Get Down on It Kool & The Gang
ABC (Salaam Remi Remix) The Jackson 5
Who's That Lady The Isley Brothers I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) The Four Tops
Devil's Dance Floor Flogging Molly
Lose Yourself Eminem
If You Wanna Be Happy Dominic Halpin & The Honey B's

A Long Time in the Biz

2010-06-12T18:58:00.002-04:00

Check out Mick Jagger when it all began--Baby Face :)

Chatta

2010-06-09T22:38:00.005-04:00

What a gorgeous day to hang out outside! It was great to see Sharla and most of her little family!

Tonight's Project-- Flower Pins!

2010-06-08T22:17:00.001-04:00

I found this in my oldest journal

2010-06-07T19:18:00.006-04:00

M y mother is nice
O thers are not
T hat is good if they like rice
H ot moms are not so good
E very mother has her thing
R arely, they give a sting
S till all mothers

ARE REALLY
GREAT!

Aubrey, nine

Anything for a rhyme ;)

This fell out of the pages! I'm not sure where it came from?

Grandma's Dad holding Doug?, Gram, and Mom

I love this house!

2010-06-07T14:19:00.003-04:00

Check out more pictures here:
Cote de Texas

Also fun:
Hooked on Houses

Dear Peace Corps Experience

2010-06-01T17:17:00.003-04:00

June 1, 2010

Dear Peace Corps Experience,

It's times like these, reading DB's Happy Easter (2009 Christmas Letter), that I really miss you.

I miss mime-ing to the guy at the gadget store that the bum sprayer on my toilet exploded in the wee hours of the night--Help!

I miss wanting cookies so badly I thought I might try to milk a water buffalo, churn my own butter, and build an oven out of a clay pot and roasty bamboo.

I miss the friendly smiles of strangers and the graceful sendoff of Loy Kratong.

I miss bai-teeow with some of the only other people in the world who know the significance of a good honk and the numbers 1.1.6.

I miss mountain monkeys in heat, beany ice cream, and MC Hammer pants in all the shades of the rainbow.

I miss cow neeow matmuang, beetle juiced grannies, Shake Banana, Shake, Shake Banana, Seth's front porch, and the joy of being Weifenbached.

At times like this, I can almost hear the walls of my apartment whispering, "farang."

Sigh. Time for a plane ticket. Towrai?

Softball Sweeties

2010-05-29T01:31:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I watched my awesome niece in a tournament game in Chattanooga. The 5-6 year olds with the Honeybees played with dirt in the outfield, twirled around, figured out how to wear knee pads, and cheered "Cheater, Chatter, Aggravate the batter!"

Pretty cute.

I'm pretty proud of my sister's little family. Skylar squatted at ready short stop, Kelly volunteered as "Dugout Mom", and Brad caught little jock-gals's missed hits during the warm-up.

Whatta family! Whatta fun day!

Tomorrow, the luau!

Skirts. of grass. Gregory Alan Isakov.

P.S. Cheers to dreams that do not include climbing mountains in the freezing rain, through rainbows, with strange trolls as companions. Yep. No more of those. Please. :P

Kitung Mak Mak

2010-05-28T00:23:00.002-04:00

Literally "I miss lots lots."

Sometimes, I miss Thailand mak mak. Most of the world lives in Community. They live so much in community, that it's common to see three or four people cruising down the road on a single moped. They live so much in community that there's no such thing as "cheating" in a classroom. They live so much in community that parties begin before dawn with all the local grannies and GIT (grannies in training) convening with seasonal fruits and utensils under the hostess's house. A buffet isn't BYOHD (that's hot dish, not high def), it's COAMSTS (come over, and make something to share).

That's right.

I made my haupia in my Free-At-Last-Free-At-Last kitchen, but now that it's chilling in the fridge, I'm wondering if the task, nay life itself, might be just a splash sweeter surrounded by the gaggle of a true neighborhood.

Maybe the Independence of our culture is an illusion anyway.

Gooooodnight.

Coconuts. Pineapples. Marinade.

Aubrey

Yeah, Yeah...Darn Capillaries

2010-05-25T16:31:00.003-04:00

You can't hide the truth from your body. It tells, oh does it tell. I try to wear the same jeans I wore last summer. Nope. The booty tells. I try to wear my hajr naturally. Nope. The grey tells.

I've never thought my capillaries would play a role in this tattling party. Actually, I had never really thought of my capillaries at all until two days ago. Two days ago, I decided to take my dragging hind end out in the apartment neighborhood for a run.

I walked around an Indian lady and her four-year old (who was learning how to scooter--very cute--and pretty funny), I circled a semi-truck with Michigan plates taking up seven spots. Then, itch. Itch. I had to stop and throw off my shoes dramatically. What BUG could this be? Disgusting. A man with a cigarette and a leash to a collie approached. I got up and ran a few more blocks. Itch. Itch. ITCH. I slowed. What the heck?? Isn't it a little late in the year for dry skin?? I advanced my iPod to Beyonce. Itch. Itch. Ridiculous!!

It was so bad, I ran in the house, tore off my clothes, slathered myself in lotion, and scratched the heck out of those plaguing itches. Then, research. What in the world could be causing this terrible itching?

Between the Google and the Forums, I have my answer. My capillaries. If arteries are the rivers of our bodies, arterioles are the streams, and capillaries are the creeks. Well, apparently when an individual is not maximizing his or her body (i.e. I have become a worn-out couch potato), blood flow isn't really as necessary to the muscles--the muscles aren't even working. But when a practiced couch potato finally gets the blood flowing back to the muscles, the capillaries awaken in a rush... in a rush of ITCH.

The good news is-- the more often I run, the more often my creeks will run, the better off my circulatory system is, the less likely it is that I'll ITCH.

The bad news is--I can't hide! My body has spoken ... and honestly. Couch potato, begone!

Life is about more than a job. It's time to start keeping those capillaries in business.

fo real.

Itching. Running. Workin the glutes and the capills. :)

Aubrey

Purpose

2010-05-02T23:27:00.003-04:00

If we are all tools for His Kingdom, then I'm a blender... or a hammer, or a gallon of paint.

A blender trying to dig is miserable.

Embracing the mix. Letting go of shovel hopes. Blend it.

Faith

2010-04-08T00:21:00.002-04:00

When was the last time I did something that required

complete trust?

I think the answer is

as little as possible.

It's time for a lifestyle change. :)

Love. Trust. Bridge.

Dear Tozer, Your words are still speaking...

2010-04-06T23:00:00.004-04:00

AW Tozer's Vocab List
1. Abnegation--To deny
2. Repudiate--To disown
3. Perilous-- Dangerous
4. Stalwart--Marked by outstanding strength of body, mind, or spirit
5. Connote--To imply as a logical connotation
6. Malady-- A disease or unwholesome condition
7. Coddle-- To treat with excessive care
8. Prevenient--Anticipatory
9. Accords--Agrees
10. Ineffable-- Unspeakable; Indescribable
11. Fervid--burning

The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.
****

There is within the human heart a tough fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always to possess. It covets `things' with a deep and fierce passion. The pronouns `my' and `mine' look innocent enough in print, but their constant and universal use is significant. They express the real nature of the old Adamic man better than a thousand volumes of theology could do. They are verbal symptoms of our deep disease. The roots of our hearts have grown down into things, and we dare not pull up one rootlet lest we die. Things have become necessary to us, a development never originally intended. God's gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.
****

Everything in the New Testament accords with this Old Testament picture. Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there.

There is Sunshine in my Soul Today

2010-02-21T23:32:00.004-05:00

Mom shared something with me today that struck me. I don't think she would mind my blabbing about it for a minute.

She said

Remember the story of the woman who poured precious oil on Jesus's feet and washed his feet with her hair? The other men scoffed at her, but Jesus was blessed by her love.

I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes, a relationship with the Lord feels one-sided (I don't spend enough time *listening*). It's amazing to think things *I* do can have an impact on the heart of God.

Wow? Wow.

It has been a season of dimness for me. Today, I spent a few hours wandering around Ikea looking at organizational systems and funky fabric through a veil of teary eyes. I feel like I lost a good friend today. So, maybe some of my almost-tears were warranted, but Yuck! It's time to wipe my eyes and move on!

How have I spent years declaring that God is the most important piece of my life without ever thinking about his FEELINGS in this way??

I move (finally!) at the end of this week, and I'm sad for the time I'll miss with my long-time roommate, but I'm really excited to start fresh. I hope this new season is one of looking o.u.t.w.a.r.d. :)

Twenty-Four Days until . . .

2010-01-07T21:17:00.003-05:00

freedom!
feeling like everyone in my home loves me first, judges me second!
rug selection!
feeling free from the weight of, "I just wasn't raised like that."
I can finally put my pots in some cupboards!

I am so spoiled! Thank you, Lord, for this abundance!
I get my own place! My first place! :)

24-days. woo. hoo.

The Big Picture

2010-01-03T19:10:00.002-05:00

There is a couple I respect very much. They have been such good friends and have set an example I aspire to emulate.

They have a pretty strict budget. One time, M was talking about Budgeting, and she said something like, "We are hard on ourselves because we want to spend our money on what's really important to us."

Looking at the big picture really helps.

The bottom line is-- I have more than all I want. I have more than all I need. By the grace of God, I've paid off most of my debts, and can spend my money with better intentions. I have a plan/schedule/vision for my finances, and keeping faithful to the plan is so important to me that I will not fritter away money on bubble gum, fancy crackers, and clothes!

This is pretty exciting! I love you, envelope system.

New Year. New Focus. Wind in my Sails.

Aubrey

Pocket Change

2010-01-02T20:15:00.002-05:00

My new year will be
like pocket change.

I'll collect my moments in a bank
until its full enough to break,
and then I'll bust it open.

I'll dig around and find value in forgotten corners,
and I'll re-purpose it.

I'll consider more wisely how I'm trading each coin that passes through my hand.

I want to understand more fully what it means to be a steward.

-010. Get moving, girl. Shake it.

New Year

2009-12-16T21:56:00.001-05:00

smoky mountain birthday

2009-11-01T20:54:00.001-05:00

Joyful Little Number

2009-10-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

Growing Up

2009-10-18T22:03:00.001-04:00

ATL aqua

2009-10-05T20:37:00.001-04:00

Flood

2009-09-25T11:36:00.003-04:00

The Real Church of the South

2009-09-24T22:37:00.003-04:00

is college ball.
The question isn't what pew you warm on Sunday, it's who will you be rooting for AFTER church?

Real Southern Ladies talk softly, get their nails done weekly, and scream like banshees for Georgia Tech.

1. Let's be real. I don't really care about football. I do like things that bring people together and get their spirits up.

2. It's a good excuse to hang out and make copious quantities of chicken wings.

3. If I cared, I would most assuredly be a UGA fan. Something about little Ugga XXXII warms my heart. Georgia Tech fans always strike me as a bit pretentious. Engineer degree? You can design a field, but honey, can you run it?

4. Let's be real. I am not a Southern Lady (more a mule than a peach). I like "down home" folks, and if football is a part of that, bring it on! However, if I have to *love* football to be a part of your circle of friends, save my invitation to your birthday party.

Playing > Watching. Love. Sun.

Aubrey

I just wasn't raised like that

2009-09-21T22:05:00.003-04:00

Yo Mama was.

Why is it everyone seems to think they are flawless drivers?
(Listen Pancakes, you roll through Stop Signs, too).

Why is it everyone seems to think they were raised in The Perfect Way?
(Listen Buckwheat, you leave cereal crumbs on the floor sometimes, too).

Let's find some Truth Serum, mirrors, specks, and logs and have a party. Only sucky drivers are invited.

Love. Sucky. Drivers.

Aubrey

Another Rainy Day

2009-09-20T12:47:00.007-04:00

I heard Michael Jackson say in his 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, "Art is our attempt to communicate with God." Michelangelo expressed it long before Thriller.

Maybe Art is one of God's ways to speak to us. Maybe all Art is worship . . . of something.

Filling Resevoir, Love the Dehumidifier, A House in March,

Aubrey

The Case of Kinkos Catydid

2009-09-16T21:57:00.004-04:00

I can't say I ever thought a bug was cute. When I was a kid, I thought they were squishy and fun, but nevah c u t e. Yesterday changed my mind.

I went to Kinkos to (finally!) print some copies of some photos I've been meaning to frame. It was drizzly and soupy out. The Romanian dudes next to me at the Rent-a-Puter were soaked in Axe. "What's up?" yourself.

I printed my pictures and put them under my shirt while I sprinted across the concrete lagoon to my car. I was deep in thought, planning my smoothest merge into crazy-six-o'-clock-traffic when I turned, responding to some natural awareness of eyes on me.

There was a leaf bug (or so I THOUGHT) with its head carefully cocked to one side, staring at me. Observe the following:

How did it get in my car? How could I get it OUT of my car?

Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to kill it; I couldn't "shoo" it either. So, I ignored it.

It showed up at random times over the course of the next two days--perched on the back seat, head cocked to one side.

Strange that a wild little bug could look so interested. I wonder if it thought I was a tree. Had we coexisted long enough, perhaps Catydid (yeah, I Googled it) would be Aubreyflauged.

Hmmm... and these are the days of my life. ;P

The Fog

2009-09-12T20:17:00.002-04:00

Ok,
I guess it's time to start blogging again!

Three months of work, sleep, weird dreams, new park, new friends, dates, de-humidifiers, furniture refinishing, one red dress, and a rocking chair later, I've come to a few conclusions:

1. Trucks are better. They can do everything a car can, but more. My next car will be a truck. A cute one, of course.

2. The amount of time people are a part of my life is not at all proportional to their impact. Some people seem to affect me in concentrated doses.

3. Life really is sweeter having shared my heart.

Cozy. TN. Birthday.

It's about dang time--some CO pics

2009-08-14T22:26:00.005-04:00

Day Six and Heading Out

2009-07-13T13:46:00.002-04:00

I just had a great weekend with Kelly! :) She has such great ideas. It was mischief and hanging out and exercise.

P90x is kicking my tail. I wonder if I'll be in a constant state of soreness for 3 months. The hardest so far have been the pull ups and wall squats. Plyometrics and Yoga were pretty tough, too. Downward dog is a beast disguised as a . . . beast.

So, I'm headed out for a week in Colorado! Pics to come.

Love, Truth, Hugs,

Aubrey

Day One of P90x

2009-07-08T11:30:00.002-04:00

July 8 - October 5

So, I saw the infomercial just over a month ago and started checking out YouTube and blogs to see what people had to say about p90x. What I found was a network of people with changed lives. I know that the condition of my body and my level of physical activity impacts my spiritual and emotional lives, too.

Here are my goals:

--Increase flexibility
--Sweat everyday
--Break my sugar addiction (baby steps, I'm going to have a dark chocolate reward per day, so I don't break down and chase the HagenDaz truck)
--Increase core strength, thereby improving my posture
--Do ONE pull up (aim high, I know...I'm at a 1/4 pull up today) :p
--Know that I can push myself and achieve a big goal! :)

I'm not posting my before pics until I have updated pics...at least at
Ooook, I have a feeling today is going to tear me up. Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X.

Time to bring it!

Day 1, Time to get real, love,

Aubs

2009-07-06T21:21:00.001-04:00

If I ever turn into my mother, I'll be pretty proud of myself. Love ya, Mom. :)

Paradise Lost

2009-06-26T01:17:00.004-04:00

From Philip Yancey's work with Dr. Brand...

It's interesting how much of the world fights against medical plagues like
malaria
dengue fever
polio
leprosy
etc.
People in those societies might think, "If we could just get rid of these things, we'd be in paradise."

In the U.S., we have essentially eliminated the list above. The US list would be
tobacco-related cancers and illnesses
obesity
drug-related conditions
STDs
It's the condition of the world is that even paradise creates its own plagues.

Hmm.

Aubrey

New Game for Work

2009-06-23T12:53:00.003-04:00

Who can be the first to use the words on this list (without misstep) in conversation at the coffee shop? I'm going to w i n!! :o)

Torpid: sluggish or numb
Pert: saucily free and forward
Scrappy: having an aggressive and determined spirit
Trappings: outward decoration or dress
Seesaw (v.): back and forth; to change one's mind

Fruity Dirt (still editing)

2009-06-14T22:54:00.006-04:00

From Matthew 13 and a visit to PCBC June 14th.

The tenuous fate of scattered seeds
crash-landing somewhat haphazardly
Depends on the dirt, grounded in the earth
nurturing fruit, or spiritual loot ...
What will become of the seeds?

Seeds in the road are crushed
By the weight of cruising cars
Birds swoop down and munch on crumbs that could've been gardens
but the seed cannot see fruition
digested too early by theives

Seeds in the rocky soil produce shoots
that are spindly and weak
wither in the sun, bend in the wind
Can't hold their own weight,
let alone bear nourishing yield

Seeds in the weedy areas get taken over
by invasive species that grow quickly
and are hard to corral once they start.
The harvest is thorny commotion
The fruit is strangled and bland

I want to be faithful with the seeds. I want to produce fruit with immediate relevance and eternal consequence.

I pray for the good soil, but I can see myself as each of these others. My heart is hardened, and I don't digest the truth I hear. My heart is untilled, shallow, and filled with a thousand songs. I want to be focused, diligent, and repentant... <-----in a way that involves dancing around the living room, lots of grilling and baking, p90x, and crafting with textiles, if possible. :o) ??

laughing, fighting, living...
Aubrey

Thanks Nickel

2009-06-12T00:18:00.003-04:00

Love is always worth the risk. Some part of my head has always known that. Some part of my heart never bought it.

Some time ago, a good friend said something like, "Aubrey, how can you love too much? Can you ever really give so much of yourself that you run out?"

People pass one another like cars on the highway. We're all vaguely considering destinations, driving tunes, and bathroom breaks. We're going different speeds, taking different routes, and waving at various traveling companions along the way.

Today, a friend who had recently started spending some time at the house with K took his life. It is surreal, unfathomable, maddening, and absolutely wasteful. These feelings are quite a jumble in me. As hard as it is to make sense of all of this, the sum of my experience with this guy is greater than the loss. I think K would say the same. That is to say, when the answer to "what's the worst that could happen?" happens, love is still worth it.

Love is exponential. The more you give, the more you have to give. The less you give, the more hardened your (my) heart becomes. Life is a gift, not a rat race. Each moment we have to know someone is a blessing. Satan is a clever bastard who knows how to twist truth into despair and pain into hopelessness. He wants to rob our lives in whatever way he can. The Lord is justice and light. He will have the final say.

My friend was right. There is no such thing as too much love. There is such a thing as too few moments. Life is too short to waste a second on anything less than 100% love for those in our lives . . . however quickly we pass on the highway.

Evil sucks. The devil is the ultimate deceiver. I want justice.

Aubrey

Insomnia

2009-05-28T01:34:00.002-04:00

Sucks. I haven't slept all week. I can't sleep with...
giant moths flitting against the walls
half-asleep dreams of wandering the Siberian tundra and stopping in pseudo-Starbucks
So, I'll blog about it...yeah, that'll induce sleep...immediately.
warm milk and leaping cows are not the answer.
Even excessive exercise isn't helping!

Dear sleep, I miss you. Pllllleeease come back.
Drat. daggle. dorg.

A

Ode to accidental dialing

2009-05-26T18:23:00.006-04:00

In December, I got a new phone because I wanted to be able to send and view pictures. It turns out my service provider, not my phone, was the problem, but I digress. This new phone is more high-maintenance than my previous flippers, and must have its face locked when not in use, or it will retailiate by dialing randomly.

I admit . . . My "handbag" is a wild place. Its contents are shaken, slammed, tossed, and stirred more often than not. The bag usually swings against my hip as I walk and (I find out later when browsing my missed call list) throws the corner of my wallet into the buttons on my phone. My phone is an eager-dialer. One of its favorite dials is "77644".

This evening, I was walking down into the sunny basement where I live, and I heard this ringing as if some contestant on a radio-show-turned-down was about to win a prize. I got a little freaked out because I don't have a radio. I heard this twangy, "Hello... Hello?" and froze on the stairs. I dug for my phone, saw it lit up, and learned that it had just called "D", the recently-engaged "Sometimes-blind-dates-are-dishonest-about-their-curves" guy I hung out with that one time. Heh. Hm. Um. Congrats on your engagement, "D". *Machacaré mi teléfono!*

Moral of the story: D E L E T E that Charleston tour guide I stuck in my phone in case we needed to contact him while in town; D E L E T E that guy I always wanted to take me fishing; D E L E T E that guy I bought furniture from on Craigslist...

... and return to my old phone as soon as possible. :) Mmmmm... I might do an iPhone someday, but only if it flips!

Returning to my fave. Photo booths. Summer job. Sometimes, there's something *so r i g h t* about going back.

Aubs

From Last Year's Ceremony...

2009-05-24T22:51:00.002-04:00

I thank you.
Family, friends, strangers who give their lives, long after the publicized battles are over.

Cheers to love that really is an action word.
Cheers to you!

Salud.

Gregory Alan Isakov-- Muy Sabroso

2009-05-23T01:05:00.000-04:00

Wordle is fuuun

2009-05-20T23:03:00.005-04:00

Check it:

This app picks out common words and makes the most common words most prominent. Fun. It's interesting to see speeches compared.

LINCOLN

GW BUSH

I got the speeches from http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/tag_clouds_of_obamas_inaugural_speech_compared_to_bushs.php>Click
You can find wordle, of course, at Click

B OBAMA

The Foot-ish Hilton Head

2009-05-17T19:50:00.003-04:00

Off the Rim

2009-05-12T21:56:00.002-04:00

My friend J is a former basketball pro and an avid follower of Tennessee lady college ball. Recently, I told her I was planning on playing in the eighth-grade student v. staff basketball game and she said, "Aubs, you h a v e to get out of it." Heh. Hrmm. Eeeh?

I didn't get out of it. I played. I should rephrase that: I ran back-and-forth across the gym, waved my arms around, and looked confused while all of my students, the kids I sing to in the hallway, and the staff watched. During my entire circus performance, I somehow managed to feel completely invisible. At one point during the game, I asked a student of mine (a fierce opponent at the time) where I should be standing. Folks, they call those skills. :P Put on a pair of Air Aubreys and see how high you can jump. That's right.

In middle school, my family lived in the farmland of the Pacific Northwest. We had a garden, an old horse shed, and a half-court in the "yard". This half-court taught me everything it knew about basketball. Apparently, that wasn't much. ;) Since then, I've wondered if I'd ever get the chance to hone my skills.

Here's what I learned on the court last week:

1. Basketball is not "my thing"-- I don't have to wonder anymore if perhaps I should be giving basketball more of my time. I've given it enough time. Game over. It's time to focus on things I really enjoy.

2. The pressure is OFF--Now, when I shoot hoops (if anyone ever lets me back on the court) ;) I will be over my dramatic inner-monologue and will be able to have fun.

3. Sometimes, it's only in-the-sweat-of-it that I realize what I want. Had I never played, I might always wonder if my life was missing baskeball. Now I know, I want something other than dribbling and passing.

4. A team really is stronger than an individual. In order to be a good leader, you have to know every player's strengths and weaknesses and milk them. In order to be good to yourself, you have to recognize what you want and don't want and only volunteer for things you really want. EVERYONE will benefit. :)

I'd say the game was worth it.
Sleep. immediately....nownownow.
Aubs

Almost Summer!

2009-05-10T16:12:00.004-04:00

:)

2009-05-04T22:51:00.002-04:00

When I signed up at the gym, the guy mixed up my first and last names. Every Monday, when I check in at the counter, the check-in guy says, "Have a nice workout, Chaffin." What an odd name for a lady. :P

I want the wonder

2009-05-04T19:18:00.007-04:00

I love this. T.S. Eliot said,

Endless invention, endless experiment,
Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness . . .
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Dorothy L. Sayers said,

It is precisely because of the eternity outside time that everything in time becomes valuable and important and meaningful. Therefore, Christianity . . . makes it of urgent importance that everything we do here should be rightly related to what we eternally are. "Eternal life" is the sole sanction for the values of this life.

Thanks, Philip Yancey.

I hope, even when I've seen the most vivid colors on Earth;
I hope, even when I've woven myself into another person's life;
I hope, even when I've heard the Lord whisper my name ...
That I will hold on to the wonder of it all.

Jean Vanier said,
"We all have to choose between two ways of being crazy, the foolishness of the Gospel and the non-sense values of our world."

I hope, even when I'm wandering through lonely doubts;
I hope, even when it's painful and culture s c r e a m s "DO do do DON'T don't";
I hope I will walk barefootly in the turf of that other world
and live in the foolish wisdom of the Gospel of Christ.

Glass Hut. wondering. wilderness. wandering. the wander. Er.
Aubrey

A Slow Walk Away

2009-05-03T08:48:00.004-04:00

My Fellow Americans:

Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944

Click

Like It

2009-04-26T14:09:00.002-04:00

Saw TB with the Blue Man Group a few years ago. :)

A Yard Sale Addiction

2009-04-19T22:28:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, there was a neighborhood garage sale in a neighborhood with more Mercedes than the parking lot at a Streisand concert. It may have been at or near the shwank Country Club of the South (real yard salers do not give away their prime locations).

--Our Finds--

Fun new friends, including a lady with awesome taste in books (we may be starting a book club). I bought two current paperbacks from her for FOUR QUARTERS.

Two blue glass candlesticks for TWO DOLLARS.

A pretty scarf for TWO QUARTERS.

A nice leather jacket for TWO DOLLARS

A twenty dollar BIKE.

--Thoughts on YSE (Yard Sale Etiquette)

-We followed one speed saler around to a few stops and noticed he was packing his car full. At one stop, he talked a man down from $7 (which was a SuTEAL for a Fisher Price playset) to $5. Then, once the yardowner agreed to five, decided he didn't want the playset after all. This type of shopper is known as the YSoB (Yard Sale Bully). Incidentally, the lady who sold me the leather jacket stood up to a pair of YSoBs. The conversation went something like this:

Spokesbully: We'll give you $5.00 for that t.v. stand.
Lady: No. Don't do that. I don't like that. This is for charity. That's a solid wood piece of furniture.
Spokesbully: *Stomping feet and snorting like a bull*
Lady: No, thank you.

I was proud of her.

-Yard sale shopping is somewhat like gambling. You put twenty dollars in your pocket, hit the subdivision, and hope to leave much richer than you arrived. Sometimes, there is gold in the hills, and sometimes, they seem to be overflowing with stuffed pigs in wedding gowns and gold, plastic light fixtures. There is something so much more rewarding about leaving a sale with a two-dollar set of candlesticks than checking out at Target.

-Yard sale shopping always reminds me that people are really decent. Families in this ritzy neighborhood spread out their crap, covered it with stickers, and invited strangers into their yards and garages. I met an older man spreading pine straw who had lovely landscaping, an older woman with twin puppies who was selling her daughter's stuff, the lady who told the YSoBs where to stick it who had the loveliest clothes, the sixty-something would'velikedtobeagolfer who was getting rid of his nice golf outfits. I love it. I love neighborhoods and remembering that most people are pretty cool.

-Yard sale-ing is pretty dang funny sometimes. Some woman was selling her shampoo (info-mercial?) for $400! There was, in fact, a bride and groom stuffed pig pair. One lady was selling designer kid clothes for $25 an outfit ($100 originally!). Crazy.

Good times, those yard sales. Good fun.
'Tis the season, indeed.

Aubs

Faith, Sheep, Circumstances, and Walking in the Dark

2009-04-13T22:54:00.007-04:00

Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, despite your changing moods. --C.S. Lewis

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference. --Elie Wiesel

Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.
--Voltaire

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. --Saint Augustine
***

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
According to W. Phillip Keller, who wrote A Shepherd's Look at Psalm 23, each ewe must be caught and razored in the ear with the mark of its owner. Similarly, Hebrew slaves in the Old Testament, when choosing to bond themselves to a certain family for life, would stand at the doorway to the home and receive an awl through the ear, literally binding the slave to the doorpost of a house.

What does it really mean to say that God is master? How are we marked by Him?

***

Spring Break this year was an odd mix of family, travel, old friends, Easter, Passover, and thoughts of my personal history with God.

I was hanging out with A and she said something that made me think. She said, "Sometimes in relationships, you go through the motions even when you're not *feeling it* because you *know* the foundation of the relationship is true," or something like that. Sometimes, circumstances make me *feel* like I'm walking in shadows. I feel like I'm walking dead. The truth is that because of Jesus, I'm walking in the light. I am a.l.i.v.e. I was marked for darkness and graciously passed over for a mark of his Light. Sometimes, I think believers consider salvation as something to experience during death. Really, salvation is experienced every day in the character of Christ alive in us. I think it's easy to leave those things unrecognized--unreasonable love, joy, patience, peace, goodness, kindness, self-control, and faithfulness.

What's my point? I think real faith is only experienced when feelings and circumstances point away from God. Real faith says, "I'm experiencing bunk, gunk, and sludge, but I know a deeper truth." The deeper truth is that in Him, all things hold together. Even when I don't feel it or see it, that's the truth. Louie Giglio did a talk once about lamanin, the cell adhesion protein molecule. It's the molecule that holds the linings of our organs together. Check it:

Stormy Praise. Letter Catch-Up. Lanolin. Lamanin. Light.

Aubrey

some spring break pics

2009-04-11T21:27:00.001-04:00

Heh.

2009-04-04T22:41:00.001-04:00

Real Lessons

2009-04-04T22:03:00.005-04:00

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. --Henry David Thoreau

Some of the best men I know fish. I've been pondering that a little tonight.

I read Julie Johnson's article Life Lessons I Learned While Fishing These things seem so much like real wisdom to me...

Here's the summary
Be patient.
A small ripple can make a big difference.
There's an appropriate time for everything.
"The early bird gets the worm"--or in this case, the fish.
Don't tell tales too big; they'll come back to haunt you.
Just let it go.

Maybe it's time to go fishing.
Ozarks. Passing Time. Love. Fish. Tamarind Sauce.

The Ladder Resting Elsewhere

2009-03-29T22:22:00.004-04:00

Romans 8:20
From Andy's 3/8 Message "Hope"

Sin is not an incident, but a fatal disease
Like an insatiable mooch, never appeased
Brown from green
Infection with no vaccine
Irreversable rot
Unknowingly caught

Razing and ruining the infected everyday
Life is in bondage to decay
A condition
Invisible ammunition
Voices unspoken
Broken

Causing everything living eventually to die
Every breath breathing potential goodbye
A solid crumbling
A graceful fumbling
Tumbling

Toward destruction from our first cries
The consequence of Eden's free-will prize
Time-bomb ticking
Randomly picking
Down and kicking

God lets the plague of sin run its course
We ask "why?". . .

When I grasp my earthly treasures in a death grip
Savor destruction with long, slow sips
I am clenching a handful of ashes
I am boarding a train I know crashes

Some of PAUL'S PONDERINGS FROM ROMANS 8-- (The entire chapter is better)
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rainy Day Playlist

2009-03-29T11:40:00.004-04:00

It has been raining and dreary all weekend. This list is good for a soggy day slow frolic around the living room. :)

Wash Away . Joe Purdy
I Can See Clearly Now . Johnny Nash
Rain Song . Led Zeppelin
Mandolin Rain . Bruce Hornsby
A Whiter Shade of Pale . Procol Harem
Umbrella Man . Dizzy Gillespie & Louis Armstrong
Rain . Breaking Benjamin
Find the Time . Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Orchids . Maria Taylor
Black Sheep *Live* . Martin Sexton
I Wish it Would Rain . Marvin Gaye
Dance to the Storm . Hothouse Flowers
Texas Flood . Stevie Ray Vaughn
Sideways . Let's go Sailing
A Day Without Rain . Enya
Waltz for a Little Bird . Rainstick Orchestra
Baby it's Cold Outside . Ella Fitzgerald
Purple Rain . Some Artist

Guide to Handling Foul Neighbors

2009-03-18T20:47:00.006-04:00

If your neighbors are foul, try one or all of the following: *

1. Replace their front porch lightbulb with a green one.
2. Stick seven "Neighborhood Watch" flyers under their wipers.
3. Play "Thriller" every evening at 10 o'clock on the back porch.
4. Put a plastic flamingo in the middle of the cul de sac.
5. Raise a single nostril as a greeting when passing o'er the driveway.**
6. Remind them shrilly of Neighborhood Rule #378--any curtains appearing in windows should be warm toned or neutral, or didn't they forget that one?
7. Write "Snivel" on their windshield with toothpaste.
8. Put a load of wet dryer lint under their trashcan handle.
9. Pay an apartment kid from next door to knock on their door selling "Foul Neighbors Suck" t-shirts for a worthy cause.
9.5. Leave baked goods on their porch every morning for 2-weeks.
10. Ignore them...with flair.

* The word "snivel" should be used with discretion.
** For the unpracticed, an expert nostril lift/lip curl combination is pictured below.

Three Pounds of Grey and a Little Red Car

2009-03-15T22:36:00.005-04:00

Brains are amazing. According to my sources, it's like a three-pound sheet of tofu that is folded up in such a way as to fit inside a tiny human head. The human brain is five-times the size of brains in similarly sized mammals. Scientists have found that in different people, different lobes work in different ways. Here is my non-professional dissection:

Cerebral Cortex--Biggest part of brain consisting of four parts/lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital
Frontal Lobes-- self-control, planning, reasoning, abstract thought, home of personality, emotitional epicenter
Parietal Lobes--Sensation and Perception and integrating sensory input. Coordinating where we fit in the world around us.
Temporal Lobe--auditory sensation, audio/visual input, organization and categorization of words, long-term memory, language comprehension, sexual behavior
Occipital Lobe--Not vulnerable to damage, so no one knows much. Disorders can cause hallucinations, word blindness, writing impairments, discoloration, distorted perception of size.

Cerebellum-- A fist-sized computer at the bottom of the brain that contributes to motor and mental dexterity. It continues to develop throughout childhood and is usually mature after about 20 years. Cerebellum exercises, anyone? :)

Brain Stem--

Corpus Collasum-- A Nerve bundle that connects the two sides of the brain.

Thanks for the pics, Wikipedia.

All this to say, I think it's pretty cool how the brain is so complex, it seems we can't even use it to understand it. Hrm.

So, I've had some strange scary dream-like moments before sleep and am wondering what part of the brain is hyperactive lately. According to one study, the dream part of the brain is buried in the back. A 73-year-old woman had a stroke that impacted only this small part and suddenly stopped dreaming. Even when doctors woke her up during REM sleep, she was not dreaming.

Too bad there's no such thing as a brain massage. I'd like one. Doctors of the world, let's get to work on that. Pronto.

Lobes. Crash. Panic. Sleep. Rain. Piano. :)

Aubrey

Exotic Pets?

2009-03-04T22:32:00.004-05:00

Apparently, on February 16, a Stamford, CT chimp named Travis mauled a woman. She lost most of her face and her hands in the attack. Police saved the woman, but killed Travis. The pros in Cincinatti are hoping to reconstruct her face.

What reason would Travis have for tearing a woman apart? Before running across this article, I was under the impression that chimps were intelligent, peaceful sorts.

In 2005, Mr. St. James Davis and his wife were visiting a former pet of theirs (Moe)at an animal ranch in California. It was Moe's 39th birthday, so the couple was carting a cake. As they stood outside Moe's cage, two other chimps ran over and attacked Mr. Davis. Davis lost his nose, cheeks, lips, an eye, most of his fingers, etc. (yes, etc.)

The truth? Male chimpanzees are fiercely territorial and especially aggressive around eligible female chimpanzees. Moe, the birthday-chimp I mentioned above, was restricted to the ranch only a f t e r he bit another neighborhood woman's finger off. Cake. Schmake.

So, folks, keep your chimp treats to yourselves. That's all I'm saying. It's all fine and furry 'til someone loses a face. The animal 98.4% genetically similar to humans? Yikes.

Mowgli. Concrete Jungle. Marley. Pit Bulls. Springfield. Sleep.

Aubrey

Designing da Closet Party

2009-03-01T10:19:00.009-05:00

You are invited to a Designing da Closet Party on the Last Day of February.
Singing, dancing, and trying on random articles of clothing is required.
Red Seedless Grapes, your choice of buffalo burgers, and scandalously good hugs will be served.
Party favors will include your choice of books from an overflowing collection.

No need to respondez, merci.

Moving Day Continues. K.A. Closets. Rainy Sunday.
How much do I LOVE my sister&fam living 2-hours away?

Aubrey

Why Doctors Rake in the Bennies

2009-02-25T21:42:00.003-05:00

I am not a doctor for two reasons. First, my signature is pretty nice. Second, checklists wear me the heck out.

The "Possible Reasons I'm Spending More Time with my Pillow than my Friends Lately" Checklist

Jet Lag
Checklists
Boredom
Sleep Debt
Myasthenia Gravis
Stress
Viral Infection
Narcolepsy
Pregnancy
Caffeine
Fad Diets
Sleep Apnea
Insomnia
Skipped Meals
Drug Withdrawl
Excessive Use of Asprin
Iron Deficiency
Left Ventricular Heart Failure
BBC Films
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Hyperthyroidism
Conn's
Addison's
Parkinson's
Menstruation
Driving in Kansas

Snore. Snooze. Snleep. Brick Houses.
Aubrey

Battery

2009-02-19T22:05:00.002-05:00

Ok, so there have been better weeks. heh. :)
Aubs

Battery

To be mixed with eggs and whipped on high
Wet ingredients mingle with the dry
Flour particles floating toward the ceiling
A blended-up, dropped-by-the-spoonful feeling

To be stopped mid-air by a swinging bat
Kinetic and potential energy interact
Springing from a second's possession
A violent, straight-down-the-center compression

To be reamed in the ring by repeated hits
Transferred momentum from a fighter's fists
Successive blows shatter the face
A slumped-shouldered, broken-and-bloody disgrace

To be slowly sapped of chemical supplies
Discarded and drained from electrical highs
Vital for functions every minute of the day
A taken-for-granted and then thrown away