husbands

tonight my husband took me to see Julie & Julia. This was after baking me chocolate chip cookies, mind you. He's amazing.

The movie has a lot to say about husbands. Both characters have great ones. There were some great moments that made me well up. When they did I would squeeze Rebs hand 3 times which is our code for, I love you. I'd turn to him & he'd look at me with his big brown eyes & smile.

And I'd think, he's just as loving & wonderful as these guys but ... he's also hot.

I am a lucky, lucky girl.

religulous

last week my love & I were on vacation in a tiny town that dates back to the Gold Rush. We spent a lot of time at the beach & had a great time conquering the water tramp & blob-ish thing.

We also watched the documentary Religulous. Now, you know I love me a good documentary. I don't even really care what the subject is, I just want to learn more. And more. And more. If you feel the same way to can I NOT recommend Religulous? It is basically Bill Maher talking to people of different faiths trying to figure out why they believe what they believe. Or, at least that's what I thought it was supposed to be except it wasn't. He didn't let people talk! Instead he'd make an exaggerated generalization of their beliefs & before they could finish explaining why they believe that he'd step in with another sarcastic comment. I wish he would have been more open to dialogue but I think he was too invested in pointing out the absurdities & dichotomies in religion. So disappointing. Especially the segment with the Catholic priest. The Catholic priest was trying to explain that yes, there is a problem with a religion that preaches to feed the poor & yet builds buildings out of gold.

Because we Catholics (OK maybe not all of us) know that our faith is absurd & sometimes we say things & do the opposite. But we don't think we're perfect. We're human. We're muddlin' through. We don't get it all right but we're trying.

Bill Maher kept asking everyone, "What if you're wrong? What if it's not true?" Usually he didn't give people a chance to respond but when they did they'd say stuff like, "Better be safe than sorry."

To the "What if you're wrong?" question I say,

Who cares?

I am probably wrong. Who am I to have the market on truth? What are the chance that any one faith, church, person has it completely right?

But even if I am wrong my faith gives my life a hope & a purpose. And sometimes, a semblance of peace. And I am often moved to tears by the beauty of this broken world because of my faith

Who cares if I am wrong?

Without my faith I would have no motivation. If I didn't believe it's important to help people I wouldn't know what I am supposed to be doing with my life.

Because at the end of the day, I just want my life to have mattered.

i believe

this is true! For me anyway. 

And I'm watching Love Actually RIGHT NOW!

On a sidenote, heading to Michigan today & REALLY should be packing right now.  So no more blogging until about 2009.

Happy Holidays!  Traveling Mercies!

a few things that make me happy

1. Eating unholy amounts of clementines for breakfast after running with Jenna in the morning.

2. Watching Scrooged with Rebby last nights while drinking hot chocolate whilst our Christmas tree & candles twinkled. Twinkles are magic you know.

3. CakeWrecks. Check out this blog. I dare you not to tear up with laughter.

4. The fact that part of my work day will include baking cookies for my teen ministers. I will do it in the parish office thus enticing all my co-workers to taste-test & therefore LOVE ME!

What's making you happy today?

monday nights

Rebs is out late at a retreat every Monday. This time of year it is dark & cold & night & it is so hard to motivate to go outside. So I stay in & watch movies & sometimes drink wine & sometimes eat chocolate. Tonight was one of those nights.

boo

I'm in a bad mood. I watched Pretty Woman alone tonight. Watching romantic comedies alone almost always puts me in a bad mood. I want my life to be a romantic comedy. Sorry if this sounds ungrateful but that's where I'm wallowing right now.

PS: It was an anniversary edition of the movie & there were extra scenes that we are all glad they cut out. In the long version Vivane & Edward even ride horses together on their date. Totally wrecks the realism of the movie.... :P

last night

was Halloween.  Having gone to our costume party last Saturday, Rebs & I celebrated by staying home & handing out candy to all of the 6 kids that came to our door. Because we live on the second floor of the apartment building I'm guessing kids couldn't see  our sign that said, "Trick or Treaters welcome." Now I'm thinking of all the things we could have done to make it a bit more welcoming but it's a bit too late.

We also watched The Blob: very funny & surprisingly gory. I would have thought the blob would have just covered it's victims & that would be it but NO. The blob is acidic & people dissolve while being blobbed. So, so gross. But the bad acting, bad hair, & lose plot kept me in the game.

I made chocolate chip muffins but all the chips sunk to the bottom. I've never eaten a chocolate chip muffin like that so what's the secret to keeping the chips afloat? I must know... 

vestiges of garden state

In our otherwise nearly perfect apartment we have a very tiny kitchen & since we have been trying to cook much more often (with mostly happy results barring a potato soup that was a DISASTER) Rebby & I are often bumping monkeys in there.*

Also, since we have both viewed Garden State a number of times we are always VERY intentional in warning the other if the dishwasher is open since the biggest slab of clear, flat surface is directly across from it. Basically if one is cooking at aforementioned slab there is just enough clearance behind one for someone else to load the dishwasher. However, one false move & one could potentially end up in a wheelchair for life with an estranged husband & a son addicted to downers.

Neither of us is prepared to let that happen.

Hence, always the warning. Now it is a talisman. If we don't say it the above scenario will play out.

Out we'll break the damn thing & lose our security deposit.

*That sounds sexier than it is. Seriously, this kitchen may even be too small for that.

pleasure center activated

I really, really like watching previews at movies or on DVDs.  I especially love it when there are so many & they are so good that I forget what movie I'm actually there to watch.  I can physically point to the part of my brain that feels joy when doing it.  I think it's the anticipation of future viewing.  

Mostly, I just like any kind of anticipating. I'm a bit too future-oriented. I wish I could be just as thrilled with the present moment.

But seriously, I would watch an entire DVD of previews & probably be just as happy as watching a real movie.