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July 30, 2004
Hip and Cool
I am getting more enjoyment than ever out of my iTunes. We came to the realization in our office yesterday that we can share our iTunes between computers. I am currently listening to Kurt's playlist. Good stuff.
Last night Aaron and I celebrated his birthday a few days early. I gave him a subscription to Relevant magazine and an Office Space tshirt that he wanted and them we went to the movies. We made the trip to Harrisburg to Midtown Cinema to see "Before Sunset". What a gem of a place. It's a little indy film place with a great selection of delectable coffee shop delights. I have to admit...I didn't feel quite hip enough to be there in a way. The guys working were contentedly drinking coffee and looking at political literature. Aaron and I...well Aaron played Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon (I'm not a trivia buff) until it was time to go in and see "Before Sunset". I can't say much about the movie without giving stuff away. Suffice it to say that I yelled out at the end of the movie. I was affected. I really like the style of these movies. The eavesdropping on their day kind of style. I think I may have gotten a little too wrapped up in the lives of the characters. Today I am thinking about them and feeling sad, wishing they knew the Lord and that they had not made some of the choices they made in life.
Posted by stacey at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)
July 29, 2004
Sting Report
Last night turned out to be a really great night. The Annie Lennox/Sting concert was incredible. I felt like I got my monies worth just with Annie Lennox. She has such a vocal range and so much energy. She did all the songs I hoped she would do except the song from Lord of the Rings...which is understandable. It was a big treat when she came out and performed "We'll Be Together Tonight" with Sting. Sting's show was great, too. He did some Police, older Sting and new stuff. I'm not very familiar with his new album, but he is so talented, that didn't matter.
Karen, Mici and I had a great time. The weather was gorgeous and people watching is always entertaining. There was a broad variety, but I think our age range was the predominant one. It was nice to relax and enjoy a concert together. I realized that Karen and I...co-workers and friends for years now at an organization that does concerts had never actually sat through a concert together. Funny.
Everything was very expensive...you can tell I am usually not on the consumer end of concerts...and things are much cheaper at Christian concerts...but tshirts were $45.00!!!! Food and drink prices were outrageous, too. People spend it, though.
Yeah, great night. It took a while for me to mellow out after all the excitement. I, of course had to run home and give my brother all the details.
Another fun summer event has come and gone. August and Purple Door are almost here. YAY.
Posted by stacey at 03:48 PM | Comments (1)
July 28, 2004
Sunrise/Sunset
last night I saw what maybe my new favorite movie. my brother had been all excited to go see "before sunset" the sequel to "before sunrise" and had rented "before sunrise" for his friend to watch, who also hadn't seen it. what a romantic movie. i liked the way the movie completely focused on the conversations and interactions between the couple. there were just a lot of great moments, looks, chemistry... they made some choices in the movie that i didn't agree with and made me frustrated with the characters, but that didn't take away from the movie for me. I am now VERY excited to see the sequel, which is only playing in select theatres. I will have to go very soon.
Tonight is Sting and Annie Lenox. I'm very excited. Hopefully it doesn't rain. Perhaps I'll buy a tshirt. I'm glad I am feeling better...I even have an appetite today. I see some sunshine through the clouds.
Posted by stacey at 03:39 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2004
Hail, hail the Gangs all Here
Yay. The Creation West folks have made it back to the office. It's always nice to have the week with a little extra quiet around the office, but way nicer when everyone is back and things are back to "normal" (I use that term loosely for us). 2 festivals down and one to go. I'm looking forward to Purple Door and seeing my friends from afar that get to make a special trip for the festival.
Last night I learned that in the midst of the turmoil my body has been going thru...mashed potatoes are my friend. I had a small order of them from KFC last night for dinner and then a small one today from Boston Market for lunch. I don't want to get in the habit of eating them, but I know I need to be eating something and they seem like a good thing to try. (they were on my Dr's list of low residue foods, too). I am optimistically hoping to be back to my normal low carb ways in the next day or so...I am also anxious to have the energy to go for a good walk or swim.
Tonight I look forward to another peaceful night at home since Ann's barbecue got rained out. Amazing Race is on...yippee. Anybody got any favorites?
Posted by stacey at 01:24 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2004
Eat more salt
I'm still weirded out about the fact that the Dr has found that low sodium may be the cause of my recent dizziness. Whoever heard of being told to ADD salt to your diet. HMPH. I will certainly be glad when my health gets back to my version of normal!!! I'm tired of being so weak the stairs are a major challenge. Today I'm feeling a lot better, though. I ate some saltines, wonton soup and a piece of cake...hey, I know...not healthy, but it was a success to be able to eat anything! Ulcerative Colitis is my enemy.
On a sort of related note, I was looking back through some old medical records the other day and realized I am only a few pounds from my weight as a 15 year old. Now that is weird! I am also very very close to the 100 lb lost marker. That will be a cool thing to achieve.
Over the weekend, since I was best friends with the couch, I rented some movies...4 actually. I watched "Somethings Gotta Give" recommend it...loved it, "50 First Dates" funny, cute, but lots of inuendo so I would be cautious to recommend, "The Last Samurai" recommend...good action, slight romance, about honor...the only bad part is my tv is so small that I could barely read the subtitiles when there were any, and "The Natural" that's one that my father would recommend to me...not exactly what I expected but inspiring.
That is all. I'm off to go home and attempt to do at least 2 constructive things without losing energy. Here's hoping.
Posted by stacey at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2004
CD Club
While in Vt I got together with my friend Leon, his wife Kasia and their adorable daughter Sophie. We had a great time talking and having lunch. I told Leon a while ago that I'd joing BMG under him so he could get some free stuff. I have done the CD club thing before, and failed miserably at sending those little envelopes back in the mail. Leon has been doing it for years and he knows how to work the deals. I figured I'd try it. So I have a bunch of CDs coming my way...lets see if I can remember them all...Abba Gold, Duran Duran Greatest Hits, Marvin Gaye, Modest Mouse, Norah Jones and a Sting album. Then I think I order one at regular price and get a bunch more free. Hopefully I can handle the responsibility. We shall see.
Posted by stacey at 03:44 PM | Comments (1)
July 21, 2004
Moosing with Mom and Dad
So, my time in Vt was excellent. I had a wonderful time just relaxing with my parents on the patio and on the front porch, going for drives looking for deer, visiting with friends and family, etc. etc. etc. One major highlight of the trip was our few days in Pittsburg New Hampshire. We spent Wednesday thru Friday at Lopstick Lodge cabins in Pittsburgh on Rte 3 right along "Moose Alley". Our cabins were not roughing it at all...my parents loft had a jacuzzi and there was Satellite TV and a fully equipped kitchen including a microwave.
My parents were so excited to show me some moose. On the 2 1/2 - 3 hour drive there my mom would point out areas that would be considered "moose-y". Those would be swampy areas where you could see their tracks along side of the road. They were giddy to show me my first moose. My mom was making up little songs. Well, they didn't disappoint themselves or me. By the end of our trip we saw 29 moose including cows, calves and several bull moose. We also saw some deer, a grey fox and of course ducks and loons on the lakes. There are tons of lakes up in the northeast. That's one of the things I miss the most.
We found out about a great spot off on a dirt road off a dirt road...talk about wilderness...anyway, there was this place called East Inlet and we found a pull off where we walked down a little trail to a boggy, pond/river area. We were never disappointed at that spot. One day we saw a big cow moose in the middle and it soon was joined by a bull that came crashing out of the woods. We also heard a loon, which reminded me of a trip we took WAY up north in Canada when I was little. I could go on and on.
It was just wonderful to get away with my parents and do something with them that they enjoyed...and said they enjoyed even more sharing it with me.
Posted by stacey at 04:40 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2004
Report on Cheesefest
From the first sight of VFCC signs in Phoenixville to the tshirts of a crowd surfing piece of cheese...it was a great day. First and foremost, hats off to my friends Wayne, Mike and Dave for putting their heads together and making the reunion happen. Wayne was multi-tasking keeping everything organized, keeping track of his son and socializing...he rocked. : )
Aaron and I arrived a little early to help where we could and to take a walk around the campus. (That was weird...it's changed a lot). Every time a new person pulled up, I got all hyper and excited. Everyone looked great. So many growing families. I wondered if I would feel weird about that being one of the few singles there, but I didn't. I actually REALLY enjoyed getting to meet and get to know some of the children a little and hold lots of babies. I was especially excited to see my friend Christine Leo...one of my roommates from college. It had been way too long...but we were just as comfortable with each other as ever. I miss seeing her every day. It was great to see everyone. I think this will be a reoccurring event...and Wayne already has the wheels turning with ideas for next time.
I ended up making a collage to bring to the event. It came out pretty cool with lots of pictures and memorabilia from our college hoopla. Aaron thinks we should hang it up in our living room. That made me happy.
I was glad that people didn't just drop in and out. Most of us were there 4 -5 hours at least...then went to an after party at the Garsons. Elisabeth is a great hostess. I was glad we could keep the fun going.
Friends are so great.
Posted by stacey at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2004
I returned
Sigh. Ah vacations end. I drove out of my parents driveway in tears. It was just a great week with them at home and in New Hampshire and i don't know if I'll be back before December. I'll post later about the moosing escapades and Cheesefest which lived up to my expectations. Today, I am back at work, trying to make sense of the things I need to catch up on while fighting off a flare up with Ulcerative Colitis.
It would be so great if I could combine my life in PA and my life in VT. I miss some things about home, especially my family, the home I grew up in and the peacefulness...but here I have a tremendous core of friends and an active lifestyle that I would not have in VT...and my brother is here, too. I'm thankful to have the kind of home to look forward to going back to, I know not everyone can say that. I wish VT was closer, like just 2 hours away instead of 8.
Posted by stacey at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)
July 09, 2004
Happy Day Things
Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, there are rainbows and bells everywhere. What a great week. Seriously. Nope, I'm not in love....just happy. Isn't that neat. I've gotten a lot accomplished at work, exercised my creative muscles, seen friends, etc. etc..have a great weekend and week ahead. Below are a few other happy things.
I called my mom at like 5:45 this morning (I knew she would be up) to share with her a new hurdle in my weight loss that I've gone over. She of course made me feel like I had won the Olympics. She told me about a place we might stay in New Hampshire for a night or two while I'm home when we go looking for moose. Wa Hoo.
I'm wearing my new green Creation tshirt. My friend Marty designed it and it's my favorite color green.
My friends Brian and Neva had a baby boy... Finnigan. I think I will go meet him when I run errands today for work. I love holding babies.
Fruit 2 0 was buy one get one free at CVS
Cheesefest is tomorrow. Have I mentioned that yet today?
So...yeah, smiling. Zippadee Doo Da.
Posted by stacey at 06:49 AM | Comments (1)
July 08, 2004
Good Times A Comin
My friends are coming to town, my friends are coming to town, Hi Ho the Derry-o my friends are coming to town.
Wayne called me last night to update me on some of the people who are coming to Cheesefest on Saturday that we were unsure about. It looks like there will be former VFCCers from Minnesota, Massachussetts, VT, New Jersey, New York, PA and who knows where else making the trip for Saturday's unofficial reunion. I can't wait. I am the type that likes events like this...whereas I have friends that cringe at the thought of the unexpected...I love it. A few of us have gotten so excited that we are coming with special treats/memorabilia/music/ etc. I had fun last night creating a memory filled display. (it's a surprise that I'll share about later, perhaps). I was surprised at how quickly it came together. Aaron gave it a thumbs up, and he is my measure for coolness...so I guess it's good. Good times, my friends, good times. I woke up early this morning and had trouble falling asleep last night. It's like Christmas Eve eve.
Posted by stacey at 07:53 AM | Comments (2)
July 07, 2004
Turning Off
Yesterday when I entered the access ramp to 283 West, I noticed something. Almost every car I passed was driven by someone on a cell phone. I also was feeling a bit rushed and "under the gun" about things people had asked me to do ASAP, meaning have it to me by yesterday. It got me to thinking, (here's where you see my New England roots) about how "on" we are in this generation. It used to be that you would leave home or work to go for a drive to relax, clear your head, etc...now, we are always accessible and nothing can wait until tomorrow.
You know what else is interesting to me...the tvs in minivans. There is not a whole lot of creative play going on or observing the surroundings for these children...just constant stimulation.
I started thinking about going for rides with my grandfather as a child looking for wildlife like muskrats, deer, fox, or whatever we could find. There was no rushing around with him and he didn't like to have a time limit on the rides. Sigh. I miss Grandpa. My parents and I still go for drives looking for wildlife when I visit home. There are many deer to find in my area. We might even go to New Hampshire where the moose are for a day.
I don't want to be hypocritical...I own a cell phone and use it as my primary phone and maybe I will have a technologically advanced car someday with gadgets galore to amuse my children. But I hope I will always go for leisurely country drives to get away from it all.
Anyway, it will be nice to turn off for a while.
Here's a quote from my flip calendar that I really like, "Most new discoveries are suddenly-seen things that were always there". Susanne K Langer. I posted this at my friend Waynes site today, too.
Posted by stacey at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2004
Days off
I found a dollar bill on my walk yesterday morning. Now if that isn't incentive to go walking...
I better be careful not to get used to the long weekend thing. Last week I took Monday to recoup from Creation, yesterday was a holiday and next week I'll be on vacation...See ya July. I found out that my parents are going to be off work the whole week while I am home, so we are planning to do a bunch of fun little things...perhaps even head to "Moose Country". : ) I don't care what I do, I just can't wait to spend time with mom and dad.
I saw fireworks a couple of times over the weekend. Friday night I got together with friends from my small group at church and watched the Lancaster ones, then Sunday I watched two different sets from my front porch...Long's park in one direction and I guess Lititz in the other direction. I was all by myself, which was sorta sad, but Sunday was a good alone day overall. Yesterday I ended up going to my friend Valonda's for a Matrix marathon. That was very cool. I had never seen Matrix Revolution, the third one. We had fun talking about our theories on parallels in the movie with Christianity, etc. It got a little exhausting, but still fun.
Posted by stacey at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2004
Whilst Stuffing Envelopes
Karate Kid was on tv last night. I didn't stay up to watch the whole thing, but boy did that make me feel old. Where is Ralph Macchio these days, anyway? I used to have his poster from Bop magazine on my wall along with Kirk Cameron, Michael J. Fox, Molly Ringwald, Garfield, etc. etc. Sigh.
Karen and I went to see Spiderman 2 last night. Very entertaining with just the right amount of cheeziness to make you leave rolling your eyes with delight.
Today, I got the official ok to take some time off. Yippee. Time for another drive to VT. I can't wait.
Posted by stacey at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)
July 01, 2004
Sleep Patterns
Last night I was plannig to go to bed early. I started the evening out watching Rocky movies with my brother. While doing so, I was also reading Relevant magazine...great mag. by the way. Well, somewhere around 8:00 or 9:00, I fell asleep sitting up, gripping the magazine. I decided to move to my bed when Aaron removed the magazine from my death grip. Then...somewhere around 10:00 my mom called to discuss my vacation plans...I was semi-coherent...then fell back to sleep. Then...around 3:00 am I awoke and could not sleep, so I organized some clothes in my closet. Then, when I fell back to sleep, I slept like a log, hitting snooze numerous times this morning. Now, I am VERY sleepy...but not so sleepy that I would skip the chance to see Spiderman 2 tonight. I'm so irresponsible.
Posted by stacey at 04:17 PM | Comments (0)