Always Sunny, In The Rich Man's World

This is Dave Ramsey.He developed a program called

Three weeks ago, a group of seven of us began this course. We meet on Sunday nights to watch the DVD and talk through the "homework" which will guide us, ultimately, toward becoming debt-free and on-budget households.

Though I know how beneficial this will be for my life in the end, so far, the homework has caused a lot of grief. Making a budget based on my last few months bank statements, writing a "Cash Flow" plan...solving math equations: if I want to have my hair done six times in a year, how much money do I need to set-aside each month?

The emotions that this subject has already brought up in me have been interesting: frustration, embarrassment, anger, apathy...

To look at my budget and think "what does 'how I spend my money' say about who I am?"
And how do I feel about that?
Or how would I like to change that?

Week 3 of 16...I have a feeling Dave Ramsey is going to cause quite a bit more upset in my life...
Can't wait to see how it all looks (and feels) in the end.

What A Day!

Today I spent the day in LA with Ryanne. We visited a few of the places I'd had on my LA list...

The LACMA
admission was free today...
one of the many things that make me grateful for MLKJ...
and TargetTONS of Andy Warhol pieces

Jeff Koons

A giant installation called Sequence

A series of sketches of New York, done by a German artist, George Grosz.
I would absolutely hang them in my home.

It's a terrible picture, but I love the shapes and colors.

After the museum, we drove across town to have lunch at Bottega Louie. I took this picture and Ryanne sent it to her dad, who lives in LA. He said, "Oh, I'm just across the street!" and came in to join us for lunch. It was such a fun surprise...and a really delicious lunch. I will absolutely eat there again.

We sang songs and laughed as we drove home and at one point Ryanne asked, "Were you always funny? Like, were you funny in the 80's?" Ridiculous.

I dropped Ryanne at her car, and raced to meet Amanda and Katie at the Tattoo Parlor, but they had already finished, so I met them at Boneheads instead.

After they ate, I drove to Taffy's to say goodbye to Bo, Cody, Jade and Michelle, who are headed to Kitale for seven months. (so very jealous) You could follow their adventure, as I will, HERE. We sang a few songs and ate chicken adobo (yum!) and talked about Kitale (hooray).

One more quick drive and I met Dom and Luke at the bowling alley for their weekly game(s) that I have really invited myself in to, in effort to bowl a 120. Tonight was terrible for bowling scores, but hilarious because of the group on the lane next to us (who love high-fiving)

And now I'm home...and should be asleep...but I wanted to get all of this out of my head and on paper...because it was a long and excellent day.

Try A Little Gentleness

For weeks now, I have had the word gentle(ness) rolling over and over in my head.

I keep thinking about how much I would love for this word to describe me.
My actions.
My words.
My thoughts.

What if this were a part of every interaction...all day, every day?

What does it look like to be a gentle leader. friend. employee. coworker. daughter. sister. follower.

Gentleness is so attractive...don't you think?

I Had The Best Seat

I'm not a huge fan of a post consisting of a single photo, but I saw this on Greenwich Village Daily Photo and love it.

Plus it's late and I have too much to write about to only write a bit.

A love letter from Duke Ellington to Ella Fitzgerald?!
Seriously, just the best.

I Want To Go To There.

In the last few months, I've been itching for a little adventure.
Not anything crazy, just something outside the normal routine.

I've been making notes of places (mostly museums and restaurants) to visit.

Here are a few of the LA places on my list:

LAXART

BOTTEGA LOUIE

LACMA
(not pictured)

The Wellesbourne

I'd also really like to see the binocular-shaped building,
but there's no need to go inside...
just stop and admire the architecture.

Any spots I should add to my list?

If It's Not Too Much Trouble, Could You Please Get Your Sexy On Sometime Soon?

Four years ago, on this very night, I was at a Justin Timberlake concert.
Oh man, I remember it well.

I sure wish he would come out with another album, don't you?

Look What I FFFFound

I was browsing fffound tonight and a few different illustrations caught my eye.
Enough to remind me just how much I love alphabet illustrations.

I would frame this in my house.
{Sol Linero image found here}

And I would buy this book...it seems like it would be so cute.

My friend BHurst designed some animals a while back and I tell him (often) that they should be made in to fabric for children's bedsheets or curtains.

Also, I seem to have developed a special affinity for the sea and depictions of sea creatures, though I'm not sure when or why this came to be. We have two aquatic paintings in our living room...and I would totally add this one to the collection!

{two previous images, by Dan Bob Thompson, found here}

I Said, "Reading is Good."

I love reading.
Love. It.

For my 26th birthday, I made a list of 30 Things to do Before I'm 30.
Number One on the list? "Read over 100 books"

I am currently 28.
And in the last two years, (since I made the list) I have read 35 books. (Embarrassing. Mostly because I read 14 between October 2008 and February 2009 and 8 in the last 4 months. The time in-between, just sad.) I really need to step-it-up. (I'm on a real kick right now, having finished The Hunger Games trilogy--which, I have now mentioned three posts in a row--that's how much I enjoyed it.)

Saturday night, after deciding against the purchase of a Kindle, I ordered a few books on Amazon.com. (Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck, and The Imperfectionists: A Novel by Tom Rachman.)

But, since those books won't arrive until tomorrow, I went to Barnes and Noble tonight for a few books to pass the time while I wait. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (because they've been talking about it in season 1 of Parenthood) and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (because I watched "Apocalypse Now" last night (which is based on this Conrad novel)...off of the AFI Top 100 List. Also on my 30 Things List "watch 75 of the Top 100 Movies". I'm at 64.)

What are you reading?

Alright, Alright, Back To Work.

I start back to work tomorrow. After having an entire week off, I'm not sure my brain (or my body) is ready to go back to the office.

I've spent at least 80% of my vacation on my couch. Covered in a blanket, sitting by the fire, I watched movies (a few off of the AFI Top 100 List) and TV on DVD (mostly Veronica Mars and Friday Night Lights), and read a few books (The Hunger Games series).

Oh, and I ate food...and drank a lot of orange juice. (I mean, have you tasted orange juice? Because it's good.)

The other 20% of my time was spent visiting with friends who came to town for the holidays. Or shopping at Target for household organization systems. Or putting the aforementioned systems to use in my room.

0% of my time was spent making lists (well, outside of shopping lists or 'to read' lists), thinking through minuscule details of events, or preparing for the 2011 ministry year.

Those things begin tomorrow...and, let me tell you, I like my job, but I really like time-off. I love taking a shower at 3 in the afternoon. I love reading a book from 10-1. I love eating crackers and apples for lunch simply because that's what was in the cabinet and it was no additional cost.

We are jumping back in full-force: I'm leading worship at Storytime in the morning (our all-staff Tuesday morning meetings) AND we'll have a new High School Pastor starting tomorrow! (well, technically, as of yesterday.)

I'm excited, but I'm also sleepy just thinking about it.
Hope there's lots to blog about in 2011.