lazy sunday survey

Yesterday’s big event was Relay for Life- my first ever. I do realize that most everyone else in the world has participated, so I won’t tell you what you already know. It was good to participate, and Sophia and her mom were inspired to return next year with our own team. I think it will be fun to camp out and be there the whole time, instead of just the evening.

Today has just been filled with church and much-needed rest. I’m in the mood for fries and a shake, so we’re going to a fifties diner. Yes, it’s a luxury. But I haven’t spent money on going-out-and-doing-something-fun in a couple of paychecks. So one fun meal won’t hurt, right?

And I feel like doing a survey. So yeah.

*********

Halfway through the survey, I got tired of it’s lameness and deleted it. I’m ready for dinner.

Oh, and I’m trying Twitter. I have mixed feelings about it, but if you’re on board, I’m malthestar and would love to follow your updates.

Milkshake and fries, here I come.

woke up new

This may lack substance and be a stream of consciousness entry, but I feel like writing…. whether I have a subject or not.

It’s Saturday morning, not too early, and not too late. We are doing Relay for Life this evening, and today will be filled with random productivity. The weather is in the low 60’s… that happy medium where most people are comfy even if some of us are chilly. And after a full day of sleeping and old sitcom reruns (how did I forget how amusing “Just Shoot Me” was? Or was it only amusing because I was drugged and half awake?), I have emerged from the blasted feverish achiness that came with this cold. The runny/stuffy nose I can deal with (which begs the question how it can be runny AND stuffy at the same time), but I am quite happy to say farewell to the other symptoms.

I am contemplating Twitter. Right now it has more “cons” than “pros”. Namely, it’s one more thing that needs upkeep and isn’t really necessary. However, I can update my facebook status at the same time, so that gives it one point in its favor. We’ll see. I still don’t feel strongly enough about it to take action.

If anyone knows how to fix the sensitivity on my laptop touchpad, can you share your wisdom? Currently, it just randomly decides what it wants to click, and it’s a pain in the butt. I think I might invest in a laptop mouse…. we’ll see.

Really, I can’t be investing in anything right now. Darn economy and tight finances. Some friends from work want me to join a gym with them, and while it would be fun and very beneficial, it’s just not in the cards. I remind myself that gym memberships are luxuries! Though a very awesome co-worker blessed Danielle and me with a 30-day pass to the Total Woman Gym a couple blocks from work. We registered, then I got sick again. Lame, huh? We start for real on Monday, after wasting the past few days.

Yeah, this is pointless. I’m going to post anyway. Then I’m going to start some laundry, clean the bathroom, and clean my room of the random “to-do” piles that have accumulated. But maybe I’ll read first…..

reply

 

My sister, Becca, says- “ugh, miss california. she says "no offense." that's the killer. um, well, sorry miss cali, you're standing up for the belief that people shouldn't have equal rights. that. is. offensive. sorry to sound cynical, but if she's working hard to change the world by parading around in a swimsuit and supporting bigotry, i'm completely unimpressed.”

But I think she missed the point.

In this case, the gay marriage issue isn’t the key. The battle could be over anything, but what makes the Miss California story notable is the idea that only certain beliefs are ok to speak. Perhaps some people have forgotten our unalienable rights?

Miss California was asked a question in an interview. My understanding is that contestants are judged on their speaking skills and thoughtfulness. However, the question was posed by a judge with a bias. If this judge decided to lower her score based on his opinion (one that could be offensively by a large group of people, for that matter), then that’s his prerogative as a judge. However, he went further and publicly demeaned her (with even more offensive language, if we’re keeping an offense tally). What I observe is a judge stepping out of bounds to be cruel and without class- and the criticism going to a girl who answered a question honestly.

So maybe her methods of making a difference aren’t what most of us choose to do, or even fully respect. But it’s her thing. It’s what she’s good at and what she enjoys. I imagine Carrie Prejean feels the same way about beauty pageants as I do about theater, architects about building, gardeners about landscape, teachers about education, and so on. And isn’t that what we all do- use our passion in an attempt to better the world?

Perhaps as a society we are too busy looking for offenses. We are all going to be irritated, put-off, insulted, or disgusted every now and then. That’s the beauty of living in a country where free speech is permitted and celebrated. The mix of the most varied ideas is what causes us to think, reshape our own ideas, and become better people for it. Because you don’t agree and it makes you mad doesn’t take away a person’s right to speak. And it doesn’t necessarily mean they are wrong.

how can i be tired already?

 

The days seem to end without my permission. Hours slip through my fingertips, tasks lists unfinished. Mornings come too quickly, and ambitions to rise early are met with the rush of sleeping later than desired. Beginning the day with failure is not the best way to set the mood.

I imagine I’ll reread this tomorrow and roll my eyes at the melodrama. For now, i’ll type what I can before my eyes can’t stay open any longer.

“One Voice” is over….. and, as is the case with most shows, it is bittersweet. It’s good to move forward, to rest, and to catch up on all things neglected during production weeks. There are future shows to happily anticipate. This is only touched with some sadness of the good-bye to project, and more importantly, the precious time with precious people. But God did His work, and there is more work to do.

My back is healing (yay!), though slower than I would like (boo!). As long as I don’t sit too long, I’m ok. Unfortunately, sleeping is uncomfortable. This seems a tad bit unfair…..

I’m finally participating in Relay for Life on Saturday! I’ve wanted to do it for years, and it’s never worked out. There are so many dear people in my life who have battled cancer- for better or for worse. I’ve always  felt helpless, and feel like it’s a chance to do something productive, no matter how small a thing that is. That being said, in order for the efforts to be fruitful, I need sponsors! Check out my fundraising page if you’d like to be supportive: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/malindaspage (thank you in advance!).

I want to high five Miss California, and pray she stays strong. Pageant contestants dream of changing the world, and I think she’s taken a great step to do just that. Stick with your guns, girl. Don’t let cultural pressure cause you to compromise what you know is true. And really, if Perez Hilton is your biggest detractor… My pinky toe has more class. ;)

Is it lame that I really like the “Brand New Day” song from the Target commercials and sort of want to download it? I’m such a sell-out to carefully schemed marketing.

Other news… Jolie is SO close to being taken to a shelter. Just when I’m about to grab her carrier to load her up, she gets a reprieve. We are going to steam clean my carpet, and if she can behave, she gets to stay. Please pray for miracles.

Thanks to an awesome, generous co-worker, I have a thirty-day membership to Total Woman Gym. I’m excited and plan on using the heck out this free thirty days. The goal is that it jump starts my campaign to being in waaaaay better shape for the next Masquer show. Current obstacle: my enthusiastic reunion with sweets. I think they’re going to have to go, but I lack the spiritual resolve that got me through Lent. Help?

nodding off

Quick blurb while I'm covering the front desk for the receptionist's lunch break....

I think "The Office" is jumping the shark. And this makes me sad. We'll see how the rest of the season plays out, but I may be in the market for a new favorite show.

The play is going fantastically well. We had a great run this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to the three shows this coming weekend. This also means that you can still come see it! It's free, it's in Anaheim, and i am happy to provide more details if you want to come. I posted pics on my facebook, and fully intend to put them here as well. However, I am short on time these days, so please forgive me! You can check out http://jchphotography.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/masquer-ministries-presents-one-voice-a-drama-for-easter/ for a great slideshow and stills from the show by an excellent photographer.

My back is happily healing. However, the doctor had me on crutches for a couple days. This felt quite a bit ridiculous and over the top (but apparently helped it heal instead of become worse). I was happy to return the crutches just in time for opening night, and every day it improves. I'm still uncomfortable if I sit for too long (as in Easter church service + car + lunch at a Mexican restaurant + more car), but I'm optimistic and able to go about daily activities.

It's also good to be less distracted by back pain, because work is still busy. I'm starting to achieve the balance of human resources and copywriting. I'm also learning how to schedule meetings with congress people, thanks to my current boss-mandated project. Though initially intimidating, it is simply another instance of assistants communicating to get the job done. Yay corporate America.

four pillows, a laptop, and a turtle

I love that my grandma texts now. While a phone conversation would be better, time zone and schedule differences make that difficult. Texting, however, is a happy thing.

Good news on the work front! I got a semi-promotion! I am officially a copywriter in addition to my HR duties. Once I moved from the front desk, I no longer had time to write (most of my writing was done extra-curricularly anyway). Now, I will divide my regular work day into five hours of administrative tasks and three hours of writing. I am quite happy. It’s on a trial basis for now, but I’m quite optimistic.

Ironically, now that I am looking forward to something about work, I am not there. Thanks to some mysterious cause (I am starting to wonder about my recent time on the exercise equipment at the park), my lower back is out of sorts. Sitting hurts. Standing hurts. Walking hurts. In fact, there are a lot of things that hurt that I never knew were possible. I tried to ignore it and work through yesterday. After all, the last time this happened it only took a day of rest followed by a day of taking it slow, and I was back in the saddle. Apparently, sitting in my car for an hour-long commute was the straw that broke this busy gal’s back.

So after painfully hobbling around the office as if I were old enough to retire, I called a chiropractor. And while that decision was made out of desperation, it was the best decision ever. Not only did I walk out of there feeling MUCH better (emphasis on the ability to walk comfortably!), but i really liked their friendly office, down to the cool gadgets and pet turtles. I felt 85% better, and figured the rest would follow in the next day or so.

But, long story short, I’m at home today, doing what I can to get some kind of work done despite being on my back propped up between pillows. Though at the moment, I’m actually quite comfortable. I thank the prescription pain pills Sophia’s stepdad shared with me….

Hopefully, tomorrow’s follow-up appointment with the chiropractor will smooth it all out. Especially since Sunday begins tech week for the play, and we open next Friday! It’s gonna be fantastic. :)

schedule beyond sanity

As the play nears production, I have reviewed my calendar. It's insane. Throw in long days at work, combined with routine tennis and church, and the incidental lunches-to-keep-people-i-love-in-touch, baby-sitting job, or garage sale.... and it's breath-taking.

However, I have a few minutes to kill at the moment. I'd like to use this rare moment to complete a survey. And it's only fair to say i stole it from kenlevine.blogspot.com.

1. What newspapers do you read?
I skim USA Today when delivering it to the studio in the morning, and I get CNN headline feed on my homepage. Sometimes the Drudge Report. I know two of those aren't newspapers, but internet news is more up-to-date without killing trees.

2. Which ones do you move your lips to while reading? I don't.

3. Which Web sites are on your favorites bookmark? i only use my favorites for sites i don't visit often enough to remember, such as as the charity click-to-support (and good to shop through) sites and freebie sites- and my yahoo NCAA brackets. Go Memphis!

4. Where do you get your car washed?On the 210 freeway when it's raining... occasionally the drive-thru gas station car wash, or the put-in-quarters-and-quick!-wash-your-car! place.

5. Do you know your dentist's first name? I used to. I've only been to this one once. And I keep having to reschedule. Oh, and there's a group of them so I don't know who I'm going to get, haha.

6. Do you believe newspapers are going to die? If so, when?I think they'll evolve, for the reasons mentioned in the first question.

7. What was the last book you read? I'm in the middle of the entire Chronicles of Narnia, and it is awesome still.

8. What's the last book you say you read?I don't mind telling the truth, I have nothing to hide!!

9. If you got a unicorn what would you name it? Lasaraleen of it's a girl-icorn and October if it's a boy-icorn

10. What does your TiVo think about you? My TiVo doesn't exist, so does it have power of thought? Ponder THAT philosophers!

11. Character of fiction you most resemble? Stargirl Caraway

12. Who plays you in your bio-pic? some unknown chubby actress

13. Do you floss? Not as often as I should. I use Crest Pro Health though.

14. Did you ever believe your toys come alive when you leave the room? Did I? I don't think so.... Do you still? I still have residual dislike for robots/animatronics/anything that acts "alive when it clearly isn't. This is based on childhood fear.

15. How many old cell phones do you own? I just have my current phone. And I would appreciate it not dying as it is threatening.... my upgrade isn't for awhile

16. Best show legendary biz/movie star encounter. Chuck Norris. I'm totally not kidding.

17. Do you get satellite radio? Nope

18. And as a follow do you "get" satellite radio?Yes, but eh, I don't want to pay for my radio. I think it dilutes the community aspect of the medium.

19. Do you read the Enquirer/InTouch/US/people? Only if it's laying around while I'm waiting for something and there are no other choices. It's a waste of time and is a catalyst for a bundle of society's problems. I hate TMZ, for the record.

20. Do you lie about it? HA. What do you think?

An addition not for my myspace blog:

This week, I discovered a cache of floppy disks in storage. They contained things from high school and when I was at KWC. This includes my open diary from junior year! I couldn't believe it. I haven't gone through it all, but I am happy to say I'm not as completely lame as I expected. Though I can't believe how low in depression I was... I sincerely am surprised I made it past that stage. It reminded me the part of "A Horse and His Boy" where Shasta is running through the forest with Aslan. He doesn't realize how close to the edge he is, until he revisits the path later. Had he known, he would've freaked out, and he was glad that Aslan stayed between him and the steep drop to death. I'm glad, too.

reprieve

Upside of mandatory vacation? I'm not at work today. So thank you, Salem, for allowing me to ditch your stress in favor of sleeping in and March Madness.

Everyone seems surprised that I'm interested in the games and actually sitting here watching basketball while I type. My theory is that, thanks to the brackets, I actually have something invested in who wins or loses. So far I've only missed three... but it's still early. The prize? The losers buy dinner for the winner. Yay for economic solutions.

So what shall I do for the rest of my long weekend? I contemplated the beach, but the idea was killed due to weekday traffic and the amount of things I need to do... the next 72 hours will be filled with:
cleaning the cat box
"One Voice"
rehearsal
eye dr. appointment
vacuuming my car
lunch with Sophia
working on kids Easter performance
exercise of some sort- the weather is beautiful
going to Target for miscellaneous needs
buying dance shoes and tights
church
reading
cleaning the bathroom
likely dinner with Sophia's family

In other news, I miss chocolate more than certain family members (you can guess which ones, haha). With the exception of a couple birthday treats that I imagine the Lord would forgive, I've stuck with no-sweets-for-Lent. This means that I have not had ice cream, cookies, cake, chocolate, granola bars, pop tarts, muffins, soda, milkshakes, or candy since February 26th. This also means that I have 22 days 11 hours and 53 minutes until my Easter celebration. ;) I bought a box of thin mint girl scout cookies from a co-worker that I will be freezing for the event. Although, I am going to attempt to be super-minimal on my sugar intake after Easter. I am working on being in better shape, and I don't need additional set-backs.

the letter

The letter finally came last night. Sophia texted to announce it's arrival, and I had her open it and read it over the phone.

The Director's Guild regrets to inform me that I will not be proceeding further in the selection process for the Assistant Director's Training Program. They say thanks for applying, and suggest I try again next year.

I knew it was a long shot, but I foolishly had hope. Especially since, as a grown-up, I can't take internships. And no one wants to hire me for entry positions when plenty of film school students and current interns are on hand.

My head reminds me that God still has a plan, and for some reason, He's still keeping me at the station. He sees the big picture, after all. And the possibilities are still endless.

But my pesky heart won't stop being sad. And, for the moment, feels imprisoned in piles of paperwork and dying dreams.

i hate when time sails by and i miss things

Bah. My blog is going to pot. If anything, I require more time in my day so that I can keep everything updated!!! My condolences to my semi-neglected pen-and-paper journal as well....

The birthday fun was pretty cool. Did the Disneyland thing, and it was a good time to go. Perfect weather, but not too crowded. We did pretty much everythign we wanted to do. I don't really have pictures though, unfortunately. Sophia and family aren't fond of being photographed, and didn't want to engage in silly poses. Pity. It was interesting to see just how many people have the same birthday! They give you a "Happy Birthday" pin, and a ton of people had 'em. And I think I got a record number of birthday well-wishing from strangers! It was a fun time, and I have a 2fer ticket in case anyone wants to go to California Adventure before the end of the month....

Sadly, I didn't get to go paddling on Saturday... however, I was introduced to the Veggie Grill, a little vegetarian place. It is awesome. And I seek more of that goodness. So far, there are only two in the area, and both are agonizingly far from convenience. But if you have any tips on other locations, PLEASE do share. The sweet potato fries and not-really-chicken wings call to me.

Do you remember Sophia's grandpa and his battle with cancer? Get THIS: the cancer is gone. Gone! Can you believe that? God truly does work miracles! So thanks for your prayers. They have been heard!

Mark your calendars for April 10th-19th. One of those days on one of those weekends, you will hopefully be attending "One Voice", a production of Masquer Ministries. I shall provide more details soonly.

Final thought: I'm starting to suspect Obama is full of crap. I've tried to be optimistic, but he's not turning out to be any better than our past politicians. My favorite line of the week is how approving embryonic stem cell research finally allows science to prevail over politics. So then I assume we'll quit distorting the truth about global warming for political gain?

Who are we are kidding?