I asked a few people in my small group this evening what an “ideal day” looked like for them, from beginning to end. It only seems fair for me to try to answer my own questions from time to time, right?
Version #1 (assumes a sunny and warm summer day)
7:30am: Wake up, brush teeth, grab some coffee from the kitchen (that I would have made the night before), and drink my coffee in bed while reading articles/pinning things on Pinterest.
8:30am: Shower, minimal make-up, and put on a casual flowy dress or skirt. Pack a bag with books and a notebook and headphones. Eat a bagel or a smoothie for breakfast. Put iced coffee in a travel mug.
9:30am: Bike to the library. Do some minimal browsing but then set up shop at a table with all the stuff in my backpack and read and write for hours.
1:30pm: Bike back home and eat some lunch–nothin’ fancy, maybe a turkey sandwich, Goldfish crackers, a banana, and Fig Newtons?
2:30pm: Pick up some iced coffee. Go for a walk with husband at a forest preserve.
4:30pm: Go to Trader Joe’s and pick up ingredients for a stir-fry, as well as some wine.
5:30pm: Make and eat the stir-fry for dinner while watching a funny movie or TV show.
8:30pm: Walk into town and go to one of the local bars. See if some friends want to join as well. Order a soft pretzel, beer, and watch/sing-along to a local cover band. Stay for the band’s entire set.
12:30am: Go home, drink a ton of water, put on Comedy Bang Bang on Netflix, then fall asleep.
I’m not completely sure what got me started, but lately I’ve been absorbing “Christian thought” at an alarming rate. Feeding this new addiction are the myriad of books, YouTube videos, podcasts, not to mention personal Bible reading and being heavily involved in church life. I find myself asking way too many questions and questioning everything, some questions stemming from doubts, others from past ignorance, and still others out of anger toward Christianity “lived out” on the macro scale, as shoved into my face by CNN and the like, no thanks to Franklin Graham and the Southern Baptist Convention.
I’m frustrated with myself for asking questions this “late in the game”. I’ll be 33 in a month, and I feel like I wasted 20 years by stuffing my questions back into my body, by going with the flow with the bizarre teachings of my Christian church and school, and by growing into adulthood well-acquainted with grace and orthodoxy but truly unsure of how to translate these beautiful things into my worldview and way of life.
I honestly don’t even know where it began. I blame therapy. I had challenged people, the people I was very comfortable with of course, here and there about theological matters, especially my long-suffering seminary student husband. The questions I had been asking though, honestly, were peripheral to the ones I really needed answers to. The ones that meant everything. I have learned and grown a lot through therapy, and my main goal in therapy has been to fight against fear, to be a more brave person. And one of the scariest things for me is to be completely and utterly honest. Even as I type that, I feel the nausea set in, as well as the desire to turn off the computer and maybe wash the dishes for a change. Anything to avoid what’s really going on inside of me.
So, here’s the question I’ve wrestled with, ignored, shoo’d away, buried beneath other less-daunting questions:
Is it possible we’re wrong?
“We’re” meaning the evangelical Christian community, in which I’m fully a part (at least from a membership standpoint).
“Wrong” meaning–wrong about everything. Wrong about God being real, not even getting into “loving” or “Creator” or “desiring community with us”, etc. Wrong about Jesus. Wrong about how salvation works. Wrong about who we let “in” and who we leave “out”. Wrong about the Bible and its authority. Wrong about heaven and/or hell. Wrong about why we’re even on earth. Wrong about how we do church. Wrong about how we treat each other. Wrong about the relationship of our faith and our culture.
This is a dauntingly open-ended question. So I ask a follow up question:
If it’s possible that Christianity is “wrong”, is Christianity still worth the risk?
Baby steps.
Right now, my answer is Yes. Christianity is worth risking being wrong about. Sure, chalk it up to naivete or the fact that I was “born into it”, but in my life I have “tasted and seen that the Lord is good”, as they say. I’ve seen lives change before my eyes as a result of the Jesus story. Sometimes Christians suck and they make me angry, and sometimes I suck and I doubt my own growth, but then I see Jesus and believe that he and he alone is enough for me to be okay with being a Christian.
So, that’s where I’m at right now. I’m a Christian because Jesus. I’m betting everything I have on it, because I see no other compelling alternative. But, I still have a lot of other questions, ranging from parts of the Bible that confuse me, to how church should work, to what sin and hell look like, to how I should live and fellowship with others. And for this journey, I’ve been soaking in all kinds of teaching and literature to the point where I’m suddenly exhausted every night and feeling dead when I wake up each morning, head literally aching due to what I’m calling “theology hangover”. Not sure exactly how to cure this other than to drink some coffee and let it ride.
Day 20: You and your parent(s) like “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Pt.1)” by The Flaming Lips
I’ve always been into the rock music that my dad and mom grew up with and enjoyed, like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and The Clash and The Ramones. When I was in high school though our interests in music continued to be shared, but this time it worked both ways–I was still into “classic rock”, but my parents for the most part took interest in the music my brother and I were getting into during that time, including The Flaming Lips concept album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. On various trips we would sing this featured song in the car all together. Now that I think about it, this is a really nice memory.
Day 21: Would be the theme to your dream vacation “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra
When I think of my “dream vacation”, I think of our honeymoon. It involved sleeping in, playing our days by ear, and driving on gloriously hilly and scenic Pennsylvania country roads from one bizarre destination to the next. The weather was generally beautiful the whole time (or maybe that’s how I’ve chosen to remember it!) and there was a lot of laughing and listening to the radio in the car. This is such a great driving song. It honestly makes me want to start perusing road trip itineraries on Pinterest, and wherever else these sorts of things can be found.
Day 22: Was popular when you were working one of your earliest jobs “This is Not a Test” by She & Him
Right after college I moved to Pittsburgh, where I had been hired to work in a public access television station, and my alarm in the morning was set to the local independent music station, WYEP (http://wyep.org/). This song was played often on the station along with Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble”, Brett Dennen’s “Make You Crazy”, and Duffy’s “Mercy”. Time capsule!
Day 23: Is by an artist you’ve just learned about “Good Magicians” by Sidney Gish
I’ve recently become a fan of the NPR podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour and I was listening to some back-episodes and stumbled upon their SXSW episode, which led me to Sidney Gish and some other delightful artists (like the Illuminati Hotties). Anyway, Sidney Gish’s No Dogs Allowed album is incredibly fun and wonderful, so check it out. NOW.
Day 24: Is featured in one of your favorite movies/shows “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight and the Pips
There is an episode in season two of 30 Rock where Kenneth the Page, a good religious boy, gets addicted to caffeine and blames the evil influence of New York City, and as a result wants to move back to his hometown in Georgia. You know what, it’s better if we just watch some of it. This is the best clip I was able to find on the internet, so apologies to everyone.
Day 25: Is by an artist/band that you want to hang out with “White and Nerdy” by “Weird Al” Yankovic
I am a Weird Al super fan. Know this about me, and everything else will basically fall into place.
Ideally I would want to chat with Al over donuts and coffee/tea. However, based on various interviews I’ve seen and even in my own experiences meeting him, he’s not terribly loquacious with rando’s like me, so maybe we can just go to Six Flags and ride some roller-coasters and eat cotton candy. You have NO IDEA how down for that I’d be.
Day 26: You like the cover better than the original “Hurt” by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ song “Hurt” is so haunting and beautiful and sad. I try not to listen to it too often because it has a way of creeping into my heart and bumming me out. The pounding piano at the end gets to me too. Sigh.
Day 27: Reminds you of a crush you once had “Alive” by P.O.D.
Hahah! Oh man. This song is pretty much a catch-all for all the crushes I had while I was in high school. I ran in primarily Christian youth-group centric circles, and the guys I was drawn to all seemed to love hard rock and were unabashedly into Christian groups like P.O.D. We were all about this song. “Alive” definitely served as the attractiveness litmus test I implemented when I was 14-15 years old.
Day 28: Makes you feel like a bad-ass “The Man” by The Killers
I know this song is tongue-in-cheek, but I love singing it with confidence, especially because I don’t usually EVER feel like I’m “the man”. It’s actually helped me a good deal to sing this song with conviction before a socially-scary situation or while I’m working out. Makes me feel awesome, but also a little silly at the same time.
Day 29: You want to wake up to in the morning “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito
In a similar vein to the “bad-ass” question, this song pumps me up, but it’s also got that cheery, cheesy 80’s sound to it that I would never mind waking up to.
Day 30: Is an all-time favorite “Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes
I had SO many songs to choose from for this question, but I do think this one works best. I sing along with it super loudly when they play it on the radio. I get really into it any time a cover band plays it at a bar. I love the guitar. I love the vocals. It’s all so weird and I can’t get enough.
and finally…
Day 31: You recommended to a friend in the last month “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
I can’t believe that this is the song that’s driving this project to a close. The universe works in strange ways sometimes.
Like a lot of America, this song has both captured my heart and endlessly flooded my eardrums, and when I first heard it I played it over and over so many times. I found it to be both confusing and lovable. Then I asked pretty much everyone I knew if they had heard it, and if they hadn’t, then I made sure to send them a link to the audio. HOWEVER, looks like I now can send them a link to an amazing video instead. I refuse to apologize for liking this so much.
And the 30 Day Song Challenge experiment has come to a close! Thank you for joining me on this wacky journey. What questions did you like answering the most?
Here we are again! “LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO” -Matt and Kim
Day 13: You can listen to over and over and over again “Oceans” by The Format
I love the music. I love the band. It brings back good memories of people I’m incredibly fond of. That about covers it!
(I should note that, though “Oceans” won out right now, it was very closely followed by “Lazaretto” by Jack White, “HandClap” by Fitz and the Tantrums, and “I’m Alright (Theme from Caddyshack)” by Kenny Loggins)
Day 14: You’re surprised you love “Stronger” by Kanye West
Kanye. West. I wish I didn’t like some of his music as much as I do because I can’t handle how narcissistic he is. HOWEVER. This song is cool and catchy and samples Daft Punk and it’s on my “motivation playlist” (along with Ariana Grande’s “Break Free”, so that’s up there on this list too).
Day 15: Is in your head right this very second “Mother and Child Reunion” by Paul Simon
A lot of Paul Simon’s songs tend to get stuck in my head, so it was only natural that this is my answer this go-around. I heard this and “You Can Call Me Al” earlier in the week, but “Mother and Child Reunion” was the one that got its little fangs more deeply into my brain this time.
Day 16: Your sibling loved to listen to “Idioteque” by Radiohead
My younger brother discovered Radiohead when he was in junior high, and became particularly obsessed with some of their more experimental (and borderline nonsensical) stuff. Our whole house became familiar with their Kid A album thanks to him, and “Idioteque” stands out because he listened to it on repeat until he learned all the lyrics. Now all the words are seared into my memory as well. I guess there are worse things!
Day 17: Makes you stop in your tracks “We’re Going To Be Friends” by The White Stripes
This song always captures my attention and I can’t help but sing along to it. It takes me out of whatever I’m doing or thinking about and lifts my emotions–it’s so sweet and simple, and it takes me back to the first few days of grade school in those Septembers of yesteryear. It’s just wonderful in its loveliness. Also, side note, it’s the theme to the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, so I get to hear a portion of it each week. Yayyyy!!
Day 18: Helped influence a decision you made “Crooked Teeth” by Death Cab for Cutie
“And you can’t find nothing at all If there was nothing there all along”
Ouch. This song spoke to me while I was in the middle of deciding whether or not to break up with someone I had been dating long-distance for two years. While I was thinking through that dilemma, “Crooked Teeth” played from some playlist I had, and I remember hearing these lyrics and thinking, crap, Ben Gibbard’s right. It was sad, but it’s what I needed to hear, and it helped me stay confident in the decision I made to proceed with ending the relationship.
Day 19: Has a really good music video “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
I’m actually not a big fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers, but this is one of my more favorite songs of theirs, and it helps that there’s a sweet music video to go along with it. The flickering lamps are my favorite art pieces used in the video, and they remind me of one of my other favorite music videos (Weezer’s “El Scorcho”). I can just imagine the director and the band playing around with the “props” they were given and having fun with the idea, and so I always enjoy watching this.
Until sometime soon! Can’t believe the challenge is more than half-way over!
Hello, too many days late! Last Thursday through yesterday-ish, I had what I hope was the only bad cold/sinus infection I’ll experience in 2019. So here I am with the Week 2 Song Challenge Recap, with the Week 3 Recap not far behind at all. Let’s not waste any time!
Day 6: Transports you to another place and time “Drift Away” by Dobie Gray
The place:Midland Dairy in Kearny, New Jersey The time: throughout the school year, circa 1999-2004
On most days during lunch period, I would visit this great deli/convenience store near school to get a bottle of Coke (in a glass bottle, because I was a class act), some kind of celebrity-centric magazine (to balance out the classiness), and a Snickers ice cream bar (no explanation necessary). I swear that every time I walked into the store, “Drift Away” was playing. I often visited Midland Dairy with my friend Chris during this time, so hearing “Drift Away” reminds me of him too, which is great because Chris is great.
Day 7: Would be the soundtrack to your training montage “Magic” by B.o.B (feat. Rivers Cuomo)
Let me be perfectly clear: I am a complete sucker for upbeat, gleeful songs ESPECIALLY if they have a whiff of cheese. I love the inherent silliness in music like this, and if the song has any sort of confidence-building message, even if it’s more tongue-in-cheek, you know I am going to add that to my exercise or my “let’s rock this presentation” playlist. And since I’m a little nerdy and odd, the fact that Rivers Cuomo is the one actually singing the words “I’ve got the magic in me” makes it a bit of an anthem for the awkward person who wants to be convinced that they, too, indeed have the magic in them. It’s sincere in a bit of a desperate way, and I adore it.
Day 8: Is really good live (based on your experience) “Pride (In the Name of Love)” by U2
Typically I prefer smaller venues to arenas when consuming live music–small places require a more stripped-down and music-focused act instead of a multi-media performance, and I confess I like the dinginess and casualness of a bar show versus a concert that’s in the triple digits for one ticket (not to mention it takes like an hour to get out of the parking lot at the end of an arena show, ugh).
The only time I’ve seen U2 is also the only time I’ve been to a huge venue show and afterwards felt like “yeah, I’d like to do that again”. Arena shows are great places for flashier entertainers with costume changes and other bells and whistles and marvels in concert special effects and dancers and other such business. When I saw U2, there was a long stage and a massive screen, but otherwise it was just the band dressing in the same style they’ve been dressing in for decades, and yet they do not get swallowed up in the vastness of the place where they’re performing. Bono is this small dude who somehow manages to be larger than life, leaning on sheer charisma instead of props or other add-on’s. It’s incredible. I was captivated by him, and I literally cried while I sang along with everyone else: “Free at last, they took your life, they could not take your pride!”
Also, I chose to feature this specific video because the footage was shot the day before I saw U2 in the same venue.
Day 9: You can’t help but dance to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars)
This song is too cool for me and I can’t handle how much I want to dance to it. This is the song that got me out on the dance floor during a work party recently, and I’m embarrassed just thinking about how goofy I must’ve looked. But I remember not caring at the time because there was literally nothing I could do about it.
Day 10: You can sing really really well “When I’m Sixty-Four” by The Beatles
This song is sweet and the melody has a limited range that’s neither too high or too low for me–a goldilocks of a song! I’m not a great or strong singer, but sometimes I can hold a tune. I can hold a tune with this song and so I belt it out when it graces me with its presence on the radio (YES I already told you I listen to the radio!). Not that this is really a song you “belt out” but you know what I mean.
Day 11: You resonate with most right now “Crossed Wires” by Superchunk
One of the many upsides of my current job is that I do a lot of independent, quiet work which allows me to listen to music throughout my day. Recently I was listening to a playlist on Google Music and the first lines in this song stopped me in my tracks:
I went out and felt the sun on my face Then a tug on my leg and now I’m Back in the cave There’s a moment of peace That I just can’t re-create
I immediately was like YUP, I get it, and this song gets me.
The imagery here is a boiled down version of what my daily struggle with anxiety looks like. Often I’ll get a glimpse of something hopeful and joyful (e.g. a start of a day, a good feeling, an idea, anything really), and then something else, internally or externally, will almost immediately counter and overcome the feelings of hope and joy, replacing them with despair.
Of course I don’t want to feel despairing, so it’s a constant battle of hope versus hopelessness that takes place in the innermost recesses of my mind. And since it’s rooted so deeply, it comes out in ways that are tough to explain. It takes different forms, including experiencing complicated and contradicting emotions, acting moody and flaky, isolating myself from people altogether, etc. BUT, in the midst of this, even though everything is chaos, there are moments when I do feel the sun on my face, and that brief peace is a gift when I otherwise constantly live in fear that something in my life is going to burst into flames.
If that was too much of a downer for you, I’m not going to apologize, so just watch the music video to feel better (or watch it again if you watched it already).
Day 12: Was #1 the week you were born “Invisible Touch” by Genesis
Remember when I said the following: “I am a complete sucker for upbeat, gleeful songs ESPECIALLY if they have a whiff of cheese”? Well, perhaps it’s because I was born with a predisposition to loving this type of music! This song! This music video! It’s everything. I couldn’t be prouder of being born during this moment in popular music, ha! Truly though.
Coming soon: Days 13-19 of the 30-Day Song Challenge!
Some of my record recollection! (In case you weren’t aware of how serious I am about music, ha!)
Five days down, twenty-five to go! Even though I created the questions for my song-a-day questionnaire, I’m already finding some of them to be a bit difficult to answer. Hence the challenge part of this experiment, I guess!
The intent of my question-setup was to encourage myself to think carefully through an eclectic assortment of music. However, I’m finding that when I’m a bit under pressure, my brain automatically defaults to what I’ve currently been listening to, and it’s a challenge (word of the day!) to break out of that mode. And through this challenge, I do want to showcase the fun music I enjoy, but not sacrifice honesty for some kind of insincere aesthetic. Does that make sense? If not, it’s cool. I’ve got 25 more days to figure it out. 😉
Alright, here we go! Days 1-5 of my Song-a-Day Challenge! Name a song that……..
Day 1: Once you hear it, it will be stuck in your head for an entire day “Red Red Wine” by UB40
I don’t get the hiccups often. The day that I do get the hiccups though, I have them all day. Sure, there is a point in the process when the diaphragm relaxes and the hiccuping ceases, but inevitably an hour later, the hiccuping will start up again. This is how those few days of the year go; on that day, I am aware of the struggle, but I’m confident that it will end when I fall asleep, and the next day it’ll be like nothing ever happened. That’s the best analogy I can come up to help get across what it’s like for me on the days when our radio station (yes radio station, look it up) plays Red Red Wine. Or when Red Red Wine is played in a commercial or TV show. The main difference is I hear Red Red Wine more often than I get the hiccups, but the feeling is still pretty similar.
Day 2: Was the gateway to a lot of the music you currently enjoy Tie between… “Last Nite” by The Strokes “Birdhouse in Your Soul” by They Might Be Giants
Yes, only Day 2 and already a tie. I get why you’re angry, but hear me out. To choose only one of these songs would basically be like saying half of me is more important than the other half of me. It would be like having two children but only celebrating one of them. It would be like saying “yeah I’ve got two eyes but that seems excessive” whilst scooping one of my gratuitous eyes out of my skull. So you see the quandary I was in. It was best to bend the unwritten yet understood rules.
I won’t let it happen again.
Day 3: Reminds you of one of your closest friends in life: “Mushaboom” by Feist
This song was released in 2004, and 2004 was the year I started college. Looking back, I realized that I subconsciously gave myself permission to take social risks during my freshman year, to try to “find my own”, since as a teenager I had always felt a little awkward and never quite “fit it”. Out of that relationship quest I gained a very important and formative friendship that always (then and now) seems to strike a healthy balance of fun and seriousness, with a side of interesting music. She played me this song during one of our first times hanging out in the student union on campus, and to this day, hearing Mushaboom always reminds me of being 18 and being optimistic and hopeful about life and friendships.
Day 4: Isn’t overtly religious, but feels inspirational in a spiritual sense “Everlasting Arms” by Vampire Weekend
If I could just choose the entire Modern Vampires in the City album, I would–but as we’ve already established, I’ve already broken one rule this post. Here’s the thing.. I think I’m using the word “inspirational” more in terms of inspiring me to dwell on spiritual things, versus “inspirational” in the “uplifting” sense. I don’t think this song or this album is uplifting at all, but it’s grappling with religious tradition and beliefs in a way that is vulnerable and honest. I doubt Ezra Koenig would care for the comparison (I don’t think he reads this blog, so I’m in the clear), but when he writes about God, he truly in my opinion is a modern psalmist, in a very Davidic sense. This song captures the tension of fear/doubt with crying for help and safety in the midst of it. It’s all very beautiful and hits the core of me.
Day 5: You enjoy that’s in a different language “Dragostea Din Tei” by O-Zone
I wish had a better answer for this, one that showed how aware I am of the contributions to music that other countries have to offer. Instead, you’re stuck with this blast from the not too distant past that borders on novelty due to its internet fame. Again though, this song brings me back to really happy-go-lucky college freshman days when YouTube was basically just the Numa Numa video, when my monstrosity of a cell phone was to be used only for long-distance calls to my family, and when The Facebook wasn’t so infuriating and evil.
Side note, “Dragostea Din Tei” is SUPER fun in Just Dance! Seriously.
What do you think, sirs? Check back in next Friday for Days 6-12!
Tomorrow is April, folks! Not sure how we got here already, but I’m excited for a fresh new season and the onslaught of Cadbury creme eggs. Aided once again by my Ink + Volt planner, I’ve thought through and settled on a fun way to ease back into month-long challenges in general.
My go-to method of learning about people I don’t know very well is to explore the relatively safe space and colorful world of popular culture with them, asking all kinds of borderline-annoying questions about TV/music/movies/etc. So this challenge features the music portion of this lil habit of mine, and it turns the tables by making myself answer the prompts I so often enjoy using to interrogate prospective lifelong friends.
First, I need to fill out the part of my planner that acts as my oath and covenant for the month:
Second, I need to share my questionnaire! May I present to you, my month-long Song-a-Day challenge prompts….
BEHOLD:
(I know it’s for 31 days, so I’ll probably just answer the last 2 questions on the 30th)
As I mentioned in the planner, I’ll be reporting on my progress at the end of each week with links to my songs–who knows, maybe we can get a decent playlist created as a result of this too!
Feel free to play along at home, and share your answers in the comments. Have fun–and wish me luck!
April is the first FULL MONTH OF SPRING! Yahooooo!!! I honestly couldn’t be more relieved. Winter is generally a tough season for me personally, and it’s a long season in Chicagoland. Though April is often a toss-up here weather-wise, I welcome it, like Scott Stapp, with arms wide open. Longer days, spring flowers, and a glimpse of more pleasant days to come. With this in mind, it’s time to get goals for the month together and ready up that planner! I for serious dropped the ball in March with goal-setting and planning, but I don’t want to take up any time wallowing in it (other then the time it took to write this sentence). Instead, let’s dive into the lofty, ambitious goal setting.
Maya Rudolph makes everything a little bit better!
I’m using this amazing Ink + Volt planner this year, and the prompts/space for goal setting have been incredibly helpful. And when I don’t like a prompt or just don’t feel like answering a question, I’ll just fill the space with whatever I want. Each month there’s a place to track a habit for the month too–I’ll come back to that in a different post.
So then, my goals for April 2019 are (da da da daaaaaa…):
Goal 1: Start my garden I have kinda big plans for my garden this year, and so I need to basically get rolling with this as soon as possible. I’ll have to clean up my garden beds outside (hopefully they’re not too cold!) and get some compost added to it. I’ll also be starting the seeds for some of the pickier plants (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, etc) down in the basement so that they’re ready to transplant when the time comes!
Goal 2 & 3: Read some books I set a year-long goal at the start of 2019 to read one book per month, and so far I’ve read through three. I’m near the end of Rob Bell’s What is the Bible, so I’m confident I’ll finish that as well another book (probably Thomas Lennon’s Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles) by the end of April!
Goal 4: Host brunch Have I mentioned that I really look forward to spring each year? Another reason why is that one of my favorite “traditions” we have here at my house is Easter brunch, which we usually host the day before Easter (is it called “Easter Saturday”? I’m not sure). I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. It’s probably not terribly wise, but I like to experiment with different menus and breakfast recipes for this particular gathering, which mainly consists of our [very forgiving and patient] friends.
One of the cutest books I own!
Goal 5: Make a Peeps-centric dessert or craft I actually don’t always enjoy eating Peeps, but I usually can’t get over how cute they are, especially the chicks. The season for Peeps comes and goes so quickly, therefore I want to create something really fun with them this month.
Goal 6 & 7: Re-organize some rooms This one is self-explanatory, but here it is for the sake of accountability! We got some Ikea shelves for this project already, so now we just need to discern what does and what doesn’t “spark joy” and generally stop being a couple of hoarders. 🙂
My sub-goal: To track my progress here for you guys to keep me honest! I’ll post about my successes (or epic fails!) as the days march on. What are your goals for April?
Hello and welcome, future friend. My name is Christie, and I like to write, but I’m slightly out of practice. And I like a mess of different things. Hence, blogging!!!! (also, be warned–I’m a huge exclamation points fan)(!)
I’m super happy to be here, and am even happier that you’ve chosen to spend some time in this little corner of the internet with me.
I don’t know about you, but the best way to *truly* learn about a person is through a late 1990’s/early 2000’s-style chain email survey. These puppies are always super long though, so I’ll break it out into a few different posts. Shall we begin with part one?
*~*AbOuT mE*~*
Nicknames? Chris, Crispy Where do you live? Chicagoland area of Illinois Age? 32 Shoe size? 7-7.5 (8 in Converse All-Stars) Pets? Sadly none! I dream of having a dog or capybara someday though… Obsessions? “Weird Al” Yankovic, stationery and journals and planners, comedy (shows, movies, stand-up, podcasts, Twitter accounts, etc), Japanese language and culture, coffee, bread, bright colors, upbeat music, being warm Bad habits? Too much coffee drinking, going to bed too late Phobias? Sadly, driving is a huge fear, especially driving on the highway. More scary to me than driving though is conflict and public speaking! Who is your best friend? the husband
Best. Soda. Ever.
What was the last book you read?Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple What’s the best thing you’ve ever been given? getting Jesus-y here! Redemption through Jesus, and the hope that everything will be made good and right. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever been given? It was so well-meaning, and honestly not the absolute worst, but the first thing that comes to mind is a set of white pillowcases we were given for our wedding that say in script “Always Kiss Me Goodnight”. I know it’s sweet, but it’s so not me/us. What are your future goals? To own a business and be my own boss. What’s your most embarrassing moment? I never ever ever have an answer to this question, which is both a little annoying and quite relieving. I avoid a lot of social risks where I can, and I’m in a constant state of being awkward, so it’s hard to pin down. Who do you consider the most beautiful woman in the world? probably Lupita Nyong’o Who do you consider the most handsome man in the world? Haha… um… Keanu Reeves. I can literally feel my face turning red, sigh. Favorite thing to do on a hot summer day? Go for a walk in nature, or for a walk in a city and visit little independent shops. Favorite thing to do on a snowy winter day? Two words: Blanket burrito.
I love Super Mario games, especially the classics.
Who is your hero? My heroes past and present include: Weird Al, Tina Fey, Conan O’Brien, Super Mario, and Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Favorite color? Blue! But I love bright colors of all kinds. Favorite show(s)? Arrested Development, Conan, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Comedy Bang Bang, 30 Rock, IT Crowd, Cobra Kai, Pen15, Bob’s Burgers, and so so so many more… Favorite drink? Fentimans Rose Lemonade, Coca-Cola, coffee, Maker’s Mark on the rocks! Early or Late riser? Late, sometimes too late! Half full or Half empty? Half-empty–I’m a bit on the cynical side, despite my exclamation points!
