At the sounding.

So it is Easter morning, and I am still up blogging at 1:35 am. If all goes as it is currently, I should be up for a dawn service. Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

For many religions around the world both Christian and Catholic (and often coincidentally Jewish), the rite of Easter/Passover brings the significance of spring and new beginnings. We are encouraged to discard the old and welcome change, birth, growth and discovery. As the earth begins its cycle of renewal, so it brings it upon us.

Traditionally, this is where I would bring up things I'm looking forward to in the new year, things I want to change, what I want to get rid of. But my life-is more than exquisite right now. If anything, a greater sense of peace, contentment and self confidence is all I'm really after. There are so many things that are already beautiful in my life and I am looking forward to renewing my relationships with the people I know and cherish. Sometimes, I am afraid I have reached a saturation point. That I am so perfectly happy with the friends that I have, there is no room for anyone or anything else. Are friends like jello? Do you always have room for another?

Well, the answer is...probably. But they have to be the right friend. And the "right" friend for you now, may not be the right friend 15 or 20 years in the future. As my reverend said during this morning's service: "You have the ability to love everyone, you may not LIKE them, but you can love them."

The Germ and I had an interesting conversation on the way to Mr. Jones' birthday dinner last night; he's dating someone who is intelligent, good looking, thoughtful, gracious-but someone for whom he has absolutely no chemistry or feelings for. Ouch. And yet, how many times are we encouraged to seek these people out? The polite ones? The nice ones? The "perfect" ones? And we feel obliged to find some sort of connection with people because they are 'good'? Or 'good for us'? In the end, we only make ourselves miserable. At this point, he and I agreed...there is no room for lack of chemistry for either of us. Some of my friends are, well...to put it lightly...down right rude. Sarcastic. But they make me laugh til my cheeks ache. They have been known to take care of their loved ones, inside they are the stalwarts. It is because they are discriminating that it allows them to use their love to the capacity to take care of the ones they truly care for; not just every joe shmoe come lately.

I just watched (it's now 4pm) a divinely beautiful Easter service today that really reflects on the true meaning of Easter; God is in all of us. And God is love. What other people do is up to them, but what you do is up to YOU.

Holy...did Hellafied write a stellar entry: Why I Write.

Lunch weirdo.

1. Crack open Spa Salad from TJs: use only 1/2 the curry dressing. Enjoy the lettuce, grapes, romano cheese, chicken, mandarin oranges and skinny noodles.
2. Close empty container, discard (or wash and save for storing additional salads-god I'm Chinese)
3. Retrieve box of cut mango slices from bag
4. Open
5. Fork into slice, dip into curry dressing
6. Alternate bites with and without dressing
7. Enjoy

I had a much better entry about Asian parents forcing their kids to play sports as a response to an article on 8Asians-but got too caught up in nomming my mango. I'll write that article later. You should definitely check out this MSN article from today though: How to Raise a Millionaire.

It's smart and clever about getting kids to watch their pennies; and much less intrusive than Mr. Jones' way. Which is pointing his finger at me while I'm watching 'Law & Order' or reading scripts or eating lunch going, "Yeah! Save more money!" and laughing maniacally.

The inquisition...whatta show!

Spent the first time on the reformer machine at pilates class. Dang that thing kicked my ass! Whoot! But I think I may be in love with it. First of all, the machine showed me where all my weak muscles are-mostly around my tum-tum area-and it was so much easier to feel the isolation of your muscles. Plus, the second you do it wrong, your machine starts shifting around on the floor, so you know right away whether or not to adjust your movement. You have to make all your movements slow and deliberate to get the full effect and I'm definitely feelin' it. The sad thing? ST - Return of the Drip, rehearsals start in April and I won't be able to do the more advanced class til the end of the run. Back to mat for me. Oh well.
I swear, one of these days, I'll get to writing more interesting/informative blog entries. Stay tuned!

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You guys read MightyGirl? You might want to, she's kind of a big deal as Christian would say (she's the editor of MightyGoods-one of the best cool finds sites on the interwebs). But last week, she wrote her list of 100 items she plans to do some day, some simple, some elaborate, some grand, some small. But lots and lots of things-almost as a guideline. In true form: here are some top 50. Just you know, to keep me on track.

1. Spend three days at Harbin with the girls.
2. Go to Spain. Climb Sagrada Familia
3. Make my own ice cream
4. Successfully harvest my own fruit orchard
5. Walk across: the Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge and
6. Direct a play
7. Go up Half Dome
8. Learn to dive.
9. Go to a concert at Carnagie Hall
10. See the Taj Mahal
11. Make it through 6 weeks of an intensive hip hop class
12. Do a handstand on my own
13. Write a published piece
14. Meet Kevin Smith, Margaret Cho and Renee Fleming
15. Learn French
16. Be content with my state of mind
17. Learn archery (like Legolas!)
18. Finish a knitting project
19. Go to a movie by myself and not feel like a loser
20. Sing in a summer concert at Stern Grove - on stage dorks.
21. Skip with my child through a field

Stake your claim.

It's weird to have innate paranoia when people call our office asking for our tax id number right? Totally bizarre on my part as I know that's how we get paid, but I get this innate gut punch-like when people ask me for my #SSN.

But that I'm passing out like Cheetos.

Kidding.

Recent thoughts:
'We saw the Incredibles together, remember? It was our first date. Of course it's good.'
'Ooh, free boba! I filled up my card.'
'I hate glue guns.'
'I can blame my boss for my bloody knuckles. I look like an extra from Fight Club.'
'Really need Bounce sheet right now.'
'To tag as friend, or not to tag as friend? What if he's gay? Then you'll feel dumb.'

I never make claims to sanity. This is fer sure.

Yet another networking vortex I've gotten sucked into.

I joined Yelp.

Couldn't help it. Had a friend who gave me a killer massage today and she asked, very nicely, for a review, which I was more than happy to give. But had to sign up for Yelp.

So begins yet another foray into writing useless snark.

Whoot. Find me here.

Pi Day and Masters of the Universe

Life at home:

Mr. Jones: Do you want some pie? I just made one.
Pen: Oh! Ok, did you get it cause it's Pi Day?
Mr. Jones: ?? (quizzical look on face)
Pen: You know...3/14...like 3 point one four..pie...pi? Get it? Pi Day?
Mr. Jones: (laughing) oh! No. Who came up with that?
Pen: I dunno, some crazy Berkeley math geek

Ok, so technically I was wrong, Pi Day was created by a physicist, Larry Shaw, who actually works at the Exploratorium. Great, now my dad thinks I'm sort sort of weirdo. Next thing you know, I'll be wearing a shirt that says, "I am McLovin'" and walking around asking people what their midi-chlorian count is. Wait a sec, I already do that. KIDDING!

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Speaking of being weird though. Do you ever wonder what other people are listening to on their iPods when you're riding the train or walking around? More fascinating than the random conversations that we are privy to, due to the recent proliferation of cell phone usage, I often wonder what sort of music people listen to as they bob their heads or sit quietly staring out into space. And it also makes me wonder, what came first? The movie soundtrack or the personal sound device? I'm supposing the movie soundtrack has a heads up in that department, but do you think that the reason people are so used to listening to their headphones is because we are so used to having life scenes set to soundtracks?

And do you think that people are stereotypes? Do you think that the guy wearing a Rastafarian hat, cargo pants, and boots is listening to ska or Marley? Do you think that the older gent in a power suit and briefcase is listening to some Wall Street Journal esque podcast? That the teenie bopper in the pink sneakers is listening to the latest version of 'High School Musical' or Hannah Montana? I often wonder if people look at me and thinking, "pssht...Sarah Bareilles." or "totally, John Mayer" cause as much as I like Sara Bareilles and John Mayer, I might very well be listening to Bach or Sam Cooke or Django Reinhardt or some techno.

What we chose to listen to is often very indicative of who we actually are. Not of who we wish to be perceived to be as, but who we actually are.

I think a fun experiment for the bold, might be to seek out people listening to their mp3 devices and just to ask them, what they're listening to. Maybe you could hand them a card, with a sentence printed on asking them. I think it would be a fun human social experiment. I once heard a philosopher complain that the number of people on trains now who are cut off from the real world because they are listening to their devices and not experiencing what is going on around them.

I was reading Mymymy's latest issue of a woman's magazine during lunch which claimed that certain techniques over others will keep a person awake in those drowsy late afternoons. Drinking a cup of coffee for example, is more effective than taking a power nap. And also, that listening to loud, fast or upbeat music will keep you more awake, because naturally your brain waves start to sync themselves up with the song in order to understand it. Well, der, I could have told you that.

Music is the natural rhythm of life. Probably our first 'technological' feat - of life imitating life. I think we crave the sounds and emotions of others, but as any race, we wish to be the ultimate gods, controlling that experience.

What say you?

ABDC - Live! Shut up Mario Lopez

Blogging: America's Best Dance Crew (live)
10:17pm: ok, so this has got to be my favorite episode ever. Broadway remixes!! Where's the special guest judge? Cause it would probably be Wayne Cilento or something. Wait a minute, who put one my homies into the bottom two teams? (Jabbawockees & Kaba Modern? I call party foul) So Status Quo goes first and dances to a remix from 'Hairspray'-here's my beef, they do nothing related to the musical, oh wait....the big dude wears a wig. Too bad 'Iconic' is gone.

10:20
Shut up Mario

10:21
Yay, Kaba Modern is the future of dance. Huh...what are Jabbawockees doing up against Kaba? This is messed up, I watched both performances last week and they ruled.

10:22 oh shit...HELL TO THE NO. America you hate Asians, you didn't vote for Kaba Modern? What is wrong with you?

ahaha...Jabawockees have to do Chicago-'All that Jazz'?!?! hahah, they have to do Fosse. Whoa, the Velma is sort of...funny looking? Like the blush monster attacked her. The Charleston? Are they going to wear jazz shoes?
awesome. "America if you think we look funny...we do." haha
Jazzawockees...that's classic

10:24 Did Timbaland do all these hip hop remixes? He's singing ultra-basso on all of them
Oh that's cute, I like the piano playing dance move.
I saw NO CHARLESTON. JC's going to bitch slap them for that.

10:25 Ahaha...JC's trying to channel Roy Scheider in 'All That Jazz' tonight, what the hell is up with the American Apparel scarf? Lil Mama brings everything to the 'hood'-I seriously want to know what sort of effed up 'hood' does Lil Mama live in?

Ohhhhh...the Charleston is called the 'Kid & Play' now. From 'House Party' - the foot touch things.

10:26 BROADWAY IS THE FUTURE OF HIP HOP!! (did you know this?) What sort of smack are these judges smoking?

I think it must be the song that Jabawockees was working with, cause it WAS slow-but at least, thematically, it tied into the musical better. I wasn't blown away. I hope Kaba got a good musical to work with. It looks like 'Cry Baby' or 'Lumberjack! The Musical!'...oh shit, did they friggin' get 'Oklahoma' or something retarded?

10:32 SHUT UP MARIO (I'm gonna call you Maria if you keep doing this)

10:33 Kaba up first. They're awfully excited about an empty stage
OHHhh...Grease...oh, that's cute.
They keep doing this girls vs. guys thing
Knee slide, do it!
Aw...who's the cute cute Asian girl teaching them moves?
When were there so many Asians in GREASE?!
If you can't hip hop Grease, I'm sorry, YOU SUCK. So Kaba doesn't suck, so they'll be fine.

10:35 - are all the friggin' mixes this slow?
SHUT UP TIMBALAND-god this mix sucks
They should have just used the original music for 'The One That I Want'-it's way more fired up and peppy.
AWWWW! Hand jive AND stage jump! Supercuteness
(jazz hands...haahah)

Ok, it's not my favorite Kaba performance, I liked the Michael Jackson one way better. But the girls were totally cute with the Sandy 50's pompadour hair and tight jeans. I wish the boys had stuck to the black tank tops and jeans. There was a part in the middle where it just seemed like a lot of meaningless moves. Do these people not have YouTube? There are a couple of things I would have liked to have seen. The cigarette toe stamp twist out, the back and forth shimmy, etc.

10:40 Breakskate is up. Does Maria tone and condition his skin?
They got DREAMGIRLS..AHAHAHAHAH...oh.my.god - that SUCKS
The look on their faces is classic: "We're fucked."
Playing the circus clown music is pretty appropriate?

10:43 Ok, this mix for 'One Night Only' is way friggin' better than anyone else's.
Foreva foreva?
that's pretty good to land the spin/jump on roller skates
Put your shirt back on skinny white man
Ok the delayed fall forward is cute.

10:44 - JC don't make me hate you.
Yes, 'which-ways' are cool + theatrical
Understanding the concept of Grease...yes, good
ONLY 3 LADIES LEFT? Oh shit...yeah, they friggin' rock! I totally didn't realize that too.

Shane's choregraphing DREAMGIRLS? Weird.

Lil Mama don't make me hurt you....
What?! Pulling up your shirt is entertaining for the kids? Ok...like I said, what 'hood' is she living in?
The girls in Kaba are cute...like super cute.
MAGICAL GROUP! Kaba Modern is magical!
You made Yuri cry?! Don't cry girl! She's strong! I love Yuri!

10:47 - I don't know if they're going to save Breaksk8 for the differences or their special gimmick, but I'm gonna stop watching this show if they kick off Kaba.

10:53 - what commercial is this? you like watching people getting axe murdered? Oh...it's for Fear.com. That's like my date from hell.

10:54 - America has voted? I thought the judges are saving people? Oh ok...Maria please complete your sentences.
Yuri don't cry! We heart you!
Personality DON'T make a winning performance, yo.

10:55 SAVE KABA!...please?

10:56 shit Maria, says something

Whew!! Kaba Modern is saved! ROCK ON KABA! There is a god.

ahaha...wow, that guy's voice cracks a lot. What is Smet? I just noticed that.
America thanks you too Breaksk8. It's a brotherhood?

Do you guys care that Maria is in 'Chorus Line'? Do you wanna give him the ball? Yeah, me neither. Apparently JC was pissed that he wasn't cast either, so he dressed up as Zach for the show tonight. Step, kick, kick, touch TOGETHER!
Oh that's cute, the remaining teams came out carrying the flag and doing steps like they were roller skating. So that's your live blogging event from 'America's Best Dance Crew' tonight, have a great weekend and remember to vote. (for the Asians, yes, I'm biased)