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Castles by Tracie Peterson

Another Christian historical romance down... but this one was a bit different.  Since it was unusual, I thought I would share.

The Same

Same type of plot.  Same type of characters.  Four novellas connected through characters -- same set up for the novella collections.

The Different

The setting: Most of the Christian historical romance that I have been reading is set in the United States in the 1800s.  They are usually set in a "wilderness," a newly explored/settled area such as Alaska or Montana.  This one was set in Medieval times in England.  There were many references to the politics of the time, i.e. the church versus kings versus high and low classes.  I loved the little tidbits of information here and there about daily life in the castle.  The change was refreshing.

The content: Usually the books are very heavy handed with the sermon-like content.  Two characters get into a discussion about whatever, and it ends up that one character recites a sermon in the guise of a discussion.  Sometimes these "discussions" get a little over the top.  If they take up three pages, it's too much.  This one was much lighter on the sermon front.  The characters still talked about their faith and attempted to sway another character, but it was much lighter.  The books focused more on the action and those of the characters.  I enjoyed the change.

Overall I really like this book.  I think my favorite novella was the first one -- Arianne.  It felt the most "real."  I hope I find more like this one.  Now, to move on to more "literary" fare...

tags: historical novels, romance, Tracie Peterson
categories: Book Reviews
Tuesday 11.30.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- Paramore "Brick by Boring Brick"

I have been in love with Paramore ever since Riot! My students were constantly mentioning the cd and how much they loved various songs, so I figured I should check this out.  I got the cd and listened to it nonstop.  I even made "Misery Business" my ringtone.  The students were amazed when my phone went off during hall decorating for homecoming.  One of them comes up to me and says "Is that 'Misery Business?'" After I confirmed and said I had the cd in my classroom, someone had to run out and get it so we could listen while decorating.  The student then replied "Buff is the coolest, she listens to Paramore" thus cementing my "cool" teacher status. I have loved Riot! and the songs on the Twilight soundtrack.  And then they came out with a new album.  I must admit I don't like all the songs.  The second half is a little weak in my opinion.  And I really don't like "The Only Exception."  Those aside, I love "Brick by Boring Brick."  And the video is awesome!  The dichotimy between fairy tales and real life always intrigues me.  In the same vein I love Sara Bareilles' "Fairy Tale."  Those stories (the newer versions of course) appeal and disgust me.  They are fantasies, but ones that cam harm our ablity to see the world for how it really is.  I'll indulge in a little fantasy but make sure to keep my keep on the ground.

Well, you built up a world of magic
Because your real life is tragic
Yeah, you built up a world of magic

If it's not real
You can't hold it in your hand
You can't feel it with your heart
And I won't believe it

But if it's true
You can see it with your eyes
Oh, even in the dark
And that's where I want to be

tags: Paramore
categories: Music
Monday 11.29.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Highlight of the Week -- Holiday Recap

What a crazy couple of days... We did a lot, but didn't do a lot.  We we busy, but not that busy.   We had some great moments and some not so great moments.  It was a typical holiday week for us.  For this week's "Highlight of the Week" I've decided to do a huge recap of the holiday activities.

Wednesday

Our city has a huge tradition on the night before Thanksgiving.  The Santa and his reindeer display, Christmas tree, Christmas wreath, and other lights are lit with much fanfare and local celebrities.  Starting two years ago, my mother and stepdad started taking the boys down for the ceremony.  This year all of us were going to go.  We had a plan to go to Coney Island (right next to the Santa display) before the lighting and then walk around downtown partaking of the free hot chocolate and cookies before heading back to the block for the actual lighting.  Sounds great!

And then reality hit... we live in Indiana and guess what happens in Indiana in November...  It does one of three things: 1) drops 30 degrees the day of, 2) experiences a blizzard, 3) rains.  Well this year, we experienced two of the three happenings.  Tuesday the temperature was around 50 degrees, Wednesday the temperature was 34 degrees.  And it rained, all day and all night.

We made it to Coney Island fairly early.  We ate and then had around an hour and a half to walk around and enjoy the sights.  But it was freezing and raining.  So, we decided to get back into the car and drive around until the time was right.  We popped by the skating rink to watch for a little while.  N decided that he wants to learn how to ice skate, preferably this Wednesday.  We will go, but now need to find time.  We wasted enough time, and it was time to get back downtown.

The speeches and singing took forever, but finally the switches were flipped and Santa was lit.  Since we had been standing in the rain for over an hour by this time, we made the executive decision to go home.  We saw the lights, we enjoyed the festivities, but it was time to get warm and dry.

Thursday

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at home.  Thirty family members crammed into one house with ridiculous amounts of food and football.  Typical holiday.

Friday

We made it to the bf's parents for Thanksgiving.  Had a nice lazy morning before heading over at 4 for dinner.  Had a nice Thanksgiving dinner.  The boys behaved themselves, played with the dogs and some cars.  Nice fairly lazy day.

Saturday

Mom and the step dad took the boys to Science Central to see the train exhibit.  They had a barrel of fun.  It was all they could do to stop talking about the trains.  The parents had a dinner to go to so we were on our for dinner.  The bf and I decided that sushi sounded amazing.  Now to get the boys to like sushi.  They had teryaki chicken.  Took a long time for N to try it, but then he proceeded to eat all the mushrooms.  I enjoyed the dinner.

Later I went to see a favorite band with the bff.  We had  great time and enjoyed some ridiculous music  The usual.  Good night.

Sunday

Did nothing and loved it!

Highlight

Watching N do his crazy robot dance in the pouring rain waiting for Santa to be lit.  It was priceless!  Really wish I had had my camera, but since it was raining, the camera was back in the car.  Nonetheless, the dance was awesome!  Made my week.

tags: Holidays
categories: Life
Sunday 11.28.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Thankfulness from the Boys

As a part of my boys' Thanksgiving week, their teachers asked the parents to write them each a letter.  We were to talk about things about them we were thankful for, memories of them, or a special note.  Part of their standards for 2nd grade are learning to write a letter on actual paper.  Since we are moving more and more toward computer communication, I thought it would be a good exercise for the boys to write a blog entry highlighting what they are thankful for.  Without further ado, here are their lists. N is thankful for:

  • my Uncle Cory
  • our dogs Toto and Casper
  • mom
  • dad
  • Pokemon cards

A is thankful for:

  • Uncle Cory
  • animals
  • mom
  • dad
  • friends
  • trees
  • brownies
  • grandma
  • blankets
  • Christmas
  • Spring
  • Fall
  • Summer
  • Snowmen
  • Turkeys
  • fire
  • Snow
tags: Alexander, Holidays, Nicholas
categories: Life
Thursday 11.25.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Quote Wednesday -- Stevenson

"Wine is bottle poetry." -- Robert Louis Stevenson

Wow!  Mr. Stevenson, I think you are my soul mate.  I love wine.  The different varieties, the many flavors, the interesting bottle designs (yes I love bottle and label design), the new possibilities.

When I'm feeling down, I bust out a bottle of wine.  It relieves my stress.  It makes me happy.  It relaxes me.  It makes everything seem okay.   After yesterday's debacle, I am ready for an escape. Unfortunately the wine won't be opened until tomorrow.  And then it's on.  Wine with appetizers, wine with dinner, wine with dessert, wine before bed.

I imagine if I were an artist, wine would be a great way to get the creative juices flowing.  Sipping wine quietly in a cozy chair, maybe with a notebook or reading book, my mind tends to wonder.  I think about anything and everything.  I imagine.  I write in my head.  I'm not a very good writer, but I've always wanted to be.  To write a great book (I think I lean towards nonfiction, but wine drinking can still be a part of that) is a dream accomplishment.  To be able to translate the dribble in my head to a cohesive page would be divine.  And wine would become my best friend, my inspiration.

Maybe on Friday I'll try it.  It's vacation.  We'll probably stay home and watch tv or read, maybe play a board game.  A bottle of wine and a notebook might be just the perfect pair to round out the day.  Now to choose: red or white, dry or medium, slightly sweet... so many choices!  I think I'll ask the bf to get a variety for Thursday and one just for Friday, his choice, but something nice and sippable.

categories: Quote Wednesday
Wednesday 11.24.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Beauty of Earth

I found these pictures of various locations of earth from one of my "interesting" blogs.  The images were taken by satellites and then false color was added.  The one I feature definitely reminds me of Van Gogh's "Starry Night".  The green patches are phosphorescent plankton.  I love the swirls of the ocean compared with the green and brown of the land.  It's a beautiful contrast.  Seeing an entire island this small, I feel like a speck on the earth.  And really I am.  I am one of ~6 billion people on the earth.  One of ~300 million in the United States.  One of ~6 million in Indiana.  One of ~300,000 in Allen county.  I am small compared to those giant numbers, but I love these photos.  They give me a tangible perspective.  I am really enjoying the beauty depicted.  And after the day I had today, I need something beautiful.  So enjoy!

Gotland, Sweden

Gotland, Sweden

tags: art, nature
categories: Life
Tuesday 11.23.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- Radiohead "Creep"

I'm always on the lookout for great music videos.  The bf pointed this version out to me.  The entire video was shot using Flash.  The bf assures me that this method was very time consuming.  But I'm pretty certain that the result is awesome!

As to the song, this takes me back to high school.  I loved this song!  So depressing, but so great.  My favorite part of the song is actually the first verse.  I could sing this all day, especially a cloudy, gray, Indiana winter day.  Very perfect!

When you were here before,

couldn't look you in the eye,

Just like an angel,

your skin makes me cry

you float like a feather,

in a beautiful world.

wish I was special,

you're so very special.

tags: animation, Radiohead
categories: Music
Monday 11.22.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Highlight of the Week -- Firefly Conversations and HP!

Usually I pick one highlight of the week, but this week I just couldn't choose.  So I'm choosing two highlights of the week!

Firefly Conversations

I spend most days at Firefly, a local coffee shop.  I'm there so often, I've officially become a regular.  The baristas know me by sight if not by name.  I've had conversations with many of the other regular patrons.  The owner even stops to chat a minute almost every time I see her.  Overall, it's a great homey spot.  I love the decor, the coffee's good, the music's usually good (except last week's classic lite rock debacle), and the conversations are always great.

Some days it's just me.  Others the bf joins to work on his real job.  And then there are those days when a good "mom" friend and the bff join.  Those are the days that get out of control, but are always awesome.  This past week was no different.

On Wednesday, the bf, bff, and "mom" friend all joined at the Firefly.  We chatted about this and that, but then our conversation turned very weird.  I was looking through ThinkGeek.com for Christmas Present ideas, when I ran across the most amazing shirt ever.  In medieval looking script it said, "Huge tracts of land."  For those of you not up on your Monty Python, in Monty Python and the Holy Grail there's a great scene of a dad and his son.  The son has been betrothed, but "just wants to dance."  The dad is trying to sell the son on the marriage.  In describing the betrothed, he comments that she has "huge tracts of land."  He is referring to her land, but says it by pantomiming large breasts.  It is priceless.  The skit goes on for a few minutes like that.

Of course, the bff, "mom" friend, and I are huge fans of Monty Python and immediately started laughing.  The "mom" friend commented that her husband would love that shirt as she has "huge tracts of land."  The bff looked chestward sadly and commented, "I don't have 'huge tracts' so can mine say 'Medium tracts of land.' Or how about '.567 acres assessed?'  And add 'a spacious backyard.'"  I was laughing so hard, I could hardly catch my breath.  Even the guy sitting at the next table, was laughing with us.  Or was it at us?  At any rate, we had a great laugh.  For the rest of the time there, we kept sliding the comments back into casual conversation.  I was laughing for the rest of my time at the coffeehouse.

It's days like Wednesday that make me realize how much I appreciate my friends.  They are there for me in good times and bad.  They make me laugh to the point of almost peeing my pants.  But most importantly, they "get" me, weirdness and all.

*I must get that shirt now!  It's too good not to.

Harry Potter

I have been waiting for the first part of the finale for months.  Of course I had to go to the midnight showing.  And of course, I loved it!

Midnight showings are a tradition.  Starting last school year, some of my students and I and sometimes some other teachers would attend midnight premieres of movies.  We always arrive sometime around 9 and then... wait for 3 hours.  We could just go see the movie on Friday night, but where's the fun in that? Sometimes we have four people attend, sometimes we have ten people.  Whatever the attendance, it's always a good time.  We stock up on candy and drinks, sometimes get popcorn, and make sure to throw a deck of cards into our purse before leaving.

Last night was no different.  I had an array of candy and drinks, the bf bought popcorn, and we had UNO to entertain until the movie.  Usually they let the audience into the theater sometime around 11:30, but because the crowd was large, we were let in at 10.  So we moved into the theater, grabbed our regular seats (row behind the railing), and then... waited.  We joked around, saw people we knew, and act a ridiculous amount of snacks.  Finally it was 10 minutes before midnight.  Cue the pre-movie pee to make sure our bladders are empty for no interruptions during the movie.

The previews began:  A great one for Tron, one for The Green Hornet, another for The Green Lantern, and one or two that I can't remember.  I plan definitely to see those three movies.

And then the actual movie started: Awesome!  Slower movie, but remember this is part 1 of the finale.  In many ways it was setting up for the big battles.  I loved the quiet moments; in between times of reflection or conversations.  The characters have definitely grown over the short break between the stories.  I see them developing into who they will be after.  I loved the action sequences.  The scene in Godric's Hollow was creepy on-screen.  I even think I jumped a bit, even though I knew what was coming.  The sets were on an epic scale.  It was great!  I loved every minute of it.  It didn't drag at all.  I was awake and paid attention the entire time.

I can not wait until July!!!!  I smell another midnight premiere on the schedule.

tags: coffeehouse, friends, movies
categories: Life
Sunday 11.21.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Christian Historical Romance

When you read the title, what are your thoughts? Somehow I have found myself reading many books that fall under this category (at least according to my local library).  Why did I start reading these?  I don't actually know.  I'm thinking that I picked up a interestingly covered book that had some sort of historical era setting.  And after reading more than 50 pages, realized what category the book fit into.  And at that point, I wanted to find out the ending.  And then I probably figured out that the book was part 1 of a trilogy or something of the like.  And of course, I had to read the rest of the series.  I am speculating because I really cannot remember how I fell into the genre, but now I'm really into it.

Some interesting notes about the genre:

  • Extremely formulaic plot: These books always focus on a single woman who ends up getting married (either the end of the book or the series).  There is always a big obstacle (death, natural disaster, huge misunderstanding, trip) to overcome.
  • Characters: The main character is usually a late teen to early 20s single woman who has no real interest in marriage.  Enter at least one potential husband.  Usually there's two to choose from.  If there are two suitors, one always turns out to be a cad in some way.  Usually the woman has some supportive family members.  Often there innocent children (previous child, orphans, etc.)
  • Content: The reader is guaranteed that there will be no cuss words (the worst I have noticed was a nonChristian who said Damn).  There will be no sex scenes.  Usually there are a few kisses.  I did read a few books about reformed prostitutes that did allude to sex but talked about it in the way you talk about sex when children are present: vague and using euphemisms.  Even when characters marry in the books there are only allusions to sex.  I would be hard pressed to find one of these books that actually has "sex" in print.  And of course there are many Bible verses and usually sermons.  These are a given being a Christian historical romance, but sometimes these sermons can go on for over three pages.  A little excessive sometimes.
  • Authors: There are many authors out there, but they often coauthor a series.  Most of them have 20-30 books authored within three years of publishing.  So I often run into the same names.  Currently I am reading Tracie Peterson's and Lauraine Snelling's libraries.
  • Historical content: I am usually pleasantly surprised by the background historical content.  The authors often do research of the area or the events of the time period featured.  As a history teacher, I do appreciate this effort.

With all the issues I have with the genre, why exactly do I keep reading them?  Well, simple answer -- they're easy.  I don't have to think while reading them.  Considering that I read very academic history books, technology and business books, and authors like Melville or Austen, these books are like a vacation.  They're something I can read while waiting in the car line to pick my boys up from school.  I can read them at the coffee-house while listening to others' conversations.  I can read them while in the room with someone watching tv.  I can read them before bed when I am tired, but not tired enough to actually fall asleep.  They are easy and fairly entertaining.  So guess what I got on my last trip to the library?  Yup, that's right, more Christian historical romance.

tags: Christian, historical novels, romance
categories: Books
Saturday 11.20.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 4
 

Frankenstein Apple

While randomly browsing through the internet, I ran across this photo.  Interesting, weird, slightly disturbing, beautiful... Are those contradictory?  No, I think not.  Those words describe this photo perfectly.

 Apple OP by wolkentanzer

 Apple OP by wolkentanzer

Phrases that come to mind: A juxtaposition.  Opposites attract.  A monster.  A mash-up of sorts.

Thoughts after viewing: This is a perfect visual representation of my life right now.  I feel like I have these two sides that I'm trying to stick together.  But they don't connect naturally.  They may even in fact be polar opposites.  The flimsy staples are a an attempt to connect two very different pieces.

I have recently started a new job.  After three years of teaching high school social studies, my school closed.  I now have a part-time job doing marketing for a Facebook application company.  You might be thinking "Okay just a career change."  But here's the thing, I've always wanted to be a teacher.  And the three years I was getting paid (very little, but that's another story), I absolutely loved it.  I love teaching (and teaching high schoolers to boot).  As a child, I would play "school" with my stuffed animals and dolls.  I think I was destined to be a teacher.  But my school closed and then I was going to move to another state to attend law school.  But then that plan had to be put on hold indefinitely.  So, then I needed a job.  And guess what?  The local school systems are in the process of cutting the budget and that means cutting jobs.  Bottom line: no teaching jobs available in the immediate area.

I went on unemployment and started applying for anything and everything that would make about the same salary.  (Hey!  I have two kids to try and support and need a livable income.)  Surprise surprise, nothing really out there.  Oh there are tons of job listings on Careebuilder and Monster and the like, but none of those companies really seem to be hiring.  For example, the local hospital was hiring patient registrars.  I worked for an orthopedic surgeon off and on for the past 6 years.  Guess what I did?  Check patients in and out, schedule. answer phones.  And this hospital told me that I wasn't qualified for the position.  Phooey!

About two weeks ago I was offered a job as a Marketing Intern for this new company. What do I know about marketing?  Nothing really. I'm making this up as a I go along.  I've checked out books from the library.  I've read people's blogs.  So far, so good...

But this isn't my dream job.  I don't want to be doing this for the next five years.  I want to get back into teaching or go to law school and be a student.

Right now my life really feels like this Frankenstein Apple.

http://wolkentanzer.deviantart.com/

tags: art, jobs, teaching
categories: Life
Friday 11.19.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Book Lust and More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl

I picked these two reference books up last week at the library.  I am a sucker for lists of books that I should be reading.  These two did not disappoint.  The author picked specific authors or gave some examples of good reads based on topics. I love making lists.  My mother thinks I am weird.  I've always loved making lists.  Lists for school projects, lists of movies I've read, lists of good restaurants, lists of great reads, lists of bad reads, etc.  These books really allowed for some good reading lists.

Examples of some great categories:

  • Famous Alices
  • Armchair Travel
  • Books About Books
  • Dinosaur Hunting
  • King Arthur
  • People You Ought to Meet

At this point I probably have a "To Read" list of over 2000 books.  I'll never get to all of them, but that's kind of the beauty of the lsits.  I tend to pick books based on my mood.  I have a list of books to look for every time I go to the library.  I find a book, review the summary or check out the cover.  If it strikes my fancy, I check it out.  Once I get it home, I start in to the book.  If the book doesn't catch me within about 40 pages, I close it for good.  I don't feel the need to finish every book I start.  If I don't like it, I move on to the next one.  So every time I go to the library I usually get 10+ books.  Out of those books, on average, I finihs about 6 of them.  My ridiculously long list offers lots of selections.

I've gotten at least 400 book selections out of these reference books.  But next week, I will probably get another reading list book and add to the "To Read" list.  And that's all part of the fun of reading!

tags: lists, Nancy Pearl, reading behavior
categories: Book Reviews
Thursday 11.18.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Quote Wednesday -- Chagall

"Great art picks up where nature ends." -- Chagall What are my favorite pieces of art?  I love neoclassical pieces, impressionism, renaissance portraits.  I find beauty in the realistic.  Modern abstract paintings hold very little appeal.  I want to see a reflection of reality, but I better reflection.  The painting must be idealized.  It must pick "up where nature ends" as Chagall alludes to.  I want to see a approximation of perfection.  A dream, maybe, but very enjoyable to the senses.

So, here are a few pieces that have caught my eye.

cupid.jpeg

The Cupid Seller -- Joseph Marie Vien

Liberty Leading the People -- Delacroix

angelica.jpg

Angelica Kauffman Self-Portrait

wedding.jpeg

Jan Van Eyck -- Arnolfini Wedding

grande.jpeg

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres -- Grand Odalisque

psyche.jpeg

Antonio Canova -- Cupid and Psyche

categories: Quote Wednesday
Wednesday 11.17.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Tron: Legacy

Poetry in motion!

I love the original movie.  Tron was definitely ahead of its time.  When I heard they were going to make a sequel, I was concerned.  Would the filmmakers try to update everything but in the process deviate from the iconic style of the original?  Thankfully they haven't.  I have no clue if the storyline or acting will be good.  I do know that the visuals are going to be awesome!  This trailer just doesn't do the visuals justice.  I cannot wait!

Side note: I recently showed the original movie to my 7-year-old twins.  I was unsure of their reaction as they have grown up in the technology era.  Surprising (a good surprise) they loved it!  They liked the practically nonexistent storyline, but more importantly, they loved the visuals.  Their eyes were open wide the whole time.  I love these moments...

categories: Movies
Tuesday 11.16.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- Ok Go "Last Leaf"

A new weekly post: I love music! So I thought it would be fitting every Monday to discuss a can't-get-out-of-my-head song, album, artist, or music video.  Knowing what kind of music a person enjoys says a lot about them. So let's explore what my music says about me. For this Monday, I ran across this great music video by Ok Go.

Ok Go is known for their inventive music videos and this one is no exception.  The video itself is awesome.  The imagination, the continuity, the visuals, the toast.  It takes a lot for me to take notice of a music video.  It has to be something inventive, new, unusual.  This video fits all those categories.  I randomly ran across this video on someone else's blog, that I actually can't remember. (I know, very bad of me)  Upon reaching the end of the video, my only response: stunned silence.  I was shocked into silence.  I couldn't believe what I just saw.  I had to play it again.  Awesome, just awesome.  *Side note: After watching the video, I was actually craving toast.  Pretty funny.

On to the lyrics:  So simplistic, yet still poetic.  I found myself humming this song for the rest of the day.  I don't actually own the album the song is on (Of the Blue Colour of the Sky), although I do own two other Ok Go albums.

The lyrics are a love letter. I wish someone would write a love letter like that to me.  Unfortunately my bf is way too much of a tech geek to do things like that.  So I will live vicariously through music such as this.  Enjoy!

If you should be the last autumn leaf hanging from the tree

I'll still be here waiting on the breeze to bring you down to me

And if it takes forever, forever it'll be

And if it takes forever, forever it'll be

And if you should be the last seed in spring to venture forth a leaf

I'll still be waiting on the rain to warm your heart for me

And if it takes forever, forever it'll be

And if it takes forever, forever it'll be

tags: animation, OK GO
categories: Music
Monday 11.15.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Highlight of the Week

It's always good to reflect on our lives. What's gone well?  What's gone bad?  What was absolutely ridiculous?  So what was my highlight of the week?  The best thing/activity/conversation/etc.?  The best of the best... This week's best -- Karaoke on Friday!

Friday night I went to dinner with some friends, moved to Firefly for some good acoustic music, and then arrived at the bar.  My bff went on and on all week about doing karaoke this weekend.  We finally decided to do it.  And I have to say, it was awesome.

When we arrived the bar was half full of crooners over 65 singing country and Sinatra.  Interesting crowd!  Then we come in with some very unrelated music.  Of course we had to first prepare ourselves for the experience.  I am definitely not the fearless one of the group, so we all needed a little encouragement.  After two gin and tonics, we were ready to go.  Now what songs to choose?

We had to start with our standard "Build Me Up Buttercup"  and then moved to "Knock Three Times."  Of course to get to our songs, we had to wait probably 30 minutes and endure some very off-key country songs (think Alan Jackson without half his teeth).

And then we discussed our next songs: do we go with country, try a real song with real notes, or move to the ridiculous?  The bff decided to go the ridiculous route, but I found out later that she hid the slip in her bra!  Ugh!  Woman!  What you doing?  Anyway, the bff's sister decided we had to do Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n Roll."  Always an amazing choice.  But then she left before our slip came up.  Ugh!  But that's okay, the bff redeemed herself and sang with me.

Awesome karaoke fun!

*The bf spent most of the night doing crossword puzzles on the iPad and/or laughing at our singing.  One of these days, he will embarrass himself like us.  That day would definitely make the highlight of the week!

tags: karaoke, music
categories: Life
Sunday 11.14.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

These are a few of my favorite things...

Taking a cue from my friend Catharine's blog, I present a list of my favorite things:

Hot tea on a cold night

Random humming

Pumpkin Chai Lattes

Signage mistakes

Giggles

Greek Pasta Salad

Purple

Red Shiny Stiletto Boots

Blank Composition Books

Freshly sharpened pencils

Warm breezes

Ridiculous Karaoke

Bar Bingo

Wall murals

Colorful pens

Plaid

Cell ringtones

Furniture shopping

Paper lanterns

Little boy imaginations

New haircuts

Stick figures

Music (any music really)

http://caites-whispertothewind.blogspot.com/

What are your favorite things?

tags: favorites
categories: Life
Saturday 11.13.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Lego Fun

Last night, the boys, the bf, and I watched an episode of Mythbusters (the boys' current favorite). The episode featured the viral video of the giant Lego ball rolling down a city street. Here's the original viral video: 

The viral video is like poetry in motion. I love the imagery and the inventive nature of the video. Of course, the bf (tech geek that he is) burst my bubble by explaining the fakery involved. Aside from that momentary dip in excitement, I still love the video.

So the Mythbusters decided to try and recreate the activity. I've included the inaugural launch of the 1 million piece Lego ball. Note how it ends --- Amazing! I thought the viral video was poetry in motion, but the Mythbusters clip topped everything.

In a way, I didn't want the crew to burst my excitement bubble. I wanted to have a great memory of a creative video. But finding out that the video definitely is not plausible didn't ruin everything.  In fact, I think it made it more interesting. And the image of the ball exploding is too great to shut out.

Man I love Legos. And the boys were so enthralled with the episode, it was all they could talk about for the rest of the night. Great family time!

tags: TV
categories: Fun Videos
Friday 11.12.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Twitter Power!

Today I've been thinking a lot about Twitter.  Is it bad?  Is it good?  Does anyone really care? A couple of days ago I signed myself up for Twitter.  Why?  I'm not really sure.  I have just started a new job in marketing and eventually I'll be using Twitter for that.  I guess I felt like I should join up and get used to it.  Take a step into the Twitter pool.

So what's been my experience so far?  Frankly, I keep forgetting about it.  I don't have a phone set up to send Twitter messages.  Currently the only way for me to post one is to log in to the homepage and type one in -- something I am routinely forgetting to do.

The other side of the issue is the actual messages.  What do I say?  I am not a particularly witty person.  I don't have great epiphanies on a daily or even weekly basis.  I do have random thoughts, but who wants to read those.  In the past week, I think I've tweeted 7 times.  That's it. No grand statements.  I have four followers, two of each I think are fake accounts.  One is my brother, and the last one is my boyfriend -- both people I talk to on a regular basis.  So I say things that go into the abyss of the communication network.

I feel like I am adding to the clutter, adding to the noise. I don't feel like I am doing anything remarkable or really interesting.

Maybe my usage will become more interesting when I am tweeting for my job.  Or maybe it will be exactly the same.  Adding to the commotion with some useless dribble.

tags: communication, Twiiter
categories: Technology
Thursday 11.11.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Quote Wednesday -- Keats

I"ve started a new challenge for myself.  Every Wednesday I am going to take a quote I find and reflect on said quote.  Sometimes I might even challenge myself to take some action related to the quote.

"What the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth -- whether it existed before or not." -- Keats

Two questions came to mind when I read this:

When do I use my imagination?

The answer is pretty depressing... not much at all.  When we are children, our imaginations run on overtime.  I have twin 7-year-old boys and they are constantly making up stories or games.  They use their imaginations constantly.  And I hardly ever use mine.

But that's not really true...  I use my to go to sleep.  If I am not dead tired, it takes me a few minutes to fall asleep at night.  Usually in those few minutes I think of some story.  Sometimes it's me pretending to be a character in a movie or book.   I create a whole universe with scenery, costumes, actions, and dialogue.  The stories become my counting sheep.  Most nights, my storytelling puts me to sleep in about 10 minutes.

And then most of the day, I completely ignore my imagination.  I don't use it at all.  I go about my day reading other people's stories or dealing with the very mundane and practical.

I should write down these stories I tell myself.  I should explore my creative side with art and writing.  But it's so hard to get started.  I just don't seem to stick with it.

What is my definition of beauty?

According to Merriam Webster, beauty is "the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit."

Using this definition, I find many things full of beauty.  I am addicted to food, so much food.  I love that first bite of a dish.  The aroma and taste assault my senses in the best way possible.  Music always gets a response.  Usually good, music evokes strong emotions tying me to the song.  Artfully crafted clothing makes my jaw drop.  Today I found the craziest strapless blue plaid dress and fell completely in love with it.  I found myself creating an entire outfit in my head from the dress.  And then I found out the dress was $15!  How could I resist?  I couldn't.  I love photographs.  Seeing an interesting black and white photo (usually of a window or door, yeah I know weird) almost brings me to tears it is so amazing.

So my definition of beauty... anything that can evoke a strong emotion in me.

categories: Quote Wednesday
Tuesday 11.09.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

I'll admit it... I am very resistant to the Jane Austenesque books.  I love Jane Austen and cannot imagine some other author destroying her original works.  I love her descriptions, the character word play, the predictable but still so enjoyable plot twists.  I love everything about Jane Austen.  Along with my addiction to Jane Austen, I love zombies.  Anything about zombies really.  Even those Z-grade horror movies.  I love zombies. And so, a few months ago I finally picked up and read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Steve Hockensmith.  Fine, fine, I actually enjoyed it.  I found Hockensmith's blend of zombie inspired text with Austen's own words entertaining.  It didn't destroy Jane Austen... not at all.  In fact, it actually added to my Austen universe.

Last week, while browsing at the library, I ran across the sequel, er.... prequel.  Dawn of the Dreadfuls opens four years before Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  The book details the Bennet sisters' rise to warrior status.  The dialogue and writing style perfectly mirrors Austen.  She could have written this book.  I'm actually kind of disappointed that she didn't.  But that's okay.  I loved it anyway.

Plus both books have fun illustrations of zombies and dismemberment.  Always a bonus.

Now I'm wondering if I should try the other revisions of classics.  Maybe I should tackle Sense and Sensability and Sea Monsters.... Check back with me in a few weeks.

tags: Jane Austen, Steven Hockensmith, zombies
categories: Book Reviews
Tuesday 11.09.10
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 
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