What's In A Name?

I sit here at work, watching a rerun of a treasured childhood classic - Airwolf. Aside from realizing that the acting is even worse than that of The A-Team, I was also disturbed to learn that the lead character (portrayed by the venerable and intoxicated Jan-Michael Vincent) was named Stringfellow Hawk. How could I forget such a delightful piece of 80's television goodness? I guess the young lad was distracted by the cool helicopters and explosions and couldn't be bothered with characters and such.

Anyway, it occured to me that maybe Neil was just a little bit behind the times with his character names like Vryxnyr and Drant. If we'd made a crappy home movie in the 80's, he would've been the cat's pajamas.

Gollies, Labradoodles are Cockapoo

A brief note on the ridiculousness of our country.

I remember, back in the days of my youth, there were generally three options in the realm of dogs:

1) Pure Bred - These were the dogs you saw on the AKC dog show. They were probably in the $500 range, for most breeds.
2) Mixed Breed - These dogs had two distinct breeds as parents. An example of such would be the ubuquitous Buffy, who is a mix between a German Shepherd and a Norwegian Elkhound. My family paid $100 for Buffy back in 1990. I guess sometimes people cross-bred dogs on purpose, but probably more often than not it was just a little something something that happened out in the kennel and now there were some puppies the breeder had to get off his hands.
3) Mutt - Somehow your dog got out of the yard and came back in a family way, so now you had these indistinguishable mongrel puppies and you practically had to offer your friends an family members money to take them off your hands.

So, then, back to the original point. I am seeing an increasing and disturbing rise in, "Designer Breeds." A designer breed is nothing more than a mixed breed that someone has labeled by combining the names of the two parents breeds. Examples, as noted in the title of this entry:

Gollie - Goldren Retriever / Collie
Labradoodle - Labrador Retriever / Poodle
Cockapoo - Cocker Spaniel / Poodle

Normally I would say, fine, these people just have way too much time on their hands. But no, this apparently entitles people to offer their pups up for around $500-$1,000. Inflation is one thing, especially when some pure-bred pups now around going for upwards of $2,000, but for crying out loud, it's a freaking dog.

The aforementioned "Gollie" puppies, I saw on a Philadelphia classifieds website and they looked nothing like either a Golden Retriever or a Collie. They were jet black. And they were still $599 each. For a glorified mutt with a name that might be considered clever by someone who doesn't get out of the house much.

Ugh.

don't you...

don't you hate mornings like this? Yesterday, I was so excited that Tindall was going to let me have off today. But when Timmy's alarm went off at 6am, I got up to use the bathroom and I couldn't fall back asleep. I haven't slept well all week and was looking forward to sleeping in. I put on My So Called Life hoping it would help, but nope...Now, I'm lying in the dark, going on episode two of MSCL. I think I'm just going to get up. Target opens at 8am; I need to make an exchange and pick up one last gift. Maybe I can take a nap this afternoon.

Merry.... Christmas?

This is mildly disturbing, very long (6 mins?) and may contain a little bit of provacative dancing, depending on your standards. Oh, and it's either hilarious or sad. Possibly both.

Let Down

So on Monday, after about 24 cumulative playing hours, I beat Marvel Ultimate Alliance on "hard" mode. And guess what? It gave me the same stupid ending as I got when I beat it on "medium" mode. What the heck? So I just played through the game a second time through, only it was more annoying this time, only to see nothing better? What a ripoff. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a fun game and all, just a little bit of a let down. That's all. Sigh.

bummer

According to this, I didn't pass the third grade and the short bus is on its way to pick me up :(

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Are Signs

Anyone who has seen the motion picture Signs should recognize our apartment right away.

....This water is contaminated....

Now if only I could stop swinging this silly baseball bat.

Weird

So I never really buy it when people in other parts of the country tell me that I have a "Philly Accent". To me, a Philly accent brings to mind someone from South Philly ordering a "cheesesteak wit" or something along those lines. But me? No, I picture myself as sort of a vacuum of accent - neither good, bad nor indifferent. Even as I took this little quizzlet thing that I saw on G-Knee's blog, in fact, I thought my answers were all pretty middle of the road and normal. Yet, nonetheless, I have been outed as a Philadelphian. Go figure. Or should I say, "Fughetaboutit!"

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.
The Northeast
The Midland
The South
The Inland North
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

smile

I love my boy. I know, I know, I'm sure everyone is sick and tired of hearing how much I love my boy. But it's true - I do. I was just rereading old emails. Actually I reread the first email - the email that started it all. I had sent him a couple of emails regarding worship. I was helping Luke out with some worship stuff and "Tim" had just joined the team. But one night, one bad night, I couldn't sleep. I was going through personal crap. Life sucked. I felt so alone that night, so I gave up trying to sleep and went on the computer. I looked to the brv discussion board and saw that "T!M" was online. He seemed like a nice guy. I went to PM (personal message) him, but he left before I could say hi. Boo. And then completely out of character, I decided to email him. It started like this:

I can't sleep. Sometimes life sucks too much to sleep. No one is
awake. No one to talk to. No one to tell that sometimes life just
sucks. So I went online to the discussion board and saw your name.
Tim's awake! And I went to PM you but before I was even done telling
you that I needed someone to vent that life sometimes suck, you were
gone and I was alone again. Just like a man - leaves me just when I
need him most - totally kidding!!

You're probably confused as to why I am even writing. Truth is, I'm
not really sure why I'm writing either. I just want someone to say hi
to. I think I like the fact that you don't know anything about me and
you seem like a nice enough guy to humor an insomniac.

I still can't believe that I sent him that email. And the above is just an excerpt to a really long, really random email. I swear it was God who filled me with that courage - no, it wasn't courage, because I wasn't "into him." I really was just lonely and wanted someone to talk to, but it was 1:30 in the morning and no one was awake. No one except Tim. So emotionally messed up and exhausted, I did something that I never would have done - ever. Truth is, I feel like many of those early days with Timmy were characterized by that - me doing stuff I never would have done. But it was Jesus. I really believe that. So, after I sent him this really long, really random email, I realize that I never signed it. So, what do I do but send him another email:

You would think we were like best friends that I should send you this
random email at 130 in the morning and not even sign it. Now tomorrow
morning this will be the email that I will make me cringe with
embarrassment. Oh well...

Melissa

(Melissa Rolon, the girl from kinship, the girl who emails you about
worship stuff, the girl who kept calling Bill "Tito")

What was wrong with me???? Nothing was wrong with me. I was being spiritually empowered. The Lord was supernaturally leading me to the man who would be my husband. Anyway, that last excerpt made me smile a lot. "You would think we were like best friends..." And here we are, best friends. Oh, I just remembered this great scene from High School Musical. Oh, I know that I will lose whoever stayed with me up to this point. But listen. The lead girl in the movie tells the lead boy:

Do you remember in kindergarten how you'd meet a kid and know nothing about them. Then 10 seconds later you'd be playing like you were best friends, because you didn't have to be anyone but yourself?

It was true. At least over email. In person, I was mortified and avoided him as much as I could :)

Ninja Warrior

So I'm currently way too into watching this show Ninja Warrior on the G4 network. It's basically like some weird hybrid of Most Extreme Challenge and American Gladiators, but it's strangely riveting. I find myself being disappointed when Bunpei Shiratori fails to finish the third stage, even though he trains so hard in the course he's replicated in his back yard. I know, right? Oh well. I have to do something at 12am while I'm at work.

some thoughts

NO MORE FAITH by Andrew Peterson

This is not another song about the mountains
Except about how hard they are to move
Have you ever stood before them
Like a mustard seed who's waiting for some proof?

I say faith is a burden
It's a weight to bear
It's brave and bittersweet
And hope is hard to hold to
Lord, I believe
Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
That only love remains

Have you heard it said that Jesus is the answer
And thought about the many doubts you hide
Have you wondered how he loves you
If He really knows how dark you are inside

I say faith is a burden
It's a weight to bear
It's brave and bittersweet
And hope is hard to hold to
Lord, I believe
Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
When there's no more faith
And no more hopeI'll sing your praise and let them go
'cause only love
only love remains

So I will drive these roads in thunder and in rain
And I will sing your song at the top of my lungs
And I will praise you, Lord, in glory and in pain
And I will follow you till this race is won
And I will drive these roads till this motor won't run
And I will sing your song from sea to shining sea
And I will praise you Lord, till your kingdom comes
And I will follow where you lead

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
When there's no more faith
And no more hope
I'll sing your praise and let them go
'cause only love
Only love remains

This song has been on my mind the last couple of days. On Wednesday morning, I told Tindall how unprepared I was for group that night. He asked what passage we would be talking about: John 11, when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and declares, "I am the resurrection and the life." Mark had a different perspective on this passage. At the time, his mother-in-law was sick, very sick, her final days. He asked me to think of that passage with her in mind.

I once had this interesting conversation with a friend about faith. I told him "It's true. This whole thing could be the greatest scam of all time. And if it is, I am going down with it." If we knew for sure, without a doubt, that wouldn't be faith. I once heard that the opposite of faith isn't doubt; it's certainty. And I believe that. I think of Mark's mother-in-law during her final days. I can imagine during my final days thinking, "this is it. All my hope and all my faith. And very soon, I will know for sure, no doubt."

And then I think of this song. When we die, we know without any doubt. When we die, there is no more need for faith or for hope. We will know all we need to know. No more faith. No more hope. Only love. Great song. I especially love to sing this song at the top of my lungs when faith is little harder than usual.