irony

Has anyone ever blogged about how ironic it is that the blogger dictionary doesn't contain the word, "blog"?

If not...some one should...cuz that's quite ridiculous. I mean, get with the times blogger...you ARE the times.

Geriatrics

Last night I grew up, retired, got arthritis, and went to the theater.



Let me explain...

My dad decided to take me out to dinner and a play. We ate at Cedar Creek Inn in Laguna Beach...delicious...and there was this sweet little old couple in the booth next to us...they had to be at least 80 years old an the woman's wine glass was bigger than her...and I'm pretty sure the old man was sitting on a booster seat. Anyway, while at dinner I was noticing what an old crowd there was...and thought it was interesting because my previous dining experiences at Cedar Creek has not led on to the fact that it was a popular destination for leisure World Fun Night Outs.

Anyway, when we got to the play...it all made perfect sense. Please keep in mind that the following statements are neither made up, embellished, or fabricated in anyway. I was BY FAR the youngest person in the theater. From what I saw the next youngest person was probably in her late thirties...and my best guess would be that the AVERAGE age in the theater (the mean) was around 70 years old...[the median was probably 78...and the mode was definitely 80] You KNOW it's an old crowd when 75 year old men are helping the "older folk" down the stairs.

My dad said, "I guess this is the highlight of their month...going to a play at the Laguna Playhouse." I mean it made sense...the play was about war and a flashback to when a woman was young. Depressing really...the play and getting old.

As the great philosopher, John Mayer puts it: "So scared of getting older, I'm only good at being young." Stop this Train...listen to it. [sidenote] Seriously get the album...I've only had it for a few days...but I like it. I'll probably blog about more of his songs.

But..I'm sure being old will be just as much fun as being young.

Guilty Pleasure #2

Justin Timberlake....



no one is suprised by this.

Dang.

cat suicide

So...I'm pretty sure my cat is trying to commit suicide. He keeps hanging out in the middle of the street and he doesn't run out of the way when a car comes at him. He just casually walks and gives the driver this look like, "Fine, do it...see if I care." I mean...I know he's been really unhappy since we adopted Dustin. He feels left out and unloved. He's probably just doing it for attention. It's not really working...I still locked him in the garage last night. Dumb cat.

Guilty Pleasure #1

I don't know if there will ever be another Guilty Pleasures segment of my blog, but oh well...it's in honor of Allison Hibbard.

So, every time I drive down La Paz road...coming from Olympiad down to Marguerite...I play a little game. Keep in mind that the only time I've ever done this (which is every time I've driven that road in the past 4 months) I've been by myself. Embarrassing. Anyway I like to see if I can make it all the way down the hill (from Olympiad to Wienershnitzel) without touching the gas or the break and without getting below the speed limit.

It's a difficult game. You should try it.

2 awkard moments that I've already experienced today.

It's only 12:30 and I've already got two awkward happenings to share with you today. Granted I was up at 7:40 this morning...significantly earlier than usual...giving many more chances for awkwardness than most days. But anyway...

Awkward Moment #1:

I am at Bagel's 'n Brew enjoying a delicious Spinach Herb bagel and some good conversation with my Nikki...when the "waitress" (I guess she's a waitress...she brings you your bagel) approaches our table. Keep in mind that she already has called Nikki sweetheart when she brought some peanut butter to our table...which is mildly awkward in itself. Anyway...she comes to the table laughing and says, "You've just got to see this!" And she shows Nikki something in a magazine. The look on Nikki's face should have been warning enough for me to NOT look at it. But alas, I looked. It was something similar to this:



But imagine the guy a little hairier and wearing a skimpier neon green speedo that went over his shoulders...I don't know if you can picture it...actually...for your sake, I hope you can't.

But my question is: Who does that? Who comes up to total strangers and shows them pictures of nasty half naked men? Especially a 16 year old girl. C'mon...that's AWKWARD.







Awkward Moment #2:

So I check my myspace today and this is a message that I get from some guy:

hey whats up? I really like your profile. And I think your hot. And I would like to date you. I also want to be your boyfriend. And maybe after that we can get married. Call me sometime. 916-717-4617.
Love Seth

Wierd people in this world...honestly.

Note: Seth not only loves me...but he also loves sentence fragments.

Dear fellow female Saddleback Church employees:

Why do you think it is that the first stall in the woman's restroom in the office is the only one without an automatic flushing system?

Confused,
Alanna

Jason Bohen

Ok Fine....Hayden is not the BO of the TPB.

Although one of the highlights of the trip was watching hayden get so frustrated as everyone chanted "BO, BO, BO, BO, BO......" at him...forcing him to be more responsible and redeem himself.

So...here's to you, Hayden...completely NOT like Jason Bohen...but maybe a little bit like Carson.

while at Thousand Pines...

...I learned to play Let Everything That Has Breath on the drums and on the bass gee-tar. Be impressed.

I know Joe the cafeteria guy is.

Observations of another youth group

After being at camp with another church for 16 hours now...here are some observations I have:

1. Other youth groups are just as cool, if not cooler than ours.
2. Every youth group has to have an Erin Brady...at this camp her name is Breanne.
3. It's pretty sweet having a small youth group because you can actually meet most people...i've never really experienced that before.
4. Thousand Pines is the best camp because they have Passion Orange Guava Juice AND Peach Iced Tea and exquisite malts (hayden added the "exquisite")
5. Everyone loves mafia.

Here are some setbacks we've had:

1. No kick-pedal
2. Broken high hat stand
3. Everyone forgot a sleeping bag (except me...thanks Jared)...so everyone is sharing bunk beds...except for me.
4. I don't think Nikki brought a sweatshirt...and it's really cold here.
5. Oh...and Hayden has become the Jason Bohen of this trip. (this may change as he has one more day to prove himself...be sure to check back tomorrow)

Ok...thats all for now.

Alanna and The Pledge of Alliegance

(note: band name will be changing...cuz thats lame.)

traditions

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now...so here we go.

I love traditions...I think they are so important. I've decided on a new tradition.

On the last night of summer vacations we:

1. Wear nice black dresses and rainbows.
2. Go out to dinner...preferably outside of the general vacinity. (ie. Old Spaghetti Factory)
3. Play MASH
4. Hopefully get the myspace from our waiter.
5. Have a dance party in the car on the way home.
6. Camp out in my front yard.

We did this last Sunday...and it was probably my most favorite memory from the whole summer. It was so much fun. I can't wait till next year when more people can come.


Skip-bo underneath the stairs!

Embarrassing

Just FYI...I posted my most embarrassing moment...and an equally embarrassing picture on the Wildside Blog Page

You should check it out.

birthdays are always disappointing....

This one...however has not been...not one bit. It's been great! So...thank you. Yes...you.


1. My family (at C'est la Vie)


2. My brothers


3. My desk.

my future...

Ahhh....MASH...the only game where emotional impurity is allowed. I played MASH on Sunday with some of my girls while waiting an hour and a half under the stairs at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I just wanted to share my bright future with you all.

I am going to live in a SHACK in LAGUNA BEACH with my husband, RICK WARREN. We honeymooned in MY PARENTS BACKYARD. For our careers...I am a SLAVE, and Rick is a GARDENER. We have 2 CHILDREN, and a REPTILE...and we are very RICH.

You know you're jealous.

redemption

This is a word / concept that I've been learning a lot about lately.

David Ulrich told me about this band called Leeland...and they have this song called Sound of Melodies that I really like. (It's my profile song on myspace) Anyway, a line in the song says "We're lifted up from the ashes, and out came the song of the redeemed."

Redemption. Redeemed. Redeemer.

These are all words that I've heard around church for most of my life, and I always equated to salvation, saved, and savior.

However, I am learning that redemption is much more than salvation. My view of salvation has been merely forgiveness for my sin. Lately I've been learning that God wants to do much more than just save me from hell. He wants to REDEEM me!


In my brain...the only way I can explain this concept is through the brave little toaster. Now, mind you it has been a long time since I've seen this movie...but this concept always reminds me of the junk yard scene in the movie.

There's all these cars...broken and abandoned in the junkyard...and the mean magnet is picking them up and putting them in the crusher where they will be...of course...crushed. Picture this scene...picture yourself as a car...in line to be demolished. You're broken, forgotten, mistreated. All of a sudden some one comes and stops the magnet, moments before your death. That is salvation...being saved from destruction. Now what if that person doesn't just stop the evil magnet...but he calls a tow truck...tows you to his house...fixes your engine, gives you a new paint job and upholstery. He even decides to use you and drives you around everywhere. You're like brand new!

THAT is redemption. Being restored, made whole, like new. One definition says, "to restore honor, worth, or reputation of." That is what God wants to do for us. Restore our worth and reputation. We've all sold ourselves short, damaged our worth, made some really horrible decisions. God doesn't just forgive us...He REDEEMS us! This is amazing to me and I love experiencing God's redemption! I think that when you really get this...that is when we can join in the Song of the Redeemed! Joining in with everyone God has redeemed and singing out and thanking God for making us whole.

That's what I've been learning/experiencing lately.

Girls, Girls, Girls.

So...after being in traffic for about a total of 4 to 4.5 hours today, with no radio, and a car full of junior high girls...we successfully made it through...and I kid you not....the ENTIRE book of "Would You Rather"...without skipping any.

Here's what I learned:

There are two types of junior high girls: The kind that agree with everyone else just to be cool...and the kind that disagree on purpose just to be different. Both are equally annoying.

But, in all seriousness...I had a blast on Gurly and I came to love the girls in my van. Just imagine Erin Brady going in to 7th grade...but nerdy...and OBSESSED with Jesse McCartney...now times that by 5...give each of them a Monster drink...and THAT's who was in my van!

So much fun...I'm exhausted....good night.

terrible twos

ok...I have to share this story.

A few days ago, my mom and step-dad and my two year old brother went to eat at a Mexican food restaurant. The fun thing about Dustin's age is that he will repeat anything you tell him to, and he's been learning some spanish.

So, they decided to test out Dustin's spanish on the waiter. He was saying Hola Senor..and Vamanos...things like that...all good and cute.

Then when the waiter was leaving, the waiter said, "Adios"

To which my brother said, "Adios...Dumbass!"

How funny is that?

So, although its fun that 2 year olds repeat everything you say...the bad part is that they will repeat it at the worst times!

Note #1: He did not learn that word from me.
Note #2: I apologize for the profanity...but I just had to tell the story...
Note #3: There's a good chance this story would be way funnier in person. Dang it.

this makes me happy

I made this during band practice...well dillon took the picture...but it makes me happy.

I'm at band practice right now...and I'm gonna need some earplugs before I go deaf in the coming months.

look below....

I put some Hume Lake pics and highlights a couple blogs below. Didn't want you to miss them.

bumper stickers and graphic tees

Sounds like an album by Augustana or Teitur or something...

Running errands always results in me thinking that I am better than most people in the world. Now...we all know this is entirely UN-true...but I was at Wal-mart, so it's slightly understandable, right?

Anyway...on my way into wal-mart I saw a bumper sticker on a truck that said, "Silly boys, trucks are for girls." It was probably on a Ford Ranger or something. You see...although I have seen bumper stickers like this many a time before...it struck a new chord with me today. I asked myself, "Why would this girl think that trucks would be specially designed only to accommodate girls?" It was like she put the sticker on laughing at boys naivete (is that a word, Allison?) for thinking that trucks could actually be driven by boys. So let's think about this for a second...if trucks were only allowed to be driven by one gender, which would it be? Well...what are trucks used for?

1. Hauling Lumber.
2. Carrying Surfboards
3. Moving furniture
4. Hauling dirt
5. Driving your friends around illegally without seatbelts.

Now, although I'm a girl myself...I'm going to have to say that all of these 5 activities are TYPICALLY done by boys. Therefore, in conclusion (redundant much?) Girls...embrace your estrogen and buy a jetta.


Graphic Tees

In Walmart again...I saw a shirt that said, "Shh...that's the sound of nobody caring what you have to say."

I think we've taken this "t-shirts communicating with someone who's reading it" trend a bit too far. That's just mean. And besides...I wasn't even saying anything...I was reading the t-shirt. It's probably difficult to have a conversation with someone WHILE reading their t-shirt. It was probably being worn by the girl driving that truck...that would just figure.

Ok...I'm done being mean for the day.