New Name...

I decided to change the name of my blog. I feel like I'm really coming out of the whole "quarterlife crisis" thing, so the former name ("Musings In the Midst of My Quarterlife Crisis") just didn't fit anymore. I do want to say that by naming my blog "Here's What I Think," I am in no way insinuating that you should actually care what I think. I just generally have a lot of opinions and this is a great place to share them. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading and feel free to share your opinions as well. Peace. Out.

Young Hollywood...

Paul and I got back from vacation the other night and watched a little TiVO before bed. We got to see the Lindsay Lohan interview on Letterman. As I was watching, it struck me what a contradiction she and others in Young Hollywood are. I mean, she came out in a black see-through (no, really, see-through) dress that was way too mature for an 18-year-old to be wearing. During her interview she was attempting to turn on the charm for ol' Dave and succeeded a few times. Mostly, though, she just giggled and got embarrassed and looked like a little girl trying on Mommy's clothes.

It just hit me that so many of the "celebrities" who are popular right now are so young. This is probably yet another sign that I'm getting older, but I can't believe how often teenagers or people in their early 20's are popping up. Flipping through any celeb magazine you'll see Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johannson, Mischa Barton, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Katie Holmes, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and plenty more who are all 30 (Angelina) or younger. It's crazy! And the even crazier thing is that most of these have been famous for years! Don't get me wrong, I love celebrities and I enjoy reading about what they're up to, and part of me thinks it's a little bit cool to read about people my own age. BUT...it's also a little disturbing.

Over vacation we watched the Sex and the City episode, "Hot Child in the City," where a group of thirteen-year-olds are acting (and dressing, and talking) like they are already in their 30's. Samantha, who is in her 30's and well, a bit of a slut, realizes at the end that she had been envious of the leader of that group, who was rich and had everything, until she realized she had something those younger girls didn't...a childhood.

That's where I am with all of these celebrities. I mean, of course I think it would be fabulous to have been on tour for a few years, to have made a few movies, to afford Louis Vuitton luggage and shop at Kitson, to get Ken Paves to do my hair, and all of those other perks that come along with being a celebrity. But I don't think I'd want that in place of my childhood. Lindsay Lohan isn't even 19 yet! She should've just danced all night at the Prom, graduated high school, gone to grad week at the beach, and be getting ready for college. Instead, she's out partying with people 10-20 years older than her (David Spade was at her birthday party, for heaven's sake!).

I just think it's really sad that (a) they are not getting to experience the joys and wonders of childhood and (b) that they are probably rubbing off on the teenagers and tweenagers in the normal world. Little by little innocence is lost until you get to the point where you have to look to elementary school to find it. Are we there already? I certainly hope not.

AFI's Top 10 Movie Quotes...

If you didn't get a chance to watch the broadcast of AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes last night, shame on you! :) Just kidding. Here are the Top 10...

10. You talkin' to me? - Taxi Driver
9. Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night. - All About Eve
8. May the force be with you. - Star Wars IV
7. All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup. - Sunset Blvd.
6. Go ahead, make my day. - Sudden Impact
5. Here's looking at you kid. - Casablanca
4. Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. - The Wizard of Oz
3. I coulda been a contender. - On the Waterfront
2. I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. - The Godfather

And the number one movie quote of all time....

1. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. - Gone With the Wind

Since I, like many of you, frequently use movie lines in general conversation, I thoroughly enjoyed this list. What are some of your favorite movie lines?

Today in Entertainment...

Here are some items you may (or likely may not) be interested to see...

The chemistry is undeniable. I'm telling you Katie Holmes is just a filler! Oh, sure, I know she's now got a rock the size of Texas to seal the deal, but she's not the end goal. Just wait and see. Also, has anyone else thought about the fact that Tom Cruise is the same age as Brad Pitt. Katie Holmes is just two or three years younger than Angelina Jolie. Yet no one is making a huge deal about the age difference between Brangelina. Hmmm...maybe it's because KH is our little Joey Potter and AJ is the girl who carried a vial of blood around her neck.

One more Cruise item then I promise I'll stop. TC got squirted in the face by a fake microphone doing the press line at the London premiere of War of the Worlds. I saw the clip on FoxNews and it's hilarious. As Bird said it's like he didn't know what to do without a script. If you've ever seen Ben Stiller do TC on SNL's Celebrity Jeapordy, it was very much like that!

Whether or not you were watching Britney Spears' series "Chaotic," you should read the recap of at least the final episode (although, all of them are hilarious) which shows how Britney pulled off her "wedding" in secret. Warning: some bad language and lots of insults to the Spears-Federline clan abound!

Finally, the American Film Institute (AFI) will be presenting 100 Years, 100 Movie Quotes tonight on CBS. I'm betting on "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" for the Top 5! At AFI's site, you can see the 400 nominated quotes that were voted on to make up the top 100.

Enjoy your day!

What are we doing here?

Paul and I are visiting the Wheelers this week in eastern NC. This past Thursday and Friday, we went out to Manteo, NC, where the first English colony settled in the New World. You may remember them as the "Lost Colony." We saw a theatrical production depicting the events leading up to the colony's disappearance and it got me thinking...That colony disappeared over 400 years ago (in the late 1580's) and yet crowds still visit the site and walk the grounds where they were settled. If our world survives (and the Lord tarries) for another 400 years, what are we doing now that will still hold significance and import for that generation?

I think it is probably common of those my age to wonder what it's all about. Does anything we do matter? Are we making a difference? I would certainly hope that it wouldn't be something like my disappearance that would make my life memorable. And I hope the same is true for my generation. But I look around at Generations X and Y and I have to wonder. What are we doing here? What significant good or bad effects are we leaving on the world around us?

Will Seattle end up being the most important city of our generation because it was the birthplace of Starbucks and alternative music? Or maybe the ATL where rap music was re-born? Will we go down in history as the generation that lived by those immortal words "Here we are now/Entertain us?"

Or maybe, just maybe, we'll be the generation that finally finds a cure for AIDS and cancer. Maybe we'll end poverty and starvation all over the world. Maybe we'll learn to live in peace with those from other races, other cultures, other religions.

My personal belief is that we are one of the last generations. I do believe Jesus will come back before too long. But what if He doesn't? What if it's another 400 years? What kind of world will your great-great-great-great-etc. grandchildren live in? And what will have been your part in it?

Veronica Mars lives in Neptune...

Don't you think that's hilarious? Anyway, I just watched my first episode of "Veronica Mars" (the Pilot, in fact) tonight on UPN, and this show is awesome! They said they were going to air the show "from the beginning," but they're actually not showing the episodes in order. I wouldn't normally encourage this (not in public anyway), but you can download the episodes online and watch them in order if you'd like. The Pilot is re-airing Sunday night if you want to check it out. It got renewed for next season and I will definitely be making time for it then!!

Get by with a little help from my friends...

Yesterday Paul and I took a 7 mile hike (yes, you read that right...me on a 7 mile hike!) up Panther Creek (near Toccoa, GA) with Jason and Mary Brewer and Jonathan and Corrie Shirey. It was a beautiful day...warm, but shaded for most of the trail, so very pleasant...and we were by the water almost the whole time. The trail was 3.5 miles in, with a huge waterfall and shallow pool at the end. We were so thankful for the cool water once we got to the end of the trail!

The trail was fairly easy, but had several parts that were more difficult. There was more climbing and foothold seeking than I was expecting, but nothing too hard. During those times when it was more difficult, I was so thankful not to be out there alone. Whenever I needed it, I always had someone to seek out the way in front of me and show me how to continue. I always had a helping hand at the ready if I stumbled or needed steadying.

Hiking that trail made me think about the difficult times in life when I'm also very glad to be surrounded by good friends. It's such a blessing to have people to look up to who set a good example that I can follow when I might have a question. I feel so lucky to have friends who offer a supportive or steadying hand when life feels shaky and uncertain. Most of all, I'm thankful that no matter what happens in this life, no matter how difficult it may be, there is something beautiful and refreshing to look forward to at the end.

The One Campaign...

Some of you probably saw the interview with Brad Pitt on Primetime Live last night. Although Pitt talked briefly about Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, the focus of the piece was on Brad's work with the ONE Campaign. This is the campaign to end AIDS, starvation, and extreme poverty in Africa and other parts of the world. The G8 Summit is next month where the most powerful countries in the world (including America) will be represented to discuss what can be done about these issues. Please take the time to look at the site and consider signing the declaration. Also, take a look at who else has signed. It's so cool to finally see a cause that is uniting Christians with humanitarians and celebrities.

An Unspoken Request...

I don't know if your church was like this, but when it came time to give prayer requests at the church where I grew up, several people would ask for prayer for this or that, then the pastor would ask for all of those who had "unspoken" requests to just raise their hand. That gave those who were too shy to stand up in front of everyone or whose request was too personal a chance to ask the community to pray for them without having to go into detail. Well, I am now raising my hand and asking you to remember an unspoken request. It's not something that I will ever be able to talk about, but it is very serious and very private. If you don't mind praying for a need you know nothing about, I and the people around me would appreciate your prayers. I'm not trying to be coy or mysterious by not going into the details. I wasn't even going to say anything about it, but then I thought...what's the point of being so connected to friends if I can't ask for something as serious as this when I really need it? Thanks for remembering me.

Speaking English...

Other than trying to get some pictures up, I promise this will be my last post about London. I know you're thinking...what could she possibly have to say that wasn't said already in that Great Wall of China-sized post from yesterday??? Well, I just wanted to share a few of the *minor* differences between American English and (as they say) the Queen's English. We'll do American English on the left and the Queen's English on the right. These are only words or phrases Paul and I actually heard while there, not stuff we've heard from others. Here we go....

Exit = Way Out
Entrance = Way In
Yield = Give Way
Umbrella = Brolly
A long time = Donkey's years
Stroller = Pushchair
Subway = Tube or Underground
Bus = Coach
Elevator = Lift
Movie Theater = Cinema
Television = Telly
Soccer Player = Footballer
Trash = Rubbish
Trash Can = Bin
Called (I called him yesterday) = Rang (I rang him yesterday)
Trunk = Boot
Luggage Cart or Shopping Cart = Trolley
Refill = Top Up
Gas = Petrol
ATM = Cash Machine or Cashpoint
Mom = Mum

Feel free to share any you may have come across! :)

London...

I'm baaaaaaack!!! Paul and I got home yesterday afternoon after a wonderful trip to London! I want to share the things we saw and did for two reasons...first, because I want to tell everyone about it and only want to type it all once, and second, so that you'll have our own tips and suggestions if you ever decide to make a visit of your own. Here goes...

SATURDAY, May 21
My mom dropped us off at the Charlotte airport Sunday evening. As we were saying goodbye and unloading our luggage, there was a car parked in front of Mom's picking some people up. Paul and I headed on into the airport. Mom patiently waited for the people in front of her to load all their kids and stuff so she could leave as well. They took a while, so the man finally came back to thank her for being so patient, and it was none other than Kirk Cameron!!! I can't believe he was right there the whole time and I didn't get to show him the picture I always have with me of my sister and me with him when we were 6 and 8 years old!!

SUNDAY, May 22
We arrived in London at about 8:30 am London time. It took a few hours to get our luggage, buy our TravelCards (for the tube and bus systems), take the tube out to where we were staying, and unload. We were exhausted, but wanted to see a little of the city that day if we could. We ate at a pizza buffet place in Victoria Station and wandered around a bit. We found a movie theatre where Star Wars 3 was playing and decided to see it. It was an awesome movie, but the tickets were 9 pounds (which equals $18) each!! So, that was pretty much the most expensive movie we've ever seen!

MONDAY, May 23
We took a bus tour that you could hop on and hop off all day and it was wonderful! We rode on the second story of the bus which was open-air. We got to spend the whole day outside and see our first London sights...Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey...we pretty much stayed on the buses all day, but it was awesome getting our first glimpse of the city! We ate at the original Hard Rock Cafe and turned in early.

TUESDAY, May 24
We spent the day at the Tower of London which was amazing! We saw the Crown Jewels, the scaffold site where Anne Boleyn and others were hanged, and lots of other neat things. It's definitely worth your time! That evening we went down to Covent Garden which was really cool. We ate at the White Lion and it was delicious! I had my first traditional English meal of steak and ale pie! :)

WEDNESDAY, May 25
Wednesday was spent in Oxford, about an hour's train ride from London. This was, by far, our favorite thing we did/saw all week. Oxford is a quaint English village that charmed our socks off. We saw Magdalen (pronounced "maudlin") College at Oxford University where CS Lewis taught and ate dinner at the Eagle and Child, where Lewis, JRR Tolkien, and others met weekly. Magdalen College is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been! It was absolutely stunning and breath-taking. We attended the evening mass at the chapel there.

THURSDAY, May 26
We went to Brighton (again, about an hour's train ride from London) Thursday. Brighton is on the beach and was very touristy, but still cute. They have the only nude beach in England, but we decided against that this trip! :) It truly is the Myrtle Beach of England, though....Crazy Mouse roller coaster and all!

FRIDAY, May 27
Friday we went to Windsor and saw Windsor Castle. The castle is ginormous!! You just can't believe how huge it is. It's the largest working castle in the world. We went inside and were amazed that people actually live there. It was awesome! We saw the chapel where Charles and Camilla were married a few months ago and walked over to Eton. The campus was closed, but the town was really cute. If you have plenty of money to spend and are looking for unique antiques, Eton is the place to go!

SATURDAY, May 28
Saturday morning we went out to Portobello Market in Notting Hill. It was so cute and would've been a lot of fun if there hadn't been SO many dang people!! You literally couldn't hardly walk down the street because of the crowd! We only stayed there for about an hour and didn't even get to see the Travel Book Shop from the movie because we were so frustrated. After leaving the market, we headed out to Greenwich where the Prime Meridian is. It was really cool to actually stand on THE Prime Meridian and learn all about how they came up with the whole idea of latitude and longitude. That night we ate at a Tex-Mex restaurant, Cafe Sol, which was horrible! My strongest piece of advice is to stick with the traditional English fare when you're eating out. All the English food we had was delicious, but when we tried to branch out, we were almost always disappointed. When we got back to London we hung out that evening in Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square.

SUNDAY, May 29
We went to church with our hostess, Marion, Sunday morning. After church we ate at Pizza Express, which is a popular chain restaurant. "Express" gives you the wrong impression, though. It's actually a nice sit-down gourmet pizza restaurant that was very good, but a little pricey. Afterwards, we crossed the Thames on the Millenium Bridge to look at St. Paul's cathedral. WOW! It is so huge and impressive. We attended the Evensong service there that afternoon, which was amazing and inspiring. That night, we saw The Tempest at the Shakespeare's Globe theatre. It's a reproduction of the old Globe and so cool! We got the cheap tickets and stood out in front of the stage (just like peasants in the old days!). The play was fabulous, though. After the play, we went out and saw Abbey Road.

MONDAY, May 30
Monday was bittersweet because, by this time, we were pretty ready to get home, but still sad to leave. This was the only day where the weather was truly horrible! It was cold and rainy until late in the afternoon. We went to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace that morning, stopped by Westminster Abbey (but didn't go in), and then wandered around Harrod's for a while. We had lunch at the Taratai Thai Restaurant, just down and across from Harrod's, and it was delicious! After lunch, we went to the Natural History Museum, which was amazing and free! :) On the way home, we stopped at King's Cross Station to look for Platform 9 3/4 ...they've actually put up a sign for it! After that, we were back home to pack and prepare for an early morning.

We flew out TUESDAY, May 31, around noon. It was truly an amazing experience, and, as you can see, we did and saw a LOT! By the end of our stay, we were totally exhausted. London and the surrounding areas did not disappoint, though. It was so awesome being in a place where you're surrounded by so much history. I hope you all get the chance to go someday!