I've seen Fire, and I've seen Rain...lots of Rain!

Whenever James Taylor comes to Charlotte, my family always gets together to see him. JT always plays the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (Blockbuster Pavilion to any long-time Charlotte area residents!), so we get a bunch of lawn tickets and camp out for a nice summer evening under the stars listening to great music. Last night was the big night and we had quite a number in our party...my mom, her husband, his four kids, three of their friends, my sister, four of her friends, and myself.

We got to the venue and set up our camp, a little wary of the dark cloud hovering in the distance, but confident the rain would pass right over us...after all, almost every year they call for rain on the night of the JT concert and it hadn't rained yet. JT played his first set which included a good bit of newer music, but also some classics...Whenever I See Your Smiling Face, Handyman (my favorite) and Mexico. Near the end of the set, we felt a few drops and put on our sweatshirts and parkas, but we were in luck...no rain yet.

Intermission lasted for about half an hour. In the last ten minutes, the bottom fell out! There was no thunder or lightning (yet), so most people just accepted the fact they were going to get wet, and waited for the second set to start. Almost as soon as the music started back up, the thunder and lightning kicked in. A lot of people (including my sister and her friends, and my mom's husband and his crowd) decided to leave. I, however, am a huge JT fan and was determined to stay. My mom decided to stay with me.

By this time, the crowd on the lawn was really thinning out. Mom and I made our way up to the front of the lawn and found two abandoned folding chairs that we folded up and sat on like mats while we enjoyed a few more songs. We stuck it out for about 30 minutes before finally giving in and leaving. But those 30 minutes were the best! The rain was down to a steady drizzle, the lightning had settled down, and JT pulled out all the hits...Fire and Rain, Sweet Baby James, Carolina In My Mind, and Steamroller. The people around us were obviously die-hard fans as well, so everyone was quietly singing along, but not disrupting the mood. It was awesome!

I wish I could tell you what he ended on and how many encores he did, but I have no idea. We left after Steamroller and headed back home to get dry! I can't say it's the best concert experience I've ever had, but it was certainly one I'll never forget!

Out with the old, in with the new...

Can I just say...I'm so tired of "new bands." If I have to hear some new band heralded as The Next (Fill in the Blank), or as The Answer to Rock's Prayers, or as bringing a New Sound to Music, there may very well be gnashing of teeth.

I'm not trying to say I don't enjoy stumbling upon a new band. I love music and I love being exposed to new things. It just seems like the old bands who are still really good can't get any respect unless they break up, then release a comeback album, or stage a reunion. And it seems like it's the "in thing" to be a "new band" rather than a solid, established band. So, the old bands are taking some time off, then coming out with a new album (Oasis), going on tour (Duran Duran), and possibly coupling that with a reality show (Dee Snyder...hee hee).

Of course, there are some artists who are so old, they're new again...Johnny Cash, Ray Charles. These I don't mind so much, as I've always been a fan of the classics.

I guess I just don't understand why everyone feels the need to revolutionize music. It's like they're all just trying too hard. I understand that there are natural evolutions and progressions between styles of music, but everything these days just seems so...forced. So marketed. So affected.

Or perhaps I've finally crossed over into old fogey territory...they just don't make music like they used to.

How do I love thee, TiVo, let me count the ways...

I love my TiVo. No, seriously. I love my TiVo. There aren't many things I'd say this about, but if someone asked me to do a commercial or give a testimonial about TiVo...I'd do it. In a heartbeat. I don't know how people live without it.

Now, I know you are probably wondering, "What's the big flippin' deal with TiVo?" There are three, no, four main things I love about it:

1. You can pause during live TV and then come back to it at your leisure. This is a priceless feature for a Resident Director of a girls dorm! Not that I mind, but my phone rings a lot and my door receives many knocks in the primetime hours. It is so nice not to stress out about whether or not I'm missing an important part of my favorite show. I can just hit pause, take care of business, and jump right back in, even fast forwarding through commercials. Which leads me to...

2. You can fast forward through commercials! If you're watching something that's been recorded earlier or you start a program about 15 minutes late, you can fast forward through all of the commercials! If you pause to step away and then come back to it, you can fast forward until you get caught back up with what's currently on. I'm so used to this that I regularly try to fast forward the commercials of whatever I'm watching wherever I am!

3. The movies. Oh, the movies! I can search for things to record based on category. I select "Movies" and it shows me ALL of the movies coming on for the next two weeks. It doesn't matter what network. You cannot imagine the joy this brings me. So, every two weeks or so, I scroll through the movies, select the ones I want to record, and then get surprised whenever they show up in my "Now Playing" list!

4. The Season Pass. There's nothing worse than getting involved in a show and not being able to see every episode. Or missing a pivotal episode. Or forgetting what time it comes on and missing it completely! With TiVo, you just sign up for a "Season Pass" and it will automatically record every episode of that show for the entire season. You don't even have to think about it anymore!

I know, I know. I sound like a walking advertisement. I really am not overstating it to say that TiVo will change your life. You may be thinking "I don't watch enough TV to make it worth it." The thing is, no matter how much you watch or what type of TV you watch (movies, sports, re-runs, new shows), TiVo just makes it more convenient to watch anything. You are no longer ruled by the TV Guide...you get to decide when you want to watch whatever it is you want to watch.

So, if you want to have your TV viewing changed for the better, just call this toll-free number... No, I'm kidding. I just truly love my TiVo and want to sing its praises whenever I get the chance. I hope someday you too discover the joy of TiVo!

New Pictures...

You can check out the most recent pictures of Gabe at my photo blog. Is he cute or what??

Grad School, Here I Come!

I'm planning to start on my MA in Communications next month and went yesterday to meet with an advisor about my classes. I had already looked to see what was being offered in my concentration (Telecommunications) and had a good idea of what I wanted to take. I literally talked with an advisor for about eight minutes before he approved my desired schedule and sent me back up to the secretary's office with my paperwork. At UGA, you actually register yourself for classes online, but each semester you have to meet with an advisor. Anyway, all that to say, I now have three classes lined up for the Fall (Proseminar in Mass Comm., Research Methodology in Mass Comm., and Programming and Criticism in Telecommunications), and I'm so excited!

Being on UGA's campus was such a surreal experience...one that I'm sure will be magnified once I actually start classes. It was like being a little tiny Freshman all over again. I don't know where to park! I can't find my building! It was exciting, too, though. Now all I have to worry about is what I'll wear on the first day of class! :)

Exercise you can actually enjoy...

So, anyone who knows me knows I'm not a big exercise enthusiast (heck, anyone who's seen me could vouch for that!). I do exercise because I want to be healthy and I want to be fit and I want to wear cute clothes, but as a rule, I don't love it. I think I may finally have found the thing that will make me love it, though...the recumbent bike. (It's a stationary bike that you sit back on rather than sitting on a bicycle seat.)

Paul and I got an recumbent bike about a week and a half ago, but I was in Charlotte all last week and only got to use it last night. I loved it! We have it set up in the back bedroom, right in front of the TV. I was on it for about an hour last night and still got to watch Entertainment Tonight (which, no, I don't watch all the time, but it's great motivation for working out!).

If you're out there and looking for a new exercise routine, I highly recommend the bike. You get a great workout and you can watch TV or read while you're doing it. What could be better than that?!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince...

So, I just finished the new Harry Potter book last night and it is amazing! Several people have asked if it's my favorite so far, and the answer is...I really don't know! So much happened in the book and soooo much is set up for the next one, that I'm really just still processing it all.

I'm not going to post anything specific here on the front page, but if you want to discuss, please do so in the comments section on this post. I would love to hear from any of you guys that have read it.

This will be your only warning...don't read the comments unless you want to be spoiled!!

Only in the movies...

Check out this list of 40 things that only happen in the movies...it's pretty funny! Can you think of any others?

London Online...

I know you've all been waiting with baited breath for this announcement, so here it is...the London photos are now online! YAY!! :) You can see them at my photo blog.

Visiting London was one of the highlights of my life and I hope the pictures portray that. It is truly a beautiful city and everyone we met was absolutely lovely. My heart is still hurting for the people whose lives were touched by last week's bombing. Grace and peace to all of you.

London Photos, Round 1...

I posted the first group of London pics on my photo blog. Included are pictures from Oxford, Brighton, and some random around-the-city pics. Hope you enjoy them!

Exploring Blogdom...

So, the last few days have been really slow for me. I'm sort of in an in-between time here having no real work responsibilities and waiting for my next job in Charlotte to start (this Friday if you were wondering). Paul's busy with his final class for his Master's, and I've actually taken time to clean out and organize my desk including our ridiculously large collection of pens and pencils...I even sorted them by type and put rubber bands around them to keep them together. Sick, right?

In an effort to keep the boredom at bay, I recently clicked on the "next blog" button at the top of the blogger page. I highly recommend doing this. It's truly an amazing experience to see what some people blog about! I found a blog that is trying to rid the world of atheism, a blog about one man's family adventures, and several in languages I couldn't understand.

One blog that was recently recommended to me is La Coquette. It's the blog of an American girl living in Paris and working in the fashion industry. She is very funny and has a gift for capturing what's going on around her.

So the moral of the story is...if you have a few minutes, you've read all your friends' blogs, and you're starting to feel that boredom creep in, take the leap and click the "next blog" button...you never know what you might find!

New Photo Blog...

I just added the link to my new photo blog where you'll be able to check out recent pictures. The first post just has pics of family, but I'll add the London pictures soon!

Just Wondering...

Why is it that I just can't get enough of spunky girls and guys named Logan?

Fantastic Four and War of the Worlds...

Last week Paul and I got to see Fantastic Four (F4) and War of the Worlds (WW). Two seemingly similar movies, but very, very different.

Fantastic Four was pretty much your classic comic book movie, more like X-Men than Spiderman. Batman Begins, which we saw earlier this summer, is by far the best of the comic book movies as far as character development and acting ability goes, but I enjoyed F4. The special effects were pretty good, particularly the makeup for The Thing. I have no idea what was involved, particularly with the stuff on Michael Chiklis' face, but it was, well, fantastic. It completely transformed his appearance while retaining his facial expressions and mannerisms.

Several critics have commented on the lack of acting skills Jessica Alba has within her arsenal. I disagree. Sure, she's not going to win an Academy Award for this performance, and her, um, physical assets probably helped her get the role, but she actually did a pretty good job. I have liked her since her TV show "Dark Angel." I think she's grown a lot since then (I mean she's grown as an actor, people, geez, get your mind out of the gutter!), and she handled the role well. You could see how she was the responsible, level-headed, realistic one of the bunch while being pretty and enigmatic enough to have multiple guys in love with her.

The movie is a feel-good one, where the good guys struggle with their new identities only to embrace them and defeat the bad guy at the end. The ending left a great set-up for future sequels which are sure to come. If you like comic book movies, you'll probably enjoy F4.

Now, WW...hmmm, where do I start? Well, first the good. Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning are really amazing in this film. Cruise has definitely upped his own acting chops and does really well. This is one of the few movies where I believe he was actually acting and not just doing what Tom Cruise would do in (fill-in-the-blank) situation. Dakota Fanning is, of course, a phenomenal little actress and this movie gives her the chance to play the kid in every respect. She gets to scream, she gets to bond with a parent, she gets to miss her mommy, and she gets a lot of really great wide-eyed close-ups.

The special effects are also out of this world. I am one who prefers to never see the actual aliens (I'd rather just see their shadow, or one little piece of their hand, or something like that), but these are pretty good. Their creepy and weird and look like they're from another planet. Their ships are sleek and look fast and durable...two things you'd need for intergalactic travel.

Now, I don't want to give anything away, because I hate when reviews do that. I'll just say that the way the aliens interact with the humans was a bit more, well, a lot more, disturbing than I was expecting. The movie is extremely intense, and you're literally on the edge of your seat most of the time. I definitely recommend seeing it on the big screen to get the full effect. If you're a fan of big budget sci-fi, you'll probably enjoy WW.

A bit of humor on a dark day...

I woke this morning to the sound of the telephone ringing. It was my dad asking if we were watching the news. There were reports of a terrorist attack in London and he thought we'd have a special interest in it since we had just been there a few weeks ago. We immediately turned on the tv and were horrified by what we saw. There were three tube trains and one double-decker bus that were attacked. From what they could tell, explosives went off in the trains between stations and on the bus while it was on the street. About 40 people were killed and more than 700 injured.

Having ridden on the public transit system in London so recently, this attack has hit very close to home for us. It can be hard to keep the fear and uncertainty at bay, but I hope this will be a time when people continue to come together and turn to God and peace instead of violence and revenge.

Here's a bit of British humor to hopefully brighten your day. As always, here's my disclaimer that I have not fully explored this website and only claim responsibility for what's on the page to which I direct you.

Random Thoughts...

All we saw while we were in London were "Back the Bid" signs all over the place! Seems all that promotion worked...London will host the 2012 Olympics. Hats off to you, mates!

The G8 Summit begins today. Should be interesting to see what the outcomes will be.

Just finished reading Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger. Really interesting. Granger stretches his symbolism a bit, but overall it was a great read. Started Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir. It's the story of one of the greatest historical mysteries. Lord Darnley was married to Queen Mary in the late 1500's and died in an explosion at their castle in 1567. The mystery lies in the fact that it was later discovered that Lord Darnley had been suffocated before the explosion. While several people stood to gain from his death, no one really knows who murdered him. Weir writes about the history surrounding this mystery and gives her guess as to who the murderer was.

I've been trying to post some pictures here on my blog and can't get the images to go through. I'm on the Create a Post page, I click the icon for Add Image (the little square that looks like a picture of mountains), I choose which picture(s) I want to post, and nothing happens. It starts the process, but never finishes. Any tips???

In celebrity news...Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck were recently married and confirmed that they are expecting a baby in the Fall. I'm not much of a Ben Affleck fan, but good for them if they're happy. My main concern at this point is how this pregnancy will effect my favorite show, Garner's "Alias."

Saw the movie "The Perfect Man" with Heather Locklear and Hilary Duff. It was surprisingly good. I mean, you know, chick-flick all the way, but really sweet and well-acted.

I've started listening to country music again. I can't help it!! I veered away from it during college because I was kind of tired of it after high school and was discovering new rock music, but lately I've been going back. Jennifer Nettles' band Sugarland is phenomenal!

Though I'm not quite ready for the students to come back, summer boredom is settling in. I only have a week and a half until CATS (Christian Artist Talent Search) for INSP, though, and that's one of my favorite shoots every year. After that, it will be one week until MegaFest (TD Jakes' ginormous conference for families in Atlanta), and then back to work and on to graduate school.

Peace. Out.

Something to think about...

One of our greatest contemporary poets, Mr. Adam Duritz, wrote that memories are just films about ghosts. Carefully edited movies starring people we never really were. Since the caveman grunted overblown bear stories by the fire, we’ve struggled to capture the moment. To stop time. To stay precisely there and then when everything was for once, and for always, so very…right.

If your life had a rewind button, where would you go? Would it be the way you remember it? Would you be disappointed by the life between the cuts? The stuff you chose not to include in the movie playing in your head?

My apologies to Mr. Duritz, but if memories are films about ghosts, then the imagined future is a clumsy re-enactment of things that might never happen.

No matter how hard we try, the future never comes….it’s always “right now.” If life had a pause button, would you know when to use it? Would you know this is it, man…these are the cherished, perfect, stainless hours I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to replicate and reclaim?

And what do we have if the past is a lie and the future never comes? What’s left of us then?

Cooper Day, from ABC's "The Days"