James Bond can turn any woman into a hypocrite.

I just watching 007 Casino Royale for the first time tonight, and what can I say...besides I'm a hypocrite of my own advice. I'm so in love with the fact of spontaneous adventure love. AGH! Sigh...sometimes I wish I was single just so that I could experience it...then again, I'm sure I wouldn't even if I was, because like I said before, "Movie love isn't real". Sad, I know. 

It also didn't end well for James and Vesper. Poor James, I feel sorry for him really. Will he ever truly love again? I hope so.

Relationships Aren't Movies: What Not to Expect from Real Life Part II

Last time I checked, I was on #7 of my advice list to the hopelessly hopeless movie romantic. Let's continue forth, shall we? I had a request to share my feelings regarding the subject of flowers, so let's start the ball rolling with just that.

7. If you expect a man to go all over creation just to buy you a bouquet of flowers, you may not like the result. Tarzan goes out of his way to find a lovely bouquet of flowers for Jane - swinging in trees, picking flowers with his toes - and before he is able to give them to her, they are trampled and only the stems remain. But yet love prevails, and he gives her the remaining stems with somehow (how now?) one flower still intact; it's such a lovely moment...in cartoon life. 

Now image your guy showing up at your house with a bunch of stems (likely if he only has stems there isn't going to be even one flower still remaining), and presenting them to you with a smirk on his face; definitely isn't as good. In the movies, you get to see the before and after. In real life, you only get to hear about the before and then see the after. It's not much good if he explains why he is standing there holding a bunch of weeds; it only makes a difference if you saw what he went through to get them (which would ruin the purpose entirely seeing as though flowers can only be bought as a surprise...pfft boys...).

8. Don't expect him to use lines that refer back to your past together, ie. "ASSSSSSS YOUUUU WISSSSSSH!!!!" Not going to happen.

9.  If you're waiting for him to write you a song as clever and as sweet as Adam Sandler's for Drew Barrymore in The Wedding Singer, you might have to wait awhile. While some have musically gifted boy's with voices like angels, most of us do not. All we can hope for is to catch them singing quietly along to  Passenger Seat while they are sitting in the passenger's seat. 

10. Jealously. Some men have it, some men don't have enough of it. For those ladies who are thinking "Would it hurt you to be jealous once and awhile?", I believe you're really thinking "Give me my deserved attention FOO!", but do you really want to be like Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop? Some of my friends have dated overly jealous people, and have said they wouldn't do it again. Yes, it's nice to have the feeling that someone is jealous over you, but don't beg for it...you'll just look foolish, and who knows...he may punch out one of your best buddies because of it.

11. It's been ten years since you've seen your old love...don't expect him to have gone all Bruce Wayne on you. 

12. Believe you'll find the one through a series of freak accidents that lead up to a romantic ending. Freak. Accidents. Seriously, there are other ways.

13. Don't expect him to be standing on the sidewalk outside of your favorite coffee hut while you're inside ordering a latte-whatever, when he was suppose to have left for London a couple of hours ago...AND he's holding a single rose. I applaud any guy who actually sacrifices a trip to Europe to stay at home because he love's his lady so. At the same time, I think I would slap him. (I can't recall a specific example for this one at the moment, but we all know they are out there.) 

Be expecting more dating themed blogs. It's the only thing I know; I'm basically a guru.

Relationships Aren't Movies: What Not to Expect from Real Life Part I

Yes, I guess I could go through a movie or twenty and find myself stuck in similar situations as a fictional character, but I'm not going to. Why? Because movies aren't real life, and romantic relationships aren't movies. 

I'm a romantic at heart, and though I try desperately to hide it, I am aware it is evident to some. Here is my advice to those in the dating world who sometimes forget if they are watching a movie or living one:

1. Don't assume he is going to open the car door for you all the time just because "that guy" on "the grossly over girly movie" does. 

2. Don't expect him to be spontaneous. He isn't Captian Jack Sparrow after all...and perhaps that was a bad example.

3. If he hates the rain and you're hoping for a kiss in it, try a squirt bottle. It's the only way to get closer to your Notebook dream.

4. Don't expect a Spidey kiss unless he loves to wear tight spandex and hang on the monkey bars. If he happens to do those things, the kiss has a better chance of being embaressing than "aww" worthy.

5. I'm not sure if chivalry is dead, but I suggest not expecting your man to put his jacket over a puddle you're about to step on. If you don't expect and he ends up following through, then good for you. 

6. When he takes you home for the first time and said goodnight - maybe gave him a smooch - as soon as you close the door don't expect him to start dancing and singing/yelling all the way home as the sprinklers turn on. I've expected "Singing in the Rain" before and was sadly disappointed when I found out he hadn't even seen the movie.

I'm planning on a couple more parts to compile together with this one, because you never can have enough movie metaphors. 

Todays' Doings

1. Been looking at my bank accounts and have started getting worried over the financial state of them.

2. At the second house I was cleaning today, I rammed my back into the faucet of the bathtub when I got up, banged my head bending over to clean the stove top, and hit my fingers on pointy cabinet handles.

Crummy house.

3. A guy almost started peeing in the washroom I was cleaning today while I was still in there. ...ya...

4. Road home listening to The Police and pretended that I was in a karaoke bar singing into my granola bar.

5. I found out that I have secret money waiting for me in November. Coincedence? Hmm?

6. I think I may have more fun with my other blog: my-illustrated-life.blogspot.com. Shameless self-promoting, I know.

7. Looking forward to the weekend. 

8. Looking forward to Whistler.

9. Not looking forward to spending 24hours with other youth leaders.

10. Just kidding about #8.         Or AM I?

Use my Imagination

I remember when I had ideas flowing through my head consistently about what I should do next in my art. I would be driving to work and then see a heron in the fog standing on the side of the highway with cars driving by it, and I would say to myself, "That's what I should paint", but lately it has been harder and harder to come up with things to manipulate or recreate without them being suggested or over thought of. 

I miss when the ideas would invite themselves into my thoughts.  It's hard work searching out creations when I haven't even thought of them as creations before.

I need to start getting into the habit of writing down things when they come to mind, because before long I am going to forget them. Now that I think about it, I remember thinking I had so many sweet ideas I still needed to take advantage of, and that I wasn't worried about forgetting them because they were just that good. Well, I have forgotten most of them; apparently they weren't that good.

I should buy a note book and take notes of my mind. Sounds like a gallery show. "Notes of my Mind". Meh, maybe one day.

Amanda's Wake.

Minimal information. Snabba conscious of what the crap is around? I can't believe the heater noise is so loud, it's louder than this mute button. Yoso button of this magnacarta is exponentially bigger than my - what what say?

Drowning dogs voices out there, what is going on? They stopped barking about a minut- there it is again. Vicarious demon dogs of my backyard snapping at my mailman...the mail man...simi-man.

I was walking outside when.

Was just looking at this ting that was someelis out domb drum shaffer. You'lis crumb from the front tree branch. At least I know it's sunny outside.

While I am sitting here I might as well make good watch and time myself for my thought's and present the tuylous of the magoritous sand wish aloof to like; shutup.

Why was I watching this anyways? I don't remember this episode at all. Wait, is this the one? Oh, I hear a car. It was two car -- Is this the one where the dad gets angry for Rob skipping school? This is boring and mindle.

The last thing I remember from a minute ago is the hand gestures they were making on the black keys. Why are they black? My inside eyes are going fuzzle. When I close my eyes, it's like I see white things dancing like. Let's use a different w. Cancuddle of the watery trail called basilcava.

There goes that blasted heater again. Sounds like a low drum of a wheelbarrow. Tumble tumble tumble while things are bumbling around. It. What now. It's your friend; tell it to be quiet too you brutus apple. I'm hungry. Inside the paper bag from the store is where I found some old food for breakfeast. It is done. Gut hide rotery abounds the rea-reap jugga-jug jee. At least I get to practice my words.

I've Lost my Melodic Fingers

Last Sunday I was asked to play guitar for worship at Church, which I ended up saying yes to. On the Saturday, I picked up my guitar to get some practice in for the coming day; it had only been a couple of months since I last played, no big deal. Looking through one of my guitar music books, I stumbled upon music I had learned while still in high school. Good music. Music I used to be able to play well. Music that I tried to play again. Music I sorely massacred.

It was horribly. Before my very eyes I realized I had been dumbed down to chords only, and I forgot almost everything I knew about picking/patterns. I looked on youtube to find a video of someone playing a song I used to be able to play. I found one. I cried a little inside.



I used to be able to play that! AGHHHHH!

Anyways, by realizing my lost talent ("the murderious guitar picker of emeryville"), I have felt a little more motivated to play. Hopefully this will stay with me so in ten years I won't have to resort to the G, C and D chords all the time.

Sick.

Eagles in the Sky

The way those wings soared by the van passenger window
into the sky, just to come back down and sleep in my eyes.
You pointed and said,

“Look, look!”

And what explanation could I give but to give in?
Your starry eyes laid in the skies watching to see your childhood
come alive; mine started with your joyful voice.
The eagles were floaters which gave us time
to point out the wonders of nature as we sped by.
Every drive for twenty-one years we rode this way;
searching eyes for skies, eagles flying for you.

Have they all gone now that you’re not here?

The Weaker; The Stronger

The one thing a leader, a passerby, or a friend have/should have in common is always having the best interest of others in mind. Sometimes when we're placed in these roles, we wonder if it's possible God has the wrong person for the job; that in fact we could be hindering others instead of helping them. Everyone has their moments of doubt, and doubt is actually a healthy thing. It reminds us that we must lean on God to be able to muster strength and be able to pass it on to others who need it.

I may appear strong but in fact I am weak. For the last year or so, I've been placed in positions where I know what my duties are (as a youth leader, a student, a daughter, a stranger, a friend...) but in a daze of internal weakness have wondered if I am really improving the situation I am in, or just making it worse. Knowing there are so many obstacles which are hidden to the blind eye but apparent to me increases the pressure of doing good and crawling out of my comfort zone. I mean crawling, on hands and feet. I love doing good, but what if what I call good isn't really good at all?

Oh Lord, remind us we are here for a reason, that You have created
loving opportunities for us to take advantage of. Let us not be scared about
showing You who we are. Give us encouragement in our daily situations; that we
aren't damaging others, but instead encouraging love. Let us not
worry, and remind us that weakness gives us the chance to
fully lean on You for strength.