carve a pumpkin!

If you want to carve a pumpkin, but don't want to deal with all the slimy guts, click here.

Have fun!

GLEE-cap #5

I didn't think I was going to like this week's GLEE episode for two reasons. First, it was all about the Rocky Horror Picture Show. To call this musical "risque" is an understatement. I watched the movie a month or two ago when I heard GLEE was going to do an episode on it. I would recommend it to NO ONE. There was not one single redeemable thing in the entire 2 hours. I completely regret watching it. If you're curious about it, I would just read the film's synopsis on Wikipedia. It gives you an idea of what it's all about and won't leave your eyeballs despising you.

The second reason I didn't think I'd like the episode was it was another "tribute" ep. In the past, the tribute ones have no plot. They're basically an excuse to just sing songs from the artist they admire. Between these two reasons, I went into the night feeling very unsure about it. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked the episode. It wasn't my favorite or anything. But I overall enjoyed it. The dialogue, the tamer version of the songs, the interaction between the characters...all good.

TOP TEN QUOTES/MOMENTS FROM "ROCKY HORROR GLEE SHOW"

10) "I have no idea what's going on in this script. And it's not in a cool 'Inception' kind of way." -Finn

9) I loved Sue lighting her carved pumpkin and then slowly looking up (menacingly) at the 2 news-men in her office.

8) "Dammit, Janet" in the choir room. Mercedes, Kurt, and Quinn are hilarious in the background of Rachel and Finn singing to each other. There's a part where they pretend to barf when Rachel sings something cutesy. I also love it when Finn spins her around. Wheeee!

7) "Ain't no carpool lane to sexy." -Sam, lifting up his shirt to show his ab-ulous stomach to Finn

"Damn straight," -Artie, lifting a tiny 3 pound weight.

6) When Sue walks by and sees Dr. Carl (Uncle Jesse) and Emma showing each other their costumes for Halloween.

"Oh, I'm sorry, and you are...?" -Dr. Carl
*Sue not shaking his hand but narrowing her eyes at him*

5) "When the kids don't have arts, they turn to drugs. And with drugs comes tooth loss." -Sue

4) Mercedes killed her song during the dress rehearsal! So good! She was fierce. And her voice is such a powerhouse. If it's a requirement for Rachel to get one solo per episode, the same should be for Mercedes.

3) Let's take a moment to acknowledge Emma's rendition of "Touch-A Touch-A Touch Me" (We haven't heard Emma sing since "I Could Have Danced All Night" last season). Ok now that that's done, let's take some time to acknowledge Mr. Schuester's abs. When did GLEE become so ab-tastic?! I was p.o.'d that Mr. Schue was having the GLEE kids do Rocky Horror for his own selfish purposes and that he kept chasing Emma, even when he told Uncle Jesse he wouldn't. But my anger seemed to dissipate during that song. What does that say about me? Am I shallow? Or do I just appreciate God's beauty? ;-)

2) Favorite quote of the night...nay, the whole season so far:

"Give me some chocolate or I will cut you." -Becky to Mr. Schue in Sue's office

1) "Time Warp"! Love the song, the costumes, the dancing. Perfect way to end the episode. "It's just a jump to the left..."

Two more quick things before I sign off. GLEE writers, thank you for stating that Rocky Horror Picture Show is not appropriate for high schoolers. GLEE is so influential, and they definitely cross lines. But I finally felt like they used their power for good. I don't think anyone should watch musicals like RHPS, especially young'ens. I'm glad they talked about that.

And Mr. Schuester, thank you for finally realizing you're being lame. Thank you for canceling the show and for telling Emma you're going to back off. Proud of you, Schue.

(P.S. - we have to wait 2 weeks AGAIN until another GLEE episode?! Sad. However, Nov. 9th episode is the one my youngest sister is in. She does background work down in LA and sent me pictures from this ep. She is sitting at a table in the school courtyard while Puck sings "One Love" by Bob Marley. And then Puck tells Artie the two of them should double date with Brittany and Santana. If you know my sis, look for her in that scene in 2 weeks!)

What did you think of the Rocky Horror Glee Show?

Thrill the World 2010

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to once again dress like a zombie and do the Thriller dance with hundreds of other crazy people downtown. Yes, it was time for Thrill The World 2010.

"Thrill The World" is a global attempt to break a Guinness World Record for simultaneously performing the routine from Michael Jackson’s video for “Thriller.” So for example, on the West Coast we did the dance at 4 pm. On the East Coast, it was 7 pm. In Europe, people got up at 1 a.m. to go dance Thriller in the streets. It's so cool knowing that people all around the world are doing the dance at exactly the same time! Last year there were over 23,000 people from 33 countries participating. They are trying to beat that record.

To add to the fun, it was raining the day we did the dance. Wet, soggy, but happy zombies!








Those 2 girls are in my college group and we learned the dance together. We had two other guys from the group taking pictures and video. I wanted to show you the video they took but it's in HD so it's too large to post on youtube. However, I hunted down another video someone took so you can see the dance. You can't see us (we're in the back) but it gives you an idea how it looked.

Can't wait till next year!

GIANTS

Holy crap.

The SF Giants are going to the World Series.

I have been freaking out all night.

born again?

My pastor wrote a book to go along with the current series we are doing at church and I am loving it! I was reading something the other night that I felt like sharing.

John 3:1-4

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born."

The top religious scholar in the land, Nicodemus was impressed enough by Jesus to ask for a secret night meeting so he could get to know this new and exciting young teacher. Jesus gets straight to the point: "You must be born again."

Born again. It's a familiar phrase but what does it mean? Max Lucado explains it like this: "How active were you in your birth? Did you shove yourself out? Did you have a walkie talkie in the womb saying, 'Ok Doc, I'm in position. We are good to GO!'" No.

Someone else did the work.

Someone else felt the pain.

Someone else made the effort.

And we were given life through them.

Same when you're born spiritually. It's not about your effort. Jesus did the work. Jesus felt the pain. Jesus made the effort. He did it so we might have life through him. (John 3:16)

How beautiful.

parrot

It's time for another edition of "My Nephew Is Cuter Than Your Nephew" (sorry, but it's true). My almost 2 year old nephew Judah is at this super fun stage where he imitates and mimics what people do. He's like our own personal parrot. If I roll around on the grass, he rolls around on the grass. If I say "Cool, dude!" he repeats it with just as much fervor.

I was at my parents' house one night and as we were eating dinner, my dad took a sip of his drink and went, "Ahhhhh!!!" afterwards like those old soda commercials. Judah LOVED it. So of course we kept doing it just to see him smile. I mean, come on, look at that smile. Cutest. Kid. Ever.

A couple things to note in the video:

* Judah's name for my dad is "Grandude" and my mom is "Gigi".

* Don't you love the kitchen wallpaper? It has been there since the 70s. My parents had some guys paint the whole house a few years ago but they kept the kitchen wallpaper. My friend calls it the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" kitchen.

* My mom is a nurse and just got home from work so she's still in her scrubs. I want a pair. They look comfy.

GLEE-cap #4

Episode 4. Mr. Schue decides to throw a contest, having the GLEE clubbers sing in duets. Finn and Rachel. Santana and Mercedes. Tina and Mike. Kurt and...Kurt. I was thankful for this episode because we were treated to what makes GLEE great: the kids and their voices. As much as I love Emma and her outfits and Sue and her one-liners, I didn't miss them. I wanted to hear these kids sing!

Of course, GLEE just had to cross the line and have a yucky scene with Brittany and Santana that made me sick to my stomach. Why the heck do they put that in there? It cheapens an amazing show. I could do a whole blog about this but Imma continue. It's time for the GLEE-cap. (Don't read if you haven't seen the episode yet. I don't want to spoil anything for you.)


TOP TEN QUOTES/MOMENTS FROM "DUETS"

10) "All right, question for the group. What's a duet?" -Mr. Schuester

"A blanket." -Brittany (It brought back the memory of Mr. Schue asking what a ballad was and Brittany saying "A male duck". Love. It.)

9) Rachel and Finn singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Could they be cuter? When Finn smiled and wrinkled his nose at her (while playing the drums), I wanted to squeal like a little 12 year old. And I liked the conversation they had after their song about throwing the competition so Sam could win.

8) "So I just want you to know...I'm really into you." -Brittany to Artie

"Oooooookay." (I loved his uncomfortable face as he looked to the side) "Sorry, I'm just a little confused. You've never even made eye contact with me." -Artie

"I know. For awhile I thought you were a robot." -Brittany

7) I reeeeeally like Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet) in a towel. That's all I'm going to say about that.

6) "River Deep/Mountain High" - good lord, those ladies killed it!! Such a good cover. Tina Turner would be proud. They even danced like her. It made me laugh.

5) Mike and Tina's duet "Sing" was super cute. Homeboy can't sing and should definitely stick to dancing. But I guess that was the whole point of the song. When Mr. Schue got up after the song and said, "Thank you, Tina, for introducing us to the amazing voice of Mike Chang!" I was like, "Um, he didn't really sing. He spoke the song." But oh well. He can dance like nobody's bizness.

4) "I thought I was over somebody, but I still think I have feelings for them." -Artie

"The Clintons?" -Brittany

3) I enjoyed Sam and Quinn's version of "Lucky". They would be a good couple together, yes? I think it's because they're both blonde (even if one is a fake-blonde). My sister has this theory that people are attracted to their own hair color.

2) Finn's face when Mr. Schue declared Sam and Quinn the winners. Seriously, go back and watch it again. I think I watched it 5 times and died laughing every time. Rachel is saying, "Unbelievable! I don't know HOW this happened!!" and Finn is trying so hard to fake disappointment and confusion over not winning. Cory Montieth-I love you!

1) The final mash-up song between Rachel and Kurt. Pretty much all my highlights were the songs this week. Let's keep 'em coming, GLEE clubbers!

** Final pressing question: do the Cheerios wear anything besides their uniforms? Brittany was wearing it in her room with Artie, Quinn was wearing it on her date with Sam. Ladies, mix it up a little.

Your throughts on the episode?

Hollywood or bust

I'm leaving today for our annual Fall Road Trip. I'm taking a bunch of college students down to southern California for a weekend o' fun. This year we are hitting Universal Studios. I went 5 years ago and had a blast. These trips are a great time to bond with students - talking in the cars, in the hotel rooms, in lines at the park, etc. I always come back wiped out, but it's so worth it.

Have a great weekend!

GLEE-cap #3

Well THAT was a 180. To go from Britney Spears and her scandalous shenanigans to a whole episode about God and faith. Some views were shared about Jesus: he is a fairy tale character like Santa Claus (Kurt), he is a genie that grants 3 wishes (Finn), he is not the Messiah (Rachel and Puck), he is someone worthy of worship (Mercedes), some people don't believe in him at all (Kurt and Sue), etc. I'm sure we've heard these before. I hope this episode gets people thinking and talking about what they believe. And now...onto the GLEE-cap. (Don't read if you haven't seen the episode yet. I don't want to spoil anything for you.)


TOP TEN QUOTES/MOMENTS FROM "GRILLED CHEESUS"

10) "You got a problem with Jesus?" -Finn to Puck

"No, I got no problem with the guy. I'm a total Jew for Jesus. He's my number one 'Heeb' (Hebrew)." -Puck

9) I loved Mercedes' song "I Look To You". It was so nice seeing/hearing Mercedes sing - she is so talented and a bit under-used on the show. I know she can belt it out, but I liked this song because it also showed the softer side of her voice.

8) "Both of my dads' peoples were slaves once. I need to know that my children will be free to worship in the way that I decide is right." -Rachel

"Sure. Of course. Yeah, they should totally go to Jew church. And wear those hats. And eat that salty orange stuff with their bagels." -Finn

7) "I need to know what's going on with that glee club. Brittany? Jugs the Clown? Go." -Sue to Brittany and Santana

6) “Last week we were too sexy. This week we’re too religious. We can’t win.” -Tina

“Now I know what Miley feels like.” -Brittany

5) My FAVORITE song of the night was Rachel's version of "Papa Can You Hear Me". I actually heard it Monday (a little sneak peek on YouTube) and listened to it 10 times in a row. It's so beautiful, emotional, haunting. I love Lea Michele's voice!

4) I love Sue's relationship with her older sister. Their scenes are always very touching. I like what her sister said at the end: "God never make mistakes. That's what I believe."

3) Kurt just wants to hold your hand, Burt. Those flashback scenes were so cute. They did a great job finding a younger version of Kurt. Loved him learning to ride a bike with a bowtie. And I loved Burt learning the correct way to hold a teacup (pinky up!)

2) I remember when "One of Us" by Joan Osbourne came out in 1995. It was always on the radio and I got tired of it. However, if you get a chance to hear the full version of the GLEE cover, it's quite good. It's like that "Bad Reputation" episode in May when they took bad/cheesy songs from the past and redeemed them.

1) This last highlight wasn't from the episode - but from next week's promo! Sam Evans joins the GLEE club! They all pair up and do duets! Brittany hits on Artie! And rumor has it Mike Chang sings for the first time - a duet with Tina. Awhhh.

Your thoughts on the episode?

happy birthday sister!

36 years ago today, my older sister Amy was born. To celebrate her day-of-birth, I would like to dedicate this blog to her. Aimes, you did this for my last birthday and I really loved the idea, so I am going to copy it. (As the younger sibling, copying ANYTHING the older sibling does is frowned upon. But I can't help it. I just always loved my sister's ideas and looked up to her, so yes, I copied her a lot. Our mom would try and smooth it over by saying, "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery." Sure, Mom.)

IN HONOR OF AMY'S 36TH BIRTHDAY I AM GOING TO:

* sleep in (oh blessed sleep, she needs more of you...)

* drink an amazing cup of coffee

* play with the cutest 22 month old in the world

* go to the farmer's market

* watch Singing In The Rain, Laurie Berkner, and Raffi videos

* work at a job that is truly making a difference in this world

* make fun of my neighbor's bad karaoke

* do something fun with my hair (sausage bangs? perm? white streak underneath? whatever I feel like!)

* spend time with my friends and their adorable kids

* put together a snazzy outfit from whatever's in my closet

* go to Peet's for some more delicious coffee

* watch Dancing With The Stars, 30 Rock, and Project Runway

* eat a yummy meal mostly made with Trader Joe's/Farmer Joe's groceries

* listen to amazing, Spirit-led worship from Bethel

* go to the zoo with "little son"

* have a night out with good company, fun drinks, and live music

* get lost in a good book

* spend a weekend at Mount Hermon with the people I love

* watch a fun Netflix movie with popcorn

* make my sister laugh

Happy birthday to YOU, Amy! I love you so much and could not have asked for a better sistah. I am so thankful for the years we've had together and I look forward to the many more to come. xoxoxo

GOOOOO GIANTS!!

Wow, I am on a bit of a euphoric high right now.

The San Francisco Giants are the National League West champions!

Lemme back up.

I actually had the opportunity to go to a game last Thursday with my church staff. We had a great time. I flippin' love AT&T Park. Beautiful stadium, beautiful day, and where we were sitting - a perfect view of the bay. I took this picture with my phone about a half hour before the game started.


The Giants played the Arizona Diamondbacks. The crowd was full of energy. Everyone was decked out with their Giants T-shirts, baseball caps, foam fingers, you name it. The Giants won 4-1. We went nuts! But that was nothing compared to this weekend.

The Giants had 3 games scheduled against the San Diego Padres. All they needed was to win ONE to be the NL West champions and head to the play-offs. Did they win Friday night? No. Did they win Saturday? No. People were freaking out. They only have one more chance. Did they win today? YES!!!!!!!!!!



They beat the Padres 3-0 and the 42,000 people at AT&T Park simultaneously wet their pants in sheer excitement. NL WEST CHAMPS! Play-offs coming our way! World Series in the future?!?!

All the players ran out onto the field and were jumping up and down, high-fiving, and slapping each other's bottoms. Then they all did a lap and ran around the edge of the field, high-fiving fans. Oh man, I wish I could have been there for today's game! So epic!!

My highlight after the victory lap was a lady going around interviewing players before they went into their dungeon and partied. She was interviewing Tim Lincecum (pitcher) and he totally dropped the F-bomb on live TV!! This was being shown on Fox Sports and ESPN!! I was so shocked, I laughed. Wait, did he just....yes! Yes he did!



Oh Giants, I love you. You've made many, many people in Northern California very happy. Good luck in the play-offs!!