December 15, 2011

It’s as special kind of talent part 2

By rhonirenee

So remember how I burned myself?

A few weeks ago I fell down an overpass.

It was a pedestrian overpass. And it was dark. I was trying to get decent pictures of a phenomenal sunrise. On my way back down I might have missed a step and slid down the rest, tweaking an ankle and wrenching my left shoulder so badly that it’s STILL giving me issues at times. Oh, and my tripod was in my left hand. Yeah. But I protected my camera. I’m insured. It’s not.

My family has gotten LOTS of mileage out of that one.

Then Sunday I was shopping for boots with TheKid in tow.  He had just informed me that a pair I loved looked like “something a whore would wear…”

My head whipped around as I growled “Did that really just come out of your mouth?” He shrugged and said “Yeah. Yanno…like one of those whores with a whip…”

He’s 14.

I was flustered. So OF COURSE when I tried to look at another, non-whorish, boot on display, I bumped it ever so slightly and then watched in horror as it fell sideways in super slow motion into the boot next to it, starting a chain reaction of movie proportions. A domino effect that I reacted to in the very mature fashion of sitting in the floor and giggling.

Because. Of course.

1 comment | posted in Kidisms, me me me

December 13, 2011

Day of Awesome

By rhonirenee

Wow. I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since my (da da dummmmm!) DAY OF AWESOME!

I had originally planned to take the afternoon off to decorate The Queen’s apartment for her birthday which would have been cool in itself. But then some friends asked if I wanted to go see the new Twi!ight premier with them. And while I’m not a *huge* fan (disclaimer: I did read all the books), I’m always up for a girls night. After further researching and planning we discovered the theater offered the “marathon” option….ie…we could purchase tickets to watch all 4 movies in a row. Which meant we would have seats reserved and would be in the theater around 3:30. Which meant no waiting in line in the cold for hours. Score.  So I decided to take off the whole day and take The Queen to breakfast before she went to work and I ninja’d her home and then watched hours of bad film. And THEN another friend won the opportunity to bowl the first game at a new family friendly bowling alley and asked if I’d join her.

Whew.

So the schedule was:

  • Wake up around 7
  • Realize I’d missed a call from our roommate saying the car had died leaving her stranded on the side of the interstate. (Thankfully her friend rescued her but the car was still there)
  • Meet The Queen for breakfast
  • “Drive” the car while hubs towed it to the mechanic. (This part was NOT AWESOME by the way)
  • Return to my car, meet my friend at the bowling alley.
  • Attempt to bowl while socializing and taking pictures and laughing
  • Get a text from Missy saying she’d forgotten to leave the back door unlocked.
  • Finish putting together The Queen’s gift basket and drop it off at her work instead of bombing her house with streamers, balloons and confetti.
  • Meet other friends at theater. Settle in for ten hours.
  • Giggle and debate Team Edward or Team Jacob and explain to one of the teenagers that having a guy sneak in and watch you sleep is NOT ROMANTIC IT’S CREEPY EVEN IF THEY GET MARRIED. Eat lots of random snacks. Talk and laugh and talk and giggle.
  • Stumble to the car, somehow drive home and collapse into bed thankful that it’s Friday and the office expects you to be a zombie.

Day. Of. Awesome.

 

1 comment | posted in life, me me me, Random

December 8, 2011

100 Words – Bundle

By rhonirenee

The prompt over at Velvet Verbosity this week is “bundle”. The natural inclination was to write something with a holiday flare but that seemed so…expected. And so I present my entry.

~~~~~~~~~~~

She wadded the calendar pages and violently threw them away. It had been well over a month since he’d touched her in any way more personal than a quick peck or a reluctant hug.  Her fists clenched and teeth gritted as she battled the familiar roiling self loathing. Resolutely she bundled the crippling emotions as tightly as the offending pages. She pushed them back into the deepest crevice of her psyche and slipped into her role as a healthy, self confident woman. She knew he loved her but she couldn’t blame him for not wanting her. She didn’t want herself.

6 comments | posted in 100 words, writing

December 2, 2011

I have not been living this…

By rhonirenee

I should have read this yesterday*. I might not have laid on the couch all night. Granted I felt pretty crappy…still do…but I was still being exceedingly lazy.

From “The Art of Expressing The Human Body” (about Bruce Lee)

“Bruce had me up to three miles a day, really at a good pace. We’d run the three miles in twenty-one or twenty-two minutes. Just under eight minutes a mile [Note: when running on his own in 1968, Lee would get his time down to six-and-a half minutes per mile]. So this morning he said to me “We’re going to go five.” I said, “Bruce, I can’t go five. I’m a helluva lot older than you are, and I can’t do five.” He said, “When we get to three, we’ll shift gears and it’s only two more and you’ll do it.” I said “Okay, hell, I’ll go for it.” So we get to three, we go into the fourth mile and I’m okay for three or four minutes, and then I really begin to give out. I’m tired, my heart’s pounding, I can’t go any more and so I say to him, “Bruce if I run any more,” –and we’re still running-”if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.” He said, “Then die.” It made me so mad that I went the full five miles. Afterward I went to the shower and then I wanted to talk to him about it. I said, you know, “Why did you say that?” He said, “Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

 

*(Originally found at Blog of Impossible Things

Leave a comment | posted in health/fitness, life, me me me

November 23, 2011

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By rhonirenee

I’m alive. Really. This month has been crazy busy. I think we’ve had SOMETHING going on every day/night except for one or two. In the past couple of weeks we’ve helped move two people, gained a roommate (and puppy), retrieved a dead vehicle off the side of the interstate* (my 1st time “driving” a car being towed), had a “Day Of Awesome” (including an 8 hr Twilight marathon culminating in the premiere)(this day is blog worthy honestly), had people over for dinner, played volleyball, babysat for friends, went to a friends for UFC… You get the idea.

I’m not complaining. Not AT ALL. It seems like it’s been a bit crazier than usual but everything – EVERYTHING – was a deliberate choice and has been fun and/or rewarding. (Except the dead car. That sucked.)

Oh…and I’ve joined the 365 project. I’ll add a link to the side bar to me specifically. Because we’re not busy enough? No…because I really want to incorporate photography into my life more.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. My life is full and blessed. I am overwhelmed at the sheer multitude of thanksgivings I can offer. But as I look around at hurting people, it’s important to remember that there’s really only ONE thing that I can know, for certain, without a doubt, that no matter what I’ll be able to be thankful for…and that is my relationship with God and my purpose and future in Him.

I’ll be back soon with a recap of the “Day of Awesome” (that really has to be read in a cheesy announcer voice) and a story of my usual clumsiness.

 

* I should probably note that we own this car. We didn’t tow some random car we found!

Leave a comment | posted in Random

November 16, 2011

100 Words – Snow

By rhonirenee

I love snow. I love snow in the mountains and on the ski runs. I love snow in my yard and kids playing in the snow. I do not like snow on the road nor do I like it melting in my hair. I guess I’m okay with it being Velvet Verbosity’s prompt this week though. ;-) This was an actual conversation at my office this week.

~~~~~

He leaned on the desk and gazed out the window while waiting for her to finish her task.

“It needs to snow soon”  he sighed.

She paused and glared up at him as she huddled deeper in her coat. “What?!? Why would you say that? It does NOT!”

He nodded without meeting her eyes. “Yes, yes it does. The snow drives the elk down out of the mountains.”

“Well…well…you just go visit the elk IN the mountains” she spluttered while waving her hands in a dramatic shooing fashion and huffed,  “Crazy hunters”.

He laughed quietly “Crazy women” he retorted.

5 comments | posted in 100 words

November 15, 2011

Pet peeve

By rhonirenee

Recently in the midst of a cleaning spree and conversation at work, a coworker snidely made a disparaging comment towards men in general that made me grit my teeth a bit. I started this post afterwards. A few days later the same subject came up in conversation with a friend and my husband.

I. Am. So. Tired. of this general attitude that women have the superiority to belittle and insult the men in our lives.  I hate that our culture uses commercials and supposedly funny TV shows to teach and reinforce that superior attitude to our little girls (and train our little boys that they’re inferior). Are we (generally) stronger in some areas than men? Yes. Just like they are (generally) stronger in some areas than women. Society has spent years convincing us we need to “man up” and somehow in the process it seems we’ve equated that to emasculating our men.

Neither gender is “better” than the other. We were created differently,  to work TOGETHER. Not against each other but as a TEAM with complementary strengths. That doesn’t mean you can’t/shouldn’t/are incapable of having more car knowledge than him. That doesn’t he can’t/shouldn’t/is incapable of cleaning house better than you. It means you figure out what each of your strengths and weaknesses are and what works for YOU.

This isn’t even a strictly Biblical matter. It’s just common sense. I mean – I assume if you’re IN  a relationship your goal is something along the lines of growing closer, becoming a stronger team, living life together…something like that, right? So wouldn’t belittling your partner work against that? And if you’re not totally opposed to being in a relationship, how does that dismissive view help your attitude towards potential partners?

It just really annoys me. Why would you choose to be in a relationship (or want to be in one) with someone you can’t/don’t respect – publicly AND privately? Showing that respect doesn’t make you look weak or lesser.  Quite frankly, this public bashing*, even in the guise of humor? THAT’S what makes you look weak and insecure. And sometimes, just bitchy.

*And let me be clear – I don’t mean that respect = never getting irritated/annoyed/flat out furious. And I fully believe that venting to a trusted girlfriend can be helpful, especially if she is willing to (lovingly) tell you when you’re out of line. And I also realize this is not a given attitude with women, but it IS accepted.

1 comment | posted in rant

November 11, 2011

Winter Jam 2011 – Boise ID

By rhonirenee

As I previously mentioned, we attended Winter Jam last night. The first hour or so was spent with my friend Katie and the band Kutless. One of the perks of THAT little gem was getting to save our seats before doors opened to general public. We claimed a couple of rows about 4-5 back from the front.

various artists finishing Q&A, as seen from our seats

My husband has often said meeting new people is my version of crack. Last night and the Kutless event was no exception. AND I was excited about the upcoming concert. So the pre-Jam artists were a bit of a blur for me. The one that DID stand out was “For King and Country“. (They’re the 3rd & 4th in the picture above) They were wandering around outside and told TheBoy his hair was awesome, which I’m sure made HIS day. Then they talked to my husband and boys about 15 minutes. Obviously I wasn’t out there but trust me, Jon rubbed THAT one in because hello! they’re Australian. They could read the weather report to me and I’d be happy. Jon pointed out that their booth was actually quite easy to get to from our seats. But they would have spoken and I would have probably drooled all over them. And that would just be embarrassing.

Then Red took the stage. Oh. My. Goodness. Their set? Entirely too short.

Red

They definitely put on the most intense show of the evening. They were one of the groups I was most looking forward to and they did NOT disappoint. I would gladly go to a full length concert of theirs. LilBit showed a little concern initially over the pyrotechnics. We were close enough to feel the heat. But once I explained that it was on purpose & nothing had blown up, he thought it was “SO COOL!”.

Fireflight

I honestly don’t remember who was next…Fireflight maybe? I was REALLY looking forward to seeing them. They have a female bassist. LOVE. Dawn Michele wins the award for coolest outfit of the evening.  But I wouldn’t go specifically to see them live again. To be fair though, I was distracted most of their set by a guy in the aisle next to us….well…by his camera. It looked suspiciously like a EOS-1DS Mark III. I didn’t bop him over the head though. (Jon wouldn’t let me…)

Newsong

Newsong was either before or after Fireflight. Isn’t THAT specific? I wasn’t particularly looking forward to Newsong. Not that I don’t LIKE them. I just didn’t KNOW them. And they were probably my least favorite of the evening. They weren’t bad by ANY means. But they can’t all be my favorites.  Two things stood out though. One – dude played the CELLO. Beautifully. I leaned over to my husband and said “Sorry honey. I have to crush on anyone who can play the cello like that.” (See the footnote on my previous post re: crushing on musical abilities) And two, they sang the most POWERFUL song of the evening. Or ever.

Kutless

Then. Kutless took the stage. Do I really need to say anything more about THEM? Yes I enjoyed their set and yes, I would go see them in a full concert. I will buy their albums. I just really hope they put out an acoustic one at some point. Because seriously? They shine acoustically.

Matthew West. Wow. What can I say about Matthew West? (Don’t believe we got a picture of him) I was fairly ambivalent going into it. It was another case of enjoying his music but knowing nothing about the artist (see previous post re: Kutless).

(One amusing incident unrelated to his performance – he was talking and I was thinking “Gee…he reminds me of Bren SO MUCH!” (Bren being a former pastor at our church). I had no sooner made that realization when Jon leans over and says “He reminds me of Bren!” )

But. Back to his set. Dude is a GREAT live artist. He’s another one I wouldn’t mind going to see and who’s set was WAY too short. My only concern actually has nothing to do with him. He was wearing a Boise State shirt underneath another one. He took the top shirt off and the arena. went. nuts. When everyone realized what he was wearing, the place was deafening. And I clapped but as it got louder, it really bugged me. There’s not anything WRONG with being excited about the local team. But the difference in volume & excitement between that any NUMBER of other stories about lives changed was disturbing. It was very audible indicator that our priorities might be a little whacked.

News Boys

The News Boys set was the most extravagant. Michael Tait is a showman through and through. He pays attention to the crowd around him; he reacts and adjusts to them. They’re all showmen really. Their drummer (Duncan Phillips) is a CRAZY dude. His facial expressions were…indescribable. He obviously enjoys what he does.  (He’s apparently Australian too but didn’t speak. Too bad.) At one point they lifted his set on a platform (ok that happened a few times), tilted him so the set was flat to the crowd/he was parallel to the ground (he was buckled into his seat), and then SPUN HIM AROUND WHILE HE PLAYED. He looked like he was on a carnival ride…all while maintaining the underlying foundation for the rest of the guys. In. Sane.   They all were on lifts at one point. It was fun and loud and designed to totally blow the crowd’s collective mind.

I think it worked.

Best part though was when they played “God’s not Dead”. That has become one of my favorite songs and to have an arena of about 6,000 people singing it…chills! And of course they ended with “Jesus Freak”. Because. Of course.

We loved it. Jon really wanted to see Red and was not disappointed. They were his favorite by a long shot. The boys had a BLAST and each had their favorites. I loved it all but I think my ABSOLUTE favorite part of the concert was hanging out with Jon and watching his face when he was really enjoying it. I would’ve enjoyed it but experiencing it with him was what truly made it memorable.

(All photo credits, except the first, goes to Jon)

Leave a comment | posted in Music

November 11, 2011

Winter Jam 2011 Boise ID – Kutless

By rhonirenee

I enjoy live music. A lot. I always have. There are quite a few artists that I have been *excited*…giddy even…to see live. But. I rarely get “star struck”. I spent way too many hours days in my past life behind stages and around tour buses for that. It’s not a glamorous job. Cool, yes. But not glamorous and so it’s hard to view these people – as talented as they might be – as anything more than a person who leads a drastically different life than I do*.

That being said, there are moments in life are defined by music; moments that change the course of our personal history with a song. And when our life becomes entangled with those notes, the musicians become more than strangers on the radio.

My friend Katie had such a moment just over a year ago. It is her story, personal and compelling. But that moment changed her path and led her into our life. And last night, she allowed me to participate in another phase of that storyline.

Last night she had the opportunity at Winter Jam 2011 to meet those musicians who impacted her and she asked me to go with her. I’ll admit, I had to go the band’s website before leaving the office. I knew- & really like – a lot of their songs but knew absolutely nothing about the guys behind the music. I didn’t even know what they looked like!! (We weren’t sure I’d be able to get away from the office in time to join her. As a result all the pictures I took were with my cell phone. I have NEVER regretted taking a camera with me, even if it doesn’t get used.  I have often regretted NOT having one. This is one of those times. Why my brain took a leave of absence & I left my point & shoot locked in my desk, I’ll never know.)

clockwise: James, Nick/Jon, Jeff, Dave

I am glad I was blessed enough to join them though. And I don’t use the word “blessed” lightly. I had no idea what to expect and went primarily as Katie’s friend. However, these young men blew me away, not only with their talent, but also with their personalities and hearts. They understand that they’ve been gifted for a purpose; that God has placed them on this path and given them this responsibility. They have shouldered this privilege of touching thousands of people, of speaking directly into lives and hearts, of carrying God’s message to the masses. They are talented, yes, amazingly so. But they are also humble and genuine.The sparkle in their eyes, their grins, their honest interactions with each other and us, the obvious love for their families in attendance – those are the details that turned this from a mere experience to a blessing.

The best part though? It wasn’t hearing songs from the new (unreleased) album. (Although I’m actually EXCITED for the album now).

It wasn’t the smooth, rich acoustic tones. (Although Jon ‘s vocals are overwhelmingly better unprocessed and in person. He now ranks as one of my favorite vocalists just because it’s so…clean and clear) (Think he’d be offended if I referred to his voice as “dulcet”?) (Too bad)

It wasn’t even the opportunity to meet and talk with Jeff’s mom. (Although that was one of my definite highlights. She’s a pretty awesome woman).

No – the best part was the expression of pure happiness on my friend’s face the. whole. time. It was getting to watch/hear Kutless figure out how to do “her” song acoustically, for the first time, on the fly, especially for her. It was getting to witness one of her dreams coming true.

Jame's "J" tat, Jon singing, Kutless tagged guitar case

(A write up of the full Winter Jam experience is in the works. But I knew this one hour out of the night needed a post of it’s own. And really – it could’ve been much longer.)

*I do have a habit of developing “crushes” on especially talented musicians – male & female – but have finally realized I really crush on their musical abilities, not them personally.

1 comment | posted in friends, Music, photos, Uncategorized

November 10, 2011

Jack Frost: arch nemesis or friend?

By rhonirenee

I think I’ve established that I’m not at all a fan of winter…or more to the point, I’m not a fan of being cold. But there’s a lot to like about this season really: the fuzzy/soft sweaters and cute boots, the warm drinks with yummy pumpkin or mint seasoning, the lights and parties and general good cheer and yes, even the crisp pretty snow and snowball fights and rosy cheeks. (And I would really LOVE to learn to ski. I’ve wanted to do that since 2005 but it’s just doesn’t seem to be in the cards anytime soon.)

I really only have one beef with winter – inefficiency.  It takes twice as much consideration and time to get dressed.  Even if I’m already dressed, there is no grabbing my keys and going. I have to put on socks and shoes and a coat and (sometimes) gloves and a hat and scarf. And as CUTE as those hat/scarf/glove combos can be…they take time to put on/take off.  I can’t just get in the car and leave. The car has to be warmed up and/or defrosted so it’s safe to drive. And forget about a quick jaunt to the grocery store. Even that is transformed into an exercise of hyper vigilance with slick roads and other drivers who don’t seem to realize that sometimes it’s necessary to slow down and pay attention.

But I also have to wonder, is this God’s way of slowing us down? As our calendars start disappearing under the slew of holiday events and all the accompanying baking/decorating/shopping preps, is it possible that He designed this season into our lives as a natural pause? Instead of seeing perceived delays, perhaps I should focus on the opportunity to weave quiet moments into my life, to appreciate the everyday joys.

Leave a comment | posted in lessons to learn, life

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