Flowers on Alki

And a couple other random shots...

Random Thoughts on Music

Once again, it's month end and I'm listening to Pandora. (Terri, there's the link for you.)

I am really starting to love John Mayer's music. So many times I hear a song, check to see who it is, and it's his.

Like Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, In Repair and Gravity,

(I still hate No Such Thing, Waiting on the World to Change and Say.)

Has anyone heard the new Michael Bublé song? So good. Someone has combined two of my favorite things:

Games

If you have known me for any length of time, you know I like to play games. Any kind of board or card game, really. Not so excited about video games, although I can play Tetris for hours.

Sidenote: Now it's been said that I'm competitive, but it's really a misperception. I like to trash talk, for the sake of the talking of trash. And I don't care what rules we play by, but I do like to know the rules and then play by the rules we agreed on. (This comes from growing up with my little brother, who always cheated at games. He stole money if he was the banker in Monopoly. He lied when I hit his battleships. He's grown up to be a respectable adult, and I don't think he's extended his cheating into real life, but I still watch his hands when we play cards. And now someone else in my life does the same... but more on that later.) In the end, though, I don't really care if we win or lose (but like everyone, I prefer winning), but it's the playing of the game that I love.

In the past few weeks, I've had the opportunity to play games on three occasions, and it's been so much fun. I played Balderdash with a large group (I would recommend a smaller group: it took FOREVER to get through one round!) and learned the words aprosexia, bathetic, and prunella. Truly, my life has been enriched. Of course, the last person you'd expect to cheat, Brad, was cheating in the last few rounds. At least he was man enough to admit it. Although I'm not sure how we all missed that he was looking up the words on the computer in front of us. So, Brad, when I tell you that you're just like a brother to me, what I mean is, you cheat just like my brother.

Then, we had an impromptu get-together and ended up playing one of my top 3 favorite games: Cranium. When we lived in Tulsa, Martin and I played this game so often that we actually knew most of the answers on the cards. It's been a while, and I think they've got new cards, because I only recognized one card, and it was a song I had to hum, so it didn't matter that I knew what it was. This game is so much fun, and you always end up laughing at someone's humming skills or acting skills or drawing skills. Especially when someone is doing a Sensosketch (which is like a Pictionary card - you have to draw a picture and have your teammates guess the word, except you have to do it with your eyes closed!) and his teammate doesn't realize he has his eyes closed, and says, "Dude, you draw like a retard!" Or when the person you're trying to imitate is Joe Friday, and your teammates have already guessed "Friday", and you say, "My first name is like, 'a cup of (blank)'", and your teammate yells out, "Tea Friday!"

A few nights ago, we got together with David & Emily and ended up playing DVD Trivial Pursuit. It's a slightly dumbed-downed version of the original game, but they still beat us by a huge margin. However, the last question (that we played anyway... we called the game for time and there was no chance of a last-minute rally for the Leeuwners) from the DVD played a tune and you had to identify the boy band. This was the song: (at least I think it was, which is kind of the point). David guessed *NSYNC, and I jokingly said, "How do you know it wasn't Backstreet Boys?" Turns out, it was the Backstreet Boys! I laughed, because I really didn't know either way, and said, "I don't know these boy bands. All I know is Justin Timberlake was in *NSYNC and Nick Lachey was in Backstreet Boys." Apparently, I don't even know that. David (how does he know so much about boy bands?) pointed out that Nick Lachey was in 98°. I had to look it up in wikipedia just to see who was in Backstreet Boys. (No one who's done anything since, I guess.) And I still can't name a single *NSYNC song! (Upon consulting the wiki... I see Bye Bye Bye. How could I forget that song?!) Anyhow, the point is... for all their records, promotions, videos, merchandise and hype, we still can't tell them apart. Or maybe the lesson is that if you're not a 13-year-old little girl, there's no way your brain can hold such useless information.

Whatever the game, I just love to play with friends. It's such a great way to get to know someone better, and makes great memories!

Christmas Carols

What's your favorite Christmas carol?

I asked Martin that a few weeks ago, and he didn't know. Since then, he's come up with a couple options, and he says it really depends on who's singing it.

My all-time favorite is O Holy Night:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

‘Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

O night divine! O night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,

Now come the wise men from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! For His reign shall never end.

Behold your King! For His reign shall never end.

Truly He taught us love for one another,

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains he shall break, the slave is now our brother,

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Bold hymns of joy we raise in grateful chorus,

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise His name forever!

Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, the Son of Man!

Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, and Son of Man!

The lyrics are the greatest: "Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth". How much more can you summarize what the Christmas season is all about than with that little phrase?

Does anyone else love Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol)?