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October 30, 2004
Third Time's the Charm
Today, three days until the election, Minneapolis, MN was honored to welcome President Bush. I had recruited about ten volunteers from St. Olaf to go to Minneapolis on Thursday and Friday night to help decorate the Target Center for the President's visit. I was told that all volunteers would receive rope-line tickets for their help. We just needed to arrive at 9:00 AM on Saturday.
When we arrived this morning, the staffers in charge of allowing people in the doors kept directing us to other entrances. We went back and forth between two sides of the building and stood in four different lines before we were finally allowed through the magnetometers. Then we went through the same process before we were allowed inside the arena.
Two hours later, we were finally inside. Once reaching the floor, however, a campaign staffer tried to put us to work as if we were event volunteers. I was so frustrated that I was almost in tears, but I calmly, though earnestly, explained to her that we had been promised rope-line tickets, but had to beg and plead just to get inside. The staffer curtly replied that her job was to make the event go smoothly and if all we wanted to do was stand at the rope-line, then we were already there. This scolding made me feel insanely guilty, so I tried to apologize and explain some more, but it was to no avail. The staffer strutted off, and I turned toward my volunteers and promptly burst into tears. I tried to explain through sobs that I had met that staffer before, and that she had worked for Bush since he was Governor, and thus she was a minor hero in my eyes. Fortunately, my roommate Julie was there to lead me away by the arm and calm me down.
The event itself was wonderful. Congressman Kline, Senator Coleman, and Governor Pawlenty, for whose campaigns Julie and I had volunteered in 2002, all spoke. Billy Dean and Mike Tice were also there, though I had less interest in them. (To be honest, I didn't even know who either of them was before.) Our wonderful First Lady was there. And I received my third handshake from the President -- a sure sign of the victory to come.
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Quote of the Day:
The last four years, Americans have learned a few things about me, as well. Sometimes I'm a little too blunt. I get that from my mother. Sometimes I mangle the English language. I get that from my father. But Americans learned, also, that even when you might not agree with me, you know where I stand, you know what I believe, and you know where I'm going to lead. -George W Bush, Minneapolis, MN, 10/30/04
Posted by Megan at 09:09 PM
Pictures Now, Story Later
Posted by Megan at 05:51 PM | Comments (5)
October 29, 2004
Calm My Storm
I'm reading the book Letters to a Young Therapist for Counseling Psych. Usually I find Mary Pipher's metaphors for life overdone, but I think she sheds a bright light on the phenomenon of individual differences in emotions by speaking of them in terms of regional weather patterns:
Places have different ranges of weather, and so do humans. In intensity of feelings and mood swings, we are not created equal. There are people who cope daily with the equivalent of tornadoes, while others bask in perpetual ocean breezes.
The most extreme emotional weather is bipolar disorder, in which every day people oscillate between elation and grief. Slightly less extreme weather plagued my client Maggie, who laughed and cried every session. What she loved, she loved so much it made her heart swell. What tickled her made her laugh until her sides hurt. On the other hand, the smallest slight caused her to sob in despair. She was often adrift on a heaving sea of emotions. Once she wailed, "I have mixed feelings about everything." Another time Maggie said to me, "You have no idea how many ups and downs have ravaged me in the last twenty-four hours."
This metaphor is especially poignant after an early autumn day in the Midwest.
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Quote of the Day:
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." -Tom Waits
Posted by Megan at 06:56 PM
October 28, 2004
Twelve Minutes
I like this one:
J.C. Hall
Twelve Minutes
The hearse comes up the road
With its funeral load
Sharp on the stroke of twelve.
I greet it myself,
Good-morning the head man
Who's brought the dead man.
I say we're four only
Still, he won't be lonely.
Being next of kin
I'm the first one in
Behind the bearers,
THe black mourning wearers.
(A quick thought appals:
What if one trips and falls?)
They lay him safely down,
The coffin a light brown.
Prayers begin. I sit
And let my mind admit
That screwed-down speechless thing
And how another spring
His spouse was carried here.
Now they're remarried here
And may be happier even
In the clean church of heaven.
We say the last amen,
A button's pressed and then
To canned funeral strains
His dear dead remains,
Eighty-four years gone by,
Sink with a whirring sign.
I tip and say goodbye.
I was the only one in the class who thought this was a particularly good poem. Others said it had a Dr. Seuss-like rhyme. That is one of the qualities I like. The utter simplicity of the rhyming couplet adds to the irony of the ritualistic funeral procession. I love it.
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Quote of the Day:
"What could be worse than dropping the casket?" asked a student.
"Dropping the casket, slipping, and falling into the grave," replied my prof, matter-of-factly.
Posted by Megan at 11:59 PM | Comments (3)
October 27, 2004
Tomorrow's Back to Work
Oh fall break, where did you go? I wish I could bottle the Rock and bring it back here with me. It's the best thing in the world.
Now, back to business. I received the e-mail sent out to the Rock alias by someone with the Bush campaign in Iowa looking for people interested in volunteering for the 72 hour campaign. This is the very same campaign on which I will be working, only I will be in Minnesota.
Let me tell you how crucial the 72 hour program is. It will be the most important volunteer activity in which I will have participated in my four years as a College Republican. It is the Republicans' answer to the Democrats' get-out-the-vote efforts. When Democrats have won in the past, it has usually been because of their grassroots efforts. Recently, Republicans have caught on, and now they effectively target precincts and households. They then direct volunteers to call or ring the doorbells of targeted households to make sure they have been to the polls. In states where the polls are as close as they are in MN and IA, grassroots work in the final hours will make the difference in who our President will be for the next four years!
Shifts run from 9 AM - 1 PM, 1 PM - 4 PM, and 4 PM - 8PM on Saturday, Oct. 30 through Tuesday, Nov. 2. You can sign up for as few or as many as you are able. I signed up for all of the shifts. I think it's worth it. However, Bush is making one last stop in MN on Saturday, so we're taking a break to go see him.
Now, for my less-than-a-week-away prediction. For the first time in this election, I am hopeful that Bush is going to come out on top. He is ahead in recent polls in Ohio and Florida, and if he wins both of those, he wins it all. If he looses OH, he would need to take both Minnesota and Wisconsin. Although I see this scenario as unlikely, it is still well within the realm of reason. If he looses FL, he could pick up MN, WI, and IA and still win. I believe that IA is more likely to go Republican than MN or WI. In fact, I believe that IA will indeed go Republican.
Now that I have that under wraps, I can sleep again tonight.
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Quote of the Day:
"I'll never let go, Jack..." -Katie, upon hearing that Leonardo DeCaprio was paying a visit to our campus this evening to talk about John Kerry's environment-friendly policies. Evidently Leo spoke for a grand total of 5 minutes and then left without questions or handshakes. What a titanic moron.
Which reminds me, I got a call Monday telling me to reserve a room for 100 people from noon to 4:00 on Wednesday because the Bush twins were coming to campus. Unfortunately, I found out the next day that they couldn't come because Nader was visiting the night before. Evidently that's a little too close for comfort. It was a major disappointment, but I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to be that close to Nader either. Evidently he's so cheap that they were charging $5 to get in. I'm not kidding.
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Bonus Quote of the Day:
Two weeks away it feels like the world should've changed
But I'm home now
And things still look the same
I think I'll leave it to tomorrow till unpack
Try to forget for one more night
That I'm back in my flat on the road
Where the cars never stop going through the night
To real life where I can't watch sunset
I don't have time
I don't have time
......
Tomorrow's back to work and down to sanity
should run a bath and then clear up the mess I made before I left here
Try to remind myself that I was happy here
Before I knew that I could get on the plane and fly away
From the road where the cars never stop going through the night
To real life where I can't watch sunset
And take my time
Take up our time
-Sand in my Shoes, Dido
Posted by Megan at 11:58 PM | Comments (5)
October 21, 2004
You Know You're Tired When...
You try to take a swig from your bottle of contact solution, thinking it's your diet Coke.
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Quote of the Day:
"What's that 'P' word for 'paper?' Pa...pa...partridge?" -Phil, trying to think of the word 'parchment.' I think we're all a little tired.
Posted by Megan at 03:25 AM | Comments (5)
October 20, 2004
I Think I Can...
The day came and went without me blogging -- a sure sign of overload. I just have to get through a midterm, a poem, a research paper, and a debate before Friday afternoon. Speaking of which, three other College Republicans and I are debating four College Democrats on Thursday evening. Prayers would be appreciated -- that I would keep my sanity while preparing and retain it once I get on stage. I really wasn't created for public speaking... although it does help knowing that I know what I'm talking about. As long as I don't start shaking, all will be well.
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Quote of the Day:
"Cultivate the courage to be imperfect." -Counseling textbook
Posted by Megan at 12:52 AM | Comments (2)
October 18, 2004
The Haiku
Wow -- the poetry seems to be a hit. In that case, I might as well share some poetry in my favorite form: the haiku.
For those who are uneducated about the haiku, I shall utilize an excerpt from the highly educational program South Park to enlighten you:
Mr. Garrison: Okay children, today we're gonna learn all about Japanese poems, called haikus. A haiku is just like a normal American poem, except that it doesn't rhyme and it's totally stupid. For example, uh, where's Eric Cartman?
Stan: That's a haiku?
Mr. Garrison: No, I'm asking why Eric Cartman isn't at school.
Stan: Oh.
Mr. Garrison: Was he on the school bus this morning?
Stan: No.
Kyle: Fat a-- Cartman was
Not on the school bus today
What a big fat turd.
Mr. Garrison: Oh, very good haiku, Kyle. Yes, haikus have five syllables, then seven, then five.
Or, there's this definition for those who favor the more boring explanations.
I sometimes enjoy saying everything in haikus, just like Kyle. Thus, the rest of my blog shall be written in haiku...
I don't have much else,
Which is fortunate for you,
My fearless readers.
I will say this, though:
My Fall Break begins Friday;
I'll be at the Rock.
One final message:
I have many Bush lawn signs.
Anyone want one?
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Quote of the day:
"Welcome to Ignorant Central."
-Katie, when I said
I overheard two girls
say they plan to vote
for the challenger
in the local House race here.
Their only reason:
The incumbent is,
though extremely moderate,
a Republican.
Posted by Megan at 08:20 PM | Comments (6)
October 15, 2004
A Consensus of One
I have been convinced by a consensus of one to go ahead and post one of my very own, all original elegies. However, I first need a disclaimer. Rule #347 of poetry is that the "I" of the poem is not always the author. In other words, the reader should not assume that the poem is autobiographical. My poetry draws partially on my life experiences, but is intended as being representative of the human experience in general. Simply put, this poem is not an excerpt from my life and should not be interpreted as such.
Believer
Dad told me I should be embarrassed
at how much I cried at your funeral.
He told me tricks for holding it in -
blinking back tears, breathing deeply,
thinking of a joke, imagining people in their underwear.
You taught your son well.
Pastor Johnson told me not to mourn
like those who have no hope.
Why not?
He also taught me in Sunday school
that people have free will -
can choose
to believe in God
or not.
You believed
that everyone at church was a hypocrite,
pious and self-righteous.
You believed
that God was a wish
and Jesus was a fraud.
You believed
in staying home on Sunday mornings
peering at the crossword
through your reading glasses
head bowed
armed with Webster's and a mechanical pencil
drinking tar-thick coffee
and starting early on your pack of Salems.
Grandma told me about the pact.
How whoever died first
would contact the other.
She's still waiting
patiently
in her rocking chair
for you to follow through,
as if she were waiting
for the phone to ring.
What would your heaven be like?
Hourly newspaper delivery,
a bottomless cup of tar
and one never-ending Salem.
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Quote of the day:
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."
-Winston Churchill
Posted by Megan at 11:59 PM | Comments (5)
October 14, 2004
Elegy for an Elegy
I survived my first poem critique today. I have been unable to sleep soundly for the past two nights because I was dreading it so much. I actually came out of it feeling better about the elegy, because I already knew that it sucked, so people couldn't say much to disappoint me. Thus, when there was actually something positive said, I felt a lot better, notwithstanding the fact that the ratio of negative comments to positive comments was probably about 20:1.
I did, however, get told that my poetry sounds a lot like Plath's. "Harsh and unrelenting" were the words my prof used. I was flattered to be compared to such a successful poet, even though Plath did end up taking her own life at the age of thirty. But I guess that comes with the genre.
After a little revision, I'm actually relatively satisfied with one of my elegies. This brings about the quandary of whether or not to post it on my blog. I really don't want people to read it if it's actually not all that good, and I don't want people to rip it off if it turns out to be semi-decent.
So, until I have resolved this dilemma, here are some quotes from my prof:
"How do you betray a landscape? 'Hey, I'm sorry -- I looked at an elm tree the other day. But I'm just a man.'" -Destroying a classmate's elegy to the landscape of her home.
"I make an ass out of myself every day, like three or four times." -In response to a student who admitted that he feared criticism of his poetry.
"And I don't think it has to be about hunting or knives or anything like that." -After announcing a contest for male poets.
"They asked me what Bible passage I wanted. I said something out of the Old Testament about God smoking and smiting people, but they didn't want that. They chose something out of Luke. Why did they even ask me, then?" -About his upcoming chapel talk, which happens to be his first, and he predicts that it will also be his last.
"I'd also like to be flanked by strippers." -On the same subject.
Posted by Megan at 11:45 PM | Comments (5)
October 13, 2004
Women Worthy of Respect
SCHIEFFER: We've come, gentlemen, to our last question. And it occurred to me as I came to this debate tonight that the three of us share something. All three of us are surrounded by very strong women. We're all married to strong women. Each of us have two daughters that make us very proud.
I'd like to ask each of you, what is the most important thing you've learned from these strong women?
BUSH: To listen to them.
To stand up straight and not scowl.
I love the strong women around me. I can't tell you how much I love my wife and our daughters.
I am -- you know it's really interesting. I tell the people on the campaign trail, when I asked Laura to marry me, she said, Fine, just so long as I never have to give a speech. I said, OK, you've got a deal. Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that deal. And she's out campaigning along with our girls. And she speaks English a lot better than I do. I think people understand what she's saying.
But they see a compassionate, strong, great first lady in Laura Bush. I can't tell you how lucky I am. When I met her in the backyard at Joe and Jan O'Neill's in Midland, Texas, it was the classic backyard barbecue. O'Neill said, Come on over. I think you'll find somebody who might interest you. So I said all right. I walked over there. There was only four of us there. And not only did she interest me, I guess you would say it was love at first sight.
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Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
-1 Timothy 3:8,11
Posted by Megan at 11:46 PM | Comments (3)
October 12, 2004
Real Life and Death
My Mass Media professor spent the entire hour and a half of class this morning showing us photographs of WWII and the Vietnam War while lamenting the fact that such images do not currently adorn the front page of the New York Times. He asked the class how we would feel if they were indeed more prevalent. Responses were thoughtful: "It would make me even more anti-war."
The professor then made a feeble attempt at creating a balanced discussion by asking if there was any way that it could create an opposite sentiment. Responses had equal depth: "Well, maybe for some it could make them mad at the other side... but it would just make me even madder at the President!"
At first I wanted to disagree with my professor. What about respect for the dead? What about respect for the family members of the dead? But I wound up agreeing that photographs of atrocities would give us a greater understanding of the tragedy that war is. However, I wondered, where were the photos of 9/11, of Americans jumping from windows out of the Twin Towers? Where were the photos of the thousands of Kurds that Saddam Hussein massacred with chemical weapons? Where were the photos of aborted babies -- or are those just too graphic and offensive to publicize?
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In other news, John "Pantene" Edwards appears to think that John "Flipper" Kerry is Jesus Christ.
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Quote of the Day:
"There were multiple kegs. The floor was awash in beer. People were sloshing through it, dancing." -My Mass Media Prof describing his dorm at the University of Michigan in 1976, when the drinking age was still 18.
*Note: I do not condone drunkenness.
Posted by Megan at 08:06 PM | Comments (4)
October 10, 2004
Why My Computer is Killing Me
I usually consider myself fairly technology competent. However, I have been unable to make my computer fully functional once so far this school year. Here are the problems (for those interested, I have XP):
1. I can't connect to the network drives. After troubleshooting it a gazillion times, I think I need to change my windows username and password to match my network username and password. So I proceeded to create a new username and password, but am unable to copy all of my documents and programs from my old username to my new one.
2. My taskbar randomly disappears and reappears. And, no, it's not on auto-hide. And, no, I can't just drag it up. The start menu doesn't even come up when I hit the windows button.
3. Every time I restart my computer, my Norton anti-virus shows up with the auto-protect disabled.
4. Every time I restart my computer, the print spooler is stopped. I have to start it and reinstall my printer every time I want to print. Thus, I have usually just been running to the computer lab, which is conveniently located at the exact opposite end of the dorm, in order to print.
5. Evidently Sound Blaster uninstalled itself, because sound only comes out of my speakers when I use Windows Media Player or Real Player, and I don't have the CD to reinstall it.
That's all I can think of at the moment.
On a side note, a random act of kindness made my day. A friend and I went to dinner in the caf, and sat down at the end of a long, six-person table. There were a few guys at the other end who were just getting up to leave. I reached way down to grab the napkin dispenser, and was having a little trouble reaching it from my seat. One of the guys grabbed it and moved it over toward us. I smiled and said "thanks," because I do appreciate the displays of courtesy that are so rare on a college campus, not to mention a cafeteria. He paused, and then took the little vase of flowers that adornes most of the tables and moved that closer too. It was such a little thing that my friend and I giggled, yet it totally made my day.
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Quote of the Day:
"Literary diarrhea." -Playwright Noel Coward on writer Gertrude Stein
Posted by Megan at 10:45 AM | Comments (2)
October 09, 2004
Star Struck
I went to see President Bush in Chanhassen today, and was thrilled when his wife appeared on stage with him. I've never seen Laura in person before, and she's even more graceful and beautiful than she appears on TV.
The President gave a rousing speech, full of his quick wit. I've started noticing a mannerism of his that I absolutely love. He'll say something funny, and then add a little chuckle: "heh" or "heh heh." It makes me smile every time.
There were 1.5 rows in front of me, and I was on the very end of the line on the President's way out. He was shaking hands all down the line, then looked like he was going to skip the last bunch of people, but then people went nuts. He laughed a little and reached his right hand in, and the whole crowd reached back toward it. I reached too, but missed. Then he stuck his left hand in, and it grabbed about two hands and my thumb. I wrapped my fingers around the top of his hand for a few awesome moments, and then he left.
On my way out from the VIP section, Wendell Goler of Fox News was doing a live newscast of the event. I stopped to watch, and got the only decent picture I took all day.
It's pretty sweet that he wears black tennis shoes and stands on a box.
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Quote of the Day:
"For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is expected of its leaders. This is not one of those times. This is a time that requires firm resolve and clear vision and a deep faith in the values that make us a great nation." -President George W. Bush this afternoon in Chanhassen, MN.
Posted by Megan at 08:54 PM | Comments (3)
October 08, 2004
Happy birthday, Pat!!!
A better pic than some balloons-and-streamers bit, I thought.
Happy quarter century!
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Quote of the Day:
"I may grow old, but never up." -Dad.
Posted by Megan at 11:36 PM
October 07, 2004
Relax, Darn It!
I seriously considered skipping the blogging process for two consecutive days, but decided against it. Instead, I'm taking a survey of sorts.
I found myself thinking today about ways to de-stress. I've found that as I'm leaving class every morning at 11:00 and hear the chapel bells toll, I automatically relax. Even though I quit attending chapel long ago, the bells are still a reminder that God is near, even in the middle of the day when he's not the necessarily first thing on my mind.
I have taken midnight walks to the music building the past few nights. By midnight, I've reached the point when I just quit trying to accomplish things, no matter what I have left to do. For the first time all day, I do what I want to do. I take a room in the basement, AKA the dungeon, which is usually deserted by then. I don't bring a watch, and I just play for as long as I want to. Then I return to my room and go to sleep.
My anti-anxiety measures are not always the healthiest. The thought has crossed my mind recently that there's not enough comfort food in the world to get me through this school year.
So, back to the survey portion of the blog: How do you unwind?
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Quote of the Day:
"1 BUFF CHIX WRAP" -My receipt from ordering a Buffalo Chicken Wrap from one of the school eateries.
Posted by Megan at 11:45 PM | Comments (6)
October 05, 2004
Hammock
Thanks, Mom and Dad!
(And thanks for the link to order it, Dan.)
It's a little long -- when I lay in it, my rear end almost touches the floor, and my feet and head are pretty high up -- but, other than that, it's happy.
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Quote of the Day:
"I'd ask how much for the boy." Poetry prof's response to a student's tale about how her waitress had put a picture of her kids in the bill holder thing.
Posted by Megan at 11:57 PM | Comments (2)
October 04, 2004
Flat on My Face
I decided to go on my own little retreat with God this weekend. Except I didn't really go anywhere. Anyway...
I read Ephesians and Philippians, and came to the conclusion that all that should matter to me is forwarding God's kingdom, not all this other junk that I concern myself with.
Then the weekend ended, and everything picked back up, and before I new it, I was wrapped up in all this other junk again. And I watched myself fall. And there was nothing I could do about it. And I was, and still am, frustrated and angry with myself.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. -Romans 7:15
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Quote of the day (actually from a couple of days ago):
quiglers83: why didn't you food with us tonight?
olemegan: fasting
quiglers83: um
quiglers83: why?
olemegan: just felt like i should kinda seek God out this weekend
olemegan: we still targeting?
quiglers83: I kinda doubt you'll find God at Target
olemegan: LOL
quiglers83: I mean they have a lot of stuff, but...
Posted by Megan at 09:13 PM | Comments (5)
October 03, 2004
Hosanna
I went to church at Hosanna in Lakeville this morning. My friend Britt graduated last year and is living in Minneapolis, and she is looking for a church. Also, my suite-mate Julie doesn't like any of the churches in the area either. They asked me to visit Hosanna with them, so I did.
Hosanna is an ELCA church, but their website aligns with my views more than the ELCA's views. I don't think I would ever join an ELCA church again, but I don't mind visiting. I think Julie and Britt both still feel attached to the ELCA even though they too disagree with it.
It's a pretty huge church -- I think they said they had about 4000 members. Their sanctuary is much like a large auditorium, with a stage in front, flanked by two theater-size screens. The music and message were both quite good, but everything seemed more like a performance than worship. The worship leader played an over-mixed guitar and bore an eerie resemblance to Michael W. Smith. The two (yes, two) keyboard players were frighteningly thin, bleached blond women wearing an absurd amount of makeup. And the singers sang in four part harmony with just the right amount of reverb to make them sound like a full-fledged back-up gospel choir.
We discussed the service over lunch. Both Britt and Julie came away with the same feeling that I did. I invited them to come to Evergreen with me next week.
"What denomination is that again?"
"Great Commission Ministries."
"Greek what?"
"Great. Great Commission. As in 'Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...'"
"Oh."
I didn't get a definite answer. But I'm going back to Evergreen next week, and I will extend the invitation again between now and then.
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Quote of the Day:
"Party at Mount St. Helens." The news announcer on the radio, before describing how tourists are getting as close as possible to the rumbling volcano, and some are even having tailgate parties.
Posted by Megan at 09:50 PM | Comments (4)
October 02, 2004
Ben Folds
I would have never guessed that St. Olaf would decide to bring a decent show for my last fall concert, much less an awesome one. Last year, after all, they brought the Black Eyed Peas. But someone with good taste in music must be organizing the concerts this year, because they brought Ben Folds to campus.
The opening act was extremely mediocre. The whole time I was thinking that the Lone Strangers should have been up there instead. I pledge to get them a gig here eventually.
Ben brought a bass player and drummer with him, and they were both awesome, especially the bassist. They played some of their new songs, though, and I wasn't really that impressed. On the other hand, part of that is probably just because it's more fun to here them do songs I already know.
I love how Ben alternates between standing bent over the piano and sitting on his drum stool. And then there are the times where he's half sitting and half standing, balancing on the stool with one leg out in front of him and one stretched back behind. That made me laugh.
I didn't have the best view, but I don't think there were many places where I could have had a better view since it was in the gym. I went with about 10 other girls, and we decided that we didn't want to bother with standing in front because of the mob. So we sat in the bleachers, and one of the polls holding up the lights was blocking my view of Ben's hands. But I could see the reflection of his right hand in the back of the piano behind the keys, so I was satisfied. Also, I knew that the bleachers were the right choice when I saw the crowd surge forward when the band came onto the stage.
I had bet Jon before we went that people would crowd surf. They had done so during the Blues Traveler concert two years ago, and thankfully Pat and Matt were there to pull people off of me. Jon claimed there was no way a person could possibly surf to Ben Folds. I reminded him that the majority of the audience would have consumed massive amounts of at least one depressant, but he was not convinced. He ended up loosing the bet. More than one person attempted to ride the crowd, and not only that, the song that inspired them to do so was none other than "Carrying Cathy."
Ben even acknowledged the embarrassing these antics during "The Army." At one point, he replaced the words "been thinkin a lot today" to "someone's been drinkin a lot today." I think this was more of a response to the solitary person attempting to clap to the beat, though.
I was pretty pleased with Ben's playlist. He did "Not the Same," "Gone," and "Zak and Sara." The encore was the best part -- he did wild and crazy versions of "Philosophy" and "One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces." However, he did not do "Luckiest" or "Brick" or "Emaline." Granted, the mood wasn't quite fitting, but I'm not the only one who was slightly disappointed by their absence.
Other than that, I'm looking forward to everyone returning from the retreat. It's kind of lonely in blog land right now.
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Quote of the Day:
"I thought about ending my life." Katie, after returning from the restroom during the opening band.
Posted by Megan at 01:05 AM
October 01, 2004
That We May Sing for Joy
Yesterday was one of those days of struggle between the knowledge that God has a good plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and the feeling that I'm crawling in the dark. Today, however, I was brought back into the light with several little blessings. One of these was my daily devotion.
You probably thought I was going to write about the debate, right? Maybe another day. Life is good right now, and I don't want to bother with the complexities.
There's one other happy thing I want to share. My poetry prof sent us pictures of the top 6 winners of the "I Look Like My Dog" contest. It is slightly related to our discussion in class today, but it would be too tedious to explain how, so just enjoy a sample picture:
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Quote of the Day:
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
-Psalm 90:14
Posted by Megan at 12:27 AM