rebeekah: June 2005

kevin's challenge

so, i've finally finished your challenge, mr. still. (it only took me 3 weeks.) enjoy! :)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:

X & Y – Coldplay--> there are not enough words to describe how much i am in love with this new album. (actually, all the other “currently listening to” are kind of a lie, seeing as how when i first obtained the album, i listened to nothing else for every waking minute of four or five solid days. since then, things haven’t changed all that much.) i may write later an entire bit on “fix you.” as an intro, i will say that the other day i had a rapturous experience while feasting on this brilliant, enthralling, dare i say perfect, song. i do not believe i have been that moved by a piece of music in years.

BRIAN REGAN LIVE! – Brian Regan--> unless you count the whale noises, there’s really not any music on this cd. laughs are guaranteed, however, throughout the entire thing. some of my favourite tracks are “you too & stuff,” “fishing on t.v.” and “kids’ party games.” (I think Doug’s favourite is “lousy in little league.”) Thanks, dic●keys, for the great introduction.

LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE, VOL. I – George Michael--> i can really never get enough of the old stuff from georgios kyriacos panayiotou. (no wonder he changed his name.) why everyone viewed this album as a failure is beyond me, because seriously, there is not a single bad track on it. i only wish there would have been a second volume.

GUERO – Beck
--> thanks to doug, I have had the opportunity to hear this album. (see which track is my favourite so far on #3 below.) that beck is something else.

FIVE SONGS THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE A CRUSH ON:

1) "IN THE GARDEN" – sean michel is a friend of the family (especially of sarah). this is one of a few songs that my spirit, upon every time i hear and/or see it performed, is stirred to great emotional response. you should listen to it.

2) (unnamed) - i am in love with “i need you here” otherwise known as “what if you leave and then i have to blow my head off with a glock” (really, the tune is unnamed at this point) by this is turbo. i cannot wait until we record it this weekend. this is a great song, and i hope other people get to hear it someday.

3) "HELL YES" – what more do i need to say than “get your damn hands up” and “my beat is correct.” this song kicks you-know-WHAT.

4) "LITHIUM" – i rebelliously snuck nevermind by nirvana into my room sometime during my teenage years, and i have to say that i definitely do not regret it. i still love this song—now i just wish i could find that tape…it may possibly be my next purchase. (p.s. may i just comment to you, kevin, how much I love you? “riding out nirvana's cremated wake…” you kill me.)

5) "WALKING IN THE AIR" – i love the snowman (go there NOW) more than I could ever express. because i recently re-watched the movie (for the ??th time), i have since been haunted by peter auty’s celestial voice singing this glorious song.

TOP FIVE ALBUMS (RIGHT NOW):

1) X & Y - Coldplay

2) THE NUTCRACKER – Tchaikovsky

3) YOU WERE AT THE TIME FOR LOVE – Don Chaffer

4) ROCKIN’ THE SUBURBS – Ben Folds

5) PINKERTON – Weezer

LAST ALBUM BOUGHT:

THE JAZZ SINGER – Neil Diamond

--> though not for myself (christmas giftS—the two lucky recipients being my father and my husband), i happily made this purchase. my favourite album by ole neil, i have been listening to it (then in record-form) since i was around 6 years old (only 3 years after its release).

RECENT MUSICAL DISCOVERY:

Ella Fitzgerald

--> embarrassing to confess this as my “recent” musical discovery since the late ms. fitzgerald was putting out hits as early as 1938. regardless, how have i gone almost 27 full years of my life without the voice and music of ella? yes, i have heard and even sung tunes such as “someone to watch over me,” and perhaps her voice has frequented my ears far more times than i realize. however, not until recently has she fast and furiously become one of my favourites. the complete ella fitzgerald song books, ONLY a 16-disc set, is without a doubt the most expensive thing on my wish list, but perhaps someday i will have in my possession all 254 of those glorious songs.

I PASS THIS SAME CHALLENGE ON TO:

Amber
Cade
Christian
Doug
John
Kellie
Kim
Mary Beth
Rachel
Sarah

have you ever "found your spot?"

i love this quiz and usually take it a couple of times a year. my answers change depending on my mood, so it's always fun to see how my top spots change. :)

here are my current top spots:

Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Norfolk, Virginia
Harrisburg, PA
Asheville, North Carolina
Roanoke, VA
Hickory, NC
Hampton, VA
Long Island, New York
Albany, NY
Charlotte, NC
Lynchburg, VA
Altoona, PA
Richmond, VA
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Chesapeake-Virginia Beach, VA
Syracuse, NY
Knoxville, Tennessee
Manchester, New Hampshire
Nashua, NH
Erie, PA
Durham, NC
Portland, Maine
Lancaster, PA
Rochester, NY

I can safely say that I have not been to even three of these cities, but perhaps there will come a day. A fun, fun road trip (if I had the time, $, and an awesome vehicle) would be to visit all of these places! Who knows? Maybe I'll even decide to stay in one of them. :)

Fun in Australia!!

Dear Readers,

With pleasure I introduce you to another sister--I am literally esctatic that my older sister, Kellie, has a blog now, as well. She lives in Western Australia with her three children, my beautiful niece and nephews. I cannot wait to see more pictures of my gorgeous sister and her kiddos!!!

Happily,
Rebeekah

Fun in Paris

Dear Readers,

If you have not already done so, please visit my youngest sister's fantastic blog on the Houston Chronicle's website. (You can see the link to her blog on their front page.)

She's living in Paris for the next six weeks, and her stories so far have been more than great! :) (Scroll down on her blog to read them in chronological order.)

Comments and discussion are welcomed by her, just make sure you're not too "personal." Yeah, sorry JEM and Kevin, no calling her Sweatpants or anything. (Her editor doesn't like that and will end up not posting the comment!) :(

Very Sincerely,
The Management

"Not Nerdy, but Definitely Not Hip"

I am nerdier than 20% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!

i'm glad for my low score.
boosts the self-esteem or something like that.

fyi...

in case you do not already know, my husband now has a blog!

read at your own risk.

just kidding, dougley. i love you. :)

p.s. master cleanser update soon...

I'm doing it

I’m going on the master cleanser. my sister has done it in the past, and she’s been telling me about it for a long time, and now I’ve decided to do it. what do I have to lose? ha ha—that’s gross, really, because I know I’ll be “losing” a lot…of CRAP from my body, that is. I’m not a health nut, by ANY MEANS, but if these “natural health” persons are right about even HALF of what they say the master cleanser can do for someone, then I say it’s all worth it. this is so weird and gross, but here’s an example of an extreme result (found here with a lot of other crazy examples):

“One of my clients put his mother on the diet, and on her eighth day an old scar from gall bladder surgery opened up, draining pus and releasing a stitch that bad been left in her body 22 years earlier.”

wow.

so, I’m starting it this Saturday and will go for the minimum 10 days (through the 20th). pray for me, because I’ll need it—especially for the first three days. I think I may be most weirded out when my tongue starts to turn green (on the fourth or so day, sarah says). I suppose when I think of toxins, though (i.e. toxic waste), that’s the colour I generally imagine.

gross, huh?

100 things about me: part ii of iv

26. I am maybe the most paranoid person I know. Whenever I hear co-workers whispering, I almost always think they’re talking badly about me. I always worry that I’m annoying other persons and/or hurting their feelings, and so I ask things like, “Are you sure?” or “Really?” or (only to my family) “You promise?” Exasperating, I know. A long time ago, I heard a really great sermon/message that aided in opening my eyes to my self-centeredness and true arrogance. Being that way (always thinking others are talking badly about you, etc.) is exactly the same thing, at heart, as one strutting around with his chest puffed up and bragging about his latest accomplishment. The “it’s all about me” mentality is something I’ve tried to correct over the past several years, and the process is definitely one step forward, two steps back.

27. Going hand in hand with that, I, unfortunately, tend to be pretty negative and pessimistic. I truly try to “focus on the positives” and see the glass half-full, but generally my words are filled with doom and drear. How can this be when I belong to the Living God and have an Eternal Hope? (I ask myself this question almost daily and struggle with the answer, but oh how I love Galatians! Especially chapter 5.)

28. I used to be a much more outgoing person than I am at the present time. I’m not sure what made the change(s), but I often wish I were still an extrovert.

29. Speaking of personalities, my type is ISFJ. (I=33%, S=11%, F=56%, J=33%)

30. I like my oatmeal thick, and I like to call it porridge.

31. The MSNBC news headlines are delivered to my inbox every day. I’m embarrassed to say that I always most look forward to the entertainment section. (Although I do in fact read the articles prior to the ones in that section.)

32. I also love People magazine. Doug hates this about me, and I will say it’s not a thing I’m too proud to admit. Why am I so drawn to the lives of celebrities? Ridiculous.

33. When I was in fourth grade at Brighton Township Elementary School in Beaver, Pennsylvania, there was a period of time that I had to stay inside during recess (and a little after school, as well) with my teacher, Mr. Parsons. No, I had not misbehaved. My penmanship, which I had learned in Australia, was “horrible,” and he made me re-learn cursive. I happen to think that Australians generally have gorgeous handwriting, and I so wish that I still wrote that way.

34. I believe that the above experience is part of why I am extremely obsessive-compulsive about my handwriting. If a letter is not connected “just so” or if it’s too loopy, I have to go over it (and over it and over it) until the letter is “perfect.” By then, of course, everything looks gross; at that point, I usually crumple up the paper and start all over again. Wow. If I am ever a teacher, I really hope that I will be extra sensitive to my students’ feelings and especially complimentary of their attempts at cursive.

35. Speaking of being obsessive-compulsive, I am. See this post for further ramblings.

36. I let the expletives fly sometimes. Recently my dear SIL was visiting, and I think I may have scared her off from any future visits with all the s- and d- bombs I dropped.

37. I love designing invitations, stationery, etc. Before my current position, I was in “the dungeon” on campus and got to design and print invitations—that was my favourite part of the job. Although I do not have any type of training or background in graphic design, I suppose the print shop experience was enough because I still have a few bites for design work sometimes! I work at a university where one of the mottos is “Ring by spring or your money back,” so, as you can see, I have many on-the-side business opportunities. Recently, I even went so far as to come up with my own catalogue (entitled “every jot and tittle”) and company name (rb designs). Fun!!

38. Fear grips me. Whether it be of spiders or getting older, I really struggle with being afraid. I frequently repeat to myself “Perfect love casts out fear.” Yes, He does.

39. I am married to my first boyfriend. Doug is precious and passionate, charismatic and intelligent, unique and sensitive, talented and spontaneous…what a package! (Do NOT read into that last statement!!) :)

40. Since high school, my response to, “So what do you want to do with your life?” has been, “As long as I can be a wife, a mother, and be able to sing, I will be very happy.” (Of course that’s after I want to say the phrase right back to them, but in a Matt Foley voice.) So the first and the third things are in place…I cannot wait for the day that I become a mother. Speaking honestly, that is truly the thing on this earth that I most long for.

41. I LOVE nicknames for other people and for myself. Thanks to my dear sister, I probably have about 37 of them. No, but seriously—there’s rebstar, of course, and rebbles, rebcakes, rebbie, rebeekah (another “of course,” but not from Sarah), rebchules, rebukah (pronounced “rebuke-ah,” but that’s from another sister), rebek, bekah, bekahr, beeker, beeks, and plopper. And that’s just the first dozen. But just don’t call me becky; I hate that one.

42. The only person who has ever called me “becky” (and I didn’t mind) was my best friend, Tanya, in Australia. (see #11) Seriously, to this day, I know she would write/say, “G’day, Becky,” like that’s my name.

43. I love American Idol. This year’s show was somewhat disappointing, but I have still enjoyed it, thanks to Jennie. (Listen to what an amazing, selfless friend she is: I do not get any type of reception on our t.v.—no local channels or anything—so Jennie has been taping the show and sending me the tapes. Every time I stop to think about how wonderful she is, my mind is just about blown.) A few summers ago, I even went to an American Idol concert. Yes, I really am almost 28 years old.

44. You know on hot days when your shoes squish on the softened (but not sticky or anything) tar that’s between cracks on the road? Well, I LOVE that feeling.

45. Conflict. I tend to avoid it.

46. I have an incredibly low self-esteem. (This probably goes along with #s 26 & 27.) When I was in college and really trying to deal with that fact, my eyes were opened to an event that I believe may have really started the downward spiral: the Medusa incident. (I’ll explain this at a later time.) But then again, I remember as a CHILD looking at my little mosquito-bitten legs and wishing for “white” legs (without any scars). Our wicked enemy is so crafty, isn’t he? He truly does aim to steal, kill and destroy.

47. I’m an Independent Consultant for the Pampered Chef. Although I am not anything close to being an aggressive salesperson (and am therefore not a “gung-ho” consultant), I really enjoy this part-time job. I love their products, and that is why I started selling them—so I could get them at great discounts and for free! If you love kitchen stuff, this is the place to get them. (I had to throw in that sales pitch!) :)

48. Doug and I have a dog named Anabelle. She is the first dog I have ever had, and although I loved all the cats I ever had, I believe I love Anabelle more than any pet that has come before her. She is so loving and obedient, and she’s so cute. I feel so sad and guilty that we (have to) leave her alone in a mostly dark one-bedroom basement apartment all day.

49. When I was in high school, I had major sinus problems. I had to have x-rays and stuff all the time—it was so yucky. I think I pretty much live with an eternal sinus infection, but it rarely ever bothers me.

50. I have been to six of the seven continents. Antarctica, here I come! (Just kidding.)

rebeekah

6.30.2005

kevin's challenge

6.28.2005

6.21.2005

Fun in Australia!!

Fun in Paris

6.20.2005

"Not Nerdy, but Definitely Not Hip"

6.15.2005

fyi...

6.08.2005

I'm doing it

6.02.2005

100 things about me: part ii of iv

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