Ordered Chaos

share the magic

Re-upped on the Disney annual pass!

I'm signed up for fifteen more months of four parks and all the fun that goes with. It started with Animal Kingdom yesterday for Meghan's birthday and continues with Epcot's Food and Wine festival tonight with some of my other favorites. Join me next time?

like nobody's watching (when everyone is)

This is my brother, Greg, DANCING.

I LOVE this picture. Puts a gigantic smile on my face.

Why? Because Greg DOESN'T dance in public. But he did. Well. And with a real smile on his face.

And I think that's just about the best thing ever.

Currently playing: "Down" by Jay Sean (feat. Lil Wayne)

these are my confessions

Okay, I'm just going to go ahead and lay it out there:

I downloaded "Party in the U.S.A."

And it gets worse:

I like the lyrics.

And I kind of love what the stylist did for Miley and the girls in the video. Guess what I'm wearing next Cowboys run? Yep.

Pick up your stones people. I'll take the bruising.

"longest train EVER!"

My jeans were soaking wet. Because I got thrown in the pool. Which happened about 10 minutes after we got out of the hotel fountain. It was a wet event that came shortly after spending an exorbitant $65 (each) on dinner and drinks and dessert at Roy's...

Friday night was a great night...and you know me, if I'm delighted, I'm gonna talk about it...

We were celebrating friendship. Noah was in town and well, when our old crew gets together...things just tend to happen. Like climbing in fountains and talking about holistic approaches to chiropractic medicine and pharmacy and planning road trips and setting new athletic goals and twitter hijacking and wearing towel skirts with heels and embracing verbal hyperbole and jamming to "Vogue."

Ridiculous quote of the evening, courtesy of Frank: "Wine is good. People are awesome. I am a rockstar."

Thanks Frank. And Noah. And Jamie. May we always get together and feel free/obliged to "party like [the] rockstars" that we are!

boy, i'm tired of runnin'

I woke up dismayed this Monday morning about the fact that I have to run 20 miles on Saturday morning.

Seriously. I sat up in my bed and said "ugh"  out loud.

I'm SO OVER RUNNING right now!! This is the longest I've EVER trained for anything. We're in week 20 of training for something I'd normally train 18 weeks for ... and I'm still seven weeks out from this year's marathon.

And to be fair, the training group has been great. The schedule remains appealing — three days a week of running and such a gradual build in distance that the long runs aren't even uncomfortable. Recovery time is nil. I love the relationships that have developed and our track workouts have totally whetted my appetite for starting serious speed work after the big race ....

But, wow, I'm so crazy jealous of the Chicago finishers right now ...

Currently playing: iTunes radio
Currently reading: Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

on the ground

You've probably seen it. But you should watch it again ... even if only because Ryan Reynolds is in it.

you have stolen my heart

The scent has been in the air for a couple of weeks now — a subtle nuance nearly obscured by the lingering summer humidity and heat. But did you feel it this morning? The first true hint of Fall in Florida?

Glorious.

And I must confess: I think I'm seriously at risk of falling hard for Fall. It'll be an obsessive, eye flirt 24/7, slightly irrational giddiness kind of love. Again. Spring and Summer stole my affections for a time — dangling beaches and bikinis and freckles in my face — but Fall's doing an admirable job of wooing me back ...

This morning's weather has been painting pictures worth acquiring. The prospect of wearing boots again, tucking my jeans into them and tying a scented scarf around my neck floats in the forefront of my mind. Visions of Epcot and waiting in line at Food and Wine Festival booths are dancing in my head. I can see myself taking an afternoon nap in a house with all the windows open or reading on a blanket in the sun at a park or tearing up a wooded trail as the sun disappears and a chill descends. Coffee and conversation with a friend on a restaurant patio ... oh, yes please!

I am sufficiently and completely enchanted.

Currently playing: "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessionals (on repeat)
Currently reading: the book I'm freelancing on

"Catch the last weekend, of the last week, before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced. Another sun soaked season fades away..."

ryan reynolds

Because he's my celebrity crush (number one on "the list") and because it's Friday:

Good day.

facebook status

(cause I refuse to post them there)

Tracy ...

laughs at how trendy training/running has gotten lately.
thinks Megan McCafferty is a creative genius. Perfect Fifths was perfect.
applied for admission. Who-a.
wishes Darius Rucker would stop singing country music.
is moving on to Mad Men, Season 2 and liking Glee thus far.
plans on baking cookies tonight. Banana Cream with PB chips. Yes.
keeps hanging out with tracks 7 and 8 of Hillsong's latest.
wants to do the Watermelon Crawl next Thursday...
wonders what it would take to become a spinning instructor.
announces the induction of another member into "The Club:" Congrats Amanda!
finds it ironic (and awesome) that her megachurch is endorsing "simple church."
admits disappointment with CCR's latest.
likes the dynamics of brand management ... a lot.
misses the Moose ... a lot.
is slated for 18 tomorrow at 3:45 a.m. in WP. Begin questioning sanity now.
had a refreshingly encouraging week.

Currently playing: "God One and Only" by Hillsong

"...Rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons ... Open up your plans and, damn, you're free ... Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours. There's no need to complicate — our time is short! This is our fate: I'm Yours." — Jason Mraz

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery...The only that counts is faith expressing itself through love." — Galatians 5:1, 6b

just dance

"I believe this video annihilates the idea that people want to show up to an event (church) and stand in rows and be sung and talked to. Safety is overrated. People want to be a part of something big." — Carlos Whitaker on his blog

The video he's referring to (catch it below) was a portion of Oprah's season kickoff party on Tuesday in Chicago. I'm not an Oprah fan, but the woman knows how to throw a block party. Sheesh. Reminiscent of the T-Mobile ad I exclaimed my love for a few months back, it involved a huge crowd of people gradually joining in on a choreographed dance — this time to the LIVE Black Eyed Peas. It seemed to surprise their hostess. Delighted the viewing audience. Made you wish you were there ... being a part.

My mom (also not an Oprah fan) loved it so much she recorded it and then sat me down to watch it the second I got to Lake last Friday. I liked the idea of it so much, I'm telling you.

I think Carlos might be on to something.

Currently playing: "Dancing Generation" by Matt Redman
Currently reading: Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
Currently watching: Kanye's lack of class on last night's VMA's (here)

baby steps down new paths

"Lately i can't shake the feeling that I'm supposed to be doing ... something. Preparing for ... something. Getting ready for, and maybe even a little excited about ... something. I'll be [running around the track, watching an episode of Mad Men, or writing on this very blog], when I'll violently jerk with a jolt of anxiety over tasks undone and unknown."

— Jessica Darling in Megan McCafferty's Fourth Comings (brackets mine)

I think part of living well means listening to how life (and God through life) speaks to you. That means being aware of who says what and why they say it and how past and present moments mingle together in such a way as to paint a picture of a possible future.

That said, I'm seriously looking at taking an evening course at SCC this spring semester. Intermediate Algebra.

It's the pre-requisite for General Chemistry I.

I just have to know.

my foot is jacked up

I've had a gnawing pain in my left foot for the past few weeks, so after whispers of "stress fracture" and on the recommendation of various athletic authority figures in my life, I haven't run since doing 16 last Saturday. You know, RICE and all that jazz.

Rest. Ice. Compress. Elevate. Yea, it all sucks.

And my foot hurts FAR MORE today than it ever has. I woke up wanting to chuck a machete at my ankle. (Whoa, Dexter much?!). My leg feels like it's in a vice. So tight. Too tight. Apparently, I don't do inactive well? Duh.

I'm convinced that favoring my foot has actually intensified the pain. For realz.

So, tomorrow?

Tomorrow I run.

Currently playing: "Firecracker" by Josh Turner.

"i'm in no shape for drivin'..."

So, the weekend I meet a car I actually like better than mine, mine decides to throw a fit:

I discovered a half-inch of water under my driver's seat yesterday. I blame Hurricane Jemimah (or whatev) and some sort of door seal leak that has yet to be professionally diagnosed.

And then there's the violent automatic gear shifting/jerking that began on my way to work this morning. It led to the inability to drive over 35 mph or spin at less than 3 rpm's. Actually felt like my car was trying to throw me up. Over and over again.

If I didn't know better, I'd think my car was a tiny bit jealous.

Too bad being a pain in my butt is no way to gain (or maintain) my affections.

She's at the transmission shop right now. Violating my wallet.


So, yea, that TSX is starting to look good.

REAL good.

Currently playing: "Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms
Currently watching: Berkeley Square miniseries

home again

I don't know about you, but when I get busy, I tend to neglect reading (great lit AND Scripture), I cease listening (to what you're REALLY saying, as well as new music and podcasts), I quit getting outside, and I forget what it means to be "home."

So, Sunday I got fed up with being out of pocket and got up and got some life back.

That looked initially like running errands. I took a sloooowww walk down a long path (trail!). I grocery-shopped with others (you) in mind — stocked the fridge with beer (Blue Moon Honey Moon) and fruit and soda and frozen pizza (Archer Farms!). I started a load of laundry, puffed the pillows, lit a candle (Bath and Body Works' Country Apple) and turned on some music (smooth jazz - don't knock it). I eased through the day, had an impromptu lunch with my parents (Townhouse!), read a book (my intro to Pratchett, borrowed from Nic), journaled with a cup of hot tea (Tazo) in hand, cooked the pretty perfect pot roast* and paired it with a relaxing red wine (Red Guitar) for dinner. I got to be "home":

 

 So, Sunday was a really great day...and I just wanted to tell somebody about it.

That is all.

Currently playing: "Wind" sermon by Erwin McManus

Currently watching: Dexter, Season 3

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* 2ish lb. chuck roast coated in cream of mushroom soup, lipton beefy onion mix, wrapped in an aluminum tent with baby carrots, fresh mushrooms, and chunks of yukon potatoes at 305 for 3 hours - done.

boom boom pow

I know I've been quiet. Sorry about that. Honestly, I've been too busy (and therefore, tired) to think much, let alone write about any of it. Seriously, sometimes I feel like the rhythm of my life starts to mimic a bad (but terribly catchy) pop song — a bit mindless, underlying repetitive, somehow stimulating, but too busy and missing out on purpose in the process. Fixing that.

But just in case you were worried I'd gone dark, I shall allay your fears with bad threads of recent thoughts. Just proving my synapses still fire (even if w/o aspiration):

"What's the historical/social value of "just a paycheck" jobs in a tight economy?"

"Will I EVER find time to cook?"

"Oh, with the running....must I? Again?! Ugh. Ouch. Mmm'kay....let's do this beast."

"There must be a reason why I keep putting off the nose job consult..."

"Worth calculating: the expense of travel compared to the cost of watching the world go by...."

"Using Netflix to watch television? Good idea."

"I'm beginning to wonder at my capacity (or perhaps lack thereof) for romance."

"I now own a mirror as big as my wall...and I really like it. Is that wrong?"

"Must. listen. to. Green Day."

"Isn't it necessary to nurture a culture of growth, not just community, in small groups?"

"It's a conundrum: the men staring but never approaching. Balls. Men, go get some."

"I love avocados. And cherries. And raisinets. And kahlua chocolate mousse cheesecake from Cheesecake. Me want."

Currently reading: Andy Stanley's The Principle of the Path
Currently watching: True Blood Season 1
Currently playing: "The Way Love Looks" by Easton Corbin

because i'm a nerd

oh man. The gif just about made my Friday...but catching up on Occupation Girl's blog really made it, plus some. Can't stop laughing at her most recent movie parody: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Fifteen Minutes. Perfection!

pieces of me

In prepping/packing to move into a new place, I've come to discover that over the years, I've managed to acquire a lot of stuff.

It's the hazard of having hobbies, I guess. Or being willing to dabble—to try.

But I'm kind of fickle. Or, more likely, transforming. Some of what I try, I discard after a time. I grow out of it. Past it. Into something else. Still, I've kept the material representations of the person I used to be: The guitar. The keyboard. The watercolors. Beading supplies. Makeup. FCA books and files. Foreign language curriculum. Design conference swag. All of it kept and yet, none of it any longer really worth keeping...

Have you ever taken stock of what you've got and discovered that there's things you no longer want or need? Staring into storage recently, I realize I have absolutely no desire anymore to play my guitar or keyboard. I'm shocked by the knowledge that painting and beading are no longer creative outlets I crave....that FCA has ceased to be a passion...that looking "runway ready" stopped mattering some time ago.....and that design no longer holds my hands-on interest.

So, I'm emptying out boxes and filling up plastic bags. They are trash. Donations. Materials attached to memories that I'm finally ready to let go...

So weird...this growing up thing :)

most weddings suck.

There, I said it. The truth comes out. I am a horrible person. Barely a girl with a heart made of stone. So sue me for my crimes against love...

But that doesn't change the fact that most weddings are kind of boring. And awkward. And kind of inauthentic. And oh gosh, SO EXPENSIVE.

But I know people getting married soon. People I love a whole lot more than I dislike weddings. Tonight we're rehearsing for Nic's Saturday festivities. Amanda and Tub's nuptials are right around the corner. And, honestly (and somewhat astonishingly), I have high hopes for both of those big days...especially after watching this little gem of a wedding processional today:

I'm looking forward to celebrating good times with some of my favorite people in some of their happiest moments over the next several months...

Currently playing: "Life's a Dance" by John Michael Montgomery

finger pull-ups?!

No, for reals. The hard core climbers do finger pull-ups. Can you imagine? Working to strengthen some of the tiniest muscles in your body because if you don't, you're more likely to fall to your death (or land on a crash pad)? Nuts.

I spent time yesterday watching the climbing "regulars" do some bouldering.  No harness, no rope, just grab rock, jump rock, and hoist your full body weight around using fingers and forearms. Fascinating. The good ones seem to defy gravity, grasping plastic rock upside down, a natural fit in what strikes you as an absurdly unnatural position.

I'd like to say I tried bouldering, but I didn't. Not yet. (I did cut my nails though with some clippers made available to customers, because you cannot have nails if you wish to hold on to pebbles for dear life). Still, three runs up and five or six times belaying wiped me out. My forearms felt like lead and my fingers stopped functioning. And I'm fairly certain I've got the start of a bad case of carpal tunnel syndrome (darn desk jobs) in my mouse hand that is affecting my range of motion and strength...

And speaking of strength, if there's one thing this foray into the indoor rock climbing world has taught me, it's that no amount of weight training can prepare you for the strength required to get your own body weight gracefully into abnormal positions. Those climbing "regulars" I spoke of? They look like dancers, partnered purposefully with the path they're blazing upwards. It's beautiful; something to strive for, at least...

I own a chalk bag now. Necessary, since I'm still a nervous wreck when on the ascent (my palms could pass for slip n' slides), and kind of fun...makes me feel a little bit legit. Too legit to quit, perhaps? Ha. Maybe.

Until next time...

engaged!

As of Wednesday night, my littlest brother, Tommy (Tub), is engaged to his lovely girlfriend of more than a year, Amanda. They're thinking late October wedding.

They're best friends. They'll make each other happy. And they'll be good for God together.

I like it. Congrats!