Trippin'

i am visiting our nation's capitol this weekend and let me tell you that the pictures you see on t.v., in magazines, in movies, do not even begin to do this place justice. it's just amazing. i don't think i stopped smiling all day. i'm still smiling now. :)

this city has got it down...from memorials that give you goosebumps, monuments that make you feel so physically small that it's hard to fathom, and just a genuine national spirit that i don't think you can really pick up on quite like this in many more places.

seeing kermit the frog, dizzy gillespie and louis armstrong's trumpets, and george washington's uniform all in one place was completely mind blowing. seeing a memorial of the war that my grandpa fought in and that my other grandparents were children during was soulful. we were totally bloated after having an amazing lunch at a D.C. "must go", Old Ebbitt's where i ate amazing crabcakes, canneloni and an incredible piece of cheesecake. but getting to do all of this with my best friend was probably the best part of the entire day--i have a feeling it will be the best part of the entire trip. :)

i was thinking today about how happy i've been lately and how you can be different kinds of happy. being here in D.C. with my best friend makes me happy (she said matter-o-factly). i cannot think of another person that i would rather see this stuff with. we had so much fun today and laughed so hard and walked so far that on the way home we were so completely and utterly exhausted that all we could do was sit on the metro in complete silence. that is how you know you are good friends...when you can sit in complete silence with someone and still be having a conversation. that is a bond that no one can break.

good night d.c. see you in the morning.

jefferson memorial--amanda and karen '07

my life: the soundtrack

I did this by taking all of my songs that I have on my computer and put it on shuffle. I took whatever song popped up...I went through twice because I felt like it. :)

Opening credits: "You're in My Heart"--Rod Stewart, "Above Ground"--Norah Jones
Waking up: "Days Go By"--Lifehouse, "Favorite Year"--Dixie Chicks
Average day: "Stoppin' the Love"--KT Tunstall, "Jaded"--Aerosmith
First date: "A Walk on the Ocean"--John Mayer (remake), "Get Ready"--The Temptations
Falling in love: "Name"--Goo Goo Dolls, "Here Comes the Sun"--The Beatles
Love scene: "Dancing with Angels"--SheDaisy, "This Woman Needs"--SheDaisy (two in a row!)
Fight scene: "Humble Me"--Norah Jones, "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash"--Huey Lewis
Breaking up: "Kokomo"--The Beach Boys (haha!), "Slide"--Goo Goo Dolls
Getting back together: "I Rock the Party that Rocks the Party"--Queen Latifah, "Oh Love"-- Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood
Secret love: "Build Me Up Buttercup"-The Temptations, "Taking The Long Way"--Dixie Chicks
Life's okay: "Love is the Movement"--Switchfoot, "1, 2 Step"--Missy Elliot and Ciara
Mental breakdown: "Those Sweet Words"--Norah Jones, "Broadway"--Goo Goo Dolls
Driving: "Throttleneck (instrumental)"--Brad Paisley, "Don't Stop Me Now"--Queen
Learning a lesson: "Heal Over"--KT Tunstall, "Letter to Me"--Brad Paisley (very fitting)
Deep thought: "All at Once"--The Fray, "New York"--Frank Sinatra
Flashback: "Lose Control"--Missy Elliot, "Why Georgia"--John Mayer
Partying: "Symphony No. 6"--Beethoven (huh?) :), "Everything is Everything"--Lauryn Hill
Happy dance: "Hello, Dolly!"--Barbara Streisand, "She's Some Kind of Wonderful"--Huey Lewis
Regreting: "Ironic"--Alanis Morrisette, "Heart Shaped Box"--Nirvana
Long night alone: "You Left the Water Running"--Huey Lewis, "It's All Been Done"--BNL
Death scene: "Everytime We Say Goodbye"--Ray Charles, "Fish Heads"--Dr. Demento (haha!)
Closing credits: "Bye Bye Miss American Pie:--Don MacLean, "Sugar Sugar"--The Archies

"Sea Foam"--AF 2007

music

i love being able to sit down at my desk and have all of my music at my fingertips. i can listen to ella fitzgerald, john mayer, chicago, the beatles, or carole king all with the click of a mouse. time flies when music is in my ears. 2 hours gone, just like that...kind of like tonight.

music--i highly recommend it. it's a soul healer, mood lifter, time waster, and a good friend that knows exactly how you feel. my life is a soundtrack--every emotion, every situation, every day.

"What we play is life."--Louis Armstrong

"Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."--Maya Angelou

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."--Victor Hugo

"The Little Rascals"

Simply the Best

thank you for always being
my rock and
my light
you are the best
i love you
happy birthday mom!




mother and daughter

thoughts...

as i was walking back across campus to my car after work yesterday i walked by the military building as some of the army rotc members came outside to lower the flag and put it away for the evening. three of them went in sequenced order to retrieve the flag while a fourth stayed behind and simply saluted at attention as "old glory" was lowered to the soldiers below. i thought to myself how pure and simple an act like this was and yet it was incredibly moving to watch. i pondered words in my head like patriotism, brotherhood, sisterhood, unity and thought to myself that the world would be a much better place if more pure and simple acts were recognized and appreciated.

it is said that the United States was founded on ideas such as brotherhood, unity, and togetherness and yet everyday we see and hear about individuals around the world and throughout the country who are reaching out without anyone reaching back. to think that the simple act of smiling at someone on the street could make their day just a little bit brighter or that helping a friend in need may make their lives a little bit easier. it is these little pure and simple acts that will make the world a better place--acts of reaching out to another individual, bringing them some peace of mind. life is much too short to live only for one's self when there are people, like soldiers, who die for their country and the people that they leave behind in that country. though we may not support the reason they are fighting it is important that we support them--say thank you to them for risking their lives for others. so i guess my point is this (and i got to it in a very roundabout way, i know) life is much too short to forget to let the people around you know that you care about them, that you appreciate them. in an instant it could be over.

so tell them--let them know. your family, friends, dog, cat, someone who makes a difference in your life--let them know that you appreciate them.

end of "being kind to others" diatribe. :) --(please excuse anything that may not make sense as i'm writing this while tired)... :)

colonial cemetery, savannah, ga --1750-1853 (closed against burials)

i am

who i am

what i am

loving it

loving life

loving me.

can't sleep

i'm writing because i can't sleep. i can't sleep because my heart hurts and it's making my stomach turn. where do i remember this from? oh yes...i remember now. men cause your heart to hurt. you fall for them much too fast even if you don't want to and then you fall hard and just as fast as you fell for them.

i won't do it...the heartache thing. i can't. i've been so happy the past few months and i refuse to give that up. i have a trust problem. you really have to work hard to earn my trust...maybe that's a good thing, maybe not. i have a problem with putting too much of myself into things and expecting things and dreaming up the things that inevitably won't happen. why? because i push to hard. i allow myself to get pulled in and then i push people away because i'm too much for them. i overly exert i guess. but maybe this isn't my fault. maybe it's other people. i deserve to be treated with respect, kindness and love...every woman does.

i refuse to depend on someone else for my happiness. but dammit i can't get you out of my head and so there you remain until things are better...until i know that we're "ok".

when i feel something and i know that something is there i grab at it. and i hold tight. maybe i love to hard. can one love too hard or too much? is it overwhelming for people around her?

art by Kyle M. Stone www.kylemstone.com/paintings16.html