my favorite albums... 90 thru 81

Welcome back to the show... here's the next set of my all time favorite albums...

Read:
The Introduction
My 100th to 91st favorite albums of all time

90

"Off the Deep End" by Weird Al Yankovic (1992)... I love, have always loved, and will always love, Weird Al Yankovic.  He's just hilarious.  And inventive.  And funny.  And his 7th studio album falls in that love category... he parodies the New Kids on the Block's "The Right Stuff" with an ode to the creamy center of an Oreo, "The White Stuff"... he digs on Milli Vanilli in "The Plumbing Song"... he joins with Cheech Marin in doing some "Rico Suave" as "Taco Grande"... and my favorite of the bunch is the lead single--"Smells Like Nirvana", a great parody of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".  Story goes that Al reached out, somewhat nervously, to Kurt Cobain about doing a Nirvana song.  Cobain asked, "Is your parody about food?"  Al replied, "Well... uh... no.  Its actually about how no one can understand your lyrics..."  Cobain loved the idea, the song and the video that accompanied it.  As he should.  Its brilliant.

89
"Songs from Ally McBeal" by Vonda Shepard (1998)... This will fall into the category of "CDs I listened to continually for a long, long time, but haven't heard in a long, long time..."  I used to love me some Ally McBeal, as well as the music... and most of the music from the first few seasons was done by singer-songwriter Vonda Shepard... the CD is mostly covers like "Walk Away Renee" and "Just Ask the Lonely", but my favorite is the Ally McBeal theme song, "Searching My Soul". 

Wait... I just found out that Vonda Shepard is the same Vonda Shepard that duets with Dan Hill on the 80s cheesefest "Can't We Try"... how did I not know this?  I mean, how many Vonda Shepards making music can there be?  Why didn't I make this connection?  I'm losing my touch...

88
"Purple" by Stone Temple Pilots (1994)... I have to give props to my high school buddy Greg Avant for turning me on to this band... I'll tell that story later, but "Purple" is their second CD, and its just so, so good.  "Interstate Love Song" is the one that got the most play on the radio, but there are other gems here... like "Big Empty", a song that was later featured in "The Crow" soundtrack, and the oddly named, great sounding "Meat Plow".  I'm not a huge heavy metal fan, but I loved me some STP.  Of course, this was truly the last great album they made... their next CD, "Tiny Music from the Vatican Gift Shop" was good, but just not the same magic as their first one, and this one.  Favorite track: Vasoline

Unfortunately, Scott Weiland, the frontman for STP, was buzzed on heroin for much of the early STP years.  And he sounded awesome.  And when he got clean, STP suffered.  I know, its a terrible thing... but I miss Heroin Addicted Scott Weiland.  Maybe he just shoot up for recording sessions, remaining closely supervised by doctors, and then immediately go into rehab.  That's probably why I'm not a music producer.

87.
"Surfacing" by Sarah McLachlan (1997)... I do love me some Sarah Mac.  I procured tickets to see her in concert once, while working at a radio station.  We sat next to the Paepckes' (Jon from NBC13 and his wife Jennifer)... and the four of us might have been the only four straight people in the entire arena.

Anyway, "Surfacing" is the fourth studio album from Sarah, and containing some excellent songs like "Building a Mystery" and the grew-on-me-over-the-years "Adia".  Loses points, however, for the inclusion of "Angel", a really slow song already that has been forever marred because its the music used by the ASPCA, showing you pictures of one eyed puppies, three legged kittens and retarded horses to guilt you into sending them money.  That song is ruined.  Favorite track, though? "Sweet Surrender".  Looooove me some "Sweet Surrender".

86   
"House of Love" by Amy Grant (1994)... The early 90s were really tough on Mrs. Grant.  She made a highly successful crossover to pop music with "Heart in Motion", released in 1991 and was on the short list of albums for this Top 100... things weren't going well, though.  She separated from singer/songwriter Gary Chapman, and while in that separation, she met country superstar Vince Gill, who appears on this album, in a duet for the title track.  Gary and Amy finalized their divorce in 1999, and in 2000, she married Vince, himself previously married to a chick from Sweethearts of the Rodeo. 

Personally, I think she fell in love with Vince in the mid to late 90s, still married to Gary... but I also think they knew years before the divorce that the marriage was doomed.   Listen to 1997's  "Behind the Eyes", the album that came after this--its pretty painful.  Her heart was broken.  How did this turn into an Amy Grant story?

"House of Love" is fun, light, and peppy, especially with "Lucky One", a somewhat winkwink nudgenudge to the art of Christian lovin'... I dig her version of "Oh How the Years Go By"... I like "Children of the World"... but my favorite has to be the title track, "House of Love"

85
"Caedmon's Call" by Caedmon's Call (1997)... Like many of you, I find new bands because someone says "These guys are awesome, you should check them out."  That's how I discovered The Weepies (Thanks Hannah Pruitt!) and The Lemonheads (Thanks Mike Dunn!  You stole my girlfriend, but at least I have the Lemonheads to listen to!)... and one summer in 1997, doing summer missions with the Baptist Association in Montgomery, Alabama, this dude named Jason said, "You need to listen to Caedmon's Call.  They are awesome."  And they were.  They are.  From the opening "Lead of Love" to the great closer, "Coming Home", and everything in between, its guitar worship Jesus praise, and its great.  "This World" is an amazing take on how this is not our home, "I Just Don't Want Coffee" could be a theme song for me, and "Close of Autumn" is one of my Life Songs, or songs that most affected my Christian Walk

84
"Serious Hits... Live" by Phil Collins (1990)... Phil is one of those guys who was pretty awesome in a band--Genesis--and had a pretty awesome solo career, at least early.  Then he kinda became a wuss.  (See "Adams, Bryan").  Anyway, on this live CD you get some pretty serious hits live, like "Do You Remember" and "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven", which are from the studio album before this "But Seriously...", but you also get some earlier stuff, including "Easy Lover" and "In the Air Tonight".  And there is an incredible version of "Separate Lives", and my favorite Phil Collins song "I Wish It Would Rain Down".  Did you also know that Phil is the father of Lily Collins, the big sis in "The Blindside"?  Yup. 

At some point, this exchange actually happens:
Paula:  Have you ever been in love?
Keanu: If I was... I didn't know it...
Glorious.  Brilliant.  Poignant.  Ridiculous.  All in one. I frickin love
the "Rush Rush" video...

83
"Spellbound" by Paula Abdul (1991)... And we get our first repeat artist of the countdown... I gotta be honest.  For a long time, I had "Forever Your Girl" ranked this high, and "Spellbound" was among the discarded nominations... but I took a long look at the track listing, and even pulled up iTunes and took a listen at "Vibeology" (oh so funky) and "The Promise of a New Day" (positive vibes along for the ride) and "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" (soft and melodic) and of course, "Rush Rush", which can only be truly appreciated if you watch the most ridiculous video in the history of mankind.  I mean, Keanu Reeves is portraying James Dean.  Read that sentence again. 

82
"A Maze of Grace" by Avalon (1997)... Yes, in the 90s, trios and quartets in Contemporary Christian Music were almost a dime a dozen.  Sometimes it was hard to tell your Sierra from your The Waiting from Silage from PFR to FFH to Big Tent Revival... they all kind of sounded alike, even with different sounds and styles... and somehow, Avalon kinda sounded like that too.  But, to me, they stood out with this CD... This, their 2nd album, was magical, as it contained great worship music like "Adonai" and "Dreams I Dream For You"... oh, and this monster hit you couldn't get away from, "Testify To Love".  Don't get me wrong, its a great song, but in 1997-98, that song was EVA.REE.WHERE... I mean, all over.  And yes, I know all the words.  My favorite tunes on this album though, are the awesome strong-in-faith song "World Away" and the love song to God, "Reason Enough"

81

"Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park" by Sheryl Crow (1999)... I do love Sheryl Crow. Ever since her first album, "Tuesday Night Music Club", which as you might guess, you'll hear about later, I have enjoyed her music, her writing and her style... that's changed a bit in the last six or seven years, as I kinda feel like she's become a little flaky for my tastes, as you can read here in a post from years ago, but that doesn't change her work in the 90s.  This live CD features Eric Clapton, The Dixie Chicks, Chrissy Hynde from The Pretenders, Stevie Nicks and Sarah McLachlan, an incredible line-up, and... well, this CD is just fun.  My favorite track is the duet with Stevie Nicks, on a cover of "Gold Dust Woman"

ALMOST MADE THE CUT

My first three CD purchases... 1) The Monkees box set... 2) The Pulp Fiction Soundtrack... and ...

The Hit Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1995)... I don't know who sings these songs, and the liner notes are somewhere around here, I dunno... but I love "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" from Evita, a musical I don't really ever care to see... and I thought this version of "Memories" from CATS was incredible, even though I've seen CATS twice and it sucked both times... and of course, the title song from "The Phantom of the Opera" will rock your world... and "Jesus Christ Superstar"?  Holy crap that song is a jam.  And I got it all from this CD, on sale for $11.95, at On Cue in Troy, Alabama.

my favorite albums... 100 to 91

Didja read the intro?  Do that first.

And now... drumroll please... my 100 favorite albums of all time...

100
"Found a Place" by FFH (2000)... Poppy and light, but still a great devotional/worship album.  Be it a catchy tune about having the faith of "Daniel", or a prayer to be used however He sees fit, like in "Lord Move or Move Me", every song is a great devotion.  My favorite is the simple praise song "Be My Glory"... check that one out on iTunes, if nothing else.


99
"Forever Your Girl" by Paula Abdul (1989)... Nowadays, Paula Abdul is somewhat of a punchline.  Somewhat strange, flaky, rambling, a bubble of fluff and rainbows when she appeared on American Idol for what seemed like forever ago.  But back in the day, she was a hot dancer who became a hot singer who sang awesome stuff like "Opposites Attract", with some dude named MC Scat Cat.  She did a video where she had a romance with an animated, smoking cat!  And she was praised for it!  I love this CD.  My favorite cut is the title track, "Forever Your Girl".

98
"Cocktail" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1988)... My cousins Shannon and Frankie Jr, and his girlfriend at the time, were down from Virginia with family visiting us in Samson, Alabama, and the four of us decided to go to the movies.  Now, this is in Enterprise, Alabama, where you go to the Clark Cinemas--whichever movie you want, that's the window you went to.  Want this film, go to the left, want that film, go to the right, with the concession stand in the middle.  That night, Shannon and I went to see "Hot to Trot", with Bobcat Goldthwait and Frankie Jr and his chick went to see "Cocktail".  After our movies were over, we met in the parking lot.  Frankie Jr raved about "Cocktail", so we all went to see it.  Mine and Shannon's second film of the night, their 2nd time viewing the movie.  And at the time, I thought the movie was awesome.  Now?  Eh. Its okay, I guess.

The soundtrack is rollicking, though.  Its known for two main songs:  Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and the love it or hate it "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys, which subsequently led to a reunion and a new tour and John Stamos on drums.  No, I'm not kidding.

But the real gems are the covers of "All Shook Up" by Ry Cooder, and the original "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard.  It also features John Cougar Mellencamp, Starship and a bombastic Fabulous Thunderbirds on "Powerful Stuff"... my favorite of the bunch, though, is the "Hippy Hippy Shake" by the Georgia Satellites, which sometimes runs through my head when I'm rockin' at the espresso bar at Starbucks. 

97
"Third Day" by Third Day (1996)... At the beginning of my huge Christian music fandom, and what I consider the growing-up of the CCM industry, there was a band out of Atlanta that emerged.  They released this album with a bus on the front, and called it "Third Day"... this was after a few years of playing around the area, growing the fandom and releasing a few indie albums.  They have release 8 studio albums and 2 worship CDs since then, but to me, their first is by far the best.  It kicks off with "Nothing at All", then continues the bluesy rock with songs like "Blackbird", "Consuming Fire", and maybe the most well known from this CD, "Thief".  My favorite is "Take My Life", a soft, worship tune that I first heard when my frat brother Jason White strummed it on guitar.

96
"Momentum" by Toby Mac (2001)... Not sure that dcTalk will ever unite.  Makes me sad. That being said, Toby Mac is awesome.  Christian rap and hip hop sometimes gets a bad... well, rap... because... well... its usually awful.  I mean, most rap is awful, and Christian rap isn't much different.  But Toby Mac somehow makes it work.   And on "Momentum", there are shades of dcTalk all through, but it comes alive when you have guests like Kirk Franklin and GRITS join up.  My favorite track by far is "Irene", but mostly because we did a dance to that song when I did missions in New York City in 2002.  That ruled.

95
"Greatest Hits" by New Kids on the Block (2008)... Now, I know what you are going to say.  What is that doing on your list.  I know, I know... but I chose to put Greatest Hits and compilations on this list because yes, they are albums, and yes, they are albums I like.  There are several GH on this list, including 2 box sets, and even a few live albums.

What?  You meant "Why are the New Kids on this list?"  Well, because in high school, as a dude, I wasn't allowed to like them.  But as a grown up, I think its probably okay.  And I like this CD--it saves me from having to actually get any of their other stuff.  "Hangin' Tough", "Step by Step", "I'll Be Lovin' You (forever)"... take a listen, they aren't bad.  My favorite?  "Tonight"

94
"Dirty Dancing" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1987)... Talk about an album to know by heart.  Glancing at the track listing for this record, I know every word to Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes"... every word to Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby!"... and all the cheesy notes to Mickey & Sylvia's "Love is Strange".  And, of course, "(I've had) The Time of My Life" with Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes.  My favorite is "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes.

93
"Songs You Know By Heart: Jimmy Buffett's Greatest Hit(s)" by Jimmy Buffett (1985)... Its hard to believe that all of these songs were before 1985--in fact, they are all from 1973 to 1979.  And yeah, if you are familiar with Buffett at all, you'll know "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Fins" and The Lovely Steph Leann's favorite, "Come Monday"... and of course, "Margaritaville", my favorite from the set.

92
"La Bamba" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1987)... from a movie in my Top 500, I freakin' loved La Bamba when it came out.  The story of Richie Valens, starring Lou Diamond Phillips, it chronicles the rise of Valens, his stardom and his death, "The day the music died", in a plane crash with The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly.  The music in this movie should have its own credit in the cast list.  TexMex rockers Los Lobos provided all the songs for Valens, and are featured here on the first half of the album--"Donna", "Come On Let's Go", and "La Bamba" included.  The last half is also great, with covers of Buddy Holly's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", Brian Setzer's version of "Summertime Blues" and the original Bo Diddley classic, "Who Do You Love".  But its the Jackie Wilson cover of "Lonely Teardrops" by Howard Huntsberry that stands out for me.

91
"Breathless" by Kenny G (1992)... Oh, come on.  In 1992, I liked it.  And guess what?  Its 12x platinum--it sold over 12,000,000 copies.  So, back off.

AND ONE THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT...
The problem with cutting it to 100 is there are still so many albums to talk about... so here's one that I loved, but didn't quite make the list:

"The Greatest Hits" by INXS (1994)... Once again, rather than buying all the CDs, I found it easier to just get this one.  And am I glad I did... "Suicide Blonde" with that opening riff... "What You Need" rocks... "Need You Tonight" is fun to sing... and "Beautiful Girls" is awesome.  It loses points though because it doesn't include the cool "Mediate"...

Coming soon... the next 10 favorite albums of all time... including something a little Weird... our first TV soundtrack... and finally, a real, hard rock album...

my all time favorite albums

For those of you who aren't aware... I love lists.  I love ranking things.  I love putting things on a spreadsheet, and moving them up and down, higher than this one, lower than that one, giving myself a definitive list of what's best in any category. 

Entertainment Weekly declared this the best album of
all time.  I disagree.  In fact, there is nary a Beatles
album on my entire list.

Entertainment Weekly gave their list of the 100 Greatest... in everything. 
--Their 100 Greatest Movies (Citizen Kane)...
--Their 100 Greatest TV Shows (The Wire)...
--Their 50 Greatest Plays (Death of a Salesman)...
--Their 10 Greatest Musicals (Guys & Dolls)...
--Their 100 Greatest Books (Anna Karenina)...

and finally.

--Their 100 Greatest Albums (The Beatles' "Revolver")...

I have my list of my movies... I am sure I could throw down a quick list of 25 favorite books (probably not 100... just being real)... And probably my favorite 50 or so TV Shows...

But my favorite albums?  At first, it was easy.  I thought "Eh, my top 25 and that's it..."  Well, when I got to 34, I thought "Oh, well... my favorite 50, right?"  And when I had listed 71, I thought, "Well, geez... guess we are going to 100..."

And when I got to 127, I decided that in order for it to not just become a list of all the albums I liked, I had to make a cutting off point... there had to be hard decisions made.  There had to be cuts.  Some artist, some band, some CD or record or tape would be left off to the side.  It had to be difficult to cut.

Then, I had to establish some rules... just because I dearly love a few songs on the album doesn't mean that I love the whole album.  Hence, the exclusion of "New Miserable Experience" by the Gin Blossoms.   Also, just because I love a few songs on the album doesn't mean I know the whole album well... thus, the exclusion of "The Dutchess" by Fergie.  No, I'm not kidding.

That's difficult too... because sometimes there are tunes you want to mention, and discuss... but that's for the 100 Favorite Songs list.  No, I actually don't have one... not yet, anyway...

And, well... sometimes I just found at least 100 albums I loved more than "Chase the Sun" by The OC Supertones or "Slippery When Wet" by Bon Jovi.  I know, sacrilege. 

Yes.  I think this album is fun.  I mean, its not like the
video for "Fergalicious" has 115 plays on my iPod.  I
mean, that would be silly, right?  Haha... uh... I mean,
who would have that.  That's dumb.  Um... next topic.

Another rule?  I have to either own, or have owned the album in some form... maybe I had the record album when I was a kid, and haven't upgraded... or the cassette that I haven't replaced on CD... or maybe I don't own the CD, but I have a copy in iTunes... or, more than likely, I just own the CD. 

In ranking these albums, I had to decide what they meant to me, how much I loved the entire body of work, and it especially helped if I had a special memory or a season in my life I could attach to it. 

This could also be any kind of album, any genre, any style.  It might be a greatest hits compilation, it might be a compilation of just random artists, or maybe its a soundtrack of tunes.  Doesn't matter, its my list.

Finally... well, its my list.  Love it, hate it, agree, disagree... I would hope that going through my list will spur some of your own memories for yourself...

Starting Monday night... my favorite 100 albums of all time...

passion that grows on trees

Ever heard of Julia Butterfly Hill?

Probably not. 

The only reason I remember her is that I mentioned her story in something that I wrote in the early part of 2000... see, Julia was this chick who lived in California, and became famous because she moved into a... well, an odd sort of house.  So strange, she even named her house Luna.

Sort of like Tara from Gone with the Wind, but not the same.  She moved in on December 10th, 1997, and lived in that home for 738 days, before finally leaving. 

Wait, did I tell you that Julia was living in a tree?  A tree she named Luna.  She disagreed with the She was living about 180 feet in the air at the top, in order to prevent this tree from being sliced down by loggers.   See, the Pacific Lumber Company was clearing some wooded areas, including some redwood forest trees in Northern California. 

She was a part of a group that was rotating in and out of the trees, in an effort to stop the cutting... people were staying a few days at a time, and they wanted someone to volunteer for a week.   And so Julia said she would.

Julia, branching out.  Two years in a long time.  Quite spacious, though.
I mean, check out that trunk space.  I'll bet the loggers couldn't wait for
her to leaf.  Should I go on?

Says Julia: "An hour and a half after reaching the base of the tree, we got the last of the provisions up. By then it was midnight. Finally, I was able to put on the harness and ascend Luna. It seemed an exhausting eternity before I reached the top. When I finally got there, I untangled myself from the harness and looked around for a place to collapse."

And there she stayed.  For 738 days, she lived on two 6x6 platforms.  She exercised by moving about the branches and trunk.  She didn't wash her feet very often, finding that sap on the bottom of her feet helped her stick to the tree for better traction.

She used solar powered cell phones, became an "in-tree" correspondent for a cable tv show, and commanded an 8 person crew that would hoist supplies up to her as needed.  She slept in a sleeping bag, cooked on a single-burner propane stove. 

Through it all, she suffered from freezing rains, 40+ miles per hour wins due to El Nino, helicopters buzzing around constantly, angry loggers attempting to intimidate her and an actual siege by company security guards.

Finally, on December 18th, 1999, a little over 2 years after climbing to the top, Julia Butterfly Hill struck an agreement with the Pacific Lumber Company... they agreed to preserve Luna the Tree, and all of Luna's brothers and sister trees in a 200 foot radius.  As part of the agreement, $50,000 that was raised by Julia and her activist groups was donated to the logging company, which was in turn, donated to a university for research in forestry.

She has since parlayed this into a lifetime of protests and such, as well as a book deal with her memoirs, being the subject of a documentary and even getting arrested in Ecuador for similar protesting--they didn't respond well... the Ecuadorian president said, "The gringo has been arrested..." and said gringo was soon deported.

Oh, and according to her Wikipedia page, she's a vegan.  I kinda feel like they could saved that 2.3 seconds of typing, because I think we could have done the "lived in a tree to protest logging/vegan" math there...

There are many words you can use to describe Julia Butterfly Hill.

Goofy.

Crazy.

Insane.

Maybe a need to re prioritize her life.

And...

Passionate.

Yes, Passionate.  Like it or not, this chick was passionate about what she believed in.  Whether you think she's brave and wonderful, or a complete moron... she is passionate.

And I think the difference in enthusiasm and fervor and zeal versus passion is that you can lose the first three quickly... you can be enthusiastic for something one day, and the next day be down and lose it, and the following day be excited again... "fervor", "zeal", kinda the same thing.

But passion is developed.  And lost over time.  And gained back over time.   And we have to be careful not to lose our passion.

I'm pretty sure that maybe on Day 78 of her journey atop a tree, J-Butt might have thought, "What the crap... Am. I. Doing?" and perhaps on Day 123, maybe she thought, "I would love a clean toilet right now" and on Day 201, she might have thought, "So... I have missed the last 48 weeks of Friends... and did Clooney come back to ER?" 

And when the loggers were calling her what I can only imagine are ugly names, she probably shed some tears.  And when Pacific Lumber came to her and said, "Hey, if you come down, we promise we won't cut down THIS tree... just the rest of them..." she might have been tempted to say "Okay, good enough" and come down and had a steak a tofu dog.

But she didn't.  Because she believed in what she was doing so much, she didn't allow her emotions to take over... she didn't let the temptations of a lesser goal to overtake her.  She knew what her goal would be, and was even quoted as saying, "I gave my word to this tree, the forest and to all the people that my feet would not touch the ground until I had done everything in my power to make the world aware of this problem and to stop the destruction."

This tells me that she recognized she couldn't do it all, and she knew there were some limits... but she wouldn't stop until she had done everything she could have done. 

And this is where you come in.  What is your passion?  If you give it up because you get emotionally dinked, its not passion.  Its a hobby.  If you walk away because you settled for a mark way, way before what you believe your passion is, its not passion.  Its just something you enjoy doing.

When the zeal is gone, when you are unenthusiastic about it... if its truly passion, your passion will remain.

And so goes the way of the Christ Follower.  Passion.  Keep chasing God, even when the Spiritual high of a great worship has worn off.  Passion.  To keep working even when you feel as if you aren't making a difference to anyone.  Passion.  When there is no zeal, no fervor, no enthusiasm whatsoever, you keep the pursuit of God in hand.  Passion.

God pursues us with Passion.  Every time we hurt him, every time we turn our backs on him, every time we deny his name and deny the cross, He still comes after us.  With a Passion.

We all are passionate about something... even if its being passionate about not committing to anything.  Even if its just an addiction to the warm fuzzies.  I'm passionate about writing.  About movies.  About my family.  And sometimes, I'm passionate about God... and that's just honesty.

Here's the challenge... to find your Passion, and if it's anything other than the relentless pursuit of God as he pursues us, to channel it to that pursuit.

Let's just hope its not in a tree.

some you tubery randomness

Just some random things runnin' through my head in the last few days...

In the same vein of things I've shared in recent days, I thought this was worth a look-see... sorta, kinda eye opening...

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Doing the deposit at our store, and came across this little gem in the stack of 1 dollar bills...

Thought it was quite a surprising find, but also a neat little reminder.

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Have you seen this?   Please... take the time to watch this, especially if you have a child or two.  Or three.  Or none. Its awesome.

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In September, I'm headed back to Disney World!  As a part of the Adult Educational Program, I'm going for a week to do some Disney training.  Typically, the agents stay at a deluxe resort, and I was truly hoping for a Polynesian or Contemporary stay... we'll be at The Wilderness Lodge, which I've already stayed in... but I'm not complaining. At. All.

We'll be touring the resorts, possibly be doing a ship tour, possibly touring some other sites on property, and I'm pretty doggone stoked.  I'm actually staying an extra day and a half because I'm hitting the water park as soon as I am clear of the conference... The Lovely Steph Leann does not do water parks for anything, so this is my chance to go!

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This is absolutely precious... well, if it wasn't so wrong in 15 different ways.  The serious delivery on this makes me cry from laughing so hard...




Hope you had some laughs with all of this...

no warm fuzzies allowed

Well... I guess its time to 'fess up.  We're STARTing. 

Let me explain... one of my favorite columnists is Jon Acuff, author of both the blog page and book entitled "Stuff Christians Like", and also the author of a fantastic little book called "Quitter".  Its all about bridging that gap between doing what you have to do--your job--and doing what you love.  It doesn't tell you to quit your job, he tells you to find your passion, and do what it takes to do that. 

His next book is called "START", with a long subtitle of "Punch Fear in the Face / Escape Average / Do Work That Matters".  I know what you are going to say... another Christ Follower with a tried and true method of making you feel all fuzzy and warm, pumping you up, making you raise your head to the Heavens and say, "Yes Lord!  I am made for more than this!  I'll become what you want me to be!!" which is all well and good, until you have to go work the next day.   Or school.  Or re-join the real world in some other fashion

Warm Fuzzies are dangerous.  They make you feel so alive, so loved, so comforted... and yes, you are.  By God, you are loved and comforted.  By your friends, your family, your kids, maybe your spouse, maybe just your besties, but you are loved.   But they give you a false sense of love, of security, and they are the first things to abandon you when times get an inkling of being sorta kinda tough. 

Be it reading a book about STARTing, punching fear all up in its grillz and becoming awesome, or having a throwdown hoedown praise and worship session like no other... warm fuzzies like to take hold.  And when its over, where are the Warm Fuzzies that were all up on you like white on rice on a paper plate on a polar bears back on an Alaskan hillside in a January snowstorm? 

Gone.

But... what if its not a warm fuzzy?  What if you could avoid the warm fuzzy, and truly find what you want to do, maybe He wants you do?  Find that passion?

My passion, when it boils down to it, is writing.  I love writing.  I love blogging.  Yes, I love Disney, and I love planning trips and so on, that is a passion... but truly, doing what I am doing at this very second, expressing my thoughts to you via Algore's interwebs... that is what I can do.  This is what God has given me the talent to do.

And so I do not want to neglect that.  Hence, pouring hours this week into this website... it was in danger of becoming obsolete.  Or forgotten.  Or just left, with the intentions of continuing, and probably just left in a pile of old blogs that make you do math to figure out when the last post actually was...

I joined a START group on Facebook, and it was there that I was spurred to continue.  Thousands of people posting, from all walks of life, all about their own fears... their own forgotten passions... their desires to be more than what they were... their wanting to find how to glorify Him the most out of what we do... and I was so encouraged by it.

Next week, out of the 2500+ people who signed up, we will be divided up into groups of 24... over 100 groups across the country (world?) and given a 24 day challenge.  Who knows what it will be... but I'm excited about it.  I'm excited to be pressed.  I'm excited.

Time to drop the pretense, time to shake off the cobwebs, time to do what He gave me the talent to do.

I'm a writer.

I will write.

Final thought.  Here's one of my favorite songs of all time, ever.  Caedmon's Call off of their self-titled album, its a song that I've discussed here before, but always seem to find my way back to... "Close of Autumn".  The last line pierces me every time--its about how we aren't baby Christians anymore, and we shouldn't be hanging out in the shallow end of the God Pool.  Its time to swim.  Yes, my fear was that You'd leave me here.  A long time back, my feet... they could actually touch the bottom.

When I'm cold and alone, all I want is my freedom, a sudden gust of gravity... I stop wailing and kicking just to let this water cover me, cover me.  Only if I rest my arms, rest my mind, You'll overcome me, swell up around me.  With my fighting so vain, and my vanity so fought, I'm rolling over...

And in just the same way, this stream becomes swollen, swollen with cold up over the ground.  When my heart draws close, to the close of autumn, Your love abounds.

All this time I've been thinking, wondering, how would it be to breathe in deep?  Guess I need to be careful when I ask for a drink, just might get what I ask for.  And I know just what You say to me, that's why I don't ask You, what would I ask You?  I'm like a bull-headed boy these days, crying "my toy's gone!"  You're shiny and new.

Cause in just the same way, this stream becomes swollen, swollen with cold up over the ground.  When my heart draws close, to the close of autumn, Your love abounds.

Guess I'll drop my anger here, before I float away, and the chains around me.  And awful lot of talking, I don't leave You much to say. 

You didn't ever leave me.

Any my greatest fear, was that You'd leave me here.

A long time back my feet...

...could touch the bottom.

Thank you for reading with me.  Hopefully, you'll join me in the deep end.  Some say I might be going off the deep end.  And peruse the blogroll, you might find a few random blogs you didn't know before...

the lone ranger review

When "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" was released, it was glorious.  It was fun, it was unpredictable, it was different, and kept you wanting more.  And much of the movie's charm and brilliance rested on the character of Captain Jack Sparrow, played so well by Johnny Depp that he secured an Academy Award nomination.

It was this same charm that was unsuccessfully forced in the next two films, "Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End."  These two movies that simply didn't work for a myriad of reasons, including how long, convoluted and unoriginal they were.  Granted, the last one, "On Stranger Tides", was better than "Chest" and "End", but maybe because it didn't try to follow the same formula as "Black Pearl"... but, it was still the "All Johnny Depp Show" all the time.  As great as he is, you have to have a story that you can follow--and want to follow--in order to have a good movie.

And now we have "The Lone Ranger"... another "Johnny Depp Show" for another 2 and a 1/2 hours.  I think we need to sit down and have a chat with Depp and director Gore Verbinski, if only to tell them that we can have a fun movie made in under 120 minutes.

The movie itself is somewhat of an origin story... you have John Reid, a law abiding straight attorney in the old west who gets embroiled in a big ordeal via the murder of his brother (this is in the trailer, so I am not spoiling anything, I promise)... and along the way, he first arrests, chases, befriends, leaves for dead, saves, is saved by and travels with his legendary Indian partner, Tonto, that being Johnny Depp.

Armie Hammer, who you will most likely remember as playing both of the Winklevii Twins in my 72nd favorite film of all time, "The Social Network", takes on the title character, and is not bad.  I've heard Hammer being described as "not talented" and "not a good actor", but personally, I think he's just fine here.  Supporting characters include Barry Pepper (the young guard in "The Green Mile" and also in "Saving Private Ryan") who has made a great name for himself as a character actor of late... Tom Wilkinson... Ruth Wilson, an Brit who is relatively unknown here... and an excellent turn by William Fichtner--you don't know his name, but you know his face, I promise--as the bad dude, Butch Cavendish.  Even Helena Bonham Carter, no stranger to Depp films, finds her way in a bit part.

In the movie, there is a main storyline of a mine with a bunch of silver, a bunch of people who want that silver, treaties between the White Man and the Savage Indian, Butch and his gang being behind a bunch of it, Reid/The Lone Ranger wanting to bring Butch Cavendish to justice for his crimes (including the murder of his brother), Tonto wanting resolution for his guilt-ridden past, and so on.

First... I like the movie okay enough.  I had very low expectations for this movie, and part of me really didn't even want to see it... but I kinda felt like I had to.  The fact that you probably came to this page to decide for yourself whether to see it or not tells me that you are also having the same thoughts. 

Its overly long, coming in at 2 hours and 17 minutes, and it starts, and ends, with this silly narration involving a boy in a museum.  It keeps cutting back to this, its so unnecessary, and it many times breaks the momentum that many times the film has had to work hard to build. 

John Reid comes off as a nerdy type guy, so straight laced that his idea of justice is to make sure that every bad guy "has a fair trial and will hang for his crimes", an idea that in real life might be fine, but in a movie like this, makes his character look a little impish.  Tonto, on the other hand, is so ridiculous and odd that he kinda makes up the comic relief... Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer have decent enough chemistry, but like the last few Pirate films I referenced, I think "The Lone Ranger" relies soooo much on Depp, it misses opportunities that could have helped the film elsewhere.

Not only that, but the film varies from fun action--the final climax with the train and bridge is lots of fun--to the absolute absurd, like Silver, the famous horse of The Lone Ranger.  Silver is presented to us as this sign from the spirits that John Reid is the "Spirit Walker", and is destined to be great, or some hokum like that... really?  Silver shows up on the roof of a burning barn to save the day, and even in a tree, wearing John Reid's white hat.  I said in the tree.  Not under it.  In it.  Yep.  Get ready for that.

Fichtner's Butch Cavendale is a great villian.  I've seen him be a bad guy before, but not like this... he looks mean, he talks mean and Fichtner chews up, maybe steals, many of the scenes he is in. 

I've never been a huge fan of the old Lone Ranger, but I can probably tell you that this isn't your father's Kemosabe.  Then again, the audience not much younger than me won't know a lot about the original Ranger anyway, only the familiar names like "Tonto" and "Hi Ho Silver!" having heard them passed about in pop culture references.  Depending on your age, and original fandom of these characters, that will determine how you take this new spin on the old legend. 

This may or may not be the beginning of a franchise... I'd say likely not.  A few years ago, Disney released "John Carter", also hoping to build upon that name... it was blasted by critics, audiences stayed away, and at a budget upwards of 250 million, it made about 74m total.  Luckily, "The Avengers" came out a few months later and saved the day.  "The Lone Ranger" has a budget of around 200 million again, was plagued with production troubles and delays, isn't tracking well, and might have the same issues.  Through three days of release, its being trounced already by "Despicable Me 2", and it doesn't look great for the next few weeks.  So we'll see.

For kids?  Well, yes and no.  Yes, in that there is enough humor and some slapstick to keep kids laughing.  Language is at a minimal, and though a whole lot of people get shot and killed, much of it is very cartoony.  There is a scene with a machine gun that mows down a line of oncoming attackers, but none are shown close up and there isn't a lot of blood.  There is a scene were Butch Cavendish cuts out the heart of a good guy, and apparently.... takes a bite?.. but you don't see it, and its only referenced later.   Innuendos are also at a minimum, though there is a scene that takes place at a house of ill repute--again, nothing is shown.

Finally... there is a scene during the credits.  It actually starts a few minutes into the credits, and the credits keep rolling while the scene plays out... but let me tell you, what you see in the first 30 seconds of the scene is all you see.  That's it.  That's all. 

Bottom line... its worth a matinee.  Don't expect to be blown away, when you see the white horse standing on the roof or in a tree, just bear with, and block out the stupid museum kid. 

a key issue

At Starbucks Coffee, we start the day early.  Real early.  It often makes me think of the old Army slogan "We do more before 5am than most people do all day"... now, granted, we aren't saving any lives or protecting any freedoms, and as a matter of course, what we do is nothing compared to what anyone in the military does for us, but you get my point... we start mucho earlyo.

Opening at 530, we typically get there 30 minutes early... why?  It doesn't take that long to brew coffee... but we also have to brew tea... set up the tasty pastry case.. get the espresso machines primed and ready for your caffeine pleasure... get our registers set up... get the morning ready and so on.  And new baristas arrive in regular intervals all through the morning.

Of course, to get into the store, you need keys.  As a shift supervisor, I have those.

But wait, d$... I thought you were the assistant manager?

I was.  At one point.  As a matter of fact, my Starbucks journey has gone from being a barista to a shift to an assistant manager to being a manager, then back to barista, and up to shift again, then an assistant manager all over, then back to shift supervisor. 

So that's Starbucks.  Its also important to note... I've very absent minded.  Very.  I'm like the Dory of the human world... maybe not as forgetful, but still, sometimes I will put something down and within 10 seconds, be looking  for it... or not remember what I just had in my hand.  Hopefully, this won't occur when I set Campbell down on the floor.

Sidebar... am I crazy in thinking that Dory and Marlin showed a spark at the end of Finding Nemo?  She essentially tells him that the only time anything makes sense is when he's around.  Call me old fashioned, but I'm not saying anything like that to anyone I'm not all about.  I mean, that's a pretty deep confession of affection, to say they are responsible for a safe feeling in your life.  Is it me? 

Where was I? Oh yes, absent mindedness.  Starbucks.  Now comes the part of the show where two seemingly unrelated things magically combine to tell a quirky little anecdote.

One particular morning, say about, I dunno, 430am, I have my arms full of stuff.  My store keys, a can of Coke (because since Campbell came to be, I have found myself very tired in the morning, the evening, the afternoon and all times in between), my messenger bag, my apron and a bag of garbage.  All are going with me to work, save for the garbage... I toss my bag through the open passenger side window, place the can of Coke and my keys atop the car, leave my apron over my shoulder and then walk out of the garage a few steps to put the garbage in the can.

A few months ago, I was doing something similar, when I left the Coke atop my car.  As I was pulling out of my neighborhood, I heard a clink and smash, and realized what had happened.  In my rearview, I saw a can rolling across the road, and later would see the sticky splash of high fructose corn syrup and sweetness over the roof of, and along the back window of, my Kia Soul, affectionately named Red Robin.  Reeeeed Robin (yummmmm)

Determined not to let this happen again, I grab that can, take another early morning swig of cold caffeine and hop in Red Robin.  Off to work I go again.  Back out of the garage, take a left onto a main road, take a right out of our neighborhood, a quick left onto a busier road, and then right onto Highway 280. 

About three or four red lights down, I get into a turn lane of a median, do a U-turn and back track about 100 yards to the entrance of our Starbucks.  I zip around the building, around the dumpster shed, and park behind the store.  Throw the car into park, turn it off, grab my bag and apron and as I start to get out, I put my hand on my pocket.  The familiar rattle in my pocket of my keys is... is not there.  I look around to the passenger seat, where I keep my keys many times... nothing.  Open my Mickey Messenger Bag (did you suspect anything else?) and flip around.  Nothing.

Then, like a quick flashback, the last 15 minutes run through my mind, one image at a time.  Bag in garbage can.  Apron on shoulder.  Mickey bag shoved through window.  Coke drunk, put on top of car, then removed from spot.  Keys placed on top of car, then removed when...

...wait...

...did I remove the keys from on top of my car?

...wait...

...I remember tossing them up there... but... where are they now? 

I was sitting in Red Robin, driver side door open.  My left leg out, foot on the pavement, my right leg in, foot on the floorboard.  Half in, half out.  My mind starts racing, and a horror begins to dawn on me, slowly but surely.

Those keys.... were on top... of my car... and I drove off. I drove off with the keys up there...  the image of the Coke can rolling across Herrington Street flashed through my mind, with the can now replaced with a set of keys on a lanyard, and the rolling action now becoming a flying motion as my car rounded a corner.

Or maybe they flew off at the intersection of Valleydale and 280.  I imagined myself parking at the nearby Chili's, then running around the intersection, desperately looking for the keys, avoiding traffic.  Then I imagined me using my little pen light on my car keys, looking up and down my neighborhood streets, amidst the faint glow of a street lamp, scanning the pavement for my store keys.  And hoping the people in the nearby homes don't call the law on me.

As I put the keys in the car and turn it back on, I glance at the clock.  Its 4:47a.  And a little panic sets in... I have to be inside in 13 minutes... It will take me at least 5 or 6 minutes to get up the road.  It would take me another 20 to park and look at any area for the keys.

I'm sunk.  This is a going to be a disaster.  Now, I'll have to call someone else, another shift or manager with keys, and go retrieve them... which at minimum would take 30 minutes to go out and come back.

This is terrible.  This is going to be terrible.  This is going to be awf... wait.  Just wait. 

One thought now.  Could it be possible that... no... no way... no stinkin' way... but maybe it is possible... but there's no way... but its 452a, so I guess I need to look and... well... maybe... but still..

I get out of my car, and in slow motion, turn around.  This is what I see...

Those are my keys.  Sitting on top of the car.  In the same place I left them.   When I left them there... in the garage... they stayed there through my left, right, left and right turns, my U-turn, my right turn into the parking lot, and my parking.  They stayed there at speeds upwards of 60 miles per hour.  They remained on top of my car.

I grabbed my keys, the rest of my stuff, and my work day started as two other baristas arrived shortly thereafter.

I can only think that God decided he would take care of that little manner that day... there are some mundane things that happen in extraordinary ways... and I think that happens so the only choice you have is to credit God for it.  Because without His hand, there is no way those keys stayed atop the car for the short trip. 

You gotta admit, it was a pretty cool trip...

four snows whites and 29 dwarfs

I'm a Disney history buff... I love learning about the parks, about the building of, I love learning about the animated classics and the stories behind them, and of course, learning about Walt Disney himself.  A fascinating, driven cat that Walt was. 

So it makes me appreciate a movie like "Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs" all that much more, reading and knowing what went into the film, and the efforts it took to get it made. 

One of the original movie posters from 1937

Walt Disney had made a name for himself doing the short Silly Symphony cartoons, a series of live action & animated shorts called "The Alice Films", when he decided it was time to do a full length animated film.  History will tell you there were one or two full length animated movies done before Snow White, but they are obscure, foreign and perhaps even lost forever.  So this was essentially new ground.

Ground that no one, including Walt's brother Roy and wife Lillian, didn't want to tread, as they tried to talk him out of it.  Budgeted at $250,000, the film's cost spiraled out of control, ending up in the neighborhood of $1.5 million, which in the mid-thirties was just about insane.  The project was so derided by the film industry, Hollywood bigwigs referred to it as "Disney's Folly".

Like most Disney animated classics, the original story has a fairy tale origin, but in the original tale that Disney drew from, the dwarfs did not have personalities.  Walt Disney felt that even though the story revolved around Snow White and The Queen, the Seven Dwarfs should be the star of the show. 

Out of over 50 names suggested by animators--including Jumpy, Deafy, Titsy (!), Dizzey, Hickey, Wheezy, Baldy, Gabby, Nifty, Sniffy, Swift, Lazy, Puffy, Stuffy, Tubby, Shorty and Burpy--five names were chosen by process of elimination... Doc, Grumpy, Bashful, Sleepy and Happy.  Sneezy and Dopey were also considered, though Jumpy made the cut instead.  Eventually, as you probably can guess, Jumpy got cut.  Sneezy and Dopey made the list.

As time passed, and more the story came together, Walt began to realize that the story of Snow White and the Queen had to be the main focus.  Original story boards had a much larger role for the prince, aptly named The Prince, but animators just could not get his features and face right, thus his role was significantly diminished. 

Because of the shift in focus, several scenes were cut from the final film, mostly involving the dwarfs... including Doc and Grumpy arguing over Snow White, a dining room scene where the dwarfs were noisily eating soup (this one had been completely animated before it was cut), and another elaborate scene where they build Snow White a bed.  Having spent so much time on the dwarfs, animator Ward Kimball was completely distraught and was looking to leave the company.  Walt Disney persuaded him to stay, in part by promoting him to the character animation of Jiminy Cricket on the upcoming production of Pinocchio.

The Disney Company had to work through Bourne Company Music to create the songs for the movie, including the famous "Heigh Ho" and "Whistle While You Work"... back then, soundtracks for films were not done much, and considered useless.  Bourne held the publishing rights to other movies music as well, and in the years since, Disney has been able to acquire that music back (I've read, however, that Bourne still holds the rights for Snow White)

The line to get in became a Standing Room Only event

The film opened on December 21, 1937, at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Hollywood, to stellar reviews and audience raves.  Among the star studded audience was Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Charlie Chaplin, Milton Berle, George & Gracie, Cary Grant and more.  The film was lauded at the following Academy Awards, with Walt picking up a full size Oscar and seven miniature statues for achievement.   The film was also profitable, giving Disney the money to finance a new studio in Burbank, where it remains today, and pushed productions of Pinocchio and Fantasia into high gear.  Its legacy of history continues today, as the American Film Institute listed it as the #1 animated movie of all time, and it ranks #34 on AFI's greatest films of all time.  It is also the first animated feature to be selected for the National Film Registry.

Personally... I had not seen this film since 1983.  Jaws 3 (IN 3-D!!) had just been released, and I wanted to go see it so, so bad... but my mom felt like this movie was a little much for my 9 year old eyes.  So, we went to see Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs.  (in hindsight, mama knew best, because Jaws 3D is a train wreck)

A few years ago on this very website, I challenged myself to watch all then-51 movies in the Disney Movie Canon in a year's time... well, like many of my self-challenges, that fell short really before I got going... but today, on a lark, 30 years later, I decided it was worth a re-watch.

Being a fan of Disney History, I can appreciate this movie greatly.  I cannot imagine what audiences must have felt in 1937, watching a full length movie completely animated, with music and story and laughs and gags and a princess and a prince and an evil queen... watching it on Blu-Ray in HD, the colors are brilliant, and the sound is exceptional.

But, can I be honest with you?  Seriously... its a chore to get through.  Perhaps my expectations are automatically high, beyond my own conscious control, but the story just... lagged.  Adriana Caselotti, voicing Snow White, has this shrill voice with this annoying falsetto, so every song she sang made me cringe.   The song at the wishing well is perhaps the worst to me, so I'm glad its over early.

The dwarfs are comical and funny and charming, and I'm glad Walt put some focus on them.  The Queen is evil, as she's supposed to be, but I found myself liking her more than Snow White.  She's at least more interesting.  I know this is heresy, because being a Disney fan I'm supposed to like all things Disney, right?   Well, I'm not a Snow White fan, and I've never seen an attractive Snow White in any of the theme parks either, so sue me.  I don't like Stitch's Great Escape, I steer clear of most Disney Channel afternoon programming and have eaten three times at Mama Melrose in Hollywood Studios, and don't care for the either.  So there.

Anyway, if you have never seen Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, you need to.  If only to experience Disney history in animated form.  Its not a bad movie, its just not for me.

By the way, if you get the Blu-Ray, make sure you watch the "Snow White Returns" special feature.  Apparently, in 2001, Disney Archivists found storyboards for a possible sequel to "Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs"... no one knows why they started it, and no one knows why production was halted.  But it would have incorporated two of the deleted musical sequences, which are also featured on the Blu-Ray.  The "Noisy Soup" is alot of fun, but the "Bed Building" really drags.

Speaking of Snow White, let me mention the other three Snows that have appeared in the last few years...

Why yes, its that chick from The Blind Side.  And her eyebrows.  And its
that dude from The Social Network.  Both of the Winklevii.

"Mirror, Mirror" came out in 2012, with Julia Roberts as The Queen, Lily Collins as Snow White and Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott.  This film loosely follows the story of Snow White, with the characters, but the dwarfs have names like Grimm, Half Pint and Chuckles.  I thought this movie was silly, but also fun, though it helps that I really, really like Lily Collins. 

"Snow White & the Huntsman" was released a few months after "Mirror Mirror", with Charlize Theron as The Queen, Thor as Eric the Huntsman and the always cheerful Kristen Stewart as Snow White.  This film had potential, turning the tale into an action film and making the dwarfs (all 8 of them) warriors.  My problem?  Kristen Stewart.  Not since "Panic Room", one of my own 50 favorite films of all time, have I liked Kristen, and after the Twilight movies, she really has no place in my heart.  Personally, take her out, put Lily Collins in this action role (she can do action--she was the only, ONLY, good thing about "Abduction"), and this film is markedly better. 

Of course, there is Ginnifer Goodwin's "Snow White" on the excellent TV show "Once Upon a Time", but Snow is just one character in a whole slew of fairy tale characters.

However, do me a favor and go find 2007's "Sydney White".  It starts Amanda Bynes, in the years when she was cute and sweet and not crazy and Lohanesque.  Starring a bunch of people you've never seen (except for Bo Duke), its a fun take on the Snow White tale set in a modern college campus, featuring seven dorks.  Not a typo.

And make sure you catch the original.

a sacred delight (a bronx tale)

When I was at the end of my college experience, in the spring of 1998, I took my first mission trip to New York City.  I had done missions work here and there, usually a week at a time, before, but this was NYC... I'd never been, and I couldn't turn down the chance to go.  Problem was, this trip happened to come before, during, and after the Winter Quarter Graduation Ceremony at Troy State University.  Mind you, this was when Troy State was Troy State, and it was in quarters, not semesters--semesters came the following fall.

The problem really wasn't a problem, because I had missed the deadline for renting my cap and gown for graduation anyway.  I mean, it was like, $50.  I couldn't come up with $50 on the fly... now, if you ask me how I afforded a trip to NYC, I can tell you... I have no clue.  I'm trying to think back, and I really have no idea how I paid for that trip, or had the money to spend while on it.  Who knows.  Then again, with my credit card history, I might have just paid that trip off a few years ago.

Anyway, to finish that part of the story, on the Friday of trip, I glanced down at my watch, noticing it was after 2pm.  I was walking down 7th Avenue, and turned to my friends Melanie Jackson, Allyson Guy and Troy McConnell and said, "Hey, I just graduated college..."   My fellow graduate Dixon Brock told me some time later that they did say my name aloud.  I never even saw a program with my name on it.  Such is.

Sunday Drive "Doors Wide Open'  A pretty good CD, and only $2.99
on Amazon

Well, while in New York City, one of the plans we had for the ministry we worked with was to plan a neighborhood coffeehouse in the Bronx, and we had music, and skits and snacks and coffee and so on...

SIDEBAR!!!  I worked at a local radio station in Troy, and produced my own Christian music show on Sunday nights, called Sunday Night Power--every Sunday, 7p to 11p, and with contacts from various record labels and promotions, I got all kinds of CDs and backstage passes and interviews and so on... and ended up meeting this band named Sunday Drive. They were your typical Christian music band of the late 90s... a few dudes, drums, guitars, some fast stuff, some slow stuff, and a few albums that were forgotten within a few years. And frankly, their music, while good, was mostly forgettable.

However comma there was one song that I singled in on, namely "Sacred Delight".

 

"Did you smile when you made the moon, and gave the sky its color? Did Creation dance in rhythm to Your song of life, I wonder? Did the angels know You knew my name before I existed? Did you tell them out of all You made, why You gave me Your image? Is it true, I'm Your heartbeat? And You love me more than anything...?"

 

I loved that song. Love that song.

 

 

And in the weeks leading up to the mission trip, I felt it important to make one request... "Can I... can I sing 'Sacred Delight'?" Now, its important to note I am not a singer. I sing. I wail. I warble. I can't remember half of a sermon two hours after its over, but I can nail every word to Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" or "Jump" by KrisKross or "3am" by Matchbox 20 or even most Whitney Houston songs (pre-crack, of course)... but a singer I am not.  The Lovely Steph Leann can attest.

 

 

Back then, it was just as true.

 

 

My buddy Troy McConnell didn't care. He said, "Dude. I love it. Let's do it." We practiced, and I know he gave of himself alot in listening to me warble and such. In my defense, it was in my key, and overall, it wasn't too terribly bad... but still, he encouraged me.

 

 

The trip comes.  We are in New York City, spending our days in the community of Brooklyn and the Bronx, our nights in a little community church.  And its cold... there is snow, not Alabama snow, mind you, but real snow.  For me, it was the first real snow I'd ever seen.  It was like powder, and when you threw it at someone, it disintegrated into a spray of fine flakes, leaving very little moisture on your clothes--unlike snow in Alabama... throw a snowball here and you are likely to give someone a concussion with a good head shot.

 

So, the day of, it was cold and rainy. It was snowy outside, and I woke up with a head full of allergies and congestion. I could barely breath, my nose was so clogged. I thought of cancelling my little tune, but just wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do. This wasn't even about other people worshipping, this was about me telling God that I will praise Him no matter what. In a little empty church sanctuary in Brooklyn, I sat listening to both Troy and our friend Claire Baldwin simply tell me, "You do what you feel you should. But if you feel the urge to praise Him, then you do it. Who cares what anyone else says?  You are performing for an audience of One.  Its His worship."

Troy and I, in mid-song.  Well, Troy in mid-song, me in mid-song-butcher.

And so I did. That night, in the Bronx, I gave my first--and last--public singing performance. I had to start the second verse over at one point, as I lost my place. Troy on guitar was as patient as ever. I made it through it, as off key as I ever was... and felt proud of it. Not sure anyone else got anything out of it, especially the Puerto Rican family in the front row... they didn't know Sunday Drive from Reese Witherspoon, but for me, it was courage. And humbling before God.

 

 

What sacred delight. What infinite wonder, that I'm precious in Your sight. You love me like no other, not other. Sacred delight.

 

 

So, this coming Sunday, I'll sit down with my notes, my Sword, my lesson book and we'll discuss the proper ways of taking on Hell with a water pistol. I'm sure I'll "uh" and "um" and "...you know..." and "...so..." alot. Count on it.

 

 

But, if like that night in the Bronx, if can get my fat head and large ego out of the way, God just might say something important. Something delightful. Something sacred.

 

Did you think of me the day you died, and know that I'd intend this... did you know one day I'd come to you, in search of your forgiveness... is it true, I'm your heartbeat... and you choice to die than to live without me...  

Word.

 

Of course, it wasn't all serious... in one of many skits, Kendrick and I
do something a little more comical--a two person, five character skit
called something like "No No Not Today"

 

fresh fries make the difference

Yes, we are fast food fans.  We always have been, and like it or not, we might always be.  I can eat just about anywhere, but I do enjoy Arby's, Sonic, Whataburger, Milo's and Wendy's.  I do eat McDonalds sometimes, but its lower on my list.  The Lovely Steph Leann really only likes Wendy's, and sometimes Burger King... but our Burger King here is just terrible. 

I speak of the one on Hwy 280, right down the way from The Cabana, maybe a mile or so away.  They closed it and refurbed the entire thing a year or two ago, and it looks great.  But the service took a downward spiral fast.  Yes, the Caramel Bacon Sundae is almost worth it... but after ten years of working for Starbucks, plus another 15 years of eating at and experiencing the service at Chik-fila, I don't dig on bad service. 

I kinda quit going to Burger King on 280 altogether... food is not great, and the service team is full of people that just don't give a crap.  Yeah, you can experience "just don't give a crap" in most places, but it seems like they actually work on, and take pride in, their "just don't give a crap"ness.

So, when I went to Wendy's tonight, I was pleasantly surprised.  Their service is just average.  That's not really a knock on Wendy's, as ho-hum service is generally what you get elsewhere... tonight, I walk in and order.

The Lovely Steph Leann gets her burger with ketchup and mustard only.  Value fries and a small drink.  I get my burger with mayo, mustard and ketchup, with cheese.  When I order these meals, it usually blows the mind of whoever is behind the counter.  I get home with the food, and her burger will have cheese and mayo on it, I'll be missing cheese and mustard... or there will mayo on both and cheese is nowhere to be found.  I've actually taken to ordering and paying for them separately, just to keep confusion to a minimum. 

The guy behind the counter was as nice as could be.  He was chatty, friendly, and though I'm not sure of his name, it said "Dakota" on the receipt.  In conversation, I mentioned that our burger had unwanted cheese on it last time, and he said, "Well, let me check to make sure its right..."  He did, and it was, then he replied, "Yeah, our girl working the grill really knows what she's doing." 

He came back with two things of fries, but then stops before placing them in the bag.  He looks at me and says, "Ya know... we have fresh fries cooking.  Two minutes.  Would you like to wait?"  I said, "Sure, I'll wait for fresh fries!" and he says, "Yeah, you don't want these.  They have been sitting there for a while."  Then he just chunks the fries in the trash. 

Perhaps its a small thing, but it was a great gesture.  I feel like most people would have just said "Whatevs", tossed the old fries in the bag and sent me on my way.

Dakota, I thank you.  You made my Wendy's experience actually enjoyable.   

Its the little things, really.