I was sitting in seminary before school when Kolin walked in, eating lettuce, and said "A plane just hit one of the twin towers!" The teacher, Sister Cook, asked him to sit down and we'd figure it out later because it sounded like Kolin might have simply gotten the facts wrong. When we left seminary in the Shelley van, and turned on the radio, it was all anyone was talking about. We hurried to school, and it finally felt real when we got into the HS band room to just barely see the plane hit the second tower...
It was a surreal moment and I will be honest in saying that I did NOT fully understand what was happening. I recall a friend in my band class had parents visiting the Pentagon that morning and was overloaded with worry about them... We didn't find out until that afternoon that her parents were alright. At the time I was living in New Mexico and we were all on lock-down at school because the missile base there isn't too many hour from where we were... It made it personal.
I remember coming home and seeing the retaliation beginning by order of President Bush... It felt bizarre and foreign to me - the concept of war (though it had been raging for years in so many ways...). It will always be raging now.
I am grateful to all the people who sacrificed their time, energy, and lives on September 11th, 2001, and the days and weeks following the event. I am grateful to all those who sacrifice to make our country strong, successful, and a place to call and feel at home. At this time, I choose to remember... and we should all make the effort to remember for more than just a few special days each year. God may bless America, but we should make the choose to bless it too through out actions... and I hope we do just that.
*muah*
Song of the Day: This is an older song, but a good one! It's by a favorite of mine, Celine Dion (judge all you will, but homegirl is AMAZING!), and though it's talking about the other side of the country, it's still about loss and taking the time to remember... I just really like. Haha! Here is her song, "I Remember L.A." Enjoy!
Dim the lights. Cue the music. Enter Dancers. It's time for...
JASON DERULO!
I bet that you probably just sang that in your head... right? If you listen to Top 40 music, R&B, or the radio at all you've definitely heard him dropping his name before every song. Well, let me tell you that during his live performance he only did it twice. TWICE. I was a little disappointed by that, Jason.
Saturday night a few friends and I got together to partake in the musical goodness that is, Jason Derulo. I have to say that I was also excited to see Cameron Rafati (some of the girls I was with know him quite well) perform for the first time. I had NO idea what to expect, and his music was definitely not like Derulo's, but he was FABULOUS! He has good melodies and lyrics, performed some great covers as well, and his stage presence and presentation is out of this world. I loved him - He is not on a talents musician, but also a talented performer! He could work that crowd so smoothly... I was impressed.
Before Cameron came on there was actually a band called Prophetic that performed a few songs and I LOVED them! I have looked all over facebook and Google to find them, but with no avail... I am hoping that someone stumbles across this blog or my facebook and know where I can find their music, because I am in need of some more of that. They had this R&B/Hawaiian flavor, and the lead singer reminded me of a Hawaiian David Archuleta with more soul in his movement and style. They were awesome!
After Prophetic and Cameron Rafati, it was finally time for... Jason Derulo! Yep. Did I mention that I was font row? Um, yea... Front row, to the right - the perfect spot! During his song "It Girl," which I love, he came and stood on the speakers right in front of our group and totally touched his hand. In actuality, he reached down and the not-star-struck girl that I am, got rather excited and GRABBED his hand - haha! Then, I felt dumb and let go. Haha! You can see all of this happen in the video below... For real.
I'll be real with you, I love Jason's music. He's great to jam out to in the car, you hear him play in the clubs (because his music is perfect for dancing to), and it's just fun! I like the R&B/Pop/Dance movement., and hope it continues on and on. Haha!
(Sidenote: His back-up dancers were AWESOME!)
Jason's set was RIDICULOUSLY short, but also RIDICULOUSLY awesome! He only sang and danced (Homeboy can DANCE!) for about 40 minutes, but for a $10 concert what did you expect. The funniest part is that he really did sing only his singles... and he has a new record coming out to promote. In fact, he sang "In My Head" twice - dance and acoustic. You would think he would have thrown in a few non-popular pieces in there to promote, but I was grateful he did the songs that I knew.
Look above and BEHOLD... That is a way good-looking piece of man. I don't expect me to ever date anyone with abs quite like that, but I wouldn't complain if I did... nope. I wouldn't complain at all. Anyone?
Summary: Jason is an amazing dancer (did dance breaks to "Sexy Back" and "Carry Out," which was AMAZING) and singer, who gave a FABULOUS concert, and is beautiful to look upon.
Moral of the story: You should prbably go see him in concert if you get the chance... espcially if it's only $10.
*muah*
Song of the Day: As promised you can see my epic hand-grab in the video below. Here is Jason Derulo singing his new single "It Girl" at the concert last Saturday. Be warned, if you are easily offended, he does drop the "S" bomb up in there. Enjoy!
I know that you're a holiday, and should be treated accordingly... but I couldn't help myself. I used you to my full advantage, and I don't even feel bad about it. Perhaps I should have just relaxed and gone with the flow, but it just wasn't working for me. If I had done so, I fear we would have gone nowhere... Instead, I submitted myself to the following:
- I finished my Structures paper (Due Friday), so I don't have to work on it all week. I must admit, it was more important to me than merely relaxing with you.
- I successfully completed my Reference sheet and all the APA citations within the paper. Once I begin to express myself through the written word, I might as well finish... right?
- I vacuumed and cleaned my room... I am over all the baggage left behind after a lazy day, and days with you usually make me feel that way. Just being honest.
- I uploaded all the pictures from the rest of this summer onto facebook and none of them involved you... What does that mean about us?
You confuse me - you and your title... it's kind of a contradiction. At least we had the BBQ with my family tonight. My mother even made my grandmother's amazing blueberry pie for everyone. Remember sitting with my mom on the deck and just talking about the past memories and future hopes? I'm sorry you will not be apart of those. Remember watching the Bachelor Pad with me and hating on Kasey and Vienna just as much as I do? I mean, really... how do the others on that show NOT see how fake and manipulative they are, giving them WAY too much power (any power for them is too much!)! It crazy... but I'm getting ahead of myself. I need to take this time to be honest.
Labor Day, it's over. You've been good to me, but I think our time has lapsed. I hate to say it... It truly does pain me, but I think it's time to let go and to look to another day. If we cross paths again, say in a year or so, I promise to be kind and let things merely be what they are... good memories.
*muah*
Song of the Day: I am in LOVE with this song! My friends Chad and Emily introduced me to Olly Murs one evening early this year and I am completely grateful - he's pretty awesome. Here is his song, "Heart Skips A Beat" (not the Lenka song!). Enjoy!
The only way to predict the future is to create it.
Decisions Determine Destiny...
I have made some recent decisions that are shaping my future...
This past week I finally had the opportunity to start my Graduate Program at Westminster! I have to be honest, I was beyond excited... I mean, I was counting down the hours on Monday until orientation! Haha... I have been out of school for over three years now, and I was ready to get back. Plus, I am excited to have my teaching license and to have another student experience. I can already tell how different this time around is going to be, and I'm all the more stoked because of these differences.
This time around, I am older and more focused on schooling. I have a strong desire to be there for the educational side of things, and I get to focused even more intently on my area of interest - no more GEs! Haha... I have to say that already I am really enjoying my classes, teachers, and individuals in my cohort. The first day of classes our starting teacher took an hour and a half (we have three hour classes mostly) to get us acquainted with one another, and by the end of the day I could name every person in the class and a fact about them. By day two (the third class together), I felt like I have literal friends in the class and was completely comfortable voicing my opinion and interacting with everyone. It's fantastic!
I am loving it so much that I must admit, I stayed home for most of Friday night to do the reading I had for this next week. Haha! I know - lame! However, the subjects genuinely interest me and I like the homework - haha! Plus, I really want to do well in my Grad Program.
On a final note, I have a rather large goal in the back of mind for these next three semesters... I am hesitant to admit it, because it may not happen. Nevertheless, I am going to state my goal NOW. My mother was the valedictorian for her Graduate Program's graduating class. I want to be the valedictorian for my class. I might not give a speech or anything, but I want to carry on the tradition... and to start it off right, I turned in my first paper the first day of class and was terrified to get my grade back. I got it back on Friday, and I got a 100% my first paper!!! A lot of people were telling me they were turning a re-write in next week and I was excited I didn't have to, and could just get started on my next paper.
Westminster, get ready... Linze's here and she's ready to tackle and destroy (in a positive way) your MAT program!
*muah*
Song of the Day: I discovered Ben Rector because a free CD sampler from NoiseTrade, and fell in love with the entire CD! He has a unique tone to his voice and his songs are great. He reminds me of Jon McLaughlin, whom I adore. He's fabulous and so is his song "When A Heart Breaks." I don't necessarily think his lyrics, "...you don't need Jesus till you're here," are accurate, but I relate to the feeling and thus, love it. Also, check out his song, "Moving Backwards," and download his album for FREE here: http://noisetrade.com/benrector - DO IT. Enjoy!
"I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God." - President Gordon B. Hinckely
This past Sunday, Elder Tate (an area seventy for the LDS church) came to our stake center to give a fireside about the Book of Mormon. He issued us a challenge to read the entire Book of Mormon before Christmas, and to read it with a purpose. He encouraged us to pick a topic, such as faith or prayer, and read the BoM with the intention of further our knowledge and testimony of this particular area. I chose the atonement. I want to better understand my relationship with my Savior and grow in a deeper understanding of how the atonement works for me. I know that the atonement is all-encompassing, but sometimes we lose sight of how much in our it truly covers - not only our sins, but our trials, our weaknesses, our internal and physical pains, our fears or insecurities, our heartache or worry, and more. It is such a powerful gift, and I am still striving to grasp the entirety of all it has to offer me, and how to best utilize those gifts.
A few other things that Elder Tate suggested, that sill help enhance the experience for us, are to make a playlist that we can listen to of inspiring and uplifting music, and to have a daily devotional with ourselves - aka: meditation and pondering. I already have a "Sunday Songs" playlist on ITunes, but I'm making one now that narrows down the religious and spiritual songs I have (as well as, piano or orchestral music) to my favorites. I have chosen a few songs from EFY albums, I Can Only Imagine albums, songs from Pride & Prejudice or Finding Neverland, MoTab songs... It's more narrow though. As for the daily devotionals, this is an area I will really need to make an effort to create time for, because I struggle with simply sitting quietly and not "doing." He did talk about making that daily devotional time also about prayer. I liked how he asked us to pray to our Heavenly Father and say, "Help me understand your son."
On of my friends put it best when he wrote,
"The leaders of the Church promise that if you do this challenge, the Lord will teach you where to go, what to say, what to do."
I know that this is true - I feel the difference in myself and in His guiding powers when I am reading and studying the scriptures.
President Monson stated,
"You will be the first generation to rescue your own generation."
The first step to that is rescuing ourselves, and I truly believe that we can do that through reading and studying the Book of Mormon daily.
THIS is the time to reconnect with your Savior. If you read, He will listen. If you ponder, He will teach. THIS to discover who you really are, while determining who you will become. Who else will take the Fall 2011, Book of Mormon Challenge?
*muah*
Song of the Day: This song is SO beautiful and amazing, as is this artist! I just discovered him, thanks to So You Think You Can Dance and NoiseTrade's free music updates. If you aren't getting all that free music they give out, you should sign up... for real. Here is Trent Dabbs with "Inside These Lines."
We're back! Yep - The Linze & Kate Webshow has returned with a song from the musical Jekyll & Hyde called, "In His Eyes." We're pretty stoked about it, cause we love musicals and theater.... Forgive our cheesy expressions (and how the background gets more yellow throughout the video?), but it's musical theater... in a bathroom - com'on! Enjoy!
P.S. We're callin' you out Jason Derulo.... we're callin' you out. *muah*
I love to dance and sing, to smile and talk... and I love to laugh. I love making other people laugh and watching their smiles form... It's not a matter of "I'm funny! I'm funny!," but of bringing someone else a moment of joy. I enjoy it when others make me laugh all the same. My sister-in-law is six months pregnant, and the other day she said, "My little girl can grow-up to be anything and be good at anything. She can be musical, or into sports, or whatever... I just hope she's funny." Haha! Really, I kinda hope so too, but mostly I hope she simply knows how to let herself laugh. To be able to laugh at yourself or just calm yourself through laughter is a gift.
I'm glad that I was given that simple gift that has gotten me through tough times, created stronger friendships, and formed the person that I am today.
"How's your hernia?" Linze "Good. It's actually a herniated disc." - Michelle "Yea, I know... but I like to call it a hernia." - Linze
"We laughed our abs off!" - Linze... Originally, I wasn't trying to be "punny." We really were laughing so hard our abs hurt!
"I almost hit that cat! I almost hit him... and it was black!" - Linze
"You're not even a note in the book!" - Hailey
"We've been on a one-on-one" - Spencer "15 minutes." - Kate
Our waiters eyes get really big and he almost drops Kate's water because he's feeling so awkward... "He gave me a ride home." - Kate explaining to the waiter... "But have you seen Titanic." - Hailey
"That's Hot." - Spencer
"W just have to be appropriate." - Linze "Like in clothes?" - Kate
"Now, I will look at these pictures aimlessly for five minutes." - Spencer during out Bachelorette reenactment!
"I don't need a hallmark card. I need a friends." - Linze (This was a serious comment, that ended up being rather humorous...)
"Wait! You left me with a 'dot, dot, dot!'" - Spencer, again during the Bachelorette reenactment... Think: Bentley.
I just have to also put a plug in there for Miranda Hart... She is a British comedian that I have recently become quite enthralled with... She's hilarious. She has her own show (Miranda) on BBC, but I have to search episodes out online - which is getting rather frustrating. I merely want to watch season 2! Is that a crime? According to BBC regulations, it just might be. I could write down a plethora of things she says in each show and it wouldn't hold a candle to how funny she really is... Seriously, look her up. If you like comedy shows (The Office, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, etc.), you'll love her!
"Well, I think running is wrong unless professionally or as a child. I think as an adult you should only run if you're near a train station and look at your watch first. I mean... galloping is more fun isn't it? That's something I'd like to see more of..." - Miranda
Disclaimer: For my more sensitive readers, the episode above drops the "S" Bomb once... It's near the end of the episode, so at LEAST watch the first half... SO classic! (Click on the red play and then it will turn green - click again and you're set!)
*muah*
Song of the Day: I am in love with this song, so you should love it too. "Every choice we're makin', every road we take, every interaction starts a chain reaction. We're both affected when we least expected it..." Nothing is pure accident. Here is "Touch," by Natasha Bedingfield. Enjoy!
I am a singer, an actress, and a dancer. I am an educator and a life-long learner. I am a comedian. I love to laugh... and smile. I am spiritual and passionate about spirituality. I love sports, politics, reading, writing poetry, and I'm crazy about traveling! I work hard and play even harder... I hold no shame in my awkwardness, and embrace the unique. I am passionate and emotionally-centered. I have two webbed toes, love eyeliner and the color yellow, eat too many donuts, collect elephants, and am a personal paradox - living in planned spontaneity. Oh, and I love to write!
I was sitting in seminary before school when Kolin walked in, eating lettuce, and said "A plane just hit one of the twin towers!" The teacher, Sister Cook, asked him to sit down and we'd figure it out later because it sounded like Kolin might have simply gotten the facts wrong. When we left seminary in the Shelley van, and turned on the radio, it was all anyone was talking about. We hurried to school, and it finally felt real when we got into the HS band room to just barely see the plane hit the second tower...
