reverie

My friend Jeremy Graham has a blues album out! Check it Jeremy Graham Blues - For The Love . It's so exciting to see friends making dreams come true! :) Jeremy plays regularly at the Fusion Cafe where I used to cook on Sunday nights. On nights I was cooking & Jeremy was playing, I always made red beans & rice, sausage, and biscuits--seemed like blues-y kind of food to me. I really enjoyed those nights, so this album definitely brings up some fond memories. I hope you'll give it a go!

I love books. Those of you who know me well may be puzzled by that statement as I am by no means an avid reader. But I like actual physical books. I like the pages, underlining passages that strike or inspire me, the scent, pressing flowers between the pages, and rediscovering old photos or scraps of paper used as bookmarks. So as you might imagine, I was by no means an early adopter when the Kindle hit the scene. (For all intents and purposes, the Kindle is the only e-reader that exists or needs to exist in my world.) Sure, the e-ink is impressive, and the ability to carry a gazillion books without lugging around a giant suitcase is convenient. It's just not the same though, and a Kindle library is by no means as lovely as a shelf-full of books. But at some point it struck me how very Star Trek this device is. I remember growing up and watching The Next Generation, and they had these small little tablets that they read books or plays on. I always thought it was cool and c...

It's been over 7 months since I last felt compelled to write here. I even missed my first day of February post this year because even after significant consideration, I just didn't feel like I really had anything to say. That changes now because the truth is I have things to say, but my words are being wasted on forms of "communication" that I am coming to loathe. Perhaps I am becoming a bit of a curmudgeon in my old age, I did turn 30 yesterday after all, but the Communications major in me and even more so the human being in me has grown displeased and impatient with the convenient, impersonal, and thoughtless ways in which we interact with each other. This is not an indictment of any of you specifically, but a criticism of myself and society as a whole. We take to Facebook and text messaging to disseminate information in the exact same manner to our loved ones as people we haven't talked to since high school. Now I absolutely believe that texting has a plac...

In 1982 I was blessed not only to be born in the greatest nation on God's green earth, but also during the presidency of one of the greatest men in American history--Ronald Wilson Reagan. While I was only 6 years old when Reagan left office, I remember his presidency. I remember knowing even as a young girl that this was a great man. If you've ever talked politics with me, I've probably mentioned that I've been into it since I was 6. I distinctly remember our 1st grade class vote in 1988 between Bush and Dukakis. But when I really think about it, my interest in politics started before that. It started with Reagan. Under Reagan, America was a nation that didn't apologize for being exceptional, nor pretend we were on a level playing field with any other country. As a little girl, I dreamt that maybe one day I'd be president--the first woman to accomplish that feat. My dad encouraged me that I could do it, and I think Reagan made me believe that it was a t...

I decided last week that 2011 was my arch-nemesis. This is not a title I offer lightly, but rather one that 2011 was insistent upon claiming. At the end of January a job I loved ended; I was fortunate enough to find another job quickly, and during the first week at that job my lovely little kiwi green Ford Focus met an untimely end when it was crashed into and totaled while parked at the office . . . 9 days before my birthday. The ensuing nightmare with the negligent driver's insurance company is still ongoing. 2011 has not been shy with it's havoc-wreaking, but that is the most glaring example of its cruelty. Intellectually, I have had the capacity to recognize that the upheavals I've been facing can be redeemed for God's purposes. My car getting totaled became an opportunity to get out of my car loan, and make wiser financial choices. In my head I could see that God was at work, but it wasn't until this morning that I realized my heart hasn't seen it. My...

The image below comes from my new favorite website . This one in particular had me cracking up! Pepto Pistol! I'm pretty sure "nudnik" is going to become my new universal insult. Bad driver = "Ugh, that guy is a real nudnik." Moron = "She's a complete nudnik." Epic Fail = "Wow, you really nudnik'd that." The possibilities are . . . nudnik. ;)

I have now lived in Texas for just over a year now. I love Texas; it fits me. But until recently I was woefully lacking in something that all good Texans need--cowboy boots! :) Ever since I decided that I would be moving to Texas, I had an overwhelming desire to own pink cowboy boots. And then for Christmas my sister gave me money for a boot shopping trip! So in late December, my sister, our friend Ashlee, and I ventured out to buy boots. Having researched pink cowboy boots online several times, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. I checked out all the styles the store had to offer, found the 1 I liked, tried them on, and bought them. Here they are--my delightful, lovely, pink cowboy boots! Now all I really need is a gun and I'll be able to call myself a proper Texan! :)

My love for Jared Leto and his band 30 Seconds to Mars has been made fairly well-known here. What I haven't yet shared is how I got to meet Jared Leto... On September 9, 2009 the band put out a cryptic message on Twitter about previewing new music from their upcoming album "This Is War" which at the time had not yet been released. I was eager to hear new music. The meeting place was at Hollywood & Highland at noon. Luckily, it was close enough to where I used to work that I could check it out on my lunch break. I arrived there and met up with some other 30 Seconds to Mars street team members and street team leaders I had worked with throughout the summer. I wasn't sure what to expect. We waited for a little while and then a black Cadillac CTS sport sedan drove up. Shannon Leto, Jared's brother and drummer for 30 Seconds to Mars, was driving. That was exciting on its own, but then I looked in the passenger seat, did a double take, and sure enough Jared ...

Happy first day of February! This is a joyous occasion as it means we are through with January, which is well-documented to be the worst month of the year, and we are onto a month full of delight & promise. February 2011 waltzes in with a forecast for snow in Houston (rare and thus magical & wonderful in this region), a flight booked to see my dear friend Shauna, the return of baseball, a new job possibility, and of course my birthday! February does carry with it many additional happy events, but as I have enumerated them previously I shall refrain from repeating them. This February also ushers forth my return to blogging, as I simply could not miss out on my tradition of extolling the virtues of this beloved month. And soon you can expect to hear of many tales that have gone untold in my absence. As a preview, pink cowboy boots, Jared Leto, and perhaps rifles will be involved in upcoming posts, but not all at once. :) Have a wonderful February & watch for flying monkeys...

At the beginning of the baseball season, my favorite player Jacoby Ellsbury walked onto the field with a new number. I didn't like it. I wasn't happy about it. I had no particular attachment to his old number in and of itself, but something inside me said switching your number is a terrible plan. With number 2 on his back Ellsbury has spent almost the entire season on the disabled list due to broken ribs sustained while colliding with another player on an attempt to catch a ball in foul territory. Neither of them caught the ball. That's about all that can be said for the new number. With number 46 on his back Ellsbury walked onto the field a baby player and quickly became one of my favs. Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS, with very little experience in the Majors, Ells was thrown into a high pressure postseason position as starting center fielder. He performed so well that he started every remaining postseason game, up through the Red Sox's 2nd World Series win since the c...

I'm officially declaring this month, "No Excuses June." I don't know about you, but there are more than enough things in my life that get put off til "tomorrow." And somehow before I know it weeks or months have passed and that "tomorrow" of productivity never seems to arrive. Well not this month! This month I am setting reasonable & achievable mini-goals and I am determined to cut out excuses & be a better steward of my time. I frequently feel too busy or too tired, and no doubt working toward opening a restaurant is no small task in addition to the normal stuff of life, but I am also aware that enough of my time is spent less productively than it could be. So, for June I am making the following goals. 1. re-organize my bedroom & keep it that way 2. work out 3 times a week 3. cook more frequently & when eating out is necessary, make healthy choices 4. write 1 letter a week--real, honest-to-goodness snail mail 5. get back to jour...

Dear Joe West, I find it troubling and disappointing (you might say "a disgrace to baseball") that an umpire crew chief would make the kind of pace of game remarks that you did regarding the first Red Sox/Yankees series of the 2010 season. A more productive use of your time would be making sure that you and your crew are getting calls right, rather than worrying about the pace of the game or denying batters on both teams brief timeouts. You wonder why "two of the best teams in baseball" are also "playing the slowest." Have you considered the possibility that a correlation exists there? Perhaps being the best means concentrating more on playing a great game than worrying about how long it takes. Besides the fact that these were just the first 3 games of the year and everyone is just getting back into the groove of the long season. I realize that pace of game issues are typically related to getting more fans due to the misguided notion that more people d...

Today I went strawberry picking with my sister & her kids. I think it was the first time I had ever gone, save for a berry here or there in the ginormous garden my grandma used to have in her backyard. It was rather delightful. I love being able to do things like that with my sister & nieces & nephews. Surprisingly way more berries ended up in our buckets than in the children's tummies, so really quite a successful outing. And just in case you're wondering, yes the strawberries are as sweet & delicious as they look! :)

In keeping with tradition, happy February! It is officially the best month of the year. In fact this month had proven to be so delightful in history that the ancient Romans cut it short so as to prevent Roman subjects from being too joyful, which as everyone knows could have led to pipe dreams such as overthrowing praetors, consuls, emperors, and the like. In fact they knew they were playing it fast & loose by adding even 1 extra day every four years, but the earth's orbit around the sun necessitated it, February was already unique, and it offended their sensibilities to adjust any of the other months. (Any and/or all of the preceding "facts" may or may not be entirely accurate, save for February being the best month of the year--that's been scientifically proven.) For all the amazing attributes that February has, and there are many, which you can read about in my previous first day of February posts, it is astounding to me that I've completely overlooked ...

It's the last day of January & I'm pleased to report that progress has been made on several of my goals for the year. :) launch IV We have completed 2 orders for IV, we have 2 more coming up this week, we've made some business cards, and our website is underway. I'm rather pleased with the progress we're making! :) get in better shape uhh...look over there, a flying monkey! watch out! okay, so no progress to report here yet. I will keep you updated. do more crafty things I tacked a blue ribbon horizontally across the length of one of my walls & using tiny clothespins I have hung from it various photos cards, and tickets from previous concerts & baseball games & snowboarding adventures. I find it quite delightful. find a church prior to moving to Texas I did some research on churches & found one that looked very promising. I have now attended that church 3 weeks in a row & am pleased to say that it has been fantastic! barring any unfo...

A few days ago my 3-year-old nephew asked me, "Aunt Azina, where are all your priends?" His f's tend to come out as p's. And he has this uncanny knack for saying rather perceptive things, though I doubt he is really aware of his profundity. I explained to him that all of my friends live in other places, and we agreed that I need to make some new friends now that I live in Texas. After all, he wants my friend to come over to "his house" and visit him. I can't help but find that adorable. Though, any potential new friends may not find is so adorable when he tries to headbutt them or use them as a road for his trucks. ;) Oh, the world of young boys... The meeting friends thing is kind of a tough one & something that really just takes time. I'm okay with that most days because I spend a lot of time with my sister and the 4 most adorable children on the planet, but I do lately feel a desire for the process to hasten and it's all because o...

This week as I unpacked one of the few remaining boxes from my move, I came across some writing I had done for a script about 5 years ago. Such discoveries often induce eye rolling, laughter, or even embarrassment, but I was delighted to find that I still like much of what I had written so much so that I want to continue working on that script & am inspired to write more altogether. It's somewhat inconceivable to me how much of our lives & ourselves we forget. I cannot really recall setting pen to paper 5 years ago & writing the things I recently rediscovered. I don't remember carrying around that 1 1/2 inch black binder with loose leaf paper and a blue pen. I don't remember opening it up, turning to a fresh page, and jotting in cursive ideas for scenes, character names, and bits of dialogue. And yet, next to my bookcase (next to because it's too tall for the shelves) sits that black binder, a piece of my life & thoughts that I had completely set as...

Tonight I caught up on a couple of shows I had DVR'd & was disappointed by both of them because of their all too lifelike portrayals of romantic relationships in turmoil. I found myself wishing for some good ole sappy romantic crap. I share this with you now because honestly I was a bit astonished by this. I am a sincere romantic, but 7 or so years ago I all but entirely swore off of Hollywood's depiction of romance due to its hollow & unrealistic nature. And yet tonight I realized I was in a place where a dose of sappiness would have been just dandy. I dare not dive too deeply into this or strain to derive too large a meaning from it, but I do think it is a result of happiness. This is not to say that in the last 7 years I have never been happy, that would be patently false, but I am in a very good place right now. I'm excited about all the possibilities life in Texas holds, and I think I am opposed to anything that might burst my bubble right now--even if i...

November and December looked like this for me: 2 weeks in Texas 2 weeks in India 2 weeks in Texas 2 weeks in Omaha Now I'm back to Texas for the foreseeable future & it's time to get settled in & get some things going. For the record, I love living in Texas. A lot of this has to do with how awesome it is to live with family, but also I feel like Texas fits me better. I liked living in LA, but I'm certainly more Texan than I could ever be Californian. I'm excited for all the possibilities that living in Texas holds and seeing as I'm starting a new year living in a new place it seemed like a good time to come up with some goals. So here is what I'm striving toward in 2010. ~ launch IV--for those don't know, IV is the name of the restaurant venture my sister & I are working on. that's 4 Roman Numeral style. we're nerds, what'd you expect? ~ get in better shape ~ do more crafty things--art projects, not devious activities ;) ~ find...

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to drive around looking at Christmas lights. While I am a fan of tasteful & fairly traditional decorations, few things delight & amuse me more than garish displays of holiday cheer. Here are a few of the Christmas highlights from my new neighborhood. giant inflatable Santa & penguin inflatable lighthouse with a snowman & Santa inflatable Noel with a snowman & Santa inflatable Santa riding a tractor! Nascar snowmen...if this didn't make me laugh so much I'd probably be a little sad. Santa being pulled by flamingos...uhh... most giant inflatable ever ho ho ho! dreidel, dreidel, dreidel! Merry Christmas Texas-style! I hope you are all having wonderful Christmas seasons! This can be such a fun & magical time of the year and I hope that the celebration of Christ's birth reinvigorates your life with a sense of awe, joy, and hope--all things for which God is the true source. Much love & merriness ...