This is my 94th post on Blogger, and potentially my last. After getting acquainted with WordPress for work, I think I'm going to move my blog over there for a while, so PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINKS (if you have them, which you probably don't, but make one so you don't lose track of me)!!
New address: http://autumne.wordpress.com
Monday, August 4, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
kayaks, snakes - Phase I complete
Taking a break in the midst of a lovely Sunday. I just need to revel momentarily in what a good day it's been - and hope it will continue to be.
This morning, I got up at my usual weekday time and accompanied my landlady and her friend to Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park for a guided kayak tour of Poplar Tree Lake. My landlady's friend and I were in a tandem boat that they'd rented for the weekend from the University of Tennessee (where my landlady works). We ended up in a tour group with several canoes of young people. And you know they were splashing each other with their paddles and trying to flip each other over. I realized I never did that as a kid - I was too paranoid about drowning. :) Our tour guide was nice, but I can't imagine piloting a canoe alone would be any fun, especially when you're leading people who care nothing about the difference between a green heron and a great blue. It was a pretty easy trip and lasted a couple hours.
Afterward, we went into the nature center to cool off, and I got to hold their speckled king snake!! Oh man, I forgot how much I miss taking care of snakes. I never want to own one - you know that weird rep people get when they have pet snakes, carrying them around all the time, slowly starting to look more and more like them... well, you know - but I'd love to be able to hold them from time to time. It's soothing. And I totally found myself rocking it like a baby, which was weird, but interesting. Perhaps there's a maternal instinct in there somewhere? Hah.
Anyway, we also watched part of the raptor show out back. Saw a great horned owl (who hated the interpreter) and two red-tailed hawks. Drove around the park after that, saw the Mississippi River complete with whitecaps and floating debris, ate our sandwiches at a picnic table covered in lichens, visited a cute little general store and then headed back to the city. We sang along with some great mix CDs from the '80s and '90s on the way. Got to see a little of the UT campus when returning the tandem, and then took a trip along Mud Island. I cannot get over that place. It's exactly one stone's throw from the seediest areas of Memphis. If they are not overridden with crime now, they will be soon enough. But, of course, they live in their own little bubble out there, with rows and rows of identical island-style houses, painted various sherbet shades with almost no front yard. It was nice in theory, but I wasn't too impressed. I do hope Patrick likes living out there though.
Now I'm getting ready to head over to RP's house for some grilled salmon and possibly a movie. There was mention of the evening service at his church, but the more he talks, the less I think he's planning to do that. He already went to a service this morning, but since I'd been wanting to try it out, he said we could go. Maybe another weekend.
All right, off to finish getting ready to leave. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. :)
This morning, I got up at my usual weekday time and accompanied my landlady and her friend to Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park for a guided kayak tour of Poplar Tree Lake. My landlady's friend and I were in a tandem boat that they'd rented for the weekend from the University of Tennessee (where my landlady works). We ended up in a tour group with several canoes of young people. And you know they were splashing each other with their paddles and trying to flip each other over. I realized I never did that as a kid - I was too paranoid about drowning. :) Our tour guide was nice, but I can't imagine piloting a canoe alone would be any fun, especially when you're leading people who care nothing about the difference between a green heron and a great blue. It was a pretty easy trip and lasted a couple hours.
Afterward, we went into the nature center to cool off, and I got to hold their speckled king snake!! Oh man, I forgot how much I miss taking care of snakes. I never want to own one - you know that weird rep people get when they have pet snakes, carrying them around all the time, slowly starting to look more and more like them... well, you know - but I'd love to be able to hold them from time to time. It's soothing. And I totally found myself rocking it like a baby, which was weird, but interesting. Perhaps there's a maternal instinct in there somewhere? Hah.
Anyway, we also watched part of the raptor show out back. Saw a great horned owl (who hated the interpreter) and two red-tailed hawks. Drove around the park after that, saw the Mississippi River complete with whitecaps and floating debris, ate our sandwiches at a picnic table covered in lichens, visited a cute little general store and then headed back to the city. We sang along with some great mix CDs from the '80s and '90s on the way. Got to see a little of the UT campus when returning the tandem, and then took a trip along Mud Island. I cannot get over that place. It's exactly one stone's throw from the seediest areas of Memphis. If they are not overridden with crime now, they will be soon enough. But, of course, they live in their own little bubble out there, with rows and rows of identical island-style houses, painted various sherbet shades with almost no front yard. It was nice in theory, but I wasn't too impressed. I do hope Patrick likes living out there though.
Now I'm getting ready to head over to RP's house for some grilled salmon and possibly a movie. There was mention of the evening service at his church, but the more he talks, the less I think he's planning to do that. He already went to a service this morning, but since I'd been wanting to try it out, he said we could go. Maybe another weekend.
All right, off to finish getting ready to leave. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. :)
Friday, August 1, 2008
random concerts & revelations
Last week, my landlady mentioned an upcoming concert at Hope Church, where Patrick and I attended evening service this past Sunday. It was one of five or six installments in their Summer Concert Series. If I had heard about it earlier, I totally would've been there sooner - I missed Matthew West and Sara Groves in June, which I imagine was an awesome show. This time it was going to be Bebo Norman and Ginny Owens, both of whom I was familiar with at least in name, but I couldn't necessarily match them with their songs.
Well, my landlady and her visiting friend had already purchased tickets, but I decided to tag along, just in case I could get a seat near theirs. It just happened that the next seat in their row was open, so we were all able to sit together. And the concert was fantastic from beginning to end. Probably the best one I've ever attended.
I didn't know Ginny Owens was blind. It was immediately apparent when she walked out on stage, so I guess I haven't seen her in anything but still shots, if that. She's a beautiful piano player, though, and her voice is amazing. She sounds and looks quite a bit like Alison Krauss, actually. Her part of the show was just her and the piano. And she did a funny little bit about lyrics that don't make sense, how she listens to anything and everything on her iPod and has to laugh when she comes across songs with lyrics that are confusing or otherwise seemingly meaningless. One of her examples was that, "Shorty, you're my angel, you're my darling angel; Closer than my peeps you are to me...," song. So funny, especially to hear her sing it.
Bebo Norman and his bandmate, Gabe, were extraordinary as well. They played only one song I recognized, but the others were all just as good. Gabe played a whole host of instruments - acoustic guitar, piano, steel guitar, accordion and the hammered dulcimer, which was really cool - and harmonized well with Bebo. They told a hilarious story about the fact that they have acrylic nails put on their right hands to aid in their playing, rather than using a pick or other fingertip gadgets. They go to the nail salon together while they're on the road. :)
Overall, I think the best part of this concert was a mini revelation on my part. I've always had a little grudge against live music: No matter how cool anyone said it was, I never could understand the draw of paying way more money than to buy a CD (which you get to keep) to go sit in a crowded place, too far from the stage to actually feel like you're face to face with the artist and hear songs you don't know or familiar songs sung differently and played at different tempos so you can't even sing along. :P I have felt that way most of my life.
However, I have realized it's different with this kind of music. Most of the time, especially with country music and anything particularly "popular," I base my assessment on how it sounds and how easy it is to sing along. With contemporary Christian music, the lyrics matter more. So I've finally found an arena in which I am OK with hearing new music and familiar music with a new beat. I noticed tonight it took me several beats longer to realize I recognized Ginny's songs. She played about four that I knew, but not realizing right away that I knew them gave me a chance to listen harder to the lyrics. Not having a recognizable beat from the radio gave the song a whole different feel. And not having a backup band with way too much volume meant that I could clearly hear and understand every word she said. Both parts of the show had this effect. It was like I finally stopped hating concerts tonight. :)
Other news... Worked way too much today, but it was good. Went to a new place for lunch. Laughed a lot. Made it a few steps farther with the blog project for work - hoping to have a template at least 95% done by Monday morning. I may be going on a guided kayak tour on Sunday with my landlady and her friend. Not sure if it will happen, or if I will feel like it that day, or if I will opt to go to RP's church instead, but we'll see. Have to make it through Saturday first...
Well, my landlady and her visiting friend had already purchased tickets, but I decided to tag along, just in case I could get a seat near theirs. It just happened that the next seat in their row was open, so we were all able to sit together. And the concert was fantastic from beginning to end. Probably the best one I've ever attended.
I didn't know Ginny Owens was blind. It was immediately apparent when she walked out on stage, so I guess I haven't seen her in anything but still shots, if that. She's a beautiful piano player, though, and her voice is amazing. She sounds and looks quite a bit like Alison Krauss, actually. Her part of the show was just her and the piano. And she did a funny little bit about lyrics that don't make sense, how she listens to anything and everything on her iPod and has to laugh when she comes across songs with lyrics that are confusing or otherwise seemingly meaningless. One of her examples was that, "Shorty, you're my angel, you're my darling angel; Closer than my peeps you are to me...," song. So funny, especially to hear her sing it.
Bebo Norman and his bandmate, Gabe, were extraordinary as well. They played only one song I recognized, but the others were all just as good. Gabe played a whole host of instruments - acoustic guitar, piano, steel guitar, accordion and the hammered dulcimer, which was really cool - and harmonized well with Bebo. They told a hilarious story about the fact that they have acrylic nails put on their right hands to aid in their playing, rather than using a pick or other fingertip gadgets. They go to the nail salon together while they're on the road. :)
Overall, I think the best part of this concert was a mini revelation on my part. I've always had a little grudge against live music: No matter how cool anyone said it was, I never could understand the draw of paying way more money than to buy a CD (which you get to keep) to go sit in a crowded place, too far from the stage to actually feel like you're face to face with the artist and hear songs you don't know or familiar songs sung differently and played at different tempos so you can't even sing along. :P I have felt that way most of my life.
However, I have realized it's different with this kind of music. Most of the time, especially with country music and anything particularly "popular," I base my assessment on how it sounds and how easy it is to sing along. With contemporary Christian music, the lyrics matter more. So I've finally found an arena in which I am OK with hearing new music and familiar music with a new beat. I noticed tonight it took me several beats longer to realize I recognized Ginny's songs. She played about four that I knew, but not realizing right away that I knew them gave me a chance to listen harder to the lyrics. Not having a recognizable beat from the radio gave the song a whole different feel. And not having a backup band with way too much volume meant that I could clearly hear and understand every word she said. Both parts of the show had this effect. It was like I finally stopped hating concerts tonight. :)
Other news... Worked way too much today, but it was good. Went to a new place for lunch. Laughed a lot. Made it a few steps farther with the blog project for work - hoping to have a template at least 95% done by Monday morning. I may be going on a guided kayak tour on Sunday with my landlady and her friend. Not sure if it will happen, or if I will feel like it that day, or if I will opt to go to RP's church instead, but we'll see. Have to make it through Saturday first...
shameless promotion
Be Ready - It's Coming! Sept. 1 at http://openingday.ducks.org. Go there now to see the awesome work of our video and Web departments. Thoroughly impressive, I gotta say. :)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
energy waning
Forgive me if this comes out jumbled and lackluster - I decided it would be a good idea to get up at 5:30 this morning instead of 6:30, so after a long day at work and a heavy sweat at the gym, I am just about ready to cuddle up under the covers with Transcending CSS.
Today was a good day. I got to work around 6:40 and took a walk around the wetland behind our office. I saw a couple lovely herons, and several sunbathing turtles *bloop*'d into the water when I walked by. I got to the foot bridge on the other side of the building before almost running into a giant spider web strung between trees. So I turned back and got to my car again around 7, just in time to go in and get to breakfast and work. Vanilla yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and granola make for a perfect morning. :) That, and getting an hour of peaceful work time before the commotion starts for the day.
After work, RP and I messed with the Sept. 1 project site, changing out fonts and generally screwing things up. It was fun. :) Then I powered through 45 minutes on the elliptical while reading a 48-page whitepaper about landing pages and conversion rates. Kept me distracted for the majority of my cardio.
I was thinking recently how lucky I am to be able to appreciate the teeny-tiny quirks of the world. There are so many people out there focused on the bigger picture and distracted by the worries of their lives that they miss just how funny, special and important the little things really are. I find myself laughing quietly a lot of the time. And sweet moments can pull me through entire days that would be otherwise trying. As mentioned in the post about The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I really appreciate coincidences in everyday life that make us think something really cool is happening behind the scenes. Even if it's not, I can still smile when I hear a certain song at just the right moment or get a chill when a memory hits me.
Also, I was reintroduced to Pandora today. RP mentioned it and sent me three of his stations, so now I'm going to use it every day. I forgot just how cool it was. I think I created at least five new stations today. :)
All right, my eyes are getting tired of the glare. I think it's time for some CSS and slumber. Have a good one, kidlets.
Today was a good day. I got to work around 6:40 and took a walk around the wetland behind our office. I saw a couple lovely herons, and several sunbathing turtles *bloop*'d into the water when I walked by. I got to the foot bridge on the other side of the building before almost running into a giant spider web strung between trees. So I turned back and got to my car again around 7, just in time to go in and get to breakfast and work. Vanilla yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and granola make for a perfect morning. :) That, and getting an hour of peaceful work time before the commotion starts for the day.
After work, RP and I messed with the Sept. 1 project site, changing out fonts and generally screwing things up. It was fun. :) Then I powered through 45 minutes on the elliptical while reading a 48-page whitepaper about landing pages and conversion rates. Kept me distracted for the majority of my cardio.
I was thinking recently how lucky I am to be able to appreciate the teeny-tiny quirks of the world. There are so many people out there focused on the bigger picture and distracted by the worries of their lives that they miss just how funny, special and important the little things really are. I find myself laughing quietly a lot of the time. And sweet moments can pull me through entire days that would be otherwise trying. As mentioned in the post about The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I really appreciate coincidences in everyday life that make us think something really cool is happening behind the scenes. Even if it's not, I can still smile when I hear a certain song at just the right moment or get a chill when a memory hits me.
Also, I was reintroduced to Pandora today. RP mentioned it and sent me three of his stations, so now I'm going to use it every day. I forgot just how cool it was. I think I created at least five new stations today. :)
All right, my eyes are getting tired of the glare. I think it's time for some CSS and slumber. Have a good one, kidlets.
morning entertainment
It doesn't offer any answers, but the video itself is pretty impressive... Give it a watch if you have 4 minutes.
Monday, July 28, 2008
blogging obsession invades workplace
*start nerd talk*
I'm spending a good portion of the day researching WordPress. We're planning to have a hunting-centric blog in conjunction with our upcoming DU web initiative (coming Sept. 1 - watch for it!). It's going to have multiple contributors (mostly from our magazine staff) and cover a wide variety of topics from hunting gear to decoys to dogs to stories, memories and traditions from the field. We'd considered hosting it within our current blogging interface (which is home to Checkett Out, written by our in-house communications biologist), but the system is fairly rigid and a little outdated, so third-party seems to be the way to go.
If anyone has thoughts on better platforms than WordPress, feel free to suggest them. But I've heard so many rave reviews - and so little about any of the other options - that it just seems like the way to go. It's highly customizable, has a great catalog of plugins and special features and has a good track record for stability and support.
I signed up for a free webinar that's being held tomorrow at 5 p.m. CDT. Apparently they're held fairly regularly and involve chat sessions/Q&As with WordPress pros. It's hosted by No Blogger Left Behind, so, if you're interested in blogging - especially the technical aspects - you should check it out.
I really wish I were a little farther along in my time here at NHQ. I think about this blog project and want to step up into some sort of lead role on it. I hadn't considered how involved it would be back when we thought our current system would handle it and the writers would just access the content management system, copy/paste from Word and click "Publish." But now that we're delving into third-party management, there's going to be more to design, implement, oversee, manage and troubleshoot. Basically, if I want to show my worth, I need to learn everything I can about WordPress, designing themes/templates, hooking up all the plugins we will need, maintaining the blog and comments, etc. I just hope I can do most of that secondhand, since we don't have anything established at this point for me to experiment. I need to be quiet and quick - ninja-like, if you will - in my learning process.
*end nerd talk*
Saturday was a good day. I got up early and got to hit the Memphis streets before very much of the populace had risen from their beds. I love driving early in the morning, passing sleeping houses, wandering cats and dewy front yards. It's so peaceful. The dim light casts this hue on the world that makes it feel safe and cozy, like you are the only one around and everyone else is snuggled under the covers with their loved ones, catching their last few moments of a spectacular dream. You feel like you're getting a unique view on the world before anyone else has a chance to see it.
(A related aside: I haven't directly mentioned my new coworker friend in this blog as of yet. I've been trying to gauge the level of privacy with which to address our friendship. And while I've gotten away from using initials over the years, I think I will reinitiate that practice for him - RP. RP is in my department at NHQ and is a really nice guy.) I went over to his house the Saturday before last just to hang out on the deck with him and his dog, Syd. She is such a sweetheart - yet another great example of how I get along better with animals than people. :) I met up with them again this weekend, and while Syd had to stay home for part of the day, we spent most of the afternoon and evening with her.
Saturday's breakfast was from the local Blue Plate Café, over on Poplar. The restaurant is a revamped home painted a calming shade of yellow and adorned with paintings from local artists. I was especially impressed by the animal paintings hanging in the entryway. I had to stand there for a couple minutes and look at the brush strokes and layers of color - so beautiful. The Blue Plate menu is printed on the inside spread of a mini newspaper that also boasts famous quotations and the history of the restaurant. While they had an impressive selection of foods that would thoroughly clog my arteries for the day, the promise of a good steak was still on the horizon for the evening, so breakfast needed to be light. I ended up choosing the only item under the "Health Nut" category: a bowl of vanilla yogurt, granola, strawberries, banana, cantaloupe and honeydew melon. I was going out on a limb considering my general dislike of all things banana and melon, but it was delicious and just perfect for that time of day. I was full by the time I scooped up the last strawberry slice. RP's potatoes were a little too greasy and his fruit not as fresh as mine, but at least I came away with a positive impression of the place.
He was kind enough to drive me through Midtown and into downtown Memphis after that. We saw the Pyramid (the now-abandoned former home of the Memphis Grizzlies), the Peabody, the Mississippi River, Beale Street from both ends, Tom Lee Park, etc. Luckily, it was still early in the day, so the homeless people were still asleep in the parks and the traffic was minimal. We drove past the St. Jude campus as well, which I hadn't realized was based here. Then it was off to the Memphis Zoo.
The zoo was great. I wasn't sure I'd be impressed, even though the only zoos I've experienced to date are Toledo, Binder Park, Detroit & parts of Potter Park. But I really was. The cages were designed differently, so I felt as though we were able to get a closer look at the big cats (especially the snow leopards and lions) than I have at other zoos. Once the clouds parted and the sun came out, the temperature and humidity were staggering, so we took advantage of as many indoor attractions as possible. I brought along two frozen water bottles, so we made it through without having to purchase $3-4 beverages. I think my favorite part probably was the Animals of the Night building. It was bigger than others I'd seen, and the cooler temperatures and more appropriate living conditions meant more activity on the part of the animals. There were several varieties of Loris (which kept me thinking of the Lorax the entire time), a big bat cave, armadillos, anteaters, etc. And I actually allowed myself to like monkeys momentarily in the China exhibit! I think they must've been the White-Cheeked Gibbons. We were amazed by their agility and smooth acrobatics.
The rest of the day consisted of more sightseeing, a great grocery store, some delicious ribeye steak and veggies, a failed attempt at going to see "Dark Knight," my fruit/cake/Reddi-Whip dessert and a successful attempt at watching "My Cousin Vinny," which I really liked. I also got to cuddle with Syd for a little while during the movie, so that was the perfect way to end the evening. :)
Sundays are my least favorite days, but what started out poor ended up much better. After the gym and a stop at Kroger for vanilla yogurt and fiber granola bars, Patrick and I went to the evening service at the nearby Hope Presbyterian Church, on Walnut Grove. My landlady had suggested going to a concert there next Friday - Bebo Norman & Ginny Owens - so I thought I'd check out the place beforehand. The evening service is called The Stirring - here's how they describe it on their website:
Well, it's taken me my entire lunch hour to compose this post, so I should stop here. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Enjoy your week!
I'm spending a good portion of the day researching WordPress. We're planning to have a hunting-centric blog in conjunction with our upcoming DU web initiative (coming Sept. 1 - watch for it!). It's going to have multiple contributors (mostly from our magazine staff) and cover a wide variety of topics from hunting gear to decoys to dogs to stories, memories and traditions from the field. We'd considered hosting it within our current blogging interface (which is home to Checkett Out, written by our in-house communications biologist), but the system is fairly rigid and a little outdated, so third-party seems to be the way to go.
If anyone has thoughts on better platforms than WordPress, feel free to suggest them. But I've heard so many rave reviews - and so little about any of the other options - that it just seems like the way to go. It's highly customizable, has a great catalog of plugins and special features and has a good track record for stability and support.
I signed up for a free webinar that's being held tomorrow at 5 p.m. CDT. Apparently they're held fairly regularly and involve chat sessions/Q&As with WordPress pros. It's hosted by No Blogger Left Behind, so, if you're interested in blogging - especially the technical aspects - you should check it out.
I really wish I were a little farther along in my time here at NHQ. I think about this blog project and want to step up into some sort of lead role on it. I hadn't considered how involved it would be back when we thought our current system would handle it and the writers would just access the content management system, copy/paste from Word and click "Publish." But now that we're delving into third-party management, there's going to be more to design, implement, oversee, manage and troubleshoot. Basically, if I want to show my worth, I need to learn everything I can about WordPress, designing themes/templates, hooking up all the plugins we will need, maintaining the blog and comments, etc. I just hope I can do most of that secondhand, since we don't have anything established at this point for me to experiment. I need to be quiet and quick - ninja-like, if you will - in my learning process.
*end nerd talk*
Saturday was a good day. I got up early and got to hit the Memphis streets before very much of the populace had risen from their beds. I love driving early in the morning, passing sleeping houses, wandering cats and dewy front yards. It's so peaceful. The dim light casts this hue on the world that makes it feel safe and cozy, like you are the only one around and everyone else is snuggled under the covers with their loved ones, catching their last few moments of a spectacular dream. You feel like you're getting a unique view on the world before anyone else has a chance to see it.
(A related aside: I haven't directly mentioned my new coworker friend in this blog as of yet. I've been trying to gauge the level of privacy with which to address our friendship. And while I've gotten away from using initials over the years, I think I will reinitiate that practice for him - RP. RP is in my department at NHQ and is a really nice guy.) I went over to his house the Saturday before last just to hang out on the deck with him and his dog, Syd. She is such a sweetheart - yet another great example of how I get along better with animals than people. :) I met up with them again this weekend, and while Syd had to stay home for part of the day, we spent most of the afternoon and evening with her.
Saturday's breakfast was from the local Blue Plate Café, over on Poplar. The restaurant is a revamped home painted a calming shade of yellow and adorned with paintings from local artists. I was especially impressed by the animal paintings hanging in the entryway. I had to stand there for a couple minutes and look at the brush strokes and layers of color - so beautiful. The Blue Plate menu is printed on the inside spread of a mini newspaper that also boasts famous quotations and the history of the restaurant. While they had an impressive selection of foods that would thoroughly clog my arteries for the day, the promise of a good steak was still on the horizon for the evening, so breakfast needed to be light. I ended up choosing the only item under the "Health Nut" category: a bowl of vanilla yogurt, granola, strawberries, banana, cantaloupe and honeydew melon. I was going out on a limb considering my general dislike of all things banana and melon, but it was delicious and just perfect for that time of day. I was full by the time I scooped up the last strawberry slice. RP's potatoes were a little too greasy and his fruit not as fresh as mine, but at least I came away with a positive impression of the place.
He was kind enough to drive me through Midtown and into downtown Memphis after that. We saw the Pyramid (the now-abandoned former home of the Memphis Grizzlies), the Peabody, the Mississippi River, Beale Street from both ends, Tom Lee Park, etc. Luckily, it was still early in the day, so the homeless people were still asleep in the parks and the traffic was minimal. We drove past the St. Jude campus as well, which I hadn't realized was based here. Then it was off to the Memphis Zoo.
The zoo was great. I wasn't sure I'd be impressed, even though the only zoos I've experienced to date are Toledo, Binder Park, Detroit & parts of Potter Park. But I really was. The cages were designed differently, so I felt as though we were able to get a closer look at the big cats (especially the snow leopards and lions) than I have at other zoos. Once the clouds parted and the sun came out, the temperature and humidity were staggering, so we took advantage of as many indoor attractions as possible. I brought along two frozen water bottles, so we made it through without having to purchase $3-4 beverages. I think my favorite part probably was the Animals of the Night building. It was bigger than others I'd seen, and the cooler temperatures and more appropriate living conditions meant more activity on the part of the animals. There were several varieties of Loris (which kept me thinking of the Lorax the entire time), a big bat cave, armadillos, anteaters, etc. And I actually allowed myself to like monkeys momentarily in the China exhibit! I think they must've been the White-Cheeked Gibbons. We were amazed by their agility and smooth acrobatics.
The rest of the day consisted of more sightseeing, a great grocery store, some delicious ribeye steak and veggies, a failed attempt at going to see "Dark Knight," my fruit/cake/Reddi-Whip dessert and a successful attempt at watching "My Cousin Vinny," which I really liked. I also got to cuddle with Syd for a little while during the movie, so that was the perfect way to end the evening. :)
Sundays are my least favorite days, but what started out poor ended up much better. After the gym and a stop at Kroger for vanilla yogurt and fiber granola bars, Patrick and I went to the evening service at the nearby Hope Presbyterian Church, on Walnut Grove. My landlady had suggested going to a concert there next Friday - Bebo Norman & Ginny Owens - so I thought I'd check out the place beforehand. The evening service is called The Stirring - here's how they describe it on their website:
The Stirring is a worship experience that seeks to recapture the greatest aspect of the Church - its willingness to interact with culture, dwell in it and understand it, earning the right to speak to it and influence it (where needed).The atmosphere was almost identical to Riverview, with the coffeehouse in the lobby and the flexible dress code, and they even went a step further by having round tables in the front section of the sanctuary instead of just the rows of chairs. However, the crowd was much smaller than any Riv service I ever attended, so I'm not sure it would've been a practical setup there. The pastor was young and spoke about the power of language and the fact that we need to recognize our responsibility to use our words for good. He said that language has the ability to both build up and tear down, give life and kill, so we need to choose the former on both counts, encourage others instead of hurting them, remind ourselves that though email is simple and gives us the ability to hide behind monitors and miles, hitting "Send" changes things. Words are permanent even after emails are deleted. It's something that I've taken for granted my whole life, so I hope to be more aware of it from now on.
Well, it's taken me my entire lunch hour to compose this post, so I should stop here. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Enjoy your week!
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