I.  Met.  PAULA DEEN.  

I.  MET.  PAULA DEEN!!

Who is Paula Deen, you ask?  She is only THE coolest person on television.  If any of you have ever watched the Food Network, you will recognize her as the feisty, Georgia-native who includes pounds of butter in ever recipe and uses colorful cultural phrases to describe her food: (i.e. "That's so dee-lish-us, it'd make a poe' man sit up and slap his momma 'cross da' face")

If any of you know me, you'll also know that I adore this woman.  Imagine my delight when I found out she was coming to southern Ohio for a book-signing.  So, I made the 45 minute-drive, stood in line for a collective 4 hours, talked to countless elderly, rural women who had just had their hair done for the event, purchased her new book (the only item she would sign), and anxiously awaited my turn at the table.  It was but a brief 15-second visit; she extended her hand, I told her she was the coolest person on television, she gave me the "Oh...well...I guess, that's sweet.." kind-of-look, and signed my book.  Then I was whisked away by security, as gaggles of country bumpkins surged behind me to see her.

In shock, I just kind of wandered around the store afterward...similar to the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan where that soldier stumbles across the beach, holding his blown-off arm.  It happened so quickly.  I had seen Paula Deen.  I had touched Paula Deen.  Would the Lord now take me home?  What more was there to live for?     

I'm still pondering these questions; but one thing is for sure:  I MET PAULA DEEN!

So, why didn't anyone tell me that it's possible to see who's visited your Xanga within the last week?  All this time, I thought Xanga was a secretive world of voyeuristic thrills: I read about your life, yet you never know I've been there.  WRONG.  You not only know I was there, but you know when I was there.  I guess it's no big deal...I just feel like one of those violated victims in a Lifetime movie. 

I'm visiting Grace this weekend.  I'm coming up for Jenna Linder's Senior Art Reception.  Wow.  Jenna's a senior.  I remember when she was just a wee freshman, sweating along with work-out videos in Jill Dimmateo's apartment as Kim Bright pinched their butts and ate strawberry jam by the spoonful.  If I had a nickel for everytime I saw that same scene in Beta...

Speaking of Grace, my transferring there in the fall is full steam ahead unless God slams the door shut.  If you've spoken to me in the last 6 months, you know of the mental tug-of-war I've waged between staying in Dayton and transferring back to Grace. 

On one hand, I'm loving the life that's developing here in Dayton:  Life near a city.  No signs of lake-effect.  A church that I love...probably love more than any church of which I've ever been a part.  A house church/small group from that church that I am growing to love.  A weekly Bible study I attend that has been very interesting.  The comfort of family and old friends.  Seeing Dayton's skyline every day.  Having multiple choices of things to do on the weekend; not just one of two as I had in Indiana (i.e. "Well, we can go to Applebee's or Wal-Mart)

Yet, on the other hand, I can't imagine staying at UD.  I'm going through the motions here.  So much of my interest and passion has sub-sided.  I've realized that I love learning, not just about people and their issues, but about people, their issues, and their place in the picture of God's truth.  I've realized that grad school, at least in the form of counseling, is like training.  Yet, I'm not being trained in the areas I desire to learn about the most. 

Therefore, I thought that maybe I should just take time off.  Leave UD and live in Dayton for a couple of years.  But, after less than a year in Dayton, I'm already finding it hard to leave my comfort zone.  If I was to stay another 2 or 3, I think it would feel impossible.  And I know that I would regret not pursuing my Master's at Grace.  I would regret settling with whatever office job I could find as a means of living the comfortable life in Dayton; while ignoring the interest/passions I have for learning how to dig down to the soul with people through God's truth...   

At the same time, moving to Grace means leaving this ever-strengthening comfort zone.  I don't mean to say that my comfort here is all bad.  My church and the relationships I'm building are blessings.  I know I prefer life near a city over life in rural Indiana.  But should these things be big enough to stop me from following what may be a calling?  I fear the loans I would need for Grace (as compared to the grad assistantship I have here which equals free tuition...although I work with, in all honesty, a schizophrenic secretary who attempts to make life in the office a living hell for some of the GA's.)  I fear having to find an apartment.  A church.  A small group all over again.  Is it worth it?

I've been praying about this for a long time.  I keep feeling confirmed that I should move toward Grace.  So, I am.  If God doesn't want me there, then I pray He will clearly tell me "NO".  If not, I somewhat excitedly-somewhat hesitantly-somewhat nervously wait to see what He has in store. 

Currently Watching A Cry in the Dark By Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Dale Reeves (II), David Hoflin, Jason Reason, Michael Wetter, Kane Barton, Trent Roberts, Lauren Shepherd, Bethany Ann Prickett, Alison O'Connell, Aliza Dason, Jane Coker, Rae-Leigh Henson, Nicolette Minster, Brian James, Dorothy Alison, Maurie Fields, Peter Hosking, Matthew Barker see related

Ahhh, a new up-date.  I think I average one a month. 

For all of you who know what a cinephile-geek I am, you know that my version of the SuperBowl just ended: The 2006 Oscar season.  It was a good show, I thought...some deserving winners, some let-downs. 

Don't even get me started on Jennifer Hudson; a voice should never get an Oscar.  A Grammy?  Yes.  An Oscar?  No.  Adriana Barraza was r-o-b-b-e-d.  I have a new adoration: Helen Mirren.  I loved The Queen and her performance in said film.  She has somehow taken the 60+ age-range and made it sexy.  Who was the last woman to do that?  Barbara Bush?  She was the first to make support hosiery seem devilishly foxy. 

All hail The Mirren!

Forrest Whitaker did a great job in The Last King of Scotland, but he was more supporting than lead.  It would have been cool to see O'Toole finally rewarded an Oscar, but alas, he is meant to die without a golden boy.  Plus, his nomination seemed more sentimental than performance-focused.  I was thrilled to see Eddie Murphy lose.  Harsh words, I know...but the Dreamgirls hype is profoundly un-deserved.  Any of the nominees were more deserving, and I was glad to see Alan Arkin win his first. 

Scorcese finally got his due.  Hip-Hip-Hooray for Marty!  Though I don't think Grace College will be showing The Departed as movie-of-the-week any time soon, I really enoyed the performances and the way in which Scorcese told the story.  I think I prefer Babel and The Queen, but The Departed was still in my top 10 movie-going experiences of 2006.   

Speaking of movies, I recently watched A Cry in the Dark.  You know, the one from which we get the famous line, "The dingo took my baby!"  So get this, it's based on a true story...in 1980, a dingo took a woman's baby from her family's camping tent and ran off into the night.  Only the mother, Lindy Chamberlain, saw it happen.  However, no one believed her.  The media began to speculate that she had murdered the infant, disposed of the body, and fabricated the dingo-tale.  Thus ensued a whirlwind of national gossip and tabloid coverage... 

...So, Chamberlain is taken to court and found guilty of murder.  The jurors said she didn't seem "upset enough"...of the bloody baby clothing found in the desert, none of it had dingo saliva on it...Chamberlain said it was because the baby had an (unfound) jacket on, the prosecution said this was a lie...so, Chamberlain is sentenced to life in prison with hard labor...many cry out for her execution...

 Meryl Streep as Lindy Chamberlain.  On a side note, though it sounds cliche, Streep really is an acting demi-god.  Her canon of performances is mind-blowing.  I would gladly let her slap my face, if it so pleased her. 

8 years pass by, and a forest ranger stumbles upon a shredded infant's jacket near a dingo's lair...badda-bing, badda-boom, it's discovered to be that of the Chamberlain's baby...Lindy Chamberlain is released from prison and rewarded 1.3 million dollars (roughly a tenth of what she spent on legal fees).  Now, I know I've presented a fairly one-sided view of this incident, but this film got me thinking about the judicial process:  about the media's influence on a juror's objectivity...how gossip and speculation can destory a person's life...about the death penalty and how, in this case, it would have ended an innocent life...interesting food for thought.

Ok, so, I just realized I've written paragraph after paragraph about film-related material and nothing about my life.  I will do that soon, as I have a lot to catch up on.  And just so you all know, I read many of your Xanga's to stay abreast on your lives.  So, though I don't comment, know that I care and eagerly await your next up-date as I'm sure you've been awaiting mine. 

And the nominees are...

Academy Award nominations in 8 minutes...here are my guesses:

Picture: Babel, The Queen, The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, Dreamgirls

Actor:  Forrest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland...Peter O'Toole, Venus...Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed...Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness...Sasha Baron Cohen, Borat

Actress:  Helen Mirren, The Queen...Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada...Judi Dench, Notes On A Scandal...Penelope Cruz, Volver...Kate Winslet, Little Children.

Supp. Actor:  Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls...Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond...Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine...Mark Wahlberg, The Departed...Brad Pitt, Babel.

Supp Actress:  Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls...Cate Blanchett, Notes On A Scandal...Adrianna Barrazz, Babel...Rinko Kinckochu (sp?), Babel...Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine. 

I hope I'm wrong on many of these...but I'll soon find out...now I must go!  1 MINUTE UNTIL NOMINATIONS!

Currently Watching Wuthering Heights [Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon] By Merle Oberon see related

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry...