morning's light

inception + fun at the box office

So...I visit a small town theater last night to see the Leonardo di Caprio film "Inception".  I picked up a friend's daughter to go with me and we stopped for snacks to take into the theater, then we met up with a friend of mine.  

I had a voucher for a free ticket after purchasing some products at Walgreens recently. The ticket agent processed the ticket while I dug around in my wallet for my bank card to pay for another ticket and a soda. The agent had me sign for the $7 ticket (small town price at a small town theater) and the confusion began. I couldn't figure out why she charged my card for a ticket then wanted to charge me again for another ticket and the soda.  She couldn't figure out why I was challenging her.  sheesh.  we went 'round and 'round... and finally she shook her head to clear it, realized that the free ticket voucher had issued a receipt I'd signed and that I hadn't yet turned over my bank card to pay for the other items.

THAT made sense.  Not a good start to a night at a film that makes you think, and think, and think some more when you leave the theater and try to get a good night's sleep.

I also managed to declare loudly that my friend didn't need to pay me for the whole ticket since SHE BOUGHT THE CANDY.  I'm sure the ticket agent thought "ummm..you didn't buy any candy yet...... ma'am..please leave the premises!"  but she didn't say a word. 

Did YOU see inception?  What did you think?  You can email me your thoughts. I'd love to bounce some ideas off you about Inception.  I'll tell you this much: I will be seeing the film again in the near future.

decor demon: beautiful spaces

happy happy
joy joy

Was introduced to Decor Demon yesterday and it pretty much made my day.  When I see stunning photos, I can't breathe for a second, so after perusing the Decor Demon site yesterday, I told a friend, "It's a wonder I didn't faint from holding my breath so long!"  Yeah - there's some mighty pretty photos at Decor Demon and some darn fine writing as well.  I was laughing out loud.  Who laughs out loud at a design site?  Bet you're wondering what the heck Decor Demon is? Here's the scoop:

Décor Demon creator Brian Patrick Flynn is a television producer turned decorator/designer. The moniker “Décor Demon” comes from his fast-paced weekend routine of furiously raiding garage sales and flea markets for one-of-a-kind pieces. What started out of necessity as a cash-strapped film student has led to a unique design style seen in over a dozen magazines as well as seven seasons of a hit television series...When asked what prompted the idea for Décor Demon, Brian replied “I wanted to create something where design-based editorial and TV merged with funny, do-it-yourself and WTF?”.

So what the %$&* is Decor Demon?  Male perspective meets interior design, with a little bit of humor thrown into the mix. Easily amused. Not so easily impressed. Our content is for the bold, the beautiful, and the bad ass. Enjoy.  

 

When I asked Bryan Patrick Flynn (for he has one of those names whereby all three names must be pronounced together at all times) more about his site, he replied, "Decor demon is pretty much an editorial shelter magazine in blogroll format and we professionally produce, shoot, style and write our own content. We have the first broadcast quality blog-based decorating series....shot more like a movie than a makeover show."
 

 

 

 

 

Photography by Sarah Dorio used with permission from Decor Demon

How not to do youth ministry.

 

"How Not to Do Youth Ministry" 
by Sunny

When volunteering with a youth group at church and leading a small group of eighth grade girls, do not assume a girl is going to ask an irrelevant question when she raises her hand - even if history tells you that the question could be about ice cream or a pet dog.

Your girls may surprise you.  One of them may have a question for you and the proper response is not to say, "What is your question about? Is it about shoelaces???"  Because you will then find out that her question is about the Bible verse you just mentioned and what the reference is because she wants to look it up later.

Oh.  I'm so sorry!  It's Romans 8:26.  Glad you're looking it up later!

My co-leader Anna and I have a great group of eighth grade girls.  They have a lot of energy, they care for each other, pray for each other, and are there on Wednesday nights to have deep discussions.  And have fun as well.  One of the girls has a mom recently diagnosed with cancer.  Another girl has ongoing medical problems.  More than one has a troubled family background yet each one shows up cheerful, energetic and willing to dive in to answer discussion questions and share prayer requests.  They're such an encouragement to me each week.  I've not been there 100% the past few weeks - being sick and then having a whirling mind due to too much cough medicine in my system.... and they welcomed me back with open arms last night!  

This Saturday is a battle of the bands and A, in the lower right corner of the photo above, will be featured at the piano while singing songs she's written.  I cannot wait to hear her sing!  

So now you know how I spend my Wednesday nights!  I work with a great team of junior high leaders.  Our preparation meetings are filled with laughter and with planning.  Then we pile out of the classroom and into the gym where we play basketball, mingle with those who hang out on the side of the gym, then play one big group game - which changes every week.  Gotta say those nights are the highlight of my week!

spam + youth group kids + blonde moment

Blonde Moment.  First let me say my computer was broken all morning long! I was trying to print a stack of documents and just needed the final page of a letter to print before I could move on to the next document.  Nothing worked. I adjusted the settings of the printer, turned the printer off and on again, and was about to uninstall and then install the printer driver when I thought about printing the whole document and see if there's something funky about printing Page 2.

Page 1 printed just fine and looked lovely.  However, Page 2 refused to print.  ????????  So I was checking the formatting of the document and scrolled down to Page 2 to discover...... a lack of a second page.  That's right.  I was trying to print the second page of a ONE PAGE DOCUMENT.   Where my Nobel Prize at?

The Spams.   Now I'll share photos from last night's Cell Group Kickoff for youth ministry (Matchbox Ministries).  There was fun, music, then a contest where every small group had 30 minutes to create something out of two cans of Spam (an item not found in the Organic Foods section of your grocery store) - using only the spam, nine toothpicks and a container of white Tic Tacs.  The photos speak for themselves.

The winning entry: from Sponge Bob Square Pants, it's Plankton on a Crabby Patty! (from a high school group).

My group of eighth grade girls and I came up with the idea of doing Bryan's face (he's the youth pastor) based on a drawing that came from a photo of a real person. (Bryan dressed up as Pure Awesomeness.) Our strategy involved mashing the two cans' worth of Spam together to make one moldable lump. Didn't work.  It flaked everywhere. But the girls worked great as a team, had fun, and survived the smell and texture of Spam on their hands.

All photos by sunnygirlsf.

the stylist

Perhaps I've seen too many fashion/style shows on TV lately, but this had me in stitches.

fairytale ending

So the poor guy who was rude to me after our blind date has had a not-so-good week.  His car broke down, and here's what he picked up at the rental car agency:

Then he met another blind date at the museum....

Seems everywhere he turned, there I was. 

But I wasn't really in any of those places, of course.  I was dressed up and on my way to see the Glenn Miller Orchestra for a fun evening!

A happy ending indeed. 

The End.

anywhere in the world?

I'm at a Starbucks that is not "my" Starbucks.  Nephew Caleb leafs through a "Question of the Week" binder that people have written answers in.  Caleb adds a few of his own, then I look through the book.

 "If you could be drinking Starbucks anywhere in the world, where would it be?"  Someone scribbled, "Next to a slice of ham." 

Wait...is that someone's real handwriting where it says "Right beside my wife" - just below the question?!  Looks like a handwriting font to me.  Dude.  Points for your answer AND neat penmanship.

The word "Cambodia" filled in with crayon would be Caleb's contribution.  He and his family may be living there someday!

when you ask a question but already know the answer...

 

 

I think I work with some of Rona's coworkers:

 

RECEPTIONIST (R): (holding two Doohicky Documents in her hand that I've given her for distribution): "So are these done now?"

 

ME (ME):  "What do you mean?"

 

R: "This is it, right?"

 

ME: "I don't know. I've given you what I've been given.  The two Doohicky Documents."

 

R: "Then that's it.  The Head Honcho told me there'd only be two."

 

ME: [calmly] "I don't know. I've done what I've been given. I'm not told how many items for Doohicky will be coming across my desk,"

 

R: "HOLD ON. NO NEED TO GET DEFENSIVE."

 

ME: "I'm not. I just don't know how many there are." 

 

 

All while I'm thinking, "If Head Honcho told her there'd only be two, why would I have more stashed away?  Fake Doohicky Documents? I'm on a need-to-know basis and I don't NEED to know how many will be coming my way.  If I knew, I might need something like a fruity drink to soothe myself if I knew to expect 28 more urgent documents.

 

This was moments after R. picked up the Doohicky Document I had for her and she tried to make me feel guilty for not handing it to her this morning.  Apparently I didn't organize my work to suit her schedule.  Really?   I have many people for whom I complete work.  Wasn't aware I had to run my projects by R. for approval.

 

Who's ready for R. to enjoy her vacation next week???  *waves my arm frantically*

a-w-k-w-a-r-d

who's with me?

anyone else find this pose of carly simon's..... unusual?

it IS a small world after all!

Late last night, I get these Twitter updates almost simultaneously on my phone:

	Maggie Tasting menu at the new neighborhood dessert bar. Stranger next to us just said, "Hold on, I'm Twittering." 33 minutes ago from txt
	Shroni Hitting up newest local bar--wine and dessert lounge. wayyy too good. 36 minutes ago from txt

Sharona (Shroni) follows Maggie's updates on Twitter, but Maggie does not know Sharona.

I text Sharona that Maggie from Twitter just twittered about her...

Shroni So MAYBE i went back to find maggie...YOU DONT KNOW ME!

	Maggie Holy s&%*. Small city. Turns out Sherona was the stranger who was Twittering. Sherona is the nicest "stalker" in town.

So two strangers at a bar use Twitter. Across the country, a girl gets the updates and connects the other two.  Teeny, tiny world.  Gotta love twitter, texting and fun friends who don't mind stalking a Twitter celebrity!

how NOT to take a photo

Enjoy the following slideshow....the captions are written from Sunny (me) to Sunny (also me) the Photography Student.

bonnets + joes

bonnets + more bonnets

My mom asks during Easter dinner, "So do people still buy hats for Easter?  I didn't see many today!"   

*silence* 

*crickets chirping for real*   

Sister-in-law pipes up, "Ummm..that's not really the fashion anymore" (kindly refraining from saying "...since 1982.")    (hey mom! how are ya?) 

Mom: "I did ask some young girls at church today if they got new Easter bonnets, and they just gave me funny looks like, 'What are bonnets?'"

trader joes

Anne and her daughter Hannah asked me to go to a local mall with them - one I hadn't been to.  I was excited because there's a Trader Joes there and was met with a blank stare and, "What's impressive about Trader Joes?"

Okay - so she's been to a Trader Joes but others have not and tend to inquire about Trader Joes?  It is only the bestest grocery store in the whole wide world, that's what! 

Unfortunately,that doesn't describe the store, so my second try tends to be...  "Um..it's a small store that has organic items and other items that are quite affordable.  Hmm, how 'bout I just show you?!"

Seriously. I never have a good answer.  Most likely you either don't care for the store or you love the store, as in I-want-to-marry-it-love it.

Anyone have a good description for the store for those of us who are normally around big supermarkets and have to drive almost an hour to get to a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes?

people like you.......

So this year I'm getting contacts.  The outspoken eye doctor questions me about my schedule for wearing contacts and then announces, "You know, they make contacts for people like you." 

Really?  Just for me???

Last week, I took my broken-into-two-pieces mobile phone in to get replaced, and after the employee looked at the remnants of my phone, looked at my account in the computer, she announced, "You know, they make phones for people like you."

Really?  WHAT KIND OF A PERSON AM I??   Someone who wears contacts for more than 10 hours a day and uses phones that fall apart quickly?! 

Problem is, the word got out.  And now if I make an innocent remark about a friend's daughter's cute pink socks, I hear, "You know....they make SOCKS for people like you!" or I run into a door and hear, "You know....they make DOORWAYS for people like you!"  Apparently it has such a universal application that I may never hear the end of it. Oh, and by the way, they make BLOGS for people like you.

hey..cookies!

K: ooooh, I smell COOKIES!

S: Well...not in my apartment, I haven't been home.

K: That's both good and bad: bad because someone may have broken into your place, but good because they baked you cookies. Which is bad in that who knows what they put in the cookies? But good because, 'Hey...cookies!'

overheard...

Two classmates re-connecting over lattes and discussing high school reunions:

HIM: "Let's see..graduate at 18, 10 year reunion at 28, so at the 15 year reunion we'll be 33."

HER: "33.  What a SAD number.."    

SILENCE     "...I mean, people start DYING at 33."*

HIM: "Well yeah, you gotta factor in car accidents, ODs and all that..."

SILENCE

HIM (excited): "I cannot WAIT to pull up in my Rolls Royce and show them I'm NOT a loser!!"**

*Perchance was she thinking of Jesus dying at 33?

**Current Occupation: Playing video games full time at home.

time to play "what is he SAYING?"

Did you know that the Alphabet Song and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star share the same melody?  I was not aware of this, so EB + JJ sang the songs simultaneously for me during a recent visit to chuck e. cheese.

QUESTION: What is JJ (on the right) saying at the end of the song? 

adventures in wireless

While at a local wireless store, overheard this conversation:

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I do not know who your husband is."

"No, I do NOT know who your husband is."

"Yes, ma'am, I AM the assistant manager and I STILL do not know who your husband is!!!"

A few moments later, I glanced over at him just in time to see him scratching his beard with the stylus that accompanies the bank card machine at the counter...and I mean T-H-O-R-O-U-G-H-L-Y.

Note to self:  Use own stylus and do not call up complete strangers asking if they know your husband.

it was NOT me!!!

I'm walking on the track at the gym this morning.  Bright and early.  Good for ME!!   My ipod needs to be charged so I had no music.  Thus I noticed so much more than I should have..and could hardly keep a smile off my face.

Over here is a woman leading her own private aerobics class, complete with some snapping. Uh..do you need a private room in which to rehearse your routine?

Over there a guy is doing a funky stretch that should not ever be done in public.

Woah...there's the guy who must work out only his arms.  Have a fleeting thought wondering if he topples over sometimes because of the humungous arms he carries around with him all the time.  Not nice.  Must let that thought go.

And then we have this woman:  She's in her early sixties, running slowly around the outer edges of the track.  BECAUSE I have no music whatsoever to listen to, I was privileged to hear the gas she passed for multiple seconds as she went around me.  She too had no music in her ears which means she must have heard it AND felt it! 

I was left looking around like A) What the heck do I do now?   B) don't worry about that right now..just BREATHE!!! just BREATHE!!! and C) Wait...now people will think I did it since she's long gone but her souvenir remains!  Thanks, Lady.

yuk.

green + drawing

Wednesday night was a Valentine's Day party with my girls at church.  Brittany was to bring cookies but she brought some candy powder instead.... which the girls devoured quickly, giggled at the green tongues and teeth, and then bounced off the walls for the remainder of the hour we were together.

three and a half of my girls:  jess, hannah, kirsten & kelsey

Since the girls were not paying attention to much of anything since the sugar rendered them quite hyper, we invited some of the boys wandering the halls in to partake of some of the party food.  One of them wanted to join our pictionary game... so he began drawing the item assigned to him.  he won the prize for most elaborate drawing.  methinks he wanted to impress the girls!

the answer?  crossing guard.

alright, janice!!

I saw this years ago and it remains a favorite.

 

"I felt it!"  (smirking)

"Alright, Janice!!" 

(AND the look on the guy's face - the guy in the backseat. Priceless)

spices + valentines dinner

Thus begins a Pioneer Woman Cooks' post (part 3 of 3) showing how to cook a delicious steak for a Valentine's Day meal.  I don't know any boys to cook for but may cook for some friends.  The meal looks delicious!  The conversation between spice bottles made my long day a bit brighter! 

sugar booger

I got to hear this comedian tonight. I laughed and laughed - along with 800 other people.  I highly appreciated that his humor is clean.  And he's still hilarious!  He has a blog, a newsletter, cartoons, and videos .

He mentioned in passing some endearments he calls his wife...including "sugar booger"... and said it a couple times.  I glanced over at the translators doing sign language just in time to see one translator's version of "booger". You put your pointer finger up near your nose and twist it from side to side.  there. booger. sugar booger.   Sadly, Daren did not get to see this, but when I ran into him later I mentioned the signing and insisted he find the man who was doing the translation for the deaf and see the translation for himself.  I found out later that the "man" doing the translation was a woman.  I had been sitting so far back  in the room that I couldn't tell who was doing the translation.  oops. 

Sophisticated and chic, no?

so THIS is how you deal with paperwork. brilliant.

image found at jafferblog

must be how The Box came about.

makes ya smile

found via [BB-Blog]

she's a mom!!

I am not a mom but you can't argue with this mom's logic - set to the William Tell Overture.  I'd never heard it, but about 5.4 million of my closest friends have.  enjoy.

I Has a Sweet Potato

Check out this hilarious story of a dog who likes her sweet potatoes.

I Has a Sweet Potato

becoming....

check out how explorer shortened the tab to a new blog. not quite what the blog author intended, I'm sure. [click photo for larger image]

tab

there is a line that has been running through my head for days.

it's making me grin.

but I hear it all. the. time.

PUT IT ON MY tab.

Put IT ON MY tab.

dan in real life

filling in your own words

gina's comment below about filling in your own words reminds me of The Funniest Scene Ever (almost) in the British version of The Office.

Gareth (the assistant) is investigating who sent out a risque, fake photo of the boss to all employees, so he's talking to two employees.  Watch the guy on the right. 

click here for the scene.

pants + wrong message

two things just made my afternoon:

pants optional

I can't put my finger on it

thanks, friend!!

later this week: photos of rona's office.  can't wait to show you!

happy halloween!

happy halloween   

Mr. Big Eyes enjoying his coffee.

image by sunnygirlwi