Monday, January 31, 2011

Book Review: Water For Elephants

I just finished reading "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. As you may (or may not) know, there's a movie coming out about it, so I thought I'd read the book before I saw the movie.
Synopsis:
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

I really enjoyed this book. Sara Gruen does an amazing job weaving time back and forth, so that the story comes from both young Jacob and old Jacob. It also paints a poignant picture of circus life... and how easily people are taken advantage of because of their looks, their differences and their talents. You almost instantly fall in love with Jacob and learn to hate August. The book also has lots of different pictures from old circus archives (they look cool even on the Kindle!) that help you to understand what life was like.

This is definitely a great book and I recommend reading it! My next book is "Decoded" by Jay-Z. Yes, I know, a big departure from my normal reading, but I saw an interview with him on Oprah and it sounded like a pretty cool book!

In other news, I absolutely cannot believe that today is the last day of January! We've already made it through one month of 2011!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Daniel Tosh

For Mike's birthday back in November, I bought him tickets to see comedian Daniel Tosh, from the show Tosh.0 on Comedy Central.
First we drove down to visit Oma. It had been a while since I had seen her, so it was really nice to spend some time with her! She hadn't seen my engagement ring yet and was overjoyed. I also showed her the pictures of my dress!
Oma and I
After our visit with Oma, we headed over to Adam and Eva's to hang out and have some appetizers. Let me tell you, no one makes brie like Eva does. I don't even like it and I can't stop eating it. She makes a whiskey/butter/sugar sauce to go over it that is to die for! Adam created some yummy treats as well - he made little mini cornbread muffins with barbecued chicken INSIDE. So yummy!

Finally, we headed out to the show in San Francisco. We hit a tiny bit of traffic, but made up for it by scoring free street parking! Seriously, when does that ever happen?! The show was at the Nob Hill Masonic Center, which neither of us had ever been to.

Comedian Eddie Gossling was the opening act (who knew comedians had opening acts?) and he was pretty funny! Then it was time for the main event - Tosh himself. It was definitely a funny show! As always, he definitely pushed the envelope and did a pretty good job of keeping the audience engaged. I haven't seen a large comedy show like this before, so I was a little disappointed in the way he didn't really interact with the audience. The shows I've been to before have been smaller venues where the comedians really pick on the audience. Let's be real, it's funny as long as you're not in the front row! He very much had the same sense of humor he has on his show and it was a lot of fun!

We made it home right around midnight - it was a 12 hour round trip... not a bad day!

Today is all about the relaxing... I'm imposing lazy Sunday. We might do some honeymoon research (after all, nothing says rainy afternoon activity like looking at tropical destinations) and some grocery shopping. Not a bad day!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Will.i.am Joins Intel

I don't typically blog a whole lot about work, but I thought this was way too interesting not to share!

Today it was announced that Will.i.am (one of the Black Eyed Peas) joined Intel today as the Director of Creative Innovation.

I am beyond excited about this for a variety of reasons. The first is that I really love Will.i.am's work. Last year I went to see the BEP with Adam and Eva and was really impressed with the intermission show that he put on. From sounds to colors to music, he really mixed it up. I can definitely see where our products fit perfectly into the music, mixing and recording that he does.

Secondly, because of the work Will.i.am does in the music world, I think he's going to do some really creative things with Intel. They haven't really gone into detail about what the partnership involves, but I can imagine there's going to be some really fantastic marketing. I can't wait to see what amazing things they come out with to fuse the music and technological worlds, which are already heavily tied together!

Here's a picture of Will.i.am with his brand new badge:

Will.i.am Shows Off His New Intel Badge
Do you think they'll bring him in for a concert?

Monday, January 24, 2011

Why did the chicken cross the road?

SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because, gosh-darn it, he's a maverick! You betcha!


BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so badly. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a NEW CAR so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart-warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2010, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2010. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

Book Review: The Confession

Last night I finished reading my first book on my brand new Kindle, "The Confession" by John Grisham. I've been on a John Grisham kick ever since I raided Mike's bookshelf (I recently reviewed the last book I read by him).

Synopsis:
An innocent man is about to be executed.


Only a guilty man can save him.

For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn’t understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn’t care. He just can’t believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed.

Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what’s right and confess.

But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?
This is yet another excellent book by Grisham. Just when I thought I had the story figured out about halfway through, he threw in a twist that made me wonder what he would do with the rest of the book. You have to hand it to an author who puts what you assume is the ending right in the middle of the book, yet still keeps you completely captivated for the last 200 pages.

Grisham also explores racial tensions in small town Texas (the book is set in the early 2000's - a nod at the fact that those tensions still exist today). Maybe it's because I read it so close to my Martin Luther King post, but some of the themes of this book still really hit home for me. This is a must read book!


My next book is "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. As you may or may not know, a movie is currently being made about this book - it's due to be released sometime in April. I thought I'd get a jump start on the book before the movie comes out!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Glorious Sunday

Today has been one of the best days in a long time! I think part of it is because I am finally feeling better. I've had a little bit of a residual cough and overall feeling of yuckiness since I was sick a couple weeks ago.

This morning, I woke up (for no good reason) at 6am. While that would really bother a  lot of people, for me it's a sign that I'm finally feeling better. It's not typical for me to sleep much past 7am (yes, even on the weekends) and so if I find I'm dragging when I get out of bed it either means I'm getting sick or I've worn myself down.

I sat for a little while after I woke up and tried to decide what I wanted to do with my day. There have been several things I've been meaning to do, but haven't because I've just been busy and there are several things that I just plain wanted to do. So, I got myself together and set out to get my errands done.

First up, church. I admit, over the last couple years, I've really slacked on the church thing. I'm not really sure why, but I think it was mostly being busy and,  (I know) being lazy. I started back towards the beginning of December and was on a roll... until the black plague hit my house. For the last few weeks I've just been too darned sick to go anywhere. Our parish got a new pastor at the New Year and I hadn't met him yet. His name is Father Liam and, you guessed it, he's Irish. I can listen to someone with an accent talk forever!

After church, I decided to stop by the gym (it's strategically placed directly between my church and my house). Another thing that went by the wayside when I was sick was the exercising. Mike and I went running near our house on Friday and it almost killed us both... we literally both coughed for like 2 hours afterwards. I decided to give the treadmill a try, with much better results. I got a solid 2 miles in!

After the gym I decided to finish all of my away from home chores by hitting the grocery store. I'm also on a kick to try to eat a little healthier. I do pretty well, but I need to try to curb the snacking. I've spent the last couple nights trying to convince my brain that strawberries taste exactly like chocolate (as my dessert). I bought a ton of fruits and veggies today that I'm going to make an effort to pack in my lunches this week!

Finally, when I got home, I planted two trees. Of the three apple trees we planted last year, one died - my lone granny smith tree. For those of you who don't cook/bake, that's the apple that you need for things like pies and strudels. They're tart, which makes them perfect for cooking. I had a really hard time finding them anywhere and was told by a local nursery to keep an eye out in January when all of the bare root stuff came out. Lo and behold, I happened to stick my head into Lowe's the other day and I snagged the last two granny smiths. Now they're planted (and caged - we've got deer that would love some fresh apple trees).

All of this (plus a shower) was done by noon! Not a bad morning. The good part of that was that it left the rest of my Sunday to rest! I did some reading on my Kindle (I love it!) and took a really short nap. Now I'm watching football with Mike and we just had some delicious cheese sticks (I said I'm trying to eat healthier... but I'm not cutting everything out!). The rest of today will consist of more reading, more football and some baked ziti tonight.

Not a bad Sunday!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Engagement Pictures

Today we went and had our engagement pictures taken! I'm so excited... I've never really had professional pictures done before and we had some really fun ideas. One of the girls Kati and I work with has a photography business (Michelle Trujillo Photography - she does AMAZING work!) and she took the pictures for us. We met her at one of the fire stations near us and took some really fun pictures with one of the engines. The station also has some beautiful grounds, so we got some outdoorsy ones as well.

I have to say, it's a little harder than I thought to have those kind of pictures taken! It's hard to look all lovey and romantic in front of someone you don't know that well and it's even harder to smile for that long! Michelle was awesome and did a really great job of taking lots of pictures... she took 600! As Brigitte and I have always said, take lots of pictures and one is bound to come out good!

I should have pictures to share by the end of next weekend... I can't wait!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Headaches

There are about a million reasons why I love Kaiser and today just added one more. A couple weeks ago my allergist diagnosed me with migraines. I've had these headaches since college and they've always been attributed to my allergies. Recently, it's gotten to the point that I've been taking way too much Excedrin migraine... and my liver isn't going to be thanking me if I continue down that path. I went back in to the allergist to see if there was anything he could do to help my "sinus headaches" (since a lot of the pain is just under my eye, right where my sinuses are). As it turns out, this is a very common misdiagnosis... migraines can actually cause sinus pain and a stuffy nose, much like a sinus headache. However, my allergist informed me, most people with sinus headaches don't get nauseous and have to go lay in bed for eight hours until they are better.

He prescribed me a migraine medicine to take at the onset of the headache and then recommended I take one of Kaiser's migraine classes. I figured it couldn't hurt so I enrolled. The class was taught my a neurologist and a nurse practitioner who covered everything from what migraines are (and the 4 different stages) to what the triggers could potentially be (they vary from person to person). Then the neurologist went around the room and chatted with each one of us about our specific headaches and some steps we could take to prevent them.

Obviously, figuring out my triggers (and avoiding them) is a big prevention step. The other part that really intrigued me is acupuncture and something they call "biofeedback". That's basically relaxing and pain management strategies. I can definitely use some help in the stress management department, so I'm really excited to see what techniques they have to offer!

The other thing that made this class so great was that everything was done with the whole group (there were eight of us). So we all got to hear what caused some people's headaches, what's been working and what hasn't. It was really nice to be with a group of people who GOT it... and who didn't think you "just had a little headache". About six of the other people mentioned that they thought the weather might be causing some of their headaches - which the neurologist confirmed... barometric changes in pressure can trigger migraines! See, I'm not crazy!

I'm really happy with the class and excited to get my referrals... I'm willing to try the biofeedback and acupuncture to see if they work... anything that can help me relax and destress is good on just about every level!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

My Last Trip To Costco

My last few posts have been rather serious, so I thought I'd lighten the mood with a joke that Raymond sent to me this morning. Enjoy!

MY LAST TRIP TO COSTCO

Yesterday I was at my local Costco buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Roxie, the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff a poodle's butt and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won't let me shop there anymore. Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Every year I try to reflect on Martin Luther King Junior Day. Typically, I read through the "I Have A Dream" speech and try to reflect on not only how far our society has come but how horrible we have been to other people. I know that sounds a little morbid, but sometimes I think it's good to remember the bad so that it doesn't happen again.

Last night, Mike and I watched the movie "Mississippi Burning". If you haven't seen it, put it in your Netflix queue right now. It stars Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe in the story of two FBI agents sent to Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of civil rights activists. GREAT movie. But I digress...

This year, I mentioned to Mike that I was going to write this post and he recommended I read the Letter from Birmingham Jail. It turns out he took an entire course in college about MLK and thought this was a good document to review. He was definitely right. I've pasted the text below - it's long, but it's well worth the read. I'm constantly amazed with not only what a great orator he was, but how well he wrote. Here are several of the quotes I found particularly poignant:

"Privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily."
"Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

I don't know if we can truely say that our country is color blind. I like to think, especially with my generation, that we're getting there, but, sadly, I still think people see the color of someone's skin. It breaks my heart to see movies like "Mississippi Burning" and to realize that horrible things like that (and worse) occured. It makes me embarassed to be a part of the race that treated others so incredibly badly. Yet, you hear the stories of those who stood up for the oppressed, who stood side by side and were willing to make a change. I like to think I would have been one of those people back in 1963. I hope we continue to carry out MLK's dream.


LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL
April 16, 1963

MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN:

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

I think I should indicate why I am here In Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here, I am here because I have organizational ties here.

But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good-faith negotiation.

Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants --- for example, to remove the stores humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained.

As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self-purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves : "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" We decided to schedule our direct-action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic withdrawal program would be the by-product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change.

Then it occurred to us that Birmingham's mayoralty election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run-off we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run-off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct-action program could be delayed no longer.

You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.

One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet like speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you go forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.

You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may want to ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all".

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I-it" relationship for an "I-thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and awful. Paul Tillich said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression 'of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.

Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.

Let me give another explanation. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?

Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.

I hope you are able to ace the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.

We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fan in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with an its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber.

I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom. I have just received a letter from a white brother in Texas. He writes: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost two thousand years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely rational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this 'hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the facts that stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self-respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best-known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement. Nourished by the Negro's frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible "devil."

I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do-nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle.

If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble-rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black-nationalist ideologies a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides--and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist.

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ..." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime---the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some---such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle---have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach-infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation.

Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a non segregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago.

But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of Rio shall lengthen.

When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church, felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leader era; an too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.

In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed.

I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, on Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.

I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious-education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?"

Yes, these questions are still in my mind. In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? l am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great-grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.

There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators"' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests.

Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an arch defender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ecclesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom, They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jail with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.

I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham, and all over the nation, because the goal of American freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation-and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.

Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department.

It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handing the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

I wish you had commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. There will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. There will be the old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy-two-year-old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." There will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience's sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?

If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.

I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Blame

A few weeks ago we had a horrible car crash near my house. The weather had been horrible and it had been raining. Overnight, the clouds cleared and the temperatures plummeted. Roads all over the county iced over. One of the main roads leading out the highway has a notorious stretch that gets icy and is hilly and curvy. It doesn't take much thinking to realize that those three things are not a good combination.
Late that night, a couple was driving back from the casino. They were both locals, but were driving way too fast for the conditions. They hit the ice and tumbled 400 feet down an embankment, landing near a creek. Neither person was wearing a seat belt and both were ejected from the vehicle. Both died at the scene.

Our local newspaper ran several articles on this crash. The first was a story that told of the multiple crashes that had happened due to poor weather conditions and ice. The second was an opinion piece about how difficult it is to write about accidents. It was followed by a brief piece written by a friend of family member of one of the people who died in the jeep. He basically stated that the woman who died was a lovely woman and that the County should be held responsible because they don't mark that the road is icy.

Is this a terribly tragic situation? Absolutely. Could it have been prevented? Maybe. If you read the first article, you will see that before this accident, a very similar one happened in almost the same spot. The occupants of that vehicle were all wearing seat belts and survived the accident.

I honestly do not understand why people always try to blame someone else for their mistakes. I understand it must be horribly hard for the friends and family of the two people who died in the accident to come to terms with the fact that their loved ones are gone, let alone that it was their own recklessness that caused their deaths. But I do not understand blaming county officials for not doing something more on the roads. Instead, use their tragic deaths as an opportunity to promote wearing seat belts (seriously?! who doesn't wear a seat belt?!) and safer driving in hazardous weather conditions. It just makes me really mad that someone wants to place the blame other than where it actually lies...

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Wedding Dress

One more step done in the wedding planning process! I was shocked to get an email last week from David's Bridal saying that my wedding dress was here! I had been told to order my dress at least nine months before the wedding because sometimes it could take forever to come in. So I went shopping in December, found "THE" dress and ordered it. I was told by my bridal consultant that the dress would be here in February, so it was definitely a surprise to have it now!

I tried it on again before I took it home... just to make sure it still was perfect. I ordered a size larger than the one I tried on, to have a little more room in the bust area and was really pleased with that decision. It will definitely need to have some alterations done (especially in the waist area), but it's going to end up looking like it was custom sewn for me! I'm so excited!

I have been nothing but pleased with my experience at David's Bridal. If you're one of my 500 friends getting married next year, I would definitely make this one of the places you look. They have fantastic customer service and tons of dresses to try, so if you're like me and not entirely sure what you're looking for, it's nice to have lots of options!

In other news, I'm still feeling a little better. Tired today (I might have overdone it a little bit), but the coughing is still definitely getting better. I plan to be totally mellow tomorrow in prep for making it through a whole week at work!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Things I Love: Breville Espresso Machine

For my birthday last year, my parents bought me an espresso machine so I could start making my own white chocolate mochas at home. Not only has it been fun to play around with, but it saves me a little money (I love me some Starbucks, but holy cow, they're expensive!). Over the last year, I've gotten pretty good at making them (at least to my taste) and can even tell the difference between mine and Starbucks.

Well, a couple months ago, I noticed that when I was steaming the milk, it started putting out less steam and more stream of water. Definitely not what it's supposed to do, so I emailed the Breville customer service people. They were very helpful and gave me a couple solutions to try at home. They worked for a while, but then the machine went right back to spitting out water instead of steam. The customer service people told me they would hook me up with a new machine and sent me the stuff to send back my old one.

Here's the most amazing part. The machine I had was the 800ESXL, which is about a $180 machine. It's high quality, works well, but doesn't necessarily have all of the bells and whistles that the higher up machines do. Here's what it looked like:

Which is why I was completely surprised when Mike opened the box of my replacement unit. Rather than sending me a straight replacement of my old unit, they sent me the mid-range machine that costs $499!
This one has pre-programmed shots (a single shot and a double shot) as well as the ability to over ride that. It also separates the water spot from the steam spout. It comes with four different filters, depending on your level of espresso brewing expertise! Talk about excellent customer service! So far, I've totally loved the new machine (who wouldn't?!) and am incredibly happy with the level of service I received! It was so nice to work with people who were pleasant, willing to offer solutions and would stand  by their products when they were unable to fix them!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Things I Love: Amazon Kindle

Well, what started out as a simple cold, of course, couldn't just stay that way. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, I never get just the cold that everyone else gets. I end up with some whopper of an infection. It's odd, because in general, I'm a pretty healthy person! So, my virus somehow turned bacterial and I now find myself at home, hopped up on codeine so I can actually sleep. I went about an entire week of coughing my head off all night, so last night was blissfully restful! I only woke up a couple times and the cough attacks weren't very bad. The best part is that I actually felt like I really slept and got some rest!

The Amazon Kindle

In other news, using some of my birthday money, I bought a Kindle. Those of you who know me well know that I'm an avid reader. I love my Sunday afternoon reading a naps. Every night before I go to bed, I have to do a little bit of reading to help shut my brain down. I've always loved the feel of a good paperback book in my hands. Needless to say, I was a little skeptical of the e-reader trend. One of my biggest concerns was eye fatigue. Reading on a computer screen (like I do all day long) is a big strain on your eyes - the last thing I needed to do was add some more at night. Amazon has come up with a new technology called e-ink electronic paper. It mimics the appearance of ink on paper and reflects light the same way paper does (as opposed to flat panel LCD displays that back light to reflect their pixels, causing eye strain). Basically, it looks like you're reading a book. It uses 16 different shades of grey, so the one downside is that you don't have a color display. But when you really think about it, what book have you read that really needed color? The other added bonus is that you can continue to read in different light settings (like bright sunlight) that you would have difficulty reading an LCD screen in.

My second concern was the availability of books. At which point, I realized that when I can't find a book in the store, the place I typically go to order it is Amazon. I checked out their Kindle store to see how many books were available for download - they're currently right around 802,000 books. I suppose it will take me a long time to get through 800,000 books, so that issue is solved. Not to mention, the books tend to be a lot cheaper than if you bought them in the store (somewhere between $5-$10).

My final concern was that I just plain love having a book in my hands. I think I'm just a little sentimental that way. I am definitely one to embrace technology, but giving up books is something that is still a little hard for me. I think it's going to grow on me because I'm already loving reading the first book that I've downloaded (the new John Grisham book). As my mom said, our society as a whole is moving toward using technology and a paperless world, so why fight it?

I give my new Kindle (in graphite, in case you were wondering what color I got) an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Movie Review: Amistad

The latest movie that we rented through Netflix is a 1997 movie titled "Amistad".


Director: Steven Spielberg

Main Actors: Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins and Morgan Freeman

Synopsis: (from IMDB) Amistad is the name of a slave ship traveling from Cuba to the U.S. in 1839. It is carrying a cargo of Africans who have been sold into slavery in Cuba, taken on board, and chained in the cargo hold of the ship. As the ship is crossing from Cuba to the U.S., Cinque, who was a tribal leader in Africa, leads a mutiny and takes over the ship. They continue to sail, hoping to find help when they land. Instead, when they reach the United States, they are imprisoned as runaway slaves. They don't speak a word of English, and it seems like they are doomed to die for killing their captors when an abolitionist lawyer decides to take their case, arguing that they were free citizens of another country and not slaves at all. The case finally gets to the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams makes an impassioned and eloquent plea for their release.
Rating: This was an absolutely spectacular movie. You may recognize Djimon Hounsou - he was one of the main characters in "Blood Diamond". He does a spectacular job as Cinque, especially considering that he only speaks about four words of English in the entire movie. He manages to portray the raw emotion and confusion of an African slave that just doesn't understand why the American court systems don't work. One of the best quotes of the movie (as translated from his Mende native tongue): "What kind of a place is this where you almost mean what you say? Where laws almost work? How can you live like that?"

I'm fully convinced that any movie that Matthew McConaughey and Morgan Freeman do together is bound to be a blockbuster hit! This is definitely a movie to rent... get it in your Netflix queue now!!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Book Review: The Brethren

Being sick does have it's upside... plenty of time to read! I just finished reading "The Brethren" by John Grisham. It was first published in February 2000.

Synopsis:
They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a Florida federal prison. One was sent up for tax evasion. Another, for skimming bingo profits. And the third, for a career-ending drunken joyride. Meeting daily in the prison law library, taking exercise walks in the boxer shorts, these judges-turned-felons can reminisce about old court cases, dispense a little jailhouse justice and contemplate where their lives went wrong.
Or they can use their time in prison to get very rich - very fast.

And so they sit, sprawled in the prison library, furiously writing letters, fine-tuning a wickedly brilliant extortion scam...while events outside their prison walls begin to erupt. A bizarre presidential election is holding the nation in it's grips - and a powerful government figure is pulling some very hidden strings. For the Brethren, the timing couldn't be better.
Because they've just found the perfect victim...
Let me start by saying that it's been forever since I've read a Grisham book and I've definitely been missing out. This is a brilliant story. For about the first half of the book you wonder how he's going to weave two very different stories together and then BAM!, he's done it!

It also makes you question the power of our government and if things like "a powerful government figure" that "pull(s) some very hidden strings" happens the way it does in the book. I'm pretty sure it does... a lot.

If you're looking for something to read on a rainy day, this is one great book to add to your library!

Sick

Well, I've managed to pick up a cold. Or, rather, an "upper respiratory infection" as the doctor called it. I know this sounds really weird, but it's almost nice to have what normal people get. For those of you unaware of my sinus history, I don't just get a cold. I typically get a cold, then a sinus infection, then bronchitis and am on like fifty rounds of antibiotics. So it's kind of nice to just have a plain old cold. Don't get me wrong, I'm horribly miserable, but it's the same miserable that half of our friends are right now. I have the cough from hell... I do pretty well when I'm sitting up, but when I go to lay down (you know, to sleep) I cough for hours.

Kaiser has this really cool thing... I called in yesterday because I tried to set up an appointment online with my doctor but she was on vacation. The advice nurse asked me a couple questions and said she could set up an appointment for me to come down and see another doctor or she could set up a phone appointment. How cool is that? Basically, a doctor called my house and went through a series of questions with me. If you answer any of them with something that sounds serious (like, yes, I'm coughing up blood), I assume they ask you to come in. However, my symptoms are sort of classic cold symptoms, so he was able to prescribe me some cough syrup and give me some advice. It was so easy and it saved me the time of having to sit in the waiting room, coughing with all of the other sick people. What a fantastic idea!

My game plan for this weekend is simple. Force myself to stay in bed or on the sofa so that I actually get better. The good news is that we don't have plans for the weekend, so this should be relatively easy. The bad news is that I get bored and end up trying to reorganize the office, for example. After all, I did just buy a labeller for that very purpose. I have a good book, my laptop and a dog who is totally ready to snuggle with me.

Speaking of snuggling, Mike is super sick right now too. While I end up coughing all night, he ends up with the nasty fever. I've spent the last two nights sleeping downstairs so that I don't wake him up with my coughing (that and it's a smaller bedroom, so the humidifier is much more effective) and so Shadow has had the rare opportunity to snuggle in bed with me (he's not allowed in our bed upstairs). This morning he brought both of his bones down here... apparently he's ready to hunker down for the day as well!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A Story About A Pizza

Mike and I had a very interesting experience the other day. We both weren't feeling like cooking, so we ordered a pizza from Round Table. I was picking Shadow up from the kennel and the pizza place was right there on the way home... the perfect solution to being lazy!

As always, we ordered a pepperoni, pineapple and olive pizza. And two salads. Nothing too exciting and nothing that was incredibly hard to make. I went in, paid, got both salads, grabbed the pizza and left. I totally forgot to even look at the pizza (did I mention I was feeling lazy?).

I got home, we opened the box, looked down and saw...

a cheese, pineapple and olive pizza.

That's right, they forgot the pepperoni. Seems a little odd to me, since pepperoni goes on just about every pizza on the planet, but I suppose it's a forgivable error. And my mistake for not checking in the first place.

We continued on with our meal. About two pieces into dinner, Mike makes the following comment:

"I think our pizza doesn't have sauce either."

That's right... we had a sauce-less, pepperoni-less pizza.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Movie Review: Little Fockers

Yesterday for my birthday Mom, Dad, Kati, Nate, Mike and I went to see "Little Fockers". It was definitely a funny movie, but not quite as funny as I expected it to be. Below is my review!

Director: Paul Weitz

Main Actors: Ben Stiller, Teri Polo and Robert De Niro

Synopsis: (from IMDB) It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get "in" with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack's suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back. When Greg and Pam's entire clan-including Pam's lovelorn ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson)-descends for the twins' birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he's fully capable as the man of the house. But with all the misunderstandings, spying and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack's final test and become the family's next patriarch...or will the circle of trust be broken for good?

Rating: I put this one in the rent it category. It was funny, but not quite as funny as the first two. I think the first one ("Meet The Parents") was hilarious because we were seeing the relationships for the first time. The second one ("Meet The Fockers") was hilarious because we were taking those characters and adding the Focker family in. In this third installment, we sort of just get more of the same. Again, funny, but nothing entirely new like the first two movies. As always, some of the supporting cast are especially hilarious - Owen Wilson keeps the Kevin character completely wacky.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

A New Decade!

I've moved on to an entirely new decade. I can't believe how fast my 20's flew by! Here's a quick recap of a few the cool things that happened:

20: I was a student director of a choir (which later led to a paying job directing)!
21: I turned 21 (duh) and went to New York with the family to celebrate!
22: I graduated from college with a double major... no small feat!
23: I recorded an album with two of my closest friends!
24: I got my job at Intel!
25: I auditioned for (and got into) the Sacramento Choral Society!
26: I bought my own house!
27: I went to Europe with my sister AND I met Mike! (not in Europe...)
28: I ran my first half marathon!
29: I got engaged!

As fun as my 20's were, I'm really looking forward to my 30's. After all, in the year that I'm turning 30, I'm getting married!

Today started with Mike making a Starbucks run for me (my espresso machine is broken and is en route back to the maker to get replaced). After that, I went to lunch at Sudwerk Riverside in Folsom with Mom, Dad, Kati, Nate and Mike. We had a nice indoor table overlooking the river (which is really flowing right now!) and pretty much had the place to ourselves. I had the chicken and penne pasta (with sun dried tomatoes) and it was delicious! After lunch, Mom and Dad lit my cake on fire (Mom found the most chocolaty cake she could!).
My Flaming 30th Birthday Cake
We then went over to the movies to see "Little Fockers" (review to follow at some point). Now we're back at home, getting ready to have some spaghetti (my favorite!) and then watch a few episodes of "Dexter" (we're seriously hooked... started the second season on Netflix last night!). What a fantastic day!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Welcome 2011!!!

Let me start by saying...

THIS IS MY WEDDING YEAR!

Holy cow. I can't believe it's 2011. In fact, today is 1/1/11, the last time for another 1,000 years!

Yesterday was our annual Blankenheim New Years Eve Pig Roast. As always, it was a smashing success.

The day began with Mike, Tim, Shane and Raymond getting the pig ready to roast. It's quite the process. They have to get the pig onto the spit (a lot easier said than done) and then get it stuffed and all sewn up. It's stuffed with potatoes inside, for flavor and to absorb. Some people claim to be able to eat the potatoes (Raymond) and some claim that they give you the trots (Nancy). Since it was New Years, I decided to air on the side of caution and skip them. Here are the pictures of the pig being prepped:

Putting The Pig On The Spit

Stuffing The Pig

Ready To Roast!
Once all of that prep work is done, we basically wait for eight long hours. Over that time period, lots of sauce is poured on (made up of white wine, garlic, onion, spices and hot sauce), many beers are consumed and lots of cooked pork skin is picked off to be eaten. We basically had people coming and going all day long!
Adding The Secret Sauce
This year, we were really luck to have one of our friends, Chris, make the beer for the party. He's started a little home brewing operation, and let me tell you, it's delicious. We had a pale ale, a pilsner and a wheat beer. They were fantastic!

Finally, the pig was ready to come off, which is followed by one of the best spectacles of the night. At this point most, if not all, the people at our house empty out into the garage to watch four guys with electric carving knives take the pig apart. This year, aided by beer (maybe it's not the best idea to give four guys with electric carving knives beer?) we got some pretty funny pictures:
Mike & Sean Whispering Sweet Nothings To The Pig Ear
We had a wonderful time. We played Wii, hung out down at the bar and around the fire outside. The rain managed to hold off until early this morning, so it was just really cold outside. At midnight we still had a pretty decent contingency of people (some years we do, some years we don't) and we had lots of noisemakers and party horns.

Nancy and Nicki even got a birthday cake for me (they started the "tradition" last year). Miss Skyler played "Happy Birthday" on the piano for me and everyone sang along. I can't believe I'm going to be 30 tomorrow! More on that in tomorrow's post!

To see more pictures from the party, click here.