Friendship

Friendship was so easy when we were in high school and college. 99% of our friends were right there all day, every day. So those first 18 years of learning to be a good friend (and yes, there was A LOT of learning, for all of us!), while valuable, just didn't prepare any of us for friendship outside protected walls. I know I can't be the only one who has spent her young adult life learning how to be a long-distance friend, the difference between a friend and an acquaintance, what happens when you get you first REAL boyfriend or girlfriend...and how that affects all the other friendships in your life. We betray our friends in more grown up ways, but we love them more maturely, too. We practice forgiveness, listening, giving advice, holding our tongue-and all without parental supervision. We lose friends for various reasons, good and bad, and we reconnect with some we never valued properly. For many of us, our friends become our family as relatives dwindle or become distant. For all of us, our friends help give us an identity and a place in the world.

I find myself needing a reminder that not all of us have the same learning curve. When we as friends have misunderstandings, shouldn't we take a deep breath and remind ourselves that, "Hey, this is my friend. I know this person." It's not baseball people. We get more than three strikes. Otherwise we would all be alone. Or perfect. So there it is. My friendship lesson for the week. Guess I'm still a pretty good student...or at least attentive :)

The Half Billion Price Tag

On the way to work this morning the DJ's were doing their daily "Sleazy Look At Hollywood" segment, which I of course listen to religiously. The bit that caught my attention was an update on the fourth installment of "The Pirates of the Caribbean" series. Apparently Johnny Depp is not so keen to jump back into Jack Sparrow's eyeliner and dredlocks, but said sure, why not-for $550 million. HA HA HA said the devilish Sparrow on his shoulder, THEY'LL NEVER GIVE IN TO THAT RIDICULOUS DEMAND.

HA HA HA said Disney. HALF A BILLION DOLLARS? YOU GOT IT!

That's right. The world's most favorite pirate will return to the silver screen for the bargain price of $550 million dollars. Which is absolutely ridiculous, of course, but when you're Disney I suppose there is no price tag too high. Just out of curiosity I Googled $550 million dollars to get a better idea of its worth (because I can't even comprehend what I would do with $550 million). Here are some of the results:

• MySpace sold for half a billion dollars in 2006
• So did Facebook.
• It cost $500 million to make Spiderman 3...the ENTIRE movie.
• According to one article, half a billion will buy you 1,500 houses, 83,000 pairs of diamond earrings, 200,000 flatscreen tv's, 23 million toasters, or 179 million Big Macs.
• The Rolling Stones grossed $500 million from their concert tour in 2007...a concert tour that spanned TWO YEARS.
• Aaron Spelling's ENTIRE ESTATE was estimated at half a billion.
• The 2008 presidential nominees raised a combined $500 million in 2007 in campaign funds.
• The four Seminole tribe casinos in Florida bring in a combined half billion each year.
• Grand Theft Auto IV sold $500 million in it's first week.

Who says we're in a recession?! Let's all go work for Disney, since they obviously have moolah to spare. And congratulations, Mr. Depp, I admire the balls it takes to even throw that kind of number out there. Now, if I could only figure out what the taxes on that would be...

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Today was my first Sunday actually singing in the choir at church (I missed the first Sunday because I was visiting my brother's family in Kansas). Of all the good things that have happened over the last month or so, this was sort of the culmination. The service was inspiring, the singing was beautiful, and even though I had to get up at 6 am-that's SIX IN THE MORNING BEFORE THE SUN RISES AND NORMAL HAPPY PEOPLE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO SEE THAT HOUR OF THE DAY (ahem, I'm not complaining)-to be ready, I felt sunshiney and glowey all day (especially after my nap). I hated the chore of singing in chapel in college, but that's because I was there by demand and not choice. This was not a chore but a joy. I've been given a great deal in my life, not least of which is a second chance at making my life what I want it to be. The least I can do is give a little back. I can't tithe yet (I'm still in the red financially speaking), but I have one thing I can give back to God/the universe/whatever you want to call it and that's my voice. So when we sang this song today, I felt like we were singing the anthem of my life. The recording that follows was sent to me by a fellow choir member. It's from The Prairie Home Companion, and the singer is Martin Sheen-yes, that Martin Sheen. Forward the sound to 82:30 to hear him sing these great lyrics:

How Can I Keep From Singing?
Traditional Shaker Hymn

My life flows on in endless song
Above earth's lamentation,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

What though the tempest 'round me roars,
I hear the truth it liveth.
But though the darkness 'round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble sick with fear
And hear their death knells ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?

To prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging,
When friends by shame are undefiled
How can I keep from singing?

No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?

Update!!!

Oh my goodness, friends, since September life has been an absolute whirlwind! There is so much to catch you up on, so here are my last two months at a glance:

• "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" opened, ran, and closed in Lewisville to near sold-out audiences. We transferred the show to Garland last weekend for a one-night-only fundraiser and have now retired, at least for the moment. Great show, great cast, great fun-but lots more happening, like...
• Philip and I completed the first two races of our four race commitment, the Addison Oktoberfest 5K and the Lake Joe Pool Pumpkinfest 10K. Philip beat me in both races, by a mere 7 seconds in the first race and a good 4 or 5 minutes in the second. However, I finished 3rd in my age group at the 10K (but Philip keeps reminding me that he "is in a VERY COMPETITIVE AGE GROUP!"). We are now gearing up for our 15K in Grapevine, which is a trail run. That means new training techniques and new shoes. Woo hoo!
• I finally went to Philip's church, Unity Church of Dallas, and loved it! I decided to join the choir, which I have, which led to...
• A new job!!! Last week I hung up my bar key and retired from Chili's to become a full-time employee of...Microsoft. That's right, folks. I work at Microsoft. Technically I'm employed by CompConTech, which is a vendor of Microsoft, but I work in the Microsoft offices in Las Colinas as a Duty Manager (basically I route software problems from the customer service representative to the properly trained engineer). I work 4 day weeks (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri) from 9am-7pm. So far I love it, and the fact that I get salary, benefits, and PTO is a major part of that.
• I met someone. Infamous last words, right? I met a guy who is funny, charming, smart (he understands my SAT vocabulary!), employed (this becomes surprisingly important as I get older), sweet, and he thinks I'm wonderful. Which was the first wonderful thing about him. Many many wonderful qualities have followed, and I'm hoping that my first instinct (that this guy is the kind of guy-hell, THE guy-I should have been dating all along) continues to be proven right. I'm a little terrified because this guy is so amazing and we click so well that I'm just waiting for the ball to drop...then I remember that if that's all I think about then eventually it will drop. So I concentrate on all the goodness that is happening and, well, let's just say I'm glowing :)
• My nephew Jack (who needs some pictures on here, I know, Alicia! I've been so busy with everything else that I'm constantly playing catchup right now!) is 5 months old. He is wickedly close to crawling, is eating rice cereal and sweet potatoes in addition to the breast milk, and his little personality is absolutely adorable. He laughs from deep in his belly, and a smile is never far from his face (although he hates the car and wails from the second you get him in the car seat. Oh well, no one is perfect.).

That's it in a nutshell. Not a very small nutshell, but you get the picture. Keep an eye out for lots of pictures in the near future, and start looking for me to be in touch, because now I have free time and can't wait to catch up with all my friends who have been sadly abandoned due to my over-loaded schedule. Can't wait to see you all...!