View from the Prairie Box

Shall I comment on the book I’m currently reading, or some theological discussion I overheard today? No, I think I’ll rehash “American Idol” and add to the overwhelming number of bloggers who have opinions on this subject. Kim C. is gone — fine with me. Carmen should’ve been kicked off first though. I retract my strong opposition to Josh the Marine. He’s not as bad as I thought he was, though I still am tormented by his rendition of “Celebration” — come awn! — yikes! Trenyce has been disappointing in the last several weeks… Perhaps the diva-Whitney-Houston-mimicry is all she’s capable of? I attempted a vote for Kim Locke after I realized it’s all about strategy from here on out. Only the good ones in danger of getting kicked off the island (oops, that’s another show) really need the votes. Clay is still good with his wonderful, Broadway voice and Ruben’s soothing vocals are tops. That’s all the deep thoughts I have to offer.

The Myotherapy Institute in Lincoln. It’s a school for massage therapists and thus only charges $25 for 50 minutes of that which “allows the body to surrender to a state of inner tranquility and to open the mind to new clarity” (quote stolen from their brochure). Many students will graduate in August — meaning, they’re nearing the end of their schooling and are getting better on a weekly basis. ; )

Here’s what my birthday gift certificate earned me last week:
“The Revitalizing Massage… A gentle kneading of the scalp, neck and shoulders followed by an application of warm moist towels allows this accupressure facial massage to leave you in a state of complete tranquility. A combination of hydrotherapy techniques and a pressure point foot massage makes this treatment one which leaves you feeling truly rejuvenated and alive!”

I was definitely tranquil — practically in a coma by the time I left. Alive isn’t quite the word I’d use… I told the therapist-in-training (Amber if you care to know) that I was really relaxed during the massage, to which she replied, “I could tell!!” Hmmm… Was it the drool or the dream-interrupting knee-jerk that tipped her off?

This is mom’s Mother’s Day gift for 2003.

Susan Meckel for noticing my interest in magazines like “Critique” and “World” and subsequently introducing me to “re:generation quarterly” (whose byline is “community transforming culture). I’m fascinated by the articles I’ve read so far this afternoon. Here’s some food for thought (vol. 6, number 1, p. 13) by freelance writer Cheryl Sabas who while still single moved from her comfortable neighborhood to the Mission District, a ghetto where her church was located:

“..Certain subversive truths had been revealed to me by my relishing of the Mission District as sensual, intellectual, and spiritual feast: that the Mission wasn’t as bad as we were afraid it was, and our presence there wasn’t as sacrificial as we thought it was; that ministry is best understood not as a subject/object relationship, where one person serves a somehow needy other, but a mutual, reciprocal relationship (no matter who’s saved yet and who isn’t); that if you don’t want to meet people, you can’t claim you love them, either spiritually or otherwise — and if you don’t enjoy them, they don’t want your love anyway; that just as Jesus was both fully divine and fully human, so love that represents him accurately must be both divine and human.”

Lunching on the front porch. Raking, weeding, hauling leaves. Cleaning the car out. Petting adorable neighbor puppy. Adding freckles to my square-jawed face (that’s for you, B).

What did you do today?

Praise God for a president and national leaders who sought to rid Iraq of their evil dictator. Read this Journal Star article for responses to the war by Iraqis in Lincoln.

Didn’t even get to watch ‘American Idol’ this week, but just read about who got kicked off… RICKEY? What the heck??? Is this show rigged? If you know even the teeniest thing about vocal music, then you know that little chicky Carmen or bad girl Kim C. should’ve been kicked off in advance of Rickey. I think people just didn’t like him because of personality issues. Sure, sure — you could make an argument on how the show is meant to find an American “idol” blah, blah, blah. But Rickey? Ridiculous.

My vote for who has got to go? Josh. Face it, he’s stuck in country and can only twang his way through a very limited number of songs. God bless the Marines, but, buddy, it’s high time for you to get the boot.

“Except for ending slavery, fascism, nazism and communism, war has never solved anything.”

I have no clue who originally said this. If you know, leave a comment.

Okay, so it might be April 16, 2004, before this movie makes it to Lincoln. But I’ll wait patiently, I guess. If you haven’t seen “Waiting for Guffman,” now is your chance.

You know that dream that every little kid has… the one where you wish your best friend lived next door so you could play all the time? Well, the dream’s coming through for this 25 yr old kid. Charity, Joie and Renee are moving in next door!!! : ) How fun is that??!

The Matrix – a movie I can watch again and again without being bored. It’s coming close to tying for first place in my list of all-time favorite flicks. Relive the experience in sound bytes.