"...To Talk of Many Things..."

Guess how long I've been working on this particular entry? A month. Little bits and pieces when I have spare time. Been busy, ya know? Not to mention some person(s) hogging the computer. I wonder who...? And my family's business is taking on new wings for itself. Very thrilling.

I have on occasion spoken about the fact that having a family business is the worst thing that ever happened to me. Not true. Rather idiotic, actually. I don't mind the fact that there is this business and there are these books, as odd as that may sound: it is true. It can --infact-- be rather fun and interesting -- even educational. *watches everyone gasp and/or faint* It is hard at points, of course, same as anything else, that is when I can feel justified about complaining. But currently I do not feel justified for complaining so often because I have just recently realized that I do not think before I act/speak as much as I aught especially when considering what I've typed or said recently that turned out ghastly and maybe even offensive. (I'd tell a few stories about various times that it as happened in recent months, but it's all frightfully embarrassing, so, I'd rather not.)

I digress, what I meant to say and warn you of at the beginning of all this is that everything I say should be taken with a grain of salt because I'll say anything if it is convenient. Not lying, exactly, but instead not sticking with "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" which is never a good thing.

So now. Now realize that I am very much like a stalker, in a odd sort of away. Painting myself a life, one that I don't exactly have. Yes, a bad thing; and, yes, I am watching my fingers and mouth more carefully then I used to. I am trying -- be proud of me.

There. That's off my chest. On to something else.

Let's see how this works. Well ya'll, I'm typing through iPod today. Very cool. I'm sure you are not interested at all but this topic of conversation is about two things: electronics and me, so therefore the topic is of interest and I shall talk about it. So there.

Last year at about this time I laid down a whopping one hundred dollars (it was a terrible parting, weeping on both sides!) and bought a silver iPod Nano which was 4GigaBytes--enough to hold about 1,000 songs! One thousand seemed a sensible amount of room for any sensible person. Though I suppose some would say that 4GB is far to much and shockingly unreasonable and highly idiotic; the people who think that are the ones who go and buy the 1GB Shuffle (that's about 250 songs, I have more songs then that).

I had a thousand song iPod and had about three hundred tracks on it and the iTunes graph showed me that my iPod was half full and of course I thought "this will never work" and that is when I began harboring thoughts against my own dear Nano. (You follow me?) My 4GB Nano was insufficient. I thought this for quite sometime, but it wasn't till quite recently that I began looking outside the box ('outside the box' is, for those of you who are geographically challenged: Amazon). Well... I went to eBay first but soon quit on eBay because of a bad experience I had well buying my first iPod and I never did like getting stuff that way anyway. So it was off to the world outside the box and there is were I found a Apple iPod Touch at 16GB for $350. Expensive, you say? Actually, $350 is cheap as odd as that sounds.

16GB of storage is four times more than my last iPod's storage, it is, in short, a deal of about four thousand four minute songs. Do you know how many hours or days of none-stop listening that is?! Crazy, I know.

Anyways, I kept looking and finally ended up at Apples own site. The website directly connected to MacWorld the place that makes Mac computers, and the founder of the iPod. *ques special music* At this aforementioned site the music player I wanted was $400. I really wanted the $400 and I wanted the iPod just as bad, nothing gave. However I also toyed with the idea of a refurbished iPod.

A refurbished iPod is a iPod that began its life in MacWorld left MacWorld and for some unknown reason returned to the same place, perhaps for some electric ailment. Once it gets back to its Mother Mac the doctors there run special tests and MRIs and then begin treating it and nursing it back to health. Once it is in ful working order and as been tested and checked it is sent out back into the work force. These iPods are titled 'refurbished' and given a lighter load then the rest: only a small link in the left side bar and they are cheaper.

Last week [it was a week ago when I wrote this, I wrote this about a month ago] a refurbished 16GB iPod Touch arrived at my front door from Apple, in return I sent them $300 (plus some $15 in tax). I'm sure they were delighted with my business. I had signature confirmation on the thing (actually, it's one of the Apple rules). And, pray tell, how many of you have signed for a package in the last several months? A show of hands, please. The postman says, "just do the best you can, everyone looks like a doctor on there". Let me just take a moment and say that I did not look like a doctor; I looked like a two year old drawing squiggly circles and shaky lines! Even doctors do better. I sometimes have to sign in the post office too, and their machine is just as bit as bad! Anyways, end rant.

So, have you seen the iPhone? It's all the rage right now, my Mom has one. I don't understand why it's so very popular. It has no stylistic ensemble to it. Most, it seems, would say otherwise. The iPod I now have in my possession is a make and model almost exactly like the iPhone in style. So I was expecting to dislike this to a great degree. But I don't, infact, I rather like it. It includes the Internet, mail, YouTube, photos, music, iTunes, and various other things (weather, calculator, etc). I am using it now, using it to write this out which is very interesting because the screen is very small.

Those of you who know nothing about the iPod Touch will now be educated when I tell them that you can not use the iPod until you connect it to a computer with iTunes and activate it. I did that on Saturday, late at night. When you plug it in you must select your language and agree to Apple's terms, and chose settings regarding the playlist and shopping and things of that sort; you also must name your iPod. What fun! Of course, most people will name their iPod "My iPod" or "Erin's iPod" or "Mike's Music" or something like that. Those names are alright in their own way but that kind of thing is very much beneath me --or rather-- uninteresting to me. So I named my iPod. Really named it. It took some work to decide what to name the dear thing. It didn't appear to have a gender so therefore names such as Charlemagne or Eanah (which were my top choices) were no good so I considered giving it a word as a name instead. Apex might have worked or Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia or any amount of others but in the end I gave it the name Pantagruilian. Which --if spelled correctly-- means "enormous" and I think it describes this iPod and its surrounding topics very well.

"Darling black and silver Pantaguilian I love you so..." Etc. (No, I have no romantic feelings toward it. That would just be weird. It's more like Dory: "I shall call it Squishy and it shall be my Squishy" or whatever she said. Did I used to know someone who actually called their little sibling Squishy? Danica, was that you?)

I would love to yabber about statistics of my songs and artists and all that and whatnot but I shall refrain. It'll be hard, but I shall refrain. I'll just take a moment and say, if I petitioned TobyMac do you think he'd make a version of Lose My Soul without Mandisa or the "Afterparty"? Please. Kirk Franklin is great in it. Keep him, but not the other two. *puppydog* Maybe if I looked real cute...
Oh, and one more thing. I've decided that I like Delirious? Ever heard of them? English band, they're quitting next year, or the year after that, forget which. Ever heard them? Look up "delirious kingdom of comfort" at YouTube. The third video (which is uploaded by "Sound7DE") needs watching. Watch it. *waits for reader to return*

And, now doesn't the man have the greatest accent? It is sooooooo! *had better shut up before she turns into a fan girl* My favorite Delirious? songs right now are Rain Down, Majesty, Kingdom of Comfort, Break the Silence, and My Soul Sings. But you didn't want to know that. I also need some of Sanctus Real's songs; Don't Give Up is one of them, it was on the radio this morning. Need that song. Oh, and, BTW, Stay Strong (which is Newsboys) was 20: The Countdown's Future Favorite the other week. I hope it becomes the Number #1 song. I have a feeling it will because it's so lovely but am nervous it won't.

[I relistened to My Soul Sings and no longer like it, and I now have Don't Give Up on my iPod]

Now. Now I can shut up, just had to yabber about that. And congratulate me, there was no song statistics, thank goodness I managed, and am still trying.

July is nearing a end...esigh, it was a good month. I don't think I shall be doing any Matchmaking this year 'round, and even if I did, I would be starting too late in the year and it wouldn't be quite so bothersome. Also, July 9-13 I went to a music festival! *freaks* Too awesome! I saw Newsboys on the first night. I'm sure most of you don't understand why I love the Newsboys, and some of you probably wonder how I could love the Newsboys but I do anyways. The set list as changed a bit in the past ten months, no Turn Your Eyes! *weeps* I love Turn Your Eyes and I adore it live. But it wasn't on there! And I heard Entertaining Angels had been on the Go Tour Finale (early this year) but they didn't play it at Lifest. Too sad. I still had fun yelled "yeah right!" when Mr. Peter Furler tried to convince his audience that when he was a young punk and the band was in its early days only eleven people would come to his shows -- everyone laughed when I yelled. I'm famous now. The Newsboys have been a long ways since those days when they sold cookies and macadamia nuts for the cash they used to pay for the petrol (no, Aussie's don't call it gas or gasoline) they needed in order to get to the next gig (band jargon, it means "show") and were rationed a dollar a day for food (they had one ninty-nine cents sandwhich with as many toppings as possible to help fill them up). I sang along at every song and repeated Isaiah 40's last verses in sync with Peter as he repeated them, jumped up and down, screamed myself hoarse and all together had a great deal more fun then anyone else. One thing that I found interesting and took a note of was that in the middle of one song, halfway down the catwalk when there is no words to be song Peter spread his hands and arms a little, looked up, and said something, I suppose it was a private something, but I still wanna know what he said. And Paul is great fun to watch (he's not the front man or anything, just hangs out in the back) but it's always interesting to stare at him and wonder what on earth he's thinking about. When he plays his guitar he continually has a expression on his face that makes him look like he's in deep meditation of the universe. Or something interesting like that. I wish he'd spill it, so I don't have to just stare and be curious. *esigh*

I also heard Casting Crowns from a distance, watched Steven Curtis Chapman's show (good stuff, even if I am not a fan of his music), saw Delirious?'s show (too awesome! Though I didn't have as much fun as I did at Newsboys, maybe next time when I'm a bigger fan and the leadman, Martin Smith, said "it's great to be back in Oshkosh" and I just about died. I adore how he said Oshkosh!), saw Rebecca St. James (strange outfit, lady), and watched Natalie Grant sing her last song (horrible! I honestly just wanted to gag), also watched SONICFLOOd (unimpressive), sang along to Robby Seay Band's Song of Hope from a distance (they where on stage well we were busy setting up tents), walked by "The Pit Stage" just as John Reuben was singing Do Not (love that song!), heard Ayeisha Woods from a distance (I kind of wanted to go see her sing, I like(d) her songs Happy and Big Enough but then I don't like them enough to be disappointed at not actually watching her), saw part of Denver & The Mile High Orchestra (don't really like him and his band but Kale and Eugenides adore him and it and went and got him to sign stuff afterwards), saw Peder Eide (he as a nice smile, but that doesn't say anything for his music), saw part of Tenth Avenue North (really, really, really loud, didn't like it), watched two of NoonDaySun's band members sing Mighty To Save (it was pretty good), watched Cycledown (the lead singer was slightly freaky looking, hair die, piercings, tatoos, etc. and yet, he looked like a nice guy. And did you know? He as cancer. I liked the first half of their little "Morning Devotions" but the last song was really loud and not my style). Also saw various comedians ("I'm a Arithnostic! I don't believe in math! Quite trying to push your beliefs on me -- it's religious persecution!") and various speakers (Reggie Dabbs and Bill Yonker were the most interesting) the speakers and singers and announcers would at times mention the Newsboys ("did you know that behind the main stage they have free haircuts and free massages for the artists? The lead singer of the Newsboys came in last night with hair down to his knees"). Such fun. I had a really good time.

Sadly, the food wasn't very good. My family (and I) tend to be really picky eaters. Or rather huge health nuts, no white flour, sugar, pork, corn syrup, etc. So when we had white flour waffles and ersatz syrup I just about gagged and...yuck. We did, however, have potatoes on one of those days, that was the one good meal, and on Saturday I went and 'bout "a gyros and water" --just for the sake of it-- which was $9. Incase you didn't know (or couldn't guess) I'm poor now.

We went with a friend's church's youth group. Our group consisted of girls (besides us, we were five), three boys, and five grownups. Most of the grown-ups were nice and pleasant (though one lady was constantly complaining and couldn't take joke, I had a hard time not going completely berserk with my annoyance of it *blush*). The boys in our party were nice too, we played games together (like Catch Phrase, a word game) but they mostly hung out with themselves and with their visiting friends, the girls however! Goodness, is this what every teenage girl is like now a days? These three girls (they're all friends) insist on spending their time in diapershorts (you know, the shorts that could be mistaken for underwear), looking distressed, complaining, and doing nothing. Their dad was there too, I was dismayed at the way he let his daughter(s) order him around. Pitiful. I bet he paid for their ticket... *shakes head* Because I sincerely doubt someone would pay $60 to spend five days sitting around a campsite sleeping, eating, waving at "cute boys", and playing Uno, and Garbage, and some such card games. *shakes head* Very strange. But, since I spent hardly any time at the campsite, except for meals and sleeping, I wasn't really bothered too much by the site of them.

I suppose I'd better end there. I always try and fill a entry or post with too many things...I'm sure I'd delight in telling you about "remodeling" (unscrewing, ripping floors up, and considering paint colors mostly), all about the books I've read, about computer upgrading, who I've associated with, about the visiting of relations, and all that nonsense but I'd better not. I'll just post some pictures. Yay. Captions not included. Newboys at Lifest and a random picture. (I did take photos of Rebecca St. James and one of Steven Curtis Chapman but I don't like the singers or the photos enough to post them. Sorry. I should have taken some of Delirious? cause I was in the front row! *squee*)

Peter Furler.


(left to right)
Duncan Phillips, Paul Colman, Jeff Frankenstein.


Jeff Frankenstein.


(left to right)
Jeff Frankenstein, Duncan Phillips' back, Paul Colman, and Peter Furler.


Guess.


(left to right)
Jeff Frankenstein (hiding), Duncan Phillips, Paul Colman, Peter Furler.


Peter Furler.


Duncan Phillips.


Peter Furler, and two guys with their eyes closed.


Peter Furler.


Peter Furler.


Paul Colman.


Guess.

And the tag Alyosha tagged me with so long ago...

Who’s your all-time favourite author and why?
I think I shall always like C. S. Lewis. Why? Because he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.

Who was your first favourite author and why? Do you still consider him/her among your favourites?
My first, that wasn't all to long ago. Richard Scarry. And I won't tell the newspaper/library story, I've told it too many times. Do I still consider him a favorite? No. His books are still fairly interesting, but no. The first "chapter" book I read (I think this was the first) was a book by a author who's last name starts with a "b" (Brink, perhaps) and was about a very strange horse named Kristie.

Who’s the most recent addition to your list of favourite authors, and why?
Regina Doman -- I've read The Shadow of the Bear, she doesn't write all that well but her conversations are fun, realistic, interesting, and also romantic (old definition). G. K. Chesterton -- he writes very well, his characters are wonderful, etc. etc. Peter Furler -- when you read alot of good books it effects your writing, but that doens't convince you, you think I'm biased. Megan Whalen Turner -- 'nuff said. N. D. Wilson -- what can I say?

If someone asked you who your favourite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?
C. S. Lewis. He'd be the first. G. K. Chesterton would probably be second, Regina Doman, Megan Whalen Turner, or someone else would be third. I might mention Susanna Clarke but probably not.

You notice the spelling of favorite? Does that mean I'm only allowed to post English authors and books?

And that will be all I suppose. As for the next entry... my next entry will be about the nearest mall. I promise. (It should come to you in a month or two.) I'm sure you will all find it to be very long and boring, but wait for it.

Currently Listening--
Song: Burn for You
Artist: TobyMac
Album: Welcome to Diverse City