"Adventure is out there!"

First off, I need to give a small apology for my rant and rave on the last post. Obviously I was pretty frustrated that day! haha. I actually had MUCH MUCH more that I wanted to say, but I stopped to read through my post and thought that I should probably just stop where I was at. You will all be pleased to know that I have recovered from my previous frustration.

So, we recently picked up the movie "UP" on blu-ray. We watch it probably about once or twice a day for Micah because he loves it so much. In fact, the first time we saw that movie was the first time we decided to take Micah to the movie theater. It was, for the most part, a big success meaning he made it mostly through the entire movie without fussing too much. There was one part in particular that was pretty funny though. We were watching the movie and it got to that part where the big thunderstorm comes while they are flying in the house. Carl Frederickson (the old man) and Russell (the little boy) are being tossed back and forth in the house, you see thunder and lightning, and there is menacing music going on in the background. For a child, it is pretty intense. Well, the suspense keeps building and building until the screen suddenly goes black and it is completely silent. Micah was very worried about the old man and the boy so while we were in the theater when the screen went black and it went silent, Micah screams out, "OH NO!" EVERYONE in the theater laughed, including Lyndsay and Me. Every time I watch that movie I remember that story!

There is also another thought that I have each time I watch that movie. I can't help but think about the adventures that I have had in my lifetime. I have had some pretty wild experiences: sledding off a roof, white-water rafting, getting in accidents, spinning out going fifty on state street, getting shot at, going over a sheer drop in a snowmobile, a one-sided snowball fight (We had a water balloon launcher! haha!), hitting myself with a golf ball, etc. (If any of those stories intrigue you, please, feel free to ask. I am more than happy to share and there are MANY more where that came from!) However, I would have to say, hands down, that my greatest and most favorite adventure (the "funnerest," as my family would say) is being married to my wife, Lyndsay, and facing the tests and trials of life together. We have only been married for 3.5 years, but there have been plenty of adventures in that time, and I am even more excited for the years to come. Raising Micah, cleaning Micah's messes, changing our definition of "fun" from "fun for us" to "fun for Micah, which translates to fun for us," learning and loving each others little fetishes and habits, learning to support one another in the midst of all we have to do, making the most of our one or two waking hours spent together each day, etc. We have had many adventures, and continue to have many more. The really interesting thing about what I have said concerning our adventures is that they don't include going to exotic destinations, fanciful vacations, etc. Instead, our adventures have come from the tests, trials, and joys derived from daily living. And there is nobody other than my wife that I would like to have with me as we face the adventures of life together. I love you, sweetheart!

What would the pioneers say?

Have you ever found yourself asking this question? I seriously think about it all the time. When I am driving on a bumpy road I think, this road is bad, but I bet the pioneers would be pleased with the "smooth" ride. Also, I think about the complaints we have with traffic, and then I think about how long it took for the pioneers to get across the plains. However, the topic I reflect on most often is communication. I can't even imagine how mind-boggled the pioneers would be if they saw how some individuals communicate in our day. Specifically, I am talking about those individuals who can carry on five conversations at once. You know you have seen them before. These are the people who have a cell-phone fused to their hand, their rear firmly planted in front of a computer, and three or four people hovering around them at all times. They are simultaneously texting three people at the same time, while speaking face-to-face to someone, and they are chatting on facebook with their "BFF!" In fact, I know several people who have gotten into accidents (often with stationary objects) because they "really needed" to "talk" to someone (be it via text, typing, or heaven forbid, speaking). I admit that I am not immune to the whole texting thing, and I actually chat on the computer for my job, but it amazes me when I see an individual who can carry on so many conversations at once. These communication addicts remind me of that kid on Disney's up. The second he wakes up from sleeping: "Hey! Where's Kevin? Is he gone? What happened? Where did he go?" Except it is "Hey! How's Susan? I haven't talked to her in like 2 hours. What happened to Bobby? Where did Jill go?" I can't help but wonder where our world might find itself if we don't learn to communicate one-on-one, face-to-face, like the pioneers used to do. Just a thought.

Which is it?

Do you remember a time when nouns were nouns and verbs were verbs? Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. When I was growing up, my school teachers would assign me homework from my "text" which meant my textbook (noun). However, if a teacher were to say "text" in our day, immediately a verb comes to mind. We hear things like: "Oh, I will text you later today" or "This weird person keeps texting me." In fact, I heard a joke, and no offense to you spanish speakers out there, but the basis of the joke was a spanish kid in an elementary classroom. He was asked to use an english word, Texas, in a sentence. The hispanic kid responds by saying "My best fren always texas me when I am busy." When did the word "text" become a verb? (In fact, Lyndsay was just watching the Ellen Degeneres (sp?) show on TV and there was a kid jumping on a pogo stick. Lyndsay said, "He just pumped up a basketball while he was pogo-sticking.") Not convinced? Try these on for size:

When taking pictures: "Oh, it's okay, we can just Photoshop that out."

When making copies: "Will you go xerox this?"

In the workplace: "Will you e-mail me the results?"

Right now: "What are you doing?" "Oh, just blogging."

Now, there may be some of you who read those sentences and thought: "Wait, what's wrong with them?" If you are confused, I would recommend that you either take an english class, or live in your ignorant bliss! (I would choose the latter of the two because it contains the word "bliss" and you won't have to do any homework!)

So, the truth of the matter is that I am right there with y'all in the usage of these nouns....verbs...whatever. The best part is that I am pretty sure, within the next couple of years, "texting" will be listed in the english dictionary as a verb. If that is the case, I want to start my own noun revolution! I want to start using the word "economics" as a verb. You know,

"Dude! You just got economicsed hard core!"

"Will you economics me when you are finished?"

"The other night, we economicsed! It was just about the best thing I have done in my life!"

I am pretty sure that some of those sound like I am saying something I am not (especially that last one! YIKES!), but the truth is, I am the one making the noun into a verb so it can mean anything I want! So, in the near future when you start hearing people use the word "economics"as a verb, you will know that I was the one that started it! And maybe you can be part of the revolution too! You know, "Will you give all you can give so that [my revolution] may advance? Some will live and some will die, will you stand up and take the chance?" That kind of stuff. (That was for you, Lyndsay.) :)