The Not-So Fortunate Cookie

Everyone loves fortune cookies. Whether it's the crisp, somewhat flakey, vanilla-flavored goodness or simply just opening up the dry outer carcass to reveal what you have been looking forward to during the entire rice-filled meal, the vague but wise prophetic words deciding or warning of the outcome of your future.

The reason for talking about these delicious little gems (I'm in it for the cookie part for sure) is because recently Andrea and I enjoyed a meal at a near-by Chinese joint. The food was great, I ate a lot, and I didn't feel like I just ate a whole cow which is one of my favorite things about Asian food.

We both, of course, got a fortune cookie with our little faux future being told. Andrea's said: "A distant romance could begin to look more promising" Well, that one was exciting but had to be the most offensive thing a cookie has ever said, in my opinion. Really, if a cookie can tell the future you would think it would know that Andrea was faithfully married to her dashing Prince Charming ;) So, I opened my cookie and. . . "Soon, someone will make you very proud" Lame! That's all I can say about that one. Unless it's implying that Andrea will make me proud for not listening to her dumb cookie and its crappy fortune. It's kinda confusing. I guess these things can mean whatever we want them to.

After the fortune cookie experience I got to thinking and I could not help but be reminded of American Christianity. I feel it often uses the "fortune cookie method" much of the time but with Bible passages as the "fortune". It's almost like prescribing a Bible passage to someone to treat what is ailing them and leaving it at that. Rather than loving the individual and living God's Word rather than just saying it without effect in our lives. Living as the body of Christ toward one another.

I'm not sure if this completely makes sense and I think it is easier said than done but I hope and pray to become better at living what I believe instead of just saying that I believe it and see little effect in my own life.

James 2:14-19 : What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Dead Man's Bones

Here is a song from Dead Man's Bones. I am going to see them play in Seattle on October 23 when we head down to Portland where my sister and I are going to Run Like Hell 13.2. I guess it's going to be a halloween filled weekend. This band features actor Ryan Gosling who plays many different instruments. I had to pick the most morbid video of course. It should be fun.

Out with the Old. . .

Recently, Andrea and I decided that it was time to look into getting a new vehicle. A vehicle that, in the event of another winter where the city we live in decides to not be prepared for any snow. . . 24 hours & 30 inches later is befuddled and seems to curl into a ball in the corner and do nothing for weeks, we can still get to work with less fear of dying amidst the gauntlet of unplowed roads and crazy Spokane drivers. In the likely event of this happening again the good ol' trusty rear wheel drive '89 Volvo Wagon just won't cut it.

I have to say that actually the Volvo has been a great and reliable car for us for how cheap it was to buy and it still runs great. However, a 4x4 will be quite handy for us.

So, after researching and searching for just the right vehicle we finally bought a new ride. By "new" I mean instead of 20 years old only 13 years old but full of vigor and life. It has been a few weeks and our 1996 Nissan Pathfinder has been so far so good. I hope it will last a long time.

Smooth Tunes

This musician is definitely one of my favorite songwriters. I found this old video on my computer I recorded in a small coffee shop near Eau Claire, WI back in '06. I totally love his super-chill acoustic sound and very relevant lyrics. Check him out here or try itunes. Enjoy!

Summer In Spokane

I have to say summer in Spokane can be dry and hot if you just go to work every day and go home to be cooked alive in your non-air conditioned apartment. However, I am really starting to realize that there are great things to do in this area that do not cost a lot of money and are not a long drive at all. It just takes a little motivation to get out there and do it.

For example, Andrea and I tasted of the sweet sweet deliciousness of the fruit of the land. We went up to Greenbluff (only about a 40 minute drive) and picked cherries. There is about a 7-10 day window (at least that is what I was told) where the little gems are succulent and ready to be picked.

I love being able to pick fruit myself. There is something about it that feels so natural and basic to life. It makes me wish times were more simple. I don't need a grocery store with everything from mangoes to gorgonzola cheese to spam all at my fingertips almost year-round. I do appreciate being able to go there late at night with a "snack attack" and get the giant balls of Cheetos and beef jerky and a donut with a 24 oz. Monster Energy, but i wonder what it would be like to be a local farmer 100 years ago without these choices at my disposal and the "fruit of my labor" was more literal than I can truly imagine. I think that things in life would be much less expected and much more appreciated. At least I would like to think so.

The difference between R and F

This is a pretty eye-catching article here. Whoever the driver was will never live this one down.  Btw I used to have a Hotwheels car of the Wienermobile!

First

I've decided to start a blog of my life as I see it. I have never been one to write down my thoughts and experiences in a journal or blog consistently but admittedly have tried at times only to quit shortly after starting. I hope this try works out a little better than before. 

I want this blog to be a way for me to get out some of my thoughts about life or share experiences. Like I said it is about my life as I see it. Unfortunately, I can only look at life from my own narrow perspective but I hope that I will take the sights of others and weigh them with my own in order to see life in a much broader self-less perspective.

I don't mean to sound so depressed and melancholy about the blog situation. So, I would like to leave you with a little video that has never failed to make me smile a little inside. I recommend watching it at least 3 times for full jovial effect. Enjoy!