Dreams.

What I want to become as a photographer.  Yes, I am a long way away, but I can dream.  What you would be looking at is a list of books from a Swiss photographer, Werner Bischof.  He is my hero in the photography field.  Click on the books, and you'll see some selected images.  And captured emotions like this and this.  If I can get anywhere close, I would consider myself achieved.  A dream of mine (provided that money and circumstance were no hindrance) is to take a year and travel the world with my camera.  A short term dream that I'm working on now is my portraiture.  I want to improve myself as a portrait artist and as an artist in general. 


Thursday, July 29, 2004 | 12:22 PM | LINK |

HOLY MOLY CRAP AND A HALF.

Okay, Gavin Degraw has just re-released Chariot with a bonus cd of acoustic recordings of all your favorites, including a little Sam Cooke diddy, Change is Gonna Come (one of my favorite songs of all time...Sam can work it).  HOLY MOLY CRAP AND A HALF.  Gavin falls into the category that few men can achieve.  Making him the recipient of the Resplendent Fancy Random Award of the Year™ for TOO MUCH SOUL FOR A WHITE BOY™  If this blog were up and running last year, Marc Broussard would have won.  Anyway...go buy it now.  Even if you have the cd...it's worth it to purchase it again...$7 !  C'mon.  GO NOW.

Why are you still reading?  Go!  Stop whatever you're doing.  Quit picking your nose, or ears, or any other disgusting habit you have and go.  If you don't have any money call your parents or walk down main street holding an empty cup.  Heck, most of you probably have $7 in change hiding in your backseat. 

I'm stopping now, but it really is great. 


Wednesday, July 28, 2004 | 12:59 PM | LINK |

Opinions and Things.

Do yourself a favor and don't go see The Bourne Supremacy.  Unless you would like to see poor character performances by Joan Allen and Brian Cox   But you can't blame them...the writing was unenthusiastic, emotionless, and pedantic.   I mean come on, the tag line is "THEY SHOULD HAVE LEFT HIM ALONE."  gag.  But it might, just might be worth it for those of you who love great action sequences that are well edited with good music.  I give it 3 out of 5 stars. 

I tell you what I am looking forward to though, The Manchurian Candidate and The Village.  I hope they won't disappoint me. 

And in case you were wondering what cd I've been listening to this week...fear no more.  Jem: finally woken officially rocks my face off.   She's part Portishead and Dido.  And this song is my new favorite of the moment.  I'm still trying to decide if I'm a entire Snow Patrol fan.  The verdict is still out, but I do love that song. 

'Til next time kids.






Sunday, July 25, 2004 | 8:29 PM | LINK |

Have you ever had one of those days where it seemed that your life was a movie?  As if you were displaced from yourself?  That is how I have felt today.

I have felt numb to the world for the past few weeks.  I feel as though I've been a spectator watching things zoom past me.  In the past two months, my world has changed immensely.  I have moved back home with my parents, gotten a new job, and watched as my mother's health has deteriorated.  Sometimes I feel like I'm just walking to get through the day.  And I want God to throw neon signs at me to let me know that I'm where I'm supposed to be.  Then I realized that in our most quiet times He is present most.  I was presented with two questions, "Are you putting Jesus first?  Do you trust in the reality of His presence?" Yes.  Then you will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

I was reminded today of a conversation centered around a kitchen table and an interesting cup of tea.  We discussed our dreams and ambitions for the upcoming year.  One of mine was to get a new job.  God provided.  I also wanted to become closer to my mother.  God began the process of bringing me back home.  Sometimes we lose sight of the big picture and today I'm so thankful that I can look back and see that He has been working.  It's been a long process, but He's been there before me.  Even though I feel like I've been beaten up, I'm still walking.  And to be totally honest, I'm tired.  I'm tired and broken.  Once again I'm faced with the fact that I'm not my own.  Oswald Chambers said, "Must of us fall and collapse at the first grip of pain; we sit down on the threshold of God's purpose and die away of self-pity, and all so-called Christian sympathy will aid us to our death bed.  But God will not.  He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, and says - 'Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.' If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart." mmm...yes. 

If I seem distant, it's because I'm going through a learning process right now, not because I don't love you.  If I leave someplace early, it's because I need to process, not because I don't want to hang out with you.  Please don't give up on me, It's still nice to feel wanted.

I'm not going to apologize for the long post.  I like to keep the serious posts to a minimum here at Resplendent Fancy™, but today, my wit was vetoed by my heart.  I feel that conversations are much better in the flesh.  If you want to get deep inside my head, don't hesitate to ask, "let's go get coffee," or "let's go hiking," or "let's go take pictures."  Speaking of pictures...here's one from not too long ago. 
 



Why does hello make everything look blurry?  Grr...





Thursday, July 22, 2004 | 10:20 PM | LINK |

Perplexity.

Yesterday in class we watched The Little Mermaid 2.  Yes, it is a crappy sequel, but the little ones love it.  I noticed that the female mermaids have extremely long hair, but the male mermaids have relatively short hair.  How does this happen?  Do they have barbers?  If so, why don't the females do something about their long, nappy hair?  Do the males have a gene that only allows their hair to grow to a certain length?  Is it because the males don't need to cover thier chests?  I am perplexed.
 
In all the paintings, drawings, and cartoons I've seen, the males always have short hair.  WHY?  Any theories on this subject would be greatly appreciated. 


Tuesday, July 20, 2004 | 12:22 PM | LINK |

Identity.

I've just spent the last hour at the health department trying to sort out the controversy that is my birthdate.  You see, the social security office claims it's August 7th, while my birth certificate shows that it's the 5th.  Do I really exist?  Have my parents been lying to me all these years?  Have I been adopted(that would explain the lighter hair and green eyes)?  Who am I?
 
And yet, it has been settled.  My birth certificate was filed on the 7th which the social security office misread.  STUPID!  Do they know the horror that they have caused me?  There is nothing like a huge LIE to ruin your day.  Once again I exaggerate...just another quirk in my life.  I like quirks...after the fact.


Monday, July 19, 2004 | 4:48 PM | LINK |

What the Crap.

So forget all the other dreams that I have ever had in my entire life.  Last night I had the weirdest dream I have ever had.  Some friends and myself were hiking in the mountains (I don't remember who specifically).  We were having a merry time and then hear some craziness in the woods.  We high-tail it back to my place which was a quaint little mountain house (perhaps we were on vacation?).



Anyway, my dad was there and he had just heard on the news that someone had escaped from the mental institution down the road(of course).  Next thing you know we hear some gunshots.  My dad makes us all sit down on the floor and be really quiet.  We turned off all the lights in the house and I watch my dad looking out the window.  We hear yelling and my dad screams, "GET DOWN!"  Shots ring out and holes appear through one side of the house.  Everyone is screaming, but me...I realize I've been shot.  In the chest.  I kind of fall back and I see my dad come over to me.  He picks up my hand and I hear someone calling 911.  I try to talk, but can't and soon I feel a very warm sensation in my chest.  A numbing warmness, kind of like you swallowed icy hot, but without the icy.  I start to get really light headed and it feels like my eyes are becoming smaller.  I find myself focusing on one of the holes in the wall where a bullet has passed through.  It was perfectly circular and very crisp around the edges.  I look at my dad and try to talk again, but can't and I drift in and out of blackness and soon all is black...like you've fallen asleep.  Then I realize that I've woken up.  I'm at home and walk around, but no one hears or sees me.  I'm dead.  When I walk out side of my house I see people everywhere and I run down the street screaming.  Some talk to me and some don't.  I realize that some see me and some can't.   The ones that can't are still alive.  A young person walks over to me and says, "calm down, you'll get used to it."  And then I yell at him saying, "No, it's not supposed to be like this.  I'm supposed to be in heaven not here..."  Then I wake up...I guess the aggravation of the dream woke me up.  There were some other details too, but I'm too disturbed to recount them all.  Weird, eh? 
 
I'm never sleeping again....okay maybe I exaggerate, but it did freak me out.


Friday, July 16, 2004 | 10:45 AM | LINK |

Invasion.

Really, go Google my name. Just my first name. I had no idea I was so popular. Seriously, I have been laughing for the last 2 minutes (wouldn't want to exaggerate).

Go...now! Enjoy the invasion. I mean how many people do you know who have restaurants, museums, hotels, gardens, and other things named after them?


Wednesday, July 14, 2004 | 10:57 PM | LINK |

The joy of nothingness.

Can I just say how great it was to wake up this morning and have absolutely nothing to do. Well, aside from having to take my grandmother to get a perm and having lunch with Jake and Suzanne. I mean there was nothing looming over my head that had to be done today. It was incredible. I woke up, sat in my big blue chair and read. I played with my cat and just now I took a Middle Earth personality test:

Elvish


To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?

I'm Elvish...go figure. I'm also a big dork. And I love being a big dork. Tonight...I am going to paint and perhaps read some more.

I really like vacation. A LOT.


Tuesday, July 13, 2004 | 3:25 PM | LINK |

Frisky Business.

frisk·y (adj.)- Energetic, lively, and playful

Yesterday, it seemed that everyone was a little bit frisky. I mean frisky as being playful. I think something might have been in the water. Sillyness abounded in the volunteer headquarters and then as the day progressed in to home group. Which made me realize that there are some things you shouldn't do when you're in a frisky mood.

THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T DO WHILST IN A FRISKY MOOD:

1. try to have a serious conversation with someone else who is in a frisky mood.

2. go to the grocery store (people will look at you strange).

3. try to be as quiet as possible (especially when there is someone asleep down the hall).

4. talk to someone on a cell phone, while driving, who doesn't know you're in a frisky mood (they'll think you're weird and hang up on you).

5. sometimes standing becomes a problem.


In other news, I have part of this week off! So there's no telling what kind of junk I'll get myself into. Also, I got a job! I'll be starting that August 2nd. Yay for me.


Monday, July 12, 2004 | 9:54 AM | LINK |

my kitten, the druggie.

My dad got the bright idea of putting Max on catnip Wednesday evening. Since I was in Atlanta listening to and being bored by Paul Oakenfold I could not resist. You see catnip is kinda like weed for cats. Thats why they call it cosmic kitty grass. It makes them high. So while my butt was being tweaked by a WOMAN going through a midlife crisis, my cat was soaring on cloud nine.


Friday, July 09, 2004 | 3:46 PM | LINK |

Coming to a garage near you...

SMURF CRACK™ is:
Lanna Coates: lead vocals, guitar
Heidi Cenac: vocals, bass
Kylie Yerka: vocals, drums

Let me explain Smurf Crack™. Smurf Crack™ is a band that Kylie, Heidi and myself have created to fulfill our dreams of being in a rock band. We can't really play all that well, but we will remedy that. We plan on getting a bank of 10 songs...mostly cover songs and maybe 2 original ones and playing the crap out of every garage that will have us. We will be a GARAGE band. Having a party? Have a garage? Call us...we'll come and play in your garage. The idea is brilliant.



2/3 of Smurf Crack™ (Kylie and Lanna)


Now for those of you who love commenting and for those of you who just read silently to yourselves...we need stage names. SO START FREAKIN COMMENTING!



Wednesday, July 07, 2004 | 5:08 PM | LINK |

Scene 3, take 2 and the return of RFRAOTD

Imagine if you will, a young man who is extremely in love with a beautiful young lady. The young man decides that he wants to marry the princess-like maiden. How will he propose you ask? Well, he rents a kilt and finds a horse farm and fashions a unicorn horn for the horse. Her fairyiness is driven to the farm blindfolded and when she is unmasked...sees her bright night atop a noble steed. There is a dismount and a single question, "Will you marry me?" "Yes!"

Ladies and Gentlemen, I warmly announce the engagement of F. Simon Grant and Jessica Haley Thompson! Yes, that's right they will be getting married and soon there will be little simons running around. Weird, eh? If you see Haley, ask her to show off her platinum. Congrats all around!

And now here's to the return of the Resplendent Fancy Random Award of the Day™ Today's recipient of BEST USE OF $8.99 goes to Jamie Cullum's TwentySomething. Seriously it's been on continuous repeat for the past 48 hours. It's one of those cds that you carry from room to room with you...if you go somewhere you take it to the car...if you're visiting with someone you ask, "Can we play this cd?" It's THAT GOOD.

That is all.


Tuesday, July 06, 2004 | 12:40 PM | LINK |

atlanta excursion

(sing to 'going to the chapel')

Going to a Braves game
and we hope they don't lose.

Going to a Braves game
and we won't drink booze.

Gee, I don't like hot dogs
But we're gonna eat them anyway.

Gee, I really love baseball
and this is my first MLB game!

Going to a Braves game tonight!!!

Yes, indeed I am going to a Braves game. Hoping that they will win tonight. They've won 4 out of the last 5. So perhaps they'll win again tonight. It seems that Chris, Jon, Karl, and myself have been the summer of randomness crew. We say, "hey I haven't done this or gone there in a while...let's go!" And then we all say "OKAY!!" And we go. I like this spontaneity. A lot. I'll let you know how it goes!


Thursday, July 01, 2004 | 3:19 PM | LINK |