Red Dress Run

As it turns out, life in New Orleans is a little bit different. From strange house colors (hopefully i'll have good film pictures from my neighborhood walk later in the year) to strange culture-mixing to strange people to strange events, this place is full of fun people and places. Any excuse to party is good enough.

Some of my teammates wonder what's going on.

This mentality is evidenced in these few photos from my relief team's tour of New Orleans. We didnt even know that anything was going on in the town, but we drove right through the red dress run. That's right. The red dress run, where everyone was dressed in red, most of them in red dresses (men and women alike).
We talked to a few people and asked them what was going on. They're response (my paraphrase)?
"Running around in red dresses, drinking beer, partying in the absurd heat of August, basically any excuse to party."

What a fun place!

Holism?!

i'm thinking about doing a blog series on concepts. Concepts i like.

Like holism, and "there is no isolated event", and redemption, and so many other concepts.

i think they're just grandiose plans, but i hope i follow through. i have yet to follow through on my intense analysis of David Crowder's A Beautiful Collision album (because it's genius).

So we'll see if i follow through.

On another note, i'm currently in Pensacola Florida for work. For work! Can you believe that? We're planning out the rest of our "relief" work over the course of the year between beach trips and reading the first Harry Potter book. That's right, i've finally started reading the first Harry Potter book.

i'm also hoping to make this more of a photo blog, so i'll try to include a picture for every post. But i dont have my camera cord here, so you're just gonna get this weird photo i took on my teammate Danielle's sweet macbook.

Slacking in New Orleans

Since i've just recently moved to New Orleans, i've just been soaking things in and relying on my team. And today i was thrilled when all my buddies down here wanted me to set up my slackline.

That's right, they wanted. Usually it's me trying to convince other people that it really is cool, but not this time!

We also had Lake Pontchartrain as a backdrop, and a stunning backdrop it is.





By the way. Even though i'm extremely white, i ate at this place yesterday:

i've gained an hour on the entire world!

Ever since i was a child, i've loved the concept of playing with time. While, now i've actually succeeded. This past Tuesday, i gained an hour of time. And i will not have to give it back!

How did i do this you ask? Simple. i moved down to New Orleans.

The picture is of the house i'm sharing with four other people.

Isnt that fun? i'm in New Orleans. i'll be doing relief work here for the next bunch of months (til next may) with Campus Crusade for Christ. i've already walked around my neighborhood taking pictures already and it is a fun place to live. The houses here are all these eccentric colors. From magenta to bright yellow, to robin's egg blue.

i've met up with my team and they're decent folk. The kind of people you can see yourself enjoying and getting angry at and picking on and laughing with. Ah, that's sweet, isnt it?

The trip was a blast too, especially since i've never driven my car south of the New York border (i dont get out much). i drove over the course of three days from Rochester to New Orleans, spending a night in Ohio and Tennessee visiting friends.

Here's to a new life in a new city! Let the fun begin!

Latest book read: For Women Only...

Since i got back from Maine i've been enjoying the use of my public library (Seriously, i have a strange affinity for libraries) and have loved every minute of it.

So i picked up a few books. One of which was titled, For Women Only. Now before you get any funny ideas, let me explain that this book purports to let you in on "The secret inner lives of men" In order to learn about my secret inner life i decided to give it a shot. Guess what i found?

i have a secret inner life! And women dont know it!

Talk about empowering, or maybe unfortunate? No, i think exciting.

i learned from reading this that my need for affirmation to the nines is actually common and not a james specific thing. Apparently men everywhere need affirmation, are scared other people will find out they have no idea how to do whatever it is they're trying to succeed at, and like to be lost on the highway.

i loved the section on getting lost while driving. i was cheering on the author while reading. "Yeah! We see it as another challenge to conquer! (male noises followed) And i like being lost too and it's ok."

Man, i'm gonna start reading more women's books.

my new vocabulary

playing at the top of Thunder Hole
Originally uploaded by jugglingnutcase.

As a few of you know, i was recently in Maine. It was amazing. That picture is our group hanging out on pink granite, right by the ocean. i spent so much time rock climbing, biking, hiking, and backpacking and discovered that yes, nature is pretty sweet.

i've changed a whole lot since i left for Maine over a month ago, but one of the funniest changes is my vocabulary.

If i ever talk to you about "bonding issues", what do you suppose i'm talking about? Talk about an iceberg! That phrase is loaded with ideas and concepts in my mind but what do you suppose that means?

Or "boundaries"? Or "Good and Bad" or "Judgment and Acceptance" or "should vs. could" or "choices and consequences" or "one-up/one-down"

"how might you...?"

i feel like a little underdeveloped Henry Cloud baby, a little baby body waddling around with a big james head spouting Henry Cloudisms - "Take responsibility for your feelings!"

well... do it.

i hope my family turns out like this

When (if?), no when (please!), i have a family, i hope it looks somewhat similar to mine. At least in this respect:

Tonight after hearing my sister comment on my dad's "bird legs" i described cankles to my parents. They had never heard of them. They got a kick out of cankles. It is fun to say, i must admit.

Dad wondered aloud about other malformations and came up with...

bunkles.

Just let that soak into your mind and hopefully a good mental picture comes out the "other end"...

(haha, i love our weird humor)