Pure Reason & Sweet Rhyme

Everyone loved the princesses because of their great beauty, their gentle ways, and their ability to settle all controversies fairly and reasonably … It was said by everyone that Rhyme and Reason settle all problems...

"They're cheering for you," She said with a smile.
"But I could never have done it," he objected, "without everyone else's help."
"That may be true," said the Princess of Pure Reason gravely, "but you had the courage to try; and what you can do is often simply a matter of what you will do..."

"And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."

-Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth



MY 2008
...year in review, a little more structured than last year's...

Memories of the Year:

*Santa Barbara Film Festival...went to events & interviews & parties for Angelina Jolie, Ryan Gosling, Ellen Page, Casey Affleck, Amy Ryan, and others.

*started Monday evenings running the city college stadium stairs with the other Corinne

*visiting Oregon in the Spring to see my dad and brother and the rest of my dad's side of the family

*the "Last Dance" party at our house on the hill...saying goodbye to that amazing house and also the years of parties that Tara and I have thrown together...

*moving into my studio, running around my neighborhood, falling in love with it

*summer days at the pool with the quinlans and stichters

*conference in San Francisco with my Informed in 08 girls

*becoming informed in 08 with megan, lesley, anna, anna, and emily

*Santa Barbara Museum Nights all summer long with the old roommates

*fourth of july with the Mesa House girls

*Fiesta, when my mom came to visit and we smashed eggs on each other and had lots of churros

*holding my first newborn

*watching the Olympics, especially with my dad and sister when they visited SB

*Labor Day weekend shenanigans in Santa Barbara and LA with Christen and others

*Josiah and Jessica's wedding at Firestone Vineyard, friends dancing the night away in the countryside...

*visiting Tara and family in Phoenix, finally

*weekend in Carmel with my family for my mom's birthday

*a fabulous 26th birthday party downtown with friends complete with the day off work and another chance to sit in on a Rhetoric class with Spencer

*that crazy night in November that started with food at the Chicken Ranch, went on to a high school play, then McConnells tart frozen yogurt, wine at the sisters' house downtown, then to Indochine and a VIP table, to meeting new people with dancefloor smoke in our eyes, to Mad Dog's for the traditional 2 a.m. hot dog, and then Stephen's for a bonfire to cap off the night

*Westmont soccer game post Tea fire, where they won in overtime and I've never seen so many alumni in one place

*hikes at Coyote Hills with family whenever I was in Fremont

*Christmas with 30 plus family members...loving cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas, parents, & siblings all around

Achievements of the Year:

*buying my mac

*booking a John Mayer Cruise for March of 09... talk about delayed gratification

*thriving while living alone for the first time

*achieving my goal of averaging one goal per game on my soccer team

*booking a major trip... more details to come in 09.


Lesson of the Year:

*every year may not be better than the last, but you can become a better person than you were the year before if you are mindful enough to learn along the way...

Concerts of the Year:

*Coldplay with my family in the Bay
*John Mayer with my family in the Bay
*John Mayer with friends at the Central Coast County Fair
*Bon Iver in Hollywood
*Senior Year at Stateside early summer...always a Westmont reunion

Lows:

*February 29...the extra day of the year was my most painful.

*Having to leave our dream house on the hill

Highs:

*Running to the new Coldplay album by the beach. It's a high like nothing else. It healed me and now continues to thrill me.

*My birthday; getting to see so many friends that have made life as phenomenal as it is

*Watching baby Carly grow

Songs of the Year:

*Skinny Love, Blindsided, & Re:Stacks by Bon Iver
*Strawberry Swing, Lovers in Japan, Death & All His Friends, Lost! and Sparks by Coldplay
*In Your Atmosphere & Say by John Mayer
*More Time & Looks Like Love by Needtobreathe
*Forever by Chris Brown
*everything put out by Rihanna
*Kids by MGMT
*Day N' Nite by Kid Cudi
*Hosanna by Hillsong United
*Human by The Killers
*Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
*Dansa På Min Grav by Bo Kaspers Orkester
*Sway by Annuals


I hope your 2008 had plenty of Rhyme and lots of Reason.

stay tuned for a slideshow from the year...