Ice Ice Baby

Here are some cool pictures I took when it froze over last December here in College Station.

This first one is of an ice-encrusted rose bud. I think that it is such an oddly intriguing subject.



Here is its parent counterpart. This is equally interesting. It is almost like nature is trying to preserve the beauty of the delicate flower and it's corral colored petals.




I thought it would be cool to take a picture of my front door Christmas decorations through an icicle on the tree leaf. I think it turned out pretty cool:



that's all.

Rent: The Musical Disappointment

I wrote this RENT review on facebook, and thought it was so well written that I should post it here:

RENT, the movie version of the hit Broadway show, hit theaters in November. I commend the director for taking a nice stab at creating a movie worthy of the stage musical. However, I think that in many ways the movie falls short. I, too, missed the "sung dialogue." So much of the musical is sung on stage, even simple things like the answering machine messages, and to convert them to speaking, at least for me, caused them to lose much of their charm, originality, and even humor.

I am also still confused about the "wedding" scene with Joanne and Maureene. This never appears in the musical, and I found it distracting, out of flow, and inappropriate. The introduction of their parents, to me, seemed to change their story.

The other qualm I have with the movie is that I felt that the story had almost been shifted from two main characters, Roger and Mimi, to two important, but not originally featured characters, Tom Collins and Angel. The stage production is clearly the story of Roger and Mimi, and yet I found myself leaving the theater thinking that what I had just seen was the story of Tom and Angel.

All in all, I left the movie theater feeling much less satisfied than I did leaving the legitimate theater. I missed the connection between the actors and myself. I missed the simplicity of the stage production. I missed the live music, live singing and choreography. Rent is not a bad movie, but it is no substitute for the stage musical. I hate that so much of the population will never see anything beyond what they saw in the theaters or rent from Hastings. I'm glad I saw the movie, but I don't think I'll buy it to add to my collection.

that's all.

I FOUND MY AGGIE RING!!!!!!!!

Ok, so this post supercedes the other blog posting I was trying to catch up on! FOr those of you who have been concerned about the naked state of my ring fingers, your concerns can be squelched. The right hand is no longer bare, though the application and interviewing process for left hand ring candidates are still being accepted until further notice. Tonight, after my Mom and I watched Madagascar, which by the way was good, but not as good as I'd heard, I stuck my hand down beside me where I was laying on our lovely 1970's plaid brown, white, black and orange tweed couch, expecting to find the DVD player remote. Much to my surprise and utter excitement and joy, I found instead my missing Aggie Ring. I "lost" it last Spring Break while I was home. I'd written it off as being gone for good and resigned myself to a life without one since I certainly do not have the $500 to replace it. I assumed it was lost in the depths of the wichita falls mall, or the depths of a wichita falls pawn shop after I'd allegedly lost it while clothes shopping while visiting my sister. Apparently I just fell asleep on the couch over spring break and my already too loose ring fell off. I always had a doubt in my mind that Wichita Falls was indeed the final resting place of my beloved ring, but time had seemed to erase all hope of its rediscovery. And then my faith in mankind and humanity was restored, my investment and all the memories wrapped up with it have been reclaimed, and I am once again a complete Aggie and one very happy man. I feel like I just found my first born child. The moral to this story is multi-fold, but simple. First, the Lee household should be kept cleaner. 2nd, missing rings can show up in the most unlikeliest of places. And 3rd, couches are evil possession sucking entities that must be put to a stop; watch out for your children, your jewelry, your cell phones, loose change, and anything else put in close proximity to their hungrily waiting and seemingly "cushy" jaws. Sneaky doesn't even begin to describe their actions. (You should always check the couches at Sweet Eugenes and similar establishments, too. One time I found about $7.00 in change in the cushions of the couched there - SEE, I TOLD YOU!!)

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Grace Elizabeth

My niece was born.

November 21st 2005
9:07 am
20 1/2" long
7 lbs. 10 oz.

As I sat holding this new little life, I couldn't help thinking about how amazing it was to hold God's creation. A new human untarnished by sin and for a brief while as innocent as is humanly possible. I thought too about what potential lay in my arms. Grace Elizabeth could be the woman who discovers a cure for cancer or who less glamorously leads someone to Christ. I praise God for this new life, and I am so thankful that I was able to be there as she was born. As I watched her I was reminded of my favorite song from the Christmas Cantata we performed at Central this December, This Little Child. I thought I'd share the lyrics with you as we all consider the gift of Christ that God gave to us 2005 years ago!


Who would have thought that long ago
So very far away
A little child would be born
And in a manger laid?

And who would have thought this little child
Was born the king of kings
The son of just a carpenter
But for whom the angels sing?

And who would have thought that as He grew
And with other children played
This child with whom they laughed and sang
Would die for them someday?

And who would have thought this little child
Would make the blind man see
Feed the hunger, make rich the poor
And set the sinner free?

Oh who would have thought this little child
Was who the prophets said
Would take away the sins of man
And rise up from the dead?

Oh I believe
And I will always sing
This little child
Is the king
Oh I believe
And I will always sing
This little child
is the king of kings

Many years have come and gone
Yet this world remains the same
Empires have been built and fallen
Only time has made a change

Nation against nation
Brother against brother
Men so filled with hatred
Killing one another

And over half the world is starving
While our banner of decency is torn
Debating over disarmament
Killing children before they're born

And fools who march to win the right
To justify their sin
Every nation that has fallen
Has fallen from within

Yet in the midst of this darkness
There is hope, a light that burns
This little child, the king of kings
Some day will return

And I believe
And I will always sing
This little child
Is the king
And I believe
And I will always sing
This little child
Is the king of kings

Who would have thought this little child
Is who the prophets said
Will return to judge the world,
The living and the dead

Oh can't you see, that long ago
So very far away
This little child, our only hope
Was born a king that day

It makes me wonder. Did the shepards, the townspeople, the wisemen and the children Jesus played with truly know, understand and fathom the importance of who Jesus was? I'd like to think that they understood a part of it, but even I can't fathom it, so I find it hard to imagine that they could! Whatever the case, small babies are a precious gift and I am having entirely too much fun playing uncle! I'll add some pictures to here as soon as I can get to a high speed connection!

that's all.