John's latest campaign advertisement.

The Irresistible Revolution

So, I think that this book made it's way from Chad to the McKims, to Diana, and then to me (and who knows where else in the near future). Not like it matters, but I like to give credit where credit is due. I just finished The Irresistible Revolution tonight, and despite the fact that this guy is totally a token cheesy youth group leader with dreadlocks type, he had quite a bit of experience and wisdom to share with the world. After finishing this book, it is hard for any Christian to feel satisfied with any particular life that he/she has chosen. Not because Shane Claiborne has led a perfect example of how a life should be led, but because he plainly tells us the opportunity we have to live the idealistic life that has been offered through the Christian faith. It seems after reading the book that the author doesn't want any praise or fame to come from it's publishing, so I am not attempting any type of flattery on the text itself. But I would recommend that any person that wants to read some clear examples of what Christlike living is should stop what they are reading now and pick this up from the library or steal it from Chad/McKims/whoever (I guess you could buy it, but make sure it is from an independent bookseller or a used copy).

War and Games

I heard a story this morning on NPR about game programmers updating the military's drone controls. Listen to it. I'm scared for my children.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

I just finished the book The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. It took me about three weeks to complete this book, which is abnormal for me because if I read at all it is in small bursts filled with many books. I actually took my time reading this one, comparably.

Anyhow, that's besides the point. This was a great novel, it had so many themes that it is hard to know which she found most important to include in the story. The story was of five individuals of different age groups, genders, incomes, races, and ideologies. I guess what I liked most about it was how diverse the people were, but also how similar their desires and feelings were. Most of the book was revolving around how hard life was for these characters, but what was interesting was that they were not only similar to eachother, but also similar to the people that you know today.

It seems that the loneliness that the characters felt was so perfectly portrayed that it is hard to think of any person that hasn't experienced it themselves. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn't read the book, so I will end on this note. I guess that this seems like a fairly obvious observation about the human condition, but it seems to me that no matter how diverse life can be, people are always looking for one thing, someone to love and be loved. I think the thing that is most beautiful about this book is it's ability to show what life is like if you don't realize how much you want to love, or how little you can know about being loved. You feel the loneliness that these characters feel, and yet all they need to realize is the love that is around them that can dissolve their isolated feelings. I suppose the major theme about this book was obviously loneliness, and what I loved was the constant search these characters were on for something that could never be fully realized. And to know that (I would say most if not all) people have this urge, to be perfectly loved, gives me even greater hope of God's constant draw on the soul of humanity.

Well, I guess somebody, somewhere, might be wondering what has been happening in the house of Shakim for the last month or so. The truth is, we have not been doing too much of anything and we are not ashamed of this. These last few weeks have truly been the dog days of Summer. We've been reading (Joe: Mother Night, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, etc.; Diana: A Severe Mercy, Irresistible Revolution) and watching movies (Old Joy, Moulin Rouge, Rocket Science). We've been casually sewing (Diana mostly) and casually bike repairing (Joe mostly). But most of the time we are just spending time together eating food and staring out into space. It has been a refreshing month of doing nothing at all, in fact, we have made it a point to not do anything at all on Sundays. One Sunday we just went to the Fenders (with Shaun and Abby) to swam all day and watch movies and other Sundays we have sat outside the Shafer house and read while St. Augustine went wild in the yard. We've been slowly looking for a new place to live, but a new and somewhat irrisistable secret offer has slowed our pace even more (Sea & Tea can call to learn the secret offer if they so choose). So in conclusion, our June/July has been quite uneventful as you could already tell by the lack of posts in our blog. We are still alive, but just barely... By choice... Like we are in a coma without the traumatic experience before or after the coma... Yeah...

God's Will

Go outside and play and sweat. It's what God intended for us.

Auggie's favorites

1. One movie that made you laugh
Turner and Hooch

2. One movie that made you cry
Milo and Otis

3. One movie you loved when you were a child
Blues Clues movies

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once
Lassie

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it
Air Bud 5: All Star Ape vs. Air Bud (The boxing one)

6. One movie you hated
Cats and Dogs

7. One movie that scared you
Cujo

8. One movie that bored you
Balto

9. One movie that made you happy
The Fox and the Hound

10. One movie that made you miserable
All Dogs go to Heaven, (Mostly because I know the truth that only Christian dogs go to heaven)

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see
the Aristocats

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with
That bitch from Lady and the Tramp

13. The last movie you saw
Snow Dogs

14. The next movie you hope to see
Underdog

15. Your favorite movie
The Shaggy Dog (the original, Screw Tim Allen!)

I Am A Snob...

but I also quickly cave to peer pressure.

1. One movie that made you laugh
Safe Men

2. One movie that made you cry
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

3. One movie you loved when you were a child
The Fox and the Hound

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once
Tommy Boy (unwillingly)
My most watched movie is probably the Royal Tenenbaums

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it
Talladega Nights

6. One movie you hated
Just one? The new Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe movie

7. One movie that scared you
Edward Scissorhands

8. One movie that bored you
Some lame action movie that I can't remember

9. One movie that made you happy
Back to the Future

10. One movie that made you miserable
Same as Diana: Dancer in the Dark

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see
Slasher movies don't scare me, but they hurt my soul

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with
Amelie

13. The last movie you saw
The first half of unbreakable

14. The next movie you hope to see
The Darjeeling Limited again

15. Your favorite movie
The Royal Tenenbaums has a special place in my heart

Diana's Picks

Shaun, don't be such a snob. Of course I'll do this- but only because it's movies.

1. One movie that made you laugh
Triplets of Belleville

2. One movie that made you cry
Pursuit of Happyness- I think

3. One movie you loved when you were a child
Shirley Temple's short films with all the babies

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once
High Fidelity (most watched movie)

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it
Bridget Jones' Diary

6. One movie you hated
That Zach Braff movie. I only like his slapstick. Give me Scrubs, you goon.

7. One movie that scared you
Willie Wonka

8. One movie that bored you
The last action movie I watched.

9. One movie that made you happy
Annie Hall

10. One movie that made you miserable
Dancer in the Dark

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see
30 weeks later- more zombies?!

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with
John Cusak's character on High Fidelity...who does he remind me of?

13. The last movie you saw
Most of Je T'aime, Paris

14. The next movie you hope to see
Maybe Spirited Away

15. Your favorite movie
Geez. I think I typically use Amelie as a default answer for that question. But there are definitely many that tie with it.

Movie Meme

I guess I'm supposed to do this cuz I'm tagged at the bottom of Kylee's list, and cuz its kind of fun.
Its hard to just pick one, and then I always feel like I need to give a reason for each one, but here goes my movie listing of sorts.


1. One movie that made you laugh
Dumb and Dumber, I know its dumb, but some parts of that movie just really get to me.

2. One movie that made you cry
Of Mice and Men probably made me cry more than any other movie, but I was young. I watched it again when I was older and didn't quite get what I made all the fuss about when I was younger.


3. One movie you loved when you were a child
Robin Hood

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once
The Princess Bride

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist

6. One movie you hated
The Notebook. Pretty much every girl loves this movie, but I thought the story was annoying and ridiculously cheesy, especially the ending. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, more of a general dislike. Worst movie ever though was Fantastic Four.

7. One movie that scared you
2012

8. One movie that bored you
X-Men 3

9. One movie that made you happy
Singin in the Rain

10. One movie that made you miserable
The Proposal

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see
I don't think I would put it that way, but more like, why on earth would I ever want to watch that. Only one coming to mind is Saw, I, II, or III, or anything made by rob zombie.

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with
Belle from beauty and the beast. I don't care that she is a cartoon.

13. The last movie you saw
There Will Be Blood. I still wonder why this movie was called that as there was hardly any blood.

14. The next movie you hope to see
The Dark Knight

15. Your favorite movie
Almost Famous

K, now the rest of the house of Shakim, including Auggie, is supposed to do this which I know they won't, which is lame. I bet Auggie's favorite movie is Airbud.

Park-Park

Chad's in town. Tori's birthday is Saturday and he wanted to give her a good ol' surprise. So he called on us to prepare the curry and promised to bring VooDoo doughnuts and our bellies were quite happy last night. We journeyed to the park with 5 in the back of a truck to watch the Invasion alongside a large group of Christian teenagers. It was chilly but nice out. I'd like to be a park patron. I'd like everyone to be one. Have we forgotten the wonders of nature's (nicely groomed or not) free entertainment? Who would like to help me gather about 50 or more friends for a rousing game of Ultimate Frisbee and a hearty potluck?

I would really appreciate that. Are all my posts a call for something?

Our Dog Is A Cat

Everyone all at once, name a local charitable organization that needs money.

I want call them up and make fun of them for wasting their life.

Kidding. Seriously. I need names.

The house of Shakim went on a nighttime picknick with a couple guests tonight. It was a pleasant lake Lowell experience. We saw a couple birds and some lake water. We also skipped rocks and ran great distances to see a horse and his privates. Diana and I feel guilty for not taking Auggie, but he would have just been a pain. Oh... And by the way, the Irish Cream flavor of Cadbury chocolate is much stranger tasting than it sounds.

This has been Wednesday night in the house of Shakim.

I like this dude, if you didn't know...

Here's some words from Barack Obama's commencement speech to the graduating class of Wesleyan University.

"Each of you will have the chance to make your own discovery in the years to come. And I say “chance” because you won’t have to take it. There’s no community service requirement in the real world; no one forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should by. You can choose to narrow your concerns and live your life in a way that tries to keep your story separate from America’s.

But I hope you don’t. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, though you do have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get here, though you do have that debt.

It’s because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you’ll play in writing the next great chapter in America’s story."

"At a time when a child in Boston must compete with children in Beijing and Bangalore, we need an army of you to become teachers and principals in schools that this nation cannot afford to give up on. I will pay our educators what they deserve, and give them more support, but I will also ask more of them to be mentors to other teachers, and serve in high-need schools and high-need subject areas like math and science.

At a time when there are children in the city of New Orleans who still spend each night in a lonely trailer, we need more of you to take a weekend or a week off from work, and head down South, and help rebuild. If you can’t get the time, volunteer at the local homeless shelter or soup kitchen in your own community. Find an organization that’s fighting poverty, or a candidate who promotes policies you believe in, and find a way to help them.

At a time of war, we need you to work for peace. At a time of inequality, we need you to work for opportunity. At a time of so much cynicism and so much doubt, we need you to make us believe again.

Now understand this - believing that change is possible is not the same as being naïve. Go into service with your eyes wide open, for change will not come easily. On the big issues that our nation faces, difficult choices await. We’ll have to face some hard truths, and some sacrifice will be required – not only from you individually, but from the nation as a whole.'

I enjoyed this rather much and thought I might share it with some folks.

What is the best way to kill a blog?

What do you think the best way to send a blog into stagnation?  I believe the number one way to flatline an online journal(or print for that matter) is to write about how one has not posted in a long time, and make a promise to post more frequently.  For that reason, I will not actually claim these things.  The moment you feel guilty for not writing you begin to see it as a chore.  Should a person ever feel guilt for not expressing oneself?  I think not, but I do believe a person should be expressing his or herself one way or another.  That is why journaling is important to me, because it has the ability to open up dialogue with myself about what is going on in my life.  The good thing about an open journal is the addition of other's opinions to your internal dialogue.  It is because of this I will continue to write in this blog and encourage my fellow posters to follow suit, not out of obligation but out of healthy self exploration.

This has been Saturday night in the house of ShaKim.

(Disclaimer:  This post was about myself and my lack of blogging.  Of course one or more of my fellow posters have been diligently posting, and I commend him/her for that.)

Fragile Reputations

No more name calling or gossiping for this girl. I'm pretty sure I made that declaration once in high school, but haven't thought of it much since. It seems like such a juvenile concept, but the reality of adult gossip hit me really hard yesterday. I do a lot of "spreading the news" business because this is such a small town and it makes a person feel powerful and connected. I'll admit that in a lot of instances, it's pure speculation or recycled news (who knows how many times.)
And the tables finally turned on me and I got to hear about it all. It was awful. It wasn't just awful, it was entirely wrong and it made my store and I look very bad to a small but important group of people. It was the stupidest incident made huge because everyone was questioning everyone else's character based on miscommunication and a hint of manipulation. I really want to be unified with other businesses and people in the area and I know that can happen eventually, but I was pushed a step back.
So it's pretty simple. I've got to go to the source, consider the intentions of others and their side of the story, and stop using "news" as a conversation crutch. It hurts too much in the end and I think I needed to be reminded of that.

In other news, St. Augustine found a girlfriend. She's so good looking with her Andy Warhol hairdo.

Customer Service

Our store is opening (ever so gently) today. I will go in around noon until 8. I didn't think much of it, minus relief- pure relief, until this morning. Suddenly I got a bit nervous. What will people think of my work? Not only that but I recalled that sometimes I really despise customer service. Working at Junkyard usually wasn't so bad, mostly because we had an average of 4 shoppers a day and 50% of them were people like me. There were the awful exceptions but only when it came to buying jeans from people. But then during my 1-2 month stint working for a one-woman Nampa empire, I noticed that there were tons of mean people in the area. Is it Nampa? Is it because I worked in two "uppity" (or overpriced) places? I wonder what kind of customers we'll have. A huge majority of customers at the Market and the Shed were 50 or so year old women. They were the worst. Not all 50 year old women are terrible, but for some reason I think almost every woman goes through about a decade of thinking she is owed the world. Maybe it has something to do with the kids leaving the home and suddenly she can start thinking about herself again. That's a good theory. I'd really like to believe that's it.
So wish me luck in this new customer service venture. I'm excited for the studio to be open so that I can escape into the back whenever I'm afraid of someone.

Unbelievable

Tonight Joe made a deal with me that says if I don't get married by the time I am 27, then at my wedding I have to sing and play the song "Unbelievable" by EMF on the mandolin all by myself. This song and I have a little bit of history together to begin with, but that's another story. Why I agreed to it I don't know, but I do know that if I were somebody else, watching myself have to do that could be quite funny. I don't even know if its even possible to play on the mandolin and make it sound anything remotely close to the actual song, but there are some good odds I may have to figure it out. I got 4 years. Hopefully this won't rush me into any rash decisions in that last year, but hopefully it won't have to come to that. I might have to start practicing just so I can get a really sweet version down. So anyways, here is the deal for all to see and hold me to if the next 4 years doesn't produce holy matrimony.

Party Postcard Pre-Parade

One More Invitation (?)

This Thursday (as in tomorrow) we are throwing a celebration for all our friends who have graduated from NNU. I would list them so you could have a better idea of who you're celebrating but I know someone will be left out. One of them lives here though, and her name is Tori. That's one hint.
The party shall include a banana split buffet, a parade on wheels, and a vigorous dance party. Please bring a form of wheels for our downtown Nampa late-night parade (bicycle, tricycle, unicycle, tandem, roller blades, roller skates, skate board, long board, scooter, whatever.) Just no cars. You might kill someone.

8pm. You probably know where we live. Otherwise call one of us.

Book Transaction

I'm going to admit that I just thesaurused trade because I didn't want to call it "Book Trade" or "Book Swap." Sounds church-ladyish. I like "Book Transaction." Sounds very commerce-themed.
I have an idea and I will first try it with Joe. Let's pair up and each person has to agree that they will read a book recommended by the partner within a reasonable amount of time. Then the two can discuss each other's choices. The book can be a favorite, one that describes your philosophy, theology, lifestyle, or just something good that's meant to be passed on. It's not meant to torture your partner or to arrange an argument (although deep discussion is encouraged) but to help them understand something you enjoy.
Go ahead and do it now if you want.

The Invasion and the Light of the Community

We were all astounded at the amazing performance of the Invasion last night. It was possibly the most fun I've ever had watching my friends perform music. When they began to play perfectly "We Are the Champions" I realized that for the evening the Invasion really were the champions... Of the world.


My English class spent our last few sessions watching a movie called The Thin Blue Line. It was a strange documentary-type movie about a man who was convicted of murder and given the death penalty despite his innocence. The interesting thing about the trial was that all of the witnesses brought to the bench had very different accounts of the murder scene. Afterwards we watched an interview with the filmmaker and he had a quote about one of the major points of the film. He was talking about the idea of truth being either objective and unchanging or
subjective and different for each individual (This is a common debate in most of my philosophy courses). What he said was interesting because it described closely what I believe about truth. He said that he did not believe there was no such thing as a universal truth, but that universal truth is extremely difficult to find. I think he is correct about this. To take it into a theological context, I would say that John Wesley's idea about salvation being "according to the light you have recieved" is a perfect way to describe how human kind is able to encounter the truth about the God of our universe. Of course truth about God is out there, but it is a very difficult thing to grasp completely. We must all look towards God to find the truth that is in the world, but we should not attempt to grasp anything beyond our abilities or beyond the light we have received. Also we should not expect that everyone around us has received the same light that we have individually seen. We are all imperfect in numerous areas of our lives, but I believe we all have an area of our life where great amounts of light have been given. We should all embrace our light, and the light given to our communities. The more light our community shares, the closer to seeing completely the truth that God has created for us.

My Birthday

Friends,

I will be frank. Last year, my birthday was the pits. Perhaps I'm being ungrateful, but I want to be honest about how it felt just so that if it happens again I can't be told "Well you didn't give anyone enough warning."

So here it is.

Friday night at 10:00 or the soonest you can make it, I want everyone who can tolerate smoky bars to join me at Pete's Tavern for some PBR or water or even wine coolers- whatever your poison. We can play pool and I can even provide a stack of quarters for the jukebox. Your presence is the only present I need.
Saturday is my real birthday and I want to use that night to celebrate with my girl friends who prefer clear air and lots of lighting. I'm thinking Brick 29 for dessert and drinks and then my house? Let's start at the Flying M at 8:00. Give me a call if you're in so that I can know who to wait for. Again, your presence is the only present I need.
I feel lame planning such an affair for my birthday, but I'd rather do this than pity myself later. I don't think our friends get together as a large group enough. We don't celebrate enough or stick around long enough or relax enough or kiss and hug enough.
I've been reading about simplifying life and just finished a chapter about socializing and how crucial it is for our health mentally and physically. I thoroughly enjoy the company of others and rarely feel the need to have allotted alone time (usually I just don't like the company if I use that excuse; and now you know.) I see this as perfectly healthy but feel like society tells me it's not- that everyone needs their personal space. What are your thoughts? Is it so wrong to always want company?

Weekend Update

Caleb and Tori left for a visit to Chad in Portland this weekend, and so, as a result, I worked for Caleb friday night. I don't see this as anything particularly nice of me to do that for him, but more that I would just be a complete jerk if I didn't. Just doing my duty as anyone should. Besides, if he were here, I would still be at the same place on my friday night anyways, just on the other side of the counter. So its no big deal. Caleb however just can't let a nice deed/favor go unreturned, so he ordered a pizza for me to be delivered as I started the shift. You would think after living with him for 4 months, and then spending pretty much every evening of the last 9 months at his house, and ordering countless pizzas together, that he might know what kind of pizza I like, which is usually just basic cheese with pineapple on top. He however ordered me what must have been veggie lovers pizza, which is no doubt what he would get for himself and is loaded with peppers, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and especially onions. Now, I hate onions more than anything on this earth, as far as food goes. They kind of remind me of what body odor would taste like in food form, and Caleb most definitely knows this. And so I wonder just what may have been going through Caleb's head as he ordered this. Maybe he was trying to get back at me for something, or sending me a subliminal message somehow, or maybe he was just thinking maybe I will be kind and save him a piece for when he got back and it would be the kind he liked. I don't know, but I'm a little suspicious of him now. Nevertheless, after the picking off of the onions, it was a delicious pizza, and has fed me two meals already with 2 slices still left over for a possible snack tomorrow. Even though I could have gone without all the other ingredients, I suppose it was nice to branch out and try something new. He even got all fancy on me and ordered it from smoky mountain pizza factory. I would have been perfectly happy with PJs (Papa Johns), or even nothing (since such an act really isn't necessary at all), but he went all out. So Caleb, despite the bad ordering, I thank you for the quality pizza. It was really good; still a little suspicious of the whole thing though.

We have acquired a new customer at the coffee garage these past two nights. He is middle age, with facial hair, and of heavier stature. Friday night he came in and the first thing we noticed was his Aerosmith T-shirt with his matching Aerosmith tattoo. The guy is like the coolest guy ever in the most uncool way, or vice versa, not sure which way works better. Joe fell in love with him immediately. Then Saturday night he came in with a 49ers championship T-shirt on. Joe even moreso likes him now. Then, he asked Joe for some help in figuring out how to change the background picture on his PC. His current picture was a digitalized photo of a wolf howling at the moon in the midst of nice outdoor scenery. But guess what his new picture was gonna be? Thats right, Aerosmith: Dream on baby.

Now I'd like to take the time to apologize to Joe for overly criticizing his choice of music at work. I know it bums me out when people don't like my choice of music, and so I am sorry for the hurt I have caused. But seriously, you need to stop touching my butt at work. Twice this happened in one night. I could see one time being an accident, but two?!? I am a little suspicious of you too now. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed working with you.

Diana and Joe, lets make a pact to watch next weeks episode of the office together. I am bummed that I have to watch this weeks all alone now. No more of this divisive Office watching.

Tonight I picked out a song to be played at my funeral for when I die (not that it should be happening anytime soon, but you never know). It is "We'll Meet Again" by Johnny Cash. I actually haven't even listened to the song all the way through nonstop yet, but Joe showed it to me, and I decided right then and there that it should be played at such an event. It is quite good: give it a listen. What song might you like at your funeral?

Well, if you have made it this far, read Joe's post below as well, because it is good. I liked it anyways. Also, Caleb and Tori, never leave again. I don't like you two not being around. This summer is gonna be a bummer whilst you travel. Goodbye everyone.

A Grey Saturday

Spring Saturdays are supposed to be sunny and warm, but on this Saturday we have been looking into a mass of clouds and attempting to survive the cold winds that randomly sweep us by. Diana and I have had a great day of quiet bliss. Sometimes I wonder if the best times of marriage are when nothing between the couple is said, but everything necessary is known.

Sorry that sounded sappy, but I think it is important.

I believe that relationships (i.e. Marriages, family, close friendships) that have the ability to communicate without language (body or verbal) are the best representations of what a relationship with God is like. In my experience, God doesn't speak with words or physical motion, but with a presence that is comprehensible beyond our five physical senses.

This has been Saturday at the House of ShaKim.

Books

Let's list books we're reading. I have a pile of books from the library because they always deliver the books I put on hold much quicker than anticipated. So, here is my current pile I am slowly getting through:

Fugitive Denim by Rachel Louise Snyder


The Great Awakening by Jim Wallis


The Art Spirit by Robert Henri


Simple Prosperity by David Wann

Lightening by Jonas

Lightening Yellow.
Yellow beams
Crashing into the
ground.
Inside where it's safe
compared to where it's
yellow.

This is a poem by our nephew Jonas, we are so proud of our little beatnik.

i'm kind of a baby at this

Hello world, it's me, tori. Please excuse me, for I am new at this. There is this place that I live, and I have the superb opportunity to live with some fine people and dog. I am still getting used to the dog part, honestly, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how sweet it is to live with my friends.

Today I got to go to school. We talked about Gandhi and Hitler. Both very influential in their time, but very different spirits and approaches to problem-solving. Gandhi said this:

It is not Hinduism, which I prize most highly, but the religion which transcends Hinduism-- the basic truth which underlies all the religions of the world. It is the struggle for truth-- for self-expression. I call it the truth-force-- the permanent element in human nature, constantly struggling to find itself, to know its Maker. This is religion.

I find in myself the struggle to know my Maker as well.

p.s. I saw a splash of bile by our wurlitzer organ today. Sorry, I can't help talking about body fluids.

Today I participated in a career fair for Boise high schoolers (who are, by the way, a total waste of time...j.k?) I was to speak on behalf of all the world's fashion designers and give my presentation five times to small groups of about 10 each session. I'll admit I was really irritated by how rude and self-centered a lot of them were, but there was always at least two who asked a lot of questions and seemed genuinely interested. Those were the ones that made it totally worthwhile. It felt really good to offer all my knowledge and advice to them, and it was surprisingly easy to speak, despite my fear of audiences, because I was passionate about the subject. At the end of the day, I decided I really do want to teach even though high schoolers are a total waste of time....j.k?
I do want to seriously encourage everyone here to teach a group of people about something they love at least once in their life. It is really gratifying. And there's nothing more wonderful than being gratified.
Next up, I wanted to share some photos of my aunt's modular home and garden. She lives near San Jose and there's this bizarre neighborhood (according to an Idahoan) consisting of 900 modular homes and they all have strict guidelines for their upkeep (a certain amount of greenery in their front "yards", etc.) I also loved how they didn't grow grass in their yards. Way to not waste water while being unique Californians.






Plus my aunt's cat is soooooooo cute!

Kathy's Eulogy

So a daily customer of Flying M passed away last week, and since I was unable to make it to the funeral, I figured I should at the very least share some of my memories of her. I don't even know her full name, but just knew her as Kathy, the elder lady who came in every night for a small cup of coffee and a cookie. I once thought of her as my favorite customer just because she was so simple to serve and always tipped an undisclosed amount of change. Could have been pennies for all I know, but its the thought that counts right? My interactions with her were simple and short, but memorable nonetheless. They usually went as follows: Hi Kathy. Hello (in her low quiet tone of voice with a bit of a smile/smirk on her face). The usual? she nods. Do you want the house coffee or the coffee of the day? She just laughs and shrugs her shoulders expressing that she really doesn't care. Then says, "I'll try the ___ cookie" She would then pay, I'd give her the change, she'd stick her hand in the tip jar dropping a few coins, and then head over to the bar for a seat. Later she would come back for a refill with the same smirk and odd look in her eye and tip a few more coins. In her seat she would often dance to whatever music was playing and bob her head. I don't know how, but she seemed to be able to hear any conversation from anywhere in the room, and if religion or theology ever was the topic, she would approach saying, "Jesus told me to get up and come over here." She would then just say all I can do is praise Jesus, thats really all you can do, or something like that. Then go back and sit down. In the last two months or so we talked a few times when I was in just as another customer like her. It would usually just be small talk where she would smile and chuckle after almost everything I said, and I would smile back after everything she said even though I usually didn't understand any of it. Before I knew it she would be standing close with a grandmotherly hand on my back, almost enough to make me feel slightly awkward, but I knew it was just her being her loving self. Her glasses, her cowboy hat, her sometimes slightly hairy face, and occasional loud mumbling to herself are all things I think I will miss. I've heard stories of her riding a skateboard around which I am very sad to say I never got to witness. She brought an odd enjoyment to my job, and I hope in some small way I was able to brighten up the last six months of her life of which I knew her. Goodbye Kathy

I am taking a break from my theology paper to "blog". Why would I do this? Who takes a break from writing a paper by "blogging" on a "Blog"?

Is blog really a verb?

Anyhoo, I am having a hard time writing this paper because it is supposed to be a complete summary of "my theology". I don't know how to summarize something that is constantly in a state of adjustment. I am such a flip-flopper when it comes to theological issues because it seems impossible to try to put my finger down on the nature of God. The only thing that I feel certain of theologically is 1st John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." How can I write a 2200 word paper on that one verse?

Answer me!

Alright, Diana's plane just landed. Now I get to take a real break.

This has been Sunday evening in the ShaKim household.

who made you boss?

Way to take all the fun out of it Joe; now none of us have anything to write about. I think I might occasionally enjoy hearing a puppy story from Diana, or a nursing story from Tori (particularly any funny stories about putting those peeing tubes in for people. Though that might break some sort of nursing confidentiality etiquette thing, but I wouldn't limit you like that Tori), or a story from Caleb about a crazy dream he had while sleeping in about this crazy dancing bear that kept throwing books at him while it held up a trophy in champion like style. But yeah Joe, no swearing, its bad for your heart. As for me, I'm really just a second class citizen of this blog anyways, so I can't complain if no one wants to hear me ramble about the Golden State (I will never again ask about the existence of BJs in Idaho). But I completely endorse the first and last rule. ShaKim also includes the first half of both my first and last name, and they better both be capitalized. Let's have fun. That is all.

The ShaKim house rules

Rule #1

We must all agree on one important grammatical ideal... Both the S and the K in ShaKim must be capitalized. This makes sure that not one name is more important than the other in our home.

Rule #2

There shall be no cheesy stories about babies or dogs... This means you Diana!

Rule #3


We must never (AND I MEAN NEVER!) include posts that brag about not being in school or being allowed to sleep till 4 PM. Caleb!!! Don't you dare!

Rule #4

There shall be no lengthy posts containing large amounts of medical jargin. Nobody wants to hear about anyone else's gall-kidneys or blood-lipids... Keep it at work Tori!

Rule # 5

There shall not be any profuse swearing or offensive language... Seriously Joe, our moms might be reading this!

Rule #6

We don't care about how different California and Idaho are... Shut up already, Shaun!


Rule #7

Don't swim within a half hour of when you last ate food. Cramps in the pool are more likely to kill you than an airplane wreck!