I made a shocking discovery a few weeks ago. After spending eight years under the delusion that I was an ESTJ (in the Myers Briggs personality type test), I learned that I am in fact an ENFP! Apparently every major life decision I’ve made over nearly a decade was based on faulty information. Maybe I should drive a Jetta instead of an Accord. Perhaps I should wear flats instead of heels. Could it be that I actually like vegetables more than fruit? Clearly, I have a lot of soul searching to do.
In reading about my personality type, I discovered that ENFPs are energized by new ideas and love to start things. So it should come as no surprise that I have quite a few projects on the back burner. Unfortunately ENFPs also have a difficult time finishing things, thus the odds of me actually accomplishing any these ideas aren't great. But I thought that sharing them with you might be a catalyst for action. Here are four projects I would like to finish in the future:
Write a Series of Children’s Books: I’m a huge fan of children’s literature. The “Betsy-Tacy” series, the “Shoe” books, “Half Magic”, “Magic By The Lake”, and every other book by Edward Eager, “Mrs. Piggle Wiggle” and the “Series of Unfortunate Events” all line the top of my bookshelf. For about four years I’ve played around with the idea of writing a series of children’s books that would combat various heresies in a child friendly way. I’d call it “The Adventures of Theo Logian” and it would feature a plucky little boy named Theo Logian who is constantly using his keen intellect and expansive knowledge of the Bible and church history to correct the misinformed ideas of his buddy Harry C. Oh, and he has a time machine too. The first book in the series would be a treatise against polytheism called “THEO LOGIAN AND TOO MANY GODS” with more books to follow. (The next book might be a study of the emergent church called “THEO LOGIAN AND TOO MANY CANDLES.”) Anyone interested in illustrating?
Compete On “The Amazing Race” With My Dad: Ok, so competing on a reality show with my father isn’t too likely considering it would take both of us away from our jobs for more than a month, but it would be so awesome. We'd make a great team - he could do all the physical challenges and figure out the puzzles and I could stand by and be super encouraging. America would love us (or hate us, depending on the editing) and I’m sure we’d get at least third place.
Write a Sociological Study: When I was in college, my first taste of a great sociological study was Christina Hoff Sommer’s “The War Against Boys”. It was well researched, well written, well argued and has definitely influenced how I treat the boys in my Sunday school classes. I've been in love with sociological studies ever since. Some of my favorites include, "The Second Family" by Ron Taffel and Melinda Blau, "Snobbery: The American Version" by Joseph Epstein and "Queen Bees and Wannabees" by Rosalind Wiseman. I'm currently reading, "One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding" by Rebecca Mead and it's a fascinating look at the wedding industry. When I read a good sociological study, I'm often inspired to go out into the world, do lots of research, draw conclusions and write a book. Given that my college papers consisted almost entirely of quotes and footnotes, I think this type of writing would suit me. Right now I'm interested in studying women's ministries in various churches and drawing some brilliant conclusion about the state of women's ministry in the 21st century.
Write, Direct, and Edit a Short Film: I'd call it "Meet Cute" (except that the title would look like "meet cute") and it would be a series of vingettes in which a girl (played by me in an assortment of darling Anthropologie outfits) falls in love with various guys through trite plot devices often used in bad romantic comedies. For instance, they might accidentally run into each other in the hall at work and have to bend down and pick up their papers, only to suddenly lock eyes and fall instantly in love. Or she might be picketing the gigantic small business killing bookstore his family owns, only to suddenly lock eyes with him and fall instantly in love. Or they might be walking their dogs at the dog park and get their dog leashes tangled up, only to suddenly lock eyes and fall instantly in love. You get the idea. Then in the last scene, she'd meet a guy at a party, they would make really boring small talk about their jobs and she would excuse herself. Then the screen would read, "Bobby and Susie were married three months later." Cute, right? Hey, at least it would give me a chance to wear adorable clothes. And that's half the reason I want to make the film.
Those are my four future projects. Hopefully I'll finish at least one some day. Or perhaps someone with a personality type that's good at finishing things could finish it for me.
What projects do you have on the back burner?
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords is "New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo" featuring Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. These guys produce some of the funniest material I've seen in a long time. Here is the "I'm Not Crying" video from the pilot of their new HBO show. Enjoy!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Swell Saturday: Fantastic Fathers Edition
It probably would have been better if I'd posted this on Friday, because then it could have been "Fantastic Fathers Friday" but oh well.
My dad is a very humble guy (I know you’re asking yourself, “How did he produce someone like Jenny?”) and would never brag about himself, so I’m going to have to do the job for him. I warn you now that this is an unabashedly gushy post.
If my mom is a Proverbs 31 woman, my dad is definitely a First Timothy 3:1-7 man. I read through these qualifications for overseers a few days ago and was struck by how much they reminded me of my dad. So in honor of Fathers' Day, please indulge me as I show how my dad is indeed a First Timothy 3:1-7 man.
“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife”: Each morning, my dad gets up early, makes a cup of Caffe De Vita (or Coffee of Life as we say in our family) and brings it to my mom. This is just one of thousands of ways that my dad serves and cares for her each day. He has set the great husband bar remarkably high.
“Temperate”: When I was a kid, my dad and I joked about “buffeting our bodies and making them our slaves,” (pronouncing “buffet” like “buh-fey”) and would laugh at the idea of gorging ourselves with food to produce self discipline. But while I still enjoy “buh-feying”my body, my dad has truly made his body his slave. He isn’t controlled by sleep; he wakes up before sunrise every day to study his Bible and pray. He isn’t controlled by leisure; he works out with a master’s swim team, is in great shape, and has a killer Butterfly stroke. He isn’t controlled by his stomach; the healthy food that he enjoys puts my regular diet of burgers and fries to shame. He isn’t controlled by the television; he spends an amazing amount of time reading and contemplating new ideas. I’m in awe of his self control.
“Prudent”: Our church staff meetings begin with prayer requests and when one of us is struggling with a particularly tough problem, most of us will make very concerned faces, sympathize with what that person is going through, and earnestly say, “That must be hard – we’ll pray for that.” Often my dad will then speak up and say something like, “Have you tried writing a letter to explain your concerns?” or “Have you looked into different scholarship programs – I know a few websites you could check out.” or “We experienced that a few years ago and this helped us.” The troubled staff member’s eyes suddenly light up and he or she will say, “I never thought of doing that. I’ll give it a try!” My dad has a wealth of practical wisdom.
“Respectable”: Even when I was young, I sensed that people respected my dad. He's honorable, doesn't compromise on what he knows is right and never goes back on his word or wavers.
“Hospitable”: Growing up, we always had people over at our house. Whether it was a small group Bible study on Wednesday nights, our annual Christmas party, or emergency counseling appointments, my dad was constantly willing to open our home to others. He’s a truly fantastic host and comes up with the best party activities. “Full Contact Pictionary” remains one of my favorite party games ever.
“Able to Teach”: I continually hear about my dad’s preaching. At my weekly small group someone always says, “This reminds me of what John talked about last week. Wasn’t that a helpful sermon?” When I talk with members of our congregation I hear, “Your dad’s sermon was so good this morning. I felt like he was speaking right to me.” When I travel and meet people who knew my dad when he was with Campus Crusade they’ll often say, “Your dad was an amazing Bible teacher. I learned so much from him.” My dad’s sermons are a wonderful mix of in depth Bible study, great storytelling, and practical application. I leave his talks with a better understanding of Scripture, strong conviction of my own sin, and appreciation for my Lord. Plus, he gives every sermon completely from MEMORY. I’d like to see Jonathan Edwards do that.
“Not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable”: As much as I like to think of myself as sweet and gentle, I can be pretty pugnacious. Whether someone cuts me off on the freeway, disagrees with an argument I think is airtight, or is condescending in any way, I’m ready to duke it out right there. Even though my dad’s opinions are just as strong as mine, I’m amazed at how well he handles conflict. He believes the best about people. He gives people the benefit of the doubt. He’s patient and kind. He’s able to diffuse tense situations and cut right to the heart of the matter without getting personally offended. I could learn a lot from his example.
“Free from the love of money”: I never thought about money as a kid because I never heard my parents talk about it. I now know that money was pretty tight at times, but my dad never made it an issue. He always trusted God to provide and saw money as a tool to help others and further God’s Kingdom. He remains unfailingly generous and constantly treats people to lunch.
“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity.”: I can’t remember a time that my dad was not actively discipling me. In preschool, my favorite game was “Ethical Questions” where my dad would describe a difficult moral situation and I would have to figure out the best way to handle it. (I remember asking him for a really tough one and he gave me the “Is lying ever right/hiding Jews in your basement in Nazi Germany” question.) As an elementary schooler, he told me Bible stories all the time. He was a master in setting up a story and I was so excited to hear about what happened to the Israelites after they made the Golden Calf or what happened to Esther after Xerxes held his nationwide beauty pageant. In junior high, he taught me the inductive Bible study method (I think I still have some of my old notes). Before my first dance in high school, my dad and mom helped me think through how I would handle every potential situation that could occur. I still constantly go to him for counsel.
“And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”: My dad has always cared about serving the greater community and supports it in various ways including working as the swim coach at the local high school a few years ago, spearheading a movement of community service at our church, tutoring fourth graders in reading, beautifying a playground, and much more.
So there you have it. I love you, Dad! Happy Fathers' Day!
My dad is a very humble guy (I know you’re asking yourself, “How did he produce someone like Jenny?”) and would never brag about himself, so I’m going to have to do the job for him. I warn you now that this is an unabashedly gushy post.
If my mom is a Proverbs 31 woman, my dad is definitely a First Timothy 3:1-7 man. I read through these qualifications for overseers a few days ago and was struck by how much they reminded me of my dad. So in honor of Fathers' Day, please indulge me as I show how my dad is indeed a First Timothy 3:1-7 man.
“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife”: Each morning, my dad gets up early, makes a cup of Caffe De Vita (or Coffee of Life as we say in our family) and brings it to my mom. This is just one of thousands of ways that my dad serves and cares for her each day. He has set the great husband bar remarkably high.
“Temperate”: When I was a kid, my dad and I joked about “buffeting our bodies and making them our slaves,” (pronouncing “buffet” like “buh-fey”) and would laugh at the idea of gorging ourselves with food to produce self discipline. But while I still enjoy “buh-feying”my body, my dad has truly made his body his slave. He isn’t controlled by sleep; he wakes up before sunrise every day to study his Bible and pray. He isn’t controlled by leisure; he works out with a master’s swim team, is in great shape, and has a killer Butterfly stroke. He isn’t controlled by his stomach; the healthy food that he enjoys puts my regular diet of burgers and fries to shame. He isn’t controlled by the television; he spends an amazing amount of time reading and contemplating new ideas. I’m in awe of his self control.
“Prudent”: Our church staff meetings begin with prayer requests and when one of us is struggling with a particularly tough problem, most of us will make very concerned faces, sympathize with what that person is going through, and earnestly say, “That must be hard – we’ll pray for that.” Often my dad will then speak up and say something like, “Have you tried writing a letter to explain your concerns?” or “Have you looked into different scholarship programs – I know a few websites you could check out.” or “We experienced that a few years ago and this helped us.” The troubled staff member’s eyes suddenly light up and he or she will say, “I never thought of doing that. I’ll give it a try!” My dad has a wealth of practical wisdom.
“Respectable”: Even when I was young, I sensed that people respected my dad. He's honorable, doesn't compromise on what he knows is right and never goes back on his word or wavers.
“Hospitable”: Growing up, we always had people over at our house. Whether it was a small group Bible study on Wednesday nights, our annual Christmas party, or emergency counseling appointments, my dad was constantly willing to open our home to others. He’s a truly fantastic host and comes up with the best party activities. “Full Contact Pictionary” remains one of my favorite party games ever.
“Able to Teach”: I continually hear about my dad’s preaching. At my weekly small group someone always says, “This reminds me of what John talked about last week. Wasn’t that a helpful sermon?” When I talk with members of our congregation I hear, “Your dad’s sermon was so good this morning. I felt like he was speaking right to me.” When I travel and meet people who knew my dad when he was with Campus Crusade they’ll often say, “Your dad was an amazing Bible teacher. I learned so much from him.” My dad’s sermons are a wonderful mix of in depth Bible study, great storytelling, and practical application. I leave his talks with a better understanding of Scripture, strong conviction of my own sin, and appreciation for my Lord. Plus, he gives every sermon completely from MEMORY. I’d like to see Jonathan Edwards do that.
“Not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable”: As much as I like to think of myself as sweet and gentle, I can be pretty pugnacious. Whether someone cuts me off on the freeway, disagrees with an argument I think is airtight, or is condescending in any way, I’m ready to duke it out right there. Even though my dad’s opinions are just as strong as mine, I’m amazed at how well he handles conflict. He believes the best about people. He gives people the benefit of the doubt. He’s patient and kind. He’s able to diffuse tense situations and cut right to the heart of the matter without getting personally offended. I could learn a lot from his example.
“Free from the love of money”: I never thought about money as a kid because I never heard my parents talk about it. I now know that money was pretty tight at times, but my dad never made it an issue. He always trusted God to provide and saw money as a tool to help others and further God’s Kingdom. He remains unfailingly generous and constantly treats people to lunch.
“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity.”: I can’t remember a time that my dad was not actively discipling me. In preschool, my favorite game was “Ethical Questions” where my dad would describe a difficult moral situation and I would have to figure out the best way to handle it. (I remember asking him for a really tough one and he gave me the “Is lying ever right/hiding Jews in your basement in Nazi Germany” question.) As an elementary schooler, he told me Bible stories all the time. He was a master in setting up a story and I was so excited to hear about what happened to the Israelites after they made the Golden Calf or what happened to Esther after Xerxes held his nationwide beauty pageant. In junior high, he taught me the inductive Bible study method (I think I still have some of my old notes). Before my first dance in high school, my dad and mom helped me think through how I would handle every potential situation that could occur. I still constantly go to him for counsel.
“And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”: My dad has always cared about serving the greater community and supports it in various ways including working as the swim coach at the local high school a few years ago, spearheading a movement of community service at our church, tutoring fourth graders in reading, beautifying a playground, and much more.
So there you have it. I love you, Dad! Happy Fathers' Day!
Friday, June 08, 2007
They Fight For What's Right In Whatever They Do
I grew up in the Golden Age of cartoons. "Rainbow Brite", "Duck Tales", "Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers", "G.I. Joe", "Transformers", Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Darkwing Duck", "Strawberry Shortcake", "Pound Puppies", "My Little Pony" - the list goes on and on.
My favorite cartoon was "Gummi Bears" and here is the inspiring theme song for you to enjoy.
My mother thinks it sounds eerily like modern praise music.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
The Music Glutton
I believe that the Ruffles potato chip may be the world’s most perfect food. It’s not made from the finest ingredients or cooked by a master chef or served elegantly, but I could eat an entire bag in one sitting. The following list is the musical equivalent of a bag of Ruffles. They’re not the most beautiful, thoughtful, or creative songs ever written but I could listen to each of them ten times in a row.
Back In Black: I’ll admit it. I love AC/DC. I love the sheer ridiculousness of their lyrics ("TNT, I’m dynamite. TNT, and I’ll win the fight!") and the fact that they don’t take themselves seriously (they’d never dream of writing lyrics like “there’s a hole in the world tonight, don’t let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.” Thanks a lot, Eagles.) "Back in Black" is my favorite AC/DC song and it always makes me want to put on dark shades and a long black leather jacket and walk very slowly towards something.
Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most: I’ve said before that I adore tragic love songs and this is one of the greats. This ballad by Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf is sweeter than “The Man That Got Away”, subtler than “Crazy” and absolutely heartbreaking when sung by jazz chanteuse Jane Monheit. Lyrics like “All alone, the party is over. Old man winter was a gracious host. But when you keep praying for snow to hide the clover, spring can really hang you up the most” keep me coming back to this song of lost love again and again.
Good Vibrations: As much as I like the Beatles, my loyalty lies with the Beach Boys. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed "Good Vibrations" at number 6 on their list of the "500 Best Songs of All Time" and I'd have to agree that it's brilliant.
Hoedown: Aaron Copland pretty much invented what we now think of as "American music" and his pieces evoke this country at its most idealized - brave, optimistic, adventerous, joyful, and free. Although his "Appalachian Spring" is one of my favorite pieces of music, I can listen to "Hoedown" every day. This rollicking square dance (of "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" fame) makes me want to explore new frontiers, conquer obstacles in my path, and eat lots of red meat.
Tear My Stillhouse Down: This song by folk singer Gillian Welch took me by complete surprise the first time I heard it. The opening lines of “Put no stone at my head, no flowers on my tomb, no gold plated sign in a marble pillared room” made me think it was going to be another great folk funeral song. I sat back and was prepared to be edified when I heard the next lyric, “There’s one thing I ask when they lay me in the ground, when I die tear my stillhouse down.” Never before have I so completely misjudged a song – it turns out the whole thing is about the evils of moonshine. It’s quickly become one of the most frequently played songs in my car (I listened to it twice in a row today) and it’s probably the best musical polemic against brewing your own whisky I’ve ever heard.
O Fortuna: If I was to list the most amazing events of my life so far, singing "Carmina Burana" with the Biola Chorale and Orchestra would definitely be in the top ten. I like both my rock and my classical music loud and driving and "O Fortuna" (which bookends Carl Orff's masterpiece) always makes my heart race. From the foreboding first chord to the triumphant finish, it's a two minute thrill ride of a piece.
You Get What You Give: The New Radicals were your classic one hit wonder, but I could listen to that one hit ten times a day. Although it came out in the late nineties, it has an awesome seventies vibe and even The Edge told TIME that he wished he’d written it.
Intergalactic: The first year of college will make you do some crazy things. Like belt out all the lyrics to “A Pirate’s Life for Me” while riding Pirates of the Caribbean (my sincere apologies to anyone who was unfortunate enough to be stuck on that ride with my roommates and me during our freshman year.) Or think that a peanut butter and honey sandwich with a side of animal crackers drenched in peanut butter and honey is a nutritious dinner. Or change your major twice in one semester. Or have Beastie Boys dance parties in your dorm room. “Intergalactic” always takes me back to my freshman year when we’d blow off steam by turning off the lights, jumping all over the room and yelling out “another dimension, another dimension.”
Liz On Top Of The World: This track from Dario Marianelli's gorgeous "Pride and Prejudice" score has the ability to make me sob every single time I hear it. In just a few minutes it manages to express the emotion of longing better than almost any music I've heard.
September: I sometimes regret the fact that I didn't get to live through the seventies. After all, this is the decade that gave us “Annie Hall,” “Kashmir,” and Steve Martin on Saturday Night Live. It also gave us Earth, Wind, and Fire and “September” never fails to put me in a good mood. I’m a sucker for big horn sections and songs involving my birth month so thankfully the old school R&B station plays it almost daily.
So that's my list. Let me know what's in your musical bag of Ruffles.
Back In Black: I’ll admit it. I love AC/DC. I love the sheer ridiculousness of their lyrics ("TNT, I’m dynamite. TNT, and I’ll win the fight!") and the fact that they don’t take themselves seriously (they’d never dream of writing lyrics like “there’s a hole in the world tonight, don’t let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.” Thanks a lot, Eagles.) "Back in Black" is my favorite AC/DC song and it always makes me want to put on dark shades and a long black leather jacket and walk very slowly towards something.
Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most: I’ve said before that I adore tragic love songs and this is one of the greats. This ballad by Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf is sweeter than “The Man That Got Away”, subtler than “Crazy” and absolutely heartbreaking when sung by jazz chanteuse Jane Monheit. Lyrics like “All alone, the party is over. Old man winter was a gracious host. But when you keep praying for snow to hide the clover, spring can really hang you up the most” keep me coming back to this song of lost love again and again.
Good Vibrations: As much as I like the Beatles, my loyalty lies with the Beach Boys. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed "Good Vibrations" at number 6 on their list of the "500 Best Songs of All Time" and I'd have to agree that it's brilliant.
Hoedown: Aaron Copland pretty much invented what we now think of as "American music" and his pieces evoke this country at its most idealized - brave, optimistic, adventerous, joyful, and free. Although his "Appalachian Spring" is one of my favorite pieces of music, I can listen to "Hoedown" every day. This rollicking square dance (of "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" fame) makes me want to explore new frontiers, conquer obstacles in my path, and eat lots of red meat.
Tear My Stillhouse Down: This song by folk singer Gillian Welch took me by complete surprise the first time I heard it. The opening lines of “Put no stone at my head, no flowers on my tomb, no gold plated sign in a marble pillared room” made me think it was going to be another great folk funeral song. I sat back and was prepared to be edified when I heard the next lyric, “There’s one thing I ask when they lay me in the ground, when I die tear my stillhouse down.” Never before have I so completely misjudged a song – it turns out the whole thing is about the evils of moonshine. It’s quickly become one of the most frequently played songs in my car (I listened to it twice in a row today) and it’s probably the best musical polemic against brewing your own whisky I’ve ever heard.
O Fortuna: If I was to list the most amazing events of my life so far, singing "Carmina Burana" with the Biola Chorale and Orchestra would definitely be in the top ten. I like both my rock and my classical music loud and driving and "O Fortuna" (which bookends Carl Orff's masterpiece) always makes my heart race. From the foreboding first chord to the triumphant finish, it's a two minute thrill ride of a piece.
You Get What You Give: The New Radicals were your classic one hit wonder, but I could listen to that one hit ten times a day. Although it came out in the late nineties, it has an awesome seventies vibe and even The Edge told TIME that he wished he’d written it.
Intergalactic: The first year of college will make you do some crazy things. Like belt out all the lyrics to “A Pirate’s Life for Me” while riding Pirates of the Caribbean (my sincere apologies to anyone who was unfortunate enough to be stuck on that ride with my roommates and me during our freshman year.) Or think that a peanut butter and honey sandwich with a side of animal crackers drenched in peanut butter and honey is a nutritious dinner. Or change your major twice in one semester. Or have Beastie Boys dance parties in your dorm room. “Intergalactic” always takes me back to my freshman year when we’d blow off steam by turning off the lights, jumping all over the room and yelling out “another dimension, another dimension.”
Liz On Top Of The World: This track from Dario Marianelli's gorgeous "Pride and Prejudice" score has the ability to make me sob every single time I hear it. In just a few minutes it manages to express the emotion of longing better than almost any music I've heard.
September: I sometimes regret the fact that I didn't get to live through the seventies. After all, this is the decade that gave us “Annie Hall,” “Kashmir,” and Steve Martin on Saturday Night Live. It also gave us Earth, Wind, and Fire and “September” never fails to put me in a good mood. I’m a sucker for big horn sections and songs involving my birth month so thankfully the old school R&B station plays it almost daily.
So that's my list. Let me know what's in your musical bag of Ruffles.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Swell Saturday: Road Trip Edition
School is almost out and the season of road trips is nearly upon us. Whether you're visiting your parents, planning a trip to Disneyland with your kids, driving cross country with your best friend, or just going to Target, here are some of the Bruce family's favorite car games to help make your trip a bit sweller.
Rhyme Out: The only thing more satisfying than gloating is gloating through song. Therein lies the genius of "Rhyme Out", one of the Bruce siblings' all time favorite car games. While watching "Sesame Street" one morning, I was enthralled by a segment where Big Bird and Maria traded rhymes until one of them ran out of words. The winner then sang, "I rhymed you out, that's what the game's about! You ran out of time to think of a rhyme, it's rhyme out, rhyme out." A game that involved singing and vocabulary: what a winning combination! My brother and I started playing this constantly and I think it helped my verbal score on the SATs more than Latin, vocabulary cards, and Princeton Review practice tests put together.
GHOST: The rules are simple enough. The players spell out a word with each person adding one letter at a time. If you end the word, you receive a "G." If you do it again, you get an "H", then an "O" and so on. If you end the word five times, you become a "Ghost" and can no longer win the game. To add insult to injury, no one can talk to a Ghost or they'll receive a letter. I used to think this game was fun until I was soundly beaten by every other person in the car on a trip back from Santa Cruz last summer. Now I believe that "GHOST" is cruel and potentially damaging to your psyche. Not only did I have to live with the fact that everyone else's spelling and vocabulary skills were ten times better than mine, I spent the rest of the game trying to engage people in conversation only to be passionately ignored. As you can probably imagine, these wounds cut deep. But I'm slowly healing by plotting my revenge and memorizing the dictionary.
Create a Chord: My family loves The Eagles and we're determined to one day perform "Seven Bridges Road" in perfect harmony (just like the Von Trapps!) I think our Create a Chord game will help us achieve our goal. One person sings a note, a second person adds another note and so on until we create a chord. We then pat ourselves on the back and talk about how lovely that chord was before we try to sing an even better one. My brother and I have a sick version of this game where we try to sing the most revolting chord we can think of. Unfortunately for everyone else in the car, this may be my most loved road trip pastime of all. The great thing about Create a Chord is that you can play it by yourself too! I harmonize to the radio all the time (I mean, The Fray's "Cable Car" is just begging for someone to sing a fourth above the last note of the song.)
Got You Last: As a child I was dazzled by stories of my mother's youth and one of her most intriguing tales involved a game that she and her four sisters played called "You're It, I Quit." This was a rather sadistic exercise which consisted of tagging someone and then saying you quit before they could tag you back. Inspired, I began my own version of this game by tagging my brother, yelling "got you last" and running away before he could tag me. This evolved into a more sophisticated road trip version in which we attempted to tag each other twice but make it feel like just one tag. That way the other person would only tag back once, never knowing that they had just lost the game by not tagging back twice. Because of this game, there were four or five years where Jeff and I could not shake hands, hug, or even accidentally brush up against each other in the hall without tagging the other person back.
Rhyme Out: The only thing more satisfying than gloating is gloating through song. Therein lies the genius of "Rhyme Out", one of the Bruce siblings' all time favorite car games. While watching "Sesame Street" one morning, I was enthralled by a segment where Big Bird and Maria traded rhymes until one of them ran out of words. The winner then sang, "I rhymed you out, that's what the game's about! You ran out of time to think of a rhyme, it's rhyme out, rhyme out." A game that involved singing and vocabulary: what a winning combination! My brother and I started playing this constantly and I think it helped my verbal score on the SATs more than Latin, vocabulary cards, and Princeton Review practice tests put together.
GHOST: The rules are simple enough. The players spell out a word with each person adding one letter at a time. If you end the word, you receive a "G." If you do it again, you get an "H", then an "O" and so on. If you end the word five times, you become a "Ghost" and can no longer win the game. To add insult to injury, no one can talk to a Ghost or they'll receive a letter. I used to think this game was fun until I was soundly beaten by every other person in the car on a trip back from Santa Cruz last summer. Now I believe that "GHOST" is cruel and potentially damaging to your psyche. Not only did I have to live with the fact that everyone else's spelling and vocabulary skills were ten times better than mine, I spent the rest of the game trying to engage people in conversation only to be passionately ignored. As you can probably imagine, these wounds cut deep. But I'm slowly healing by plotting my revenge and memorizing the dictionary.
Create a Chord: My family loves The Eagles and we're determined to one day perform "Seven Bridges Road" in perfect harmony (just like the Von Trapps!) I think our Create a Chord game will help us achieve our goal. One person sings a note, a second person adds another note and so on until we create a chord. We then pat ourselves on the back and talk about how lovely that chord was before we try to sing an even better one. My brother and I have a sick version of this game where we try to sing the most revolting chord we can think of. Unfortunately for everyone else in the car, this may be my most loved road trip pastime of all. The great thing about Create a Chord is that you can play it by yourself too! I harmonize to the radio all the time (I mean, The Fray's "Cable Car" is just begging for someone to sing a fourth above the last note of the song.)
Got You Last: As a child I was dazzled by stories of my mother's youth and one of her most intriguing tales involved a game that she and her four sisters played called "You're It, I Quit." This was a rather sadistic exercise which consisted of tagging someone and then saying you quit before they could tag you back. Inspired, I began my own version of this game by tagging my brother, yelling "got you last" and running away before he could tag me. This evolved into a more sophisticated road trip version in which we attempted to tag each other twice but make it feel like just one tag. That way the other person would only tag back once, never knowing that they had just lost the game by not tagging back twice. Because of this game, there were four or five years where Jeff and I could not shake hands, hug, or even accidentally brush up against each other in the hall without tagging the other person back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
