antoniusrex

So, here I am watching footloose...and there is this wonderful moment when Kevin Bacon basically reems out the city council for not letting them dance. Telling them that we dance to celebrate life.

And I think to myself, man, this is like the third time I've heard this over the past couple of weeks--last week when we went for Karaoke, and the host asked Lish why we were all out partying and celebrating. Lish's answer?

"Life...we're just celebrating life."

"Wow," he said. "That's beautiful. That's the best reason to party that I've heard in a while."

Bri Bri and Nellie took me and Dave out to dinner to celebrate our birthdays...while there, we also toasted Nellie's birthday. You know. Celebrating life.

Went out to Underground on Friday afterwards. Hadn't been in a long while. Went to dance and drink and flirt. To celebrate life. The weekly celebration of the bodies that God has given us, of the people around us. To celebrate friendship, and movement.

The gift, you know?

I danced. Some movements, I discovered still hurt, but whatever. Someone stuck another drink in my hand and said go. Danced. Took a photo or two. Made a new friend or two. Passed on a plethora of hugs.

Danced. Just like in footloose. To celebrate life.

Not just good times. A good celebration.

So, yeah...to all of you out there reading this. All my friends, acquaintences, ex-lovers, would be lovers, critics, enemies, partners in crime, cohorts, haters, believers, trusted ones, parents, parents of friends and friends of friends:

Love to you all. Because life, even when it's at its absolute worse, is beautiful. Precious. And to be celebrated.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

--The Preamble to The U.S. Constitution

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

--From the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, and signed by 56 members of Congress

Most people don't know that I have always considered myself a patriot. A hardcore, heartfelt patriot. I love this country, through right and wrong, through up and down, this is the land that is the home of my birth, my life, and most likely, the land that will cleave me to its bosom when I breathe my last gasps of air.

( Thoughts on Patriotism )

Happy Independence Day.

------------------------------------------
"The world has never had a good definition of the word 'liberty.' The American people just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty. But in using the same word, we do not all mean the same thing.

"What constitutes the bulwark of our liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling seacoasts -- these are not our reliance against tyranny. Our reliance is in the love of liberty, which God has planted in our bosom. Our defence is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own door.

"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow?

"Never.

"All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, could not, by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer that if it ever reach us, it must spring from amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we ourselves must be the authors and finishers.

"As a nation of free men, we must live through our times or die by suicide. Let reverence for the law be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap; let it be taught in the schools, in the seminaries and in the colleges; let it be written in primers, in spelling books and almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls and enforced in courts of justice; and in short, let it become the political religion of the nation. And let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly at its altar. And let us strive to deserve, as far as mortals may, the continued care of Divine Providence, trusting that in future national emergencies, He will not fail to provide us the instruments of safety and security.

"Let us not be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the government, nor of dungeons to ourselves.

"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."

--Abraham Lincoln, as spoken in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland. Words are Lincoln's, as given in various speeches throughout his lifetime.

Thanks to el3mo for the scan (Please wish him a happy birthday if you get a chance to!)


Note Mom, Grandma and Dave (clarkekid) in the photo. Dave's a rock star and a superhero. Wish him a happy birthday, too. Hopefullly, a quiet one.



I'm so framing this one.

Just so you know, I love you all.

Second of all, I'm OK. Really, I'm FINE.

Thirdly, you sometimes get birthday gifts that you would never believe. Mine is that I WAS GIVEN MY LIFE today...and Im not talking about my birthday.

On the way to meet Dave down in Long Beach to head out to Disneyland, I was rear ended. HARD. And well...


( I don't believe it either )

I managed to walk away WITHOUT A SCRATCH. Nothing. Just some dull, achey pain which I didn't feel at the time because, as I suspect (and the nurse later figured to), I was hyped up on adrenaline and a good bit in shock.

I asked the police--they had never seen anything like this where someone had walked away from it. "I've been doing this for 12 years and this is the first time I've ever seen *anyone* walk away from this kind of accident!"
one guy exclaimed. Every single cop had cell phones out taking photos.

The parametics and the emergency response crew kept checking me and re checking me to make sure that I was okay and didn't have anything wrong. They couldn't believe it. Their smiles and head shaking made that evident.

Turns out the guy who hit me (who had nearly hit me and one of the other drivers moments before on the freeway) was hopped up on something. He could barely stand up. He didn't even realize how severe the accident was. He was just bombed out stoned or drunk or both. Jackhole.

I'm lucky. God was watching today. Everyone else in the accident was lucky too. NO ONE sustained anyting severe. I don't know much about the other guys, but I think everyone is just going to be sore. Not even the dog who was in the bed of another car was hurt.

But, yes, I was lucky. The best birthday present I could get--another day.

Okay...now I'm going to go and come down from the adrenaline and just enjoy the flexiril. And try to figure out what's what for the insurance company...

But, again...I'm okay. LUcky, blessed and Alive. Sore as hell, and without car for the time being, but alive.

Okay...I go finish picking glass out of my hair.

LOVE YOU ALL.

I am home in the CPT.

I am tired.

I am happy.

I did not drink nearly enough water.

I missed many, many people. But I am glad to have seen them.

My liver hates me.

The rest of the reunion experience and photos to come.

I shall now pass out.

What a great weekend! Got to help Jules celebrate his birthday (very much in glorious Julian style), with excellent friends and magnificent food and wines.

But most importantly, got to spend some quality, wonderful time with some folks who I've missed very, very much. And I wonder if they even realize just how much I've missed them.

Made great time back down the I-5 pipe, and managed to miss traffic, even with all the rain. Got home in time to no longer be sleepy and, of course, was up until nigh on 4am. I love sleep disorderlies. Yay.

But, man. Such a good weekend.

Evangeline Lilly just knocked out 10 push ups on her knuckles...in front of Jay Leno...and an audience full of US Military personnal...

...that was hot...and slightly scary...in that kinda...way...

Yes, I'm still alive. Really.

Working on set again today. Yesterday. And today. Yeah. Ur, saturday and sunday. figure it out.

Today, I have put over 70 miles on my car, pretty much driving around in a 3 square mile area. Blah. I've made a 20 burger order at In-N-Out which nearly made heads explode. That rocked. And then sat in the ER with mom and grandma for an hour due to an insulin mix up....gah.

Now, my feet hurt, my brain hurts, and my eyes are looking in five directions.

But, yes, I'm still alive. Really.

Oh yeah...heard some really off color humour from the Grips...should I post it....hmmmm...

Okay, going to go and pass out now. before I fall asleep on the keyboard...Good night kids!

OMGLMFAO

http://community.livejournal.com/m15m/2237.html

Hee...

5 Questions Continue!

Courtesy of karakara98

( Q&A with Ms. Kara! )

And yet, still more to come!