Abnormally Excited

So I'm getting abnormally excited about Les Mis these days, and when I say abnormally excited I mean that I've watched the ENTIRE 10th Anniversary concert edition FOUR days in a row now and have listened to the soundtrack for weeks. 

So here's a little sunshine to brighten your day, actually your life. 

25 Reasons We Are Abnormally Excited about Les Miserables- stolen from here and sent to me from the fabulous Lauren Richey (a fellow fanatic). 

You'd better believe I want a sing along, I want a sing along oh so bad. 

1. When Eponine comes in with "he was never mine to lose" in "A Heart Full of Love." Mmmmbest. (It comes later than you think. Fourth verse.)

2. We have to assume someone is organizing an unofficial-but-come-on sing-along screening. This sounds like fun.

3. So many good cries.

4. Possible uptick in babies named "Enjolras."

5. Wolverine is going to sing "Bring Him Home"!

6. Being able to call every weird trash heap of discarded and presumably bed-buggy furniture a "barricade."

7. The end of having to hear about Anne Hathaway's diets.

8. Helena Bonham Carter's side-eye. Helena Bonham Carter's everything, really.

9. It will suddenly be okay for a few weeks to, like, reenact important scenes from Les Miz at a bar. "We just saw the movie," you can say if someone gives you a stink eye. "I just saw the movie," you can say if someone is doing the scene wrong and you want to jump in.

10. Anything that references the spinning stage.

11. Russell Crowe's inevitable jaunty hat line — a tri-corner in every color!

12. The movie version of "One Day More" making its way to YouTube, so we can send it to people the night before important events (weddings, trips, etc.). Not that we don’t do this with the tenth-anniversary version, but you know, options!

13. The confusion that will sweep over the theater when the new song plays.

14. Dancing!

15. Sasha Baron Cohen's cockney accent.

16. Seth MacFarlane singing “Confrontation” at the Oscars in voices — Brian as Valjean, Stewie as Javert.

17. People going as Javert for Halloween next year, and then being confused for Captain Crunch.

18. Better close-ups of the little miserables children running through the streets. (They don’t actually look that miserables, but they are cute!)

19. Sitcoms making Les Miz jokes in two to three months. We’re looking at you,New Girl.

20. Taylor Swift’s inevitable revenge cover of “On My Own,” with the words changed to shame Samantha Barks.

21. Measuring time in Les Mizes. Set your crock pot for two “Les Mizes” and you’ll have the best chili in the world.

22. Eddie Redmayne as heartthrob. It is his time!

23. Changing all our passwords to 24601. Just kidding, we didn’t do that; please don’t try to hack into our e-mail.

24. More Sesame Street Les Miz spoofs like this one.

25. A guaranteed two hours without anyone talking about The Hobbit.

It's almost here people. 

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

A couple weeks ago I was on the metro traveling home when I saw a man use the bars in the metro train to help him stretch his muscles. When I say he used the bars to stretch his muscles I mean he was wrapping his legs around them this way and that doing all sorts of things that were completely unexpected and out of place for a metro train at rush hour.

I've chronicled the randoms of my metro commute before, several times. But this morning I experienced something so unique, unexpected, and beautiful that it almost brought me to tears.

As I was on my knees last night praying I thanked my God for the Christmas Spirit that I've felt particularly strongly this year. For weeks now I've been brimming with gratitude for all the goodness in my life, for there is plenty, and more than once have found myself ducking away to shed a tear or two.

I was just standing there on the metro this morning. We'd just stopped at Roslyn station when a middle-aged Asian man got on. As the doors closed behind him, in not-so-perfect broken English he said out loud, Good Morning Everyone! Then, lifting a book to his hands he began to sing the Christmas song God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. His voice filled the entire train with the words of his song. I looked at him at first bewildered and then humbled. Here was a man singing a Christmas song to people he'd never met. He was singing about Christ. Most people in the train car ignored him, there were a few who thanked him for what he'd done. I looked at him with respect and gratitude. He sang until the train came to a stop at the next station and then he stepped off to find another spot.

Thank you my dear metro friend. Thank you for your courage among all of us, non-believers and believers alike. Thank you for believing in Him. Thank you for your voice, which I can still hear inside my hear. Thank you for singing about my Savior, that tiny babe that came to save us all.

God rest ye merry gentleman

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ, our Saviour

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we are gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy, 

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy.

In Bethlehem, In Israel, 

This blessed Babe was born

And laid within a manger

Upon this blessed morn

The which His Mother Mary

Did nothing take in scorn

O tidings of comfort and and joy, 

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy. 

My favorite Christmas song, sung by my family friend Shane and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.