Today I'm thankful for my Mom. She's an amazing person and I'm so blessed to have her in my life.
When I was little, my Mom would read to me every night before I went to sleep. Every. Night. One of the books, the fairly popular Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, had a poem that she used to say to both my brother and me quite often:
I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be
Well, just like the little boy in the book, I've grown and grown. I'm not a little girl anymore, but I'll always be my Mom's baby. As I've grown, I've learned a lot more from her than just how to tie my shoes or drive a car. I look up to her not just as my mother, but also as a woman.
I've learned how valuable it is for a woman to be strong in her own right. For a woman to gain an education and be able to support herself. For a woman to be a complete person, not dependent on a man for her sole happiness and well being.
From time to time, my Mom and I have clashed. Okay quite a lot, especially when I was in high school. While things have evened out as I've gotten more mature, we still butt heads every now and then. But I wouldn't trade any of our arguments for anything in the world.
I love spending time with my Mom, whether it's going out for lunch or just hanging out at home. I love curling up with her to watch the latest episode of Cake Boss or America's Next Top Model.
I suppose it's a fact of life that women grow to look like their mothers. I can't say how many times I've had someone tell me how much I look like my Mom. We went somewhere recently where a waiter or someone said that we must be mother and daughter because he could see the resemblance.
Things haven't always been exactly easy in our family. We've had our fair share of troubles, but my Mom has always been the rock, the one to say "yeah, that sucks," pick herself up, and move on. Her strength is inspirational.
My Mom has always been supportive of the things my brother and I do. She's always been actively involved in our activities from leading Boy and Girl Scout committees and troops to coming to almost every Karate practice. She's always there for us.
I wish I could fully express how much I am thankful for my Mom. When I was 9 years old, she got very sick. We were in New York at the time and she had to go to the hospital. My brother stayed in the waiting room while they brought me back to see her. She was white as a ghost and hooked up to all kinds of machines. It was terrifying. Fortunately she pulled through and is as healthy as ever today, but I got a taste of just how scary it would be to lose her. I'm even more thankful for her because of that experience.
I hope she knows how much of an impact she's had on my life. I am the woman I am today and will be in the future because of her. I could never thank her enough.
The past two days I've been thankful for specific people and the blessings they are in my life. Today I'm thankful for all the people I've known throughout my life. The way I see it, there are many different kinds of people in a person's life. Sure there's the ones who stick around forever, they are the non-blood family I've talked about before. Many more, however, may only be in a person's life for a short period of time. It can be a few months, like some of the people I met at my first university, or it could be a couple of years, like some of my high school friends.
Each person who touches your life leaves a mark. Rarely, if ever, we see what that mark is, though we can speculate (which I have and will). I know that each person I've had the honor of knowing, however short of a time, contributes to who I am today. I also think that there are certain people who might bring out traits already within a person. They might give them a different perspective on something or an idea about how to use their talents.
I know I've been inspired to worry less, love more, appreciate my family, stand up for what I believe in, write, never take life for granted, and stay grounded in what really matters. I also know there are countless other ways I've been influenced by the people I've known.
Now, I said that even people I've known for a short period of time have had an impact on my life. There's two people I've been thinking about recently who've had a huge impact on me lately. Both of these people I knew only briefly and both of them are no longer with us.
One of them sadly took her own life. I can't pretend to know the demons one must face when suicide seems to be the only way out, but her death has taught me many things. I've seen the outpouring from her closest friends. Her memorial page has hundreds of members. Her funeral service was huge. I wonder if she knew just how many people loved and cared for her. I've learned to keep things in perspective more. I think about her often and hope her family and close friends are doing okay.
The other died recently from injuries sustained in a car accident. There were so many people who rallied around his family while he was in the ICU. Letters of love and support flooded his website. The funeral was, understandably, heart wrenching. I wish I had the ability to express exactly how I feel about this, but it's still relatively new. I'm heartbroken for his family, who we've known for some time now. I'm heartbroken for his close friends. I'm heartbroken for the people he helped through his extracurricular work. Most of all, I'm heartbroken for him. I wish he could have lived longer. I've learned more to never doubt what I can do and to be everything I can be--I'm alive and here for a reason. When there are others who don't even have that chance, it would be a terrible shame for me to waste what I have.
I won't ever forget these two wonderful people. They were gone too soon. It's not always a cheerful thing, the lessons we learn from the people we know. Sometimes we learn difficult lessons and truths about life. But I have to believe it's all worth it, in the end.
Today I am thankful for my dear friend Lakota. I love how we're brain twins, even when we live two states away.
Lakota and I met in our freshman year of high school. I had just transferred from public to private school. Logically, the gap between middle and high school was a perfect time for the transition. Right? Wrong. It was awful. I didn't know anyone. No joke, I spent at least the first week hiding in the bathroom at lunch to avoid the sitting situation. In such a small school, not only did I not know anyone and thus have no one to sit with I couldn't even sit alone. I had to sit with other people, there wasn't enough space to sit alone. This prompted a whole slew of awkward situations for me. Everyone seemed to already know each other. Well, they did. They'd all practically been together since they popped out of the womb. Suffice it to say, it was a difficult transition.
At some point in the first two weeks of high school there was a pep rally and each class had to sit in their designated sections. Earlier that day, in a communication class, there was a girl who I noticed and instantly admired. She was petite, had very dark hair, and even darker eyes. She was wearing a blouse I can only describe as a "cow girl" blouse. All I remember about what we were talking about in class was that this girl said she was part Indian. I was fascinated, her dark features seemed to confirm this story. When I asked what tribe, her answer forever earned her nickname: Lakota Sioux. Then she noticed that I had a picture of Orlando Bloom on my binder. I doubt I need to elaborate further.
When the bell rang and it was time to go to the pep rally, I was nervous again. I decided right then and there that I hated pep assemblies. Twice in one day this seating conundrum? Really? I once again didn't know who to sit with, and hiding in the bathroom wasn't a feasible option. So I followed Lakota.
I kept thinking, she seems nice maybe she'll let me sit with her. As we crossed the gymnasium, she turned and asked with curiosity, "Aren't the juniors sitting over there?"
I just happen to be a rather tall individual which explains Lakota's confusion. I was a freaking tall freshman. Once my class identity was established, I joined Lakota with a group of girls she seemed to know. I don't remember what that assembly was about. I just remember feeling much more at ease with my new school.
Well the Native American/Orlando Bloom conversation happened a good seven or so years ago now. I can't even begin to describe all that has transpired between us since. I doubt we could be any more alike yet different at the same time. In short, it's been a blast and I'm thankful for every minute of it.
Interestingly enough, with my two closest friends I also feel close with their families. I guess I have multiple sets of parents. Lakota, her parents, and I have gone on multiple shooting range adventures. When I wanted to learn to shoot a gun better and my own father was either too busy or not around to take me, Lakota's dad stepped in. Lakota's parents even got me my own gun cleaning kit this year for my birthday; it's beautiful and I use it every time after I go shooting. I'm eternally grateful for Lakota's family's love and kindness towards me.
Speaking of my birthday, this past year, Belle and Lakota threw me a surprise birthday party. Boy was I surprised! Easily one of my most memorable b-days.
The way I see it, blood isn't the only kind of family. A part of my family is my closest friends. I'm so grateful for them, the beauty and happiness they bring to my life.
The Tomorrow When The War Began book series by Australian author John Marsden was my favorite before I ever read a single Harry Potter book. That's right, there was a time in my life when Harry Potter did not exist. Dark times, I tell you. But rest assured, those dark days of my existence were not entirely as bleak as one might think.
For my fellow Americans who haven't experienced the joy of the Tomorrow series, I feel honor bound to summarize.
Tomorrow When The War Began is the first in a series of seven books chronicling the experience of a small Australian town invaded by a very large and powerful military intent on taking over as much of their land and resources as possible.
In the series a group of teenagers, including the books' narrator, take a camping trip over their Christmas holiday. When they return home, they find their homes abandoned and their families missing. They soon learn the shocking truth about the invasion and come face to face with the question: surrender, hide, or fight? When they choose to fight, they begin to function as guerrilla soldiers and attempt to reclaim their home and their lives. It's a fast paced, gut wrenching sort of story. I get the sweats thinking about it. Marsden really captures the voice of his characters and brings them to life. These books make me want to kick down a door.
The American Library Association has listed the first book in the series as one of the best one-hundred books for teenage readers published between 1966 and 2000. I think this really speaks for itself. I highly recommend any and everyone to read these books. They're timeless, in my opinion, and they're phenomenal.
Now I am generally pretty faithful to the book when a film adaptation is made, but each one I hear about rekindles hope that the film will at least do the book justice. This book series is one that I have for years desperately wished to see made into a film, but by the same token desperately hoped that they won't mess it up. I joined a Facebook group campaigning the creation of such a film. I popped around Aussie chat-rooms hoping to catch some down-under gossip about the possibility. Finally, finally I tell you, I caught wind of the news. It was a glorious day when I learned that not only was the book to be made into a film, but a major Australian film company had picked it up and were pulling all the stops. Just what such a great story deserved, in my opinion. Furthermore, I read that due to the pride many Australians feel over such a successful book series from one of their own, the director was said to make every effort to stick to the book as closely as possible. Psyched didn't even begin to describe me.
To my intense dismay, however, the film is so authentically Australian it's not even being released in the U.S. Not yet, at any rate. The film premiered in September in Australia. I made farfetched day dreams that involved flying to Australia to see the film. I read through every scrap I could find about the film online. It still sounds like it's a film well worth seeing.
My plan for the interim is to order the film off of perhaps Amazon once it's available. My ultimate wish is for the film to be released to U.S. theaters, but apparently the U.S. response to the book hasn't been that high. Silly Americans. Oh if I read one more American article or comment about how TWTWB is just an Aussie version of Red Dawn, I am going to lose it... okay, I digress.
I guess I'll just have to settle for the trailer and my hunt to find the Aussie editions of the books. Let me tell you, they're not easy to come by. At least the UK version of Harry Potter was sold in a set... On the bright side, I have a mission to accomplish while I wait for updates on my chances of actually seeing the film.
To kick off my Give Thanks trend, I'd like to dedicate today to my friend Belle. She's been giving thanks each day via Facebook status and her dedication today really warmed my heart. "Today I'm thankful for my bestie Running Fish and our many many trips to El Maguey." Maybe it was because I was super tired this morning, but when I saw that it really made my day.
Today, I'm thankful for the wonderful friend I have in Belle and all the years we've shared together. It's friendships like hers that make life extra special.
Belle and I haven't always been friends, however. Actually, we were quite the opposite of friends in the first years of knowing one another.
Back in the day, Belle and I wound up in the same Junior Girl Scouts troop by process of troop consolidation (i.e. my troop disappeared and my Mom plugged me into a new one). Let's just say we didn't get along too well from the get go, which is putting it mildly. In recent years we've discussed this quite a bit and the consensus is we were both going through our issues and for one reason or another we both identified the other as a threat. Mind you, we were sixth graders at that point. I was the new girl, invading the troop that Belle had been in forever. And she was the "it" girl, the one who all the girls liked and the one who I wanted to be. She was pretty. She was popular. She was everything I felt I wasn't. Like I said, we each had our own issues and that was part of mine. This didn't bode too well for a harmonious relationship. There were a lot of mean words exchanged, an incident where one of us threw play-dough at the other (this was a lot bigger of deal than it sounds, trust me), and just general contention.
By the end of seventh grade, I begged my mother to let me quit Girl Scouts. I was that miserable with Belle. I'm sure she was pretty miserable with me too, in hindsight. I wish I had committed to memory just what my mom said to me to make me stay, but I suspect it had something to do with her mentality that if you commit to something you see it through the end. Whatever it was that convinced me to stick around, I accompanied the troop on a trip to Branson that fall. The trip was a big deal and we'd been saving for a long time for it. The second night found us surprisingly without incident. Belle and I hadn't murdered each other. And we were sleeping in the same tent, to boot. Clearly there was a higher power already at work. That night, after our mothers had told us at least half a dozen times to go to sleep, the four of us girls finally started settling in. We'd been chatting, the usual stuff young girls talk about. There was one of the girls, we discovered, that suffice it to say had some problems. Before we went to sleep, Belle sat up and asked me if I wanted to pray with her about our fellow troop-mate who was having such a hard time.
Now, I've heard my fair share of cliche stories where divine intervention happened through prayer. Trust me, there wasn't any rapturous singing to be heard or heaven opening up or any other supernatural occurrence. We just sat there and prayed. Silently.
After that trip, Belle and I started to realize we actually had a lot in common. I guess the rest is history because today I'm nominating her as someone I'm thankful for. I'm also thankful for her wonderful family. Her parents and sister treat me like another part of their family. I love them.
On that happy note, it's 21 Days to Thanksgiving! Cheers!
There are three weeks (and counting) to the big day. That is, the day of turkey and the fancy china and relatives from out of state.
Thanksgiving marks the onset of the "holiday season." Yes, it's that time of year again. For many people, this means there are two more weeks to mentally (and physically) prepare. There will be list making and attic searching. Budget crunching and the perfect tree to locate. Leaves to rake and vacation (or stay-cation as the case may be) plans to make. Santas will take up residence at malls nationwide. Sign-ups for Salvation Army bell ringing will crop up and those jingling bells even more so. Charities will come out of the woodwork. If you're ambitious, there's the family newsletter/holiday greeting card. Holiday music will filter through the radio in the car, at the grocery, in the elevator at the doctor's office. Weight may be a concern and the threat of overeating exacerbates that. Oreo icing will turn to red (speaking of overeating). In the hustle and bustle of preparing for the looming holiday season it's very easy to forget the small things.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't need the excuse of the holiday season to distract me. It's so easy to become engrossed in the day to day and week to week craziness of life that we often forget to stay grounded in what really matters.
This idea motivated me to make a commitment beginning today until Thanksgiving. Instead of worrying about the impending holiday season and the rush that comes with it, I want to spend more time thinking about what I'm thankful for and dedicating each day of the next two weeks to a different thing I'm thankful for. It's the things we're truly thankful for, such as our family and friends, that truly give the holidays that sense of beauty and joy.
On a personal note, I've recognized that this holiday season might be a tad disheartening for my family. After the rather unexpected loss of my dear Grandpa N, Christmas just isn't going to be the same again. Those "firsts" without the ones we lose are often the hardest. Throw in the rest of the amazing story that is my family dynamic and I can already see how I've got to make sure I keep myself grounded. I think this is by and large the main reason why I've decided to really take this on, if nothing else but for my own emotional health. I know I have so much to be thankful for, I'm very blessed in my life and it would be a shame for me to lose sight of that.
I'll go ahead and single out that incessant elephant in the room... We should really be thankful at all times for what we are blessed with, not just at special occasions. The twice a year thankful heart doesn't make for a happy person, if you ask me. No, I just really feel like I want to do this. No implications attached.
With that being said, here's to giving thanks. Here's to staying focused on what really matters. Here's to being thankful for all the blessings that life has to offer. They're the stuff that make life worth living.
As much of a book geek I am, I'm a movie geek as well. I had a difficult time condensing my favorite films into a manageable list. After much thought, I decided on fifteen films that I consider my forever favorites. On a side note, I attempted to put these in order... "attempted" being the keyword. Ahem.
15. Fast and Furious
Who doesn't like really fast cars? Who doesn't like pretending they can drive at Mach 5? Communists, that's who. As far as the script and production goes, there really isn't anything super spectacular about this film. Perhaps it's the cast that nailed an otherwise mediocre storyline, either way this film rocks my socks. If for no other reason, I watch it because I love Michelle Rodriguez. She's my favorite.
Best Quote(s): "I said a ten second car, not a ten minute car... "
"If you can't find the tools you need in this garage, you don't belong near a car."
14. Where The Heart Is
Oh this movie. It warms my heart, no pun intended. I'm not really a huge Natalie Portman fan, but oh well. The story here is just so darn endearing and by the end of it I always find myself thinking, can she just have a normal life now? Simply adorable.
Best Quote(s): "You tell them that our lives can change with every breath we take... and tell 'em to hold on like hell to what they've got: each other, and a mother who would die for them and almost did... You tell them we've all got meanness in us, but we've got goodness too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. And that's why we've got to make sure we pass it on. "
13. Robin Hood (2010)
I just saw this and it's already on my list. I must admit I was very skeptical at first. I've always appreciated the classic Robin Hood story, but it's been done before. Many times. As I began watching this film, I tried to start piecing together the archetype. I must say I was surprised when King Richard got bumped off and then Robin Loxley turned up in a French trench not too long after; kind of difficult having a Robin Hood story without Robin Hood or King Richard, right? Well, Ridley Scott really came through. I don't take this to replace the traditional Robin Hood story, rather I appreciate it in its own right. It also didn't hurt that Cate Blanchett makes an amazing Marion; good Lord that woman can kick ass.
Favorite Character: Marion Loxley (Cate Blanchett)
Best Quote(s):
Marion: "Once before I said goodbye to a man going to war. He never came back."
Robin Longstride: "Ask me nicely."
"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions."
12. National Treasure
A great combination of action, humor, and actual content. I find it harder and harder to find films worth appreciating for both their acting and writing talents; this film is one of those I've found I can appreciate all around. I'm also a total history geek.
Favorite Character: Riley Poole (Justin Bartha)
Best Quote(s):
"It means if something is wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action."
"It's a big blue guy with a long beard. I'm guessing that's significant."
11. The Jungle Book
I don't remember watching this one over and over and over again until the tape broke like I did with some of the other Disney classics. Don't get me wrong, I certainly enjoyed this film as a child. I just didn't fall madly in love with it like I did Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin. No, I discovered my love for this film within five years or so ago. I chose this, however, for the purposes herein because of just how much I have grown to adore it. Apparently filmmakers back in the late 60s didn't have the same qualms of today's filmmakers about moral content because good grief this film is positively packed with Christian references. In our politically correct world now, that simply wouldn't fly... but I digress.
This is a solid film with a really great message and yet another testimony to the classic Disney's knack for producing engaging films that entertain both children and adults alike.
"It's like this, little britches. All you gotta do is... look for the bare necessities..."
"Now, now. I know how you feel. But you must remember, Mowgli. Greater love hath no one than he who lays down his life for his friend. Whenever great deeds are remembered in this jungle, one name will stand above all others: our friend, Baloo the bear."
10. The Emperor's New Groove
Oh my. I absolutely adore this film. This is just a fun, endearing sort of film. I love the wit behind many of the references and the characters are absolutely fabulous. What a hoot.
Favorite Character: Kronk
Best Quote(s): Everything Kronk says... For example...
"Oh, look. A golden-throated small-winged warbler. Just one more for exotic bird bingo. I am loving this!"
9. Girlfight
Just for the record, Michelle Rodriguez happens to be my absolute favorite actress. Ever. She just freaking rocks. That said, this movie kicks ass. Because I'm a dork, I'd like to point out that this was Michelle's first film...she showed up to the audition on roller blades apparently. And landed the role out of somewhere around three hundred other women. I also appreciate this film on another level. One of the main points of the story is about Michelle's character wanting to train to be a boxer; because it's a male dominated sport she faces a lot of obstacles from sexist old men to hardly any suitable opponents.
I look up to strong female roles like this one. I would consider myself a feminist in the truest sense that this "condition" of being a female doesn't mean we can't get our fingernails dirty. Crazy idea, I know. Michelle Rodriguez has really carried this torch in almost every aspect of her acting career. I could really go on and on about just how much this woman embodies the idea that women can be both strong and feminine in their own right, but she said it better:
Back to the film, I find this relates to anyone who has ever felt like a misfit or has wanted more than what was in front of them.
Best Quote(s): "You shouldn't hit people like that." "I couldn't resist."
8. The Princess Bride
Who doesn't like this film? Seriously? The only thing that could make it better is if it omitted the chunks with bratty Fred Savage. That kid really grinds my coffee beans. Fortunately, the rest of the film more than makes up for that.
"... I do not think you would accept my help since I am only waiting around to kill you." "That does put a damper on our relationship."
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die."
7. Behind Enemy Lines
A fun little factoid about this film is the aircraft carrier it was filmed on, CVN-70 U.S.S. Carl Vinson. It was the carrier my dad was deployed on in the first Gulf War. True story.
That aside, this film makes me want to kick a door down. I love the raw story here. I love it so much I forget that Owen Wilson and his crooked nose is the hero. I think I can forgive him. While I'm at it, I'll overlook the not-so-politically-correct aspect of the film. Yes it's a war movie. Yes it's from the point of view of the U.S. Yes there's probably going to be someone who will get their panties in a bunch over it. Do I care? Nope. It really is a great film.
Best Quote(s): Pardon the language, these are sailors after all...
"A Navy Pilot could have saved Ritchie Valens from being a one hit wonder."
"Holy shit! We're being painted!"
"Shit they fired, scoop it!"
"You still have your boots, don't you cowboy?" "Roger. They were tied on."
6. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
This series literally consumed my life for my three years of middle school. The first film was released when I was in the sixth grade (way to age myself, I realize) and the second in seventh and so forth. I obsessed over Legolas. I memorized the extended editions. I reenacted the story with action figures. I wrote fan fiction. Hook, line, sinker. This series will always hold a special place in my heart.
Favorite Character: tie between Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen)
Best Quote(s):
"In the common tongue it reads "One Ring to Rule Them All. One Ring to Find Them. One Ring to Bring Them All and In The Darkness Bind Them."
"The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it."
5. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
One of my various geek obsessions has been for a very long time the Holocaust. I've been called morbid before. Consider my major, however, and I find this moot. I've just always been keenly interested in its every facet. This film has got to be one of my favorites on the subject. The White Rose was an underground resistance movement in Berlin, Germany during WWII. The brother and sister who led the group as well as at least one other member were ultimately guillotined after being sentenced to death for resistance activities. What amazes me so much about this story is Sophie Scholl's faith through her final days before her execution. It's absolutely beautiful.
Favorite Character: Sophie Scholl
Best Quote(s):
"Trucks came to pick up the children at the mental hospital. The other children asked where they were going. "They're going to heaven," said the nurses. So the children got on the truck singing. You think I wasn't raised right, because I felt pity for them?"
"You may hang us today but you'll be hanged tomorrow."
"Don't forget, Sophie. Jesus." "Yes, mother, but you neither."
"The sun is still shining."
4. Braveheart
It's become a sort of a tradition to watch this film every time I visit the family Fort (aka the blue house) in New York. I love the beauty and the power of this film.
Favorite Character: Stephen (David O'Hara), aka Crazy Steve in my family
Best Quote(s):
"All men die, only some men truly live."
"They're sayin' goodbye in their own way, playin' outlawed tunes on outlawed pipes."
"FREEDOM"
3. The Star Wars (original) trilogy
I can't help it, it's ingrained in me. I grew up on Star Wars. Love it.
Favorite Character: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)
Best Quote(s):
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."
"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you." "You're who?"
2. The Mummy, 1 and 2
Coming in extremely close to first, I adore these movies. Plain and simple. Acting, check. Writing, check. Mummy face in the sand/water, check check. I would like to underscore however that I speak of the first two movies. In my opinion there is no third Mummy movie. That and The Last Airbender just happen to be the worst two movies ever made, in my opinion. *shiver*
Favorite Character: Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr)
Best Quote(s):
"Patience is a virtue!" "Not right now it isn't!"
"My darling girl, when Ramses destroyed Syria, that was an accident. You are a catastrophe!"
"Hey O'Connell! Looks to me like I've got all the horses!" "Hey Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!"
1. The Last of the Mohicans
This film is my absolute number one. It alone coined the phrase "heart, puddle, floor." I can't put into words how much I love this film. It's a long one and it can get a little tedious at times, but I don't care. I love the action in it. I also love that there's an adorable romance story in it, but that's not the main focus. For some reason it seems more realistic that way. Marvelous.
Favorite Character: Nathaniel (Daniel Day-Lewis)
Best Quote(s):
"You be strong, you survive... You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you."
To bring this all to a close, enter one of my favorite (favorite) scenes. Just a warning, there is a graphic nature to this. My favorite part begins around 5:40, for the record.
