Psychiatrist

No… I didn’t recently visit the psychiatrist or anything.  These two guys probably should have though.

Actually, the title is because we had a game night the other evening and had a blast playing Psychiatrist.  Here’s how you play:

1 person goes into another room and the remaining group decides on a theme (either an ailment or some absurd made-up scenario).  This scenario can be centered around the Psychiatrist (who doesn’t know what the topic is) or it can be based on the individuals within the group (who all kno wthe topic).  The Psychiatrist’s job is to ask questions from the members of the group in order to find out what the theme is.

One theme we came up with was to have all of the members in the group be kitchen appliances.  Haha… it sounds funny I know… and it was very funny. Just picture Ben swooshing back and forth making an absurd “bzhhhhh”  noise in an attempt to be a dishwasher while at the same time communicating as a normal human being.  And then there was Rebecca answering in normal sentences with an occasional “cha!” with an upward motion with both arms… any guesses?  A toaster of course (or “slots” as he is called in the brave little toaster).   Anyway, I only wish I had video to demonstrate just how hysterical it can be.   In a few other scenes we were characters of the office, members of an unknown top secret mission, and another time we had to respond to every question with the opposite of the correct answer.

Anyway… the picture came on the same evening.  Can anyone guess what movie poster it is in honor of?  If you know the answer simply quote a line as a comment!

Music

I have come to realize I really enjoy music… I wish I could say I enjoy it in the sense of having actually mastering an instrument, but I have not. I am, although, an aspiring drummer, and I am constantly impressed by drummers such as Steve Gadd, Carter Beauford, and Warren “Otis Man” Backholm (a select few of the greats).   While I can’t claim to play a melodic instrument, I do hope to one day be a pianist, guitarist and possibly a cellist – probably in that order.  I know, I know… I have high hopes.  We’ll see if I ever make it past piano.

Anyway, I simply love the dynamics of music.  Do you ever find yourself being so entertained by simply listening to a great song and the different elements that add to the complex sound?   I’m not saying I have ever analyzed Chopin or Mozart, but I do like to sit down and listen to my favorite bands/artists, listening for how many guitars are playing and what other instruments are included, or taking special note to the ghost beats on the snare drum and the consistency of the hi-hat pattern (this sentence makes me think of “Rosanna” by Toto)… anyway, you get the idea.  I feel like it just goes to show that God designed music, and He did design it for His and our enjoyment.

The intended reason for this post was to share with you a new song I have been stuck on as of late and to do my best at explaining why I would be excited enough to post a blog about a song.  My wife can attest for the fact that I don’t always have a good reason for why I get so excited about new songs… It’s just something I do.  Maybe it’s the same reason why my brother-in-law gets excited when he discovers the taste of dirt in coffee or mushrooms in wine (I might have mixed those up).  Anyway, if you feel like listening to one of my new favorites  follow the link below (or paste it in your browser).

Lost! by Coldplay

http://www.last.fm/music/Coldplay/_/Lost%3F

Random

Sometime last year Paige (my sister) told me to write six random facts about myself.  These are not entirely about myself, but they are random and do pertain to my life.

1. I am one of 9 siblings.  Not a shocker for most of you, but it’s always a good conversation starter anyway.

2. I sometimes forget how many siblings I have and then have to count them starting with the oldest and naming them off down to the youngest… and yes, fingers are sometimes utilized.

3. I can never remember how old my siblings are when asked by friends or family.  I simply take my best guess with a phony expression of certainty and hope they don’t know better than I.  To my credit, I have on occasion referred to my driver’s license to remember my own age.

4. I do remember all of my siblings names – even middle names!

5. I can easily spend fun quality time with all of my siblings… with Tara, Paige and Piper there’s always shopping (which we all three enjoy very much) or a competitive game of nertz.  With Hutton and Racer there’s always the uplifting and team building exercise we like to call team deathmatch.  As for Aspen, Taffi and Libbi… lets just say we managed to get gum stuck in Aspen’s hair the other day through a combination of running, laughing and sliding face first across the living room.

6. I had to count all of the siblings mentioned in the previous paragraph to make sure I didn’t miss anyone… Also, I’m not quite certain I spelled Taffi’s and Libbi’s names correctly… so, mom, let me know if I didn’t and I’ll make a mental note for myself.

I’ll do my best to post more consistently in the future.

“Na peer”

Over the years I have developed a curiosity of how the name Napier really came into existence.  I’ve always believed it to simply be a French name but my recent findings have led me to believe otherwise.  In my research I discovered one widely accepted theory of a heroic Scottish soldier.  This Scottish warrior, Donald Lennox, was apparently given the replacement name by the King, Alexander II, as an act of acknowledgment for his bravery in battle.  The exact quote is as follows: “Ye have all done well but there is one amongst you who hath Na peer…”

In addition the King granted the lands of Gosford and lands in Fife and made him his personal servant. I guess at this point in time you could not ask for much more than a cool name, some cool land, and the privilege of serving a cool guy. Keep this theory in mind as you read the next theory.

The other widely accepted theory is that the name Napier is derived from naperer, a keeper of royal linens.  Naperer, in this context, literally refers to a person in charge of table linen in a royal or manor house.  The tradition, the legacy, the linens… it’s quite motivating really.  These “naperers” were most likely from England or France.

In conclusion I would like to thank one Donald Lennox – erm, I mean Donald “Na peer” Napier, for his heroic acts that moved King Alexander II of Scotland to bestow upon Donald the honorable and distinguished name of Napier, thus providing an alternative to the less than masculine story of the so called “naperers”.

Thanks to Donald, I can hold my head up high when I go to work tomorrow.  No longer do I have to take the humiliation of being a keeper of royal linens. In my discouragement I will say to myself “I have Na peer!”, and then I will remember the lands of Gosford and Fife.

Well, I need to go help Rebecca do some laundry, make the bed, and I think I heard talk of going to find some linens for our dining room table… Until next time!

Naperer