Easy come, easy go

September 2009 was great -- No, make that spectacular. October of this year? Not so much. Perhaps it's bad in comparison to the month before (really, how can anything compete with Las Vegas, Keith Urban, and Miranda's 21st birthday?), or maybe it's just bad. Let's hope this is merely a bump in an otherwise smooth road, since June, July, and August were all very good as well.

It all rests on you, November. No pressure.

Inside and out

I finally received confirmation today of something I always suspected: Nobody out there will ever really know anybody else. We think we do, but we are so very wrong. Most of us don't even truly know ourselves. Life, why must you be so complicated?

Different scenery

The seasons change, but I stay the same: I'm bored, I'm tired, I have no money. Sick of hearing it? Me too.

Craig was joking a few weeks ago about us running away somewhere, and oh how badly I wished he'd meant it. I am ready to trade these places for new territories. I long for an adventure of my own, where I don't have to worry about who is doing what or how everyone is getting along or why something wasn't done and on and on and on and on. I don't want any of that. It's my life and I should be living it for me -- At the same time, I don't want to miss out on everything that's going on here (which kind of seems to be happening anyway). I'm not hinting at a vacation, either, because you still have to come back to reality after that's all over; I just want something different.

At least I have a five-year plan to look forward to.

Fail

Dear Seth Rogen,

Please don't ever make a movie like "Observe and Report" again. I only laughed a few times during the 86 minutes I wasted on this garbage, one of which was the fat naked man's running scene. The rest of the time? Not so much. I'm still angry at how stupid the whole thing was.

P.S. I don't really like you anymore.

The upside to freezing

Instead of complaining about winter this year, I'm going to list off all the benefits of the frigid season:

*Snuggling is almost a requirement.
*Scarves.
*The crunching of leaves, and later, icicles.
*It's the perfect temperature and atmosphere to burn candles. I love candles.
*Decorations.
*Treats galore.
*Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
*Cute socks.
*Warming up in front of the fire.
*Blazer basketball.
*Christmas music.
*Pumpkin smoothies and sweet potato fries at Burgerville.
*Hot cocoa.
*Wrapping presents.
*Watching Christmas movies with the girls.
*It reminds me of Pullman.

Mysterious ways

Katie Pierson is a 20-year-old sweetheart with beauty queen good looks and a personality to match. This year she's studying abroad in Spain, and her mom told me a story yesterday that I just have to share. It goes something like this:

A few days ago, Katie went to a store near her home in Sevilla to buy some food. The place was really busy, so when it came time for her to pay she hurriedly handed over the amount without thinking about it. Before setting out on the return trip, she tucked a candy bar inside her backpack; the rest she carried in her arms. On the walk home, Katie noticed a couple of small children digging through a dumpster. The two children were skinny, dirty, and clearly very hungry. The road was busy with passersby, yet the air was filled with silence. Nobody spoke. Nobody coughed. Nobody gave the starving youngsters a second glance. Nobody, that is, except Katie. She walked over and handed the children everything she had worked so hard to buy. The children readily accepted the gift, showering Katie with gratitude, and at the same time, the people who witnessed the generous act began shooting her dirty looks. It was as though they believed her act of compassion was done out of arrogance. Katie continued home, unsure of where the children disappeared to or if she'd ever see them again. A little while after arriving in her room, she pulled the candy bar out of her backpack and began examining the receipt. She then discovered that, during the chaos at the busy store, she had actually only been charged for the candy she was holding in her hands. Everything else -- all the food she had given away -- was not on there. It was as though God meant for her to deliver those goods to the starving children. It was a miracle.

I almost started crying when I heard this story. All day I'd been fighting back tears of frustration and anger, but after hearing this act of selflessness I realized that everything I'd been feeling was still for me... I was frustrated for me, sad for me, angry for me. There's a girl halfway across the world who willingly gave everything in her grasp to those in need, yet I still struggle to keep my mind off my own little problems. It's stupid. Katie's story has inspired me to be more loving to my fellow man, and I hope by sharing it on here, others will do so as well.

I'll be back

Vegas was a crazy, fun, awesome, amazing, exciting, fabulous, exhausting, bizarre, overwhelming, intoxicating, expensive, jaw-dropping adventure. We got back more than a week ago and I'm still recovering.

I can't wait to do it again.