all i can say is this:

1.) Only days left until SEND: Camden 2010. If 2009's trip was any indicator of how this one will go, it's sure to be another one of the best experiences of my life. 2.) I still run on Dunkin' most of the time, but I now also have a particular fondness for Boston Donuts on Park Ave. Khalua Creme or Almond Joy iced coffee can sometimes put hazelnut to shame. 3.) Unsure if I'm feeling up to the challenge of forgoing Facebook for forty days and forty nights another time around. 4.) Ever wonder how LCD screens work? Ever care to know? It's not all that exciting, trust me. 5.) The age of technology has put us in constant contact with one another. Sometimes I wonder if that's always a good thing. The more technologically advanced we get, the more we drift away from the simpler joys in life. 6.) Turns out Khaki-Beige Puke doesn't show up on anybody's list of favorite colors. 7.) Ever see those TV ads by Autism Speaks? The estimated prevalance of autism spectr...

Nicki got us all Christmas gifts. They're little coin jars, each one painted with a cute theme picked to match the receiver. Kim's jar is a Wine Fund, Becca's is Vacation Money, Maggie's is for Happy Hour and mine is for Hopeless Dreams. I laugh. It's a good gift, not at all offensive because I'm forever complaining about wishing & hoping for things I can't have, things that most likely won't happen. To me, this is great, because it's someone else besides myself acknowleging that a lot of the time, when I find something in life that I really want to happen, the joke is on me. Now, I have a way to take my wishful thinking and transform it into something I can use as a financially-struggling college senior: a jar full of spare change. While still laughing, I start taking change from off my desk and placing it into the jar. I proudly dedicate each coin to one of my many Hopeless Dreams, like the jar instructs me to. Nicki shakes her head, laughs, an...

yeah. i picked my stupid topic. not like i had much choice in the matter, though. it's been staring me down since last friday night saying "pick me. just suck it up and do it already. i don't care if you don't want to, you HAVE to." 4. WHAT KEEPS US FROM GOD? SIN AND FORGIVENESS: Talk giver must be open about his/her sins; how did your behavior hold you back from fully living your life? What effect does sin have on your personality? On the larger community? What is your experience with forgiveness and the freedom that comes with it? What has your experience with the sacrament of reconciliation been like? How does it feel to know that God forgives you? oof. quite honestly, the thought of "sharing" about my sinfulness with a group of confirmation kids and a handful of my own peers & friends makes my stomach knot up big time. i've done a lot of stupid things in my life--stupid things that i don't want to tell people about for fear of judgment. n...