You're going to find her gone...

I think the idea of casual dress at work has been taken a bit far - a woman just walked by wearing a gray Spongebob Squarepants t-shirt!

My youngest brother graduated from 8th grade last night. His entrance into high school made me contemplate where I'll be in four years. I'd like to say a lot of things, but I really won't know until it happens, will I? Jamie is beginning to be so grown up. Since I've been home he's been telling me about speeches he's made, and that he's been running for offices in several clubs he's involved in, but it wasn't until last night when he read a petition that I realized that he is actually capable of making a speech. He speaks so clearly and confidently, definitely not like the jumpy ADHD kid I used to know. Don't get me wrong, he is still a kid in many senses, but I can begin to see the man in him, and I'm really happy that I get to know him.

One of the passages from last night's mass really stuck with me.

"For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love."
2 Peter 1

I think it is important to remember that it is not enough to have faith without virtue, virtue without knowledge, etc, and that love affects all. We can never forget love.

I would end this post there, except I feel that I cannot not include a link to the Top Ten Things to Consider as You Head to the Water this Summer. World Ocean Day is June 8th! The oceans really are in bad shape - we can all do a little bit to help!

No One Would Riot For Less

If you haven't figured it out already, I'm a little weird. That is why I couldn't pass up the opportunity this weekend to watch this video . Jeff Peckman believes he has been stalked by aliens all of his life, and they're implanting complex equations into his head. My favorite one involves the word "cheese." He also devotes a page on his website to images of aliens throughout history, which makes sense because he is, after all, from Colorado Springs. This isn't all mocking, though. I am a little hesitant to believe in this kind of thing, but just because I don't believe it doesn't mean I don't enjoy it thoroughly. Aliens and government conspiracy are an extremely fun, albeit geeky, hobby.

I went to a swing dance last night, at which I could not dance because I have somehow pulled a muscle in my left calf. I now walk like an old lady, according to my dad. It was nice to see some of my friends, though. There were lots of people there to talk to, so I didn't miss out too terribly much. However, at one point a guy, one of the best dancers there, came up to me and asked me to dance, and didn't believe me when I said I couldn't. Oh well.

Well, after some tea, I'm a little more prepared to face the work-day. I have a love/hate relationship with caffeine. I love it, it hates me.

Strawberry Fields Forever

This song just came on the radio and I had a sudden flashback to being nine years old at my best friend's house down the street singing "Strawberry fields forever" without any clue that it was a Beatles song. We listened to records that belonged to her teenage brothers, we gleefully put old fruit in the street to be run over, and made up all kinds of games. Then, suddenly, the phone rang and I was brought back to my twenty-year old self spending yet another workday in an office that sells bank and financial directories. Every day is different, but different doesn't necessarily mean interesting. I'm not complaining though, even if the day drags by, because this is my life and it is a good life.

I'm now a junior at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida. I'm three semesters away from a BA in Biology, and afterwards I will be going to nursing school to get my advanced practice nursing degree in midwifery. I'm in love with a wonderful young man who currently lives in the-middle-of-nowhere, Vermont. I fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams this past year - shark tagging. It was amazing to be able to see and touch these beautiful creatures I've admired since I was two years old. I think my ideal life would be living with Stephen, catching sharks and babies (though I don't think he'd be really keen on helping with either of those two things).

But for now, I'm just trying to be content with what I'm doing. Answering phones, watching movies, going to swing dances. My goal for this year is to love being twenty.