Treats.

This'll be short, because Evan should arrive shortly, but I'm enjoying this little blog experiment so much I didn't want to miss a day.

Today I woke up to a torrential downpour and didn't feel so hot, so I skipped class... again. But, just like yesterday, the rain had turned into a soft mist just in time for my second class. This kind of rain is especially annoying to me. It doesn't drench you, but it beads up in my hair and makes my eyeliner run just enough to make me look like I haven't slept in days. Anyway, all the yuck aside, I managed to still get a good afternoon out of it all. I went downtown with one of my (new) favorite people in Auburn (seriously, it took me about two days to know that we were meant to be BFFAEAEAE) to celebrate her birthday over cupcakes, which turned into blackberry jam cake and a brownie because the cashier insisted. So we sat in Taylor's Bakery for just over an hour, sharing funny stories and touching on politics and religion. Malorie manages to walk a that thin line between cool and moral. She manages to have a sense of humor and a beautiful spirit and Godly presence all at the same time, without ever coming across condescending or pretentious. Here's to you, kiddo. Happy birthday.

Evan's here now, and I just gave him a haircut. I've always kind of dreamed of being a hairstylist, mainly because I find hair products fascinating. Seriously, I can spend an hour in the hair aisle just looking at and smelling the different conditioners, detanglers, volumizers, etc.

Okay, time to get ready for dinner with Lee and Alisa. Happy weekend.

Multitasking.

Talking on the phone + blogging = typos. Ugh.

Jesus loves you.

Today I was walking to the restroom in the office where I do undergraduate research. It should be noted that I get EXTREMELY bored while doing said "research" (I put that in quotes because I don't actually do research so much as I punch numbers from surveys into a computer database), and so I uses these little journeys to the bathroom to entertain myself. I force myself to wait until I'm so bored I can hardly stand it before I go to the bathroom. Sometimes, I count myself just to add a little extra excitement. Anyway, so today I was headed to the restroom. I kept seeing "WET PAINT" signs everywhere, so it didn't seem odd to me when a man in a paint suit started walking towards me in the hall. He was black with a white beard and kind eyes, very Morgan Freeman-y, and he walked right up to me and said, "Good afternoon, young lady." I smiled and responded appropriately, and then he said, "Can I tell you something? Now, this is very important so listen carefully." I told him to please tell me; he was making me a little nervous. He looked me dead in the eye, smiling from ear-to-ear, and said, "Jesus loves you." I'm still smiling just thinking about it. I thought that was really beautiful-- that boldness, that genuine love, that need to share something so important. I like to think that he challenges himself to say that to one person everyday, and that really inspires me. What if every person that loved Jesus told just one person that Jesus loves them, too? Not in a way that was scary, like the people that come to campus with their flame-adorned signs broadcasting "SINNERS GO TO HELL!" And not in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable or talked down to. Just a friendly passing on of a very important message: Jesus loves you.

I pray that I'm that bold.... that someone somewhere is inspired by me, that His light shines brightly through me.

Furthermore.

A couple of more things before I say goodbye to Wednesday.

I Love You, Man was... hilarious. So good. Yes, it had vulgar moments. What movie doesn't nowadays? Yes, it had awkward moment. But they weren't the ones that made you look away. It was pretty perfect.

Also, I'm so sucked into American Idol I can barely stand myself. I've never watched it before, aside from the occasional audition episode. But I'm so in, and each week I'm more emotionally attached to each contestant. My favorites: Adam Lambert (incredible!) and Danny Gokey (he loves Jesus! AND he's incredible!).

On another note, there is NOTHING on TV on Wednesday nights. What am I usually doing on Wednesday nights that has left me so bored tonight??

If it's coming down tomorrow the way weather.com has predicted, I'm playing hookie. So there.

Slippery when wet.

There are several very, very good reasons not to wear flips-flops on a rainy day. For instance, they flip AND they flop. The very name of the product should have warned me, but the convenience of slipping them on on my way out the door overrode my sensibility. So, I walked through campus today, flipping and flopping water up the backs of my calves. Furthermore, my cheapo Old Navy flops (which I adore), aren't what you might call the most high quality. That is, there is ZERO traction. I imagine I was quite the sight as I tensely tip-toed over the bricks and painted pavement (think: crosswalk. more dangerous than you might assume). Not to mention, all the water and grime that covers your unprotected feet. As rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week (and the rest of the season, probably), it may finally be time to invest in some much-needed rain boots.

As I walked through campus today, trying desperately to navigate my way around puddles (remember the flip-flops?), I couldn't help but notice the puddles themselves. Pale yellow, chalky dust skimmed the edges of the puddles and lines the cracks in the sidewalks. I don't ever like to be out in the rain, but it was nice to be reminded how God takes cares of you even in the little things. That same pollen has been giving me headaches and coating my car for weeks (okay, I'm driving my dad's car right now, and he would FREAK if he saw the yellow tinge of his once aqua-blue convertible). So, I'm taking it as a personal favor from God that he knocked all the pollen down for me. Not to mention how He meets every other need that comes along.

For now, I'm off to be poked and prodded at the doctor's office. Boo, thyroid.

Tuesday is cheap movie night at the theater. This makes Lindsey a happy girl.

One of my favorite things to do is take bubble baths. I know, that's random. But being able to take a bubble bath means that I have TIME to take a bubble bath. It means that my homework is (hopefully) done and my room is probably clean and there is nothing left to do but relax in a hot bath.

So last night, even though my room was a far cry from clean, I decided to take a bath. And there, amidst the bubbles and the steam, I started thinking. I'm quickly approaching that part of life where it feels like everyone around me is getting engaged. Every week a new girl in my class walks by with a flashy new rock on her left hand, or I get an e-mail that we're having a candle light at chapter, or I hear through the grapevine that another classmate is getting married. Luckily, I have a significant other, so it's not like I'm desperate for love or spiraling into depression that I'm not the blushing bride-to-be. I'm perfectly content with the idea of getting married in a couple years. No, I'm GLAD that I'm not getting married for a couple more years. It's just that... Sorority life really never fit me. And in high school I had one female friend that was my other half and that's all I needed. So now here I am, imagining myself as the bride with sweet Evan as my groom. I can easily picture his groomsmen, all stunning in their tuxes: Lee, D, Cousin John, Logan, Thomas, Ryan Godwin... maybe even more. And then I pan to myself. There I am, Lauren by my side. Alice and Jane line up behind her, not just because they're Evan's sisters but because I'm very lucky to call them friends as well. But that's only three. My best friend in Auburn is a boy, and Trey would hardly be willing to be a "bride's maid." If I really think about it, I can pick people out... but I'll always be afraid that, although they'd happily accept my offer, they'd be left thinking, "Really??..."

I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. It's just hard not to be overwhelmed with thoughts like that when everyone around me is coupling up. And I've always dreamed of my wedding... big and grand, simple but elegant, unforgettable to everyone that attends. And this revelation really puts a damper on that little fantasy. But about that bridge...

I'm going to see I Love You, Man tonight. I've seen so many slap-stick comedies that rely too heavily on sex and vulgarity to really be clever or memorable lately, so I have low expectations for this movie. But I find that you get the best results that way, when there's nowhere to go but up.

Speaking of that movie... it starts in 20 minutes. Guess that's all, folks.

Adieu.

Here I am.

I've always wanted a blog. Like, a good blog. One that's good and interesting and not just a list of what I've done or plan to do within a 24 hour period. I've attempted blogs before, but usually when I need to vent or am on some sort of rampage... but those don't usually last very long, and so I couldn't even tell you how to get to my former blogs; I suppose they're all floating about in Cyber Space somewhere...

Anyways, recently I've been inspired to write by a friend who is, in a word, inspiring. So for now I'm writing for myself or for whoever might like to read... if I ever tell anyone about this little adventure. Maybe my family will catch on one day, or maybe a friend in a far away place. Or maybe I'll just let it all out here in my new Internet diary.

I've always liked writing, I've just never known what to write. I don't particularly like to create stories about characters I don't know. Lots of authors feel very close to their characters, like they are real people in their everyday lives, but I've never felt that way. I just need to write about what I know... who I know. So that's what I'm going to do, without inhibition or worrying that you'll be bored or wonder why I'm writing... because who are 'you' anyway? You're my Internet diary, and you always find me interesting.

So, here I am. Officially. A blogger. We'll see how long it lasts.

Such are the ramblings of Self.