Hmmm. . . what to write. . . well, it's not that there hasn't been anything going on.  I'm just not sure where to start.  Well, since coming home, I have pretty much run errands, run parents on errands, clean, watch some tv, and sleep.  First of all- sleep!  Do you have any idea how good it feel to finally be getting at least eight hours a night?!  It's amazing!  Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who really needs eight hours to be right with the world (though I've learned how to manage with less.)  Anyhoo, tomorrow, though, I've decided that I'm going to get up at a decent time.  I guess I haven't been doing too badly, but I feel as if I've been utterly worthless (which I know is not true, but hey, work with me here!)  So, tomorrow, bright and early, and cleaning!  I know, yay.  Actually, I don't mind cleaning.  It's so much better when the rest of the family is gone and I can do it how I like at my own pace.  And then at the end, I feel like I've actually accomplished something.  Wow, do I sound like a first-born perfectionist right now.  Sorry!  Okay, enough about cleaning.

(I just got off the phone with James.)  It looks like I'm going to be able to see him on Thursday.  I'm excited, it should be fun.  We're thinking about going down to Chicago and walk ing downtown, maybe look at all the lights that are on Michigan Ave.

Random topic change: do you ever wish God chose to show us our future?  I know that you can get into a deep debate about this and say that if you knew it, you might not want it.  Or that you might try to make it happen too fast and ruin things.  But since it's all hypothetical anyway, sometimes I wish I knew the answers.  Speaking as one who struggles with patience, I have such a hard time with how slow things progress.  I've heard that God answers prayer three ways: yes, no, or wait.  Yes is nice, and no can be dealt with, but wait is hard.  Wait requires more faith that God knows what he's doing and we have to again sit back, take our hands off the situation, and let him work--in his time.  I've had a lot of questions brought up in my mind recently.  And it seems like most of those answers have been replied with a wait.  And I know I don't have to have my life figured out, I'm only 18.  But at the same time- aren't we always told that we have to live where we are now, and take advantage of every opportunity given?  I don't think I'm making any sense.  Let's see. . . example: What if you were 18 and  you were offered a job.  It's a good job that seems to be exactly what you've been looking for and it doesn't seem to have any major drawbacks.  You would be interested in taking it, right?  But what if that job required a long term commitment?  You had to stay with that job for 20 years- no changing.  And you are still in college, with other jobs out there, maybe.  Do you go with what you have, and always wonder what might have been?  Or do you pass up on a perfectly good opportunity and hope for something better?  Is (as the cliche goes) a bird in the hand really better than two in a bush?  Okay, now I know I'm not making any sense.  It's getting kind of late, and I'm rambling.  I just need to go take yoga and buy a bonsai tree to work on my patience.  (Actually, that's not such a bad idea!)  Okay, I really am done with my strange rantings.  I'm really better talking in person where there's someone there to tell me when to shut up.  Sorry.

Anyhoo, I've just been doing a lot of thinking, and when I think, I get in trouble.  You think I would have learned my lesson by now, but no. . . .   Oh well.  C'est la vie!  Well, I hope everyone out there has an absolutely wonderful night!