rambling...

It is a late night and I am trying to plan out my money for NYC. I am leaving on Saturday - I can't believe that this time next week I will be getting ready for New Year's Eve in Times Square. It's Crazy!

Today I experienced a 'first'. My mother and I went shopping and we didn't fight once - we didn't even argue. It was wonderful!

Tomorrow is the family gift exchange. We have to make a gift and we can't spend over $10 on it. I am the youngest one there. Everyone else is over 40. So the gift I could be a pie or something that was knitted. This year I think I made my best gift yet! I went to Lake Barkley this past weekend and took some photos of the lake during the sunset. I added some text to one of the pictures I took, printed a 8X10 photo and framed it. It's precious! Plus I get to say I've framed my photography & it makes me seem official. I am pleased with it.

And on to things.. I am wondering if this whole - being home from college thing is actually good. I mean.. I know it's "good". But sometimes I am just not sure how I feel about it. It is so hard to come home from a place where I have a minute by minute schedule to my home where I don't have to do anything - and usually end up sleeping the day away. Once in a while I spend time with old friends - I usually just end up doing dumb stuff and wishing I were somewhere else. Mainly because Irvine is turning into a scary place.

The Priceless store was robbed at gunpoint - but the robber got shot. So that's good, I guess. But the night before that another store was robbed. And the night before that ... an old antique place was robbed. I just don't understand some people. Why?? It made me a little scared to go to the store to get milk. That is different. Irvine has always been small - but safe. It's a small town where the problems are kept secret. But not Sunday night - we were on the news. We made headlines for our robberies. Fabulous.

But I am grateful for my family & friends that I have been blessed with while I am home. I don't know what I would do without my friend Sarah. She is just a source of encouragement and always knows just what to say. I am glad that old friendships have been revived. I missed some of the girls I spent Sunday night with.

Well it's time to listen to some music and slip into sleep - thinking all the while why things are the way they are..