2 weeks, 1 day, 29 minutes...

It is now 1:31 p.m. on Saturday, November 29, 2008 and it's hitting me...I will be graduating from college in just 2 short weeks. I can't believe how fast the past semester has gone by. There were days when the end seemed so far away. But now here I am, sitting home and contemplating my future. Where do I go next? Where should I live? work? I don't have any answers. When I started college 4 years ago I felt so confident. Compared to most of my friends I was unique. I had a major and minor--a direction to go in education-wise. Now, here I sit, more confused than ever. I have so many big decisions to make in the next month. Should I sign a lease here or out of state? Where can I find a job? I mean, this is such a solid economy, right? :) I guess I wanted to throw all this out here because I have no idea. I just needs prayers and support...that is all.

brrrrr

A few years back someone, someone who knows me very well actually, once said, "Jennifer can't stand to be alone when it's cold outside. She needs someone to keep her warm." I laugh thinking about it now because it was said as a half joke. I am always cold...even when it's 70 degrees outside I am still cold. I thought you were supposed to be more adaptable to cold Michigan weather when you've lived here your whole life. However, the tough gene must have skipped me because I am always cold. Maybe it was growing up in my house, where the thermostat never seems higher than 64. That's only when we have company too. Usually it's 62...I wish I was just kidding there...haha So, as I freeze a little from the cold weather outside I just want to mention a few of the things that help me stay warm: a hot cup of coffee, wrapping up tightly in a blanket (which usually lends itself to an afternoon of reading if I have my way...), knee-high socks, my favorite sweatshirt (which is perfectly broken in of course), and a few intangible things. For example, my mother's smile, laugh, and the way she drinks her tea. Or watching a good movie and having someone to share it with. Perhaps, the way my dad cares about my brother and I so dearly. He is such a softhearted, wonderful father. Even the way my family teases one another in a playful manner. Maybe I'm cold on the outside, but these all warm my heart, which is far more important....that is all. :)

11/11

The 11th of November...by far one of my favorite dates on the calendar (even now, 4 years later). I've always been a lover of dates. They are committed to my memory in a strange way, and (WARNING: The following information is very nerdy and boring.) I tend to notice "cute" patterns with the numbers involved. Example 01-02-03/ 08-08-08/ 02-04-06--yes, I'm serious. :) It's not like I make a huge deal out of this sort of thing, but it makes me smile. Now, 11:11 is a popular time for some people with the whole "make a wish" thing, typical of optimists under the age of 25. So, is it really that shocking that I would think 11/11 was so special?

Other things I find special:
When you pick up your phone to call someone and it starts ringing the instead your fingertips graze the surface with...surprise, surprise, that person on the other end.
When the first snow comes to town and the flakes dance across your nose and dance around the ground...so excited to be back after the long summer that they refuse to settle.
When you sit down and realize you don't have anything to do..the idea is do foreign you rack your brain, but alas, you can relax without feelings guilty about it. :)
When you impact someone's life---it might just be passing a stranger and shooting a smile in his or her direction, but it makes a difference.
When you look back and see how much you've changed in the past year, and hopefully, it was for the better. Maybe you even grew up a little, but not too much. "Be childlike, not childish" :)
When you jam out in the car and catch the people next to you staring, after a .001 seconds worth of embarrassment you just keep dancing. Life is too short to care what other people think about you.
When a hug from someone special can make all your problems just melt away. It's rare to find people like that and if you do, hold onto them, but also, know when to let go of people. This is one of the hardest lessons I've faced in life.
When you think back on old memories and still laugh out loud because of your friends involved in making them. A true Friend Is Like A Good Bra... Hard to Find. Supportive. Comfortable. And Always Close To Our Heart... ;)

...just some random thoughts on a good day, that is all. :)

329

Today I was the 329th voter for the 4th percident in Rochester Hills. Voting has always been a big deal for me. I went to the Secretary of State the day after my 18th birthday to register and haven't missed an election since. This is not going to be some rant about my political opinions by the way. My parents raised me to keep those thoughts private. :) However, I will talk about the importance of voting. Two hundred years ago when our country was founded we were given the right to vote (well at least white men were and since then it's spread to everyone else over the age of 18) and I hate to sound too corny, but it's a gift. My first election was in 2004, and it was a presidental election so it was all the more exciting. I'm proud to have a voice in this country. :) that is all..