Kansas City

This afternoon I will be driving to Columbia, picking up two lovely ladies by the names of Laurie & Margaret, and then will head a couple more hours west to Oleathe, KS. My old college roommate, Alexis, and her husband, Justin, just bought a beautiful house. Justin is going to Chicago tomorrow for the Chiefs - Bears football game (that sounds so awesome!) so it is officially a GIRLS WEEKEND!

Alexis & I, random roommates freshmen year, were perfect. Personality-wise we were different, but we were absolutely ridiculously crazy together. Random was our middle name. I don't know how many bizarre inside jokes we have. We even started a book to keep track of things we did/things that happened to us: "Alexis & Natalie's Book of Randomness." We found Laurie and were the three muskateers in college... us going to Eva J's for dinner every night in the dorms, us vs. the other roommates at the TGS house, making horrible creations at craft nights, us and our crazy sorority.

Well, then I went to Chile and when I came back Alexis & Justin were inseparable. Laurie & I became pretty inseparable. And now we're all separated.

I miss my girls. Nothing will be the same again. We've grown apart, chosen different paths, don't always understand each other.... but I can assure you that sometime this weekend we will get a short feeling of "man, some things never change."

Chicago!

Charity & I drove up to Chicago this past weekend. Ah, how I love that city!

Have you ever crashed a bridal shower? Well, Friday night Charity & I did. Bah! Linny asked if we'd pick her up from the suburb of Bolingbrook where she was at Sharon's shower. I hadn't seen Sharon since we were in Linny & Keith's wedding together 3 years ago. And she's marrying a groomsman from their wedding - how perfect! I love bridal showers...the silly games and gifts and food and girl chatter and jokes and sexy presents ;) but I still felt awkward not being invited and all... I joke, it wasn't bad and I was glad to see Sharon & wish her & Andrew well.

We drove into the city around 10pm, up Lake Shore Drive for a sweet view of Chicago at night. Meredith & Nate welcomed us into their cute little apartment with open arms. We watched "Flight of the Conchord." BAH! Oh so ridiculous.

Saturday probably walked 20 miles. I don't really know - I'm bad at estimating. But we were exhausted and sore. We took the El to visit Mere at her boutique! And then down to the Loop where Linny showed us Elite, her modeling agency, and the Rock'n'Roll McDonalds. Lunch was at Geno's, yummy Chicago Deep Dish. Then we hit the Magnificent Mile!!! Walked all up and down and to Millenium Park to look at "the bean". We headed to State Street and each of us bought something at the three-story Forever 21. I <3 deals. We grabbed sandwiches and met Meredith & Ashley in the pavilion in Millenium Park to listen to the works of Leonard Bernstein.

It turned out to be a fantastic girls night... music in the park followed by a ridiculous romp trying to get to Navy Pier. Meredith, I'll leave that story for you to tell! We tried to visit a model friend at a ritzy seafood restaurant and Ashley peeled an older woman off the sidewalk who tripped and nursed her back to health. We found legitimate bathrooms at Navy Pier and bought some yummy nuts to watch the fireworks.

Sunday we went to Mere & Nate's church in the suburbs where they lead worship & help with the youth. After a silly lunch with Mr. Onion Roll Man, Charity & I said our goodbyes and trekked to IKEA! I LOVE IKEA! Unfortunately the closest one to me is this one that was 5 hours away. Oh well. I got a muffin tin, magazine holder, dish scrubbie, and canvas bag so now I can be like those environmentalist ladies who bring their own bag to the grocery store! Love it!

Thanks for guiding us around! And thank you for your loving hospitality!! I thank God for this family of believers. Our apartment is open in St. Louis anytime...!

without words

What if you don't know what to say anymore? Someone's intermittent sadness and negativity and self-deprecation is so depressing. You finally get it out of her what she's upset about... and you have nothing to say. Anything sounds trite, she's heard it all before....

*Being in a relationship won't change your life, attitude, or happiness.

*You're beautiful and loved.

*You're doing so well being strong... Don't renew your friendship with him although I know you're lonely and it's easy and comfortable to you. You've got to heal, get to know yourself, and fight those weaknesses that got you into that drawn-out situation in the first place. I'm sorry it's so hard.

*Stop feeding your emotions and negativity! Take every thought captive to the lordship of Jesus Christ....

She knows these things... but they're not truth in her life, they haven't sunk in. It doesn't make sense to me, but for some reason through nurture and/or nature I sometimes feel like the lone girl with this weird easy-going, "oh well, let's move on to something we can control" practicality. I wish I could relate better. I know it's hard for her, I know she's trying... sometimes her emotions just get the best of her.

If I tell her that someone thinking you're special won't really change your life or outlook or happiness, it just sounds like something someone already in a relationship would say.

So I wander away lamely. Blah...