Not sure what to call this one...

Rather than make excuses for why I haven't blogged in nearly two months (brokenlaptopcoughcough), I would just like to point out, isn't my new blog design pretty? Yay for pretty!

Today I am sleep-deprived and I'd just like to give you a hoshglosh of things... we can focus later, yes?

So for one, I stumbled on this picture today:

Why yes, I used to be cool. (Read: clearly, I was never cool.) To the people who know my family: doesn't Timmy look SO young? This was taken in fall '09, when he was 12. Random things I'm noticing, here... like this was back when I was still wearing my claddagh ring from Ireland, before it starting breaking. I was nervous that it was going to break all the way, so I took it off with the intention of fixing it... still haven't done that! And I was also sporting my MOS medal and JPII crucifix, before they (and probably that chain) got old and changed colors. Cheap metal for sure, but I loved them.

Currently, I'm procrastinating. I need to go get muffins or something for our youth group, since I challenged them to the 7am morning Mass! (David, cue the muffin joke.) I'm kind of a slacker tonight, though, because I usually make them homemade bakery... too sleepy, though. Besides, my bananas are wayyyy past gone (this is unfortunate, because it's the second thing I've had to throw out this month; it was my goal to waste no food whatsoever in July).

This has been another summer on the go for me! I've been to northeast Ohio multiple times, twice to southern Indiana, once to York, PA (with a quick side trip to Steubenville), to Kelley's Island, and to Missouri! This weekend will involve Sandusky, another jaunt to Steubie, and then... Sunday through Tuesday in Canada! Despite all this running around (some for work, some personal), Canada will be the first real vacation time I've taken this summer. So I'm quite excited for the land of maple leaves and mounties!

You know, this always happens to me: I never realize how ridiculous all of my plans sound until I tell other people. Hmm.

I think we're overdue for some book recommendations: recently, I would have to say Under the Mantle by Fr. Don Calloway and My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campell were both outstanding! For the ministry people, I also really liked Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries. As far as fiction goes, I picked up a copy of The Wizard of Oz in a used bookstore; I haven't read it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. The back story on this is that I've been a Fr. Michael Schmitz homily addict this summer (you may think I'm exaggerating... I am not). In one of his homilies, he pulled a story from the novel that I thought was quite profound, and not in the movie at all, so I was intrigued. I'll let you know.

Oh, and I have to say, I highly, highly recommend a children's book called The Day the Crayons Quit. It's hilarious! Next time you're in a bookstore, go to the children's section and find it. Pull up a chair and revel in the brilliance (preferably reading it out loud).

Speaking of childhood, you know what happened to me today? I found my DVD of The Little Mermaid - it has been lost for years and I never had any hope of seeing it again! On the downside, my adult self has so many issues with the messages in the movie (for instance, when your 16 year old child falls in "love" with a complete stranger and decides to move to a different habitat and become a different species, you shouldn't be worried). But on the upside, I like to sing all the songs because they make me happy (shallow much?).

Well, time for Walmart/calling my best childhood friend for her birthday (it will work out perfectly with the time zones. Usually I hate time zones, but sometimes it works to one's advantage).

Up next: some things I've learned from road tripping this summer!