let me just tell you 7 things

Last night I made cookies, sat in the silence of the lobby in front of the fire and read until... sometime after 3 am. All I know is that I had a couple of vivid dreams and SNORK -- woke up with a jerk. It was 4:45 in the morning and the fire was still on and I was still sitting up with the computer in my lap. Thing one: Mark Twain, you're exhausting.

The 7:50 club, as usual, was a saving grace. All of our faces have a range of scrunched up, raisin-y, drunken smiles. It's early. Thing two: Friends are an instant pick-me-up.

I got to eat dinner with Kayla today above the Globe. Just like old times. We talked about how our relationship has shifted since we're not roommates anymore. We ate pizza and waved at people. Thing three: Change isn't just a shift, but a chance for growth.

Kyle Kunzmann ran up to Anne and I today because he got a facebook request from Unattractive Llama. Frame photos --> floor photos --> ransom notes --> wall photos --> door photos --> mailbox photos --> e-mail photos --> facebook photos. Thing four: Llama appearance venues are running low.

Kayla, Anne, and I went to McConn and all studied in our favorite places. Homework curled up by the fireplace is a two-sided coin. The side with Abraham Lincoln's face on it is that the fire is warm and the chair is comfortable. I can prop a book on my lap and highlight away. The side with the building on it is that the warm, comfy fire makes me fall asleep. In a public place. Where lots of people can see me. Thing five: Having an opportunity to get work done the slow way is calming.

It's fall and the leaves are changing and the fires are bonning. I got to wear gloves tonight. Our room smells like sweet spiced pumpkin. Thing six: It's a new season and I love it.

Emily Larson's unit is going through a tough time. God is allowing them to be snapped broken like a vanilla wafer, and they're crumbling. One of the girls' dad passed away suddenly this morning, other girls are physically afflicted, others are struggling with guilt and shame, and Emily herself has been spiritually attacked, even in her dreams. Today Kayla, Danielle, and I held Emily and then made a snap decision: it was time to run away. We threw on whatever shoes were closest, opened the window, hopped out, and ran to the soccer fields. No residents, no homework -- just the stars. We laid down on the dugout and watched the stars. We sang to God, prayed, said bits of verses, talked, and gave everything to God. Then the biggest, longest, brightest shooting star any of us have ever seen flew across the sky. Thing seven: God is here. We are broken little bits who have found wholeness in Him. He told us tonight.