the sticky wicked.

i just think it's about time i send a shout out to my theology class:

I HATE YOU SO MUCH.

i (along with everyone else in the class) never, ever understand what my professor is talking about.

whenever we ask him when we're actually going to start learning something, he responds with a thirty minute response about how his ten year application is due soon.

i was so bored the other day that this happened...

yes, i did in fact list out the numbers 1 to 1000 during class.

if i could draw i would do that but you can probably see the results of my efforts at THAT up at the top.

oh well. after dirty looks from professor lee from the entire period, it was so worth it to hit 1000.

luvlyfe.

but probably even worse is the freshman boy who likes to entertain all the young girls in the class by talking about all the vodka he drank last night.

i hate to break it to you, bro, but drinking your hard a with your roommate in your dorm room does not actually count as a phat rager.

but moving on, i finally got a new camera!

i haven't really gotten the chance to use it yet because of a couple complications, but i did capture a couple birthday festivities.

lovely sarah came to visit (and geoff's in this in spirit).

fruit tarts at dinner!

family dinner. wish i'd gotten one with the actualy fambam but this will have to do. :)

 birthday dinner with my men.

and my women.

and my ROOMEZ.

thanks to all the loves who made my september 22nd wonderful.

pensive tuesday.

"affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives."

-c.s. lewis

 i can't decide whether i agree with this or not.

or i did until about 2 days ago when i was walking back from the gym after watching fantastic mr. fox during my workout.

(yes, i went to the gym 3 days in a row; and yes, fantastic mr. fox was on while i was ellypticalling)

i'm heading back towards my dormitory and all the sudden a seagull lands in front of me.

now, i don't know if anyone else would've gotten the same moment of solid and durable happiness that i did, but realizing that i'm living close enough to the ocean that i can be walking back from the gym and run into a friendly seagull somehow proved mr. lewis wrong to me.

there's something about the sea that can't not bring a smile to my face. i don't even like swimming that much anymore, but you can't be on the beach and not feel just a little more glee swimming inside you.

but onto the opposing argument.

yesterday, i received many emails from the facer family updating me on jeff facer's uganda adventures. now, i can't give you direct quotes or anything, because there is a very official disclaimer at the end of the emails telling me i can't reveal the information to anyone else, but i can paraphrase how it made me feel.

jeffrey facer: i love you.

the amount of happiness that his words brought me literally made me cry.

it kind of trumped the friendly seagull.
which brings me to my next point.

it's all about perspective.

that's my cliché of the week.

maybe the "happiness" fantastic mr. fox brought me didn't count because it wasn't as strong as the kind affection brought.

what is real happiness?

do you need the complexity of relationships to provide you true joy in life?

or maybe what lewis didn't realize is that the happiness that this affection ends up taking away balances out with the huge amount it initially gives.

since love is the ultimate contradiction.

that must be why i find so much joy in the simple pleasures in life:

accidentally ending up at the santa monica pier, but responding with windows down and sheryl crow blasting.

being reminded of my love for the o.c. while buying my $5 rooney concert ticket.

living with people i love, with more people i love down the hall...all 10 minutes from the beach.
being told that i look like winona ryder in heathers. hello flattery.

making eye contact with cute boys at the book store.

finding a $4 sunshine colored bow hair comb at urban.

but most importantly, celebrating miss kate's twentieth birthday from a couple states away.

love you katiedid91.

and i'm sure joshy would love you too.

happy tuesday everyone, make it a pensive one.

xoxoxoxo.

p.s. shout out to caroline for actually keeping up with follow the sun. love you carrot. 

a tad late and a pinch early.

happiest of birthdays to my JANUARY family members!

{steve mccollum - the best dad ever}

&

{maddy mccollum - best sister ever...tied with ali}

 

love you both so so much

xoxoxoxo.

alright tight.

happy birthday to dearest jeff facer!

 
it's always an honor to call you my future husband, my long distance phone companion, my friendly lover & simply my favorite.

love you!

holy shenogans.

guess whose birthday it is?

  

happiest of birthdays to the best roommate/mother ever, miss rachel usedom!

october 27th, 2010.

i love these two:

{alison catherine mccollum - 13 years old}

{paige nicole riley - 18 years old}

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO YOU BOTH I LOVE YOU!! 

(and of course to dearest Mamy too - we miss and love you!)