Things that are making me happy right now:
1) my new fleece pajama bottoms (on sale!). Never changing out of them.
2) my new TV (thanks mom and dad!)
3) knowing and feeling God's presence... can't explain why or how, but it's like an embrace from an old friend.
4) imitrex - for those ghastly migrianes, as i have suffered 3 this week.
5) coffee - my other old friend. :)

OVERHEARD ON THE SUBWAY THIS MORNING...

This girl's manicures must really hurt.

Girl: I know your nail keeps growing, but does the skin keep growing with it? I mean, it's attached to your skin.

This made the water I was drinking come out of my nose.

me: If I was published, my pen name would be J. Maria Hopkinson.
friend: We have to call you "J. Maria?"
me: Yes.
friend: Your rap name could be JuMama.

Sometimes you come across a song that says exactly what you're thinking.

You love me, but you don't know who I am
I'm caught between this life I lead and where I stand
You love me, but you don't know who I am
So let me go
Just let me go

The Long Walk Home

Last night, I walked down 5th Avenue after seeing the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (which really was spectacular) to catch the subway home. I don't know if it was because I was feeling all warm and gushy inside from the show, but I passed something that punched a hole in my gut and almost made me start crying in the middle of the streets of New York. It wasn't something new, or different, or entirely unexpected, but for some reason it slapped me across the face. As I passed two of New York's big, beautiful churches which line 5th Avenue, I saw homeless people curled up in blankets on the church stoop underneath the archways. And I wanted to cry. I felt it in my gut, in that place deep down where your emotions start from. I felt pity, sadness, and anger. And I thought of the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the priest and the Levite walk by the poor old beat up man, those people who are supposed to show mercy but in reality find themselves too good to help the common beggar. I pity those poor people who have to live like that. I'm sad that we live in a world where most people want the problem to go away but like the priest and the Levite find their own lives too important to get involved with solving such an astronomical problem. Most people, you and I included, just walk on by because we have our own lives to worry about. And I'm angry that we think that's ok. It really pisses me off that most people just want someone else to take care of the problem.

But I walked on by, and got on the subway. Pasted to the wall of the subway car is a little sign with some basic prohibitions. It says the word "Please" then underneath are 3 pictures with the proverbial red circle with a slash through it to show there is no smoking, no littering, etc. on the subway. But next to the word "please," someone had written the word "pray." To which, after taking in the sad sights of 5th Ave, I can only give a resounding "Amen." Not only prayer that asks God to solve the homeless problem, but prayer that asks God to turn our hearts to be part of the solution. That is the bigger feat.

They're back on DVD and they MADE MY DAY!!!

This CRACKED ME UP.

me: sorry you can't make it to my party.
friend: me too. but i can't believe all these excuses people make so they don't have to commit to coming. as if you live in siberia.
me: yeah well, you can't force people to come.
friend: If I can catch the last yak and don't have frostbite on my kidneys, I maaaaaay make it.