The retreat was awesome!  It was the greatest thing since Rome, and maybe better.  I have never been on a retreat with so many teens who wanted to be there, and it was refreshing to see so many other spiritual teens.  It took me awhile to get out of my shell, but the people were nice.  There was such a positive atmosphere, and it was really cool that Hilley was there, she was great.  At one point we split into four groups, and my group was christain service planning, and I really liked that.  I would like to do some work with the poor sometime, and that gave me some ideas of how I could.  The "pilgrimage" with the bishop was very spiritual, but I had trouble with the Eucharistic Adoration.  I can see how it is significant for some people, but I just couldnt see it as more than bread.  I don't really believe in the trinity, and I don't think that Jesus is my savior.  Sometimes I think I should look into other religions, and see if they work for me better, but the catholic church is my home.  I feel more comfortable at Blessed Trinity than I do in my own house, and I love a lot of things about the Catholic faith.  While there was confusion, the retreat was still excellent. 

On Tuesday, I went to the mall with Alex and Sara, cause Alex's parents were making him get some clothes.  I was sitting in a chair outside the JC Penny dressing room, when a lady parked a stroller with her kid in it next to me.  The kid immediately started staring at me.  Its eyes were really wide, like it was terrified of me.  I tried to be nice and smile, but this must have made me look more threatening, because it started reaching for its mother and pushing itself to the other side of its chair, like it had to get as far away from me as possible.  Finally I said, in the most high pitched, baby-like, unthreatening voice I could manage, "Its OK, Im not gonna hurt you."  It grew really pale, like I was a Balrog or a Rancor or something, and just shrieked and wailed and cried for its mom.  Honestly, am I that ugly?

Ive been thinking a lot about college lately, and the biggest question I have is "why?"  Why go to college? to get a degree.  Why get a degree? to get a better job.  Why get a better job? to make more money.  I dont want money.  I want to see the world, and I guess that costs money, but I dont want to do it the rich way.  Id rather just backpack around.  Or do missionary work, or join the Peace Corps.  I think a lot about happiness, and I dont see how going to college is going to make me happy.  Ive spent 12 years learning, and I want to go into the real word, not learn some more.  It would be neat to learn about Anthropology, but I'd rather learn firsthand doing one of the aforementioned things.  "I never let my schooling interfere with my education" -Mark Twain.  I really want to read On the Road by Jack Keraouc.  Most people tell me that I'm unrealistic, but I honestly feel that I can live a content, fufulled life without going to college.  Im still going, of course, everyone would kill me if I didnt, I just wont go wholeheartedly.

current mood: contemplative

This weekend has been awesome so far

Thursday after school was pretty boring.  No one could do anything till later, so I read a National Geographic.  At 10, when Alex got off work and Jon got off Emily, they come over here and we basically played Battlefront till the wee hours of the morning.

On Friday Sara, Jack and Andy came over to join me, Alex and Jon.  We played LOTR Risk but didnt get to finish.  We also played a lot more Battlefront and went on the trampoline a little.  After Alex, Jona and Sara left, me, Andy and Jack played real world Risk.  I kicked their ass twice, and am now the Undisputed Grand Emporer of the Entire World.  After they left, I sat around and read a lot.  At 10-ish Alex, Jon and Steve came over so we could go see Hitchhiker's Guide.  The problem was that we could only go to an AMC theater, because I only had gift certificates there, and the only showing we could find was at 11:40.  So we went to Steves to play pool (he kicked out asses), and then went to see the movie.  It was awesome, not as good as the book, but still kick-ass.  The movie was also significant for me in other ways, but I wont go into details here.  Tracy/Trillian is an awesome character ("lets go to Madagascar" how awesome is that?).  On the way home, after an adventure with a frappuccino bottle, we stopped at dennys.  When we got home, we played battlefront till 5ish.  One of the best days ever.

Got up at 8 this morning, mowed and did other chores.  I have finally made $500 to pay off the Rome trip.  I really really really need this job at the library.  Me and Alex then walked to church for the field day there.  The rock wall was awesome, but infinetly frustrating.  I could not for the life of me, get up the hard face, but god I wanted to...  It was really frustrating, and now my fingers are all sore and my feet are cut up, and I NEVER MADE IT UP THE F-ING WALL.  *sigh* I really need to get in shape.  I went home, took a shower, and I was gonna go do homework and then go ushing, but I plopped on my bed and was snoring in minutes.  3 hrs of sleep and that f-ing wall of impossibiliy sapped me, so I didnt go ushing (sorry Hilley).  I am currently doing my history thing that I gotta email Justine (well Im really updating my LJ, but thats what I should be doing). 

Tomorrow I'm going to 900 mass, then that brunch thingy for graduates.  After that I'm off to the beach with my dad to the beach.  I don't really want to go to the beach, but it should still be fun.  I could use some isolation for thought, and I havent seen my dad in a while.  Hopefully the burnage will be minimal. 

AP Exams next week. Three of them. It will be tough, but as soon as they're over life will be very easy.

All in all an excellent weekend, with lots of friends but also with some valueable time to myself.  Some other friends who I havent seen in a while arent doing that well based on their LJs and I hope life starts looking up for them.

current mood: content

I was kinda bored today, and I started writing this....

The past few days have been relatively good.  I'm still awaysick, but that will probably last until E, S & W.  I'm finally done with all my make up work, and I am on top of everything.  Today was good.  I got a cupcake from ashley.  I borrowed my dad's CD collection, so I am currently an a trip through the 70's filled with Led Zepplin, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Yes.  Well theres not much to say about my life but here's a little thing on my views on money and property and stuff, prompted by conversations with Patty and Jack.

I've made a discovery!

I've had a revelation!

I've forged a creation!

I've initiated a breakthrough!

I've made an amazing discovery!

It's creative, unique, and clever!

It's visionary, inventive and bold!

It's distinct, vivid, imaginative, divine, extravagant, fantastic, super, exotic and utterly brilliant!

It will rock the world, shake humanity as a whole!

I will be honored!

I will be glorified!

I will be commemorated, worshiped, commended, acclaimed, venerated, admired, celebrated, revered, ennobled, maybe even cannonized for my discovery!

I could win a Noble Prize, a Congressional Medal of Honor, or an Grammy!

Future generations will compare my discovery to Colombus's of America.

I'm not bragging, I just want to show you all the magnitude of my discovery.

Anyway, my groundbreaking, earth-shattering discovery that will put people ahead 50 years, solve world hunger, and lead to the eventual sophistication, enlightenment and transcendentalization of all humanity is...

 School was ok.  Afterward Andy went over to my house because he he wanted me to explain something he missed in class.  We decided to go to the library after that because I had some books I had to return and he was just bored.  On the way we became entrenched in a religious discussion. 

( religious rant )

Anyway, I was able to get the Iliad (I'm ambitious), a book about what shapes us (genetics vs environment), and a bunch of CD's.  The library is awesome.  It's just like Barnes&Nobles, but you can take home ANYTHING YOU WANT.

I've got some reading to do, so Wes gesund!

current mood: geeky