volleyball and stuff

Hey bloggerinos!
It's been a while, hasn't it? It feels like it has been anyway. Let me tell you about my life as of late.

At the beginning of March, I played in a volleyball tournament that my friend Bryan organized and ever since then, I've been playing a lot more. I play on Tuesdays at an open gym in Elk Grove and on Thursdays in Palatine and I played in another tournament the first Saturday of April. The best part about volleyball culture is you play with these people who are complete strangers at the beginning of the night and then you are bffs by the end of the night. I love making new friends and inadvertently losing a bunch of weight. So much so that my pants are fitting more loosely and I'm considering having my mom take in some of them. And the other day, when I was trying on my summer dresses for fun, I realized they are loose on me too. So of course I went shopping and tried on a bunch of dresses in a size smaller and they fit! Aaaand I bought one. Even though my closet is full of dresses. But this dress was the prettiest kelly green and it's Calvin Klein and it's like they're making dresses for ME. I love love love all their silhouettes. It'll be perfect for Easter Vigil (which I'll be spending in Champaign- be excited, Chambana dwellers!). 

Anyway, I digress. So I love volleyball and I'm so glad I got back into it. Nothing like the rush of digging a huge hit or hitting over a tall blocker (on a MEN's net no less).

On another note, you know how you hear about a guy and a girl who met at a bar and something actually worked out? Or maybe you've seen it in a movie, I don't know. Regardless, my friend Melissa and I were out at a bar a few weeks ago and I sort of met this guy...and who knows where things will go but all I know is we get along fantastically and enjoy each other's company a lot. It's exciting to like someone again- I forgot what it felt like to meet someone new and want to get to know every little thing about them. And for all you skeptics that don't think it's okay to date someone you meet at a bar, let's put things into perspective. I believe I am a good person and I go out to bars. Why is it hard to believe that someone you meet at a bar isn't also the same way? And to the other skeptics (or maybe you're both kinds) who don't think it is right to even consider dating someone who is not Catholic, I say why not? I realize that if I want to have a Catholic family and raise my future children to be Catholic, it would be ideal to have both parents be Catholic. And I do still want that. But what I'm doing now is living in the present and seizing the day. I love this quote by Thomas Merton that I have on my facebook profile "You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope."

I know it sounds like I'm being defensive even before anyone has said anything but I have a feeling these are some of the challenges I have awaiting me so I decided to take them head on and think them through for myself first. I'm happy and I think that is important. I hope all of you are having a fruitful lent and are prayerfully anticipating the day when He is risen!!