My Name's Not Joyce / Hello Summer / Not-So-Random Happiness - Post #217

Summer's here and the time is right, for dancing in the street...

Or the basement. But, y'know, whatever.

So far this summer's been amazing. Hanging out with Rachel and Jackie and Bri and Jess for their recital, then Rachel and Cat for the ceremonial burning of schoolwork and loads of movies, then with Mitch on his truck, then with Dan and his trampoline, then with Danica and Vinnie and his front porch, and with Tom everywhere in the middle. A girl could get used to living like this.

Summer...I like being outside and swimming and ice cream and sunglasses and flip flops and relaxing. I like being free, having permission to be mildly disobedient (completely ruining the point, but no matter), having time, having choices, having fun.

I like having friends you don't need a reason to laugh with, a guy who doesn't need a reason to compliment you, a life where you don't need a reason to smile. I like having things to look forward to...a party at Sarah's with the crew tomorrow, hanging with Tom Sunday or Monday, Vinnie's front porch Tuesday, Hershey Park with the bandos Wednesday to Friday, then in the long run the trip to Scotland with the church group and family, Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer coming out, Block Island with the church group, seeing Invasion with what Vinnie has dubbed "The Porch Gang" or something close to it (namely, him, Danica, and me, and Tom because he has it in his phone), and then we're into August and school's coming close to starting. How insane is that?

I bought a bunch of stuff to decorate my locker next year. Weird? Probably. Random? I have an excuse... I was in Target with my mom getting a chair for the baby and they had a bunch of scrapbook stuff on sale for a dollar each...so tempting. So now I have four things in the same shades of green, blue, brown, and cream because they all came from the same set. Scrapbooking and locker decorating have a lot in common. I want to go sneak into the school, get the measurements of my locker, and just stick on whole sheet of paper up that's cut to fit the inside of the door, around the lock and everything. Just a huge white sheet with magnets on the back. Then glue all the cool sheets onto it, and stick stuff onto it after, or have magnets that just attach right through it. Magnets are strong. I have a squishy blue one that says "Inspire." I like it. But I'm in the sort of mood to like everything right now.

I was thinking about things I want to do before I die. Not the obvious ones, the whole get married, have kids, be happy deal, but special things. I want to take ballroom dancing lessons. I want to play in an orchestra with people who love music and who want to be there. I want to march in a college band. I want to take my friends to Scotland, to my second home, and show them the other half of my heart. I want to finish a story. I want to ride in a convertible in a snowstorm with the top down. I want to star in a music video, not just be behind the camera. I want to graduate first in my class, gosh darnit. I want to make a speech that changes the way people think about things. I want to be on the drive team for robotics...and more than that, I want to drive, not just be the coach or the human player like the girls usually are. I want to stay up for 24 hours straight. I want to run into the ocean in the middle of winter. I want to fall asleep under the stars without a tent. I want a logo for my music videos, an animated one. I want to climb Ben Nevis. I want to see Mount Everest. I want to have a whipped cream fight. I want to play with a pool of cornstarch and water. I want to paint myself silver. I want to wear a skirt and sneakers. I want an extravegant dress for no reason in particular.

I like wanting. I don't have to get it, it's just fun to have something to strive for.

I saw the HUGEST rainbow today. It disappeared in the middle, but I saw both ends really clearly, and I actually saw where one ended! Ironically enough, it was in a rain gutter thing. Like the one my shoe was headed towards before Danica decided she didn't like guilt. And then I had Toblerone chocolate, which is heavenly, and decided life was being amazing.

I'm lucky. So very incredibly amazingly lucky. I'm going to sleep now, always to dream, sometimes to remember. I hope it's something fun, something happy.

I love you guys.

--Iona