gray is the color I see around her, and she's just a blur.

~nickel creek

My mother informed me last night that I’m in my “gray period.”

And she’s right.

Last night I bought a gray suitcase* and I drive a gray car, my new duvet is gray. I recently decided that should I have a little boy, I might want to name him Grey, to be honest. It’s everywhere, really.

But what does it mean?

Gray is a neutral, balanced color. It is cool, conservative and seldom evokes strong emotion although it can be seen as a cloudy or moody color. It symbolizes stability, power, trustworthiness, friendship, helpful people, travel, security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, dependability, maturity, old age and sadness. Its energy imparts void, emptiness, lack of movement, emotion, warmth and identifying characteristics. Because of this, it can be restful. It has a detached and isolated feeling. Gray can have a cooling effect when placed next to other more vibrant colors and also a stabilizing effect, making vibrant colors stand out while muting their vibration. It connotes responsibility and conservative practicality and is the Christian color for the season of Lent.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that gray ain’t my forte. I’m a color-lover. As Turner put it, my favorite color is SPECTRUM. I love them all. Some more than others, but deep down inside, I know that even puke green has its merits.

Yet I chose the gray suitcase.
And the gray duvet.
And the gray car.
and even bought gray wrapping paper last week.
gray, gray, gray.

My.
My.
My.

I talked to Jessica about it last night, and we agreed that as long as I don’t go into a black period, we’re okay—especially because we’d have to call that my funeral period. And, uh, I don’t want to have a funeral *period.* I want to have A funeral. And be cremated. And have the hymn of promise sung. I don’t want to have a funeral-like time in my life. n-o-f-u-n.

*so, back to the suitcase story. I bought a new one for what may be the most ridiculous reason EVER. So, if you’ve been reading for a while, you might remember my pink luggage I bought in Tulsa. It was suuuuper cheap, and I bought it ‘cause I was coming home with more than I had when I left. And then, last year, I bought a pale pink northface backpack, right? Well, when I use the two together, I feel like a complete tool. Or a twelve-and-a-half-year-old girl. It’s actually rather embarrassing. So, I invested in a new suitcase. Because I’m tired of feeling like an idiot.

What made this mildly more hilarious, though, is when I came home and got a phone call from the guy who I went to lunch with last week. We had a really, really fun convo that lasted for an hour and fifteen minutes!!! But he asked what I was up to, and I said I’d gone to choir and purchased a suitcase. He was surprised I didn’t have one already, and asked why I got a new one, and I felt compelled to tell him the whole story. I’m very glad that he laughed. :) It was fun talking to him, and I’m looking forward to our date, even though it’s a week and a day away—including my time TOMORROW IN LOS ANGELES!

Ah. I will have three short weeks in a row. I am sooooo digging this.

And, quite soonish, I will be in Tulsa. Oh, Tulsa, how I heart thee. I am uber excited!!! It’s a bummer that a ticket change is pretty impossible—$350 or more to change it on top of what I’ve already paid!—but I think I’ll still be able to make the time count. Plus, Jackie is the coolest, as she’s suggesting a place to go out on the evening of Saturday the 23^rd. Consider this your invite!

Mmm. And last rambling…I have an idea. It’s a bit much, but it’s do-able, and I believe it’s going to go on my list of goals. [and I’m sure someone else has done this and I’m sure I don’t care.] I want to take photos in all fifty states. I’m up to 8 right now, and I’ll bring it to 9 this weekend and 10 in Jan/Feb when I go to Texas. I still have my Hawaii ones, but they weren’t digital, and I *might* just have to go back there again. And Adrienne lives in Alaska. Del in Florida. My Wittle in Illinois. Erik in Delaware. Mary Alise is from ‘Bama. Tuck’s in Colorado. I think you get the idea...

…this plan sounds more fun than grad school…
or maybe I should just go volunteer for a year with jeremy.