Another long week!

This week had all sorts of things going on. I did get an additional part-time-ish job with a party staffing company - which is fun, easy work and a good way to make ends meet. I worked my first job for them on Saturday evening, so that's a plus.
Another great plus to the week was a trip to a monastery for my birthday. I know, this is quite a strange way for a twenty-something to spend a birthday...but it's just what I needed this year. The monastery is about an hour and a half away, out towards the Palmdale desert. I arrived there Wednesday afternoon and stayed to Thursday afternoon. I was able to: be quiet, reflect, pray, enjoy nature, listen to God. It was really terriffic. I realized how much has gone on this past year! At this time last year I was in 'transition' preparing for an imminent move to Thailand...and now I'm in LA! I was also reading a really cool chapter in the Bible, Isaiah 55...which is just too good to pick a verse or two from, not wanting to post the entire chapter...it can be read at following link: Isaiah 55.
That all was a great way to spend my birthday, but what follows, was not! Driving home, through the desert, at 2pm, a deer ran into my (Kim's) car! The silly thing jolted out directly in front of me! Luckily, I'm not in the slightest way hurt. Stunned, I sat there for a minute and looked back at the deer, who was looking at me. I felt awful for hitting such an animal, but knew there was nothing I could do. Then I figured I should probably stop and check my car and as I pulled over heard a funny little noise. There was a dent at the right bumper/hood but not too awful. Opening the hood there's a little smoke and I see the green radiator fluid, and realized that all the fluid was gone. So...to make a long story short...a friend arranged things with AAA and also came and picked me up...and after 3 hours of waiting I was back on my way home. I wasn't really upset about the whole thing until the estimate came from the shop the next day!
That sent me into frustration of the job situation and everything. But I'm absolutely positive that this is where I'm supposed to be, and I wasn't expecting it to always be all rosey...so I'm trying to plug along...and seeking to "not just live, but live abundantly."
On another up-side, I'm really beginning to think I have a chance at getting in some of these PA schools. Which, to be honest, I didn't think I had a chance to begin with. I've got some more work to do on odd applications this week and I'm taking the GRE this Thursday!
Today was a marvelous day. I attended a Catholic church this morning with my friend, Kathy. The priest is this really neat guy, originally from Ireland. After mass we ate at this marvelous Greek food place - which who'd think there'd be one in a prominantly latino part of town...you just never know. And also we went to the Farmer's Market where they were also having a halloween celebration and there was lots of cute kids dressed up, and dogs too :)