This break has been good. Uneventful, but good.  I have been learning a few things and have seen reconciliation.  I have an old friend.  We used to fight.  I went away and came back to a different world.  Things were left in the past but tension remained.  It was finally over this break that we reached reconciliation.  We finally laid out the issues.  He still thought I was upset that he stole my old girl, which never was the case.  They are still together and growing up.  It is good.  That same night I chatted with a girl from my past.  I was afraid of distance so I didn't make an effort to continue once school rolled around again.  She siad she was sorry for treating me wrongly that summer.  I told her she did noting wrong and it was my fault.  She said she wasn't mad at me at all.  I think she should have been, but she got engaged a few nights back and all is good.  I now feel even older since crossing the bridge into engaged ex's.

All you kids back at school, I love you.  This may not be the most personal way to share that, but other means are lacking at this moment.

Andy G: You are an amazing friend.  You let me dream and encourage that, but you also know how to lovingly put me in my place.

Lew: You provide that stability I need to keep me chill.  Lew, you are a rock.

Ty: Man, when I start getting crazy, you hold me town and set me strait.  You are a good man.

Cabe: You are crazy.  I need that.  You are one of those people who, if I did not know, I would only believe was a legend, for you stories are larger than life.

Mr Dugae: You are a flippin' riot.  You always appear right when I need it to let off some steam.

PaPa Jack: Watching you grow has been inspiring.  I am always impressed by your genuine heart.

Sarah: The peace that you have developed is wonderful.

Sammuel: It's good having you back. You are a real man.  You are a truth seeker.  That is beautiful.

Kyle: You are wild, but loyal.

In other news:

I have been sucking down the tea like a champ.  New Year's was lame.  I'm in a creative mood.  Spinal Tap in amazing.  I have also been spreading word on Pirate Radio and the power of Chuck Norris.  And, yes they are facts.  Look them up.

Somebody stop me from spending cash money on my flippin' camera.  I just spent all I made for shooting that wedding on camera stuff again.  I should be good for now.  I should get hoods by the summer and possibly the remote trigger.  A flash would be usefull, but I'm not dropping $300 anytime soon.  It was all "essential" except for one toy.  I found an item made for camcorders, but works on 35mm's, that screws on to th efilter threads and makes you lens work like a fisheye lens.  For 35 bones I can make my normal lens work like a minimum $500 dollar lens.  Gutz, ready to do some longboarding shoots coming up here in the spring?

local papers rock the free world.

1.) There was an article about how our local PD went to a break in while the two criminals were still in the building.  They saw the men in there and the two officers chose to take the back entrance.  When they were entering in the back, one man fled on foot.  As the two officers chased him, the other fled the scene.  They managed to collect foot prints from a vehicle left at the scene but have still not determined who the two men involved in this incident from a spree of break-ins are.  These took place in late June.

2.) A man wrote the editor making it clear that he is not his brother whom he is often confused as being.  He said his brother is involved in a plot to run for president and does not support this action and is not responsible for his actions.

AMAZING!!!

Yes, two in one day.  Eat that xanga!

Oh holy crap!

I am a wee bit overwhelmed right now.  I am definitely at that point in my life where your really start feeling old.  Actually, it's not so much that I am feeling old.  It seems more like everyone around me is living their life faster than me.  So many people are getting engaged and now some friends are at the baby stage.  Not to say that I am not excited for them to have such blessings in their lives.  It's just that I am nowhere near such events.  I am living in the land of the confused.  I have no idea about anything right now.  I don't know who I am going to live with next year, which is an entirely minor issue.  I have no clue what I am going to do post-graduation, which is quite a way away.  I mean I have not been able to sustain a relationship with one of the opposite gender for more than six weeks.  I guess I am just a sappy little kid trying to turn the snow drift out the window in Mount Kilimanjaro.  So yeah...

Other notes of varying interest:

Lewis is working on a cover cd. check it out http://www.purevolume.com/xlewisx. With or Without You sounds amazing.  I thought of a comment on the song, but will hold it to save much criticism.

Tonight will likely be the twice a year tradition I have with my original married friend of bowling and late night, crappy coffee at the only establishment in the Iron Mountain-Kingsford area serving coffee past 8:00.  Yes, the Country Kitchen.  He is guaranteed to try and set me up with his wife's friend.  Something beautiful lives in tradition.

The Excalibur, although exceptionally expensive and really not that good can only be handled by real men.

I just realized I have reached the point of reconciliation with an old friend.  Last night we snuck out to where some friends were "camping" with a ton of yellow water and wrote all kinds of crap in the snow for when they woke up.  Childish, but when you are with your old friends, you revert to such antics.  It is therapeutic.

Tyler is gone.  That little lassy better treat him right.

Andy G is a butt.  Cabe asked me a question that I wish I knew the answer to, but since I have not heard from him I did not know it.  The question has to do with a project him an Lew worked on.  Gutz, get your little sphincter ahold of this kid.  906-282-3560 until the 2nd.

I have an iPod, so I am a techno weenie.

I just thought I saw Fall Out Boy on TV last night and enjoyed them.  I was angry.  I double checked and it was a vastly different artist who I enjoy, but will not mention the name, due to mass embarrassment for confusing the two.  On my defense, I have never listened to Fall Out Boy or seen a picture of Fall Out Boy.  However my perception didn't match up so I double checked, and yes the show's web page was not credited properly. Yes, I am duffus who has moral objections to liking anything out of certain veins of musical stylings.

Better Off Dead is an amazing movie.

My town sucks so much that the movie place no longer carries Office Space.

I have drank a glass of homemade Root beer in honor of each of my co-brewers who were shut down.  I think I will go raise a glass now.

Moody still has not given me half of my grades.

I am going to wear my 278 Boys shirt and feel comforted today.

I think my camera body is dead.  The light meter needle is stuck up on the top again like it was a few days ago, but I can't get it down this time.  It happened while using my telephoto lens just like last time too.  She probably could use a good cleaning and junk, since she is quite old, but that would cost me almost as much as a different body.  I'm thinking about going to a Canon AE body so I can hopefully use my lenses, specificly my wide-angle, yet have auto-focus and the junk if I feel like using it.  Things seem to be pointing toward calling my Father and asking for an early birthday present.  Hey, I need something for Intro to Photography.

I guess this is it from me until atleast Thrusday.  I am finishing up my last shift here at work.  I think they are going ot let me sneak out by 4:00 a.m.  I'll then head home and sleep until 11:00 or 12:00, wake up, get ready, pack up the last minute stuff, clean up some of my mess in the basememtn for mom, and head to my Aunt and Uncle's for the night.  Of couse with my mom and my sisters there will be a mall stop on the way, but I am picking up some fake Birkenstocks so I'm okay with that.  Wednesday we will drive to Chicago and go to the Art Museum.  Don't worry Steph I will still take you to one.  Hopefully I can move my crap into my room that night, maybe I will go grab some Joe's too.  Dave and I have thrown some hott ideas around for that joint to possibly impliment later this year.  Thursday I will be in the Arch office by noon.  So yeah.  That's it from me.  I'm looking forward to seeing all you wild and crazy cats soon.  Leave me some sweet, sweet love on here to make me smile when I check it next, or give me a ring and we'll yack while I ride back.