I set my keys down...
I placed them on the ground.
The only thing I'd like to know-ow...
Is wherever did they go?
Oh I set my keys down!
Now they can't be fou-ound!
Oh where did my keys go?
I just set them on the ground.
And they don't make a sound-ound.
I set my keys down.
I'm still looking round.
I guess I'm nowhere bound.
On the counter, my keys are fou-ound!
I let out a joyful sound!
...
Let's go!

So yeah, it was a good holiday weekend. Met with family, met with friends (both local and long distance ones) and with the exception of some food poisoning (Which was healed within 4 hours, beat that!), I pretty much had a blast all weekend. I mean, healing is just amazing when it happens. Also, I managed to double the list of things that I know one of my long distance friends enjoys doing (bringing the total count to two).
Ok, cheers -- John

Turn to the left, turn to the right... potential problems fly by, I slip through in a frenzy of activity, and then I pause and breath. Take a moment, rock back on my heels, smile my happy smile and sigh. Friends appear, encouragement is shared and shared alike. I do good, I say, and I mean it as well. Time slips past me again, a raging torrent threatening to tear me from my precarious perch. I say a prayer, dive in and find my way. Feeling a sense of accomplishment and purpose again, I step out and collect my thoughts. Things are going right, and while I don't have nearly all of the pieces, the puzzle forms a picture. I feel like I've finally crawled out of a 2-year slump. Satisfied with where I am, the choices I've made, the friends that I've made, the ones that I've kept. No longer second guessing some of my decisions in the past, I know how I got where I am, and look foward to where things are going. God has really worked me over this year, and I can't begin to describe how good He has been to me. Ask me though, and I'll try. Phrases like "everyday miracles" now mean a lot more to me than they did six months ago. Cheers!

Never, ever, let me have a bright yellow plastic slicker again. dorks of the night

Sometimes when you think you have someone figured out, they can pleasantly surprise you. I guess it's all part of growing up. Let's see... the issue has become a non-issue, at least as far as I'm directly concerned, no one got injured, and with a flip of the switch, everything slides to the back burner, lowest setting.

So movie night was a decent success. The movies themselves were pretty bad choices. We had (in order): Extreme Days, Kung Fu Hustle, The Ring 2, and Anchorman. One movie that was there but didn't get watched was Constantine. Extreme Days was split perfectly down the middle between those that liked it and those that hated it. Kung Fu Hustle was liked by all but one, and the other two were viewed as lost time. We did have one dissenter in the group who is never allowed back into the movie night crowd, but the rest of the gang had a smashing good time and much talk was brandied about as far as having the next one. It broke up around 2am, but with the inner core sticking around till 4am.

Oh, another person recently attempted to defame my character. A group of us went to Denny's on Thursday. It was my twin, his girl, and two teeny boppers. This was my first actuall meeting of my twin bro's girl and I took an instant dislike to her -- it must have shown because the next day, she told a group of my friends that I made innapropriate advances towards one of the teeny boppers. This kind of backfired because not only did my friends (2/3s of which weren't there) defend my character vehemently, when the teeny bopper in question found out about it, she was just as surprised by the accusation as I was. I guess the guidelines of attempting to do the right thing, being honest about it when you didn't, and practicing what you preach really goes a long way. People can make up any story that they want to and it really doesn't matter, but I am glad to have friends that aren't swayed by those that seek to cause dissent.

Oh and for any and all people travelling to Illinois this week, safe travels!

So let's see... a lot has happened, but little has been said. First off, moved the website to a different server, one that I have better confidence in (connectivity wise). I have not collected a drop of unemployment, not now, not ever. I am still living in a hole in the wall, still living on sandwiches, pasta, and handouts, but I am living and paying my bills. It has been over 6 months since my last paycheck of any kind (with no savings to speak of). I have been living entirely off of self-employment and that speaks volumes. So for all of you that has been putting up with my constant drone of not having enough money, thank you for being there for me and for bearing it. I am going to stop complaining, stop whining, and deal with it. If I go off track on this resolve, feel free to snap at me, yell at me, hit me, whatever. Remind me that I am where I am because of the choices I made, and I have had more than my share of good fortune fall my way. Of course, I really can't take any credit, God put it all together for me, I just follow His lead.

Ok, so I think I'm evented out for right now. October 22nd was Scott's wedding reception (no pictures), the 28th was a Halloween party in Altoona (still waiting on the pics), the 29th was a Halloween bash in Baltimore (ask for link), the 30th was Emma's party (same statement). During that weekend, I met this chick named April who has reminded me that I haven't even mentioned her on this site yet, but I have a song about her friend Kristin. That being said, the next weekend on the 5th, I celebrated my 230rd birthday (pics) with the aforementioned Kristin. Today is the actual b-day of that celebration.

Friends April and Ali (both met at the Halloween bash) will be coming up tomorrow, and staying to movie night on the 13th. April is coming up to see me, and claims I don't have to come up with activities to entertain her, but Ali on the other hand was somehow conned by April to drive her up here, and I am taking it upon myself to show these two a fun time in the wilds of PA. I will most likely fail, but exhaust myself in the effort (There is nothing to be raising eyebrows about!). Then, the 13th is of course, the great movie night.

Do I get to rest after that? Hopefully. However, the 24th is Thanksgiving, and the 25th is comedy night, and who knows what might happen next? I need a vacation from myself.

Referring back to a rant some time back, I quote "dating is a stupid way to get to know someone". It turns out that is truer than I expected. Discussing this with a collection of people across the globe, I think that
"courting" is the way to go. In courting, when you find the one that you're interested in, you do everything with them with a group of friends. You never truly know someone unless you know their friends, family, and how they all interact together. If you're going to committ to someone, you're committing to their life and them to yours, and that is bigger than two people. Some may read this and think I'm talking to/about them, but this isn't aimed at anyone in particular. This is just something I am going to do when I get to that point.

Also, if I've ticked anyone off recently (yes, I'm talking to you), it wasn't my intention to, so I apologize. I'm doing the best I can with my circumstances, and if that's not good enough, then there's not much I can do about that. Maybe it's something I can correct, but if you don't tell me, I can only guess and speculate and come up with ideas that are probably wrong. Maybe I can't correct it, maybe I might choose not to, but you'll never know unless you talk to me about it.

Some other people I know need to grow up and start making promises they can keep, face up to those that they couldn't, and just deal with it.

Ok, now I must go with friends to visit their friends.

I kind of ranted in haste about something that was troubling me without really giving the other person a chance to talk to me. I forgot today was Friday so I thought that they were ignoring me when I didn't get a call early this morning. Oops. Another apology from me.

This morning I woke up with a lot of clear thinking about a bunch of things. Some things are still tangled in my mind, some things were revealed to me that has made some simple things more complex, and some complex things more simple. Since I'm talking about specific people that read this site, I can't get more specific (at least not until I talk to them more), but I'm fine with all of it. I'm hoping to figure out what I want to do about a few personal situations after this weekend. I'll just say that there is one person that I am close to that is very much like me, but we have issues. Then there is another person that I have no issues with, but is very much not like me. I'm not talking about a question of choice, like I'm trying to make a decision, just that I feel like I somehow have placed myself into the center of a very bad situation that up until recently had absolutely nothing to do with me. I am almost certain that someone is going to get hurt and I will be at least partially responsible.

Still no time for an update, but I figured I'd write down some songs I had made up during recent car trips.

Your Minions
_{best sung by a lot of burly guys in a bar holding beer mugs}
We've got your back!
We packed a snack!
We're on your side!
(Some of us run and hide.)
We're your minions!
We support your every decision!
We have no opinions!
Cause we're your minions!

A girl named Kristin
_{Originally done as a rap song, can easily work as a country song, a pop song, or even a folk song}
Stop, sit back and listen.
I got a story to tell about a girl named Kristin
I met her on the singlec
It's a site for Christians
like you and me.
I'm not the one she was looking to find.
But we still hang out all the time,
crossing the state line.
I think this line mostly filler
but the way giggles
she's a depression killer
I know this rhyme isn't refined
But it's all I could think of in such short time.

And this one isn't a song, or even a proper rhyme, just something I came up with as an away message one time:
"Full speed ahead, arms up, crashing through the gate,
splinters flying, the world at my feet, living by faith,
surviving through grace, nothing in my way...
anyone want to come along for the ride, stand by my side?"