Preface

 Saturday, January 01, 2005

Happy New Year

I know that many people (including the FP Gal) don't see New Year's Day as any big deal. It's my favorite holiday. I love the idea of beginning anew. Yes, there will be broken resolutions and this will be treated as just another day by most everyone. But...new beginnings. A chance to start everything over. Are any of us so perfect that we can't think of something to improve on? I'm not.

So, here's to a more fit 2005. Here's to making the FP Gal feel special. Here's to surprising her by making her feel special. Also, here's to building bridges to others. 2004 was so angry between right and left. People were regularly reduced to caricatures and treated accordingly. Expect people to be called out for doing so from now on. People on either side.

Here's to love, happiness and prosperity in 2005!

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Happy Crash Day

I really should have written this yesterday, but I wasn't really sure what to write. Two years ago, Jan 5 2003, was kind of a big day for me and my family. There had been a big ice storm the day before. My brother, sister-in-law and I were supposed to drive down to my Dad's to finally celebrate Christmas. My brother had just gotten married six weeks earlier and the honeymoon had kind shifted when we celebrated the holidays.

I was driving. The roads seemed fine. We didn't have any trouble with ice. None to speak of. Until we hit a patch that had been shaded by some trees.

Well, long story short, my brother wrenched his shoulder, my sister-in-law broke her upper arm and I broke my face. Two weeks in the hospital and 10 plus hours of surgery to reshape my skull followed. I'll always have these plates in my skull and 1/5/03 was the last day I could see out of my left eye. As I said a big day.

The first year after had it's moments. The first time driving again was interesting. So was the soft food diet while my teeth reset. And waiting for the swelling in my face to drop was incredibly disheartening.

But the first year passed and with it a large part of the feeling of the accident being constantly around my shoulders. This past year has been even better. For that I credit the FP Gal. She makes me feel wonderful and appreciated. She even thinks I'm beautiful (I know she's delusional, but should I argue with her?)

So the second year has passed and the entire thing seems very distant. But I can't just dismiss it. It was still an important day. One of the landmarks of my life I'm sure. But the important thing is that I'm here for this day. And I'll be here for the next. There's some kind of lesson there.

Remember to drive safely. And ice should stay in freezers or in drinks.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

80's music

I was reading through the Sports Guy today when something came together in my mind. This is a letterbag column where he answers emails from readers and one of them had to do with the defining song of the 80's (about half way down, next to the Miami Vice picture). He lists five rules he'd use to make this judgement and comes up with this list:

1. "The Promise," by When In Rome

2. "Suedehead," by Morrissey

3. "Uncertain Smile" by The The

4. "A Forest" by The Cure

5. "The Killing Moon," by Echo and the Bunnymen

6. "Age of Consent," by New Order

I'm curious what just missed the cut.

A couple of weeks ago, the FP Gal was watching a forgetable movie about a high school reunion class of '86 or so. At the reunion they had an '80's cover band and I couldn't help thinking how much fun that would be. I spent the next week putting songs I'd love to cover together in my head. Here's a list of what I came up with:

"I Will Follow" by U2

"Under the Milky Way" by the Church

"Message in a Bottle" by the Police

"Alive and Kicking" by Simple Minds

"Stay on These Roads" by A-Ha

"Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS

"Just Like Heaven" by the Cure

"Tall Ships Go" by Big Country

"Someday, Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw

"Girls on Film" by Duran Duran

How much fun would that be? If anyone wants to put the band together, I've got the pipes. Any takers? And what am I missing? What would you love to go out and hear a band play?

Notes

Current motto at work: When in doubt, hit it with a rock. This is fairly universal and can be adapted to many situations. If you have better armaments, adjust accordingly.

FP Gal: is short for Future Poltergeist Gal. I don't know if she'd really haunt things after she dies or not. She seems a bit quiet for that, but sometimes those are the ones to watch out for.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Moving day

As of yesterday, I'm fully moved out of my apartment. At 2 1/2 months, this might rate as one of the longest moves ever. All I can say is that moving in with someone is much easier than moving on your own. It's strange, though. I really haven't had any desire to move out or back down there, but it feels a bit strange to finally have everything over here. The FP Gal feels the same way. We're both really very happy.