And on the second day

we got in a car crash and died. The end.

We had a great vacation actually. The weather was perfect every day, the people and the food and the outdoors were all fantastic. I rode my first motorcycle, and gave Rachel a frightening ride around the block. I even got a bleeding blister on my big toe!

There was a little four-wheeling in the sand dunes and around the desert countryside and I got the flu and everything!

The worst part, easily, was the trip home. A few hours before we left my parent's house, I barfed so hard that the blood vessels in my eyelids burst. I spent the next 13 hours either in an airport, on a plane, or in a car feeling like crap. I'd call it the worst day of my life if Rachel weren't taking care of me. She was wonderful the whole time and did everything for me that I needed.

It was really nice to see my family even if it was only for a couple days. My dad gave me a rad gun and I can't wait to get it and shoot it some more here at home. I sighted it in and everything, so it shoots really well. I'm thinking of mounting a rack in the living room to put it on display. It's really a work of art with the engraving. Would make a great conversation piece.

And can I say how much I want a motorcycle right now? I'll have my car paid off next month, so I could easily finally have a bike this spring. I can't wait. I can't wait to pay off my car. How cool would that be?

What else is there to cover?

Got my tax return today, so I just wrote out a fat check to my credit card company. I'm a little closer to being out of debt. Within a few months, I'll have my car paid off too. Things are starting to turn around for me financially, finally. Moving is too expensive, and trying to find a job these days that pays well, shoot, just trying to find a job these days is rough. I'm glad to finally be seeing some light on the horizon after my months of unemployment and my crappy restaurant job. Thems were some dim times.

I feel lucky though. I realize how lucky I am, and I certainly don't take my stability for granted. I never really have, always being low on funds growing up and even when I was out of the house.

First thing on my list of expenses is to see my family. I'm going next month no matter what, so Ma and Pa better get excited.

Typical January Day

Too cold to feel anything.

Curtis is all excited to film something now that we have the video camera set up with the computer. He's been trying to get me to think of ideas since then, and I just can't find it in me to do anything. I went to Wichita, just grumpy all day, snarling at Escalades and all manner of full sized truck, wishing my horn worked so I could honk at every idiot that pulls out right in front of me.

I could go on and on about the things that upset me right now, but doing that will only reinforce my mood. Or maybe it won't. Maybe it's just the lack of daylight this time of year and I am completely at the mercy of the glowy yellow circle in the sky.

Curtis and I turned the heater off in the house because our gas bill was 179 dollars last month (up from 30, in october). We got two electric radiators that will probably raise our electric bill to that height anyway.

On a lighter note, we watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark tonight. What a good old film. It's so light-hearted and corny and yet leaves you wanting more.

This is it for Wyoming

This is my last night in Wyoming, possibly forever. I know I say that all melodramatically, but it isn't entirely unlikely. Unless I come back to help my parents move, then I'm never coming back. I have no reason to really as all of my friends have left and gone on to new things, or will be shortly. Who knows where life will take me now, and who cares?

I had a really good day today. I spent most of it with my ex. We went to Rock Springs, had our order taken by Bruce Lee (he screwed up our order. Dude's losing it.) and then window shopped at a few places. We finished up by watching Baby Mama. Michael McCullers can really write a good script. The story had a nice arc and good character development in addition to being quite funny. It was all around good. Will I buy it? meh, I don't buy many comedies because the jokes stop being super funny after the first view or two. Maybe if i find it on sale.

I spent the last two hours out in the mud with my brother and sister, building a fire. I felt like we really had a bonding night. We all talked about our plans for the future, our religious beliefs, our political ideals, everything that you aren't supposed to talk about with family. I'm an incredibly lucky/blessed/whathaveyou guy to have such an awesome family. We get along seemingly better than most families and we have some of the coolest conversations ranging from lessons on the purpose and use of a bong, to step by step instructions on how to get out of the military, to simply thanking my parents for giving us good genes (We know we were all mistakes, Mom, but you did a good job anyway. Stop trying to drive the point home.)

Now though, I'm going to just relax and fall asleep to some AWESOME, TASTEFUL, AND ALTOGETHER INFORMATIVE MALE ENHANCEMENT INFOMERCIALS.

Dungeons and Dragons, death and exercise

I took this dorky little test today...

I Am A: Chaotic Good Human Sorcerer (3rd Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-12

Dexterity-15

Constitution-14

Intelligence-15

Wisdom-17

Charisma-15


Alignment:
Chaotic Good A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society. Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit. However, chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment because it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.


Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.


Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.

I'd say it's fairly accurate. I don't play D&D often (ever) but I have played Baldur's Gate, which is basically D&D with a storyline. My favorite class was the sorcerer because he could cast one spell like, 6 times a day if he felt like it. The other magical classes could only cast once or twice a day, which was lame.

In other news, my uncle passed away two days ago. I only met him once that I remember, and he was a very kind and generous person. I wrecked my car not far from his home and he drove out at 3:00 AM to pick me up and give me a place to stay until I could get home. At the time he was almost completely blind and he kept driving his car with the help of his wife. All she did was tell him when he was doing something dangerous. He could pretty much tell how he was doing otherwise. Anyway, I guess now that he's dead he has a better grasp of how thankful I am for his generosity. Too late to pay him back. The best I can do now is pay it forward, which I'm sure would do him the honor he deserves.

Now though, I seriously need to start exercising again. I've become so lethargic and inactive that my joints and back are aching and becoming stiff. I've spent enough time scolding myself and getting frustrated at how lazy I've become so now I'm going to simply go for a jog.