The Sweet Up and Down

The Last LJ

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:14:27 GMT

I've decided to stop posting in my LiveJournal because there's really not much for me to talk about anymore. I used LJ to rant and complain about life but my life is actually pretty good right now so I feel the need to get things off my chest is over. At least for right now.

New stuff before ending this thing: I got my mom all moved in to her new place. It was a huge pain in the ass because I almost had to do it all by myself. Luckily my aunts helped so we were able to get a lot of stuff and actually clean the old place. Her new place isn't exactly in the best area of Lawrence but it's what she can afford. Meanwhile, me and Audrey are living pretty good together and Cameran seems to be enjoying being cared for by Audrey. Audrey and I have also set a date for the wedding. October 24, 2009 and we plan on having it at the Stony Point Banquet Hall just south of Lawrence in the Vinland Valley.

Crystal had her baby on the 17th. Shawn Allan (or some variation of the spelling). It's good to know she now has her own child to take care of that she can ruin and turn into a miniature version of herself that's no relation to me. Yay!

I'm also really getting into my website, www.tauycreek.com, which I actually post on a regular basis and do my Born Loser and comic strip mocking, some writing, news and anything else I find on the Internet and want to show. For next week, I plan on trying to find a lot of Halloween stuff to post so if you want you can find me over there. No subscription or account necessary.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Being Adult

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:15:51 GMT

I move on Saturday. I move to my own house with my fiancee and son. I am freakin' excited and am anxiously waiting for Saturday to get here so we can get our stuff into that house. I've been thinking a lot recently about growing up, having responsibilities and basically being an adult and whoever said that high school are the greatest years of your life is an idiot and needs to be shot. High school sucked compared to this moment in my life. (In all honesty, high school sucked period.)

I'm not a big fan of MySpace although I use it constantly and check it everyday because somehow MySpace always seems to draw drama and I am not a fan of drama because it's usually associated with someone else and I want to keep your drama away from me because drama is contagious. I'm proud of the few friends I have on MySpace and occasionally attempt to acquire more. Especially if they don't have a Facebook profile. From about July to August 2007 I was friends with this girl, Vanessa who was my ex-girlfriend's roommate. After she discovered I was friends with her Vanessa quickly deleted me and we both moved on. Well, I contacted her again because I like the girl. She was nice and I would listen to her life story which reads like a modern-day Dickens tale. She accepted my request and for a month everything was fine then inexplicably she deleted me again. No warning. No explanation. Nothing. I don't know what happened there but I figured two times your out. But when it happened my brain just kept asking "Why do you care?" And aside from the reason cited above, I had no other reason. I wasn't going to send a message asking why or anything but I found it very strange.

Also, way too many people are getting married and having babies. I keep forgetting that I have entered the prime marrying age but it still unnerves when I see someone I know getting married. Or, what I really hate, when I just discover it without being warned. I tend to handle change better when it's within my own spectrum but when it's change adjacent to me and I either have to deal with it or interact with it, I don't do so well. I guess what I'm saying is that I want things to change, I just want them to be gradual changes that don't amount to much right away. Or just ask me for my Change Request Form and I will email one to you. You can just fill it out and I will either approve or deny it.

The final Calvin and Hobbes strip always makes we long for the days of childhood but when I really think about it, "let's go exploring" is probably how Randy and I will end our time together if it should ever come to that and with kids, house stuff, work and family, there is no time for exploring and out of everything from my childhood, that is what I miss most of all but I'll get into that tomorrow.

~Brian

Dreams and Politics Don't Mix

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:04:02 GMT

I am writing this entry on Google Chrome--the new web browser from Google. I've decided to give it a try because I am getting tired of Internet Explorer freezing every time I type a 'V' in the search box. You'd be amazed at how often I used words with the letter 'V' in them.

Anyway, I had a couple dreams over the weekend that have kind of weirded me out. The first one I'm going to mention is one where I had the power to jump really high and was trying to find a serial killer in some sort of vast wilderness. I had intentions on bringing him down, too as I had a knife with me and was adamant about finding him. I did find him but I unfortunately woke up to dogs barking so I was unable to finish the dream but I thought it was a decent dream. I've never dreamed about having powers before so that was kind of a switch.

The next dream could be considered more of a nightmare. It opened up with a disheveled Tom Brokaw on the news, hair a mess and a decent five o'clock shadow on his face. The headline below the distinguished anchor read 'America Celebrates Bush's 10th Year As President'. No one was happy it was his tenth year but, like The Twilight Zone's "It's a Good Life", you couldn't say anything bad no matter what so you had to celebrate whether you wanted to or not and suffice it to say, no one really wanted to. As you looked out on the cities, it reminded me of scenes from Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Dark, enormous skyscrapers tore through the grainy and oily sky. Outside the cities, oil derricks could be seen and huge plumes of smoke erupted from the cooling towers of coal-burning plants.

It was a futuristic dystopia that scares me to no end. Up until recently, I was going to vote for whichever candidate that didn't piss me off but now I'm going to vote for Obama and Biden even if it's revealed Obama was once Hitler in a past life. What made me change my mind? Sarah Palin scares the heebie-jeebies out of me. Every time I hear her voice, I see Satan standing in front of me surrounded by fire and brimstone. While I am all for a woman in the White House, Palin is inexperienced and possibly the Anti-Christ.

I don't have a problem with McCain. Never did but his choice of running mate unnerves me because if something were to happen to him, she'd be president and I could really see the country sinking into the ocean if that were to happen. I know some people were scared by Hillary--Palin is much worse. Palin should stick with being governor of Alaska and start focusing on being a grandma. I hope she doesn't ruin McCain's career in politics even though he's Republican but I hope we only hear about Sarah Palin until November 4th then she slides right back into Alaskan obscurity.

Until next time, Obama/Biden '08
~Brian

Landsman--Chapter One Draft

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:05:18 GMT

Senator Robert Collyer paced around the small holding cell as he waited for his lawyer and the assistant District Attorney. It had been a bad week. The door buzzed and a young lawyer with a mop of brown hair on his head came in and sat his suitcase down on the table. He clicked it open and looked at the Senator.

"Senator Collyer. How are you today?" the young lawyer asked.

"Like you really care," Collyer scoffed. "Where's my regular lawyer? Where's Herb McDuffie?"

"He refused to take the case. Citing a conflict of interest for some reason. I was sent to replace him and defend you," the young lawyer extended his hand to Collyer. "Justin Thaves. Pleased to meet you."

Collyer looked at Thaves then down at the extended hand. He relunctantly took it. "We're gonna be eaten alive, you know that, right, Justin?"

"I will defend you to the best of my ability, Senator."

"You've been a lawyer for, what? Twenty-three seconds?" Collyer chuckled. "I had the third best lawyer in the best law firm in Philadelphia up until ten minutes ago. Why do you think that is?"

Thaves just stood, looking at the Senator. "Senator Collyer, he had a con..."

"A conflict of interest, I know. And the reason he has that conflict is because if he didn't, he'd be standing in the same predicament as me."

The door buzzed again and in walked Stephen Landsman, the assistant District Attorney. Landsman was up-and-coming, had a good political future ahead of him and had a beautiful family. He sat his briefcase down on the table next to Thaves' and sighed exuberently.

"Senator Collyer, it's a pleasure to meet you. I just wish it was under better circumstances. You really helped Pennsylvania during the last eight years," Landsman gushed. "Is this your lawyer?"

"No," Collyer quickly replied. "My lawyer is distancing himself from me because of what I know."

"Senator..." Thaves tried to interject with Collyer's talking.

"What do you know? You should have one of the finest lawyers in Philadelphia but instead you have a public defender?"

"I work for the same firm as Mr. McDuffie..." Thaves said.

"No one cares, junior. Mr. Landsman, can I talk with you privately?" Collyer asked.

"I would highly discourage..."

"I'm damned anyway, junior. Mr. Landsman, you just said that I have done many good things as Senator for Pennsylvania. I'm one of the few that truly works for the people. How do you explain my career tanking, the fraud charges and my wife leaving me happening all in one week?" Collyer insisted.

"I figured just bad luck," Landsman shrugged.

"It's all a conspiracy. Whenever a high profile person threatens to reveal the secret, something happens to quelch it. Whether it's someone like me whose life is just ruined or someone like John Kennedy who was murdered, it's all part of the same lie," Collyer explained.

"That's a pretty elaborate lie. What is it?" Landsman asked, curious but not taking the Senator seriously.

"The Earth, Mr. Landsman, is flat."

Answering Their Question

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:21:58 GMT

I Googled myself this morning. I wanted to see what was the first thing that came up about me. The first thing came up on page ten and was a link to my short stories on AuthSpot which is cool because those are things I could get paid for (which brings me to an advertisement: Read My Stuff). The next thing was my Blogger profile which was on page 15 or so. My name is a lot more common than I originally thought because there are quite a few people with my name out there. Search on MySpace and there are two in Lawrence alone with profiles. I also share a name with a member of Monty Python who passed away in 1997, an author who wrote The Saskiad and I Should Be Extremely Happy In Your Company and a lot of graphic designers and photographers. I only went 39 pages into what ends up being roughly 1,170 but you know as you get further the results just turn into pages that just happen to have my name in them but do not result in anything important.

I noticed the "writer's block" section of the home page asked "Which of your five senses could you live without?" How would you choose which to get rid of. You certainly wouldn't voluntarily give up sight or hearing but touch and taste would be equally tough to give up. Smell would more than likely be my choice mainly because it's one sense that I think I could live without although I would relunctantly give it up. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't live without sight or sound because those are what make the world beautiful. While olfactory senses gives us smells like roses, steaks cooking, gasoline and smoke it also gives us poop, burnt popcorn and burning rubber but it's your choice which sense to give up. I've made my choice and I stand by it.

Also, I ended my comic strip blog for a while as I focus more on writing for both money and for my LiveJournal (I want it to be something more) plus get more involved with packing and moving (which happens September 15th). The blog will be back on September 20th which is also the day we should be completely moved in so I am looking forward to that. I'm hoping to update my LJ more frequently and am considering using it to post drafts of stories I think of but am unable to flesh out until I get my mandatory two a month written. I have a couple doozies I've been itching to write so they may appear here pretty soon.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

It's Not In My Blood

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:08:04 GMT

Cameran really seems to enjoy his new school. He had to move from Sunflower in the southwest part of town to Sunset Hill in the central part because I have residential custody of him. When we actually move into the new house, we'll be closer to school and I plan to walk him there instead of drive so that may be an adventure.

He went to Sunflower for one day before they ordered him out and to Sunset. So while Cameran had to get readjusted, he seemed to do it rather quickly, which I knew he would because he's had to readjust a lot in his short life and kids that age are so resiliant. Oh to be six again.

I'm debating on whether I should volunteer for stuff since I am closer to the school but I don't know. I think I'll wait and see what all they have coming up and see what peaks my interest. I went to parent's night about a week ago and they had a sign-up sheet for all the stuff that's coming up and if you are going to bring anything or volunteer. I'm sorry but I don't want to commit myself to something that's not happening until November. I want to be involved but my laziness tends to try to override anything I try to do. And that's fine for some things but I sometimes feel bad for working and sleeping all day.

I know that if I volunteer there's no way in hell I'm gonna get my name on the marquee sign as Volunteer of the Month but maybe there's a kind of "We Got 'Im" honorable mention or something that's more my speed. I have plenty of time to figure out what to do.

Weekend Of Sex

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:27:50 GMT

I beat and surpassed my previous record of having sex in a 24-hour period. The new record: 5. Six times if you go for a 36-hour period. It was all just amazing, including some things I'll tell you about when you're older.

This weekend seemed busy even though it really wasn't. Audrey and I made pizza Saturday morning when I got to Topeka after work, then we woke up early the next morning to eat breakfast at Perkins which was delicious even though they forgot to give us silverware which I thought was very odd. Afterward, we looked around Best Buy just to kill time then went back to her place for awhile and watched "Little Miss Sunshine" before we went out to a fancy restaurant called The Brick Oven which was so damn delicious I can't even describe it.

After dinner, we got some ice cream and went back home. We watched "Sonny", a movie directed by Nicolas Cage. We would've watched "Saturday Night Live" but the Olympics were on. Then we started watching "Juno" but Audrey got tired and went to sleep, I stayed up to finish the movie then went to bed with her. We woke up a little later this morning to grab some Mexican food at Tacos El Sol, ate and watched some of "The Office". I, of course, didn't want to leave but I had to go pay rent, mow, pick up Cameran and do some slight yard work.

It was a good weekend, one of the best in a while. On a side note, I need boxes. If you know anyone who has good boxes for moving, let me know. I'll take them off their hands.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

What About Brian? Year Three

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:42:11 GMT

2008 has shaped up to be a really good year. After the massive disappointment 2007 came to be, I needed a good year. First, I met Audrey. I had originally intended to just test the waters with her, make sure I could sustain a relationship, get back into the flow of dating but no real attachment. I ended up falling in love with her and proposed to her back in June. We're moving in together on September 1st, finally being together all the time in Lawrence. Audrey is really the only major change in my life and I am so happy to be with her. She is the first girlfriend I have ever had where there is not a Jason, Matt or Dan also vying for her affection. I think I finally know happiness in relation to the person I'm dating and I could not be happier.

Elsewhere, I'm making it a goal to get two stories written every month. Hopefully I can follow through with it because I've been stuck on the same two stories (The Kings of Framingham and Seven) since about May or so and I have all this other stuff that I want to start getting down. But as for my other things such as my comic strip, it's slowly becoming more popular and I am actually starting to get more views on that than on my MySpace. But MySpace tends to be a huge disappointment anyway especially since I haven't gotten a message/comment/friend request in months. The same happens with my Facebook but at least other stuff happens on Facebook...MySpace just sits there.

Postings here my get even more scarce as I fill extra time I have with packing and getting ready to move but hopefully around moving day I'll let you all in on how that's going and maybe get some picture of my new abode.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Where's Me?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:53:12 GMT

For the last--over a month--I've been living in Topeka with my fiancee Audrey. I've never really liked Topeka because for a capital city it seems really dirty and crime-ridden (and I'm not talking the politicians). Well, it's true. There's been like seven murders in seven months in Topeka and probably other stuff that I don't really keep tabs on because I don't want it to scare me. Audrey lives in a really decent neighborhood so I didn't fear for my life while I was there but we're anxious to move in together here in Lawrence. While I was in Topeka, I missed Lawrence a lot because I know Lawrence and it knows me. Although what canceled out my pseudo-hatred of Topeka was being with Audrey constantly. I was able however to be a part of the crime statistic in Topeka as my car was vandalized. When I went to get my tags renewed I discovered that someone had ripped off a quarter of my license plate. All they got was the last number but they also got the month and year on the plate and badly damaged the rest of the plate. I was mad because I loved that plate and I don't like the new ones Kansas has.

The commute to work in Lawrence from Topeka was a pain on my gas tank especially when gas prices hovered around $4.00 earlier in the summer. I didn't mind the driving because I like to drive but I didn't like leaving at 2:30 and the drive back after work was excrutiating because I just wanted to get back home to Audrey. But that's over now and within the next month, Audrey and I should be living together. While in Topeka I was pretty much incommunicado because while Audrey did have Internet, I rarely used it and it didn't work with my computer (although it could've). I used her computer mainly for email and social network checking but not much else. I tried updating my Born Loser blog but in late July I kind of let that go. My online writing became scarce and I worried that I would have trouble getting back into the groove of blogging.

I was right. I was able to figure out what to do with my new website but wasn't able to post anything because it's based on writing and other things I could really only do at home. Hopefully I can start getting it updated and get some people reading it like people do my Born Loser blog (which is moving over to my new website on August 15th). I finally feel I can start writing on it now so maybe writing this entry will get the juices flowing.

In other news, Crystal and I have finally worked out an agreement on custody for Cameran. We got it all done Tuesday morning and hopefully a judge will sign the parenting plan before the end of the week. Basically it says, I am the custodial parent, she gets him every other weekend during the school year, Christmas, Mother's Day and alternating birthdays and Spring Breaks. Plus June and July. I get him during the school year, Thanksgiving, Father's Day, one weekend of my choice in July and alternating birthdays and Spring Break. We split winter break and any thing else we have talk over and agree upon. There were also other things in there saying that both parents have to know where Cameran is at all times. Hopefully this will make everything easier in the long run especially when Audrey is permanently in the picture.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Part Two: Welcome to Waterville

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:49:19 GMT

Audrey actually took me around Waterville and showed me some of the big houses, where her grandpa lived and the cemetery. The reunion was held in the community building and meeting all those people whose names I don't remember was very nice. After about an hour or so, it was time to eat and all the food that I had was very delicious--even the lasagna (and I am very particular about my lasagna). After we had all finished eating came a raffle-type thing where everyone was given a number and given a bag corresponding with that number. In that bag was something that belonged to Aunt Alice. Even I got something which made me a little uneasy but was happy that they accepted me into the family. I got a teacup.

It's a pretty simple cup. I want to say it's handmade because of the way it looks and that it doesn't have a copyright or company name anywhere on the cup. I'm proud of it but I was even more impressed with what Audrey got. She got an old-fashioned hair curler, a necklace that was given to her aunt by her husband back in 1954 and ceramic tiles from the Irving Bank. I think we got a pretty good score.

We stayed a while and looked at photos that were set up and looked at what everybody else got then headed back. We stopped in Blue Rapids to get gas and something to drink and I saw what I think was the only gay person in Blue Rapids. We seemed to get back to Wamego faster and stopped at Kreme Kup to get some ice cream because this girl at work used to work there and said it was really good. Which it was. I then directed Audrey to turned north on Onaga Road so we could see the Louis Vieux Family Cemetery and Elm Tree. The elm tree, once the largest in the state, has now been cut down to just the trunk and a protective shelter placed over it to protect it. While I hate to see the tree damaged, I'm glad the state is trying to preserve it. Also, the state put up signs for the Cholera Cemetery near the tree so you can actually find it and take a look at it.

The grave markers (such as the one above) are protected by a huge chain-link fence and only three markers remain despite over 50 people buried there. I wouldn't recommend viewing it during the summer--go in the winter, less bugs and things to attack you and attach themselves to you.

It was the best weekend I've had in a while and was very happy that Audrey's family literally welcomed me with open arms. Next weekend, it's Lecompton's Territorial Days and dinner with her parents. I shall have pictures of Territorial Days as well.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Part One: Welcome to Marshall County

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:43:27 GMT

Even though I don't think it was a busy weekend, when you actually lay it all out, it does. On Saturday, the whole family got together to finally clean my grandparent's (now uncle's) place in Baldwin. It was the city wide clean-up so we loaded up an air conditioner, a bed, a small desk/table thing, a huge wood paneled TV and a big screen--Oh, and let's not forget a washing machine and refridgerator--into a U-Haul and drove it down to the dump (which isn't really a dump anymore).

I had to leave early because I had made plans with Audrey about a month ago and I figured I had already missed the wedding and that if I missed the reception I would be fired from being her fiance. The wedding was for people I don't know, which are always fun, but I got free food and it was held at the Kansas History Museum so that was kind of cool. However, I sat diagonal from this girl whose voice literally drove itself into my skull. It was so annoying that I probably would've paid for someone to shut her up. At least the wine put me in a decent mood... The next morning, Audrey and I had to get up early so we could make our way to Waterville, Kansas for a family reunion.

First of all, the drive there is amazing with beautiful rolling mounds in the background and lots of trees and acres upon acres of lush green farmland. I should've taken some pictures of it but, well, I'm an idiot. And I didn't think of it until just now. While Google takes you west on I-70 and north through Manhatten, using the K-99/K9/U.S. 77 route is a lot more interesting as you pass some very interesting areas. After passing through the Topeka 'burbs of Silver Lake and Rossville, you come to St. Mary's which is essentially known for the massive Catholic school they have. Then you pass through Belvue and make your turn onto K-99 in Wamego. K-99 takes you through Louisville, Westmoreland, Blaine (with their beautiful church pictured above) to Frankfort where you turn onto K-9.

You take K-9 to U.S. 77 which doesn't really pass anything good except the landscape. At the intersection with U.S. 77 is a historical marker for the Oregon Trail campsite, Alcove Springs which is just north of Blue Rapids and features many rock carvings inscribed by people travelling the Oregon Trail. We were to meet Audrey's parents in Blue Rapids so we could go to a memorial service for her Aunt Alice who had recently (November '07) passed away. Her ashes were to be interred at the Greeenwood-Irving Cemetery a couple miles south of Blue Rapids. Not knowing much about her aunt, I do know quite a bit about Irving, Kansas.

In the autumn of 1856, Irving, named for 19th Century author Washington Irving, was settled by a small group of residents from Lyons, Iowa. Almost immediately, the town was plagued with disasters. A drought then huge storms in 1860, grasshopper plague in 1866, another in 1875, two tornadoes in 1879, flooding in 1903 and several fires between 1907 and 1916, the latter destorying the north side of Main Street. Finally in 1955 plans to build the Tuttle Creek Dam did what fire, storms and insects couldn't do: brought an end to the town. Oddly enough, the site of Irving is not underwater so demolition of the town may not have been needed. It was a nice memorial for a woman obviously loved by everyone who knew her and we all lucked out that it was a beautiful clear day for once. After the service, we all left and began the relatively short excurison to Waterville to start the reunion which mean that this is...

...To be continued.
~Brian

Eventful

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:48:19 GMT

I thought the night was eventful.

After listening to various songs (Outside by Staind from the Family Values Tour, Drive by Incubus and various Bloodhound Gang) I got an urge to go to 87, an old abandoned house just outside of Baldwin. Randy, too, wanted to go so after I got off work and called Audrey, Randy and I headed out to Baldwin. We knew we'd have to park a ways away and ended up parking about a quarter mile away and walked down the dark gravel road to the driveway to the house. We hopped over the fence and trudged up the driveway which is also quite a walk. The house still stood at the top of the hill, decaying, like it has since the 1850s.

We followed the driveway along the southern part of the house and checked the graves to make sure they were still unbothered. Although the small rock wall that surrounded the headstone was a bit more ransacked, the stone was still there--in six pieces--but still there. Randy hadn't been up to the house in over five years and I haven't been since the summer of 2006 but time is started to show on that property. Only a couple barns remain, and two have collasped. All the windows to the house have been broken which could be a sign of vandals or just time itself. A brief storm came through, getting me and Randy rained on but it soon passed and we decided to up to the house and see if we could get in.

With all the rain that has passed through the area, the grass around the house was up to my hips and may have been crawling with God only knows. We got to the porch and noticed the northeast side of the house has settled more and is noticably detached from the rest of the house. While the house was wide open, Randy and I were unsure about the safety of the house so we just glanced inside then went back to the car. We were talking about why we seem drawn to the house and while neither of us really believe in it, we began wondering if somehow, in a past life, we were someone in the family that used to live there. While we know we're trespassing, we don't cause any damage and when we actually get there, we feel really comfortable there. It's almost like a home away from home.

For more information on 87, you can read the entry on it in Watch This Space to get a better idea of the history, house layout and what I would do with the property.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Fun, Fun, Fun In the Sun, Sun, Sun

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:07:40 GMT

Anybody ever seen that British television series Red Dwarf?. Well, I had a dream that was the main character, David Lister. My cousin, Dustin, was Holly; Randy was Rimmer (apparently my subconscious really wants Randy dead) and the Cat protrayed himself. Audrey was in it too but not as any clear character. I guess she could've been Kochanski or maybe Kryten if you wanted to get technical.

I fell asleep watching Red Dwarf which is probably the reason I dreamed about it but it made me think that I really like the plots and storylines of the series. I wish America would produce a viable adaptation of the British series. Sure, we make copies of The Office, Coupling and All In the Family (adapted from the British series Till Death Do Us Part) and we've attempted to get a Red Dwarf pilot (starring Craig Bierko and Jane Leeves). But I digress. I'm just venting.

View Larger Map
Last week when I was driving around with Audrey, I noticed that one of the abandoned houses I seem to always take notes on was torn/burned down. The house was located on West Union Road in Shawnee County near I-70 and while I never actually approached the house because it looked like a great place for meth labs and crack addicts, I was hoping the house would be standing a little longer.

I figured it'd be torn down sooner or later because of it's proximity to I-70 but what strikes me as odd was the chimney and fireplace was still standing leading me to believe it wasn't knocked down but either burned down or destroyed by one of the many, many, many storms that have passed through the area. If anyone really knows what happened, let me know so I can punish those who did it.

Also I made this (with thanks from scrwtape) and it looks eerily like me, my fiancee and son that it kind of scares me. Although the dogs are not to scale.

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

And did I mention I was engaged? Well, I am. But more on that later.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Watch This Space

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:49:00 GMT

I’ve purchased the domain name www.tauycreek.com. I’m not really sure why but I’m hoping to do some things on it with my writing, mapping, opinions and possibly even start my own webcomic. I’m still adding some things to it but I should be able to update in the next week or so. It just depends on what I want as my return post because I’m using my abandoned blog, Watch This Space. Hope I can keep it interesting because it certainly wasn’t before.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Drama Returns

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:37:45 GMT

Ah, Crystal is causing more drama in my life. The drama had left my life for awhile and everything was really, really good. After school let out, we let Cameran spend a week with Crystal and we had already planned with her, and she agreed, that Cameran could come back for two weeks to do swimming lessons. We had it planned and agreed.

I had spent the week in Topeka, staying with Audrey and commuting to work (which is not fun) and one of my aunts offered to drive me and my mom down to Butler, Missouri to pick Cameran up (I would then drive him back after the two weeks were up). I had invited Audrey along and had forgotten/neglected to ask my aunt if it was okay. When I got to Lawrence, with Audrey, I was informed that my aunt didn’t have enough room for everybody. My mom proceeds to tell me that I need to start thinking with my brain and not my penis. My aunt yells at me because I didn’t ask her if it was okay if Audrey came along (and I had apparently done this before at a barbecue a week or so earlier) so now everyone is mad at me for reasons I’m not really sure about.

My solution was my aunt drives me and my mom to Butler as planned while Audrey stays at my place in the A/C but no one listens to me. So mom, Audrey and I drove to Butler which was so awkward I can’t even explain it. Hardly anyone said anything the entire car ride down and things only got worse when we got to Butler to pick up Cameran.

Cameran, along with Crystal, comes out of the house and he tells us “I’m not going” which was something we discussed Friday over the phone. Crystal goes on to inform us that if he doesn’t want to go then she’s not going to make him. My mom then starts saying that it’s not up to him, he’s six! Crystal then attacks and starts yelling. Then my mom starts yelling. Then Crystal sends Cameran inside and calls my mom a bitch. My mom then yells louder, calling Crystal a bitch. Where was I during all this? I was standing right there waiting for them to shut the hell up and talk to me, the boy’s father. Crystal had mentioned that this was between me and her before the shouting began but no one quieted down enough to let me actually talk and like hell I am going to yell. Yelling accomplishes nothing.

So I don’t know where all this is headed. More than likely I will speak to my lawyer and see what I can do about all this but until we can get this all sorted out I’ve been channeling my energy on other things like work and other personal things such as writing and Audrey. This will all get sorted out eventually because Crystal will want something or need a break (it’s summer in the Midwest and she’s pregnant) and will give us call. Plus, although he doesn’t show it, Cameran does love it here.

The car ride back to Lawrence also seemed very awkward albeit less so. I was mainly upset that no one ever consults me even when the problem is directly related to me. Plus being embarrassed in front Audrey and yelled at by two family members in one day didn’t make last Saturday any better.

Thank God I had Audrey.

Until next time, I remain…
~Brian

Also, it has come to my attention that I never posted a Lazy Sunday Blog for May. Hopefully I can get a two-part Lazy Weekend Blog this weekend because my weekends after this one are very busy.

The Pope Comes To Lawrence

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:12:18 GMT

The Pope was in Lawrence for some reason that wasn’t clear to me and was staying at the Eldridge and I was working for the catering company handling the huge dinner the Pope was throwing at the hotel. The dinner went really well and actually being able to see the Pope that close up was really cool and everyone had a really good time. I even got reacquainted with several people I haven’t seen in a while and finally got closure from a couple girls.

This dream was the longest and most convoluted dream I’ve ever had and the best thing was that I was able to control it. Just about everyone I’ve ever met was in the dream from old school friends, to former co-workers to acquaintances. It started out as your typical work dream. I was working catering for Baker as I was wont to do and it was going great. The food was delicious and the other people working the event were all having fun without being overly inappropriate. After the dinner, the Pope spoke which seemed to take a while but I was off talking with friends and ran into a couple of girls from my past who I never got definitive closure from.

I ran into Kate who I had a crush on when I worked overnights at Pearson. I attempted to stay in touch with her but failed in my endeavor but recently ran into her again thanks to Facebook (which I am using a lot more than MySpace these days). We talked and just got updated on what’s been going on in our lives. Then I ran into Heather. We talked, but mainly argued about who was the wrong one in our relationship. I eventually had enough and told her that I had moved on and found someone who loves me and who does love only me. Plus I don’t have to vie for her affections (unless you count her dogs but 9 times out of 10, I win) so I feel I finally got my closure in that area and the best thing was that I didn’t have to see her in person.

After getting my closure, I ran into a couple more old friends who I haven’t spoke with in a while and had a couple of drinks with a couple others. Then it got to be that time when the Pope was done speaking and we had to clean up the food tables. After that was done, I was ready to head home and get back to Audrey. I said good-bye to everyone and left the hotel, waking up.

So I feel that this dream is a springboard to better things. On Monday I start a new job and get away from Affinitas, I plan on proposing to Audrey sometime during the summer (I know when but I want it to be a surprise) and we should be moving in together roughly around September. I was worried that 2008 would end up just being an extension of 2007 and while it seemed to start out that way, 2008 has gotten so much better. It’s been the best year I’ve had in a long time. Here’s hoping it stays that way.

Until next time, I remain…
~Brian

Two Week Notice

Tue, 20 May 2008 06:20:22 GMT

Things are looking up. I'm leaving Affinitas--found something much better that pays more. I'm still dating Audrey and still really in love. I'm looking at engagement rings for her and we'll probably start looking at houses here pretty soon considering we plan on moving in together in September. My comic strip blog is actually starting to take off and I'm trying to think of ways to promote my book so I can get checks bigger than $0. Things seem to finally be going my way and because my schedule and time away from home has been so wonky, I've been posting here less.

After I grabbed the two week notice form and sat down at a desk, I noticed I had a really bad scrape on my hand. It was really bad: skin was peeled back in three big places and I was bleeding. Is that your revenge Affinitas? You'll have to do much better than that. I'm leaving whether you like it or not. And you can keep my soul.

I'm getting over yet another cough leading me to think I've been sick just about the entire year of 2008. I hate being sick and until I started working at Affinitas in May 2006, I rarely--if ever--got sick. Stupid work ruining my immune system. I'm also having problems figuring out something to write about. It's been awhile since I've done any posting outside of my comic strip blog.

Another reason I haven't posted as often is because all I have to talk about is the God awful people I talk to on the phone at work. New Orleans people are stupid, Kansas people--for some reason--feel entitled, Omaha people are slow, Gainesville people are jerks and Las Vegas people are always in a hurry. I expect New Orleans people to be stupid ("There's a hurrican a-coming! Why didn't you leave when they told you to?!") but the other characteristics baffle me. When a huge storm flooded the Baton Rouge office, the emergency plan was to route call to us and not say anything so for three days we are taking Baton Rouge calls and either telling them to try again or transferring them into a queue that reroutes them back to us. Thanks Baton Rouge! That's providing good customer service.

I just didn't want to whine about work. And the only dream I've had of interest lately was one where I was dating Carrie Underwood and she dedicated and gave me her music award. What a sweet girl.

So I will be back on the 25th with a Lazy Sunday blog but until next time, I remain...
~Brian

What The--?! Coach Self?!?

Thu, 01 May 2008 21:36:23 GMT

I had a two-part dream last night. I don't understand it but that's nothing new. It started out with my cheapskate of a landlord selling my house to someone new. I really wasn't all that thrilled about having a new landlord but my attitude changed when I found out who it was. Kansas University's basketball coach Bill Self. Yeah, I don't get it either.

I'm not a sports fan so I don't know why I'm dreaming about Coach Bill Self. Turns out Coach Self, in my dream, is a douchebag. He raised our rent $200 and wouldn't come fix anything. Then one day, this Korean man and wife came to our door wanting to buy a car from Coach Self and wanted to know where he lived. I drove them to a small neighborhood near 31st and Kasold despite the fact I know Coach Self lives near The Yankee Tank on the west side of town. With me standing there, Coach Self gave the kind Korean man a very good deal on a 2006 Mercedes. Everything seemed all nicely wrapped up in a neat little package.

Until part two...

On a stormy night, I was busy throwing pots and pans under leaks Coach Self refused to have fixed, or reimburse us for fixing when the nice Korean man came back and was complaining that Self raised the price of the car $1,000 over Blue Book value. I had finally had enough of the Coach Bill Self and his National Champion douchebaggery and drove back to his place and complained. For some reason, Coach Self was getting ready for Christmas and was dressed like Santa Claus which made it hard to yell and be mad at him. He gave me a candy cane. It was really fun watching the Korean man tear into Bill Self dressed as Santa Claus. I awoke to the phone ringing so didn't find out if the Korean man got the car but I honestly don't know if I'd really want to find out.

I'm pretty sure Bill Self is one of the nicest guys in collegiate sports because on TV he seems a lot more approachable than a lot of the others so I have nothing against him. I'm just saying Bill Self may be a bad landlord.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Kitten

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:13:55 GMT

I originally wrote this in January but it was in a private post. I've decided to bring it out into the public because after some recent developments, the point of this post has been even more proven and I still don't regret a thing.

I believe in the concept of a soul mate. Someone who knows and understands you as much, or more, as you. Two people who have an unbreakable bond of love and trust toward each other. I've often wondered who my soul mate was and figured I obviously hadn't met them considering everyone I've ever met in my life has inexplicably vacated my life. But I finally sat down and figured it out and the answer came as a surprise to me. After Heather, I went to the two people who I always go to: my best friend Randy and my cousin, Dustin. Essentially what I got from them was "I never liked her. Girls lie. Girls cheat. She wasn't right for you. " Still that doesn't account for the fact that I wanted to marry her and loved her with all my heart. It wasn't until I talked with an old girlfriend, Cassandra, that everything was put into perspective. The things she said actually made sense and helped me figure out what possibly happened in the relationship. I'm still not all right with how everything went down but taking what Cassandra said is making everything seem much brighter.

I met Cassandra when I still worked days at Pearson for 1-800-Medicare. It was November I believe and I saw her walking down the aisle toward me and everything on her just moved in perfect rhythm. It was like in movies and TV shows where the girl just walks slow and there's a hazy aura surrounding her while her hair whips back and forth. From the moment I saw her I just knew I had to have her. I had to sleep with her. We struck up a friendship and reverted back to our high school days and passed notes to each other because we didn't want other people to know what we were talking about. I still have all those notes in a lockbox and actually made a book of them for her for Valentine's Day. We actually grew closer which was dangerous for both of us considering she was living with her boyfriend at the time.

When we finally did sleep together, we both knew it was wrong but I don't think we regretted it because we seemed to compliment each other nicely. I fell in love with her and I know she fell in love with me. It killed me being away from her and basically having to share her. I wouldn't recommend that to anyone for any reason. We eventually parted ways and she stuck it out with her boyfriend, moved near Leavenworth and got married back in August of 2006. From what I can tell they are happy and I can actually take a little bit of that happiness for myself because I think it was being with me that made Cassandra realize how much she truly loved her boyfriend and I had found my soul mate.

Cassandra and I are more alike than I had ever thought about while we were dating and she was truly my first "adult" relationship. I am so glad I know her, worked with her, continue to talk with her on occasion and that we were able to express our love to each other even if it was "wrong" and short lived. She's the only girlfriend I've forgiven for being "like all the others". She was different. Because of her advice I was able to move on and now I'm dating Audrey who I am talking about marriage to. This relationship is the least stressful of all of my relationships, Audrey is loving and caring and I know she only loves me.

Cassandra is also only one of three people who wished me a happy birthday. While I don't broadcast my birthday like on MySpace or Facebook or at all, those who know it should still wish me one. No one in my family did. Cassandra remembered and that makes me smile.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Scary Story

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:15:16 GMT

The Devil House was once located at the intersection of 93rd and Paulen Roads in Shawnee County. Rumor had it, a family used to live there who practiced Satanism. One night, their daughter snuck out and rode to Topeka on a white horse and was beaten and raped. She was able to make it back home but discovered she was pregnant. When the baby was born, the mother, ashamed of the bastard child, took the baby and drowned it in a nearby pond. The girl snapped, murdered her parents and then rode away on the white horse never to be seen again.

While that's a good story I do find some flaws in it. 1)Why would Satanists really care about a "bastard child?" That's more of a God-fearing, Christian thing. 2)But when this story would've happened (1890-1927), Topeka would've been a good distance away and would've taken most of the night to ride there and back. 3)A murder like this would've made the Topeka paper and even the Richland paper, a small town near the House but no verification has been found. While I do believe this all could happen, I think it's pieced together from different legends.

When I first saw the Devil House (part of the Kansas Devil's Triangle of Rochester Cemetery, the Devil House and Stull Cemetery), it was very imposing. The house was all boarded up and one small NO TRESPASSING sign was nailed to boards on the second floor. When me and a group of friends went to the house in the daytime, we explored more of the grounds. We saw the foundation of what we figured was a barn or stable and several watersheds. As we walked down a trail through the woods, we actually came across a pond which tied in with the story. Unfortunately, Randy got scared and ran away so we didn't explore any further but came back at night and explored the house.

At night, the house seemed much more imposing. Since the exterior wall were a yellow color, the house really stood out in the dark. All the doors and windows had been boarded up so we walked around to the back where the cellar door had been busted down. You could see remnants of previous visitors littering the small staircase to the door. The basement was completely made of dirt and dirt basements are creepy. We could see a couple of mice roaming around and two good-sized holes were made in the above ceiling for access into the actual house.

We were able to climb into the first floor fairly easily and could see the damage inflicted by vandals and time--mainly vandals. We calmly walked around looking in vain for some evidence of what supposedly transpired at this location but found nothing and were unable to gain access to the fabled third floor where the Satanic rituals and killings took place. Sadly, the house was torn down and replaced with a newer house. So any mystery associated with the Devil House will remain a mystery, only a memory to those who know the truth.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Lazy Sunday Blog VI

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:02:37 GMT

I got interested in ghost towns when Randy and I checked out some books from the library. The first towns we went to were Franklin and Bismarck Grove in Douglas County. We found nothing because the Bismarck Grove site is inaccessible and most of Franklin has now been built upon. I later learned there's a small cemetery at the top of a hill near the East Hills Business Park that was once the Franklin Cemetery.

While I haven't been to a lot of ghost towns, I've been to a few around Eastern Kansas and while I may not be able to find them, I at least attempt the journey. The following is a list of my three favorite ghost towns. I have plenty more if you're interested.

UNIONTOWN
(Take I-70 west out of Topeka to Carlson Road exit. Turn right toward Willard/Rossville. Follow signs to the Green Wildlife Refuge which is where Uniontown used to be.)

View Larger Map

Uniontown was an Oregon Trail stop near the Kansas River. It was also a trading post where Indians could cash their government annuities and also spend it. Uniontown, before settlement in Kansas began in 1854, was the largest town and stayed that way for awhile until traffic on the trail dwindled and people moved to Topeka. Today, Uniontown is mainly located in the Green Wildlife Refuge. A couple of cemeteries are in the immediate area and one has a mass Indian burial after a cholera epidemic. The wildlife preserve has old farm equipment and two hiking trails that take you into the woods surrounding Post Creek.

Went I first went to find Uniontown, I followed the directions in the ghost town traveller's guide where you exit at West Union Road. You're supposed to follow the road until it curves wide at the site of a cemetery. While the road did curve, it curved onto someone's driveway. I followed West Union Road up and down and found no cemetery. It wasn't until I spent a day in Rossville that I saw signs for the Green Wildlife Refuge along Carlson Road. I followed the signs through Willard and topping a hill saw an old stone house and cemetery. I walked both hiking trails that day although I don't really recommend going there by yourself. Even though most, if not all, of the town is gone it's nice to know that the site is being well-preserved.

WHITE CLOUD/IOWA POINT
(Take K-7 north from Troy and follow the road along the Missouri River until you come to both towns. Both are clearly marked.)

View Larger Map

White Cloud was once a major steamboat port. Iowa Point was once the largest city in Doniphan County with over 2,000 inhabitants. White Cloud hoped to become a sister city to Atchison which sadly didn't happen but White Cloud continued to be a strong city based on the steamboat industry. When the railroad came through and steamboat traffic dwindled the population moved, mainly to Atchison or St Joseph. A small population still lives in White Cloud which has the distinction of being the place where the piggy bank was invented, a couple of buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and White Cloud also has an observation point where people can see Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa.

Iowa Point was once the second-largest city along the Missouri River, after Leavenworth. The reason for Iowa Point's decline was an economic recession in 1859, the Iowa and Sac & Fox Agencies were moved miles away and the town was evenly divided on the slavery issue and fires broke out on Main Street. After the Civil War, soldiers returned to find a town depleted of businesses and homes. In 1870, the population was estimated at around 500 and in 1933 the post office was closed. Today, only a few houses remain along Denmark Road just off of K-7.

I decided to visit these towns while driving on U.S. 36 when I was leaving Sabetha. I knew I could follow U.S. 36 to K-7 to the Nebraska border. K-7 has been designated scenic route and for good reason. Leaving 36 and getting onto 7 takes you through a winding Kansas highway past small towns such as Fanning and Sparks. K-7 brushes against the Missouri River as it leads into Nebraska. I nearly ran out of gas travelling on this road as there are no gas stations between U.S. 36 and Nebraska. Luckily, the Iowa Indians have a reservation outside of White Cloud where I was able to get gas (really cheap, too!) and started making my way back home.

I did a bit more exploring in Iowa Point because I like the name and the history really intrigued me. Iowa Point is surrounded by high mounds created by natives long before Europeans came to the area. I was also able to find the cemetery which was kind of off the beaten path. I actually thought Iowa Point was a nice community despite having only a few houses.

SILKVILLE
(Take I-35 south from Ottawa to the Williamsburg exit. Follow Dane Avenue to Old Highway 50/William Street. Turn right and follow Old Highway 50 for about three miles. A sign should welcome you to the Silkville Ranch near the intersections with Arkansas Road and Douglas Road.)

View Larger Map

Silkville was founded by Frenchman Ernest de Boissere who created the town to center on the growing silk industry. While de Boissere was successful with both silk and later, cheese, the industry started to collapse and de Boissere grew homesick for France and sold the ranch to the Odd Fellows Lodge for use as an orphanage. Later, the ranch burned down. Today, all that remains is a few outbuildings, the Silkville Ranch sign and an old schoolhouse.

I originally didn't plan to go to Silkville. I originally followed John Brown Road from U.S. 59 until I got to Old Highway 50 which is something I wouldn't recommend unless you like huge, smelly farm. It also took forever to get there because Silkville is a lot further south than I thought. The drive was interesting but I soon just wanted to get there and thought about turning around a couple times. When actually arriving in Silkville, there's really nothing that says you are there except for the sign. I even explored a little more and went to the town of Agricola and all the way down to BETO Junction before I turned around. If you're ever in the area, take a trip around Melvern Lake. It's a gorgeous lake and kind of creepy at the same time.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

My World, Welcome To It

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:14:14 GMT

This is just a sample of what I have done. Before, I created a city named Mason City and it grew from a small town consisting of three pieces of paper to a sprawling city of about 40 pieces of paper. It was something I was proud of but, sadly, I had to throw it away because of liquid damage and other problems. I kind of wish I would've kept it as a reminder or even just to show it off. I tried to redo the damaged parts but the paper grew weaker and started to tear easily. Below is a small map of Mason City to give you an idea of what it looked like. Just imagine it spread over several feet of paper.

I love drawing maps and have for years. People have said I should be a cartographer or a city engineer but you really need to be good at math for both of those jobs and I want to stay as far away from using math at work as possible. The map below is of a town I had a dream about. The town bordered a man-made lake and the road winded around the lake and limestone bluffs. The imposing view of a factory interrupted the rural horizon. I didn't get too far into the dream until I woke up but the dream has always kind of creeped me out. Whenever I'm near a lake I drive around trying to find anything reminiscent of the dream I had.

I have always been fascinated with maps as anyone should be able to tell you. I don't know why, maybe it fits in with my fascination on street names. My fascination with maps doesn't just extend to city and county maps. Back in 7th grade, a friend and I created our own island nation: Shmand. I don't remember how we came up with the names but I was the one to develop the surrounding island provinces. I have no idea where he came up with the name Shmand but the name stuck.

As far as I could tell, Shmand was located in the Caribbean but when I actually drew the map and gave it a history, I moved it to the South Pacific, near Antarctica. I consider Shmand a crowning achievement of originality, even though you could say I stole the basis of the idea from someone else. It could also be considered the pinnacle of my dorkiness, of which I am very proud.

~Brian

Latin For Relationship

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:45:37 GMT

I still hate my job if anyone really cares. We're apparently not doing so good on quality and talk time so they're dragging us a few at a time for "Enhanced Training" or "You Suck Training" as I call it. Emphasis on 'suck.'

I've been on the phone a little less than a week and it's been okay. Not too bad, decent customers calling and what I'm gated to do isn't all that difficult. I still don't like the people I work with or how the place is run but I can tolerate it for a little while. This place still wastes a ton of paper and the Enhanced Training makes it worse because it's copying roughly 50 pages of information for 150 people. I feel guilty and am thinking of finding some way to help a tree or something. I hope this place recycles but I'm afraid it doesn't

One thing that amazes me about this place is the way they always try to figure out way not to pay you. We recently got informed that people hired after a certain date will get paid differently and will not get their bonus if on any kind of warning. This place constantly threatens us with not getting paid or reducing our pay. They say that if you call in on a payday but show up just to pick up your paycheck you WILL NOT GET PAID. Now I can see if you are just skipping work but what if you are really sick but end up really needing that money? Like for rent or something? Can they legally keep it from you since it's money you worked for and are expected to have on a certain day?

This place does a really good job at skirting the law and I've actually done research and they do enough to keep it legal. Rumor has it the company is run by a type of mafia but how many mafia syndicates are based in Omaha, Nebraska? Our Vice President of Operations/Center Manager is rumored to be the President/CEO's best friend's poker buddy. I also think everyone here is on some sort of narcotic. Whether it's legal or illegal I can't be sure.

As I said, I don't like the people. Most of them are loudmouthed and egotistical. Rednecks, with as many teeth as fingers, spout off about the African Slave Trade of the 1700s then segue into talking about dogfights. Girls lovingly talk about their boyfriends but never think twice when they call them stupid or worthless and openly talk about cheating on them. Then there are people who are well-educated but you constantly wonder why, if they are so well-educated, are they working here? A lot of the girls seem to be starved for attention, turning them into mini-sluts. The Peppermint Patty girl has been talking roughly non-stop since I got here at 3:30. It's now 10:30.

Another I have is the heat. While it's a nice 69 to 75 outside, it's a horrid 85 to 95 inside. One reason being the air conditioning is broken and it might get fixed this Spring. Another is there are no windows and we're on the bottom floor of a badly made mall next to a river. Add in all the people who working during the afternoon and evening and it's like a sauna in there. From what I remember it starts cooling down about 2:30 in the morning and feels pretty good for when the 7AM people start showing up. Then it warms up again.

Since I started this job I have been looking for something else but only one place has actually made me believe I could be on my way out of here for good. I'm gonna start shipping an updated resume around this week so hope you all are praying for me.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

The Cat Rangers

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:18:50 GMT

I look at Cameran in awe as I see what all he can do with his imagination. Of course, he has better toys to aid with his imagination than I had. He has an Iron Man mask, wrist things that shoot "webs", or silly string and a red cape with an 'S' so he can be Superman. My Grandma had to make my cape and I wish I still had it. I don't even know what could've happened to it. I got on board with comic books in 1992 when Superman died. I know it may seem that I just jumped aboard the bandwagon but I didn't. I read comics regularly until 2000 then sporadically after that. (That $2.95 cover price is a bitch). My imagination has sadly matured so while I could still run around in a homemade cape, there is a possibility that police may be called.

The reason I'm kind of nostalgic is because I finally finished my short story The Cat Rangers which gives a kind of condensed version of a superhero team/club my friends and I had back in the fifth grade. When I started writing this I just plowed through it, getting about halfway done before my momentum petered out. While at work, where inspiration hits me for some reason, I was able to finish it and it brought back a lot of memories. After I moved to Baldwin, I essentially spent my first summer there alone. I didn't know anybody and I didn't really care. I think this was the beginning of my near anti-social behavior. Or maybe it's because in high school few people actually wanted to talk to me.

As I grew, when I would hang out with friends we mainly talked about sex. I didnt like talking about sex because I hadn't had it, didn't like any girls that way and didn't really have any knowledge about that subject. Now I'm almost like an encyclopedia. When I started working at Baker, nearly all my spare time was spent there where the conversations ranged from sex to school to cars to politics to religion to everything in between. That's something I don't get anymore although when I worked at Pearson it came damn close.

Sadly, moments like those usually end up to be just memories, carefully stored away. I always smile when I think back to playing with Alex and Aaron, or working at Baker, or talking with Rod, Drew and Jonathan at Pearson, or ghost hunting with Randy and Joey. Those were wonderful memories and I'd be foolish to lose them.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Could We Call It 'The Mushroom Head Society'?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:04:50 GMT

One reason I hate working at Affinitas is because I can't really block out the background conversations. Like, did you know that this girl, who reminds me of Peppermint Patty, only has an orgasm less than 20% of the time? That's really low compared to your average standards. I know some girls are harder to get off but I think her boyfriend is doing something wrong.

I maintain that sex is one part physical and one part emotional, meaning that they can be equal or one can be more than the other. If the person is really good in bed for some reason the emotional side can be smaller and vice versa. Now when you find that right person who can 50-50 it, that's when you sing like in Young Frankenstein.

I like talking about sex. I wish I could divulge intimate details of encounters but I can't comment on pending court cases. Sex is amazing to read about. Sex, I think, is that one thing that makes you believe that there is a God. Why? In just about every religion, you can only have sex to procreate which is the reason why it feels so good so we will constantly do it and populate the planet. I would think that even if a girl doesn't have an orgasm, she gets some sort of fulfillment from at least the act. There has to be some eroticism to being filled in that way. I know I'd enjoy it.

I normally don't care about people's sexual encounters because chances are I'm not getting any at that particular time but when I am getting some, sex is the most amazing thing to talk about because it's different for everyone which makes it more interesting. You see groups all the time that sit around and talk movies, books, sports, Tupperware. Are there groups out there that sit around and talk about sex? Complete with Cherry 7-Up flavored punch and tiny finger sandwiches? If not, I want to start one.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian