01/02/2000 - All rightie, then. We're into a new year (not the new millenium or new century, though, folks, so give it up) and the world is still going. Still have electricity and water. My computers still start up, haven't melted down. Tomorrow, I go to work and see if the computers at work are still there or if the y2k goblins grabbed them all. Much of the web is still there. The ATM's are still working. *sigh* Maybe the world isn't coming to an end yet. Heh. Or maybe the end is waiting to come when we AREN'T expecting it. Oh, well. Kari, Lars and I sat in my apartment, half holding our breath. However, I had been watching the news all day and saw that most of the world was having no problems. It's kind of nice to be near the end of the daily rotation, so I could see what was happening before it hit us. I was daring, though. I kept my computers on through midnight.

Well, in other news . . . hmmm, what haven't I mentioned? Oh, things like the end of the school year. I was distracted by other things (like people spreading rumors - you know who you are), so my heart wasn't completely into the test taking thing. Despite that, I managed to get an A and three B's. Eh, not too bad. Didn't even study for my environmental psych class (yes, that's one of the B's). So, now I have one more semester left before graduation. Woo hoo. "Then what?" you ask. Good question. I'm glad you asked. Next question.

Christmas vacation has been fun so far. Kari got her wisdom tooth out and spent a week on drugs, right after school was out. I ended up taking care of her at my parents' house. She didn't puff out much in the cheek region, nor did she feel too much pain. In fact, I think the major problems were the result of being put to sleep during the surgery and the codene she was on. She spent a few days nauseated and hallucinating. Heh. That was interesting. Despite a bit of overreacting occasionally, the poor whiney baby, er, trooper made it through admirably.

I worked up until the Wednesday before Christmas, then went back home. Got to spend time with Debbie, who was down visiting, Jon, Karyn, Heidi, Michael, and of course my mom and dad. Kari was there, missing her family and still on drugs (for the pain), but we enjoyed having her there. Christmas was quite nice, although I was tired. One thing I enjoyed was spending time with Debbie, Heidi, Karyn and Jon playing tennis. Debbie did quite well for her first time. You'd think she'd been playing for some time.

Afterwards, Jon and Heidi came back with Kari and me to Tucson on Christmas day. Jon and I stayed up late playing games on the computer. The next day, we left for California, to stay with Kari's grandmother. Her parents and brother were also there, visiting. We had lots of fun there, but it was a nightmare trying to connect with my parents, who were effectively two hours away (traffic). While together, Kari's parents took us out to Knott's Berry Farm theme park. That was pretty fun, but admittedly not as good as Disneyland (how could it compete?). Kari's mom, Marie, got sick on the first roller coaster (called the Ghost Rider) and wouldn't go on any others. The Ghost Rider was quite intense (didn't help that it was made out of wood and felt like it would fall apart at any second). At the famous Knott's resteraunt, Jon made a pig of himself. Actually, at every resteraunt we went to, he pigged out. It was amusing, really.

Well, I guess that's about that. I skimmed over some details, but I'm tired and have to go to work tomorrow. Happy new year.

01/05/2000 - A postscript. At work, I found all systems seem to be working normal. This non-storm appears to have been weathered without injury. How much was hype and how much was misinformation? The world may never know.

11/22/99 - A few noteworthy things to mention here. November fourth came and went. My webpage is now two years old. Wow. I can still remember the day so long ago when I decided I didn't want human contact for a while. Instead, I wrapped my psyche into a little shell and entertained myself with this project, the web page. Anyone not sure what I'm referring to? Check out my old writings and old news. You can find them. I'm not bothering to put a link here. At any rate, this site has been a source of distraction, instruction, amusement, annoyment, misunderstanding, enhancement, socializing and more. I have made new friends, enhanced my relationship with others. I have learned to express myself better and tried to be more open. I have gained valuable insight into how others think, by their reactions to my writings.

Many people have not always liked what they have read here. Most have had the courage to tell me what they felt. Some have not. Someone out there (you know who you are) has felt I said some things about him that were out of line, wrong, unfair, whatever. I am not writing any of this to please him or anyone else but me. I'm selfish that way. If he has something to say to me, he should say it to me and not to everyone else in the world.

That unpleasantness out of the way, I would like to say that for the most part, having this web page has been a pleasure and I will continue with it as long as my interest holds, your interest holds and the internet continues existing (remember the y2k thing?). Is that a promise? Yeah, I guess so, but all three conditions just listed must be present.

Another anniversary has occured recently. Halloween, now three weeks past, was the night Kari and I first met. At that time, neither of us really cared. "Eh," was our reaction to one another. I was Fred from the cartoon Scooby Doo and She was dressed as Catwoman, of Batman fame. Our mutual friend and my roommate, Mo Castillo, introduced us. Hmmm, did we even say six words to each other that night? At any rate, about this time last year, Kari and I started getting to know one another. And you know what? We still barely cared. It wasn't until January that we actually grew attached. It's been a pretty good year.

Last weekend, Kari, Heidi and I went to California again. Heidi and I had our dental work to be done, so we both suffered in pain and numb faces on Friday. Saturday, the three of us went with Rees to Disneyland. Yay! Happiest place on earth. Hey, they might be an evil empire, out to get your money, but that was a fun day. Probably the most intese ride was the new one, the Indiana Jones adventure. I heard from Rees (who used to work at Disneyland, before starting dental school) that the Indiana ride cost more than all the other rides put together. Wow. Way to go over budget. Heh.

It was a long day. We went on all the fun rides, but never had to stand in line over 45 minutes. Hey, considering the average wait is over 2 hours during busy season, thats pretty good. What gets me is that people put up with that nonsense. 2 Hours for a five minute ride? Get real! Anyway, this was the first time at Disneyland since I was ten. It was probably more magical back then. This time, I could view the whole place with a childlike glee while at the same time cynically see how it is all a farce. Happiest place? Maybe. Tired and disinterested ride workers aside, there were a lot of people trying too hard to have fun. They didn't look happy. I'm a people watcher, and I saw people about as happy as they are anywhere. Behind all the glitter, people are still just people and life is still the same. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. Try as they might, at the end of the day, you are still tired and have less money than you had before.

Make no mistake. I had a blast and it was fun hanging out with Kari, Rees and Heidi. But there are already too many stories about how wonderful the place is. Just thought I would add to the literature on Disneyland. Oh, I was so tired from that trip to California, and especially from the Disneyland trip, I got sick. Or sicker. Have had a nasty virus that just hangs on forever. Getting better again, but I'm always tired. But the trip was worth it.

One other thing to mention. Kari and I were invited to Michelle's home (yes, Michelle Price) to eat dinner this past Saturday night. She has moved out of her parent's home and is fixing up an old shack into a museum/home. It really is amazing all she has done do the place. Anyway, she went all out and made us an eastern dinner. Eastern? Yes, eastern, as in, not European or American, but not any one place. I think there was Middle Eastern and Indian (as in, from India) food, as well as Japanese desert. It was a good meal, one we ate purely with chopsticks. We all had an enjoyable time and then watched Saturday Night Live for laughs. Every time I see Michelle's art, I think of the different processes she went through as her art evolved and it reminded me of the good times she and I had. I'm so glad she and I are friends again.

On that somewhat sappy note, I will end for now.

10/25/99 - It has been ages since last time, but that's no surprise. Lots of things have happened. I had my birthday and am now a quarter century old. *shrug* Whatever.

Actually, I had a good birthday. They even had a holiday for me (Labor Day). Spent some time with my family and got to have Jon come visit me for the weekend. Kari's cousin came to visit for the weekend (was visiting Heidi) and came with us to Sierra Vista for the big celebration. My dad was unfortunately unable to be at home, but he had a good excuse. His mother's birthday is close to mine and he went to visit her. His whole family was there including nephews and nieces. From his report and from the pictures, it sounded like a good trip for him. I talked to my grandmother (his mother) on my birthday and we had a good chat. We (the grandchildren) haven't seen her very often growing up, but she's still been a good part of our lives.

I've been feeling the senior blues lately. The end is near enough to taste. It's time to register for my last semester ever as an undergraduate. I'm excited, but it gets hard to motivate myself sometimes. Studying for midterms, well, I did what I was supposed to do, but it took some work. Not to mention feeling slightly ill the last couple of weeks (during midterms). Feeling better now.

This semester has been crazy, going on trips every other weekend, it feels. Kari, Heidi and I went to California to have our teeth checked out by Kari's aunt and uncle. We also went to spend time with her cousin. At that point, Heidi and Rees (the cousin) had interest in each other and were sort of dating (having met in Las Vegas for Kari's Aunt's wedding a month before). Rees is also planning on being a dentist. At any rate, I was found to have one new cavity (only a small one) and a couple of fillings coming out (fillings from when I was ten). Heidi had a few more than I did, a number I will not divulge. We are going back in November to get those teeth filled.

Heidi and Rees were dating for a while and everyone in his family and mine were voting for them. Eh. It didn't work out and that's ok. Hopefully, they both got something out of the time they spent together (and apart, since he lives in L.A.). It would have been interesting if they had gotten together, but some things, you just learn not to push.

Right before our trip to California, I got to spend about an hour with my friend, Katrina. This was the General Conference weekend (for those of you that are Mormon), at the beginning of October. For the first time ever, after three years of knowing each other online, Kat and I met. Our friendship has been through a lot during that year, and she was really there for me (in virtual space) when I first moved to Tucson (what a fun year that was). We used to joke that the other person wasn't real, just electrons in cyberspace. Not true any more. I proved I was real to her. We had a good chat and she finally told me news she had been hiding for eight months. Can't repeat it here, but let's just say that some news is better for real life. We ended up not talking long because I was about to leave for the previously mentioned California trip and had no idea if she was actually coming or not until she got to Tucson. At any rate, the visit was good and I have a picture that I'll eventually post, but it's at the start of the roll of film, so it may be a while.

8/31/99 - Ok, this summer went fast. School has already started and August is over. In just a week, I will be 25, a quarter of a century. For those of you older readers, the thought of 25 may not be a big deal. But then, perhaps you recall the magnitude of such a passage of time and know that 25 is one of the first magical ages when mortality really begins edging on one's consciousness. Ah, me. But actually, I already felt "older" (in answer to the question, "do you feel older?") a few months ago. Next week, it will only be made official. As it was, at 24 I already because old enough to not be considered dependent on my parents (they still help me out a bit, but I have lived on my own since I was seventeen). At 21, I was old enough to . . . do a bunch of things my religion won't allow. Twenty-five, on the other hand, is such an easy number to divide into one hundred, making it all the more ominous.

But enough of the . . . overthinking. School is going well. It is great to not have school, four days out of seven. It is great having a new job where I don't have to break my back every day (even if the guy who replaced me in my old job is a putz that no one trusts to get anything right, I wouldn't go back to that position). In some ways, having the new computer job gives me some validity. It's the first time I get paid to use my brain instead of just my body. I like that. And the best part is being able to tell PhD's what they are doing wrong on their computers. The other computer guy, Dave, is about to move back home to Texas, because he just graduated, and my boss, Lourdes, hasn't hired anyone new yet (being on maternity leave and all), so I may be all the English department has for a while. Cool.

Having the new apartment is great. It has free basic cable, a pool and hot tub, tennis court (hey, jon!), two bathrooms, built in microwave, clothes washer and dryer and dishwasher. A loft apartment, it has a balcony on both floors and storage space. I haven't had storage space in so long. I feel I have played the struggling college student for long enough. I still am one, but I want to have nicer things. The only thing I have given up in living here is a room to myself. I miss my privacy, my ability to be alone. That's just one of those basic needs I have. Not everyone has been able to understand that I am recharged by my alone time. Just the way I am.

Anyway, I get along with two of my roommates very well. The third one is still homesick and . . . well, appears to be a bit spoiled, so he doesn't talk to me much. Not saying there's any tension or anything. We just don't seem to have much to say to one another. The apartment is farther from campus and my car does not work, so I have to bike to school. That's ok, except my bike was in poor condition. My bicycle enthusiast roommate, Ammon, helped me fix it up and it runs much smoother, now. So what that I don't want to afford it? I have a better paying job and have been putting in long hours. I can make it, I think.

Anyway, moving along. My friend Lars just got off his mission. He is one of my best male friends from Eastern Arizona College. He and one of my best female friends from EAC wrote each other while he was in Argentina and they both decided to move to Tucson to spend time together. Tucson was convenient considering he was from Ajo, Arizona (don't ask; rest assured, it's small) and she is from Colorado. At any rate, they are both here and I can spend time with them. In fact, they have spent several evenings together with Kari and me. I have a bit of a social life now. Strange, I have to import people to Tucson to have one. I don't think I get along very well with most Tucsonans. Another good thing is that Heidi lives here. I haven't always appreciated having my sisters living nearby. Debbie and I lived close to each other in Thatcher, going to EAC, but hardly ever saw each other. Well, after my mission, the same was true of Heidi, also in Thatcher. Well, whenever Debbie is in town (or I am up there in Utah), I try to spend time with her. As for Heidi, we have had at least one or two dates a week together. We'll just go out and grab a bite to eat together (she pays for herself, of course). Yesterday, the 30th, was one such occasion. It is good to have her near and she is glad to be living here.

Lars' homecoming was a week ago last Sunday. Kari and I drove out to see him. Someone (Brynne) told us the wrong time so we would get there on time. Well, we could have slept longer, but her ploy worked. Kari and I dreaded the appearance of Lori to the homecoming, but she didn't show up. Yes, this is the same Lori for whom I had the dubious honor of being a bride's man (or whatever you call it when a guy stands on the bride's side of the line). Lori started playing with Brynne's and my heads and I didn't want to play her game any more. I just don't want her to be a part of my life. Anyway, we were pleased that she didn't show up, because there was that much less tension there at the homecoming.

Afterwards, I learned from Brynne that Lars' sister (age:13) has a crush on me. How cute. Except that she stared at me uncomfortably after church. Um, what do I do with someone half my age? Well, thankfully, she doesn't hate Kari, as other's who have liked me have done. She does wish and hope Kari leaves the picture, but has nothing against her personally. No one say anything to her because her brother Lars isn't even supposed to know. Shhh.

In other news, Michelle Price had a going away party for the guy she was dating, Christian. Kari and I were invited and decided to be a little social that night. At this party, Michelle unveiled a large wall mosaic she worked on. The thing is huge, and very well done. It was interesting to see because a lot of the motifs in her art were things she was discovering or exploring as she and I dated. After that party, she went on a three week trip around the country. She's in a nomadic phase right now, she claims. At any rate, she and I had a good chat a few nights ago. I'm glad she and I have been able to rebuild our friendship.

That is the extent of my writing for now. Must get sleep some time.