The Great River
(20-29 August 2000)

29 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Exit everyone who was left.  Or, to shamelessly steal from "The Usual Suspects"... & just like that... they were gone.
-I'm gonna miss the little "from Albuquerque"s after every date on this page.  At least this thing will be easier to update than via friggin' telnet.
-Jaque is alive, well, & has a new webpage!  One might even call it... denteresting.
-Yes, Kate, Compaq's do suck.  & I'm okay.  Ish.  Just the ups & downs that are my silly little existence.
-Long night upcoming.  It's only one in the morning.

28 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-More of the sad.  Yeah.
-Wow.  That was exhausting.  & absolutely equally comforting & disconcerting.  But, well, that's life in a bag.

27 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Sadness.  Whole lotta that right now.  It's just hitting me that, well, here we go again.  & go is really the only word for it.  That's unfortunate.  Although I'm sure I'll feel better about it on the flip side... at least a little.  It's all a little too close for comfort.
-Freez, trying to cheer me up about 'Deis last night, told me "if I were you, I'd just try to spend 24/7 with Ariela..."  If that doesn't put it exactly, I dunno what does.  Ding!  I win!  No Ariela for you!  So Freez's best solution has a zero-conversion potential.  That just about sums it up.
-I have made 3 5-dollar bets that, should the Yankees face the Mariners in the playoffs this year, the Mariners will take the series.  I have made an additional unrelated 5-dollar bet that Al Gore will receive less than 30% of the electoral college in the upcoming election.  I currently forsee a maximum of 14 states going Gore, the largest of which is Illinois.
-Hey, I wasn't looking forward to junior year in HIGH SCHOOL either... that was when I was contemplating Swaziland & all that stuff.  But then again, look where that year went... eek.  Note to self:  do not dump good friend for pathological liar in early romantic situations this year!
-Did I mention sadness?  Had that come up?  Ah, I thought not.
-Not much to prepare for this trip, is there?  I figure I can do all my packing on Tuesday morning, honestly.  Not like I'll be sleeping Monday night anyway.  Lord have mercy.
-I love hiking.  I love the Sandias.  I love hanging out with Gris.  I do not love being less than 48 hours short of Brandeis.  One of these things is not like the other...
-Sarah knows Becky Malquist!  & vice versa!  Ah, the smallness of this crazy sphere!  Oh, the insanity!
-At least I'll have a single.

26 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Happy Birthday... just kidding.  It's not really anyone's birthday today, for the first time in a while.  Well, it's LOTS of people's birthdays, just not, you know, anyone I know that well.  Yeah.  What they said.
-Megan rocks.  I hate how I lose contact with some people for varieties of time & suddenly am reminded, usually by renewed contact with said person, just how cool they are/were.  Because often the revival is inherently short-lived, even if it's really cool.  Once again, this was not particularly good timing, but tonight was "a bunch" of fun.
-Freez claims to "own [Fish's] candy-ass."  At least in Scattergories.  Am I really the only person who finds that funny?
-Laughter is great for the soul.  If I could be sure I would have a lot of that in the coming months, they wouldn't look nearly so dreary.  But I suppose that goes without saying.
-Novices indeed.  Hey, speaking of debate, Jon K. Williams is always a good source of laughter!  In spite of himself, of course, but still... sometimes that makes it that much better.
-Man alive.  Man dead.  Man half-conscious.

25 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Happy Birthday, Sarah!  Even if your gift arrived early & all.
-So things are looking way up from 365 days ago yesterday.  Though that ain't sayin' much at all.  "Maybe this year will be better than the last..."
-You can call me ANYtime, baby... wink, wink.  Okay, that was silly.  Honestly, Kate, I dunno... perhaps this weekend sometime?  I'm gonna be busyish, trying to get some last good times in before school sets in again & all.  We'll figure it out.
-People are dumb.  Don't believe me?  Go to any grocery store & stand in line.  This country/world/etc. might just not be worth saving after all.
-Today's been kinda... eh.  Frustrating?  Not really.  Just sorta washed out.  Like everything's pale & dusty & fading...  Good lord, this is all almost another chapter in the books.
-Brandzy lives!  Still have our doubts about Jake, unfortunately.
-Where IS everybody?

24 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Happy Birthday, Dad!!  As per usual with adults, age will not be divulged.
-Oh, c'mon, Kate, what fun would it be if I didn't goad you?  Of course it's all in jest... the picture can wait, anyway, since people like seeing that Floridian Denny's, I assure you!
-There's always more to talk about.
-I could be more excited about the way things are going on that front, but I can't really imagine how.  Well, I COULD imagine how, but it'd all be really blatant & unrealistic & silly.  But who needs patience anymore when this is afoot?  Spiffy.
-Who am I to tell people if they're using crackfiendish logic or not?  I mean, well, let me rephrase that... who am I to STOP them if they are?  I suppose that's Mainely the issue.
-I am now reading "Slapstick", which is rather bizarre.  Hi ho.
-Where'd he go?!
-Speaking of where people went, it might soon be time to call out another search-party for Jaque.  Maybe the cabinet just hasn't been built in time.  Anybody hear from him since his journey to Georgia?

23 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Oh baby, SO tasty!
-From the "I spoke too soon" files, Kate's ramblings page is now a bunch of illegible goo.  More or less.  I have faith she'll work on this by Christmas...
-This time, someone might just understand.  No time to hold one's breath or anything, it'll be a long while before we know for sure.  But just the potential of understanding is breathtaking.
-"Some days are diamonds..."

22 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Exit Eliaii.
-Five people am I really looking forward to seeing at the 'Deis in a week's time.  It could be six, but lets not push our luck.
-Fish is currently taking suggestions on how to meet cool people at UCSD.  Please send him ideas for clubs to join, potential jobs to get, or other more creative methods of making good friends among good people.  It will greatly improve all our lives if you join in the effort!
-Wow.  The sine curve just keeps spiraling up.
-Somebody call CNN!  Kate's updated her 'site!  Stop the presses!  I barely believe... okay, I'll calm down now.  I had to give her SOME flack for all this, no?
-Kate also has zillions of new pictures up on her site, one of which she'll probably beg me to steal to replace her circa 1997 picture currently on the friends page.  However, she mentions bowling, which Freez, John, & I did 9 full games of (apiece) today.  I'll take my 149 average, though Johnny's high game of 230 spanked my 188.  A fun time all around.

21 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Being spontaneous rules.
-Fighting with close friends can be really assuring in the long-term.  In the short term, it's frustrating that someone that close can still aggravate you that much.  But as time passes, it's nice to know that you can hash it out with someone that much & STILL be so close the rest of the time.  & I think it's all getting a little better over time.  But you know how it is.
-It gets tiresome, having to leave all this behind.
-I love the Post Office on Rio Grande.  The employees there just rock.  What a great conversation.
-How can you not love life today?  This question brought to you by the better side of the sine-curve...

20 August 2000
[from Albuquerque]
-Ow.
-Talking with Kunkel helped me really appreciate debate to an even greater level.  I mean, I love it & am well aware that it's what keeps me going through Brandeis, what keeps me going TO Brandeis rather than transfering or taking time off or going abroad.  But he really put in perspective for me just how fortunate I am to spend every weekend at a tourney, let alone be competitive at the highest levels in the nation.  I am very thankful.  But I need to be more so.  That's something I have to look forward to.
-Sometimes, loneliness just swallows me whole.

Introspection, My Worst Friend* (Current)
Ye Olde Archive (Past)

Tell me this is not the end...*


*-lyrics from an as-yet unreleased song, "The Same Old Frontiers", by SWClayton.