One entry every 4 years aint bad?

Well lo and behold, seems I have a small window here to offer an entry. I wonder if I triggered a free month by logging in, or if everyone got a free month? I wonder why I randomly logged in in the first place. I suppose it was to reminisce. I was a much better writer when I was younger- 20 years ago, nearly to the near- when I began this little diary. Those were much more interesting years, overall. I feel like anything true and brave and truly brave, these days, is aborted long before it approaches existence. These are the years of hyper connectivity aka isolation and safetyism aka fear.

Almost makes me want to throw up in my mouth as much as this site. What a sick joke to have such a lovely ecosystem of a site- simple, customizable code, a number of membership options including a free ad supported option to welcome all voices- suddenly die off. And then! Four years later! Locked behind a paywall and recoded into a completely different and completely bland and uniform experience. So disappointing.

But, far be it for me to look a gift diary in the mouth, I suppose I should take this opportunity to update the record on yours truly- for posterity. My career is stable and booming, and I own a third of the business. I pay myself about a third of what I bill, keeping the rest in the business for overhead and insurance and so forth. I can run a lot of my daily expenses through the business, so ownership provides a number of perks in and of itself. Bought a house a couple years ago, a feat that was only made possible by my father’s sudden suicide in June 2020 and the money he left me. It’s in the old town suburbs, right on the river, and was last remodeled in 1910 per the inscription on the concrete in the basement. When the original house was built, I have no idea- but it seems like it probably predated plumbing, sometime in the 1800s. My girlfriend, who shares my love of old houses,  lives with me- and we are slowly peeling the layers off of the house and restoring the original skeleton to something of its former glory. I’ve already replaced the roof, the chimney, and the back deck. This winter I plan on installing a clawfoot tub and an old drinking fountain on the second floor.

I am 40 years old now. I miss almost everyone in my life that I knew, at one point, and drifted away from. This probably represents 90+ percent of everyone I’ve known. I miss some of the old writers, now long gone, from this site too- and think of them often. I wonder if I too cross the minds of people that I’ve forgotten, from time to time.

Perhaps I’ll see you in another 4 years, friends. If not, it was truly a blessing to be here with you. Know I treasured every second.