Possibly the last entry

The last entry for 2005, probably.

I am a paid up OD plus guy until 07, so I feel "obliged" to write and post here until then, at least. 

("" should be seen as a smile)

(Ironically, I am paid up until 4-23-07, the 8th anniversary of wrecking my car and dramatically changing my life)

Many people here collect things.  One reader collects Star Wars figures, another collects that, someone else collects these. 

I am a collector too.

I collect smiles.

There is a bumper sticker that reads "Commit Random acts of Kindness and senseless Beauty" and while my iconoclastic nature wants to sneer at that sentiment and make fun of it, I do that too.  It makes my day to make a woman smile.  Hold a door for ’em, say good morning, or what a nice sweater!  or nice outfit!- whatever.  I collect smiles, and while they are fleeting and not something I can "keep", in memory, they shine for me.

Ah, theres another one!

Thanksgiving comes too soon.  The real time to be thankful is here, at the tail end of the year, when you can look back at the whole thing and see it all and judge it.

I have had what may well be my best year in 2005.  I have had the same job for almost two years now.  This pleases me.  This year I became an automobile owner again after seven years of crossing the desert of modern American life on foot or on the bus.  And the vehicle I have now is not some piece of shit money hole that sucks my cash and good nature away.  This mini-van is indeed one of the best used cars I’ve ever owned.  It starts every time and carries hundreds of newspapers easily.  It takes me to the Gorge for wonderful pictures (hows about a New Year’s Day sunrise in the Gorge…anyone wanna see that?) and carries me and my friends and my newspapers wherever we need to go.  I have no complaints about my faithful beast.

I am finishing my seventh year here in this apartment, the longest I have ever lived anywhere.  This is the 18th year I have lived in Oregon (minus three years in Japan- but I came here twice a year during that time).  I have driven through 35 states, and they all had their beauty, even New Jersey, whcih always gets the short end of the stick.  Even NJ has it’s pretty places, but of all the states I saw, Oregon had the most of what I need to see.  A wild ocean, glorious coastlines, tall mountains, a considerable desert- all within a few hours drive.

Since early 1998, it has been a nearly continuous ascent- upwards and onwards indeed.

In this case, for sure, "stay the course" is the right option.

Upwards and Onwards.

*****