4 June 2008 ~ Lost and Found
It has been far too long since my last entry and I really have no excuse other than to say that I have been busy. Every time I had intended to set aside time to write, or every time I was truly inspired and felt compelled to jot down the current happenings, something of greater importance would always steal the moment.
Since 4 December, Nate and I celebrated our third anniversary on 31 December, but don’t get too excited. This past New Year’s Eve was nothing to write home about! Regardless of how many attempts we made to get into the city, at midnight we found ourselves stuck on an underground metro with our friend, Wade. We spent the last few hours of the year trying to no avail to reach our other friends who were waiting for us in one of the local bars. At one point we got off the train and decided to take a taxi because it would be faster. Nope! No cab would pick us up and so that’s when we headed back to the train and waited for it move toward the city. After the train started rolling, it then broke down for 20 minutes and somewhere between the dark lights and the long quiet wait, 2008 snuck in unceremoniously.
What’s funnier is Wade’s partner, Alan, spent the last 2 hours waiting for us outside in the frigid air. He was freezing and could not get in the club because he didn’t have the required tickets; our friend Barb (who was working inside) was holding our tickets in the club and we were supposed to call her and then meet in the entrance once we all got there. The club entry was by ticket only and they were sold out well in advance. Alan didn’t know Barb from a hole in the wall, plus he didn’t have his cell phone on him or his wallet; these items were secured safely in the pockets of jacket, which was locked safely in the truck of his car right beside his car keys.
To put the icing on the cake, around midnight, Verizon Wireless decided it would be very entertaining to shut down their cell phone towers. No calls could come in or go out so there we were, trying aimlessly to make our way downtown, with no way to reach anyone and no idea where Alan was by this point.
Finally, after 1AM we all managed to meet up and find our way upstairs. We stood at the bar for 20 minutes trying to get the bartender’s attention to order a drink, and of course the drink, which consisted of a full glass of ice, coke and two drops of Crown, was $10. Nate ordered a Red Bull and vodka, which was comprised of about the composition.
Anyway, the past few months have been rough to some degree, what with full time school and work, a promotion which came with a new position working in DC, and we can’t forget this long drawn out Democratic primary season. However, as of last night that fight has ended and the person with the most votes did not go on to win the presumptive nomination.
I realize that by this point in my blog most people will have stopped reading save the two or three people in my life who actually have more time on their hands than me. However, for those who have continued reading, I’ll continue with the revelations.
Most of you may remember I lost my older brother last year, and he was my only full biological sibling. On 23 May of this year, on the eve of my 29-plus-tax-birthday, my dad called me to report that my younger (half) brother had been diagnosed with cancer that was discovered in his chest, neck and lower arms. David is only 17 but the good news, if any, is that it is Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and it was caught in stage 2.
Let’s see, what else is new? There has been so much going on during the past few months. About three weeks ago, two of my closest friends I had from when I lived in Germany came over to visit. Severine and Jörg spent a weekend with Nate and me, and of course we did some sightseeing and went out a couple nights. Anyway, I’m just rattling on about what’s transpired over the course of the past few months rather than ranting on about what I think or how I feel today, which after all expressing one’s personal views is the sole purpose of blogs! I felt like I owed it to my reader (note: singular) but I’ll revert by next time, providing that’s not another 6 months away.
A few months ago, I decided that it was time to retire my personal website of over 10 years by replacing it; I have been in the process of designing an entirely new site from the ground up! The new site is here and it is nowhere near ready to be graded because I simply don’t have the proper time to devote to it. I am planning several Easter eggs (hidden sites with little treasures) throughout the site, but finding them will not be easy. On these sites, I’ll post pictures, some of my writings from my vault and other items that will not be accessible to the casual visitor.
My problem in life right now, is that I feel I don’t have a voice or at least one that is audible beyond the gentle air of a soft whisper. Amongst my circle of friends, I guess I’m known as the one who is abrasive, vocal, very opinionated, sex-minded (always have some venue of sex on the mind) and blunt. However, there is another side of me that so few see and during a few iterations throughout my life, I am troubled by this, even though it’s by my own design and self-fortitude. There is more to me than an empty shell but I have seen time and time again in my life that when I do express genuine concern, my petitions often go unheard and ignored. Writing has been the only significant voice I have been able to carry throughout my whole life and although my audience has not reached the standing room only capacity, I dream to someday achieve this.
I stopped writing for plebeian review about 6 years ago, primarily because I needed to focus my faculties more on a greater charge of self-fulfillment. Since making that decision, I have moved at least a dozen times, held a few jobs, had an unsuccessful septoplasty to remove a bone spur, traveled across the country and back, found my partner, gained 30+ pounds, issued a walking cane for when my back goes out, bought a home, discovered I’m going deaf, started school again, lost my brother and his unborn child, lost old friends, made new friends, had Lasik, owned 6 vehicles, lost most of the 30-pound gain, accrued more debt, went into a short-lived business with my cousin, and most recently, elected as president of the board of directors for my condominium association.
The one thing I am very proud of is that in this time, during the past 6 years, I have been able to devote some time to completing my book, which I started in April of 1999. Between all of my obligations, I have so little time to designate to work on my novel and when I do have some free time, I often lack the inspiration or motivation to open up the page and continue pecking away at the keyboard. While the outline has faced some extensive changes over the years, I am now midway through the ninth chapter out of 13, with the latter portions in their near finished state. I simply have not had the time to conduct a full research necessary for this particular part of the story and for my lack of time, the book has yet again been placed on the back burner; I don’t want my masterpiece to suffer for lack of substantiation.
Meanwhile, the world keeps spinning.
Until next time…
NK
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