So I thought I might make an update, seeing as I've not done so in a while.

Not a whole lot new really. Besides the one major happening, which was me getting arrested, originally charged with 3 felonies and a misdemeanor, then upgraded to 4 felonies, but thankfully the D.A. wasn't paying too close attention, because I could have easily been charged with a fifth. But it all turned out nicely, as I got probation for 6 months, and that was it.

Not much has changed. I'm not doing the things I got in trouble for as much anymore. It hasn't really changed my life though. And that's the funny part about it. For all the trouble that the state believed it made, the lack of it in my life has changed nothing. So much for their assumptions. Doesn't change the fact that my lifestyle is changed now though, and that I don't intend to get in trouble again. Perhaps someday the laws in this country will be different (won't hold my breath though), but until then, I've gotta watch what lines I cross, cause freedom is worth more than pretty much anything else that would put me there.

But really, life is good. I've started writing more music actually. Two songs I've busted out since I was arrested. Working on more now. I feel like it gave me a new outlook once I was arrested, cause if I were to be convicted of a felony, my job options would be reduced greatly, so it was best to work on something in my life that wouldn't require a clean record. Though I won't have to worry about that anymore, I figured that music might as well take a lead in my life again anyway. Its fun, and its wonderful.

Haven't much else to say. This guy is a man of few words, so that's that.

-aaron

So some people believe that in life you should be humble. Fuck that. This weekend I was a god. More specifically, I was a god of smoking food. I made the most incredible smoked meats on Saturday. I'm originally a Nebraska boy, so saying that something was the best, really does make it the best when it comes to meat. For people in Boston, imagine Redbones in Somerville, and then imagine me making disgusting faces after trying their meat compared to mine. Yes my friends, I was truly a god. I cannot wait to do it again. I'm ordering all sorts of fun types of wood to give different meats different flavors. Oh yum!

As my buddy said, the only thing that could have made the weekend any better would have been some boobs pressed up against either side of my face. So now I'm looking around for some boobs to press my face against for next time. Well, I guess I can dream.

We also preliminarily set up my buddy's sound system. The rest of the components arrive this week, though he will have to figure everything out for himself to begin with, as I am heading to California at the end of the week. My first ever visit to Cali. I'm stoked! It will be a fun time that I won't remember. Ahhh.

Life right now is perfect. Nobody can bring me down!

-aaron

Well, I haven't written anything here since January, so I might as well now.

Life is good. Its been weird not having my family around at all. I miss having my sisters around. And now one of them is pregnant. That makes two women in my family that birth control doesn't work on. I guess my family was born to reproduce. God that scares me.

I've met a couple of girls, I actually went out with one for a short period. I've gone out with my buddy who wanted to meet women, and I just feel foolish. I've never been someone to approach strangers. So that's the extent of that.

I believe I'm going to be making a trip out to Cali next month. It'll be my first trip out there, and I'm rather excited about it. My buddy Alan is going to set my up very nicely while I'm out there. Vineyards, jazz, food, place to crash, herb, and a good time in general. I'm told that Cali will sit well with me. We shall see.

Not much else to say, except that this summer will be filled with meaty grill and smokeouts. I can't wait to build th smoker, which should happen soon, cause there are too few weekends in the summer to actually use it, and since it takes 6-12 hours to make anything, its gotta be a weekend. But soon all I'll be thinking about is how good the smoked food tastes. Mmmmm.

-aaronsmiles

Ah, a glorious weekend filled with joy and relaxation. Good things are coming, I can feel it in my bones.

That is all I have to say at this point in time. Once the good things come, perhaps I'll have something to gush over. Until then, drink till your liver cries, and live till your body dies.

-aaron

I feel so much better now. The cold has receeded to the point where I am now just attempting to clear an air passage in my nasal cavaties to breathe through.

This week is proving to be a very wonderful week on many other fronts as well. The Democratic Congress has been pushing great things through, even though they are being met with apocolyptic threats from the White House. And then the President's choices and positions are forcing Democrats to look into even more dramatic actions against him. Once again, the President is pushing to divide the parties as far apart as he possibly can. It's like he wants to start a civil war here, as if helping create one in Iraq wasn't enough. What a jackass.

I finished upgrading my computer, after having to spend an additional 200 on parts because I was a fool and forgot that I'd need a new power supply, at which time I picked up a mediocre video card. I don't need a great video card yet, because I have little use for one, but in the future, perhaps I'll have to pick up some rediculous card that'll match the rest of my equipment. In total, the upgrades to my machine cost me nearly a grand. I can't wait till I actually get my Christmas bonus, it'll be nice to have that cover the costs. And speaking of my bonus, today was payday, which means that I won't be receiving my bonus till at least the 26th. What the hell's the point of calling a bonus a Christmas bonus if you don't receive it till at least a month after Christmas. Oh wait, its a Christmas bonus, its just that when your office manager is also the wife of your boss, she doesn't actually need to be skilled or competent. What a fuckwit.

I bought a beer last night that I'm dying to try. Its made by Allagash, and its an ale aged in bourbon barrels. Oh damn. I bragged to my sister about that, right after she bragged to me about venison that she was enjoying. I want I want I want.

And this next week a girl who is getting her PhD in clinical psychology will be staying with me for a couple of nights. She's my little sister's friend, and is out here to interview for a job. I've never really known a clinical psychologist before, I'm fairly curious to hear her impressions of me when she relates them to my sister. I wonder if my sister will tell me those impressions. Most likely. I suppose when I show her around the bar scene on Tuesday night I should watch how much I drink .... HA!

But life is good, and I am happy.

Cheers!

-aaron

What a poor excuse for a weekend. At work till 8 on Friday, got sick later that night, deal with asshole "friend" who proved himself to be a coward on top of all his other pathetic attributes, and enjoyed a nice shivering sweating Sunday because of a fever. Sucked to be me.

Then there's happy news. My new computer parts arrived, which means this week I'll be installing those new parts which will result in great joy and powerful computing. I'm bummed though, I actually need to get a new video card. I have a great one right now, and I only got it about a year ago, but thanks to PCI express, AGP is now basically obsolete, so now I need to pony up for a new video card. Boo. Oh well, its not like I mind shopping for technology.

Not much else to say, just hoping this week will turn out better than my weekend. First things first, I gotta get rid of this damn cold because I really don't care for it.

Peace all.

-aaron

So last night I started to explode with fury. I have, or rather had, a friend who dicked me around and was trying to screw over my friend. This friend who was dicking me around has no possible qualm with me, except that he didn't want to talk to me because I was trying to keep my other friend from being screwed over by him. I can say, with no hesitation, that I have treated this friend with the utmost respect and generosity for the length of time I've known him. I've been overly generous, and perhaps even foolishly generous in retrospect, with this friend. But first, he made the choice not to call me back. Then not to respond to a text message. I won't go into it any further, but suffice to say, I'm more pissed than I have been in a very long time. Last night I was up until around 3am just boiling with fury. It has continued on through today. Though this morning I finally got him to return my phone call, but only after I was required to issue a threat. Funny, one minute after the threat, I got a phone call.

I don't like being vindictive, I don't like being an asshole, but I'm surprisingly adept at both. After this weekend, the issue with my other friend who was being screwed over will be resolved. I'm not sure if I want to let it go and just cut my ties with him, or if I should be vindictive. I don't think I will, but I don't think I'll be able to control my tongue, which I'm afraid may result in physical pain for me. At this point though, I think physical pain is more desireable than the unquenched fire inside me right now. I may not feel that way after the fact, but I don't think I can go on without letting my feelings and thoughts be known. I just hope this doesn't trickle down and hurt relations with our mutual friends.

I'm just so angry right now. I think I need to get a lot of beer, a lot of pot and some serious quiet time. Who knows, maybe I can calm down by the time I see him this weekend, and here's to hoping.

Fucking fuck fuck fuck. I hate when people can't just be mature and adult about issues. You should NEVER have to threaten a friend. NEVER!!!!! God damn.

I hate this shit.

-aaron

I'm frustrated at the moment. There's little else I can say without complaining or ranting frankly, so I'll leave it at that.

Keith Ellison is awesome. Right now, he's my current personal hero. He stands tall in the face of bigots and leaves them silent. Fuck you Virgil Goode, I hope Thomas Jefferson is getting a good laugh about this. Hell, if I ever meet Keith Ellison in person, I'll owe him a beer.

The new congress brings me new worries, and new hope, but unfortunately I feel slightly short on hope, considering all the chatter that's going on, my mind is a mile a minute, and its getting rather tired.

I'm feeling crass now, so I think I should end this journal and write again when I'm in better spirits.

-aaron

I got an email from my little sister, and she had a joke for me.

Question: How do you keep a clown from smiling?
Answer: Hit him in the face with an axe.

Merry Christmas!

-aaron

I won at poker last night. I didn't follow my instincts. In fact, I played opposite my normal reactions, and it turned out amazingly well. I think I took out all but one person at the table. They kept going all in, and I just couldn't let it go, I was not afraid ... much. But it was a good feeling. Plus, I enjoyed some wonderful herb throughout the game. I brought over some white widow, another guy brought over juicy fruit, and then my other buddy had some other stuff that smelled real good, and it was nicely cured with lots of crystals all over it, though no name came with it. I was so baked for most of that game, which is why I didn't trust my instincts. The drinking was nice as well. I had picked up a Cantillon Geuze, which came with a different lable than the one I'm used to (perhaps a new year means new label or some such nonsense?), but it tasted like a damn good lambic, so I was quite satisfied. Then I also had a Dogfish Head World Wide Stout. I just love that beer, but it gets you real drunk real quick. The guy sitting next to me went through 3 or 4 beers and asked why I was drinking so slow that night (I'm usually like a fish), but when I explained that my one beer was as strong as 5 of his, he piped down. Then I moved onto some whiskey. Mmmm, that was tasty, and it finished my night strong.

Then I walked home from poker, and I hurt my foot. I think I bruised the ball of my foot, cause it's a bit of bitch to stand on now. So no more walking for me for a while. It means I'll have to ride the shitty T. Speaking of shitty T, the machine wouldn't accept my card this morning. Dumbest machine ever. I kept trying to put it in, but the machine sat silent, the conductor told me to move on. Now what's this fare increase all about? Oh yeah, to pay for all the fares they can't collect anymore. Dumb, foolish, no-good system.

By the way, Mitch Hedgberg is fucking hillarious. I just never tire of his great jokes. "I was watching a boxing match on HBO the other day, and they advertised it as a 'Fight to the finish' which is a really good place to end it." That funny bastard.

-aaron