Here I Am

Man, it's been so freaking (like the change in vocabulary?) long since I've blogged.... probably a couple of weeks. So, now I'm blogging.

Work

I love my job... in fact it's probably the coolest job I've ever had. But December was a bitch. It's very tiring dealing with 4 x's more people a day than normal, and not being able to get anything done. I was just beat down by the time Christmas came along. I took three naps on Christmas day. I'm glad January is here. Work is already back to normal. And, gastrointestinally, I've been much more regular in January than December. I thought it might bring joy into your life to know that.

Most Notable Events in 2003

These are the things that happened, slowly or otherwise, that I will remember most about 2003, in no particular order.

1. Finally, ONE JOB!
2. My grandmother passing away.
3. Meeting Colin Powell.
4. Jason's wedding.
5. Numerous wonderfully joyful moments babysitting Aver, Jude, and Sutton.
6. Less and less friends.... much stronger friendships.
7. So and so "Removing his Endorsement."
8. Country music becoming my primary default setting.
9. Reading "You Shall Know Our Velocity" by Dave Eggers.
10. Ed proposing to Carol (I know, I know, it's not real. Whatever.)

Funny Christmas Story

Racism isn't funny, but ignorance can be. My uncle Jackie (my favorite of all my dad's 8 living brothers and sisters,) spent Christmas morning with us. The following is dialogue that happened that morning.

My Dad: So son, what do you have planned for the next few days?
Me: Well, I've got to work for the next few days. Sunday after I get off I'm taking Blake to Austin, since he's flying out the next day.
Dad: Oh, yeah, Blake. I think I saw him last week.
Me: Really, where?
Dad: At the Atlanta (Texas High School) football game.
Me: You should have said hi to him, he would have loved that.
Dad: I thought about it, but I couldn't remember if that was him or not.
Uncle Jackie: You went to the football game?
Dad: Yeah.
Uncle Jackie (without a hint of sarcasm or irony.): Now, Atlanta..... they have some pretty fast jigaboos don't they?


I was floored. I hadn't heard that word to describe a black person since I was a kid. My uncle isn't racist, just ignorant.