Ha. I can post and no one can stop me... and no one can see me because I'm beneath the camera.

Kiss my ass, America.

Okay, for the record, Aurora and I are single, Liz is very taken with Greg, Lara is married to Joe, and my brother Sean needs a girlfriend. ^^

Bah!!! Finally can post amist the many people IMing me. You can ALSO contact every one here at the nick we setup:

Atwodrinkminimum

And beyond that someone has been nice enough to setup a chatroom on EFNet

#2drinksminimum.

Okay, some y'all are bitchin' that you want a way to talk to us better than the posting comments thing.

SO! To oblidge you, since we're nice like that, you can reach any of us by AIMing "atwodrinkminimum". Without the quotation marks, of course. ^^

So, watch us, laugh, and be glad you're not getting drunk with us. Hopefully, your New Year's Eve will involve less mayhem and scariness than ours. ^^

And soon it will all begin. The cam page is back up: Eyes on us!

It's not live yet, but it will be in a little less than 3 hours... we'll see you then. Feel free to keep checking here for updates from the people!

Oh, I expect to see comments coming out the wazoo tonight! Don't disappoint me!

We promised you webcasting, we give you webcasting. The camera is not yet live, but you can find it here:
Check out our annual New Year's Party!

Now, granted, the party hasn't actually begun yet, so there's nothing to see there right now, but as of about 9 p.m., it will be. The party actually starts earlier, but Greg and Liz are coming down and they need to hook up the camera, as, well, it's their camera. As for Two Drink Minimum, that's the name of the new comic book studio founded by the bunch of us. We're getting closer to sending off our first proposal and I'm in the writeup stages of the second one, so it shouldn't be long now. Soon we will be rich and powerful and no one will be able to stop us.... that's right, no one...

Okay, so my hopes are set a little high, but y'know, that's life for you. We are expecting approximately 20 people, give or take a dozen. Our parties don't typically cease until it seems like the world is ready to end, and I haven't seen a good apocalypse in some time, so we should be good to go on that account. It's been three years since Joe and I last held a New Year's party, and the last one we had is still talked about from time to time, so I have every intention to see this one be just as epic. And they're typically a tradition with us, so be prepared to see another one next year, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.

What exactly happens at our New Year's Parties? I can't promise these things, but you may see them: action, adventure, excitement, drama, romance, chaos, mayhem, carnage, madness, double madness, sanity, ubersanity, riots, looting, people on top of the roof screaming "I am a golden god!", epic combat, video gaming battles, anime, oddities and space oddities...

I can't promise you much, but I'm pretty sure I can promise a good time will be had by all. I think I can promise you that.

Well, weird, sure, but we don't usually go around pointing it out without just cause.

So, I too should apologize for not posting, but I really have had a lot on my mind, and didn't want to burden any of the rest of you with any of it. I've still got a lot of that on my mind, but it's personal shit that non of you people really want to know about (or need to know about, for that matter), so don't worry too much about it. I'll survive in the end. I always do. You can hope for the best, if it'll make you feel any better, but don't devote too much of your time to it. I really can take care of myself most of the time. I'll try to get off the maudlin kick soon and get back into being the sly and surreal Cliff you all know and like.

The New Year's Party is, in fact, still going to happen. We've just about got all the alcohol, juices are taken care of, snacks have been acquired, glasses washed, the apartment (mostly) cleaned and we will, in fact, be WEBCASTING the party! Greg and Liz have completed all the test runs and when they show up tomorrow night, we'll let you all know where to catch the action. It's even updating every 30 seconds, which should be deadly in its own right. We're expecting approximately 20 people, all told, and that should be more than enough for us.

Dave arrived early this morning via airplane. The plane didn't actually drop him off at my house, so he took BART (which is kind of like a subway for those of you outside of the Bay area) to the station in our town and I picked him up there. I could've gone to the airport, but that was awfully damn early. He's in the living room playing Capcom vs.SNK right now, while Joe and Lara are in their room. (They were playing Animal Crossing last I checked.) I'm still doing some cleaning and I'm going to go do a few loads of laundry in just a little bit here, so that everything will be sparkling and clean for tomorrow.

And that should be it for the progress report of now. I'm sure a ton of posts will be made tomorrow, and I fear how we'll all look on the 1st and the 2nd. Thankfully, I have those days off. Otherwise, it would not be good. No sir, not at all.

NOW PLAYING: Creeper Lagoon - "Kisses And Pills"
Lyrics: "She's got a way with the world / And breaking my heart... "

Duh, I though everyone knew I was wierd. ^^

Sorry for the severe lack of posting on my part. I've been back and forth between San Jose and school so much lately, that my poor computer has been getting neglected. This is evidenced by the 104 spam e-mails in my Yahoo! account. ^^ That was scary... But the joy of the one-click delete! ^^

I'm currently listening to my new cd clock radio. I don't know what I'd do without it... I love it! I can wake up to any cd I want, any track! And even better, I don't have to use my computer as a cd player! My computer is tempermental at best, and playing cd's on it is annoying.

My Christmas was quite nice. Very quiet, nothing terribly special. My family didn't do our usual poker game, but that's okay, since we haven't done it in awhile anyway. Everyone got presents they liked, and overall it was just nice. Going back to work last Friday was hard though... after 4 days off, it was wierd to be back at Suncoast selling stuff again.

Wow, I'm wordy this afternoon... I think it's time for a shower. ^^

Ha HA! I see through your little ruse to get other people to post so as not to make you look bad for not posting as much, Cliff.

Wait a second....

Since I'm already on a roll, I just saw Chicago. I've already seen the musical (on Broadway thank you very much). They're both freaking AWESOME. And no, still haven't seen The Two Towers. Nor have I seen either of the new Star Wars flicks.
*runs and hides from the onslaught*

*runs back out*
I'm taking the fifth on the question on e.
*runs and hides again*

Still not posting yet...

So, Christy, what inspired you to tell us all e is strange?

e is very strange....


but you knew that already

Sorry I haven't posted lately. Maybe soon, but not now.

wow! I guess you guys really ARE out power shopping...

Well as I know, you probably were all out shopping your hearts away. You probably were all breaking sweats while trying to do that last minute shopping while the deals are hot. But I want you to know... I am on to you! I know that you all waited for the after Christmas sales to purchase my birthday present! Well I want you all to know that you are despicable! Really! You should have to pay full price for my gifts just like you would for anyone else! So I am expecting to be getting twice as many things tomorrow since it is my 21st birthday and because you are all cheap bastards! So if you would like to send any gifts, marriage proposals, death threats or questions, please send them to:

14670 Cantova Way
Suite 104
Rancho Murieta, CA 95683

That is all...

I'm going to be highly original here: Merry Christmas!

I wasn't planning on posting while I'm in Nebraska, but this is important and I wanted to make a brief comment on it...

Joe Strummer, one of the founders of The Clash, passed away on Sunday of a heart attack.

For those of you who don't know who The Clash were, you missed out on one of the important bands of the 70s/80s. You've probably heard songs like "London Calling" or the infamous "Rock the Casbah" and didn't even know it.

Strummer hadn't been as relevant since the Clash broke up in 1985, but he was still an essential figure in musical and rock history. The world is a little less bright for the loss.

I have seen the Two Towers and I am alright with that.

A sad Christmas has come before me. The plan this year was that my family was going to come from Tahoe and go to my brother's house. But now my parents are snowed in Tahoe and my brother found a better place to go. So that leaves Greg and myself to do absolutely nothing. So I am going to try my hand at cooking a turkey. We shall see how that goes.
The next problem is that Greg and I have come upon a rough spot in money. We didn't realize we were in this rough spot until the various money sources we were planning on didn't come through. So now I still need to buy 2 more presents and I am about $50 in the hole. I understand that alot of people get like this around Christmas... it just sucks.
I had probably the worst shopping day ever. First I head on down to this store where I am supposed to purchase my mother's and sister's gifts, but the place closed super early today. Then I headed down to the mall... where I searched for half an hour for a parking spot before I got pissed off and left. Then my car ran out of gas. Then I go shopping some more and find out that my credit card has been rejected. Just one thing after another. Blargh!

JOKE OF THE DAY:
Christmas in West Virginia

Twas the Night before Christmas, and all through the shack
Not a creature was stirrin', cept the lice on muh back.
The Skoal cans wuz nailed to the screen door with care,
With hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were sleepin', all snug in their beds,
While visions of tractor pulls danced in their heads.
And Ma in her nightgown all stained with pound cake.
Had just settled down to watch Ricki Lake.

When out in the driveway, a loud noise I heard,
I opened the winder to check muh T-bird.
I ran to the door, like I's on a mission,
But I tripped on some parts from muh granny's transmission.

The moon shone outside, the hound dog wuz barkin'.
Muh daughter weren't home yet, she wuz still out parkin'.

When what to muh whiskey blind eyes should I see
But a Chevy S-10, pulled by eight flyin' sheep.
With a fat nasty driver, so disgustin' and sick
I said, "Shoot Fire! That must be St. Nick!

More rapid than X-lax his wooly sheep came
And he belched and he hollered, and he called 'em by name.

Now CLIFFORD! Now VERNON! Now LESTER and ENUS!
On FESTUS! On ELMER! On ROSCOE and CLETUS!

From the top of the shack to them there garbage bins
Now Dash Away! Dash Away! Dash Away youins!

I heard a loud sound on the roof of muh shack.
Pud down muh beer and went fer muh gun rack.
He fell through the roof, plum killed my dog,
I swear that ole' Santa looked just like Boss Hog.

He wore a T-shirt, rebel flag on the front,
And his jeans were all bloody from that morning's hunt.
A big nekkid lady tattooed on his arm,
And he wore black boots that he'd picked up in 'Nam.

His eyes, how they glazed from too much Wild Turkey.
From the side of his mouth hung a stick of beef jerky.
A scar on his cheek from a fight with the cops.
The veins on his face looked ready to pop.

The butt of a Marlboro clung to his lip
He wore a hip pack full of B-B-Q chips.
He had a fat face and a hairy beer belly.
I ain't seen one that big since muh ex-wife Shelly.

He was gap-toothed and dumb with an I.Q. of three
And I laughed cause that redneck was smarter than me.
A wink of his eye, a fierce shake of his head,
From his hair came a rat that ran under the bed.

He reached in his sack, sipped his gin and tonic,
Then filled the kid's stockings with Hooked on Phonics.
His toys came from Big Lots and they weren't very nice
But he had lots of them and yuh can't beat the price.

He gave us a tape of them hound dogs that sing Jingle Bells.
Some Crisco, some Spam, some Oatmeal Cream pies,
And a Nascar T-shirt in Double X size.

When the presents were gone and he had no more,
He staggered and stumbled right through muh screen door.

He hopped in his truck, to his sheep gave an order
"Hurry up youins! To the Tennessee border!"
And I heard him cry out, with a strong southern drawl,
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, YOU REDNECKS! MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL... YEE HAWWWW!



And to those of you who need extra cheering up this Christmas...

SECOND JOKE OF THE DAY:

On Christmas morning, a cop on horseback was sitting at a traffic light, and next to him was a kid on his shiny new bike.
The cop said to the kid, "Nice bike you got there. Did Santa bring that to you?"

The kid said, "Yeah."

The cop said, "Well, next year, tell Santa to put a taillight on that bike."

The cop then proceeded to issue the kid a $20 bicycle safety violation ticket.

The kid took the ticket.

Before he rode off he said, "By the way, that's a nice horse you got there. Did Santa bring that to you?"

Humoring the kid, the cop said, "Yeah, he sure did."

The kid said, "Well, next year tell Santa to put the dick underneath the horse, instead of on top."


Merry X-mas!

And away we go...

Shortly I leave you all to your own devices. Back on Christmas.

Yes, I realize that I still haven't seen The Two Towers. And I'm OK with that.

So, it's time for Cliff's Top Ten albums of the year... included is a bit about why it's there and some lyrics from the album. Feel free to add your own in the comments section...

-----
10. Dashboard Confessional - Unplugged
I literally only got this CD a few days ago, but I think this has really been Chris Carraba's year. While Dashboard Confessional started as a side project for him, it's grown beyond that, into something more, something interesting and breathing. And he seems to be gaining fans all the time. I certainly can't recommend DC for everyone, though. Many of his songs are mopey, brooding and depressing. Really, Chris Carraba is the next generation's Robert Smith, and while we always need another Cure, I can't say that listening to all that sorrowful music all the time is good for you. Still, it makes a nice change of pace from time to time, and the songwriting is good. If you're looking for a place to start, Unplugged will serve as a "greatest hits" for the time being, although it takes some getting used to, hearing a crowd sing quite that much. Some of his best songs, however, aren't on here... songs like "Ender Will Save Us All" and "This Ruined Puzzle" don't make appearances. So if you find yourself enjoying this stuff, go pick up his other stuff too.

"Wandering the house / like I've never wanted out / and this is about as social as I get now. / And I'm throwing away the letters / that I am writing you / 'cause they would never do, / I would never do. / So don't be a liar, / don't say that 'everything's working' / when everything's broken. / And you smile like a saint / but you curse like a sailor / and your eyes say the joke's on me..."
----

9. The Wallflowers - Red Letter Days
It's a nice surprise to get a good Wallflowers album, especially after the disappointment that was "Breach." I loved "Bringing Down The Horse" but I was starting to wonder if it was a one-trick pony. And yet, Jakob Dylan and the boys have proven me wrong with a new batch of songs that arrived with virtually no fanfare and no hype, which is a shame. Of course, this kinda music isn't really en vogue anymore. Dylan is slinging around music that's reminiscent of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers more than it is his dad's. Still, some of these songs have a flavor that's a definite breakaway from that kind of sound. "When You're On Top" and "The Empire In My Mind" are sizeably different from the soothing sadsong staples of "If You Never Got Sick" (which is one of the best songs on the album) and "Three Ways." I am amazed, however, that "How Good It Can Get" wasn't picked as the single for the album, as it taps into that perfect bluesrock vibe that their last big hit "One Headlight" tapped into. If you'd turned away because of "Breach," let me tell you, coming back would be a good idea.

"This ain't a righteous love / Even a good one / These ain't the kinds of returns / That I was thinking of / Unbearable now, you ain't seen nothin yet / You'll see me dead before you see me quit / That ain't a jug of wine that you been drinkin from / Now lay back, now baby and let your fever come / I'll bury you in just to dig you out / I don't have any use for being proud / And the deeper the slide / The higher the rise / Now don't be disappointed how I'm usin mine / Baby if you never got sick / I wouldn't get to hold you / Baby if you never got sick / I wouldn't get to hold you..."
----

8.Weezer - Maladroit
How does Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo write so much good music? After their long self-imposed exile, Weezer's returned in a big way, with last year's Green Album and this year's "Maladroit" (not to mention the live EP "The Lion and the Witch"). With sharp songwriting and catchy tunes, in addition to heavy, crunchy guitars, there's no better companion for teen angst than the songs of Weezer. If you thought the Green Album was a little too mainstream for you, you'll find a home in "Maladroit," although the album certainly isn't for everyone. The oft-kilter mellow flavor of "Burndt Jamb" or the punchy in-your-face of "Dope Nose" give the album an almost a split-personality feeling.

"We go together baby / And if you do. / Yeah. / I'll be your weakness baby / And get to you. / Streamline, / Mainline, / Fall together, / Get up. / Anytime you want me baby/ I'll be around. / Yeah. / And that's what they teach you baby, / To dig my sound."
----

7. Audioslave - Audioslave
I have to confess, I was never a big fan of either Rage Against the Machine or Soundgarden. I thought Rage was way too political for my tastes (and I couldn't stand Zach De La Roche rapping...) and Soundgarden always seemed to be more... I dunno, predictable. I never really liked their flavor. So I figured a melding of the two wouldn't fair much better. But as it turns out, I like Chris Cornell's singing, and I like the backing members of Rage, so when you put them together into Audioslave, you get mainstream hard rock that I'm not afraid to like. From the ripping riffs of "Cochise" to the soft/loud contrast of "Light My Way," you have a genuine rock supergroup in the making, if they can stay together. Despite one of the worst band names ever, fans of hard rock should definitely turn a listen over to Audioslave.

"I am not your rolling wheels / I am the highway / I am not your carpet ride / I am the sky / I am not your blowing wind / I am the lightining / I am not your autumn moon / I am the night..."
----

6. DJ Shadow - The Private Press
While Josh Davis hasn't been idle, there hasn't been a new DJ Shadow album in a long time, and the fans (like myself) were getting restless. I don't think any of us expected this, though. "The Private Press" does feature some of that symphonic techno down-beat instrumental hip-hop flavor that his debut "Endtroducing..." did, it's a very different beast altogether, full of 80s digibeats, 60s singers at distorted speeds, odd samples and loops pieced together into an altogether fascinating experience. There are a few tracks that fall apart on repeated listenings, but overall, "Private Press" is a worthy followup. We saw him live not long ago and it was a great show, full of flash and shadow, substance and creativity. No one's really doing the kind of stuff DJ Shadow is, which makes him a unique figure in the musical landscape. Open minded music lovers of all kinds should check him out.
----

5. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
I have to confess, I wasn't sure that I was going to like Norah Jones when Erin turned me on to her. The sound seemed bluesier, more mellow than I'm usually drawn to. But I picked up the album on E's recommendation and I've steadily grown to enjoy it more and more. It's definitely an album to be listened to at night. Jones has a wonderful voice, soft and evocative, at once both depressing and soulful. The sparse musical arrangements around her voice only push the ear towards Jones' crooning even more, and she can more than easily pick up the slack. The album requires a bit more musical maturity (which can also be read as fogeyness), meaning that it's more the kind of music my father would enjoy than my little brother, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful.

"I want to walk with you / On a cloudy day / In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high / So won't you try to come / Come away with me and we'll kiss / On a mountaintop / Come away with me / And I'll never stop loving you..."
----

4. Idlewild - The Remote Part
This is one of the two albums you won't be able to get stateside this year, unfortunately, so you'll either need to wait until the album's released early next year or import the fucker, but believe me, it's worth it. I started listening to the NME (the british equivalent of Rolling Stone) radiostream on the web early this year and started picking up a ton of new music based on stuff I was hearing. And when the first single from "The Remote Part" hit my ears, I knew I was hooked. "American English" is one of the most anthemic songs I've heard in a long time, but beyond that even, the rest of the album is full of wizened rock that is far and away better than anything the band had ever done in the past. I was shocked and amazed, but this is one of the albums you should be sure to watch for next year...

"Songs when the truth are all dedicated to you / In this invisible world I choose to live in / And if you believe that now I understand / Why words mean so much to you, they’ll never be about you / Maybe you’re young without youth / Or maybe you’re old without knowing anything true / I think you’re young without youth..."
----

3. Luna - Romantica
I have nothing but respect for Dean Wareham, but I was afraid Luna was starting to lose its touch. "The Days of Our Nights" was pleasant, but forgettable, and none of the songs really stuck with me. But Romantica had vibrant cover and from the minute I popped it into my CD player, I knew this was going to be the album that Luna pulled it all together again. I loved "Bewitched" but all of the albums since then have felt like they were waiting for that kind of inspiration to hit the band again. I also think the introduction of bass player Britta Phillips helped some too. Songs like "Lovedust" wouldn't work without her soft, feminine voice backing up Dean's woozy drunkpoet tones. "Romantica" is the kind of album I love to listen to on a rainy night, not quite depressing, not quite optimistic, not quite sensible and not quite crazy. If you're looking for that kind of music, you owe it to yourself to hear this album...

"Drinking black champagne... / Diamonds in my veins / My hands are growing old / My teeth are paved with gold / My eyes are glossed / My hair is tossed / I'm writhing underneath your gaze..."
----

2. The Music - The Music
Where the hell did these kids come from? Not a one of them is over twenty, and yet they've managed to take all the things I liked about Led Zepplin and The Stone Roses and blend them together with aspects of U2's "Achtung Baby", Primal Scream's "Vanishing Point" and so many other things I can't even tell you, into this fantastically groove oriented rock-blues-techno-fusion THING that is absolutely phenomenal. I've had this album playing pretty regularly for the month that I've had it and I never get tired of it. It's the kind of album that makes me drive faster, that gets my pulse racing and my foot tapping. Even now as I'm listening to it, I'm typing faster than I normally do and having to go back and make revisions on the fly because I'm got so much energy it's threatening to burst out of me at any minute... This is the other album you won't be able to get stateside other than on import for a few months, so I say import the motherfucker. It's that damn good. It's astonishingly good. Hell, I wasn't doing this cool of things when *I* was their age...

"Shut out their eyes / Tell me a story / Does it feel right? / We all have our own lives... / Baby, baby, baby, baby bye b'bye-ye... / Baby, baby, baby, baby bye b'bye-ye... / How does it feel?"
----

1. Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends
I cannot stop talking about this album. I just can't. I've tried. I cannot stop listening to this album... it's such a fantastic, mature piece of emotional music that I can't even refer to other things. There's hardcore elements blended in with emo and rock and mainstream accessible pop, all wraught out of the soul of the band by a pair of hangs that can't stop squeezing. This much anguish can't be faked; it can't be imitated... these guys have seen some hard times in their lives, and they've come through them. This is a scrapper of an album, the kind that will kick you down and then help you back up again, just so you've learned your lesson. They aren't afraid to write songs with hooks and then bury them under mounds of wailing and screaming, pleas and cries for attention, for help, for understanding, for empathy, for ANYTHING. They also aren't afraid to write lyrics that will bite, sting, cut deep down to the bone... they're good. They're DAMN good. I can't stop listening to this album. I've been carrying it with me like a personal talisman for most of this year, vicious and brilliant and wisened all at once. Do me a favor, do yourself a favor, go out and buy this album right now...

"And all I / Need to know / Is that I'm somethin you'll be missin / Maybe I should hate you for this / Never really did ever quite get that far / Maybe I should hate you for this / Never really did ever quite get that... / I'd never lie to you / Unless I had to / I'll do what I got to / Unless I had to / I'll do what I got to/ The truth is you could slit my throat / And with my one last gasping breath / I'd apologize for bleedin' on your shirt ..."

"Wearing your black eye like a badge of honor / Soaking in sympathy / from friends who never loved you / nearly half as much as me... / Broken down in bars and bathrooms / All I did was what I had to / Don't believe me when I tell you / it's just what anyone would do / Take the time to talk about it / Think a lot and live without it / Don't believe me when I tell you / it's something unforgivable..."

"So please, please / I’m running out of sympathy / and I never said I’d take this / I never said I'd take this lying down / She says / 'come on, come on, let’s just get this over with' / (I never said I’d take this lying down, let's just get this over with, / and I've crawled home from worse than this) / You always come close but this never comes easy, / I still know everything ..."

"Literate and stylish / Kissable and quiet / Well that's what girls dreams are made of / And that's all you need to know / You have it or you don't..."

"This will be the last chance you get to drop my name... / If I'm just bad news, / Then you're a liar... "

We've got our big meeting coming up in 15 minutes and despite the fact that Mark (our current boss) has assured me that all is well, I can't shake this foreboding feeling I'm getting right now... maybe the foreboding feeling isn't work related. Maybe I'll get into a car accident. Or maybe the apartment is being attacked by zombies. Or maybe my cat has turned into a werecat (which would mean I'd have to actually listen to his incessant bitching...) Or maybe I'm just being paranoid. One can hope for the latter, I guess.

Tomorrow I get to take care of a few remaining things and then Saturday morning I get on a plane for Nebraska. I feel a little bad for Joe and Lara who can't get back for Christmas, but at least they're spending Christmas together, which is important.

Anyhow, I have to get ready for this meeting and hope I can keep my brain intact throughout it.

NOW PLAYING: The Afghan Whigs (defunct) - "Faded"
Lyrics: "If I go bad / From time to time / Love to love but love is not / My only crime / Bathe the path, shine the light / Better get your ass up on / The mountain, baby / I'll take you up tonight / Faded / This I feel / Behind the blue clouds / I remain concealed / Lord, lift me out of the night / Come on, look down / And see the mess I'm in tonight / You can believe in me, baby / Can I believe in you? / I wish I could remember what / You said, when I said / Enough..."

Oh, in what may be the funniest spam I have ever recieved, I got a spam email with the title "Ninja rapping nurses." I've been chuckling so hard about that title, I haven't had the heart to delete it...

Can you honestly imagine? Ninjas rapping to nurses? Who's putting up the beatbox? And what will this new form of rap be called?

The mind boggles...

And shazam! A picture is to be had!

ok so i don't have a picture on my post, but cliff is working on that right now

Ok, hey guys. This is Lara. I think I know most all of you who post on here. This is my first time posting. It took me a couple days longer to get to this than I though, but dear God Two Towers was GREAT!!
Ok, so, last night after the movie, Joe & I were standing around with Cliff and a bunch of Joe's wo-workers. We were all just jabbing about the movie and some of us were having a smoke. Well, Joe had one his Five Iron Frenzy hoodie that I bought for him at a Cornerstone, 2 summers ago. a couple of his cowerkers were like, "Oh, I fucking lvoe that band!" so we talked about them for a while. **By the way, Joe has informed me that I'm a TERRIBLE story teller! Five Iron Frenzy is my favorite band and has been for years. I know the band memebers personally and they are great people! They were first to really introduce me to the music scene.** Well, I get their e-newsletter. The subject of the one I read this morning was: "Five Iron Frenzy says goodbye and thank you". They just wanted to let all their fans know that at then end of 2003, they will no longer exist as a working band. They are just going to spend the next year saying goodbye and thank you to people. I am really truly pretty confused and torn up about this. I don't know how to feel about it. I understand but part of me feels cheated, part of me feels empathy for them, part of me is pissed off about this and part of me is depressed. And then, another part of me just keeps saying, "They're just a band so why do you care so much?" Why do I care so much?

So Two Towers was wonderful, loved it, y'know, all that jazz. Not gonna tell you how good it was because you all know that already, and if you don't, you will soon enough. And you'll enjoy it. Trust me on this. It's an excellent film and you'll dig it. Even though I was dead tired when I got home at 3:30, it was still well worth it.

Strangely enough, my voicemail has apparently been fritzy and not reporting that I had voicemail for the last two weeks, so when we came out of Two Towers last night, I turned my phone on again and all the voicemail caught up with me... 7 messages. It was pretty trippy. So I took care of most of the messages today and hopefully my voicemail will be back to working full force again.

Tomorrow there's some kind of big meeting for my department. A whole "big reorganization" type thing. I'm never keen on these kinds of meetings, because they always hold the potential to be much worse than you expect. Still, I'm trying to keep my spirits up. There hasn't been a "we're getting laid off" vibe on the team thusfar, but there has definitely been a "we're changing" type of thing, which means the team might get relocated or split and reformed. Who the hell knows what they're doing anymore... I do know that my boss is being moved within the studio to a new role, which means we're getting a new boss. I'm not sure how I feel about that, still.

NOW PLAYING: The Afghan Whigs - "Crazy"
Lyrics: "'I think your story's jive,' she said... / There ain't nuthin' wrong with me / If I use it to get me some sympathy /Some ecstasy / A memory... I wanna remember me / Crazy about ya / Crazy without ya / Crazy / Over you ..."

Two things:

First - Ugh. A small group of us decorated the backstage areas today (five dressing rooms, the green room and the mic and wig room) and this was after I went to the gym. Then I had to run the show. My body is rebelling.

Second - Erin! Couldn't hear a word you said on my voicemail. Just so you know. Loud background noise is bad.

What a trippy world this is.

Emily, my cube neighbor, is trying to talk me into going to the company party on Thursday. She's been on my case these last two days about it, and she can't believe I'm thinking about not going... who knows... maybe I still will...

Anyhow, tonight, TWO TOWERS! Tomorrow! CLIFF = NO ENERGY BOY! *thud*

NOW PLAYING: Dashboard Confessional - "Ender Will Save Us All"
Lyrics: "It's hard to explain how I am getting by on so little from you. It's hard to believe that I would let myself get so wrapped in you. There's got to be something that would be worthwhile for me to give to you. We need a connection but you seem to push me far away from you. The harder I push the further I fall. Well you don't mind me being headstrong. But you don't want to sing along. Maybe it's trite but I can always be wrong Try not to be wrong."

FUCK FOX.

Someone else better pick up this damn show or I will be PISSED...

So there have been some changes lately here on The Touched, and it's my duty (as Field Commander or something...) to bring you the latest update on what's going on here on the site and why.

We've added some new team members. It was decided that Joe and Lara, being as they're part of the circle, should be added to the team. Also, seeing as Christy posts in the comments section all the time and has become an honorary member of the group (she's been at many of the recent parties and a welcome addition), she's been inducted as well. Hopefully they'll all be regular posters, as I like seeing this page overflowing with text. (Although knowing Joe, he probably won't post at all. Still, he can't say I didn't invite him...) Christy's already made her first post and I'd expect something from Lara in the near future. There were technical problems on the blogger end of things (i.e. not us) last night, which is why there weren't any postings between 1 and 9:30, although several of us would have liked to post. Such is technology, though.

Oh, and this is your official warning. We are likely webcasting our New Year's Party. We're still hammering out the technical aspects of all of it, but I would expect one, maybe two webcameras to be going on the night of New Year's. More details will become available as we work out all the nuts'n'bolts. But if you can't find something to do for New Year's, you will at least partially be able to share it with us. There will be several places you won't be able to see in the apartment (as we can't give away all our secrets) but you'll be able to see much of it. Still, guests in attendance, there will be places for you to do your obscene and dastardly wicked things away from prying eyes with ease. I mean, it wouldn't be a New Year's party if we didn't have some madness going on, now would it? Oh, all parents, family and anyone else who might disapprove of our actions, you are expressly forbidden from watching. If we find out you've been watching, you will be beaten into submission, stuffed into a tiny box, shipped an obscure country where you will be repeatedly pummeled by angry postal workers who will then ship your ass back via ground class COD, thus ensuring that you will be lost in the place where all bad packages go. You. Have. Been. Warned. *grin*

Anyhow, I have work to get done and lunch must be obtained. Back later.

Well, Fox is bailing on Firefly, the bastards... hopefully UPN, WB or Sci-Fi is smart enough to pick it up...

So tomorrow is my day off.... yay Mondays! (OK, I realize that Monday's aren't usually a subject for rejoicing, but I only get one day off a week.) Which is good because after leaving Liz and Greg's at 4:15 AM (I like to avoid the drunk crowd on the road, not the one in the apartment) and getting to sleep somewhere around 5, only to be awakened at 10 by my friend Arizio, I think I should get to sleep in. Not that you guys weren't entertaining, it's just that I'm getting old and staying up late starts to catch up with me.

Welcome to the morning after (or, as the case may be, the afternoon after). Everyone survived. Nothing was broken (except maybe some egos or brains), few things were bruised, most of us are fine. I'd post more, but I can't think of anything particularly interesting to post about right now. Maybe someone else will post something more interesting. Sorry, I'm a lameass.

I wish I could assure you that I was not drunk, but such is not the case. being stable enough to type is taking phenomenal effort and I keep having to delete the character I meant not to type. I could pass out at any minute. Such is life. Oh well. Maybe things will be better when I awaken....

I would like to say I am no where near drunk yet.... yet being the preferable word.

So, here we are.. just the bunch of us. And although I am not in a stage of soberness, I am somewhere towards drunkeness. And it's humorous. Greg... Greg is not sober. Liz... Liz is somewhere drunk. Erin... I think Erin is, indeed, drunk... and while I am not entirely in the land of the drunk, I am in the land of the drunk... and I can reach into it without straining my arm. Anyhow, I'm being hollered to return into the living room... I go now. Pray for me.

Now... now I am drunk. And I'm happy. ^^

Whee!

... Whoa... I'm in Rancho Cordova... wierd...

*hic*

Oh, and I believe I'm supposed to mention something about Greg's pants, and their non-existance at one point... well, he *was* wearing "shorts"...

Let's just say Greg has very white legs. ^^

Tee hee... ^^

*runs away before Greg finds his swords*

Whee! ^^

We're all at Greg and Liz's now, enjoying their liquer, and having a general blast. I'm not drunk yet, but Lara is well on her way, as is Greg, and their friend Ben. Liz is very sober, which we need to rectify, as is Cliff.

We're going to play Mario Party as a drinking game. This ought to get entertaining. ^^

Ah yes, rain. Love it. Can't get enough of it. It's raining right now, which prevented me from doing more than two loads of laundry, but two loads of laundry were, in fact, completed. Go me.

Shortly Lara will arrive home and then we'll head up to Greg and Liz's where much fun will be had. Joe will drive up later, as he's off work later. Festivities will run well into the morning. Sunday will be recooperation, and Monday it's back to the grindstone. Still haven't decided if I'm doing the company Christmas party or not. Don't really want to go by myself, so probably won't go at all. We'll see. Still debating. A week from today I'll be on an airplane back to Nebraska. Dear Lord, that sounds cold...

Awaken gentle morning. Awaken new day. Welcome to your beginning. Each day is a lifetime, and treasure each one as though it were your only lifetime.

I'm in a good mood right now. It's been an excellent week. I got some thinking done. I got some reading done. I recharged my batteries. I spent time with people important to me. I've been having fun.

I know I promised Barrenhollow, but have not delivered. I told everyone that the holidays were gonna play havoc on the storyposts. I'll try and get another one out soon, but right now I have a lot of things to get through, and everyone's got some kind of conspiracy going to keep me busy and on my feet until I head back to Nebraska for the holidays. Not that I mind, mind you, because there's nothing better than spending time with your friends.

Joe, Lara and I decided we're not gonna go see the Ataris in the city tonight ... while we'd really like to see the band, there are FOUR bands playing at the show tonight, and we don't really know which one will play when. On top of that, it's a Friday night in the city, which means that traffic will be abysmal and we don't really want to brave any of that for 30 minutes of concert, no matter how cool the Ataris are. So we'll stick around the house and watch Firefly and John Doe. (Thanks anyway, Erin! Make sure you tape them for yourself, though!)

Tomorrow I'll probably run out and pick up some of the remaining Christmas presents I have to get. (My folks/younger brother/grandmother are taken care of. Erin's are shipping to my apartment right now. Joe and Lara, I know what I'm getting, I just need to go get it all. Greg and Liz, I have some ideas, but I'm still chasing them down a bit...) I spent a lot of time planning, but I also made some impulsive decisions on a few of the gifts. There were times where I just said "This feels right" and trusted my instincts. I'm pretty proud of the presents I got people this year ... I think everyone will be pleased and hopefully they will be memorable. Those are the best kinds of gifts -- gifts that are memorable and unforgettable. If nothing else, I think this year's gifts will all be memorable. And no, everyone, I didn't spend TOO much money on anyone (no matter what anyone thinks), and no, I won't take any of them back. So there! Bwahahaha! All warnings have been given in advance! You will be shocked! You will be stunned! You will be amazed! You might very well piss yourself! I take no responsibilty for that! You made the mess, you clean it up! Enjoy your presents! Seriously!

And then tomorrow night I'll be up at Greg and Liz's. Next week, Lord of the Rings, the company Christmas party (maybe) and then flying back to Nebraska for Christmas to see the parentals, the grandparental and the half-pint (yes, Squirt, I'm still talking about you, hockey bruiser or not...) I'll be there until Christmas day, and then the evening of Christmas I fly back to Cali. It sounds like Joe and Lara will probably be able to get me to and from the airport without incident... so I'll have to make an incident once I get INTO the airport... Just kidding.

Anyhow, time to wrap up. Actual work to do around the office today. And lunch should be had soon.

NOW PLAYING: Norah Jones - "Come Away With Me"
Lyrics: "I want to walk with you / On a cloudy day / In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high / So won't you try to come / Come away with me and we'll kiss / On a mountaintop / Come away with me / And I'll never stop loving you..."

*riiiiippppp*

Yet another thing destroyed in my great renovation of my room and yet at the same time a lesson. If something heavy is on top of something don't try to pull the fragile thing that would rip or break easy before removing the large object above...This has been a public service announcement...we now return you to your previously scheduled program.

Ha ha! I got someone else to post! =)

You're just nuts... ^^

I am the walrus... koo koo kachoo...

How did I miss hearing about this movie, and who's with me for seeing it Sunday?

I am a rock, I am an island...

I am not an army of one...

I am a HOARDE of one...

Oh, by the way, for those of you who've been reading the site for the last few days, yes it's true...

I AM Tiger Woods...

Muhahaha! That'll teach you not to comment!

And everything is moving beyond the speed of light. It's all going too fast, now, faster than any one human being can keep up with. Round and round it all goes, faster and faster and faster until nobody knows. I stand by the assertion that last Saturday was awesome. The meeting itself was fun, hanging with the gang was fun, playing Mario Party (and yes, even being slugged in the leg) was fun, watching Erin play 007: Nightfire was loads of fun, watching Greg get his ass waxed in Steel Battalion was fun... The gang is loads of fun.

Since then, things have continued to be crazy. We went to IKEA on Sunday and picked up furniture (tables and end tables, mostly), which we then built that night. We watched Tomb Raider that night. It was... blah. Then last night we watched Resident Evil (both movies on loan from Erin) and it was excellent (although I was still able to predict a lot of it). It also turns out I'm more cold-blooded than I thought, but you know what? I'd have survived just fine and probably would've gotten out faster than everyone else.

Tonight, 24 is on! Oboyoboyoboyoboy! Sorry, I'm giddy. I like the show. Call it one of my weaknesses. Then Friday I think Joe, Lara and I are going to go see The Ataris in the city (Erin, could you please please please tape Firefly/John Doe for us? *flashes his best puppy dog eyes* I'll ask ya when I see ya...), and then Saturday up to see Greg and Liz (with, most likely, the rest of the gang) and then Sunday I will rest. A week later I'm on a plane back for arctic weather, cold surroundings and frigid places.... Yuck. Oh well, the price you pay.

I realize I've been promising a Barrenhollow over the last weekend, but things got BUSY. I will make a post tomorrow, but no guarantees on how long it'll be. I'll do my best to get it sizeable, however. I'll do my best to give you something more sizeable to read in the future, but until the holidays are done, no promises can be made.

NOW PLAYING: OK GO - "Get Over It"
Lyrics: "Aren't you such a catch? What a prize! / Got a body like a battle axe... / Love that perfect frown, honest eyes... / We ought to buy you a Cadillac. / Hey! Get (get get get get) over it! / Hey! Get (get get get get) over it! / Hey! Get (get get get get) over it! / Hey! Get (get get get get) over it!"

I Am A: Chaotic Good Half-Elf Ranger Thief


Alignment:
Chaotic Good characters are independent types with a strong belief in the value of goodness. They have little use for governments and other forces of order, and will generally do their own things, without heed to such groups.


Race:
Half-Elves are a cross between a human and an elf. They are smaller, like their elven ancestors, but have a much shorter lifespan. They are sometimes looked down upon as half-breeds, but this is rare. They have both the curious drive of humans and the patience of elves.


Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.


Secondary Class:
Thieves are the most roguish of the classes. They are sneaky and nimble-fingered, and have skills with traps and locks. While not all use these skills for burglary, that is a common occupation of this class.


Deity:
Solonor Thelandria is the Chaotic Good elven god of archery and the hunt. He is also known as the Keen Eye, the Great Archer, and the Forest Hunter. His followers respect nature, and only hunt when needed, but are quick to defend the forest from intruders. Their favorite weapon is the bow, and they tend to be extremely talented with it. Solonor Thelandria's symbol is an arrow with green fletchings.


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

I am a Defender-ship. I am fiercely protective of my friends and loved ones, and unforgiving of any who would hurt them. Speed and foresight are my strengths, at the cost of a little clumsiness. I'm most comfortable with a few friends, but sometimes particularly enjoy spending time in larger groups. What Video Game Character Are You?

Heh. One of my fellow netizen friends sent me this survey and so I figured, sure, why the hell not. She posted it on her blog, might as well post it on here with my answer. Hey hey, the gang's all welcome to do it too if they want. Just cut'n'paste and fill in the blanks with you, not me. That's what I did...

On with the show, baby, on with the show... come on baby, no no no... Sorry, 80's flashback.

Name: Clifford Anders Hicks
Birthdate: 11/26/76
Birthplace: Sulawesi, Indonesia
Current Location: Bay Area, California
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Blonde/brown
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Zodiac Sign: Saggitarius
Innie or Outtie: Innie
Number of siblings: 1

Describe:
Your heritage: 100& mutt. Approx. 30% German, 20% Norweigan, 10% Swedish, 10% English, and the other 30% assorted others.
The shoes you wore today: Black Vans.
Your Hair: Newly cut pretty short. Doesn't look too bad, really, but I'm still getting used to it.
Your eyes: Deep and mysterious, calculating and cautious, playful and giddy, mischievious and wondering, innocent and lost. Take your pick on any given Sunday.
Your weakness?: Can never turn a friend down unless there's no other option.
Your fears: Afraid of being alone, afraid of losing what I have for what I want, afraid of failure, afraid of being forgotten.

What is:
The first feature you notice in the opposite sex: Eyes, amazingly enough. Yes, some men DO look above the neck. I am one of them.
Your best physical feature, in your opinion: My grin.
Your best physical feature, in other’s opinions: I think other people would say I have no redeeming physical features whatsoever.
Your sleep position (side, back, or stomach): Ugh. I fall asleep on my stomach 90% of the time and spend most of my time sleeping on my side or on my back, apparently. I can, I've been told, snore from time to time.
Your greatest accomplishment: Successfully bucking the odds and moving to California, not once but twice.
Your favorite art period: Impressionism.
Your favorite class: When I was still in school? Creative Writing, obviously. Or Postmodern Lit. Take your pick for me.
The best time of the day: Between 8-10 p.m. and between 2-4 a.m.

Do You Prefer:
Single or group dates: Generally? Group dates if I'm/she's nervous, single dates if I'm/she's not. But then again, I don't date much by choice. My list of "bad dates" runs pretty long and contains a lot of stories that are pretty funny if you can laugh at your own adversity. I try to.
Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla
Being inside or outside: City boy says -- inside unless engaged in outside activity, preferrably with others.
Showers or baths: Survey says... showers. Rarely have time for baths.
Hot or cold weather: Cool, but not cold. Give me a foggy, rainy Saturday afternoon any day.
To lead or follow: Ain't got time to wait for other people to make decisions. I'll be in the lead if you need me.

Do You:
Smoke: Nope.
Cuss: Ridiculously often. Well, not THAT often, but I *like* swearing.. =)
Sing well: Passable, but certainly not enjoyable.
Take a shower everyday: Every day or two.
Sing in the shower: Not generally, but every once in a while.
Have a crush(es) on celebrities: Celebrities are fun to gawk at, but they're not real people.
Think you've been in love: Twice.
Enjoy shopping: From time to time.
Collect anything: Literature, music and graphic novels.
Want to get married: Yeah, I think I could be into that idea, truth be told.
Type with your fingers on the right keys: My typing skills are, let us say, fucked up. I type fast, but I don't type traditionally by any stretch of the imagination. Comes from doing it wrong, but doing it wrong a lot for a long period of time and getting good at it.
Think you're attractive: Bah.
Get along with your parents: Like most people and their parents, I'd guess. Some of the time.
Get asked by friends for advice often: Ze Doctor *is* in...
Like thunderstorms: Oh, I love rain. I love going out and standing in the rain, just letting it pour down on me. Don't give a shit how soaked I get, I love standing in the rain.
Play an instrument: Can passably play guitar.
Have any quirks: Ask everyone else. I'm sure I do and just don't know what they are.
Have pets: Siamese cat named Marx who's asleep on the floor right behind my chair right now. He's sunbathing. Cats are, indeed, solar powered.
Like yourself: I get along with me. I'm fond of me. I'm not perfect and there's things I'd like to improve or fix, but I'm working on what I can, and what I can't, I'm trying to accept or outwait.

In The Past Month, Did/Have You:
Drink alcohol: Yes
Smoked: no
Done a drug: No
Have Sex: no
Made Out: no
Go on a date: no
Go to the mall: Oh sure, my roomies work in the mall...

Have You Ever:
Played a game that required removal of clothing?: It's been a while, but yep.
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Hard to say. I've been extremely intoxicated, but never to the point of sickness, vomiting or other major difficulties (unless you count trouble walking)...
Been called a tease: Yeah right.
Been beaten up: Gotten into a couple of fights, but never really been badly beaten up.
Shoplifted: Ah, an illspent youth. Once or twice. Regretted it, but I was young and foolish then, I feel old and foolish now.

The Future:
Age you hope to be married: An age? Hell, I gotta find someone even remotely crazy enough to consider it before I think about that kinda thing.
How do you want to die: In a quick, fast blaze of glory or when I'm old and surrounded by dozens of people I love who love me. I do not want to die "alone, unmourned and unloved."
What do you want to be when you grow up: Older.
What country would you most like to visit: I'd love to see Japan, I'd love to visit England, I've love to go back to Italy again, with MY friends this time...

Opposite Sex:
Best eye color?: Blue.
Best hair color?: Red or black.
Short or long hair?: Long enough to reach the shoulders.
Best height: 5'3-5'8"
Best first date location: Neutral ground of some kind...
Best first kiss location: Some place private, with special meaning if you can get it. Been so long since I had a first kiss, I couldn't even remember...

Number of...
Number of girls I have kissed in my life: 3
Number of girls you have made out with: 2
Number of girlfriends you've had: 1
Number of boys I have kissed: 0
Number of boys you have made out with: 0
Number of boyfriends you've had: 0
Number of drugs taken illegally: 0
Number of people I could trust with my life: 5
Number of piercings: 0
Number of tattoos: 0
Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: I worked for newspapers for over 5 years and was picked up by syndicates more than a few times. I couldn't even count.
Number of scars on my body: 2
Number of things in my past that I regret: Three.

Which is better:
Feeling too much or feeling too little: Feeling too much.
A helpful action driven by malice, or a harmful action driven by an honest desire to help: As long as you're trying to help, you're doing the right thing.

Would you rather:
Be blissfully happy but know you’ll die before you turn 20, or unbelievably sad but know you’ll live to be 100: You can't put any price on true happiness. It's worth everything, even a short life.
Be depressed and wealthy or content and poor: Content and poor. See previous statement on true happiness.

Would you like your parents as people if you just met them on the street?: If I met my folks on the street, I could imagine there would be a lot of differences and I have trouble seeing us staying in touch.
How about your siblings?: Curt? Hell, I dunno how Curt and I would react if we ran into each other on the street.

If you could:
Go back 5 years, what would you tell your younger self: "Don't worry, life picks up a lot and you won't believe what your friends are like..."
Talk to a famous person (alive or dead) who would you want to talk to: I'd love to go out drinking with Bono one night, just to see if he's like how he comes across in interviews.

What color do you associate with:
Tranquility: green
Anger: orange
Happiness: violet
Jealousy: red
Mystery: crimson
Fear: yellow
Despair: blue
Indifference: tan
Optimism: red
Energy: neon shades (green/orange/pink)

What do you do when you feel:
Bored: Read, write, ponder, wander the 'Net.
Excited: Talk to people or go do things with a group.
Happy: Ahem... "hang with my homies."
Sad: Avoid all people or find one person I trust and confess.
Angry: Stomp from place to place. A lot.
Depressed: Avoid all people or find one person I trust and confess.

What has changed about you the most in the last five years?: My year spent in Vegas, where I lost the will to live, or my return to the Bay Area, where I arose from the ashes once more.

Squirrels: cute fluffy animals or rabies-infested killing machine?: They're secretly scheming to take over the world. You can't fool me. No sir.

It's amazing, took us about 3-4 hours to reach a consensus as a group, but once we finally did, the studio came up with and worked out a great new concept for our next comic proposal. We came up with an idea, a plot outline and the whole rest. Now, over the next few days, I'll start banging on the script for the pages as everyone else continues to work on the other proposal. We have one page done being inked, one page off to be inked, one page half way being done being pencilled and two pages that are written but not started yet. The meeting was a lot of fun, but also a great big load of chaos (as it really should be). Erin showed up first, then Greg and Liz a few hours later, and then Lara came home from work, followed by Joe. All in all, the whole day was the most fun I've had in ages. Anyhow, I've only been conscious for about fifteen minutes and so my consciousness level is still not all that high, but someone had to say something...

nireechan: I love it, we were just talking about Santa, and checking lists and such.
nireechan: Megan asked what happens if you're both naughty and nice.
nireechan: I said, well, then Santa just sticks a Man in your stocking. ^^
MerleStuffy: LOL
MerleStuffy: Hmm.. I dunno, do you really want a man in stockings? =^.^=
nireechan: lol... owww.. ^^
nireechan: Sure, why not. ^^
nireechan: It'd be amusing. ^^
MerleStuffy: Maybe dress him up in lingerie and have him sing showtunes too
nireechan: *facefault*
nireechan: That's a bit much...

I should do real posts more often, but really, these are more amusing. ^^

I said it would be long, and, well, I lied. It's about the same size, but there'll be another part coming in the next day or two, hopefully. The next scene's taking some planning. As always, I demand feedback...

“Barrenhollow Blues”
A serial novel in progress (Week 3 of ???)
By Cliff Hicks

I hadn’t been looking forward to this visit, but I knew it was necessary. I’d been to the bank earlier that day and taken some money out of my personal account to help smooth things over here, but I still wasn’t planning on them going well.

The sound of my knuckles on the door brought Concorde out to see me almost immediately. She opened it and stood there with that huge, girlish smile on her face. She leaped forward and gave me a big hug, tossing her arms around my neck as I swung her around (no small feat, being as she is nearly half a foot taller than I).

“We did it, Barrett! Tell me! Tell me how fabulously wealthy we are! Tell me how the world is our oyster and that we can retire and get fat and lazy!” she giggled at me as she ushered me into her small house.

“No job is that good, Cordy, especially not this one,” I sighed as I moved into the main room of her house. Concorde lived in stark contrast to me, and somehow thought that each job would be the one that would let her quit being a thief. She was, I had to keep reminding myself, new at this.

“What do you mean?” a voice boomed from the shadows. I watched as Ashe hobbled out of the corner of the room and into the light cast by the one window in the house. Ashe was a big fellow, nearly twice my height, and wide enough to scare the average Imperial guard. But he had a bad leg now and only one arm, a result of his time in the last war. Before the war, he’d been a blacksmith and one of the best in Barrenhollow, but when he came back broken from the Battle of Petravin, he couldn’t wield a hammer, as he had only his bad arm left. He’d been trying to learn how to work with his left arm, but collectors had taken his forge and now he was little more than a shadow of the man he once was, covered in scars both inside and out.

There was an awkward silence in the air as I pondered how to phrase it all. “So far, I can’t move the merchandise.” The words rolled out of my mouth like a death sentence.

“W-w-what… what do you mean, Barrett?” That was Concorde, unable to imagine how bad things happened to good people. “What will we do?”

My hand reached into my pocket and I fished out the pouch of money, tossing it to her. “That should cover you for a while, until I can start to figure out what we’re going to do.”

“You mean what you’re going to do,” Ashe threatened. There were many times I had to remind myself that he was her husband and not her father. “Concorde’s done her part of the job. She helped you get the damned things, and it’s your job to get them sold.”

“Ashe, now quiet down,” Concorde interjected. I watched Ashe grumble as he hobbled away from Concorde, who moved over towards me. “What the hell happened, Barrett?”

I sighed before I spoke again. “River ran.”

“Well of course River ran. All things run through River, you told me that yourself.”

“No, I don’t mean I ran it through River, I mean that River ran. Turned and fled with his tail between his legs. He won’t touch them.”

Concorde looked at me aghast, and I could tell I was breaking her heart. “Can… can he DO that?”

“What am I going to do, go and complain to the Fence’s Guild? Yes, of course he can do that. So I’ll just have to find another buyer,” I stated plainly. “Oh… have you seen anyone snooping around your house lately?”

She peered at me cautiously. “What do you mean?”

I tried to wave my hand at her, as if to dismiss her fears. “Nothing, nothing, I’m just being paranoid, that’s all.”

“Barrett, you can’t lie to me. I know you too well,” she whispered as she waggled a finger at me. Were I anyone else, I would’ve probably laughed at the sight. There was this gangly peasant girl dressed in barely one step above tatters waggling a finger at me, dressed in the garb of a nobleman with a sword at my waist. But I wasn’t anyone else, and I didn’t find it that funny.

“Yes,” I admitted, “yes you do, I just never thought you’d call me on it.” I paused and took a long breath, holding it in for a minute or two before I let it slide from my lips. “I was attacked this morning.”

“What?!” she said loudly before catching herself. We both looked over to see Ashe scowling at us, but Concorde lowered her voice and turned her attention back to me. “What do you mean ‘attacked?’”

My fingers curled up into fists as I looked at my boots. I slowly unwound my hands and let the fingers straighten as I brought my gaze back up to match hers. “Two men broke into my house this morning. They tried to kill me and both ended up dead in the process.”

She placed a hand on my shoulder and tried to be motherly for a moment. “Are you okay?” She was trying to simply be polite, but her damned touch would melt even the coldest man’s heart.

“I’m fine, Concorde. You should know by now I can always take care of myself,” I lied. “I was more concerned that someone had come after you or your family.”

Her hand was gone from my shoulder the moment she glanced over to see Ashe scowling at her before she returned her gaze to me, keeping her voice low. “No, I haven’t seen anyone, but you know I’m not as good at seeing those kinds of things as you are.”

“I know, Connie, don’t worry. I did a sweep before I knocked and didn’t see anyone, so it seems like they were just after me, or maybe just after the stones.”

She furrowed her brow, looking more like me than her for a moment. “What is it about these stones?”

I shook my head at her before I looked up again. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”

“I’m coming with you,” she said, as she started to move and get her working clothes.

“Concorde, stay here. Take care of Ashe and Elie.”

“Oh no, you get into far too much trouble when I’m not along, and this is my money too. I don’t feel right taking your charity. I’m going to do my part of this partnership and help you find out what’s going on, so I can put food in my family’s mouth myself.” She stepped behind the screen and changed out of the peasant’s dress into a pair of pants and a loose tunic that I had given her when we first started – they were her “rogue’s clothes” as she called them. As she stepped out from behind the screen again and into my field of vision, I saw that she was strapping her short sword to her waist. It had been forged by Ashe before the war and held special value to her. “Let’s go.”

Yes, I realize it's been quiet. Been in a period of deep thought. Am expecting Deep Thought to run for the next few million years, or a few more days, whichever happens to come first.

Still, since no one else is making posts, I feel obligated to talk to you, the public at least, if not about the deeper, inner existential meaning of life, I can talk to you at least about the everyday shit I'm doing and thinking.

So, what am I doing right now? I mean RIGHT NOW? I'm jamming out to some MP3s of this british band called The Music. They've been compared to Led Zepplin and the Stone Roses, and I can totally see that. They've got this great wall of guitar jam sound that I'm so fucking digging right now, I can't even tell you. And the drummer knows how to keep a beat going that you can grove to, and the bassist lays down a smooth layer right over that that I'm totally into. I know I sound like a fan boy, but this is the kind of music I'm into right now, I guess. It's rock'n'roll that I'd rather be driving to. You're probably asking why I'm listening to MP3s instead of the actual CD. Well, dumbass, I'm glad you asked! *sticks his tongue out* The Music's debut album is out in England now, but it's not out in the States until February. I'm gonna be in Berkeley tomorrow picking up comics (for the first time in over a month) and right next door to the comic shop is a great music store that carries a lot of imports, so I'll probably pick up an import copy of the album tomorrow and a domestic copy when it's out in February.

See, the funny part about this band is that I figured I was probably going to hate them. I first heard about them over at NME, and I've learned that either NME is dead on right or totally clueless. Sometimes I completely agree with them (yes, Idlewild is a fucking awesome band) and sometimes I think they couldn't be more wrong (I stand by the assertion that The Strokes are utter shit, no matter what NME, CMJ, Rolling Stone and every other music magazine around says). So I figured with all the hype they (and other people, like my usual trusted mag CMJ) were lauding on The Music, they were going to be either crap or fantastic. And since CMJ seemed to think they were great, I figured I could at least snag a few of the songs and give a listen and see what I thought. So I scored about half of the album in MP3 format, and after the first song (the Tantric ritual of a song called "The Dance") I knew I was hooked. These guys really are the real deal, grade A good musicians. I'm already hooked on this album. Supposedly they're gonna be touring here, so I'm gonna see if they're playing anywhere around here and catch'em live if I can.

The comic is coming along pretty well. Joe's done pencilling page two, Greg's finished inking page one, Erin's got a working prototype of the logo done and I'm trying to put together the proposal pieces one bit at a time. I can't wait to write the basic staff bios, as they should be a blast. That's always some of the most fun. I think we may have to get a studio picture while everyone's up here, too. I also think everyone in the studio should draw a charicature of someone else in the studio (yes even me, no art talent boy) and we should draw names from a hat or something. We'll see.

Beyond that and the things Deep Thought cannot comment on, life's running along pretty predictably. I won't say I'm doing poorly, because that would be a lie, but I won't tell you things are all hunky-dorey with me either, because that too would be lie. I'm doing acceptably, and if you want to worry, fine, you go ahead and do that. I won't stop you. You want to consider all well and good, you can go ahead and do that to. I'm me, and that's all I can tell you.

Anyhow, enough rambling. There is a Barrenhollow section coming tomorrow and it will be significantly long. I would've posted it today, but it ain't done yet.

Deal.

So it's been a bit since I've posted here, I realize. I've been trying to enjoy my holiday as best as I could, not having to work for several days (which was nice) and unwinding. Wasn't the best of breaks, but it was a break. Thanksgiving itself was... well, it was. I spent it with Joe and Lara at Lara's grandmother's, and it was nice to have a good Thanksgiving meal for once, but it was odd that I was with someone else's family. The last two years I'd spent Thanksgiving by myself, usually just at home, hanging out. This year I was sort of with a family, but it wasn't really my family, which was disconcerting. ... I don't really know who my family is anymore.

I mean, I have family, and they'll always be family, but you also build your OWN family, as you get older. And that family is always in a state of flux, I guess. But the more I think about it, these people are my family. Joe, Lara, Erin, Greg, Liz and even Dave... these people are the family I have built for myself. They are people I would trust with my lives. They're my friends, but they're more than that. They truly are my family. I worry about their futures. I take joy in their victories and I try to be there for their sorrows, when they'll let me be. I try and help them walk through the hard times, and I try to help them celebrate the good times. We climb high and we fall far. We laugh, we smile, we cry, we party, we mourn, we enjoy life... and I'd rather be enjoying it with these people than anyone else. I'd step in front of a bullet for any of these people. A few of them I'd even step in front of an automatic for. I would do anything in my power to make life that much easier for my friends/family. But it isn't always that easy, nor is it easy for other people to make my life better.

The road is long. The way is hard. The path is fraught with adversity and strife. Life, as they say, is no cake walk. But you are not alone.

I know it's tough going right now, Liz. As I said earlier (and I'll reiterate at the end of the year), it's been a year of extremes, for all of us. The highs have been phenomenally high, for you and the rest of us. And the lows, well, they are a dark and deep set of lows that I know at least some of us have found ourselves trapped in this year. But you will survive and thrive. You will pull through and find yourself on top. You have all of us to help you, but most especially, you have Greg. You have love. You have that most precious and fickle of forces in your life, and you have it in spades. Regardless of whatever strife you find yourself going through, you will have Greg by your side to help you endure. Love can be a burden, but even when it is, it will still give you more strength than you know what to do with. You will be able to conquer any obstacle, you will be able to drive back any onslaught, you will be able to ride through any storm. Take solace in that, Liz. Take comfort in the fact that when the load seems to heavy to bear any more, that you can't go any further, not one step more into the night, Greg will be there to pick you up and carry your torch to let you rest awhile.

You can't control your parents lives. You can't control anyone's life but your own. And no matter how much you may want to help or change them, you can't. You just have to live your life for the best, and vow not to make the mistakes you see other make. You won't be able to avoid them all, no matter how much you want to, but you're a wise and intelligent person, Liz, and I think you will be able to learn from all of this. Pain, as they say, is the best teacher. Some times it takes a bit of pain to teach us a valuable lesson.

My last bit of advice to you ... take this as a challenge and embrace it. Don't try not to think about it but don't try and dwell on it either. Pretending not to notice a problem won't make it go away but wallowing in it won't do you any good either. Give it time and thought, but be prepared to move on eventually. From what I know (and I don't know a lot), all you can do here is make sure you don't get into that kind of problem, which I don't think you will. The sins of our parents are not our sins; we do not need to bear them.

Well, I've probably written enough/too much/not enough today, so I'm going to take my leave.

NOW PLAYING: Jimmy Eat World - "For Me This Is Heaven"
Lyrics: "and the time, such clumsy time / in deciding if it's time / I'm careful. but not sure how it goes / you can lose yourself in your courage / when the time we have now ends / and when the big hand goes around, again / can you still feel the butterflies? / can you still hear the last goodnight? / and the mindless comfort grows / when I'm alone with my 'great' plans / this is what she said gets her through it / 'if I don't let myself be happy now, then when? if not now when?' / when the time we have now ends / and when the big hand goes around, again / can you still feel the butterflies? / can you still hear the last goodnight?"