Two Years Ago...

A lot can change in a couple years. Friends get married. Other friends graduate from school. The first African American president in our nation's history is elected and sworn into office. The freaking Arizona Cardinals make the Super Bowl. You move once twice three times (with a fourth pending). You gain people. You lose people.

Things aren't necessarily better...but they aren't necessarily worse. They're just different.

Living
Two years ago, I lived in an apartment in Reseda with ARob. We'd pretty much just moved out of the house on Lanark, and he already had an eye toward purchasing another house (which, of course, would turn out to be the one on Cohasset). A few months later, we moved into that house, and for a year and a half, it was game on. The keg flowed. The grill sizzled. The music room blasted. It was the party house. Parties, hookups, illegal fireworks, magic shows...it was a little bit of everything.

Then Tania moved back to SoCal, which was awesome, but it was also clearly the beginning of the end of an era.

I love them both to death and am happy that they have each other and are able to share their lives together...but at the same time, once it was time for a ring, it was an implicit eviction notice for me. So the first great craigslist hunt began, and it led me to the apartment in Woodland Hills with my first random roommate. All who know me, know how well I fit in there. So after a month and a half of not being able to freaking stand it, the second great craigslist hunt began. This one led me to the much more amicable living situation (at least for the time being) with Annette and Spuds Frankie. W

Friends
One major driving factor in my decision to move out to Ventura, though, was the fact that I was not going to be on an island out there. I had, of course, the C-Squad. Previous trips I'd made to the VC had been fun adventures, and I figured, 'Why would a move out there be any different?' The one obvious drawback was moving further away from the fam and my valley friends, but as it's turned out, they've been more than happy to follow me out here for weekend shenanigans. And in one case, the follow resulted in a relationship and a desire to take the added step of a complete relocation. Worlds colliding...can be a beautiful thing.

Speaking of serendipitous meetings, there is the random occurrence that led to this friend and I wandering back into each other's lives. Who knew a game at CSUN would become a key turning point in life? Jordt and I had gone over there to see Ollie play and ran into Nick Grant. After a short discussion, we realized that all three of us were living in the valley and had no further plans for later that day. That's how it all started. None of this existed two years ago. W

Family
Nor did anyone at Wade Stadium have any idea that life existed without my brother working there for the summer in some fashion, but then he took the LSAT and moved out west for law school. Now he's "Looking California" but still has days of "Feelin' Minnesota." It's not the ideal close option that we had hoped for, and he'd always been an IM or a phone call away, but now it's coming from the same time zone. Furthermore, for adventures this summer, it's a two hour drive--without the three hour flight in front of it. Love it. Also, while mom and dad are further away (boo), they do love Ventura, so they'll visit (yay). WW <--like sweeping a double header

Work
Another thing my readers know about me is that I spend inordinate amounts of time in my office. With the account shuffling, it's been a struggle to keep up, and I've been on the fringe of burnout for...oh...about four months now. This is the same four months that I've been a Sr. AE. I've been in a constant state of chasing and feeling like I'm drowning. While I haven't caught up per se, I haven't drowned either. I still have the same great guidance and help coming from my superiors at the agency. I do need every day of vacation that I'm taking in the next two months, though. All of it non wedding-related. Thank God. W

So, here you have what are essentially the dimensions in my life. The one gaping void, of course, is a relationship (L). It's just something you just can't chase. You can drive yourself crazy worrying about it, or you can just let it ride. Maybe I'm too laissez faire or overly cynical by approaching it this way, but even when you think you've found the right one and you've got it all figured out, sometimes the rug gets pulled out from under you and its gone. The people who are most important stick around. That's what i found out...two years ago.

The Big Day for Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins

After a short float down the Comal River, it was time to get ready to roll to San Antonio for the wedding. As things would turn out, the easiest way for me to get there would be to borrow Whit's car and drive there myself. This turned out to be fortuitous--more on that later.

So I met Michael in the lobby at 5:30, per the instructions we were given to us, and we proceeded to do nothing but sit there at the bar while they took pictures, grumbling about how there was absolutely zero reason we needed to be there so early. Like the 5-year-old that I am, I got ADD and need to do something, so Michael and I wandered into one of the ballrooms which happens to have a white baby grand in it. After playing that a little bit, it was finally time for us to hop on the bus and go to the cathedral.

When we got there, we had to track down the florist, who was supposed to deck us out with our boutonnieres. The ceremony was sans-DN and, thus, went much more smoothly than either of the rehearsals. All the bridesmaids (especially sweetheart) did a great job, the groomsmen were nails, and Team Readers repped it big time. In all it was a beautiful and fitting ceremony (complete with some Pachelbel, which I of course loved and shared with Michael), but after vows and kiss, we were all ready to get back to the hotel and start partying.

The cocktail reception went fairly well, other than Michael and I kind of being a rudderless package deal as the two token single guys, so we wandered around together for a while, further cementing our reputation as a bromance couple (on which Nicole called us out at dinner). Nothing to do but embrace it. Anyway, we worked the room and talked to people while taking advantage of the open beer and wine bar, multiple cheese options and the friendliness of our bartender José (a salty vet of the St. Anthony Hotel), but then it came time for dinner.

Team Reader's seating (along with that of the other dates of the wedding party) was at Nicole's parents' table, which was a fun dynamic when we were all there getting hammered, but after dinner, as the room started to migrate to the dance floor, the two single guys were hanging around drinking and surveying what we had in the way of options. Halfway across the room sat three girls together at a table looking like they weren't really planning on moving, so I called the audible and we went in.

I think everyone who reads this blog knows that Nicole and I masqueraded as a couple for a while (she and Michael actually dated...for real), but I really didn't know any of her friends. What I found out immediately upon our approach to the three aforementioned girls sitting solo was that they were Nicole's roommates...in Boston...when I broke up with her. After that initial awkwardness, I kept talking to them and being friendly. I either won the battle or they were kind enough to tolerate me...either way, I considered it a win. One of these girls (Julie), though, (the one who had actually shared the room with Nicole) lives in SoCal right now and apparently frequents the bar in Claremont that Topher had happened to roll into that night. Once this SoCal conversation opened up, I left the other two to Michael and kept talking to Julie. We exchanged numbers and are looking to do something next weekend.

Per the previous agreement, once "Amazed" by Lonestar came on, I was up to the dance floor with Nicole, which meant I had to bail on Julie. Heard the first two notes, excused myself and took off like a shot for the dance floor. It was a great time to just catch up with Nicole a little since everything had been such a whirlwind and we hadn't had a chance to even talk to each other since the night before. Once the song was over, I returned to my post at the table. As the group kind of thinned out, we were all more or less back to circulating the room, until I found myself talking to a couple rogue cougars who decided I would be a good person to ask about whether or not it was open bar. After I told them no and they were unsuccessful fishing for me to buy them drinks, I managed to get them to join the dance floor.

So with Julie and Michael laughing hysterically at me, I was out on the dance floor wondering if they were looking to maul me until I found out that they were there with their husbands (quitters). So then I gave Nicole a look, and she came, grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the spot where I had been surrounded by our two party crashers. I guess I don't need Grant to attract cougars...who knew?

Eventually, at around 2 a.m. the party closed down for real, and it was time to leave the St. Anthony. Michael, Julie and I were the only ones left who weren't staying there, so the three of us walked outside to the valet parking area. Since I had the car, I was going to give Julie a ride back to her hotel...except we didn't end up going back to the hotel immediately. We decided to go to Denny's (which was right next to her hotel), but we discovered that we're both somewhat hard-headed about things and didn't want to get violated pay for parking. So, we drove around San Antonio until we found a spot to park, not realizing that we were really nowhere near Denny's now.

So, we walked through San Antonio at 2 a.m. en route to Denny's where we saw all sorts of interesting people and spent more time chatting, telling stories and generally getting to know each other. Around 3, we figured it was probably time to call it and walked back across the parking lot to her hotel...where we, once again, got entrenched in our conversation and stood in the lobby talking as the guard made rounds multiple times. After he came by the fourth time, we figured (once again) that it was time to call it, so I walked her to her room, and we said good night...at about 4:30 in the morning. Then I took the 15-minute walk back to the car and rolled back to New Braunfels, getting there about 5:15 a.m. That was one hell of an interesting night. Congrats Nicole and Chris! Safe travels to everyone (especially my brother in bromance, Michael), and see you in SoCal, Julie!

Third Consecutive...

Night in the office past 7 p.m. Among softball games, feature stories and an upcoming product launch, it is busy times at the DJA. I'm finally starting to adjust to my new accounts and don't quite feel so much like I'm drowning. Now I'm just regulation busy as opposed to buried. Gotta hit it hard tomorrow, though, so I can get out of the office in time for prom Friday night. Oh, the adventure!

Article of the Day

Had to get one in just to get my post total up above the minimum double digits for the month of April...never a doubt!

In honor of the upcoming prom adventure, here is...

The Article of the Day

Thank you, MSN for passing along this greatness. The ex-w and I have set the over/under on number of girls who will cry at prom at five. Place your bets. More prom-related posts to come this weekend/next week in the run-up.

Loaded Post...

I'm back in the saddle after a moving-induced hiatus, and post #101 is coming at you from a little further up U.S. 101 in scenic Ventura. It's been a week since I've been here, and I finally have all my stuff put together in my room, so after some unnecessary venom gentle prodding, I am back on the blog. Happy Easter to everyone, by the way, since actually having a couple days off is what is really driving the completion of this post.

Move was about as much fun as any move...i.e. it sucked, but I had big time help from Jordty on the front end, some organizational help from Catherine on the back and a GIANT assist from mom and dad the whole day (sorry, guys!). Annette and Spuds Frankie are great roommates, even though Frankie keeps trying to sneak into my room, since it was (apparently) his hideout spot before I moved in. Sorry pal. You gone.

The commute is a little bit longer than from Woodland Hills but is about the same as it was from ARob and my apartment in Reseda (if any of y'all remember that location).

Other random tidbits:

Freshman team is playing well as long as I am not out there...meaning, we win on any day of the week except Saturday. Coach Clark is about to fire me.

Speaking of Coach Clark, he has been the most common visitor out to the new location in the VC and has split his time between hanging with me and hanging with the fw, Catherine. Photos to follow up in the next couple days. (I promise, fw...patience!)

Also in said photos, is the newest member of the Ventura County posse, Sarah M number 5 is my favorite Martinak, whose birthday was the occasion that produced said photos. She is a colleague of the fw (chemistry teacher) and has become prominent in the VC migration.

R.I.P. Nick Adenhart. Losing anyone to a tragedy is, of course, really awful, but the fact that he was a guy who was just on his way from making the transition from 22-year-old prospect to professional in baseball, made him a guy with whom I could identify as it easily could have been any of a number of former teammates/friends.

In addition to Easter festivities, Jophes is being baptized tomorrow evening at St. Bernadine, and with Uncle Matt in town...well...it will be shenanigans. That is about all I can say about that.

So then, I'm laying low in Burbank with the fam for the weekend. Happy Easter, again, to everyone. I'm settling in, so blog posts should be back to the regularly scheduled frequency.

Turkey Day

Happy Turkey Day to everyone! Brief/small Crespi baseball reunion last night at (where else?) Pickwick's. OTL Hall of Famers Jordt and Clark were in the house, and prospect Wilson is back home. Per the tradition, the tourney (the best thing about the Thanksgiving weekend) is tomorrow. Subsequent to it will be the standard drunken gong show like every other year.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday, and if you happen to be in or from this state, sorry. But at least you're used to this. At least you're done watching this guy for a while.

Great college football matchups this weekend. Go Trojans, of course. But also...

go Noles, go Cowboys, go Bulldogs

I could go on, but I'm getting ahead of myself. After all, it is only Thursday...

The Set List

Grant and I will be turning back the clock with an instant classic for the jam session tonight.

<--Grant

<--Gabe

That is all.