November 17

Originally written November 17, 2005

The end of the road for 24, and the stage at 25. Welcome to the next level.

What have we learned from 24? The highlight of the year was certainly my ridiculous ability to get over as a face. Wrestling terminology there. At the same time, I got to turn heel on a on much broader group. While most of high school and part of college I was the ultimate heel, it was always on a small scale. Comparatively. I got to break out those old debate instincts, the clique, the big bad.

Made new friends. Lost new friends. Found old friends. Got rid of old friends. And even somewhat updated the fashion sense. Some friends scattered, moved away to start a new adventure. A few enlisted in the military. A couple reappeared out of nowhere. One left too soon.

But in the same old haunts I'll still find my friends.

At 20 I drove from Kansas to Bloomington to spend my birthday with my grandma. At 21 I drove from Kansas to Bloomington to Chicago and back to Bloomington to go to an Illinois State band formal. At 22 I drove from Kansas to Taylorville. At 23 and 24, Pete and I sat around watching tv and playing video games.

At 25, I boiled up some crab legs, had some Bailey's, and got to talk to a lot of old friends. It was exactly what I wanted to do. Ah, the birthday, a moment of levity.

The calm before the storm.

From here on out, its game time. Finals. Holidays. Job search. And the damn leprechauns won't leave me alone. They may come and go, but they are on to me, and it's time I fought back against the little buggers.