2001-07-10 - 2:13 a.m.

Tradeoffs

Yay! I worked out today! After almost two weeks doing a little running and no lifting, I actually forced myself to put some work into it again. Only two weeks until the Michigan Monster Game, after all, and it's going to take all the muscle I can muster to play that kind of paintball 6 hours a day for two consecutive days.

In other news, we've been in the birthday zone for quite some time. My Mom's bday is in mid-June, I'm a week later, Julie's Aunt Suzy is about 10 days after that, then Liralyn, and then Julie's Mom in August. This year my sister is getting married in late July, just to plug that gap. As a result, I can point to some sort of party or event every single weekend from here to mid-August. Yow.

Liralyn looks likely to get the usual slew of toys this year. The worst thing about getting old is that each year, fewer people feel the need to buy you a birthday present. Of course, you then appreciate the ones who did just a little more. Which, now that I think of it, is true of lots of other things as well.

As kids we all had friends of some sort because you had two or more hours between school and dinner to spend playing. Finding people to play with was second nature. As an adult, you wear yourself out at work, spend some quality time with your SO, do the basic chores of being an adult, and *then* have time to play. It's no wonder you can go a month without hearing from your closest friends.

On the other hand- and I'm switching cases here because I don't want to make it into a universal principal anymore- my friends mean much more to me now. My buddies in second grade just helped pass the time. I didn't *need* them. Now I have friends who have helped me through the toughest times in my life. If I went one hundred years without speaking to someone like the Arb Ninja or Chimera, I'd still be ready to jump on a plane with a suitcase full of cash if I got the call.

I'd have listed Mechiah in that list, but I'd always wonder: Does she need money to save her own life? Or is she duping me into some sinister conspiracy? Friendship is a little more complicated when your friends are mad, bad, and dangerous to know. (Love ya, babe.) :)

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