Now that my dental crisis has passed, I have kidney stones.  It’s been a memorable few weeks.  Some day, I’ll have time and feel well enough to zip around the Xangaverse again.  Thanks to all who have been by to comment and for being patient with me.  I do appreciate your cyber-friendship.

Is six years a long time to you?  It seems a lifetime as an online entity.  Tomorrow marks six years that I’ve been on Xanga.  Hard to believe.  Much has changed in this world and in the one outside cyberspace.  I moved to a different coast 3,000 miles away.  Yeah.

I remain grateful to those of you who are my friends and companions in this corner of cyberspace.  I still enjoy your comments and blogs, even though I read them less than I used to.  I guess we’ll just wait and see what another Xanga year brings…

RESURRECTED XANGANS*

Gone but not forgotten, TRUE,
Strange this cyber-LIFE
When keyboard clicks connect me to you
Despite the PULSE of strife.

The tide comes in; the tide goes out,
and Xangans disappear.
Should I leave, too?  Whence comes this doubt?
Then Xangans reappear.

Confusion, thrills, despondency,
lead me round the mountain
Till rather independently
I drink at some new fountain.

But one small isle in cyberspace,
Xangaland remains
A place to find a friendly face
Emerged from some new name.

*Dedicated to VeryModern’s stealthy visit and drifter’s observation therein.

I’ve pretty much recovered from my first dental surgery.  It’s nice to sleep again.

Well, tomorrow marks the opening of a new dating season, but I have not bought a license yet.  Ambivalent?  That might be an understatement.  All I can say is I’m looking forward to spring; anything else is beyond me to grasp just now.

I did start working on a new screenplay, finally.  I’m tackling my first outright comedy (as opposed to romantic comedy) and see it as good therapy if nothing else.  So far, it makes me laugh, and that’s a good thing.  Not much else has for some time.

Today was one of the more difficult days I’ve had at work in some time, so I’m not feeling very bloggy. Maybe I’ll surf a bit…

I tried the new layout thing, and it took me three weeks to figure out how to post a new blog.  Ok, so I exaggerate a bit.  Sorry.  Been a little crazy at work lately…

Here’s a picture that gives a little better sense of scale on the hills around Glendale:

 This intersection is only about 1/2 mile from my apartment.

One thing I love about California is the size (and diversity) of the trees.  Reminds me of the midwest (as compared to Florida) except so many trees are so much bigger! 

This tree is one I pass often when I walk uphill past the schools.  (Oddly, I pass it when I walk downhill, home, too.)  Trees are amazing to me, the way they endure winter hardships and come to life again in spring, the way they keep growing, the way they bear fruit, etc.  A favorite quote of mine:

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.”
-Psalm 1:1-3

The photo also shows the limits of my $10 digicam (blurry outer edges).  It’s a bit tricky being far enough away to capture an image and yet not so far that it blurs.  All in all, I think it was worth $10.  Good thing it was on sale for half off.  lol.   I’m not sure I’d be so happy if I paid $20.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but marketing is perceived value.

By the way, it rained AGAIN last night.  I thoroughly enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of rain.  Only 1 week into the new year, and we already have had more rain than in my first 14 months here.  Things are definitely looking up, but more photos may have to wait for the weather to clear again.

I finished my latest round of edits on a freelance gig and can now commence my weekend.  I have tomorrow off from work to run errands and then watch the Ohio State-LSU football game, so I still have two days off from work, which is nice.  (We’ll see how much tutoring preparation I get done during the game.)

I love being close to the mountains and the coast at the same time (unlike in Miami, where the nearest mountains are in Georgia).  Below is the view from just outside my back door.

And with that, I’m off to shower and then some freelance editing.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll get out and take some more pictures.  The most welcome drenching rain has now passed.

Do you know what you can get out of a $10 keychain digicam?

Pretty clear pictures, if you can figure out how to aim without a viewer.
This is my tiny apartment, about 400 square feet. 
I’ll try to get some real pictures this weekend when I have more time.