Long Time Coming

Though I have been particularly absent from the blog-o-sphere, this is my first entry in over a month, so as is to be expected there has been much going on. I have not only been a lame internet writer, but have also fallen behind on my letter writing, so if you have written me a letter, and have not yet gotten a response, worry not. You are on my mind.

I have continued to read a book a month. I finished "curious incident of the dog in the nighttime" last month for starters, amazingly keeping me on track for:

101. Read a book every month (3/33)

(click the dog picture to get directions for a "curious dog" origami card.)

I have also:

019. ma[d]e friends with older people

I'm not exactly sure what this was going to mean when I put it on the list, but I think I have done it. Though I do have some friends that are almost twice my age, I have made 2 friends who definitely qualify (50+), mostly thanks to Grant. In previous postings, I mentioned the self-proclaimed "bike dude", Kansas, who has certainly moved beyond "acquaintance" status. Most recently, I have enjoyed the company of a man named Bill who lives down the street in a nursing home. He used to be a rancher until fairly recently, when he started losing feeling in his hands and feet. I'm not exactly sure how old he is, I would place him at about 75. He is really sharp and privy to the most surprising of topics. On Saturday, we spoke of Eminem, Marilyn Manson, and Fellini. I lent him one of my favorite movies of all time, Underground.

044. learn old games (2)
Thanks to Bill, I also learned some old games. They are both baseball related games, but one is called:

"Flies and Skinners"- similar to "500". Flyballs are "flies" and "skinners" are grounders which are each worth an agreed upon point value. When a fielder gets to a certain score, the privilage of bat is theirs. and so on...

I can't remember the name of the other one, so I will wait on that one.

011. get on roofs (6)

Parking Garages Count! I have been on two notable garage roofs, which I will count for the spirit of exploration I hoped to embody when I set this goal. I rode bikes to the top of the new one at about 21st and Pearl with Shane Wood a few weeks ago, which gave an eerily new perspective of West Campus. New buildings always kind of freak me out, but I am glad to see more dense residential zones and "mixed use" developments, even if that just means putting a Pluckers (local hot wing eatery) under apartments.

I got on top of another parking garage somewhere near 38th and speedway, which has at least one noteworthy amenity. A Basketball court!

Last (and sort of least), I got on top of a house of some friends of friends in my neighborhood during a party. Textbook example of "Big head Theory" which basically states: It takes two to move a crowd. Funny how when no one is on the roof, no one thinks about it until they see some other folks doing it. The Great Dan Bui and I successfully lured about 10 people up there to drink a brew-dog.