You ever lost touch with a good friend? You know, not like there’s any sort of precipitating event or anything; no screaming arguments, no perceived betrayals, nothing but an ebb in your relationship? Sometimes things build up in your life, and you can’t pay as much attention to the external parts, you have to go all internal and shit, take care of the things that are on fire nearest you?

But then, if the friendship was a good and real one, you run into the old friend at a party or you make a date to go get coffee and catch up, and when you see each other again, you fall into each others arms and hug real tight and realize just what a hole in your life the absence of your friend made?

Well, hugs to you, my friends. I haven’t been absent because I’ve been mad or sad or anything like that, just (what else is new?) weirdly busy with freelancing, my wonderful part-time gig, my exciting return to the world of graduate studies, hibernating through the winter and like that.

Oh yeah, and the family. Sigh.

Family self portrait: Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 8:05am

Jesus, it was twenty years ago today that I was entering my second semester of college, smarting from a 1.93 GPA that ugly first semester, never kissed a girl and about to start a lifelong (so far) romance with beer – which, I think, actually helped bring my GPA to a just sub 3.00 the next semester ‘cuz I just freaking relaxed.

I can no longer imagine what Jeremy v.1986 would say to Jeremy v.2006. I guess he’d just shake his head in mild amazement and figure that he’d better get busy drinking up that beer and having fun now, ‘cuz things are gonna get a whole lot different in a couple of decades.

Oh yeah, and some of youse have attempted to contact me recently and I’ve misplaced your contact info – GMT, I’m talking to you – please try again!