Aging gracelessly

Several close friends, including my brothers, took me to Fantastic Four yesterday for my birthday. It was a really cool day. And it really spoke to me the type of people I am blessed to hang out with.
I appreciate a lot the conversations Michelle and I have. Her husband Sean is pretty funny, too, which is always a plus. Someday I would like to get Kirsten, Kenneth, Phillip, Sean and Michelle just sitting in a circle for a few hours. I bet we would have some of the biggest laughs from the last few years.
Back when I lived in St. helens there used to be a lot of times like that where the brothers and I, along with a few friends, would just hang out barbecuing, playing pool or volleyball or foosball or videogames or some random card game and talking. Those were some great times and some really great jokes. I miss those times.
I honestly think what we do is irrelevant...it is the company kept that makes the time worthwhile or not.
I really look forward to several events still to come this year. In no particular order;
The December trip to Bordonal with Debbie and Gabe. THat is going to be the highlight not just of the year but probably of my life to this point. Deb is a great sister and I have really grown to love Gabe. He is a good guy and I am looking forward to meeting the rest of his family. I think without that to look forward there were times I thought I could not get through the Spanish class, but it will be well worthwhile. I think this trip will really illustrate the point about it being the people I am around that are important...after all, with my dislike of the heat, the heart of Mexico is not a place I would choose to go otherwise but right now I am really, really looking forward to it.
Writing the book(s) with Michelle: She is such a talented writer. And she has a great sense of humor; I think "Things that Irk me" will be a great coffee table book. Afternoons with she (and usually Sean) at Moonstruck are always a genuine pleasure and working with someone on a project like that is always a good time.
Every other Saturday and most Sunday afternoons; just hanging out with Kenneth and Phillip are incredible. I love just chilling, playing cards, and all the jokes, both the bad ones and the worse ones. Kevin is pretty funny when he joins in as well. Even after the card game dies I am willing to bet we will find other excuses to hang out. Friends and family like that is pretty cool.
Obviously I look forward to completing both Dreamcatchers and the tale of J'red and Trillian, but those are less important...and I think the reason they are less important is because they are really centered on personal time as opposed to time shared.
In short, as I look back on 34 years, it really emphasizes how much I look forward to the time I can spend with those I care about for the foreseeable future.
Peace on earth, good will towards me, and peace out.