The Banzai Chronicles

Lori arrives in Seattle today. I expect I won't hear from her for a week or so as she settles into her new home. I can scarcely believe she's moving to Seattle at all, and I'm not sure what to expect or hope.

For anyone keeping a scorecard, Lori is the last torch I carried. Hers didn't burn the brightest or the longest, but it was the last. We were friends when I worked at Central College a few years ago (she was a student), and now, in an unexpected turn, she's moving to Seattle. And being a brooder, I'm wondering what our friendship will be here.

It's not as if I know what I want. Sure, I've been alone a long time, and it would be nice not to be sometimes, but I don't really know who she is today. As it was, she was from a lot more sheltered Christian upbringing than I. I'm no wild man, but I'm certainly more rough around the edges than Lori. I like a lot of that part of me and I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to compromise. Wild women have always been my weakness. Besides, I can always resort to calling them "psycho" when things don't work out for the very same reasons I was attracted to them in the first place. Completely unfair, but damned convenient.

Moot, moot, moot-- it's not as if I have any decisions to make anyway. I'm simply struck by the unusual opportunity to continue our friendship. Sometimes it's just helpful to know what you want. Or comforting, at least.

Other thoughts: The latest MacAddict puts the Twentieth Anniversary Mac on the "Worst Hardware" list. As an owner, I disagree. They make solid points (price, power, and marketing), but once you've used the machine, that all pales in the shadow of the sheer coolness of the experience.

I kind of wish it were anything but Wednesday. Preference #1 would be that it was closer to the weekend, and preference #2 would be earlier in the week so I could get more done this week. Instead, we're stalled smack in the middle. Ugh.

When I sat down for coffee this morning, I reached for my pager for the first time since leaving my old job. It felt good to realize it was no longer there, that I am free.