A good start indeed.

Good evening everyone. I am still kickin it in Southern Indiana with my family tonight. I am here for another 2 and 1/2 days. I have had an ok time while I have been here but it's been pretty boring with 2 feet of snow on the ground almost the entire time I have been here. Things have happened while I have been here to really disturb me but I am trying to let everything roll off. I am getting a bit nervous about going back to California and kicking it into gear to try to get a new job and pay my bills on time.

My first day of 2005 actually has gone pretty well. I woke up this afternoon and wrote some new resolutions. My dad called and asked if I wanted to go and work out so I headed with him to the gym at around noon. While I was there, I ran into a guy that I met at the tattoo parlor the other night named Marcus. Marcus is very good looking and sweet also. He is a tattoo artist at Evolution. I think he has a girlfriend and quite possibly a child on the way but either way, he is an interesting thing to see and hang out with while working out.

I ended up challenging myself quite a bit at the gym and then Dad took me back home. My mom fixed a nice big meal for New Years consisting of Ham, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cole slaw, rolls, deviled eggs...the works. I love Indiana eating although it hates me. I then went and took a short nap since my belly was full. I got up after that and hung out with my family for a while and just finished watching "The Secret Window." I had seen it in the theater but Britt wanted to watch it and I am always up for a second viewing of Johnny Depp.

My new tattoo is in the very annoying stage of peeling and itching. It's a lot like a sunburn. He is still really cute and I'll be happy when he is done healing. I have to really fall in love with him since he is permanent. It's nice to be happy with something right now since it has been a while since I have been pleased with anything. Life has been pretty hard lately. Overall, I am going to be happy in 2005.

Well, as I wrote earlier today, I plan to write 5 things each day that I have learned in 2005 and I wanted to start that this evening. So far the resolutions are going well for the first day. I am getting ready to go for a late night walk and pray so I am working towards keeping things up. Here are my learning experiences for January 1, 2005:

1. I don't like Ham anymore. Ham is too salty for me and since I have tried to cut pork out...my stomach doesn't really like it either. I think I am cutting ham out of my diet completely.

2. I love the way it feels to work out. A work out is one of the most exhilirating experiences I ever have. I love to run on the treadmill, work out my legs, do a great upper body workout and take a late night walk. I love exercise and it is amazing.

3. My dad is an incredibly sensitive person and is quite a romantic. He has a lot of great ideas about what love is about and is trying desperately to find his 2nd or 3rd chance at it. He really does know how to romantically love someone but has just come to the point where he loves himself enough to love another.

4. It is always best to keep a secret if someone has asked you to. I kept a very important secret recently and it backfired on me in a small way but overall was the best action to take. It is always best to use discretion when dealing with yours or anyone elses personal life.

5. A tattoo is remarkably like a sunburn. You go through the first stage of it burning like your flesh is falling off, the second stage of extreme itchiness, and the third stage of peeling. Eventually it's a beautiful thing but considerably like a sunburn.

Well, that's all I have for today. I do hope you all had a great first day of the year and you are pushing forward on being a better person in the new year. Loving you all so much and wishing you a peaceful 2005. ~Shalom~