So lately I've been residing, for the most part in Missoula Montana. I've been staying with this gal. Pictured below. :) One of my best friends, Hanna. And no matter what else I do on vacation... Chicago for a bit, with another best friend and a truly unique New Year in Michigan.

Me and Hanna

Somehow Montana always trumps everything. Maybe it's because I feel so at home here. It's my home away from home. I think that's one of the reasons that I want to live here so bad. It just feels so right to me. Not to mention I love having my car and the world at my fingertips. Durango was so isolated, which was great but frustrating at times. It was always at least 4 or 6 hours away from anyplace worth going. Here... a different story. Bozeman is 3 1/2 to 4 hours away. Spokane is like 5 hours away. Mental note: Drive to the coast one day just for kicks. It's only 7 hours to Seattle, where my friend Kylie is currently residing and working. I haven't been to Seattle in years. And Sophie is living and rocking the school teacher thing in Portland. Another place I haven't been and would like to go. I have a feeling that I'll be visiting both those places within a year! Knowing me and my spazzy I want to go on a road trip right now feelings that I can't seem to live without. Lol... But I'm getting ahead of myself. The biggest thing on my mind is getting into graduate school here at the University. I don't know why I'm freaking out about it so much, probably because it's out of my control. I hate things that I have no control over. Hanna things I'm nuts for even worrying about it. She things I'm in like flint. But I wanna hold a little paper that says that. Anywho... Mom thinks I have a 75 percent chance of geting in and that's kind what I'm feeling as well.

Dallas and me

Stupid time, it moves too fast and too slow all at the same time. I guess life is just supposed to be filled with uncertainties. What's the fun in knowing everything? I certainly didn't know ahead of time that Warsaw was going to be playing in Missoula when I booked all my tickets for my marvelous vacation and it was a flipping awesome surprise! So I got here to Missoula in one fell swoop because the driving conditions were absolutely magnificent. Clear skies. I got up at 7:00 to optimize my daylight time and made it over the last pass just as the sun was setting, fog was rolling in, and I was in snow covered mountains just in awe of the radiance around me. Hanna couldn't wait for me to get here, so I made the extra push and just kept going. I picked her up from her friends place and then we pitted in for some bonding, beer, and talking. So good to just sit with her not in a moving vehicle. I don't know how many more times I want to do that drive solo and in one day. Even with perfect driving conditions like that. I just gets a bit much and your brain just slowly fries away as mile marker after mile marker tick by. Maybe with someone or in two days. Or we'll just see. I don't think I'll be driving it as much now that my car is here in Missoula and the only thing I'd have to drive it again with is a UHaul stuffed full of all my junky possessions sitting in Durango. Hanna had the next day off so we puttered about not doing a whole lot but enjoying ourselves none the less. Thurs, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday she had to work but she got off work at three so we managed to get some shenanigans and tomfoolery in. We went to Ross and tried on dresses for the hell of it, I went and saw a movie by myself... I'm kinda pulling a blank on what I saw, which is pretty damn rare for me to do. Huh... OHOH! The Day the Earth Stood still. Not too shabby. I was quite entertained by it or by looking at Keanu Reeves. Either way I had a good time. We hit the bars up a few nights and hung out with Prairie and had a girls night. Went out to Mama Rodli's for a football game and also another night for dinner and laundry time. It was really good to see her as well. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were Hanna's days off. I found a blockbuster selling 50 cent videos and went a little nuts, but I love my movies and that's a cheap way to get a fix. Chinese food has been eaten, meals have been cooked at home with extended movies nights on our blanket bed in the living room. Lots of conversations have been had. And I think my being here motivated Hanna to get registered for school and pull herself out of her vacation funk. :) She's sad to see me go tomorrow but knows that I'll be back. For all the times that she's held me together, I think I'm holding her together right now, merely by being myself and by showing up whenever and however possible. Onto fun...

Dallas

The Warsaw show. We got there early to get some visiting time in. Joey was the door guy and Hanna's friend so after getting us in two for one he chilled with us as the band set up and wandered around and such. The guys were a little surprised to see me out of my Durango box but a warm welcome was given. Dallas is the bass player pictured left and again above with me. Really cool guy, kinda sweet, you know the sort. Music started happening around... 10? 10:30? My time frame is slightly off I'm sure. And Hanna and I sat and listened for a few songs and then got our dancing shoes on and shook our groove things till the set break. New drinks were in order and Hanna wanted to smoke so I took care of the drink business and met her in the hallway where Joey, Dallas, and Hanna were smoking. Everyone chattered away having a great time till the next set. This is when we ran into Jojo, an absolutely hilarious and wild and fun guy that I'd met a year or two ago when Mom and I had come up for a weekend. Lovely surprise and it was quite wonderful because he remembered me and who doesn't love being remembered? :) More dancing ensued with a few breaks here and there. An older lady came and danced with us and sat with us on and off for the rest of the set and then we invited the band over to Hanna's to hang out after the bar closed down. They were all for it cause we're such fun chicks and I don't think they'd lined up a place to stay. So we sat around in Hanna's living room till oh 5, 6, 7 in the morning respectively. Hanna was one of the first ones down because she had work at 7. Trooper, that girl. I was one of the latest up because well... that's just how I roll. I turned all the lights off and distributed the blankets to myself, Dallas, Monkeybone and Aaron (pictured left). I think I started getting restless around 11 so I moved from the floor into Hanna's now vacated bed and slept in a little bit longer till 12:30 or so when Dallas and Monkeybone started stirring. Aaron just kept sleeping like a rock so we three decided to walk to the Oxford and get some tasty breakfast. We all chatted and ate and then met the rest of the guys at the Rhino. I was about ready for a nap afterwards so I wasn't overly energetic but it was nice none the less. I said goodbye a little before they were leaving and walked back to Hanna's for a nap and the Ellen Degeneres show. Hilarious and always kinda sweet. I think it might be becoming one of my new favorite shows. Nothing I can't live without but definitely entertaining. Relaxed the rest of the day and then bite the bridle and called Jeremy in Bozeman. I'd been saying for like the last 3 or 4 times that I was in Montana that I'd come and see him and hang out for a day or to. He was all about it and didn't have any plans for the weekend so the next morning I left in time to get there when he was getting out of his last class. We wanted to get some lunch and just had to wait for his roommates to finish whatever it was that they were doing so we went to his bar the Crystal and were having a few pints when guess who walks through the door? This guy pictured left, Mike, and the rest of the band. What are the odds. We visit for a few, they invite me and Jeremy to the show and J and I head off to the lunch restaurant we were going to. Then we go to a happy hour and then we head back downtown. This kid can drink a lot more than me. At this point he's probably had twice as many drinks as me and is still in fairly decent condition. We go back to the Crystal and he plays pool while I visit and after his friends leave there we head to the Zebra something or other which is where Warsaw was. We hang out, listen to music and eventually J goes to meet up with his friends upstairs because they're not into the 8 dollar cover than I got us out of. I stayed and hung out and ended up going to an after party type thing with the band while J decided to walk home in like 20 below weather. Not for me thanks, I'll get a ride in the Warsaw van warmth to another warm place. The next morning, got some coffee and then went and picked up J who was just pulling himself together. We went and met some of his friends at... who guessed? Another bar. :) This one served breakfast though so I totally ate and J started going all over again. Eventually we went and got sushi and then headed back to J's house and played some beerpong and asshole. Satisfactory evening that ended with pizza and Superbad. :) Not a bad weekend by anyones standards. I headed back here to Missoula the next morning fairly early because snow was just starting to build up in Bozeman and I figured the earlier the better when snow is concerned. Got back here in fine time with very little trouble on the roads and hung out with Hanna. Everything was going just marvelous. Laundry at Hanna's Mom's, boxes mailed to my Mom, and as I'm running errands my car starts massively overheating. :( Poop and guess what. It's Wednesday and my flight leaves at 4:55. And when I get my car towed to a shop they tell me that they can't get the part needed till Thursday morning. Aw.... SHIIIT! I end up paying an arm and leg to change my ticket to tomorrow and stay to take care of my baby. It was strange not having my car for less than a day, but the next morning, fairly early with the sun shining, I get a phone call saying my fella is all better and they'll come pick me up and give me my new and improved baby. So I what do I do, come park the car and Hanna's and walk around downtown a little. Hahaha... Oh man. Yesterday I mailed cake mixes and powdered sugar for my favorite Mom and then read part of a book. Then I decided to head to the bars for a beer or two, thinking to come home early. Hanna had to work so she was sleeping. And ended up running into this kid Jake that I used to go to school with in Durango. Wicked rad so I ended up staying out later than I thought, but I still got up early this morning and did the dishes and straightened up the house and then have basically been playing online all damn day. In my car, where I miraculously manage to pick up signals that work.

I head home and by home I mean Alaska, tomorrow and I'm really excited. I wish I could bypass Anchorage but there are some things that I'd like to get done and people I'd like to see so I have a feeling it's just going to cruise by and that'll be that. It'll be Wednesday before I know it and I'll finally be home, in my bed, with my Momma and doggie close by. And I'll be able to visit with Karis in person and hug my little man. I'm excited. Truly.

Aaron

Mike

Drago

Jesse