so- it's been a while! I keep saying I'll try to make time to update this account more often. hopefully it's true, this time, but no promises. my main holdbacks have been working well over 40hrs a week, a lot of that uncompensated, on top of taking care of our veritable menagerie of mammals and reptiles. unfortunately my girlfriend also injured her wrist pretty severely a while back, and her recovery has taken up a lot of my time, but we stuck it out and she's doing great.

hopefully, I'll soon be working only part-time. (cheers for having a veterinarian gf who brings home the seitan bacon.) my awesome girlfriend got an awesome job opportunity at a place in Colorado and we're moving in two weeks. she'll be making much better money and thus should enable me to focus more on pursuing my interests in both dog training and art. the clinic that hired her really wants to hire me as well, so i have a fall-back if it doesn't work out, but they also have ins with science-based, dog-friendly trainers in the local area and are going to help me set up some interviews.

i have struggled to pluck up the courage to propose, but we have very vague ideas of marriage in the near future. we've become quite a happy family with our fur- and scale-kids.

the main downside, honestly, is leaving behind our awesome dungeons & dragons group, but we're hoping to figure something out and keep playing online.

in case any of you were wondering... I still admittedly have a drinking problem, and at this point I'm smoking a pack a day. BUT, i've completely kicked the hard drugs. it's been over a year since i've struggled with opiates, deliriants, or hard stimulants. since I'm moving to CO, I'm hoping to trade tobacco for marijuana. it's a crutch, but it's a healthier one, and it's legal there.

I'd also love to get back in touch with old friends from the furry community. i know that i was at fault for driving myself away from friends. i would like to think that sobering up and committing to my new family and just being alive has made me a better person. i understand if the bridges are too burned to repair, but I hope that's not the case.

we also won't have any friends in CO, so if any acquaintances are near the denver area, it would be cool to hang out in the new year.

here's to bigger and better things! i love you guys.
peace,
Paul

PS- is RMFC the only furcon in the area? i'd love to get back into going to cons and fursuiting.