Not really, but it seemed like a good title.

First journal in 8 years, huh? Man oh man oh man, how different a life can be 8 years in the future. If you had told that drunk, snot-nosed little shit 8 years ago that he'd see the end and rebirth of his career, his friends scatter to the winds, see 2 grandparents die, land his dream job, buy a house, and suffer the agony of his family being torn apart, he probably would have given you the finger, told you to fuck off, and taken another drink. Those last 3 things happened just this year.

So what's happened in those intervening years between that last journal and this one? Four months after I posted that I made the biggest mistake of my life, and watched a career I had dreamed about and worked so hard towards fall through my fingers. I worked a dead-end job for a couple years, and I hated my life. I mean well and truly hated it. I felt like I had no future and nowhere to go; if you've ever felt that way, you know how soul-crushing it is. Finally I hated my life so much I decided I had to do something about it. So I got sober in 2017, and worked immensely hard the next 2 years to get my life on track. In 2019 I got back into the industry I loved. It wasn't a job that I hadn't wanted in the past, but this time I knew I had to take it. I worked my ass of at that job, and finally, just this year, after applying and applying and applying, I got the job I've always wanted, and it's every bit as great as I hoped it would be.

Between then and now, a lot of my friends moved away. I try and talk to them when I can, but it's never quite the same as being able to roll over to a house and have everyone be there. I watched the furry community in AZ fracture. It has always been a scattered affair, but now it seems even moreso. I don't think it's anyone's fault, that's just the way it is here. Or maybe that's just my perception. There are still great people here, it's just hard to get everyone together anymore. My previous work schedule and FUCKING COVID (don't get me started) didn't help that any.

With the new job came new income, and in traditional style I bought a house in the worst housing economy the US has ever seen. Oh well, I'm not in it to make money. I had the immense fortune to live with my best friend for the last 10 years. Actually fuck that, it was my great privilege to live with someone I respect immensely, and love like a brother. However I couldn't stay forever (it's a wild story though, for those of you that know it) and it's a dream to own my own home. I'm still unpacking, but things are mostly settled.

The last part is none of y'all's business, and I only mention it to give a sense of the huge changes that have happened over the last 8 years. It's been a crazy-ass ride that's for sure. Some of the wounds have healed nicely over the years, and some never will. That's just the way it goes, isn't it?

The purpose of this isn't to complain. Just the opposite in fact! Aside from my family issues, life is almost as good as it has ever been. As long as I don't fuck it up. That said, I want to try writing again. It's been so, so long. To that end, I wouldn't mind trying to roleplay again in a long text format. Humility aside, I used to be pretty good at it. That was then, and this is now. The old haunts are gone, all of them it seems, and I don't know where to turn. If anyone reads this, and bothers to comment, if you've found a place to play and be yourselves in a text format let me know! Or if you want to start something with me privately, either through e-mail or messages, let me know. I'm open to ideas. My schedule is a mix of insane and boring in 2 week stretches so I can't promise updates when I'm on rotation, but outside of that I have 2 weeks of free time as well.

So, your tl;dr: drunk, sober, dream job, hey bb do you rp?

Thank you, goodnight.