A whirlwind of changes is happening in the lives of people around me. To watch friends lose their jobs has been a sobering reminder to never take for granted what I have. But mostly, the change has been positive - I've watched many of my friends, for a lack of a better phrase, simply grow up. In particular, watching friends make the huge personal leap to marriage has brought me such happiness for them - I'm envious of the depth of my friends who have the willingness to make that level of commitment.

And all these changes - they seem to bring me along for the ride, too - I feel like I'm caught in a jetstream of forward progress - of people as they just simply grow up and find happiness in their lives. It's refreshing to escape my own mind and glimpse that. And what's the best is that pull forward has helped me out of a personal rut as well.

While I didn't end up where I wanted to be when I was going through some stuff at the tail end of last year and the beginning of this year, I'm glad I went through it. It was a reminder of how it felt to feel alive, and to not become complacent - happiness takes work.

. . .

One of my projects last weekend was to paint the vertical column in my place with chalkboard paint. It was the best idea, ever. (Credit goes to the Juice for that one). Tonight, at our weekly MindTouch dinner/poker/Guitar Hero gatherings, people started vandalizing.

Guess who wrote this todo:

And on the other side: (a bit bare for now)

A close-up of Irene's turtle chalk painting: (it's even more amazing, cause the column isn't completely flag - it's concrete so it's slightly jagged ... wow!)