On Saturday 5 December 2000, I loaded up the U-haul and left Long Beach for good. It was a bittersweet trip, to say the least. I was both happy to moving on, getting on with my life and oh so very sad to be leaving such good friends and memories behind.

And now five years have passed. My life has changed in so many ways. I’ve accomplished things and experienced things I would have NEVER done chained to my desk doing 9 to 5 to life in L.A.

I have no regrets. I know I made the right decision, and I know it was the best thing for me to do. But still I can’t help wondering what if I’d stayed? Where would I be? Who would I be? I imagine I’d be quite different from who I am now.

Ah well, enough babbling.

Oh, blessed, blessed rain. Nothing calms me or soothes my soul like the sound of falling rain.

Tonight is the first really good rain we’ve had this season. It’s cold–finally–and slightly windy. I wish there was some thunder and lightning, but you can’t have it all I suppose.

I’ve got all the lights off in my room. I’m sitting by the window with my laptop, reading and writing. A lone candle sits on the edge of the desk. I’ve got the window open and I can hear the raindrops outside. Every so often I look out the window and across The Bay. The glow from lights of civilization blur in tonight’s rain.

Peace. Complete and utter peace.

I can’t think of anything more perfect than this moment.

The.Simpsons.S17E07.HR.PDTV.AC3.5.1.XviD-CTU

Holy shit! S17? As in, season 17?

The link on my favorite, uh, download thingy. Site. Place. (Pirate!) Stares back at me. I can’t believe it.

17 years is a long time. I remember when The Simpsons were an animated short on The Tracy Ullman Show, way back when. The fact that I remember this bothers me.

I am old.