matt's life in brief

So I haven't written anything in about 5 months, much to the chagrin of a few people (e.g. my girlfriend) who mistakenly got into the habit of checking my blog regularly and expecting steady updates. In my defense, I said from the beginning that this would probably happen. Plus, did you really think I was an interesting enough person to have something to talk about every day? Anyway, I got inspired this morning so I thought I'd give a quick update on my life.

I guess around April after I last posted, I started trying to get my life in order. I'm starting to accept that I'm in a new stage of my life where I have lots of responsibilities that aren't going to go away anytime soon. Mostly I just took some time to figure out what I was doing with my money, how to budget it, how to save it, etc. Fun stuff. ***Side note: When you end a sentence with "etc." like I just did, are you supposed to put two periods, one for the abbreviation of "et cetera" and one for the end of the sentence? I've never known the answer to that.*** Anyway, I learned some things about investing, retirement savings, and the like....mostly a lot of things that would be a lot cooler if I made enough money to do them. One day, I guess. I started reading about buying a house too, even though that's still a little ways off (see previous statement about needing more money to do things).

I ran in the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon with some friends in Virginia Beach over Labor Day weekend, which was a pretty cool experience, despite having to run the absurd distance of 13.1 miles. I was "training" for several months, though not as hard as I had planned and mostly in the last couple months before the race. I predicted a finishing time of about 2:15:00 when I signed up in March, decided around August that my real goal would be 2:00:00, and finished the race in 1:59:14. So I guess it was a success. It was a good time, and something I'll do again. You can go to the course simulation if you're really that bored and watch me as a little dot running around the course. Put in bib number 15621.

I guess there's not really much else to talk about without making this post ridiculously long. I'm hoping to get up to Blacksburg to see friends and a football game some weekend coming up. I can't describe how happy I am that football season is finally back. The Hokies have a hell of a team this year, and the Redskins, even though they've looked ugly as sin so far, have made it to 2-0, so I'm very happy right now.

I get to see Meg the next two weekends in a row, which is fantastic. We're going up to Richmond for Chris and Mel's engagement party next weekend, and she's coming to see me in Raleigh the week after. We think we might finally see the end of this long distance roller coaster ride off in the distance, sometime after her graduation next May. I can't even explain how unreal it feels to even be able to think about being with her all the time, in one place, without 300 miles separating us all the time. We've learned not to get our hopes up too high though, and to just let things happen as they happen. It's the only way to stay sane through this. The distance will be gone one day when it's good and ready, and that will be an amazing day for both of us.

Ok, I said I was ending this a paragraph ago. I'm going to try to do a better job of keeping in touch with everyone, because I've sucked at it so far....I've kinda sucked at it all my life and I feel bad about it. I miss all my friends from MD, school, and everywhere else. So if you're reading this, please keep in touch....give a call, or come visit, or whatever, and I'll work on doing the same. Also, thanks to Meg (love you honey), I am now on Facebook, making me officially a giant tool, in case there was any doubt before. So, if you are also a giant toolface, look me up on there too. There's even a sexy picture for your viewing pleasure. Hope all is well with everyone. Signing off.

Ok, signing on again to tell you to buy "The Everglow" by Mae. One of the best CD's I've bought in a very long time. k, done.