I am blessed with the most amazing friends and family in the world. Thank you for being in my life and allowing me to be in yours.

On my way to work this a couple days ago, biking through the falling snow I saw a guy with mohawk, full, and probably 10" tall. I was sort of jealous.

On my way to lunch, I was approached individually by two different Green Peace'rs; "Would you like to help save the whales?" I wanted to, I really did. Part of me is pressed by the fact that I have loans to pay off. Part of me is pressed by the other guy I saw down the street, hunkered down next to a building, shivering, cold, with a sign next to him that said; "Broke and Alone. Please help" in hand scrawled, permanent ink on corrugated cardboard box that was beggining to deteriorate as the snow around it melted. I thought to myself; that guy might be more honest with his humanity than most people I know. Who isn't Broke and Alone? Was he talking about being broke financially or just as a human, broken?

Part of me is concerned for the whales. Ok, truth be told, a big part of me is concerned for the whales. I feel that if we don't begin to take preventative measures now, then what is affecting the whales and polar bears today will be effecting humans, us, tommorow.

Part of me realizes that what is affecting the polar bears is already affecting humans. People are dying at an alarming rate and we are for the most part, not alarmed.

People often ask me why I bike (particularly when its 10 degrees out and snowing.) I'am often unable to articulate a sensible reason, but as I've thought about it, Ive been able to formulate a decent idea as to why I bike.

Its good for me - I find biking to be therapeutic, it relaxes me, yes, even while biking between cars in downtown Chicago (yes, while wearing a helmet, mom.) Not to mention the health benefits.

Its good for the environment - I produce very few green house gasses while biking. =) I also find that it helps connect me to my surroundings. Biking in it, as opposed to through it, behind the windshield of a car.

Its good for the economy - It saves me quite a bit of money which I am then able to pass on to others who may need it more. Also, not supporting "Big Oil" feels pretty good.

This past year has been pretty momentous in many aspects. I guess the biggest was graduation. I associated it alot with a feeling of being new born, pushed out into the world, slapped on the back and forced to breath. I associate alot with how an infant might feel taking their first few shaky steps. Or a baby bird, pushed from the nest for the first time. One mis-step and you're on the ground, lessons learned, ready to try again.

Learning to live in Chicago has been an adventure. "Does this EL train really go to where I need to go?", "Is Adams st 100N or 100S?", and "Where is the closest Jimmy John's for yet another sub lunch?" I feel that I've grown alot, which will probably only be marked by looking back five years from now and seeing how much more I have grown, again. The older I get, the more I realize I don't know or understand.

I am currently working two-jobs (60+ hours a week) at Starbucks and Corgi USA (www.corgi-usa.com) I am an Administrative Assistant (receptionist) for a company that sells die-cast collectors models, and a barista at the largest coffee retailer in the world. Wooo! I got my degree for this. I got my degree for this?! More to the point, I got the loans I am currently paying off in order to get my degree. (Crap!!)

The future, 2008, I see flying cars and teleports. But for myself I see, I dunno. The plan was to move to Houston with some great friends, to live simply in community and to love more. In brief; to use less and to love more. In essence thats my plan for 2008. Houston has sort of fallen through for the moment, but I am not counting it out. Where I'll end up location wise is entirely up in the air, I will most likely be in Chicago through July when my lease is up.

My resolutions for the upcoming year are:

To read The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
To read the New Testament (as most of what Jesus said is in there.)
To finish a feature length screenplay (one of any of the few that I am working on)
To live slower, smaller, simple and to use what I've been given to hopefully help others live more fulfilled lives.

I wish you all an fantastic 2008, I wish that I could spend more time with each of you, and if anyone would like to move anywhere and live together with people for the mutual good then do it!

"To infinity and Beyond!"
-Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story

peace,

matt