I said that quite a few times over the last 24 hours.

So as several of you might have known from talking to me on MSN, I was kind of stressed out last week (and sort of the one before that too). It was mostly because of work...well I think that was the root of it anyway. Basically I just don't think it was right for me. So I quit Wednesday. Then I went for a VERY long walk along a very beautiful stream (well technically it's a "bayou", but "stream" sounds prettier ). It was wonderful, I talked to Viv for a bit (thanks! ), then I called an old friend.

It was her birthday actually, she recently broke up with her girlfriend . It was really awesome talking to her though, I've always had a special sort of friendship with her. Even though we'd lost touch a bit until a couple of weeks ago it was really cool how we could just sort of fall back into our old friendship . I really want to go visit her! Actually she might be coming to Texas for the Renaissance festival in a couple of weeks. The two of us and another friend went one year when we were in high school; it'll be good to go again.

Anyway after I chatted with them I strolled around so more, ended up in the ball park area near my apartment. So I layed on a picnic table and read for awhile. Have you ever briefly wanted to be a dog? There were about 15 or 20 of them in the park, they were having so much fun! You'd think that dogs that didn't know each other wouldn't get along, but these fellas were having a blast! Actually I guess they do know each other a bit, their owners were all hanging around talking, so I suppose they all go to that park pretty often. Anyway I kinda wanted to hop of the table, roll around in the grass and wag my tail too!

I don't suppose I should pet dogs I don't know...probably isn't a very good idea. I always do though. Always have. I remember once my grandmother, mom, cousin, and I went to visit my grandmother's cousin. We hadn't seen them in like 10 years so when we got to their house these two huge dogs came running up to the car. So naturally my grandmother and I got out to play with them. My mom and cousin are more wiry of animals they don't know so they wouldn't get out. Anyway we were playing with them for like 5 minutes before my grandmother's cousin came out and when he did he was stunned and told us that they were usually mean and hostile to strangers.

So anyway I played with the occasional dog and read awhile, then I walked to this Mexican restaurant and had a little dinner. I really love where I live! The ball park, bayou, and restaurant are all within walking distance from my apartment...of course I have a further walking distance than most people . Heck, even the big park that I like to go to all the time is within walking distance, I've only walked to it once though, it's much further. Anyway then I went home, had a long bubble bath, drank some wine, and listened to classical music. LOL, it was a real classy evening .

So Thursday I had found out online about this meeting of the University of Houston GLBT club and I remembered that when I went to the pride parade/festival I'd seen their booth and they told me that everyone was welcome, even if you don't go to the university. So I figured I'd go and make some new friends.

I had an awesome time!! I was unfamilar with the campus, but I'd read the directions online about how to get to the building it was supposed to be near (it was being held outdoors). So after I wandered around awhile I finally found it. I think it's just a social organization, there was no "business" or anything (of course maybe that was just for this meeting), but really that's what I wanted anyway. So I met a ton of new people! It's so much fun meeting someone new and like getting their "stats" or "history" or whatever!

LOL, and it was so great, I was talking to this one girl and she was like, "actually you won't be the youngest person here. I have this friend who's supposed to come and she's only 17". I got such a kick out of that! So I was like, "how old do you think I am?" and she was like, "umm 18?". And it kept happening too, everyone would be like, "so you go to UH?" and I'd be like, "well not yet, I'm hoping to apply in the Spring or following fall". So everyone kept thinking I was going to be an entering undergrad freshman until I explained that I meant I'd be starting grad school. Actually my opposite fear of being the OLDEST person there also wasn't realized. There was someone else 23 and another that was 28.

So after the meeting I went back to the president's apartment for a little get together. She and another girl who's in the club are a couple. Then there were two other girls and 5 guys (counting me), so we drank and played Taboo for awhile. It was so much fun! I love that game! We played boys against girls with one of the guys playing for both teams. Actually he was a cute British guy who does "play for both teams". According to what the others said privately while he was outside smoking he used to be engaged (or maybe it was just seriously dating, can't remember anymore) to a high ranking, British politican's daughter (before he moved obviously ).

Once the game broke up and several people went home, including him, I found out that the others thought I was interested in him (we'd been drinking quite a bit by then - which was why we hadn't left ). I guess I was a bit, but mostly my sights were on a different guy (who'd also left by the time I revealed this). I found out he already had a boyfriend though, but it was weird because the guy never went with him to any of the meetings/get togethers, so they didn't really know, just that existed. So anyway I felt quite a bit better since I had been disappointed that my flirting wasn't working. Actually I felt awful for flirting with a coupled guy anyway, but I was really happy and proud that he hadn't flirted back (after I found out why that is ). Anyway then the more I thought about it the more I wished I'd talked more to the cute British guy. We actually did get along pretty well and he invited everyone to a party on the 21st, so I guess I'll see .

Ohh, and someone told me they could definitely get me a job as a waiter at Olive Garden if I wanted it. Which I dunno, I feel like I should be able to find something more professional since I have a degree, but on the other hand I've always had a secret desire to try out being a waiter. It looks really fun! More of that meeting random people thing. Plus she said it was REALLY gay friendly, and on a good night I could get 200-400 in tips! Which just sounds awesome for doing something I think I'd kinda like anyway. And it's supposed to be a good time to do it (with the holidays coming up). So I really might do it as a temp. job.

So by now it was late and I was REALLY drunk, so I ended up spending the night (so did two other guys though so I didn't feel bad). Anyway then the next morning (I so love that I'm completely immune to hangovers ), I took one of the guys back to campus. So I figured while I was there I'd scope the place out, find out about the programs etc.

So here's the really great "I'm so happy I could dance" part, as most of you probably know one of the main reasons I wanted to take a semester/year off was because I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to apply in when I did go back. I couldn't decide between creative writing/english, psychology, or sociology. Well if I apply in the college of education (LOL, and actually education was like my 4th choice anyway ) I can get into this program for counseling, get my Master's in that, and then get my...LCP (maybe?? I dunno some initials with an L ), and that's the counseling license and then I can do any sort of counseling I've decided to specialize in. Yeah, it seems like the college of psychology would have the counseling programs (especially the ones I'd be interested in), but no both the people in the psychology dept. and the education dept. said I needed education for what I was describing. Anyway it's so awesome because I like definitely want to do this! Plus the application process is fairly easy (ALOT less work than either psychology or english would have been). AND to top it all off it's set up so that you can just take night classes if you want to! It's like really flexible in general, the first lady I talked to in the psychology dept. (who referred me to education), said that someone else in her department had gotten her Master's through this program and was even able to take a couple of those internet classes! (I know that sounds dodgy but I think almost all universities are starting to offer them now, I never took one but I know they did it at LSU too).

I also mentioned to the lady that I was looking for a job and she suggested I try substitute teaching. Apparently all I need to do is fill out the application for the district school board, get like 5 letters of recommendation, and I think they do a background test or something, then I'm all set, and this job is apparently really flexible too! She said she knows people who do it and they get called frequently, but when they don't want to go in they just like don't answer their phones. I know that sounds like "skipping work", but it's kinda not because they just call you if they need you, and it's not like a set commitment on either party's part.

So anyway I've actually always wanted to teach too! So now I have this fun idea running around my head of doing both jobs until next fall when (hopefully) I'll go back to school. I mean I could do the teaching thing during the day and the waiter thing at night/weekends. Plus school's going to be letting out for Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter then again in the summer (though I dunno maybe summer school's an option). So anyway I could probably juggle both a little. I know working two jobs doesn't sound "fun" to most people, but they're both things I've always wanted to try and think I'll like, besides if I just do both a little I won't have to do either alot and then I won't get tired of one of them . OHhhh hehe, and my 3rd option, and another thing I've always wanted to do obviously: freelance writing! I was checking out Craig's list online and there's quite a few ways I could do it, I'd just like write articles, submit them and get X amount per article. I just really want to write and it would be cool to get paid for doing it and to get it published! (even if it is just like a newspaper or magazine)

So yeah, in the last 24 hours (well 25 now, it's taken me awhile to write this ) I've made a buncha new friends, gotten stuff sorted out with school, decided on a long-term career path (the counseling), and I mostly have the short-term job stuff sorted out too. Plus I had a blast and it feels like all this stuff just totally fell into my lap!

So now, I'm going to go for a brief walk, then I'm supposed to go hang out with the new friends from last night again. Tonight we're going clubbing I'm going to be a good boy and not drink tonight though

Anyway take care everyone and have an awesome day!!!

Kevin