Apocrypha does not exist

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The old gang

We were a close group of friends that even over the years have managed to stay together in some sort of fashion.

The oldest of us is Scott who has given up a lab job to go back to school for business. He gets married next month though it must be a small ceremony as only two of our group are invited. I'm not one of them.

There is Rob whose uncle is a local police officer meaning that none of us really got into any serious trouble in our younger, more wilder days. He became a customs officer at the Toronto International Airport. If you see him, ask him about the phonebook flip.

Next are the constantly bickering Mark and Matt. Mark has two kids from separate mothers but only acknowledges the life of one. I don't know why he doesn't want to be a part of the life of his daughter; I don't even know her name. Rumour has it though that he has started giving quiet support payments to the mother. Matt has a famous author for an uncle and has a family name with history. He always talks like he has money yet he never buys anything and complains about how much things cost. I've known Matt since I was six and Mark since I was twelve. We're the basic core unit of the group as we're the only ones who are currently back in our home town. Mark of course, having never left while Matt and I went away for school and moved back after.

Ryan and Evan were the youngest. Ryan being the actual youngest as he skipped ahead a year in school. He's married now to his high school sweetheart and they have a nice home in a small town up north. She's a teacher and he works in telephone store. They have no kids yet, but two cats, a dog, and a pool.

After grade 12 grad, Mark drove Evan (who still to this day doesn't have his license) to Toronto so he could enlist in the military. Evan joined the Navy and after training and a small stint on the Pacific, found himself in Halifax and attached to the HMCS Toronto. An NCO trained in Fire Control he did some tours in the Gulf and then spent the last two years training others to do his job. He's currently been assigned to the HMCS Montreal and will hit the water again sometime next year. He's gone career and has been in the Navy since he was 18.

Because of the Navy we haven't seen Evan much these past ten years. Me least of all as I didn't have the time off work to visit Halifax as often as Mark and Matt have. Most of what I know of Evan is what trickles down to me through them. The last time I saw Evan was two or three years ago after I was dumped by a long term girlfriend. But he's home now, two weeks early before his scheduled 3 week leave.

His father is dying. I'm not sure from exactly what but it is some kind of bowel infection. The doctor has pulled out several feet of intestine, the appendix, and the gallbladder still to no avail. From what I understand, Evan and his sister only found out about the illness right from their father's doctor; their step-mother having never mentioned it to them. Evan himself doesn't talk much about it, or at least while I'm around so what I hear comes mainly from Mark and a bit from Matt.

I feel some kind of responsibility to talk to him about it, but not sure what to say. Perhaps start off the conversation with how my mother has cancer, which I only found out last month when I was in the Philippines and haven't told anyone about. My mother tries to talk to me about it, but all she does is cry. In a couple weeks she goes into the hospital herself for surgery.

I think Evan, like myself, just wants things to be like they always were; like they have always been. That we're all just a group of goof-off high school kids with no intention of growing up. But how can we not grow up when the world grows old around us.

Old friends

What do you say when you haven't seen a good friend in two years and you're only seeing him now because his dad is dying.

Pingu

Is there anything more funny than that claymation penguin?

My pants can transform into a tent

God is empty....just like me

I'm not the same anymore. Something about the Philippines changed me. Maybe it's the constant dreams that started while I was down there.



Dreams were frequent...every night. Never really the same but about the same thing. They've been plaguing me ever since.



I came home and everything was the same. My friends never changed. Stuck in an evolutional rut. Stuck in small town life.



For some reason I'm not the same. For all I know it's only temporary. It's only been almost a month since I came home...perhaps I'll settle again. Enter the same old rut as well.



Which is why travelling seems to be important to me now. New places. New things. New experiences. Something that isn't the same old life that I'm used to.



For some reason I feel that my life isn't based out of here. But that gives me pause to think.



Am I running away? And if so...what am I running from? Who am I running from? Am I running from someone at all?



Or is it that I'm running from the dreams? Pointless really. As they've already proven that they'll follow me everywhere.



It's always behind me. No matter where I end up. It's like everywhere I go you can see the line I lay behind me that traces its way through where I've been and where I came from.



Running doesn't make a difference.

Hey Sunshine

Kiss this!



or if you prefer...




Finally got my internet working again. Stupid internet.