Everything Grey is celebrating one year of 'blogging, and in typical ML fashion, the anniversary post is a few days late. Only about 3 days late.

Whenever I try to figure out why I blog, it comes down to these reasons. This is a creative outlet for me and I get to leave my impression on the world. It's a place for people - friends and strangers alike - to enter my mind and, hopefully, get a good laugh. It's a place to organize a few thoughts. Mostly, it's a place to unwind and laugh at the little things in life. My hope is that people who come here, by whatever means, leave with a smile.

I thought the most appropriate way for me to celebrate was to look back over the archives and choose my favorite posts. So, I guess, these are my top 10 favorite entries over the past year. Enjoy... again... for the first time... in no particular order... if blogger's archives are working...

Dishwashing: Humor can be found in the most ordinary things. If I were a stand-up comedian, this would end up in my routine.

Aliens Part 1 and Part 2: If I were a paranoid conspiracy theorist, this would explain a stomach virus. Parts 1 & 2 should be read together, tongue firmly planted in cheek. These are bits of paranoid humor to deal with a rather ordinary occurance. In reality, I know I've just got a keg rather than a six pack, but having aliens inside of your is much easier to deal with than the reality of being overweight. Funny side note - someone linked to me just before I posted these. I noticed after she read them, I was de-linked. I guess she didn't get it was a joke...

Rollerskating Memories: Sometimes, it takes a minute to get to the punchline, but I think this is a very well-told story. Probably the best picture I've painted with words.

U2 can find what your looking for: I was hoping to do more posts like this. My interpretation, or in this case interpretations, of songs that have a personal meaning to me. This one is about love and religion.

The Right to Vote: I love irony. The links in the post probably don't work, but the footnote explains it all.

Terrorists, Remember the Alamo: We really can learn a lot from history, especially about the American Spirit.

The Surreal Vince Neil WB Life: My attempt to mock a few WB shows and Vince Neil. While, I feel like I hurried through this and it isn't as good as it could have been, I still think is pretty funny.

Flushing an education: Why automatic flushing toilets are not a great invention.

The Real Columbia Tragedy: My thoughts on the Columbia Shuttle Disaster and why the shuttle blowing up shouldn't be too big of a deal.

Friends Come and Go: Just sharing some life experience to help whoever, including myself, let go of the past.

Now for the sad part... I'm very unsure about this, but I need to take a break from 'blogging. There are so many things happening in my life right now, I find it very difficult to maintain this place as well as I'd like. So, until things slow down, I need to stop. The good news is that a break should give me a chance to catch my breath and come up with some fresh ideas. Not that I have more than a handful of people who might care about the lack of updates for a while. Like I said, I am very unsure about this, and in all honestly, I have no idea when I'll get back to this. It could be next week, it could be next month, I really don't know. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line. I would love to hear from anyone. Thanx.

I�d post more often, but all I have to talk (read: bitch) about is work, and I don�t want this place to turn into that�

I will say that I think that�s life is really funny. Funny as in I just signed a year lease and now I found out there�s not just one, but two jobs at a station in Orlando, FL, that I�m more than qualified for. But then, is that what we want? Would Orlando be a good thing for this family? Is it coincidence that it�s my father�s middle name? Could that be a sign?

Cons of moving to Orlando or Florida:
1) Possibly bigger than Houston
2) Probably more traffic
3) Pain in the ass to change from H-Town Bloggers to Orlando & Flordia bloggers.
4) Possibly a worse education for the kid
5) Jeb Bush
6) Butt of election jokes
7) Hurricanes
8) Miami Hurricanes & Florida Gators

Why even bother thinking about it? Nothing can happen for at least a year, anyway�

Now, where in Houston can a person learn about film editing while working a full-time job? Interning/volunteering on Fridays and Saturdays is an option�

So, I decided to start doing the Friday Five thing... And, boy, isn't it a smashing sucess... two days late... Holy Fuck! Are my weekends busy now. Socially, that's a great thing. But, fuck, am I supa-tired. Back on track... Friday Five...

1. What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)?
*what the hell have I read lately?!?!* Um... I'm gonna say weekly periodicals that focus on entertainment - movies, tv, video, books, music, and internet - as the subject. Specifically, the one I have a subscription to. It's really sad that the answer isn't something like "The Complete Works of Shakespeare," but at least it isn't Soap Opera Weekly... Though, I have thumbed through it looking for any hints that Leo would reappear on All My Children...

2. What is your favorite novel?
Terry Pratchett's "Soul Music" and "Hogsfather" are popping in my head at this moment. Now, "The Hobbit" is... Now, "Fellowship of the Rings" is... Now, Terry Pratchett's "Feet of Clay" is... Now, my fingers can't keep up with the novels running through my head... And STOP! "Meg" by Steve Alten... Or maybe "Hannibal" by Thomas Harris.

3. Do you have a favorite poem? Yes
(Share it!) Oh... Ok... Lord Byron "She Walks In Beauty" (So, I'm a hopeless romantic... sue me...) and a close second would be "Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas.

4. What is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read?
I just wish had more time for reading... Or maybe the patience to actually finish reading the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. God, they are a hard read...

5. What are you currently reading?
TV Guide.

Alleviating Boredom and Inactivity: Exercise #16
Name the first musician(s) that pops into your head for each letter of the alphabet
ie. A - Ani Difranco

A- Adams, Ryan
B- Barenaked Ladies
C- Counting Crows
D- De La Soul
E- Elvis Costello
F- Fountains of Wayne
G- Guster
H- Hetfield, Juliana
I- Indigo Girls
J- Jellyfish
K- Kurt Colbain
L- LL Cool J
M- Mayer, John
N- No Doubt
O- Orbison, Roy
P- Phair, Liz
Q- Queen
R- R. E. M.
S- Sheryl Crow
T- Take That
U- U2
V- Veruca Salt
W- Weezer
X- XTC
Y- Yankovic, �Weird� Al
Z- Zebra

Extra Points: Explain why each artist is important enough to pop up first in your head

A- Ryan Adams is at the top of my favorites.
B- Barenaked Ladies are 2nd
C- I would listen to Counting Crows - August and everything after - when I was blue. Made me feel better.
D- De La Soul was one of the first hip-hop bands I really liked. I wish I could find �3 Ft. High and Rising�
E- I�ve been grooving on Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharat�s �Painted From Memory�
F- Fountains of Wayne� not sure� F was a hard letter to even think of a band.
G- Guster� Uh� If you have to ask, you really don�t know me.
H- The wife likes the song �Spin the Bottle� by Juliana Hetfield.
I- I only really like the first Indigo Girls album.
J- Jellyfish was simply amazing.
K- 10 or so years after his suicide, and I�m just realizing how important and influential Kurt Colbain is/was.
L- L.L. Cool J. stands for �Ladies Love Cool James�
M- John Mayer is a wonderful artist, but he�s gotten far too popular for me. He�s too sheik now� Not his fault.
N- I�m starting to like No Doubt again.
O- Roy Orbison� better than Elvis.
P- Liz Phair� How can you not like a chick who rocks a guitar?
Q- Queen� What else is there?
R- My favorite R.E.M album is Automatic for the People.
S- I guess Sheryl Crow was on the brain because of the Grammy�s and her anti-war stuff.
T- Robbie Williams was the bad boy in Take That before going solo.
U- Bono is up for the Nobel Peace Price.
V- I�m probably the only person who likes �8 Arms to Hold You� over their other album.
W- Weezer is just cool.
X- Seriously, are there any bands with X as it�s first letter other than XTC?
Y- �Weird� Al Yankovic was probably the more entertaining concert I�ve been to.
Z- Zebra is an inside joke. They still tour all over my hometown area.

It would seem as if the social life is picking up. I can tell because when I woke up this morning my head was screaming and I couldn't tell what was worse, trying to get up or trying to go back to sleep. No, I wasn't hungover. Well, not technically. Personally, I think you can only call it a hangover if there's the possibility of puking. My head was just pounding. 3 glasses of white wine. Ok, it was outta the box, but it wasn't my party. I ended up in the shower just sitting there with the water pouring over me. That helped, but still I'm quite sluggish.

I can also tell the social life is picking up because this is the second weekend in a row that I've gone to bed after 1am because I was actually tired and wanted to. Normally, I don't really get tired. I just go to bed because, well, nothing is worth staying up for and I do have work the next day. We had a great time last night, and how can you not when karaoke is the main attraction?!?! Have I ever mentioned how much I like to sing? I knew I liked Roy Orbison songs, but until last night, I never really knew exactly how much. Can't believe I hit the hit note in "Running Scared."

Probably the best part of the social life picking up is the people were socializing with. They are all talented theatre folk we are doing Aladdin with. The long and short of it is that this is the first time that the wife and I are feeling a camaraderie while doing a show at my favorite theatre. In the past year, we've worked on 5 shows at this theatre and this really the first one where everyone has become close friends. There have been moments of friendship, but most of those bonds sadly ended when the shows were over. This is the first time I feel we're making real friendship bonds and theatre contacts since moving here.

You know what I find funny? A person who acts like a complete know-it-all, even to the point of sounding like an idiot just so they can be right even though they are factually 100% wrong. I mean, a person who would dispute that 2+2 does not equal 4. A person that will contradict everything others say just to be contradictive. Ok, that in itself is not very funny, but add this to the mix: this person being completely sensitive to being talked about behind his or her back. A person who tries to talk a good game and then worries that people are making fun of him or her. Ok, it's not funny funny... It's ironical funny. And, it's all about the irony, baby!