“It used to be like we were just sending messages out into space, like something in a Carl Sagan novel” she said, and gestured here with her arm, in the rough direction of Alpha Centauri. ”And yet, here we are,” and there we were, the four of us around the table in a bar in Sellwood.
The best jokes never quite make it in translation to the blog, we say, going from white bicycle to white horse to white ghost Hyundai cruising the streets, all in quick succession and in a way that wouldn’t make any sense in the retelling.
*****
Those two paragraphs have been sitting here in my blog drafts for what I thought was oh, surely not that long at all, just like I had thought, oh, surely it hasn’t been that long since I paid attention to my blog, and then one day I realized that not only had it been eleven months since I had last written a post, but I was at the same bar, with the same friends, and I thought of this draft and how I had put these words down the summer of the previous year.

Maybe I should write something here, I thought, but what am I going to do with my blog after all this time? Should I take it in another direction? Do blogs have any place, these days? And then I thought, did they ever? Haven’t these always been something we sort of made up, carved our own place on the Internet for?
I thought about just deleting these old drafts, but events had come full circle in a weird sort of way, and I thought, why not dig it up? This blog has never really been a source of breaking news for anyone, and I have a few old tales I might tell here. No need to tell them in any particular order, or chronological relevance.
Anyway, I’m back. I think. FOR REAL THIS TIME PEOPLE. And I know I tempted you with a post a few weeks ago but I mean it this time. I miss this space, and I miss you imaginary people out there. So let’s give this another shot, shall we?
Speaking of old news, that same night, in an impromptu ceremony at the Limelight, my friend Kristi married Sarah and I, sealing our union with rings she’d fashioned out of a bar napkin, and we toasted our PBR Tallboys in celebration.
And then, a few weeks later, we got engaged, so you see what I mean about things being a little out of order.
It’s big news, even if it is old news at this point, what with the speed at which the world turns these days, but as my long-time blogging friend Claire pointed out to me, it’s not like I can’t say I don’t have anything to blog about now. And she’s right, there’s always something to write about. Just not in this post. Come back tomorrow, people, I MEAN IT THIS TIME.



February 8th, 2013 on 7:05 am
Dave is really holding up his end of the deal with the blogging demons, even though I always thought you and Jenny were the responsible ones. Technically, you and Sarah are now a team, so you can blog half as much. Here’s to a great year, you two.
February 8th, 2013 on 9:55 pm
It has long been my belief that it’s actually Bad Monkey authoring most of those posts and Dave is just a figurehead, although I’m still lacking concrete proof of this theory.
February 8th, 2013 on 7:18 am
You always struck me as one who insisted on walking before crawling. Congrats on the faux marriage and subsequent real engagement.
Oh, and welcome back to Bloggydom.
February 8th, 2013 on 9:55 pm
I’m enjoying this comeback so much I think I’ll disappear for another six months so I can get all this attention all over again.
February 8th, 2013 on 8:12 am
Missed your face, friend. I’m so glad you’re back. You’re magical with the words. xo
February 8th, 2013 on 9:56 pm
Well, shucks, now I guess I have to write more in that case.
February 8th, 2013 on 11:19 am
A blog from Vahid, yay!
It’s funny because I read your first paragraph and thought, “Yeah, I feel that way now, back to the beginning, just putting words out into space.” But then you referenced me by name in your last paragraph and the void did not seem so empty.
Welcome back! You’ve been missed.
February 8th, 2013 on 9:58 pm
There has to be intelligent life out there somewhere, right? (I hope.)
February 8th, 2013 on 11:26 am
Oh, so happy that you’re back. And congrats! Again. xo
February 8th, 2013 on 9:59 pm
Thank you, again.
February 8th, 2013 on 1:15 pm
Oh you finished this. That’s good.
February 8th, 2013 on 9:59 pm
Just doing what I can to meet with your approval honey.
February 8th, 2013 on 5:48 pm
Brandon has a point.. how is it that I, by far the least responsible of us, am still blogging strong every day when far more responsible people like yourself have abandoned the blogosphere? Maybe I just don’t know any better?
Anyway. I hope this is true. I hope you are really back. Even if you just post photos or tell us the latest good book you’re reading… at least we know you’re alive. That Sarah hasn’t bludgeoned you to death with a folding chair, cut your body into pieces, and has you chillin’ in the back of a freezer somewhere…
February 8th, 2013 on 10:05 pm
I started a few weeks back with my campaign to bring Flickr back, now I’m bringing blogging back. I’ll leave bringing sexy back to JT, who is for more qualified for that role than I am.
February 9th, 2013 on 5:28 pm
I so love that pic of you and your girl. And I’m so going to give you a wet willie you’ll never forget if you put this out there as a tease and don’t come back for another year(s). Don’t mess with Texas. (Or whatever.)
February 10th, 2013 on 6:25 am
In Soviet Russia, Texas mess with you.
February 12th, 2013 on 6:28 am
Congratulations again mate! And welcome back to this old school blogging thingy.
February 14th, 2013 on 4:17 pm
Thanks! Man, I guess I should do another post or something now.
February 13th, 2013 on 1:23 pm
I knew it. I knew it! TOLD YOU SO! congratulations!
February 14th, 2013 on 4:17 pm
You did. You were SO RIGHT. Thank you!
February 13th, 2013 on 1:24 pm
Brandon is on fire — I don’t remember that part of the evening!