Sometimes it's fun to look back

Last year, on the first day of 2004, I found a ten dollar bill on the road. Perhaps a portent for a financially fruitful year? Not so. 2004 was the year of no money for Toren. So much so that I had to get a part time job. That’s the saddest part of all. But 2004 was also the year I got together with Marlo, which is fantastic. My nearly 2-year relationship with Tinessa seems like a different world now. And since then, I had been single for another 2 years. I’ve never really been satisfied as a single person. Every public event – parties and get-togethers – half of the reason was hanging out with friends. The other half (where applicable) was the hope that I might meet a girl. Not just a girl, but the girl. It’s such a relief that I don’t have to wonder and expend that energy now.

I did enjoy being single and spending more time with a varied amount of people, but I’ve been ready to spend more time with just one person for a good long while now, and I’m enjoying that too. I’m sorry if that took anyone by surprise. I worry that some people think they’ve fallen by the way side, and I recognize that in at least one of my previous relationships I actually was forced to give up friendships that I did not really want to give up as part of keeping things going with my girlfriend at the time. But the fact is that although I spend a lot of time with Marlo, very rarely do we set aside time that is just for the two of us. We still do all the things we used to do as friends, with other friends, with a few exceptions that cannot be helped. We play D&D, we have game nights, we hang around and watch movies with Stewie etc.

Last year at about this time I was getting tipsy on…I don’t even remember the drinks. Vodka coolers or something. I got my Cloney McStudent address labels in the mail. I was looking into mentoring. I was watching Return of the King at the Metrotown Mall. I got my flail in the mail.