Rings around the world.
This internet thing sure makes it easy to keep in touch with friends scattered all across the globe. This week I've received emails from two friends in other countries. We email back and forth rather sporadically, so I'm always happy and a little surprised to see an email from them pop into my inbox.

Interestingly enough, both friends were emailing me about a recent move. My friend Ellen, who went to high school with me but decamped to the lovely islands of New Zealand, has moved to Wellington from Auckland. She's working and doing a master's degree, which is tough in any country. Andrew, a close friend from back in my Ireland days, has finished college and just moved to Italy! I'm so excited for both of them. If I had unlimited funds, I'd visit.

One of the biggest reasons I started this site (and probably a big reason for most blogs) is to let my far-flung (and close by) pals know what I'm up to. I'm pretty bad at writing letters, even in today's age of instant gratification email. Some of my friends are just as bad as I am. I first contemplated starting a blog when I found my friend Kris's blog. We kind of lost touch when he moved to Chicago, and it has been fun reading about his adventures there. (By the way, where is he lately? Anyone?) I wish that more of my long-lost buddies had websites or blogs, so that I could keep up with them more easily.

That's also the reason I'm on Friendster and the money-grubbing, fairly useless Classmates. I've found a few people from college and high school that way. Of course, there's a whole 'nother dimension to Friendster... It can make you feel so good as you watch your number of friends grow... but you can experience a crushing blow to your self-esteem when you see someone from high school that has 78 more friends than you. And you always thought that you would come out on top. Ah well.

Oh, and speaking of far-flung friends... Today is Brad's birthday! Happy birthday, you crazy bastard you!!!