Retroblog 1: The best of Hallowe'ens, the worst of Hallowe'ens...
Thanks to my buds who've responded to my first blog entry in over 6 years. What a moment in blog history. My brother's comment: "Will we have to wait another 6 years for another blog entry?" I guess this entry means no. Or at least, no for now...

It's probably a little retro even for this year's considerations, but seemed appropriate as we all get over our Hallowe'en hangovers to write a bit about my best & worst childhood Hallowe'en memories.

Worst first: I was going to go out for Hallowe'en one year, I think I was 8, and the friend I was going with stood me up. So I stayed home. Looking back it seems like one of the saddest things ever. Honestly, the injustice of it bothers me more now than it did then. I was bummed, but not too bummed that night. Incidentally, the guy who stood me up failed Grade 3.

My favourite Hallowe'en memory was trick or treating when we lived in an apartment in Scarborough (E end of Toronto). Probably the one time I remember when we could trick or treat indoors (besides the parties that are now becoming the thing), and I have this image of a mass of 30-40 kids running with as much speed as was possible in an apartment hallway with such a big group, going from door-to-door in the apartment, led by a kid who looked like a giant to me at the time (I was 5 I think) who was dressed up as Santa, still one of the all-time best costume ideas. I think because of their speed and my weeness, the group left us behind before long, and my brother Hin & I were on our own for a little while. This one guy's door we knocked on, he was barely aware that it was Hallowe'en but invited us in for a couple of chocolate chip cookies. We were so young & naive and that was so dangerous, but we're still alive. Anyway, my memories of that year are fond. At least for a moment, there was a feeling like we were part of a group, like the kids in Fat Albert. The fondness might also be because I've remembered it wrong. Hin, do you concur? And was this the year you won best costume in your class because Mom stuck you in a painted cardboard box with a C3PO mask?

I've been blogging for over 6 years. Technically.
I doubt anyone really noticed. It had one entry. I had meant to keep it up, and it's taken me till now to get my ass in gear and add the second. Six years between entries. If anyone was waiting for an update, I am so so very sorry.

Where do I start updating? The biggies:

• I've been able to keep a big R Relationship going since July 06. It's an amazing thing to share my life with Dana, the kind of woman I didn't think I'd find in our church, but did. God provides.
• I work at my home church now, First Baptist. The website is something I'm somewhat responsible for, so if you have any input, bring it on... I'm also a leader in the Internationals program there (First Baptist Internationals, or FBI).
• I don't think I was as much a Scrabble® geek when this blog went up as I am now. I'm now a director of the Vancouver Scrabble Club and I play in Expert Divisions when they let me. Next scheduled tournament is our 2nd annual Vancouver-Seattle Challenge on Nov 17, where we Vancouverites hope to win back the trophy that our Club member Erika Werdal made. Go us!
• In case it's not self-evident, I live in Vancouver now.
  

So that's the rundown, 6 years of my life summarized (rather deficiently I'm sure) in about 3-4 bullets. I intend to get in here more regularly and give a better day-to-day rundown of events and thoughts. Considering the 6 year hiatus, though, I'll likely also retro-blog some thoughts from time passed as well. Till then, though, I figured it was high time I put something up here. So here it is. Woo-hoo.