I'm really feeling like myself lately.. i know it's strange, because there is no way you arn't yourself... maybe i'm just getting some confidence back.. and feeling good about who i am. And maybe life is just on a good streak for a bit.. there's always crap.. but, things are good right now. I'm pleased, it's been awhile.

So, how do i possibly recap this week.... as i recall i haven't had a week this good, in a very very very long time.... alot of long stories... haha.. but perhaps i'll try to keep everything in the brief...
First was last wednesday, while i'm not going to get too much into the specifics of this adventure... it was just what i needed at that time. It did involve Me and Austin hanging out.. While i get to see him rarely as it is.. and seeing him is always alot of fun... we took an adventure that looking back is the sort of thing that only Austin could have taken me on. Strange things happened, and they changed my outlook on life a bit... pulling me, if you will, from a slump of depression, that's had it's grip on me for quite some time.....
Then the week went pretty well as planned... sometime, i heard from Abby that she'd be home from IUP for the weekend, and maybe monday as well.. So i demanded we hang out... Abby is one of those people i've been friends with forever, and it seems no matter how long it goes between times we see each other.. or even talk for that matter, we only become closer.. So I get the call, and we plan on hanging out friday night, we decided on RTC, or Round the Clock, for all you non-yorkians... we met up at 11... now, for those of you who don't know what RTC is... it's a diner, that's open, well, around the clock, they never close... so we both sort of figured meet at 11, probably chill for an hour or two and head home.... Like hell... We left a little before 5, when i pulled in my driveway the sun way coming up and i had to be up at 8 O'clock to help move a hot tub... So what do two people do for six hours at a diner... well, honestly, not a whole hell of a lot.. shoot the shit, catch up, eat a gyro... but, for some reason, with abby, six hours of nothing, is more fun than 30 minutes doing anything else... i had a blast...
saturday and sunday passed by without much going on... which was fine, i helped my dad with a deck he's been building (for the previously mentioned hot tub.)
Now me and Abby had discussed taking a picnic on monday... but as tends to be our trend, a picnic turned into the mall, and ruby tuesdays... haha... what'd we do at the mall... Why just about nothing of course, we went clothes shopping a bit (something that I miss more than anything actually) had a nice lunch and chatted... some of what we talked about has me excited... and i'm trying to contain myself a bit, not getting my hopes up at all.. but it's hard for me... now as to what that is... well, you'll just have to wait and see...
So tuesday the 4th of july, which is today!! at least for 3 more minutes by my clock....
Helped dad build a bit more, then made some iced tea.. then watched and barely breathed watching italy beat germany in the world cup in the last friggin minutes of a 120 minute game (I was routing for germany myself) so that sucked.. but a nice 4th of July meal with the family, including my parents, aunt uncle, cousin, and courtney, who's not related, but is a blast anyway... then a poker game with said family.. and though i started strong, had we played much longer than we did i would have been broke... still it was fun to put the new table to use.... finally, we about blew ourselves up with some firecrackers, including a mystery cracker that we thought might have been a smoke bomb... uhhh, WRONG, try a massive explosion... you know it's good when your yards away and you can feel the impact... crazy... still a great great great week.

Ok, so Recap
Fun with Austin,
Fun With Abby,
Relaxing weekend
more Fun with Abby (like you could ever get enough abby)
and a great 4th of July..

if things keep getting better from here, i'm going to be a happy camper

Danny R

If you know what this is, i don't need to tell you how friggin awsome I am.
If you don't... your loss.

Because I have yet to quite find the words to completly describe the fantastic weekend + monday i've had.. i'm going to do something cliche and tacky.. and then hopefully within the next day or two.. will post of amazing fun times.

Me from A to Z

A is for age:
23 (aka too damn old to be doing this sort of thing)

B is for beer of choice:
Troegs rugged trail ale

C is for career right now:
Musician (if you don't make money is it still a career?)

D is for your dog's name?:
Madeline, or Maddie, or dumb ass

E is for essential item you use everyday:
Turtle food

F is for favorite tv show at the moment:
FURI CURI FURI CURI FURI CURI

G is for favorite game:
Kismet

H is for Home town:
Dover (the one without god)

I is for instruments you play:
Sax, flute - well.... others... but not so well

J is for favorite juice:
Whiskey

K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:
Maybe Cliche, but president bush.. I'd really like to punch him... or have an intelligent conversation with him, thinking for himself might do more damage than punching him.

L is for last place you ate:
Ruby Tuesdays

M is for marriage:
Overrated

N is for your full name:
Daniel Robert Stief III

O is for overnight hospital stays:
None to date

P is for people you were w/ today:
Abby K, and better company I couldn't imagine

Q is for quote:
There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. all he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that Catch-22", he observed

R is for Biggest Regret:
Not being Happy sooner

S is for status:
Single and hopefully Dating

T is for time you woke up today:
9, then 9:10, then 9:20, then 9:30

V is for vegetable you love:
Broccoli

W is for worst habit:
Letting clutter get the best of me

X is for x-rays you've had:
teeth

Y is for yummy food you ate today:
Smokehouse Burger, and quite a big bastard it was

Z is for zodiac sign:
Aries the ram... think it over

Hmm, what's up, lots of photography, really making my sony work for a living... and finally started using the 35mm, which lacks the instant gratification of digital.. but in the end, is a way more awsome piece of equiptment, old school baby... can't wait too see how the prints turn out. Please check out and comment on some of the above photography, www.fotophish.blogspot.com And thanks to Dave for letting me steal his his photoblog idea.. (even if his is better designed and filled with better photography) after digging my prattle, be sure to follow the link on the right and check out dave's shit.. it's sweet.
I've been playing much slide guitar lately, it's my favorite, good delta blues.. i dunno, it's a nice dirty art form.. i dig it...

Let me know what you've been up to, i like to hear from you.

Dan