...a term that was used by his friends - one of affection, one of respect...

I am lucky in friendship. The majority of my friends have had the title since kindergarten. Like me, most of my best friends went down to San Diego for college.
We grew up in shit-town-Stockton.
We deserved the time down there, and we made the best of it.
There exists some ridiculous feud between "Nor-Cal" and "So-Cal" and fortunately for me, the common awful human you collide with in San Diego and Stockton was side stepped because I had a strong base of brothers with me to begin with.
One such brother went to Italy to study painting, became awesome at it, met a gorgeous sweetheart to marry, and made a wonderful child.
Neither of us are religious, but I persuaded Matt, or...he persuaded me...to be Olivia Evening Taylor's "Godfather". Which, to us, really just meant I would be there for Olive and her parents in any way I could. Olivia just turned 3. She had a party at a park in Santa Cruz.

Olive and her mom:


Maybe a cliché but "I remember her barely crawling, now she's a running princess..."


It was a blast to be outdoors in Santa Cruz, visit with those whom I truly consider family, and sit back and smile at genuine, blissful youth.
Matt and Cheryl did a great job hosting the party.
Cheryl and her treasure map:


Matt, the Chicken Monster, RUN!!!


Olive got two cakes:


They even had a piñata - which was about to be broken by the kids, but I pushed everyone out of the way so that I could be the hero:


I am so selfish...


Listening to
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust...this is what hip hop wishes it could be.

Watching
Entourage
The Simpsons
The Usual Suspects
Pushing Tin

Playing
Fallout 3 - I beat it!
Metal Gear Solid 4
Crysis

Reading
Exile and the Kingdom - Albert Camus
(Awesome short stories)
This blog
Tape Op - The Creative Recording Magazine

Drinking
Too much. One should never lose control of emotional or motor functions.
Break time.