Well, 2009 wasn't too bad a year for me personally. I got a couple of projects rolling that I'd been working on in my head for years – the first being this website, the second being the novel I got started during National Novel Writing Month (I failed miserably trying to write 50k words in a month, but I got about a third of the novel written, which for me was no small feat). I got laid off, but that turned out to be kind of a good thing. I was sick of that crappy job anyway. So I'm cautiously optimistic about the new year. It'll be a time to make new connections, explore new places, try new things. I'd like to make porn and befriend more people in the adult industry. This city is due for some good things to happen. There are too many smart, sexy people here who are either unemployed or slaving away at a job they hate, waiting for something to happen. If you're one of those people, why not join up with me? I'll publish your writing or photos or add a link to your website. I'm just another struggling Portlander like yourself.

I'm starting to realize that one of the reasons it's so hard to get by in this city is that the people here – myself included – are so independent, perhaps too independent, and we're all privately struggling to survive on our own. I came here to start an artist collective, but instead I've spent years working on projects by myself. I must confess that most of my heavy drinking is done alone, hunched in a rickety wooden chair in a dark room in front of a glowing computer monitor. This year I hope to change that.

To all my friends! To new beginnings and all that! Cheers!

Photo © 2009 by RevBLK of Darren Died Tonight