Zach: Life is Different Here

Hi All,

No one has posted in over three years, but I was just thinking of how different life in now, and how far we have each come/gone. I thought I would post an update about my life, as we don't catch up often.

I'm working at Willamette, have been for almost 2 years. It is a fine job. I'm not expected to do anything once I leave work and it pays the bills, plus my coworkers are nice, and it is fun to be sarcastic with students. It is a little weird to be on campus as an alumnus, but usually only when I see faculty who I had as a student (especially because I barely graduated).

Stephen and I are celebrating our 4 year anniversary today. His little brother was living with us for a while, but he is moving out this week, so we will have our house to ourselves again. We're currently renting but hope to be buying at the beginning of next year (then I am getting a dog, or three). I feel like we are becoming "real adults"; we bought some patio furniture this last weekend. Still don't know when we will actually get married, but I think it will be in the next year or so (probably 2018, after we get a house).

Something that I think no one would have ever expected or thought from me, but Stephen and I have talked about and thought a lot about it and decided to open our relationship, so we are technically in an open relationship. I won't post details about it here, but it is going really well I think. I don't think we will have an open relationship forever, and I don't think we will become a "thruple" with anyone (although maybe, who knows), but it is working well. We can go into detail if you want next time we see each other, but I thought I would tell you guys (I've actually only told one other person so far, so you guys are kind of the first to know).

I feel like life has fallen more or less into a routine now. Work Monday through Friday. On Tuesdays my friend Mike comes over to play video games. On Sundays I play Dungeons and Dragons. Saturdays I got to the farmer's market. I waste the other days mostly watching tv. I've consumed soooo much media in my life. I don't know how I feel about it. I'm trying to get more into some somewhat active hobbies. I'm getting into woodworking, and have some tools to build things. I haven't done anything all that nice yet, but I am getting ready to do a set of shelves for my office, and I think it will turn out good. I'm also getting into gardening. I want to become an Oregon Master Gardener, but the classes you have to take to be a certified master gardener are every Monday January-March during work, so I understand why only old people are Master Gardeners now; basically only retired people can do it.

I performed with the fire dancing club at Wulapalooza for the 8th year in a row. I think I am going to do 10 years, before I'm too "old" to do it anymore, and then I'll stop going. But I'm also performing for a tourism thing that the state is doing, so that's kind of cool.

I tried joining a queer fantasy book club because I want to consume more queer media, but it never really took off, so I read the first book, then we never talked about it. Now I am neither reading any books, not really consuming any other queer media (although I did recently start watching Broad City which has been fun, if a little over the top.)

I'm kind of just blathering now...

I miss you all terribly, and would love to hear about how things are different for you now. I know the Jessicas are in school, Anna is moving to the east coast?, Yvette in Married, Heaven is teaching. But what's life like now? Where are you? I miss you all.

TTFN