It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I blame Facebook.

That particular website has taken much of the role in my life that Blogger once did for me: connecting me with my friends and allowing me to express snippets of thought or my current mood while additionally occupying me with insipid polls or bemusing applications. But some time ago, Mr. Skaggs (of The M Blog) lamented the sharp decline of blogging going on in our particular circle of friends, largely due to preoccupation with Facebook. While Facebook is fun and has been of immense use in connecting me with old friends, many of which I haven't seen since high school, it doesn't have the journaling feel that Blogger has. I feel a little less self-important when diddling with Facebook, but I think I've come to agree that something's been lost, if only the discipline of analyzing my thoughts on a somewhat regular basis.

In any case, much has changed since I last posted. Marilyn and I are out of Los Angeles, living in the San Bernardino Mountains once more, which brings me no end of joy. Though I miss being near the Campaigners, and I regret that I'm now missing out on the regular Sunday night Freaks-&-Geeks roleplaying sessions with them, but I don't think I can overstate the degree to which the change in environment has improved our spirits. Marilyn is working at UCR now, which makes her far happier than her previous job did. I am also working, much to my delight, doing freelance illustration for real money, with the prospect of more in the future so long as I make my deadlines. We're living in a spare room in my parents' house, which introduces complications and the occasional awkward moments of its own, but without the burden of paying rent, it's proving to be a very good situation for now.

One of the things I'd like to try to do with this blog that I don't think I could do as well with Facebook is to post sketches and other bits of artwork that I do. I've been impressed with the blogs of my former teachers, mentors and classmates, and while I may not yet have the degree of flashiness that they exhibit, I think it's a really good habit to be in. And, of course, I'd like to continue to update my gaming blog, The Head of Vecna. Not that I've done any gaming since leaving L.A. (apart from a very good Campaign LARP Inn), and I don't want to place my gaming interests before my artistic ones, but RPGs are a big part of who I am and I do enjoy reading and writing about the topic.