Here’s a story for all you Kingwood folk:

Remember Brian White? Of KMS / KHS (and Humble HS) lore. He’s just been charged with murder, eluding police and weapons charges.

Eric Volz persued a successful Ex-Pat career in Nicaragua.

A few months ago, his girlfriend was found murdered. The government prosecuted him in a show trial of anti-Americanisms and wrongly convicted him of first degree rape and murder.

Eric Volz now survives day-to-day brushes with death in a maximum security Nicaraguan prison.

Chris Peters’ Band Household Names will be featured on tonite’s ABC show “What About Brian?”. You all need to watch this. Go into it knowing this isn’t some 10 second sound bite: this is a full 2 minute feature of their soon-to-be hit song: Only One.

New York City is dirty. It’s the rats. I can’t get over the rats. I stand there in the underground, waiting on a train, and without fail a rat will peek his head out and scurry amongst the trash in the tracks. I saw some old man actually feeding a rat the other day. I was beside myself. “Listen man, if you want to die of some Middle Ages disease, that’s your own thing. Bring the rats home with you and let them feast on Plague. But me personally, I kinda dig the whole ‘living in the 21st century’ aspect of my life. That means no Plague. So don’t go around feeding your rats here.”

So is it? I’m not saying I wake up every morning and think to myself: man, I wish the train ride to the city didn’t take so long. I want to be in that office right now. No no… I enjoy the weekends just as much as the next guy (and sometimes a little bit more) but I don’t mind the work. Of course, as my roomate reminded me, I have only been on the job for about a month though.

Miserable. And no, I’m not talking about another Valentine’s Day. I’m talking about the lovely mix of ice/sleet/snow that’s been gently rapping on my window for the past evening, as if even the weather couldn’t stand the nasty conditions outside.

“The television event America has been waiting for.” The ABC promo teased me and prodded me and let me know exactly where I stood in regards to American culture. I hadn’t even heard of the show that was being featured, much less did I realize there was an episode all of America had set in their collective calendars to catch.

I am no where near as smart as I thought I was. Just three days ago, I thought I had a pretty good ticker up there. There was also a part of me ready to rest my hat on my, from my own perspective, personal laurels, which were beginning to foster a contentative feel about me. These past two days exposed me to a whole new level of accomplishments and experiences.

It got cold. Berlin cold. Walking through the concrete canyons of Manhattan on my way to work, the wind whipped my cheeks into a burning redness I could do little to prevent. It reminded me of “the good ol’ days”. Half the work I do takes place in a new office … I’m actually the first person to sit at its desk. It is so new that the windows haven’t been corked and the door hasn’t been sealed. Thus, a draft filled the room, giving a constant reminder of just how nasty it was outside. We spent the morning at our computers decked out in scraves and hats. We made it though. And no frostbite to show for it.

The first advertisement I saw in New York’s JFK Airport screamed out at me: “Know what you’re getting into.” I had to laugh. I had just touched down in my new city without a place to stay and I wasn’t really sure where to start. I made some calls and landed at a Days Inn just outside the airport. Big beds and a great view: looking out the windom I’m offered a lovely view of an abandoned yellow school bus lot. Signs posted on the busses state “This bus has been checked for sleeping children”.