Sinister: I think it may all be getting sorted

[Sean Howell]

Hello there dear Sinister,

*Introduction*

How have you all been?  I hope everyone has been exceptionally well.


*the first snowfall of the year*

A few nights ago brought the first snowfall of the year, around midnight it 
started, and lasted until around 4p, the following day.  The first snowfall 
of the year always seems somewhat magical, I suppose the fact that we don't 
get appreciable snowfall terribly often here in Maryland likely has 
something to do with that.  But either way, the other night ended up being 
far more that just a cold winter night at my house.  I had a long 
conversation with someone who I've only recently resumed being friends with, 
and well, that made me very happy about the fact that I had been forgiven.  
We shared what has been on our mind as of late, and well, it's been 
essentially the same sort of things...I offered the best advice I could 
give, which I still fear could have stood to be better.  That affair ended 
at approximately 2:30am, and I promptly decided it was time for me to go out 
for a walk and a smoke.  I had my first smoke on the porch, as I usually 
do...but well the neighborhood just looked so beautiful, covered with a 
fresh blanket of crystalline powder, and I decided that it was time for that 
walk.  I walked down the dark streets, the only light being that reflected 
from the seemingly distant street light's of my neighbors.  I've walked that 
same path hundreds, likely thousands, of times, and never once has it looked 
quite as it did last night.  Never before has it seemed so beautiful.  I 
felt a bit guilty leaving my footprints in the snow, and I secretly hoped 
that by morning they would be covered up by the still falling snow.  So I 
continued to walk, and I had a couple of smokes, and I realized that things 
all seemed to feel surprisingly right.  I haven't felt more like myself in 
months.  And well, after I realized that, I decided it was time to turn 
back, and head home to bed.  So I made my way back through the snow, and 
once I got back into the house I nearly fell flat on my face, as well, 
creepers with snow on the bottom of them on hardwood floors are rather 
slick, and make for a bloody dangerous combination.  As I crawled into bed a 
couple of minutes later, all the things that had been bothering me had been 
neatly folded like my shirt, sweater, and trousers on the table beside my 
bed.  The chaos of this past month finally seems behind me.  The chaos of 
crashing my car 3 weeks ago.  The chaos of watching 13 years of a friend of 
mine's life nearly burn to the ground.  The chaos of having two boys with 
bad moustaches try to fight me for no reason whatsoever that same night.  
The chaos of feeling like a bad person.  It had been made sense of for a 
while.  Granted a bit of the magic has worn off by this point, but well, it 
was still a nice experience.  I'm once again in contact with a couple of 
people, whom I haven't spoken to in a while, and that is helping...thank you 
both.  Friendships are being renewed, we are catching up, and well, that's 
splendid.

*meeting and greeting*

Um, I will be in Boston at some point this winter break, staying with some 
family, and would very much like to meet up with some sinister people while 
visiting.  So any listees who are interested please write me, I'd be quite 
happy to hear from you!  It will obviously be a bit too cold for a picnic or 
anything like that, but maybe we could go to museums and out to dinner, or 
something like that?  Also, and listees from the MD/DC/PA area, I'd love to 
hear from you as well, since I'm here year round, and would of course be 
into doing some hanging out.

*a break of the winter variety*

I have a scant two days until my semester is officially done for!  No more 
exams, no more exceptionally lengthy papers, no more nights spent in the 
library, no more walking around the University of Maryland campus and 
exhausting myself....well, at least until the end of January.  The classes 
I'm registered for next semester seem like they should be fairly interesting 
though.  I'm starting to learn German, Taking a course on the history of 
modern biology, a British history course, and a computer cartography for 
archaeology course...fun fun fun eh??  This friday is the annual office 
holiday party, which should be interesting.  Last year my housemate ended up 
getting kissed by a very drunk co-worker.  I'm not sure how good of an idea 
the combination of my co-workers and an open bar is...most likely, if 
history is any indication, not a very good one.

*I think it's better to give and receive*

Hey, why not have your cake and eat it too?  I should be getting some extra 
fun gifts this year, my mum ordered me a lovely set of Belle and Sebastian 
playing cards, and the ever popular ampersand t-shirt.  I'm also 
exceptionally excited to see what I get as part of the sinister gift 
exchange.  All of my gifts for the exchange have been safely packed up, and 
shipped off.  I'm dearly hoping that all packages will arrive on time.  I'm 
sure they will, but well, I get worried sometimes, and I don't want any list 
grudges to devlop as a result of the U.S. Postal service.


*the end...for now*

Well, I think that's enough out of me for now.  In the infinite free time 
brought by winter break expect to hear lots more from this boy in days and 
weeks to come.  Take wonderful care, all of you.
Love,
Sean







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