30

this entry is dedicated to my pal EP who turned 30 years old August 23rd .

so EP is 30.

I've known him since we were 11 years old. I walked into homeroom in 6th grade into a new (public) school (after 3 years of bullshit Catholic grade school... the kids in Catholic school were mindless sheltered sheep) and took an open seat next to this nerd with glasses wearing a Panama Jack t-shirt. Like a good natured jerk EP cracked wise on me to some snickering girls... making my first 5 minutes at Milton schools overly uncomfortable.

Through a mutual interest in wrist rocket slingshots, bikes, U2, survival knives, karate moves and air rifles EP and I, along with our friends Sean, Aaron, and BJ spent many an afternoon riding bikes into the woods, listening to U2 and shooting/usually killing small wildlife.

EP was the first of us to get on a girl. He was liked by the ladies early on. The thought of 14 year olds messing around just made me throw up in my mouth. EP was also the first of us to get a real girlfriend that lasted longer than 3 weeks.

EP was an athletic stud. He was a ranked state track and field star before we even left junior high, and attended both the state games as well as the junior olympics.

EP always had a hot girlfriend. I always wanted a shot at his girlfriend of two years - Staci - before he dumped her for the even hotter Michelle. Both girls were knock outs and talented and smart... but Staci was a bit pompous, whereas Michelle was a sweetheart. Years later I made out drunk with Staci at a mainline show. It was awesome.

The year after we graduated, EP and a lot of the crew moved to Madison to either start freshman year or to fuck off. EP and Frank moved up to fuck off. Michelle went to college in another part of the state, dumped EP, started dating an older guy and got knocked up.

EP bounced back by meeting Jacque. I met Jacque a month after he did at a party. She thought we were all insane. Somebody told her that I had a cigarette pack full of joints. That was inaccurate - that was Bob,.. I was the one who could drink an entire case of beer. Jacque was still in high school. Everybody from our graduating class would go to Eric's and get fucked up. It was a fun spot.

The following school year I decided that college was bullshit, that the college I was attending was bullshit, that the fraternity that I had pledged and got into was total bullshit and was full of people that I didn't want to be friends with, that I wanted to be with my hot girlfriend, that I was 19 and that I was going to do what I was going to do, so I dropped out of college and moved to Madison.

The year turned out to be really hard. I was broke, I worked in a gas station, me and the girl quickly drifted apart, I lost weight due to stress and not having any money at all because I was totally cut off, and the year wasn't the fucking youth ass kicking fist fucking drug abusing bruhaha I'd pictured in my naive brains.

EP recalls one mid-spring 45 degree day when I made us each a plate of mac and cheese and we sat on my house deck considering how we had no money, were barely employed, were not in school (rather, were not attending class), and had minimal hope of digging out of the hole. that was fucked up. I don't ever want to be in that spot again.

That fall ('94) EP was living in Frank's house in Janesville (Frank's dad had just passed), I was dumped by hot bitch girlfriend for a 23 year old british wank job (whom I never got to properly meet and/or fuck up) and now living with my parents and working in a warehouse with dudes who were on Huber law (living at the local jailhouse, let out during work hours to stay employed), and Bob was dealing with the loss of his left leg/getting used to a fake one from a motorcycle accident. we dealt with it by remaining heavily medicated at all times. Somehow that spring I got accepted into college and got out. It was an escape... it was my only escape. In fact, if I hadn't escaped, I'd still be there today. Or dead.

In 1995 EP moved to Arizona, and Jacque, myself and a couple other kids drove cross country to see him. We camped throughout Utah and Arizona. It was excellent. It was good to be 21. I've got a fucking great picture of EP and myself at the Grand Canyon. It's that fucking good, bobo.

About five years later EP and Jacque got married. I was the best man. It was an honor. In 2002 we took an epic trip that hasn't been topped and will never be topped. Instead of attending our ten year reunion, EP, Jacque and Tim loaded bikes and bike trailers and took the Amtrak from Chicago to Seattle. From there we biked and camped over 250 miles around the Puget Sound over the course of two weeks with EP's brother Burke. The greatest memories and photos in the entire history of mankind spawned from this trip. Cemented real men.

This year we took yet another epic trip in EP's 1979 Datsun Travette RV with his dog sagan through the mountain ranges of Colorado. It was also a journey of the mind. I couldn't be luckier to have a friend like EP in my life, and still in my life. Some people grow up and suck as adults. EP doesn't suck as an adult, even as a 30 year old adult. EP just turned 30.

happy birthday.