So yesterday was probably the best Saturday I've been a victim of in a long time. I got to spend it with some of the most important people in my life, it was my youngest sister's fourth birthday(despite all my protesting that she wasn't allowed to turn four), and I was generally on the town from nine a.m. to two a.m. It's been a while.

Lately, I've been leaving my Saturdays as days to recoup, but I never really wind up doing much. The day's felt a bit empty. Instead, yesterday I worked on a car, worked on three bikes, watched a movie, and hung out and talked with a bunch of friends. There was even a Sudoku battle that came really close to drawing blood. Awesome.

Actually, my whole week's been great. I hung out with a friend I hadn't seen in a while not once, but twice; had long, interesting conversations with multiple friends, and had a relatively good week at work.

Long story short, my friends are awesome, my life is good, and there's nothing you can do about it, Mr. Claw. So there.

I need to remember to really enjoy the company of friends more often. I'm too impulsive, and that usually makes hanging out less doable. One of the disadvantages of always being available to help is that you need to always be able to pick up and roll out at a moment's notice to get where you're needed.

I love being able to serve in that capacity, but it also makes hanging out with me stressful for some of my friends. If something comes up elsewhere, I'm gone, no questions. It causes trouble sometimes, but it helps more than it hurts. It just means I'm more likely to get the "(S)He just left me, I need someone to drink with"/"I'm being evicted/having trouble moving"/"My dad just had a stroke/mom just died" calls. I'm glad to be the one who's called. It means it's understood that I'm someone who's ready to help. "A friend in need is a friend in deed".

You who're my friends--local or net-bound--you'll never understand how much you mean to me. I'm very blessed to have had every conversation, comfortable pause, and crazed scramble we've been through. You're the only thing that really matters in my life, and I thank you for that.