365 # 1: Chad McD

Aside from family, you are the human being on this or any other planet that has known me the longest. What was it, second grade, Ms. Dippel's class at Berean Baptist School where we first met? Remember how hot she was, even though we were only in second grade and didn't really know what "hot" was? I don't remember what brought us together originally. Perhaps our parents just figured out that we lived nearby and that we could each use a friend to play with. Whatever, it worked. We wore the badge of being each other's best friends all the way up through high school, even into college, regardless of the fact that we grew in different directions. We always managed to pick up where we left off. I hate the fact that we had a falling out a couple of years back, and I hate that things have felt strained every time we've spoken since then. Maybe I'll pick up the phone and see how you're doing. My memory is home to way too many cool moments that we shared to list them all here, but to name just a few...

- Standing on top of James's roof being in awe of the beauty of absolutely everything.
- Seeing Tool, The Flaming Lips, and Failure at the International Ballroom.
- The night you told me you were joining the Army. I about shit.
- Being convinced that there were aliens from outer space living in the woods behind your house.
- Randomly launching into "Darkness! Imprisoning me!" and so on and so forth at Diane's house.
- Just hanging out drunk at Sean's house.
- Going to the circus with you and your uncle.
- Smoking down by your suburban neighborhood's pool.
- My bachelor party campout.
- How Tool always seemed to come on whenever we were in the car together.
- Making Tasha's boyfriend buy us Mickey's at Fitzgerald's when we were underage.
- That time you guys all came to visit me that one weekend when I was working at scout camp.

Hope you're doing well my friend.