Mom & Dad are in town for the week… kinda. They arrived this weekend and the four of us toured the city Saturday and Sunday. Right now they’re galavanting around Victoria, Canada, though they will be back to Seattle for Thanksgiving.

My brother Aaron who is currently based in Beijing, China turns 25 today.

If you get a chance, shoot him a message on Facebook.

…here’s Happy Birthday in Chinese… don’t ask me how to pronounce it.

生日快乐
生日快乐
生日快乐亲爱 Aaron
生日快乐

Merry Christmas from the whole Howell clan!!! Conrad, Beth, Landon, and Aaron.

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year in 2007. This is the photo for this year’s official Howell Family Christmas Card for 2006 (just in the case that we don’t have your address… OR we just didn’t want to waste 39 cents on you.)

Thank you to all the faithful readers who show up to read and comment everyday. 2006 was grand, but let’s look forward to an even better 2007!

God Bless!

For those of you who’ve been so kind to ask, Aaron got home from China yesterday and is in Jasper today. He’s been gone for 15 months so I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.

Granted, his body is on a completely different schedule right now. Just add 14 hours to the current time… and that’s what time his bodily clock is on. So, when he answers he may seem a little groggy… but he’ll most likely be up and about seeing as he hasn’t driven his precious Honda Accord in over a year.

If you want our home phone number just shoot me an email.

For a larger picture detailing Aaron’s childhood crotch-grabbing fetish, click here.

Happy 24th Birthday to my brother Aaron who, for the second year in a row, will spend his birthday in Western China. His birthday cake will be made of fortune cookies… kidding.

While he will be returning to the States within 2 months, I’m sure he would appreciate a hapy brithday note on his facebook wall. So, do it or I’ll tell him you called him a doo-doo face.

I’ve been all over during the last few weeks – hugging your necks and kissing your babies – and there have been a lot of questions asked.

Since they’ve almost all been the same ones, I thought I’d post the most frequent ones below.

So, here you go.

Question: Now that you’re moving, are you still gonna do the blog?

Answer: Are you kidding me? I’m starting a new life in the furthest, most beautiful, most polar opposite of Jasper in America. I have no plans of ditching this blog anytime soon.

Question: What have you done for money over the last 10 months?

Answer: There literaly hasn’t been one day (even Saturday & Sunday) since 1999 where I haven’t made money. I’m not even close to being rich… but I’ve always got a steady cash flow.

Plan ahead, suckas.

Q: Why did you leave your job at MC in the first place?

Answer: I had other job offers, and it was time to move on.

Q: What happened to the “other job?”

Answer: I was in the midst of changing jobs when Hurricane Katrina hit. When Katrina came through it took away a lot of things… including the position(s) I was supposed to roll into. So, I was left jobless.

Q: Why didn’t you just get another job in Mississippi?

Answer: While that’s what I would have loved to do… I just didn’t feel like it was what I needed to do. I love the Hospitality State more than you’ll ever know. However, life is about making decisions that are correct, not comfortable.

I love Mississippi. I miss Mississippi.

Question: But you left Mississippi 10 months ago. Why did you wait so long to move on to something else, you lazy bum?

Answer: I was offered an interview for a PR firm in Birmingham while changing planes in Chicago on the way back from Europe. The offer for an interview was pretty much an on-the-spot offer to take the job. As much as I love the ‘Ham, now just isn’t the right time to move there.

I was asked to move to Boston 3 months ago but didn’t feel right about it even though it still is one of my favorite parts of the country.

I was asked to come to Seattle 3 months ago, but I would have had to fly back 4 times before September for weddings and meetings. Say… $5000 a flight… $50 each time for airport parking… taking off at least 5 vacation days within my first 3 months of work. So… yeah… not the smartest move to make at the moment.

Q: Do you get mad when we make fun of the fact that you’ve been living at home for the past 10 months?

Answer: No. Because I know that 99.999% of you mean it lovingly. Almost all of you have expressed interest in coming out ot Seattle over the next year and I know you’re excited for my big, risky move.

Question: What about the 0.001% of those who aren’t joking?

Answer: I peed in your cereal.

Question: If you had the last 10 months to do over again, would you do it the same way?

Answer: Yes, and no.

Yes in the sense that I’ve been able to do a lot of things I’ve been wanting to do for years. I’ve also had quality time with the parents, and quality tiem with friends in the Birmingham area.

No in the sense that I wish I would have relaxed a bit more. I’ve literally spent day and night reading, writing and researching for business ventures… that’s just me, always thinking about tomorrow, rarely stopping to enjoy today.

Hindsight is always 20/20, and you can never anticipate a hurricane taking away your next job.

However, if things hadn’t gone wrong I would have never been able to go to Europe, or spend time with my parents, or have time to really reevaluate what direction I wanted my life to take.

Being 25-years-old, single, having another source of income, and being willing to subject yourself to lesser than normal conditions are neccesities to even think about pulling the stunt I have pulled over the last 10 months.

But I could do it… because I started working myself into this position years ago.

Setting-up Juicee News while people questioned sitting at a computer for 6 hours a day. Juicee News (along with other minor endavours) has been paying my bills, as well as my trip to Europe, for the past 10 months.

So… do I regret it? No. Because I planned ahead. I planned for the unexpected. I was flexible. And I never freaked out about “what will people think?”

I’m ready to move onto a new job — that’s for sure. Those of you who know me well know that I love business. Love it. We’ve got some things on the docket that we’ll beannouncing soon. Also, when I move and get everything set into place, I’ll be working on a couple of smaller projects that have a small chance of making it. It’ll be fun, whether or not big things happen from these small items.

Through it all you must remember and repeat two very simple but very important words: delayed gratification

You keep repeating that… everything else takes care of itself.

Let’s go to Seattle.

I have to be honest… it doesn’t feel at all like I am moving. I’m so used to heading to Mississippi for the weekend that I kinda feel like I’m headed out for a quick trip.

But with this blog post I bid you adieu. Thanks for your “good luck” and “don’t crash on the way up there” tidbits of encouragement you given me over the last couple of weeks.

My sincerest apologies to those of you who I did not contact personally to tell you I was moving. My failure to do so was a cross between a forewarning of a speedy departure, a lack of time, and the thought that if the conversation got to cheesy… you just might make me cry. Seriously.

However, I know you love me and I know you’ll be visiting soon… ’cause you said you will and friends don’t lie.

Are you a liar? hope not… poo face.

Alright… I’m out. Destination St. Louis for night #1.

Keep your eye at the top of the page for cellphone picture as they happen. Call me along the way, I’ve got plenty of time to talk.

“Do you like to know who’s reading your blog?”

I get this question all the time. I do like to know who reads the blog. Then I know not to make fun of you. Kidding. However, I really do enjoy when people tell me follow the blog, even if they only hop to the site once or twice per week.

Over the course of the last few months, people I’ve never even met have emailed to tell me they read. Also, I have had quite the self esteem boost lately, especially over the last few weeks as I’ve bumped into many old friends who walk up and say, “Dude… I read your blog everyday.”

Needless to say… I’m flattered.

You have millions of websites to choose from, and according to statistics, people only consistently check 3 to 5 websites each day.

Your readership is valued.

I know that on any given weekday, about 300 people (about 2,000 per week) come through the doors of the blog . Of course, I have no real way of knowing who actually reads the blog. I have a stat counter, but it only tells me what city folks read from. And many times even that is misleading.

The second most asked question is, “I read… but I never comment or answer the Question of the Day. Does that matter?”

Why should it? If you wanna talk, that’s cool. If not, that’s cool too. It’s no big deal. I’m just glad to have you around.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you guys and gals are the best… even the ugly ones… and the short ones… and the ones who weren’t “planned” by their parents.

You know who you are.

A number of you have already inquired about the possibility of vsiting the Puget Sound metro-area once I’m settled there.

As if you even need to ask.

Accomodations will be provided free of charge to anyone who so choses to visit the Seattle after September 1st.

I’ll be living in a 4 bedroom/3 bathroom house on Queen Anne Hill, the same neighborhood as the fictional home of Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, and George from Grey’s Anatomy (I’ll tell you about housemates later). And while we have a roof-top deck, I seriously doubt we’ll have the same view. Though it never hurts to be on top of a hill.

So plan your trips. Southwest always has good deals if you buy a month or so in advance. I’ll pick you up at the airport. There’s more than enough to do in the Seattle area, depending how long you visit. Most of what needs to be seen can be seen within 2 days. However, trips to Mount St. Helens and whale watching expeditions take up most of the day.

What the crap can you do?

Bainbridge Island Ferry at sunset
Pike Place Market
Dinner in the Space Needle
Seattle Central Library
Drink coffee at the orignal Starbucks
Fremont Troll/Fremont District
Gas Works Park to have a picnic and watch the sailboats/water planes come in-and-out
Experience Music Project
University of Washington/U-District
Shop for outdoor gear at REI
Pacific Science Center
Ballard Locks
Discovery Park
Seattle Aquarium
Kerry Park

…if you come at the right time

Seahawks game
Sonics game
Mariners game
Sounders game
Thunderbirds game
UofW huskies football/basketball game
…or a number of concerts by top artists that seem to happen nearly every weekend

..and if you’ve got some extra time

Day trip to Vancouver, Canada
Day trip to Mount St Helens
Day trip to mountains for snow skiing
Day trip to Mount Rainier for hiking/camping
Day trip for whale watching
Day trip to the Oregon/Washington coastline
Day trip to Portland, OR
Day trip to Vashon Island/camp-out

I’ll find out more junk to do once I’m immersed into the culture/lifestyle of the area.

…that last sentence didn’t really mean what it my imply. I’m straight as a freaking arrow.

For those of you in the Birmingham area and/or those who get the “Rick & Bubba Show.” On this morning’s Idol preparations, that ‘Dinah Howell Lachney’ is none other than the cousin of yours truly.

All three of the judges complemented her voice and praised her range. Now she just has to make it through the real Idol judges next Monday.

Anybody else auditioning?

Turns out I’ll be having to spend another 24 hours in Mississippi. Other than an unexpected delay in my return home, things have been lovely thus far.

I was going to start a list of all the people I had over the last 3 days… but the list got too long, and we all know about my spelling mishaps as of late.

Highlights:

A few of you have asked me for updates on my brother Aaron, and I feel like a piece of crap for going so long without any updates.

1. Mom got to see Aaron on Sunday for the first time since he left in September. She is traveling with People to People and Aaron is spending a few days with her group. He’s even helped some of the kids negotiate prices on souvenirs with the Chinese vendors.
2. He lives with his friend Mona and her mother in their high rise apartment building. This is a much better set-up than his first living space.
3. Aaron has been told by mutiple second language professionals that he is learning Chinese at a “very impressive rate.”
4. Aaron has been offered a contract extension to stay in China through December 2006 or March 2007. He isn’t sure yet as to how long he will stay.
5. For those of you who are Facebook friends with Aaron [view profile], he has mutiple photos from different experiences posted within his profile.
6. While on a mission with the Chinese army, Aaron was thrown from his horse and left for dead before being adopted by a small villiage… yeah, I’m sorry… I was thinking of the movie The Last Samurai.

I’ll give y’all some more updates as they come through. In the mean time he would love to hear from some of you via Facebook messaging.

Headed off the Tuscaloosa for the first round match-up between Southern Miss & Troy University.

I’ll have lunch with the lovely Miss Sarah Beth Watkins before she heads to takeover New York.

I’ll then head to the campus that is all things crimson and white for a good ole baseball game.

If we win (yes we – I think having my cuz on the team has earned the right)… or if we lose, we play tomorrow. So, either way I’ll get my fill of baseball – as well as Highway 69 – this weekend.

Southern Miss… TO THE TOP!

Today I wish the best of luck to my mother who runs in the Chicago Marathon this Sunday.

I never really got the whole “hey, let’s run 26.2 miles” thing until I went to the Kentucky Derby Marathon back in April. But now I understand what the fuss is all about… but I ain’t running anytime soon.

GOOD LUCK MOM!!!