this thing with numbers.

For a few years now I have had this thing where I would always see certain numbers.

Every time, for the longest time and still, when I would look at the clock it would read 4:20

...not what your thinking...

I would see it in both the am and pm hours. I never read much into it, I thought it was kind of funny because of what it does commonly represent... until it became a regular occurrence.

It will come and go at will. I'll see it for awhile as I'll glance at clocks, then not at all.

((and don't think it may be because I have a good conception of time...because if any of you reading this know me at all, you'll know my internal clock is permanently set to snooze))

Now however, it is following me in other means.

When I moved to Kansas my house number was 204. When I moved to Des Moines and stayed with my old friend Wyatt, he and Derek's house number was 4220. I was seeing a doctor for a little while about 2 months into my move. His house number was actually 420. The house number of my current residence is 4205.

Nothing significant has ever happened to me a 20min past the 4th hour, nor 4min past the 20th hour or at any combination of those numbers. Nothing on April 20th or Feb 4th.

I went to a store looking for a few miscellaneous items and struck up a conversation with the lady running the store. I went into detail with her about my freaky thing with those numbers. She said the zero meant nothing because it has no value and to focus on the 2 and 4 and to keep in mind they add to 6. *I have not had anything with 6 yet* As I was cashing out I glanced down at the counter to see some hematite rings in a dish. I had always liked how they looked so I started looking for a 9. I was working at it for a good 5 minutes to no avail. I just happened to look over to a different case and see these claddagh rings in a small black case. I had always thought they were neat-o and have wanted one since I saw one my grandmother owned quite a few years ago. So I went for a look only to find the first ring I picked up was in fact a 9...the one size I had been searching for among the hematite rings to find not a one. I was pleased to say the least. I looked down at the small tag attached to read 240 followed by a couple of letters. I looked up the nice woman behind the counter and speechless, I showed her the tag...her jaw dropped. We stood there for a minute until she said "You were meant to have that ring." I didn't quite know what to think or to say.

I have asked around in the family to see if anyone had ever died or been born on 2-04 or 4-20 or if anything major ever happened in June, the 6th month. Well, I just thought of someone who was born in June as I typed it out...yikes! Now I really don't know where to go with this one.

In the Blog published just before this...I decided to post the lyrics of No Doubt's "Simple Kind of Life." It is a wonderful song and the lyrics actually have meaning for me.

I went to http://www.nodoubt.com/ clicked on Music, scrolled down to the album, Rings of Saturn and clicked the little "V" to the right of "Simple kind of Life" Upon doing so a little RealPlayer popped up to show the video...the total time of play for the song...

yep, you guessed it...4 minutes,20 seconds

I had always liked the song ever since it came out in 2000...but here just a few years ago, it started to have meaning. It's not that though...really. Seeing 4:20 started a few years before.

Keeping my eyes open...

From Gwen

For a long time I was in love
Not only in love, I was obsessed

With a friendship that no one else could touch
It didn’t work out, I’m covered in shame

And all I wanted was the simple things

A simple kind of life

And all I needed was a simple man

So I could be a wife

I’m so ashamed, I’ve been so mean

I don’t know how it got to this point

I always was the one with all the love

You came along, I’m hunting you down

Like a sick domestic abuser looking for a fight

And all I wanted was the simple things

A simple kind of life

If we met tomorrow for the very first time

Would it start all over again?

Would I try to make you mine?

I always thought I’d be a mom

Sometimes I wish for a mistake

The longer that I wait the more selfish that I get

You seem like you’d be a good dad

Now all those simple things are simply too complicated for my life

How’d I get so faithful to my freedom?

A selfish kind of life

When all I ever wanted was the simple things

A simple kind of life

What does it take to have your cake and eat it too?

Contained in an earlier post, I denounced my love for Des Moines. I think I am going to take that back.
I went on and on and whined about how things have changed so much over the course of my life.
Focusing mainly on the 2 years I was in Kansas. I went into how I had a great job I really liked but lost mainly to outsourcing, my cute little apartment where the kitchen caught on fire, my biological father dieing, how Stephanie and I had gotten so close, then she leaves me for Oregon, Daryl, the long 7 hour drive back and forth from Ma and company to Ogden, and how I had to leave all the great friends I made when I was there.

Things were great there.

But it changed.

All of it.

Or did it?

I have a job I really like and am getting paid much more then what I was getting doing tech support. And the benefits...Oh my the benefits. Full medical, dental and vision. Discounts at a lot of major retailers...Must have deals with the phone company, 1/2 off any service they provide...Home phone, wireless, long distance, DSL and Direct TV. They will even pay for their employees to go to school...For anything! Doesn't matter if it is job related or not. And to top that all off, job security is sounding stronger and stronger by the day.
I still have a cute apartment. Roommates and all *sigh* But that will change in not to long. And in my new place, you better believe the smoke detectors will work properly.
I still have a dad and have had one for the past 17 years. And this one loves me.
My dear darling Stephanie may be 2 time zones away...With a baby and one on the way...ya ho bag.xoxo...But she really never left me. I may not get to see her everyday, but we sure talk enough to make up for that. Thank you Sprint for free nights and weekends. And Daryl...that has been off and on since day one and will probably always be like that for awhile. The feelings will always be there at some level. We will always be in the back, but probably closer to the front, of eachothers minds. Forever.

The long drive has been shaved down to 2 hours...1 1/2 if I go 80mph.

Although I do miss the friends who are still in Kansas, I have made some fantastic new ones who have turned me onto a lot of new things. That sounds so dirty...The bad kinda dirty. Laura introduced me to many people and escorted me to a few neat-o bars I still love to go to. Ben is one of the most insightful people I have met in a long time. Ryan introduced me to some of the best music that has ever filled my little ears. Jordan seems to have this uncanny ability to get me in a good mood no matter what the day has held. He taught me to play a better game of pool, the best spots in Des Moines to play disc golf and hike, the wonderful taste of Morel mushrooms and how to play Texas Hold'em Poker. Ah poker...
So it looks like everything that made me so happy in Kansas has followed me here. Some took a bit longer to arrive then others, but they are all here now...In one form or another.

After a few modifications...My life will be complete. But those will happen in time. All things happen in time, just depends on how badly you want them.

So here...

Have some cake.

And grab a fork.