Ran out to Texas Motor Speedway with Branden yesterday because Chris had purchased a ticket as a Christmas present last year. I guess timely redemption only occurs due to expiration dates. The voucher allowed 4 laps as a passenger in a Nascar vehicle that got up to speeds of 160 mph. Branden suited up and jumped into the car and took off. At 160 mph, 4 laps doesn’t take very long and Branden was back to pit row before he knew it, but smiling just a bit more. I took contentment in saving my hard earned money and snapping some pics of the momentous occasion.

Congrats go out to Branden and Chris, who at 3:57 PM yesterday welcomed their first child, Garrett Ruthven Williams, into this world. I didn’t win the betting pool on the delivery date (a whopping $244 smackeroos) but I still can’t hide my excitement for one of my best friends, his wife who has become a great friend and will be an even better mother, and their entire family, who have always welcomed me into the many events of their lives as a relative. May Garrett’s life be filled with happiness, enlightenment and fulfillment!

Updated: Pics

…to my roomate Dan. He just got the call that he was accepted into the Design MFA program at Carnegie Mellon. He’ll be moving to Pittsburgh in August, good luck Dan!

My door opened this morning around 7:15, and my father’s face seemed to say it all. I can’t deny that after seeing my grandmother three nights ago that I didn’t understand the inevitability of her situation. Driving over I had heard on the radio a report on the staggering size of the “death” business in the US. More than the hip hop industry, more than the music biz, more money than our mocha chai latte society could manage to spend on importing coffee every year.

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