"Grand Blanc Swimming and Diving:
A Family With Pride for the Past,
Spirit for the Present,
Dedication for the Future,
And Excellence Always."

Last night, the Grand Blanc Boys' Swimming and Diving Team won all twelve events at Big 9 and set a record with 507 points! The Mountain blew everyone away with the power of his rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner;" I saw Coach* for the first time in forever; and the Mountain, Zach Nie!, and I all wore our old varsity jackets**. The whole thing, from start to finish, was just so much fun. The GBHS Pool, which, by Jove, will one day be renamed the Craig Oldham Natatorium, is magical. It feels like home.

*Mr. Craig William Oldham. To me, he will always be Coach. (Like Mom or Dad, that's just his name.) Sure, Larry Day was head coach my senior year (which he successfully managed to ruin, by the way) and I mean no disrespect for current head coach Matt Pearse (assistant coach to Coach my freshman, sophomore, and junior years; I love Pearse; "Shut up, Pearse!"), but Mr. Oldham will always be Coach.

**I was not a jock in high school, but I loved my varsity jacket. To this day, it is the finest coat I have ever owned. But more than that, I deserved to wear it. I was a three year letterman on a damned good swim team; I earned each and every one of those letters not because I had one iota of talent, but by being the SKP Machine. (If you ever want to see a wistful look in my eye, get me started about the swim team.)

Year One
Over the course of the last year, I have often mentioned a girl named Lindsay. For those of you who may be new to the Secret Base, Lindsay Shaw is one of my best friends in the world. A graduate student in psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, we first met in January 2001. I am in love with her. She knows this, but does not share my feelings. This has been a source of great pain to me. Lindsay is selfish, arrogant, hypocritical, and oversensitive, yet these traits are more than made up for by her humor, intelligence, beauty, and general coolness. She is amazing. At present, Lindsay has a boyfriend, Jake, usually referred to simply as "Lindsay's boyfriend" in the style of Curly's Wife (from Of Mice and Men; come on, people, read a book once in a while), though she is careful not to mention him or their activities together since she knows this causes me pain. The worst part of the whole thing is that she really cares for me - she loves me - just not the way I want her to. I often think I might be happier were we bitter enemies. Nevertheless, I love her. I would burn the world for her. It is my aim to one day win her heart. "He was one hundred and seventy days dying and not yet dead."