Lay on Floor, Stare at Ceiling.

I never finished this post, but since I started a new one, wanted to get the old one out, even if its half-done. Enjoy what I almost wrote:

This is a cool picture. Pretty much the all encompassing picture of 5 different personalities, but yet look at us... closely knit as if there's something that bonds us beyond our knowledge. All of us feeding off of each other over and over, back and forth. Call me crazy, but I think its fair to say that I have 4 best friends pictured here, all for completely different reasons.

For starters, peace sign guy #1 with the glasses is Adrian, better known as DJ Adrian these days at the Sandbar in Scottsdale. As "Gangsta" as he may act in front of the candid camera, AD is your general nice guy. His personality starts and ends with putting others first, with somewhere in there a 'maybe he'll treat himself to a nice car or something' when he has the time. Personally, I think his talents go far beyond a simple DJ, ever proving to me my theory that a DJ is in more ways an Artist than anything else. His creativity and drive for a challenge rubs off on me, such as wanting to paint a huge AZ Cardinal logo on a cornhole boards, instead of just some simple stripes. We did the Cardinal Logo - the boards look fuckin awesome. We had to be up until 5am finishing them - but there he was, in my dining room, all the way till the end touching up the black. He's quick to bust balls, but can take it just as well when it's dished out to him.

Peace sign guy #2 is my Brother, Brian. This picture perfectly describes his personality in one look. A picture really is worth a thousand words. His peace sign is high up, his funny face trying to look badass. This man is always the center of attention, but does it with style. He doesn't try to be cool or trendy, he makes his own cool and his own trend with the way he presents himself. Full of confidence, book smart and successful. And perhaps its our contrasting attitudes that bond us, in that he's much more of a go-getter than I, and I am more of a dreamer of the bigger things than he. But thats not a knock to him - again, thats the reason we bond so well as brothers, he inspires me to push myself, I inspire him to always think of bigger possibilities. On top of all that he's extremely generous - but his generosity is only a small portion of why I value his friendship so much.

The girl with the santa hat is my girlfriend, Alex. I don't think you've seen her before unless you've been on myspace. She's the absolute cliche' yin to my yang. She's the person that supports me the most when all is said and done. She tells me she's proud of me, but continues to drive me further... not to settle or relax, but to plan and execute... but she would love me just the same if I was the same J ten years from now. She's always there for me when I need it the most. She has her own stuff, her own life, her own hopes and dreams much like myself... but she's happy to share it with me with little expectation in exchange. We're a good team, and I could go on for hours why. Hence the reason she's my girlfriend.

The guy with the big head and goatee is me. I have hat-hair.

Then there's Jess. You all know Jess. Pretty much a sister to me, daughter to my parents, more of a family member than cousins these days... considering I don't even know any of my cousins. Her charming, straight forward, but caring personalily is a perfect mesh with ours. She's the sounding board that's there to lend an ear for me to talk away to. And we do. We don't talk very often... but when sitting down with a beer and some fries - it's hours of talking, advice giving, brainstorming. She was the first person to know that I wanted to go into a sound career. She was the first person to know I wanted to become a DJ. She gets updated on all the big stuff. She doesn't sweat the details. Perhaps its a compliment to her to say that she inspires me to relax a little bit - that while my Brother can't sit down for a minute - she's the slow and steady route taker. In the end she always wins.

Now this post isn't simply just a list of compliments to my four best friends. I'm sure you have your own best friends and you have your reasons for that. Its a good possibilty you don't care about my best friends. I'm sure at this point you'd say - I know four people just like the four people you described.

Good.

But I think the point here is, while all of my friends share a different role in my life - they are all equally important to me. They all inspire me in a different way. And while I preach to you sometimes that I am the one that wants to be the inspiration, my point is that now you know where I get my ispiration from. My heroes are my closest friends.

That day was fun, the 5 of us along with the rest of the "For the Birds Tailgate Crew" were big stars that day. Adrian brought his DJ gear, we fried a Turkey, I made badass mashed potatoes... it was amazing. We unveiled the new cornhole boards which everyone couldn't believe their eyes when they saw what Adrian, Alex and I had done. This picture, is from the game later. We were crazy enough to make some new friends - including the guy from shotsofu.com, where this picture is credited to.

Then came Christmas.

You know - every year I have high hopes for Christmas, every year I feel like I'm disappointing. I want to just give and give - because I have parents and family that always hook me up, and so I always look like el-cheapo when I come out with my little gift card. I know its the thought that counts. But for instance: This year, 37 inch flat panel LCD TV. Stainless steel pro cooking set. Last Year: iPod, 8.0 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera. Two Years ago, Laptop computer. My girlfriend, this year - got me a grill! I got her a ticket to Le Reve - with me! LOL - again, this is just comparing oranges to apples, and I know its about the act of giving and sharing and its the thought that counts but... dude! Look what I have to live up to! I'm terrible at buying gifts. It's hard for me - and every year I finally come up with the perfect things, and then I run out of money... or I never have enough to begin with! I keep saying... one of these days I'll be able to afford some nice gifts - whens THAT?

So I always end up depressed every year for getting all this wonderful stuff and not having anything to back it up with. And that's just it! I wish people wouldn't get me stuff! I don't ask for it - it's not like I went to my parents and said Yo I want a 37 inch flat screen, make it happen. No! We should have a shopping limit of $100 a person. Then it will be equal!

But it never is... so I am forever indebted to the people that shower me with gifts like a sweet 16 princess.