Bryan got a job in a hotel restaurant, and I got a job bussing at a cool restaurant called the Artist's Cafe'. I later moved up to a wait position and displayed and sold some of my artwork there (one piece was stolen). While there I met a cool chick named Maria. Bryan's lease was up and he was moving in with his mom for a short while. I was still broke as a joke, and to make things worse, my second Maverick died. Time was running out and I had no options. Then, a girl named Roxie who I knew from high school said she had an extra room. Having no other options, I took it. The problem was - it was in Rock Hill - in a trailer - with no phone. It was a turn for the worse, and getting to work was a pain, as I had to rely on Roxie to drive into Charlotte and back twice a day. There was another girl who lived there named Melissa ("Missy"), who had a couple crazy boyfriends while I was there. It was during this time that Hurricane Hugo hit. I would have slept through it completely, if not for the girls pounding on my door freaking out. We were extremely lucky, considering it was a trailer. Soon (but not soon enough) Bryan told me of an extra room in an apartment in Charlotte. I jumped at it. At least now I could take the bus to work and have a phone. As I was moving out, my friend Beau, who was obsessed with the Middle Ages, The Lord of the Rings, and all things related, did some serious damage to the inside of the trailer with a bow and arrow. I have to admit, it was cool to see. This was the same guy who, once while getting some things out of his car trunk, was approached by some tuffs who tried to mug him - until he reached in the trunk and drew forth a sword on them. Ah yes, good times, good times....
Eventually, Bryan, Mario, Regina, Drew and I moved into a huge place off Providence Road.   Then Regina and I got our own place.   This was 1992. I under went my first hernia surgery, and sat on the couch recuperating watching the first Gulf war.
After a couple years, a few more apartments, and a slew of art classes in a couple schools, I finally wound up in Raleigh where I got certified in computer graphics and animation. Computers weren't as cheap then, so, after graduation, it was awhile before I had one of my own. Initially, upon my return to Charlotte, I had an internship lined up at a graphics company, but the girl who hired me had moved on by the time I arrived back in town. I utilized this time period to create a 3 minute clay animated movie in super 8 mm called A Strange Day For Frankie - a massive undertaking that took a year and a half to complete.   In 1995 my apartment flooded without warning (water up to my waist!). I lost 85% of everything I owned, but I needed to clean house and upgrade anyway. In 1997 I started studying Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee's martial Art). I recorded a tape of 11 songs with my friend Pat (also my sparring buddy) who has since disappeared off the face of the planet.     I considered going back to school for more computer training, but opted to do some traveling instead.   I went out west a couple times to Utah and New Mexico for some skiing, saw the Hoover Dam, and went to Vegas for the first time.   I went to Europe a couple times as well.   During this time period I drove a red 2 door Toyota Celica hatchback.   In 1998 I met Jordan, and frequented Boston during the year she lived there.   It was there that we met Flea.   In 1999 I shaved my head and adopted the sexy look I sport to this day.

More to come...


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