I've got a couple of short ones today. It seems that the newer these journal entries get, the more programming centric they become as I slowly lose myself to the abyss.

Hi. Long time since I last wrote an entry. I've come aways in QB. I have a program that will load .gif files in QB. I also have a program that will make gifs. gotta go bye!

I distinctly remember when I discovered the ability to load external graphics into my QBasic programs; it was something quite magical. Why I didn't go with Windows bitmaps as my format of choice, I don't know (super simple files to read), but what's interesting is that "program that will makes gifs" was none other than the original PSP - Paint Shop Pro. This was my first real interaction with a real graphics program and yet another piece of the puzzle that got me where I am today.

Eighth entry July 2, 2000 Good news. I OWN VBASIC!!! I also own ROGUE SQUADRON! And IT'S a girl!!!!! I also have a web page. Dan is going to mail me Turbo C++ with compiler. We have made a music album. We also have web again. [statement redacted] Leah e-mails me quite often. Well I have to go. Bye!

For my fourteenth birthday, my parents got me a (gimped) version of Visual Basic 6 that I had been eyeing at our local staples for months. I know for a fact that there's a picture of me cradling it with a dreamy look in my eyes hanging around somewhere (hint hint, mom). I also got a bitchin' shark pillow that year (which I appropriately named "Sharkey"). Sadly, Sharkey is no longer with us and spends his days chilling underneath a mountain of trash somewhere west of Bartlesville.

Another interesting bit: the "web" of which I refer to was Juno, a free provider that had the most annoying ad window thingy. But, hey. Free internet without all the restrictions that the AOL software brought to it (no internet for other programs).

It was a simpler time.